As TA-251 boarded the Salamander which even she found to be a bit of a tight fit given her size relative to the normal human who hadn't been turned into a killing machine, and that same size difference meant that she didn't exactly have a seat for the journey. It also meant that she wouldn't be in the same vehicle as the rest of the survey team who would most likely have plenty of things to discuss about their task that could prove relevant to her duties, while she had to share the trip with bodyguards who'd likely not have much to say to a Thallax.
Isidra smiled in agreement with Erin's sentiment. There were many wonders to explore, of that she was certain, but equally it was a place of potential danger just as much as discovery. "We are here to explore, but who knows what we may face?" she said, looking over the assembled group and their train of supplies and heavier support. "The Omnissiah has a role for all of us, Explorator or no." She meant it, too - not just the empty words of a lackadaisical follower or the canting rote of a zealot. Isidra knew that diverse roles within a team were needed, just as a cogitator had need of both a CPU and memory chips to function optimally.
The crimson courier shuttle touched down in the immediate proximity of the makeshift landing field springing up almost organically around the dropships. The loading ramp descended with a muted hiss of hydraulics. A quartet of crimson robed Tech Guard marched down the ramp fist. Their brass skull masks denoting them as Martian Protectors, the noble Forge Guards of Mars. They swiftly proved the area secure to a satisfactory standard. The whirring of servos heralded the descent of their illustrious charge. The Magos-Errant Judarius Kraven scuttled down the ramp on his brass-gilded stilt legs like a predatory arachnid. His optics scanned the noosphere in the area and locked on the to the signatures of the rest of the team. They were already boarding transports, to his immediate displeasure. [Command: Follow] Judarius spat in a hasty binaric burst. His guards followed their impatient master in earnest, barely managing to keep up with his fevered pace. The salamander transports were already starting up, their combustion engines revving up to speed. All were full save the last transport in line, which had but one occupant, the Thallax automaton, designation TA-251. The fact that he would have to share a transport with so lowly a servant did not improve his mood. None the less, he scuttled inside and found a place to secure himself. He activated the mag-locks in his stilt-legs to secure him to the transport deck plates. His protectors strapped themselves into empty seats. Two sitting to either side of TA-251. Judarius paid Ta-251 no mind, as it was barely above a servitor in sentience as it was. Instead he reached out through the noosphere to his intended contact. Opening a heavily encrypted channel, he extended a greeting to the Magos-Explorator. [Acknowledgement: Greetings my Lady Magos Wright. I am Magos-Errant Judarius Kraven. You no doubt received the data package from my superiors, and as such know why I am here. My Masters hold Archmagos Alessandro Tezla is high regard. He has done much to further our cause. Let us hope you live up to his expectations] His cant was formal, but with an undercurrent of expected skepticism. Wright was untested. She no doubt understood that Judarius was as much a useful asset, as he was insurance. Much hinged on their success. The leaders of the Xenarite Cult expected much from this expedition, if their sources were indeed correct about the supposed Vault. The presence of the Inquisition complicated this however. No doubt they were aware of Judarius' presence. The Ordo Machinum were ever vigilant in that regard. No matter. They had no evidence to doubt his loyalties, but there would be suspicions. There always were. If Lazarus Steele or any of his Inquisitorial lackeys obstructed his objectives, they would be removed . . .
The Crimson Guard eyed the newcomer with as much suspicion as he did the inquisitor. He knew that his sector was considered borderline heretical by both the mars cult and the inquisition. Make matters worse for him was that the crimson guard was still under review as a force of the imperium.
Spoiler just going to say everyone is in the transports now so we can continue With all survey groups mounted up the drivers are ordered to separate into their individual groups and to head to their assigned locations. Law is directed to drive over a newly made bridge over the nearly dry river bead and told to simply follow the compass on the Tauros's dashboard and head west through the plains and that the journey will take at least one day. They had also been given a trailer full of assorted supplies that would be needed to build a small vox tower so they could communicate with the dropship and the outpost once construction is completed. Upon reaching the other side of the bridge the driver of the salamander pulled up to the left side of the tauros and kept even speed with them and created a vox link to allow instant replay communication between the two transports. After a few hours of driving the environment grew more barren the red grass disappeared and left a pale gravel and sand with small dots of strange vegetation including large red mushrooms and large dome shaped fungus that copied the color of the ground. Even the tall grass here was different in the small patches it grew it it was clearly a dark green. Suddenly the two vehicles spot a massive two legged creature much different than the smaller yet still very large herbivores they had spotted while driving. The creature was low to the ground even for it's suggested size and it appeared to be stalking a herd of three legged creature with large thorn like growths on their backs that appeared to be grazing on tall green grass. From what the spotters could see the bipedal creature was just as if not slightly larger than an Imperial knight and it was on the hunt making short burst of sound as it slowly stalked up on it's supposed prey. Then with a sudden burst of speed it charged them sending the thornbacked creatures into a panicked stance then herd bolted away from it their tripped all frams making them gallop with the larger predator sprinting towards them making even louder bursts of sound. Spoiler Upon watching them it was clear that the gigantic stampede was heading in the direction of the transports and that stranger still none of the creatures appeared to have eyes and they all and some form of bioluminescence upon their bodies in one way or another. Instinctually the driver of the salamander floored his accelerator and drove out of the way and the mago's bodyguards went into action manning the auto cannon and heavy bolter mounted onto the slamander's chassis. However do to it's modifications the tauros was unarmed and had a heavy trailer full of valuable suplies attached to it.
"I request an opening" as the servitor spoke he started to move to the rear hatch his torsion cannon speeding into life as he looked around "i ask as with this claw i can not realy open a door"
Isidra was not expecting to have such communications, but she recognised the noospheric contact instantly for what it was. Arch-Magos Tezla had frequently used such methods to speak on a more private frequency. She replied with the correct and secure protocols herself: Message received, Magos-Errant Kraven. It is a pleasure to have company from a like-minded explorer on this mission. I look forward to exchanging data with you and to have your input into my analysis would be invaluable. You need not be concerned that I will let my mentor down; I assure you his reputation is foremost in my mind, as are his teachings. Isidra would have spoken further now that the initial pleasantries were over, but she was aware of the fast-approaching herd of tripod-creatures. She spoke calmly to the driver of the Tauros: "Evasive action.If we do not have the speed to outrun the hred, make for higher ground, or find something solid like a rocky outcrop to shelter behind - they should part around a large enough obstacle." Isidra was not a fighter in the physical sense, but she knew the value of clear, solid direction in an emergency.
Judarius did not waste time. He had no intention of being crushed by lowly pack beasts. [Command: Driver, accelerate and get the convoy moving. Immediately!]
"We have set in motion. Omnissiah is pleased." Ohm states with electric voice. His electro-tattoos light up as sparks move fast across his body.
"I assume we cannot ask it nicely to simply go away, right...?" Erin said unsure with a mixed smile. He just remembered why he loved his old position on the shipyards again... How by the Omnissiah would they survive this? Perhaps his Las-Pistol would help, well... If he was out there, not in here. "So I am with Isidra here and suggest flight!" The Techpriest added to his priorly stated rhetoric question and held on to whatever he could. Several prayers to family, Omnissiah and even lady luck were sent in attempt to survive this horrid situation, due to lack of alternating the situation to any degree whatsoever.
