Look Out Below

[birthright_npc]

The night was clear and cold. A weather front had blown through the day prior and dropped the evening temps into the thirties. A pale sliver of last-quarter moon hung over the desert, its edges sharp, and only a few wisps of clouds obscured the stars. Into this stark landscape a meteor streaked just before midnight.

It landed on the outskirts of town at the end of a dirt path. The land was part of an old horse ranch, abandoned in the early 1970s, so no family emerged from the cabin to investigate the fiery hole in their property, and no animals paced nervously along the fences.

A cactus sizzled and popped as it caught fire near the crater.

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[daniel_stacy]

A car rambled down the path, jerking and swerving as its driver avoided ruts, most of them created by a flash flood washout the summer prior. Highlights still blazing, the driver cut the car engine and climbed out of his seat. He tucked his keys away and shut the door.

“What the f…..?”

The crater glowed like coals in a dying campfire. He climbed over the old wooden fence and hopped into the pasture. Nothing moved. There were no sounds except for hissing and sizzling, and he wasn’t sure if those came from the cactus or the pit. Heat warmed him as he approached the outer edge of the pit and circled. Was it dangerous to get this close? For instance, was there cosmic radiation to be concerned about? Cancer and his sperm count were two things the vampire didn't have to consider, but who knew what else was on the table?

Daniel looked up, realizing he might want to check the sky for any astronomical buddies before he got flattened.

Look Out Below

[cian_oneill]

Cian's attention was torn between the two across the other side of the crater, the glow from said crater, and the sound, of someone, or something, behind him. Being downwind from the crater meant whoever was behind him was downwind of him, so he couldn't pick up the scent, especially with the assailing of his nose by the burnt scrub and dirt. And the two others.

He thought for a moment, then with one hand shoved in the pocket of his jacket, he moved closer to the crater, eyes watching the other two, ears tuned to whoever or whatever it was behind him.

"Made a bit of a hole," he said, the heat still intense but not enough to stop him from trying to peer over the edge at the contents of the crater.

Re: Look Out Below

[cian_oneill]

Cian lowered his arm, the contents of the pit clearly nothing to do with a simple meteorite, and tried to get a better look at it. He realised the female's instruction was meant for him, or Echo, and he just huffed a laugh.

"After you!" he replied to her, glancing at the the pit then the other two. Echo didn't seem to be affected by the rather bright glow, and the other one, the male who'd been with the female, was now looking around, seemed to be a little more perplexed. The female giving the orders was definitely not human. Her excursion around the pit had sent a very strong twitch across his shoulder blades when she'd passed them. He wasn't sure if the two of them had arrived together, so called out to the male, "she always this bossy?" with a dry laugh.

[daniel_stacy]

A breast creature? Daniel ran a hand into his moussed hair and tugged a bit. The baby alien was officially the second weirdest life form at the meteor site. “So one of us drives back to town, puts a quarter in a pay phone, and drops an anonymous tip. We let them handle it. If they’re coming to ask questions, I don’t want to be here. I’m dead.”

He waved at the new faces.

“Eh, but don’t worry, I’m harmless.”

Daniel reached up to scratch his ear. He did not notice that a remarkable amount of cellular growth was taking place in the crater as the extraterrestrial infant — no, toddler — watched them with interest.