(OOC: Sounds interesting! I don't think I was in the first one, but...

Anyway...I'll have to think about what character to put in here...(probably NOT Reni) but for now...i hve a headache...)

Today... will be a good day. At least that's what Lyla thought. Unfortunately, the ****storm that took place certainly killed any hope of that. Her boss requested that she immediately report to the scene and gather information on what the hell just happened downtown. On her day off. Perfect. If there was one thing she didn't like, that was having to deal with this kind of thing on her own day off. It was already evening of course, but the point remained.

However, with no choice at all, she boarded her own hovercraft, making her way towards the scene of the "crime", whatever whoever caused it. The machine was light blue tint, giving off a light "watery" feel to it's color scheme. It had four doors on the sides, each one opening up for four different seats allowing four people to sit in the vehicle.

At once the machine came to a complete stop, only a number of feet removed from the site of the incident. Soon the door opened up, and a young women, in her mid-20's came out with a rather serious look on her face. She wasn't angry, but at the same time she wasn't pleased either. Who would be, being dragged out here on your own day off?

Heaving a heavy sigh, the woman turned her head to face the scenery and what appeared to be some kind of kid. Apparently he hadn't realized what had just happened here. She slowly moved towards him, crouching down on her knees and giving a firm but serious expression. "Okay kiddo, you have any idea what the hell happened out here? I know you look a bit shaken up, but you can do this much for me at least.". He seemed a bit out of it, but hopefully he would at least take the time to notice her and answer her question.

It took about a second for Lyla to finish speaking for Ash's mind to process what she'd said, drawn as he was to the circle on the ground.
"...ah?" he replied, blinking and looking round at her in surprise. He blinked a few more times upon realising the woman before him was an agent of WEAPONS, the system-wide peace-keeping organisation. That much he could tell by her outfit, as she was wearing the white clothing of a regular peace-keeping agent, with the organisation's name emblazoned clearly across the right side of her top. Workers for the Enforcement and Assurance of Peace and Order in the Nautilus System had been formed a long time ago, shortly after the end of the interplanetary conflicts that had arisen in what were considered less enlightened times. Now they acted as a system-wide measure to make sure the inhabitants of the individual planets didn't decide to try blowing each other up again.
But why would a WEAPONS agent be here? Ash thought to himself briefly, until he remembered that, of course, he'd just narrowly avoided being fried by what could well have been an orbital death ray for all he knew.
"...uhm. Well... I was just making my way home, here... and next thing I knew I narrowly avoided getting fried." the fox told her plainly. "Seriously, some huge beam of light just... came out of the sky, did this." he added, pointing at the smouldering circle, which now had started to cool. The scorched earth and grass could now be seen to have some kind of complex markings etched in it, but he hadn't a clue what the heck it all meant. "...oh and uhm, that's where this mess came from." he added sheepishly as he indicated the mud stains along the side of his shirt and trousers where he'd thrown himself out of the way. "That's all I know, really." he concluded, becoming vaguely aware of the flashing lights of emergency services vehicles approaching.

"I see," She responded swiftly, revealing a small machine that she held in her palm. Pressing a few buttons on-screen, she appeared to be assembling a report of some kind, using a recording of Ash's answer to supplement the report thus far. "You don't seem to have any kind of history, so I suppose your story checks out,"

Putting the device away in a pocket, she quickly said to him "You should definitely get yourself checked out soon, you never know if you've torn something from the impact and not known it," She told him, assuming his explanation was true. Although he was indeed very tall, taller than she was! (And Lyla at six feet tall was pretty tall for a women her age!), he still might have hurt something without realizing it at the moment. However, only interviewing one witness would not prove to be nearly enough either. It looked like Lyla might be stuck around here for a while, considering that this incident seemed to attract people like flies to a carcass.

            It was
getting late, that much was certain when a dark tan fox took a quick glance at
her watch. “Ah, cripes… I’m going to be late… again…” said the vixen as she
slumped back in her seat. The bus was going at a slightly slow rate as some
commotion or another had caused traffic to be redirected away from its standard
route. She twirled a stylus in her hand as she waited impatiently for the bus
to begin moving once more.

            She flipped
open a small PDA that she had been given by her employer, rushing through
screens and screens for an article that might catch her interest, and maybe
bring her some work. She was an intern at a local law firm, working her way
through law school.  “Oh, crud…” she
said, finding nothing.

            The bus
eventually came to a stop, landing gently next to the curb. She stood up and
walked out, the public shuttle soon taking off and leaving her behind. She
strode into the park, humming a merry tune to herself, before it finally dawned
on her. “Wait… this isn’t my stop, is it? I should be at the offices, but this
looks nothing like the offices…” she said, scratching her head under her light
tan hair, “Oh, dear… I’m lost again…” She looked about, trying to get her
bearings and find a quick way to her law offices. She soon spotted two figures
not all that far away. She rushed over to the two, waving her hands about. “Hi!
I’m Eve Strauss. I work over at…” she went silent all of a sudden, “Wow you two
are tall…”

Ash had been about to tell Lyla he felt just fine, when he was interrupted by another female voice.
"Hi! I'm Eve Strauss, I work over at..." the voice trailed off as its owner reached himself and the WEAPONS agent. "Wow, you two are tall..."
He turned to look at who it was who'd just spoken, and clapped eyes on a well-dressed lady fox holding a PDA.
"Uhm, hi." he ventured. Why'd she have to turn up when I'm in such a mess? he thought to himself in slight annoyance. "I get that a lot." he added in response to her remark about height; although now she'd mentioned it, Lyla was no dwarf either - the woman was only six inches shorter than himself, making her a contender for tallest woman he'd ever met.

Speaking of Lyla, her expression rather clearly stated that she didn't need another thing to deal with on top of what'd just happened right now, especially when today was supposed to be her day off. Eve wasn't a witness to what'd just taken place, and apparently had some issues of her own needing assistance. Something the cops could probably handle - and as fortune would have it, they were now on the scene as well. That would be a help - indeed, they were already preparing to put a barrier up round the impact site. Thankfully, this woman who'd just shown up didn't seem to be with the media, so that was at least a plus...

"...uh, my name's Ash." Ash continued, deciding that Lyla probably had more pressing things to take care of right now. "Is, uh, something the matter?"

OOC:
Hukos, hope that wasn't too out of character for Lyla's thought processes. Just lemme know if anything needs changed

Lyla indeed was not a member of the media. She didn't care for them either, being a member of WEAPONS and all. It was hard enough reading the local paper knowing what her job was without throwing up. But enough about that.

She assumed Ash's question was directed at the other lady fox and thus, didn't really answer it at all. After thinking for a bit, Lyla realized that she wasn't a witness and just somehow ended up here. Might as well let her know that something had gone down. Stepping towards her, Lyla cleared out her throat and quickly began "Lyla, Brangwin. 1st Class WEAPONS Officer," indicating her own rank to her, letting her know what was up. "Miss, you do realize there was an incident here, correct?" Lyla reminded her, tightening the gloves she was wearing as she spoke. They were specially designed to increase her grip on whatever she may have used, and useful for other officer-relating things. It would have been difficult to notice, but at her right side, was a holster which held her signature weapon: A pair of very sharp-edged slicers. Long-range weapons that can easily cut through flesh but might not be the best fit to deal with those that are heavily armed. She was an officer after all, so she had to be armed just in case, even in the most trivial mission.

"And yes, I'm tall. Just a matter of genetics I suppose," She chuckled. Her height definitely allowed her to maintain a slightly more intimidating look when she wanted to. It helped when you were an officer. People were more likely to be afraid of a tall officer than a short one, after all.

"Thankfully they're setting up barriers around here," She muttered. This would keep people irrelevant to the incident out of it, and out of her way! For now though, she should interview anyone else who was a witness to what happened here, whoever they may be....

OOC: It's fine.

         The vixen looked up at the officer. WEAPONS. She vaguely recalled seeing that organization in the local paper recently, alongside a lawsuit. "So... You're from WEAPONS?" she questioned, still not sure what that meant exactly. The memory of the lawsuit had peaked her interest, but in all honesty, such things were not unheard of. On top of that, she couldn't remember what the suit had been about. "I work for Hammond and Riker Law Firm. I seem to have gotten on the wrong bus. So... you say that something happened here?"

         Eve looked around, noting the strange circle, tilting her head to the side as she stared into it. "What is that...?" she asked, not expecting an answer, "Oh crud... I need to get to the office!" she started off, turning in a random direction, before stopping an facing those gathered in the park once more. "Um... Which way to the Law Offices of Hammond and Riker?"

Ash tilted his head bemusedly.
"Uhm... will your office even be open at this time of night? I mean... it's nearly half past six..." he pointed out. Not that he was all that familiar with the hours that law offices kept, but he wouldn't expect one to be open this late unless there was someone there working on a big case. Mind you, perhaps that was what Eve was about. That, or she was a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket. His attention was drawn, though, toward a nearby entrance to the park.

As the three of them had been stood there, a broadcast vehicle had now shown up, and its crew emptied out into the park with their equipment in hand. That had gleaned the attention of some of the police, who now moved to ensure none of the news crew got too close to the cordoned off patch of grass. Ash's ears pinned back at the noise, and he glanced round at Eve again.
"Y'know what? Why don't I give you a hand getting the right bus?" he offered, deciding that right now he'd rather help out someone who was either lost or crazy than hang around and have to deal with possible media attention. It wasn't that he disapproved of journalists and their ilk as such - it was just that he'd never been one for being the centre of attention, especially not that of a broad audience. He started moving for the nearby exit that would lead back toward his home, and also, he knew, to a bus stop. He took a brief glance back at Lyla as he went, and noticed that she now seemed to be on a communicator to someone...

WEAPONS HQ Arcadia II Branch, Location Classified. 6:32pm, Central Standard Time.
"So you've had word from one witness so far, Officer Brangwin?"
The question came from the mouth of a man sat behind a desk in a sizable office. Before the desk stood an assortment of other WEAPONS officials, listening intently to the conversation as it was carried out, audible through the speakerphone on the man's desk.
"That's right, sir. The police have arrived and cordoned off the impact site. We should be able to investigate with little or no interruption."
"Good work, Lyla." the man continued. "Our investigation team are already being mobilised, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to hold on until they get there. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course, sir." came the reply. "So long as they're prompt about it..."
"You can have tomorrow off work to compensate my unreasonable requests, Lyla." her superior replied kindly. "That will be all, unless you have anything else to report?"
"Nothing at this stage sir... and thank you." Lyla replied. "Lyla out."
There was a click as the call ended, and a murmur of conversation among the assembled officials before the man behind the desk motioned for silence.
"We're fortunate." he began. "A sole confirmed witness to the event - though granted there may be others. Nevertheless, we have an ideal grasp on the situation."
"What is the situation, if you don't mind giving us a run-down of that, sir?" enquired one of the officials stood before him. He was a tall, black furred wolf with a frown on his face. The man at the desk straightened up in his chair, and carefully adjusted his spectacles before clearing his throat.
"At approximately 6:17pm this evening, a significant electromagnetic energy surge was detected in our planet's atmosphere. The source of the surge managed to avoid pinpoint detection, even from satellite and ground unit detection sweeps. We have only an approximate idea of the origin, and further scans of the area in infra-red, UV, you name it... they all found nothing."
"...shouldn't that be technically impossible?" queried another officer, a medium-sized human woman with red hair.
"Yes." her bespectacled superior replied. "And that's what's troubling. We're dealing with the unknown. Thankfully, no-one has been hurt. But it is imperative we ascertain our unseen message writer's intentions, and quickly."
"How long can we keep this one under wraps, do you think?" asked a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a lab coat adorning his shoulders. "After all, I for one would like as long as possible to study whatever technology is behind this, assuming we are able to see it up close or retrieve it."
"I'm not sure. We've no way of knowing if or when the entity will make itself known again, or how it will act. There is only one thing we do know at this point - and that is that thus far, no-one has claimed responsibility."
"So basically, all we know right now is that we don't know anything." remarked the wolf.
"Essentially, yes. Hence why I want you all to be vigilant for any similar phenomena occurring. At this point there are only a select few possibilities. One, we are dealing with visitors from elsewhere, possessing technology capable of surpassing our own. Two, someone has executed an extremely elaborate hoax. Or three..." the man trailed off, not really wanting to complete his sentence.
"...or three, we're dealing with something that's been here on this planet for a far longer time than anything else." finished a voice from the back. It belonged to a snowy owl, his advanced years made apparent in his voice and physical features. His statement was met with assorted murmurings, and reactions ranging from bemusement to contempt writing themselves on the faces of his peers.
"...as our colleague stated." their superior nodded. "You're all versed enough in history to know of the cataclysm that enveloped the whole system several millennia ago. Records from the era previous to that are scant and incomplete, but there have been instances of relics recovered now and again, dating from such times - and occasionally in partially working order. We owe much of what we know of modern science to the study of such objects, as they've been shown to possess a level of technological achievement and advancement equal to or even beyond what we currently possess. Although unlikely, the possibility exists that such objects may even still exist in working order in our modern world, but we have been unable to locate them."
"I can already see the fanatics having a field day if it's something like that." the red-haired woman piped up.
"Oh, of that I have no doubt." the man behind the desk nodded. "There's no question that such a discovery as that would stir up the debate over whether the Authors ever existed or not once more. And I'm well aware each of you have your own views on it also - but I would remind you all to act with the integrity and neutrality WEAPONS represents regardless of what we find."
He got to his feet. "Dismissed for the time being. Further orders will be given in due course."

(OOC: I was given the go ahead (I think?) for an altered version of Reni for this...and her BF Surge is here too)

IC:

"What was that light?"

'Whatever it was...it made my quills go all crazy." The speaker brought his hands up to smooth out his staticy maroon spines...but as soon as he let go, they stuck straight out again, prompting a sigh from their owner.

The two hedgehogs were standing on the pariphery of the park, staring in the direction of the event that neither one quite believed.

"We should see if anyone's hurt." The first speaker started into the park, her long violet quills glinting in the fading light.

"Waitaminute, Reni...What if they're searching for us?"

"THIS far?" The purple hedgehog snorted. "Nobody knows where we went...and frankly, I don't see why the law enforcement here would care about a runaway princess from some tiny, obscure kingdom on the other side of the planet."

"But...your marking--"

"--Is hidden under this cloak...and I don't think they'd know what it meant anyway."

"But..."

"Relax. We're not gonna get deported, ok?  I wanna find out what that was!"

TBC

(OOC:  Hmm...coulda been better...but...*shrug*)

Lyla quickly received the message from her boss and nodded, acknowledging what he had told her. She would have to wait until the rest of the force got there to make sure everything was sealed off. From there on out, she closed up the device and placed it into a pocket, and let her eyes dash about, scanning the rest of the scene. She had to make sure no one suspicious got out of here, nor did anyone suspicious get in either. So far, she saw no one of that ilk, but you never know when someone like that might happen.

         Eve's eyes widened at the disclosure of the time. She looked up into the sky to see that it was getting dark out. "Oh, no... I missed a whole day of work..." she moaned, tears starting to form in her eyes, "What am I gonna do? I can't afford to get fired again..." She fell to her knees, sobbing a bit. She sat back and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Sorry. I don't mean to whine." she offered, calmer now, "This was my last strike, as they said. I was doing so well, too..."

        She reached up and grabbed a locket she wore around her neck. She opened it and showed the picture within to the fox before her. "This is my grandmother. We're having a hard time making the payments for her recent surgery." She placed the locket back where it had been. "Sounds just like something from an old story, doesn't it?"

(OOC: That's just fine VW :3)

Ash couldn't help feeling very sympathetic toward Eve. If her story was true, it sounded like she was in quite a bind...
"It does, a bit." he nodded at her question. "...look, don't give up hope yet, OK? There's bound to be something you can do." Although damned if I know what... he thought to himself, as he offered her a hand up from where she'd fallen to her knees. "Should I call a cab home for you?"

Meanwhile in the park itself, the local media were in full swing, making a fuss over the police presence and that of a WEAPONS agent as well. The police had managed to cordon off the impact site, not allowing anyone near it bar Lyla as she waited on the arrival of the research team. So it was that a pair of hedgehogs advancing on the scene now found a camera thrust into their faces and a rapid-fire volley of questions launched at them from an enthusiastic tabby feline reporter with a microphone.
"Excuse me! Were you here for the incident? Did you see what happened? What did you make of it? What do you think they're not letting us see?"

         Noting the reporters who had turned up, Eve's mood took a turn for the worse. "Oh, no... My boss hates reporters, but more than that... he hates people in newspapers..." she commented, holding her head, "You know... Now that I think about it, it's kind of odd for a lawyer to hate reporters and newspapers... Maybe has has bad childhood memories..." She trailed off and began to walk off in a random direction, lost in thought. If she kept up the way she was, she would end up hopelessly lost once more.

         She shook herself to her senses, looking around slightly shocked. "How did I get over here?" she asked to no one in particular. She hurried back to the off-white fox, smiling sheepishly. "A cab? Um... Sure, why not!" she shouted, giddily, probably with no real destination in mind.

IC:

Surge tensed imperceptibly, his already unruly quills floofing out more in anxiety, mumbling, "Oh no...paparazzi..."

Serenity glanced at him. "Would you relax?" She turned to the reporters, trying to hide her own irritation at having the mic shoved in her face. She had to retain her nonchalant appearance however and hope the reporters didn't make any inferences about her partner's anxiety. "Ok...1: Yes and no. 2: We saw this weird beam of light hit the ground...but we weren't close enough to tell what it was. 3: Uh...it's wierd? and 4: Not exactly sure how to answer that." She rattled off simple answers to each rapidfire question. And....knowing she'd regret it, she added, "Any more questions?"

TBC

(OOC: Bleh...I had something better in mind...but...I lost it. *shrug*)

A young human woman with long white hair and pale blue eyes blinked rapidly to clear her vision. That light -- it couldn't be natural. And it seemed dangerous. She got to her feet, stuffing the book she was reading into her backpack and brushing the remains of her snack off her long skirt. Slightly unusual was the sword at her side, suspended from a broad sword belt about her waist. The blade was peacebound, for safety reasons.

She couldn't get close to the burned area, but she did raise her voice over the clamour of the reporters. "Does anyone need medical attention?" she asked, pitching her voice to carry. Her bag carried a first-aid kit, among other things, and she had been given some medical training. She saw a pair of foxes, but aside from the one seeming a bit distracted neither appeared harmed. She scaned the area, noting that a tall WEAPONS agent is doing something similar.

Ash's brow furrowed slightly in concern.
"Are... you alright, Ms Strauss?" he asked in a slightly worried fashion. Her behaviour seemed a little strange - he was beginning to get the impression that she may be a few pages short of a brief, as he started walking toward the side of the road to flag down a taxi.

As Ash lead Eve toward the road, another vehicle arrived on the scene, just over at the other side of the park from where they'd left. It was a sleek black van, with the WEAPONS insignia emblazoned on the side. The side door opened, and the vehicle's passengers promptly got out, heading into the park and toward the impact site. There were seven of them in total, wearing an assortment of WEAPONS uniforms. To any other agent, or anyone familiar enough with their dress code, they were clearly identifiable as two members of the security force, two officers of similar rank to Lyla, and three researchers. Two bodyguards, two crowd controllers, three scientists, in simpler terms. They moved as one toward the impact site, completely disregarding the media presence and any questions fired their way, and began to converse with the police. After a brief word of discussion, the researchers were allowed past the barrier and closer to the impact site. Their bodyguards stayed close, leaving only the two officers, who for the moment seemed primarily concerned with looking out for any potential troublemakers.

Serenity meanwhile found herself abruptly relieved of media attention. Her interviewer had been about to utter something more in response to whether there were any more questions, but the moment more WEAPONS agents turned up the reporter and her crew only had eyes for them instead, following them toward the impact site and trying to get a better look at what was behind the police barrier. The crowd control officers promptly started shooing them back, aside from the tall woman who'd been there already and now looked like she was happy to be relieved of guard duty. At about the same time as this, there came a call from nearby asking if anyone required medical attention...

TBC

(Quick OOC note: Hukos, small change in plan from what we discussed. I'll chuck Lyla's new friend at her later after she's had opportunity to talk to other people ;p)

(Long time no see shy :o)

Lyla was glad to finally be relieved of guard duty, now she could get out of here! However, she did manage to hear a young woman's voice over the horizon. It certainly got her interest, so picking herself up, she moved to the sound of the voice and noticed her through the crowd, asking if anyone needed medical attention. Was she a doctor or something? That was the first thought that came to Lyla's mind. "Yo," She answered casually. The woman was perfectly fine, she was a WEAPONS officer after all. Kinda hard to be one if you can't take care of yourself. The first thing Lyla noticed was the sword handle at her waist. That was odd. She didn't have a very intimidating expression, but then again she could be a "Sleeping Giant" type. You know, they don't seem much at first, but piss them off and there can be a world of hurt. Lyla quickly detucted that since she had a sword she must have been a close-range fighter. Lyla was much better at mid-range fighting, but could get close if she had to. But she also called out if anyone needed medical help... a sword-medic fighter? That was certainly interesting, if true. The only thing worse than a tank was a tank that could heal... well most sword-users are tanks, she may not be. Who knew.

"What are you doing out here?" Lyla quickly asked her, her tone sharp but not quite demeaning either. It was very serious, one that indicated she was only curious but also wanted answers. Another reason to ask her, was to see what her reaction would be.

((Hey Hukos. *glomp*))

"I was close by when the light came out of the sky," the young lady replied. "I have training as a healer, so I'm here to see what I can do to help. You don't seem to be harmed, though. Is everyone okay?" She wasn't hearing any sounds of people in pain, but it didn't hurt to ask. Her voice carried a sense of efficiency, a desire to get things accomplished swiftly but well. She respected the other woman's authority, but those injured really had to come first.

Her sword was older, the scabbard black leather with silver interlace tooled into it, the crossguard a pair of dragon's wings unfurling on either side of the round gemstone set in the hilt.

(*Is glomped*

It's been too long. You have IM of any kind?)

"Fortunately there are no injuries. Everything is being barricaded so that investigation can proceed as soon as possible," She told her with a nod. "Trust me, I'm the last person around here likely to get hurt, I can take care of myself," She grinned. The slicers are her sides were noticeable, but Lyla had other abilities that weren't shown yet. She could take care of most of her duties with just her slicers, why show your enemy everything you have?

         They stood by the curb, waiting for a cab to pass by. Eve looked up at the grayish fox, getting a better look at him. "You have pretty fur." she blurted out, without any hesitation or restraint. She still seemed a little dazed from earlier. "Thank you for taking the time to help me. You're sweet." she said, looking back out over the roadway, "I doubt that anyone else would be so kind." She pulled her PDA out of her pack and began to fiddle with it, running through pages and documents with an almost superhuman speed. She sighed, putting the device away. "What am I going to do with all that information now? It's not like I'll be needing it anymore." she said, suddenly shaking her head, "Anyway, I'll need to repay you somehow. Maybe coffee?"

The young woman relaxed. "Ah, that's good to hear. I'm glad everyone is okay." Remembering her manners, she stuck out a hand. "I'm Raia. I live nearby, within walking distance." Raia gestured over her shoulder at apartment buildings rising not too far away. Now that she's not worried about others, it occured to her that the light had struck awfully close to home. Was her apartment a safe place to be staying? "I know that you probably have dealt with enough questions from reporters, but do you think it likely that there will be another one of...whatever that was in the near future? Should I consider staying at a hotel for the night or something?"

"I'm not a part of the investigative team, I was just here to make sure the place was secured," She answered, relaying her own duties to her. "That's all, for today at least," She quickly added, before she introduced herself and expressed her own concerns with it possibly happening again.

"I don't know, Raia. Officers are rarely privy to that kind of information unless it's relevant to the current objective. "Maybe your place is fine, maybe it isn't. All I can tell you is stay on guard and don't let y our defenses down," She warned. There was no telling if this was a one-time thing or it could happen again.

Ash blinked briefly at the sudden compliment. "Uhm, thanks..." he replied in a slightly bashful manner, having been caught off guard by the remark. As he saw a taxi approaching, he waved a hand at it and whistled loudly, and the vehicle came to a stop. "So where are you headed?" he asked Eve as he walked toward the stationary cab.

The clamour of reporters was beginning to die down somewhat as the police and WEAPONS crowd controllers finally saw to issuing an official statement. This was promptly taken in enthusiastically by the assorted journalists present, and then hastily relayed back to their studios. Due to them all talking at once, it was difficult for those in earshot to clearly make out all they were saying, but the gist of it was that apparently a particle beam of as-yet unestablished origin had impacted an area of approximately three metre radius in New Exile City's Edenia Park. Damage to the area was minimal, with barely even a crater. WEAPONS agents were now studying the scene to ascertain the beam's origin. At this stage, no-one had claimed responsibility. The rest of it was the usual stuff about asking citizens to continue their lives as normal but stay alert, etc.

It seemed like, as per what police and so forth always say in these situations, there was nothing more to see here...

Arcadia II airspace, approximately 10,000ft above New Exile City. 6:52pm, CST.
Far above Edenia Park, a small object sat motionless in the air. There was no discernible sound of engines coming from it, nor exhaust fumes emanating from it. It simply hung in the air, like a ball thrown upwards that had reached the apex of its flight, but had decided to enjoy the view for a bit. A pair of lifeless eyes whirred silently, focusing on the scene far below unfolding around the impact site, scanning the surroundings. After watching the goings-on for a few minutes, it spread its wings and sped away...

TBC

       The vixen thought for a moment, the fact of how lost she had gotten weighing on her thoughts. "Well, even though I'm late, I should probably still go to work, huh... I know! I'll get the boss a gift!" she shouted as she started to run off to the side, only stopping short of the curb. She turned and looked at her new found friend, scratching the back of her head. "Um... Where is the nearest gift shop?" She had lived in this town for a long time, that was for certain, but she had never had a good sense of direction.

       She returned to Ash's side, grabbing a hold of his sleeve. "I think I'll stick with you until the cab gets here. Heheh..." she laughed weakly.

"Uhm... cab's already here." Ash replied, raising an eyebrow as he headed toward it. How in the world is she managing to hold a job at a legal firm? he wondered. He decided that her employers must be the kind that couldn't bear to turn away a soul in need... although keeping in mind that they were lawyers, he found that one difficult to believe.
"It's almost seven pm now as well." he added, glancing at his watch. "You'd probably be as well heading home and getting things sorted out tomorrow morning. Just make sure to set your alarm, y'know?" he continued with a friendly smile. "Where is home for you, anyway?" he asked, taking a glance toward the taxi. He wasn't sure at this point if Eve would be able to keep focused long enough to tell the driver where she was going.

       Eve stared at the fox silently, her ears slowly drooping as her eyes widened. "I... Um... No?" she stuttered as she tried to remember where her home was in a panic, "I always take a bus, so I don't know where it is... I'm not even sure where I am now..." She poked her fingers together, staring at them, tears almost forming in her eyes. "I'm never going to get home, am I?" She glanced up at Ash, hopefully. "You... wouldn't happen to know where I live... would you?" It was a stupid question, and she knew it, but she honestly had no idea where her home was.

Ash blinked a few times in surprise. "I... no, I don't." he said truthfully, cocking his head to one side in bemusement. He frowned, starting to think the situation over. She's obviously lost, that much is certain. She doesn't seem to know where she lives, only where she works... amnesia perhaps? How long has she been this way, I wonder? He straightened up then, coming to a conclusion. Whatever the case... it wouldn't be good to leave her alone in this state. Who knows where she might wander, and what sort of people she could run into? Mum always said never to pass up an opportunity to make a positive difference...
"...say." he said, slowly, keeping his tone even. "If you're lost, and all... you can crash on my couch if you want. Maybe you'll feel better tomorrow, perhaps remember a few things?" he glanced around, then back at Eve. "I wouldn't feel right leaving a vulnerable woman out on her own when it's getting dark, after all." he added, hoping for the life of him that he wasn't sounding too creepy, forward or inappropriate.

          Her face perked up in an exaggerated smile as she snorted out a giggle. She then brushed her hair out of her face and recomposed herself. "I would appreciate that a lot." she said, thanking the grayish fox. She wrapped her arm around his own, not wanting to get separated. "You really are sweet, you know that?" she commented, looking up at him with a grin. She then instinctively leaned into his side, resting her head on him, a yawn escaping her. She seemed to be getting tired, all of this sudden excitement perhaps being to much for her.

"It's no problem..." Ash replied, very aware of her leaning on him all of a sudden. He helped her into the back of the taxi, seating himself as well - in her current state, walking back was probably not a good idea if he didn't want to end up having to carry her.
"Where're yer goin' then?" asked the cab driver as Ash pulled the door shut.
"Not far." Ash replied. "252 Archer Street."
"Gotcher."

"You have no new messages."
The automated alert from the communications system informed Ash of this as he entered his apartment, with Eve close behind. "So, uh, this is my place." he commented, stating the obvious. It wasn't an especially large apartment, but it wasn't tiny either - and the furniture looked to be functional and comfortable. "Make yourself at home, I guess." he added as he headed into the kitchenette. It had been a somewhat exhausting day, and seeing Eve looking so tired was beginning to affect him as well. He came back out with a bottle of soda in hand, fresh from the fridge, and plonked himself down in a chair. He looked over at Eve.
"So, uhm... anything you can remember about yourself, excluding where you're from?" he ventured. "Oh and uh, lemme know if you're thirsty or whatever, or if you'd rather just sleep."
It was now about half past seven.

Meanwhile...
Back in Edenia Park, the WEAPONS analysis team were busily working away. Once it had become clear that no-one was going to be admitted past the cordon to look at the impact site, the media interest had petered out and the news crews had headed away. This left only the impact site investigation team, plus Lyla, Raia, and the hedgehogs whom the media had initially pestered still in the vicinity.
It was now that one of the other WEAPONS officers, dressed similarly to Lyla, approached the same. He was an avian, a bald eagle to be exact, and he stood the same height as Lyla, give or take an inch or two. His eyes were golden yellow and had a keen gaze to them, and he had an air of confidence bordering on arrogance about him.
"Lyla, isn't it?" he inquired of her as he extended a hand to her. "I'm Officer Opteryx, 2nd Class - but, just call me Solus. The brass wants us working together on this investigation at the lower levels."

        The young vixen yawned, not quite realizing how exhausted she had become. She tilted her head to the side, a little confused at what Ash had meant. "Well, I'm thirty years old this month." she blurted out. Despite being at such an age, she still looked and acted like she was no more than thirteen. She sat down on the couch, fluffing a pillow and leaning against it. She sat like a proper girl, modest and polite, however, he face was beginning to show signs of how tired she had become. She swayed a bit before plopping to the side, out cold.

Ash had been about to open his mouth and respond, but he noticed Eve swaying and then watched as she toppled over on her side, asleep. He smiled a little, at that.
"Well, that's one way of letting me know if you're tired." he remarked quietly so as not to disturb her. He rose from his seat and stifled a yawn. It still wasn't that late yet, so he could probably fit in some tasks before bed... it was about now he noticed something from earlier.
"Oh yuck, I forgot about this mud!" he muttered to himself. His clothes were still stained muddy brown and green from where he'd taken a tumble in the park in the process of evading the particle beam. Heading through to his bedroom, he shed the soiled clothes and found some clean things to wear. A bit of rummaging in a closet rewarded him with a spare blanket for his guest, which he brought back through with him. After throwing the muddy clothes in the wash, he carefully spread the blanket over the sleeping Eve, and headed back through to his room to leave her in peace so she could rest.
Hmmm... thirty this month? So twenty-nine currently... it's within the margin... he mused to himself as he did some mental arithmetic. He then nearly smacked himself for thinking about it. Just because she complimented you, it doesn't mean anything. And besides, she's got other things to think about! And so have you! he mentally chided himself and settled in his room, turning his attention to the computer. It seemed that some distraction was in order, and the internet would provide it.

He was completely unaware of the object sat in a nearby tree, its attention focused on his apartment's front window...

"At the lower levels, eh?" She responded with a similar confidence as he held. "Alright, just be sure to make yourself useful during the investigating," Lyla warned. She wasn't being mean, she was just being honest. If she was gonna work with her, he better know what he's doing. As a kind gesture, she shook his hand momentarily but let go moments later. "Well then. Since I have tomorrow off, we best get to work today," She cackled. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy her days off, oh the contrary. Those were the best! However she also was a big believer in hard work as well, for herself and those around her.

Solus nodded approvingly to Lyla.
"Well, you're essentially my superior on this, so let me bring you up to speed on what we've figured out so far." he began. "Based on readings taken of the blast, and the minimal environmental damage at the impact site, the analysts are saying that they don't think this was a preemptive strike, weapons test, or a declaration of hostilities."
Lyla nodded. "Go on."
"Well, now they're scratching their heads over what the purpose was of this. We don't know what's responsible for it still, and they're now left with the question of what exactly the responsible entity was trying to achieve. They've a few theories, though." he continued, adding that last sentence in a low voice, before glancing at Raia briefly, then back to Lyla. "But it's not something for civilian ears." he said pointedly.

Raia nodded. She can take a hint. "I'll be going, then. It's probably time I started fixing dinner, anyhow." The young woman turned to leave, and was soon back at her apartment unless someone stopped her. The mysterious light had her concerned, but as Lyla had pointed out, they really didn't have any information at this point. She's probably as safe in her apartment as anywhere else, all things considered. Still, she was going to have to see if she couldn't get more information tomorrow.

Turning back to her current partner in the investigation, she asked him curiously "Okay, she should be gone by now, what theories are they?" She asked. The woman was already gone, so there was no need to worry if she was going to hear anything said between them. Besides she needed to know if they were going to get anything done with their investigation.

Solus nodded.

"Come and see for yourself." he said, and lead her past the police barrier. The impact site was still a buzz of activity, with the researchers carefully examining the soil and earth of the six metre wide circle. There were now definite symbols visible, neatly carved in the ground from where the beam had hit... and more were gradually appearing as the ground cooled.
"We're almost certain now that this is a message." Solus continued. "But we're not sure who from - there's only one bit that we've even been able to see clearly so far, as it hasn't changed - and it's the largest bit of it. Here, have a look." He pointed to the centre of the circle. There was a short line of symbols.

"...any idea what it means?" Lyla asked, scrutinising it.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Solus replied, shaking his head. "But we know that most particle beam weapons don't tend to leave marks as well defined as that. Someone wants to tell us something, but we don't know who and we don't know what. All we do know is that they're a step or two ahead of us in a number of ways, and they like being cryptic."
"So all we have for now is speculation, then."
"Basically, yeah. The best we can do for now is contain this as well as we can, and keep our eyes open for anything else unusual. Or at least that's what the brass thinks as those're our orders for the time being."

"Agreed," She nodded, letting her special device take a quick snapshot of the message. "Unusual, eh? What do you suppose that could be? Someone shady involved in this that we don't anticipate?" She asked, keeping her eye on the area of the message. There were a crew of guards making sure random people didn't get too close to seeing something they had no business seeing.

"Who would even have access to particle beam weapons such as that? They aren't exactly cheap..."

Solus shrugged, shaking his head. "Beats me. What confuses me even more is why they'd use it for writing a message. It's going a bit far just to do some graffiti in a random location." He drummed his fingers idly on the grip of an energy pistol holstered at his side. "But anyway, outside of government weather control, select areas of the construction industry, and parts of our own deterrence network, I can't think of anyone or anything that would have access to a particle beam - let alone any that'd be able to tune it so finely as to write messages like this. I'm pretty certain that sort of thing is next to impossible with current day technology. Though I'm hardly an expert on the subject."

"Then it's something we aren't expecting, something that would blow us away if we saw it," She smirked, not knowing what else it could be. "That's the only explanation I can think of. Something so out of the box that we'd never predict it." Her estimation was a bit out there as well... but there was nothing else to go off of, no leads. That made for a very bad investigation to start off with.

"I don't think sticking around here is going to bring any answers. Although we don't have any leads... we'll just have to find them!" She grinned. It was a bit odd to suggest that, when they had nothing to go on. But they didn't have anything to go on sitting around here speculating either.

IC:

"I want to see what that is." The purple hedgehog stated, pointing past the cordon.

"Are you crazy?  They have it blocked off!"

"So?  We saw the beam...we should be able to see what it left!"

Overhearing her, one of the police guards cleared his throat.  "Nothing to see here.  Move along, please."

Serenity was considering arguing with the officer, when Surge pulled her to the side. "Uh-uh.  That's sure to be trouble..."

"But...I wanna see!"  Serenity considered going into 'princess-mode' and pulling rank on the officer.

"No!  You can't!  Reni...if they deport us..." Surge whispered worriedly.

"Feh. They wouldn't."  But she stopped to consider the consequences, and knew he was right. "Eh.  Yer prob'ly right."  Louder, for the guard's benefit, she said, "Eh...it''s probably just a boring ol' scorch-mark anyway...." and appeared to lose interest.  The two hedgehogs started walking further into the park. Serenity snuggled close to Surge...but both of them knew she was just acting until they got to a more secluded spot, where she dropped the 'making-out' ruse and turned to look Surge in the eye. "I WILL see what that was, Surge.  I just HAVE to know.  But for now, we need to continue playing the 'two lovers stroling in the park' game.

"Who said it's a game?" Surge said, grinning at her, all whilst trying to take his mind off of what his hiden-royalty girlfriend was planning .

TBC

OOC: Reprising my role from the last run of Legacy of the Authors- apologies in advance for the length & let's see how well this goes!

IC:  Aquarius City, Tabiator, 1:30pm Eastern Central Time  (7:30pm Arcadia II CST)
It was one of the rare good-weather days on Tabiator, when the city- one of the minority of surface cities- was drenched with sunlight instead of rain. Everyone seemed to be making the most of it; the streets were bustling, the doors of a good number of shops stood open and there were very few heads that didn't turn skywards to smile at the radiant sun. Through the busy crowds walked an individual seemingly no different than any of the multitude that ebbed and flowed around her. She was a dhole (a fox-like creature) and looked fairly typical of her species: Deep cinnamon coloured fur, with white fur around her muzzle and a black tip to her long tail. The hair of her head was an even darker red, and was tied back in a simple, sleek ponytail that ended just at the base of her spine. Her clothing was typical for those of her age and caused her to blend more completely with the crowds that swarmed along the streets. In fact, the only thing that might distinguish her  from other pretty young girls of her age and species was her eyes. They were large soulful eyes, violet in colour, and particularly useful for adopting a pleading expression. Similarly, her height made her small enough to be considered cute- even adorable- by her elders and tall enough to be considered cool and impressive by those younger than herself. Which made it all the more annoying to her, that such an ideal height was the average height for her age and generation, since she hated applying averages to people. Certainly, everything else about her was far from average despite her looks.

The girl's name was Yulan- or as she was known to most, Yu Liang Zhan. She was the youngest member of the Zhan family, one of the wealthiest in the solar system. Ordinarily she would not be able to leave the palatial monument she called home without a retinue of at least a dozen armed guards and the only reason that this wasn't the case now was because she had recently found a way to sneak out undetected. This was one of three concerns that were uppermost in her mind at the present moment. Of the other two the most pressing was a business party her father was holding on the family estate that night. Everyone was expected to attend, including some members of her extended family that were involved in the family business. Whilst that meant that she would get to see some of her smaller cousins, whom she adored, and that her eldest brother would hopefully be back from his business negotiations on Motavia and hopefully not already caught up in any more, it also meant that her uncle Yunu Zhan- or Uncle Yun as she knew him- would likely be there. He had been her favourite uncle when she was just a child, but she had recently learned that he was the self-appointed matchmaker of the family, a lesson learned when he had realised that- at 16- she was now of marriageable age. Now she avoided him like the plague, but she would have to be there tonight regardless. No less pressing was the fact that she had recently finished her secondary education and her family expected her to make a choice about which college or university she wished to attend soon. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the importance of the task, but couldn't they give her five minutes to relax and think about it peacefully? Sometimes the pressures her family put upon her made her wish she could just disappear and get away from them all now and then. Which, of course, were exactly the sorts of feelings that had led her to be here and led to her most immediate concern.

Yulan had found a way to escape her family now and then- she had stumbled upon it by accident as part of a school project. The project had been about historic buildings and landmarks and since her home- having been built by her great grandfather- counted as historic, she had made it the focus of her project. While studying the blueprints for it in the family library, she had found an interesting feature. All the rooms and antechambers and corridors were there- and likewise all the hidden and secret passages that were secret to everyone but those who had grown up in the multi-generational abode. But there were also some very narrow corridors and passageways Yulan didn't recognise marked 'A' on the blueprints. Her curiosity duly piqued, she had consulted the key. 'A' stood for 'Architect's Tunnels'. A little research had revealed to her that, in earlier days when a structure as vast as her family home was being constructed, Architect's Tunnels had been a system of passageways- taking up as little space as possible- that allowed both living and autonomous workers to move effortlessly between differing sections, regardless of the phase of construction in each section. Once the structure was complete the Architect's Tunnels were locked and sealed with coded locks, and seldom- if ever- used again. Subsequent advances in technology and civic engineering had made such tunnels unnecessary in later structures, but made Yulan realise that there was probably a ghost system of passages running throughout the entirety of her home that everyone- save now herself- had forgotten about. She had sought out and found the tunnels, and in so doing had gained a gateway to personal freedom otherwise denied her. She had updated the ancient software that controlled the Architect'sTunnels and had re-coded every lock. Her update however, had been but a patch and a temporary fix. She needed to make the operating system that controlled them- both hardware and software- a decent, up to date system or it would soon become inoperable. All of which had brought her into Aquarius today, to find the items she needed.

Yulan paced slowly along the streets, carefully inspecting the goods in every window she saw. Her list was vast, so she would have to order instead of buying directly- who should she order from? Aeon Technologies? No- their toys were at the cutting edge of space exploration technology it was true and she certainly had the money to afford it, but they were also partnered with her family, and a bulk order to them would draw unwanted attention. Nova Industries? No- they produced high class technology, but Yulan would ultimately have to assemble what she bought herself. To do that she would need simple, easy-to-follow instructions, and from past experience Nova tended to make things overly-complicated. Who then? As she mused over her candidates, an ad being broadcast on the holodeck in one store caught her eye. Tiberius Electronics? Had she heard of them before? Ah yes, a memory from another gathering like the one planned tonight asserted itself: A businessman had been telling her father about an electronics company he had visited on Arcadia II. 'An excellent company, with a track record of dependable, reliable service,' he had said. Well Yulan mused, she could hardly ask for better than that could she? Dependable, reliable, and probably one her father had yet to get around to turning his attention towards. She made a beeline for the nearest cybercafe and once there logged onto the Tiberius Electronics website. She clicked the 'order' option and began to fill in the details, the list growing larger and larger as she added all she was certain she would need.            

"Agreed." Solus nodded, his attention momentarily being drawn by the sound of Reni's speaking."Perhaps we should question the locals? I doubt that fox you spoke to was the only witness, and it'd be good to find out exactly how many people saw it happen." He started heading for the edge of the barrier and back out from behind it. "Either way, I don't think we're going to be much use here - I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly well-versed in alien hieroglyphs!" he added quietly with a grin.

Lyla was glad to see her partner agreed with her. That definitely would make things a bit smoother. She said nothing, instead motioning for him to follow her. Once out in the streets, Lyla began questioning as many people as she could, yet to no good.

Ash's apartment, the next morning.
Ash slowly awoke from his sleep, and glanced over at the glow of the alarm clock's display by his bed. It was a little before 8am - his alarm was due to go off in about two minutes. He reached over and tapped gently on the alarm switch, deactivating it. I ought to get up soon... he mused to himself. He shifted slightly in the dimness, and it was only then that he realised that something didn't feel right. Something was restraining him... he felt about for the object that was pressing down on his chest. It was actually directly on top of him, under the covers... and it felt warm and furry. Not unlike an arm...
No way... he thought to himself, suddenly a bit alarmed.
"Lights!"
At his command, the room was gently illuminated by the electric lights. Ash slowly turned his head to see what had gotten hold of him as he slept... and soon an expression of alarm painted itself across his features.

Edenia Park, 7:58am, CST.
The sun was beginning to rise. Over the course of the previous night, the WEAPONS team had dispersed, leaving behind a few police to guard the impact site - that, along with a dome-shaped, translucent forcefield around the impact site itself. The shield itself had a holographic cautionary notice displayed across it as well, which simply read "WEAPONS BARRIER - ACCESS PROHIBITED" in large letters. However, the benefit was that the tint of the shield wasn't so dark as to prevent one from seeing through it completely, although it was difficult to see anything detailed. That was because the police guards were under orders to send word if anything unexpected happened behind the barrier.

Perhaps it was because they were focused on this duty and the duty of watching out for anyone approaching the barrier, that they failed to spot the new statuesque addition to the park's furniture. It wasn't a particularly unusual statue - it depicted a bird, about the size of a (non-anthropomorphic) golden eagle, and it was stood next to a park bench. What happened after a few moments though was anything but statue-like: the sculpted grey stone of its body began to change colour, becoming a brassy golden-brown. Its feet gained a silvery metallic sheen, and its head took on a colour the same as its body. Its eyes, however, were unusual - they turned a dark, glassy black, and then slowly a greenish glow grew in them. Finally, and strangest of all... the "statue" shook itself slightly and started making its way toward the nearby exit, walking along slightly awkwardly as though it was a bit stiff or perhaps unused to walking...

At two minutes to eight in the morning, Raia was again in the park, this time curiously inspecting the shield from a prudent distance. However, she was distracted. That bird statue. She'd never seen it before....and now it was moving. Definitely not your average statue! It wasn't quite...alive, but it certainly wasn't inanimate anymore. What on Arcadia /was/ it?! First a strange beam out of the sky, now funny bird not-statues... %Although,% Raia thought to herself, %Since I can't get close to that burn mark, maybe following this bird will be the next best thing...%

          Eve's nose nearly touched that of the off white fox as she slumbered silently next to him. She had gotten cold on the couch and had unconsciously climbed into her host's bed, and was now cradling him as one would a large stuffed animal, her arm squeezing him tightly and one of her legs over top the closest of his. She mumbled something under her breath and cuddled closer, pushing her head into the side of his neck and folding her ears back. She was sound asleep, and latched tightly onto Ash. He wasn't going to be able to get out of bed without waking her, or carrying her everywhere.

Already 8:00 in the morning, most people were already well awake, or in the process of doing so. Howevver, for Lyla things were different. She was well asleep, a woman that didn't like waking up early unless it was required. She was one who definitely enjoyed her own sleep. Sure, she could wake up and do things, but for the moment she felt compelled to stick around in dreamland...

Ash found himself facing the unusual dilemma of whether to let Eve sleep, or waken her.After a few minutes' thoughtful deliberation, he gently poked her shoulder.
"Eve? Uhm... you need to wake up..." he said, bracing himself for the worst.

The not-a-statue seemed a tad more savvy about road safety than most other birds. It stopped at the kerb and looked both ways before crossing the road, making sure nothing was coming. It was moving faster now, trotting along at a decent rate on its yellow legs. Its footsteps on the road surface made a rhythmic, slightly metallic sounding clicking. It seemed to know exactly where it was going though as it clacked along. Its head swivelled round 180 degrees to look behind it - clearly it was aware, or at least wary, of being watched or followed...