Parked just outside of the entrance to the Silent-Ones section of the Orpheus is a heavy truck with Layth and Gabriel in it, trying to figure out how to make it move. This is necessary since the driver, Tasha, is outside at the edge of one of the great doors, where she's been mesmerized by the flashing lights of the console and the crystal key that the ghost of Fallen Star had prepared for them.

The other reason for trying to move the vehicle is that the doors have opened, and two giant rifle-bearing Titans are marching out. Tasha lets out a scream as she finally breaks the spell of the crystals and notices she's in line to get stepped on.

At least… if the Titans didn't stop in place, turn to face each other and then raise and cross their rifles before falling silent again.

"Okay," Layth says from his perch in the vehicle, "What are they doing? Is that a salute of some sort? Are they preparing to attack?"

The screaming continues until Tasha falls on her butt, having aborted a attempt to dive out of the way and ending to disoriented to retain her balance. She stares up at the Titan foot only a few feet from her, eyes wide as saucers. "Ahh, ahh … ah … ," she pants.

"Oh… " Gabriel says, when the armored figures stop. "I suppose they could be an … honor guard," he admits a bit sheepishly. "These are the Titan doors, after all. They'd normally only be opened for Silent-Ones' Titans."

"They thought highly of their machines, then," Layth remarks as he settles back a bit, looking relieved.

"At least as much as Tasha does," Gabriel says, then calls out through the open driver's side door, "Are you okay, Tasha? Don't forget the key!"

Panting heavily, Tasha pulls herself to her feet, then limps over to the console before pulling the crystal out with a jerk of her hand. "That's … That's enough of that." After one last look at the giant machine next to her, the woman rushes back to the vehicle, looking and sounding rather shaken. She pops the door and slides in, putting a trembling hand on the wheel. "L-lets keep going. Yes. Going. Going now." With a rumble, the large truck accelerates.

Given that the road is wide enough for two Titans to walk side by side, there's plenty of room for the Terran heavy truck. The ride is very smooth, since the roadway only looks like textured stone.

Layth checks over his weapons as they go. "This place sets my nerves on edge. It is as if … it radiates unwelcomeness. I feel as if we could be attacked at any moment," he remarks.

"The Titans here have ceremonial weapons," Gabriel notes. "Stuff that's only allowed for duels between Silent-Ones. All of our military treaties ban them for use in war."

"Any moment," Tasha agrees, still sounding a little jittery. "It's like being in the Temple of Rephidim, all the statues and priests glaring at us poor deckhands." She looks left and right, keeping an eye on the landscape with her keen vision. "Why, what do they do?"

"Treaties are words on paper," Layth remarks, "And following them is sometimes considered optional."

"Beam rifles, light swords… nasty things," Gabriel notes, looking around as well. So far nothing moves in the various side halls, galleries and doorways. "Our weapons are more limited, with the goal of disabling enemy machinery instead of outright killing the pilots or countryside."

"Beam rifles? Light swords?" Tasha takes a moment to eye one of the Titans as they pass it; even the Titans of the Silent-Ones seem to hate her, she thinks. When her gaze returns to the road, she tries to locate Signs that direct her to one of the various locations mentioned, the closest being the one she heads for first.

For whatever reason, there are no signs indicating locations. Unlike Terratown, the Silent-Ones seemed to expect people to know where they need to go and how to get there without aid.

"Not a very helpful people," Layth comments. "I see no signs."

"No signs at all. We're flying blind," Tasha reports. So, she just keeps driving. "Fred, can you reach Fallen Star? We're not sure where to go, and this place makes my hackles rise."

Where one would expect signposts, there are instead lampposts – although the faceted crystal lamps don't seem to give off much light.

A virtual image of Fred's head appears over one corner of the control console. "Just a moment," it says. "She signs to use the key with any of the beacons."

"Bacons?" Tasha sounds distracted as they pull into a turn, "Oh, beacons? What do they look like? This place is frightening, Fred."

"They look like… beacons," Fred says, and shrugs as best as a disembodied head can. "She doesn't know what to compare them to, since she's never been to the other sections. Oh… poles with gems on top? Do you see anything like that?"

"Maybe one of those?" Layth suggests and points to one of the posts outside.

"Oh!" Fred was right, the window control is an important part of the truck. Tasha lowers her driver's side window as they approach one of the 'lampposts,' slowing the truck and pulling along side it. Straining, she leans out the window and waves the crystal at it with one hand, Signing, "Temple."

There is a flashing exchange of light, and then a path is projected along the avenue, linking beacon to beacon. It points… right towards the big doors at the far end of the street.

"Oh look, more huge doors," Layth remarks.

"I knew I was going the right way," Tasha says with a grin as she slides back inside. "Follow the light." The vehicle vibrates as it begins off again, heading towards the doors. "At least it didn't direct us right back out, that's good, isn't it?" She glances at Layth and nods. "Let's get the rifle out this time."

"Getting it," Layth agrees and goes back to the back of the cabin to get the large weapon out for Tasha.

It isn't long at all until they reach the steps of the edifice that is the Silent-Ones Temple. The similarity to the Rephidim Temple is even stronger here, especially since the giant doors have smaller, person-sized ones along their bottoms.

"I wonder if the Terran mothership was like Orpheus? Or do Terrans just really like Silent-One buildings, Gabriel?" The truck is turned and stopped so that it's parked lengthwise in front of the steps, "So we can hide behind it," Tasha explains before exiting.

"I believe it is time to get out," Layth remarks and heads towards the exit. "I'll hand you the gun at the bottom," he promises as he heads out and down the side-stairs.

"The Arc was mixed," Gabriel notes. "But we tried to keep to a common aesthetic where possible… "

The Karnor helps set up the rifle, then looks to the smaller doors a bit nervously.

"That does explain a lot." Outside, Tasha picks up the rifle and shoulders it, walking up the steps towards the door. "This thing is exercise," she admits as she carries the heavy weapon up. "I'm opening now, take cover," she warns as she looks along the building for another console.

Layth draws his pistol, content in knowing it isn't the size that matters. "If you want me to open the door while you take aim, let me know," he says.

Instead of a console, a familiar crystal lights up above the door, and the ghostly hands appear before it, demanding 'Challenge' and 'Key' - just like MOTHER did on the Fenris.

Tasha grunts, looking over the console. She then looks back at Layth, then nods. "Come on, take it. I can't look at these consoles anyway. They're too shiny, and I need to aim this thing." She begins heading down the steps, tossing the key to Layth and dropping the rifle into both her hands as she takes up position to the left of the truck.

Layth catches the key in his free hand. "Translate these motions for me?" he asks as he gets up to the pad and peers at it. After Tasha does so, he asks, "What is the challenge? We know what the key is."

Kneeling with the rifle in both hands and the laser target moving back and forth over the various doors, Tasha answers, "The key might be the challenge," although she doesn't sound perfectly certain. "Gabriel, can you check with Fred on that? I can't move."

It takes a moment, but Gabriel returns from the cab and says, "Just hold up the key, like with the beacons."

"Hold up the key," Tasha forwards in a yell.

Layth holds the key up and hot from his body before the panel. "If it kills me I will haunt all of you," he says, "And no resurrecting me."

"You volunteered!" Although he can't see it, Tasha grins at the bottom of the stairs, still sweeping the massive rifle back and forth in search of anything that might threaten them.

There is a rapid flashing of signs and symbols that fill the air between Layth and the crystal over the door, but it lasts less than a minute, ending with a 'click' sound as one set of the smaller doors unlatch and swing free slightly.

Layth pockets the crystal and modes to the side of the door. "Opening now," he tells Tasha and reaches out, then shoves the door open and yanks his hand back out of the way.

Light spills through the doorway – natural light! There is also the smell of green growing things. The Silent-Ones biodome must be on the other side.

The buck can distinctly make out the laser dot sweep past him and inside the door. "I don't see anything hostile inside," she reports. "Advancing," the red dot wobbles; Tasha must be ascending the stairs.

"What sort of animals came from their world?" Layth calls over to Gabriel. "Anything dangerous?"

"Uh… no idea," Gabriel says, holding his own gun ready. "They had colonies on several worlds."

Layth's pistol is ready, prepared to cover and follow Tasha after she enters.

"It sounds like a fantastic wonderful mystery," the red Vartan says with no modest amount of smartass sarcasm, grinning ear to ear. "Just remember, if it's alive I might not be able to shoot it," she warns. "And I can't reach my gun while wielding the Gauss rifle. Let's go inside. I'll take point?"

"Go in. We have your back," Layth tells her and motions through the doorway.

Beyond the door is a gigantic chamber, although not as large as the hangar itself. There are buildings of stone and crystal and towers of brass and glass scattered throughout an apparent jungle, which has become so overgrown that lesser buildings are probably buried under it. There's nothing recognizable as a road, but a few glimmers through the foliage might be beacons or water.

Tasha advances inside, the pinpoint of her laser targeter having split into a wide swath to cover more ground if she has to fire. "It's, … It's beautiful," she reports to those behind her as she enters. "And, rr, looks safe – but that doesn't mean it is!"

Something cries out at the intrusion, and a swarm of flying creatures burst out of a tree and head off towards the center of the area, away from the group.

Layth slips in behind Tasha and looks about warily with both eyes and ears. "It seems very peaceful, which makes me worry it is not." He almost jumps at the sound of the flying creatures but thankfully steadies himself and manages to not fire his gun. "Did the Silent-Ones practice slavery?" he asks back to Gabriel once he collects his wits.

The laser swings up and over, illuminating the tree from which the birds fled. Tasha keeps the barrel steady for a moment, then suddenly laughs. "Oi, that's right birds – it's an alien invasion!" She shakes her head, and continues to peer at the tree, studying it with her acute vision.

"Well, they had a caste system that amounted to almost the same thing," Gabriel explains. "People weren't property though."

The sighting laser doesn't penetrate past the dense foliage of the tree. The leaves are blue-green and shiny, and there are no visible branches. It looks like a puffy ball on a single ebony trunk of polished wood.

"Right, let's keep moving," Layth says. "It seems safe enough for now. No sounds of rampaging beasts."

"The tree's not like anything I've ever seen, like a poodle's tail on a dark trunk. Alien trees?" The woman shakes her head at what she's seeing; alien trees! Trees from another world, far beyond the stars! She takes a moment to appreciate this, just looking at the tree before she nods to Layth and lowers the barrel. "Where to? The central building – whatever looks tallest and most important?"

"Central building," Layth answers.

"I don't see any paths," Gabriel points out. "They must be completely overgrown. Once we're in that mess, we have to be careful not to lose our direction."

Tasha begins forward, keen eyes searching the dense foliage for any signs of trouble. "Important people like being the center of attention," she says, grinning a little more at the joke at her own expense. "I could make a path, but that'll be loud and damaging?"

"I've got a machete," Gabriel announces, pulling the big sheathed blade from his pack.

"Lead on, our humble gardener," Layth tells Gabriel and grins. "Whack your troubles away!"

"Oh that's much more impressive," the woman agrees, chuckling. "I have to see this – by all means!" The laser turns away from the area before them, angling off into the jungle as Tasha follows after Gabriel. "Remember Layth, not too close. I don't want to damage your ears," she warns.

As they pass under the alien tree, its leaves stir in the breeze. Gabriel grabs a thick vine and starts going to work trailblazing.

While Tasha is focused on the jungle around them, only Layth has the liberty to notice something peculiar: none of the other tall growths around them appear to be disturbed by any breeze.

"Something isn't right. Nothing around is is blowing in the breeze," Layth points out worriedly and looks up into the tree as he trains his gun upon it.

Tasha's ears shoot up at Layth's observation, and in moments the woman is turning to try and get a bead on the mysteriously moving tree. "The tree's alive? Aliver?"

The tree looks back down. It's face is like that of a boar, except it has a cruel, toothed black beak to go with the tusks. Shiny blue-green faceted eyes watch, as the rest of the thing unfolds itself. Another wood like leg drops to the ground, nubby wings extends from the sides and the neck and a thick tail uncurls. It hisses menacingly.

"That doesn't look friendly," Layth remarks in forced calm and waves for the others to back slowly away. The buck then himself starts walking backwards carefully. As he goes, he thinks of something, he pulls out the crystal and holds it up. "We are with the Silent-Ones," he claims.

When Tasha gets a good look at the creature, her eyes widen and ears shoot up all over again. "What in Dagh's name is that!?" A red dot pops up in the creature's head, jostling as the Vartan begins to back away. "Can I even shoot that?"

The shiny thing seems to distract the monster for a moment, but then it hunkers down and lowers it's head. It snaps its beak several times to make an angry clack-clack-clack sound. "What the… " Gabriel starts to say, then he gets a look of panic and barks, "Run! It's a Doombeak!"

"Go, go!" Tasha backs away only slowly, waiting for other others to pass her. "I have wings, you don't!" She then waits for Layth to get clear, and tries pulling the trigger!

"I can outrun it, probably," Layth tries to argue, but then shrugs and darts past Tasha. "If that doesn't work, I'll get it to chase me and then all of you leave!" he yells.

The Hyper-Velocity Rifle sends out a fan of destructive metal, blowing away part of the stairs and door they came in through and the plants that are caught in the fan. It completely misses the dino-bird's body however, since it automatically avoids hitting living things! The heavily armored beak, however, it must register as armor, for at least one dart strikes and vaporizes a good chunk. The creature screams in a voice that would make a dragon wet itself, and then runs off!

Several screams answer back from various parts of the biodome, however.

"Come on!" Layth calls back at Tasha and he continues running!

The overpressure shockwave bends lesser plants, the hyper-velocity projectiles having started a few minor fires as well as a good amount of structural damage. "HA!" Tasha grins down the glowing barrel of the rifle, even as her ears ring, but her grin dies on her face as several screams join the other. "Coming," she answers as she turns to flee with the others.

The going isn't smooth, since the jungle comes right up to the wall of the biodome chamber beyond the stairs. But adrenaline is an amazing thing, allowing people to clamber over and through branches and vines that a less jazzed up person would try to go around. By the time they stop, they're a good distance above the ground on a natural wooden platform near the top of a giant, pretzel-branched tree.

"You could have told us about giant bird monsters," Layth complains at Gabriel as he pants and looks down worriedly.

"I didn't know they'd bring any!" Gabriel says as he pants. "They hunt them in Titans on one of their worlds. Big carnivores… must not have known what we are… "

"And I certainly didn't know they pretended to be trees when resting!" the Karnor gasps.

"Critical information!" Layth complains.

Breathing heavily from terror for the second time in roughly half an hour, Tasha plops down on the platform and rests the Gauss rifle in her lap. "Maybe the zoo broke," she suggests, sounding a bit winded. While normally in fine shape, lugging a heavy weapon is more than the woman seems used to when needing to run for her life. "In Titans? Does this mean I … I scored a point?"

"If Fallen Star didn't know about them, I don't think I should be faulted for not knowing about them either," Gabriel replies, then looks at Tasha like she's grown another head. "What?"

"What we should do, is go back and … and get a Titan to clear this … This out," Tasha pants. She then grins as she looks up at Gabriel, patting the rifle and explaining, "Titan hunting, I winged one, worth a point? Hunting?"

"How should I know?" Gabriel blurts. "I've never been in a Silent-Ones big-game hunt! Besides, they probably keep the hunting Titans in one of these buildings."

"Everyone calm down," Layth says after calming down himself. "Let's stick to the tree branches for now. It may be safer."

"Oh… crap," Gabriel goes, looking back towards the main doors. "Did we blow open one of the doors?" he asks.

"Then I'll look. Gabriel, want to take the rifle while I fly and find one? Layth? We can't just keep risking the jungle, unless we go back and get the truck and try and run it all over – then Fred will kill us," Tasha says. She glances at Layth and nods a little. "Like I said, I could try and find a Titan and then try and get it to work, so we can get through safer." Tasha blinks, following Gabriel's gaze to see what he's looking at. "What?"

"What?" Layth echoes and looks too.

"Well… that Doombird could fit through one of the small doors if it was open," Gabriel notes. "I think. No telling how long it will be scared off, but carnivores tend to be curious and inclined to explore new territory… "

"Oh, crap," says, Tasha's turn to echo. She reaches up and touches her collar, "Tasha to Bellerophon."

Layth rubs his face. "You two move on. I will go close the door if it is open," he offers as he fishes out the crystal key and offers it back to Tasha. "I can outrun those things," he claims.

"This is Belle," replies the voice of Mariel.

"You don't know that Layth, it coul-" The Vartan breaks off as Mariel responds, the woman tilting her head to look off as she reports, "We ran into Doombeaks in Silent Town, and a few might have gotten free. Warn the crew, especially Blammo."

"No, but I'm the most expendable," Layth points out and checks his gun and that ammo is close at hand. "Find the hunting Titan, or at least what we came for. I'll try to take care of the door."

"Uh… what?" Mariel replies. "D-doombeaks? Real live ones?"

"I doubt any have gotten out, and that one shouldn't be back yet," Gabriel says. "I'm not keen on splitting up though. I agree that you or Layth can get to the door safely and secure it, then get back here, but I'd feel better if we all went and made sure that door was secure. The rifle might have damaged it."

"No one is expendable," Tasha growls at Layth before returning to her com-conversation. "No, stuffed ones Mariel," she says with more ferocity than she intended. "Real Doombeaks. We shot one, but there are others and the biodome door is opened. Just warn them, we need to deal with this now. Tasha out." Looking back to the people with her, the woman says, "I agree. Let's go together. I can take up position on the high points around the dome and warn you, or fire if I have to."

"Then lets go. We do not have a lot of time," Layth says as he heads back down the way they came, and quickly.

"Seconded," Tasha says. She waits for the men to clear the platform, then picks up the rifle with both hands and leaps into the air, following.

The way back is taken with a bit more caution. Nothing threatens them at least, and Tasha doesn't see anything large heading towards them (although there are shaking trees further out, as something big moves around). When they reach the door they find a good bit of damage, but nothing that would prevent the door from being closed. Not stray darts hit the truck outside, either.

"Keep watch, sealing the door," Layth tells the others and goes about trying to close and secure the door so that the Doombeaks cannot get out. "Now, here's a good question, is getting through this jungle and the Doombeaks worth it? Or should we leave now?"

"What's the situation out there, guys?" Fred calls over the commlink.

Tasha touches down once she makes a last sweep, joining the others. After the inspection of the truck outside, she breathes a sigh of relief. "I survive Fred's wrath," she says before dropping to lean against the wall. "Now that that disaster is averted, let's think. We-" Tasha pauses again, touching her collar. "Tasha here. Some structural damage to the dome from the rifle, nothing big. We're sealing the dome now, but there's Doombeaks here. Ask Fallen Star if any of the Titans inside or outside are operational, and what would be good for clearing a hostile jungle."

"Jabberwock Alorexus!" Fred says over the link. "Amazing. But I'd forget getting the Silent-Ones Titans to work – those things are not user friendly. We can use the infantry units in the hangar if need be, or I can bring you the bulldozer now that it's running."

"The question to answer here is, is all of this worth it?" Layth asks. "Do we really need what is in here?"

"We'll take whatever you got," Tasha responds. She glances at Layth, and says, "We won't know until we find it. Fallen Star said any technological artifacts of importance would be here. This is the center of the Silent-One area."

"So anything we could recover could put us in good with the Abaddonian Silent-Ones," Gabriel reasons. "The bulldozer is our safest bet. It's made for this sort of stuff. We just need to open the bigger set of doors for it."

"We should wait outside, then. I have no desire to stand here inside with creatures that want to make meals of us," Layth remarks as he opens the smaller door again. "Tasha, set up aim outside this door with that gun in case they bash through?" "I'll have to reset the safeties on the big gun," Gabriel notes. "Should be a setting to let it shoot non-humanoids… "

"Send the bulldozer," Tasha adds, touching her collar. "If you want, send a Titan too – we might need that as well to be safe." Looking back, Tasha nods to Gabriel. "Our mission on Orpheus is to recover all useful technology, for both ourselves and our, uh, future mission. This may be our only chance to recover these things." She nods to Layth as well, gesturing everyone through the door.