2320, Mid-May
Earth, Iran, Taybad
For most of human history, the Middle East has been a cauldron of cultural exchange and conflict. Countless empires rose out of the mountains, and rivers of this place, then died, blood dyeing the water red and staining the white and yellow sands. The environmental collapse of the 21st century did the region no favors, further fueling conflict as the inhabitants fought each other for increasingly sparse livable land, while outside opportunists were more than happy to aid all sides in the bloodshed, in exchange for what little wealth they had left. By all predictions, the Middle East was to become as hot as Venus and as barren as Mars, with skeletons of man and civilization buried, a permanent, painful reminder of all of humanity's vices and failures.
Yet, by the miracle of life itself, civilization persisted in the Middle East throughout the environmental collapse, and continued onwards. As the divided regions were integrated into the superstates of the planet, state-of-the-art technology, fusion power plants, solar arrays, hydroponics, were sent in. Icy asteroids were dropped from orbit to keep the region hydrated. Underground cities were constructed to shield the denizens from the heat. It was a messy affair as conflict continued as airships and cargo trucks brought supplies in, but the outcome was irrefutable. Humans were here to stay.
Taybad itself was a small city on the border between Iran and Afghanistan. Like most cities in the region where the heat was at its worst, much of the city was underground in concrete chambers, while the old city along with ceremonial buildings remained on the surface, painted white. Hilly ridges, sand, and long dried up farmland dominated the surrounding landscape.
The Lancers were currently aboard a Stymphalia VIII, currently under cloak, and escorted by two drones. It's been a few hours after they packed up their gear and left their headquarters in Sicily. Without its cloak, the Stymphalia VIII had a sleek, black look, the articulation of its rotors taking heavy inspiration from the ancient Osprey design of the AU. As the Stymph gently lowered its altitude, aiming for a clear patch of land on the outskirts of the city, the pilot remarked. "Surface temperature is more than half way to boiling point. I'd keep those helmets on out there."
A team of local peace keepers were already waiting for their arrival. Their equipment was similar to that of the Lancers, painted in desert camouflaged colors, all wearing helmets with visors completely covering their faces, along with armor plates. However, unburdened by the need for a tight seal and radiation resistance, the suits beneath the armor were slimmer, without body gloves.
Through the transparent visors, the Lancers could see that the team was made entirely of locals: a mix of Persian and Arabic men and women. One of the feminine figures walked up to greet them as they stepped out of the Stymph. "Welcome." She remarked in her Farsi accent, using Commonwealth Common. "I'm Captain Atossa of Xerxes Squad. Thank you for helping us out here."
Earth, Iran, Taybad
For most of human history, the Middle East has been a cauldron of cultural exchange and conflict. Countless empires rose out of the mountains, and rivers of this place, then died, blood dyeing the water red and staining the white and yellow sands. The environmental collapse of the 21st century did the region no favors, further fueling conflict as the inhabitants fought each other for increasingly sparse livable land, while outside opportunists were more than happy to aid all sides in the bloodshed, in exchange for what little wealth they had left. By all predictions, the Middle East was to become as hot as Venus and as barren as Mars, with skeletons of man and civilization buried, a permanent, painful reminder of all of humanity's vices and failures.
Yet, by the miracle of life itself, civilization persisted in the Middle East throughout the environmental collapse, and continued onwards. As the divided regions were integrated into the superstates of the planet, state-of-the-art technology, fusion power plants, solar arrays, hydroponics, were sent in. Icy asteroids were dropped from orbit to keep the region hydrated. Underground cities were constructed to shield the denizens from the heat. It was a messy affair as conflict continued as airships and cargo trucks brought supplies in, but the outcome was irrefutable. Humans were here to stay.
Taybad itself was a small city on the border between Iran and Afghanistan. Like most cities in the region where the heat was at its worst, much of the city was underground in concrete chambers, while the old city along with ceremonial buildings remained on the surface, painted white. Hilly ridges, sand, and long dried up farmland dominated the surrounding landscape.
The Lancers were currently aboard a Stymphalia VIII, currently under cloak, and escorted by two drones. It's been a few hours after they packed up their gear and left their headquarters in Sicily. Without its cloak, the Stymphalia VIII had a sleek, black look, the articulation of its rotors taking heavy inspiration from the ancient Osprey design of the AU. As the Stymph gently lowered its altitude, aiming for a clear patch of land on the outskirts of the city, the pilot remarked. "Surface temperature is more than half way to boiling point. I'd keep those helmets on out there."
A team of local peace keepers were already waiting for their arrival. Their equipment was similar to that of the Lancers, painted in desert camouflaged colors, all wearing helmets with visors completely covering their faces, along with armor plates. However, unburdened by the need for a tight seal and radiation resistance, the suits beneath the armor were slimmer, without body gloves.
Through the transparent visors, the Lancers could see that the team was made entirely of locals: a mix of Persian and Arabic men and women. One of the feminine figures walked up to greet them as they stepped out of the Stymph. "Welcome." She remarked in her Farsi accent, using Commonwealth Common. "I'm Captain Atossa of Xerxes Squad. Thank you for helping us out here."
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