<strong>PFC Nortan 'Gizmo' Law</strong><br/><br/>As soon as Gizmo skedaddled out of the open ramp and took tactical spacing to cover the rear west flank, the first thing that assaulted him was the smell. Wasn't completely explainable from the mere whiff of it, but it attacked his nostrils like a tsunami of stale and musty water. The terraformed atmosphere was breathable, as Senjo had pointed out, but nothing like a normal planet as it should be, more like breathing in the artificial air one would get from recycled oxygen tanks.<br/><br/>As any marine would do, he ignored the aroma, and instead concentrated on looking out into the landscape with his shotgun trained with stock resting on his shoulder, body low, legs bent, eyes alert for anything coming straight at them. His sense of sight took over, being one of the sharpest among all of his comrades, scanning with his peripherals for any potential threats. The landscape looked barren, rocky and desolate. No trees in immediate sight, maybe a spot of terraforming algae and brush all over. No wildlife in the spotlight either. No humans. No insects. A very different place than the thick jungle on that fateful day, dead and virtually lifeless. It did not stop him, neither did it make him blink. The environment only posed a tactical and strategic element when he was in this mode. Althought not the best, he was a soldier after all.<br/><br/>Subconsciously, his eyes searched for something, anything out of the ordinary, specifically anything misty or out of place. A shadow, a flutter, a dust devil, a shimmer, anything. He suddenly felt a small sense of panic causing him to shiver slightly, only for a second, before his condition returned to normal as he rationalized with himself. There was no way those 'things' could be here. Only a thirty two percentile from the info he was given by Colonel Hayes, reviewed on his personal computer countless times. It was lower than the original estimates, since this place was so empty and cold, and 'they' were attracted to neither. 'They' wouldn't even think of coming here, would 'they'?<br/><br/><em>The last time I thought that, someone had to pay for it.....</em><br/><br/><em>No! Concentrate, Giz! 'They' won't be here! The Colonel said so.... Trust his word....</em><br/><br/>"Rear west flank clear!" He called out, reporting his side as ordinary, backing up slightly to be within earshot range of their sergeant. After hearing his orders, he stuck close to his designated team mates, close enough for them to cover each other, away enough for them to employ tactical movement without him in the way. He turned to the Sarge briefly, making sure his attention was out where it should be, "Loud and clear, sir. Ready when you are."<br/><br/>He kept his guard up. The area around them may be secure, but everywhere else was not. It wouldn't be until they made sure that their surroundings were clear that he would drop his shotgun barrel from ready position.