As the boarding ramp came down, Top and six soldiers jumped out into the cool night air and quickly set up a defensive perimeter around the shuttle. Although the shuttle’s sensors hadn’t shown any signs of human-sized life within a mile of the field, it never hurt to be too careful. Seeing no one, Top gave the “all clear.” The ambassador strode purposefully down the ramp, with Calvin at his side. As they moved away from the shuttle, Calvin noticed the rotten egg scent of sulfur in the air. Although the air was breathable, it wouldn’t be pleasant until they got used to it. Once the ambassador was clear of the shuttle, its ramp came up, and it launched back into the sky, cloaking as it cleared the tree line. Looking around, Calvin couldn’t see much of the field, even with his enhanced night vision. He wished that they had been able to wear their space/combat suits, but the ambassador had not wanted to unnecessarily scare the locals, so the soldiers were dressed in their black battle dress uniforms.
