This chapter contained influences from GATE: JSDF, Resident Evil, Warhammer 40K, Starcraft, Insomniac's Resistance, Stargate, and Gears of War franchises. Copy infringement was not intended.

Prologue

Underneath the bathing sunlight of this late afternoon is a large mansion-like building surrounded by over a hundred acres of forest; apart from being placed on top of a cliff and a lake behind the structural complex. Its three-storied architecture has multiple windows and oxidized copper roofs; besides the main door entrance in the middle facing towards a pebble-paved road. The European-based exterior of the edifice's walls... apparently had seen better days (not to mention the eerie dilapidation presented on a title-board fixed above the primary entryway: being spelled as "Nucleic-Parasol Executive Training School"). What's more, this institutional structure has an astronomical observatory with a circular dome directly adjacent to the parent building's rear and its foundation submerged in that body of water.

And let's not forget the somewhat intact chapel in the middle of that same lake, which is connected to the 'misaligned' telescope site by a stone-composed islet bridge. No light seems to be emitted from the religious house and the rest of this mansion-esque school...

Until suddenly, strange lights materialize out from the windows and a few structural holes of the lonely church. Such brightness obscures what's happening inside that building of worship for some minutes. When the luminescence ended, the exterior front of this chapel evidently stays the same. For its interior hall however... a different story appears.

Despite how much the neglected altar and bench rows remain quite untouched, a circular... ring-like structure came into existence within the chamber of religious prayer. It externally seems to be covered in brown, chitinous-looking materials (as well as the substructure that the uninvited hoop stands on); thirty-six unique symbols on the foreign circle; and a blueish void that lines the inner space of this large object. Silence continues to bizarrely dominate the empty chapel for a while...

Prior to something (or to be more precise: someone) emerging out of the darker substance for that central gap, suddenly. This newly-arrived figure can be described as a fully-clothed individual wearing a hooded, duster-style coat with long sleeves and in forest color; a thick, brown vest showing several pockets for some utility purposes underneath; one leather belt on the waist that held multiple pouches attached to it; green linen trousers covering the bipedal legs; two boots of processed hide on the floor; the person's face obscured by both blackish cloth-mask and dark-shaded... goggles? For overall clarification, this visitor looks like a ranger from the fictional realm of fantasy — except for claw-like features on each tip of the eight fingers and two thumbs being part of that person's 'armored' hands; and apparently a rifle-style weapon for long-range purposes being held by the multi-fingered appendages of this foreigner.

That said, something else arrives out of the mysterious portal (that is clearly not humanoid in shape). This newcomer has a smaller body molded... in a spheroid design of metallic substance; three optical sensors in the horizontal center, while another lens projector is mounted underneath; and two thick fins in parallel to this elliptic framework for hovering in the air. It then flies in circles within this enclosure of worship as this supposed drone scans the interior surroundings.

A while later, more unknown visitors emanate from that circular gateway. Some are obviously floating in the air and made of metal as identical as the first drone; others are more 'organic' and bipedal while wearing their ranger-esque outfits of diverse arrangements for obscurity. With all said, none of them have yet to speak out some particular language when they look around the chapel's inner hall.

In the meantime, another character has appeared from the 'mystical' entryway. This individual has the same gig of wearing a hooded coat (plus the other concealing clothing that made up a familiar type of ranger) and carrying a long-barreled firearm via its connected leather sling — except for the exposed pair of eyes being fairly... beautiful? "/ Dear me... this temple must have seen better days. /", the unidentifiable explorer comments in an unrevealed language (and a feminine voice to boot) the dilapidation of this place of prayer.

A more masculine sound from one of those cloaked visitors follows, "/ Isn't that plainly obvious here, Alysia? /" In fact, several of them outsiders slowly look at 'her' with a bit of confusion.

"/ Hey... I can't help myself on breaking up the silence within this place. Besides, there is a question of how long ago was such area here had been abandoned. /" The 'woman' replies.

A secondary 'ranger' adds in, "/ That's what our shield drones are performing right now, lady. The only thing still unknown is what the outside environment looks like. /"

Concurrently, three more guests exit from the out-of-placed portal. This time however, they appeared closer to monstrous animals than humanoid beings. One has four limbs on the ground, an extra pair of limbs on its horizontal back (alongside four insectoid wings and spikes adjacent to the creature's spine), two tusks protruding behind its teeth-lined mouth, and a tail covered in sharp spikes. The second organism has a large torso covered in carapace armor and without legs for its slender, lower half; but this arthropod monster does have two arms possessing tri-bladed scythes on each end, an upper shield-crest covering its back overhead, and jaws below the two vicious eyes of its head. The third one looks like a five-foot tall, muscular monkey; except for its head being more dinosaur/dragon-esque, two rows of variable upright plates alongside this animal's back, a sizable bony club at the end of its tail... and an odd-looking firearm in the grips of the alien's big hands?

"/ Lady... do you have to bring your pets here? /" One of the bipedal scout questions their presence.

"/ Heh, why not? My pack is as curious about this new location as myself and any of you Zerukhai adventurers. /"

"/ That doesn't mean we should throw away stealth so soon, though. /"

Before long, those hovering constructs transmit their accumulative data about this church to multiple gadgets belonging to the humanoid rangers. The information displayed from these portable devices through sorts of holographic projections includes religious symbols, material types used for making the building, and chemical rate of decay.

"/ So... it has been estimated to over 20 years since this temple place was apparently deserted, then? /" The feminine visitor said while reading the gathered knowledge on her holograms.

And let's not forget the connected smaller room (containing a messy bookshelf and one neglected typewriter on a small table) that a couple of snooping 'rangers' stumbled upon. "/ Hmm... does anyone here recognize this written language on these reading materials? /" An outsider asks.

"/ From my optical view, they certainly don't belong to our natural tongues. /" Another comments.

Around the same time, another explorer emerges out of the alien ring-gate: not a ranger nor an animal, however. This two-legged character clearly has more armor plates/coverings for its overall body-plan (plus a bit large for the knight-like features) than the previous visitors, but still has that same obscurity for the figure's 'sealed helmet' with a pointed crest that came diagonally upright from the rear. Likewise, it checks the holographic information displayed from a vambrace-type apparatus on one of this figure's two arms. Soon, it speaks in some mechanical voice. "/ In my conclusion based on what had been observed here, we shall proceed with further exploration outside of this apparently neglected structure. /"

"/ That was rather quick to decide, sir. /" She notices.

"/ The scanning procedures are more or less completed in this sorry confinement; not even a hidden passage directly underneath this so-called temple. Additionally, reinforcement for occupying here are coming out soon. Once again to all units, permission for exterior reconnaissance is granted. /"

Correspondingly, the otherworldly visitors methodically open the main entrance of this religious building and see what is beyond the interior space. In front of them are the waters belonging to a lake that surrounded the dimensional portal, a solid bridge connecting between this small island and a circular structure with a dome roof (the observatory, BTW), a forest landscape of tall trees that appeared to encircle the body of water, and a sky above them slowly transiting for night time as the bright ball of cosmic light gradually comes down over the horizon. For a while, these xeno-explorers stare at the rather tranquil scenery...

"/ Enough sightseeing, everyone. /" The armored 'giant' commands, "/ We shall soon focus our survey beyond this lake in the middle. Starting with that building facing us across the passageway. /" Like so, the foreign group move forward onto the observatory through this islet.

Excluding the curious 'female' ranger and her animals that takes an intriguing inspection on the chapel's outdoor areas — particularly upon a different door attached to the other side of the brick-laden wall she calmly discovered. "/ Curious... I don't remember another doorway being visible from the inside. /" A while of scanning this exterior facade and slightly touching it later, no kind of door-knobs are seen at the expected spot (aside from the disk-like thing adjacent to the potential opening). "/ Strange to see nothing for opening it. I wonder... /" In a short moment, the inquisitive explorer continues walking around the chapel with those 'tamed' creatures behind her. Once she's in the rear yard of the religious building (after forcing their way through a locked gate by muscle power), this feminine intruder finds a metal box on the exterior wall; alongside a nearby ladder. "/ Well, well... what do we have here? /" Intuitively, she interacts this fixed object and surprisingly activates the thing via lifting the metal handle. With the circuit breaker turned on, the cloaked visitor and her following 'pets' reverse their movement for a few static sounds being heard. In a short moment, she spots a circular light above the same strange door.

"/ Alysia... /" Said the obscured commander standing near the elevator, with 'his' arms crossed in slight annoyance.

The 'lady' responds, "/ Hey... what's wrong with being slightly curious upon your new surroundings, sir? /"

"/ Sometimes, that kind of adventurous behavior can unleash unwanted turbulence beyond anyone's control. /"

"/ Can that declaration applies to us as well? /"

"/ It remains to be seen, ma'am. Depending on how hostile this planet will go towards our presence when discovered. /"

"/ Well... we haven't encountered anything hostile here yet, commanding construct. /"

"/ Still, pushing our luck is regarded as inadvisable for today. /" The armored juggernaut changes 'his' position behind the circular apparatus.

"/ So... what about the rangers heading for that structure with a spherical roof, then? /"

"/ A minor setback concerning an entrance being displaced a bit too high for normal walking. Thus, our drones made themselves on point to further scout the adjacent areas — while the rest of us proceed to wait patiently for either those machines to bring additional data or our upcoming troops to eventually solve the passage issue. /"

"/ ...Kind of think about it sir, this island will get crowded pretty quick if no alternate paths are found and utilized. /"

"/ Not yet for this curious door. Proper preparation upon that discovery is required. /"

"/ Uh... when? /"

No verbal answers come out the armored, faceless figure for a number of minutes. The response later manifests as a dozen new drones with 'interfacing' augmentations coming out of the chapel's main entryway via that inter-dimensional gate. A fraction of those airborne scouts soon arrive at this newly spotted entry and scan it. Once done and delivered to the bipedal recipients, their findings are the circuitry connected to this sliding door and the empty vertical platform/ elevator room being kept closed. With that x-ray-like confirmation, the facially obscured leader press the round button for the transport lift to be exposed at last. The lady ranger makes some steps closer to the elevator room, but then halted by one hand from that commander blocking her way. Which allows more time for the arrived surveying drones to occupy the platform as much space as possible. Afterwards, one of those spheroid machines let out its hand-like device to press the button for going down. The doors closes and the elevator descends to the lowest level as previously designed for. When this lift reaches its destination, the sliding barriers open and those high-tech newcomers carefully fan out into the hallway atrium of Laboratory B2. That said however, the entered space appears to be rather small... and debris were blocking an apparent staircase. Regardless, they begin their analyses on accessible paths: upper level of the 'open-spaced' hallway, a presumably library area containing many books about biological processes after being unlocked easily, one collapsed hole above that same reference room that led to a type of research enclosure (containing shelves with chemicals... and four large glass-tanks with human-like specimens inside), etc. The difficulty for those rooms still locked varies from an obvious button switch near the upper railing to puzzling obstacles that require more thinking efforts. Likewise, those entryways moderately perplexing and over are left alone while the elevator ascends to the surface.

Concurrently on the earth of that islet anyway, additional drones — for either the same purpose of interaction or security reasons in case of potential hostilities — await for the eventual return of said lift. The only person being a bit unhappy at present is the feminine ranger with her beastly associates; where a shield drone currently blocks their access through the usage of its energy-barrier projector.

"/ Hey... when is it my turn to do further investigation? /"

"/ Whenever you're given permission from me to continue, Alysia. /"

"/ Really... that part is not what I signed up for. /"

Any-who, the elevator doors slide open and those patient hovering constructs swiftly fill in the transporting space. Just like the last occasion, the vertical lift later goes down to the lower-bottom level of that underground research site. As repeated, the specialized drones exit the elevator when it opens at the destination. By then, about half of all content in each accessible room were thoroughly studied by the first flock. The scanned information includes a peculiar capsule of smaller stature discovered within a larger glass cylinder for storage, a couple boxy computer apparatuses that obviously require electricity to be activated, one old art-frame depicting a human-observed woman embracing an unidentifiable 'beastman', and two cable carriages inside a large tunnel that would lead to an unknown destination. So far... nothing hazardous has yet to happen.

Evidently the same undertone for the exploration party near that observatory building; where those levitating machines (armed with presumably plasma blowtorches) successfully breach the misaligned metal doors for opening. Ladders of metallic material are soon in place for the cloaked rangers to climb towards that penetrated entrance. A short while later, several of those bipedal scouts are inside the dome-roofed structure — and notice an enormous cylindrical instrument pointing at the darkening sky.

"/ A stargazing telescope here? /" One of them said.

"/ It seem so, buddy. What of it, then? /"

"/ Well... just wondering if there anything to see from that peculiar machine. /"

"/ Hmph, suit yourself. /"

The adventurous 'trespassers' soon stroll for the next metal door, aside from one ranger checking out how functional the large telescope remains. Irritatingly enough, that entryway is founded to be locked like the prior barriers. Therefore, they wait for their hovering 'breachers' to arrive at this secured obstacle. Before long notwithstanding, specialized drones came inside and begin the scorching laceration upon the stubborn door. After some time of that incision procedure at a gradual pace, the metal barrier is finally unlatched and the humanoid visitors moderately push away the two hinged panels. The revealed area they find is quite vast in volume; consisting of two empty pools at one portion and dozens of steel-based cages across this large room.

And let's not forget the putrid smell of decomposition coming from those enclosures of metal bars... that housed corpses of animals with unnatural appearances. Hairy primates with muscle fibers exposed; strange insects barely contained within the cages; four-legged canines whose eyes were as obscured as the dead. Obviously, no signs of life are detected whenever the newly-arrived shield drones scan these specimens.

That doesn't stop the upright explorers from having ominous feelings of this abandoned space.

"/ By the power of Zerus... what's with this sorry place of horror? /"

A/N: This auxiliary tale took place around one month prior to the familiar Ginza Incident in Tokyo, Japan of my 'nutty' fanfic universe. How the relationships will proceed are yet to be determined.

Any feedback on this crossover idea will be welcoming.

Also, I wish you all well in staying safe and healthy during these trying times.