Preparation
Preparation
| In-universe date | Era Nova, August–September, Year 7 |
| Real-world date | 2026-10-29 |
| Author | Percival van der Berg |
| Category Type | Character News |
Having finished reading the letter, I set it aside and turned my attention towards the preparations ahead. I gathered the necessary tools, equipment, books, writing materials, and scientific instruments that might prove useful in the days to come. Whatever awaited us beyond the portals, I intended to ensure that we were prepared to observe it, document it, and learn from it.
An undertaking of this scale could not be managed alone. I would require capable men whom I could trust under unfamiliar and potentially dangerous circumstances. With this in mind, I began assembling two teams to accompany me northward to Kheta-Kedet.
The first would be our frontier team, tasked with leading the way into the unknown, assessing potential dangers, and establishing a secure route for those who followed. After speaking with several promising candidates and considering their capabilities, I entrusted its leadership to Hendrick Vosmeer, placing in his hands the responsibility of guiding his men through whatever awaited us.
The second team, led by Theodoor van Rijn, one of my closer subordinates, would follow behind the frontier team to document our findings. Their duties would include recording the unfamiliar landscape, examining unusual specimens, and collecting valuable ores and materials for further experimentation. We know so little about what lies beyond those thresholds that even the smallest discovery could prove invaluable.
Once both teams had been assembled, I explained their respective duties to their leaders. Hendrick was instructed to provide whatever assistance he could to the Kedeti forces, secure our route, and ensure that the research team remained protected from potential threats. Theodoor, meanwhile, was charged with documenting our observations and carefully preserving any materials we recovered.
With our preparations complete, our equipment packed, and our responsibilities established, we finally set out northward towards Kheta-Kedet. There was still much to arrange upon our arrival, but the first step was clear: reach Kedet, meet with our hosts, and prepare to venture into a world of which we knew next to nothing.
Only then would the real work begin.