Free The Arrival by Adair Hart

do now is try to fix it.”
    U4 interacted with the console. “Affirmative.”
    The Torvatta lifted off and reached space after a few minutes. Everything around the Torvatta faded out to pure darkness, then eased back in.
    Evaran put his fingers together at the fingertips. “Take us down and activate the scanners.”
    “Affirmative.”
    The Torvatta descended back down to the apartment complex. When it arrived, it hovered off to the side of the roof. U4 tapped at the console, and the view underneath the Torvatta appeared on the front right screen.
    “Now, we wait.”
    After thirty minutes had passed, green outlines appeared on a group of men. Robert and Jake were between them and being hustled out the front door. The men placed Robert and Jake into a sports utility vehicle, which screeched as it took off.
    “Follow that vehicle.”
    “Affirmative.”
    The Torvatta flew silently over the vehicle. The vehicle drove to the western outskirts of town and then into a more rural setting. It pulled off onto a dirt road that went on for several miles. The vehicle came to a stop outside a run-down two-story wooden house. Robert and Jake were escorted out of the vehicle and into the house.
    Evaran studied the house. “Take us one hour after we left in the present to this location.”
    “Affirmative.”
    The Torvatta flew back into space, jumped ahead to one hour after they had left originally on Saturday, then flew back down to the house. It landed in a clearing out front.
    “U4, I will need you in orb mode to survey the surrounding environment where the Torvatta could not scan.”
    “Affirmative,” said U4. She faced Evaran as her chest plates moved forward and off to the sides. An orb with an indented blue line around it flew out and hovered. “Orb mode activated.”
    Evaran nodded at U4. He exited the Torvatta and scrutinized the environment. The clearing in front of the house was ringed by a forest, with a driveway leading out. It was nighttime, with moonlight filtering in through the trees. Creaking noises emanated from the house, and the sound of animals chattering filled the air.
    U4 whooshed by Evaran and up into the air. A mixture of light-colored scanning beams radiated from her.
    Crunchy noises echoed as Evaran walked on the gravel-covered ground toward the house. He scanned around with his ring. The sound of boots hitting a wooden floor thudded out from the house. He snapped his head toward the sound.
    A pale-skinned man wearing black tactical padded body armor and a headset walked out with a medium-sized weapon trained on Evaran. “Halt!”
    Evaran stopped scanning and examined the man.
    “This is private property. You need to leave. Now, ” said the man.
    “I am looking for someone. They were brought here.”
    The man shook his head. “You’re mistaken. Please leave.”
    Evaran reached for his utility handle on his belt as another man rushed out and pushed the first man’s weapon down.
    The second man walked up to Evaran and bowed. In a thick eastern-European accent, he said, “My name is Mikhail.” He glanced back at the first man. “We didn’t know it was you.”
    Evaran tilted his head. “How do you know me?”
    Mikhail nodded. “You’re Evaran. Lord Noskov is on his way up now.”
    Evaran narrowed his eyes. “You are a Daedrould.”
    Mikhail sucked in his lips and swayed his head. “Yes, but … you should really talk to Lord Noskov. He’ll be here momentarily.”
    “Very well.”
    After a few minutes, Lord Noskov arrived wearing black pants, black shoes, and a black vest with a white shirt underneath. A cape with a black exterior and red interior fluttered behind him. A collar extended up and out behind his head. He had short jet-black hair and pale skin, with blackened eyes that glistened in the moonlight. He walked up to Evaran and nodded. “Evaran.”
    “I do not believe we have met,” said Evaran.
    Lord Noskov placed his hands together and rested them on his lips. He studied Evaran