[OOM] Visit to Kazic III with Guppy.

[stuck_mynock]

The door from Milliways takes them out onto the ramp of Atton's shuttle, outside. It's cold - Colder than the average UK winter - and the sky is a dark purplish colour, as if it's not quite night. Perhaps more noticeable are the (seemingly) fir trees - They're tall, which is to say that the tallest is about a mile high.

Atton gives Guppy a grin, leading him towards the edge of the cliff they're on. There's a city, far beneath - Small by the standards of Atton's galaxy but massive by Earth standards, stone towers and buildings shattered and broken, the ground riddled with craters, all set in a semicircle around a building set into a mountain. While the city shows no signs of being rebuilt and many signs of being abandoned, there are people. They're stood or sat about fires, near less damaged buildings, chattering loudly.

The entranceway is taller than a house, with two equally tall wolf statues either side of it, sitting and looking exceptionally vicious, with blue lights set into them as eyes. They're not Earth wolves - The tails, as long as the body and clearly prehensile, tipped with curved blades - make that pretty clear.

Guppy gets a big grin from Atton.
"'S nice, right? We're a long way from where the Restoration Project has set up. There are just salvagers here."

Comments

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"No. Of them, maybe." The man snorts.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Well I guess they must be a good supply of wood."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"They grow quickly."

Over by one of the stone wolf's paws, Atton finishes off his meal.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy finishes his too, looking to Atton for a lead.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

He gets a hair-ruffle as Atton passes.
"Want t'check out the big mountain building? I've never been there."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay." Looking back at the salvegers. "Nice meeting you."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

He gets a wave.

Atton grins brightly, wrapping his arm around Guppy's shoulders.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy follows, waiting until they are out of earshot before asking.

"How did you know they wouldn't mind?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Atton replies, solemnly.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oh, okay."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Kidding, Guppers."

[guppy_sandhu]

"I know. But I thought maybe I shouldn't ask."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton laughs.
"This isn't the first time I've met salvagers. Some are friendlier than others, and I took a gamble that these ones were the pleasant chirpy types."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Did they really have enough?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Probably. If not, they're not stuck here, they can always leave to go find somewhere with more food."

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy nods.

"What... what happened here?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"How do you mean?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"The destruction?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Whole planet got bombed, almost twenty years back. I've told you about this, I'm sure of it."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Sorry." Guppy says quietly, giving Atton a squeeze.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Don't be."

They finally come out of the corridor into a wide room, carved out of stone, with statues of oddly-tailed wolves - Identical to the ones outside, but a great deal smaller, standing only a few metres tall - arranged around, bordering every doorway. There's a pit in the centre, the centre of which has a stream of blue light coming up through it.

[guppy_sandhu]

"What's that light?" Guppy asks, staying away from it.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Beam from a reactor of some sort. Wouldn't touch it unless you want your hand burnt off, but as long as y'don't touch it we should be safe."

[guppy_sandhu]

"No, I don't want that." Guppy stays well clear of it.

"What is this place again?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"This city or this building we're in now."