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Last Night :: Every Night :: Tomorrow Night
rough land
2002-10-23
A rough-looking man was communicating with headquarters. They told him he'd have to go without the diplomatic protection -- treaties were not being respected. His vehicle was a large land ship, rolling over the dusty, rocky terrain. They were attacked by local aggressors as they passed through the territory. Once they got stuck in a rut, but the captain's pet elephant pushed them out. The ship was shot at and hammered, and shook under the assault. Alien ambassadors milled about, coming out of their rooms and looking anxious. A rat-snouted being curled his lips and asked, "What happened *now*?" Most of the diplomats had made this dangerous trek years before to get to the special conference which happened regularly. They eventually got through the hostile land, but they were not out of danger. A strange alien insect which was huge and brown and gooey threatened them the next part of their journey across the desert. The captain started lockdown to get through the attacks. Suddenly, I, a native urchin, scrambled up the back of his ship and got up onto the deck as one of the bugs swooped down. Grinning at his startled expression, I asked for asylum. Before he could answer, I had slid inside and shut the back bay doors, just as the bugs landed. The whole vehicle shuddered under the attack. I was sitting next to the door and the captain eyed me distrustfully. The brown gooey bug could be seen through the windows, trying to get in. Finally it left. Out through the windows, a ramshackle, primitive town could be seen. There were horses in the pastures. One of the alien ambassadors commented how beautiful they were. I said I used to have a herd and bred them, 'til the bugs got them all. I pulled something in from outside, covered in bug goo. The captain reached for it. "Don't touch it!" I said and told him the goo would burn him. I had burns on my hands from when I'd come in. The captain handed me an ice cube to soothe them. I stared at the ice and turned it over in my hand. Ice was extremely rare in the primitive desert town.
Last Night :: Every Night :: Tomorrow Night
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