Re: The Glorious Championship! [S3G5] [Round Two: The Kestalvian Rainforest]
08-08-2011, 01:59 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by veerserif.
Gabe picked up Etiyr and followed Bethany deeper into the jungle. After a second's pause, Elimine followed as well. The trail was a simple, narrow path, threatened from both sides by the rapidly encroaching vegetation. Gabe swung halfheartedly at the dangling branches, while Bethany strode towards camp, beating aside the offending plants with a machete.
Elimine tapped Gabe on the shoulder. "Hmm?" She pointed at Etiyr who was radiating a sort of smug satisfaction. "How'd you know him?"
"I picked him up at the Denny's. Then there was... stuff, I guess. I dunno, I must have lost track of him or something."
"Lost track of him? He's a typewriter. It's not like he can move by himself."
Damn right I can't, thought Etiyr.
"Look, it was confusing, okay? There was a paper-bag-head-mutant and a spatula involved somewhere, it was a bad day, and now we're in the middle of a bloody jungle at the whim of a crazy djinni. Cut me some slack."
Elimine looked like she was about to reply, but she merely adjusted her trombone strap and trudged on. The rain had stopped, and so had the birds, fortunately.
"Sooo," said Gabe, the silence drawing the words out of his mouth. "What is it that you do here, Bethany?"
"Research expedition," came the reply. "There's stuff here we've never seen before, and we think some of the creatures here could help with some projects that my team's been working on."
"Projects?"
"You'll see," Bethany replied cryptically.
"I don't really like cryptic," clacked Etiyr. "<span style="font-family: courier new">Give us a hint, at least."</span>
"Once we reach camp. I promise, it's not that far."
The camp turned out to be not much more than that, a collection of dull, olive drab tents, the tarp sagging under the weight of the rainwater. Bethany pulled out a set of collapsible chairs, and set the machete down. "There's some nutribars in the box there," she gestured, "and we've got a shower tent round the back. Feel free."
Elimine, Gabe and Etiyr all typed or muttered their thanks. Gabe made a beeline for the food crate, leaving Etiyr on one of the chairs. "Hey, Bethany," he called. "Have you got a sling or anything I could carry Etiyr round in?"
She poked her head out from one of the other tents. "Uh, nope, sorry. You could always wait for one of the other guys to come back. Maybe they'll have a harness or something you could use."
Elimine sat down, next to a portable heater. "You mentioned your projects?"
"Yeah, give me a moment, just sorting some stuff out..." Bethany walked out of the tent, running her hands through her hair. "Just seeing if the water got to the electronics." She too sat down. Even Gabe came back.
"Storytime with Auntie Bethany, I see." Gabe shushed him.
"My team got a government grant. These forests are, well, they're not like anything we've seen. All kinds of creatures. And we're interested in the chronobiotic lifeforms here." Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she went on. "We - well, we're working on time travel."
No one dared speak.
Bethany coughed. "It's all very theoretical right now, but it's promising. There are time disturbances here. There was a pretty big flare before I met you guys, actually. That's why the others are out. They're trying to find the source."
"Thanks for telling us," said Gabe, but his mind was somewhere else.
Gabe picked up Etiyr and followed Bethany deeper into the jungle. After a second's pause, Elimine followed as well. The trail was a simple, narrow path, threatened from both sides by the rapidly encroaching vegetation. Gabe swung halfheartedly at the dangling branches, while Bethany strode towards camp, beating aside the offending plants with a machete.
Elimine tapped Gabe on the shoulder. "Hmm?" She pointed at Etiyr who was radiating a sort of smug satisfaction. "How'd you know him?"
"I picked him up at the Denny's. Then there was... stuff, I guess. I dunno, I must have lost track of him or something."
"Lost track of him? He's a typewriter. It's not like he can move by himself."
Damn right I can't, thought Etiyr.
"Look, it was confusing, okay? There was a paper-bag-head-mutant and a spatula involved somewhere, it was a bad day, and now we're in the middle of a bloody jungle at the whim of a crazy djinni. Cut me some slack."
Elimine looked like she was about to reply, but she merely adjusted her trombone strap and trudged on. The rain had stopped, and so had the birds, fortunately.
"Sooo," said Gabe, the silence drawing the words out of his mouth. "What is it that you do here, Bethany?"
"Research expedition," came the reply. "There's stuff here we've never seen before, and we think some of the creatures here could help with some projects that my team's been working on."
"Projects?"
"You'll see," Bethany replied cryptically.
"I don't really like cryptic," clacked Etiyr. "<span style="font-family: courier new">Give us a hint, at least."</span>
"Once we reach camp. I promise, it's not that far."
The camp turned out to be not much more than that, a collection of dull, olive drab tents, the tarp sagging under the weight of the rainwater. Bethany pulled out a set of collapsible chairs, and set the machete down. "There's some nutribars in the box there," she gestured, "and we've got a shower tent round the back. Feel free."
Elimine, Gabe and Etiyr all typed or muttered their thanks. Gabe made a beeline for the food crate, leaving Etiyr on one of the chairs. "Hey, Bethany," he called. "Have you got a sling or anything I could carry Etiyr round in?"
She poked her head out from one of the other tents. "Uh, nope, sorry. You could always wait for one of the other guys to come back. Maybe they'll have a harness or something you could use."
Elimine sat down, next to a portable heater. "You mentioned your projects?"
"Yeah, give me a moment, just sorting some stuff out..." Bethany walked out of the tent, running her hands through her hair. "Just seeing if the water got to the electronics." She too sat down. Even Gabe came back.
"Storytime with Auntie Bethany, I see." Gabe shushed him.
"My team got a government grant. These forests are, well, they're not like anything we've seen. All kinds of creatures. And we're interested in the chronobiotic lifeforms here." Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she went on. "We - well, we're working on time travel."
No one dared speak.
Bethany coughed. "It's all very theoretical right now, but it's promising. There are time disturbances here. There was a pretty big flare before I met you guys, actually. That's why the others are out. They're trying to find the source."
"Thanks for telling us," said Gabe, but his mind was somewhere else.