I remember the rocks falling, the press of soil. The
mousey scree as Five, my pet, scurried away. The silence. Who knows how long. Scraping, searching. No strength, finally submitting to the void. All darkness.
Deep, long sleep- I find comfort. Darkness and stillness will be my company.
Then I rouse, finally. To my surprise a warm bed, bandages! A rescue! I open weary eyes and see a hospital. Fine, I will recover, all is well.
To delicious, healing slumber I return; the darkness comes again, this time bringing restoration to my weary bones. I greet it with renewed welcome.
I awaken again, health seemingly returned. A new bed- new room. Where is this?
I rise finding clothing at the foot of this foreign bed, I don it. Some sort of frock coat and official badge. I notice my shape is neko, though I entered the tunnels in my smaller form. I assume this aided my healing somewhat. This place is strange to me- it seems too clean for New Toulouse, too modern for Steelhead or Caledon. Odd.
I wander the rooms of this house, for a residence it is, tho empty. No papers or signage reveal wear I am. Surely, I'm grateful to be whole, but my curiosity now runs rampant.
A step outside reveals unusual flora, palms and temperate together! Is this mainland? The place is empty, no chat noise, no
sploders overhead. An Island, I take it, the Colonies perhaps? I wander the
verandas, plazas and gardens, drawing near a main building..
A large chess set outside a town hall- voices now in the distance-
A quaint village indeed.
But where am I, who has brought me here? What might this badge signify?
Stay tuned...