Ora Noc Terrol: The Road to Paradise

He seems to have recovered, but only time will tell if there will be lasting effects from the shock. Should keep an eye on him just in case; he could freeze up in the middle of a battle and get us both killed.

Luke’s reassurances seemed more for himself, but when he locked eyes with her he seemed to have settled down and regained his composure. She gave a curt nod of understanding , the movement tightly controlled. When he next spoke his voice was even, most of its former strength recovered. The blood still slowly trickled down from the gash above his eye, but he seemed unconcerned and voiced no complaints about it.

It’ll be good to get moving. Sticking around battlefields is a bad idea. Movement at her side drew her attention: The native putting his mask back on. She’d been so focused on Luke that she hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at his face. Frowning, she watched him shift uneasily before he spoke.

"I'mma take off. I don't believe y'all are gonna hear from those bandits anytime tonight."

He was leaving? His wounds were poorly dressed, but if he truly was leaving then his eventual blood trail could throw off any pursuers. She gave a slight shrug and nodded. If he wanted to leave, so be it. The QuikSeal and remaining bandages were handed over with no further words; he hesitated for the briefest of moments, before turning and lumbering off.

Up the road, the bike revved, briefly drawing her attention from the native’s retreating back. The driver shot a glance back at the group before revving the engine again and urging the decrepit machine into motion. The trio quickly shrunk as they rode down the road, a plume of rust colored dust kicked up in their wake.

708 turned back to Luke and the other two that stood around her. She carefully stowed the QuikSeal, bandages, and medical tape back in the medkit, which was quickly placed back into her pack. She inhaled sharply, the dry, flinty air renewing her sense of purpose. “We should get moving.” She cast a last, wary look at the rock face looming above them. “If we’re lucky we’ll make the outpost before dark.” She dropped her gaze down to Luke, jerking her head slightly in the direction of the dust plume, before stepping back onto the road. Luke fell into step behind her, and the other two behind them.

High up on the rock face, a slight figure of a man wormed his way out of a crevice. He scrambled to his feet from his prone position, watching the four figures walking down the road. “Needs to know, needs to know!” He muttered under his breath, panic edging his words. He bent down and retrieved his rifle then spun on his heel and scrambled down the back of the rock face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanging low in the sky, the evening sun cast long shadows across the junkyard that made up much of Kel’s Outpost and Garage. Four structures stood firm in the scorching heat; silent sentinels standing strong. The largest was a massive hanger-like building, its curved metal roof glinting brightly in where the sun struck it. The second was marked by a large--albeit rusty--sign loudly proclaiming the business and its proprietor. Part store and part home, here the widow lived and made her living. The smallest looked like nothing more than an overgrown shed, while the final structure completing the picture was a moderately sized fueling station: Two outlets and three pumps.

Sitting in an old fashioned straight-back chair, a lone woman let out an annoyed grunt, a shadow just beginning to stretch across her. Calloused hands worked diligently; carefully shaving away thin flakes of stone with a lazknife. The laser-edged blade was an older model: Gavin had given it to her as a gift the day they had opened up the outpost fifteen long years ago. The faint scent of burning stone tickled her nose. More obnoxious than her familiar mechanical smells, but nice in its own right.

A flick of a switch and the blade shut down, the metal folding in on itself. Sharp hazel eyes looked over the small stone figure critically. Gavin would have commented that the craftsmanship was exquisite. It had been his idea to turn her whittling hobby into profit. Take figures from the Tervim ruins, some local stone, apply a lazknife and voila! Good luck charms that the masses of Sheol snapped up.

Yes, Gavin would have liked this one. She sighed. He’d been on her mind often lately; thoughts and memories of the good days. If she just closed her eyes she could conjure his image with perfect clarity. She could recall his arrogant smile and dark eyes; the charming baritone voice that accompanied it. She could almost convince herself that he sat beside her.

A dust cloud on the horizon drew her eyes, quickly snapping her back to reality.

“Visitors?” She rose to her feet, thinking aloud. “Might be the group old Vern called about. Only looks like one vehicle though…Didn’t he day they were on foot?” The woman frowned. “Could have run into bandits…”

Moments later a ramshackle bike skidded to a halt in front of the porch, the two--no, there were three. One was just dead. Or unconscious. The two conscious ones piled off, the woman ordering the man to haul the dead guy around.

“Looks like you need a grave or bus for that guy. Which is it? Buses ain’t runnin’ this late, but I got a couple holes out back. Was saving them for bandits, but I can make an exception.”

A slight smirk twisted her lips at the woman’s rebuttal and her quick explanation of the situation. The briefest of glances showed that the man was struggling with his deadweight burden, and the smirk widened. She looked back to the woman before her and nodded. “It’ll cost extra, but I can phone for a bus first thing in the morning. We’ll get your boy toy fixed up in the back room, be more comfortable and its cleaner than the guest house.” She waved, and led them into the shop. “Come on, lets see what we can do for him.”

Half an hour later, they had done everything they could for the man, and Kel quickly ushered the two remaining guests outside. She looked to the woman. “Well, I called for a bus. Won’t be out until morning, so you best get comfortable. Dinner’ll be in a few hours, but in the mean time make yourselves at home in the guest house.” She pointed to the shed-like structure. “Door’s open, if you want more air there’s a sliding door that you can shove up in the south wall. There anymore of you coming this way?”

The man answered succinctly. “Four more.”

Kel nodded. “Good. I have plenty. Now get moving. Don’t like being interrupted while I cook.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red light drenched the room, shading everything in macabre tones. Shadows kept the figure behind the desk hidden, and the small grainy holo of the man threw contrasting light into the room.

“The ambush was set jus’ like you said. We was all up in the rocks an’ a big ol’ group came trottin’ in. I took a shot at the big chick, but something’ tipped her off and she fuckin’ dodged my shot! I don’ know what she is, but we sprung the trap and I kept shooting and she was a machine! She caved Sento’s face in! I swear it, she moved unnaturally! Like somethin’ out of a nightmare. She got shot, I’m sure, but she didn’t seem affected at all. Was crazy shit down there! And in the middle of it all, Anoch came out of nowhere!”

The figure leaned forward suddenly. “Anoch? You’re sure?”

“’less there’s ‘nother scythe-wieldin’ giant we don’t know about, it was him. Between him, the giant chick and a guy with the assault rifle they killed everyone. Even our bikers. I hid up top, wedged myself in a crevice and waited until they left. Then I came straight here and reptored to you, jus’ like you told us to if we saw sumthin’ funny.” The holo showed a tiny, hopeful--and fearful--face.

“You did good. Come home, Yerrik. You deserve a good rest. I’ll even set you up with some slaves for when you arrive.” A hand reached out and shut down the holo, ending the transmission. The figure leaned back, the sling chair creaking slightly as it adjusted to the shift in weight.

I need an inside man…Find out what these people are doing, where they’re going. Anoch needs to be brought back to our side. The hand reached out again, lifting a glass from the polished surface of the desk. I need to know who this mysterious giant is. If she is capable of doing everything that Yerrik claims she’d be a valuable asset if brought to my cause. A slow drink was taken, before the glass was returned to the desk.

The hand moved one finger deftly pressing a hidden button. “Ferdon, make the call. I’ll personally speak with the mercenary, if he’s interested in what I have to offer.” The finger retracted; the hand came to rest lightly on the chair’s arm. Lips curled into a cold smile.

“What an interesting turn of events.” The smile widened, teeth glistening crimson. “Father would be so…pleased.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky steadily darkened, and the lights ahead steadily grew. 708 continued along at the same steady pace she had set upon leaving the rock, feeling slightly out of breath. She still hadn’t adjusted to the thinner air of the planet, and it seemed that the nanobots hadn’t yet learned to compensate. That might have been due to the work they were doing on her wounds. The graze was long since healed, but the shoulder was still being repaired.

She looked back over the group, noting each persons location, followed by doing a 360 scan of their surroundings. Far as she could see, they weren’t being followed. Good.

Grim silence had hung over the group as they traveled; having haunted them since they had left the battlefield. Now, they were too tired and sweaty to talk, too paranoid to stop looking over their shoulders. Having tasted the first of what Sheol could throw at them, 708 wondered what else the dying world had in store for them. Luke couldn’t take another shock that night, so if things were well then Kel’s would provide needed shelter for the night.

Said establishment rose from the darkness, pools of light banishing the inky black. The group’s pace quickened and they peeled of the road to hurry down the drive. Waiting on the porch of the main building, an older woman stood expectantly.

“’Bout damn time you all got here! Was thinking’ I’d have to wait up all night for ya.” She descended the steps, closing the final distance to greet them. “Name’s Kel. Welcome to Kel’s Outpost and Garage. Dinner’s in five and your friends are in the guest house.” She jerked a thumb towards the large swath of light emitted from the guest house’s open sliding door. “Go git yourselves settled. We’ll be eating out back ‘round the fire pit.” She spun smartly, and moved around the building, disappearing into the ink.

708 looked back at Luke, meeting his eyes. She broke the gaze a moment later, assured that he was still there and hadn’t retreated into his mind during the long trek, and started towards the guest house. Food will be good. Been too long since I had a solid meal.

Osiris had been sitting outside for some time, relaxing as best he could while staring at the stars and writing down the events of the day. He had already finished sketching out Kel’s Outpost several minutes ago. The relative peace the place offered after the events earlier in the day were a great welcome. His head still ached, a knot having formed where he had slammed it into the drive shaft. His leg was better though, freshly bandaged with the pain gone for the most part. If it hadn’t become so stiff from the ride to Kel’s he could have likely been walking fine.

When he heard the commotion Kel was making about the others arriving, Osiris shot his head up from the paper and looked off in that direction. He scratched his head idly, slipping his writing equipment into his satchel and pushing himself to his feet. He debated heading off to the fire pit and waiting for them, but a nagging voice crept into the back of his mind. Or, rather, it seemed to bull rush his forehead from the back of his mind. The fiery woman, whatever in deep space her name was, had seemed quite intent on him helping her bandage something when they got to Kel’s. That was before he took off on the bike with the other woman.

Then, he blinked. It came flooding back to him in an instant. “I’ve got rash on my bloody tits, for the Christ’s sake!”

Osiris smirked, chuckling to himself. It was just one outburst that she had done throughout that short time period earlier that day. Most were jumbled into a blur due to the adrenaline high of the battle. He recalled being choked though, or almost choked. He wasn’t quite sure. And her sliding out on the hood of the truck, launching herself at a bike… then the tumbling and skidding that resulted in her injuries. Her body was likely a road-rash-map of pain.

Dusting himself off, Osiris decided it was in his best interesting to find the girl before she found him. Save the trouble of her transferring some of her pain unto him.

Eve’s temper was a monstrous thing on a bad day. Even on a good day, it was difficult to handle. But, on a bad day, she was more dangerous than a fully armed war fleet. Toss in an entire day worth of walking under relentless suns and a rash covering 73% over her body, and you had something more akin to an act of god than a woman. She was not something to be dealt with, or spoken to, or even looked at. And heaven forbid she looked at you.

Unfortunately for one wounded man, she was. Kel’s greeting had been ignored, the small woman bulldozing past the outpost owner as her eyes swept the area darkly. Where. Is. He? The thought was rapid, and echoed endlessly in her head, as the inferno within grew hotter, and hotter.

When he came into view, his limp all but gone, her vision zeroed in on him, and a sinister smile slithered onto her lips like a viper. Her stride grew calm, and she approached him casually, stopping a few inches away from him. “Good to see you made it alright, limper. I was almost worried that leg wound would do you in.” She took his arm, smiling up at him. “But, didn’t you say you’d help me out with my bandages? I’m red…everywhere.” The last word rolled off her lips, and she started to pull him towards the guest room, eyes flickering maliciously beneath her glasses.

The door creaked open, and she glanced about the deserted room for a moment, before quickly pulling him inside. She didn’t bother with the light, sliding her glasses off her face, and faced her ‘assistant’. The machete clattered to the ground behind her, forgotten as she examined the man before her. What was he thinking? It was an entertaining thought, but she forced herself to focus on the job at hand. A slow step brought them closer, as she pulled off her tank top and tossed it briskly aside. “Now…” She whispered in a low voice. “…promise me you won’t peek.” Bending down to untie her boots, she glanced at his bad leg for a split second.

“Your leg doesn’t hurt anymore,” Her expression went from calm to wild in a split second, as a coiled fist slammed hard into the side of his leg. “does it?!” He buckled, quickly catching the wall to support himself as she shot up and grabbed a hold of his chin, only to rip his face down to her level. “You EVER ditch me again, and I swear to all that is holy, you’ll never walk again. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Limper?!” A tense moment hung over them, as her sharp breaths slowly settled into uneven pants, her orange eyes losing their fire. She released his face, shooting him one last death glare before moving into the center of the room.

“Go get some bandages…and some pain meds for your leg.” A small touch of remorse touched her voice when she mentioned his leg, but it vanished as she began to remove her boots. “Quickly! I don’t want to miss dinner!”

Osiris had remained silent during the events in the darkened shed. Something primitive, a primal instinct, told him it was the best option. That instinct was fear. There wasn’t much that could put that emotion into him so completely. Sure, one would argue that it was fear that drove him to run from slavers, drug traffickers, mercenaries, and gods knew what else. But that wasn’t so much fear as it was survival instincts. After all, he wasn’t running from the woman was he? No, that wasn’t a good idea. Running only activated the predator instinct, and Osiris was quite positive she was just that; a predator, a wild, mildly-psychotic predator.

Of course, as with any predator, there was an air of alluring quality around her. An aura, one might say. Granted this wasn’t something everyone felt about predators, it was often seen that anyone who felt a thrill around predators was to be slightly insane themselves. Osiris would never argue the potential of his own insanity, but he was a poet after all. What that had to do with anything he wasn’t exactly sure. His life thus far had been one thrill after another and he somehow managed to remain stoic to most of it. Shrug it off with a nonchalant demeanor and walk away from it. Or jump the next shuttle to some planet reported to house paradise, but as with most rumors being nothing more than a hellish wasteland. Full of predators in all sorts, native and foreign. And then there was the otherworldly dangerous of the planet, which reminded Osiris to stop wasting time about and fetch bandages for miss rash covered royalty.

Part of him wanted to waste more time though. Just to see here reaction to his lateness, especially if they missed dinner. It was always so much easier to be bold, daring, and overly stupid when you weren’t staring the beast in the eye. If those were even really eyes. They looked more like someone had shoved fire agates into her face or opened a portal into one of the many fabled hells of the religions of man. He smirked at the thought, picturing her with a forked tongue, a tail, and tattered wings; horns too, and dark onyx veins around her temples. The ease at which the image came to mind was almost frightening. Almost.

By the time he had gotten some bandages, and managed to get some manner of ointment, though he wasn’t exactly sure what was in the rather strange appearing but pleasantly smelling stuff, he was quite sure it had past time that the food be served. Of course there wasn’t much he could do about that, really. Kel had informed them it would be served soon when the rest of the group arrived. And he still had to manage to help venus mantrap get this stuff spread across her wounds. Why exactly she had asked him to do this and not one of the women was still a mystery, one he wasn’t sure he wanted to uncover.

When he got back to the guest room he opened the door cautiously, half expecting to be slammed into a wall, cursed at, and possibly punched or stabbed. Really, as predictable as she likely was in her seemingly unpredictable nature, he wasn’t willing to take that sort of chance of attempting to predict her. The moment he did was the moment he’d likely be seeing his great grandmother scolding him about his choice in women. It amazed him that he somehow managed to remember that speech from when he was five years of age. Confident that his analysis of potential threat wasn’t going to happen, Osiris entered the room in full and closed the door behind him.

“Well, can’t say this stuff is exactly top quality, but there should be enough bandages. Hopefully the ointment will last…”

He had left without a word, leaving her in solitude to finish removing the last of her clothes. Sitting on the side of one of the beds, she glanced about the dark room, her glowing eyes picking out every detail with ease. A soft sigh escaped her as a chill raced up her spine. Desert planets. They always got so bloody cold at night. Wrapping an arm around her exposed torso, Eve’s eyes flicked over to the window, trying in vain to spot Limper’s return with the bandages.

The thought sent a small flash of pain through the rash, and she winced. Muttering something about stupid bandits, the young woman rose, and began to pace about in a rather futile effort to keep warm. Her mind wandered, and the first thing it decide to wander to was why exactly she had recruited Limper to handle the ointment and bandaging. Stopping in her place, she thought for a moment. Well, the Amazon’s hands were too big and the woman was, to be blunt, rather terrifying, so that automatically ruled her out. As for the other woman…something about her rubbed Eve the wrong way, as if she was…hiding something beneath a façade of innocence. But what?

A creak at the door caused her to jump, and she instinctively covered herself as she looked to the intruder. Limper’s head poked in, and she allowed herself a sigh of relief. He spoke, and she chuckled at him. “We’ll just take the bottle with us.” Maybe it was because of the fight? A silent shake of the head dispelled the memories that rushed to her mind’s eye, as she motioned for him to come over. Had they just… ‘bonded’ in that moment of life and death?

“Go slow, alright? I’m cold enough as is.” She shot a look over her shoulder, orange eyes narrowing briefly. “And I’ll know if you linger, so keep moving, Limper.” Her tongue flicked out at him, before she set her gaze ahead. There wasn’t any point analyzing it, she supposed. The battle had worn her out, and despite his disappearence, Limper had been the one right there beside her, so it only made sense that she trusted him enough to handle some bandages.

Considering it solved, Eve sorted it away into her mind and focused on how nice the ointment felt on the rash. “You work in a spa or something before? You’re surprisingly gentle for a guy…”

You’re surprisingly gentle for a guy…

The words lingered in his mind for a moment. Osiris didn’t notice the one raised brow over his right eye. Surprisingly gentle for a guy? Just how many times did she get her body covered in road rash and need men to rub ointment over her? Or just how often did she find some excuse or another to get them to do so? Or did she even bother with excuses most times? After a moment he shook his head.

“Not exactly,” he responded, mostly because he figured talking would make the situation seem less awkward than it was. Not that anything about the situation would have been odd under normal circumstances. But when you’re applying ointment to the tender wounds of a woman who is as likely to tear out your jugular with her nails as she is to bat her lashes at you, well, things tend to get a little more tense and you started to feel more like edging along a chasm filled with starving reptiles.

“Though I did live in one for a few months…”

A story lay behind that, though Osiris didn’t think it was exactly the best time to get into such things. Especially considering the spa was more of a cross between a black lotus den and a harem, with a in the basement. The spa was actually adjacent to the black lotus den, and there were countless secret pathways through which the girls from the upstairs harem would enter the area to keep the guests company. Of course, the place was always filled with smoke. Black lotus was an interesting drug and could be indulged in practically any manner a creative mind could think of. The beauty of it was there weren’t any long term effects. At least none that proved too dangerous. Then again, not being able to remember three months of your life could be quite dangerous.

Osiris pushed the memories, or lack thereof, out of his mind and set the ointment aside. He looked at his hands still and did his best to remove the excess from them before putting the bandages on her wounds. Once done he stepped back and gathered what was left into a pouch he had gotten with them.

“Well, there should be enough to last a few days. Give or take, if you can manage to keep the dust out.” Turning back toward her his face twisted into a grin. Short, covered in bandages and with eyes that glowed like burning embers; she looked perfect for a part in an old horror vid. Amusingly, it fit well with their current surroundings. It took him a moment to remember what those old things were called, but it came back to him soon enough; mummies. A fiery wild-woman mummy with eyes that looked as if they belonged to Lilith herself; Osiris almost wished some overly religious zealot could see this. Turning from her, he did his best to hold down the laugh.

The group seemed to pull together once he was fine, except the giant native decided to be all mysterious and take off as soon as everyone was regrouped with each other. There was the rumble of a bike, and three of their group took off without them, one looking like he was on death's door. Luke could do nothing but stare after them, but didn't really feel anything about it. He didn't really know them, and if they were willing to simply ditch them after that, then he really didn't care to know them. It was about this time that Ashley told them they should be moving, and she nodded towards where the bike had taken off. As she started her pace, Luke groaned inside his mind. Great, another jogging session. I swear, I'll be the fittest mechanic I know.

The walk, or light jog in Luke's case, was a long and tiring one. No one had really said anything during the walk, and Luke had to preoccupy his mind during the entire time in order to avoid slipping back into shock-inducing memories. He was not a soldier, nor had he even really been in a firefight until now, but he knew a few fundamental things. You didn't think about the trauma was definitely one of them. So, he started looking at anything that he could possible look at without fear of getting killed. So far, it was rocks, sand, larger rocks, even more sand, some cliffs, big-ass rocks, and tons of sand. It was as entertaining as watching water drip out of a tap. It was doing the job though, he never retreated back into his mind, even if he was bloody tired at this point. He was glad he wasn't some stereotype fat bellied and fat armed mechanic, or he would have had some serious problems just walking through this place, let alone jogging. As Luke looked over at Ashley, she appeared to be having trouble with her breathing too, and something about that made him feel a bit better. The Amazon woman was having a bit of trouble too, so he didn't look as bad.

Finally, a building started showing up in the distance, and Luke's energy doubled just at the thought of a place of rest and possibly food. As they neared the place, everyone started slowing down, and finally Luke was able to simply walk again, as well as regain lost breath. The lady, Kel, came out to greet them and offer them food. Luke took the time to double over and rest a second before everyone started moving inside. The good side of this entire trip? If he wasn't dead by the end of it, he would be incredibly ripped beyond all belief.

After a bit of cooling down and being able to wipe all the sweat off of his tired body, Luke made his way outside to the fire pit. It was a quaint little place, with a pit in the middle surrounded by plastic chairs and some logs to sit on. Looked like a copy of a nature magazine made back when people still only inhabited Earth. He didn't really know what to do, since it seemed he was the only one out in the back at the moment, but decided to pick one of the chairs before anyone else came to join him. Sitting back in the chair, he gave a gratifying sigh just to be able to sit down for a little while. Soon food would be served, and he couldn't think of doing anything better for the time being. This felt like heaven, which was funny, since this was all common place on his old job.

Oh how the times had changed already.

Inside the shed was sparse; bare except for twelve or so cots and a few chairs. Concrete floors, plasteel walls, it was built to last. 708 didn’t bother entering the place, instead standing outside the door, watching the others claim their spaces. Luke was the first one out and she stepped aside to let him pass.

She watched him head for the fire pit. The interior of the guest building held no charm for her. It was small, cramped. Not enough exits and completely enclosed. Only when I’m ready to sleep. I won’t go in until then. Her decision reached, the giant turned and made her way to the fire pit. Luke was looking comfortable in the chair he had claimed, but the other seats were vacant. Even Kel was nowhere to been seen.

Hesitating for a moment at the edge of the circle, she frowned, weighting where to sit. No place has the correct angle to have all other seats in full view at once, and there was no wall for her to put her back against. At least I have an ally. Sit near him, then should something go wrong we won’t be separated. One last look was cast about, then she moved over to a chair next to Luke’s. She slung her bag off and dropped it next to the chair before carefully lowering herself into it.

Kel would likely be out with dinner soon, and she might know something about Ora Noc Terrol. Perhaps a new rumor, or lead. 708 resolved to question the woman soon as she was able. Until then, however, she wanted nothing more than to sit and enjoy the silence of the night.

“Awwww…little spa boy out here in the big bad world? Scary, isn’t it?” She snickered at him, taking a moment to wrap some of the bandages herself and make sure they were all secure on her body. She rose, and turned to face him as he stowed the gel and remaining bandages in a small pouch. “What are you, my doctor now?” She raised a brow, leaning in close for a moment as a devilish grin spread on her lips. “You just like seeing me naked, don’t you, ya pervert?”

She laughed, although its tone wasn’t as mocking as before. She grabbed her shorts first, pulling them onto her body and buttoning them quickly. A small trace of a blush crossed her face as she started to slip into her shirt, and the young woman spoke quickly. “Uhm…thanks for…ya know…not asking about the piercing.” She fidgeted, shooting him a worried glance before fixing her gaze on her feet. “Not exactly something I want to get into with some random guy.”

There was a brief silence, before the sound of suppressed laughter reached her ears. Eve looked about the room quickly, blush darkening at the thought of someone else having seen everything, only to find its source to be… “Limper.” She breathed darkly, tiny hands coiling into fists at her side. “Something…funny to you?” He stiffened, before heaving a knowing sigh, seconds before Eve’s foot found its place on his backside, and roughly forced his head into the nearest wall.

Glaring down at him, Eve gave a shake of her head, before opening the door. “Men. You’re all fucking worthless idiots.” Her sunglasses slide flawlessly onto her face in a practiced motion and she departed without another word. Moving quickly across the outpost to the fire pit, there was a moment of recognition in the form of the grunt for those already present, before promptly throwing herself into a chair across from them. An aura of irritability rolled off her in waves, as she fidgeted restlessly in her seat in a vain attempt to get comfortable. Her body protested more with each move, the gel doing little to stop the rash from complaining.

“God fucking dammit!” Tossing her hands into the air, Eve slumped low, eyes shooting daggers into the flickering flames. Nothing was said to the others, the brooding woman focused on her staring contest with the blaze, despite the protest of her eyes at the glow.

Time passed slowly round the fire it seemed and the frustration inside slowly ebbed away into a strange sense of calm. The soft, glowing dance of the sparks carried them quietly into the night sky, and no matter how she tried, her gaze just couldn’t pull itself from their final waltz into oblivion, disappearing like little stars as the void of space swallowed them whole.

Eyelids becoming heavy, the days events slowly began to take their toll on her body, and Evelyn barely resisted as the welcoming rest began to envelope her senses. Maybe just a quick one…no harm in a few minutes, right? Shutting her eyes, she slipped off for a quick nap…only for a creak in the chair next to her to wake her up with a jolt. Looking to its new occupant, she frowned when she caught Limper’s eyes and groaned loudly.

“These two don’t look fed to me, so I guess your hide is safe for now.” The threat was half spoken, half muttered, and held none of the usual spunk, although it wasn’t all that difficult to spot why. “When’s dinner? ‘M starving…”

Every one trickled in, each choosing spots around the campfire, forming micro groups of those they had been closest to during the bandit ambush. A weary silence hung over them and more than a few eyes drooped in the relaxing warmth of the flames. No more than fifteen minutes after the last person had settled down by the fire, Kel appeared, flanked by three bots of the same make and model that Jack the bot had been. One carried a stack of bowls and spoons, the second carried a covered tray, and the third carried a folding chair. Kel herself held a metal ladle in one hand, while the other strained under the weight of a large steaming pot. Grinning, she strode over to the edge of the fire and set the pot down next to the blaze. She plopped the ladle into the pot and gave the contents a quick stir.

“Shamus! Set my chair up. Nut, you’re on serving duty, Bolt you’re passing everything out.”

At her directions, the small bots sped into action. Shamus zipped over to an open spot in the circle and set up the folding chair it carried--scooting it back and forth repeatedly and patting dust from the cushion before Kel forced the bot to stop by giving it a light kick. Nut and Bolt made an efficient pair, quickly filling and passing out the bowls, spoons, and a hard biscuit to each person seated around the fire. Under the watchful eye of their master, not one drop of the thick stew was spilled and nothing was caught on fire. Though Bolt did manage to drop several biscuits in the process of handing things out.

With an exasperated sigh, Kel settled back in her chair, content to dig into the steaming meal. “Watch your teeth,” She warned, spoon half-raised to her lips. Nut likes to help me cook and tries to add its own special surprises to meals. Damn bots…never program their personalities but it never fails that they malfunction and start gettin’ quirks.”

708 cast a dubious glance at the contents of her bowl before shrugging to herself. The stew smelled really good--meaty and rich--and her mouth started to water as the steam rose to tickle her nose. She dug in, taking a moment to blow on the spoonful before placing it in her mouth. It was delicious! Better than anything she had ever tasted outside the Facility; light-years better than what she had been fed inside that prison. Faith renewed in the food, she dug in with a relish. Hopefully there would be enough for several bowlfuls. Her body needed a high calorie intake to function, and she had found it hard to keep that need fulfilled. Now it seemed like there was plenty--if the size of the pot was any indication--and she intended to take full advantage of it.

Lost in the enjoyment of a hot meal, 708 was unaware of the approach of Tater until the dog’s chin rested on her thigh. She froze, eyes growing wide as she looked down to meet the dog’s caramel gaze. She had heard of dog’s…seen what she thought was a one at a distance on one planet, but never had she been close to one, much less touched one. The dog’s read fur looked coarse, shaggy and speckled with black and grey, his tail wagged slowly. Confusion and uncertainty twisted 708’s features and shown bright in her eyes.

“Looks like ol’ Taterman decided you’d be his newest friend!” Kel laughed, hazel eyes twinkling at the amazon woman’s shocked look. “Don’ worry, he won’t bite. He’s just looking for a scratch behind the ears and a scrap of food. Old mutt’s got no manners.”

Tentatively, like a small child unsure of herself, 708 reached down and lightly scratched the top of Tater’s head. Her reward was a wag of the canine’s tail and a deeply contented sigh. The tiniest of smiles turned up the corners of her lips, and she scratched the top of his head again.

“Now,” Kel sat back in her chair and handed her dirty dishes to Shamus--who promptly placed them atop his head with an all too happy chirp. “Whole lot of you have that fresh off the shuttle look. I’m sure y’all got plenty a questions. I can answer most, if not all, of them. However, I ain’t one to conduct business with strangers,” The grey haired woman flashed them all a toothy grin. “So, what names am I jottin’ down in my books? Don’ matter if you give me an alias or stick to your preferred name, I just want somethin’ to call ya by. Once we get to know each other, then I figure we can go ahead and gossip a bit.”

She winked. “So, who’s first?”

Osiris stared at the stew in the bowl for a moment before examining the biscuit. Of course, it had speckles of dirt on it. The man smirked. This was the way his luck worked. The charms seemed to have wills of their own indeed. They kept him alive on sheer dumb luck but always played little games like this with him. Still, he was alive and had more interesting stories to tell than an ex-sailor whore at a spaceport brothel. Setting the bowl in his lap he dusted off the biscuit before dipping it into the liquid contents of the bowl. The attempt was to make the biscuit softer. As he bit into it he realized it didn’t help as much as he’d have liked. Still, the flavor wasn’t bad. A sight better than many things he’d eaten in his life; though it could also be compared to the scraps of a refuse pile outside of the half-star café down the street from the Telcquin spaceport brothel. When one has dined in the most exquisite of kitchens, on occasion royal ones at that, the bar can be set quite high, however.

He took to eating the stew slowly. Mostly out of caution. The thought of a bot adding in its own little secret ingredients unnerved Osiris. It wasn’t an issue of digesting something strange. He just didn’t feel like biting down on something large and metal and breaking all the teeth on one side of his mouth.

Glancing up he caught sight of the mangy dog Kel was speaking to the giantess about. He smiled at the sight of it. Dogs were lovely companions; the classic man’s best friend from all the old books. Man had come to know many animal best friends since the expansion into space. None seemed to ever surpass the dog, though. Osiris had wondered at this as a child, since he had never been around many dogs. But the other animals native to the numerous planets he visited with his parents, they were quite wondrous. Later in life it would amuse him at how exotic he once thought dogs were in comparison. Out of all the pets he had, he could say with certainty the dog was his favorite species; even if he never had one of his own until his early twenties.

The topic of names brought him back into the now. He blinked, staring into the fire. The numerous names he had used, or had been gifted, over the years flooded across his eyes like a misshapen and sped up slide show. Or more like numerous slideshows of varying speeds and angles of approach. During a particular exploit in his late teens he had learned to stop using his proper name, his family name at least. The incident didn’t go over well for his parents, who had a spotless reputation in their fields. Thankfully the circumstances of his birth meant that he wasn’t on any official records as being Osiris Bessad.

For a moment he contemplated what name to use. After chewing another spoonful of stew he decided to resurrect the seemingly dead true identity. Whatever that was. After all, what harm could it do on this desolate planet? Surely no one even knew of his parents.

“Osiris Bessad,” he said plainly as he dipped his spoon back into the bowl.

Luke had very nearly fallen asleep by the fire. The toll of the battle finally catching up to him as the very last of the adrenaline rush left his weary body. That was a real fight, a real battle. Nothing like what the vid logs show with people doing heroic things, dodging bullets, and able to save everyone and kill the bad guy at the same time. No, this was about survival, not fancy moves trying to impress the chicks. Hell, thinking back on it, he couldn't even remember half the battle except for when it started. He could remember he took cover behind a truck, and that was it, the rest was black until he woke up looking at Ashley. His eyes closed, and he could feel himself drifting into sleep, until the presence of someone sitting next to him woke him up. He opened his eyes with a start, but immediately calmed himself seeing as it was Ashley. Already he was adapting to the nature of the planet, ready to fight or flight at the second of trouble. He was about to fall back to sleep when everyone else seemed to pop out of the woodwork and make themselves comfortable around the fire. One woman swore at something so loud Luke thought something had snuck up on them. Once she started staring into the fire though, he knew the real reason wasn't any of his damn business.


Once everyone was seated, and they were all within their own comfort groups, Kel appeared with three bots bringing the necessary things in. Some soup and biscuits were brought around the fire, while Kel had another bot set up her chair. As one of the machines got to him, Luke started looking it over out of habit, and noticed several things wrong with it. The way it was shaking back and forth, it's hesitancy to do something, and it's 'eye' seemed broken almost, but not quite. Luke pulled his Changer out from his pocket, and before it could speed away with the biscuits, pulled the thing back. It made a startled little cry, but managed not to spill the biscuits. Taking a quick look for the access hatch on the back, he pried it open, and the bot went into standby mode. Good, this thing isn't as old as I thought it was. Luke thought to himself as he switched the changer into a small wrench and dove into the mess of wires in the back. Finally he got to the optics, and immediately saw the problem. Some wires looked like they had been stripped, and then improperly replaced into the wrong connections.


As he tinkered with the bot, sometimes throwing some completely useless wires over his shoulder, he bypassed a couple of connections to get the necessary results out of the machine and immediately the little bot's 'eye' got brighter. Luke placed the changer in his mouth, and without looking into the bot, dove both his hands in there to secure a power coupling that had come loose. As he managed to replace it where it was supposed to be, a hum of power came from Bolt, and Luke closed the access hatch. Bolt stood up straighter, and ran around the fire much faster but with more success than before Luke had fixed him. His hands had a little oil on them, caked onto the components he had been working on, so he pulled out a rag from one of his pockets and wiped them down before digging into the dinner before him.


Everything tasted delicious after what he had been through, and he couldn't stop himself from chowing down on the biscuits and soup. His mouth watered with every bite, and he couldn't help but notice that Ashley was doing the exact same thing. Then, of all things, a dog wandered up to the Amazon, and placed it's head on her thigh. Luke nearly spit out his soup at the awkwardness she displayed towards the creature.


"Looks like ol' Taterman decided you'd be his newest friend! Don' worry, he won't bite. He's just looking for a scratch behind the ears and a scrap of food. Old mutt's got no manners."

As Ashley finally decided to pet the dog, Luke couldn't help but smile. "Don't tell me you've never seen a dog before?" Not waiting for an answer, Luke started rubbing his fingers together and making 'nic' sound out of the corner of his mouth. The dog trotted over, and wagged it's tail happily as Luke scratched him behind the ears and under his jaw. After scratching the dog for a bit, he simply pointed back to Ashley, and the dog made it's way back, laying it's head back down on her thigh as if begging for food. Luke let out a little laugh, and began eating his food once more.


It wasn't until Kel decided to speak up and ask everyone's names that Luke even looked up from his dish. Another man decided to answer first, the one he had seen take cover with the angry woman before and had nearly shot the native giant. His name? Osiris Bessad. His game? Shooting people who were trying to help us live. A smirk planted itself on his face as Luke thought this, but didn't say a word. Instead, he simply turned to Kel to introduce himself.


"Luke Highlander, Mechanic. Thank you for the meal."

Eve had taken the bowl with no complaints, although she did ask the bot for a different bun, seeing as he tried to offer her one that she had seen him drop not a minute before. Watching him go, she took a look down at the stew for a minute, reminded of her uncle’s ‘famous’ version back home. She always doubted how ‘famous’ it really was, but she had to admit, it was a damn tasty stew. She’d have to pay him a visit once she was done on this planet and snag herself a pot for her next dig.

She idly raised the spoon to her lips, ready to take a bite when Kel’s warning caught up with her. A quick glance down caught the glint of a small nut, and she frowned deeply. “I don’t need this much iron in my diet…” She muttered, picking the part out and tossing it aside. The rest of her stew was devoid of any ‘presents’ and was enjoyed thoroughly, enough for her to kick the one of the bots in the head and secure herself a second bowl.

The others seemed fascinated by the giantess’s lack of experience with dogs, and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Were people always so easily amused? She instead focused her mind on the plan for the coming days. She’d need to find a nearby ruin, hopefully in good shape and step up a temporary camp to investigate it. If she was lucky, it’d point to another ruin, farther from the prying eyes and greedy fingers of the locals, allowing her to work in peace, and hopefully in a ruin that hadn’t been torn apart in search of some fable of paradise.

She snickered at the word. Paradise. Ora Noc Terrol. What a crock. So many fools had come here looking for it, ignoring all the other information right in front of their eyes, just so they could find what was likely little more than what the Tervim believed was heaven. Ah well. Their loss was to be her gain. Immediately, her mind started dreaming of the grants, and prestige that would come with such a monumental discovery, a discovery she was certain Sheol was hiding somewhere on it’s surface. The trick was just tracking it down…and staying alive long enough to reap the rewards.

Limper’s voice broke her concentration, and her head snapped to the side when she heard his name. Bessad?! Osiris Bessad?! The son of THE Edward Bessad? You’ve got to be shitting me. No way in hell this moron is his son… She examined him for a moment behind her glasses, before slowly facing forward, barely catching the name of the man across from her. They do look similar though…save for the dreads of course…Mental note to self: Speak with Limper about family.

“Doctor Evelyn Goins.” She half-spoke half muttered it, obviously lost in her own little world. This planet was just full of surprises, wasn’t it?

It was barely turning pink in the morning sky when Jubal sneaked out the back door of the young barmaid’s home. As he pulled the door closed quietly and tip-toed away, he pulled his shirt on over his head then resettled his brass goggles atop his hair. A grin graced his attractive face. He’d definitely have to remember her, he decided as he shoved his hands into his pockets to help warm his hands in the chill morning air. He ambled along the partially paved streets of Maero City, his stomach complaining loudly that it’d been too long since he’d last eaten. Very briefly, he considered going back to Dardell’s home and raiding the larder. But the odds that her father would now be up and about made that idea untenable.

Considering his options while walking aimlessly, the city he found himself in slowly woke. Grocers opened their stores, business people and workers headed to their jobs. All with their heads bowed down as if under the weight of an invisible yoke. It might not be the most agreeable of planets. But it was better than being spaced. Jubal just shook his head at the obviously down-trodden people around him. And Father wonders why working for a living doesn’t appeal to me. He thought to himself. The smell of fresh bread coming from the bakery across the road made his stomach grumble even more loudly and he grinned again. Marcia. Ah, the lovely Marcia works there. What would I do without the women I meet on my travels? A little charm should garner a little breakfast and a kiss if he was swift. Jogging across the street and avoiding a hollow-bellied, barking dog , Jubal slipped into the alley behind the small bakery. Peeking into the flour-clouded windows afforded Jubal a view of the ovens and lovely, dark haired Marcia inside turning fresh loaves of bread out to cool.

Trying the knob revealed that the door was unlocked, so Jubal slipped inside. Two long-legged strides took him behind Maricia. He tapped her right shoulder and when she spun in surprise, he kissed her lips. Jubal then slipped to her left, pilfering a small bread loaf and forcing Marcia to keep pivoting to keep an eye on him. He winced when he realized it was fresh out of the oven and burning his fingers mercilessly. But he never let it show.

In her shocked and pleased surprise, she never noticed he’d stolen the bread. “Liam! What are you doing here?” She hissed at him. “Poppa is just out front! You have to leave. He meant it when he said he’d take a whip to you!”

Jubal only winked at the girl, “I would risk anything for one of your kisses, Marcia.” Marcia blushed furiously, shoved a cooled roll into his free hand and pushed him toward the back door again. “Please! Go!” Jubal left, but not before stealing another kiss from the blushing girl.

Back out in the alley, Jubal laughed and munched on his fresh and warm breakfast. He was content. Life was good and he had the rest of the day to waste. Emerging onto the street, he found himself thinking of the rather unfortunate turn of events that had landed him on the barren end of the universe known as Sheol. He’d have to pick a better class of people to cheat at dice in the future. The crew of the ship that had dumped him unceremoniously on Sheol had been far too keen on simply cutting his throat when they’d learned that the dice he’d been using were loaded. He lamented their loss, but another set were nestled within his leather messenger bag along with other tools of his less than honest trade. Despite the crew’s searching, they hadn’t found all of his stashes of money and he’d managed to come away bruised, but alive. However, he was now stuck on a planet that ate people’s souls while they searched for some elusive paradise among the ruins of a long-dead race. Watching hopefuls purchase supplies and trade rumor and myths gave the young man an idea. Yes. A bit of aged paper, some natural inks. It would work. His smile bloomed slowly. “Yes, that will do nicely.” He said to the rapidly heating air. It didn’t answer as he headed for a shop across the road to buy the things he’d need.

708 powered through her fourth bowl, finding the newly fixed Bolt more than happy to refill it a fifth time. She broke off part of a biscuit and fed it to Tater; the dog happily licked the crumbs from her palm. His tongue was warm and soft. She might not have ever had any experience with a dog before, but the creature made her feel…content. Strange as it was, the animal’s head on her thigh felt right.

The man with his hair twisted to ropes introduced himself first. Osiris. 708 attached his name to his face for future reference. He’d need to be watched lest he go and shoot at everyone. Again. Next came Luke, thanking Kel for the food and calling himself a mechanic. The woman with the odd purple hair quietly called herself Doctor Evelyn Goins, and immediately set 708 on edge. Though she didn’t look or act anything like the doctors who had performed the horrible experiments and augmentations at the Facility, she claimed to be of their lot. The giant suppressed an involuntary shudder with little success; quickly turning her attention back to her half empty bowl and griping the spoon hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

The others introduced themselves shortly with little preamble and silence once again overtook the group. Kel cleared her throat, the sound harsh in the sudden stillness. 708 looked up, spoon half raised to her lips, to find all eyes on her.

“Well missy? Ev’ryone’s gone but you. Come now, don’ be a stranger.”

The spoon was replaced in the bowl, hunger drying up like moisture on hot sand. Shifting uncomfortably, she spoke. “Ashley.” The name Luke had given her would serve a purpose here. Kel appeared to be one who kept on top of rumors and stories. Better a quiet girl by the name of Ashley said to pass through than a giant who refuses to talk at all. Still, calling herself by a name felt wrong.

Satisfied that there were no more ‘strangers’ sitting around the fire Kel nodded. “Pleasure to meet y’all.” Her gaze slid over to Luke. “You’ve some manners in ya, kid. You’re welcome for the food. Good work on Bolt. It’s looking better than when I first bought it. Fine mechanic like yourself is welcome here anytime.” She folded her arms behind her head, using them as a cushion. “But now that we’re all friends here, who’s curiosity can I feed?”

Seeing no one move to speak, 708 took the chance to ask the question first and foremost on her mind. “What do you know about Ora Noc Terrol?”

Kel let out an agitated laugh, her features twisting sharply. “Thought I saw the fever in your eyes, Ashley.” Her arms dropped, hands twisting each other. “Lost my husband to ‘dise fever five years back. Who else here has it?” Hazel eyes swung over each member of the group before returning to 708’s. “I’ll answer, don’ you worry. But I’m gonna let our friends ask their questions first.”

Osiris shifted in his seat. He looked down at the bowl before him. It was empty. He pushed the edge of the spoon, sending it in a spin around the rim of the bowl. Kel was waiting for them to ask questions about the planet. He couldn’t really think of any. He’d heard the rumors. Hell, if anyone hadn’t heard the rumors they must have been a hermit on some distant, desolate world at the fringes of colonized space. Still, knowing about the rumors and chasing them were quite different things. Osiris most certainly wasn’t chasing them. Although joining in on a group that was would be a good source for written material. He pondered that thought for a moment before shaking his head.

He looked up, eyes tracing over each figure at the gathering briefly before falling on the flames. He weighted his options for questions. Coming to the planet had been pure happenstance for him. When he found out where he was he had felt a spiritual slump at the thought of it. But then moments later figured it could be taken as another of his many life experiences. That had been the goal, after all. Soak up as much experience in life as possible.

After a moment he brought a hand up to rub his jaw. He sat upright and looked to Kel.

“What of Sheol in general? Just the general lore, locations,” he paused for a moment. “Do you have any maps?”

Eve snorted at the mention of Ora Noc Terrol. “The fever? You mean a suicide death wish, if you want to be anything close to accurate.” She shifted, pulling her legs into a cross legged position in her chair, resting her head in her hands as she looked at the giantess. “Don’t kid yourself, Ashley. It doesn’t exist, and I’m one hundred percent sure of that. It’s just a crop of crap that’s been cultivated by the locals,” She looked over to Kel briefly “No offence, ma’am, to get idiots to come and buy shit before feeding whatever fucked up animals live on this planet.”

Motioning for the robot to fill her bowl, she chuckled again, shaking her head in quiet disbelief. “Ora Noc Terrol. Utter crap. I’ve been around Tervim ruins my entire life, and I know more than any egghead you’ll ever meet on the subject of they were like. Ora, at best, is just the Tervim equivalent of heaven, a final resting place for their loved ones. Hilarious how they have the exact same problems we did, yeah?” The bot returned with her freshly filled bowl, and she gave it an appreciative pat before leaning back in the chair. “They were smart enough not to get a ‘god’ mixed up in it though. We’ve all seen how worthwhile those are.”

She looked to Limper as he spoke, nodding in agreement at the mention of shops and maps. Always good to know where you were, and where the next shop would be. If there even was one. Which begged the question of what Kel’s services were going to cost…hopefully not too much. She didn’t feel like blowing through her savings just yet. Although, she got the distinct feeling the woman wasn’t exactly one to argue with when it came to payment. Swallowing subconsciously, she decided to speak.

“Any ruins nearby? Good ones I mean, not the ones that everyone and their best friend has torn through eight hundred times over. And since I’m asking, what’s kicking about for transportation? As much as I love exercise, jogging back and forth for supplies isn’t exactly appealing in the scorching sun.” She took a mouthful, glancing over the gather group, blinking observantly at the quiet faces. What? Did I crush all your dreams that easily? Some dreams. She chuckled quietly to herself, taking another spoonful as she waited for Kel’s answer.

Luke just started to enjoy his meal, letting the others do the talking for him. He had said his piece, now all he wanted was to get some food in his stomach before it rebelled against him. The other man in the group introduced himself as Osiris, this was the same man who had thought it would be a good idea to shoot the man helping them back in the canyon. A little paranoia clouded Luke's mind as he made sure to never have that guy covering his back. The next one was 'Doctor' Evelyn Goins. There was nothing even remotely indicating that she was what she claimed to be. Doctors, at least in Luke's opinion, were people who held themselves with at least a little sophistication around them, and acted smart even if they didn't know the answer. This woman might as well have said she was a priest for as much as Luke believed her. Luke continued to eat his bowl until he noticed that a silence had taken over the entire campfire. He looked up to see everyone's eyes on Ashley.

"Well missy? Ev’ryone’s gone but you. Come now, don’ be a stranger.” Kel said, and Luke looked over at Ashley. She seemed to hesitate, then gave the name that Luke had given her. Luke gave a smirk as he found the irony in everything. Here was a woman who no doubt went into fights with the confidence and ability of a natural born warrior, but found it awkward to talk to a crowd. Bullets or words, both could be deadly with the right use. Luke returned to his bowl, finished, and asked for a second one. He didn't normally eat much, but today was different for very obvious reasons. Kel then started asking if anyone had any questions, and Ashley was first to blurt out hers, betraying her earlier awkwardness.

“What do you know about Ora Noc Terrol?”

A blunt question to say the least, but it serves the purpose. Luke thought to himself as he simply looked between everyone. Kel laughed at this, and pointed out that she thought she saw the fever in her eyes. When she asked who else might have such a thing, Luke didn't bother raising his hand. If she already knew, there was no point in showing the obvious. He was here on a dare, a dangerous gamble because he was an idiot who couldn't turn one down. Sure, it sounded lame, but there was more to it. He wanted to explore, and he wanted to find more reasons to keep travelling the galaxy. Living in the engine room of an ugly cargo ship was not his way of living his life. Kel decided to answer more questions before that point though, but Evelyn decided to speak up first.

The Doctor decided to cut in and smash hopes with all the grace of a sledgehammer hitting a baby. Even though her reason made sense, bring money to an otherwise worthless planet, Luke didn't want to give up on the word of the weirdest doctor he had ever seen. Besides, half the fun was the hunt, the chase to some unknown pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe they would find it, maybe they wouldn't. In the end, it didn't really matter. Luke was here for the adventure, not for the reward. He knew this would be the end of him someday, but if he had to go out doing something, it had better be doing something he loved. Luke simply stared at the doctor as she spoke, until Osiris asked a question.

“What of Sheol in general? Just the general lore, locations,” he paused for a moment. “Do you have any maps?”

A good question, one that Luke might have asked had no one else said anything. Before Luke could add anything, Evelyn also voiced her question.

“Any ruins nearby? Good ones I mean, not the ones that everyone and their best friend has torn through eight hundred times over. And since I’m asking, what’s kicking about for transportation? As much as I love exercise, jogging back and forth for supplies isn’t exactly appealing in the scorching sun.”

Luke didn't care about the ruins, although they might have been a good place to start looking, but the transportation issue really hit him. If he kept running to simply keep up with Ashley's walking pace, he would end up on the verge of exhaustion soon enough. He wasn't out of shape, but he was only human. As the questions were finished, he could feel Kel's eyes fall upon him, but he was seriously at a lack of questions, which was a bad thing. He didn't really know anything about this place, and the others had asked all the more obvious ones. He racked his brain for something that would help them out in the long run, and came up with at least a half decent one in his opinion.

"What kind of threats will we be looking at out in the wild? What kind of wildlife can we expect? Man eating animals, raiders, psychotics...killer plants?" Luke had no idea what was actually out there, and he wanted at least some idea so he would be somewhat prepared for the journey ahead. He wasn't a soldier, so chances are if he could run, he would do it. With his piece said, he returned to his second bowl, awaiting the answers so they could get moving.