![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Forty Days of Flash Fic: Day Four
Jun. 23rd, 2012 04:50 amSomehow this is turning into "Forty Days of Tez and Maria". Ah, well.
* * *
Maria looked up at the unfamiliar stars, feeling chilled. "So," she said as lightly as she could, "I assume you have a plan to get back?"
Tez shrugged unhelpfully said, "No."
She glanced at the black water filling the stone lined hole. "Well, I suppose we could just swim back through."
"Into a sunken boat in icy arctic waters who knows how many fathoms deep?" He thought that one over a moment. "Well, technically we could, with a little pre-planning."
"Ah?" she asked in hope.
"Mind you, it might take a half-century or so to build up the local tech level sufficiently to develop artificial breathing gear, an inflatable raft and an outboard motor. And then of course there are the penguins."
Maria pinched her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Please, don't remind me of the penguins."
"Assuming we aren't killed by hostile natives first," he added
"What hostile natives? This place is abandoned."
"Not quite." Tez nodded in the direction of the road, and Maria turned to see what was there, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.
Half crouched at the edge of the stone circle, was the figure of a creature, person Maria corrected herself quickly, seeing its kilt and walking staff. It stood on digigrade legs, thick grey hair covering its entire body. It had a goat-like head with a prominent snout and two spiral horns much like Maria's own, and was staring at them both with wide yellow eyes, looking more fearful than aggressive, if she judged right. It was also shorter than Tez, which made her less worried, despite the aggressive looking horns.
"Hello," Maria said cautiously, waving her hand. The goat person hopped back a pace on its hooves, let out a surprised bleat, then turned and ran off into the darkness.
"First contact," Tez muttered. "Now things get complicated."
* * *
Maria looked up at the unfamiliar stars, feeling chilled. "So," she said as lightly as she could, "I assume you have a plan to get back?"
Tez shrugged unhelpfully said, "No."
She glanced at the black water filling the stone lined hole. "Well, I suppose we could just swim back through."
"Into a sunken boat in icy arctic waters who knows how many fathoms deep?" He thought that one over a moment. "Well, technically we could, with a little pre-planning."
"Ah?" she asked in hope.
"Mind you, it might take a half-century or so to build up the local tech level sufficiently to develop artificial breathing gear, an inflatable raft and an outboard motor. And then of course there are the penguins."
Maria pinched her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Please, don't remind me of the penguins."
"Assuming we aren't killed by hostile natives first," he added
"What hostile natives? This place is abandoned."
"Not quite." Tez nodded in the direction of the road, and Maria turned to see what was there, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.
Half crouched at the edge of the stone circle, was the figure of a creature, person Maria corrected herself quickly, seeing its kilt and walking staff. It stood on digigrade legs, thick grey hair covering its entire body. It had a goat-like head with a prominent snout and two spiral horns much like Maria's own, and was staring at them both with wide yellow eyes, looking more fearful than aggressive, if she judged right. It was also shorter than Tez, which made her less worried, despite the aggressive looking horns.
"Hello," Maria said cautiously, waving her hand. The goat person hopped back a pace on its hooves, let out a surprised bleat, then turned and ran off into the darkness.
"First contact," Tez muttered. "Now things get complicated."
