We're Not in Kansas Any More

[Mark Chance]

Everyone looks out from the cave at the desolate, moonlit scene. The night air is chilly, perhaps in the upper 50s Fahrenheit. April sees no signs of distant city lights. Frank takes the lead, exiting the cave a short way. From atop the descent to the desert floor, he sees no trails or paths. He does, however, notice a strange, undulating pattern to the desert floor. It rises and dips in rounded humps and depressions, almost like waves on a relatively calm sea, but motionless except for faintly swaying scrub moving beneath the cold breeze blowing between the two cliff faces, the one in which is the cave and the other opposite from the group's position.

Hari follows Frank out. The chill air is utterly dry, which is no surprise. The unfamiliar sky overhead is cloudless. Furthermore, nothing up there doesn't resemble a star or the alien moon. Hari sees no blinking lights, no moving lights, no hint of airplane or artificial satellite. Checking the horizons left and right, no water sign presents itself, nor does anyone hear the sounds of running water.

The climb down to the desert floor could be tricky. It isn't particularly steep, but loose rocks abound. A missed step could easily lead to a tumble down several yards of rough terrain. Still, with care and slow-going, getting down from the cave oughtn't be difficult.

The question is, of course, should the cave be left. Desert terrain is unforgiving, especially for people unsuitably clad and barefoot. Judging by the height of the moon, if one can judge by this strange moon, there are only a few hours before sunrise.

OOC: I'm going out of town tomorrow evening for about a week. Probably won't have internet access throughout. If so, the game will have to pause, at least on my end. Your characters can talk, play cards, share way too much, et cetera.

 

[hafrogman]

Dustin looks up at the moon and shrugs.

"It's going to be day soon, and I don't want to be wandering around the desert in my P.J.s in the full heat of day. I'd say our best bet would be to hang around the cave for now, try and get some rest. Head out at dusk."

He turns and heads back deeper into the cave. There flashes through his mind a video his students have to watch from time to time on the dangers of drinking. Two guys in the desert, with a broken down car and a bunch of beer. One stays with the car, the other gets drunk and wanders off. The image of body of the man who wandered off sticks in his mind.

 

[Talviarianna]

"It's going to be day soon, and I don't want to be wandering around the desert in my P.J.s in the full heat of day. I'd say our best bet would be to hang around the cave for now, try and get some rest. Head out at dusk."

Ya know, maybe he's right... Lets wait at least until tomorrow evening so we can get a good look at this place in the light of day.

...and hopefully who ever is responsible for putting us here will show up and tell us what the hell is going on...

 

[Tonguez]

"I agree" Hari had to concur "theres no sign of water or civilisation anywhere so setting out now would be little more than suicidal"

With a slightly melancholic look to his face Hari Grey followed in after Dustin and found himself a comfortable place to sit leaning against the cave wall.

"DJ" he started tentatively "your Headmaster at John Adams School aren't you? I do apologise for not recognising you earlier, my mind was abit too distracted - Oh forgive me my Childen go to your school, Teua and Teariki.
Teua' trying out for the band, and where lucky that her clarinet has improved over the past year! When she started she was terrible, but the music teachers you have at your school have done a fine job. You may remember Teariki more, he has been in to see you at least twice since he started, but he is a good boy. He's a great climber, we went climbing yesterday evening, bouldering really, a little place just north of town... "

Of course the man was rambling, talking about his children helped to keep him grounded, and just talking help keep away the tears and panic that still sat within his belly reading to burst out - because without his wife and children, Havisham Grey father and husband, was alone and had no idea what to do...

 

[Yellow Sign]

"If we wait then thats just one more day without food or water." says Frank. "I think I will take a look around while yall wait in here." Frank looks around. "Anyone want to come?"

 

[hafrogman]

Dustin looks up suddenly at Hari addressing him. As the man's comments percolate through his brain, a couple of his kids do float into his mind. He nods slowly.

"Yes, that's me. . . I'm afraid you don't ring a bell, I generally only remember the parents of the kids I see over and over again, the troublemakers. But I do remember your children, vaguely. I'm sorry, but it's one of the hazards of my profession. So many studentss, it's the bad ones that stick. Your children are both good kids, from all I can remember."

He smiles a little.

"Even if there is a little run in now and again. But that's me, Dustin Jones, high school principal. What about the rest of you? What do you lot do . . . when you're not being abducted?"

 

[Talviarianna]

April looks around at the others wondering herself what they all did...

I'm a on-scene news corrospondent for a station out of LA, nobody important enough to kidnap and hold for ransom, but known enough that I will be missed when I don't show up to work on Monday.

 

[Mista Collins]

Glad to be talking about something other than the odd place they are in, Bryan joins the conversation.

"I play cards and gamble for a living. I don't make a lot of cash doing it, but I haven't found anything else I enjoy as much as I do cards. It isn't as glamarous as media today makes it out to be."

 

[Tonguez]

"Yes I understand" Hari smiles at DJs reply "I also teach, at the University, and yes I only remember the few faces that really stand out. When we came here, I sent my children to your school so they could get the 'real experience' of an American school.

Oh - not here -" he pauses and breathes deep, almost sighing

"I hope they are safe... "

 

[Mark Chance]

No one takes Frank up on his offer to look around outside the cave for a little while. Carefully, Frank picks his way down the slope to the desert floor. Other than dislodging a few rocks which clatter noisily downward, nothing untoward happens to Frank.

On the desert floor, he looks left and right. The undulating ground stretches away to the horizon in both directions. The two opposite cliff faces - the one which holds the cave and the other across from it - run for several hundred yards in both directions, gradually decreasing in height but never quite reaching the desert itself.

Looking around, Frank notices another peculiarity. Aside from the strange moon and stars and the undulating ground, the tough desert scrub in both directions grows thickest toward the cliffs, growing thinner the closer one gets to the center of the area between the cliffs. This itself isn't that unusual, of course, since there's likely to be more moisture for plants to survive closer to the rocks, but rather it is the regularity of the fade pattern. It isn't so much that the plants seem cultivated, but still there is an unnaturalness to the growth.

Then movement off to Frank's right catches his eye. Cresting the horizon is - no matter how impossible the sight seems - a vessel very much resembling a Renaissance era sailing ship. It is as of yet too distant to make out many details, but one thing Frank knows for sure: There's no sea on which such a vessel can be sailing!