After reading
'IDOLA' Have the Immortal Feather
by Garanz2, I was given an idea for a short story.
(Located at: PSOWorld (Stupid text parser won't let me add the URL here! :( ))
More specifically this is based on the section in chapter 2 where Pal Rappy encounters Barrage (a RAcast). This alternate version was a perspective experiment.
The Pal Rappy made its way through the forest. As it got closer to its destination, the Central Dome, the vegetation began to thin out, open spaces more and more frequent. The lack of cover made Pal nervous, darting from bush to bush, always on the lookout for danger.
The Rappy stopped when a glint caught its eye from the middle of a clearing. Its natural curious urges drawing it out. It took small cautious steps, keeping its body as low as possible.
Shiny rock? Black shiny rock?
The gentle breeze wafted over the scent of oil and burnt-out electronics. It was a smell that the rappies had become painfully familiar with and even now Pal began to feel slightly ill. Close enough, Pal gave it a careful peck. A metallic sound rang out and the alarmed rappy jumped backwards a short distance.
NotRock! (The rappies lacked a word for metal).
Still keeping low, Pal circled the remains and within a few moments had realised what it was that it had found.
NotWolfNotBooma! NotWolfNotBooma dead?
(In Rappy 'Wolf' is used commonly to signify predators. Any other quadrapedal predator is therefore a 'NotWolf'. A 'NotBooma' is a bipedal or humanoid creature. Through the very tragic interactions with the hunters of Pioneer One Humans, Newmen and Androids are now collectively referred to as 'NotWolfNotBoomas' which is the closest Rappy word to 'two-legged predator').
From the damage on the android and the disturbance of the earth around it, Pal deduced that Boomas had been responsible. There was nothing more here of interest so Pal made to leave. A burst of sound emitted from the android's speaker.
"D.n'T t..cH tH.t..."
The shocked Pal spun round at the sound and instinctively adopted a defensive stance, head low, tail raised and wings spread out pointing towards the ground.
Kill! Kill! Hissed the Rappy in its most fearsome voice.
But the 'NotWolfNotBoomba' did not move. Instead it made a faint clicking sound.
"m. vOi.e sy.Te.ms a.E da.Ma..d..." It said again.
NotWolfNotBoomba sleep. NotWolfNotBoomba trick Rappy!
"yOU seE rEd woRm?"
Pal cocked its head to one side. Had the NotWolfNotBoomba eaten a Rappy?
"Hello HiddenRappy! ('HiddenRappy is a term used when talking to a strange Rappy that is not visible).
"YoU sEe REd WoRm?" The android asked once more.
Pal approached hestitantly, before spotting the 'red worm' brightly contrasting the short grass.
"Yes" Replied the Rappy.
"puT Red woRM in bLUe HolE"
If the Rappy had shoulders it would have shrugged them at this point. Perhaps the 'HiddenRappy' was hungry even though the 'red worm' did not seem particularly appetising. Picking up the 'red worm' with its beak, it carefully pushed the end into appropriate hole.
Following a short pause, one of the android's arms began to move. Swivelling around it began to plug various bit into other bits. The other arm emerged into view, in its hand it still gripped tightly to a bazooka. Pal panicked.
NotWolfNotBoomba trick Rappy! NotWolfNotBoomba has claws!
With that, Pal did what Rappies do best... Run. It did not care in which direction as long as it was away from here.
(Located at: PSOWorld (Stupid text parser won't let me add the URL here! :( ))
More specifically this is based on the section in chapter 2 where Pal Rappy encounters Barrage (a RAcast). This alternate version was a perspective experiment.
The Pal Rappy made its way through the forest. As it got closer to its destination, the Central Dome, the vegetation began to thin out, open spaces more and more frequent. The lack of cover made Pal nervous, darting from bush to bush, always on the lookout for danger.
The Rappy stopped when a glint caught its eye from the middle of a clearing. Its natural curious urges drawing it out. It took small cautious steps, keeping its body as low as possible.
Shiny rock? Black shiny rock?
The gentle breeze wafted over the scent of oil and burnt-out electronics. It was a smell that the rappies had become painfully familiar with and even now Pal began to feel slightly ill. Close enough, Pal gave it a careful peck. A metallic sound rang out and the alarmed rappy jumped backwards a short distance.
NotRock! (The rappies lacked a word for metal).
Still keeping low, Pal circled the remains and within a few moments had realised what it was that it had found.
NotWolfNotBooma! NotWolfNotBooma dead?
(In Rappy 'Wolf' is used commonly to signify predators. Any other quadrapedal predator is therefore a 'NotWolf'. A 'NotBooma' is a bipedal or humanoid creature. Through the very tragic interactions with the hunters of Pioneer One Humans, Newmen and Androids are now collectively referred to as 'NotWolfNotBoomas' which is the closest Rappy word to 'two-legged predator').
From the damage on the android and the disturbance of the earth around it, Pal deduced that Boomas had been responsible. There was nothing more here of interest so Pal made to leave. A burst of sound emitted from the android's speaker.
"D.n'T t..cH tH.t..."
The shocked Pal spun round at the sound and instinctively adopted a defensive stance, head low, tail raised and wings spread out pointing towards the ground.
Kill! Kill! Hissed the Rappy in its most fearsome voice.
But the 'NotWolfNotBoomba' did not move. Instead it made a faint clicking sound.
"m. vOi.e sy.Te.ms a.E da.Ma..d..." It said again.
NotWolfNotBoomba sleep. NotWolfNotBoomba trick Rappy!
"yOU seE rEd woRm?"
Pal cocked its head to one side. Had the NotWolfNotBoomba eaten a Rappy?
"Hello HiddenRappy! ('HiddenRappy is a term used when talking to a strange Rappy that is not visible).
"YoU sEe REd WoRm?" The android asked once more.
Pal approached hestitantly, before spotting the 'red worm' brightly contrasting the short grass.
"Yes" Replied the Rappy.
"puT Red woRM in bLUe HolE"
If the Rappy had shoulders it would have shrugged them at this point. Perhaps the 'HiddenRappy' was hungry even though the 'red worm' did not seem particularly appetising. Picking up the 'red worm' with its beak, it carefully pushed the end into appropriate hole.
Following a short pause, one of the android's arms began to move. Swivelling around it began to plug various bit into other bits. The other arm emerged into view, in its hand it still gripped tightly to a bazooka. Pal panicked.
NotWolfNotBoomba trick Rappy! NotWolfNotBoomba has claws!
With that, Pal did what Rappies do best... Run. It did not care in which direction as long as it was away from here.