Book 1: The Planet
Part 3
23.10 HPN Day2 PT AC 4061
The sun beat down on sand and skin as Trowa worked to erect a workable base camp. He had spent the morning carrying supplies out of the capsule's many storage compartments and arranging them around the small crater his landing had produced. As the yellow sun rose higher in the sky the heat steadily rose. Now he guessed it was upwards of 33degC and still climbing.
With an exasperated brush at sweat soaked auburn bangs he set to tying the last corner of his instrument tent's support ropes. This was the most important shelter. If need be he could always take shelter in the pod, but all his delicate scientific equipment must be set up in the open air to be effective, yet it couldn't leave it bared to the elements. At this rate the sun would boil his instruments in a few hours and render his project useless.
One final tug secured the large white tent and Trowa stood back with a sigh of relief. Now he just had to move everything inside.
An hour later found everything arranged. His instruments finally shielded from the sand, wind, and sun, the lanky scientist could afford a break. The sun had just passed its peak and he was glistening with sweat. The desert air was dry enough to lift the moisture from his skin almost immediately, but that was still little comfort from the baking heat. He leapt up the side of the capsule in a few steps and breathed a grateful sigh as cool air raised goosebumps across his skin. Standing on the slanted floor he felt a bit dizzy and collapsed onto his makeshift bed, actually the folded bulk of his own tent. He was breathing harder now than he had been while carrying heavy equipment, and he allowed his eyes to slide shut as he focused on pulling cool air into his lungs.
//Silver hooves thundered through the darkness, raising clouds of sand in their wake as they rose and fell over the sea of dunes.
'Where are you?'
The passing stars reflected in bottomless blue eyes and shone in waves of the purest white mane, and before all this gleamed a slender pearlescent horn.//
Trowa woke with a start. Though still groggy from heat exhaustion, he remembered his dream vividly. It was impossible, of course, for any creature to be alive on this planet besides himself, but somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.
23.10 HPN Day2 PT AC 4061
The sun beat down on sand and skin as Trowa worked to erect a workable base camp. He had spent the morning carrying supplies out of the capsule's many storage compartments and arranging them around the small crater his landing had produced. As the yellow sun rose higher in the sky the heat steadily rose. Now he guessed it was upwards of 33degC and still climbing.
With an exasperated brush at sweat soaked auburn bangs he set to tying the last corner of his instrument tent's support ropes. This was the most important shelter. If need be he could always take shelter in the pod, but all his delicate scientific equipment must be set up in the open air to be effective, yet it couldn't leave it bared to the elements. At this rate the sun would boil his instruments in a few hours and render his project useless.
One final tug secured the large white tent and Trowa stood back with a sigh of relief. Now he just had to move everything inside.
An hour later found everything arranged. His instruments finally shielded from the sand, wind, and sun, the lanky scientist could afford a break. The sun had just passed its peak and he was glistening with sweat. The desert air was dry enough to lift the moisture from his skin almost immediately, but that was still little comfort from the baking heat. He leapt up the side of the capsule in a few steps and breathed a grateful sigh as cool air raised goosebumps across his skin. Standing on the slanted floor he felt a bit dizzy and collapsed onto his makeshift bed, actually the folded bulk of his own tent. He was breathing harder now than he had been while carrying heavy equipment, and he allowed his eyes to slide shut as he focused on pulling cool air into his lungs.
//Silver hooves thundered through the darkness, raising clouds of sand in their wake as they rose and fell over the sea of dunes.
'Where are you?'
The passing stars reflected in bottomless blue eyes and shone in waves of the purest white mane, and before all this gleamed a slender pearlescent horn.//
Trowa woke with a start. Though still groggy from heat exhaustion, he remembered his dream vividly. It was impossible, of course, for any creature to be alive on this planet besides himself, but somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.