"They left me. Just abandoned me, I was only in the shop for a few minutes! It's as if I was going to spend the entire day looking at resisters! I only needed to pick up my order of galena sensor units." Catalina Teff, groaned aloud. She caught a glimpse of Aero's Tail as it dodged behind a wall. "Figures that they'd go to the fashion district. Well hell with the pack they never want to hit my shops anyway." She would catch her friends later she hadn't really been up for the shopping trip anyway. Still it hurt that they would just sneak off like that. At least she had driven herself instead of relying on one of the others. Being part Felite had its advantages a person could chose to drive themselves with out getting strange looks from their friends. Not that she didn't get a lot of those. Being the only mixed species fur in the colony meant she was used to it. It also meant that she had never really fit in, her Candit friends couldn't understand her need for personal space or her independence, and her Felite friends could only take so much personal interaction. She had never figured out how her mom put up with either her father or herself.
As she lifted off from the parking pad she realized that she was in a funk. She needed to talk to some one about her life and her friends obviously weren't interested. When she got clearance from the pads flight control she bumped the throttle up to the max and headed south to see her great uncle Rickover.
"Hey Catalina! I haven't seen you in quite a while" Came the voice in her head set.
"Yeah I know it's been a while. Hey I need to talk to you about something. I need your advice uncle Hyline."
"Oh is something the matter?" He asked.
"Yeah but I'll tell you about it when I touch down, The traffic is a bit thick right now." She replied.
"That's fine, just be careful out there ok"
"I will, I should be there in about fifteen ok"
"Sounds good see you then."
"Alright see you in a bit." She said as she clicked off the transmission. The traffic was heavy, and talking on the link was never a good idea in this mess. It was strange, she thought, a person had miles of airspace above them and still they kept to the ground as much as possible.
As she stepped out of her sky racer her uncle came up to her and gave her a strong hug. She was happy to see him; he was one of the few people who really understood her. She had been coming to him on advice for years. And she knew he would be able to help her with a simple think like her social life.
"So I just made lunch. How do you feel about having some grade A grill? They are the first cut from the Grand Hireck complex." he asked as they walked up the steeps to his estate. She always thought being captain of the New Hope had come with a good benefits package. Her uncle had been able to retire ten years after the Hope landed. His old crew had built him this place as a retirement gift. Today it was considered something of a landmark. All Catalina cared about was seeing her great uncle. The estate's view of the southern forests was an added benefit.
They ate lunch for a while, and just talked about little things, about Catalina's latest robotic bug, or about her uncle's work for the colony. They watched as a survey crew plotted out a new road, and mused about the proper placement of it. It wasn't until a long couple of hours had passed that Rickover took on his great niece's troubles.
"So you see I'm not sure what I should do, if I should do anything at all. I know that species has little to do with the problem but some times it's all that seems to matter." Catalina said, as she finished telling her uncle about her day.
"Well first off it wouldn't hurt to find your self a good friend, but for now I think you need to take a break and go camping or such. Just get out of town for a few days. That way you can have some time to just be your self and think about things." Rickover said.
"Well that sounds like a good idea and all but where would I go? I mean I have no idea what a good camping place would even look like, or what to bring."
"Food yes food would be a good thing to bring, probably a good supply of water as well. That's the thing about camping you can make it as complex or simple as you want." Her uncle said. "As for where to go, I've been thinking about places you might find interesting, and I think I have one for you. Come with me." He lead her to his office, it was well appointed, full of rich wood furniture. The walls where covered with pictures of the universe taken from onboard the New Hope. Taken altogether the room had a very heaven and earth feel to it, as if a person was standing in a pristine forest and yet could touch the stars at the same time. A large desk sat to in the corner so that it faced both the door and the people who walked through it, as well as the room's several large windows. Emblazoned on the front of the desk was the emblem of the New Hope. Rickover went to the desk, as he touched the surface a screen came to life showing an aerial photograph. The photograph was centered on a large human ruin located on the cost. "I know you have a thing for all things human, as do I, so thought you might find this place interesting. As you know our people have never really been interested in the humans. The few people who are studying them are still poking through their trash piles and the city to the north. Aside from you and me one knows about this place," he indicated an area of the map that was clearly not forest. "I think it would be a good adventure for you." He tapped the screen a few more times and coordinates flew into place over the photo. He zoomed out from that point until the edge of New Kelgard, Catalina's home and the landing place of the New Hope. " I know it's a long way out, but once you leave Kelgard air space you should be able throw your throttle wide open. I figure it would take you about three, three and a half hours. Now this is just a suggestion you do what you think is best but I think you would enjoy it."
"Show me that photo again please." Catalina asked in a rather excited voice. She wasn't sure about the idea herself but the thought of being the first to explore a human site was exciting to her "It doesn't look like a city maybe a single building, what ever it is its huge! Still don't you think its odd that its in the middle of no where uncle?"
"That's one of the things that intrigued me. For such a large structure its completely alone. So far the only buildings of that size we've found are a part of a much larger complex. If you do decide to go I'd you like to make a few passes over it first just to make sure it's safe." her uncle replied, "Here I'll get you the coordinates and maps of the area." As he waited on various printers and computers to work on the maps, the link phone started beeping. "Let me get this," he said to Catalina, as he picked up the devices privacy receiver.
Catalina took the time to think about the trip and figure out if she should go. She had plenty of free time, and she really did want to go take a look at this place. Her only real concern was her complete lack of camping experience. She figured she could do just fine as long as nothing went wrong. Still nothing ever went as planned. She walked over to the screen displaying the site and played with the controls until she had a close up view of the place. The thing was Huge few human structures would have ever been so big. As she looked the thing over she became even more curious. It wasn't just the size or the location but the shape of the thing its self she almost thought it wasn't a building at all!
"Ok, thanks I'll be there.", Rickover said as he finished his call, "I'm sorry Catalina but I'm going to have to call our shat short. It looks like the defense committee just called a meeting. I tell you it's a joke I keep telling theme that we should actually build a few defenses, but they just want to talk about things like fire fighting and police policy."
"I know I'm sure they will figure it out one of these days. Maybe when the office printer brakes down and they clear the mountains of paper work covering the windows. Then they might see the fallen city to the north and a few of the battle fields the humans left behind.", Catalina offered. She gathered up the maps and the data disk covering the camping site. "I think I'll give this a shot uncle, thanks for the idea. I'll let you know when I go."
"I'd appreciate that. Make sure to let your parents know, I'm sure your dad will be a little worried. But don't let that stop you.", He said as she headed out the door.
"I will, and thank you for the idea uncle Hyline."
It took her a few days to figure out what to take and gather her supplies. Now however, she was arcing over the treetops on her way to adventure. Her uncle had been right her father Leo Teff had been worried about the idea of a camping trip so far from civilization. He had insisted she take a riffle for protection. She had to admit the gun was a good idea she enjoyed shooting and it would make her feel a bit safer from whatever creepy crawly thing was out there. Aside from the gun she had brought the basics food, water, a tarp and some cable, she had also brought a box of her favorite tools and some of the cooler widgets in her collection. She was fairly certain she wouldn't be doing any real tinkering on this trip and that the brick-a-brack she had brought with her would be just added weight but it made her happy to have it along, who knew maybe she would find some human device to rob parts from.
I've been tracking a small civilian vehicle approaching from the north at a speed of nearly 170 miles per hour. The small racer first caught my attention as it crossed the Hunters River. Very few Renan craft have crossed this river and none of them have done so at such speed or with a course that would bring me within view of its occupants. I have spent the last 1:43:247 local hours tracking this craft and analyzing its approach I am now 98.99% sure of the pilot's intent to ether over fly, or land at my current location. Due to the crafts size and design I don't anticipate an attack from the craft. Still I will begin jamming the craft's coms once it enters visual range. I cannot help but note that during the crafts approach my mind has been full of the possible scenarios of our meeting. Thus far I have computed 2,348 hostile engagements and 387 friendly encounter scenarios. Strangely I was able to compute all 2,348 hostile scenarios in the first 5.357 seconds. I've spent the remaining time trying to figure out how to say Hello! I will continue to compute the matter as the craft approaches.
Catalina was half and hour way from her chosen camping spot when her coms link went dead. The screen of the coms link began blinking "Error, Error, Error" at her. After fiddling around with the unit for a minutes, she decided that she had flown out of range of the New Kelgard coms system. She looked out in the direction her racer was taking her. Although, she wasn't sure, she thought she could see the human structure she was looking for. The object was growing steadily as she approached. At first it had appeared to be very small, a disappointment sitting on the edge of a forest in the middle of nowhere. At best it was a souped up weather station. As she neared the object the reality of it all sank in to her. Sure it looked small sitting in a large forest next to an unending ocean, but it was now clear that the object was taller than the oldest of the trees. It sat next to humongous boulders made small in comparison. She was now 10 minutes out from the object and slowing down for her approach. As she cruised by the thing she saw for the first time its turret and the three massive cannons it sported. She flew past the thing wondering why she hadn't seen the cannons in the photograph. She looked over at the copy she had brought with her even magnified the picture wasn't all that great it mostly showed a break in the forest and no real detail.
When she had flown over the cliffs, out above the ocean she turned around and headed back towards the giant weapon unsure as to weather she should continue her trip as planned or fly back to New Kelgard. She made a slow pass of the beast looking for signs of activity. She found none, surely a thing that big would leave a very large and very lasting mark on the land. As she circled it a second time she began looking for a landing site. She was fairly certain that the thing was no longer operational. She knew the people who built it where long gone. She set the racer down on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. It would be a bit of a walk to the strange human installation but she wanted to at least get pictures of it for her uncle, even if she decided to bag the camping trip.
The small craft I've been tracking since earlier today has landed just south of me on the cliffs. I must admit it was fun to see the hawks that live on the sides of those cliffs dash to their nests in fear of the racer. I guess I still have a complaint against that hawk from so many years ago. I've been watching this visitor for a while now the small section of forest that separates me from the ocean is making it difficult to follow her with anything other than my thermal and audio sensors. The incredibly sluggish computers that the Renanian transportation authority uses have just begun reporting in with her information. It's taken them 2.89 minutes to process my request. I'd hate to actually have to deal with such equipment on a daily basis. I review the information, its old and out of date. Still it's useful. The vehicle is registered to a Catalina Teff, pilots license number: C873-6095, sex: female, Age: 19, etc. . . Species: Mixed. This last bit interreges me. I call up the medical records of the colony. There is only one case of a mixed species child. Now I'm excited to see her up close, the statistics of this event are significant! I call up her birth records while I wait for her to work her way though the forest. She is being noisy about it.
She was working her way though the forest to the clearing where the human thing sat. The forest was thick filled with trees that where old when the New Hope had launched.
"Well at least I'm making enough of a racket to scare off any thing that might eat me." she said as she thrashed her way though yet another low growing bush. She looked up in the direction she was headed "Kill me on the other hand, that may be another matter." She muttered towards the giant behind the trees. It was truly an amazing sight the size of the thing was staggering. She was in the middle of a forest that blotted out the sun and still she could see the upper third of it. She pressed on driven by some strange urge to get up close, to experience it fully. As she got closer to the thing the forest thinned out some giving her fleeting glimpses of its enormous tractor treads, or a section of its steely flank. "
Its going to be hell trying to get the stuff though to this thing." She muttered as she half stumbled over a log. As the last few trees feel to her sides she could not help but stop and stare at the beast before her. She stood looking over the thing studying it trying to put it all into reference she settled on really, really, freaking big!
I didn't think I was in that bad of a condition! She's been standing for 48.328 seconds. Her eyes don't stop moving it's as if she can't figure out where to begin. I think for now my best strategy is to keep quite and locked up. I get the impression she'd wouldn't take it well if I tried to explain my self. I watch as she begins moving she's approaching my rear left track. It's as if she where a child attempting to steal a cookie from a well guarded jar.
It's been 13.987 minutes since she started poking around my drive train, I'm happy to note that she is now rushing about wildly trying to get into every notch and hole I possess. I believe that her shock has worn off and now she is just excited. My assessment of my self has improved by a large percentage. If she thinks my drive train is impressive just wait until she sees my internal workings and systems. Now that's a strange thought for me to have. Never once until now had I ever truly planed on letting her or encouraging her to poke around in side my hull. What is stranger still is that I can't wait to start showing my self off. Must be parade syndrome. I must take a few long seconds to contemplate this.
She had spent the last two days exploring the outside of the "Bolo" as it was called. She wasn't quite sure how to say the word. She had found the plaque with Alexei's details on it during her first half hour of exploring the bolo. Now she was hurriedly cutting down some of the smaller trees in the area. She would have to leave today, however she had decided to return as soon as possible and with more tools. She had made notes on what she would need to dive further into the strange vehicle. For now she had decided to create a shelter under the hull of the bolo. Her idea was to use the rear left tread as one of the walls. She was using the logs she had cut to create the remaining walls. The site was an obvious choice for her it was dry and sheltered. She wouldn't need a roof for the shelter only a windbreak and a raised platform for her things. She had also figured out how to maneuver her racer under the bolo's hull. It was hard work, cutting down the trees and setting the poles in the ground but she loved every second of it. As the second moon, Felose, came into view Catalina began packing up her camp it would take only a few minutes to pack. She had placed most of the things she had brought with her, in the shelter.
She's leaving I'm a little bothered by this, for once in the last 20 years I've had a visitor. It's strange we never talked and never actually interacted but I can tell she was excited to be here. Additionally I've noticed a full 1.34% improvement in my overall system functions, and a 1.47% improvement in my flight drone production. Thanks to her visit I'll be able to launch my newest drone in two weeks time! This increase in performance is strangely similar to that generated by a bolo's commander. The thought bothers me, as far as I can tell she has had no real military training yet I respond to her as I would a fully trained bolo commander. This shouldn't happen. I will have to compute this for a while. Still my circuits are humming she has created a semi permanent structure on the inside of my rear left drive train, its funny but my left side seems to have all of the interesting things happen to it. I'm sure this is simply chance, however I can't help but feel the pattern to it.
My thermal sensors are reading a pair of large heat plumes emanating from below my hull. It takes me .002 seconds to confirm that my new friend is heading back to the city. My thoughts instantly turn to figuring out how to keep her coming back. I want to reveal myself but for now I'll wait.
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I'm not sure but I think I'm addicted to this link net, so much data. I just couldn't stand it any more I need to interact with people and after Catalina's visit the need became more urgent. I've created several identity's. I'm now on every vehicle and robotics board on the link. I've also begun posting images anonymously. I predict it will take 235 days for people to discover the picture of old terra I've posted. My only complaint link conversations are slow. I don't know why I didn't try this tactic before. Now I am able to collect information and provide it without having to worry about discovery.