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gopher/RSS Revenant/1627.txt

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 We had been waiting for some time, 32 shifts from green to red had 
-passed by on the blur of light at my feet. Might've been half an hour, 
-but it felt like a week. Cranium was meditating, loudly. Two 
-tiny Mr Swarms were playing catch with a mote they found on 
-the floor. Hex was brushing her hands across the walls, mumbling to 
-herself.
+passed by on the blur of light at my feet. Might have been half an 
+hour, or an hour, but it felt like a week. Cranium was meditating, 
+loudly. Two tiny Mr Swarms were playing catch with a mote they 
+found on the floor, the large Mr Swarm idly watching. Hex was 
+brushing her hands across the walls, mumbling to herself.
 
 "Oh!", she blurted as the floor rose under her heel.
 
@@ -11,14 +11,95 @@ herself.
 form bowed and continued, "Your quarters have been finalized, they 
 shall be more than satisfactory. Come." 
 
-We followed our guide to a circular room with 4 doors spaced evenly 
-around it. Behind each door laid a nearly triangular room that 
-terminated in a large curved wall, glowing a calming amber color 
-like firelight. A long low bench, about 4 feet wide, ran along one 
-wall, a portion at the end held a thick mattress below it was a 
-folded stack of various bedding. The other wall contained a long 
-counter, with a small sink near the door. There appeared to be a 
-small selection of books on the far end.
+We followed our guide to a large circular room with 4 doors spaced 
+evenly around it. Behind each door laid a nearly triangular room 
+that terminated in a large curved wall, glowing a calming amber 
+color like firelight. A long low bench, about 4 feet wide, ran 
+along one wall, a portion at the end held a thick mattress below it 
+was a folded stack of various bedding. The other wall contained a 
+long counter, with a small sink near the door. There appeared to be 
+a small selection of books on the far end.
 
 "Please, refresh yourselves. If you wish you can inform yourselves 
-with the information packages we've left in your quarters.
+with the materials we've left in your quarters. When you are ready, 
+meet here in the central hall." our guide continued, "We are 
+anxious to begin our conversation, please notify that you are 
+prepared with the device on the table." Our guide flattened into 
+the floor, and small table and 4 benches arose out of it, on top 
+was a large button-like object.
+
+We adjourned to our temporary quarters. I found a towel near the 
+bedding and spun it in the air experimentally, then tried the sink.
+It turned on the moment I stuck my towel under the faucet. A clear 
+liquid was familiarly pouring out of it. It only made towel wet, 
+and didn't seem to have any negative effects on my gloves. I gave 
+the towel a twist and snapped it in the air.
+
+What appeared to be books were a collection of tablets, each marked 
+with a number of angles in ascending order. I picked up the last 
+one, there was a nearly formed 7-pointed star on the edge. I 
+flipped it over in my hands the same motif appeared on each face.  
+I went to hold it up to the light, but the moment my second hand 
+touched it a blur of light flashed before my eyes, and I was 
+outside in the wasteland. Startled, I dropped it and found myself 
+still standing in my room. 
+
+I walked out into our lobby, and checked the other doors - everyone 
+else was consumed by their tablets, so I returned to my room and 
+grabbed the tablet marked with only one line on the edge. Instantly 
+I was standing outside, before whatever catastrophe we saw on the 
+surface of the planet ever began. The sky was the same blue/purple, 
+dotted with high whisks of clouds. The sun shown a pale red, making 
+the freckles on my arms appear black. I looked down, and found 
+myself in my favorite beachwear: a red Tommy Bahama and linen 
+slacks. We were on the light side of the planet, near a lake, 
+surrounded by short squat trees.
+
+"Welcome to Nalmyke, 46 Billion years ago..." a narration began. I 
+put down the tablet and picked up the second one. "The Glodan 
+Empire reigned from 2900 to 1700 years ago. Their power extended 
+from the Afram Sea to the Frozen Spires of Durklunt."
+
+Miles below my feet was a large ocean, The world spun across 
+hills and valleys, simple gravel roads, lakes dotted with tiny 
+ships, and finally across the horizon where frozen cliffs touched 
+the sky in perpetual darkness. A lone track led into some sort of 
+fortification built into the cliffs face.
+
+"Glodians power also came from their ability to sycrentize with 
+other cultures, their own culture fascinated with the art and 
+socio-political theories set forth by the Flalo people before 
+them." Onyx busts of kings and great thinkers whirred past me in 
+space like I was supposed to recognize them. I set the tablet down 
+and walked back into the lobby.
+
+"You can take off that mask, already" Hex said, balancing her 
+athame on her finger. "The water in the sinks has a bit of sulphur 
+in it, but it's fresh."
+
+I pulled off my mask and wrestled it into its compartment on my 
+back. The air was heavy, and pleasantly earthy.
+
+"The others still immersed in history?"
+
+"Yup."
+
+"Find anything out?"
+
+"You didn't finish either?" Hex didn't wait for my response. "I 
+skipped around. From what I can tell, they co-evolved with our 
+ancestors. Built several great civilizations, before being attacked 
+by aliens and uniting as one people. Unfortunately, by this time 
+most of the surface was uninhabitable, and the atmosphere was badly 
+damaged... Oh, and, we're in some sort of government bunker." 
+
+"You think they're listening to us?" I wondered aloud.
+
+"Not right now, no, they're still close though, I can still sense 
+them." Hex rolled her head, and slowly opened her eyes.
+
+I knocked on the 2 closed doors, no reply. I sat across from Hex 
+and noticed she had done one of her Tarot spreads.
+
+"Don't mind the Death card, there - it symbolizes the end of one 
+thing, and the beginning of another."