Ens. Kim Stapledon - The Creeping Snowbank
John Smith
T'Ama: I don’t know.
Several of the furry creatures were digging snow out from around T'Ama and Porter. Porter seemed like she might be injured. Kim recalled her basic survival training, quickly making an inventory of the equipment they had. Sleds. Gruruts. Some supplies to make splints. Combadges. Of course. They could just call to be beamed up.
Another brown creature curiously scurried up her leg and then down again.
Stapledon: Interesting. It looks like they live in the snowbank.
Porter: They are surprisingly cute, but I hope we didn’t hurt any in the tumble..
Kim wondered the same thing.
T'Ama: I hope the gruruts didn’t get hurt..
One was clearly tangled. Kim looked back to Porter and T'Ama.
Stapledon: Are you okay?
T'Ama: I am fine… I think.
Porter: ::hiding a wince:: I’ll live. What happened?
T’Ama: I don’t think this was actually a turn in the trail. This snow bank is across the trail blocking it.
The creatures looked back at them nonchalantly. Kim remembered her cat growing up, the way she would push the most fragile objects possible from the edge of the coffee table and then sit there staring at whoever took notice first, staring back at them matter-of-factly. The small creatures were slowly making a snowbank that intersected with the trail, and that was what they'd careened into.
Stapledon: Uh oh. I wonder if the Gruruts would have just pushed through a bank like this.
Biology wasn't her strong suit but this seemed odd and yet also quite natural.
Porter: I think maybe we need to give this place some feedback that more training and a map would be useful.
T’Ama: You’d think it’d be fine since they just let me drive, but that fork wasn’t marked or warned about.
Stapledon: No, but this place is being subtly remade by those things there.
Porter: How far are we from the end of the trail?
T’Ama: I estimate about 6.47 kilometers from the start of the trail.
It was oddly quiet.
Stapledon: I don't recall the total trail length.
T’Ama: I think I must have taken a wrong turn. We should have gone right at the fork or Eme would be right behind us.
Porter: response
Kim followed T'Ama as she set about untangling the grurut and pulling the sled back out of the snow.
T’Ama: Since we do not know where this trail goes and it appears to be the wrong one, it would be logical to head back the way we came since we do know where it goes.
Stapledon: That makes sense. The good thing is the sun won't be as bright on the way back.
Porter: response
T’Ama: The gruruts don’t appear to be injured. Are you both good to ride back?
Stapledon: I am, yep.
Porter: response
Stapledon: It's kind of strange that something would live in a snowbank like that. Maybe it protects against predation...
Porter/T'Ama: Response?
Stapledon: Yeah.
((OOC: Backsimming in case anybody wants to spend more time here))
They climbed into the sled and soon they were on their way.