VL121R | Day 2 Morning | Text

[meadqueen]

I’m southwest of the mountains, near the shore. There's an abandoned village here.

A central square, strangely paved, surrounded by several metal longhouses and an odd tower at one end. It's been abandoned for quite some time.

Comments

[aluminumandash]

[ A pulse of fellow-feeling: it's the same with him and tracking, discovering that skills mastered decades ago had just lain dormant. Like Alaska was an instinct as much as a place. ] I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it ain't anywhere near as sturdy, either. Be careful. Check in when you start and finish.

If you can figure out a way to hang onto that paper, keep it dry, I'd be obliged.

[meadqueen]

A mountain can surprise you, but I suspect you're right. Wish me luck.

[It takes her nearly an hour to climb the tower so uh sorry for the suspense there guy.

When she speaks again finally, her voice sounds so giddy that without the call sign he might not have known it was her]

I'm at the top!

Someone’s already looted the room, I think. Communications as you said, but they're torn apart.

[aluminumandash]

Huh. [ The curve of his mouth, a lightness to the murmured syllable—that's as close as he comes to sharing in her exhilaration. ] Look like they were after something in particular, or they just take whatever they could get their hands on?

[meadqueen]

They took everything. All that remains are the empty cases on the walls.

[Abruptly; she just noticed it while looking at something else]

Oh, there's another tower!

[aluminumandash]

In jumping distance? [ Hilarious...fortunately he snaps back to seriousness almost immediately. ] Bigger, smaller? What kinda shape's it in?

[meadqueen]

[Ha ha] I could try, but I don't think I’d enjoy it. I estimate about an hour’s walk from here.

Much larger than this one - both taller and wider. It looks more like a fortress. There are several smaller thatched-roofed buildings near its base. I can't tell the condition from here, but it's upright.