2nd PAWW’s story

I’m a day late, my bad, but at least this story kicks ass, if I can say so myself. 

Trees expanded their life all the way to the end of their limbs, coloring themselves myriads of reds, yellows and oranges. Connected to this planet’s core, they grew higher and higher to pray the sun. The scenery was vibrant with energy, XF52M’s external sensories could almost feel it.

They’d discarded their transportation in favor of walking down this path. XF52M’s feet were stiff from unuse, but its boots had air cushions included to reduce the friction, so it lessened the discomfort.

The sculptures along the grey path were breaking the atmosphere with its harsh blocks, its design going up and down and up and down and… XF52M disliked it.

“Trees are pretty,” it said to its partner LP38S.

“Trees are pretty,” it agreed.

Trees were extinguished on their mother planet, but their own organism was self-sufficient, so only the lesser living creatures had perished with the plants.

Their vacations were more than expected so far. LP38S had discovered this planet by accident as it was scanning a solar system for resources. Finding creatures had been a surprise. H05s were fewer all over the galaxy, and they decided it would be the perfect planet to visit. It was also the opportunity to witness wild animals. Their ship dissimulated, they’d walk down this path for a while, admiring the grass and the wind and the sun shining far away.

“Civilisation inbound,” LP38S announced, checking itssensors.

“Activating shield.” XF52M set up its shield to be invisible to H05s.

“Activating shield.”

They continued walking. A loud sound, unnatural, came closer and at the turn of the path, a vehicle ran into LP38S. It exploded, parts flying everywhere. A red liquid dripped from the carcass and expanded on the path.

“H05 casualty,” LP38S said, blinking at the corpse partly visible beneath.

“H05 casualty, importance minimal.”

The smoke went black and thick. They continued to walk along the grey path. Households scattered, then tightly organised. They reached civilisation.

They approached a group of H05s heavily clothed so only their head was visible. They all looked the same; pink with four limbs and terminals on the upper ones. They emitted series of sounds neither XF52M nor LP38S understood, so they installed an universal translator in their hearing device.

“Canadians won six to four last night, it was tight, but that means I won the bet.”

“Whatever, I own you nothing, Jones.”

XF52M detected aggression pheromones oozing from one male H05. There was soon an altercation between two males of the group, using their terminals as weapons and threatening battle cries.

They lost interest and went into a tall building, following some female H05s. Their vibrant-colored hair and decorated face seemed the norm in this society.

It was an interior sustenance market. Various exotic fruits were exposed on stalls, H05s pushing two-wheeled vehicles and keeping to themselves. There was music, or what XF52M assumed was music, and yet H05s were individualists in their own mind. Alone in the crowd.

XF52M had witnessed such attitude before, on another planet in another solar system. It also learned of the planet’s destruction not long ago.

Exploring the other H05-frequented building, they noticed the same behaviour. Some were in groups, but as a whole, loneliness hugged many of them.

“Teleport to other location?” LP38S asked, wishing to witness more inspiring H05s.

“Teleport to other location.”

This planet was populated at almost half percent, and XF52M and LP38S had many locations to visit and many H05s to observe.

The PAWW Project