Meeting

Who: Everyone

Where: Meeting in the refectory on accommodation deck B

When: Just after Cass threw her hands up in disgust and departed


Shaking his head, Jay watched Cassandra go.

She was right.

He knew she was right.

None of the Huzard tribes were going to cede control of any of their territory without substantial concessions. There’d have to be negotiations guaranteeing unmolested freedom of movement for the Vermin, and in all likelihood any tribe offering their land would want weapons in return for it; weapons that they’d no doubt use to seize territory from their neighbours, who would in turn seek to minimise their losses by raiding their neighbours, further stoking the flames of the war.

This was all going to go to shit in a few weeks.

As much as he hated to admit it, Cass was probably right in her assertion that the easiest way to diffuse the situation would be to seal the promenade off for a week, and then see how amenable the Vermin were once they’d had their minds concentrated by starvation.

Still, he conceded, as unpalatable as the idea might be, at least she hadn’t suggested nerve gassing the Vermin, so she was definitely improving.

Turning back to the others he cleared his throat “Okay guys, this isn’t ideal, but let’s see what we can do, eh?”

Jade caught his eye “Laser turrets are bad” she gestured, vaguely “I’ll, uh... I’ll just see where Cass has got to – Just in case...”

“Tell her that we could use her help” Jay called after her as she hurried off.

“Right,” he continued “the Huzards aren’t going to want to go along with this, so let’s go in softly and see how the land lies – If we’re lucky, we can find a tribe near a working lift cluster, who will be willing to negotiate for something less than a crate load of pulse rifles”

“You think that’s likely?” Jamie asked

“No” Jay said with a sigh “Let’s just get down there and make it up as we go along” he looked between the remaining assembled members of the crew “Any questions?”

Brett, Gavin and Superior all raised their hands.

“Yeah?”

“What’s a Huzard?” Brett asked

“They’re a species of evolved lizards” Jay explained “I dunno how they got aboard, but Holly seems to have had a hand in their evolution while we were in stasis, and has moulded them into the equivalent of a bronze age society – Think aggressive, Mayan Lizardmen and you can’t go too far wrong.

He looked between the others “Any other questions?”

Gavin shook his head “I just can’t believe this all happened in only six hundred years”

There was an awkward silence

“Three million years” Jay said quietly.

“What?”

“It’s been three million years”

“Three...?” Gavin’s mouth fell open.

“Yeah”

“But...?”

Jay sighed “As far as we know we’re the very last humans left alive”

“But...”

“They’re all dead, mate”

“Every one of them?”

“Every last one” Jay gave it a moment for this to sink in before continuing “We’re also about seven hundred years away from home”

“Light years?”

“Real years”

“Oh...”

Jamie clapped an arm around Gavin’s shoulders and turned him away towards the exit “You’ll get used to it lad. In the meantime, while we’re journeying down to the Arboretum, let me point out one or two of the more horrifying engineering disasters that we’ve got, waiting to happen...”

“Okay everyone” Jay powered up his rifle “Let’s move it out...”



<tag>

I’m sure Cass and Jade will be back presently, but in the meantime, does anything happen on the journey down to the Arboretum?

If not, what do you encounter in the Arboretum? – how friendly are the Huzards feeling today?

If you want to run an idea past the mods first, feel free, but don’t be afraid to jump in - there could be anything living down there

</tag>