Dusts of Avalon - Beastwithin.org

IV. A R S Sand rescuing damsels from perpetually sinking swamp castles and overthrowingevil kings and whatnot was the boring part — the really interesting parts were theones where the knights fought ea other.” Dr. Grovepath looked at the cylinders.“Lancelot and Arthur right beside ea other. Didn't they go into war against eaother in the end?”“Right.” Daleworth didn't remember enough about the myths, but noddedalong. “Anyway, the mystery deepens”, Daleworth said. “If this is not an obviousPlanner ploy, what can it possibly be?”“Some sort of other alien race trying to make a contact? Not that we know ofany…”“Dunno, ma'am, looks like too few weird-ass monoliths and fancy mansionsuites with golden beds in here…” Sergeant Haman joined the conversation.“I take you just saw the film and didn't read the book, Haman?” Dr. Grovepathsaid. “e whole point of the scene was that it was careful mimicry of humanenvironment. And does this look like careful mimicry to you?”Haman shrugged. “Guess you're right, doctor. Why did they do all thatweird shit in the book, anyway?”It was Dr. Grovepath's turn to look slightly embarrassed. “Uh, it's actuallybeen years since I read the book. I… can't really remember why they botheredwith all that.”“All right. Care to try to see what the scanner says about what's inside, doctor?”Doctor fired up macro-level scanners and could only see very vague views ofwhat the insides of the capsules looked like.“Hmm… they look like they're hollow. ere's a thi lead or metal shielding,probably, so all I can see are vague eoes. ere is… well, it's hard to say whatthat is, but it looks to me like there's some sort of mainery in there. at thingthere… hmm… I think that looks a lot like a roet engine assembly? Yes, theouter shell definitely has some sort of a roet engine. I can't see any obvious fueltank or fuel lines, though…”“Beta!” Daleworth shouted. “Have you ogled at the weirdness enough already?”Apparently, the Beta Squad had fallen under the same spell as Alphaand forgoen to report in to Daleworth, and was now, along with Alpha, alsobusy marveling the sights of the central amber.“Yes, ma'am!” Seargeant Paul V. Cronner, Beta Squad's leader, said. issergeant wasn't quite as enthusiastic rising star as Haman, but he was a goodsoldier. Daleworth couldn't quite remember the last time she had seen him out ofhis armour; the man rarely le the Moonbat and had said he felt way too weirdto sleep in his bunk in the Mannerheim; if he didn't wake up siing on his seatnext to his combat-ready squad in the , he said he just didn't feel like he washome. Daleworth was happy Cronner was being enthusiastic, but she also felt his