We’ve reached another big platform where there’s light if you wiggle about enough. Each platform has yielded human artefacts. Most seem useless. But we have successfully rigged the big roller-cache so Not-Prey can pull it. She sometimes doesn’t mind but often she shies and lows when we bring it out. Both Vicious and I can drag it but the effort to output is not good. The rollers are not fixed and can spin wildly suddenly pulling the dragger off to one side. It squeaks and jars while the other rumbles and bounces. Its capacity outweighs any other problems we have with it though. It allowed me to fill it with treats for Not Prey which has provided motivation for her Service.

“I guess we’ll need to surface here.” The light hurts all of our eyes when it comes on. This platform has some artefacts but what it doesn’t have is a continuation of tunnel.

“It seems you’re right. Are you happy scouting ahead while I investigate these artefacts and get Late First Eyes Runt^ to help me get Not-Prey up?”

“Anything to not listen to her chewing for another cent^.” He says as he leaps off the path and the light disappears. The light is back in a heartbeat with him flying through the air towards the stacked platforms to the surface. I unhitch Not-Prey so she can eat while I investigate. The rest of Pack knows they can relax. I jump up and sniff over to the artefacts. I’ve taken a few items I was drawn to. Ones I feel somehow will give useful Service if only I can figure out how. I got that feeling with the roller-cache and the water containers and the vine.

We now have:

• some stiff cache-pouches that can control water-flow when tipped,
• a selection of different hides in very strange shapes,
• a heavy, smooth pelvis-shaped item on a strange artificial-vine with a little block on the other end that lets you swing it with some force.

These artefacts are lumps of soft, dry smells. Most of the artefacts had no scent after however long they’ve been here. Little can compete with the all-pervading damp drone of a place that was underwater for a while. But these each smell different. They smell similar but each tells a scent-story. This one smells like a fire. This one like ever-pups. This of hot, complex flavours. I’m entranced by each in turn. The light disappears. I don’t stop my investigation. I hear Spotless whimpering and Late First Eyes Runt jumping up to wiggle about. This one smells of chemicals^ stronger than World produces. How very human. These are memory or feelings records. Like a human-comfort unit.

I can’t imagine a Service for such an individual item. This one smells of so many things I could keep sniffing it for a season^ and still have more to discover. I slip it under the hides in the smaller roller-cache. I feel strangely secretive of this artefact. This item feels less like something allowing me to understand how humans live and more like something I can imagine an individual human using. While resting, not trying to change Damp-World to be the way it wants. I’m not sure how I feel about how I am drawn to it. Better find a place to get Not-Prey up.

I walk to the edge of the big platform. Vicious returns. He seems shaken.

“Are you OK? Do we need to go back before I figure out how to do this?”

“Just that delicious but apparently not edible idiot chewing. Enorm-ment^ continues but the river is now to the South^. We must have travelled through it! I will give it to humans, they are devious, no natural barrier from Damp-World stops them building paths or settlements. The platforms up here are wider and fewer.”

“And this drop is smaller. We may be able to get her to haul herself out with enough motivation.”

“There’s a bit of wild not too far away too.”

“Can you take the rest of Pack and leave me with those who could serve?” He kis. He hitches himself into the smaller roller-cache. He takes the ever-pups except Shouty and Late First Eyes Runt. Before he leaves Late First Eyes Runt lunges forward and pulls out one of the large hides. He doesn’t even notice. I can just chuck it in the big one.

I try to tempt Not-Prey up the ledge with the only bushy branch we have left. She isn’t inclined. I want to scream. How is she so stupid? If she would just trust me, I would get her safe. I think for a heartbeat of how unhelpful it would be to make her prey right now. Vicious would thank me. But we couldn’t fit her in the roller-cache so we could not even get to take most of her energy. So much for you being for-Pack. I wasn’t actually considering doing it. I need a chance to vent.

Late First Eyes Runt pulls over her hide and gives me one end. She leaps off the platform, onto the path, round Not Prey and up again.

( Like Spotless, like Vicious. ) How come she thought of that and you didn’t? Because she is not as puppish as I imagine she is. With pressure on her hindquarters, Not-Prey stumbles up onto the large platform. But not without shitting again. All over the hide. Shouty jumps up and stands by her when she is settled. Late First Eyes Runt and I adjust the hide to haul up the roller-cache. I bite myself every time shit smears onto the roller-cache. It’s only her own provision anyway.

(Late First Eyes Runt, can you and Shouty get Not-Prey up those platforms. I will bring this roller-cache ) They start cajoling Not-Prey up the ascending platforms. They are easier to negotiate as Vicious said. A waft of deliciously fresh air blows past them. I yank and bump the roller-cache up the platforms. The others have already stopped struggling up the platforms and are waiting for me. Rattle. Squeak. Yank. Bump. Right. There’s a wide scent-path of the ever-pups. Vicious’s peevishness is still apparent to my nose. We come into the open. The previously mentioned wild is not far. I cast my senses wide. Everything seems safe so I guide^ them on the scent-path left for us to the wild.

Not-Prey has already begun gorging herself. I hear a floater. It’s doing the opposite of our journey. It is approaching the tunnel entrance. It is about to enter. I feel a tightness in my stomach, what evidence have we left? It suddenly turns and whizzes away South. That’s fine, away from us.

Even having rested for a degree^, we had another degree of good travelling daylight. We’re on a black-path travelling briskly North. There are some colossal direct-paths with no cover or apparent direction. We’re avoiding them due to the close floater encounters we’ve had in the last few days. There’s another wild. It bass^ smells are unique. It is full of stone lumps in the characteristic human lines. I’m moving round to guide Not-Prey away. There’s the tell-tale whine. We creep into a den-husk. A floater whips by us and hovers over the wild. I would love to investigate but that’s certainly dangerous even when this floater leaves. Pack smells exhausted and fearful. We need to get out of Enorm-ment and the weird human things there are here.

The floater passes. We continue on the straight black-path. As far as can be seen, there is more settlement, more human interference. But more wild. Maybe another degree could reach it.

“I think we should aim for the next wild North and then rest there.”

“I think I should rip my ears off if it means that you can be so calm with this incessant noise going on!” Vicious then snaps his jaws together. Late First Eyes Runt approaches him with her usual calming. He snaps at her and bolts. Bouncy is about to follow but I ki. Pack progresses North.

( Vicious safe? )

( I think he’ll be back. )

( Safe? )

( I don’t know. But a dog may go where they choose. It is his choice to leave. )

( Because he’s broken? )

( Yes. )