CCSF 2012 Day 12: The Desert Sands

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

Days of staring at star maps and endlessly hailing our home world had led to absolutely nothing. We were lost, and it was time to decide what to do. This journey had to continue, yet we had two paths before us. One was to try to return home with all of the Creatures and findings. My youngest assistant was certain he recognized a small star system, which might bring us home. The other option was the more extreme... I had grown attached to these Norns, Grendels, and Ettins. They were thousands, perhaps even millions, of miles from their homes. What would become of them if we brought them back? I had the distinct feeling that the institute would treat them more as research subjects than actual living beings. Fortunately, my assistants seemed to agree. We headed off into the unknown...

Naturally, my tea brewing had suffered from my stress. I spent the better part of one morning crafting a special cup of the delicious beverage for myself, and I even found a few Creatures who seemed to appreciate its warm flavor. My serious exterior had melted away, and I found myself less drawn to my research notes than to the simple activities of interacting with these Creatures. However, the ship alerted us all to the presence of a nearby planet. With no idea where we were, I knew we had to stop. I cringed, for this was a desert planet. I remembered the ordeal with the sand, and resigned myself to put up with it a second time.

The vessel easily could have reached the surface on its own, but I secretly enjoyed these planetary visits. I bid farewell to everyone aboard, and promised a quick return. There was very little I expected to find in such a dry, arid world. Indeed, the yellows and browns quickly blurred into one boring image outside the window. I actually spotted what looked like a colony of Creatures, which brought unexpected surprise to me. In such a bland place seemingly devoid of life, how could life exist? I let the vessel guide itself so I could get a closer look. I only had a split second to register the collision alert before the world went black...

From Jessica: "After the ordeal with the black hole, one may have assumed that the Shee would not endure any more problems. On this desert world, it seems that we may have lost our main character... Stay tuned for the last few chapters! The twelfth day of the CCSF is set on a desert world. What does a desert hold? Beneath all that sand, one never knows! Check back throughout the day for more!"