oom for trudy -- earth, zimbabwe. matobo national park.

[one_man_army]

Eight months after arriving in Zimbabwe, he got his first chance to take some leave -- some of the volunteers took advantage of the break to go home, visit family, or return to 'civilization' for a bit -- and he promptly disappeared.

He'd been camping in Matobo National Park for almost two weeks before he'd found a door to the bar, but once he'd found it, it made sense to head to Milliways in search of his girlfriend.

(As well as a hot shower he didn't have to pay for at one of the lodges.)



The door from the bar opened out into the pre-dawn twilight, hints of color lighting the eastern sky to reveal an expanse of wild bush country surrounding the campsite.

Carl shifted the pack they'd picked up at the bar (she'd need gear too, if she was going to stay for a bit) on one shoulder as he stepped aside to let her through.

"Welcome to Matobo."

Comments

[one_man_army]

"I think if anyone knows how to move through a hostile environment, it'd be trained military."

And she's not trained in leaving no tracks or trace of her presence, but he knows she's good at what she does. (And better at flying.)

[hallelujahpilot]

"Yeah, you'd think." She snorts. "Hell, if it weren't that they were animals doing it, I'd say it was all deliberate."

[one_man_army]

Carl shrugs. "Who knows...it very well might be. Maybe they're hyperintelligent."

Or maybe they see the humans as no more than tasty snacks.

"I'm glad the ones here aren't, at the least."

[hallelujahpilot]

"Hivemind."

Trudy grins.

"My tour is so science-fiction, it's great."

[one_man_army]

"I swear, they'll make a movie about the crazy shit you do someday."

A beat.

"But they'd have a hard time finding someone has good lookin' as you are to play your part."

[hallelujahpilot]

"...aw, crap, you know you're actually probably right."

[one_man_army]

"Be it in one universe or another, it'll probably happen. I mean...look at Milliways and 'Star Wars'."

[hallelujahpilot]

"What about Star Wars and Milliways?"

[one_man_army]

"I had drinks with Han Solo, once. The real Han Solo."

[hallelujahpilot]

She stops, right in the middle of the trail.

"You didn't."

[one_man_army]

"He was even drinking the whiskey they talk about in the books. Whyren's, I think it was?"

[hallelujahpilot]

Beat.

Wicked smirk.

"Still hot as he is on screen?"

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

[one_man_army]

Now it's Carl's turn to pause and consider.

"Y'know, I'm not sure I should answer that...or even if I can."

A smirk curls at the corner of his mouth.

"You already know I have a thing for pilots."

[hallelujahpilot]

"HAH! Good answer," she says as she starts to walk again. "Well, the thought of there being some other movie about what goes down on Pandora in some other universe is just odd. In my world, they've got a few series and a movie about the landing. But, Augustine's all legendary so I wouldn't be surprised is someone decided to write about her.

Hopefully they'll just...not have me."

[one_man_army]

"They wouldn't be able to get you right," he says. "And not just your good looks."

There is no comparison to her spunk and her spirit, as far as he's concerned.

[hallelujahpilot]

That gets a bit of a smile. "I just...don't want to be that well known. Ever. And the idea of someone trying to be me, or an idea of me..."

She shudders.

"Ugh, no thanks."

[one_man_army]

"I agree. I'd rather just...be myself. Not have someone trying to get into my head."

They're nearing the top of the rise; it's a bit of a slight scramble for a step or two, but once they reach the top he heads for a large granite boulder and offers her a boost to climb up.

[hallelujahpilot]

"And no one could capture the sheer pain in the ass nature of Augustine, anyway."

The boost is accepted, and once at the top, she sits down.

And stares.

"Well, wow," she says, softly.

[one_man_army]

Carefully, he hauls himself up (it takes a bit of a hop from a lower rock to make it on his own) and moves to sit beside her.

"Wow is the best way t'put it, isn't it."

He points out a cluster of buildings on the opposite hill -- the lodges and cabins -- as well as a wide, slow moving river in the distance, and a few other landmarks that he's discovered in his days spent sitting up here.

Then he laughs under his breath.

"Y'know, I actually tried t'sketch some of this?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"Yeah? I can see why, it's just...gorgeous." She has her sketchbook in her own pack, but she doesn't get it out just yet.

Then she looks at him.

"'Tried'?"

[one_man_army]

"They turned out lookin' like something you'd expect to see hangin' on a refrigerator after your kid brought 'em home from school."

Carl is his own worst art critic, apparently.

[hallelujahpilot]

"As, so you're more of the Impressionist school, then," says the woman who still has a bit of a crush on Van Gogh.