Preparing for the Journey to /uuu/

Sherry has just finished packing her utility tote bag. She double checks that she has everything where she wants it and seals the bag. Sherry wipes her pale brow. Unlike other young Sanalite women Sherry has pale skin, blue eyes and long brunette hair. Underneath her space suit she's fairly average height and modest bust. Though lately Sherry has been packing on a few pounds. “Speaking of food,” Sherry thinks out loud. “I really should check my rations. I know Charlie says he's got rations covered, but I need to lose weight again.” Sherry gets distracted by the wallpaper on her tablet computer resting on a sleeping brown bread dog. The tablet screen has a photo of Sherry bottle-feeding a young woolly mammoth. The mammoth has her trunk wrapped around Sherry's arm. Sherry rubs her elbow recalling the gentle touch of the mammoth. Before Sherry can shed a tear her daydream was interrupted by a doorbell. The bred dog taking a nap wakes up. The bread dog stretches and yawns. Sherry quickly grabs her tablet computer before it falls off the bread dog. “Oh! Careful.” The bread dog wags her tail and smiles. The doorbell rings again. Sherry swipes and taps her tablet. Its a woman in a space suit outside. Sherry says “give me a moment. I'm still packing. I'll unlock the door for you.” Sherry swipes and taps her tablet again. There's a loud rumble as the escape pod door hisses and squeezes. Sherry can feel the door slide open and shut as the astronaut enters. A moment later the door rattles, then it slides open.

The astronaut who was just outside enters the tiny apartment. The astronaut takes off its helmet revealing a slightly tanned young woman with bleach blonde hair. The woman smiles and says “I still can't believe they chose me to be a diplomat.” Sherry zips her utility tote bag. Then she looks at the woman and asks “umm... Who are you again?” The woman pushes Sherry's arm upset at the question. “Sherry! Don't you remember!?” The woman points to her face. “It's me Matilda Miran.” Sherry lightly punches her own temples. “Christ! You're right!?” Sherry rubs her eyes. Then she says “I remember you from taxonomy when we're paired up back on the central colony. Then when we got Sana's signal you left to become a Sana priestess.” “Yep!” says Matilda. She finds Sherry's recline and falls into it. “Ahnn! I'm so much happier now. I'm not as rich as I was at the central colony but I love the Sanalites here.” Matilda turns to rest on her elbow. “The birthday bash was a dream come true,” says Matilda. “Its like we're just now discovering Sana for the first time despite the broadcasts being centuries old.” Sherry zips up her backpack. Then she says “and because of the signals we're in another world.” Matilda sits up then says “sucks we had to almost lose everything to get here. Don't know what that old nutter of a principal was thinking when he locked down the station.” “It wasn't all that bad,” says Sherry. “You got to meet other Sanalites face to face and throw Sana's birthday party. That's something we could have never done in the central colony.” Matilda sits up. “True.” She says “still I've been a critic of his actions and yet he personally endorsed me to become /nasa/'s diplomat.” Sherry stares at her tablet looking at the photo of her and the baby woolly mammoth. Matilda looks over Sherry's shoulder. “I suppose we'll have to give him credit,” she says. “You never would have met Delilah the mammoth if we didn't fall through the dimensional wormhole.” “Yes!” Sherry says fondly. “Mikael and I found all kinds of native wild life that we thought were extinct on Earth. And we even found new wildlife that we never thought possible.” Sherry swipes to show Matilda a photo of a large giant bearded tortoise. “To think what else we can find in the world...” Sherry hugs her tablet. “I'm so excited.”

There's a knocking on the window. The wheat bread dog hops to the floor and begins barking. “Pan pan! Pan pan pan-pan!” the bread dog barks at the outsider. The man in the window waves. He stands next to the large convoy buggy with two other men sitting on the sides. Matilda sighs. “Looks like our ride is here,” Matilda says. She launches herself off the chair. “I've gotten everything packed up. What about you?” Sherry throws her backpack on her back. She straps the utility tote bag to the back of the wheat bread dog. “I've gotten everything I need. I think. Branny should have the rest.” Matilda checks her canteen. She asks “do you have clean water at least?” Sherry turns around. “Oh! I forgot!” Sherry heads to the kitchen to fill up her canteen. Matilda says “well, we're going to be driving for a few days. So its best if we fill up with as much water as we can.” Sherry closes her canteen. “Technically we do have water in the wetlands. But I wouldn't drink it,” she says. The astronauts in the window seem to have left. Sherry checks her tablet and sees the astronauts have parked in front of the door. Matilda says “I guess its time to meet the Saplings.”

Waiting outside there's a land buggy with a white bread dog at the steering wheel. The bread dog honks the horn as Matilda and Sherry carry their things. Two astronauts who's space suits are decked with a green camo pattern and Security Force patches help Matilda and Sherry pack their bags in the back of the buggy. Behind the buggy is a former ice-cream cart made into a trailer. It still has old stickers of colorful ice-creams and menu prices on the side of the cart. At the back of the trailer there's a fairly short yet stout astronaut tying up the cargo. “G'mornin' ladies!” says the astronaut waving. “Did'ja have a good night sleep?” Sherry wants to rub her eyes but the suit's helmet is in the way. “Kinda sorta,” Sherry says. The man hops off of the buggy. He hands Sherry a packet wrapped in a thick foil package. He says in a thick Aussie accent “m'name's Charles Baker, but you can call me Chalrie. I brah you some fresh dried meat we jus' made last night. Seein' as how you're on a diet an' all.” Sherry takes the package. The foil is a 'food cartridge' Sherry can install into her suit. “'Ope you don' mine caribou,” Charlie says. “It'll low carb but high calorie. Great if you're starvin'.” The thought of slaughtered reindeer is the last thing Sherry wants on her mind. “Umm... Thanks. I'll save it for later.” Charlie rubs his shoulder. “Well yah. Its a ration after all.” Matilda lightly pushes Charlie. “Oi mate! You're making things weird.” Charlie pushes back. “Bah Matty!” Charlie says “I did as you ask'd me to! I'm still sore from bakin' all them treats. I even brought a few cakes as dessert. Would have more if the Luknights in the bunker didn't eat the rest. If I'd had my way I'd bake some kale chips.” Sherry installs the cartridge in her suit. “Its alright Charlie. Thank you for being considerate.” Charlie beats his chest and says “haha! I wasn' top chef in /nasa/ for nuffin'.”

The two armed men secure the buggy. “All cargo secure. And the buggy's checked out,” the tall astronaut says “M'name's Security Ranger Lieutenant Bear Ironfield. Me and officer Jones Pierson will be your guides to the woods.” The man hands Sherry and Matilda a pistol. “These are your CR01-SS4NT hand pistols we're loaning out for self protection. As citizens I'm positive both of you have basic firearms training?” Sherry and Matilda check the guns to see if they're loaded. Once confirmed empty they holster the pistols. Sherry says “yes sir.” “Good,” says Lieutenant Bear. “Now as a fair warning the pistols are only good against small animals like dogs, spiders, and cats.” “S-s-spiders!?” Sherry panics. “Yes, spiders.” Bear continues. “Big ones too! They're like tarantulas the size of house cats. We found 'em infesting the station the other day.” Sherry almost faints. She hates spiders. Matilda catches her. “R-right.” Matilda asks “what happens if bigger threats show up?” Jones takes out a B4-GUE-TE rifle, readies it, and places it on the pivot on top of the buggy. “We have the rail gun,” Bear says. “Fortunately we shouldn' run into too many threats at this time of year.” Charlie hops into the driver's seat of the buggy. “Righ'. We'll we still 'ave to pick uh the ice-cream sammies ah the bakery,” he says. Before Charlie grabs the wheel the white bread dog growls at him. “Wha'!? I'h was a hill I didn' see 'cuz Mac was whippin' me Wheaty. C'mon! Bloody bread dog!” Wheaty nips at Charlie's hand when Charlie tries to grab the wheel. Jones slips down into the seat. “This is my buggy. My rules,” says Jones. “Chalie we need someone to kindly sit in the back and watch our stuff if you don't mind.” Charlie grumbles. He moves to the back of the buggy and sits on the cargo. Lieutenant Bear stands on the gun seat. He orders everyone to buckle up. Sherry and Matilda take the back seat of the buggy. Wheaty and Branny sit in Sherry's and Matilda's laps respectively. The bread dogs give the two girls a happy whimper and a tail wag.

First stop is dropping by the bakery in Kirby Village. Once there the bakers waste no time filling the ice-cream cart with dry ice, followed by a layer of wrapped ice-cream sandwiches, followed by another layer of dry ice. “We should reach the border of /uuu/'s forest by the end of the day,” says Bear. “The cart will freeze the ice-cream for a day and a half. We'll camp at night. Then in the morning Saplings should arrive to escort us through the woods.” “Fair enough,” says Matilda. She watches the bakers spray liquid nitrogen inside of the freezer rapidly cooling it off. They seal the cart. Once Bear confirms the door is secure. “Right, time to move out.” Bear hops back into the gunner seat. The buggy takes off south for the Sapling's forest in /uuu/.