The ground shines softly, glimmering as the rays of the rising sun bounce off of the layers of white powder accumulated there. The sky, a vast array of blues and oranges, provides stark contrast to the soft whites of the tundra below.
The land is barren. A vast, empty desert as far as the eye can see. Empty, save for the object at the center of my focus.
The structure, practically begging for attention, pleads out to anyone close enough to notice. A harsh gray against the sea of white, jutting far above the frozen floor it’s found itself stuck to. Pillars of smoke jutting even farther above, as if it were attempting to cut the very sky in two.
The edifice towers over me, plunging my being into shadow as I approach. The soft crunch of snow beneath my feet is quick to be replaced by the unnatural groan of settling metal.
With the construct only a few paces in front of me, my feet froze in place, allowing me to take just a moment to marvel at its sheer enormity. My pause was short lived, however, as a gentle breeze emerged from behind me, brushing past my head into a crack in the building’s hard outer shell.
The wind at my back was enough to get me to take those final steps. Into one of the many holes that had found a home in it’s walls.
Entering the building felt as if I was being swallowed whole. The vast, open expanse of the tundra had been replaced by tight, claustrophobic hallways. Harsh artificial light buzzed and flickered, fighting against the warmth of the sun, which seeped in through every available orifice.
Snow fell gently from the floors higher above, let in through any opening in the ceiling. The flakes became a blanket, hiding what once had been a pristine floor. Bits of stray wire wormed their way through the powder, emerging on the other end like the heads of snakes, patiently awaiting their prey. My boots protected me from the danger they presented, but the snow was less fortunate. Sparks flew from the severed cables, threatening to melt any snow that came too close.
The hallways seemed to go on forever, at every new turn I expected to see a dead end, but they just kept twisting and turning. My only indication as to whether I’d already been down a pathway being my own boot prints, left behind in the scattered patches of snow.
On many occasions I would find myself walking through halls that I thought were new to me, only to find a trail of foot steps already present there.
The doors to many of the rooms appeared to be locked, frozen in place by the same life force keeping the lights on. However there were a few that I managed to sneak my way into, the contents of which hastily found a new home in my bag. It wasn’t as if the previous inhabitants of this creation would be needing them any longer, after all.
Room after room I explored, harvesting anything I felt necessary. The gray monotony was quick to bore, and I grew increasingly disinterested with each passing room. Not to mention the harsh architecture of the building was beginning to take its toll on my figure. Low ceilings and lower door frames were becoming more than just an annoyance. One has to wonder how anyone could survive in this environment.
Much to my delight, my boredom was short lived. Amongst the desolate grays, a shade of green emerged at the end of a hallway. The doorway before it framed the room as if it were a painting. Vegetation of all shapes and sizes, some unfortunately lost to the weather, but others safely contained in large glass structures. The seeds for many were strewn about the room, however they should still be usable.
The room looked warm, if it weren’t for the small mounds of snow, one would think it to be a pleasant temperature. The vibrant greens provided a beautiful background for all sorts of other colors to emerge. Flowers and fruits of every hue stole your attention no matter where you looked.
This was exactly what we needed, what I was sent here to look for. Something to keep us going, something that could secure our future.
Ironic, how our civilization’s future could be ensured by the failings of this one.
I could feel the added weight on my back. My bag, as full as it could be without overflowing, was certainly making itself known.
I was ready to finally leave this place now, but in my stupor I had lost track of which way I had came from. The room I was in seemed to have been a bit of a convergence point, as a myriad of hallways emerged from here, shooting off into all directions of the craft. Luckily, the snow could assist me, a gift from myself just moments before.
I examined each of the doorways, leaving through the first of which contained footprints. I didn’t recognize the hallway I found myself in, however, I wasn’t exactly in my right mind when I initially traversed it, so I carried on.
The hallways brought me to more and more hallways, stretching far into the bland metallic grays I had just managed to forget. They were long and confusing.
I at least had the liberty of passing any open doors I saw, as I had already been through them on my first journey. The endless rooms would now be left to turn to dust, all of their possessions scavenged, they stood there, empty shells of what they once were. Empty, except for one thing.
A single sound cried out to me as I traveled past one of these rooms. It was unintelligible, but it was made with intent. I moved towards its source, peeking through the doorway it originated from.
At first glance the room seemed to be just as boring as all the others, nothing special about it, save for a figure off to the side. An animal was stuck there, under a piece of fallen rubble. It cried out, pleading for something in a language I couldn’t understand.
The animal was noticeably smaller than me, hairless everywhere except the top of it’s head. It’s skin was a soft tan color, underset by a variety of reds, as well as a few purples towards the ends of it’s appendages. It’s two eyes stared at me, making an expression I didn’t quite recognize.
It appeared to be quite thin and it seemed tired as well, it’s motions were very slow, as if it were concentrating all of it’s effort into each one. It shouted at me again, slowly motioning towards it’s metallic captor. Whatever message it was trying to convey was lost to me. But I couldn’t help but smile as I looked down on the helpless creature.
“What luck.” I thought to myself. “To have such a nice warm meal before heading back out into the cold.”
