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oohg agh last minute part 3 !

[art scouting]

The airlock groaned in steel and stone as the ketucari readied themselves once again for the crushing weight of water.
  Viv, Tova, and Thrynne were bracing uncomfortably under their equipment- Thrynne's feathers shifting especially uncomfortably as their alternate form sought to protect them from the stress.
  "Ya know, ya coulda shifted before the equipment fitting," one of their guides rumbled. Amlin, standing almost as tall as Thrynne's monstrous tyrannosaur form, looked amusedly at the three standards, and back at her other garoch companion. Phora chuckled back, sending glittering blue reflections dancing across the wall as the water crept up her glinting plates.
  Thrynne shook their head, biting the rebreather. "No, no, I can control it. It's just something I've gotten used to as a stress response."
  "What's there to be stressed about?" Tova moaned through his own gear. Viv patted his back- the lad looked seasick already, and the water was barely reaching his shoulders.
  "Don't forget, follow my lead," Amlin shuffled in the elbow-deep water to face the others, "and remember the hand signals!"
  Viv tilted his head. "It's so dark, what signal?"
  Amlin grinned, slipping luminescent blue rings over her massive paws.
  "Little trick to stay visible. Check the tail too." Her large thagomized tail waved in front of the smaller kets, showcasing another set of rings which only seemed to luminesce in water.
  "Easy to get lost down here," Amlin said. "Ligh'ts gotta be used effectively."
  "But not so much as to attract attention," Vivain murmured. "Right?"
  "Smart one!" Amlin laughed, turning back around. "Right yeh are. Best to keep it minimal an' stay more alert. Even better if yeh look like nothin' more than a patch o' seit floatin' around. Can't get that dressed up all the time, though."
  "This glow, how does it only work in water?" Thrynne asked, luckily distracted from its shapeshifting woes by the way the light was creeping up the walls as the water rose.
  "Some kinda reaction," Phora snorted. "Gets dim, yeh just sand it down. Freshens right up. Not sure of the details meself. This room just got done, so yeh get to see the right proper power of it."
  The water had risen up to the garochs' shoulders, forcing the standards to tread water or dip under the surface, so they prepared to launch.
  "Right. I'll be backin yeh up, so yeh don't get lost," Phora added. "We'll take it slow for yeh." The massive pinchiepollie-esque ket readjusted the straps of the massive nets on her sides. These, she'd explained, were to collect any smaller pieces they found- Amlin sported massive ropes and hooks with which to drag anything *larger*. The standards had stared, as each net could easily restrain one of them, and silently decided to not give them reason to make use of this fact.
  The water rushed, gurgling, upwards, and the room illuminated the same ghostly blue as Amlin's rings, and the pressure began. The surface dwellers writhed, even with their protective gear, and even the garochs, used to the depth, shook their heads, working their jaws to alleviate the pressure in their ears.
  The water stabilized, and slowly the airlock door ground open to reveal the blackest black water once more. Knowing what to look for now, the standards could see the trails of fish and seit, lining the sea floor in intricate patterns, which Amlin began following with a slow glide- nearly more of a spacewalk than a swimming motion. The nature of the glow stayed organized for a few minutes of sliding along the crater, but slowly the sign of civilization faded- the technology glowing here was half buried, grimy and in disrepair.
  Amlin came to a stop around a particularly bright circle of debris, and motioned the standards forward while she moved to check out a large glowing stone nearby.
Tova and Viv began slowly clearing heavy gravel, revealing a large nearly-intact turret. The two worked well together, kicking up as little silt as possible while they pulled the massive structure out of its sedimentary grave.
  Thrynne dug around a cluster of small glowing rocks, quickly finding that they were attached somehow, and it began digging gently to uncover a long string of gently pulsating connections. Curious, they followed the line, stopping as it would lead them down and away from the group. It swam over and tapped Phora's massive paw, getting her attention and pointing at the direction of what it had uncovered. Phora tilted her head curiously, scooping under the line and giving it a shake.
  Silt fell away from the disturbance, showing that the glow continued much farther- down to a corner of a pulsating object halfway down the crater wall. Phora nodded and nudged Thrynne in that direction, and the standard shrugged and followed the line. Getting down was easy, but it took some time to figure out just what was going on with the object. It was large, with almost a crystal shape, with panes of open glow edged by dark carved stone. It was only the size of Thrynne's torso, and floated wherever it was placed in the water, quite surprisingly.

  Tova and Viv unearthed their turret, just as Amlin returned with her long tow-line clearly in use. The garoch looked quite happy, and picked up their find with enthusiasm, gesturing the two over towards Phora's nets. The three of them worked to store it, while Phora watched their companion farther down the hill.
Slowly, Thrynne began to herd it back up, pulling up the glowing line as the object progressed. The others were excitedly pointing at its haul, with Tova and Viv looking quite confused while the garochs slapped each others' shoulders.
  With glowing line gathered, Thrynne presented the thing at the top of the crater path, and Phora happily opened a net for it. In went the glowing thing and its bundled line, and Thrynne admired the intact turret as Tova looked proud of himself.

  The three turned to head back, and Viv couldn't help but look behind them as Amlin's tow line disappeared into the darkness. Following them was a massive shape, glowing just enough to give it a menacingly huge outline, yet the garoch towed it as though it were a light rowboat.
  As they reached the inhabited hollow mountain, Amlin led them to the side of the main pedestrian airlocks. There, a massive jawed garage hung open, clearly an airlock of much larger caliber.
  The three standards stepped inside, and were handed Phora's nets; the three of them struggled under the turret's weight, and all looked at the garochs with a mix of admiration and fear.
  Amlin and Phora, however, turned to Amlin's haul; massive paw over massive paw, they hauled in the rope, and the thing emerged from the gloom- an obelisk of stone and seit, which clearly became more detailed a it entered the light. It was something between an aquarium and a lamp, a pillar of water hollows held in by clear mineral chunks. Seit glowed in and on it, some being scraped off by the garochs as they maneuvered the massive stone conraption. As the standards watched, a paw was pressed to a glowing panel, and the thing *bent*- showing hidden joints caked with silt, it waved slowly like an eel, moving forward on its own accord.
  The garochs high-fived, and the eel pillar was halted in a convenient location in the garage.
  By all accounts, Viv decided, the trip was clearly a resounding success, and as the grinding of stone began again, he patiently waited for the water to recede below his head once more.

~1200 words

[prospecting]

Description

oohg agh last minute part 3 !

[art scouting]

The airlock groaned in steel and stone as the ketucari readied themselves once again for the crushing weight of water.
  Viv, Tova, and Thrynne were bracing uncomfortably under their equipment- Thrynne's feathers shifting especially uncomfortably as their alternate form sought to protect them from the stress.
  "Ya know, ya coulda shifted before the equipment fitting," one of their guides rumbled. Amlin, standing almost as tall as Thrynne's monstrous tyrannosaur form, looked amusedly at the three standards, and back at her other garoch companion. Phora chuckled back, sending glittering blue reflections dancing across the wall as the water crept up her glinting plates.
  Thrynne shook their head, biting the rebreather. "No, no, I can control it. It's just something I've gotten used to as a stress response."
  "What's there to be stressed about?" Tova moaned through his own gear. Viv patted his back- the lad looked seasick already, and the water was barely reaching his shoulders.
  "Don't forget, follow my lead," Amlin shuffled in the elbow-deep water to face the others, "and remember the hand signals!"
  Viv tilted his head. "It's so dark, what signal?"
  Amlin grinned, slipping luminescent blue rings over her massive paws.
  "Little trick to stay visible. Check the tail too." Her large thagomized tail waved in front of the smaller kets, showcasing another set of rings which only seemed to luminesce in water.
  "Easy to get lost down here," Amlin said. "Ligh'ts gotta be used effectively."
  "But not so much as to attract attention," Vivain murmured. "Right?"
  "Smart one!" Amlin laughed, turning back around. "Right yeh are. Best to keep it minimal an' stay more alert. Even better if yeh look like nothin' more than a patch o' seit floatin' around. Can't get that dressed up all the time, though."
  "This glow, how does it only work in water?" Thrynne asked, luckily distracted from its shapeshifting woes by the way the light was creeping up the walls as the water rose.
  "Some kinda reaction," Phora snorted. "Gets dim, yeh just sand it down. Freshens right up. Not sure of the details meself. This room just got done, so yeh get to see the right proper power of it."
  The water had risen up to the garochs' shoulders, forcing the standards to tread water or dip under the surface, so they prepared to launch.
  "Right. I'll be backin yeh up, so yeh don't get lost," Phora added. "We'll take it slow for yeh." The massive pinchiepollie-esque ket readjusted the straps of the massive nets on her sides. These, she'd explained, were to collect any smaller pieces they found- Amlin sported massive ropes and hooks with which to drag anything *larger*. The standards had stared, as each net could easily restrain one of them, and silently decided to not give them reason to make use of this fact.
  The water rushed, gurgling, upwards, and the room illuminated the same ghostly blue as Amlin's rings, and the pressure began. The surface dwellers writhed, even with their protective gear, and even the garochs, used to the depth, shook their heads, working their jaws to alleviate the pressure in their ears.
  The water stabilized, and slowly the airlock door ground open to reveal the blackest black water once more. Knowing what to look for now, the standards could see the trails of fish and seit, lining the sea floor in intricate patterns, which Amlin began following with a slow glide- nearly more of a spacewalk than a swimming motion. The nature of the glow stayed organized for a few minutes of sliding along the crater, but slowly the sign of civilization faded- the technology glowing here was half buried, grimy and in disrepair.
  Amlin came to a stop around a particularly bright circle of debris, and motioned the standards forward while she moved to check out a large glowing stone nearby.
Tova and Viv began slowly clearing heavy gravel, revealing a large nearly-intact turret. The two worked well together, kicking up as little silt as possible while they pulled the massive structure out of its sedimentary grave.
  Thrynne dug around a cluster of small glowing rocks, quickly finding that they were attached somehow, and it began digging gently to uncover a long string of gently pulsating connections. Curious, they followed the line, stopping as it would lead them down and away from the group. It swam over and tapped Phora's massive paw, getting her attention and pointing at the direction of what it had uncovered. Phora tilted her head curiously, scooping under the line and giving it a shake.
  Silt fell away from the disturbance, showing that the glow continued much farther- down to a corner of a pulsating object halfway down the crater wall. Phora nodded and nudged Thrynne in that direction, and the standard shrugged and followed the line. Getting down was easy, but it took some time to figure out just what was going on with the object. It was large, with almost a crystal shape, with panes of open glow edged by dark carved stone. It was only the size of Thrynne's torso, and floated wherever it was placed in the water, quite surprisingly.

  Tova and Viv unearthed their turret, just as Amlin returned with her long tow-line clearly in use. The garoch looked quite happy, and picked up their find with enthusiasm, gesturing the two over towards Phora's nets. The three of them worked to store it, while Phora watched their companion farther down the hill.
Slowly, Thrynne began to herd it back up, pulling up the glowing line as the object progressed. The others were excitedly pointing at its haul, with Tova and Viv looking quite confused while the garochs slapped each others' shoulders.
  With glowing line gathered, Thrynne presented the thing at the top of the crater path, and Phora happily opened a net for it. In went the glowing thing and its bundled line, and Thrynne admired the intact turret as Tova looked proud of himself.

  The three turned to head back, and Viv couldn't help but look behind them as Amlin's tow line disappeared into the darkness. Following them was a massive shape, glowing just enough to give it a menacingly huge outline, yet the garoch towed it as though it were a light rowboat.
  As they reached the inhabited hollow mountain, Amlin led them to the side of the main pedestrian airlocks. There, a massive jawed garage hung open, clearly an airlock of much larger caliber.
  The three standards stepped inside, and were handed Phora's nets; the three of them struggled under the turret's weight, and all looked at the garochs with a mix of admiration and fear.
  Amlin and Phora, however, turned to Amlin's haul; massive paw over massive paw, they hauled in the rope, and the thing emerged from the gloom- an obelisk of stone and seit, which clearly became more detailed a it entered the light. It was something between an aquarium and a lamp, a pillar of water hollows held in by clear mineral chunks. Seit glowed in and on it, some being scraped off by the garochs as they maneuvered the massive stone conraption. As the standards watched, a paw was pressed to a glowing panel, and the thing *bent*- showing hidden joints caked with silt, it waved slowly like an eel, moving forward on its own accord.
  The garochs high-fived, and the eel pillar was halted in a convenient location in the garage.
  By all accounts, Viv decided, the trip was clearly a resounding success, and as the grinding of stone began again, he patiently waited for the water to recede below his head once more.

~1200 words

[prospecting]