Unidentified Landfall Retreival (Carnelian and Huela)

The work area was beginning to get a little... well, soggy, to say the least. The miniature airboat was coming along nicely, but with how many tests the engine had been put through, the flame was making a sizable little divot in the snow. Unfortunately, melted snow made water. Working in the water made one wet and muddy. Being wet and muddy made the cold that much worse. Add the temperature drop that accompanied nightfall, and the conditions were yet more miserable. And for a creature accustomed to dry, warm grasslands?

“Ugh, this sucks.”

A little foot kicks sharply at a bolted counterweight, socketing it into place on the side of the makeshift craft. Along with its adjacent twin, that should be enough to keep the ship from rocketing into the air like an enthusiastic kite. ‘Should’ being the operative word. It’s not like the little inventor’s got her whole setup with her. With no proper meters, readers, or any other support, a good old field test is the best way to proceed.

Padded fingers work gently with the wires on the engine. Red to red, source to intake, and—

... What is that?

A sound, far in the distance. Getting closer. The sound of.. an engine? A craft of some sort. Certainly not her own. And... something. Something strong. A predator of some sort? Hopefully not. Could mean death. Could mean safety.

The beat of hesitation ends, and the diminutive figure scrambles to the highest point in her craft, little arms waving as she shouts into the snowfall, “Hey, over here!! This way!” Should her voice fail to carry, there was hope that the smoke or sparks from her damaged craft would give away her position.

This was dangerous, and Huela new it. The line between predation and protection was a fine line for a Geck, fully hanging on what side of one’s teeth she was on.

But there was only one way to find out.

---

WC: 329
PL: 3,000

---