Patchwork Universe

liason · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:16 am Post subject: Harvest Time

[Liason arrives through the mists to the North]

A tall, thin man wearing a dark cloak appeared from the mists, dragging a small cart behind him. Looking briefly around him, he sighed and pulled back the tarpaulin.

From inside the cart there crawled half a dozen small things. They looked a bit like beetles the size of footballs. One had a painted face as round as a dinner plate, like a baby doll. Another had rows of spines like a dinosaur. A third had so many appendages it looked like a swiss army knife. All had an oily, metallic look about them.

As Liason replaced the cover on the cart, the six Salvagers spread out across the landscape. One tunneled into the ground, another climbed a tree, a third began collecting small rocks... so much work to do to recycle a village !

Dr Jewel · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:02 am Post subject:

A pair of magpies flew out of the tree squawking in fright. They circled the air and headed southwards.

From her back garden, Enid Holloway looked up, saw the fussing pair of birds and frowned. Then she went back to weeding her rose bed.

liason · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:55 pm Post subject:

Dragging the cart round in a circle, Liason returned Northwards.

[Exits back to Imperial Foundry]

liason · Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:52 pm Post subject:

At the Northeastern edge of the village, curious events were afoot. An old, brick pillarbox surrounded by privet bushes suddenly collapsed in a shower of dust. And there, milling about in the rubble, were dozens of beetle-like creatures each about the size of a tennis ball and the same colour as the brick dust. Six of them lined up beneath the cast-iron front of the postbox and lifted it, marching off through the grass with it.

A number of the trees in that area had begun to tilt somewhat too. In fact an experienced gardener might say that they were looking none too healthy either.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:52 pm Post subject:

In the distance, a faint rumbling could be heard. The machines took no notice, they did not know what it meant.

But they were soon to find out.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 8:04 pm Post subject:

The machines did not look as functional as they had when Liason had brought them through the mists. Patches of rust were forming here and there. The one with the painted face had developed an ear-splitting squeak.

Something was wrong.

liason · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 4:55 pm Post subject:

Finally, all the machines came to a halt. Then, their immobile forms crumbled and fell into pieces.

Time passed.

The following night, a sharp eyed observer would have seen something quite disturbing, had he or she been out for a late evening stroll. In the darkness, spectral images of the tiny machines could be seen, still going about their business.

Being ghosts, however, they were no longer having much success in harvesting their surroundings.