(Untitled)

[godischange]

Lauren was outside, contemplating the dead sky and earth, wondering how the world could be reborn from this seeming corpse.

Could be patrol time, or she could just be out in the open air. You make the call.

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[cpttightpants]

Mal's hand twitched over the side of his long brown coat that covered the pistol in the holster at his hip. The ground crunched beneath his feet as he stepped outside and around the building where he found a woman standing alone. "Didn't mean to disturb. Just lookin' about." He said, starting away from her.

[godischange]

Lauren turned at the crunching sound, her own hand leaving the .45 at her side.
She then just simply remarked with her calm expression, "It's all right. Just thinking of some things."

She seemed like someone who didn't show their emotions often.

[cpttightpants]

Mal looked back at the woman and nodded. "Conjure there's much to be turnin' over in your head... in a place like this."

[godischange]

Lauren nodded, and glanced around the cold, seemingly dead earth, "Hard not to, here. Looking over everything. Wondering how it happened. How it can rebuilt, and how we can survive. Especially since the earth will rebuild on its own in time, but none of us will be there to see it so. So it becomes, how do you speed up the process?"

[cpttightpants]

"We'll survive by gettin' off of this goushi piece of rock." Mal said sharply, then drew a deep breath. "Those who're wantin' to stay can be rebuildin' whatever they want. Be good for 'em."

[godischange]

A ghost of a smile touched upon her face briefly at that, and then vanished again.

"I know man's destiny lies in the stars. That our only real hope is to go to space, and spread out from there. Is that what you mean?"

[cpttightpants]

Mal looked from the woman up to the sky. "Only real freedom I ever known is up there. Found my way there before, this place ain't no different. Find it again."

[godischange]

"I think you will. We have to. Either we save this world, or find a new homes. New sanctuaries to start over again."

[cpttightpants]

"Ain't no way I could make it stayin' on this world. With worlds comes the politicin' and I ain't one for that." Mal said darkly then shook his head. "Got a mechanic. She's the best there is. Got no doubt we'll be makin' a ship to get up there soon. Best engine greeser in the verse. How long you been here?"

[godischange]

Lauren could understand that some. The politicians weren't that nice where she came from. Too distant. And the new one wanted to put things back to the old ways, only the way he was going about it were bad. Including killing the space program.

She thought for a moment, "A few months now I think. Hard to tell. No real sun to tell time by, and things were bad just before I arrived here."

[cpttightpants]

"You ain't tryin' to get home?" Mal asked pointedly.

[godischange]

"Would have to have home to go back to. My home, and community were destroyed. Found myself here even while it was still burning to the ground."

[cpttightpants]

"Got Alliance there too? Always messin' things up. Tellin' people how to think and be and act..." Mal trailed off, a hand running angrily back through his hair. "They're behind all of this somehow... gotta be."

[godischange]

Lauren was surprised by that.

She then explained, "No, not Alliance. There's the United Nations, but they're too distant to bother. It's just America. A country that's been falling apart, and many of the people right with it. Not enough money to go around so most fall between the cracks. Only safety was in walled communities, and even they can't stand forever against the gangs and other thieves waiting outside."

[cpttightpants]

Mal narrowed his eyes in thought. "Overun by the thievin' types? So I guess here ain't so bad for you."

[godischange]

"I don't miss that, no. But I miss the sun, and the stars. Normal rain, trees, our gardens. Simple things like that."