There's a lot more to this compound than I thought, once I get looking at it.
And...well. There's a lot more than I expected here in general, I guess.
The place is much larger than I expected, for one thing.
It seems like it's meant to be something of an...outdoors experience? I guess. The building we're standing in right now, the closest one to the well, is...it looks like a library.
But the book shelves are mostly empty.
A few burned shells of books remain, some pages of which are still intact, but it's not very many, and none are in English. Most are in some language that looks more alien than Earth-like. It doesn't look like Constant.
Eric leans over my shoulder. "What's that?"
"I don't know. Looks like...I guess...maybe another Earth language?"
He hums, "Doesn't look like anything I've seen."
"Not Constant, then...?"
"No. No, that's not it."
"Hm..."
Eric steps past me and plucks the book up in his hands. The pages are frail, damaged from whatever fire must have burned through the room. It smells like old ashes and smoke. But the pages don't crumble as he turns them.
I'd only opened the book, not tried turning the pages yet. Either Eric is gentler than I'd expect, or the paper is hardier than it looks.
Eric looks through the pages, but then pauses. "...There is a bit of Constant in it." He admits. His lips twist and his eyebrows furrow, and he looks at the pages with an expression of intense focus.
"...Oh." I lean over his shoulder, trying to get a glimpse. I can't see anything legible. But then, I can't really read Constant any more than I can understand it. "Can you...can you tell me what it says?" I can't help the hope in my tone.
Eric pauses. Then he shrugs. "Yeah I guess, but it's pretty broken up."
"But it's most of a page...?"
"Constant's grammar is complicated. A few missing words change a lot." He purses his lips and looks over the page. "It's like...it's hard to explain. Like reading through static."
"Hmm..."
Eric is quiet for a moment longer. Then he flips through the book again. There are only a few more pages with writing on it. The rest is burned or faded away into nothing. The spine is the only part of it that looks remotely like a book.
But Eric's fingers trace over the words on the next page. "...'After the attack'..." He squints. "This is a different language, I think?" He sounds confused.
"What do you mean? How is that...?"
He frowns. "I dunno. This book seems to be swapping between different languages. Maybe...dialects?"
Mia wanders over from where she'd tucked Hestia in to sleep. "What? Let me see." She takes the book from Eric. "...I think I've seen this before..." She purses her lips and tilts her head to the side. "...Maybe. This looks familiar."
Eric crosses his arms. "It doesn't seem to make sense." He mutters, scowling. "I didn't know Constant had dialects."
"It doesn't." She purses her lips. "I think it's a language from one of the species themselves..."
"Maybe the furry grey ones?" I suggest. They do seem to be under the lumpy ones.
She shakes her head. "No. No. That one is a little simpler, from what I know of their language. I think that's the...the...orange-yellow, I guess, is what we've been calling them?" She glances at Eric.
Eric nods. "Yeah, I think that's right."
"Hmm. Okay. Well. They're definitely the dominant class besides the other ones. I've never seen those ones write, so I don't think it's them."
"Hmm..."
Mia's frowning down at it, but she closes the book gently and puts it aside. "Well, let's not damage it, in case maybe we find a way to read it later?" Her voice is a bit more upbeat, but she still sounds as exhausted as I feel.
She settles on the floor, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes.
"...So. Who is staying awake to wait for the contact?" I ask, my eyes wandering over to Hestia, who's still asleep.
"...Hm. I can take first shift." Eric says. "Same as last time."
Mia opens an eye. "You're not about to leave me behind this time are you?" She doesn't seem bothered, but...
"No. But you should sleep. You look worse than Sarah, and she looks like she's going to fall over any second now." He glances over at me. His lips are thin and tight, but there's no judgement on his face.
I cough. "I'm. Not that...tired..."
"You're swaying on your feet. You practically got heatstroke. Again." Mia shakes her head. "...But he's right. We need rest. Just. Don't go off without me this time." She sounds...pleased. But tired.
"Nobody's leaving anyone behind this time. Get to sleep."
I squint at him. "Why are you never tired?"
He raps me on the top of the head. "Because you're tired enough for everyone." He points at a corner. "Go. Sleep."
I huff and smack at his hand. "I'm not...a child."
"Sleep."
"Ugh."
He cracks a small smile and shakes his head. "If I get tired before they get here, I'll wake you up. Now get some sleep so you don't throw a fit when they do." Eric turns and sits down by the window.
"Nooot! A child!"
"Shh, you'll wake Mia and Hestia." Eric doesn't look back at me.
I stick my tongue out at the back of his head and wander over to sit next to Mia, leaning my back against the wall. I don't...really want to sleep on the ground, it seems like there's bugs everywhere, and there is broken glass.
I'd have liked to be back in that place with the beds.
But...
This is closer to the well in case we need it. And probably easier for the resistance to find us, than expecting them to randomly search those buildings until they find us.
Maybe...
When we get to their camp again...
I'll actually be able to lay down in a bed there.