Facility Exploration

“We have a problem,” Sunfish started.

“We don’t know how to get off this planet,” Soleil finished.

Aldebaran hummed to himself for a moment. “Are you lacking in supplies?”

“We ran out of fuel,” Soleil said.

“Fuel? What kind of fuel?”

“Do I look like I know what grade of fuel goes in spaceships? I just use whatever Tally puts in there,” Sunfish sighed.

“Hm… Then I guess we’ll have to find our own,” Aldebaran nodded.

“How do you propose we do that?” Crow asked.

“Easy. We go to the abandoned nuclear power plant and get some plutonium. Then we can use it to make nuclear fuel for you guys.”

A silence fell over the three cats before anyone spoke up again.

“... You’re not serious, right?” Sunfish asked. “I don’t know what kind of fuel goes in those ships, but I know it’s not nuclear.”

“We can make adjustments just fine. Don’t underestimate us.”

The cats exchanged glances, but they knew that this was their only option so far. Any other options had been exhausted, and there was no way they would know the exact grade of fuel that they needed… nor was there any guarantee that the fuel they needed would even be on this planet to begin with.

Thus, they began to plan for the expedition ahead.

-

Aldebaran led the way through the caves. It was Sunfish who finally decided to break the silence.

“So how do you two know each other?” He asked Aldebaran, who tilted his head thoughtfully.

“Oh… just old business. We were part of a group of many different species, but we had to leave.”

“Why did you have to leave?”

“The facility is close by, I believe,” Crow interrupted. “I can see a structure ahead.”

The four of them stopped in front of a large structure, which was a large facility that spanned a large distance. Sunfish looked at the building in genuine curiosity, while Aldebaran steeled himself for the encounters he knew they would find in there… it was only a question as to when they would encounter what he expected.

“Shall we make our way in, then?” Crow asked, looking to the others.

“Let’s,” Soleil said, and the four of them entered the facility.

Immediately, they were greeted with dark hallways and narrow passages, especially where things had partially collapsed. While Sunfish was easily able to slide under structures, some of the others found it harder, between sheer size and also extra appendages, in Crow’s case.

“Do you know where the plutonium is?” Soleil asked after a while of wandering.

Aldebaran hummed to himself for a moment. “... Well, isn’t spending time together a wonderful treasure as well?”

Instantly, three sets of eyes were on Aldebaran, who grinned sheepishly - no, he hadn’t been in this particular facility before, but… how hard could it be, really, to find dangerous, radioactive material in a place used to store dangerous, radioactive material? Certainly not that difficult!

As they were about to discuss what to do, a new set of footsteps sounded down one of the halls. Aldebaran immediately froze, knowing exactly what it belonged to.

“... We need to run.”

Sunfish frowned. “Why?”

“Just trust me on this. Those things are big enough to carry me away. You’re just child’s play to them.”

As he spoke, one of the piles of rubble became absolutely destroyed by a giant, hulking figure of a bird knocking them over. The Squee stared at them for a few moments before screeching, and the four of them instantly started to run away.

“What is that thing?!” Sunfish gasped.

“A Squee! They’re hard to tame, but make really good pets when they are!” Aldebaran managed.

“Why would you keep a predator as a pet?” Soleil questioned, not at all out of breath.

“No need to question it, just keep running!” Sunfish snapped.

Eventually, they halted in front of a door, to allow everyone (sans Soleil) to catch their breath. Sunfish hoisted himself partially up to check through the window.

“... Hey, there’s something glowing in there,” He said.

“That must be the plutonium!” Aldebaran got up and looked inside. “We definitely found some, then.”

“So we should go get it.”

“That is how you die a painful death, Sunfish.”

“You mean we came all this way just for us to leave without it?”

“We’ll have to come back with the supplies to get it, or get others to extract it.”

Nobody was happy about this development, but nobody had the energy to question it.

Except for Soleil, of course.

“If only we had Grade A Type 2 Charcoal Fuel here.”