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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Strange Sci-fi Tales #20 - Stranded Among The Abandoned [#98]

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            In all honesty, the crash wasn't so bad, it was being stranded that was the problem. It was only made worse by the fact that the entire planet was abandoned. Not only was he stuck out here, but he was also going to be here for a long while. At least there were still some buildings intact and hopefully some buried power sources.
            He trudged down the empty streets of a once mighty city. His eyes scanned the vicinity for a building with a solid roof or the flicker of an artificial light. Plenty of musty and nasty stenches assaulted his nose, while he avoided the many puddles of stagnant water that lined the streets. He wondered how much further he should search. He was already an hour out from the crash site, and the sun hung low in the sky.
            Before he could make a decision, he came to a dead stop, as the sight before him made the answer clear. The many puddles of water gave way to a black lake of murky water that slowly consumed the city. He could go no further, nor was he willing to make his temporary home anywhere near these dark waters.
            As he turned back to return to where he came from, his thoughts drifted to the city. He remembered stories of this planet and the many cities which dotted its landscape. Apparently, it was the jewel of the galaxy at one point, his eyes caught sight of a sign above him which said as much. Then it all collapsed one day, all at once, in a horrific once in a millennium accident.
            He shuddered to think about how a single event could bring down an entire planet. It was never that simple, there was always build up or cracks in the foundation long beforehand. Yet, every time he heard of this place, it was always said a single event brought it down. Something worse than an economic crash, natural disaster or man-made calamity.
            Was it the water, or was the water the end result? Did they see it coming, or did it come out of nowhere? He wished he knew, but he never did get a straight answer on what happened here. In all honesty, it wasn't the crash, or being stranded or even knowing he wouldn't be found for a long time that disturbed him. It was that he didn't know why this place was abandoned, and worse yet no one would say why either. These thoughts lingered with him as he returned to the crash site. Should he be worried, or had the disaster passed?
            In all honesty, the crash wasn't so bad, it was being stranded that was the problem. It was only made worse by the fact that the entire planet was abandoned. Not only was he stuck out here, but he was also going to be here for a long while. At least there were still some buildings intact and hopefully some buried power sources.
            He trudged down the empty streets of a once mighty city. His eyes scanned the vicinity for a building with a solid roof or the flicker of an artificial light. Plenty of musty and nasty stenches assaulted his nose, while he avoided the many puddles of stagnant water that lined the streets. He wondered how much further he should search. He was already an hour out from the crash site, and the sun hung low in the sky.
            Before he could make a decision, he came to a dead stop, as the sight before him made the answer clear. The many puddles of water gave way to a black lake of murky water that slowly consumed the city. He could go no further, nor was he willing to make his temporary home anywhere near these dark waters.
            As he turned back to return to where he came from, his thoughts drifted to the city. He remembered stories of this planet and the many cities which dotted its landscape. Apparently, it was the jewel of the galaxy at one point, his eyes caught sight of a sign above him which said as much. Then it all collapsed one day, all at once, in a horrific once in a millennium accident.
            He shuddered to think about how a single event could bring down an entire planet. It was never that simple, there was always build up or cracks in the foundation long beforehand. Yet, every time he heard of this place, it was always said a single event brought it down. Something worse than an economic crash, natural disaster or man-made calamity.
            Was it the water, or was the water the end result? Did they see it coming, or did it come out of nowhere? He wished he knew, but he never did get a straight answer on what happened here. In all honesty, it wasn't the crash, or being stranded or even knowing he wouldn't be found for a long time that disturbed him. It was that he didn't know why this place was abandoned, and worse yet no one would say why either. These thoughts lingered with him as he returned to the crash site. Should he be worried, or had the disaster passed?

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If no wants to say why a place was abandoned, then there's probably a good reason why.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
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