B.P. had promised me information about an age some while ago, but had forgotten to tell me more. So he approached me yesterday afternoon, and asked, if I wanted to see it.
We were joined by Alex and Peter Chang, our microbiologist, and our “scouts”, Clint Spano and Noemi Moots, two survival specialists who get to do the dangerous stuff. Both are skilled mountaineers, they have climbed mountains like the Nanga Parbat and the K2. They also are avid divers, and have taken tours through some of the most hostile environments on earth: the Sahara, the Karakorum, Antarctica and many more.
I can´t help feeling safer with them around.
B.P. told me a little about the age we would visit. It was one of those that had belonged to Asheten before the fall, and one of the most intriguing. The name of the age is Yateesh, and it is some kind of game reserve. They think, that the D’ni went there for hunting trips (of course only selected people from the upper class.)
The place was rather rough and dangerous, and they told me more than once to stay with the group and not venturing around without telling them. The age is full of big carnivores and the terrain is not safe either.
So we linked in there, and a marvelous vista appeared before us. The link in spot is situated on a big plateau, which is mostly isolated from the grassy plains around it because of the steeps seperating them from each other.
The plateau is roughly fifteen miles in diameter. Dense forests and wide, grassy plains alternate on its surface, mixed by bizarre rock formations.
Almost immediately, we saw the first animals. They were a herd of big, elegant herbivores – similar to antelopes, but bigger, leaner, and sinously built. Their movements were almost royal, and they didn´t seem to be bothered by our presence.
Noemi and Clint peered into all directions, while Peter Chang and B.P. took some soil samples.
We stayed there for a while, until dusk fell. Clint urged us to leave, because “at night the big preds come out to play”. I think, it is wise to take such advice.
After we had returned to Asheten mansion, I asked B.P., if they intended to restore Yateesh. He said, they had discussed this, but came to the conclusion, that the age is too dangerous to let everyone in.
Maybe we will be able to provide some kind of secured structure or building in the future, but in the meantime the age will stay closed.
Regardless, I will definitely do some research there.