ref: fd9be2e172be4ae02a18d721a10f6f96ca1c924f
dir: /troff/0118.ms/
.LP .ce .ps 16 .CW TODAY WAS CRAP .R .ps 10 .br .ce .ps 10 .B 1 .P .PP .ps 10 .DC 3 0 Sep 1943 .PP .ps 10 In simplified English, a nervous system for the Earth. .PP .ps 10 No advertising, no support, no bugfixes. Payment in advance. .PP .ps 10 How we go about our work. .PP .ps 10 Receipt services rendered, this is fairly accurate. .PP .ps 10 Dead dog still tries to move through the doorway. From the threshold, another dog attacks her, foam streaming from its lips. Body of the first dog crumbles as the newcomer bounds in and out of the room, snapping chunks of bone and flesh, crushing muscle and fat in its maw. As dust. Undeterred, dead dog continues barking. .PP .ps 10 Wake up, remembering these facts, uncertain as to how I arrived back in my bunk. .PP .ps 10 Terrible headache. .PP .ps 10 Clean my room, gather my things. Some last minute paperwork. .PP .ps 10 Moving day. .ce .ps 10 .B 2 .P .PP .ps 10 South end of the runway is being cleared. Tearing down old hangars, moving debris. Piotr is nowhere to be found. .PP .ps 10 Humor here is that this is an earthmover, hard at work on Mars. .PP .ps 10 The test site is changing, as is customary, but I won't be around to report on new developments, new products, new services. Any further records will be generated by my successors, .I factjaculating .R into an approved container. Truth is, there's simply little left for me to cover, the important work having been all sewn up. Word is the Chief will be leaving soon as well. .PP .ps 10 Our careful planning has evolved into an overnight success. .PP .ps 10 Era Day. .ce .ps 10 .B 3 .P .PP .ps 10 Trouble clearing the meridian between my quarters and the mess hall. Personnel routed carelessly. Group of propulsionists attempting egress from the crowded movie theater, contemporaneous with the migration of some sort of celebration that is evidently still underway. Usual path is blocked. .PP .ps 10 Am I even cleared for this? Eventually, patience wears thin. Barrel through the crowd, elbowing my way towards the waiting transport, trying to look away from faces to avoid a nominal breach of security. .PP .ps 10 Piotr nods as I board the vehicle. .ce .ps 10 .B 4 .P .PP .ps 10 He sets down across the northern perimeter of the test site and nods again, this time directing me to exit the vehicle. Hand over my passes and he sweeps my bags before shifting the transport back into gear, departing the perimeter. Stare into the sun and the dust clouds kicked up by his departure. Apparently, that was that. .PP .ps 10 Before long, Slake crests the horizon, trundling towards my location in his old junker. Climb into the front seat and pull my hat down over my face. Time for a nap. .PP .ps 10 Hear that dead dog again, running along the perimeter fence. Still barking. .PP .ps 10 Sit back up. Gaze out the window. .PP .ps 10 Glint of quartz on sand, but otherwise, nothing's doing. .PP .ps 10 Over to you, Nana. I'm tired of making the effort.