Thoughts of an unnamed Earth Space Explorer

23/10/2007-27/04/2010

(Retyped after a virus wiped my laptop. Also has not been beta'd. P.S! Some of the way Earthman "talks" is deliberately misspelled. Eg "Cridders" instead of critters.)

Thoughts of an Unnamed Earth Explorer

by Zuzanny

lionette AT mailcity DOT com

Part 15

***

After Harry and I had visited the mess hall and eaten our fill, he happily went back to our room, and after a long lingering kiss that involved a whole lot of tongue and not near enough of other things that I would have liked to have indulged in right then, I went off to chat with Iris.

"So you think it may be some kind of A.I?" Iris asked me about 'The One Who Remembers' after I told her about it. Peterson, Rodgers and some other techy/science guys (whose names I can't ever remember) were also there at the time. Ford was missing (AGAIN), and although Harry had said that I needed to discuss the idea with my own people, I would have really liked his input.

Oh well.

"I haven't got the faintest idea." I replied.

"The technology required for an A.I is far beyond anything the Iniri could possibly have." One of the techy's said the obvious, which made me want to roll my eyes.

"They did have some kind of cataclysm some time back." Rodgers said to my surprise. I didn't know he had known about that. "Perhaps it's left over from that."

"If it is some kind of left over technology, it could be the cause of that energy pulse that keeps knocking our stuff out. It would be worth investigating either way." Again a techy.

"I hate to put a damper on all your hopes and dreams," I butted in. "but I think we should be prepared for the possibility that it is just some really, really, really old guy."

We discussed some more, planned out possibilities, and even though it could all be for nothing, our little expedition was approved. And even though Harry had already assured me that the forest would provide for all our needs, we all left that meeting prepared to leave bright and early in the morning with enough resources to last two weeks out in the wild.

***

Harry was very happy to see me when I got back to our room. And I mean HAPPY. He threw his arms around my neck and jumped up to wrap this legs around my waist as soon as I was through the door. His happiness was rather obvious when pressed against my belly, even if he hadn't been kissing me like crazy. (I guess I wasn't the only one who would have liked to have been indulged earlier. Heh.) I wrapped my arms around him, and stalked across the room to dump him on the bed. He lay there still attached at my neck and waist, grinning widely and rubbing himself against my own Very Happy happiness in a suggestive manner, while I leaned over him, mirroring the grin. He pulled himself up so he could whisper in my ear "I want to taste you." before falling back to the bed.

"Oh yeah?" I purred, rocking my hips against him. Then just to stir him I said "Already getting cravings, hmm?"

Harry let his arms drop from my neck to land above his head and arched against me with hooded eyes. "Mmmmm hmmmm." He answered.

The next thing I knew I was flat on my back , naked from the waist down and... Ooooooooohhhhhh my Goooooooooooooodnessssssss! He sure was tasting me!

***

Harry liked to sit on the sink's bench top and watch me shave in the mornings. He'd perch there with this curious lilt to his head, hands clutching the bench edge and his bare feet dangling in front of the cupboard doors. I would lather up and cut away at the bristles of my beard and he would watch. Iniri don't grow beards apparently. Or most kinds of body hair that many humans would remove daily. They just have their fuzz, so Harry found my shaving fascinating. He just didn't understand why I would want to alter my natural appearance in any way, but eventually had to accept that I preferred to look this way, so that was why. Harry also liked to run his fingertips over my face and neck both before and after the shave to feel the different textures. Actually, I've noticed he likes to run his fingers through the hair all over my body, be it the top of my head, my arms, or... elsewhere. I actually asked him about why he did it once, and he answered that it feels nice. I also think it feels nice when he does it, so I let him when ever he wants.

***

Harry was surprised to see our little hunting party gathered all together after dawn. Especially with the packs of supplies. Harry wore his native style in red, and went bare foot. (I had to tie a yellow band around my arm before he would even let me out the door that morning. He's a pretty strong thing when he wants to be, I'll give him that.). Iris explained that while, yes, the fruit of the forest may be fine for us to eat in theory, but we really couldn't be sure what it would do to digestive systems that were not used to them. So thank you Harry, but would would be bringing our own food.

Frankly, I agreed with Iris. There was only so much fruit and berries I could eat without going crazy. I was looking forward to my rehydrated dehydrated steak tonight!

Thankfully, Harry was easily appeased, just shrugged and turned to lead the way across the field our ship was "parked' in. We walked in the opposite direction to the one leading to his village, towards shadowy overgrowth and trees with vines sporting white and blue spiky flowery things hanging amongst them. "For the full day before we get there, you will all have to only eat plant matter." Harry said firmly before we reached the forest edge. "The One Who Remembers may not welcome you otherwise."

Yeah,sure. What ever you say.

I came after Harry, followed by Iris and the techy/science guys, and at our rear came Rodgers. I was really hoping he would be able to keep his head pulled in during this little trip. It would be so tempting to "loose" him otherwise.

Harry pointed out various plants, the flowers, fruits, bugs and other cridders that the techys Oooo'd and Ahhhh'd over as we walked. They took images as we went, asking Harry to explain what each thing was, and how it could be used for what. Harry of course explained fully, which they also dutifully and excitedly recorded. I would try to stand patiently while each thing was goggled over, but I quickly found myself wondering how much faster we would be traveling if it were just Harry and I going.

***

Have you ever had the feeling that you were tine? And I mean insignificantly tiny? That's what the FREAKINGLY HUGE TREES at the base of the mountains make you feel. I thought the tree that housed the Iniri was big.

Well.

When Harry said they live at the top of the mountains to reach the canopies easier, I didn't realise he mean because the trees were actually TALLER THAN THE MOUNTAINS!!!!! Because of this, the planet looked deceptively flat. The plant life is so dense that our sensors couldn't tell at all. The mountains were like these tiny little mounds in that had been piled up along side the trees because the trees were too big to climb. Their tiniest roots were bigger than we were.

Turns out our ship was parked on a random plateau at the edge of the mountainside, not actually flat land.

Harry lead us under and around the huge branches that brushed the walkway carved into the mountainside though thousands of years of foot travel. We didn't really have to worry about falling off the mountainside, because it was not actually all that steep. And for all the... trees... there was plenty of light to see where we were going. Some of the space was a bit tight with our packs on, but were managed to keep going. I was expecting to see boulders sticking out all over the place, but they were not at all obvious for someone looking for rocks. Where the brightest patches of sun streamed down, there were odd pink mounds. I was wary of them, especially considering that time I had gone near a pink plant had ended with Harry being... yeah.

But Harry squealed with delight before he bounded over to one of the mounds and before I could grab hold of him, plucked what looked like a rosebud out of a mass of rosebuds with his thumb and forefinger. He turned to show us with wriggling little thing that actually had four tiny, spider-like legs sticking out the bottom of it. Harry giggled to himself, then held the pink, wriggling thing out to me.

"Uh-ah." I shook my head no. "I'm not touching that."

Iris leaned over my shoulder to get a better look. I could hear the others murmuring behind us. "What is it?" She asked.

"Grumpy." Harry replied and giggled some more.

"Huh?" Iris asked brightly without any comprehension of a Chirpy Harry Mood.

"What is it saying?" I asked patiently. "I can't hear it."

Harry frowned slightly. "Oh. I didn't realise that." Then he bit his lip, trying to cover the grin he was wearing. "It's probably just as well you can't hear it. It's demanding I put it down." He chuckled as the wriggling intensified. "I rather creative ways that I had no idea were even possible for me let alone for him!" Then, Harry locked his eyes with mine, brought the rose-thing close to his face, and gave it one, slow, long lick from base to tip.

I winced, then flushed red, flashes of just what the tongue could do filled my... uh, vising.

And I wasn't the only one wincing. All the group were, but thankfully they al had different reasons.

The thing itself stopped wriggling ( I don't know if it were terrified of in plain shock!). Harry snorted, burst out laughing, and placed the thing back in the spot he had plucked it from. As soon as it were out of his fingers, all the rest of them started wriggling around, rising up and down in an undulating mass that was actually rather nauseating to watch. Harry continued to giggle, and in Iniri purred "Maybe later" to them. Although I didn't hear it, it was like a collective "Awww! No fair!" went through the lot of them before they slumped with disappointment.

"Why on Earth did you lick that thing?" I demanded as we continued on our way between the branches big enough to be bridges mixed with delicate shrubbery.

"This isn't Earth." Harry reminded me, then shrugged and with hooded eyes and a smirk said, "He just seemed like he needed a good licking."

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Must control my.... Temperature!

"It's nectar is also a good source of energy." He winked before skipping away up the path, humming to himself.

"Energy." Iris muttered. "Riiiiiiight. More like LSD if you ask me."

Now that Harry had very skill fully pointed out these mounds, I realised they were pretty much everywhere and in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I wondered if they were actually some kind of plant of what they were. Iris beat me to the punch though.

"Harry," She called out to him after the tenth pink-thing mound we had passed in as many minutes. Harry wandered back to be within normal speaking distance. "Are they insects?"

"No," he replied while bouncing on his toes like a little kid. "They are seeds." He pointed to the huge trees around us that had vines hanging from the lower branches like long fingers dragging to the ground. "From these trees. We call them..." He paused, thinking. "Long Reaching," he decided. "because they reach to the ground with their fingers." He mimicked the trees by bending over and reaching towards the dirt path he stood on, wriggling his fingers as he did so. "It doesn't matter how high they grow, they always reach downwards. They only grow on rock, and will stay a seed until they are... encouraged to grow."

"Is that what licking it did?" I asked.

Harry returned to his normal stance and grinned at me. "Yep. Tastes good too."

***

We continued downwards for several hours, gaining the attention of quite a number of bird-cridders (they fly, OK??? And they have beaks, so I am going to call them birds because I am lazy and they look more like birds than flying lizards or insects to me anyway.). Some particularly large dark green ones with yellow beaks and crests that ranged from gray, blue, violet, red and yellow (hmmm... I think I may be noticing something here...) hopped from branch to branch above us, some swinging around upside down like a clan of monkeys.

"Look at you! Look at you!" I could understand them calling down at us. "It's an Iniri with Funny Colours!"

Harry grinned up at them and called back a greeting in their own language, and three of them left their group swinging around to hang upside down from some branches or roots that were just above our head height, sinking sharp talons into the thick tree bark. The two outer ones of them rotated their heads, like an owl does, to watch us, while the central one hung down in a relaxed manner to "talk" to Harry. The others in the trees also watched us, and the trees around us. The techys all had their recorders out again, snapping away and chattering to each other like tourists. Harry called me to him, introducing me by my name to this creature that I could now see (since I was close enough) did actually have feathers and looked very similar to a very large bird of prey. The three in front of us each had blue crests on their heads, and as I peered closer, I saw different shades of green markings all over their feathers like thumb prints.

"This is Rides-The-Wind." Harry indicated to the middle bird. "He is the leader of his clan. These are his mates Guards-Fearsomely and Lands-With-Gentleness."

I waved weakly, unsure what sort of greeting these birds would accept. Harry kept grinning with happiness.

"I had heard on the wind that you had been mated." Rides-The-Wind told Harry, who then wrapped his arms around me. I gave his head a pat with affection. Rides-The-Wind cocked his head to the side to examine us with large, dark brown eyes. "I had also heard on the wind that there was some disturbance regarding your mating." I felt Harry tense next to me until the bird continued. "I am pleased to see that the tales told were incorrect. I will be sure to correct such gossip for you."

"I am thankful to you." Harry replied inclining his head.

Rides-The-Wind then tilted his head to the other side. "Tell me, young one, where do you traverse with The Funny Colours?"

"To The One Who Remembers." Harry replied, brightening again.

Rides-The-Wind made a noise of happiness or approval, and gave himself a shaking that ruffled all his feathers before they settled back to their appropriate places. "I hope you have success in your journey. However, I recommend caution. The Asendac has been empty for many days now. My kin have not been able to track His whereabouts."

"I am thankful to you for this knowledge." Harry again inclined his head. "Be well and fruitful."

Rides-The-Wind inclined his head in return (even though his body was upside down, his head was twisted around the same way as ours.). "Be well, and may your fruit grow strong!' With that he stretched out his wings and as one the whole flock of them took to the air. We watched them go for a few minutes. When I glanced back at Harry, he was smiling softly, and gently rubbing the flat of his belly.

Harry turned away from the disappearing birds to look back at us. He sighed. "We must keep moving." He said in our language before continuing down the path.

"Did you see that?" One of the techys babbled to the others.

"It was almost like those birds were sentient!" Another one.

"I'm beginning to think this whole planet is." Iris added quietly.

***

"Harry, can I ask you something?" I caught up to him when the pathway opened wide enough to walk side by side, and the ground wasn't quite so steep. Harry turned his green and violet eyes to mine with an inquiring smile.

"Of course." He replied.

Now I just had to figure out how to ask him this. "It's just that something Ford said a while ago has been bothering me, and I just wanted to check to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong."

Harry blinked, indicating with his raised eye brows that I continue.

"Harry... are you..." I took in a breath. "Are you actually an adult? By your own peoples' standards I mean."

Harry snorted with amusement and rolled his eyes. "Of course I am. What was it Ford said that has you doubting this?"

"Well, he sort of told me that even with your age compared to mine, you were really still a child. That's not right though, is it?" Please tell me I haven't been banging a-

"Of course not." Harry smirked at me like I was stupid. "I thought it would have been rather obvious by now."

I coughed into my hand. "That's alright then. It's just that back Earthside there are still different laws and regulations about when someone is considered an an adult. For us, here, it is more than just being physically old enough to reproduce."

"I should hope so!" Harry cackled. "And I know. I read about it in your histories. I still find it fascinating what we have in common and what we don't. I suppose I should have discussed you when we first met, but," He lowered his eyes lashes coyly. "I became easily distracted."

I smirked. "So when is an Iniri considered and adult?" I asked. "Do you have to go through an initiation or some kind of rite of passage?"

"I suppose so. Mainly it's when we develop fully so can either plant or bare children. Then we walk the sacred paths for about a year so we can gain our name."

"Wait a minute!" Iris caught up and interrupted us (which had me blushing, wondering how much of the conversation she had been listen to, and how much of a ribbing I was going to get later). "What do you mean by a sacred path? Are they anything like ley lines, or is it some kind of duty you have to perform for a designated time?"

"And what do you mean about your names?" That was a techy who had also gathered close. "Don't your parents give you names after you are born?"

Harry also seemed somewhat startled to be asked these questions by persons other than me. He pushed a fern-like frond out of his path while walking before he answered.

"The sacred paths are hard to explain. I suppose you could consider them similar to the ley lines of Earth, from what your histories say." He frowned slightly. "They are like... the thoughts of the land, spread out to hold it together and separate it at the same time. By walking along these lines we can commune with the land and the Creator, and find direction for our lives."

Oh-kay. I thought, hoping he wasn't going to try and tell me that his whole planet actually was sentient and we were like little bugs crawling around all over it. That 's just a bit far fetched for me. "What about your name?" I re-asked for the techy. "What did your parents call you before you were named now?"

Harry paused again, with his arm outstretched to push another frond away. "You know?" He looked back at me over his shoulder. "I don't actually remember! It was so long ago. Huh." he stared off into the air for a few moments before shrugging and continuing on his way. This track was inclining back upwards, and the plants around us were more wet-land related as far as I could tell. There was a whole lot more fern-type and moss-type plants here. The path once more decreased in width, and there were tall steps cut into the steep incline which were actually really hard to get enough push to get up with all the stuff on our backs. Very quickly us Earthies were red-faced and panting heavily. Harry was not though. He virtually skipped up the stairs, the little bugger. "Our names are given to us after we have walked the sacred paths." He continued to tell us while he waited for us to catch up to him. Iris and I both found fallen twigs (branches) to use as walking sticks which I think was just as well for us or we may have ended up having heart attacks. "I was named Child-of-the-forest-who-is-ever-wandering because I was too curious, I guess. I just kept going, not because I couldn't find my way back home, but because I knew I was looking for something that wasn't here yet." His eyes virtually glistened in the streaming sunlight as he smiled softly at me. "Now that I have found what I was looking for, I wonder if I shall have to change my name again."

Aw, so warm and fuzzy! I smiled back at him and shook my head. "I like your name." I panted, which was true. There was something... tingly... about the way Harry's true name sounded. And I think it suited him.

"So," Iris bent over, catching her breath. "Do you name yourself after your travels, or do your elders name you?"

Harry shook his head. "No. We are each named by The One Who Remembers on our return through his lands. Once we have a name we are free to do what ever we want, be it find a mate and start a family, or continuing with wandering and exploring."

***

We stopped for lunch on a branch the width of a double lane bridge that crossed from one edge of our walkway to a lower edge of the walkway below it. A small stream of water trickled from the rocks and roots somewhere on the rock face far above us, and flowed under the branch-bridge and continued down somewhere far below us. It was a beautiful view down to the green moss and fernery on either side of that trickle, and the sound was very soothing. Harry picked little black berries from a tiny bush peeking out from under branch we were now all reclined on. I had to stop myself from grabbing hold of him because he was right on the edge of the branch-bridge and was leaning over to collect from the bush growing below. I had to remind myself that he was born to live here, and that just because I was an over-protective idiot didn't mean that he would fall while most of his body was actually firmly planted on solid... tree. While Harry munched on berries that were rather bitter for my tastes (he offered them around), the rest of us snacked on our rations and bottled water. Harry refused mine, instead reaching out to the trickling water and cupping his hands to drink from it.

After we had finished eating, Harry stood. "We must continue." He said. "There is much distance to travel before we can reach the camping trees. It is not safe to sleep out in the open and on the ground."

If this forest was out in the open, I'd hate to see what was dangerous about an open field.

Wait.

I already have.

Shit.

***

It started getting darker the further down into the forest we walked. The overgrowth grew thicker, and there was less space for the light to penetrate the thick canopys. The shadows under the trees increased, in some areas appearing to be completely in shadow. I hoped Harry wouldn't switch off from lack of light here, but so far there seemed to be enough to keep him going. Harry lead us over towards one particular area of deep shadows at the base of one of the huge trees that had blue lights floating around it. The blue lights emerged and disappeared back into the shadows between freaking huge roots, floating around the tree roots, landing on the tick moss that covered everything here like a carpet, or danced around each other. Those lights brightened up the area where ever they floated. Once we were close enough, I saw the jagged edges of split rock that were actually caves, with giant roots growing over them like a veranda.

Harry walked up to this cave in question, placed one hand on a root above him, and leaned in to call through the darkness to the glowing things. Harry's hair and clothing shifted as he was hit with cool airflow from within the cave. One glowing thing changed it's direction as it came out of the cave and floated daintily over to land on Harry's outstretched hand. Harry continued to coo softly at it while it crawled around on his hand with it's six little insect legs. It's wings glowed iridescent blue when ever they moved, fading to a beep sea blue when still. The wings themselves had four segments, the top most ones being shaped like short diamonds, and the tail ones long and slender, trailing almost ten centimeters behind it like a kite's tail. It had black, thick, furry antenna that were also long and pointed away from it's hidden eyes and black body. Harry raised his eyes to mine and smiled softly.

"His name is The-Effect-of-Sunlight-Reflecting-From-Moving-Water-Onto-Rocks." Harry told me.

"Ah." I replied, thinking there was no way I was going to call some kind of butterfly-thing anything that long. "Like a ripple?"

Harry tilted his head to the side and blinked while he considered. "Yes." he nodded once in agreement. "A Ripple. He has agreed to guide us through this area."

"I thought you had been here before." Rodgers piped up, which made me scowl. I had almost forgotten he had come with us. Harry just shrugged his tone away.

"yes, I have. But without him I would not be able to travel much further, and without me, you would not be able to find your way to where you want to go."

"It's the dark, right/" I asked, looking past him into the blackness beyond the tree roots.

"Yes," Harry answered with a seriousness that was unfamiliar to me. "once I stepped past those roots, if A Ripple or another of his kin were not present to provide me with light, I would fall, and with out light, I would never wake up. Then I would be easy prey for the Jakre and his kin."

"You didn't say that thing would be around here!" I snapped my eyes around me, searching out a threat that I sure hoped I would be able to recognise as one before it ate any of us.

"Not yet. But we will have to pass his pool in a few days time, and Rides-The-Wind did say that has been empty for some days now." The butterfly-thing settled on Harry's shoulder slowly shifting his wings to keep the light going, and Harry stepped into the darkness. "Please be careful. There are some steps before we get to the floor."

We all turned our torches on before entering. I don't think Harry knew we had portable light, but he said nothing about it anyway. There were four steps to the floor of an open cavern about the size of a small bedroom. Shining the torches up and around showed us it was actually square in shape and had been cut out of the rock. The wall we came through was riddled with tree roots, some of which sprawled across the floor and through the opposite wall. Some actually dug through the floor. Among the roots was a hive that the ripple-butterflies originated from. Apart from the roots and the hive, the room was bare. The arched doorway on the far wall, however, was not. It was decorated with carvings all the way around it. The techys took more photos. The archway glowed with a blue hue as Harry and Ripple passed through it.

"Harry," Iris' voice made him pause. "What is this place? Did some one live here once?"

Harry frowned. "I don't know."

The roof of the hallway the archway lead to was higher than the arch it's self and as we walked we saw other archways on either side of the hall. Each we were all sure had some kind of writing carved into the rock all the way around them. But if they had any doors, they were shut solid with rock. In some places we had to step over tree roots the size of our legs that had burrowed their way across the floor.

"Have you ever tried to see if there are any rooms behind these?" I asked harry, pointing to one of the archways as we passed them. He turned his confused gaze my way.

"What do you mean? What rooms would be here? This is all just rock?"

I was surprised by that answer, and I could tell Iris and some of the techys were too. "This is not just rock!" She butted in. "Caves do not naturally shape this way. These archways are carved, obviously this place was important to someone."

Harry just blinked like the thought had never occurred to him. "Perhaps you should ask The One Who remembers."

We passed through another archway, into an open cavern the size and shape of a football stadium. Shining our torches revealed that where the grass would be, however, there was a gaping hole that fell to below our lights' reach. We were on one of many layers of open walkways around that open space. Along the edges were various sized stalactites, stalagmites and columns. Some still dripped an occasional drop of water. The roof of the cavern was covered with them like a great chandelier. Those rock formations glittered and sparkled like diamonds when out torchlight hit them. The walls and floor didn't. The ground we walked showed a pathway though the thick dust that was well used by traveling Iniri or other creatures, and did not vary it's path at all. No one else who had walked that path had probably even seen what else was here. Harry stared at it all with open mouth and wide eyes.

"It's so beautiful!" He breathed with wonder. "and so big!" To think this was under our feet all this time! I wonder what could have lived here? It could not possibly be Iniri. I wonder what happened to them?" He then bounced backwards away from the pit edge and ran to peer at an archway we had passed. Out in this section the archways were spaced further apart. Harry ran his hands over the flat area in the center of one archway, and made a startled noise when the rock shifted like it were sand under his finger tips. He continued brushing the sand-substance away even when I joined him to help. Then his fingers his something solid. We dug fingers around and pulled whole sheets of the sand-stuff away until the area was cleared and there was something smooth like glass there instead. It sounded like glass when I knocked on it, even shifting slightly with the impact. The torchlight shone through in places were the sand-stuff fell away from the other side as we continued to know on it. Once most of the sand stuff had fallen off, the glass slid completely sideways, and I recoiled as stale air his my face.

"Careful," One of the techys' said helpfully. "air cold be poisonous."

Joy of joys! Yeah, I'm not stupid, you pricks. (Well, not usually anyway.).

Harry was already in the room before anyone could stop him, with the Ripple flashing it's wings in a frantic alien Morse code from upon his shoulders. Harry slowly turned around in the center of the dark room with his head tilted to the side slightly. The Ripple's wings and our torches cut through the gloom to show another rectangular, empty space with rock formations decorating the roof and floor.

"I know." Harry said quietly in Iniri while Ripple continued to flicker about. "I wish there more light too." Suddenly Harry's head shot up and he gasped. "A strange noise has just started, deep under the ground." He called back to us.

"What sort of noise?" Iris demanded, while several of the techys exchanged glances and swung their lights around the open space we still stood in. I wondered if they were thinking of old Earthside stories of ancient, mythical horrors hidden deep under ground?

Harry tilted his head again, his ears twitching. "It's... like a rumbling. It's quiet, I can barely hear it, but it had just started. It-" harry jerked his head to the side, and I saw stray bits of his hair swaying in a breeze that wasn't there a second before. "The air flow has changed."

"Get out of there." I ordered, reaching out to him. Harry blinked at with a questioning gaze, but immediately did as I told him. I grabbed hold of his arm to pull him out of the room probably a bit rougher that was necessary, but this place was starting to give me the creeps. Then came the dinging noise from above like fine crystal being tapped with wire before the place was suddenly flooded with brilliant light. We all had to shield our eyes for a few moments.

Harry exclaimed the Iniri equivalent of "O.M.G!" and pulled back out of my grip to gave up at the stalactites that were glowing almost as bright as sunlight and covered the entire roof.

"Air quality is still good." One of the techys breathed with quiet awe after checking one of his gizmos. "Cleaner than it was, even."

"Any ideas what set it off/" Iris asked us all. Non of us did.

"It's so pretty." Harry said dreamily, still staring upwards.

"Come on," I pressed the small of his back to get him moving again. "we need to keep going remember."

"Yeah..." Harry walked, but continued to gaze upwards.

"Do you think the stalactites themselves glow, or they enhance the effect of the roof itself?" Another techy asked.

"No idea." Replied the one with the gizmo, then we were off again, traveling along the path that we could all actually see now. I had to continually nudge Harry to keep his attention away from the lights and on the job of leading the tour.

"So pretty..." He sighed.

To be continued...