[h2]Nemain and Velia[/h2]

"Forget that one," the woman nodded to the camera in the hall, "Already seen us."

She walked down the hall at a brisk pace as the armored robotic vehicle, without any apparent sense of urgency, trundled along the road, turning to face the main doors, which opened as it approached.

The woman though, seemed to know the password on the key pads.  She tapped it into the back door pinpad, opening the door, holding it for everyone in the group until, just as a cloud of ominous gas began to seep in through the front doors, slamming it shut behind them.

"That toaster won't follow us, but if we get spotted others will get dispatched and some are... a bit more dangerous than that one, not that you want to get gassed," she explained as she led the way along the back garden, dropping to her stomach to crawl into the hedgerow... which had died back in the centre, leaving something like a secret avenue running down the rear of the properties.  Presumably it went to the end of the row, though that was lost in the dim interior.

"Sorry for the lack of introduction.  Lieutenant Nemain Early of the Lux Legio," she held out a hand to Mark, who she seemed to have assumed was in charge, "I had a bit of engine trouble and came down here, well... a few years ago, I think.  Clankers have driven the locals out into the forest, where they have regressed into a primitive tribal society.  There's obviously more to the story, that I can tell you, but I think it might be a good idea to head for your shuttle before it gets dragged into a hangar."

"Umm," she looked a bit sheepish, "I know we're just meeting each other and I haven't done much to earn your trust, but would you be okay taking me with you?  I don't want to be marooned on this rock for the rest of my life and I promise I can earn my way on your ship."

Velia looked between the others in the group.  Dithering a moment before saying, "Well you did just rescue us from that death-bot.  I mean, we might have figured it out ourselves, but I figure we owe you at least a lift."

Nemain looked to the others, but didn't wait to see if the group concurred.  She set off at a crouch, hurrying down the interior of the hedge, brushing away the occasional dead twig that grew into the path, though it looked fairly well trod for the most part.  She'd been down here before, "We've got to move quickly.  Follow this hedge, then move across the road, fast and low.  There's a similar one opposite.  We keep going till we hit the spaceport perimeter... as I'm sure you've noticed, all the buildings are the same.  The gardens are as well.  There are security cameras on the lampposts at crossroads, at the front doors of properties and within the entry foyers.  Avoid those and the toasters won't come after us.  It gets a bit trickier in a couple of hours, when they send out a swarm of drones to restock everything.  Drones with guns," she clarified, lightly tapping her injured arm, "But we'll be long gone before that."

She paused as they reached a leafy wall where the hedgerow came to an end, dropping to her belly again to crawl out under the hedge and into the roadway.  She darted a glance each way, then hurried across, ducking into another hedge where she waited for the others, "It's so good to see civilised people again!" She exclaimed as she waited for the group to reassemble.  Despite the peril they were in, Nemain looked... elated.  Like she was brimming with hope of finally escaping the planet.  There must have been a bit of dhasath in her; she hadn't broken a sweat.

[hr]
[h2]The Port[/h2]
Meanwhile at the space port a couple of robotic vehicles rolled out onto the landing pad from one of the hangars.  The first was a large flat-bed and crane construction that looked unmistakably like something designed to pick a shuttle like John's up and transport it elsewhere.  Presumably the hangar.

The other was identical to the one encountered in the town, large with a big metal tank on the back.  A large illuminated sign on the polished steel side of the vehicle read 'Biological Containment Unit' and just like the previous one there was the unmistakable signs that someone had tried to shoot it at some stage.  This one wasn't broadcasting any public service announcements.

[@Terrans]