Pointing to their own head, one said to the other “It was not apparent to me before but you seem to have sustained an injury during your recent incident. I suggest you not repair the damage—your adventures are being written to your surface.”
Riding the breezes across the slight ridge, the two robots were finally out of range of the buzzing, noisy RF emitted by the edifice and its circuit of shattered rings.
While the showers were short-lived, they were intense, brutal affairs. Conformal coatings on vital components offered excellent protection but the best line of defense was a long coat or poncho. (And a can of Water Displacer-Formula 40 was good to have, just in case.)
As darkness fell the traveling companions made camp for the night under the shelter of an outcropping of rock. As the thermoelectric charger topped off their batteries, they shared stories of their respective journeys through the Unmapped Areas.
“I hope your misadventure hasn’t spoiled your taste for exploring this Unmapped Area. There is still much more to be seen and documented. We have many blanks to fill!”
Rising to a dizzying height above the desert floor, the blackened structure kept its mysteries and menace to itself. The two companions shouldered their packs and gave the structure a final look before turning and striking out for the next horizon. “This is a dangerous place best left alone. We’ll return, but only when we’re better prepared. For now let’s go see what other interesting things we can discover.”
“The tower was an irresistible mystery. It promised to be a bottomless treasure of answers and yet more questions. But what I found was a ghost, a mad thing that had forgotten its purpose and asked only one question.”