PSYC Ward: Explorer

World 3, Part C: A Coming Storm

A few days had passed, and Kyle and Rachel had become the talk of the town. They insisted on staying in the jail cell they had been brought into when they first arrived, which they had somehow converted into a neat little place by pulling out sleeping bags, pillows, board games and even a music box. They even made some decorations.

However, their primary interest was in the people. Rachel and Kyle would go out and explore the city, finding new places, but always staying together. They'd ask the people about how they lived, what they did, how they operated. Apparently, they were largely vegetarian, growing all manner of food in a section of the city they called the Greenery. They wouldn't let anyone but the farmers venture there, because anything bad happening to the Greenery would mean the end of them all.

They could eat meat, and occasionally did, with any member of the impressively large wildlife down here being big enough to feed an entire family, but it was dangerous to hunt. Most of it was very well adapted for the dark and for moving quickly underground, along with defenses like thick skin or horns. And all of it was hunted by the bearmoles, meaning any hunt for anything would inevitably run into a bearmole.

Rachel was a bit sad that her favorite shirt got ruined, which was why, three days later, Kyle and Rachel finally decided to go shopping for a new one. For the first time since they got here, they arrived at the market. Their reception was much more well received - instead of whispers of dangers, Rachel heard:

"Aren't those the outsiders?"

"Yeah, I hear they took down a bearmole!"

"Whoa!"

"Yeah, I heard the yellow one stopped it with her bare hands."

"No way, that's impossible!"

"Y-yeah? Well I heard the red one killed it in a single punch!"

"Yeah right! A bearmole?"

Kyle put her hand to the side of her head and shook it, but Rachel put her hand on her shoulder.

"They're happy Kyle."

She looked around at the wears and was surprised by what she saw. One shop was selling food that was being cooked by a steam spewing machine made of brass and iron. The shop next door sold devices looking like bunsen burners, along with metal jars marked with a flame. Fuel?

It was the next store, though, that really showed what this world was about. Loaded to the brim with steam powered drills, shovels, and all other manner of digging tools. The whole room smelled of metal and oil, Rachel's sensitive nose almost getting overwhelmed by all of it. The next vendor was selling gas masks.

And after them was a merchant selling clothing made of leather. Another clothing seller was offering stuff out of cotton. Rachel decided she wanted to go to the leather seller.

Manning the shop were two Underdwellers, one an older male and one a younger female. Rachel's keen nosed picked up the scent of the tanning process. Behind them were a series of machines, driven by hot steam and manpower, that pressed the leather and cut it, allowing it to be shaped. The older male was currently working on it, while the younger female saw Rachel and gave a gentle nod to her, her large brown eyes staring at her.

"Welcome to Rowohlt Leatherworks. You must be the new visitors everyone's talking about."

Rachel gave a nod. "Yeah. Turns out I need some new clothes."

"What, did the bearmole ruin your shirt?" She asked.

Her voice was strange. It was perpetually cheery and happy but her words were weird and rude.