Arv's time finally came and he layed to rest for the last time. His passing was very peaceful and had a happy feeling to it, considering he lead a full, long life.
I spent some time with Orika up in the desert before taking some time to pass out some elevines. I then returned to Orika to see how well she'd use them, only to find she wanted nothing to do with them at all. My hopes jumped when I saw her heading toward the "lift"(What they're calssified as) to use it! Only to be let down when she began going up and down in the C2 lift. With my patience tried I plopped her down in the middle of a pair of elevines as you can see here. As the hand picked her up and set her down her attention perked at the sight of something she'd not seen before! She a lot of fun playing with the spring toy!
When the spring toy had worn out it's interest she set her wanderlust sights on the future! ...Namely the boulders in front of her leading over the large waterfall. As the waters sprayed mist on her shiny santa norn coat she boldly but carefully trekked accross the boulder's smooth surfaces, and when finally reaching the furthest most point she could go she turned to face me and proudly marched in place as if to say she's the queen of the world! I worried she might slip off the edge and fall to a very painful result.. but luckily she was much more careful that I had anticipated she could be!
Then to my joy she took interest in the pretty red and green lift in front of her! I smiled as I watched her step inside and manipulate the controls to get it moving, because never before had a norn ridden this thing! I imagined the exitement she must have been feeling as the car gently lead her through the air high above the treetops!..And imagined the path it would tack on it's little wire there accross the waterfall to the other side!.. And would give her a new area to explore... except...
Suddenly it did something completely unexpected! I began to wonder if I had slipped into the Twilight Zone when the car suddenly drifted completely off of it's cable and began as if floating through the air! Orika didn't seem phazed by this and I wonder if she ever knew things were going awry. Orika just continued to gaze with wide eyed wonder at the sights drifting past the window, at the wonderful views, as the car carried her into unknown places. I wonder where it would take her!
To my surprise it stopped just above the first broken glass tube and deposited it there. She landed gracefully, without any injury, but then just stared up in confusion at the car. Either it hadn't carried her as far as she wanted, or she just didn't know why it stopped! I was baffled myself. Why would it stop in mid air where she could not reach it again? Surely this is not a safe place for a norn, they're not supposed to be in this area! Orika continued to stare in disbelief and wouldn't move... I fear even if she did decided to go she wouldn't have a very easy time getting down from this point, so I picked her up and put her back in the cable car, then pressed the button so that it would carry her back up to the bridge area, the way it came.. at least that's what I expected it to do.
Boy was I a sucker for thinking a cable car as broken as that, which had malfunctioned already, would suddenly do what it was expected. Instead of going up, it began to take a zigzag pattern back down toward the forest floor.
It dropped her in the lowest level of the treehouse. There she was safe, and it conveniently dropped her right by a toy and some food, so it wasn't completely a bad journey. Orika happily spent some time there to rest from the long journey, and practiced her musical talents on the horn in front of her. I gave her some local fruits to munch on. I had learned my lesson and decided not to risk putting her back in the cable car and pushing the button again! I began to relax, with her back with the tribe, and watched as her last surviving tribe mates played below.
Orika had other ideas though, and stepped into the car and pressed the button while I wasn't looking. When I noticed that she was on the move I saw her slowly zooming accross the screen and proudly announcing her intentions! I quickly dropped what I was doing (O-Orika! No! No!..Wait! Come back!!) and frantically tried to pick her out of the moving vehicle!
Isn't it always the time when you need to do it the most that your hand shakes too much to get a good click on something! Try as I might to save her I just couldn't get the hand clicked on the moving Orika fast enough! The cart carried her down... down.. down into the ground! (Orika!!!). Orika herself didn't think she needed saving. She kept her sights firmly set on the future and where it might take her with a happy grin on her face! Unfortunately for me.. Orika soon disappeared into the ground... under the ground.. who knows where it took her. All I know is I could no longer click on her and whenever I try to click on her picture in the norn display I get nothin. I don't know if I'll ever see her again.. Where is she? Will the car carry her forever? Will she die of starvation... or can she even die now?? I may never know.
With the idea that I may never see Orika again.. I had no other choice but to inject the next queen. Meet Orika's sister and the last daughter of Chiyoe. This is Luna.
After the royal teachings from the learning machine in the norn meso I carried her to the world where she will spend the rest of her life, and hopefully get friendly with the natives. Her first experiences were contently eating the local vegetation, she arrived with a hungry tummy. After filling it with food and fruits she settled down for a rest while looking at her new surroundings. Though.. I can't help but continue to feel worried about Orika..
Current population: 3 plus a lost Orika
