Thursday, March 27, 2025

4. The Wabbit and the Nostalgia Zone

The three crowded into Quantum's cab as he whooshed through whatever substance it was. It looked like entrails of a sort but then lattice drive was a curious phenomenon. No-one really knew how it worked but work it did. Stringy things flashed by like worms on acid. Soon they found themselves in a strange and blurry world that cleared to reveal a curious structure. The reverse map had done its job, and they hadn't even used the magic pin. Random objects coasted by. Some things they recognised as things they had chucked out. The spark plug, the Wabbit has thrown over a fence because it hadn't worked once too often. The coffee pot was a cast off object which Lapinette had given up as a bad purchase. It stuck for the last time and filled the kitchen with burnt fug. Skratch recognised old toys which he's rooted out of a toy box and given to charity because he was tired of them. But the structure itself was worthy of consideration. It bulged and wallowed. Looking at it was somewhat difficult since it induced a mild nausea. "I have no idea where we are," said Skratch. "I feel sick," moaned Lapinette. "Don't look at the structure," said the Wabbit. Quantum boomed through his loudspeakers. "This is nostalgia world. It induces a sickly clam." The Wabbit laughed. "Don't you mean calm?" "No," replied Quantum. They heard a voice from the direction of the engine room. "Will someone let me out?" It was Wabsworth. "I'm stuck here with a soldering iron and more circuit boards than I care to remember." The Wabbit grinned. "If it smells like chicken, you're holding it wrong."