A jurney in to the unknown

It was around noon when they set off for the signal in the east, chatting to help pass the time. Their shadows were quite visible in the east when they decided to take a break.

"Is it just me or is walking on sand hard?" Nick asked while lifting up one leg to let the accumulated sand fall free from the components making up his feet and ankle.

"We don't need air, water, sleep and food." Hasso said trying to clean his own feet. "But this sand is messing with our components, making it hard to balance."

"And with out good balance, how can we fight back?"

"Why would we fight? We should just run from danger."

"Running is a good tactic, but we need to defend ourselves some times."

"OK" Hasso said getting up. "Show me what you got."

"I don't want to damage you after all that work i did to repair you." Nick said getting up and slightly brushing the sand from his rear end.

"Fine, I'll throw a punch at you then." Hasso said razing his fists in a boxing style. "Ready?"

Nick puts up his fists "Yea.." getting interrupted by a kick to the knee joint, throwing off his balance and falling.

"The enemy will not let you get ready, or be an honest fighter" Hasso said offering his hand to Nick "If we encounter danger. We run."

"Point, taken." Nick said getting back on his feet.

- - -

A few moments later on their path. "Do you hear that?" Nick asked.

"Sounds like a goat." Hasso said fallowing the sound over a few sand dunes, as Nick fallowed.

They came across what looked like jettisoned cargo in between three sand dunes. Two large wooden crates and a large wooden cage with what looked like a goat and nothing else around that could be seen.

"Risk worth the reward?" Nick asked looking at Hasso.

"We should test the waters." Hasso replied "Just be ready to run."

"OK" Nick said then slowly walked towards the cargo fallowed by Hasso.

"Looks like the goat has been here a while." Hasso said

"The crates have some symbols on them." Nick said examining the crates "I wonder if it's a language or crest of some type."

"There are also symbols on this cage." Hasso said trying to open it up to let the animal free.

Getting the cage lid to open was a little hard while the cage was on its side but Hasso got it open.

"It's OK, we're not going to hurt you" Hasso mused as he lifted the lid and intentionally moved to leave an open route for the goat to take. As Nick tried to pry open one of the crates by hand.

In a single moment a large tung darts in to the cage, grabs the goat and flings it towards a waiting mouth in one of the sand dunes.

"RUN!" Hasso yells trying to climb up the opposing dune.

Nick was frozen in place as one of the sand dunes began to shake apart revealing a toad the height of a horse.

- - -

The toad was waiting for days to get this meal. The cage was preventing him from taking it and if it broke the cage the meal would be a puddle. If anything else edible came along to take this meal, it would eat the meal and them as well.

But something strange came in to its trap. Two dull, scentless things came in and opened the cage for the toad. And even presented the opening to the toad.

The toad didn't like it but they were hungry. The toad decided to take the food and run before a trap could be sprung. And the toad did just that.

- - -

The toad leaped over the dune Hasso was trying to crawl up. Stopping Hasso dead in his tracks, as they heard the toad land then jump again, and again until they couldn't hear it any more.

Hasso looked back at Nick to see he was still in the same place. "Why didn't you run!?"

"Just look how well running did for you!" Nick said taking four strides towards Hasso and touched his foot. "Now get down here and help me with the crates."

Hasso got up to his feet and walked towards the cage lifted it up and throw it against a crate while yelling. "God damn toad" The crate was sturdier than the cage and the cage splintered in to pieces.

"Are you OK now?" Nick said still struggling to get the crate open.

"Use this instead of your hands." Hasso said handing Nick a piece of broken wood.

"Thanks." Nick said taking the piece of wood and trying to jam it in between the wooden planks. "The one thing I can truly say is this can't be Earth."

"Yeah but there are civilizations." Hasso replied wedging his piece of wood in to the second crate.

"Yep. Crates mean trade, trade means economies, economies mean large governments." Nick replied while grunting.

"Have to at least be about bronze age for that, but these nails look like iron. But hopefully we will be able to tell by the contents."

"Just about... Done." Nick grunted prying off the lid. "Jack pot."

"What's in it" Hasso said leaving his crate and looking in.

"Linen, clothing to be more precises." Nick said pulling out a dress. "This ones for you."

"Haha" Hasso said taking the garment. "Men also wore dress like garments up till about the Renaissance."

"This one however was not meant for a man." Hasso continued pointing to the bust "Definitely female. Multiple colors interwoven, high thread count and lace work means time and wealth went in to it. Probably for royalty or nobility."

"Unless mass production is under way?" Nick asked handing over a dark brown cloak that matched the one in his hands. "Exact same size and spacing of the hood means a template and templates mean consistency regardless of craftier, and consistency like that means mass production."

"If this is mass production. Then late Renaissance?" Hasso asked while going back to opening his crate.

"I don't know." Nick replied. putting on some of the clothing "But now we have some cloths to keep some of the sand off us. Ooo, boots, I call dibs."

"Can you please help me with this one?" Hasso grunted towards Nick.

"Sure" Nick said putting down the boots and picking up the piece of broken wood he used. "By the way, those nails are at least iron."

"Guessed as much. Now on three." Hasso said getting ready. "One, two, three."

The crate opens to reveal its secrets. "Lets see here." Nick said rummaging through the crate. "Looks like the crate is upside down, the biggest thing is on top, and look it's a box inside a box."

"Well let's get it out." Hasso said grabbing one side as Nick grabbed the other. " One, two, three."

"Let's set it down here"

"OK, just not on its top" Hasso said leaning it on its side "I'll get it on its bottom so check the rest of the crate."

"Are these sacks of gold?" Nick asked jokingly "Cotton?"

"Probably padding for something breakable." Hasso said examining the ornate box.

"Ew, it's green and nasty inside. But I think your right. There are glass shards in it. I'm writing off the rest of the sacks, don't want to get my clothes all dirty."

"OK, I think I got this." Hasso said not really paying attention. "Anything else in there?"

"Looks like two books and a tube of something."

"Tube of what?" Hasso asked while gingerly taking of the ornate top of the box.

"Uahh, rolled paper?" Nick said getting the paper out of the tube. "It's blueprints for something."

"Is it a steam engine?" Hasso asked.

"Maybe, probably" Nick said surprised and looked over at Hasso and the box "What's that?"

"It's a replica of the first steam turbine." Hasso said confoundedly walking towards Nick "If replica is the right word. What about the books."

"No need to look." Nick said pointing to the blueprints. "I can already tell this isn't English or German."

"True, but it could be another earth language we don't know about." Hasso said as he tried to read the blueprints.

"I don't know." Nick said heading back to the linen crate. "But I do know, It was worth the risk."

"Yes" Hasso replied not looking up from the blueprints he couldn't read. "Yes it was."