by Shelba
Kits1013 @ aol.com

A response to the Why Incision "Gray Talking Heads" thread
some time back.  Notes at the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The not-being was all we knew for ten thousand passes of
this world around the sun.  The bone crushing cold lingered
through many of the world's cycles, but after an age, the cold
became less fearsome, yet still we lay, quiescent and deprived
of nourishment; trapped in the cool, silent dark.

Hunger was a thing unto itself. Calcium existed in only trace
amounts in the silica rich soil and was in an unusable form,
regardless of our need.  Thin bands of a rare form of Iron
kept us trapped in a prison of crumbling sheets of stone,
desicated clay, and fine sand, so searching elsewhere was
not possible.

The few bipedal creatures who entered the cave had proven
to be too erratic to use as transportation; they were only a
temporary respite from hunger.  Perhaps their minds were
too primitive, their culture too pugilistic. Other bipeds were
better suited; at times we could hear their minds, but they
didn't respond when we tried to lure them inside.

We could smell them. Their protein, calcium and iron
tantalized Us, but there was no way to reach the creatures
and eventually their voices faded away.

Some of our colony perished when ice first closed over the
cave opening; unable to hold on until the truncated warm
seasons brought small animals into the cave to provide
nourishment. Eventually, retreating ice sheets dropped
boulders to cover the entrance and even the small animals
were no longer available.

Hunger ruled Our existence for centuries.  Our hybernation
deepened, until finally the Food broke through the clay
firmament and fell among us.  The lure of a calcium-rich
frame, the tang of iron, the rich musk of protein, roused
Us from Our long sleep.  We awakened; all thought of
escaping our prison abandoned in our ravening quest
for sustenance.

We surged up into the body of the Food.  For the first
time in ten thousand years we feasted on sweet protein
and bitter iron.  Above, we could sense more food
which scittered away, their minds transmitting terror,
but then they returned, bringing more food.
 
We would never be hungry again.

We would be free to reach for the stars.

Fin

First time posted wide, previously only on WI.
Category: Is Oilean Fic a category?
Spoilers - You may recognize a scene from Fight The Future.
Archive. Don't know where it would fit, but feel free. Please keep
my name and email attached.
Thanks to Carol for looking it over and telling me to cut it loose.
This is. . . odd. I had to get it outta my head. I blame those WI
folks.  Hope you enjoy. Feedback is adored at Kits1013 @ aol.com.
Let me know what you think. : ) Thanks for reading!