THE WORLD IS DYING.
Global warming, lack of resources, and the collapse of authority across all seven continents has caused worldwide strife. People are willing to do anything to survive.
The solution? Project ERAA, humanity's last effort to...
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MOTHER-SMELL was approaching.
Ed opened his eyes and twitched his claws, the sweet scent of Mother-smell entering his nostrils. Her eyes were soft and her teeth were blunt as she murmured sooth-noises, which prompted a slight chirrup from him. Other Friend-smells were walking around, but there was no fish beside him. He'd finished it all the day before.
Ed chirped again, baring his fangs as he swiped his stumpy tail. Hungry hungry, he nudged Mother-smell. Hungry food Mother-smell.
Mother-smell leant away from him, which made him tilt his head. Mother-smell smelled different that morning. It was morning, Ed could tell, because the Harsh Bright was glaring right into his eyeballs. He'd first seen the Harsh Bright when he had emerged from his Small Place, and he didn't like it very much. He had liked the Small Place better, because it was damp and warm even if it was small. And it smelled like ... like ...
Ed couldn't remember. Each day he forgot more about his Small Place, but Mother-smell was nice, and gave him food and sat with him. She made soft noises but they sounded good to him.
The day before there'd been a Not Nice-smell man who had roared loud noises. He had smelled like dinosaur blood, and Ed hadn't liked him. Mother-smell smelled scared at that moment. All Friend-smells did.
That confused Ed. Mother-smell was his mother-smell. She had to protect him, didn't she? Why was she scared? Did that mean Ed had to be scared too? Ed was scared, because he was hungry and Mother-smell had a sickly scent, like the one fish he had eaten only to spit it out later because it had been disgusting.
Mother-smell made more cooing noises, and that made Ed feel calmer. His small heart pattered in his chest, a steady thrum-thrum-thrum in his head. Mother-smell took something that smelled like small him, smelled more like the Small Place, and wrapped it around him.
Ed squirmed as she tightened the Small Place smelling-thing around him. He slashed his small claws and Mother-smell hissed. Why was Mother-smell angry, and why did she limp? It was a game, wasn't it? Play catch-the-limp-thing. Ed wanted to play, but the thing around him was tight and he squalled.
Play play catch limp! Hungry!
Ed's heart thrummed faster as Mother-smell took him deeper into the Green Dark place. Leaves batted at his snout and he opened his jaws and bit into them, but they tasted disgusting, like that fish! He shook his head and was annoyed. He was hungry and Mother-smell was not feeding him, only walking and taking him further into the Green Dark place.
Ed was happier when Mother-smell finally freed him from the Small Place-smelling thing. She dropped him on the ground and he looked around and back up at her, chirping a question. Play Mother-smell? Food? Catch game play?
Mother-smell made more noises. They sounded slower than usual. Why were Mother-smell's small eyes filling up with salty-smelling water? Was this a defense mechanism? Ed squeaked and puffed up his feathers. Catch, Mother-smell!
