Many of the guests at Veranda Incognita had departed.
Spike Harris and Kate McKintyre had long since returned to their chosen line of work, defending Bretonia against any possible Nomad attacks.
Scutter had muttered something about stripmining and disappeared in his box of a freighter.
Alan Kell walked from Veranda Incognita towards the Island hangar, taking the longer route beside the now flowing stream.
The stream had been widened while it was empty to allow larger aquatic creatures to pass between the lakes and now resembled a canal.
As Alan walks through the long grass, electronic beeping coming from behind brings a smile to his face.
"Ah XM, finished with your girlfriends?"
Loud beeping follows and Alan laughs. "I know, I know.
"Ever seen it so quiet and peaceful? Come on. Let's go and make sure everything is ready."
As they approach the crater lake, XM begins beeping again.
"Delivery due tomorrow? That's great." Alan replies. "Think you can handle looking after them?"
Disregarding XM's usual rude reply, Alan looks around at the remarkable place he's become so fond of and breathes in the fresh, clean air. A light mist from the wooded valley to the right chills the air a little.
Walking to the door embedded in a large tree stump he enters a code into a panel on one side.
With a click the door opens and Alan leads the way into a stairwell leading downwards.
As he starts down he can hear beeping coming from behind as XM operates another panel. A moment later, a beeping XM drops past Alan on a lift in the center of the stairwell.
Alan laughs. "I need the exercise you know. No need to be rude about it.
"Oh, and by the way, make sure Reggie has the keycode for the outer door in case he wants to make use of the viewing area."
He reaches the bottom of the stairwell and follows a beeping XM down a short tunnel through the rock into a transparent tube. A few small fish can be seen swimming past.
"Looks like that Planetform Fasteco program worked well. I guess some of those salespeople know what they're talking about."
They pass a few seats and tables partway along the tube and eventually reach the door at the other end. XM already has the door open and is whisked away up the elevator in the stairwell to the hangar.
Alan calls up the stairwell. "XM, get my fishing gear ready will you? I think I'll go and visit Reggie's lake before the new residents plunder it."
Looking back down the tube, Alan briefly wonders what the future holds.
