The land was beginning to heal. While most of blasted lands were an barren waste, this area, zeta-003- as it was known, had small rivers running trough it. Water was heavy laden with metallic flakes but it still brought its life giving gift to small forests of young, short trees, only few of them taller than an adult man. Wind rustled their leaves softly and occasionally one could hear steel clanking over steel as something fell in the distance. This land seemed to know nothing of endless gunfire and untold destruction laid upon it in the great war when hundreds of "Total War Models" or TWM´s wiped each other out on these very grounds. Still, the most striking part of the scenery here were the numerous gigantic pylons that rose above rivers and forests. None left in this world knew the purpose of those structures. Still now and again newly awakened robots would venture into their darkness and sometimes emerged from them with fortunes worth of powercells, most of the time those robots never returned...

Suddenly an new sound enveloped the scenery. Sound of titanic footsteps, slow but undeterred, they grew ever louder, ever closer.
From the horizon it could be seen that an mark771 mining colossus approached and finally entered this land.
It stopped suddenly with final ground shaking step and spoke with metallic groan.

"Scanning... Seems... Empty..."
"Nonsense my loyal castle! This land is laden with life and opportunity. While we lack our creators abilities to harvest power from nature, surely this is an good omen."

The one talking back to this colossus was an regal looking tall robot standing on giants shoulders where observation equipment and safety rails were welded on.

"I shall reaffirm our location from the charters, hold movement until further order dear Ferug.

As the colossus stopped, the other robot clambered unto ladders and handholds crisscrossing across Ferugs back and entered an hatch to its innards. Mark771 mining colossi served an purpose of mobile bases in the war and King124 had made good use of this, setting up workbenches, tables and chairs inside Ferug. King124 walked up to table where he had collected an impressive collection of maps, some found, others self drawn. It seems they were still on their intended course northwards. They had however consumed much power to get even this far, resupplying
was to be made number one priority. Hopefully this land held powercells somewhere.

For a moment this royal robot was lost in thought. Thinking few days back into plains of zeta-001- where an pulse had resounded. They had met some interesting characters there but only a few had expressed intent on joining King124´s quest to north. It was really quite understandable. Newly awakened were most of the time confused and needed time to ascertain their directives. Most were really shocked and at an loss in a world where the war had ended and words of creators fallen silent. He was sure thou that he would meet them again someday, maybe.

"My lord... PULSE INCOMING!"
"WHAT?"

Metallic, earsplitting "tang" sound echoed all around them and King124 felt some of his own powercell recharging. It was always an exhilarating feeling.

"How can this be? Never before have pulses happened so frequently! Ferug! Set yourself up in castling mode and start scanning for power signatures. Hopefully this area won´t turn into an hive of beasts."

What could this mean? Was there even an deeper meaning behind this? No matter. It seems that zeta-003- was bound to be another exciting venture!