Lancaster connects the end of the grapple to the roof, and the gun to his belt, then lowers himself into the stadium. He moves slowly, trying to keep the sound low in hopes not to wake the monster. He succeeds, landing softly on the ground and unlatching the gun from the belt. He leaves the gun and wire dangling as he sneaks gently toward the computer terminals.
As he approaches the machines, Lancaster checks the beast to make sure it's still asleep. The slow rising and lowering of its torso tells that it is indeed sleeping, so Lancaster pulls out a round device with a magnet on one end, which he places against the two meter tall towers, and he presses the buttons on the opposite end, turning it on. He begins to get readings, and he adjusts accordingly. In a moment, the computer terminals hum to life. Lancaster presses a button on the monitor and watches the screen.
Photos of the galaxy, stars, and various planets appear. Descriptions flash across them in the Zeborno language, which Lancaster would have to consult with his notes to be able to read. But what becomes clear in the flurry of information is that some of these planets have been explored by Zeborno explorers. They simply have too much information on them to be guesses. Lancaster touches the screen to see if he can interact with the information. He wants to know what planets to go to in order to find their other cities, and possibly to find the Zeborno themselves.
But before he can look at anything, he is interrupted. The beast has awoken, and it slams the top of its head against the machine Lancaster is working on. The screen flashes, sparks fly, and everything is thrown about. Lancaster dodges out of the way, and a four-fingered fist smashes next to him. The beast looks down at him curiously through a side-long glance. It so resembles a dragon that Lancaster half expects it to shoot fire at him.
What should Lancaster do?
