They had built a special building that was oblong and with shock absorbers to be quake-proof. This form they'd tested, heavily, in scale, on a quake simulation machine. But it was very hard to get their fellow Deathworlders to trust their design. Until a particularly LARGE quake, showed why the building was such a strange shape. -- Anon Guest
The floors inside were padded. All the walls were curved and all the doors were oversized arches. The buildings themselves lay on articulated springs with inertial dampeners. The Humans looking at them had one objection.
"It's an egg," said Human Nudd, reluctant to enter her shelter. "You expect me to live in an egg? I'm not a chook."
Companion Nes had not been prepared for this rebellion. Their humans had previously enjoyed novelty-shaped practical objects. "It is egg-shaped, I grant, but this structure is scientifically recommended in environments where crushing damage is a significant risk. Those sky-rays are wont to roost on anything and other structures do not have the ability to withstand their weight."
"It's an egg on springs," said Human Fawn.
"Those are for the earthquakes, as are the padded surfaces. We may all be shaken up, but we will emerge unharmed."
"With a sky-ray on us," added Nudd. "And from an egg."
"Sky-rays do tend to roost when there's quakes going on," said Fawn. "Nes and the crew are thinking ahead."
"But it's an egg," said Nudd.
Companion Nes reached for the faintest of hopes, "You can customise the exterior with patterns and colours?"
The Humans exchanged a sub-telepathic look.
"Spotted cartoon dinosaur egg?" offered Fawn.
"Cow print egg," said Nudd, "but in ludicrous colours."
[Photo by Jason M on Unsplash]
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