Without many forests, if they could be called that anymore, Hana’s job kept getting increasingly difficult.  Dust from the depleted earth kicked up around her ankles as she pranced off. She left her lovely chestnut mare in the heart of the main copse of trees, humming to herself as she sought fallen branches along her way.  Mushrooms and herbs were rare, so she only stopped for them if she saw them, at least while she was on a mission for something else.  A pouch on her belt already held a couple potatoes and a marshmallow root that she scavenged from the fields earlier that morning.  Thinking of what else she might look for today, Hana continued swiftly onward with playful bounds.<br/><br/>Near the north edge of the copse, the ground graded down slowly to a well-traveled trade road, barren of trees at that point.   The valley was a relatively safe route due to the rising earth on either side, with little cover for bandits and highwaymen.  As such, Hana preferred to steak out this route, hoping a valuable wagon might come along with plenty of provisions.  There was no problem for her to get to the passing wagons though, despite the lack of trees for cover.  A few sizable rocks littered the slope, not large enough to hide anyone, or at least an average body; however, one particular rock was just big enough to hide Hana’s small figure with the aid of a little stage prop: just some painted canvas stretched over a wooden frame, to elongate the shape of the rock to passersby.<br/><br/>Approaching her hiding place with many a shifty look, she crouched and went as quickly as her little legs could take her. Reaching her rock without incident, she emptied her pockets into a cloth bag she brought with her, placing the bundle inside the frame of the rock prop. A finger flicked a heavy metal clasp open at the base of her neck, and she shrugged out of her cloak, folding it and resting it with her other things. All that was left now was to wait.  As she lay down, the grass tickled her arms; she half dozed, resting her body while keeping her sharp ears open.<br/><br/>A good amount of time passed before she heard a disturbance, a subtle rumbling.  Curling herself into a crouch, she fixed her mask to cover most of her face.  The slope obscured the vehicles, but a dirt cloud was growing up the road, clearly signifying the traveling traders.  They came into sight rather quickly, moving at a decent clip.  Four horses pulled a large, long wagon with six wide wheels.  As the first half passed her rock, she shot out in a full sprint.  She was small, but she trained extra hard so she wouldn’t be at any physical disadvantage in any situation.<br/><br/>Upon launching herself into the back of the wagon, an array of merchandise assaulted her eyes.  Picking out the valuable things quickly and leaving as soon as possible were skills at which she had become very proficient. General junk laid at the front: old farming tools in disrepair, some decent baskets, a few rather decent tool sets.  Being sure there weren’t sentries, she made her way gingerly forward, stepping over some items having been knocked into the walkway on the journey. Gently used common machines, rugs, clothes, and new shoes were packed away neatly here.<br/><br/>And then came the good stuff.  A locked box, no larger than her canvas rucksack, screamed of jewels or metal adornments.  Kneeling down, Hana takes some sturdy picks from along her belt and soon releases the lock’s hold on the lid. Inside, a variety of jewelry was neatly stacked on velvet sheets, a rare item in themselves. She rolled up the many layers of velvet, trying to protect the organized precious gems and metals from disarray. Replacing the lock and tucking the roll into a large stomach pouch, she shifted onto her heels and spun, looking around at what else would be plausible to lift.<br/><br/>A pile of metal interested her after she caught glimpse of a shining panel. A small solar array was on top of the pile, surrounded by a blanket to secure it and prevent it from breaking. Lifting it slightly, she figured it was light enough for her to tie to her back with some rope she found near the entrance.  A complicated object near it also caught her eye, but it was nothing she had seen or heard of before, probably meaning a failed technology or an original contraption the caravan was trying to sell. The investigation of this pile had more in store for her though; she spotted several beaten up batteries, looking to be in functional condition.<br/><br/>Pocketing them and shifting some other things around revealed a large off-silver capsule, easily as big as her torso. The patina was rusty and dusty, and there were buttons, vents, and keys on at least half of the device as she saw it, a precise crack running up the center of it, presumably running the whole length of the capsule.  Able to place her leathered foot in a small space, she shifted her weight to that leg, on tip-toe, leaning into the strange device.  Looking at the seam that split the capsule into hemispheres, she noticed common text. With gaping mouth and fresh eyes, she saw a power port, a command input pad, and a panel that removed to reveal complex machinery, no doubt. She recognized this now, a relic from the old wars, one of the most powerful weapons made, and so rarely seen that they’d come into legend. Turning the capsule gingerly, she read the tell-tale anacronym: MUMSA.<br/><br/>Too excited, she began plotting how to get this MUMSA out. While thinking and looking for materials to secure the capsule, she noticed other bits and objects with the same patina. Quickly snatching everything she could see that matched her prize, she went back to it, slowly sifting it out from under the smaller bits of metal and batteries that buried it. Just as she got it free, a loud bang sounded as the solar panel came toppling down, a large chunk of its support base having been removed. Hana heard voices up front, and she knew she had no time to lose. She scooped up the egg in her arms, noting how very heavy it was, and brought it up to her torso, shifting her weight to her leg on the outside of the pile. Tipping the capsule end over end, she brought it to the entrance of the wagon, lowering it to the road as much as she could before letting go, sending it rolling behind the caravan. Bounding back inside, she picked up the corners of the blanket cushioning the solar panel and brought them over her shoulder and under her opposite arm, forming a sling for it on her back. Shifting of body and canvas were heard as she ran at full speed off the end of the wagon. She kept moving as she landed, stumbling forward a little, but keeping her feet. There was still no cover, so she ran straight up the slope and dove into the sparse grass, hoping that she was high enough to not see her prone figure.<br/><br/>The traders stopped shortly before she landed herself into the ground. Crawling ahead, she knew she couldn’t afford to see their reaction to their lost cargo, or even if they saw her run; she had to get to higher ground so she could safely go retrieve her MUMSA. Soon she was able to get to her feet and backtrack, looking to the road frequently, frantically.  Finally she spotted it. Taking leaps down the slope, she quickly closed in on the machine, though now cracked open, several lights blinking. Noises could be heard from whence she came as she slammed the capsule closed, half squatting while trying to rush off the road and up the slope again. The egg’s length stretched from her crown to her groin as she hugged it tightly to herself, waddling as quickly as she can.  She felt degraded as an assassin and thief, having troubles transporting this thing and looking a fool while doing so.<br/><br/>Just as she started on her way toward the heart of the copse again, a blinding light appeared in the sky, streaking toward the ground at a steep trajectory, breaking off bits of light here and there. Maybe it was her lucky star: finding a MUMSA, then a potential for getting space junk? The day was perfect… or would have been if she had a cart.<br/><br/><div align="center">-~-</div><br/>Hana arrived at her horse after the sun had moved significantly, her sweat breathing through her thin clothing, cooling her.  Arms stiff and on fire, she let her wary legs buckle next to Maxine, the metal landing on a patch of grass enough to cushion the fall. Kneeling, she braced herself on her knees, forcing herself upright and forward to approach her favorite steed.<br/><br/>“Sorry, girl, I’m gonna have you carry this thing with me,” she said, patting the flank of her childhood companion.  Maxine whinnies gently, eyeing the hunk of metal.<br/><br/>Untying the blanket from her chest, she gingerly reaches up to tie it off on one of many leather loops hanging from the back of her saddle. The gadget fit well on Maxine’s hind quarters, and as long as she didn’t go above a trot, she didn’t fear breaking anything. Now came the difficult part. She decided to get a length of rope from a saddlebag, tying the two ends around the capsule’s ends, one end longer and tied to the other loop, ensuring the rope didn’t slide off the ends of the capsule. Hana dragged the egg over to Maxine’s side, a couple hooves shifting in slight alarm. Hooking the rope sling onto her stirrup, she tightened the saddle, a short whinny of protest coming from Maxine. She hopped up expertly into her seat, careful to keep the rope hooked where she could grab it. Petting Maxine’s neck as she stooped, she pulled the heavy capsule up with a grunt, her back working extra hard. When she was almost vertical, the saddle began to slide, and she gritted her teeth in a final pull to bring it up with her. The mare was shifty, but remained relatively still as Hana held the capsule to her, pressing hard against her stomach and chest while trying to force it into the front half of the saddle. Sighing, she accepted that this would have to do, and she’d have to come back for her earlier treasures later, albeit reluctantly, considering her valuable  cloak was there also. Looking over her shoulder, an old habit, she removed her face mask, tucking it into the collar of her shirt against her breast.<br/><br/>Leaning far to her left, she joltingly shifted her weight, straightening out her seat before grabbing the reins and guiding Maxine toward the crash site.<br/><br/><div align="center">-~-</div><br/>Dust from the impact had settled for the most part, and a wide crater was clearly visible, even at a good distance.  A few people had gathered already, which wasn’t surprising considering how long it had been since the crash. Several small groups of people gathered together, seeming to talk about something while looking over the edge of the crater. A few other people were set apart from the little groups: a burly warrior spattered with blood, a battle-ready maiden with a horse, a beggar of an old man.<br/><br/>She circled cautiously from far off, looking for the path of least resistance, deciding to come up amongst a few of the gawkers. Remaining mounted and keeping Maxine moving, if only slightly, she came up to the edge of the hole, realizing slowly what all the commotion was about. Thinking she might be able to convince the spectators that she was a collector from a research academy for the humans, thus claiming rights to the finds, she wasn’t concerned in being able to take what she wanted. But this… This was entirely different. The glowing woman in the pit looked completely unharmed, with no debris around her, hardly any protection from the sun, let alone a fall like that.  Could this actually be space junk that their ancestors had sent out to come back some day?  Tales of the advanced machinery grew tall, and the truth was diluted, but it could still be plausible that this was an android made to look exactly like human. Perhaps meant to be a spy, perhaps as a sexual toy for the wealthy… She spat at the last thought, reverting back to the spy theory; a falling government wouldn’t send a sex bot into space for a later date.  She shiftily looked to the other spectators, trying to read them while thought about what this was.