fh_alumni | Colorado Springs - November 1, 2009

Prostration meant that there was a lot of commotion on the streets as the entire remaining population of Colorado Springs was forced to pray to the Ori. The one advantage was that it made easier to move around and gather information without drawing too much attention. Sadly, it also meant that you had to kneel for hours and listen to the prior ramble on. It would have been nicer to do if the temperature hadn't been seriously dropping lately. His ass would soon be frozen to the ground if the prior didn't soon round things up.

Suppressing a shiver, he glanced up, scanning around the crowd. Fischer was almost in the front of the group and while Cameron couldn't see him, he knew Ferguson was just a little way to the right of him. There was something off, though, he'd been noticing it for the past week now but there seemed to be fewer people present at prostration lately.

He must have gotten lost in his own thoughts because the next moment he knew, everyone was rising to their feet as the prior sent them off with a last "Hallowed are the Ori". Cameron's knees were stiff when he stood up and he absently scratched his arm, the injury there still itching after all these weeks. He started moving to the edge of the crowd when a kid darted right in front of him and stumbled into Cameron's leg.

"Sorry, mister," the kid apologised, making to run off again and Cameron reached for his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait a minute," Cameron said. "How do you feel about earning a candybar?"

The boy's eyes widened as he glanced up at Cameron, obviously tempted by the offer before he narrowed his eyes. "How dumb do you think I am? Don't you think my mom's told me about accepting candy from strangers?"

Cameron blinked as he hadn't really thought about that backfiring and now he was starting to feel like a perv. "You'd just be earning it if you answer me one question," he said, pulling the snickers bar from his pocket. He hadn't quite been able to bring himself to eating it, not when he knew the price attached to that particular bar and so it had been in his pocket ever since the night the Ori's soldiers had raided their camp. "But if you really don't want it..."

The kid's eyes were glued to the bar and he reached up for it with a greedy look. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Cameron held the bar out of the boy's reach. "There's less people here? Do you know where they've gone? Are there prostrations elsewhere?"

"No," the boy frowned as the bar went out of his reach. "The prior has been picking people who can go to the ships with them. Now give me the bar."

Cameron shook his head. "You mean the spaceships?"

"You said one question!" The boy protested, getting cranky and crossing his arms. "Yes. They're going to take them somewhere better."

"Somewhere better?" Cameron repeated.

The boy shrugged. "Can I have my bar now?"

Realising he wasn't going to get more out of the kid, Cameron nodded and handed him the bar. The boy snatched it and muttered a thanks before he chased off again.

"Bribing kids now?" Ferguson asked, coming up beside Cameron, followed by Fischer who was shuddering about something.

Cameron didn't quite notice and he nodded absently. "The prior's been moving families to the ships."

"Huh," Ferguson frowned. "That's odd."

"Very, can we not discuss it here?" Fischer asked, still looking disgruntled. "I'd rather not get that prior to come bless me again."

Cameron shot him an amused look, but they quickly headed off, taking their new found information back to the camp.