ORIGIN

Corundum was exactly two days old. Or well, a little over twenty-four-hours, maybe. She had so far experienced food, sleeping and having met a couple Forge "family," and that was it. Vargas had eventually deposited her here, having business elsewhere, and had told her not to go too far.

Maybe he'd send a babysitter or maybe someone already was keeping an eye on her; these were considerations a brand new child didn't have. So far as she knew, she was free--but free didn't mean a whole lot when stuck in this lifeless, boring cave. Everywhere was just voidlit and barren: nothing to hunt, or chase, or explore. So at the moment she was contenting herself stalking invisible prey: prowling around boulders and then leaping in triumph onto imaginary enemies.

"YEAGH!" she 'roared,' tumbling out somewhat clumsily from behind a rock, the shadows that had shrouded her 'hunt' wisping away and fading as she landed on empty space. But a child's imagination was at work, and her grinning maw hung wide, glowing eyes fixed on an empty space beneath her claws. "Gotcha!"

Just what she had "gotten" was anybody's guess.