Dawn was barely breaking when James stood by the simple wooden fence, gazing through at the black herd of cows on the grassland as if in a dream.
He had thought that their brief period of comfort was about to end, never expecting to suddenly hear that this world had its own master and then arrive at this pasture which looked every bit the idyllic countryside.
Looking at the light said to emanate from a laboratory, he had the sudden illusion of having traveled from savagery to modernity.
The surrounding gazes held a mix of schadenfreude or a hint of sympathy coming from the base's original inhabitants, whose clothes were relatively clean and who obviously looked well off, all ruddy-faced with good health; while those looking somewhat bewildered and at a loss were his companions who had been relocated with him.
