University Footbridge
Your Moodling detector has guided you across Victoria Drive to the University Footbridge. It’s been connecting the University with the northern parklands since 1937. You stand at one end, your detector beeping steadily.
The detector is no bigger than a human portable communication device, with a high-pitched sound unheard by the humans busily tapping on their own devices as they walk past.
When you walk onto the bridge, the beeping gets stronger. About half way across it gets so loud you decide to turn it off before fish begin beaching themselves on the banks of the River Torrens.
You can see the river in both directions, and the mesh lining the sides of the bridge is dotted with padlocks of all colours, shapes and sizes. Lovelocks, humans call them. They are a sentimental bunch.
You take a closer look. ‘Bruce loves Kelly always’ and ‘Sharon loves Tom forever’. ‘Scott loves Bev, to the moon and back’ and ‘We Hide and You Seek love the Captain’… You do a double take. When you poke the last lock, it dissolves in your hand, slips onto the bridge and changes into two Moodlings in their natural form.
You give the two mischievous slug-like creatures your most disapproving frown and tap your left shoulder. They know when the game is up and dutifully wind their way up your arms to sit there.
You’re just about to afford yourself a sigh of relief, when you spot a rag-tag bunch of horns, tusks, feathers and fur walking across the bridge towards you – it’s either the rest of your tour group, or a very convincing human fancy dress party. But from the dejected pace of their step, it’s obvious they’re not heading to a party…
It would seem that your musician, the Blue Planet Bandit, has turfed out your tourists and stolen your ship!
Could things get any worse?
All of a sudden there’s a whoosh near your head and a pelican lands on the green handrail of the bridge. With a snap it tosses the Moodlings high into the air and catches them in its bill, flying away downstream. The gibbons at the Adelaide Zoo are laughing, but you’re not.
“None of my tourists have been eaten before,” you assure your agitated tour group. Well, at least not by a pelican…
You tap your claws on the handrail and take a moment. Your faithful ship’s been stolen, the Moodlings have been eaten, and you’re surrounded by a not-so-contented group of tourists. All you can do is pray to the Never Gods that the Narl don’t catch up with you before –
No! You see a blue tornado coming your way across Victoria Drive; and fast!
“Told you we’d get you, Captain!” shouts Boss, Shorty not far behind.
You try to run north across the bridge but your tour group unites to block your path – a cluster of angry eyes and gnashing teeth.
Earth Unplugged: Thanks for the Memories…
~END~
Ouch! Bad Luck! This is the end of your adventure but you can head back to the starting point to explore a different story path, or you can try the other Story City: Adelaide adventure, The Adelaide Time Travel Caper.
Don’t forget to upload a pic of you on your adventure to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #StoryCity #Moodling