Today was not a good day. First, it had been chosen to scout the capabilities of the Terminal, then it lost access to the collective after getting punched into another dimension, and now it was being poked by a stick. The very same stick it had been using! What temerity! Quickly feeling where the next poke was coming from, it grabs the incoming attack, to thereby remove the obstacle to laying face-down on the dirt feeling miserable, and-

Whoop. It was face-up now. Oh, human. Hello, person I don’t know. Wow, it was certainly bright out. You seem to be upsidedown and backwards. At least I’m only upsidedown.

As the stick was still in its hand, the creature presses the tip against the ground, lifting itself from the surface it had been laying on for some reason or another. A thought presented itself to the creature. If this human was the only thing around, and it had been getting poked with this stick, it stood to reason that this human was the one poking it. Turnabout was fair play. It poked the human in the side.

Immediately rolling to the side and standing up, the human squeaks loudly, putting distance between itself and the experiment. Glancing warily at the unfamiliar creature, the human backs slowly from the now-standing being before it, nearly as tall as it was. Somewhat amused, the experiment steps forward as well, using the stick as a fourth balance-keeping limb, tail sweeping back and forth as it follows the human through more of the horrible greenery.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

At least beyond the mountain there was a change in scenery. If nothing else, the experiment was finding that it enjoyed seeing new things. Granted, all these things so far have been plants, and that's terrible, but at least they had a change in color a while back, from short and green to tall and yellow. Ooh, houses.

Following the human between gaps in the clay and wood houses, arranged in individual groups of giant squares, the experiment enters a one room hut, mercifully free of plants. Just a packed dirt floor, a small pit with embers and ash under a wooden table thing, and a folding screen.

Still backing away, the human slips itself behind the screen, leaving the experiment with absolutely nothing to look at. Sure, it could follow the human behind the screen, but that, for several reasons, seemed like a bad idea. It was the sort of idea that got one remembered by the general when it was time to grab a 'volunteer’. It wasn't like the experiment had known they were going into the demonstration labs at the time!

Fortunately, before the experiment had enough time to get bored and wander off, the human folds the screen back. Suddenly, there is not only a human, a firepit, and a screen, but also a basket covered by a hat. The number of things to look at had just doubled.

Interested, the experiment sits down on the ground to see where this was going. The human lifts off the hat, revealing plants, cut from their berth at their prime. So far, the experiment approved. With a shifting of the plants, the helmet of its armor is revealed. That, the experiment most definitely approved of.