[ericthered]

Scrounging for dirt reveals-- very little. He can find films of dust on things, and comes up with what might be some dirt. He chucks it off the edge. He thinks it goes right down towards the clouds.

The surface of his rock has a lot of plants, but he diggs far enough past them that he finds the surface of the rock. Its surface is smooth, like a well worn pebble or polished stone floor. The shape, however, is full of contours, ridges, and patterns. It takes a good deal of searching to find a loose piece. He finally finds one under some particularly stubborn plants, whose roots seems to have loosened the rock.

The rock is shaped something like a wide doorstop. It doesn't have the weight he was expecting: it feels more like plastic or a light ceramic by weight. He throws it off the edge, and it goes up into the air... and keeps going... Its not falling. It is moving, and slowing down, but it hangs in the air as well as the rock he's sitting on.

The plants are quite stubborn. Not all of them can bear his weight, but at least kinds of vines and a species of push aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

The rock with the trunk isn't moving, just hovering at Alexander's current level, the trunk slowly expanding and contracting, as though it were breathing. Its a good 50 yards or more away from him.