World Re-visioned

Chapter 30: Caverns

Chapter 30: Caverns
Copyright 2022 by John Wells. All Rights Reserved.

Another homestead April and Tina visited was underground. Their scenario was on their home planet. They grew up as cave dwellers so underground felt natural to them. April and Tina met them on the surface and toured the gardens and pastures first. All the animals were outside in the pasture for the autumn. They tasted plants and touched the animals.

Matog and Nacin were Aliena Populi or alien people. Their species was the most human looking of all those found within the Infantes Facit empire planets, including similar intelligence. Their species had forged weapons and traded plants or animals prior to being killed off by the Infantes Facit. Here, they shared the food machines so life was better, but the birth control in the food stopped future generations.

The androids that mined their planet setup the food machines for them initially, having recognized them as intelligent. But, they barely were using the planet surface, so the androids saw no reason to stop Infantes Facit from coming to the planet.

Many fighters of Aliena Populi compete with swords. In fact, more beings use swords over no weapons, similar to human fighters. Swords were the only weapons more popular for fighting than no weapons for the only two species that had them. The fighting styles were completely different between the species. Aliena Populi overpowered their opponents, while humans used finesse to slip into victory.

The place they selected to settle has harsh climates, super cold winters and hot summers. Only spring and fall were comfortable above ground during the day. Nighttime during summer was still hot, but bearable. This area was deadly to the Infantes Facit, as their houses did not prevent death by overheating or freezing, so had special meaning to those that survived them.

It was the only area Infantes Facit did not settle, while some Aliena Populi had lived here. Those that lived here burned fires all winter. They mostly covered the cave entrance, letting air in the bottom and smoke out the top. The entire season’s food and heating had to be stored. It was a miserably hard life, so they moved to the free, easy food prior to Infantes Facit's arrival.

All the plants and animals Matog and Nacin grew were native to the planet. But, some plants and all the animals came from a more temperate climate, so needed special care here. Matog and Nacin had lived and died in the same climate themselves. The AI controlled the temperature for those plants that needed it. The animals were underground to avoid the extremes.

They showed where the borrowed stuff to start out had been on the surface, plus talked about how they started. Building their windmills and power system first and electric fences second, they followed with the elevator to below ground. The AI kept the predators away from them until the electric fence was available to protect them.

These predators are tiger like or Tigris It animals. Solitary hunters that have little fear. The Tigris It can climb, run, and swim faster than Aliena Populi. They lose the jumping match up. They avoid fires and groups of beings because of their deadly weapons. Before swords, the beings used rocks, clubs, and snares to protect themselves and hunt. The beings’ swords can act as shields, forcing claws safely away. If fire did not protect the cave, snares caught any animal attempting to enter.

They used electric fences to keep their animals in the enclosure and predators out. It also surrounds all grounds the beings use.

The electric fence posts and wire are stainless steel. A plant plastic is used to insulate the wire from the posts. A plastic ground cloth keeps the plants away from the fence to prevent them from shorting it out. Stakes and the posts hold the cloth in place.

There are animals that lived in this area that stayed underground during the extremes or to avoid predators. The bigger predators could dig their way in, but with multiple entrances, it is a waste of time so do not. Originally, they started in separate habitats, but the best tasting plants grew in the colder climates Tigris It loved. They hibernated during the summer in caves or tunnel systems they dug. Most winter days, they could handle hunting. They could scent prey through some snow and the temperature limited the amount that could fall during the season. Fortunately for the hibernating prey, being on top of the entrance was required for it to work.