Millions of In-Worlds

Chapter 12: Blind Fish

We roped up. Ren explained that sudden drops were probable. We would cross slippery, wet rocks and ford small icy streams. As we go further inta the caves we will come across vertical shafts, like the one we came in by. There will be tight squeezes where we will have to remove our backpacks and slide them ahead of us as we crawl on our bellies. We were ready for all of those challenges, or so we thought. Gee had prepared us as best he could. We understood the mechanics of our equipment. He drilled us on that. What he couldn't do is give us the real life cave experience.

Shouldn't all this preparation make me less worried, and not more? I telepathed Gee. Gee didn't answer back. Gee told us that once inside the caves he would be the only one that could hear us. That concerned me. "Ren, Freck, have either of you tried ta make contact with Gee?"

"No," Ren answered, "but I'll try now." His eyebrows went up in mild surprise. "I am not getting a response either. Maybe he is in the worldwide council's mind-mesh."

Behind the clear face plates attached ta our helmets I could see that Freck was shaken ta hear this news.

Ren had to talk some sense into us. "We must not let this temporary communication block with Gee deter us. There is probably a very good reason this is happening. We have to put it completely out of our minds and focus only on the journey. If we do not direct all of our awareness to the task ahead mistakes will happen. Caves do not forgive errors of judgement. Our survival depends on full attention."

I don't know about Freck, but that was what I needed to hear. It woulda been impossible to anticipate danger if our minds were flittin' 'round thinkin' 'bout sumpin' othervthan where ta place our feet. B'sides we's gonna stop for meal breaks. I would try ta reach Gee then.

"Thank you Ren," Freck mind-spoke, "I was workin' m'self up inta a real tizzy. I'm really glad you are with us on this trip ta he'p."

With that we was off. We spent the next few hours tryin' ta keep our balance on the bumpy and slick, cave floor. It was all downhill. We had to walk pretty close to each other to allow slack in the rope. Otherwise the taut rope jerked and chaffed with every bump or slip. That's one of them things you can only learn by doin'.

In another hour Ren stopped. He said it was time for a break. "There is something fascinating I want to show you." He pointed to a pond that was partially und'a an overhangin' rock. "You may have heard of  blind cave fish. If you shine your lights into the corner over there you will see them."

Just as Ren said, there they were. The places where their eyes should be were covered up with scales. They warn't just blind, they didn't have no eyes at all.

Freck was excited, "You cain't beat that with a stick. How the heck did blind fish get in here?"

"I am not sure how they got here. Some say that maybe fertilized fish eggs slipped through. Or maybe a spring melt swept them into the cave. However when they arrived they were certainly not blind. But their eyes were useless in the total dark, so they had find other means to survive. A few managed to thrive. They bore baby fish, and over time they began to be hatched without eyes. These fish you are looking at are the result of hundreds of generations of evolution.

"Life always finds a way to make peace with the environment. No matter how harsh the conditions, some will thrive and those not up to it will pass away. Mother nature is a very exacting mistress."