Chapter 25 Trying to Protect Rardat
Geodon suggested that he carry all three of the Rardats, in his backpack, to make the journey back easier for all of them. Rardat agreed, not just the one which had depleted most of its energy while carving the nice room out of the side of the tunnel, but the other two too. Nansella put the reusable containers and eating utensils in her backpack, and they used her flashlight for the trip back, since Geodon's would not have enough energy left for the whole trip back and they would be interrupted by the sudden darkness and need to get the other flashlight going.
They headed up toward the tunnel's Y and when they got there, they paused looking down the stem of the Y and remembering what an adventure exploring there had turned out to be, including almost stranding themselves and also the Rardat's now traveling with them in Geodon's backpack. But they did not have the time nor flashlight energy to go exploring there again right now. Then they headed down the other arm of the Y of the tunnel, setting an easy pace through the strangely illuminated long black glassy surfaced tunnel, a place so wonderful as to have also enabled Nansella to start to recover her erased memories. It was a place seemingly lost to the controllers and monitors of the rest of this world. So it was a weird and yet wonderful place, where at one time eons ago, fiery hot molten rock had swiftly flowed right down through the way they were traveling, right here through this very space. Now that lava was gone, spread out over the landscape out near where they had their little boat tied up at the end of a small lake.
They talked back and forth as usual here, a bit to remind themselves that they were people and not ghostly critters sailing down through vast dark nothingness. Nansella was telling Geodon about the piece of candy produced up at their hideaway by Rardat, yet the example candy was far away, being used by another Rardat by the lake. They must have communicated how to do that. Maybe Rardat could make other kinds of food for them, too, extending how long they could stay here. But it was clear that it took a lot of time and effort for Rardat to produce that one little piece of candy out of the raw materials of this place, and thus unlikely to be able to make enough food for the two of them even if working at it full time. And, their life involved other things besides having fun up here and eating picnic basket food. They would have to go back to town. What were they going to do about Rardat then? It seemed important to keep knowledge of them away from the power crazed folks of PE management. Was it inevitable they would find out and acquire Rardat, then use it for purposes that only come to the minds of bullies?
Geodon commented that whether they wanted it or not, they had the responsibility to deal with the implications Rardat presented. And he suspected Rardat could do lots of other things besides what they already had demonstrated. And again, it was only fair to ask Rardat what could be done to help Rardat, too.
Suddenly three voices spoke as one, from inside Geodon's backpack "We would like to be taken back and put into our airplane, before you leave this place. Please take all four of me back there. We can wait for your return from there. We have waited there for a hundred and fifty thousand of your years, and we can continue to wait some more. That way, you can continue with your activities in your other places, without concern for Rardat." Nansella said that made sense to her; but, would not being put there in the total dark where their new energy charge would eventually wear away and they would become dormant again? Rardat replied that such a state was like human sleep, no problem. Besides, all Rardat is One; other Rardat elsewhere are very busy doing things, very much alive and awake right now, on other planets and spaceships. They walked silently in thought for a long way down the tunnel after that, absorbing the implications.
"What would happen to you if something happened to us and we were not able to come back for you? " Geodon asked of the three beings in his backpack, continuing to stride down the shiny black tunnel. "Rardat can wait. If you do not come back, eventually somebody else will find us again, maybe a different species than you, thousands of years in the future. Rardat can wait, there is no problem." came the three voices from behind him.
Nansella asked them if there was anything she and Geodon could do to help Rardat. The reply was that it would help if all four Rardat over where the concentrated solar energy would be beamed down so that they could be fully recharged before going back to the plane. And it would also be helpful if Nansella would bring a container of water to leave in the airplane with them. As much water as they could bring.
The next afternoon, Geodon and Nansella went out to get the four Rardat's over at the fourth cave. All of them were now of the same size, apparently fully regenerated by the sun power and materials from the lake and basalt dust. Rardat commented that it had made friends with a creature of the water, of the type Geodon called a goldfish. It had been very friendly with Rardat, and Rardat was very interested in the fish's world, so surrounded by water.
With flashlights recharged, Nansella carrying picnic food and water for Geodon and herself and a canister of water to leave with Rardat, and the four Rardat in Geodon's backpack, they again headed up the tunnel. This time they took the main stem of the Y and continued on past the first flat door; then stopped and Geodon asked Rardat what that door was for. Rardat said it did not know; the ones who had built these facilities were still asleep up in the airplane. So they all continued on down to the elevator cage. Up they went; it was lots easier this time, as they knew they were headed for the airplane over at one edge of the artificial cavern. Setting the four of them in their indentations in the inside walls of the aircraft, and placing the container of water in another of the empty holders, they said goodbye to Rardat, and they hoped to be back soon to do more things together with them. Geodon asked them if they would like that, and the four voices said that Rardat would like to know more of the human world and participate in those doings.
Leaving the airplane, they headed back to the elevator cage, and soon were down in the lava tube tunnel again, headed down the stem of the Y. They said that exploring even further up the stem of the Y might be interesting to do some day, but they did not have enough flashlight energy to do that along with the rest of what needed doing in the lava tubes today. They took the arm of the Y to get back to the area of the collapsed roof section, and revisited the amazing rectangular room Rardat had so quickly bored into the side of the lava tube, along with seat nooks and even wall shelving. They left a few containers of food to add to the small stash they already had there; it was something, anyway. Nansella even left a small bed-covering there, a bit of warmth although not as soft as a bedroll would be.
Another picnic lunch, heated in the solar cooker while up in the sunlight; then they took the cooker down to be stashed in the room, part of their equipment stashed in this hideaway. It still was not long term livable; but it was a start. With the situation in their town. a hideaway was a good preparation for when things go wrong in town, if they did too much so.
And once again the long walk back to cave number three; it was late afternoon when they got back. Only time for dinner and to bed, putting their flashlights on the recharger first.
Morning came too quickly, and the eased their still weary muscles out into the day. Breakfast, then they went down to the cave number four which had become bigger than they had imagined it could ever be. They waded into the dust-filled tunnel, realizing there was no way for them to find out how far it went at this time. Back out at the opening of the new cave, they mixed a batch of the solar blast pulverized powder and the Rardat-pulverized powder, stuffing their backpacks and pails with it. Then Geodon spent an hour using adhesive and the ultrasonic generator to build up the face of the cave, sealing it off. They carried the few remaining shovels full of powdered basalt back to cave number three and stashed it there; that place also concealed by a fairly good rock-looking door. Nansella swept the area in front of cave number three while Geodon sent the signals to have the solar focusing satellites start working on a different area of the lava fold, starting a cave room number six; but this one was mostly to pulverize material for making cabinets and tableware, as augmented with Rardat's powdered basalt; if found by PE hopefully PE would assume all the material had come from the satellite blasted material.
They began their journey back to the pylon elevator, lugging the heavy pails and backpacks, Nansella also carrying her picnic basket which still had some snacks for the trip back. Up the pylon's elevator and into the transfer pod, setting their heavy baggage inside, and taking another look at the incredible expanse of water in the big lake. Then the transfer pod was picked up, and they began their swings down the chain of pylons, a two hour ride with who knows what experiences at the far end.