Planet Cross Day

“Our lives are build in layers but most the time we don’t recognize it.

Here on Planet Cross humanity manages to survive only in stripes of territory at the edges of Merval Desert. As an invasive specie introduced many generations ago our people had to adapt to conditions our body didn’t evolve to handle, but native life has.

By day temperatures reach 1 to 2 thousand degrees Celsius in the surface. Animals and plants hibernate in petrified state, except for those few species made of inorganic materials appropriated to function at such temperatures.

By night, temperatures drop fast and reach negative 500 Celsius, or even colder. That is a period of intense activity for the few nocturnal animals adapted to this conditions.

Most native life used the moments of transition between day and night for stay active, instead.

Sunrise brings a period of little more than one hour when temperature stays between 10 and 30 Celsius. Before the angle of incidence of the star align with the crystals in upper atmosphere. Then, temperatures raise drastically, in seconds.

For the same period before sundown the forests on a nameless highland beyond the west horizon start capturing heat and liberating the cold air accumulated inside their roots.

That air provides all the moisture and most the organic nutrients that feed life in this desert.

When the mass of freezing wet air hit the Merval Plains temperatures fall in the blink of the eye.

Between sundown and that moment people have approximately 2 hours.

That gives us about 3 hours of activity around sundown, available for living things in this desert. Between the alignment of sun with the crystals change, and the mass of cold air arrive.

After that the night belongs to those adapted to extremely colder temperatures.

Humanity has managed to squeeze itself in that environment.

During the day, clans of few hundred people rest on the surface, in the core of ice-spider nests.

Those white structures of spider web are fund buried under snow and ice, they absorb the melting ice when sunrise, but the core remains mostly dry. Temperature here remains constant, around 20c. There is water flowing on the walls and dropping into pounds here and there. Weak, constant, light reflecting from all directions. The entire structure is a bit translucent, but not enough for the painful sun to burn through in dangerous way.

The adult ice-spiders sleep through the day. The clans have learned strategies to avoid their large and dangerous children. Silence plays a significant role in that. Too much noise or movement would attract the young more active spiders, and eventually could even disturb the adult. With fatal results for us all.

Rests of the recent meals of the spider can be found and harvested to make weapons, clothes, musical instruments, tools. About every daily necessity this people have. Much of what they trade with other clans.

For the most part the day is a time of silence, introspection and sleep.

Some animals share this sanctuary. Small rodents, a few insects, lizards. To catch those sources of protein furtive hunting and patience are essential. Has to be a ambush hunting, since run is completely forbidden, for obvious reason.

One hour before sundown the younger half of the adult males leave this protected shelter. Cutting their way through the softer points of the walls, they move fast and without word. Outside temperatures still above 60 Celsius welcome them.

Protected by armours made of insect shells and spider web, caring as much fresh water they can, the hunters leave to clean the path.

The landscape changes every day, rocks melt, flow into rivers for different paths, drawing a different maze when they solidify. Animals awake from their petrified state, still lethargic in their movements, they must dig their way back to the surface.

Using spears and axes, cleavers, machetes, the Younger Half must find a path. Hunt as many valuable prey they can, scary away treats, and leave marks for the rest of the clan to follow.

One hour after the Younger Half the older half follow, those in the vanguard. Behing them the women. Caring all the clan possessions and the children. Every step, the Older Half is surrounding them, with weapons in hand. Ahead and behind them, fighting whatever moves in the direction of this running migration.”

Those guarding the rear risk to be caught still in the ice-spider net when the adult spiders awake. That’s fatal, since the entire structure changes in consistency and becomes electrified. Electric discharges powerful enough to kill animals a hundred times larger than a human adult dance in and around the structure.

Outside, the clan run.

Any adult who fall or cannot keep pace is abandoned to die.

Because the clan must follow the marks left by the Younger Half, in that chaotic environment. To reach the entrance of the caves know as The Oven. Before that freezing wall of mist reach those lands.

The running may start a bit closer or a bit more distant from the stone wall where the entrances to the Oven can be found, but this is never a easy running. There is never enough time for comfort, even if it may look easy in a particularly good night some larger beast can away emerge right in your way and change everything for worse.

The entrances of the Oven change every day too. Past the surface tunnels are a little more constant.