The first dose of wintry weather arrived. A brisk wind drove fine sleet and made being outside unpleasant. Fortunately, the cabins were all finished. Smoke rising from chimneys evidenced fires in the clay brick fireplaces. Today was the first time nearly every shelter was in use. The stinging sleet was a reason to stay inside their winter quarters.
The Commander shared a hut with Eteppon and the pilot, Retepin. A crackling fire warmed their shelter, and sharp shadows danced across the wooded walls and ceiling, projecting even small movements.
“Even with the fire, it's dark in here,” complained Retepin.
“But all this space makes up for it,” joked the senior engineer.
“Putting the wood in cargo bags was brilliant. Left outside uncovered, it will get soaked in this weather.”
“Sir. That was Eteppon's idea. He had bags delivered to each shelter.”
“Now, how do we get some light in here?” Nireem asked rhetorically.
The three sat on the folding chairs from their half-dome living quarters. They had brought beverage bottles used on the New Dawn for water. Spending the day in the confined living space was already becoming tedious for men used to being busy and moving about. Nireem wasn’t surprised. None of them had ever lived this way. The New Dawn had been a large ship with plenty of space to move about.
In another cabin, Gergin and Enaida huddled close to their small fire. They had previously visited their shelter several times, but this was the first time they intended to stay all day. They had brought their clothing and gear down from the half-dome on prior visits. This morning, they arrived carrying their sleeping mats and chairs.
“It doesn’t have the comforts of our temporary quarters,” Enaida said sarcastically, sitting in a chair in the flickering light from the fire.
“We are warm and dry. And it's nice to be alone with you without having to find a private spot in the woods,” Gergin grinned.
Enaida smiled, remembering when they had crawled under a bush to avoid being seen in a compromising situation.
“Yes, and lying on the ground in the leaves was… prickly,” she giggled, carefully picking the word.
“Our sleeping mats solved that problem, and I can hold you in my arms all night.”
“Let's try out the food package. We are supposed to get one every six days.”
The Commander decided to keep the colony's food reserve in the large, domed facility since there wasn’t sufficient storage space in the huts. In addition, protecting their supply was more manageable if they kept it in one place.
“There should be a dish for warming and mixing food,” Enaida said, looking through a bag of items supplied with each hut. Finally, she pulled out an oval ceramic container with a handle and cover.
What's this? She thought before quickly realizing its purpose. The words: And I never liked the spacecraft toilets, raced through her mind. She couldn’t imagine using it with Gergin in their tiny shelter.
The food-warming dish was large enough for them both and deep enough to make a soup or broth. Enaida had spent time with two Amilikut women who cooked a lot. So, she had become comfortable making simple dishes that only required adding water and warming. The food bag contained pieces of jerky, chunks of smoked fish, dried vegetables, and processed tree nuts.
She and Gergin shared her first cooking effort and decided it wasn’t bad. Years of eating the bland concoctions from the spacecraft machines made this seem normal. However, they did miss the roasted meat the cooks prepared after a successful hunt.
Not far away, the two scientists shared a cabin. Their innate curiosity fed their conversations and kept them occupied. Even in the cold, they expected to trek back to their lab on all but the worst days.
The recent subject of their discussions was the strange object one of the colonists had found digging clay. They had soaked it for days, slowly removing everything stuck to it. Simple tests showed it was metal. Examination under a microscope revealed a spiral grove running about three-quarters of the way up from the point. They recognized it was similar to metal pieces used on Tridon to join one part to another. However, the indentation on the top differed from the star shape used on Tridon.
They both agreed this object had to have been here before they landed. But only a reasonably advanced civilization could have fabricated this metal connector. It was evidence of intelligent life. The big question was whether this civilization still existed. They agreed they should tell the Commander. They wondered how he would react.
That afternoon, Nireem and Eteppon walked through the accumulating slush up to the large half-dome. They would meet with Nevetsin, two of his men, and the two scientists.
“Well, Nevetsin. Your log shelters are getting a real test,” Nireem said.
“Right. So far, so good. We’ll hear some complaints tomorrow, but I think they will get us through the cold.”
“Any specific problems?”
“You recall we worried about everyone having a long, cold walk to the toilets in the habitats. Our solution is a primitive method used hundreds of years ago on Tridon. We supplied each hut with a low stool and a ceramic pot. “
“I expect there will be complaints,” Nireem frowned. “Where are they supposed to empty the bowls?”
“We planned to locate containers along the public space between the shelters, but the cold weather came before we could.”
“They better be out there tomorrow. Can you get started in this weather?”
“I already have some guys on it, but the conditions are miserable.”
“Anything else?”
“Tomorrow, I am sending out another hunting party. Everyone will appreciate the taste of fresh meat. As long as we can, I want to supplement their meals,” Nevetsin said.
“If the weather permits tomorrow night, we should encourage everyone to gather around the fire pit,” Eteppon suggested.
“Good thought. I’ll give a brief update and thank everyone for their patience. The coming days will be difficult.”
“My men will spread the word, Commander.”
The two scientists, D^Lanoden and Solracin, had been quiet.
“Sir. I have something I should mention. It's not a priority, but I thought you should know about it,” D^Lanoden said hesitantly.
“Sure, let's hear it,” Nireem encouraged.
“One of the workers digging clay found a small object and brought it to me. We analyzed it and discovered it is a machined connector similar to those we used on Tridon. But this had to be here long before we landed. And it took a developed society to have the tools to make it. So there must have been intelligent life here sometime in the past.”
Everyone looked at D^Lanoden but said nothing. Then the Commander spoke, “How long ago?”
“I don’t know. It was buried deep in the hillside where the workers dug clay, so it must have been many years-- maybe hundreds of years.”
“Thanks for the update. When the weather warms, we will explore for more clues. We haven’t encountered any intelligent life forms so far. Let's keep this secret for now. Nevetsin, when your men are out, have them look for anything that doesn’t look natural, anything made by an advanced civilization.”
Nevetsin nodded. The Commander rose, and the meeting was over.