The next three weeks were rather difficult and not what I expected. The griffon continued to make a daily appearance at my tunnel. I was forced to create doors to my castle while it was still being dug out from the side of the cliff. My griffon friend eventually made the front steps his new home. I didn’t know how to fix this problem but like an eagle thought it was a perfect stoop to watch for prey. I’d need to address it but having to put time and efforts into securing the castle set me back nearly a full day. A day I now wished I had back.

I named my griffon, Don since he would scare me to death every morning at the crack of dawn with an ear-splitting roar. The tunnel and cavern amplified his morning antics, and I started to have dreams of me killing my griffon nemesis. He didn’t bother me too much, but his presence made my leaving to hunt for food too risky.

Roknar delivered on the water, and it was hotter than I liked. I spent a couple of hours diverting my 3D printer project designing a way to fill a settling tub so I could bathe without feeling like a lobster. The water was least 50 degrees hotter than my Ouray readings. I wasn’t sure if the temperature differences did to being a splintered world or if they were hotter in 8500 BCE and we didn’t know it. Regardless of the reason, 175 degrees is lobster pot warm, and I had no desire to cook to death.

The increased moisture was also causing mold to grow on the walls, and the bugs were becoming a problem. I was grateful that mosquitos don’t like warm baths, Zeus countered the effects from their bites but could do nothing to stop them from biting me. I added mosquitos to the top of my todo list once I find a way to live.

My food supply was nearly out, and I still didn’t have my final 3D printer built. This may be hard to follow but here’s what I discovered. It takes 3D printers to make even better 3D printers. Roknar wasn’t the right tool to make complex compounds and materials. To make a Molecular Printer, I was forced to make four different printers which in turn made the next printer.

I was tired of the process, and with each step, the printers got bigger and bigger. Roknar expanded my workspace for this last printer. This printer took up nearly 300 square feet and would eventually make the three square foot food processor.

The food processor worked much as Roknar operated. It would take biomatter to convert and change it into food. I’d love to say it was the same as a nice juicy steak but in truth, it turned out to be tasty paste similar to pudding. They tasted good and had all the body needs. I’ve tried the food in Virtual and knew what to expect. Having animals and gardens on a spaceship wasn’t practical. Algae grew well in space and perpetually provided nutrition for the crew.

“Caden, there may be an issue developing in the valley that requires our attention.”

I was in the zone debugging software glitches in the newest printer and barely registered Zeus speaking.

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

“I detect a disturbance from the valley below our tunnel.”

“End Virtual.”

My calorie intake had dropped drastically over the past week, and I spent too much time in Virtual than was healthy. However, I would eat the Virtual paste when I felt too hungry and pretended it was real. I’m not sure why it worked, but it tricked my brain into thinking it had food on its way and the hunger pains would ebb. This, unfortunately, was a lie a waking up reminded me just how hungry I was becoming.

With a grunt, I extracted my weakened body from my couch and made my way through the tunnel. Roknar dug a waste tunnel under the flooring so I wouldn’t have to see body waste flow out of the mountain. I never really appreciated Zeus’ suggestion when I programmed the change in the chamber, but now that I was hungry and shuffling my feet, I felt grateful wouldn’t need to worry about face planting in last nights relief. When Zeus tried to convince me to save the stool samples for the food processor I nearly turned the EMP on myself.

The sun was nearly at its apex, and for the first time, I saw more than one Orc in the valley. As a bonus, I saw my first female Orc with two children huddled behind her. Up until today, only single Orc’s entered the valley to hunt a bison and even then it was rare that I witnessed the hunt. Today wasn’t a hunt but a battle.

Six male Orcs were defending two females from two dozen little green pygmy humanoids. If they weren’t naked and green, I’d think they were human. Well, that was until I zoomed in on them and saw their razor-sharp teeth. Each pygmy brandished a crude knife that looked more machete than cutlass.

I watched in fascination as the Orcs were able to fend off the attack only losing one while killing ten pygmy humanoids before they retreated. The Orcs spears and strength were better than these small creatures could overcome.

“Zeus, I’m starting to wonder about this world.”

“Affirmative.”

I chuckled. “I didn’t say what I was thinking.”

“You are wondering if those were goblins. Based on your naming scheme and the evidence before me, I deduced that you think we’re in a storybook.”

“And you think we’re in a storybook?”

“Negative.”

“Then what was the ‘affirmative’ crap about.”

“Those do appear to be goblins based on your naming scheme. However, the ancient earth has records of pygmy sized humanoids called Homo floresiensis once discovered in Indonesia. No records have shown them ever leaving Indonesia.”

“Were they little green men?”

“They were skeletal remains.”

“So it’s possible they were green. And it’s possible I’m looking at Homo floresiensis’?”

“It’s a possibility just as unlikely as the belief you are in a storied world.”

“Like Middle-Earth.”

“Correct.”

“And the Orcs?”

“Offshoot of the Great Apes.”

“Apes?” I didn’t want to believe I was watching earth evolution and scoffed at the idea that the Orcs were great apes. Then again, humans came from apes as well as Neanderthals.

“Designate the new creatures as goblins.”

“Designation confirmed.”

There is so much we don’t understand about the America’s during 8500 BCE. I spent some of my spare time researching the Americas and know the Olmec people were here by 8000 BCE but we know virtually nothing about them or what was here before them. Were these creatures hunted to extinction by the Olmec?

No. I am not on my earth. The volume of gold is too high, and yet my doubts linger. If I had any more energy than I currently had, I might have spent more time considering the possible scenarios or even try to figure out how I got here.

One thought was all I had time for and figuring out how to feed that thought took all my energy. With one final glance at the battle scene below, I turned and shuffled my way back to my couch. Time to keep working. At least when I was in Virtual, I didn’t suffer so much from hunger.

Settling in my Zero-G, I sighed. “Virtual.” Once in my workspace, I could think once again. “Zeus, I don’t think I’m going to live long enough to complete the food processor.”

“The lack of food won’t kill you. I’m helping direct your body to use up the fat reserves. You’ll feel better once you’ve lost one hundred pounds.”

“ONE HUNDRED POUNDS?!”

“It has only been recently that humans weighed as much as you do. You won’t die from weighing 175 pounds.”

“Zeus, I haven’t weighed 175 since I was ten years old. I can’t do it.”

“Unless you want to climb down the cliff or dig a passage to the base, what choice do you have? Have you changed your mind about hunting?”

I ground my teeth. “No,” the word was laced with contempt, but I hated his plan. Before all this happened, I weighed a healthy 350 pounds and thought myself quite the ladies man. I shuddered in disgust at the thought of seeing my emaciated body in the buff. I swear I’d already lost fifty pounds in the past month and thought my life was about to end at any moment.

I’d never find a girl if I didn’t put the pounds back on and soon. My thoughts stopped when I realized I’d probably never see another human girl again. I needed to look into the human situation here on this earth. I’m hungry and lonely. Sure I had DJ, but even he’s lost his fat rolls. Dog’s are great but crap for conversations. Talking with Zeus…I feel like I’m talking to myself and in a way I was.