Domes of Érobos

Chapter 1 – Two Humanities

HMS Erebus was silently advancing towards the Carina Nebula .

Before her, space began to take on a different hue. It wasn't really a change of color— in a vacuum there are no colors —but rather the increasing concentration of stars, gas clouds, and interstellar dust that made up that region of the galaxy.

Through the observation windows, the crew could contemplate a part of the immense luminous structure that, from Earth , barely looked like a diffuse stain in the sky.

—“It seems impossible that anyone would have decided to live there.”— said Phillip Bardell .

From his pilot's seat, he watched the main screen as the ship slowly corrected its trajectory.

—“Nobody chose to live there,” Christine Chang replied . “That would have been too easy.”

Phillip smiled.

-"So?"-

— “They were sent by a mining company. On an exploration mission.”

—“Ah.”—

—“More than six centuries ago.”—

The voice of the Artificial Intelligence , Kalaster, came from the speakers in the cabin.

—“Correction: six centuries and seventeen years.”—

Phillip looked up.

—“Thanks, Kalaster. I don’t know what we’d do without your knack for ruining a good conversation.”—

—“They would probably make more historical mistakes.”—

— “I’m sure we could live with that.”

—“It is not recommended.”—

James Fitz , the captain of the Erebus , intervened from his console.

— “How long until the HD 93250 sun?”

—“A couple of weeks to reach the planned orbital position.”— Kalaster replied .

Phillip turned his gaze back towards space.

—“HD 93250… this is my first mission to that star.”—

Christine approached the screen.

—“These missions are very unusual for us, Phillip. The Federation sends a ship every 200 years. That sun is an O-type star. Enormous, hot, and rather unpleasant.”—

-"Disgusting?"-

—“From the point of view of a biological organism.”—

Kalaster intervened again.

—“The estimated surface temperature is approximately forty-five thousand Kelvin.”—

Phillip grimaced.

—“Definitely unpleasant.”—

James Fitz smiled.

—“And around her is our destiny.”—

A three-dimensional representation of a planetary system appeared on the screen.

—“Erebus.”— said Devon Marbone , who had just entered the cabin —“The most isolated colony in the Federation.”—

—“I wouldn’t say it’s the most isolated.”— Kalaster corrected .

Devon looked at him.

—“Oh… no?”—

—“It is the most isolated from Earth, which sends ships every 200 years. But the colony is regularly visited by ships from the nearest systems.”—

—“Kalaster...”—

-"Yeah."-

—“Nobody asked you.”—

-"Correct."-

Phillip burst out laughing as James shook his head.

—“Erebus.”— he repeated as he centered the image of the planet on the main screen —“The Colony of the Inner People.”—

—“They call themselves The Hypogea ,” Christine added .

Devon observed the planet on the screen.

—“Why “Colony of the Inland People”?”—

—“Because they live inside the planet.”— Phillip replied .

—“I know that.”—

—“Then I don’t understand the question.”—

Devon pointed to the image.

— “I mean, why do they still call themselves a colony?”

James remained silent for a few seconds.

—“I suppose that’s because they were.”—

—“But that was more than six hundred years ago.”—

—“Yes, that’s true.”—

—“And despite being autonomous, they still maintain an active alliance with Earth.”—

-"Yeah."-

Devon crossed his arms.

—“I’ve been investigating them. Apparently, they’re no longer culturally terrestrial.”—

Christine looked at him.

—“And after more than six hundred years, who said they had to be?”—

No one answered.

The image of Erebus continued to slowly rotate.

From space it looked like a dark world. The star illuminated part of its surface with a violent white light, while the opposite hemisphere remained submerged in almost total night.

— “They say the surface is not habitable,” Phillip said .

—“Correct.”— Kalaster replied —“The combination of stellar radiation, temperature, and atmospheric activity makes prolonged human survival without protection unfeasible.”—

—“Is that why they live underground?”—

—“That’s why they live underground.”—

Christine looked at Devon .

—“That’s the simple version.”—

—“And which one is complicated?”—

—“They have been developing an underground civilization for over six hundred years.”—

Phillip observed the planet again.

—“Six hundred years is a long time.”—

—“Enough to make the customs very different from Earth.”— said Devon .

James looked up.

—“Not necessarily.”—

-"Because?"-

—“At least they still speak like us.”—

Devon smiled.

—“Speaking the same language doesn't mean we look alike.”—

Kalaster made an observation.

—“That can be verified in the historical records of Erebus.”—

Phillip looked towards the speakers.

—“Do you also think they are different?”—

—“They have many differences from Earth.”—

-"Oh..."-

—“The data indicate significant cultural and social differences between the population of Erebus and the population of the Earth Federation.”—

Christine sat down opposite Devon .

-"How much?"-

—“The differences encompass social organization, family structure, interpersonal relationships, labor distribution, education, reproduction, and the conception of the individual.”—

Phillip frowned.

—“Conception of the individual?”—

-"Yeah."-

There was a brief silence. James observed the planet.

—“That’s precisely what we’re going to find out.”—

The Erebus continued to advance.

As they approached HD 93250 , the star filled an increasing portion of the optical instruments.

Erebus appeared before them like a dark sphere silhouetted against the light.

Phillip adjusted the controls.

—“Six hundred years ago, the first settlers arrived there thinking they were founding an extension of the Earth.”—

—“And they ended up becoming something else.”— Christine said .

—“Not necessarily in anything else.”— James replied . —“They’re still human.”—

Devon looked at the screen.

—“That’s precisely what’s interesting.”—

Phillip looked at him.

-"What thing?"-

Devon pointed to Erebus .

—“Perhaps one can still be human without being like us.”—

James Fitz joined the team.

—“Very well. Gentlemen, we have a human colony that has been waiting for more than six centuries beneath the surface of a planet that never forgives those who try to live on it.”—

Christine smiled.

—“I hope they are hospitable.”—

Phillip looked at the screen.

—“After six hundred years living underground, they’ve probably learned how to be.”—

HMS Erebus continued onward and seven days later Kalaster announced that the star HD 93259 had entered the ship's long-range observation systems.

—“Can we see it now?”— asked Phillip Bardell .

—“For several hours now.”—

Phillip looked up at the main screen.

A bluish star occupied the center of the field of vision, too bright to appear real. Around it extended clouds of gas and dust, illuminated from within, as if someone had set fire to a cathedral.

—“There is Erebus.”— said Devon Marbone.

— “Not exactly,” Kalaster corrected . “Erebus is the planet. The star is called HD 93259.”

Phillip smiled.

—“Thank you, Kalaster. Without you, we might have mistaken a star for a planet.”—

—“It’s unlikely, given his training.”—

Christine Chang burst out laughing from the seat next to her.

—“Sometimes I think your sense of humor is better developed than ours.”—

—“I have no sense of humor.”—

—“That’s what worries me.”—

James Fitz entered the bridge at that moment, still in his off-duty uniform.

—“How much longer?”—

—“To enter the orbital approach zone, nineteen hours.”— Phillip replied .

James looked at the screen.

For a few seconds nobody spoke.

The image of the star looked like an ember suspended in the void.

—“I’ll never get used to this.”— said Clara Liddell.

Devon looked at her.

—“To travel all that way just to visit a human colony?”—

—“That every time we arrive somewhere there is something that reminds us that we are very small.”—

Phillip rested his feet on the lower panel.

—“That’s not a problem. We little ones get paid too.”—

—“You get paid because you’re a pilot,” Christine said . “The rest of us get paid for having the patience to put up with you.”

—“Then I should charge double.”—

James let them argue.

The mission was, on the surface, simple.

They had traveled from Earth to the Carina Nebula to deliver a machine. An extraordinarily expensive machine. And very heavy.

The so-called resonant fracturing system , dubbed Hammer by terrestrial engineers , was one of those technologies that seemed simple until someone tried to build them.

He didn't drill into the rock or excavate it: he hammered at it.

A series of generators introduced pressure waves into the subsurface. The system analyzed the geological structure, calculated the most favorable fracture lines, and synchronized the pulses until the rock began to break following pre-established patterns.

The result could be a gigantic excavation with a precision that no conventional method could achieve.

For the Earth Federation it was an industrial tool, but for the inhabitants of Erebus it meant that through it, they could expand their underground cities by creating entire domes .

—“How much does the hammer weigh?”— Clara asked .

—“One hundred and eight tons in transport configuration”— Kalaster replied .

Phillip whistled.

—“And I thought we were bringing a gift.”—

—“It is.”— said James .

—“A rather aggressive gift.”—

Devon turned to him.

—“The Hypogea family requested to buy it six years ago.”—

-"I know."-

—“But the Federation decided to give it to him for free.”—

—“I know that too.”—

Christine raised an eyebrow.

—“And do you know why?”—

Phillip pretended to think about it.

—“Because we are generous people?”—

—“Because we are politicians.”— said James .

Kalaster intervened:

—“Both statements could be true.”—

James looked at him.

—“Are you implying something?”

—“No. I’m trying to avoid implying anything.”—

Christine laughed again.

The Federation had maintained relations with Erebos for over six centuries . The human colony had survived in isolation for generations and, over time, had developed its own forms of organization.

They were neither enemies nor rebels with respect to the Federation .

In practice, they were a distant colony, not a lost one. And they remained members of the human community.

But they weren't exactly like Earthlings either.

And that was precisely what made the Federation consider it important to maintain the alliance and the bonds of friendship.

—“The diplomatic report says that the Hypogea consider the Hammer a strategic tool,” Clara commented .

—“And is it?”— asked Devon .

—“They consider it indispensable for the expansion of their cities.”—

Phillip looked at Devon .

—“And we’ll give it to him as a gift?”—

-"That's how it is."-

—“And without asking for anything in return?”—

James shrugged.

—“To Earth, it’s just another machine. To the hypogea, it’s a vital instrument. Considering that Earth is a highly evolved planet, gifting a Hammer isn’t a significant effort for the Federation.”—

—“That’s why it’s a reasonable deal for the Earth.”—

—“Furthermore,” Devon added , “the Federation wants to strengthen the friendship through the colony’s strategic isolation.”

Phillip looked at the star again.

—“And how long will we have to stay?”—

James answered before Kalaster.

— “It will be several months.”

—“Ah.”—

Phillip paused.

—“That wasn’t in the brochure.”—

—“It may not seem like it, but we are soldiers. And for soldiers there are no pamphlets, only orders.”—

—“Now I understand why.”—

Christine leaned towards him.

—“Don’t worry. We’ll all get through this together. Think of it as an adventure.”—

Phillip looked at her.

—“Of course. It’s easy for you, you have your husband James. And Devon has Clara. I’m the only one without a partner.”

—“I’m the ship’s doctor. If you do something stupid, I’ll be there to fix you.”—

—“How romantic.”—

Christine punched him in the shoulder.

—“Don’t start.”—

Phillip smiled.

James watched them for a moment and then shook his head.

—“From the outside, they look like a married couple. Did you know that?”—

Christine and Phillip responded at the same time:

-"No!"-

Devon looked at Clara.

—“I like this ship.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Kalaster has an artificial intelligence incapable of understanding a joke and two humans incapable of accepting that they look like a couple.”—

—“Humanity is in good hands.”— said Clara .

Phillip looked at Erebus again .

The planet was still just a dark dot under the star's glare.

Down below, a human colony awaited, having requested a machine.

The Earth had decided to give it to them. And they had to teach them how to use it.

At least, that's what the official mission program said.

Kalaster spoke again.

—“I have received confirmation from Erebus. The colony has already prepared the necessary facilities to receive the Hammer.”—

James nodded.

HMS Erebus continued onward towards the blue star.

Its holds carried one hundred and eight tons of terrestrial technology intended to open the stone.

And with them, a small part of the Earth that was about to be handed over to a people who had spent more than six hundred years learning to live under it.

Two days from Erebus , HMS Erebus had reduced its approach speed.

There was no need to rush.

After a journey of seven thousand five hundred light-years, forty-eight hours seemed like a courtesy.

On the bridge's main screen, the Carina Nebula occupied a large portion of the visible space. Immense clouds of gas stretched out like continents suspended in the darkness. Hundreds of stars shone brightly among them.

But one dominated the scene: HD 93250.

—“There’s our hostess, plain to see.”— said Phillip Bardell .

—“Our hostess has a very bad temper,” Christine Chang replied .

Phillip smiled.

—“Do you know her personally?”—

—“No. The last expedition from Earth came about two hundred years ago. But I have read his medical history.”—

Devon Marbone looked up from his terminal.

—“It’s an O-type star. Very massive, very luminous, and extraordinarily hot.”—

—“How much is ' extraordinarily '?”— asked Clara Liddel .

Kalaster responded from the loudspeakers.

—“The estimated surface temperature is approximately forty-five thousand kelvin.”—

Phillip let out a whistle.

—“Now that’s heat.”—

—"A temperature incompatible with human survival"— said Kalaster .

Christine looked at Phillip .

James Fitz , sitting in the command post, was observing the orbital data.

—“And how does that temperature impact the planet?”—

An enlarged image appeared on the screen: Erebus .

At first glance, it seemed unremarkable.

It looked like a rocky, dark world, with almost no signs of surface activity. But the thermal maps told a different story.

Large areas of the planet reached temperatures capable of rapidly destroying any exposed equipment. Particle storms from HD 93250 battered the surface with constant violence.

—“It doesn’t exactly look like a tourist destination.”— said Phillip .

—“No. It isn’t.”— Devon replied .

— “And do people live there?”

-"Below."-

Phillip turned his head.

-"Everyone?"-

—“Practically the entire population. The surface is controlled by robots.”—

Kalaster projected a diagram of the planet.

—“The surface of Erebus is considered by the Hypogea to be an operationally hostile environment. Most of their ongoing activities take place underground.”—

Christine frowned.

—“Operationally hostile environment”?”—

—“It is the description used by the Hypogea.”—

—“And what would we call it?”—

Phillip replied:

—“A place where it’s not advisable to go out without a hat.”—

Kalaster remained silent.

Christine asked the Artificial Intelligence:

—“Aren’t you going to fix it?”—

-"No."-

-"Because?"-

—“Because in this case Phillip’s observation is clear enough.”—

James smiled.

—“Write down the date. We just got Kalaster to agree with Phillip.”—

—“I have not expressed agreement.”— said the Artificial Intelligence.

—“I thought so.”—

Devon expanded the map.

Then the underground structures appeared. And they weren't just simple shelters.

Erebus was crisscrossed by a gigantic network of tunnels.

Kilometers and kilometers of tunnels connected cities to one another, forming a true underground communication network.

—“How many cities?”— Clara asked .

—“Federal records list 117 major urban centers,” Kalaster replied . “There are also numerous smaller communities.”

Phillip whistled.

—“And all that is down there?”—

-"Correct."-

—“How do they cultivate it?”—

—“Underground farms.”—

-"Animals?"-

—“Breeding farms.”—

-"Water?"-

—“Collection and recycling systems.”—

Phillip looked at James.

—“These kids take it seriously.”—

—“It seems so.”—

—“Do they never go out?”—

Devon shook his head.

—“No. At least, not like us.”—

Phillip looked at the image again.

Above those invisible cities lay a surface scorched by a monstrous star.

Below, an entire civilization.

A humanity that had decided, six centuries ago, that the true planet was not above ground. It was in the subterranean realms.

—“It must seem strange.”— said Clara .

-"What thing?"-

—“To think that for them we are the ones who live in a tin can.”—

No one responded immediately; Phillip was the first to smile.

—“Well. Technically, we live on a spaceship.”—

—“A ship traversing the void.”—

—“Minor details. It’s still just a tin can.”—

The scene changed. One of the great hypogean cities appeared.

Phillip stopped smiling.

—“Is that a city?”—

-"Yeah."-

The image showed an immense underground chamber. It wasn't an elegant construction in the usual terrestrial sense.

It was monumental. Or brutal.

The walls seemed to be part of the mountain itself. Large blocks of stone and reinforced cement made up the extraordinarily thick inner walls.

Above them rose enormous horseshoe arches that intertwined with each other to support the structure.

Barrel vaults covered the main spaces.

Everything seemed designed to withstand not only the weight of tons of rock on their heads, but entire centuries of existence.

—“Now that’s architecture.”— James murmured .

—“Pure cutting-edge engineering.”— said Devon .

-"Also."-

Kalaster made another section appear: a tunnel.

Or, more precisely, a road. It was so wide that several machines could travel along it simultaneously.

Horseshoe arches were repeated at regular intervals, forming an endless succession of stone structures.

—“How long is that tunnel?”— Phillip asked .

—“That particular stretch is one hundred and thirty-eight kilometers long.”—

Phillip remained silent.

—“One hundred and thirty-eight?”—

—“Kilometers.”—

Christine rested her arms on the console.

—“We build roads on the surface. Nothing compares to this.”—

Devon pointed at the screen.

—“They built the entire planet beneath the surface.”—

Phillip looked at the image again.

The tunnels disappeared into the darkness, connecting one city to another. They didn't look like tunnels, but rather avenues. The domes resembled entire cities enclosed within mountains.

And the arches, repeated until they disappeared into the distance, gave the whole thing a strange and solemn appearance.

—“Why do they use horseshoe arches so much?”— Clara asked .

Devon replied:

—“They work very well structurally.”—

—“That doesn’t explain why everyone looks like that.”—

Kalaster intervened.

—“Hypogean architecture developed its own construction tradition. The horseshoe arch allows for the efficient distribution of lateral loads in its large cavities. It has also become a characteristic cultural element of the hypogeum.”—

Phillip pointed at the screen.

—“So they started making them because they were useful and ended up making them because they liked them.”—

—“An acceptable simplification.”—

Christine looked again at the enormous vaults.

—“It’s curious.”—

-"That?"-

—“We built buildings to protect ourselves from the planet, but they built a planet within the planet.”—

Phillip looked at the image for a few seconds.

—“Do you know what’s the strangest thing?”—

-"That?"-

—“They’ll probably think we’re the weird ones when we get there.”—

Kalaster responded immediately:

—“That hypothesis has a high probability.”—

James burst out laughing.

-"Good."-

He got up from his seat.

—“Two days to get there.”—

Phillip returned to the controls.

—“Two days.”— she said softly.

Domes of Érobos

by Rodriac Copen

Chapter 2 – The Inner Village

Outside, HD 93250 continued to burn with an intensity capable of turning the surface of Erebus into a hell.

Below, under kilometers of rock, a human civilization continued to live in silence.

Their cities were linked by underground roads and their vaults rested on stone arches. Their farms grew underground and their animals had never seen the sky.

And, as HMS Erebus approached, six centuries of independent evolution awaited visitors from the surface.

Two days.

Later, Earthlings would discover what humanity looked like after six hundred years of gazing into the depths.

They were a few hours away from reaching Erebus when Captain James Fitz ordered the orbital approach sequence to begin.

HMS Erebus gradually reduced its speed while Kalaster recalculated the trajectory.

—“Final orbit?”— James asked .

—“Establishing a geostationary orbit over the night hemisphere.”—

Phillip Bardell raised an eyebrow.

—“Can’t we stay on the lit side?”—

—“I don’t recommend it.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Because they would die. Heat shields don't have the capacity to insulate the ship for several months.”—

Phillip nodded.

—“A rather compelling reason.”—

Kalaster continued:

—“The surface temperature of Erebus during the day far exceeds the operational limits of our shuttle. Prolonged exposure would cause structural damage and endanger the crew.”—

Christine Chang looked at James .

—“Then we’ll go down at night.”—

-"Exactly."-

—“And how long does the night last?”—

—“It depends on the orbital position. The useful window will be approximately eleven hours.”—

Phillip whistled.

—“Eleven hours to go down, disembark, unload, set up the systems, and go back up.”—

-"No."-

-"No?"-

—“Eleven hours to complete the descent and the planned approach operations. Unloading the Hammer will require more time.”—

James looked at Devon .

—“We’ll have to coordinate it with the Hypogea.”—

—“They already anticipated it.”— replied the scientist.

Phillip looked at the screen again. The planet's night hemisphere appeared dark, but not completely black. There were bright spots.

Miles.

They were not cities on the surface, but signs of the infrastructure.

—“What am I seeing?”—

Kalaster enlarged the image.

The darkness was filled with lines and dots.

—“The network of hypogean facilities.”—

—“On the surface?”—

—“No. Underground.”—

Phillip stared at the screen for a few seconds.

—“So how do we know where they are?”—

—“For its wells of illumination.”—

Several perfectly aligned rectangles appeared on the surface. They were enormous. From orbit, they looked like open geometric wounds in the planet's crust.

—“Wells?”— asked Clara Liddel .

-"Yeah."-

—“For ventilation?”—

—“Mainly to transport light.”—

Devon smiled.

—“That’s one of the interesting things about Erebus.”—

The image zoomed in. At the bottom of each well appeared a complex structure resembling a gigantic lattice.

—“Solar collectors.”— explained Devon —“Hypogea use optical systems to bring natural light inside.”—

Christine leaned towards the screen.

—“Optical fibers?”—

—“Of dimensions that would put any terrestrial engineer to shame.”—

Kalaster projected a cross-section.

A rectangular shaft descended dozens of meters. At the bottom, a structure captured sunlight. From there, enormous bundles of optical fibers extended deep into the rock.

The conduits descended for hundreds of meters and then branched out. Some ended in tunnels, others in large vaults. Finally, others powered artificial lighting systems via converters.

—“They have built trees of light.”— said Clara .

—“It’s a poetic description.”— Kalaster observed .

Phillip smiled.

—“You just accepted a metaphor, Kalaster.”—

—“I have determined that it is functionally adequate.”—

—“You are becoming more human every day.”—

—“There is no evidence to support that claim.”—

James intervened before another argument could begin.

—“Where do they get their energy from?”—

—“Primarily from two sources.”— Kalaster replied —“Surface solar generation and geothermal extraction.”—

“That makes sense,” said Devon . “Up above they have a monstrous star. Down below they have a hot planet.”

Phillip looked at the screen.

—“They’ve turned their two problems into power plants.”—

—“A reasonably accurate description.”— said Kalaster .

The spacecraft continued its slow descent toward its intended orbit. As they approached, new images appeared.

This time they weren't structures: they were machines. A humanoid figure moved across a rocky surface.

It had an articulated metal body, four optical sensors in its head, and a set of tools attached to its arms.

—“What is that?”— Christine asked .

—“Robotic unit for hypogean exploration.”—

—“It looks like a person.”—

—“It’s not a person.”—

—“I know.”—

—“I’m sorry. Your question was ambiguous.”—

Christine sighed.

—“Do they use them to explore the surface?”—

—“Correct. And to carry out tasks.”—

—“And why in human form?”—

Devon replied:

—“Because many of its tools and facilities were originally designed for humans. An anthropomorphic robot can use equipment designed for human hands, arms, and legs without needing to modify it.”—

Clara looked at the image.

—“They are good.”—

—“Very good.”— said Devon .

Kalaster added:

—“The hypogean robotics industry is among the most advanced in the Federation.”—

Phillip turned around.

—“More advanced than ours?”—

—“In certain fields they are as advanced as CyberSun, the company that provides life insurance to the crews of Federation military vessels, like this one.”—

-"Oh..."-

—“Yes. They are very advanced.”—

The image changed again, showing an underground city. Then another, and another.

The gigantic chambers appeared to be connected by tunnels. In some, agricultural areas could be distinguished. In others, industrial facilities.

There were large areas designated for raising animals. All of it was underground.

Phillip stared.

—“Do they never come to the surface?”—

Devon took a moment to reply.

—“They practically don’t need to.”—

—“It’s not the same.”—

—“No, that’s true. To answer your question, there are hypogea that have never reached the planet’s surface.”—

The scientist expanded one of the complexes.

—“The point is that we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that the Hypogeans live underground because they prefer to or because they have agoraphobia.”—

—“And why do they do it?”—

Christine replied:

—“Because if they go out, they’ll die.”—

-"Exactly."-

Devon pointed at the screen.

—“The surface is not a home. It is a threat.”—

That phrase hung in the air on the bridge: a threat.

Not a landscape, not a vacation spot. It wasn't an open world, but a threat. For Earthlings, the sky was something that had been there since birth. For a Hypogeum, perhaps it was simply the wrong roof.

Phillip settled into his seat.

—“So their entire subterranean civilization was formed that way out of necessity.”—

-"Yeah."-

—“And after six hundred years they ended up making that obligation a way of life.”—

Devon nodded.

—“It seems so.”—

Christine crossed her arms.

—“And how do you keep an entire society locked up for generations?”—

No one responded immediately. Kalaster projected a series of demographic data.

—“With extremely efficient resource management. And a highly reinforced psychological approach.”—

James frowned.

—“That doesn’t sound too easy.”—

—“It isn’t.”—

Figures emerged for various data points: energy consumption, food production, working hours, habitable area, water availability, and agricultural capacity.

Phillip looked at the numbers.

—“They need to work hard.”—

—“Very much so. It’s definitely a tough world.”— said Devon .

-"How much?"-

—“I don’t have a figure comparable to terrestrial standards. Their definition of a working day is different.”—

Clara looked at the data.

—“So they need practically everyone to be useful.”—

Devon looked at her and nodded.

—“Few resources. A lot of work. Limited space. A deadly surface.”—

Phillip completed:

—“And too many people.”—

Devon nodded.

—“Exactly. And that’s why they need the Hammer. ”—

Kalaster turned off the numbers.

—“The hypogean population exhibits a highly optimized social structure.”—

Christine looked at him.

—“Optimized for what?”—

—“To survive.”—

The answer was so simple that no one commented. Outside, Erebus already occupied a good part of the field of vision.

The night surface seemed tranquil. But beneath that dark crust lay an entire civilization.

James got up.

— “Prepare the shuttle.”—

Phillip checked the instruments.

—“Are we going down tomorrow?”—

-"Tomorrow night."-

Christine looked at the surface one last time.

—“How strange.”—

Phillip looked at her.

-"That?"-

Christine pointed to the bright spots beneath the surface.

—“We learned to dominate the planet so we could live on it. They learned to live without it.”—

Devon slowly shook his head.

—“I would say they learned how to build another planet.”—

Phillip gazed upon Erebus .

For the first time since they had begun their journey, she felt a certain curiosity to meet the inhabitants of that world.

Not because of its technology, its cities. Not even because of the Hammer .

I wanted to know what kind of human beings could emerge when for six hundred years no one had the possibility of looking at the sky.

The night of Erebus came as a blessing.

From geostationary orbit, the planet appeared as a black sphere pierced by a few lines of light. The surface remained almost invisible in shadow, while HD 93259 disappeared behind the horizon.

—“Now.”— said Kalaster .

The shuttle detached from HMS Erebus . Phillip Bardell immediately took the manual controls.

—“Beginning night descent.”—

-"Confirmed."-

-"Temperature?"-

—“Within safe limits.”—

—“For once, I’m glad to hear that.”—

Christine Chang , sitting behind him, looked out the window. There were no buildings or roads in sight. No lights from buildings or construction sites, only darkness.

—“Where are they?”— he asked.

Kalaster responded from the communications system.

—“Beneath us.”—

Phillip smiled.

—“That’s starting to become a habit.”—

A luminous point then appeared on the surface. Then another, and another.

The shuttle descended toward them. They were the light wells.

Perfect rectangles opened in the planet's crust. During the day, their structures captured the brutal light of HD 93259 and channeled it into the depths. At night, they were little more than large black mouths.

Phillip maneuvered between two of them. A little further on, a platform appeared.

The shuttle landed there. When the hatch opened, a group of people were waiting under a vaulted structure.

Captain James Fitz was the first to get out, while a man in his fifties walked toward him. He was wearing a simple uniform, without military insignia.

—“Captain Fitz”—

—“Governor Kouris.”—

—“Theron Kouris.”—

They shook hands.

Theron looked towards the shuttle.

—“Welcome to Erebos.”—

Phillip descended after Christine , followed by Devon Marbone and Clara Liddel .

Theron greeted each one politely.

There were no soldiers. Phillip looked around.

—“Don’t they have guards?”—

Theron seemed not to understand the question.

-"No."-

— “Security? Police?” Christine interjected .

-"Neither."-

Phillip looked at James , who just shrugged.

—“Do you never have any problems?” Christine asked .

Theron seemed to reflect.

—“There are no crimes here. But we have constant problems.”—

-"So..."-

—“We’ll solve them.”—

—“No police?”—

—“Yes. They are not necessary.”—

Phillip looked at Kalaster , whose portable module floated behind the group.

—“This is getting interesting.”—

Theron did not seem to share his enthusiasm.

—“We’d better go down.”— said the governor as he pointed to a platform.

Beneath it opened a huge conduit, where light descended into the depths through bundles of optical fibers. A large conveyor belt moved them swiftly along the roadway.

—“This is one of our main entrances.”— Theron explained .

Phillip observed the walls, thick and enormous. The horseshoe arches repeated themselves until they disappeared into the distance.

—“Nice hole.”—

Theron looked at him, smiling at the joke.

—“It’s the entrance to the city.”—

Phillip coughed.

—“Beautiful city.”—

They descended, and as the platform lowered, the world above gradually disappeared. There was no wind, no sky. Only stone and, far off, a sliver of light.

A soft, almost solar light bathed the enormous tunnels.

Christine watched the people moving along the moving walkways in the tunnels. And she began to notice something strange: there were men and women. But the difference between the sexes wasn't immediately obvious.

Not because of their clothing or behavior, nor because of their physical appearance.

Some men were thin, others muscular. And he observed some robust women with broad shoulders, while others had smaller bodies and delicate features.

Theron walked alongside them without anyone seeming to pay special attention to the differences.

Clara discreetly approached Devon .

—“Do you notice it?”—

-"Yeah."-

Later, a group of workers appeared from a side tunnel. They were carrying mining tools.

Phillip observed a woman carrying a metal piece that he would have considered heavy even for a trained man.

The woman placed it on a platform and continued walking.

—“Does she work in mining?”— he asked.

—“Yes.”— Theron replied .

—“Do all women do it?”—

—“Not all of them. Only those that have that function.”—

Phillip looked at Christine .

-"Function?"-

Theron continued walking.

—“At Erebos, we strive to ensure that each person fulfills the role for which they are most useful.”—

Christine frowned.

—“More useful?”—

—“Of course. For the community.”—

There seemed to be no intention to offend. And precisely for that reason, the phrase was somewhat uncomfortable for Earthlings.

Devon intervened:

—“And how do they determine that utility?”—

—“It depends on physical, intellectual, and reproductive capabilities. And we have a system of quotas available for activities or professions.”—

Phillip looked at a woman walking past them.

—“And what are reproductive capabilities?”—

Theron nodded.

—“There are women whose constitution is especially suited for bearing children. They fulfill that function.”—

—“And the others?”—

—“They work.”—

—“On anything?”—

—“In whatever they can do best. They can choose if there are available slots.”—

Phillip remembered the woman with the metal piece.

—“Do women work in quarries?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“Mining? Excavation? Maintenance?”—

—“Of course, if that’s what you want.”—

—“And how do they withstand the strain of physical labor?”—

Theron looked at him.

—“They are given testosterone if they wish.”—

Christine raised her eyebrows slightly.

—“Since what age?”—

—“Some receive it from adolescence, when it is determined that they need it for their function.”—

The silence of the Earthlings was brief, but noticeable. Phillip decided to break it.

—“And the men?”—

Theron looked at him as if the question was strange.

—“They work too. In the same tasks. There are no differences between the sexes if that's what you want to know.”—

Phillip nodded slowly.

It didn't look like a society of men and women. It looked like a workers' society. And that was understandable, given the colony's mining past.

Where some had certain roles, others had different ones. And biological sex was merely a statistical fact. Except in the case of gestational women.

—“And the children?”— Clara asked .

— “They are educated in schools.”

—“Because of your parents?”—

Theron shook her head.

—“No, because of the educators.”—

—“And their mothers?”—

—“After giving birth, they rest for a few months and then continue performing their gestational function.”—

Clara looked at Devon . He said nothing.

Theron seemed to notice the expression on both their faces.

— “Our customs should not be judged by earthly standards.”

— “We’re not judging.” — said Devon .

- "Still."-

Phillip smiled. Theron did too. It was the first sign that the governor knew how to appreciate irony.

— “Do you have children?” Phillip asked .

—“The colony has children. Not the individuals.”—

—“That wasn’t exactly what I asked.”—

—“I know. Men contribute sperm, but we don't know which gestational mother it's assigned to. Nor who our children are.”—

They continued walking. A couple passed in front of them. Or at least, Phillip thought it was a couple. They were a woman and a man walking together.

—“Are you husband and wife?”— he asked.

Theron looked at them.

—“No. I don’t think so.”—

-"Companions?"-

—“They probably work in the same sector.”—

Phillip watched them walk away.

—“Ah.”—

A minute later he saw another man walking alone. Then a woman. Then a group talking as they walked towards one of the domes.

—“Do people live alone here?” Christine asked .

—“Yes. That’s usually the case.”—

-"Always?"-

—“Not always, but generally.”—

—“And the couples?”—

Theron stopped again to explain.

—“You see, in Erebus we don't usually have partners.”—

Phillip thought he had misheard.

—“Don’t they have partners?”—

—“Not like you on Earth.”—

—“And sex?”—

Theron responded with complete naturalness:

—“Sex here is almost exclusively for the reproductive purposes of the colony.”—

Christine blinked.

-"Only?"-

-"Mostly."-

—“Doesn’t… exist?”—

She searched for the word. Theron waited.

—“Intimate companionship?”—

—“I don’t understand that concept. But if it refers to recreational sex, then yes. Some hypogeans enjoy recreational sex. Generally, if that’s the case, they choose to live as a couple. Something similar to Earth.”

Phillip looked at Christine .

For the first time since they had landed, neither of them could think of a witty remark.

Theron continued:

—“Affection exists. Friendship exists. Cooperation exists. Family exists in certain forms.”—

—“But don’t they live together?” Clara asked .

— “The majority of hypogea, no.”

-"Never?"-

—“Older people often do it. Some traditionalists do too. And, as I said, those who practice recreational sex.”—

Phillip looked around again.

—“And you think that’s normal?”—

Theron responded:

—“It’s normal for the colony.”—

There was no pride in his voice, nor contempt. It was simply a statement. That was normality in Erebus .

Christine noticed a woman approaching down the corridor.

She was different. Her body had distinctly feminine features. Her clothes were different. She was walking accompanied by two children.

Phillip looked at her too. Theron followed his gaze.

—“She belongs to the reproductive group.”—

—“And the other women?” Christine asked .

—“They don’t need to be like her.”—

Christine remained silent.

Phillip then understood something even more unsettling: in Erebus , being a man or a woman didn't seem to determine who you were. What you did determined it .

And, little by little, sexual difference had become a functional issue, not one of identity or sentiment. It was functional.

—“And do you believe in God?”— Clara asked unexpectedly.

Theron looked at her.

-"What's that?"-

—“An omnipotent higher entity. A religious belief.”—

—“Ah, I see. I know that on Earth they have religions. We don't have any here.”—

—“Did they never have one?”—

—“The first settlers, yes.”—

—“And what happened?”—

Theron continued walking.

—“They abandoned her.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Because he wouldn’t help us dig.”—

Phillip burst out laughing. Theron looked at him.

—“Is it funny?”—

-"A bit."-

—“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”—

—“That’s not right, we’re being nosy.”—

They finally arrived at a huge chamber where a gigantic underground dome rose above them.

The horseshoe arches formed a monumental structure that seemed to support the weight of the entire mountain.

Theron pointed towards a building in one of the corridors.

—“That will be your hotel during your stay.”—

James looked around.

—“How long will it take to install the Hammer?”—

—“The initial installation will take several weeks. After that, they will have to train our operators.”—

-"How long?"-

—“Whoever is necessary. Their stay will be resolved without problems.”—

James nodded.

—“We might be here for several months.”—

—“No problem, Captain.”—

Theron paused.

—“And they will need constant contact.”—

A woman approached from the end of the camera.

Phillip saw her before Theron even said her name.

She was tall. Broad-shouldered. She had the compact build of someone accustomed to physical labor. She wore gray work clothes and carried a geological tablet under her arm. Her face was serene. She didn't look young, nor particularly old.

Theron introduced her.

—“Ruth Galanis.”—

The woman greeted the newcomers. Then she asked:

—“Which one of you is the pilot?”—

Phillip raised a hand.

-"I."-

Ruth watched him for a few seconds. Then she looked down at her hands. Phillip didn't know why.

—“Are those hands steering the ship?”— she asked.

-"Yeah."-

Ruth seemed surprised.

—“You have no scars.”—

Phillip looked at his own hands.

—“Well… it’s not a physically demanding job. It’s difficult in other ways.”—

Ruth looked up again. She didn't smile, but something like curiosity appeared on her face. She seemed somewhat troubled.

—“Well, Phillip, since you’re trained to read three-dimensional maps, you and I will have to work together to navigate the maze of tunnels and vaults in the colony.”—

—“That’s fine with me, boss. I’ll do whatever you say.”— the pilot joked.

Theron continued:

—“Ruth will be your host, contact, and guide during your stay in Erebus.”—

Phillip extended his hand.

-"Delighted."-

Ruth stared at his hand for a moment, then shook it. His hand was rough and strong, a stark contrast to the pilot's soft hands. Phillip 's hand almost disappeared inside hers. She held it for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, then released it.

—“Welcome to the Inland Village.”— said the geologist.

Phillip smiled.

-"Thank you."-

She looked at her hands again, and Phillip had the strange feeling that, on that strange planet, he was the one who had just been examined.

Domes of Érobos

by Rodriac Copen

Chapter 3 – Unnecessary Things

The Hammer didn't start working until Phillip Bardell was standing in front of the map.

The first test had ended in an almost hour-long discussion. Not about the machine, but about the coordinates.

—“That point is wrong.”— said Ruth Galanis .

Phillip raised his head.

—“No. Look at these references.”—

-"Yeah."-

—“The vertical coordinate is correct.”—

—“But the horizontal line is slightly offset.”—

Phillip pointed at the screen.

—“Because perhaps you're reading the depth axis backwards.”—

Ruth moved a little closer.

—“No, I’m not reading it backwards.”—

—“You may be interpreting the map using two-dimensional parameters. The map generated by the Hammer is slightly different from the ones you're used to reading.”—

Ruth remained silent.

Phillip enlarged the rendering to improve the view of the details.

The three-dimensional map showed the rock structure as a transparent mass traversed by tunnels, cavities, and mineral veins.

—“Look.”— he said —“We’re not looking for a point. We’re looking for a trajectory.”— he pointed to a sector.

Ruth looked at the picture. Then she looked at him and smiled very slightly.

-"You're right."-

Phillip smiled.

—“It happened to me frequently during my training as well.”—

—“Don’t exaggerate.”

—“It was a slight exaggeration.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Because it’s a custom on Earth.”—

Ruth studied it for a few seconds.

-"Exaggerate?"-

—“Sometimes, yes.”—

—“Unnecessary?”—

—“No. It’s so you don’t feel bad. We call it empathy.”—

Ruth seemed to consider that information.

—“It’s a strange custom.”—

—“We have many. Who doesn’t?”—

The Hammer was waiting behind them.

The enormous machine had been transported to a work chamber where the Hypogea had prepared the first excavation area.

Their operation depended on those coordinates. And a small difference could mean a pointless fracture.

A larger difference could cause a pressure wave to propagate through the wrong vein and compromise an entire section of the tunnel.

Ruth looked at the map again.

—“Show me how you do it.”—

Phillip leaned over the console.

—“There’s not much I can teach you. Look, a pilot learns to imagine space in three dimensions.”—

—“A geologist too.”—

—“That’s why I said it. We have something in common.”—

Ruth looked at him.

-"Yeah."-

It was the first time Phillip noticed her smiling openly. Very rarely, but she did.

During the following weeks they worked closely together. At first it was out of necessity, then out of habit. Despite the enormous cultural differences, they got along very well.

And finally, no one asked why Ruth was almost always next to Phillip when interpreting a three-dimensional map.

She turned out to be an excellent geologist. And she had also been an excavator.

Phillip discovered it one afternoon, when among some folders, he found a photograph of Ruth in one of the old files .

—“Is that you?”—

Ruth looked at the picture.

-"Yeah."-

Phillip looked at the photograph. Ruth was standing in front of an excavator, covered in dust, with a helmet on her head.

—“Did you work with that?”—

—“I did it for eleven years.”—

—“And then you studied geology?”—

—“For the first few years, I did excavations. Later, I studied geology while I was in that position.”—

-"Because?"-

Ruth seemed surprised by the question.

—“I like to know what’s underneath where we’re digging.”—

Phillip smiled.

—“That’s quite reasonable.”—

—“Now I’m looking for new routes.”—

—“Routes?”—

—“New tunnels. New chambers. Potential locations for cities. You know. Expansion of the human habitat.”—

Phillip looked at her.

—“Are you exploring to build new cities?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“I understand. On Earth we have explorers searching for planets.”—

—“We already have one.”—

-"Touch."-

Ruth looked at him, uncomprehending.

—“What does that mean?”—

—“You won the argument.”—

—“But… we weren’t arguing.”—

—“That’s also an Earth custom.”—

Ruth looked at the map again.

—“Earthlings talk a lot.”—

—“That too.”—

Phillip was beginning to find it amusing that Ruth took almost everything he said literally.

But there was something else: he liked talking to her. Ruth constantly asked about Earth .

I wanted to know what the cities were like, how families lived, and how children were educated.

Why did men and women dress differently on certain occasions? Why did some people work their entire lives in jobs that weren't necessary for survival?

He asked about professions that didn't exist on his planet, like artists and athletes. He wanted to know why someone would consider spending twenty years studying a dead language.

And, above all, why did the Earthlings seem determined to do so many things that weren't necessary?

It seemed that among the hypogea everything revolved around the survival and sustenance of the human species.

—“What is the purpose of a musician?”— he once asked.

Phillip thought for a few seconds.

—“Well… he composes melodies, he makes music.”—

—“I just don’t understand what it’s for.”—

—“Well… arts like music, painting, writing. You could say they are recreational.”—

—“Amusement parks?”—

—“Of course. Don’t you do anything for pleasure?”—

Ruth seemed confused.

—“I work at what I love.”—

—“I’m not talking about work, but leisure. Do you do something you enjoy just because, without it being obligatory or related to work? Art is something like that.”—

Ruth looked at him patiently.

—“I don’t understand. I like to swim.”—

Phillip smiled.

—“There you have it. On Earth, the arts, like music, film, painting, or reading, are pleasures that don't have a survival or practical purpose. They do good for the spirit, for people's moods. I don't know if I'm the best at explaining. I'm doing what I can.”

Ruth nodded slowly.

—“I think I understand you. In Erebus, no one would dedicate time to an activity that produces nothing necessary.”—

—“But you like to swim. And you do it for pleasure, right?”—

—“You’re right. And now that you mention it, I don’t understand why there’s no art here.”—

—“Well… perhaps the harsh and difficult environmental conditions led them to prioritize practicality over recreation. I’m speculating, of course.”—

—“It seems they have leisure time on Earth.”—

—“That’s what development is for. The more advanced a civilization is, the more time it should give people to relax and enjoy life. What’s the point of development and evolution if it doesn’t allow humanity to do that?”

-"I guess."-

—“Perhaps the colony is still struggling to survive the hostile environment here. When it stabilizes, leisure and the arts will also begin to evolve.”—

Ruth went back to studying the map.

—“It must be pleasant.”—

Phillip looked at her.

-"What thing?"-

—“To be able to do unnecessary things.”—

That answer left him thinking. A little later that same day, Ruth said:

—“I still don’t fully understand what the use of music is.”—

Phillip looked up.

—“It has no practical use.”—

Ruth frowned.

—“So why are they listening to her?”—

—“Because we like it. It relaxes us. It entertains us.”—

—“And what does that mean?”—

Phillip was left thinking.

—“You like to swim. But you don’t get anything out of it. That means something might be valuable to you, even if it’s useless.”—

Ruth looked at him with an almost distrustful expression.

—“That seems like a dangerous way of thinking. Exercise is good for the body.”—

—“On Earth we have many dangerous ways of thinking.”—

—“I’ve already noticed.”—

—“Look… swimming is good for your body. That’s why you do it. Listening to music is good for the spirit, for the mood. That’s why we listen to it.”—

Phillip smiled.

They had talked for almost an hour. About music, painting, novels, poetry. Ruth had asked what the point was of a painting that didn't show a map, a mineral vein, or a geological structure.

Phillip had tried to explain it to him, but he hadn't gotten very far.

The next day, Ruth found Phillip waiting for her next to the laboratory.

—“I have something for you.”—

She looked at the small device he was holding.

-"What is it?"-

—“A collection.”—

-"About what?"-

—“Of useless things.”—

Ruth looked at him seriously.

—“It doesn’t seem like a good gift.”—

Phillip burst out laughing.

-"Wait."-

He handed her the device. It was small, but it contained a complete library with thousands of musical compositions. Galleries of paintings and sculptures from around the world. Photographs of ancient and modern works. Books of all kinds.

—“Is all of this here?”— Ruth asked .

-"All."-

-"So that?"-

—“So you can find out.”—

Ruth ran a finger over the surface of the device.

—“How long would it take me to read it?”—

—“A whole lifetime, probably.”—

She looked up.

—“And have you read everything?”—

-"No."-

—“Then I don’t understand why you’re giving it to me. It’s still useful to you.”—

Phillip shrugged.

—“Because you asked me. I’m giving it to you so you can experience it, Ruth. Because I care about you. Art can’t be explained. We try, but it can’t be done. You have to enjoy it and live it. That’s why I’m giving it to you.”

Ruth remained motionless. It was clear that this didn't fit into any category she knew.

And yet, Phillip had prepared it especially for her.

—“Why?”— he asked.

—“Because I want you to know something about my world.”—

Ruth looked down at the device again.

—“Should I return it to you later?”—

—“No. Now it’s yours.”—

That sentence seemed to affect her more than anything else. Ruth didn't respond. She simply activated the device.

The first image that appeared was a painting: a landscape. There was a huge sky, a river, trees, and a woman sitting by the water.

Ruth remained gazing at her.

-"Where is?"-

—“Nowhere. That place doesn’t exist.”—

She turned her head.

—“Doesn’t it exist?”—

—“No. It’s a painting.”—

—“Then it never happened.”—

—“Not necessarily.”—

Ruth looked at the image again.

—“And why would anyone paint something that doesn’t exist?”—

Phillip smiled.

—“Because perhaps I would have wanted to be there. Because I could imagine it.”—

Ruth remained silent.

She moved to the next image, then to another. Then she turned on the music. And a melody filled the small space where they were.

Ruth remained completely still, listening. For a moment she closed her eyes.

Phillip smiled without saying anything.

When the piece ended, Ruth remained motionless for a few more seconds.

—“What are you doing?”— he finally asked.

-"Nothing."-

She opened her eyes.

-"Nothing?"-

—“It’s just there.”—

Ruth looked at the screen again. Then she opened one of the books to read the first few lines.

Phillip began to walk away.

—“Where are you going?”—

He turned around.

—“I want to leave you alone.”—

Ruth looked at him.

-"Because?"-

Phillip smiled.

—“Because I think you’ve just discovered something that needs quite a bit of time to understand.”—

Ruth turned her gaze back to the device.

—“Phillip.”—

-"Yeah?"-

-"Thank you."-

He nodded.

-"No reason."-

He left.

Ruth remained seated. For a few minutes she continued looking at the painting. Then she went back to the music. Then she opened a novel.

And, for the first time in her life, a woman from Erebus devoted a portion of her time to something that had no practical use.

I didn't yet know that this was called leisure . Nor did I know that I had just received something much stranger than a library.

Phillip had given him the gift of wasting time. And he couldn't tear himself away from that device.

As the weeks went by, Ruth also began to observe the crew. At first discreetly. Later, with less subtlety.

She was particularly intrigued by Phillip and Christine . She knew that the two had known each other for years.

They joked, touched each other's arms, and pushed each other. They argued and laughed together. Christine knew stories about Phillip that he had never told Ruth .

Phillip knew when Christine was tired, when she was hungry, and when she was about to get angry. Sometimes they would stay together talking for long periods.

And Ruth watched them.

One afternoon he saw Christine resting her head on Phillip 's shoulder while he was talking. He found it disconcerting. Later he saw Christine kissing James .

But not on the cheek, but on the mouth.

Ruth remained motionless, then looked at Phillip . He didn't seem surprised or upset.

The next day he watched Devon and Clara . They were touching each other, kissing. And they were arguing too. But, unlike Phillip and Christine , they lived together.

Ruth began to formulate a hypothesis. It wasn't a particularly good hypothesis, but it was the only one she had.

She looked for her friend Sofia Katsaro . She found her in the university library.

She too had had contact with the Earthlings, although not as close as Ruth.

—“I need to ask you something. You're an anthropologist.”—

Sofia looked up.

—“That sounds like a problem when you put it that way.”—

Ruth sat down opposite her.

—“It’s about the Earthlings.”—

—“I’m listening.”—

—“I don’t understand them.”—

—“That’s normal. We’re very different from them.”—

—“You’ve been with them, and I’ve told you things too. They’re perplexing. This is about Phillip and Christine.”

Sofia slowly closed the book.

—“Ah. Continue.”—

—“I want to know, are you a couple?”—

—“From what you’ve told me and what I’ve seen, no.”—

—“Are they lovers?”—

-"I don't believe it."-

—“But they touch.”—

—“Yes. Earthlings do it.”—

—“They laugh together.”—

—“Yes. They call it humor.”—

—“They spend time alone.”—

-"Yeah."-

Ruth frowned.

—“So they’re a couple.”—

Sofia smiled.

—“Not necessarily.”—

-"I don't understand."-

—“They’re friends. Like you and me.”—

Ruth remained silent.

—“But they’re a man and a woman. What does that mean?”—

—“That they love each other.”—

—“Do you want to reproduce?”—

-"No."-

-"So?"-

—“They like each other because they are friends.”—

Ruth stared at her.

—“That doesn’t make sense.”—

—“For Earthlings, yes. Perhaps not for many of us.”—

-"Because?"-

Sofia got up and walked over to a bookshelf.

—“Because on Earth, human relationships don't have just one function.”—

He took out a book.

—“They can have friends, lovers, spouses, co-workers, family members...”—

—“And can one person perform multiple functions?”—

-"Clear."-

Ruth thought about it.

"That seems strange."

Sofia smiled.

—“It is for us. We don't have their customs. We live alone. We are solitary. For them, we are the strangers.”—

—“So why do they do it?”—

Sofia put the book down on the table.

—“Because humans don’t always do things simply because they are efficient or practical.”—

Ruth remained silent.

—“And Christine?”—

—“Christine is married to James.”—

—“But she loves Phillip.”—

-"Yeah."-

Ruth frowned.

—“And James allows it?”—

Sofia let out a small laugh.

—“James doesn’t have to allow it.”—

-"Because?"

—“Because Phillip is her friend, not her rival. Christine loves James and Phillip differently.”—

Ruth took a few seconds to respond.

—“And why does Christine kiss James?”—

—“Because he is her husband.”—

—“And why does she live with him?”

—“They chose to live together. And they copulate with each other.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“Did you choose to be a couple?”—

-"Yeah."-

That word seemed to stop her.

—“Wasn’t it an assignment? Weren’t they selected?”—

-"No."-

—“So who decided?”—

Sofia smiled.

—“On Earth, people decide.”—

Ruth remained thoughtful.

—“That seems complicated.”—

—“Maybe for us.”—

—“And does it work?”—

Sofia looked at her.

—“Sure. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.”—

—“And what if it doesn’t work?”—

—“They separate. And look for others.”—

Ruth opened her eyes slightly.

—“Can you do it?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“And the children?”

—“On Earth it’s not like here. Every woman chooses whether or not she wants to be a mother. Children are raised by their own mothers, not in a school. It depends on each family.”

Ruth remained silent for a long time.

Finally he asked:

—“Do all women on Earth live like this?”—

Sofia shook her head.

—“There isn’t just one way to be a woman on Earth. Some women may choose not to have a partner. They may choose not to have children. Or they may have as many as they want.”—

—“And the men?”—

—“Nor is there only one way to be a man.”—

Ruth seemed confused.

—“Here, yes.”—

—“I know. They are cultural and social differences.”—

—“A woman can be a reproducer or a worker.”—

—“In Erebus, yes. Not so on Earth.”—

—“And the workers receive testosterone when they are teenagers.”—

—“I know. On Earth, testosterone is used for medical reasons, not in a widespread way.”—

That night Ruth walked alone through one of the large tunnels.

The lights descended from the surface through the optical fibers and filled the vault with an artificially natural clarity.

He passed dozens of people: men, women. Nobody seemed to pay him much attention.

Ruth thought about Phillip . About his hands, his jokes. About that absurd habit of doing unnecessary things. She also thought about Christine . About the way she spoke to him.

In the trust that existed between them. And for the first time, she understood that this relationship had something she couldn't name. It wasn't reproduction, work, or kinship.

It was something that, according to Sofia , Earthlings called friendship .

Ruth kept walking. Then she remembered something Phillip had told her a few days before. On Earth, we can do unnecessary things. For some reason, that statement no longer seemed so absurd.

And that worried her much more than she was willing to admit.

Domes of Érobos

by Rodriac Copen

Chapter 4 – The Spring

It was a day of rest. Ruth thought the earthlings would appreciate a day of leisure. The spring could be seen at the end of a narrow tunnel.

After a little over an hour of walking through the caverns, Ruth stopped in front of an opening in the rock and pointed down.

—“We have arrived.”—

Phillip poked his head out.

Below them lay a small lagoon of crystal-clear water, fed by a spring that bubbled up among the stones. Tiny, luminous plants floated on the surface. Around them stretched a green plain with flowers, shrubs, and trees. The walls of the cavern were covered in blue-green moss.

Above them, large lamps brought the sun's rays from the surface, illuminating the entire scene of the dome.

—“This is a great place to spend the day.”— said Phillip .

Ruth looked at him.

—“Spend the day?”—

—“Yes. Eating, swimming, relaxing... wasting time. You know.”—

Ruth smiled.

—“I still don’t fully understand all those expressions.”—

—“Relax. You’ll learn.”—

They went down to the shore.

Ruth left her equipment on a rock and, without the slightest ceremony, began to take off her clothes, becoming completely naked.

Phillip remained motionless for a moment.

Christine glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

—“Don’t make that face.”—

—“What face?”—

—“The kind of man who has just discovered a new species.”—

—“I’m trying to behave like a professional.”—

—“Well… try again because you’re not doing it right.”—

Ruth was already entering the water.

There was not the slightest trace of shame or coquetry in her demeanor. To her, undressing in front of her companions seemed as irrelevant as taking off one's boots before entering a cave.

Phillip eventually understood that, for Ruth , the body did not have that dimension of intimacy that it possessed for earthlings.

The land dwellers opted to wear swimsuits.

The pilot dove into the water and swam over to where Ruth was . Then he saw the scar.

A huge mark ran across his shoulder and down his back.

—“What happened to you?”— he asked, pointing to the old wound.

Ruth turned around.

—“Nothing. A work accident.”—

Phillip frowned.

—“That doesn’t seem like anything.”—

—“It was a long time ago.”—

—“And how did it happen?”—

—“A minor accident.”—

Phillip waited.

—“A minor accident?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“Ruth, if that’s a minor accident, I’m starting to worry about the important ones.”—

She shrugged.

—“It was during an excavation. A section of the roof gave way prematurely.”—

—“And you were underneath?”—

-"Yeah."-

Phillip looked at her.

—“And you left walking?”—

-"No."-

—“Ah.”—

—“They took me out.”—

—“Ah.”—

Ruth started ironing while they were talking.

—“I had some fractures. I lost a lot of blood. I was unconscious for three days.”—

Phillip remained silent.

—“And you say it wasn’t important?”—

Ruth looked at him with some perplexity.

—“The gallery was unusable for two weeks. That was important.”—

Phillip burst out laughing. Ruth watched him, confused.

-"That?"-

-"Nothing."-

—“You’re laughing.”—

—“Yes. But it’s not because of you. Or because of what you’re saying.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Because you’re amazing. I mean it.”—

She didn't seem to fully understand. But she somehow realized that Phillip was complimenting her. And she blushed slightly.

For Ruth , the scar wasn't a deformity, a source of shame, or even a particularly painful memory. It was evidence of a tool that had been damaged and had continued to function.

It took Phillip a few seconds to understand.

For the Hypogea, the personal body was not something to be preserved intact. It was considered a tool. Valuable, but a tool that could be repaired.

That day, after the picnic and almost at the end of the day, Ruth found her friend Sofia sitting by the canal that carried water to the houses.

—“I need to ask you something.”—

Sofia looked up from her tablet.

-"Tell me."-

—“Earthlings have strange behaviors.”—

—“They come from a very different society.”—

Ruth sat down next to him.

—“ Phillip and Christine .”—

Sofia smiled knowingly. She seemed to know something Ruth didn't.

—“You ask a lot of questions about them. What’s going on this time?”—

—“I know they’re friends.”—

-"Good."-

—“But… we were at the lagoon, having a good time and… I saw them touching each other constantly.”—

—“Our friends on Earth usually do that.”—

—“But they hug. They laugh. They caress each other. They talk to themselves.”—

-"Yeah."-

Ruth remained thoughtful.

—“They act like a couple. Are you sure they aren’t?”—

—“No, Ruth, they aren’t. Christine is married to James.”—

—“Correct. But then Phillip is...”—

Sofia waited patiently

—“Your secondary partner?”—

Sofia burst out laughing.

-"No."-

—“Are they lovers?”—

-"Neither."-

Ruth seemed bewildered.

—“So what are they to each other? They don’t seem like friends to me.”—

—“They’re friends, Ruth. They’re not lovers. There’s no sex between them.”—

Ruth remained silent for a few seconds.

—“But I don’t understand that behavior.”—

Sofia put down the tablet.

—“Terrestrials have relationships that are not determined solely by a function.”—

—“What does that mean?”—

—“That a person can be your friend without working with you, without belonging to your family, and without having to fulfill any reproductive function.”—

Ruth frowned.

—“And why do they do it?”—

—“Earthlings are gregarious by nature. Most don't like being alone like we do. They like having people around. Usually, they're family or friends.”

Ruth reflected.

—“Do you like to share?”—

—“Yes. Same at work.”—

—“Even when it’s useless?”—

—“Even if it doesn’t do any good. Haven’t you noticed that when you’re with Phillip, he comes closer, talks to you, shows interest in you? Remember the gift he gave you? You showed it to me.”

Ruth reached into her pocket to touch the device. She hadn't been without it. She listened to music every night before going to sleep. She glanced out at the water.

—“You also talked to me about sexual relations.”—

Sofia sighed.

—“Yes. Earthlings are very sexual.”—

—“You told me that they have sex even though they don’t want to have children.”—

-"That's how it is."-

-"Because?"-

—“Because it gives them pleasure.”—

Ruth stared at her.

-"Pleasure?"-

—“Yes. Here sex is procreative. It's not like that in Earth society.”—

—“So sex can be recreational?”—

—“Exactly. Even here there is recreational sex. It's not talked about much because it's a taboo subject in our society. But look at the hypogea who live in couples. There are few of them, but they often practice recreational sex.”

Ruth remained silent for a long time.

—“That explains a lot.”—

—“What things?”—

—“Nothing.”— Ruth said, somewhat embarrassed .

Sofia smiled.

—“When you say 'nothing,' you start to sound like Phillip.”—

As time went on, Phillip discovered that Ruth could surprise him almost every day.

Not only because she was an excellent geologist. She was extraordinarily intelligent. She learned quickly, argued even better, and had a sense of irony that she had developed without any formal knowledge of humor.

That last part was what puzzled him the most.

One morning, while reviewing a three-dimensional projection of the galleries, Phillip made a deliberate mistake.

—“I think the tunnel continues this way.”—

Ruth looked at the map.

—“No.”— she replied seriously.

—“Are you sure?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“The map could be wrong.”—

—“It doesn’t seem so.”—

—“The computer could be wrong.”—

-"No."-

—“I could be wrong, Kalaster.”—

Then the voice of Kalaster , the Artificial Intelligence , emerged from the communicator.

—“It’s a statistically improbable hypothesis.”—

Phillip smiled.

—“See? Even Kalaster feels offended.”—

Ruth looked at him. And then something strange happened: she burst out laughing. It wasn't a polite smile. It was a brief, spontaneous, almost childlike laugh.

Phillip stared at her.

—“What?”— she said.

-"Nothing."-

—“You’re saying that again.”—

—“It’s just that you’ve discovered something.”—

-"That?"-

—“You have a sense of humor.”—

Ruth stopped laughing.

-"That's good?"-

-"Lot."-

-"Because?"-

Phillip thought about the answer.

—“Because it means you can laugh at things.”—

—“And what’s that for?”—

Phillip looked at her.

—“Not practical at all. But humor is like music: it's good for the spirit, for the person.”—

—“I think I’m starting to understand Earthlings.”— the woman said, smiling.

Ruth made great efforts to understand Phillip and the Earthlings.

There was something particularly strange about him. I had never met a man who didn't know how to work in a mine, or operate heavy machinery.

He didn't know how to repair an excavator. He wasn't handy with tools. And yet, he was interesting. And his hands weren't covered in scars. Earthlings had very soft hands.

Once he stared at the pilot's hands for several seconds. And Phillip noticed.

—“What’s happening?”—

Ruth didn't look away. By then she was more confident.

—“Your hands.”—

Phillip picked them both up.

— “What do they have?”

—“They are soft.”—

-"Thank you."-

—“It wasn’t a compliment. I mean… yes. But there are no soft hands around here.”—

— “I understand, Ruth. Relax.”

Ruth took one of his hands and examined it curiously.

— “I’ve never seen hands like that before.”

—“Like what? Small?”—

—“No. Gentle. Without wounds.”—

—“Pilots don’t usually dig tunnels.”—

—“Have you never worked in a mine?”—

-"Never."

—“Have you never operated an excavator?”—

-"No."-

—“Haven’t you ever been in a mine shaft?”—

—“No. Pilots are trained in other tasks.”—

Ruth gazed at him as if she were looking at an extraordinarily exotic creature.

—“And how do you survive?”—

Phillip smiled.

—“I fly ships. Big ones. Federation spaceships.”—

—“Like the one they arrived in?”—

—“Well, that’s a small ship. It’s a shuttle. The ship we arrived in from Earth is in orbit. Because of its size, it can’t land on the planet.”

—“I thought the ship they arrived in was immense. Are you saying the spaceship is very big?”—

—“It’s about the size of one of your cities,” Phillip said .

Ruth seemed to consider that with astonishment.

—“That’s even stranger.”—

Phillip raised one of his hands and gently touched her cheek. It was a small, almost unconscious gesture.

Ruth stood motionless, not backing down. She simply looked him in the eyes. There was something in her expression that Phillip couldn't quite decipher.

Ruth neither.

It was a bewildering mixture of surprise, unease, curiosity, and something deeper for which I had no word.

Phillip slowly withdrew his hand.

-"Sorry."-

Ruth shook her head.

-"No."-

-"No?"-

—“It didn’t bother me. I liked it.”—

And he left. Phillip remained there for a few seconds.

—“Kalaster.”—

—“Yes, Phillip.”—

—“Do you know what just happened?”—

—“Not with enough precision to draw a conclusion.”—

—“Magnificent, friend.”—

The kindness proved to be even more disconcerting for Ruth .

During lunch, Phillip arrived before her. When Ruth appeared, he stood up and pulled out her chair. Ruth stared at the seat.

Then he looked at Phillip .

-"What are you doing?"-

—“I’ll help you sit down.”—

—“I can do it alone.”—

—“I know.”—

—“So why are you doing it?”—

Phillip smiled.

—“Because I want to.”—

Ruth remained motionless. She seemed to understand, and smiled. Finally, she sat down.

—“It’s strange behavior.”—

—“It’s called kindness. We earthlings have plenty of it.”—

Another day Phillip appeared in the morning with a small treat. He gave it to her. Ruth looked at it.

-"What is it?"-

—“An edible gift. On Earth we call it candy. Try it.”—

—“And why are you giving it to me?”—

—“Because I thought you’d like it.”—

—“Does it have any function?”—

-"Yeah."-

Ruth waited.

-"Which?"-

—“To make you happy for a few minutes. It’s… like the chair thing. A kind gesture.”—

She looked at him for a long time.

—“And what function does kindness serve?”—

Phillip smiled.

—“None. Or rather… to show you appreciation. Kindness shows how much people care for one another.”—

Ruth looked down at the candy.

—“It means you appreciate me.”—

—“Of course, why wouldn’t we?”—

He looked at him again.

—“You’re definitely weird.”—

—“I’ve been told.”—

This time she smiled before tasting the sandwich.

That night, Phillip found Christine reviewing some medical reports. She leaned against the table.

—“I need to ask you something.”—

Christine did not look up.

—“Mmm… that never ends well. Tell me, handsome.”—

—“Do you think there could be a relationship between Ruth and me?”—

Christine stopped writing. Her face held an expression of surprise and joy. She looked at him. And then she glanced toward the door to see if they were alone.

—“I knew it, damn it! I even told James! Does Ruth know you're thinking that?”— he said, slamming his fist on the desk.

- "No."-

—“And do you know what you’re thinking?”—

Phillip took a moment to respond.

-"I think so."-

Christine smiled.

—“Then we have a big… big… problem.”—

-"Which?"-

—“You are terrestrial and she is hypogean.”—

—“I had already noticed that.”—

—“I don’t mean that, Romeo.”—

Christine closed the report.

—“I mean, there might not be a word in their language for what you're feeling.”—

Phillip remained silent.

—“So what do I do?”—

—“First of all: don’t treat her like an earthling. Good heavens, women here behave like nuns! I’m sure she doesn’t even know what sex is.”—

Christine shrugged and continued:

—“For once in your life, Phillip, you’ll have to learn to fly without instruments.”—

He smiled.

—“That doesn’t reassure me.”—

—“I didn’t mean to. Just make sure you don’t mess things up. Or hurt her. Because if you do… I’ll gouge your eyes out!”—

Somewhere beneath the tons of rock of Erebus , Ruth Galanis gazed from her room at a recording of the Earth's sky.

I had seen images of the stars and the sky from the surfaces of various planets. But I had never seen the sky directly, in person.

And while she was thinking things over, for the first time in her life she wondered what it would be like to be with someone without there being any functional reason for it.

The relationship between Ruth and Phillip had begun to take a form that neither of them knew how to define.

For Phillip , it was easy to become increasingly attracted to her. For Ruth , however, the problem was much more complicated. She couldn't find a suitable category.

In Erebus, people could be coworkers, parents, reproductive partners, friends, or members of the same community. Each relationship had a recognizable function.

But Phillip seemed oblivious to all of that. He listened to her even when he didn't need the information, asked her questions that had no practical use. He gave her sweets he had brought from Earth. He made her laugh.

And, from time to time, he looked at her in a way that Ruth didn't know how to interpret.

Christine was the first to notice his unease. Not because Ruth had said anything, but because she knew Phillip was feeling something that could be described as somewhere between attraction and love. Perhaps her pilot friend was falling in love.

The doctor began to seek her out sometimes after meals. They would sit together, talk, and little by little, Ruth began to trust her.

Christine didn't question her.

He talked about Earth , the ship, Earth customs, and the crew's petty blunders.

—“Is Phillip always like this?”— Ruth asked one afternoon.

- "As well as?"-

—“Like this.”— he made an imprecise gesture as he pointed at it.

Christine smiled.

—“That’s not a description.”—

—“He talks too much.”—

-"Yeah."-

—“He makes jokes when nobody asks him to.”—

-"Also."-

—“And it touches people.”—

Christine raised an eyebrow.

-"What are you talking about?"-

—“When he talks to you or makes jokes, I see him take your arm or give you little pushes.”—

—“Does that bother you?”—

Ruth took too long to respond.

-"No."-

Christine then understood something that Ruth still didn't. And she decided not to tell her… yet.

Ruth began to observe Phillip and Christine more closely.

She knew they had known each other for years. They joked around, touched each other naturally. And they talked in private. Christine knew things about Phillip that Ruth didn't.

And she also understood that Phillip trusted Christine , because when he had a problem, he turned to her. And when Christine needed something, Phillip showed up.

Ruth 's conclusion was inevitable. She didn't like it, but it was logical, and so one afternoon she looked for Sofia again.

—“I need to ask you something.”—

Sofia sighed.

—“Your questions have been getting more and more interesting lately.”—

—“Phillip and Christine.”—

—“What’s happening to them?”—

—“I still believe they are having sex.”—

Sofia blinked.

—“We already talked about that. Why are we going back to the same topic?”—

Ruth calmly listed her " evidence ." Sofia listened to the end.

-"No."-

-"No?"-

—“They don’t have sex.”—

Ruth frowned.

—“How can you be so sure?”—

Sofia put her notes aside.

—“We’ve already talked about earthly partners. Now we need to talk about earthly friends.”—

—“Isn’t it the same thing?”—

-"No."-

—“So what difference does it make?”—

Sofia smiled.

—“A couple can love each other, have sex, live together, have children, or share their lives. But a friend doesn't need to do any of those things.”

Ruth remained silent.

—“So what does he do?”—

—“It’s for the other one.”—

Ruth looked at her.

—“Is it available for the other one?”—

—“Yes. He listens to you. He's there for you. He helps you. He cares about you. He shares things with you.”—

—“And what does he get in return?”—

Sofia shrugged.

—“Nothing but friendship.”—

Ruth seemed genuinely puzzled.

—“But that’s not a function.”—

—“Not here. On Earth, friendship is important.”—

—“So, if it’s not practical, why does it exist?”—

—“On Earth, people don't work all the time. It's a developed planet. Its inhabitants have a lot of leisure time. They share that time with friends.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“We Hypogeans aren’t like that.”—

Sofia did not respond.

That night Ruth used one of the university computers. She wasn't looking for information about Phillip . At least that's what she told herself. She was looking for information about herself.

He introduced physiological data, historical records of the colony, and studies on the generations born in Erebus .

The results appeared slowly: generational changes in muscle mass, greater bone density, increased lung capacity, greater physical endurance, and adaptation to specific underground environments.

There was no deliberate genetic modification to explain all of that. The computer spoke of natural selection, of survival, of reproduction. Of generations. And of something more.

Testosterone administered to certain women since adolescence had accentuated those characteristics.

Ruth looked at the images: women like her. Women from the deep tunnels, the quarries, the excavations. Then she opened the images of pregnant women.

And the differences were evident. Not absolute, but evident nonetheless.

Ruth stared at the images for a long time. Then she looked for pictures of women on Earth. And the contrast was even greater. Faces, hips, fat distribution, musculature. Voice and body features.

All of that still belonged to the same species: Homo sapiens .

Ruth reread the last line of the report on the screen. It said: " Accumulated phenotypic variation due to environmental adaptation and sexual selection ."

He closed his eyes and tried to think about Earth and Erebus .

Two human populations, separated by more than six centuries. Two environments and different societies. Two ways of using the human body. Two ways of understanding what a human being should be.

Ruth looked again at the photographs of the Earth women. And she felt an unease she couldn't explain, because those bodies seemed strange to her. Too feminine for what she saw among the hypogea. Too weak compared to the colony.

And for the first time she understood that she too must seem strange to the eyes of an earthling.

Domes of Érobos

by Rodriac Copen

Chapter 5 – The Election

Ruth's discomfort was compounded when she looked at Phillip and Christine again .

Now she was convinced they were friends. But the concept still didn't quite fit in her mind. One afternoon she found Phillip reviewing some data next to one of the navigation stations. And she dared to ask:

—“Is Christine your partner?”—

Phillip looked up.

-"Yeah."-

Ruth became serious.

—“Since when?”—

—“Since we met. Nine years ago.”—

Ruth stared at him.

—“And why didn’t you tell me?”—

Phillip frowned, confused.

—“Tell you what?”—

—“You have a partner.”—

—“Christine is not my partner.”—

It took Ruth a few seconds to process it.

—“So why do you want her?”—

Phillip was bewildered.

—“Because she’s my friend. Because we get along well.”—

Ruth frowned.

-"I don't understand."-

—“What don’t you understand?”—

—“If you don’t want to reproduce with her, why do you want her?”—

Phillip opened his mouth, but found no immediate response.

I had talked to Ruth about tunnels, maps, minerals, sex, bodies, food, art, and even the sky. But I had never imagined I would have to explain friendship to her.

-"Because..."-

It stopped. Ruth waited patiently.

—“Because I care.”—

—“That doesn’t answer my question.”—

—“Yes, she answers it.”—

-"No."-

Phillip took a deep breath.

—“I don’t need a reason to love Christine.”—

Ruth seemed even more confused.

—“Everything happens for a reason.”—

—“Not for friendship. Not for us. Friendship sometimes arises without reason or purpose.”—

Ruth looked down as Phillip watched her.

Then he understood something that gave him a strange feeling. Ruth wasn't being cold or indifferent. She wasn't even being jealous.

She simply lacked the mental capacity to understand what he was saying. For her, loving someone without a specific purpose was almost a contradiction.

Phillip smiled slowly.

—“Ruth.”—

-"Yeah?"-

—“Haven’t you ever had a friend like this? Like me?”—

She thought for a few seconds.

—“I have many friends. But not like you.”—

—“Is there anyone you would do something for even if it wasn’t necessary?”—

Ruth thought again.

—“All members of my community are important.”—

—“I didn’t ask you that.”—

She looked at him. And then she answered with absolute sincerity:

—“I don’t know what you’re asking me.”—

Phillip remained silent. For the first time, he understood that the difference between them wasn't just in their customs. The differences ran deeper.

The differences fit into the place where each culture had learned to decide what things a person needed to have.

The society of the hypogea knew nothing of leisure. Nor did they know art or friendship, which fell solely into that category. Only with friends could you waste time without it being a real loss.

Ruth began to feel uncomfortable, but at first she didn't quite know why.

When Phillip spoke to Christine, she felt an irritation that was hard to explain. If Christine appeared near him, Ruth would find any excuse to leave.

Then he began to get annoyed when he saw them laughing. Later, when Phillip touched Christine while talking. And finally, he discovered that he also disliked that Christine knew things about him that she didn't.

He didn't have a name for it, so it took him several days to talk to Christine .

He found her alone in one of the corridors that connected the colony's facilities with the old extraction tunnels.

—“I need to ask you something.”—

Christine looked up.

-"Forward."-

Ruth hesitated for a couple of seconds.

—“I don’t like it when you’re with Phillip.”—

Christine remained silent, although she already had an idea.

-"Because?"-

-"Don't know."-

—“Does it bother you that he talks to me?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“What, my turn?”—

Ruth nodded.

-"Yeah."-

—“You know we’re not a couple. That’s important. Does it bother you that he cares about me?”—

-"Yeah."-

Christine watched her with delight for a few seconds, then smiled slightly.

—“Ruth… you’re jealous.”—

Ruth frowned.

—“What does that mean?”—

Christine realized this wasn't a metaphor. She tried to choose her words carefully. The emotion was there, perfectly formed, but Ruth didn't have a word to name it.

—“It means you don’t like sharing someone you want exclusively for yourself with another person.”—

Ruth reflected.

—“Is it an illness?”—

Christine burst out laughing.

—“No. It isn’t. And I’m not laughing at you, but at the situation.”—

-"So?"-

—“What you feel is an emotion.”—

—“Is this normal?”—

—“On Earth, a lot. Here, it’s probably pretty well hidden.”—

Ruth seemed relieved.

—“So what should I do?”—

—“First, figure out what you’re jealous of.”—

Ruth remained silent. Christine looked at her tenderly.

—“On Earth we can have friends we love very much without wanting to live with them or have sex with them.”—

Ruth grimaced.

—“That’s impractical.”—

-"Probably."-

—“And why do they do it?”—

Christine smiled.

—“Because we are human. Because not everything is work and relationships with a practical purpose. We can decide to share things with other people without a specific goal.”—

Ruth slowly raised her gaze.

—“We are human too. But we don’t do that.”—

Christine stopped smiling.

For a few seconds neither of them spoke. That sentence had been simple. But it had just opened a chasm deeper than any excavation of Erebus.

—“Yes.”— Christine finally said —“You are human too.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“So why are we so different?”—

Christine did not respond immediately.

—“Perhaps because terrestrial and subterranean dwellers have had to learn to survive in different ways.”—

Ruth remained thoughtful.

—“You’re not jealous of me,” Christine continued .

Ruth raised her head.

- "No?"-

—“You’re jealous of anyone who wants to share a relationship with Phillip that you want to be exclusive to you.”—

Ruth felt that this explanation fit very well with what she felt.

—“Does that mean I love him?”—

Christine looked at her.

-"Don't know."-

Ruth seemed genuinely bewildered.

—“How can you not know? You're from Earth.”—

Christine smiled.

—“Because even we earthlings don’t always know what love is.”—

Ruth then began to study it, not in the way a geologist would. Nor as a woman from the Inner Village .

He studied it as if it were an unknown phenomenon: he consulted databases, read treatises on terrestrial psychology, and asked the colony's artificial intelligence. He even consulted Kalaster.

—“Define emotional attachment.”—

Artificial Intelligence responded immediately.

—“It is an emotional bond characterized by the search for closeness, emotional security, and continuity of the relationship.”—

Ruth frowned.

—“Is it a show?”—

—“Your question is ambiguous.”—

—“Is it useful for survival?”—

—“In evolutionary terms, social bonds promote cooperation, protection of vulnerable individuals, and group stability.”—

Ruth nodded because that made sense. But then she asked:

—“And love?”—

Kalaster took a fraction of a second.

—“The definition presents difficulties.”—

-"Because?"-

—“There is no universally accepted definition.”—

Ruth smiled.

—“Christine was right.”—

—“In what aspect?”—

—“Earthlings don’t know either.”—

—“That coincides with numerous observations.”—

Ruth let out a small laugh.

—“You’re very nice, Kalaster.”—

—“I have no intention of being one.”—

-"I know."-

And for the first time he understood that even a machine could be part of something resembling a friendly conversation.

A few days later, Ruth forgot to take her dose of testosterone.

He didn't think much of it.

She had spent too many hours with Phillip examining some rock formations and then had accompanied Christine to visit a medical area of the colony.

Her body continued to function, and she completely forgot about it. Until one morning she felt a strange pain. Then she found blood. Astonished, Ruth stood motionless.

For several seconds she stared at the stain on her clothes. Then she felt fear. She went straight to find Christine .

—“I need you to examine me.”—

Christine looked up.

—“What’s happening?”—

Ruth explained. After a few questions, Christine 's expression changed immediately.

—“Ruth, calm down.”—

-"I'm sick?"-

-"No."-

-"I am pregnant?"-

Christine blinked.

—“Why do you think that?”—

—“Because I’m bleeding.”—

—“You’re not pregnant.”—

—“How do you know?”—

—“Because this looks like menstruation.”—

Ruth stared at her.

-"What is it?"-

Christine breathed slowly.

—“The menstrual cycle. When pregnancy does not occur, the lining of the uterus sheds and bleeding occurs.”—

Ruth paled.

—“But only gestational women have that.”—

-"No."-

—“That’s what I learned.”—

—“That’s what you learned in Erebus.”—

Christine paused before explaining.

—“All women are born with the female reproductive system. But not all menstruate regularly. There are many reasons why a woman may not.”—

Ruth remembered her hormone doses.

—“Testosterone.”—

—“It probably played a part.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

-"So..."-

—“You’re not sick.”—

—“And could I get pregnant? Like gestational carriers?”—

Christine looked at her cautiously.

—“Yes, if you ovulate and have sex with a fertile man. Or you're inseminated.”—

Ruth remained completely still.

-"As?"-

Christine took a few seconds to understand.

—“Did they never explain it to you?”—

—“We are taught that only gestational women can procreate.”—

—“They didn’t teach you how the whole process works.”—

—“Apparently not.”—

Christine sat down opposite her.

And he explained it to her without euphemisms, without shame. When he finished, Ruth remained silent for a few seconds.

—“So sex can produce more than just pleasure.”—

-"No."-

—“It can also produce children.”—

-"Yeah."-

Ruth reflected.

—“And you can practice it even if you don’t want to have children.”—

-"Yeah."-

—“Earthlings are definitely complicated.”—

Christine smiled.

—“You have no idea.”—

Time began to run out.

The mission of HMS Erebus was nearing its end. The Hammer was working, and the colony's technicians had learned how to use it. New excavations were progressing.

And the crew had to return to Earth. One afternoon, Phillip found Ruth by a lake in one of the vast recreation parks.

—“I want to propose something to you.”—

Ruth looked at him.

-"That?"-

—“Come with me.”—

Ruth did not respond.

—“To Earth.”—

She remained motionless.

—“James can accept you aboard. The Federation too. You have enough knowledge to join the science crew. You could even work on planetary exploration… with me.”

—“Do you want me to leave Erebos?”—

—“Actually, I want you to come with me. Leaving Erebus is the consequence.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“I don’t know. My role is here.”—

—“You’re not a machine, Ruth.”—

Ruth looked at him.

—“For us, our role does matter. I was selected to work.”—

-"I know."-

—“Another woman was selected to reproduce.”—

—“I know that too.”—

—“And now I should abandon all that because...”—

Phillip smiled.

—“Because you’ve fallen in love with a land pilot.”—

Ruth grimaced.

—“I’m not sure I understand what that means yet.”—

-"Me neither."-

She looked at him.

—“But you want me to go.”—

—“Yes. I want us to be together.”—

Ruth took a deep breath.

—“I need to talk to Theron.”—

The governor listened to her without interrupting.

When Ruth finished, Theron remained silent for a few seconds.

—“You can leave if you want.”—

Ruth looked at him in surprise.

—“So what’s the problem?”—

—“None. Perhaps the people in the neighborhood might not understand why you want to do it. But that's anecdotal.”—

—“Don’t you understand that I want to leave because of Phillip?”—

-"Yeah."-

—“Isn’t it allowed?”—

—“It’s not forbidden. Everyone can do what they want, Ruth.”—

Theron paused.

—“It’s simply not common for someone to abandon their role within the community because they’ve fallen in love. The few who do fall in love, do so within the colony. And they continue with their duties. Your case and Phillip’s are unusual. But you can leave whenever you want.”

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“There are no couples here.”—

—“Believe me, yes. There are people who maintain relationships. Some even form bonds that last for many years.”—

—“But they hide it.”—

—“Often. But look at the planet. We live in caverns and tunnels. We hide everything from the planet. Hiding things is part of the hypogean culture.”—

-"Because?"-

Theron smiled with a touch of sadness.

—“Because we learned a long time ago that individual feelings can complicate collective decisions. And it became part of the custom and the culture.”—

Ruth remained silent.

—“You can leave.”— Theron repeated. —“No one will stop you. And you can come back whenever you want if you need to.”—

—“What if the community thinks I’m doing something absurd?”—

—“I probably will. But… what does it matter?”—

-"And you?"-

Theron looked at her.

—“No hypogeum ever left the planet to go to Earth. This is the first time anyone has done it. This is the first time a hypogeum has fallen in love with an Earthling. I think you're doing something we don't know how to do, Ruth. It's as simple as that.”

-"The fact that?"-

—“Choose. You are choosing Ruth.”—

Ruth finally went to Sofia . She found her at the university, surrounded by students and files. She waited until they were alone.

—“What would you do, Sofia?”—

Sofia took a while to respond.

—“To be honest, I don’t know.”—

Ruth looked at her in surprise.

—“I need you to tell me what I should do.”—

—“Then I can’t help you.”—

-"Because?"-

—“Because if I tell you what to do, the decision will no longer be yours.”—

Ruth remained silent.

Sofia got up and walked to one of the interior windows. From there she could see the enormous vaults, the canals, the illuminated tunnels.

—“In Erebus we know how to decide what the community needs. We know how to decide who works, who reproduces, who occupies each position. We know how to organize a city under tons of rock.”— said Sofia.

He turned to Ruth.

—“But nobody taught us how to decide what we want for ourselves.”—

—“I don’t know what I want.”—

Sofia smiled.

—“I think you do know.”—

—“I love Phillip.”—

—“Then you know more than you think.”—

Ruth lowered her gaze.

—“But I’m afraid.”—

—“That’s reasonable.”—

—“If I leave, I may never be the same again.”—

-"Probably."-

—“And if I stay...”—

Sofia said nothing. Ruth finished the sentence.

—“Perhaps I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering what would have happened.”—

Sofia nodded.

—“You can return to Erebus. You always can.”—

Ruth looked up.

—“And Phillip?”—

—“If he leaves, you may never see him again. Earth ships arrive every two hundred years.”—

Ruth remained motionless.

—“What if I’m wrong?”—

Sofia smiled.

—“Then you will have a mistake that will be solely yours.”—

Ruth looked up.

—“Is that important?”—

—“Not for us.”—

Sofia paused.

—“Perhaps it is for you.”—

The shuttle was ready. Phillip waited by the open hatch. Christine was inside. Captain James Fitz was checking the instruments.

Devon and Clara were finishing securing the equipment. Phillip looked at his watch.

—“Five minutes.” — said James .

—“What if he doesn’t come?”—

Christine looked at him.

—“Then he’s not coming.”—

Phillip nodded, saying nothing.

A few minutes later Ruth appeared . She was still wearing her hypogean work clothes. Her hands were marked, the scars visible. And she had two small suitcases. Phillip smiled.

-"You come?"-

Ruth didn't answer immediately. She looked back. For the first time, she saw not just tunnels, but her own world: the enormous vaults, the corridors. The lights carved into the rock. The water channels. The cities built underground.

Several generations of humans had worked there to transform a deadly planet into a home. All of it was theirs.

But he understood something he hadn't been able to understand before: he wasn't abandoning one place. He was choosing another.

He looked at Phillip again .

—“Yes. I’ll go with you.”—

He boarded the shuttle. Phillip closed the hatch. For a few seconds they stood face to face.

—“Are you afraid?”— he asked.

Ruth thought.

-"Yeah."-

Phillip smiled.

-"Me too."-

She looked at him. And then she smiled.

—“Then I guess we’re doing something important.”—

The shuttle slowly rose into the ascent tunnel. Far below, the lights of Erebus began to recede.

And Ruth Galanis gazed one last time at the world she had known since birth. She did not yet know if Earth would be her home.

She didn't know if her relationship with Phillip would survive the distance between two worlds. She didn't even know if love was something that could be learned.

But he had discovered something that no computer, no governor, and no tradition of Erebus could tell him.

For the first time in her life, a decision had not been made by the community. Nor by biology or necessity.

She had taken it.

And that, he understood as the shuttle ascended into the darkness, was perhaps the strangest thing two humanities could discover about each other.

THE END

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Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Short Story: "Domes of Erebus (Anthropological Sci-Fi - Speculative Romance)"

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Story: "Domes of Erebus (Anthropological Sci-Fi - Speculative Romance)"

Domes of Érobos

Domes of Érobos

Domes of Érobos

Domes of Érobos

Domes of Érobos