Riding The Diastand
Space Traveler Fargone • Episode 14
New to Space Traveler Fargone? Start at the beginning.
“It is perfectly safe. It moves quite slowly, and the ride is smooth. You may remain in the center if it makes you feel safer,” Cava said.
“I am more worried about the whole thing falling a thousand meters into the canyon.”
“It’s never happened in my lifetime.”
I got irritated. “Come on. You faced down a Bronto-rhino, and now you’re scared to ride across a canyon on a slow-moving platform?”
“I am more afraid of all those Donut Bites you ate putting us over the weight limit,” Em snapped back.
“Hey, I work out. At least once a year.”
“I can transform into a safety harness and attach myself to the cable,” Flow said.
“Don’t bother. I will just keep my eyes closed.”
“Good. Give me your com. One of us needs to shoot some video of this.” I said.
“Use your own.”
“I might have left it on Rustbucket.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“And yet, I’m not afraid to ride across the canyon.”
“Is this aggressive behavior normal in Humans?” Flow asked.
“Sadly, yes. Especially among married couples.” Longdistance said.
“We’re not married!” Both Em and I simultaneously protested.
“Could have fooled me.”
“Perhaps you would rather wait here,” Cava suggested to Em.
“No, I’ll do it.”
I kept my mouth shut.
We got on the diastand, and Cava told us to sit cross-legged. Em sat dead center. Cava released to the holding clamps, and the diastand began to move. It was surprisingly slow and smooth.
“If you look to your right, you will see the orchards where we grow fruit. Next to the orchards are the farms. The river provides a continual supply of water for the farms and orchard.”
Em slowly worked her way closer to the side of the diastand so she could see.
“Give me my com back,” she said.
I gave her a sideways glance and handed it to her.
“What? It’s not as bad as I thought,” Em stated.
Em started taking video and Cava resumed as tour guide.
“To your left, on this side of the river is where we keep livestock,”
I looked down and saw many unusual animals, large and small, roaming in an open, grassy area. There was a fence running from the wall of the canyon to the river. I couldn’t see another fence, but I assumed there was one off in the distance.
“What about the cables and wood? Where do they come from?” I asked.
“Ah. The opposite side of the planet is where our industry resides. There are mines and factories and shops. Barastands ship finished goods and food up and down the river. Between the industry and agriculture zones, there are managed forests where we harvest wood.”
“So these caves are your residences?”
“Exactly. Land on the canyon floor is at a premium. It is too precious to be used for housing or storage. So we build our homes and shops into the canyon walls. Some of the canyon floor is also set aside for recreation and enjoyment.”
“They are parks. Located at the most scenic parts of the canyon,” Longdistance added. “They are stunningly beautiful. Most of the parks have waterfalls, which come from underground aquifers which feed the river.”
The ride across took about 20 minutes, and we spent the rest of it marveling at the sights.
Once we reached the other side, Cava clamped the diastand to the canyon wall, and we got off. A couple of Caya began removing some of the crates on the diastand.
“What is in the crates?” I asked.
“The dark wood crates are full of stones and sand. They are used to optimize the weight of the diastands. The stone and sand were dug out of the canyon walls to make our homes,” Cava replied.
“Everything is in perfect balance,” Flow said. “It is impressive.”
“Thank you, friend,” Cava said.
“It seems like an ideal existence,” Em added.
“It truly is. Except for one thing,” Cava replied.
“What is that?”
“Flowbo Season.”
I just love this world!