The Flint Knappers - Chronicles [Episode #6]

Name: Newman Smith
Mission Date: d+332

After my friends jumped in I thought we would have the resources needed to get cement production going. Although the others hadn't trained in the survival skills to the extent I had they still had some training that could be put to good use. We all completed the training on making cement so it was decided that getting substantial output established should be a priority. It was a task with a very practical goal and we all looked forward to the camaraderie of working together. It was also another opportunity for us to share something useful with our Vanara friends.

We began in earnest building the limestone furnace. Everything was going well until a tragic accident threatened to uproot months of diplomacy.

The key ingredients needed were limestone and volcanic ash. Both of these could be found in abundance about half way up a not-too-distant mountain. The peak of this particular summit had a distinctive jagged broken top that indicated a massive eruption had occurred in the distant past. The extensive network of caves in the area reinforced the supposition. The explosion had left a huge crater while throwing megatons of stony debris for miles. One day on a scouting mission to the peak I was able to visualize how the islands in the lake had once been part of the mountain. Having been blown apart with massive force they were arranged in a line that led right back to the volcano and aligned perfectly with the now ancient caldera.

Firing the limestone is a process which takes days of constant vigilance. First a large furnace has to be built and then the rocks have to be heated to a specific temperature range and held there for several days. Because of the level of attention required we decided it would be better to build the kiln close to the village and haul the limestone from the source. The ash was coming from the same general area so we would be able to transport both along the same route. Sentries were posted at intervals along the route and the Vanara began a round-the-clock effort of hauling in enough for our first firing. They worked diligently carrying massive loads of around 200 kilos each trip! We wanted to make sure the Rakshasa wouldn't be bothering us so we included an extra bonus of sweet potatoes and fish in the last tribute. They must have been too fat and happy to fiddle with us after that because there wasn't a single sighting for weeks. In the time that allowed us we managed to get the first load into the furnace and prepared to light the fires.

Before we started the burn I did my best to explain to the Vanara that it involved dangers that mustn't be ignored. The firing process releases large volumes of toxic gases that can kill you if you're not careful. We built the furnace a safe distance from the village so this wouldn't be a problem. We lit the fire and took up our positions for the vigil of the next two days. Feeling confident with our progress I decided to get some rest and let Vijay take over supervising the next shift.

After getting a much needed sleep I awoke to screams of anguish just outside the hooch. There were both male and female Vanara in obvious distress so I ran out to see what was happening. I too was greatly saddened when I found out that one of the young cubs had died in the night. He was found slouched over on the platform at the top of the furnace. This area was only intended to be used for loading the limestone but the child had thought it was a good place to hide from his friends. A simple game had turned deadly and the entire village was in hysterics over it. My heart wrenched as I thought back to the previous day and how he had been so eager to help. He had carried more limestone in a day than I could carry in a week and was keen to learn about the entire process. I told him that as time went on we would be making more and there would be plenty of time for him to learn. Now his lifeless body was being carried away for their version of a burial rite. The Vanara were no strangers to loss but to lose a child is a universal tragedy. While they are deeply empathetic beings they tend to not linger long on loss of life. It is their belief that death is only a temporary absence. A procession of warriors took him to the burial grounds near the caldera and threw his body into the lava far below while I watched crying.

I felt responsible for the loss but was speechless when trying to apologize to the parents. The rest of the day was spent in silence for everyone and the limestone burn was abandoned as if it were suddenly cursed. I withdrew to my home and cried myself to sleep as I wondered if my presence in this world was really doing any good at all. Perhaps I was struggling to find meaning as we often do in the face of tragedy but I wanted to find some way that the loss of the child would not have been in vain. Then a powerful idea came to me.

Where the Rakshasa lived was at the lowest elevation in the valley. It's rising hills and narrow entrance provided a natural barrier which made assaulting their position in large numbers problematic. But what if we could use that to our advantage? What if we could release a large volume of toxic gas into the valley? Would it be enough to have an effect? I kept turning the idea over in my head and by the time I fell asleep had devised a plan to use our knowledge of chemistry to gas the bastards. Not only did I have an ample amount of gunpowder but was quite sure that a little chemical warfare would be the edge we needed to end them once and for all.

It had been a tragic day but in my grief I came to a turning point in our struggle to survive. We would formulate a battle plan and unleash holy hell on the Rakshasa. The time had finally come and first thing in the morning I would begin preparations for the assault. Our first order of business would be to capture one of them alive so we could perform the tests needed to be sure our attacks would be effective. And I had a very good idea for how to set that trap.

To be continued...

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