Chapter 47 – Safety First

--- 1 day later ---

The new antennae had been finished, and as predicted he couldn't hear anything from inside the mountain. On this day he also gave Inky her own computer, and taught her how to use it and connect to the cameras to check on them, she would be the one teaching others after all.

He also went to the construction place nearby, and asked the elders for 2 of their weakest octopeople, as they couldn't be useful for other things, and 2 hunters that would be the ones going out to get the prey.

The elders were confused by his request but the Second Elder happily accompanied him to the village in order to get away from the dull work.

back at the village, only some hunters and the weak and old remained and scouts on the walls, it was a dangerous moment if a monster attacked, this was an oversight on his part.

Erik said to Inky.

Erik:" Inky, tell the Second Elder to start organizing the people here to migrate to the new city, the weak and old should be moved there, I can give more assistance if needed, but there are at least a hundred people here that are vulnerable to an attack right now, this isn't safe, and walls won't help much against monsters that can swim over them"

Inky took her time and translated as the Second Elders face became solemn and she also saw the danger, the huts and things of those working in the new city had already been moved there, but... there remained here just a few dozen hunters to take care of too many weak, old and young octopeople.

Erik observed them and saw on an open part of the village around 40 little octopeople girls were being taught how to make a bone spear by a hunter, 'this should be like school for them' Erik thought.

When he got closer the 'teacher' saluted and made a gesture to the kids that shyly saluted too, it was an old-looking octoperson.

'being a father would be nice' Erik thought looking at Inky who seemed to get his meaning and looked away embarrassed and wrote.

Inky: " we will keep trying"

'She's so cute' Erik thought.

Erik then smiled and with Inky translating he asked the teacher.

Erik: " is this all the kids?"

teacher: "no, these are the villages orphans, parents already dead, other kids have already been moved."

Erik frowned at that but slowly nodded, this was a dangerous world, after all, he would build a school in the future, if he taught them his language, he had tons of school-ready video classes already ready for the colonists from the company, so it would be easy, and then they would be good assistants once they grew up. He offered to transport them on the transport, he could fit about twelve no problem and be done with it in some trips.

He then visited a tent with old-looking octopeople, they were mostly doing small things like repairing bone armors or making bone and stone tools, sewing pieces of fish leather, polishing down pieces of bones to be added as armor, and using sinew to make strings and ropes for sewing using bone needles.

He thought 'i could easily make their life easier with some proper manufacturing tools, just a grinding wheel would help them a lot'.

then visited some scouts tents, it was the equivalent to slums, the scouts' tents most were shared and tattered, 'it seems it will be easy to convince them to move' he thought.

He then asked around and ended in front of 2 small-looking scouts, they also looked weak, they readily accepted his offer, and he would recruit 2 hunters from the construction site, and Inky would teach them how to use the computers to check the cameras and rebait the palangres hooks using fish guts.

--- 1 week later ---

The general structure of the underground city was ready and they had filled the space with air, a public pond to rest on the city plaza, Erik had installed lighting and a small hole, connecting the city to the base, allowing Rose to start extending the nanobots and cover the walls to provide electricity too.

The village was deserted and all materials including the body of the spaceship were moved, this one to his bases' entrance, and all octopeople to the underground city, where they moved the materials inside to build huts and structures.

Inky instructed more octopeople in the use of computers and with a waterproof copy from Rose he transferred all teaching programs and data and gave it to the teachers at the underground city for the octopeople so they study and learn it first before teaching.

He would have loved to make a cinema too, but translating hundreds of movies... nop he couldn't do it, he would first get the kids to learn his language, and then just activate the subtitles and done.

He also installed them their own refrigerated rooms to store food for the city, that way they didn't have to ask him all the time. With everyone safe and meat moved inside the village, they also hunted and filled them, and also now with guards and mechanically closed doors at the entrance, they would be much safer.

As a safety measure, he also made a secret tunnel from the third floor to their entertainment area, that way he could evacuate, seek help or help them if needed.

--- back at his base ---

Now he could finally start the hard process of monitoring the kelp forest, first, he would observe them and then maybe sacrifice one of the robots trying to get the snake's mama's attention and location.