To See the Sun (Caveman Chronicles)

The Index -|-

“Wind is breath of great spirit tahr. Sun is eye. Life under sun is life in harmony with great spirit tahr and all cavemankind.”

-Fab Elder Shoofit (Unknown date)

“There was a time when I felt that the world was so small. It consisted solely of the canyon river, the caves, and the patch of tundra that was visible from the ridge. Now, it seems so large. These two caves have been the entirety of our universe for many months. The wall fills with endless day-marks, and I feel at times as if these caves are closing in on me.”

Kpleeb paused and looked at the wall. It really was filling up. Thoka had made small marks, but despite that, the space filled was at least as wide and tall as he was. She had come up with a larger grouping of the counts that made the appearance of squares around the groups.

[She really is so very smart.] He looked around the room and grimaced. [How can I tell her that this life is driving me crazy?] He sighed despondently and muttered, “these gods can go to the pit of the damned.”

“Hey, Kpleeb, what was that?” Thoka was walking toward him.

“Urh- just complaining about the gods.” He shrugged noncommittally.

She eyed him warily. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Well, I just…” Kpleeb paused and struggled internally for a moment. [This is your chance to talk. Take it.] 

“I am getting tired of these caves, to put it plainly. It’s driving me crazy.” He turned and pointed at the gap between the caves. “I enjoy working with the stone and discovering new things. I like learning, but it’s not enough.”

“I know –“

“Wait, let me finish. Sorry. I need to say this.”

Frustration momentarily flashed across Thoka’s face before she appeared to regain control.

Kpleeb continued. “There are things to do and… it is very nice being with you. We have everything we need, in fact. But it’s just not enough. I miss the outside! I want to feel the sun and the wind. I just feel trapped.”

Thoka wrapped her arms around Kpleeb and rested her head on his hairy shoulder. “I understand. I feel that way too, but I try hard to focus on learning things.”

“Me too! I am trying. It’s just so small in here!” Kpleeb shrugged. “I am learning plenty as I rebuild the device I broke. It’s good and interesting work…” He sighed. “I need to run around.”

Thoka nodded somberly. “I understand. How do you think we can fix this?”

“You mean, get out or run around inside?” Kpleeb looked at the length of the cave and imagined it twice as long. “Even with both caves, it is not very much. Plus, the grey stone has never moved for us, and the gap isn’t wide enough to move through it quickly.”

“How do we get out of these caves, Kpleeb?”

He pondered for a long moment before shrugging. “We have tried brute force and the gods stopped us. We have tried speaking and they do not respond. What else can we do?”

“They must hear us even if they do not respond. Right?” Thoka gestured around her. “This cave responds to requests, but it does so without a voice. We know the cave understands, so we have to assume that the gods understand as well.”

Kpleeb nodded and smiled. He knew that Thoka only called them ‘gods’ occasionally for his benefit. Her own term was different. “The entities do understand us. What can we do with that? Should we try to convince them to let us go?” He chuckled deeply at the thought, but his laugh trailed off into an awkward cough when he saw that Thoka appeared pensive.

“Maybe. What if we worked on clear and logical reasons to let us go? What if we stuck to the points and made our case without emotions?”

Kpleeb paced to the food outcropping and back slowly as he mulled the words over in his head.

[My words have grown since the gods have changed me. Maybe these words can convince them.]

He turned and saw Thoka watching his face. “We have become smarter and our language skills have improved. Maybe it will work.”

“Yes, our intelligence has grown immensely and as a result, our vocabulary has expanded. We can be eloquent if we choose.”

“Hey, that’s what I just said,” Kpleeb said.

“Yes, in a way, Kpleeb.” Thoka patted him on the shoulder.

Kpleeb felt a little foolish. [She is still so much smarter than me.]

Thoka took Kpleeb’s hand and they sat down and began to outline their case against the gods. When it was time, they ate and drank while continuing their conversation. When the sun dimmed, they slept. The morning came, and Thoka rose first as was common. She worked quietly on her rods until Kpleeb awoke.

Kpleeb relieved himself in the far defecation pit and then trudged back to where Thoka was working. He scratched himself and yawned before taking a long pull of water from the food outcropping. Then with water dripping from his scraggly beard, he spoke.

“Are you ready?”

Thoka raised her eyes and stared at him with a long and earnest gaze. Finally, she answered. “I feel that I could prepare more.”

Kpleeb nodded impatiently. “That’s fine.”

“Look, Kpleeb. If this speech is our key to escaping this prison, don’t you want it to be perfect?”

He was crestfallen as he realized just how correct her statement was. “Yes. I understand. I… just don’t know what else to say or do. I don’t know how to make a better argument. I’m impatient too.”

“I know. I know. Just give me a little more time to prepare.”

He nodded and walked into the second cave to work.

Sometime later, Kpleeb had lost track, he heard the faint scuffle of Thoka’s feet on the stone. He turned to watch her approach.

“I think I’m ready. Why not now?” she said.

[She looks nervous.] He smiled in an attempt to put her at ease. “Do you want me to speak?”

Thoka shook her head. “No, I’ll do it like we agreed.”

“You are more well-spoken than I am,” said Kpleeb. He was relieved in a way because he understood the burden that rested on her tongue.

Thoka nodded in agreement and turned and looked in every direction.

“Good afternoon, entities,” she said in a normal voice. “You have not told us what to call you, so this is the term I will use for your kind.” She continued to turn occasionally and even paced back and forth a little as she spoke.

“You have captured us here in this artificial place where you simulate the night and the day with your technology. You have spoken to us and even touched us. We have never seen your form, but we know that you are not divine. Gods do not require prisons, nor do they need to disintegrate our tools when we threaten to crack the walls.” She raised her palms as if the entities must accept the facts she spoke of.

“We have not harmed you though we might be able to in the correct circumstances. Hence, the prison. The truth is that we come from peaceful peoples. You must know this of us. The wet mountain tribe was known for its diplomacy and restraint, and though I was never near the canyon river, I have never heard of a warring tribe from the region.”

Kpleeb nodded in what he hoped was a wise and thoughtful manner.

“We freely acknowledge that we are trapped beyond hope in this place. We know that your experiments with us may never be complete. In fact, you may have other caves adjacent to our own with other cavepeople.” She pointed in two directions. “You might even be evil, and in your wicked prerogative, you may be entertained by reaching out and breaking the lives and souls of the cavepeople.” Thoka shrugged. “If this is true, we are lost. If this is not true then may our request fall on sympathetic ears.”

“Despite your actions being against our will, we give you our genuine gratitude for the metamorphosis that has been bestowed upon us.” She gestured at Kpleeb. “I thank you for this caveman. I have come to love him. I thank you for this child. Though she is our progeny, I understand that without your intervention none of this might have occurred.”

Kpleeb stood. [She is really good at this!]

“Lastly, entities, we make our request. Please release us. We cannot continue to live and grow here indefinitely. It is unnatural.” She placed her hands on her belly. “A childhood lived entirely in two small caves would be a travesty. Having our child grow here will stunt its intellect and remove from it the endless joy and education that we know comes from experiencing nature.” Thoka nodded and fell silent.

“We would be grateful if you release us to live the lives that we, and our child, deserve to live.” Kpleeb stood beside Thoka and stretched his arm across her back an put his palm on her hip.

She moved close and they waited together.

There was no sound at all. The cave was incredibly silent, and Kpleeb felt himself holding his breath. The moments stretched into many, and they grew uncomfortable from standing still. They shifted their stances and looked at each other. They had made a pact to wait as long as they could bear to wait before giving up. Thoka had said that it would be respectful and show strength to expect an honest answer.

Eventually, the sun dimmed, and they walked into the second cave to eat. Their meal was silent, and when it was done, they curled together in the sleeping hollow.

The darkness came inexorable and at a snail’s pace.

It took quite some time for Kpleeb to conquer his churning thoughts and fall asleep, but he finally nodded off.

[If we ever get out of here, I will make the gods pay.]