The hike out to the cliff face wasn’t as long as Max was expecting, only five kilometers.
By the standards of those without Systems, it might be a long trip, but it was an easy jog for the four soldiers, and they made it in under fifteen minutes without breaking a sweat. The staff working the safety ropes around the climbing hill were somewhat surprised to see them so early, but they weren’t the only outdoor enthusiasts at the resort, so the equipment had already been checked for the day and was ready to go when they arrived.
There were four basic lines up the cliff, plus one hiking path that made a long loop to the top, and a secondary short cave system that led out near the base of the cliff.
Two were of moderate difficulty, one could almost be walked up by those with decent agility, and the last had multiple overhangs and nearly smooth sections.
All four sets of eyes went to the fourth route at the same time, and Max sighed. “I hate to do this, but I’m pulling rank. I’m the senior officer, so I’m going first.”
That made the others laugh, as well as brought a smile to the faces of the staff. Nobody likes to wait in line, but if they are all military, they will at least have a system worked out to decide these things..
“I will take the route beside it. A lot of those handholds look fragile, and I don’t want to damage the cliff face.” Nico decided though she was not much heavier than many of the overweight climbers that attempted the route and were essentially hauled to the top by their harness so that they could say they completed it.
The third route was up a small box crevasse, an easy route for Nico, whose legs never got tired of holding her body weight at awkward angles.
Looking down at Captain Catan’s face as he reached the top of the cliff, Max realized that he had made a tactical error. He should have been the gentleman and let the ladies go up first. Though, the view from up here wasn’t that bad either.
Nico didn’t take long to reach the top, thanks to a body that didn’t get tired or sweat under stress while trying to hold onto small ridges in the cliff face, but Lieutenant Breckenridge took nearly thirty minutes to reach the peak of the route.
The resort had expected this though, and most of their climbers took over an hour since the planet was mostly visited by Civilians, so they had set up a shower station at the top, with spring water pumped to a barrel for a natural cold shower, perfect for washing away the sweat of a long climb.
Once they were thoroughly refreshed, Max led the group into the caverns. There were formed from water runoff through the limestone, giving the caverns a smooth surface with stalactites that had grown into full-height pillars in many spots. The crystallized minerals made for a rainbow of colors, but the most incredible part of the entire experience were the plants. Flowers bloomed in every possible color combination, and a variety of shining scales flashed through the air as the small fish that served as their pollinators jumped between the petals, pulling down pollen to serve as their food source.
“I have never even heard of something like this before.” Breckenridge sighed, watching the fish flash through the air.
“I believe they only exist here, on Comor. From the records that could be compiled, the original settlers found the one-in-a-million worlds jackpot here. A planet with existing life that was suitable for human habitation. They only had to modify it a little to grow crops that they could eat, and most of the planet was left intact.” Max explained while Catan spent more time looking at Breckenridge than the caverns.
As they got further underground and away from the light, the cavern changed, turning from flowers to luminescent fungus. The glow served the same purpose as the brightly colored flowers, attracting the jumping fish to spread their spores around the cave.
They could see that there were warning signs of safe spots if a sudden rain came through, so the Cavern must flood to some degree, helping the plant life spread through the entire system, but there was no call for rain in the forecast over the next few days.
Though two kilometers was enormous for a cave system, and they were moving at a relative crawl so they could truly appreciate the scenery, the trip was over much too soon for Max’s liking. He was tempted to suggest they go back and use the exit that led to the base of the cliff face, but Nico had seen another attraction on the chart that he had somehow missed.
The Security training Kennels were not far from this exit, set into the woods where they wouldn’t detract from the natural beauty of the resort.
It was rare for the others to see her that worked up about anything, so there were no objections as she led them down a side trail away from civilization, stopping only when the security guards ordered them to.
“Guests, this is an unsecured area, please return to the main resort attractions.” A man with a half-grown flying wolf beside him asked politely.
“Ten minutes with the puppy and I won’t give you any more trouble.” Nico counteroffered, making the guard sigh.
“We get your sort a few times a year. Not afraid of anything, not even wolves three times your size. But fortunately, we have just the thing. A few of the failed candidates were too friendly and have become mostly domesticated. They have been trained not to bite, so they are safe to interact with. Give me a moment and I will bring one out.” The guard informed them.
Nico looked a bit disappointed that it wouldn’t be a guard dog or a wild wolf, but Breckenridge was quickly building up to a full frenzy after seeing the pup in training. They had searched the plane when it landed, but the passengers couldn’t see them, and the commercial flights went through a more intensive technological screening than the private craft did.
A golden-winged wolf with a big happy smile on its face and a long blue tongue hanging out bounded up to them a few minutes later, nuzzling against Nico and leaving a huge slobber trail up the side of Catan’s face.
“I see why this one was not suited to be a guard dog.” Max laughed as the other three played with the pup.
“I’ve got a ball if you want to play fetch with it. Just be sure to dodge the return, because he likes to tackle people.” The handler chuckled, handing Max a bright red oblong ball that drew the wolf’s instant attention.
By the time they were done playing they had definitely missed lunch, and the snacks they had packed were long gone, but the guards were kind enough to offer them a lift back to the resort.
“No need. Exercise is good for these lumps. We’re all from the same Special Tactics Unit, and we’ve already been on vacation for a week. A proper workout is in order.” Max dismissed the guard’s concern and looked back to the resort, now some ten kilometers in the distance.
“Last one back to the hotel wears their partner’s choice of outfit to dinner.” Max joked, then took off at a run.
He and Breckenridge should have this, Max was certain. As long as the Corvette Class Pilot didn’t get tired, she should be able to beat Catan in a foot race with relative ease.