The lake is glowing? I check outside and it's day. Night has passed and day has progressed. I haven't changed my moon. I need to brighten the sun. I need a companion. I leave the moon bright and brighten the sun. I need to keep track of the day night cycle. I need to get these ones food. I need to grow.

On the surface I consume another cylinder 50 meters away from my current position but closer to my pit. This I make 5 meters high and 20 meters wide. Another 141 points. To the shop.

For this surface pit I will need a lure. It's not connected to my other chambers. The ground is stone from packed dirt... Unappealing. I need more stone... I wanted to give my inhabitants clay... I need lures... A cache disguised as a hollowed tree stump is 10 points. I purchase five. Two more 100 packs of seeds for 200 more points. Three small pouches for 10 points and 5 medium pouches for 25 points a piece. I dump the rest of my farmland in the surface pit, spread the stumps around the area, put one medium pouch with 20 seeds in it in one stump, one medium pouch with 15 seeds in another stump. The last three stumps hold one small pouch with 5 seeds each. But I need more.

Ten saplings, 10 points a piece, scattered about. What's this? There's a large slate boulder, 1 ton, for 20 points. I purchase 20. I spend 5 points apiece to shape three of them into short, shallow containers to create small pools which I turn into ponds, 15 points each, to create stone ponds. I embed these in the area as water sources. Another lake(fresh) for 75 points. I'll make another lake later. Ooh. I can customize my ponds for 10 points a piece. Water sprite? I need that for the lake. Maybe.

I'm not tired but I feel the need to rest. I purchase 20 Water Sprite for 5 points a piece. I place 10 in the lake and 2 in each pond. Fish. Bluegill are 10 for 5 points and I purchase 20 sets. Into the lake I place 5 sets of bluegill, each pond gets 1 set. Another 100 points for ten bundles of 5 duckweed at 10 points apiece. I scatter 20 in the lake and 2 to each pond. Crappie are 10 for 5 points. Another 100 points spent. Into the lake go 15 crappie, each pond gets 5 crappie.

I'm not sure how many items I can store in reserve, but I need spares in case something goes horribly wrong. I purchase 5 more stump caches and scatter them along the stolen land in my habitation chamber. In three different stumps I place a medium pouch with 20 seeds. A "Starter Kit" for 50 gold goes into each remaining stump.

I check on my inhabitants and I am horrified. I've lost track of time. How long has the sun been active? They look exhausted. I never turned off the moon but I take the sun and place it into the chamber above. What have I done? The elders sink to the ground, the female shaking as she cries and the male crying silently. I need a companion.

Slow progress has been made by them. They've managed to split several logs and some of the trees have less fruit. A quick scan and the Alfain appear weakened. Not all of the foods were agreeable. Healing for all, 300 points a piece. Cured of disease, illness, and restored to full health. Their flesh is well but their minds... I've neglected them in my focus on my tasks. I dim the sun and move it back. They'll need its warmth.

I still have 339 points. There is a caravan ration pack for 150 points. Enough dried and salted foods to keep 15 people fed for one week. I place that inside their shelter in what appears to be a crude cooking area with a fire pit dug into the ground. That's right. I scatter 5 boulders around the habitation zone. A ton of clay for 50 points goes next to the depleted wood pile and carpentry area.

So many purchases unlocking so much more information. So busy. I need more resources to attract others to my pit without triggering a feverish attempt to destroy me. I'm not intentionally malevolent. I don't understand why time escapes me. I check on the Alfain living area. They've found the rations and have stored the packs in a hollow they've dug and appear to be using as a covered storage area. The male is wrapping crude rope around a strangely arranged collection of sticks while the children braid some strange material. Ah. Plant fibers. The children are making rope and DID I LOSE THE FEMALE?!

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I expand my vision to see her staring at me. I release a pulse of light in alarm. She flinches as I have but does not run away. She looks better... She does not appear to be ill... Merely exhausted.... Why has she dug me up? I remember partially covering myself. She's cleared the dirt from around me. Why didn't I feel anything? I'm afraid to check the Log. If I leave now will I come back in a few seconds or a few days. She takes a deep breath and gently presses her hands against me. I feel her now.

I am Alara.

Hello, Alara. I was Henla. I'm sorry.

I try to explain my actions and my mistakes, focusing on my memories and feel a strange connection forming. I continue sharing, Alara gaining understanding, then feeling strain. I stop when I feel her pain. I've pushed too hard again.

Will you be my companion?

I am too frail, she smiles. Amused at my ludicrous suggestion.

I cannot maintain all of these systems. I do not know how to set them up. Admitting my weakness hurts more than it should. I feel sorrow and shame.

You are trying.

With that she stands and walks away, a travel pack on her back. She's found one of the Starter Kits! My heart soars. I must continue. There's so much that needs to be done and so much that needs to be fixed. The surface is bare.

Available Unlocks. Creatures. Rank D. The cheapest Rank D creature I can buy is 10 points. I purchase 5 lesser forest sprites and a Rank C Greater Forest Sprite for 50 points and place them in my pit above. Creatures, territory, food, tools and water. The tiny creatures aren't supposed to be let loose without a greater being directing them or else they'll get up to mischief but I don't have the points. I've done enough for now.

You can turn on the sun again, Alara says, a soothing warmth easing pulsing from her touch.

I shift my focus to the lower habitat and gradually brighten the sun until Alara sends another pulse.

Thank you.

Whether the thought is mine or hers I do not know. I look and see that they've established a large log cabin with crude tables. The clay has been dug into, there's a fish catcher in the lake, there are several sprouts growing on the farm near the lake, and there are less standing trees. They've cut down trees and cleared out some of the smaller, thicker foliage. What is this? I need to check the log.

Oh. I never noticed. Every time I make drastic changes I lose energy. When I lose too much energy I go back to my most basic self and recharge. I've been losing time because I've been working too hard and then not having enough energy to retain consciousness. Luckily I haven't pushed myself to the point where I reset myself. That's a thing?

The chickens! I pulse and look for an energy meter. Where do I look for my stats. I found out that I was Adaptable before. Where did I look? The Database. The Log tells what information was collected and the Database is where that information is stored. Fair enough.

Rank C. I started off as Rank E, all the points I spent to unlock knowledge helped me jump ranks. Wait, unlocking does not actually generate items. I unlocked the items then used energy to generate them. Blessed Gods, how did I survive that? No wonder I found the work so exhausting. Energy spent is points/10. How much energy do I have?

Low Energy. I've got less than 100 energy points. Total. And I'm going to pass out three days for every hour I spent working because of penalties accrued. Wait. I've only been working for a few hours? It felt like weeks! I've got a max of 500 energy without exhaustion penalties. Oh, I should have 300 points total but I keep unlocking rewards through my actions which increase my reputation which helps increase my Rank.

I should be Rank E but I've been rewarded for my efforts, pain, and determination. I want mushrooms...

Harmless mushrooms. For eating.

Are you awake?

I'd like to get mushrooms for the habitat. For consumption. I have chickens.

I send her the memories and information. I am not fully awake. Penalties. I inform her she needs to make a fence. More soothing pulses. I'm going to sleep again. I release the chickens near the clay and log pile.

Moon.

I 'turn off" the sun and go to sleep. Willingly.