Rise.

So I really appreciated the reviews. Now to respond: here's a little ditty On Living Underground. You ask, you get.


1. Who lives underground?

About 600,000 humans.

2. Why?

Humans were driven underground as Earth was overrun with invaders. It started with the subway systems in major cities, and expanded to the cave systems in certain areas and to old mines and created tunnels in other areas. Some of these places are safer than others; some, in fact, are quite precarious, which is one reason why the Wolfish empire opposes underground colonies.

3. So...what's it like living underground?

Depends on where you are. The human way of life is very decentralized; there is not standardization of life, no true legal system, only a thinly established sense of community. There are different "types" of colonies that are more prevalent than others, for various reasons. Damon, for example, comes from a Baptiste colony, which emphasizes strong attachment to industry & emphasis on developing self-sufficiency, as well integrating a strong religious component; their society enforces gender roles strongly, but not to the degree of the Clan colonies (Róan's birthplace), which comes closer to forced submission, and focuses largely on territoriality and war. As we meet more humans, we'll learn more about the different types of colonies.

Most (though not all) colonies are nomadic, and tend to move frequently so as to avoid detection. Humans, on the whole, spend most of their time avoiding detection, as even the slightest whiff of their presence could lead to them being thoroughly hunted, usually for breeding, but occasionally for more sinister purposes.

3A. Do they have doctors? What's medicine/science like?

There are a human laboratories that were set up covertly during/after the amnesty period granted under the Cooperative Reproductive Research Project, when human scientists researching answers to the problem of reproduction were given unfettered access to Lout, Psire, Chamo and Layer laboratories and work; after the collapse of the project, though (due to widespread abuse of power), humans were relegated to working only with what they'd managed to beg, borrow or steal during those glorious few days. But, being the sticky-fingered and resourceful little creatures that we are, that turned out to be quite a bit.

However, since the laboratories are used only for the most important work, day-to-day medical problems are solved via traditional methods; lots of herbs and roots, and in each group, an individual who acts as the medicine man/shaman/country doctor/walking farmer's almanac for his companions.

3B. What about reproduction?

There is some barely functioning, frequently unstable and always dangerous technology amongst humans that will allow a fertilized egg to be implanted in a surrogate male. Not all clans have this technology available, or are even aware of it. In surrogate implantation, a combination of genetic material from the surrogate and the other donor is used for fertilization. The procedure has a 27% mortality rate at the time Rise takes place, and Róan and Euan are the youngest in their clan.

3C. What about food/water?

Food is mostly collected from mobile "farms" - more like small, carefully guarded and dutifully cultured gardens that colonies maintain on wagon backs, etc. This allows for a constant supply of fresh foliage. Plants are grown by exposure to UV light or, in certain locations, sunlight. Almost all colonies will take their plants to surface occasionally (usually at sunrise or dusk). While they do this, they may also forage a bit or hunt for meat. (Some small animals are kept with the colony as a protein source.) Surface expeditions are extraordinarily risky, and so surrogates and children are always kept underground. Water is gathered from underground sources.

Anything I forgot? Write me a review asking and I'll answer it next Author's Note!