Chapter 34

Over the next few months, our Pack/Den doubled in size to nearly twenty-five hundred men from all over the world. The three remaining spirits from Arstone’s and Rangmer’s group, Orgonier, Elasmoth, and Katus, joined us.

I asked the three new spirits to assume the form they used when traveling with my five spirits. Katus morphed into a gorilla-like creature with a misshapen head.

Elasmoth turned into a rhinoceros; I could get used to him if his body were less leathery.

Orgonier, however, morphed into a creature straight out of a nightmare. I immediately instructed him and the other two to change back.

I allowed them to remain in their current incorporeal forms until I could discuss it with Jesse and Karl.

Now that the original ten were reunited, the feeling of becoming a Dom or a master was less prominent. With the den/pack significantly larger, we expected to finish the interior of the cave—or rather, the caves—within the next month. The men worked outside in groups of no more only a hundred, and only for a few hours at a time. They all wore farmer’s overalls; the larger men had ripped their pant legs to accommodate their size, while some added extensions to their straps for a better fit. I permitted this to avoid appearing like we had abundant resources, which we wanted to keep hidden.

I informed the spirits that only eight hundred men should appear as members above ground. The spirits would ensure that anyone working outside would present the face of one of those eight hundred, ensuring the body matched the face as well.

Men would come back into the cave or head outside, typically in groups ranging from one to fifteen. The numbers always varying.

Jesse and I had also started a YouTube channel, hosted by men who took on our shapes. We showcased what the mine looked like when we acquired it, along with the cleanup process, interviewing volunteers who dedicated themselves to making the mine environmentally safe. The spirits created all the footage. While we cleaned up the mine, our actual methods differed from what we presented on YouTube. Our plan was to highlight the land outside, focusing on our efforts to improve the soil and establish a self-sufficient co-op, which would feature mostly actual footage and brief scenes.

With the mine entrance, museum, hot springs, and campgrounds now completed, we had finished the major elements of our agreement with Karl’s group. This section of the mine, with its complex network of caves, stood isolated from the main cavern, restricting access to the Pack/Den cave area via portals.

To assist me in finding my ‘lieutenants’ I enlisted the help of Jesse, Karl, James, and now Grey, who we selected to identify candidates for my Lieutenants. While Joshua remained on our list, we could easily replace him if we found someone more suitable. The spirits would scout through our growing membership, seeking individuals who were not only strong and muscular, but also supportive and cooperative. We needed members with the mindset to unify the Den/Pack, ensuring that the spirit world received what it required while also fostering a harmonious living environment in the co-op—one that members would want to stay in, free from conflict.

To achieve this, the spirits would first locate a candidate with the right build. Grey would request the computer surveillance system to investigate this individual while also recording his daily interactions with others in the co-op. James would then review the footage and decide whether to approve or reject the candidate. Once we had five potential candidates, I would bring them together to get to know each one individually, with Jesse by my side. If we felt a candidate might be a good fit, we would invite them to a private meeting similar to the one held with Grey, James, and Joshua. This time, the meeting would include Jesse, Karl, Grey, and me.

So far, we had conducted only one such meeting, resulting in an additional name added to our list alongside Joshua. At this rate, it would take us another year to find the sixteen men we still needed.

Karl was frequently at the park site, and mostly, construction was progressing according to plan. The park was receiving more media attention lately, with reporters questioning the location of the project and the lack of infrastructure to support the visitors Karl hoped to attract, as well as the park’s proximity to a derelict mine. Whatever the reason, one film crew or another appeared nearly every week.

During one of these filming sessions, state inspectors arrived to assess our progress on cleaning up the mine. We gave them a tour of the entrance and the camp, showing how we had sealed off this side of the mine. However, it wasn’t enough for them; they wanted to see the entire mine. They knew we were supposed to have filled the farthest tunnels to stabilize the remaining sections and were aware that we intended to live on site as a co-op prepper community. What they were really after were seismic surveys. We agreed, and they provided us with a list of certified companies to conduct the tests. However, when we contacted these companies, every one of them gave us vague pricing estimates. I feared someone would discover our activities, but the Spirits assured me they could ensure the mine would pass any inspection. Both Ursus and Fen researched how the tests were conducted, and before the contractor arrived, they relocated most members, leaving only about five hundred at the site.

Jesse and I both inquired about the whereabouts of the members, but we received conflicting information. Someone informed Jesse that they were in a cave in South America, while someone else told me they were in a cave in Kentucky The contractor conducted a thorough inspection of our area, examining both the camp cave and our cave, before deploying large trucks that created vibrations in the ground. This process took two days. Before the inspections, they evacuated every member from the cave. Because of the size of the opening, they could drive the largest truck into the mine, bringing it as close to the center as possible. After five hours, they exited and departed, stating they would send the report to us and the government within a week. Just two days later, we received the bill. Letting the spirits keep investing our funds worked out for the Oasis. If not for that money, I would have to ask for help from Karl once more.

Eight days later, we received the report. Aside from some parts of the cave further down, which were already known, the rest of the mine—according to the reports Karl prepared when it was active—was stable. The entrances we intended to use were also stable. We had passed.

“Okay, now you need to explain how we passed. There are many more mining tunnels down there that we enlarged. The scans show that we have sealed all of them. What gives?” I asked Omega.

‘We sealed them in a way,’ he replied.

“That’s not the answer I’m looking for, Omega,” I said.

‘We absorbed the pressure wave just below the sensor and sent a wave back that masked what is beneath. To ensure their satisfaction, we created a super-dense material from our plane to conceal anything we didn’t want them to see.’

“How were you able to accomplish that with just the five of you?” Jesse asked, visibly skeptical.

‘We promised we would protect this world from invasion. Our world assured us that if needed, they would come to our aid. We asked, of course! Do not look at us that way; no spirit other than us, and the five without a vessel are here. Our plane sent the material and shaped it where we directed. That is all.’ Omega was firm and unwilling to provide any further details.

A few days later, we encountered a problem. Well, the Park had a problem: all their wells had inexplicably run dry. “Ursus, how large is this super-dense material?”

*****

Karl frowned, rubbing his temples as though trying to will the news away. “Let me get this straight: the super-dense material sliced the well pipes, and now we have no water supply? How long until we can fix this?”

“Ursus is working on reopening the passage to the lower section of the mine. I put that on hold for now until we can restore the water supply, but full restoration could take weeks,” I explained.

“Great. Just great,” Karl muttered, frustration clear in his voice. “And how long will this water from their plane last?”

“Until we can establish a reliable source again,” I replied.

Omega interjected, ‘We understand the situation. The dense layer that was put in place protects you from potential threats, keeps our newer caves hidden, while also letting the mine pass as stable, but it seems we underestimated the consequences. We will prioritize the locations that will provide you with immediate access to well water as soon as possible.’

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