Greta and Mackenzie smiled in amusement as they saw Isabella's happily surprised face when the glass-steel walls of the elevator became transparent. They were built with the same material as the walls of the biodomes on the surface, and as they were, they had an automatic tinting system that could be activated under certain circumstances. In the elevator, it was specifically programmed to show through when the elevator reached the ceiling of the main cavern, in order to allow a general view of it from above, while descending.
"Its nice, isn't it?" Meyer approached the wall next to Saito. "But don't think that all the elevators in the settlement are like this. This is the elevator of the Pontifical Palace, and its construction was commissioned with this detail. The rest are just common elevators. However, the views help a lot to create a composition of the underground part of the settlement, before you get fully into it."
In front of them stretched a large cavern, similar in size to the interior space of Biodome 1, although somewhat lower. The space was divided by several buildings, and straight streets that extended between them. At different points along the edges of the cavern you could see wide galleries that went into the rock, disappearing beyond the reach of the eye. The entire space of the large cave was illuminated by a real-time projection of the planet's outer sky on the ceiling, which was currently casting a rather yellowish glow, due to the sandstorm that was obstructing the brightness of the white dwarf.
The monsignora began to explain to Isabella what she was seeing. "Most Faith Haven colonists spend 90% of their time underground, so we try to mitigate the feeling of stress and claustrophobia by having them "see" the planet's sky on the ceiling of the cavern. It's not a very good projection, I know, but it helps you not feel like a mole all the time. We can only do this in the main cavern, it's an expensive and complicated system to implement, so we cannot extend it to the galleries outside this space." Meyer pointed towards the center of the cave. "As I told you before, this is the urban center of the colony, where most of the main services, leisure places and offices are located. The residential areas extend outside the main cavern, through the galleries that extend beyond it. There are levels lower than this, but they are mainly maintenance and machinery areas for the operation of the ventilation and life support systems, pipes, electricity, sewage and others. There is also a highway at the lower levels, which links all the underground places of the settlement through electric bus lines and also serves to transport goods and materials throughout the settlement."
The clergywoman laughed good-naturedly as the psychologist's stomach growled and she expressed interest in having something to eat. "No problem, we'll go to a restaurant as soon as we get out on the street. And yes, we have a theater with capacity for 2.000 people, although it's used more as a cinema and assembly hall. Currently we don't have any theater group in the settlement, nor are there performances of any kind. People are quite busy, work long hours, and usually spend their leisure time doing restful activities, so it still doesn't seem like anyone has decided to create an amateur theater group. Although I've to say that I'm very proud of what we have built in these 6 years, we are really only beginning, and there is still a lot to do, so the work days are usually exhausting for the settlers. On the other hand, Omicron Theta is quite far from any busy thoroughfares, so it's difficult for any theater company that we can hire to perform, to pass through here." Greta smiled. "And please, you don't have to worry about trying to see everything on this visit, you can come to Faith Haven again whenever you want and have time. You will always be welcomed here."
The elevator had almost descended to ground level when it entered the interior of a building through the roof and the walls became opaque, taking on the chrome look of steel again. The passengers noticed how it came to a gentle stop, and the doors opened with a soft chime. The group left the cabin and found themselves in an atrium similar to the one they had seen at the entrance to the Pontifical Palace, although smaller, with large doors at the back that led to the streets. A long counter was to the left of the doors, and halfway across the atrium was a security checkpoint with metal arches guarded by several armed guards, through which it seemed necessary to pass in order to get outside. Greta advanced without stopping towards the checkpoint without worrying about the soldiers, who stepped aside when she saw her and quickly stood at attention. The arches beeped as the group passed beneath them, but the guards simply stood at their posts waving until Meyer returned the salute with a slight smile and a quick blessing, making a sign with her hands. The three women went out into the street and finally found themselves between the buildings of the great cavern.
The building they had just left was only one story high, but its façade was built in the same style as the Pontifical Palace, since it was the underground access to it. The buildings around it were less decorated, multi-story, and clearly administrative offices. In some of the lower levels of these buildings you could see small shops and some bars. The streets were completely pedestrian, although they had a service lane in the center, and you could see people going from one place to another passing through them from time to time. The atmosphere, while not stuffy, was considerably more oppressive than on the surface, and the air seemed to be much heavier.
"It seems like it's a little hard to breathe, right? Don't worry, there is no danger, and the sensation disappears in a few minutes as soon as the body gets used to it." Meyer pointed upward with a quick gesture, smiling, and looked at Isa. "Well, all these caves have natural entrances and exits to the outside, and the atmosphere of Pygar is perfectly breathable, but we must bear in mind that about 10,000 people live below. If it weren't for the machinery that constantly pumps air from the surface we would suffocate in here, because with so many people the air does not renew itself at the speed it should. But we've enough air pumps constantly working, and even if there were a general outage of the electrical grid, they can work for even weeks connected to the emergency generators. The only consequence is this feeling of heaviness of the air that is especially noticeable when you descend from the surface to here."
Wilson had noticed throughout the visit that Isabella looked with some apprehension at the soldiers they had encountered. She assumed that Isabella was a pacifist person, and one who disliked guns and people who carried them. But it was not unusual for a person who was dedicated to saving lives and protecting health to reject instruments that could end life and health. She felt compelled to turn to Saito and give her an explanation. "Don't worry about the presence of the Guard, Isa, they are exclusively to protect us. It's true that we've more military presence now than at other times, but we are on a certain level of alert in the settlement, and actually throughout Pygar, due to certain disagreements with the Corsairs, about the occupation they have carried out in Freeport 9, here at Theta." Mac didn't know if Isabella was aware of the whole situation, so she decided to give her a brief summary. "Some time ago the Corsairs attacked Freeport 9 and took it by force, taking its inhabitants hostage, arguing for this some story that one of their Elders, or the son of one of them, had been killed there by Outcasts, or by the Core, or by any of them, the truth is that I don't know the plot well. The situation between the Corsairs and the Theta Zoners has been getting worse over time since that happened, apparently because Corsairs have been behaving like real bullies with us, and all the negotiations that have been attempted with them have failed miserably. I think even Dr. John Holliday made his own attempt to mediate, but it doesn't seem to have had any effect." Wilson shook her head in frustration. "Things are very bad, and everything seems about to explode, we don't know how this is going to end. We're worried because we don't know if the Corsairs have plans to come to Pygar. That's why all this... deployment you're seeing."
Not forgetting that Isabella had commented on the way down that she was starting to get quite hungry, Greta wasted no time in leading the group through the streets until they came to a restaurant located on the ground floor of a building, called "The Hispanic spoon". Once inside they could see that it was a place decorated in the classic cretan style, with walls painted in rustic white and brick, orange tile floors, wrought iron barred windows, tables with green and white checkered tablecloths, straw-woven chairs, and some cured sausages hanging on strings from the ceiling. On the walls, several clay pots with plastic and fabric plants tried to add atmosphere. At the bottom of the restaurant, a large wooden bar counter held several taps of blonde beer, and on the wall behind the bar was a large wine rack containing about 50 bottles of cretan red wine. Not very loud, although perfectly audible, you could hear a background of hispanic music, with guitars, clapping and singers singing heartfelt melodies.
As soon as they entered were received by a middle-aged man with sallow skin, dressed in a white shirt and black pants. When he saw Meyer, he dropped to one knee in front of her, and bowed his head in a sign of absolute respect. "Monseñora Meyer!" The man greeted her with religious fervor "What a great honor! How honored I feel that you have stepped foot in mi casa ! Bless me Monseñora, por favor, by the Grace of Deux!"
The clergywoman, somewhat embarrassed but smiling, made the sign of the Sacred Gear over the man's head and helped him to his feet. "Antonio, please, I've told you many times that such effusiveness isn't necessary. Deux sees through our hearts without the need for grandiloquent gestures, and I, honestly, don't deserve such veneration, I'm only a servant of His Sacred Mandate, like you." Greta pointed with her hands to her companions. "These are my friends, Drs. Saito and Wilson. I assume you already know Dr. Wilson, but Dr. Saito is visiting Faith Haven from outside of the planet and is hungry, so I've considered that "The Hispanic Spoon" is a good place to eat something and try some local cuisine. Do you agree with me Antonio?"
The man smiled and nodded vigorously. "Certainly Monseñora, my restaurant is the best in Faith Haven, with Deux's help." He looked directly at Saito and bowed slightly. "A sus pies, Doctora. Here you will taste the best hispanic food, and some Cretan specialties. Cretan culture is important for our Holy Church. The founder, His Holiness Paolus LXIV, was originally from Creta, and many of our hermanos in the Faith are from there." Antonio looked at Meyer again, and gestured for the group to follow him. "I'll place you at a table in the patio de luces, so you'll have more privacy."
The group crossed the room of the establishment, full of tables, at some of which there were people eating, and went out through a back door towards a small, open interior courtyard, decorated in the Cretan style, with white and cobalt blue tiled walls. Some large pots with decorative plants were distributed along the walls and in some areas at ground level, and some windows with wrought iron gratings faced the interior of the restaurant. The courtyard was open to the ceiling of the cave, and nothing impeded the view of Pygar's sky projection above it, except several garlands of colored pennants crossing the top of the walls from side to side.
Antonio separated the chairs at one of the tables to accommodate the three women, and proceeded to show them the menu. "Bueno, señoritas, I advise you to start with some cretan-style cured meats that I just received from abroad and some imported cheese as well. Donkey cured meat in olive oil, pork serrano ham and aged sheep's cheese. We can also accompany everything with a fresh salad of lettuce, tomato and onion, dotted with black olives, and seasoned with olive oil, salt and vinegar, all of them local products. To continue, for the main course we've a brothy stew, with local chickpeas, potatoes and rice, or if you prefer we can serve some fresh pods with small cubes of ham, potato and carrot. For dessert, we've homemade torrijas, made with lemon peel, cinnamon and infused milk, and dipped in bread with egg, fried and coated in sugar. This last one is a recipe received directamente from my mother, and I assure you that you haven't tasted such a delicious postre in all your life. To drink, apart from fresh water, we've some blonde beer, very cold, and Cretan tinto wine. We also have a locally made white wine, from the biodomes here in Pygar, although it isn't as... refined as I would like, but I'm working on it."
Meyer looked at her companions and then turned to the owner of the restaurant. "Bring us a bit of each, please, Antonio, so we can try everything." The man bowed slightly, lefting to give the order in the kitchen and the monsignora looked at the doctors. "Antonio belongs to one of the oldest families of believers in the Church. He comes from Planet Crete, as you have already seen, and their ancestors have been believers in Deux for millennia. He was one of the first to respond to the call of our former Pontiff Paolus, Deux have him in His Glory, when the Church was founded." Meyer absentmindedly pointed out a framed photograph that was hanging on one of the courtyard walls, in which Antonio appeared with a big happy smile, next to the former Pontiff, in an attitude of going to kiss his ring as a sign of respect. "Antonio has been blessed with many gifts, but certainly one of them is cooking. When we arrived in Pygar, he was the first who proposed the Government opening a private restaurant that could offer people dishes that were less... basic, than those offered by the Church in public dining rooms. It isn't a cheap place, since Antonio has to import many of the products he serves, but certainly for me it's the best place in this settlement where you can eat." Greta's face lit up with joy as a waiter approached the table to bring a pitcher of water, and a bottle of red wine, along with a bowl of dressed olives with ali-oli as an aperitif for the wait. "So let's enjoy the meal calmly, because then we will go directly to the Medical Center, as you requested, Isa, where Mac can show you how our medical services work."
