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It was always inevitable that winter would follow summer. In the months following the human invasion, the planet Tarka slowly lost its temperature.

It was the worst time for the non-hibernating Cordollians, who could only sunbathe so much in winter. Especially at night.

Originally, the Cordollians were found near the planet's equator, but as they developed their own civilization and technology, they gradually migrated upwards and diverged from their southern subspecies.

The northern Cordollians had other ways to survive besides shifting habitats on an 87-year cycle. Instead of evolving over time to grow hair on their bodies to adapt to the cold, they chose to use technology to adapt to their environment.

Despite living in somewhat colder regions, the Northern Cordollians still had smooth, scaly skin and a metabolic system that was unfavorable for survival. The secret to their survival lay in a stone called a "nurturing stone".

These stones, made by hardening special ores, resins, and other components dug from deep underground, literally radiated heat. They varied in size, but were generally about the size of an ostrich egg, with a flickering ember beneath their transparent surface.

They were extremely efficient; once heated (left out in the sun all day), the stones would retain heat for nearly ten days. They were a staple of the hibernating Cordollians, but their efficiency made them rare.

In the current society of the Northern Cordollians, ownership of a hot stone was almost a form of citizenship. It was administered by the Two Spirits, and the recipe for the stone was known only to him and his closest confidants, the pack leaders.

The Cordollians were loyal to him; he held the survival of all the Cordollians in his hands, and his cold, sharp judgment ensured that they produced the Nurturing Stones as efficiently as possible. This group of reptilian creatures developed technology to survive and adapt, eventually becoming the top predators of Tarka.

After nearly two hours of listening to the long and amazing lecture, Logan was able to bring home a Nurturing Stone. It was a reward for his hard work, as he had attended every meeting, day and night.

Logan was unusually excited when he brought home the round stone rolled up in an old cloth. Partly because of his penchant for tinkering with things, and partly because he finally felt like he was actually doing something in this broken world.

The monsters' society was strange, but in some ways more rational than human society. There was no unnecessary flattery or politics. Advancement was based solely on merit, and each individual's role was assigned and managed by the Two Spirits themselves. Thus, lying and tricking others to please the boss was rarely done, as it was in the human world.

Structurally, the two societies weren't that different. The smart ones rose to the top, and those at the bottom were forced to do a lot of work. But at least in the Cordollian society, the rewards for those at the bottom were much greater. The fierce reptiles paid generously for repetitive work that didn't require much expertise. They provided Logan and Dustin with plenty of food and other necessities of life when they helped rebuild their home.

Judging by Logan's satisfaction, the Cordollian strategy of capitalizing on the psychological fulfillment of mutants seemed to have worked well. Being an underclass in a polarized society and being a reserve monster citizen in a time when everything was ruined and only left to rebuild might be qualitatively similar, but psychologically they were quite different.

The latter worked better, at least in terms of presenting a vision of a new era. It was easier to make them believe they were part of the mutant mainstream. The monsters had already tapped into the human psychology of wanting more than others of their kind.

In the Fallen World, everyone was a mutant, regardless of their human status. The status given to all mutants was "Reserve Monster Citizen". They were all treated the same, no matter who was better, and there was only one way to rise among them. Listen to the giant reptiles and get out of the halfpenny system.

Some might see this as unfair, others might see it as an opportunity. What was clear was that if you rejected the system, you would naturally be culled. After the fall of the human world, the Cordollians naturally took in loyal mutants.

Logan hummed quietly as he set up the stone on the porch. It was a novelty for humans, used to electricity and gas. But for a Cordollian, whose hand movements were not as precise as those of humans, it was a great advantage to be able to generate heat with little effort or finesse. And because the heat source was so easy to move, the stone could be used anywhere there was sunlight, as long as they didn't break.

Best of all, Logan didn't have to pay anything extra for the stone; he just had to use them for their lifetime and then get new ones.

Well, not that they handed out the stones that easily. Logan had to pledge his loyalty to the Two Spirits indefinitely in order to get the next one.

But he didn't complain. It was just like when he was human and had to go to work to pay the dreaded gas bills. Although Logan would rather have no bill at all.

"Logan, what are you bringing in from outside..."

Nicholas woke up to the sound of his son rustling around outside and appeared groggy. Undressed and roughly covered with an old quilt, he yawned in a series of tired groans.

[I got a Nurturing Stone, now we can stay warm at home and cook some meat.]

"That's very good."

Nicholas stood in the doorway and watched as the large reptile secured the stone. Logan had always been friendly and more talkative than Dustin, which made Nicholas less distant. Besides, he hadn't changed much since his transformation, taking care of the house and explaining things to him. It was reassuring.

Nicholas watched Logan obsessively as he went about his chores. It was a strange feeling to see a large, muscular reptile lounging in the sun. The creature, which seemed to be on all fours at any given moment, hissed, talked and even used tools. The middle-aged man kept trying to hypnotize himself to stop looking at him like a monster, but he couldn't help but feel alienated from Logan and treat him like a freak.

[Almost done, it's warmed up from being out in the sun for a bit while I set it up, how about I cook you something for the first time in a while instead of raw meat to celebrate?]

"Can you do that?"

Nicholas looked between Logan's hand and the stone. He appreciated the concern, but his son's fingers didn't seem to bend as freely as they once had. He couldn't imagine those clumsy reptilian hands holding a knife and cooking.

Most of their meals consisted of picking up just enough raw meat to keep from upsetting their stomachs and eating bits of fruit and vegetables. Even that was only possible because Nicholas' internal organs had undergone a series of mutations. But the sound of cooking made him hungry, so he headed for the kitchen.

"I'll just do it."


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