While they had been staying with Boti's tribe, Vana had taken to following Comet around, wide-eyed and curious. It was nice to talk to another draconic, even if only to gripe about door handles, but the youngster never stopped asking questions. So, of course, Comet roped Whiteout and Clay into answering the never-ending flood.

They were resting in an indoor greenhouse, built into a pre-existing ravine that had been roofed over with glass and designed with pleasant water features and plenty of places to sit. The verdant greenery was a stark contrast to the sandstone walls and the sand outside. It was a pleasant break from endless views of sand, occasional greenery, a jagged outcrop, and more sand.

Vana, however, was fascinated and began to question the adults.

"Where does the water come from?"

Whiteout blinked thoughtfully at the stream. "I'm pretty sure it's recycled."

"Yes, but some will evaporate… where is it refilled from?"

Clay tilted his head thoughtfully. "Probably diverted from a spring or rainwater… I doubt they'd divert too much drinking water for it."

Vana nodded slowly, then tilted their head up at the glass above. "Is it just me, or does it seem too sunny? The other ravines have wider openings at the top and aren't this bright…"

Comet pointed with their tail up at what appeared to be a light up the side of the canyon wall. "Mirrors!"

Vana squinted at it with interest, pupils thinning as she looked at the bright spot.

"The mirrors reflect sunlight down from the surface, to here. That way they can control what patches get more light and plant accordingly. Shady areas for shade-loving plants, bright areas for sun-loving plants, that sort of thing."

Vana nodded slowly, digesting the information. "So it's not lights… what do they do when sandstorms come it?"

Whiteout shrugged slightly. "Plants can go for a day or so without sun - they do it aboveground when the storms come in, after all."

"But it leaves sand all over the glass," Vana pressed, tilting their head.

Whiteout made an 'ah' noise and nodded. "They have people go up there and shovel it off."

"Usually us," Clay sighed dramatically.

"But we get to go in the pool after," Comet pointed out, amused.

"True, true. But we can go in the pool without having to shovel sand off of the glass, too."

"Why not have some sort of machine to do it?" Vana asked, curious.

"Great minds think alike!" Clay said cheerily, then fluffed up and smoothed out his fur. "Believe me, I've asked. It has to do with how heavy things are - the glass can't support the weight of sand and machinery, for example. Plus, you have some sort of gear thing up there - you'd be constantly cleaning sand out of it, and it probably wouldn't work half the time, anyways."

"You have thought about this," Comet said, only mildly surprised.

"I'm not all brawn and no brains," Clay snorted. "There's a coherent thought or two in here."

"More like coherent thought, singular," Whiteout needled, amused. "About how you can do less work."

"Work smarter not harder!"

The group laughed at that, and the conversation turned to other things. Vana asked if they could follow the stream up towards its source and they did so, winding through the gardens, passing other people. They passed through a few dividers between climate zones, Vana and Comet easily wiggling through white Whiteout held the door, and then Clay squeezing through with his wings tightly folded.

The transition from the tropical into the temperate forest was bracing, going from humid warmth to chill air. Clay's feathers fluffed out and Comet snorted at him, amused, but soon they reached the source of the stream where it gurgled from a hole in the rock. It had been carefully barred so that someone couldn't try and climb up the tunnel.

"Why would someone do that?" Vana asked, examining it.

Whiteout shrugged. "Some people are as curious as you. They might try to find the way rather than ask."

"Huh," Vana blinked slowly, but her curiosity about the stream had been abated for now. Instead, she wanted to see the glass covering the ravine above, and so they began to wind up the stairs and tunnels that rose to the top of the mesa, and new mysteries beyond.