DATALOG 271
THE ARID LANDS

The lands once known as Spain and Portugal have been transformed into Ibera, a harsh expanse of arid wasteland. The once-lush Mediterranean coast is now a series of salt flats and dry riverbeds, stretching inland to meet endless plains of cracked earth and wind-carved rock formations.

Unconquered Wasteland

In this unforgiving terrain, the people of Ibera have forged a society as tough and unyielding as the land itself. Their settlements are marvels of resourcefulness, taking many forms to adapt to the harsh environment. Military installations from the era of the Great Collapse have been transformed into fortress farms, their thick stone walls now reinforced with salvaged metal and bristling with defensive turrets. Terraced gardens cascade down their faces like green waterfalls, protected by ingeniously designed solar screens that cast dappled shadows across drought-resistant crops.

In the region's towering canyons, entire communities have carved their homes into the living rock. These cliff-cities are connected by networks of rope bridges and retractable walkways, while solar panels arranged in fractal patterns climb the sun-baked walls. At dusk, hundreds of windows flicker with warm light, transforming the canyon faces into constellations of human habitation.

Not all Iberians choose to remain stationary. Nomadic groups roam the wastes in sophisticated mobile communities, their dome-tents crafted from smart-fabric that shifts color to match the terrain. These camps cluster around powerful water-processing units, protected by scout-drones that patrol the perimeter with wing designs mimicking local birds of prey. Within hours, these settlements can vanish into the landscape, leaving nothing but mysterious circles in the dust.

A Hardy People

In the ruins of pre-Collapse cities, the Iberians have created their most ambitious projects. Skyscrapers have been wrapped in vertical gardens, their broken windows replaced with sophisticated hydroponics systems. Streets have become canals for precious water distribution, while ancient parking structures house tiered mushroom farms in their perpetual shade. Salvaged drones buzz between buildings like mechanical bees, maintaining crops and monitoring for threats.

The farmers of Ibera are renowned for their expertise in coaxing life from the barren soil. Using a combination of ancient techniques and salvaged pre-Collapse technology, they've developed strains of crops that thrive in the harsh conditions. Vast networks of underground irrigation channels, constructed during the brief utopia before the Great Collapse, have been painstakingly restored and expanded, bringing life-giving water to the surface.

But it's not just their agricultural prowess that sets the Iberians apart. They are master technicians, capable of breathing new life into machines long thought dead. Salvage yards in Iberian settlements are a tinker's paradise, filled with the husks of ancient drones and farming equipment. Under the skilled hands of Iberian mechanics, these relics of the old world whir to life once more. 

Martial Prowess

The scouts of Ibera are legendary, their skills honed by generations of defending their homeland against outside threats. These sharpshooters are capable of picking off targets at incredible distances, using a combination of ancient bolt-action rifles lovingly maintained for centuries and more modern railguns cobbled together from scavenged parts. Their ability to blend seamlessly into the harsh landscape makes them all but invisible until it's too late.

This martial prowess is a necessity, for Ibera faces a constant threat from the expansionist ambitions of the Prime AI. Time and again, Prime has sent expeditionary forces to probe Ibera's defenses, seeking to bring this fiercely independent region under its control. Each time, these incursions have been met with fierce resistance.

Stories are told around Iberian campfires of lone scouts taking out entire squads of Prime Troopers, of farmers turning their repurposed agricultural drones into deadly weapons, of mechanics rigging old farm equipment into impromptu fortifications. The landscape itself is turned into a weapon, with hidden pitfalls, false trails, and expertly placed sniper nests making any advance a deadly proposition for the invaders.

Despite the constant pressure, or perhaps because of it, Iberian society remains vibrant and defiant. Their settlements, whether carved from canyon walls or built atop ancient ruins, are close-knit communities where everyone contributes to the common good. Music and art flourish, with songs of resistance and tales of cunning victories over Prime's forces passed down through generations.

In Ibera, the human spirit has not just endured, but thrived in the face of adversity. It stands as a beacon of hope in the Desolation, a testament to what can be achieved through ingenuity, determination, and an unwavering will to remain free.