New MP Gamer Needs Help

[jeff-n-kristen@juno.com (Jeffrey M Meyers)]

First - let me thank the two individuals that gave me some ideas
regarding my conundrum - but I'm trying to get several ideas just in case
(if you knew my GOD [Game Operations Director] you'd know why I'm seeking
several alternatives - Yes Scott - I am referring to you!).

Here's the problem - When we were thawed out - we were in one of the
large "bases" as opposed to a small crio area - I (Character's name is
Jim) was supposed to be a part of a large science team and my cohort in
crime (JP) was with the MARS there to protect us.  Big Surprise - things
went wrong.

Turns out that the base was damaged and low on power and we only had a
few hours to get our gear and split - sounds easy right?  Well, first we
had to find the "emergency fusion generator" and turn it on - otherwise
we couldn't get the elevator up to ground level.

The only vehicle left (at least in the part of the base we could get to -
long story) was the "Hummer" version and we took that up to the surface
with the full intention of going back down for more supplies and stuff
later (there are hundreds of crates of stuff down there - all of which
are very useful stuff I'm sure).   Seems that the elevator had a
different idea (the elevator was basically a platform type - no walls -
just a floor).  The engine burned out as soon as we reached the top and
the elevator platform - made of steel - could not be broken into for
further supplies.  At the time all we had was our personal gear and the
stuff that's normally equipped on the hummer.

So we had no choice but to leave.

After we left, we had a few adventures and we were able to find and
repair an arc welder.  The first thing we did was to enclose our hummer
so that it is "weatherproofed"  - we found some aluminum on a 18-wheeler
trailer and used the arc welder to cut/shape and weld the metal to the
vehicle.  It looks a little like and advertisement for Winston Cigarettes
- but hey - it worked.

Now that the vehicle is more secured and now that we have the means to
open the elevator shaft by cutting through the steel floor of the
elevator we want to go back to the base and start "looting" it of useful
stuff.  Ideally, we'd like to make a large log cabin over the elevator
shaft for two reasons.  (Figure a 40'x50' cabin - one room with loft to
live in - the other room with the elevator shaft and pulley winch system
which we've already made).

First - trees are very available and a log cabin would make the best use
of resources. Second - we've got a functioning fusion reactor down there
with an estimated life of 24-25 years.  Ideally - that sight would
provide us with lots of useful stuff, lots of power, and a fairly good
view (it's at the top of a hill on a clearing - in the middle of a forest
of 150+ year old oak trees).

Here's the problem - how the heck do you cut/shape trees without a
chainsaw or a laser.  On this world metal is extremely scarce so it's not
like we can go to a nearby town and get the lumber saws and stuff.  

Explosives won't work because cutting down the trees is the "easy" part -
you then need to shape them into appropriate size logs and then you need
to move them (which we can do - our vehicle has a winch - we can carry
the logs up to the area and place them with the pulley/winch system that
we've already designed).

An axe would take too long - these trees are 3-4 feet thick due to their
age and I don't want to take too long.  We're in Illinois and we've got
about 3 months before it starts getting cold - and the winters are like
Alaska is today - very, very lethal.

If we can cut and shape the trees (something that would only take a
matter of a week or two if we had a chainsaw - or maybe a few days with a
laser), then we could easily build the cabin timely.  We've already found
a source for Tar so we could make the place waterproofed without a
problem - even if we don't use "shingles" and instead just lay 1x10
boards as roofing material (at least for this winter) and cover it with
tar paper or other building materials (some of which we can get at a
local town).

Open to suggestions.  

One other idea that could take less lumber would be if we dug out ground
around the elevator shaft - so instead of a "tall" cabin we could
possibly have a "short" cabin - one that sticks up only about 4-5 feet
above the ground with the rest "underground" figure a dirt floor about
3-4 feet below the rest of the land.  That way we'd need about a quarter
of the trees.  Unfortunately - the only tools we have are a shovel, a
sledge, an axe, and a pick-axe - so that's still a long labor of love to
get it dug down to 3-4 feet.  Arguably we could get some of it done and
continue in the winter - but then the ground's frozen - ever try to dig
in frozen ground??

Any suggestions are welcome.

Jeff