Can a human colony survive on a 'hot' world?

A colony ship headed for its new home countless light-years from Earth suffers an unfortunate malfunction on the final part of its descent phase and crashes onto the planet. Thankfully, the ship crashes near its intended landing zone which is ideal in terms of fresh water/arable land. The ship impacts, knocking out almost all of the most advanced equipment for good, reducing the colonists to a close to modern (2019) level of technology, but with very limited initial availability. Very few of the population actually died as a result of the crash, but are now scattered across the surrounding countryside along the flight path (approx 100 miles) due to being evacuated via escape pod just in time, with the crew being the worst off, having sacrificed many of their lives to save the ship.

As the colonists emerge, they discover that their intel was completely accurate: Prior scans before the journey began indicated the planet is for all intents and purposes considered to be an ideal world, just like Earth, but with different flora/fauna, etc. However, the scans missed a minor detail. Everything is just a little hot. Spicy hot.

All types of plants and creatures seem to contain some heat, with the lowest being in the hundreds of thousands of Scoville units, with the most potent sources in the tens of millions or more (Feel free to adjust this range if necessary). A certain concentration even permeates the very air they breathe. The colonists are simply a random sampling of a normal population. This isn't the first colonization mankind has embarked on, and anyone can sign up at this point. Besides, this world was "supposed to be a cakewalk" provided the ship had landed intact. Unfortunately for them, outside help is likely to be at best, decades away if it comes at all.

So the question is, can the colony, take the heat?

And what would their society/culture look like when the rest of humanity comes to check up on them?

posted almost 5 years ago

Raznarok‭

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