Time and Dirt
(First Day -- Previous Day -- Day 11 -- Next Day)
Day 11
Heliopause Colony on Planet Vertumna, Medbay
“Solane! Solane, I’m so relieved to see you are here. That you are ... still here. Of course I would have rather seen you in Geoponics, visiting me again, I dream about that all the time and sometimes it feels almost terrifyingly real and all the worse when I realize it’s not... but after what happened today, it’s enough for me.
Because, you know who *did* visit me today? Chief Administrator Seeq. And, I was in the greenhouses, you know. Today is the beginning of the wet season, and the torrential rain forced me to work inside.
Tiki, your iki-biki-vriki was with me. I don’t trust anyone to look after it anymore, and I’d miss not having it around, plus it reminds me so much of you... it’s also still so young, barely larger than my hand, and I’m always worried something might happen to it if I left it alone...
And I was right! *Because* our Chief Administrator then, with some unexplainable mixture of disinterest and relish straight up dripping from his mouth said that ‘pests’ can not under any circumstances be allowed to be in geoponics and that he *trusts* me to *deal* with it immediately, and if I should be so negligent again, he would have me reprimanded!
I was shivering all over my body and pressed Tiki close to my chest and haven’t let go since. It’s still with me right now, actually. Just to be safe.
The level of casual hatred for even the smallest and sweetest xenos... it’s so incomprehensible to me. And I have heard it from other people, too. Who taught these people that kind of cruelty? Is it an Earth thing they brought here? When I always thought we came here to escape that exact thing...
That alone had brought me to the verge of tears. But... maybe you shouldn’t hear this. I just really need to tell someone, though. And there’s no one I feel I can trust. Like, I love all my parents, but I’m still worried they would tell some other council members and use it against me. Like, well... Chief Administrator Seeq... they, they just said today that, that... I should expect some new high-quality compost soon! BECAUSE *YOU* WOULD SOON BE RE-... RE-... recycled...
...
... I ... I wish I didn’t have to cry here alone. Where is everyone? Solane... please hold my hand. Even if you can’t see, can’t hear me, or even feel me, I want you to be close to me... Let us both live. Together we can make it through whatever nightmare our dream we grew up with has been turned to. I will not give up on it, or you... But how can *everyone else* give up on you so fast?
You know, I ran out of the greenhouses after hearing that, and on the way to you I met Dys near the colony gates. He stopped in his path, looked at me, sullen and frowning like I have always seen him do, and said ‘Now you know how I always feel here.’ before moving on. I saw him take the ladder leading onto the walls of the colony and then just sitting there, like a lonesome guard.
He was always so cynical about things here. And now I don’t know if he wasn’t right. Like, when we arrived on Vertumna you were out for two weeks and everyone patiently waited for you to wake up. What changed?
If only this was just a lazy weekend day and all it would take was to grasp your hand firmly and pull you up... Let me try anyway, give you a good squeeze, okay?
...
Hey! Solane ...
Did you say something? I think you murmured something. I couldn’t understand what you were saying but... you are talking! You probably could hear everything I said, right? Never thought you were one to talk in your sleep, but it’s so comforting to hear your voice again, even if it’s just grunts like a xeno.
Maybe you’ll open your eyes soon, too. I wonder if you could even recognize me right now with all the dirt on my face, heh. I had tripped over a stone when running from geoponics to here and landed face-first in the muddy ground. I’m fine though, and Tiki was shielded, too. Here, have some of our fine pink Vertumnan soil smeared on your face, too. What makes it pink? That’s for you to find out when you can get up!
Heh, thanks for making me smile, Solane. I needed it today. Maybe Dr. Instance will notice you’re making progress, or already did. Even if not, I’ll just create a pink barricade made from soil or something to stop her. Or whatever it takes.”