Time and Dirt
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Day 27
Heliopause Colony on Planet Vertumna, Medbay
“Solane, hey... hey, hey, it’s fine.
You’re safe, I’m here.
You’re tossing so much. Are you having a bad dream? Or is something making you uncomfortable? I’m sorry, I can never tell nowadays...
Maybe it’s so noisy here now, with even more devices whirring and whizzing and pulsating and so many other sounds. Much more than the last time I was here. Ugh, if it’s going to end up as loud here as outside I don’t know how anyone should be able to rest here properly... I better ask Dr. Instance about this.
Especially about this grey thing that seems to make this annoying stretched-out beeping sound every other moment.
Hey, wait, isn’t that this weird device that I saw the past few days already? It seems like it was connected to you in some way and there’s something showing on the hologram it produces, slightly moving. Is that an image of your brain? It’s so colorful... from the side it looks like a strange, curved tree with a thick blue trunk and countless branches that turn a darker blue... or first purple and then red... or green and yellow! But all the branches are barren, it has no single cap like the mushwood trees. And it stands in front of dark black sky, darker even than the darkest day of Glow...
Oh, and there seem to be some warnings here and there popping up, disappearing and then returning again, I hope it’s nothing serious. But I don’t think it is. You’ve made so much progress already, maybe it’s actually the opposite, alerts about how you’re improving more and more? I can’t really read the messages, but I feel that must be it. Dr. Instance will surely know what to do with them. Maybe I should really ask her if there’s any way I can help her, to make it easier for you as well. Even if I said before I don’t really like the thought of working here, at this point the weeding and everything else can almost feel like a lost case, especially with everything going on in council meetings now, and then also all the noises...
But she’s still so... intimidating, you know? I feel like she might balk at the idea alone since I know almost nothing about human biology.
Unlike the biology of plants, which is not something that can be said about anyone else on that council. And yet they keep acting like they do and pushing these stupid ideas about what to grow. Or well, it’s Governor Lum and Chief Administrator Seeq in particular who do. Today, on *another* council meeting, weirdly right in the morning *before* breakfast, they resurrected the same idea to replace all crops with “protein-rich plants” to fuel their soldiers and their weapons, like they want to go to war soon and nothing else will be important then anymore. And still want to see all fruit trees gone.
At least the other council members pushed back again, like last time. In fact, less reluctantly even! Chief Security Officer Rhett, who otherwise seems to reluctantly go along with everything else Governor Lum decides based on his random whims and ego trips, blasted his proposal, but it somehow didn’t seem to rattle him this time.
I just said I would strike in that case, since my work would be made impossible then anyway. Governor Lum almost jumped at me across the table at that, and had to be restrained by the Chief Security Officer and the Chief Administrator to not lash out at me. I don’t like to admit it, but... that was scary. I tried to stand strong, but I still flinched and instinctively already had gotten ready to shield my face, but fortunately nothing happened. Aunt Seedent in particular looked concerned at me after that and wanted to promise to give me a box of fresh soysweets to cheer me up, but I declined because ... because I didn’t want to be treated like a small child again. Even though I would have of course liked to have some sweets today. Or any kind of normal breakfast.
But I ran out of that meeting immediately after to come straight here actually... not even grabbing anything to eat. I was just, just too upset. On my way here I even saw Dys pass me by and, weirdly, flash a grin for a moment before moving on.
I wonder what he was thinking, if he knew what had happened... really wish I could have talked to him there but I ... think I was too worried someone would come after me and make me go back. Here with you is like the only place I feel safe anymore, even if it’s still... unsettling at the very least. I just wish there was something to eat here... Maybe I should gather some rations here for myself, just in case something happens again and I need to hide here. Preferably somewhere Dr. Instance can’t find them easily so she won’t complain.
For now, I’ll fast a bit, I guess. And... try to rest. I barely got enough sleep last night as is again. Hey, if you wake up before I do, maybe you could... ah, you’d probably still be exhausted, I’m not going to ask any favors from you. Just please try to relax, I’ll be here for you, okay?
Even if you can’t wake up yet, I hope you can at least stop tossing so much soon...
I’ll just stay here, o-on guard.
...
...
...
Ugh, why can’t we just live in p-peace? What’s the point of making everyone’s lifes miserable? I just don’t get it. The thing... or whatever that makes people do that.
But... there’s no point in hiding here forever. I don’t want to, you know? Especially with Tiki still outside... I need to make sure it’s safe. It told me to look things in the eye and keep smiling, even when it’s hard, and that’s what I’m going to do!
And I’m sure you would feel the same, Solane. Even if I don’t really want to be the one to counter ... a thug that co-opted our governor’s position, maybe that’s just what I have ended up with? What we have ended up with, rather. Because no one else seems willing to stand up for our old dream, the one we grew up with and filled our childhood. At least it seems like I have brought the other council members out of their stupor. Somewhat anyway...
Aside from that, I can’t give up on our crops so easily. I can’t let someone like wannabe-Governor Lum get in the way of us eating. Even during the most hopeless times of the famine we worked hard, remember? Both of us, and all the farm aids. In fact, we even engaged in a competition to see who could harvest the fastest! And that with empty stomaches and so little energy left. You really outdid yourself then and found some clever trick that I still haven’t been able to figure out, and I have had more than two years to think about it!
Compared to then, we’re still in a much better situation than back then, at least. And now that you’ll get fit soon... we’ll be more than capable to take on whatever comes, right? No matter what. Stand up to the bullies of the garnison and their leader Lum, bring the park back into order, finally grow some fruit and maybe you and Dys will figure out the secrets of this planet. Of Vertumna...
...
... Aaaand of course put an end to this monstrous noise. Ugh, did I really have the window open? ... Apparently not. What in the world is going on out there now? I’m telling you, a manticore’s call probably wouldn’t even send me half as many shivers down my spine.
Anyway, we won’t be able to do any of that on an empty stomach! So I’ll have to get back to work now, and will come back tomorrow, okay? With food this time.