Time and Dirt
(First Day -- Previous Day -- Day 30 -- Next Day)
Day 30
Heliopause Colony on Planet Vertumna, Medbay
“Solane! I’m back! I can come during the day again, Dr. Instance even specifically asked me to today! Ah, it’s nice to have some time away from all that rattling, clanging and thundering still going on outside. Let me give you a hug, I haven’t seen you in so long. It’s been almost two days, after all!
...
I’m so sorry I wasn’t there the previous day, I was finally able to get back to work and had so much to catch up on again.
Work just piles up even if you are there every day, but leave out two days and it grows faster and higher than the most ambitious mushtree... You probably remember that yourself, right? We goofed off for a single day and the next day your mother chides us for all the work left undone that now is waiting alongside all of that day’s work... But sometimes it was almost worth it, wasn’t it, Solane?
Nowadays of course I couldn’t afford that, or... *we* couldn’t afford that, Solane, but it’s just how things went, right? You remember how the soldiers were going to cut down the entire orchard and what not, until they changed their mind and wanted to cut *me* down, like a tree in their way... And that’s how I ended up spending that day with Dys outside instead. And the night, I almost want to tell you all about it all over because it was such an amazing experience.
There was just one thing that was bothering me. The whole time I wondered what the soldiers were doing now, and was torn apart by not being able to guard our plant friends, and ... whether I would return to a barren wasteland or something, if I could even return to the colony. But then I actually could, it just didn’t go as I expected, you know? Instead of going back to work like I had hoped, I had to spend the whole day in hiding.
Do you want to hear how that happened? So, when Dys and I were trying to sneak back in the early morning, Rex had actually already been waiting for us both outside the colony gates! I hadn’t seen him in weeks and was so happy to see him. But then I saw that his normally flappy dog ears were perked up, and he was constantly checking behind him and to the side, beckoning us to come close with an unusually serious expression on his face. And he is normally the boy with the widest grin in the colony, and the most playful... I frowned, but when I looked around myself for what Rex might be worried about, I saw nothing, just Dys grinning again, looking at the ground, where raindrops had started to fall on the sandy ground. Wet season never shirks from its job, even less than we ever did, huh?
I didn’t really care in that moment, though, because I was still fixated on figuring out what was going on! I searched the horizons some more, the walls, the towers, peeking behind him through the colony gates, but I still couldn’t tell what was supposed to be *wrong*. The second sun was barely visible yet on the horizon, the walls looked empty, the colony was barely awake, with just some early fliers going to their jobs in the distance. Everything seemed normal for once again.
You know, I was squinting to look at one of these people who were up so early. Someone who was apparently moving towards us, trying to make out if I knew them. But then Rex grabbed me, and silently pointed a finger upwards, whispering that Anemone had seen us leave the previous day from atop the walls during her guard duty. And after that she had told Vace, who now had it in for us or something. Well, even more than before.
Then I saw that it was Vace who was walking in our direction! The same Vace who thought that prison was too good a place for me to be! I was ready to seek him out and challenge him, Solane, but Rex held me back and Dys quietly snickered in the background and went to his tent not saying another word.
Admittedly, I was really annoyed at this point, almost angry even. Like I had no idea what he was even trying to do. Whether he was trying to just stop me from getting into a fight, or ...
Solane, you remember how we had met him a year and half ago when he landed with the Helios alongside Lum and all those other soldiers? He seemed so different, then. Except for Nomi-Nomi, his best friend, he was the only one from that spaceship not obsessed with war and killing. In fact, he was such a friendly person, we got along immediately, even if he wasn’t particularly interested in geoponics stuff. Actually, what *did* he do? I just realized I never even asked. He seemed to just float around the colony.
...
And you got along with him so well, too. Always eager to exchange hugs with him. No one gave better hugs than him. I probably could still learn from him in that regard.
But that moment was nothing like that! He wasn’t gentle and soft like he always, his grip was harsh, instead of wrapping himself around he just grabbed my arm and pushed himself in my way, and wordlessly gestured me to be quiet. I really wanted to argue or at least get him to explain himself there, I just... found it impossible seeing him frown so much. Like, it made me feel his disappointment run through me, chilling my blood, and how it would turn to ice if I said anything.
Sometimes I wonder how other people can manage to say so much with not a single spoken word...
Anyway, you know what happened next? His ears twitched in the direction of the colony, and he yanked me away from the gates to a shrub growing next to it and pushed me down! Stars, now I *really* had no idea what was going on, Solane. I was too disoriented to even think about whether I should be upset at him or anything. And before I had a chance to say a word I could hear something myself now.
Vace was muttering something to himself, but he was so close to us now it was still clear enough for me to make out a lot of what he was saying!
I remember it being something like ‘That freaking flower boy probably out there collecting new flowers for his flower crown he’s making for his lover, while we have to do his job now...’
He was basically hissing! I really had to swallow my pride there ... and my anxiety, ugh. It felt even worse than when I had met him at Geoponics the day before, and Rex could apparently somehow sense that, since I noticed him grasping my arm tighter. I wanted to check if he was still frowning, but then I was distracted by Vace’s tirade continuing.
‘If I can get ahold of him, I will teach him what it means to jeopardize the security of the colony this much... the disrespect to those that make sure he can be a dustmole all day, digging in the soil for worms or something’
The vitriol in his voice is still stuck in my head even now, Solane. At least you didn’t have to hear it... How can someone be like that, though?
Then he complained about the the garrison being in *utter* disarray now and how they were forced to pull at leaves in the ground like ‘disgusting bristleslugs’. And about some other Helios soldier for being a ‘snitch’ after he had complained to Chief Security Officer Rhett about Lum’s actions at geoponics.
So yeah, that was what had troubled Rex so much.
After Vace had passed and climbed up the walls, apparently on the lookout for me, Rex whispered that Rhett had made them all restore the trees and other damage they had caused in the fields and nearby, and then sent them all weeding. Because while he might have looked past Lum’s personal vendetta against the fruit trees, he apparently draws the line when soldiers step out of line, and there’s little he can stand less than them threatening ‘civilians’.
So, I guess my efforts weren’t for nothing after all... I almost can’t believe my strike, succeedeed! Isn’t that absolutely awesome, Solane? Maybe we can still make things go a bit better here after all...
And you know what the best thing was? Later on, to avoid running into the soldiers at the fields, we spent the day gathering food for you to eat when you wake up! Growing wild in corners of the colony most people don’t ever look at, from the kitchen with warm regards by Auntie Seedent and from Rex’ secret stash he’s holding back for some secret project he is planning!
It’s what I had brought with me when I was here around midnight two days ago, remember? Don’t worry, it’s all food that lasts for a long time, it won’t go bad any time soon, so we aren’t in a hurry.
I also brought you some Zinnias! They have these tongue-shaped petals, like Tagetes, but much larger, in more colors, and some can have so many of them they form a proper globe! And during Dust they attract so many beautiful pollinators. I collected them today when I had a moment to spare in the flower garden and wanted to see what’s still blooming.
The day before I joined a council meeting, for the first time voluntarily, and announced I was back and made a point to thank Lum for yielding to reason and not having our fields and fruit trees destroyed, and instead even sending soldiers to help with the work, and said I was happy to go back to work now with everything resolved. Just to rub it into his face a bit, heh. And after that, I was able to return to Geoponics in peace. It’s kind of a bit unnerving with the soldiers still there currently, but at least they are doing something useful now... and since Rex has made it a point to visit regularly again, it’s not as bad. He even asked how you are doing!
Isn’t that wonderful news? We aren’t alone here after all.”