Chapter 3

The silence in the room was deafening as Haledon stared at Sparrow.

"No." He finally said with a shake of his head. "That's ridiculous. You're messing with me."

Sparrow stared back into Haledon's eyes. She folded her arms over her chest before releasing a frustrated sigh.

Behind her—tucked half into one of the walls—Witch-Hazel's head twitched between Haledon and Sparrow. Spindly vines crawled up its face and created a twisted smile.

"No, you're having a go at me." Haledon continued. "If you—if you were who you say you are, then you'd be a thousand rings old!"

"Several thousand, actually," She replied quickly, anticipating the remark. "Give or take a few centuries."

"But how—?" He stood and walked towards Sparrow.

Behind, Witch-Hazel twitched and emerged from the wall. The staff began to emanate a purple bioluminescent glow from the ends. Extending its free hand, a waterfall of thick pollen drifted to the floor in response.

Haledon stopped and took a step back.

Sparrow cocked her head before turning to look at Witch-Hazel.

"Witch-Hazel! Out. Out. Out. Go stand in the hallway." She ordered.

There was a pregnant pause before the bramble beast huffed. With heavy steps, it sulked its way past the two. In an instant, it became one with the wall and disappeared.

"It knows...there are grass screens, right?" Haledon asked as he turned his attention back to Sparrow. "It can just walk through those."

"Witch-Hazel isn't like you or me." She scowled, staring at the wall. "Arboreal defenders don't have flesh or bone or connecting sinew. They are the embodiment of Nature and can root and move through this ship in whatever way best suits them. And sometimes, like in Nature, they will do what they have always done, like spying on us!"

She yelled at the wall and then waited. There was a gentle rustle of leaves followed by silence.

"There, now, Witch-Hazel has given us some privacy. So, you are in charge of the Hypogeal Nexus, I take it?"

"Yes...umm, can we get back to you being thousands of rings old?" Haledon tried to steer the conversation, only to find Sparrow wandering away from him and towards one of the tables.

"I was able to tell by the external husk that your Astralaceae’s overall nutrient composition has changed."

"I—y'uhh...umm, well, I remember hearing many generations ago there was an impact with a sizeable interstellar object."

"Astras' are meant to collide with space debris. How else would they replenish materials that were utilized and released into space through entropy?"

"Yeah, but this was the size of a mature pod. The damage was mainly to the forward seed. It was the first and only time an Astralaceae has docked with another."

"Really? The other Astra came to your ship? It connected itself?" Sparrow was looking back at Haledon, hungry for answers. "For how long? Was it near a star?"

"I don't know, it's practically ancient history."

Sparrow tapped her foot and looked around the room. She gave it a thorough inspection before returning her gaze to Haledon. Waving her hands, she motioned for him to move before sitting in his seat and sighing.

"Show me your daily routine, Seral Druid."

Haledon met Sparrow's gaze and crossed his arms.

"Hey, you can't tell me what to do." He spoke sternly and stared at her.

Sparrow remained motionless with a cocked eyebrow. Her cold, unblinking glare met his. Pursing her lips, she released an audible smack. Unmoved eyes looked around the room and again back to Haledon.

"I'm going to begin the examination, not because you told me to, but because it's my purpose." Haledon sputtered.

"Mmm-hmm." She hummed as she sank lower into the seat.

Looking over his shoulder at Sparrow, Haledon felt an uncomfortable urge. He had felt the same feeling in this room some twenty years ago when he became a Pioneer for Farran. It took him a moment, but after trying to find the word, he determined it was frustration. He was frustrated with Sparrow and Witch-Hazel and their intrusion into the space he had just vowed to steward.

But he pushed the feeling down, burying it under the weight of the morning. Suddenly, he remembered, Sparrow wasn't from the Astralaceae. His emotions had distracted him from the juggernauts that boarded the ship. He had forgotten the vibrant plumage of the Primeval Druids of Earth and the alien fleet that had joined their seeds.

"What are you doing there?" Sparrow asked, poking her head around Haledon's shoulder.

Looking down, he realized he had been running through the nutrient checks. At some point, his muscle memory had kicked in and continued the work routine, allowing his mind to wander freely.

"I'm checking nutrient content within the front Endophyllon Roots."

He gripped around the thick root and felt the pulse of nutrients flowing through. Counting in his mind, he tracked the rhythm through a cycle of songs that Farran had taught him. After each nutrient line, he switched to the next and repeated the songs.

He checked each root carefully and made his way to the other side of the room. Pushing his fists through the wall, he took hold of the rear Endophyllon Roots and began to hum the second set of songs. What he found was that the returning nutrient flow was off-rhythm.

"Your ship is disrupting nutrient flow by thirty percent," Haledon said, turning himself towards Sparrow. "Correct, Primeval Druid Sparrow?"

"Yes." Sparrow smiled and relaxed slightly. "Excellent, Haledon. I see your ship has developed using songs to track flow rates. It was an ancient strategy that sailors on Earth used to track distance. And it pleases me to see it continues to exist on this ship."

Taking a deep breath, Sparrow stepped beside Haledon. "But...it's archaic and in need of a significant overhaul." She injected.

"What? I'm sorry—excuse me!" Haledon was pushed to the side as Sparrow placed her hands on the wall.

"And what is this brutish display of punching the wall to get to the roots? I am surprised these seeds lasted this long with you 'parasites' riddling my beautiful ship with holes."

"Hey, I take offence to that." Haledon found himself feeling another unusual feeling: anger. "You can't just come into our ecosystem and dictate how we function. This Astralaceae has sailed the sea of space for generations with a healthy vigour!"

"And that—" Sparrow continued to pick away. "Astralaceae. Do you all just call them by their design name? Have you not given the fleet a name? You removed one word from Astralaceae Pioneeris. What if I called you by your species? Homo Pioneeris. I'll just call you Pioneeris. How about that?"

Sparrow continued to mutter to herself as she waved her hands over the wall, painting them with algae that rapidly grew over the hole Haledon had created.

"I—you know, it's always been like that for me, right?" Haledon exclaimed as he walked to a nearby table and picked up a handful of clipped roots.

Sparrow hadn't seemed to notice him as she continued to ramble to herself. Taking the clippings, he went to the hole he had first opened and began to place them into position. Tying the root ends to various nutrient lines, he created a patchy graft-work.

"And what's that?" Sparrow appeared behind Haledon, causing him to jump.

"Wha—I was patching the lines?" Haledon turned to face the woman. "The nutrients you're pumping into the ship are less viscous than the Astralaceae—"

"Astra." Sparrow cut in.

"So, I'm connecting the different pod roots to ensure your solution is diluted appropriately. Or else we may get inconsistent growth."

"Very good," Sparrow muttered. "A bit of a hack job, but it works."

As Sparrow spoke, she leaned in and stared into Haledon's eyes carefully. Her glare twitched from eye to eye, unable to focus on both, or purposefully switching back and forth. She studied him as he looked back into her gaze.

Haledon felt his bubbling frustration quickly turn into awkward confusion. He tried to back away, only to find the wall behind him. The vines reached out towards him, hugging his arms and legs.

At that moment, a rush of grass could be heard as a man pushed into the room. He looked around behind him at the pursuing Witch-Hazel.

"Seral Druid Haledon—" He spoke urgently. "What is this?"

"Witch-Hazel. He's a friend," Haledon yelled out and rushed over to the night-cycle Druid. Somehow, the day had already passed, and the night shift was preparing to take their station once again. "Seral Druid Waelea, it's okay. It's from Earth and won't hurt you...right?" Haledon directed the last bit towards Sparrow.

"Correct. Witch-Hazel won't hurt anyone on this ship." She stressed to the bramble.

"I'm not an idiot, they're wearing plants—" Witch-Hazel remarked.

"Look at that, you can teach an old tree new tricks." She coughed.

"Umm, Seral Druid Waelea, this is Primeval Druid Sparrow...she's from Earth."

"Do you do that every time?" Sparrow injected. "Do you not shorten to just a name? You denote your successional state as a common prefix?"

Haledon and Waelea shared a glance.

"She does a lot of that. Oh, she grew the Astralaceae—enjoy!" Haledon quickly rushed out of the Hypogeal Nexus.

Emerging into the corridor, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Haledon hadn't felt that stressed since he was a fresh pioneer. Back when Farran was new to teaching and less than forthcoming. Haledon had spent more time then elbow deep in the Astralaceae's gooey core than he had in the latter half of being a secondary steward.

"Seral Druid Haledon." A familiar voice rang out over the crowd.

Haledon stopped and turned his head around. A hand with vines dangling from the wrist waved from between the sea of faces. As the bodies shifted, he could see Pioneer Druid Gazeas' toothy smile and brown fishtail braid.

"Pioneer Druid Gazeas, just the face Nature knew I needed." He returned her smile and walked up.

They embraced each other in a hug. The armour seemed to reach for the other with a few small vines latching and breaking as the two separated.

"Congratulations are in order." She smiled and placed a hand on Haledon's shoulder. "I heard Primeval Druid Farran left you in control of the Hypogeal Nexus."

"Yes, I already miss Farran." He said softly.

Gazeas looked at him curiously.

"Sorry, Primeval Druid Farran." He corrected and rubbed at his temples. He could feel his temple twitching with the beginning of a headache.

"You are upset?" She asked, placing a hand to the side of his head.

Her vines began to reach out and wrap around his neck and temple. The fibrous roots crawled eagerly along his skin. Poking through his suit, they affixed themselves to the base of his skull and crawled to the temple. The suckers attached to his skin, flooding his mind with a notable chill. The hair on his neck stood as his headache disappeared.

"Thanks." He responded as she removed her hand. The vines tore from her armour and merged into his.

"Not a problem." She said as the foliage on her wrist began to grow back. "What are herbalists for if not to help our species. Now, this herbalist recommends food and drink to refuel your body. Did you eat at all today?"

"No—" Haledon mumbled as he looked away from Gazeas.

"I can tell! Your suit looks exhausted from having to constantly supply your nutrients. Come."

The two made their way along the passage, taking a turn down a lateral root and continuing into a busier section of the pod. People laughed and chatted along the corridor sides, with the Earth Druids being the talk of the day.

Pushing through one of the nearby grass screens, the two emerged into an earthen bowl. Three grass terraces with wooden retaining walls circled a pool of deep blue water. In this place, people were scattered around, enjoying food and companionship while staring out into space.

Looking up, Haledon gazed beyond the window. The pod had just begun to spin the fleet into view. There, he saw the dozen Astralaceae and accompanying worm-like ships from Earth.

"Let's sit over there." Gazeas pointed to an open patch of grass, gently tugging his hand forward.

Haledon nodded in agreement and followed her over. He continued to look up at the alien vessels, his mind beginning to wander to Sparrow and the Nexus. Just then, a waterfall of cold ran through his veins, and the thought vanished.

"What did you give me?" Haledon muttered.

"Anti-anxiety. A derivative of sweet violet and golden root." She remarked and looked back over him. "You were starting to panic. They will only keep up for about another hour or two."

"I've never had anxiety."

"I see it a lot in Cosmophyllon Druids. Walking on the outside of the Astralaceae will do that to you. But it's natural when dealing with change, and we are experiencing a lot of change right now."

Haledon nodded again and looked towards the terrace wall. The foliage that branched out from the top was heavy with various fruits. Beneath it, the mid-wall was covered with berries and some herbs that had even found their homes between the dense root mass. Finally, at the base was a collection of vegetables rooting deep and climbing high. A perfect multilevel garden, filled with nutrient-dense foods to refill the Druids after their long shifts.

Various fruits and vegetables were scattered throughout the Watering Hole, sometimes requiring some foraging to find something specific. But Haledon had always been able to collect what he craved.

"Tell me about it," Haledon replied to Gazeas. "Primeval Druid Sparrow has completely disrupted my ecosystem. Apple—?"

Haledon looked back at Gazeas as she nodded and took a seat in the grass.

Reaching up, he pulled two apples, a pear, and a peach from the branches. Rubbing his wrist over his stomach, the vines and woody limbs began to stretch and weave until forming a pouch. He dropped the fruit into the suit and reached for two handfuls of berries. Haledon favoured blueberries, but this section only had gooseberries and raspberries.

Looking around for a nearby blueberry bush, he was disappointed not to see any. A chilling sensation flooded his body again as he grabbed another handful of raspberries.

Finally, he pulled two carrots and a swollen yellow tomato. Gently resting them into his container, Haledon looked back over the selection. The spots he had plucked food from had already sprouted new blossoms. Young carrots grew from the ground and began their quick journey to maturity.

"I got you a yellow tomato," Haledon said as he lowered himself into a sitting position.

"Thank you," Gazeas replied, taking it from his hand and biting into it. "Oh, so good."

"You're weird." Haledon laughed as he placed the food on the grass between them.

"What? No, I'm not. Yellow tomatoes just taste better."

"It's a tomato. It tastes like a tomato."

Tossing a few berries into his mouth, Haledon rested back in the grass, staring up at the expanse of space. Stars shone like pins of light through the veil of stretching darkness, and his mind wandered as he chewed his food slowly.

"What troubles you, Seral Druid Haledon?" Gazeas leaned in. There was a loud crunch as she bit into an apple.

Adjusting his gaze, Haledon stared down his body at Gazeas, who was resting beside him. She eagerly munched away at the apple as he took another handful of berries and popped them into his mouth.

And then he told her. Lying there, staring into space, he talked with Gazeas for a long while. He started with the departure of Farran and the arrival of the Earth Druids.

The chills from the vines kept him calm as he worked through the meeting with Witch-Hazel and Sparrow. He spent a portion of the time telling Gazeas about the various snide remarks Sparrow made about his work and the Astralaceaes crew. As he talked, he could feel his mind try to wander towards negative thoughts, like when he remembered how Sparrow would talk to him. But the chill always pulled him back to focus.

"All of this is just so—I don't know...abrupt?" He finished and released a deep huff.

"It's a lot to process, for sure." She agreed and finished the blueberries she had gotten midway through the conversation. "Have you thought of this as an opportunity?"

"An opportunity?"

"Primeval Druid Farran said you would do much for the Astralaceae, and now you have the creator in the Hypogeal Nexus."

Haledon stared at her blankly.

"Learn from her!" She yelled and slapped at his arm. "Seral Druid Haledon, you are good at what you do, but from what you say, this Primeval from Earth is in another niche entirely. Observe and interact."

"You're right." He replied and sat up. "Thanks for talking with me."

"Any time—Haledon." She nudged him, giving a wink. "It feels so silly to call you that."

"I know, right?" He grunted and pushed himself up. "It's so impersonal. Earth Druids are strange."

Haledon and Gazeas both shared a laugh as they exited into the corridor. They walked in silence for a while, both seeming to process the events of the day. Finally arriving at the primary root, they paused and observed each other for a moment.

"If you need a follow-up tomorrow after work, you know where to find me," Gazeas said, pointing to the vines on her wrist.

"Oh, I bet I'll need it." Haledon smiled and embraced Gazeas in a final hug. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

Going their separate ways, the feeling of fatigue from the day began to settle in. Without detour, Haledon made his way to his quarters. Passing through the grass veil of his den, he was met by the pale blue evening light.

With each step, the suit foliage transformed into autumnal hues and fell off his body. Like leaf drop before winter, the suit gave way to Haledon's flesh. The final layer of moss peeled away, exfoliating his skin and leaving him fresh for a night's sleep.

As he rested his head on the leaf mat, his mind began to wander to the Earth Druids and their purpose. Sparrow hadn't been interested in sharing information of any kind. But as the chill again rushed over his body, he felt his mind calm, and the darkness of slumber take him.