Lush Orbit

“Drexor? Uhh, got a minute?” the voice on the intercom inquired. A sleepy groan was the response it received. “Mmh?”

“Sorry to bother you during your sleep, but we got something interesting here, boss,” spoke the voice on the intercom again.

“Mmhh… Be right there,” replied the sleepy man who was awoken by the intercom. He sleepily rolled off the bed, and after throwing on some pants, he headed out of his quarters. Then, he went up the stairs to the cockpit where the pilot, who had just woken him up, would be.

“Morning, Cap. Rough night?” inquired a tall woman, her attention focused on a bundle of sparkling wires she had pulled out of the service panel.

“Zyla…”

“Yes, Cap?” The small man walked up to her and peeked at the bundle of wires.

“Don’t burn the ship down,” he asked her in a sleepy and sarcastic voice.

“Oh, I’d love to burn this dumpster down, but alas, I’m not good at swimming through the vacuum of space, so don’t worry.” He chuckled.

“What does Zythar need?” She shrugged. “I dunno, probably something stupid again.” He left the engineer alone and proceeded. As he approached the door, it hummed and then ground open, with an obvious sound of a mechanical struggle. “Ugh, remind me to remind Zyla to fix the damned door.” The pilot, a sapien with hands covered in fine, fish-like scales, glanced over his shoulder.

“Yea, sure boss man, use me as your personal TODO list. What else would you like added to your TODO list, boss man?” Drex was small, no taller than a 6-year-old child and somewhat chubby, but he was the captain of this vessel. Although the crew was like a family, he still disliked Zythar’s sarcastic nature. He walked up to the captain’s chair and then climbed into it using the small steps added. “So, what’s so important that you couldn’t let me sleep?”

Zythar poked at his HUD screen a few times, and an image of a planet appeared on the Captain’s display. Drex squinted at it before checking the details; it was a rogue, unmarked, and uncharted planet. It did not exist in the cosmic index. The sleepiness vanished, replaced by excitement and a wide grin on his face. “No shit?” Zythar nodded. “Yes, shit. Well, not shit. Please don’t shit yourself. I know human children typically wear diapers for that reason. Are you?”

Drex sighed, “Just because I vaguely resemble a human child does not make me a human.” He rubbed his temples and asked, “Anyway, what is this? How far is it?” Zythar poked at his screen again, and more data showed up on Drex’s display. “Only 2 units? We can be there in half a day.” He continued reading the long-distance planet scans. “Huh… water, ice, plants, signs of biological life–this’ll pay well!”

He pinged the intercom and gathered the crew, all 5 of them. They were not on a charting vessel; in fact, they were on board a specialty cargo-ship. Their specialty was bio-transport, and their current cargo consisted of embryos, fertilized eggs, and other forms of colonists-to-be, life. They had approximately ten-thousand embryos and eggs of various sapien species to promote diverse colonization and community at their destination.

They discussed the cargo run, which paid 6 million – a mil to each, plus a mil for supplies, fuel, and ship retrofits. However, charting and marking a new planet, particularly one that can support life, earned them 20 mil from the Galactic Committee. Additionally, if intelligent life was discovered, there would be a bonus of 10 mil for the first contact.

The opportunity was far too good to pass up. With that kind of bonus payout, they could go on a vacation for a couple of years. All, as one in a unanimous vote, agreed to go for the charting and landing. A charting run required them to orbit the planet and map it out roughly, marking all the continents and biomes using the galactic coordinates’ 16-point system, making a landing, scouting the environment, creating logs, and transmitting the data to the Galactic Codex Committee. It was a simple task that every space-crew was trained to do.

In a relatively short time, about 10 hours by the standard counting system they’d been using, the crew arrived at their destination, which was roughly the equivalent of a single work shift. The crew took this opportunity to rest up while the autopilot handled all the work of reaching their new destination. The ship orbited the planet for a few hours, capturing images of the continents and mapping out the various biomes.

The crew compiled the data and quickly created models based on it. The weather appeared mild, the atmosphere was within regulatory norms for most sapien lifeforms to survive, and the air contained a nominal gas mixture allowing unassisted breathing.

Their systems analyzed the best atmospheric entry point and landing site, optimizing fuel usage based on their current position. The selection fell upon a field by a vibrant, lush forest. With preparations in place, the crew strapped in, and the pilot, Zythar, guided them through the bumpy ride of atmospheric entry.

From the windows, they observed the lush flora below them; vibrant in coloration, comprising various shapes and sizes. The grass exhibited a blue hue with a hint of green, while the trees, which didn’t appear tall, had branches that extended far and wide, creating an incredibly dense and colorful canopy. Differing in color and shade, together they composed a stunning, rainbow-like gradient.

Zyth brought them in for a soft landing in the field, about 100 meters or so from the forest to ensure a safe touchdown. The bluish-green grass reached the knees of most crew members, but for their captain, Drex, it was up to his chest. He could barely see over it, yet his pride prevented him from allowing any crew member to lift him or carry him on their shoulders.

4 out of the 5 crew members, armed with various scanners and mapping devices, set out on an expedition to record as much of the local environment as possible for the galactic codex entry. One, their doctor, a sapien woman with pointy ears, opted to stay back on the ship. It was the safest place, and she was best suited to take care of the bio-cargo they were carrying.

All was going well until they reached the vibrant, colorful forest. Their biologist, Quirx, broke a twig off from a pink-leafed tree. The tree seemingly shuddered for the briefest of moments, but Quirx, having barely noticed it, dismissed it as just a play of his imagination, ‘trees don’t shudder.’ However, the twig he broke off bled. The sap was as vibrant in color as the rest of the forest, but its dark red hue was rather unsettling.

He probed it with his fingers, finding it slightly sticky, as most tree sap was. It had a very faint aroma, barely perceivable, but sweet – almost enticing enough to give it a taste. However, he resisted the urge as the consistency still resembled that of blood, and this unsettling similarity made it rather unappealing. He snapped photos, made a log entry, then dropped the twig and went on to catch up with the rest of the crew.

They spent hours in the forest, documenting the flora they could find and its behavior. As the star began to set, the gloomy darkness was soon replaced by the forest’s bioluminescent flora. The edges of leaves emitted a faint glow, but together they created a beautiful rainbow of vibrant colors and provided enough light to illuminate the entire forest.

And it was at the fall of night, with the awakening of the forest, that the inhabitants awoke too. The rustling of the leaves surrounded them. The previously silent forest now bustled with life. Creatures they knew nothing about, ones they had not detected with their advanced scanners, now surrounded them. But even though the forest was well lit, they couldn’t see any of them; it was as if the flora itself was alive.

Together, they walked back toward their vessel, slowly and cautiously stepping through the glowing forest so as not to startle or anger whoever or whatever was stalking them. However, it was they who were startled when a small, winged creature flew out of the purple flower next to Drex.

The creature had a humanoid shape; however, its legs were thin and green, resembling leeks, with hands that had fingers. Its skin was green, covered in leaves, giving it the appearance of a plant in humanoid form. Boasting four wings, slim and long like a dragonfly, they were iridescent and see-through with glowing outlines. Although incomprehensible, the creature spoke and gestured to them, displaying no signs of hostility.

The creature spoke in gibberish for no less than 10 minutes, seemingly explaining everything to Drex and his crew. However, they only exchanged glances and looked back at the creature, confused. Finally, the creature stopped, waited a moment, and, based on its intonation, they assumed it asked them a question. Working off that assumption, Drex shook his head. “No… we do not understand you.”

The leafy, flying creature chuckled and buzzed off, flying a few meters away from them. Pausing, she turned and beckoned for them to follow.

“Not.. sure on that one,” stated Quirx, their biologist.

“It seemed friendly though?” inquired Drex.

“Yes, but…”

Drex shrugged. “But what? It was trying to talk to us. We have first contact.” Drex grinned and lowered his voice. “Think of the MONEY!”

The others did not argue; money was appealing. It was an easy way to earn extra cash. Since no hostile actions had been taken against them yet, the creatures seemed friendly, or at least neutral. They followed the leafy flying creature deep into the forest, and after a long while, walking and listening to it chirp like a bird.

They arrived at a location that could only be described as a village. It featured small huts built around tree stems, bushes shaped like houses, and what appeared to be underground entrances to a tunnel system.

In the village, dozens of those plant creatures flew out of their shelters to greet them. Each was no larger than a hamster in size. Gathering all around and chirping, they murmured and gossiped about the newcomers. However, the crowd fell silent at the appearance of the one they assumed to be the queen. She wore a golden dress that glistened with each flap of her wings.

After talking with the one who led them there, the presumed queen announced something in a loud screech that vaguely resembled an eagle’s call. The crowd dissipated, returning to their tasks, whatever they may have been. The queen and the one who had led them there turned and flew off slowly. Drex and his crew followed them until they were just slightly outside the village. Then, the queen pointed at the ground, and the one who had guided them before landed and sat down.

As they sat and waited, the queen returned bearing a basket filled with pumpkin-sized fruits. She offered one to each of the four crew members sitting on the ground beside her. After eating the initially sweet fruits, which left a metallic, irony, and bitter aftertaste, the crew suddenly found themselves able to understand the creatures of the forest.

The queen then explained to them who they were and what they did. They were fey of the forest, guardians of the Verda trees that surrounded and filled the area. These trees bore fruit known as Firax, the ones they had just eaten, and the fey needed it to survive. After self-introductions, the queen took keen interest in their engineer, the tall woman by the name of Zyla, and the biologist Quirx.

Swiftly, she ordered some of the fey to escort them, showing each their area of interest. Quirx was led by the fey to their botanic gardens. Although the fey had just mentioned they only needed Firax fruits to live, they had been cultivating various types of flora in their gardens to observe how the unique Verda trees would interact with other plants.

Zyla was led away to showcase the fey’s inventions and structures. They mostly relied on nature to provide, but still managed to build intricate cave systems and tree-huts. Zythar and Drex were taken around the village to various locations, sampling delicacies featuring Firax fruits.

By the 3rd day of their unexpectedly long stay, Drex grew weary of not being able to get in touch with the rest of his crew. Although the fey kept reassuring him that they were busy and enjoying their time, Drex insisted on seeing them. A guide led him to the botanic gardens. In the fog, off in the distance by a lake, he could see a shape. It resembled that of his crew member Quirx, hunched over, seemingly on his knees, collecting something.

The flow of time seemed strange; it was as if he was phasing in and out of focus, drifting asleep and then suddenly awakening. He did not realize how much time had passed. That evening, he sat by the campfire, chowing down on a large Firax fruit sandwich. “We will depart tomorrow,” he insisted. “How come?” inquired a fey. “Our cargo is of great importance and time is of the essence; we must be on our way.”

The fey giggled, and the one next to it blared out with a laugh, “Oh, your cargo’s already safe.” The other fey slapped that one on the mouth.

“Wait, what?” inquired Drex. The first fey he had met now landed on his head and patted him. “He meant to say our people are keeping a watch on your ship; it is safe, fear not.”

This statement concerned him. “What? No, but our cargo is time-sensitive. We must leave.” Something cracked on his teeth; he spat out a white, sharded chunk that looked vaguely like a bone.

The fey on his head threw a death glare at the one by the cooking pot, who glanced away. The guide flew off his head swiftly and kicked the shards from his hand.

“Oh no, are you alright?”

Drex felt around his mouth. “A-all’s fine… uhm…” His gaze darted to the white shards on the ground.

The guide fey flew up and grabbed him by the nose. “Well, since you have to leave, eat up! Can’t have our esteemed guests departing on an empty stomach!” Drex’s instincts told him something was amiss.

“Uhh, I’m full. How long have I been here for anyway?” The stinging pain in his mouth and the taste of his own blood dripping from the wound seemingly brought his senses back to reality.

“Only a couple of days…” lied the guide fey, still holding him by the nose.

“Weeks!” blared out the other fey from before, receiving another slap.

“Weeks?” The guide smiled. “No, no, weeks for ‘us’ but only days for ‘you’. We fey, due to small bodies and a plant-like life cycle, perceive time differently,” she lied intricately.

Drex got up slowly. “Yes, makes… Sense. Well, I’ll go rest now.” He stretched as the break of dawn was approaching, and the night-living fey would be heading into hibernation soon. They didn’t sleep in the same sense human-like sapiens, such as him, did–they hibernated. Their bodies practically shut down completely during the day, and they absorbed nutrients through the plant connections established before hibernation.

At last, dawn broke, the forest grew still, and life within it fell silent. Drex crept out of his tent and searched the village for his pilot Zyth, but the search was in vain. The only trace he found was his vintage Polaroid-like camera, in pieces, and a picture next to them – a picture of a few fey in distress around Zyth, in absolute panic.

The commotion in the picture looked intense. He assumed the flash of the camera was unpleasant to the fey, but the destroyed camera was an intimidating sight, as these creatures seemed small and harmless. It was then he noticed a beard on Zyth’s face in the picture. It would have taken no less than a month to grow to that length.

Concerned and panicked, he rushed to the botanic gardens where he saw Quirx kneeling in the same spot he had seen him before, just what felt like a day or two prior. But upon closer investigation, he discovered it was just a bush, shaped like Quirx, but definitely a bush. Now, fear had rooted itself in his heart. He had been tricked and drugged, held here for who knows how long. His crew was missing.

‘Ship. Return to the ship, activate the mayday beacon,’ he reminded himself and made a run for it. He had roughly half a day before dawn, enough time to make it out of the forest and find his ship or the remnants of it. As he discovered a few hours later, a dismantled carcass of his ship lay overgrown with vines and flowers blossoming from them, firmly wrapped around the skeletal remains of his beloved vessel.

No signs of Vex, their doctor, and the cargo were missing too; all of it, not a single cryo cell remained. All the equipment was stripped from the ship: no beacons, no comms, not even the glass or any body panels remained, leaving nothing but a slowly rusting chassis. He sat down, leaning against it, with despair as all that was left.

As the first tear rolled down his cheek, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Sooo… We didn’t mean to torture you or make it painful for you, but you just had to let the drugs wear off, huh?” complained the fae guide.

Drex fell and crawled away. “N-no! Stay back!”

But she flew after him, maintaining a short distance. “That won’t save you.”

“My crew! What’d you do to them?”

The fae smiled. “Oh, you didn’t notice yet?”

Drex blinked at her. “N…noticed what?” His voice shook, filled with despair and fear.

“Oh, for a captain, you really aren’t very attentive to details.”

She flew a little higher, zoomed around him, and then spread her arms out in a ‘welcoming’ gesture. “The forest!”

Drex glanced past her at the forest. “It… moved?” He inquired.

The tree line was a lot closer to the ship than he remembered.

She chuckled. “Noooo! You fool! Think again! Forests don’t move, they…”

Drex followed her sentence and completed it. “Grow? Expand?”

She winked at him. “BIN-GO!” She grinned. “That blue one nearest to us is your pilot, by the way. He made a wonderful planter.” She chuckled again. “So rich in nutrients, the Firax seed sprouted instantly!”

Drex gasped, “Wh…what the hell do you mean?”

The guide grinned, “Oh, right… You sapiens are stupid and require explanations. Your cargo created this forest.” She smiled, dancing joyfully in the wind, spinning and swaying. “The forest expanded significantly due to all those embryos and eggs! Ahh, so large! So majestic!”

She paused her dance and continued, “You see, sapiens are rich in nutrients; they make the best planters for our Firax seeds.”

Drex stopped breathing, his eyes widened from fear. “Yo…you killed them all?”

The fey tilted her head to the side. “Killed? No… We turned their life into something different; they’re now part of a gorgeous new ecosystem instead of living a dull life in slavery to the social system you sapiens love so much.”

She then smiled at him. “Won’t you join them? Oh…wait, that’s not a question.”

And then, a dozen or so fey swept him off his feet. They carried him to the forest, where a hole was dug out. They tossed him in the hole and forced a seed into his throat. The roots spread through his body, through his veins and arteries, and then out of his appendages. Out of his broken jaw, a sprout emerged. And thus, a new Firax tree was born.