Day 00005 Mission Nilex

Back at the lab, Ayla began gathering her equipment into a carry-all. She stopped to look over the new test results. The amino acids were within range except for one. Deciding to double-check, she prepared another sample and started running the test again. Then she sat down to look at the genetic test results. She compared them to the records on file and was surprised to find they did not match. They were very different at key points, almost two different species.

It didn't make sense to Ayla, so she decided to ask Canaisis.

"Canaisis, are you there?"

"Yes, Ayla."

"I just compared the DNA of the Tree to our records. They don't match."

"This is correct. The Tree from the Garden is from the original species. Your records are of the current species of Earth."

"I don't understand, Canaisis."

"The Scarlet Oak in the Garden is from before The Great War, Ayla."

"I still don't understand. Are you saying that there are two different species?"

"The Scarlet Oak before The War was made extinct, Ayla. The version you have now on Earth was genetically modified for survival after The War."

Ayla was stunned. The Oak Tree was an extinct species. Just how many extinct species were there in the Garden? "Who, specifically, made the modifications, Canaisis?"

"We did, I and a crew member. Earth was made barren by The War, Ayla. It was a terrible thing."

A furrow formed between her brows as she tried to grasp the concept of what she'd been told. "But... the Great War was only a few centuries ago. There are whole forests of Oak. There's plant life everywhere on Earth. It couldn't have grown back in a few centuries! You're not telling me the truth."

"No, Ayla," Canaisis answered in a calm voice, "I am not lying. It's the People who are lying to you. Your records show only a few centuries, but it was much longer than that. The records Earth has concerning your history are very wrong in many places."

"Just how long ago was The War?"

"What your records refer to as the Great War was only one of many since The Great War that destroyed your civilization, Ayla."

"How long?" asked Ayla again, wanting an answer.

"This is another question you should ask the Captain, Ayla. But let me say this, yours is not the first civilization we have seen rise."

Ayla dropped back in her chair, her mind spinning as she tried to get a grip around the idea. "Just how old are you and the Captain, Canaisis?"

"I must respect the Captain's privacy, Ayla."

Ayla exhaled. She wasn't going to get an answer, so she returned to the Tree. "Then this Oak Tree is the last of its kind? How long has it been extinct on Earth?"

"Yes, this species is the last of its kind. And no, I won't answer questions that intrude upon the Captain's privacy."

Ayla hadn't realized how intuitively smart Canaisis was. Asking how long the Tree had been extinct on Earth was a long way around for asking how old the Captain was. Canaisis had seen right through her, and she found that disconcerting. She decided to stop before Canaisis decided she didn't like her persistence.

"Is it alright if I go to the Garden, Canaisis?"

"Of course. I notice your carry-all is quite heavy. May I help you?"

"Help me? How?"

"A transport plate will be waiting outside for you."

"Thank you."

Ayla packed a few more items than she would if she were carrying the equipment herself. Then she struggled with the carry-all as she made her way through the Fishery. Lina found her and offered to help her carry it.

"Did you pack the whole lab?" Lina asked when she felt the weight of the carry-all.

"I found out I don't have to carry it the whole way," Ayla replied.

They made it past the aquariums to the entrance airlock without hitting anything. Just outside the doorway, a round metal plate waited, floating at waist height. Its diameter was smaller than the transit tube, and it had tight rails around the perimeter, too low for fingers to slip under. Probably to keep stuff from rolling off, Ayla assumed.

The plate lowered to the floor when they approached. They set the carry-all on the plate and it rose back to waist height and waited. The two stared at it for a second, then Lina broke into the silence with, "Can I go with you?"

"I haven't had a chance to ask the Captain yet."

Lina's face grew a pout. "Well, hurry up and find a chance."

Ayla smiled at Lina, then pushed her shoulder.

"Off with you, you have work to do."

"I do?"

"Yes, my lab needs to be put back in order, and I want you to run those tests you did a second time. I need to be assured of their accuracy."

"Oh, I see. This is the price I have to pay to go see this Garden. Fine then, go off by yourself. But you better bring back some more of that fruit tonight."

"I make no promises, Lina, but I will try. Now go."

Grinning, Lina spun on her heel and headed inside. Ayla made sure Lina reached out of sight before she turned to look at the plate. She had no idea how to move it. It had no grips or handholds that she could see. She leaned over and gave it a push, and it slid away. But it stopped as soon as she let go. Arms akimbo, she cocked her head, trying to figure out the device when she heard a voice behind her.

"It will follow you, just start walking."

Startled, she turned to see the Captain standing in the doorway, an amused look upon his face. Ayla faced him and bowed her head.

"Thank you, Captain. I'm unfamiliar with this form of equipment."

"I'm told Canaisis was just observing to see if you'd figure it out. I spoiled her fun."

Ayla stared at this man standing in the doorway and wondered about the A.I. inside his head. He looked regal standing there, even in casual clothes. Slim and tall, the doorway framed him in a halo of aquarium lights. Ayla kept her face blank looking at him, but she did not feel blank inside.

He stepped down to the hangar floor. "May I walk with you, Ayla?"

She blinked. "Yes, of course."

He motioned with his arm, and they started walking down the aisle between equipment and containers. She looked back to see the plate following them. It was disconcerting, but she felt she could get used to it. The Captain seemed to pay it no mind. She glanced up at him, his face in profile. No doubt he noticed, for he said, "Any luck with the samples you took?"

"It's too soon to say. Everything seems fine on the surface. However, I now know that this species is different from what is in my records of Scarlet Oaks on Earth. I'm going to have to begin looking more carefully. So far as the data Canaisis provided, it's not something as simple as nutrients, light, or water. I do want to confirm that, of course, in case Canaisis may be in error."

His eyebrow rose at that. "Yes, it's always possible, but I find it improbable. Canaisis is very astute to details and data. It most likely will be on the genetic level, the seeds came through a lot of adversity."

"Seeds?"

"Yes, seeds. I have four more acorns left. I didn't want to tell you this because it would bias your examination of the problem. We need a solution that We haven't thought of. We hope that you may already have the answer, that in your rise in technology, you may have run into this situation."

"I don't understand, 'rise in technology'? Isn't all technology the same?"

He smiled at her and then faced forward. "No, not all technology is the same. Research on the same subject could very well come up with different results. Some branches are a dead end, others not useful for the circumstances. Take your journey to New Jordan, for example. There, you won't have the full technological infrastructure that Earth does. In the beginning, simple technology will be best for you. Instead of having a modern crane to move a boulder, you'll find that ropes, pulleys, and leverage get the job done just fine. Believe me, those three things can accomplish wonders if fully developed as a technology. You might even think of doing something in a way never thought of before on Earth, or in Earth's past. It will depend on circumstances, resources, and your own ingenuity."

Ayla thought about this for a few paces. "So you're hoping that we may have an answer to your problem. This implies you've been seeking an answer for some time."

"Canaisis tells me you, meaning Earth, have developed in genetics quite a bit. Maybe you've found a path of research we haven't learned. Canaisis always tries to learn from each culture as much as possible. However, some cultures object to sharing their knowledge, so we often end up trading. The one thing Canaisis can offer is extensive astronomical data. That's valuable to any culture at the space-faring level."

"Why this Tree species in particular, Captain? If you don't mind my asking?"

"Memories."

The Captain's voice had gone soft and lifeless. Ayla considered what that meant and what significance memories had.

"This Tree is personal to you?"

"Not in the way you think. In fact, this is the third Tree I've grown."

"Third!"

"Yes. I didn't tell you everything because I wanted you to look with fresh eyes. The Tree is sterile. It produces no acorns and has a shorter life span than it should. I have only four acorns left, and then it will be truly extinct."

"Sterility implies radiation or chemical contamination of some kind."

"Yes. Or maybe both."

"It would help greatly if I knew the circumstances."

The Captain let out a long sigh. "Yes, I suppose it would. I'll tell you when we get to the Garden." His voice had gone emotionless, and he didn't glance at her.

They continued walking in silence. Ayla thought about all he'd said and all she'd learned from both him and Canaisis. The more she came to understand about this ship, the more she came to realize that the Captain saw Humanity from a perspective no one else ever had.

They arrived at the transit tube and Ayla nerved herself for the journey. The Captain waited patiently as she stepped into the zero-G, feeling her ship clothes tighten around her and hold her steady in the middle. Her view of the Captain standing in the hallway dropped below her and out of sight. Looking downward was a mistake, for she got a view of the shaft below her and she could see no end to it. She had plenty of experience with zero-G but that didn't change the natural Human reaction.

Ayla waited for the Captain to step out of the transit tube. He came to her, then turned to watch the cargo plate rise to the opening and float towards them. Together, they walked down the hallway. Neither spoke, yet the walk to the Garden door seemed much shorter than the first time. The yellow light spilled out upon them as the door opened, and the many smells of vegetation and fresh air filled her senses.

Once again, the Garden astounded Ayla. They made their way down the dirt trail and the Captain pointed to plants, naming them. Sometimes they stopped to examine a plant in particular while the Captain went into further detail about its properties and uses.

Ayla found herself relaxed just listening and absorbing everything. There were many plants that she wanted to see if she could get growing for her people. One group of low-growing shrubs had thorns and small leaves with blue fruit. The Captain plucked a couple and handed them to her. She bit into one of the small fruits and as the flavor washed over her tongue, he told her it was called a blue berry.

"This is incredible. May I harvest more to take back with me?"

"Leave a few, but you may have the rest you see." The Captain quickly gathered a handful. They continued between the growth until they arrived at the picnic table under the Tree.

As they sat down opposite each other, Ayla said, "Ahmid is very curious about this Garden. I've described it, but it's not equal to walking within it. May I bring others here? I could use an assistant in my work. I want to gather soil samples as well as plant samples... but there's so much here, it would take me days and days."

The Captain placed the berries in a pile between them. "It would be rude of me to say no after being asked to be an honorary member. You may bring anyone you wish. You may even bring everyone and offer a tour. All I ask is to respect what is here."

"We would never disrespect this Garden, Captain. It's too close to Gaia."

He smiled at that. "I know, or I would never have said yes. However, by making myself clear, there's no misunderstanding. Tell Ahmid, all may come as they please."

Smiling, Ayla cast her gaze around the clearing. "I'll wait a few days to tell him that. I'd like to keep this to myself for a while. You understand, don't you?"

He broke out laughing, nodding. "Yes." Then, "There's a side to you, Ayla, I had not suspected."

"Why do you say that? Ahmid did not let me know he was going to officially do The Asking. This is only fair."

"Yes, he did break protocol, didn't he?"

"How do you know that? And how did you know the proper answer?"

"It's in your by-laws Canaisis received when you made your request of Us. One of the reasons I selected Nilex was that Canaisis saw nothing she objected to. I've been studying the information you sent more closely. It seems Nilex keeps a culture of its own. I'll admit, I haven't gone through it all yet, but your history is very interesting. Why did you migrate beyond the asteroid belt? Surely there were enough resources there to earn income."

Ayla's smile dropped. "We were not given a choice. But to be honest, we were glad to. It put us further away from the Citizens."

The Captain looked thoughtful at that, but before he could ask more questions, Ayla said, "You promised a telling of a Story, Captain. If I'm going to be able to help, then I need to know about the seed of this Tree."

The Captain's expression turned flat.

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