Zers Story: The Other Option

By Patrice Sharpe-Sutton and Ahonu.com

Zerera and Felice, a hermaphrodite Exotica tree that Zer planted, arrive in Prescott to properly introduce Zer and other Zenobians, in part to warn them of radiation fever. Zer meets newborn human babies; these babies are more evolved or enlightened than their parent’s generation. During the rad fever, Zer helps the Prescott, gypsy, and Beastie people; she has become visible to them. She also visits a Hoover shaman to learn about herself and her role in the new agenda for all Earthling species. She goes into isolation and learns other ways of being on Earth. Zer tries to cooperate with the Earthling Karen. But each holds to a different old mindset. Each stands in the way of fulfilling an ancient experiment between Earthlings and Zenobians.

Once the Prescott community is stabilized, Zer and Ian seek Lila, the Woman Who Knows, to find out more about the new agenda for Earth. After learning from Lila and astral, or dream, traveling together many times, Zer and Ian hike to the pyrid at Sunset Crater, so Ian can study in the Zenobian library for material for his book; then they return to Hoover village and go their own ways.

Since Zer’s purpose (to train Exotica saplings and to establish rapport between Exotica and Earthlings) has ended, Zer goes into exile or isolation, during which she learns from a cougar to track Rogue humans and their Exotica tree companions, and learns the culture of individualism; they return to the pyrid so the cougar can be artificially impregnated.

They travel to the coast to meet saplings the Beasties planted in the hills; Zer is charmed. When Zer hears of danger on the wind, she and the feline rush back to the pyrid at Sunset Crater, where Zer uses her telepathy to direct militant Rogues to the area of the pyrid craft where EM rays will indirectly make it possible to repair scrambled nanocodes in their brain implants. Though Zer refuses to work in person with the militant or ex-military Rogue humans with faulty nano-brain implants, she does psychically explore the psychological aspect. She and the cougar then hike to the felines den at Mount Lemmon, where Karen lives. Karen’s not there, but inside a mountain cavern, Zer has a revelation about her parents and Karen’s father.

Back at Hoover village, Zer and Ian decide to return to Prescott. After they arrive, the radiation fevers spreads throughout the community. The fever causes new perceptions as do newborn humans and Beasties. After that, Zer and Felice go to the Sups’ sap rising festival where Carali, one of the trio Zer planted, is torn apart. Zer and Karen meet again and their relationship changes in a peculiar way.

The next time they meet, Zer has to enter Karen’s body to help her. Eventually, they work together to build Oracle playground, a portal for Earthlings to gain new awareness and experiences of reality. Before that, Karen also spends time in Tuc’s jail, helps fight Rogues, and helps free her mother and newborn sister from Tuc colony. Also before that, Zer and Ian track down the last Rogues and Brea who stole the cougar’s two cubs. Finally, Brea challenges Zer to master herself. When she does, she chooses to honor Earth and connections to Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: World of Empowerment
• Release date: Jul 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781880765876

Patrice Sharpe-Sutton

The author had explored spirituality for nearly 20 years when the Muse or Spirit or maybe an alter ego in another universe, not only inspired a story but named the main character Zerera. It sounded like "new era" to her, since the story occurred on Earth after a natural disaster and Zerera came to Earth from another galaxy. Just after the story was inspired, the author started a master's degree program in the humanities, which had her wondering what a bi-galactic citizen would be like. The what if was added to the story; then the outline and brief passages she'd written were put aside until 1996 when she wrote it full out. Her younger sister had died. Life seemed short. But the story was set aside again, till now.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Fruity Confrontations & Clearing Decks

Earth Time June 21, 2033

B ut I’ve got to be introduced to the Prescotts right away, Zerera said.

Felice planted its root-toes in the swamp’s muddy bottom and faced her. Not yet, it said, telepathically.

Felice had advised itself to stay among the dead and half-dead trees on the edge of the increasingly smelly, mucky marsh and now felt at home and highly confident. In Zer’s opinion, the hermaphroditic tree had grown equally stubborn.

Not so, it said.

Tilly primed us on the Isle before we got here. You heard. Since Felice usually heeded the dolphin, Zer had expected to introduce Felice to Prescott’s unofficial mayor then visit Lila, Woman Who Knows. But Felice reminded her of responsibilities in Prescott. Zer itched to leave and learn more about the new planetary agenda. Earth and Exotica had their own agenda, or vision, of how things ought to be. Earthlings would need to negotiate and change or die. Your brother must’ve told you something. So how about some specifics on this new direction?

Finish what you started before going off. You challenged yourself, you pulled yourself into your own exo-painted vision.

I’ve had help. Zer was fully aware she’d set up a mess of complications just by planting a trio of Exotica seed. With Felice in tow, her chance of fully manifesting that vision of reality, to establish rapport between sentient Exotica trees and Earthlings, would increase tenfold in AriCal, and Felice would hold her to it. But it put limits on her whereabouts. It could be weeks before she learned details of the new agenda. Obviously, it related to planting Exotica. Why the secrecy? Maybe the hermaphrodite's visit wasn’t such a great idea.

Too late. Felice made a sucking noise, lifting its roots from the swamp, and moved ashore ahead of splashing oars. Joe, the young head of safety patrols, was rowing Ian across the swamp to help Felice orient itself to Prescott attitudes in general and Netta’s in particular. They’d agreed that the young woman’s favor was crucial to the lives of locals, and ultimately to Earth and its future generations of species. They needed Netta, the unofficial mayor, to get locals to change their minds. Prescotts listened to her. And she listened to Ian, her adoptive father.

Ian nodded, still treating Zer impersonally, as if they’d never had a special, intimate relationship, so she merely nodded as well, wiped a stump for him to sit on, said, Please, meet Felice, and prepared to translate.

Stupendous, Felice said, ambiguously while it glided around Ian; it was studying Netta's character in the man's energy field.

Netta is beautifully marbled in your energy field, Zer translated.

Ian squirmed as Felice’ mobile mass of aerial and leg-toe roots swam around him.

Felice has the gist now, says it can bring Netta into the fruitful present of twenty-first century awareness.

Is that typical tree talk? Ian smiled as Felice brushed its leaves across his neck and shoulders. Delicate touch. Yes, let it handle her, the whole matter, however you see fit.

If he wouldn’t mind, please suggest Ian discover me soon, Felice telepathed.

Let Ian pretend to discover Felice this week, Joe said. That way, I can rediscover Heritage seedlings and Luscious fruit next week.

By the zoo would please me, Felice said with a shimmy of approval.

---

* * *

---

According to Felice, Ian had blustered about foolishness half the day before he finally took Netta on a walk to the zoo where she found the new species: Felice, leaning against a rusty cage bar, wooed the girl with its willowy look, its crown of leaves drooping, its aerial roots sleekly compressed and, in Felice' estimation, more like a regular tree.

Zer heard its version of the story late that night when she came to visit and plan. Netta had installed Felice in a pot in the basement atrium of Ian's home.

Plan’s in motion, Felice said, from its pot, looking forward to the next step with aplomb. We need just the right moment.

On the second night, Zer returned to share the vigil. Felice had played tricks on Netta all day. The first time the potted tree stood in a different spot, Netta thought she'd imagined it. The second time, the girl was sure the plant had been moved though she'd locked the atrium. No one ventured into this section of the basement where she kept her pet projects, not even Ian unless they were together. Felice asked Zer to stay the night. To make new plans.

In the morning when Netta unlocked the atrium and approached her pet tree, the plant lifted its root-toes, stepped out of the pot, and moved into the aisle. The girl rubbed her eyes. The tree lifted its aerial roots, swept them sideways, and exposed a bulge rippling under the skin along its slim, green trunk.

On cue, Zer emerged, a pink plume of light that coiled in the air into a hand-sized human shape, yawning and stretching. She hovered briefly, turned full size, and alighted on the floor. Zer met Netta's shocked eyes with a steady gaze designed to calm the girl. Netta backed up. She obviously didn't understand pranks, let alone an exquisite, elegant one.

While Netta recovered her wits, Zer patted a leaf, sniffed a tomato blossom, and sang in high frequency, a pitch Netta normally couldn’t hear, to a drooping plant that sprang upright. Netta gazed at the plant and Zer and beyond, her eyes shifting to a tomato seedling swaying left and right. Zer and Felice had agreed Netta couldn't easily dismiss multiple unusual sights, but the girl’s eyes narrowed to beams searching for a technical gadget.

Exotica do play games, Zer said, but it was looking for iridium. The clay pot from the Superstitions contains some.

Netta hadn't noticed that Felice was in a different pot this morning. It tilted its leaves and flapped. The girl didn’t quite get it.

"What are you?" she asked Zer.

The invisible alien your father talks to. Your chance to save Prescott. His friend.

Enemy. It’s your fault. You’re the one who made him appear idiotic in public. The girl stiffened as she spit the words and squared her shoulders.

Watch out, she grew a centimeter, Felice said.

Zer was not amused. You’re absurd, she told Netta. You are your own enemy. You rub yourself the wrong way. Zer walked toward the stairs. Staying in Prescott wasted her time when she could be learning from Lila or helping her Zenobian crewmates.

Wait.

I'm not your servant. Ian may genuflect, but I won't. Zer said.

You must be warming up for your prototype protégé visit, Felice said to Zer. Karen’s a straight shooter. She would’ve called Netta a jealous, homophobic brat.

So I should role-play Karen? Zer used telepathy, so Netta wouldn’t hear.

One second is long enough for starters.

Yes, direct, but a bit of courtesy would be nice, Zer thought, as she turned around to face Netta. I'm an alien whose aid and very presence you refuse to acknowledge.

I see you—

But you’ll deny it? You’ve got problems coming, big ones. Your townsfolk need to know we exist, or you’ll all go crazy. We can help you manage them.

Manage? Because they know me? What kind of problems? Netta asked.

Mutant babes, radiation fever. Zer was starting to feel faint. Acting warrior-like took more energy, she thought, but the girl did pay attention to her.

ETs had sex with humans? Netta’s voice rose an octave.

No, your people managed mutations all by themselves, with their plutonic curiosity.

We’ve survived for months, Netta said, her back stiffening, again. The worst is loss of hair, toenails, a few sores.

The cumulative effect hasn’t peaked. Herbs won’t blunt it like they did in your drinking water. Besides, you’re running out of food stores and tablets.

Netta folded her arms across her chest. What do you expect of me?

Open your eyes. Run tests on plants and soil if necessary. Convince people to talk or commune with trees and believe in aliens.

Would you let a doctor or scientist examine you?

If you insist. By the way, meet Felice.

Felice glided forward and bowed. I offer my services. It lightly probed the girl’s mind and made a first attempt to fire up the girl’s telepathic capability.

Netta stepped backward. No. Just please leave, fly away.

The world is changing, help the Prescotts adjust, Zer said. Take all the help you can get. Poor Felice, Zer thought, it had to work with an utterly resistant mind. She knew Felice would feather gently into a neural route of the girl's brain. She hoped it feathered quickly.

Will the aliens leave sooner? Netta asked.

There are only ten of us in this region. Some threat, Zer thought. I’m leaving Prescott for a while, she said, suddenly and decisively. Ian is going with me. He’s learning all he can.

Don’t take him, Netta said.

He'll return. Meanwhile, Joe and Felice will assist you. We’ll be in touch.

No.

Would a trip to our spaceship ease your mind? Zer asked.

No.

Then let Ian go. He wants to learn all he can. And we have a date with a Hoover Indian medicine woman. Give him your blessings, he’ll return sooner.

He knows all this?

Yes. You wouldn’t listen. Zer explained that her visibility or flux states depended on others’ belief in her existence. Believe this. Joe had Heritage seed that wouldn’t grow, but now they will thanks to our Zenobian gene-doctor. Earth changed forever. To ease the way, Joe will so-call discover the seedlings before we leave, so we suggest you make friends with the new hero. He and Felice will fill you in. You need them for everything. Joe offered to protect—

But I can’t, you don’t exist, Netta said.

Zer groaned.

With superb tact, Felice enlightened Netta, with a wispy mind-touch. Netta couldn’t digest much, about the equivalent of one pub drink and she was giddy. Still, flickers of amazement passing across Netta’s face indicated a new sensibility had lit up the cells of her body. Briefly, she glowed like a content, new mother. Suddenly, the girl discharged a black cloud of anger and fear. Felice reminded Zer this was only the beginning. Zer knew the kind, witty tree would maintain its discipline to slowly bring the girl around. It took a lot more time to help an Earth person fully understand.

Zer suddenly appreciated Leon’s reluctance to influence Earthlings. Her Zenobian foster brother had warned her about the Exotica effect on Earthlings.

Be glad Netta, root of Prescott politics, half-believes ETs exist, Felice reminded Zer.

Later, Netta protested that she wasn't as influential as Zer and her friends thought, yet she’d promptly orchestrated Joe’s search for Heritage seedlings. Netta had insisted Joe should find the seedlings by the swamp, an area that frightened many townsfolk. Her decision had turned Joe into an overnight hero just because he wasn’t afraid of the place he called home.

That poses the next problem, Netta said. She, Felice, Zer, Joe, and Ian had convened in Ian’s study to decide the next step in their protection plan. The swamp makes a convenient back route for criminals and other undesirables into Prescott. It's our weak spot. Prescott isn't an island anymore. Netta glared at Felice who stood by a bookshelf and flicked the pages of a book on superstition, its aerial roots undulating.

The hermaphrodite’s aerial roots slowed and pointed at a colorful picture of a tarot card.

Joe is training recruits, Ian said.

No one will believe me if I start talking about an ET or introduce her. Zer can’t even stay solid and visible long enough to shake hands. She’s a menace to society and the swamp patrol. Netta balked at possibly ruining her reputation. Zer’s phantom appearances around town disturbed her.

Zer could not control herself. She scared folks with the strange lights of exo-paintings that increasingly wafted about her. Ian said her paintings resembled aurora borealis light displays that used to appear in night skies. He at least appreciated her. But Zer still needed properly introduced to townsfolk while in a 3D solid state form.

Let Felice convince them as it did you, Ian said to Netta.

Does it have to walk, I mean trees... Netta was at a loss for words. She was staring at a tree enthralled by pictures in a book. Let it indirectly touch on the subject, suggest aliens. Maybe its walking could be explained rationally. Could Felice just glide? It’s not so outrageous.

In the end, Zer compromised too, believing a warm-up of the townsfolk better than nothing.

Since the tree couldn’t speak aloud, the group agreed the psychic should spend a day mind reading. Felice shimmied with gusto and proposed tea leaf readings, using an old, chipped teacup.

After a flurry of poster making and word-of-mouth advertising, Joe set up a tent between Ian's house and the nearby town windmill.

Come morning, Zer waited, semi-visible, outside the tent for her chance to fully materialize in the eyes of the townsfolk. Netta or Ian walked clients in and left them sitting at a card table with the teacup. Felice stood immobile by the table and took it from there.

While a client awaited the tea leaf reader, Felice psychically inspired the person to look into the cup and relax. Little by little, before it introduced itself, the hermaphrodite illumined clients, directing their minds as they looked at leaves floating in patterns that initially reminded each person of all sorts of personal affairs. Thus far, Felice had not even broached the alien matter.

Now, two elderly ladies were demanding a duet reading. When they talked to dead ancestors, Zer prepared to manifest, but the pair veered onto another topic. Looking into the cup of leaves, one lady saw the other tote their only plant book to the garden to hide it. How can you hog it? the lady asked.

It’s only for a few days while I sketch. Let’s not argue, the other said.

Felice, who expanded on pertinent information according to a client’s propensity to receive and absorb ideas, inaudibly suggested, Take turns or work together. You can’t hold a book, examine a plant, and sketch at the same time.

We’ll switch off, they agreed, and left smiling before the tree had a chance to finish its repertoire or introduce Zer.

Zer punched the tent, not even denting the fabric where Felice cast a shadow. With other clients, the tree had talked up Joe as town protector against Renegades and Rogues. Only twice had Felice dropped one of its own leaves in the cup and worked up to the subject of aliens. If a person exhibited a hint of hysteria about seeing a ghost, Felice backed off. By the twenty-third client, Zer, barometer of ghosthood, had turned five shades less visible due to people’s disbelief. When the two ladies walked away, Zer felt like a parody.

Hopeless, the last trace of her visibility faded, Zer saw no harm in following a pregnant woman into the tea leaf reading tent. As soon as the woman sat, the baby in her belly kicked. Rather than look into the teacup, the mother rubbed her stomach and spoke to her unborn. Felice rustled, joyously, and whispered, ET, ET.

Except it wasn’t the tree whispering. It was the unborn child; Zer couldn't resist the child's call. The call turned Zer solid. The mother beamed at Zer and the tree, looking from one to the other and down at her belly. Don’t panic, Zer said, gawking at the woman's pulsing belly.

Felice' aerial roots lifted and undulated in a soothing manner.

I’m not deluded, the mother said, calmly. That’s why I came. My baby tells me words—evolution, galactic, citizen, love, ET, rads, rapture—like pieces of a secret. Please, kindly explain what is going on. It’s beautiful, I know. But I need to know more. I want a healthy child.

Astounded, Zer had to calm down to think. Rads can cause mutation... couldn't predict what—didn't know Earthlings’ unborns, while inside wombs, would gain rational, linguistic awareness. It’s not really rare or common. But the love and calming to and from babes and moms, not just one-way. And unborns who convey intuitive perception to mothers, it's, it's lovely.

Part of the rapture, isn't it? The woman sighed. Forty-three pregnant women live in town. I've visited every one. They smile and act distant. They're unusually contented. Please visit them, Zer. I know you get lonely. The woman rose to her feet and left the tent.

No one else shook up Zer and Felice that day. Most clients left in a mildly altered state convinced they had talked with a tree. It's a beginning, Zer said. Forgive me, Felice. I didn’t have to spoil your fun.

Overindulged myself, though I’m not all that sorry. We’ll introduce you, later, Felice said. Do please delay your trip to Lila. Let folks get used to me and absorb the experience while they're primed to celebrate.

Netta had set Fun Night for the first Friday of the month to coincide with wig day. The idea alone brought Zer nightmares of Karen stealing electricity and windtops. Zer refused to consider this woman, this alleged protégé, an ally. Zer warned her real friends of possible theft at another of Netta’s endless meetings. Netta banged the desk with her gavel. She wanted to hide the few precious windtops; Netta didn’t know the small generators were gifts from Zenobians. They save me work, she said.

Zer hid a smile. These days, Netta mostly delegated tasks and scheduled bathing times for the Prescotts. Others checked the windtop propellers, fabrics, and lines for soundness, and they charged batteries as needed. Netta worried less about the neighborhood windmill that stored power for lights and appliances, which she still plugged in from noon to 2 p.m. between daily westerly and easterly winds. The windtops, including four additional gifts from Leon had largely relieved two tired horses and enabled restoring three electric ground vehicles.

We’ll post extra guards, Joe said. Based on teacup readings and his own brand of psychism, he'd recruited more volunteers willing to guard the swamp and outskirts of town on Fun Night.

In Zer’s nightmare, Karen escaped with the last bag of seed, the last Heritage plant, and the last kilowatt of Prescott’s power. The nightmare spilled over into a waking daydream replete with an imaginary conversation in which Karen told her the Prescotts would blame Zenobians for theft and pollution sickness. Catch me if you can, Karen crowed.

Zer didn’t want to. She did not want to deal with Karen at all or with the whole proto notion or whether the two might share a very ancient bloodline. Not now, she told Felice.

Catch her indirectly, Felice suggested. Use your ghostly appearance.

Sure. Zer's growing visibility had faded dramatically yesterday, after she received a strong impression of Karen in the vicinity, waiting for something.

The right moment, Zer thought, the next day when she spotted Karen disguised as a local. Karen wore a padded, old-fashioned bodysuit and looked like a fat, young man. Purposely ghostly, Zer followed her future, alleged protégé into the women’s hair salon. Karen told the attendant, who was setting out bottles of tints and shampoos for the evening, that she had to tighten the windtop’s connecting conduit to the roof to withstand the afternoon wind. The woman gave Karen the key to the stairwell.

On the roof, Karen opened a small tool kit. She loosened the conduit attachments to the windtop and to the power storage device, which stored energy mechanically or chemically. She did not take the storage device or the windtop. She kept the key.

Before dark, Zer settled, invisibly, in the beauty shop. Women came and went, primping for the town party. The ladies pretended the wigs were their hair under blowers and dryers, and fashioned into shapes. An older world reigned for a spell while they painted each other's nails, listened to golden oldies, chattered, and fantasized till after the sun set. Zer tried to imagine such camaraderie with Karen. After dark, Zer reluctantly joined her on the roof.

Dressed in a close-fitting, black bodysuit, Karen clipped wires, removed bolts, and placed the windtop and its power storage unit in a backpack. While Zer quibbled over when to rematerialize and how to approach Karen, the salon machines below whirred to a standstill.

Seconds later, Joe reported a blackout in a former hunting lodge where men were playing poker. Karen dashed downstairs into the women’s beauty parlor with Zer on her tail.

Someone had lit candles. In the dim, yellow light, Karen chanted a bogus incantation to a goddess of space aliens, ending, In the name of the goddess, I request eight wigs.

With a mischievous afterthought, Karen grabbed a candle, and holding it high like a torch, demanded all fifteen women disrobe. They obeyed, grumbling and kicking their clothes at Karen. Zer grudgingly admired Karen's sense of humor.

On behalf of the women of Tuc, I thank thee for your generosity, Karen said. Your noble sisters will be able to go outdoors without getting sick. Karen asked a woman to hand over three wigs and two bodysuits from the pile.

Cackling, a woman reached to sound an alarm. Karen pretended not to notice, playing along, giving the women a chance to defy her. The ladies mistook her pretense for stupidity and bravely scolded, spouted, and pouted about injustice.

Rude.

Disrespectful.

On our special night.

And after all we’ve been through. Devil.

Things were just starting to look up.

Laughing, Karen checked her watch and left ahead of the guards—smart move, clocking her escape time, though the cunning ruined what pleasure Zer had taken in Karen's humor.

The hardened thief ran to the marsh, stuffed her loot in a hollow, flipped on a mask with a breathing tube, and slid into murky water. Resourceful, too. Zer thought.

Near the woman’s cache, Zer rematerialized and waited, preparing to match wits. Felice joined her, ready to transmit a telepathic distress signal to Joe. No. Keep quiet. Zer said.

While Zer minimized her alien appearance, putting the hood up on her bodysuit and green lenses over her glowing lunar-white eyes, Felice sent Spindle, Karen’s tree buddy and a simple, off to the crook's get-a-way place to be ready to leave with Karen. Felice stood still when Joe’s patrol rushed around the area, squishing through the shallows and mud.

After the search party left, Karen emerged from the swamp coated in stinking muck and rotted leaves. Globs slid off her bodysuit. Near her tree hollow, Felice looped and bound her with its aerial roots, its leaves brushing Karen's back.

Let me explain, Karen wheedled upon seeing her tree captor. Your brother, Beer, is my friend. Tell him I borrowed the windtop unit to take apart, to see how to make it.

Subliminally, you already knew, Felice responded, reasonably. An Earthling helped invent it.

Of course, Felice was too smart to tell of Zer’s involvement in the design. The tree’s wisdom frequently amazed Zer.

Karen’s eyes widened in surprise. You mean my father did?

If you insist, though which generation doesn’t matter. Genetics often do, Felice said.

Then it's mine. The windtop will help with building a playground for orphaned kids, survivors. Aliens killed my father. You’re all being tricked. Can’t you see? I’ve got to bring my mom and her baby home. I’ve got to build in Oracle. Let us keep the windtop, we’ll leave Prescott alone.

Figure it out, Felice said, before you lose your inventiveness. The tree turned her about.

Face to face with Zer, Karen's energy shot off in all directions, her aura an explosion of fiery orange-reds. Swamp muck still dripped from her bodysuit.

Zer shook her head. No, she could not possibly be a prototype for the person Karen might become. Zer gazed at her unsuspecting protégé, more dismayed than exhilarated by Karen's display of passion and anger. Now was not the time to connect, not through passion, Zer thought.

Karen's fireworks fascinated Felice. Like sap rising during fruiting season.

What are you gawking at? Karen asked Zer.

Take the top and power storing unit, but you need my help to get materials to make more.

Karen's aura spiked as she glared at Zer. You don’t understand humans. You’re just a ghost, like Leon, can’t stay solid. Can’t hurt me.

Felice bound her arms tighter.

Go ahead, let your sidekick do your dirty work. I’m tired of your kind, Karen said.

We are kin of sorts, a similar species. Let’s stop resisting each other for a moment. Zer tried to pool with Karen to convey goodwill, but Karen's psyche clamped as tight as a clamshell.

You should take lessons from Leon or your trees, Karen said. At least they have some class. Leon wouldn't intrude on my mind.

Nor have I. Zer tried a different tack. If I am your distant ancestor or prototype, I assume you have the courage to find out—

Ancestor! Who told you that? Do you believe everything you hear?

Karen had heard, Zer thought. Only in Zenobia. I'm told you're intelligent. So far, you’ve accurately read tree thoughts, an ability you gained, maybe regained, because of our alien visit.

I see. We're beneath you. What's in this ancestry business for you? Brainwashing? Takeover the planet? Drop dead. You can't force me to help.

Easier to placate a snarling beast, Zer thought. A shame you can’t see your thoughts in the air around you. They make a beautiful red and gold exo-painting. If you don't want your thoughts known, don't think them. I might misinterpret.

And what? That a threat, you hypocrite? Karen said.

I'd like us to know each other. Zer restrained an impulse to spit or practice warrior training, with kick punches. So, let's speak plainly. And you can drop the warrior mode.

My, my. I should enjoy the pleasures of the vulnerable? Welcome rape, murder, humiliation? You’re so kind.

You're assuming. If you visit the garden in the Sups when Exotica trees bear fruit—

Those trees can’t even walk, Karen said. Thanks to your kind, they’re unnatural. What did you do to them? And what will you do to the fruits? Fill them with poison? I saw the pictures my father drew. The little lobes resemble hand grenades. You expect humans to eat them?

That's Spindle’s version, Felice said. He didn’t get it quite straight.

Tell her the truth, Zer said.

Any poison is in the thoughts transmuted by trees to absolve, or free, people. We eat the poison of others, yours for instance, and transform it.

Christ. A confessional fruit tree? When did you come up with that? You’re talking dark ages, Karen said, laughing. "Politically tainted