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TWENTY-EIGHT




Lowanna followed Yotto into the new chamber, her senses tingling with the strange, almost alien energy that seemed to permeate the space. The room was vast, bigger than a high school gymnasium, and among all manner of other mechanical contrivances stood row upon row of hydroponic setups, each one nurturing a different kind of plant. The air was thick with humidity and the scent of earth, a stark contrast to the cold, icy corridors they had just left behind. It felt like stepping into another world—one that thrived and pulsed with life beneath the surface of the icy wasteland.

Yotto gestured for them to follow, leading the team deeper into the chamber. Lowanna’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of the plants—some familiar, others completely foreign—growing in this carefully controlled environment. The Gray explained that the plants were grown for Edu consumption. It was a veritable farm, sustaining the thousand or so Grays who called this hidden domicile home. The glow from the hydroponic lights bathed the room in a soft, almost ethereal light, casting long shadows that danced across the walls.

Beyond the plants, they approached a large collection of boxes stacked on a metal table. Lowanna watched as several assistants carefully brought out what appeared to be a stack of papers that looked like they might explode into a million dust particles if someone sneezed. Yotto’s expression softened with a hint of reverence as he began sorting through the contents, handling the brittle paper relics with the utmost care.

“These,” Yotto said, his voice hushed, “are some of our oldest records. Maps and written instructions were only needed during the initial training, before we even arrived on Earth. After that, such things became unnecessary, so they were archived and forgotten. These documents probably haven’t seen the light of day in thousands of your years.”

The team gathered around Yotto as he gingerly unfolded one of the larger sheets of thick, brittle paper. It crackled softly as the creases smoothed out, revealing a faded map that showed the general physical layout of the Grays’ city and the surrounding tunnel structure. Marty and the others leaned in, their eyes scanning the lines and symbols, trying to make sense of the intricate design.

Lowanna, however, found her attention drifting back to the plants. She could feel them, the life force within them, the subtle energy that connected her to the natural world. It was a sensation that had grown stronger since they had entered this strange, ancient world. The plants here were not species she could name, yet there was something about them that felt familiar. Could some of these plants have actually come from another planet? She was no botanist, but the possibility intrigued her immensely.

Her gaze settled on a table filled with freshly planted legumes, their tiny leaves just beginning to break through the surface of the nutrient-rich water. She could sense their hunger, their need for the essential elements that would help them grow strong and healthy. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and reached out, not physically, but with a mental focus. She extended a part of herself outward, sensing the tiny shards of green life that lay within reach. She let her senses flow outward into the plants.

The response was immediate. The legumes shivered under her touch, their leaves trembling as if awakening from a deep sleep. Lowanna felt the energy coursing through her, linking her to each of the seedlings. She felt a warm, vibrant pulse that matched the rhythm of her own heartbeat. It was almost as if time sped up. The tiny sprouts began to grow, pushing upward with a sudden vigor that took her by surprise.

“Lowanna,” Marty’s voice cut through her focus, a note of curiosity in his tone. “What are you doing?”

She blinked, realizing that the entire team had turned to watch. Had she lost herself in the process of communing with these things? The plants she’d been focused on had tripled in size. Their leaves unfurled, their stems thickened as they rapidly absorbed the nutrients from the water and whatever it was she’d channeled into them. In moments, the table of seedlings had been transformed into lush, green plants, their leaves reaching toward the hydroponic lights as if drawn to a sun that did not exist in this subterranean world. To her astonishment, pods had formed along the stems, swelling and ripening before her eyes. Within minutes, the plants not only flourished but also produced an abundance of edible legumes, their rich, iron-packed contents ready for harvest.

Yotto, who had been engrossed in the old map, looked up in awe. “Incredible,” he murmured, stepping closer to the flourishing plants. “These legumes . . . they are rich in iron, something we’ve been struggling to cultivate effectively. And yet, you . . . you . . . you did something. What did you do?”

Lowanna withdrew her hand, feeling a sense of satisfaction mixed with a twinge of exhaustion. “I just . . . helped them along a little,” she said softly. “They needed a push, that’s all.”

Yotto shook his head, still amazed. “Is this something all of you humans are capable of doing?”

“No,” Marty responded. “Lowanna has some unique abilities.” He tossed her a wink and Lowanna’s body betrayed her as she felt her face warm from his attention.

“Yotto.” François tapped on the map unfurled on the table. “Can you show us some of these sections? I’d very much like to get a better understanding of things in this ship.”

The alien shifted his attention from Lowanna back to the map and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The idea of helping the aliens seemed like a good one, but her instincts screamed that these things couldn’t be trusted, not even this engineer who seemed to be nothing but kind.

If the aliens found a use for them, that might greatly interfere with the team’s ability to ever get out of this time and place.


Lowanna kept her eyes fixed on the dimly lit tunnel ahead as Yotto led the team through the narrow, winding passage. The walls were cold and metallic, a stark contrast to what she’d grown used to in the real world outside of this giant ice cube they were in. She felt the subtle hum of the alien ship beneath her feet, a constant reminder that they were deep within something entirely foreign. Yotto moved quickly, his slender form slipping through the shadows, while Lowanna, Marty, and the others followed close behind.

“We’re heading toward the Farmer faction’s territory,” Yotto explained, his voice echoing slightly in the tunnel. “They should be more welcoming—or at least less hostile—than the Herders. To some extent by partitioning and to some extent by moving ourselves around, we have ended up with a divided city, split into sections that are mostly controlled by one faction or the other. It wasn’t always like this, but over the years, the tension between the Farmers and Herders has grown. And perhaps the separation helped prevent outright conflict.”

“Yotto, can you help me try to understand what the nature of the differences are between the factions?” Lowanna asked. “I understand that the factions might have a disagreement on how best to adapt to this world, and a strong disagreement about what had happened in the past, but I presume you both want what’s best for the Edu, so is the root difference having to do with the treatment of people like us?”

Yotto paused mid-stride and turned to look at Lowanna. “At this point, it’s everything. We’ve slowly become different people. Our views on things have evolved. But you’re not wrong about what you said. The humans are the kernel of the truth. Or the problem. The key difference. I personally, and those who are like me, we view you humans as fellow travelers. No more, no less. It seems arrogant to view you in any other way, because most of us see your potential. You say you’re from the future, so you must understand what I mean. Your race has the potential for great achievements, but unfortunately some of us don’t have that generous view of you. Some of us think of you more as animals than as ill-educated equals. It’s an unfortunate thing, but the troubles for the Edu stemmed from such differences of viewpoint. And to be honest, I don’t see it getting better. This vote will tell us much.”

Lowanna pressed her lips together and glanced at the team. Nothing the alien had said was entirely shocking. The human race was filled with such stories. Whether it was slavery, exploitation, dispossession, or genocide, many humans had treated each other like animals. Why should the Edu do any different?

“Let’s go.” Yotto continued onward, and it took only a few more minutes before they neared the end of the tunnel; a faint light became visible ahead. The alien slowed his pace, signaling for the others to do the same. “We’re almost there. The square should be just beyond this tunnel. Stay close.”

Lowanna’s heart quickened as they emerged again from the tunnel into the brightness of a large plaza. It seemed to be the same square they’d entered before, only in a different corner now. The space was vast, with high icy ceilings that seemed to stretch into infinity. Edu—apparently Farmer faction members—milled about, their tall, slender forms moving with a quiet grace.

Yotto led them toward a group of Edu, who immediately turned their heads in the team’s direction. Their nostrils flared as they sniffed the air. Lowanna tensed, wondering if the star-metal they carried was setting off some kind of alarm.

One of the Edu, a tall figure with long, slender fingers, approached Lowanna. “May I touch your hand?” the alien asked, his voice gentle but curious.

Lowanna hesitated for a moment, then nodded, extending her hand. The Edu carefully cupped her hand in his, his fingers cool against her skin. He brought her hand closer to his face and sniffed at it, his large eyes narrowing from side to side.

“Very curious,” he murmured. “You don’t have the scent of a human . . . you smell like one of us . . . but you clearly aren’t.”

Lowanna felt a wave of confusion wash over her. Smell like one of them? How was that possible? Before she could ask, Yotto stepped closer, his eyes widening with interest. He leaned in toward Marty, who was standing nearby, and awkwardly sniffed at his ear.

“This isn’t right,” Yotto said, his voice tinged with surprise. “It’s not the star-metal giving off that scent after all. Your bodies really do carry a different scent. We should look into this further back in engineering. I have some tests I can run, but for now, we need to focus. The voting is about to begin.”

Lowanna’s mind buzzed with questions, but she forced herself to stay present. A silvery-gray, egg-shaped object hovered overhead, pulsing with a soft glow as it moved above the crowd. Yotto pointed up at it. “That drone is counting the votes. The Farmers have more members, but there could be dissenters on either side. A vote’s outcome is never certain.”

The tension in the square was palpable as a hidden loudspeaker crackled to life, announcing the question at hand. “Shall we continue as we are, using the Farmers’ techniques, or change to the Herder faction’s solution? All for the Farmers’ technique, raise your hand.”

The square fell silent as most of the nearby Edu raised their hands, the drone hovering above them, its pulse now a steady flow. Lowanna scanned the crowd and it was an obvious delineation between those with their hands up and the rest on the far end of the square who didn’t. Her heart pounded in her chest, as the hands slowly lowered and the loudspeaker announced the second option.

“All for the Herders’ solution.”

Again, hands went up. It didn’t seem to Lowanna that there were more hands up than the prior choice, but there were certainly enough of them raised to create some uncertainty. The drone emitted several beeps, and then projected the tally in a shimmering hologram above the crowd.

The markings were utterly illegible to her, but Yotto nodded. “The Farmer faction has won the vote.”

Lowanna let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The tension that had gripped the square eased as the Edu, without fanfare or celebration, quietly began to disperse. It seemed like a decision had been made, and that was that. No cheers, no chants—just the silent acceptance of the outcome.

A pretty civilized end, given the near-riot they’d seen earlier.

Lowanna stayed close to the team as the crowd thinned. She caught snippets of conversation as some of the nearby Farmers spoke in hushed tones.

“Did you see?” one of them whispered. “Where was Pinosh off to?”

Lowanna’s ears perked up at the name, but before she could hear more, Yotto gently touched her shoulder, signaling that it was time to move.

As they made their way back through the tunnels, she couldn’t help but wonder how those on the losing side could take the outcome so calmly. She smiled, because in her mind she thought, It seems almost inhuman to just stoically take a loss in something you cared about. These creatures were not human. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

And that’s what worried her the most.

She couldn’t tell whether any of these aliens’ reactions was normal and expected, or if something cockeyed was about to happen.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.





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