| abstract
| - A few residents of Sanctuary take an interest in Torlonodae, a plant-like Muscipulan who represents the first truly alien race encountered in this region known as Hiverspace... Summer Dome Several small towns have been built within this dome, surrounded by forest and jungle habitats. Some cattle graze on the open plains and ranch lands. High grass grows in a broad flat of savannah, with artificial sunlight reflecting off reservoirs. Torlonodae shuffles into the dome, and stops as the sunlight strikes him. He seems to shudder with enjoyment for a moment, then outstretches his arms. Snowshadow stands alongside a small brook, out among what passes for a forest in the domes. Firemane is passing by, and there seems to be some tension present, although no hostility. Firemane growls softly and shifts a little looking somewhat uncomfortable, as the twitching of her tail indicates. After a few seconds she sighs, and then shrugs. "'s stupid.." She looks up at Snowshadow. "'m sorry bout what happened to you, I was stupid." Torlonodae shuffles along the path, looking around at the surroundings. Snowshadow says, "Not so much stupidity as panic. You froze up. Which surprises me, coming from someone who is supposed to be a bodyguard. Even if you can't or aren't willing to help yourself, you should have been thinking enough to call in outside assistance." Torlonodae shifts towards the woods as he shuffles along. Firemane's eyes narrow and she shrugs, her tail stilling its movement completely. "As you wish, you may notice I *did* call medical.. And as for not going out, you were at least 2 minutes away from me, by the time I got there everything would have been over." Snowshadow says, "You called medical after the Shadowlion was sedated. The threat was over." He gives that one-shouldered shrug that seems to have become his trademark the past few days. "Besides, sometimes it isn't the success of an action that matters, but the attempt itself." The assessment doesn't seem to be an angry one, simply matter-of-fact. Firemane GROWLS deeply, her tail lashing with the anger, before stilling itself suddenly. "As you wish." Torlonodae continues shuffling down the path. Snowshadow says, "There's nothing of my wishes about it. What happened, happened. Facts are..." his ears rotate to better pick up the sounds coming from behind him, and he turns and scents the air. "What _is_ that?"" Firemane blinks and turns herself, her muzzle raised to the air and sniffing. "I know that scent.. Um.." She struggles to find the memory. Snowshadow leans against a tree and waits for the source to come into view. The posture would be signifigantly more relaxed if he didn't have to be so careful of his shoulder and side. Torlonodae shuffles down the path and around a few trees, coming into view further down the path. Snowshadow says, "Ahh, that explains it. Shouldn't surprise me that they're letting it look around the ship." Firemane snaps her fingers as the 'alien' comes into view. "Now I remember..." She shrugs. "Why not, I bet it's interested.. I get the feeling the Sanctuary is kinda unique, even in this universe." Snowshadow says, "More than likely. And we'll probably stay that way, so long as we don't kill ourselves off." Firemane keeps her eyes on the approaching alien with interest, her previously angry tail lashings now still to a slow sway. "What? Has their been another incident? I'm pretty sure you didn't get that wound from the lion.." Torlonodae gets within earshot of the two Demarians. Snowshadow says, "Lizards being lizards. Tried to jump Mist, so needless to say I involved myself." Firemane shakes her head. "Typical.. She alright? She seems to get into trouble a lot.." She gives the 'alien' a friendly nod as she relises how close he/it is getting. Torlonodae shuffles up to the two and stops. He looks at them for a moment, as if searching his memory. Snowshadow nods in acknowledgement of the alien's presence, but doesn't speak, since last he knew Galactix was the only one that could commicate with it. "She'll live, though she's been better," he replies to Firemane. Torlonodae looks up at the two and speaks, his voice squeaky. "Greet." Snowshadow blinks, "Hey, it...um, you," he corrects himself, addressing Tor directly instead of Firemane, so as not to be rude, "learned Standard. That didn't take long." Torlonodae says, "Computer teach. Improving." Avocet wanders rather aimlessly into the dome, whistling softly as he follows a path along the savannah. Snowshadow, Firemane, and Torlonodae are off in the woods, alongside a brook, not far from the village of Quiet Paw. Snowshadow says, "Better than most folks would do, if you've picked up that much in a day." Firemane nods and smiles a Tor. "Yes, very quick indeed. Pleased to meet you." Torlonodae nods, his flat mouth curling up at the sides. "Pleased." He looks around at the dome, especially at the sunlight. "Bright. Good." Avocet glances in the direction of the shady spot near the brook. He raises his eyebrows as he tries to discern the talking vegetation from the rest of the woods. Wringing his hands nervously, Avocet walks through the woods, making his way to the shore of the brook. His unapologetically curious gaze is fixed on Torlonodae. "So *this* is the alien?" Torlonodae looks to Avocet. "Al-ie-n?" Firemane turns to Avocet and nods. "Yes, he is I suppose." She turns back to Tor. "Um.. Person of a diffrent species." Avocet smiles nervously as he gets closer, gazing up at the Muscipulan. "Uh...yes. Alien. Stranger. One who is not similar." Snowshadow says, "Yeah. That's one of the things I like about Safari, and even the habitats. There's at least the illusion of being on a planet, even if the sunlight and enviornments are artificial." Daneel looks at the giant plant-looking being. he turns toward Firemane. "What is going on here?" Torlonodae nods. "Understand. Alien. You alien also." Avocet chuckles, smiling, and runs a hand through his hair. "Some think I'm an alien even among my own kind." He extends a hand. "I'm, uh, Neal Avocet. I'm a scientist here on Sanctuary. I scanned your ship." Daneel raises an eyebrow...Daneel shrugs, looking at the buildings being constructed. Torlonodae looks at Avocet's outstretched hand and repeats the gesture, exactly. He doesn't reach for Avocet's hand rather than just copying. Firemane turns to Daneel. "Um this is.. I don't know his name.. He's a visitor here." Torlonodae seems to ponder..."Name...." Then he gets a look of recall. "Name." He points to himself with another arm. "Torlonodae." Daneel nods. "I guessed that. But how did it get here?" Avocet smiles quakily. "Oh, yeah, you probably don't know about shaking hands, exactly." He takes the alien's appendage, then seems to think about it and looks up at Torlonodae. "This *is* a hand or something, right? I'm not, like, you know - mating with you or something?" Torlonodae nods. "Hand. Shaking?" Daneel looks over to the alien, smileing. He points to himself. "Name Daneel." Torlonodae says, "Da-neel." Avocet pumps Torlonodae's appendage up and down briefly, then releases. "It's a form of greeting." Daneel nods. Torlonodae says, "Greet." Avocet smiles. "Yes, greet. To offer salutations. Like saying hello. Or waving." Torlonodae nods. "Understand greet." Firemane steps back a little to speak to Daneel. "He landed his ship in the docking bay, how else?" Avocet nods, looking toward Daneel. "Showed up on our doorstep the other night. The ship is amazing." He glances back to Tor. "Organic. Living?" Torlonodae shuffles a foot or two to the side into a beam of sunlight. Tor looks to Avocet. "Living. Ship grown. Not think." Daneel gives Firemane a look. "I was refering to getting to this particular deck, instead of medbay or some other controlled area." Avocet shakes his head, beaming his amazement at Tor, then his smile fades to a frown as he looks back at Daneel. Torlonodae looks to Daneel. "Find heat." Snowshadow says, "I imagine they gave it access to all low-security areas. No real reason not to, if its been through a medical check." Daneel thinks for a moment. "The ship is grown into a mold, or does it naturally form a ship?" Firemane smiles. "Fascinating.. It's beautiful, the ship I mean." She turns again to Daneel. "Major Marcus placed no restrictions on his movements, why should he?" Torlonodae says, "Seed. Ship grown." A small electronic device on Avocet's wrist begins to chime incessantly. Daneel shrugs, then nods. "I was just checking..." Avocet rolls his eyes. "It's like a house arrest bracelet." He taps a tiny button, activating a speaker with a crackle. "Avocet here. Go ahead." Daneel nods to Tor. "Do you help the plant to shape itself, or does it naturally form the shape? Torlonodae nods. "Help. Train." Firemane nods. "How long does it take to grow one?" Daneel smiles, and then ponders for a moment. "Would you be willing to show me how?" OVER THE WRISTCOMM: "Dr. Avocet, it's Bogander. We've got the experiment ready to go." Torlonodae again seems to be searching his memory.. Torlonodae says, "Month...Six." Avocet grits his teeth for a moment, then nods - as if the other person can see him - but says nothing. OVER THE WRISTCOMM: "Dr. Avocet, are you still there?" Snowshadow says, "So what are the other life forms like on your planet? The non-sentients I mean -- animals, plant life." Torlonodae looks around. "Much like. Vines more." Avocet snaps back to reality and grumbles. "Yes, Mr. Bogander. I'll be up shortly." He taps the wrist comm, deactivating it. His eyes never once leave Torlonodae. "Well, I'd like a chance to talk to you about the science behind ship cultivation soon, Torlonodae, but work calls." Daneel smiles. "Where do you live?" Torlonodae says, "Planet Muscipula." Daneel looks over to Avocet. "We'll have to exchange notes later. Avocet smiles crookedly, nodding to Daneel. "Sounds like a plan." Then he starts walking through the woods, crunching through the undergrowth on his way to the savannah and the exit. Snowshadow says, "Do you happen to carry any seeds for your people's plant life on board your ship? The Safari is something of an experiment; to create an ecosystem with the plants and animals of all the races onboard this ship. If they'd not cause problems, I'd like to include some from your world as well."" Torlonodae nods. "Carry seed. Trade." Daneel grins. "Do you carry seeds for growing ships?" Torlonodae says, "No carry." Daneel nods. Daneel's beeper goes off. "My apologies, but it seems something has gone wrong again. A pleasure meeting you." Torlonodae nods. "Pleasure." His flat mouth curves into an arc. Daneel smiles, and heads out. Snowshadow mms. Not terribly worried about the ship seeds, since they don't fall into his area of interest, but somewhat disappointed that there are no seeds for more mundane plants. "Ah, well. It was a thought." Torlonodae looks surprised. "Carry plant seeds. I trade. Want trade?" Snowshadow says, "Very much so, yes. What varieties of plants are you interested in?" Torlonodae says, "I look. Let know." Firemane's ears perk up with interest, even she a city Demarian, is interested in alien plants. Torlonodae says, "Alien plants make good money. I interest." Snowshadow says, "I'd like that. If you access the datafiles on Safari, you can see the list of species and their planets of origin -- it has the widest variety, though they aren't the food crops." Torlonodae nods. Snowshadow says, "I don't suppose your people have anything that can accelerate the growth of plant life? I'm trying to create as close to a real wilderness as possible, but it will take centuries for some of the trees to reach their full growth." Firemane watches and waits for their business to be obviously concluded. She seems a little nervous, although it is hard to tell exactly what she is nervous about. Torlonodae says, "Use fertilizer. Bultae Manure. Want trade?" Rondeau sashays into the summer dome, a smile instantly springing to her face at the warm temperatures. Snowshadow nods. "Most assuredly. We can work out the specifics once you've had a chance to look over all the data." He grins, "For now, I think we ought to enjoy the weather." Torlonodae nods, and again his flat mouth curves into his version of a smile. "Light good. I hungry." Torlonodae is continuing to stand in the light beam. Firemane nods softly. "It's nice weather, and good sunshine.. If a little artifical feeling on the fur at times." Snowshadow says, "Not much they can do about that. Even Safari isn't quite big enough to have real weather, though we do get some clouds up toward the upper bulkhead." "As Ah live an breathe...a talkin plant." Rondeau is mystefied, enough to stand with her jaw agape. Torlonodae says, "This like home planet?" Firemane looks around and nods. "Yes, a bit like home.. More than the other domes anyway." MacDonald walks in quietly, alone with his thoughts. He seems tired and his kevlar vest is half undone as is his uniform jacket.. Torlonodae nods. "Other domes too cold." Snowshadow says, "Demaria was largely a tropical desert. Though I came from an area nearer the northern polar cap. This isn't very much like Mycce at all." Rondeau continues to gaze at Torlonodae. Torlonodae looks to Snowshadow. "Interest in plants?" Firemane turns back to glance at Rondeau. "His name is Torlonodae, he's a trader and a visitor here." Rondeau gathers herself together at Firemane's words, and comes out of her rude stupor, patting her hair into place. "Hello dere, Torlonodae," she drawls. "Ah'm Rondeau." Snowshadow replies to Tor, "That's where I first acquired my interest in them. Mycce was pretty low-tech, so half the time herbalism constituted what medical resources were available to us. And I learned to survive in the wild, which requires the knowledge." MacDonald frowns slightly and walks over towards the group hovering around the visitor, "Ahem..excuse me.." he states quietly as he approaches.. Torlonodae says, "Want see garden?" Snowshadow says, "I'd like that very much." Torlonodae motions with one of his arms. "Come. Go ship." Torlonodae begins shuffling down the path. Firemane blinks and follows Tor, clearly *very* eager to see this ship. Snowshadow follows along behind Tor. Torlonodae shuffles out of the woods and towards the door. MacDonald blinks as the group begins to walk away, "Uhm..hey.." Firemane half turns as she walks away and gives MacDonald an apologetic shrug. Torlonodae shuffles out the door. Snowshadow and Firemane follow Torlonodae to the IMV Illicium and into the onboard garden... Torlonodae shuffles along the path in the garden to the tree in the center. Firemane hurries in after the two of them, looking rather embarassed, but also enchanted by the ship around her. Snowshadow doesn't seem to be making particularly fast progress, himself. "Now _this_ is a ship. Is there animal life on board in addition to the plant life?" Torlonodae says, "No animals. Just plants. Animals eat ship." Torlonodae plucks down a piece of fruit from the tree. "Want?" Firemane looks around in a state of awe, clearly agreeing with Snowshadow's comments. "Yes, I can see how they would..." She glances over at Toronodae, then at Snowshadow. "Um, what is it?" Torlonodae says, "Fruit." Snowshadow accepts the offered fruit. "Thank you." He sniffs it first because he gets more information by scent than by sight. And then he gives it a try. Snowshadow mmms, apparently pleased with the flavor. "Not bad. Not bad at all." Firemane moves over to stand near Snowshadow, staring up at the roof. "How do you get the plants to grow transparent like that?" Torlonodae pulls anther down and offers it to Firemane before pulling one down for himself. He places it whole into his mouth and slowly swallows it. Torlonodae says, "Train. aim bright light." Firemane takes the offered piece, sniffing at it like Shadow did, before swallowing it. "Mrmph.. Bright light?" From outside the ship, the loudspeaker yells, ATTENTION, ALL HANDS! BIOHAZARD CONTAINMENT FAILURE IN DECK FIVE - SCIENCE LABORATORY! ALL HANDS! BIOHAZARD CONTAINMENT FAILURE IN DECK FIVE - SCIENCE LABORATORY! SEALING LAB DOORS! Torlonodae nods. "Ship respond to light. Let light through. After finish grow plant stay clear." Snowshadow blinks as the speaker sounds outside. "That doesn't sound very reassuring." He continues to take bites from the fruit, though. Torlonodae looks up as he hears the sounds. Firemane nods to Tor, and is about to respond when she hears the speakers noise and looks startled. "Biohazard?? No it doesn't.." Snowshadow says, "Shall we find out what's going on?" Torlonodae shuffles over to a bench near the tree, and lays down on it, stretching out. Snowshadow says, "Though truth be told, we're probably better off here. Self-contained environment, and out of the way of any cleanup crews." Torlonodae says, "I come relax here. Help in long trip." Firemane glances at Shadow. "Yes.. Although.. The ship might be affected by anything released.." She turns to Torlonodae. "Do you have Faster Than Light travel?" Torlonodae seems to pause, searching his memory again. "Faster than Light. Yes. Ship move fast." Firemane nods and her ears perk up as she forgets the biohazard for a moment. "Are the engines grown as well? Or are they metal?" Torlonodae nods. "Engines grown." Snowshadow sits down on one of the benches, and eases himself down until he is on his back as well. "I imagine the ship is shielded. All kinds of radiation and nastiness that you can run into out in space. You think there's any danger of the ship being injured by biohazardous compounds?" This last directed towards Tor. Torlonodae says, "Ship strong. Natural immune. Early ships not fare well. We practice. Find plant that grow good ship." Firemane nods, and noting the general relaxation of the others takes a seat of a bench, sprawing out in true Demarian style. "What plant are the ships grown from? What does it look like?" Torlonodae says, "Vine." Firemane considers this, a smile coming across her feline face. "I wish our race had thought of this.. Eh Snowshadow?" Snowshadow nods. "I like the idea of biological ships. Like it much better than our mechanical monstrosities, that's for sure. Do you grow your cities as well, back on your homeworld?" Torlonodae nods. "Cities grown as well. Keep pruned, but big cities. Firemane closes her eyes to imagine this, a slight rumble of a purr coming from her chest. "U'know, I think you are rubbing off on me Snowshadow.." She tilts her head to look at Torlonodae. "Do you do *everything* from plants, or do you use metals and stone for things?" Snowshadow says, "I'd like to see that, someday. I think we could learn a lot from it. Most of my people spend almost their entire lives in towers of stone and steel, never getting to experience _life_, not in its natural state." Torlonodae says, "Some metal." Snowshadow chuckles at Firemane. "We're born to live among nature, not try and deny it. Maybe you're just starting to see that." Firemane smiles. "Maybe, I've never looked at plants this way.." She rolls her head towards Torlonodae. "What do you use the metal for?" Torlonodae says, "Energy. Batteries." Snowshadow says, "So you do use inorganic power supplies then. I'd wondered if it were possible to do FTL travel with an organic engine." Torlonodae says, "Engine organic. Stores solar particles. Directs out back for propulsion. Uses to generate...gr-av-i-ton..field for fast." Firemane blinks and shrugs, that one went waaaay over her head. "Sounds impressive, espically for a plant.. I doubt our geneticists could do it." Torlonodae slowly drifts off to sleep. Firemane notices this after a while, and then glances over at Snowshadow, mouthing: 'Shall we leave?' Snowshadow nods silently, and gets to his feet. Firemane does so as well, taking one last look around the chamber before padding silently out. Snowshadow winces as he puts a little too much stress on his side in so doing, but is careful not to cry out and disturb his host.
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