Was it all a dream...?
This world.. that world? Everything? I wonder..
Carefully tending to plants took most of her time when she traveled. It left her with little time to stop and think of everything that she left behind or everything that she had seen. In her travels she had only stepped foot on three planets that she could vividly remember.
One was a beautiful planet with jungles stretching across hundreds of miles. She loved that planet, if there was any place she would want to returned to outside of her home planet it was that one. All that lived on the planet were beastly creatures. There was no signs of civilization. Everything on that planet probably looked the same way it did when the jungles first grew. It was exciting to find all the different breeds of plants there, but at the same time it was dangerous.
Gel'Linnea's kind was not effected by plant based poisons, but animal based poisons and gases were different. The jungle had been filled with poisonous animals. In the short time she was there she saw several animals kill others with a single bite or a prick of their claws. Outside of the jungles the land was barren and filled with sand. Strange plants with thorns growing out of them everywhere spotted the land along with thickets of dried bushes. She had gathered seeds and samples from these plants before she had to make her way back into the jungle for water and nourishment.
After leaving that planet she made her way to another. This planet was vastly different with high mountains that towered over the land like giants. She found that most of the plant life lived at the base of the mountains and in the caves, along with the animal life. This planet was different still because there were creatures that formed villages and lived together. They acted like her kind in their gestures and the way they stood on two feet. After gathering plant life and her courage she approached the intelligent creatures. She greeted them like she would one of her own kind, with a smile and a warm greeting. The response she received was horrifying. They chased her out with their sharp rocks. To stop them she blocked their path making the ground split wide enough they couldn't follow. Gel'Linnea quickly gathered the water that she needed from the planet stopping to notice something was strange about it. there was no time to think about it as she ran back to her ship and left the planet.
The last planet she remember was small and cold. Ice was everywhere and plant life was no where to be found. Gel'Linnea's kind where not accustom to the cold environment so she could not land. She flew low along the planet long enough to look out at the sheets of ice and shattered specs that surrounded the land. When the planet's sun rose the ground was so beautiful that she could barely breath. Rainbows and streaks of light bounced off the icy surfaces. She wished there was something from the planet that she could take, but there wasn't or more so she couldn't leave her pod or she could face death.
Gel'linnea traveled again until her pod came across another planet some time later. As always she removed the seeds from the adult planets and let the full grown planets wither. She couldn't have her planets growing rampant while she was asleep. Placing the seeds into different compartments she made her way to the controls. When she sat down vines wrapped around her sticking into her skin making her body become one with the ship. The ship used her people's natural ability to merge with plant life to run the ship during landings and take offs. Now that she was tied in it was time to enter the planets atmosphere. It took most of her strength to keep the ship from being torn apart by the atmosphere. The ride was rocky and her ship threatened to catch fire. This planet sustained life well, she could tell by the density of the atmosphere. It took several minutes to break through. Her vision was already starting to blur from the entry. To any that had seen her ship it looked like nothing more than a meteor brushing against the planet and breaking through. Her ship hurled itself to the ground striking the earth. The mountain that she struck crumbled showering rocks down to cover her ship. That was the last of her energy, she had made another successful landing.
50 Years earlier from present
She had no idea how long she had been unconscious merged with her ship. Everything around her had changed. Some of the plants had fallen from their compartments and started to grow. Her ship had cracked open upon landing letting in the air of the planet and any wild life that was small enough to slip in. Over the years the walls of her ship were covered in moss and plant life. Small animals and bugs had made her ship there home making it look more like a cave then a ship. Her body had even started to grow moss and vines climbed to the ceiling making her look more like artwork on the wall then a living creature. This was another ability that came in handy with her people. To preserve their kind they could make themselves go into a hibernation of sorts that stopped them from aging. Though it was an effective way not to die of aging she had no defense until she woke back up.
18 years earlier from present
The strange plant life that lived on the mountain had intrigued some biologists. The introduction of new plant species had changed the animal life of the mountain. Some insects and other animals had died out from the take over while others adapted. The biologists climbed the mountain braving the new animal life and plant life. They were shocked by what they saw. The change was sudden from normal life to abnormal, like standing in the middle of a river looking at one bank of sand and dessert to the other with jungles and lush wild life. The normal rocky terrain with pines changed abruptly to thick vines and bushes.
The biologists had heard stories from the people that lived in the land that some of the plants were poisonous enough to kill a man just by brushing against them. They came prepared for that covering themselves with thick protective suits. Though the suits protected them from the plants it did little to protect them from the heat. They worked their way through fighting the under growth. Another thing they had been told was the wild life had changed making some animals that were once docile rabid. With them they brought skilled hunters that could trap the animals or kill them if needed.
The biologists and hunters set up camp on the mountain living up there for three months before they stumbled on a cave with was abnormally formed in the side of the mountain.
"Doctor Lee!" One of the assistants yelled from onto a boulder.
The rest of the crew looked up at him. He had his hood pulled back letting himself get some fresh air.
"What did you find, boy?" Dr. Lee called back.
"I found a cave! There is something strange about it." He replied. "It is just up here." With that said he hoped down from the boulder disappearing from their view.
Dr. Lee and the rest of the crew climbed up the side of the mountain to see what all the commotion was all about. When they reached the top they saw the cave that he was talking about and made their way to it. "Richard?" One of the men called.
The assistant poked his head out of the cave seeing that they had finally caught up. "Come in. Hurry! It is fascinated in here!" His excitement was almost contagious as some of the other people hurried their pace to see what was hidden inside.
They all gapped at the cluster of plants. Some of the plants they hadn't seen any where on the mountain and only seemed to grow inside the cave. "See isn't it amazing! Look at this plant over here it seems to be growing without soil, even though it's roots clearly show that it is a deep rooting plant. How can it be growing on these rocks?"
All the other men went to examine all the cave walls and plants that grew so curiously inside. The vines were as thick on the walls as the plants on the ground. The men did not seem to figure it out right away how unusual it was until Dr. Lee spoke. "There isn't any sunlight in here." He stated almost to himself as he touched one of the vines.
The other men stopped for a moment they realize exactly what was said. The plants inside the cave had been growing completely without sunlight. They had not been able to use photosynthesis what they were growing so much thicker than all the other plants in the area. This time another doctor spoke. "Get a map."
"Yes." one of the assistances said pulling out a map from his bag. He held it out for the doctor. "Here, Dr. Ruburgis"
Dr. Ruburgis took the map and stepped outside with one of the hunters. He set the map down on the ground pointing to a spot on the map. "Would you consider this to be where we are right now?"
The hunter shook his head and pointed to another spot on the map. "Here."
"Alright." Dr. Ruburgis took out a pen and connected the marks already on the map showing where the growth changed. The shape was strange, but with the terrain that wasn't unexpected. "Now if we are here and the limit growth areas are here-" He stopped talking for a moment making small marks here and there on the map. "We are in the center." Though the shape was strange they were in it's center. He looked to the hunter. "It looks like we found what we were looking for."
As the two men were outside Richard and Dr. Lee continued to search the cave with the others. They pulled back the vines to see the walls of the cave and were somewhat surprised to find that the cave was not that deep.
"It looks like you did good, Richard. You might get that recommendation yet." Dr. Lee said patting the man on the back. "Now help me move this area."
"Yes, Sir" Richard replied.
The two worked to pull the vines off the wall. They were only able to pull down a couple of vines before both of them stepped back to see something they had not been expecting. On the wall of the cave was a piece of artwork. The two looked to each other puzzled then came to accept that the people that use to live here had made it. "Looks like we got something more than we were asking for." Richard said approaching the artwork. Reaching up he touched it feeling the moss that had grown on it over the years. Quickly he pulled his hand back feeling somewhat strange.
"What is it?" Dr. Lee asked.
"I don't know.." He was just as puzzled. "Huh." He looked to his finger tips rubbing the moss between them.
10 years earlier from present
"Dr. Hussly, how is your research going?" Dr. Lee called from down the hall.
Dr. Hussly turned to looked at Dr. Lee as he approached him and smiled. "Richard. I keep telling you to call me Richard."
"Nonsense, you are not my assistant anymore." Dr. Lee patted Dr. Hussly on the back. "So how is our girl today?"
"The same." He replied back. The two men entered the lab where the artwork hung carefully. They had cleaned it off leaving only what needed to remain. "It is still creepy how real she looks."
"Don't get to caught up on her like I did." Dr. Lee approached the art piece that had plants growing all around it. He glanced down at the vines that seemed to be reaching for her from their pots. "As interesting as she is she is still only a research object. She will always been here even when you get old." He reached up to touch the piece then dropped his hand. "How about a drink?" He turned back to Dr. Hussly. "We need to get out of the lab every now and then or we will go crazy. How about it? I'll buy."
Dr. Hussly laughed and agreed. "Only if you call me Richard."
"Fine with me." Dr. Lee agreed. "You should call me Yamito."
Present
Crowds gathered around. It was somewhat amazing that some magicians were feared while others were held with much esteem. He had made himself famous by using plant 'magic'. He had first started by answering the calls of people that couldn't get anything to grow on their infertile land then move on to bring dead plants back. He amazed hundreds by making a forest grow in a matter of minutes. He was truly regarded as one of the best plant magicians of all time. Now he was able to be on TV and get paid millions of dollars just to see his skills. He was enjoying his life. He was free to do whatever he wanted and live where ever he wanted. All he had to do was keep on making the world think that he was a magician.
His phone rang. It had been ringing all day. He finally couldn't take it anymore and answered. "What?" He was clearly annoyed.
"Dr. Hussly? Is that you?" A familiar voice called out.
Dr. Hussly switched his phone to his other ear nervously. "I am sorry I don't-"
"Cut the crap Richard. I didn't call to hear any of your lies or bullshit." The man snapped. "I am calling to say Dr. Lee died this morning."
Richard leaned back against a wall hearing the news. "How?"
"He just didn't wake up. Anyway." There was a pause and voices could be heard in the background. "The funeral is in a couple of day and he would have wanted you there." There was a long silence before the man spoke again. "Are you coming?"
Richard gritted his teeth knowing he couldn't go around those people again. If he did surely some reporter would follow him somehow and find out who he was in his past. "No." He stated flatly and hung up.
He through the phone down on a chair and walked onto his room where the girl hung on the wall still the same as ever. He walked over to her reaching his hand up to touch her cheek. "Looks like it is just you and me now."