image [https://i.postimg.cc/SNHty3LW/mei-in-grove.png]

The next day dawned hot and clear, the sun casting harsh light over the dusty expanse of the base. Inside the infirmary, the mood was cautiously optimistic. Mei and Pom were both recovering steadily, but the atmosphere remained tense as the team wrestled with the implications of the alien world’s biology.

Pom sat in a sealed section of the infirmary normally reserved for surgery, separated from the others by clear, reinforced panels. He wore a simple base jumpsuit, his color returning and his fever coming to an end. ARI's suite of tests had confirmed that Pom’s body was completely free of alien DNA and microbes; the antibiotics had done their job. However, his immune system was compromised, and his human microbiome needed time to regenerate.

"Another day or two of this, huh?" Pom muttered, poking at the contents of his prepackaged ration with his spoon. The sterile food, retrieved from one of the supply drop pods, was functional but tasteless. "I miss real food already."

"You mean the flavorless grub from the food processor?" Sigrid teased as she worked nearby, her voice muffled by her containment mask.

"Hey, I've eaten all kinds of grub on Luna and let me tell you, it's better than this vacuum-sealed stuff," Pom replied, his tone lighter than it had been in days. "At least it feels like food."

Sigrid chuckled but quickly returned to her work, glancing occasionally at Mei, who sat across the room wrapped in a full containment suit. Unlike Pom, Mei wasn't locked in isolation to protect herself, but to protect the rest of the crew. Her alien-altered microbiome and DNA presented a risk they still didn't fully understand.

Mei shifted in her seat, the clear visor of her suit reflecting the overhead lights. "I feel fine," she said, her voice muffled by the suit’s comm system. "I haven't had any nausea since yesterday."

"That's great, but must ensure that you're not spreading anything," Sigrid said. "Not until we know how this thing spreads. We still haven't isolated the original vector."

"It has to be the spores from the Valley of Hope," Mei said, her tone thoughtful as she checked her tablet. "We stayed there for more than a day, breathing in that air and consuming spore-laden water."

"Or something the plants produced over time," Pom added. "Them reacting to us being there. They're clearly adaptive."

"Did anyone clean the rover's air filters since we got to base?", Mei asked thoughtfully. "We might be able to find some of those spores in there..."

Pom frowned. "Not me. But we need to get that thing back first. I'm not sure if you were awake at the time, but we left it out on the sands."

"We'd have to ask Elisa about it," Sigrid said. "Someone ought to go out and fetch it."

ARI's voice chimed in from its research workstation that contained the alien fruit sample. "Observation: current analysis of the fruit has revealed no toxins, harmful microbes, or other compounds that present an immediate threat to human health. Its nutritional composition is exceptional, containing a balance of macronutrients, vitamins, and trace elements suitable for human consumption. And, though I have never tasted any form of Luna's grub, I would say it could be very tasty."

"Yeah, well, it can be the tastiest thing in the galaxy, but there's no way I'm gonna eat THAT," Pom scorned.

While Sigrid and Mei came closer to the workstation to see the test results for themselves. "We should report this to Elisa," Mei said.

===

While the conversation continued in the infirmary, at the refinery, Otto and Elisa were hard at work integrating the retrieved components. The air was thick with the metallic tang of welding equipment and the distant hum of drones ferrying tools and materials.

Otto was in the process of directing ARI's drones to align a replacement conveyor belt. "That’s it. Lower it into place. Nice and easy."

Elisa crouched nearby, a tool in her hand as he secured a series of bolts along the base of the belt. "This should stabilize the feed line," she said, glancing up at Otto.

"Let's hope so," Otto answered. "We have lost a lot of time. If we are unable to return the facility to operational state, we are dead in the water. No raw materials, no fabricator, no equipment..."

"Oh don't worry Otto, I'll make it work," Elisa replied, sounding confident. "We have the parts, and the alignment looks good. Once we find those power regulators, we should be back in business."

She saw Maximilian approaching from the other end of the facility, the footfalls of his heavy boots clanging on the catwalks.

"The distillation column has been patched up. Mei has some important updates. If you're not busy doing hands-on work yourself, you could call for a meeting. I think it is time to decide our priorities," he said, his voice clipped and to the point, making Elisa unsure whether it was outright criticism, or just honest observation.

Elisa nodded, glancing at Otto. "We were just about done here..."

===

By the time they reached the headquarters, ARI had prepared its findings. Everyone but Pom was present. The group gathered around the display as ARI's voice filled the room, calm but charged with purpose.

"Analysis of the alien fruit continues to yield promising results," ARI began. "In addition to its nutritional properties, the fruit contains a wide array of chemical precursors. These compounds can be used to synthesize several drugs critical to the colony’s survival."

A diagram of the fruit appeared on the screen, with chemical compositions highlighted in glowing annotations. "Among these are precursors for antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and growth factors required for cellular regeneration," ARI continued. "The organic plant components we have processed thus far are highly useful as well. It is a much more efficient route for producing compounds necessary for bioprinting synthetic skin, organ grafts, and other medical treatments."

Otto’s eyebrows rose. "That could change everything for the colonists still in cryo. Most of those pods contain people with critical radiation damage and organ failure. If we can produce replacement organs..."

"Indeed," ARI confirmed. "The infirmary's bioprinter can process these compounds into synthetic replacements. However, the bioprinter is limited in scale. At current capacity, we can treat only a handful of colonists at a time."

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"That's still something," Elisa said, her tone hopeful but tempered by practicality. "But we don't have time to treat them all. Some of those pods are at their limit."

"Cryopod energy levels are a significant concern," ARI agreed. "While solar panels and the base's grid can recharge them temporarily, the power demands of the refinery and the additional load of the crypods will soon outpace supply."

Elisa folded her arms, her expression grim. "Then we need a long-term solution. But first, let's stabilize the ones we can."

Mei, seated nearby in her containment suit, leaned forward. "If we can get the plants to produce more fruit, we could scale up treatment. I'm already altered—my DNA, my microbiome. I'm not at risk of further contamination. Let me try to interact with them and see if they respond."

Elisa turned to Mei, studying her closely. "You're sure you're up for that?"

Mei nodded. "If the plants are as adaptive as we think, they might recognize me as part of their system now. I'll take ARI for backup and see what I can do."

"Do it," Elisa said. "But proceed cautiously. We're making progress, and I don't want another incident."

ARI's voice chimed in again. "Additional good news: drones patrolling outside the crater have located two drop pods containing power regulators. These are essential for stabilizing the refinery’s energy consumption."

Elisa’s expression brightened briefly before settling into a frown. "What’s the catch?"

"The pods are to the south, in difficult terrain," ARI replied. "Travel time will be at least a day each way. Retrieval will require navigating steep inclines and rough terrain."

"That's our highest priority, but Pom is still in quarantine," Elisa said firmly. "But if we can't stabilize the power, none of this works—refining, cryo support, bioprinting, any of it. Maximilian, can you handle the retrieval?"

Maximilian nodded. "It’ll take time, but I’ll get it done. I will need to take extra batteries and plan a stop at one of the charging stations."

Sigrid cleared her throat, glancing at Mei. "Before we focus on the pods, Mei and I have another proposal: retrieving the rover we left behind. It's the only light vehicle we have, and with extra batteries, it will be faster and more economical than any of the other vehicles. But, I have to ask to bring it into the base first. I want to check the air filters for spores from the Valley of Hope."

Maximilian’s eyes narrowed. "You want to play around with alien compounds, after everything that's happened?"

"It's not playing around," Sigrid said, her voice steady. "We still don't know how Mei and Pom got infected. If it's airborne spores, we need to confirm that and figure out how to neutralize them."

"That rover is economical enough to make the long trip," Elisa interjected, her tone thoughtful. "And we can't afford to lose it. Retrieving it makes sense."

Maximilian sighed. "Fine. But no detour. I'll need someone to drive me there with the hauler. Bring the drones, gun mount, batteries and a spare filter, and we'll hotswap it in the field. Then the hauler can be tasked to perform another pod run before returning to base with Sigrid's precious alien spores, if any."

"Excellent," Elisa said. "Let's do it this way. Ervin and me on the nearby pod run, you and Otto get the regulators. This time, Mei, Pom and Sigrid will remain at the base. Try to get those plants to grow more fruit first, then gather up more ore from the dig site. After we had to dump the contaminated catchpits, reserves are low and we want to start processing a test batch as soon as the refinery is back online."

As the team dispersed to their tasks, Elisa lingered for a moment, gazing at the diagrams of the fruit on the monitor. The alien plants were a mystery, their intentions unclear, but they offered the colony a potential lifeline. Whether that lifeline would be their salvation or their undoing remained to be seen.

===

As night fell, the hauler rumbled away from base, sending clouds of dust kicking up as it carried Elisa, Maximilian, Ervin and Otto toward the distant location of the rover. Mei watched the vehicle ascend up the earthen ramp and disappear beyond the crater edge, its hum fading into the stillness of the desert. The big expanse of the valley plains stretched before her, and for a moment, she stood alone, enveloped by silence and darkness. The weight of the containment suit was a heavy press upon her as she turned toward the grove, her steps slow, calculating.

So much of the world around her had been unlike her imaginings when she was enrolled for this mission. Life was raw and authenthic here, full of challenges that demanded everything from them. There were moments of desperation, too: like the long days spent sick and wondering if her body would turn against her altogether. And yet, there was something exhilarating about this place, too- the promise of discovery, of a life so alien and intricate it defied everything she had studied back on Proxima.

Her mind turned to the alien DNA that had been spliced into her own. She didn't feel alien. Her body moved the same way, her thoughts were her own, and her memories of her youth on Proxima remained vivid. Yet she knew something fundamental had changed within her. What did it mean to be human now? Could she still claim to be wholly herself? The alien microbes and DNA might have altered her, but they hadn't taken away her will, her agency. That was what mattered.

The air surrounding her was clear and frigid. She looked up and saw the close-by stars of Messier 39 shining bright, while pale-green aurorae danced across the upper atmosphere. Here, even the sky felt more alive. On an impulse, she unsealed her helmet and lifted it off her head. The air filled her lungs, so cool and refreshing, with a hint of earth in the background. Her chest expanded fully, and for the first time since her metamorphosis began, she truly felt alive.

She smiled faintly, carrying the helmet in one hand as she made her way toward the grove. The red hue of the alien plants stood out starkly against the pale sands, their strange mushroom-like forms twisting toward the sky. The grove seemed to pulse with an energy she couldn't explain, waiting and watching.

When she reached the grove, she stopped before the stalk bearing the blue fruit that Sigrid had retrieved earlier. The fruit gleamed faintly, almost as though it were aware of her presence, tempting her. Mei stood still for a moment, staring at it. She felt a pull, an urge to take one of the fruits and taste it, to see for herself what the plants were offering. But she shook her head, suppressing the impulse.

“Not yet,” she murmured to herself. “Things are finally going right. I'm not risking it.”

Instead, she turned to another one of the giant mushrooms nearby. Its white stem was smooth and pale, faintly luminous in the filtered sunlight. She removed her heavy gloves, letting her bare fingers feel the cool, almost waxy surface. She rested her hand there, her breath steady, and closed her eyes.

She tried to think, to reach out in some way to the plant, though she couldn't say exactly what she was doing. She could almost see the intent behind her thoughts: fruit. More fruit, like the blue ones. The colony needed it, and maybe these plants understood enough to help. But despite her efforts, she felt nothing in return- no pull, no connection, no sign that the plants understood her presence at all.

"Come on," she whispered, her voice almost pleading. "Listen to me..."

She moved to another mushroom, her fingers brushing its surface, the soft, cool texture sending shivers through her skin. Again, she attempted to reach out mentally, concentrating on the same thought: fruit. Something, anything. But the plant remained silent, unresponsive, as though she were just another object in its environment.

Her frustration grew, but she didn't give up. She moved between the mushrooms, touching their stems, their caps, their edges, wondering if physical contact alone might be enough to trigger a response. She felt a faint twinge of doubt- what if this was meaningless? What if the plants couldn't be "spoken to" at all?

She sighed, stepping back from one of the larger mushrooms and wiping her brow. The alien air felt cooler against her skin, but her frustration remained. The grove seemed to hum faintly with all the life it harbored, but it told her nothing. Perhaps this would take more time, or perhaps she was going about it all wrong.

"Okay," she said softly, almost to herself. "Let's see if touching enough of you does anything. Maybe you'll get the hint."

She walked slowly, touching each mushroom in turn, her hands skimming over their stems and caps. The grove seemed almost to shift around her, its colors deepening subtly. Mei couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, though she saw no movement, no sign of the beetles or any other creatures.

The deeper she made her way into the grove, the more she turned around to look at the fruit stalk once more. It stood silent as the rest, its bright blue globes still faintly shimmering. All she could do for now was wait and see whether her actions would spark something—anything—in these strange and enigmatic plants.