I spent the next few weeks learning how to identify and focus on the energy that everything passively emits. I began calling these bits of energy "kernels" because visually, it resembled small bits of yellow and blue light that just sort of gently rose up from things like reverse snow. My initial observations told me that animals emitted more of these kernels than plants, given that the many corn stalks around me discharged them at a lesser rate than the occasional bug that would fly by. That's another thing, I learned how to scan nearby creatures as well. Most of them were insects, where I was able to quickly get an image of the passing gnat or mosquito in my mind for a moment by focusing on their kernels.

Once I had gotten adequate control of being able to scan things around me, giving me a much needed way to "see", I attempted to focus more on the kernels themselves. Could they be manipulated? Did they have some kind of function? I pondered on this for a while, trying hard to "grasp" at the gently rising energy using my mind. I eventually found my way into a deep meditative state, before being shaken back to my senses by a hint of warmth. Something was going into me, and returning to that hyper-focused state, concentrating deeply first on the stalwart, yet fragile corn stalks around me. I sensed their energy even closer now, but it soon became clear that it wasn't the plants that were getting closer to me, but their kernels. Literally and figuratively in this case.

I was absorbing their energy! And boy did it feel good. It was like starving for so long and then eating for the first time, an overwhelmingly satiating feeling. Retaining a deep state of focus, I was able to draw the kernels of nearby corn plants into myself, the stream of glowing energy becoming part of me as it melded into my form, which I still assumed was that single ear of corn. It was a fantastical feeling, and the more kernels I absorbed, the more I wanted.

After days of taking in energy from the field around me, I felt incredible. Despite being immobile and lacking all senses, I felt more powerful, and with that came a sense of confidence. With this connection to the kernels of nearby living things, I felt as though I was able to reach out and grab things—and in a way, that is exactly what I did. A summer mosquito landed on a nearby cornstalk, likely looking for its next meal. I decided to "reach" for it, and sucking in the kernels emitting from the insect, I was shocked at what happened next.

I was treated to an image of the world from the mosquito's view, channeled into my mind like a livestreamed video. The compound eyes of the flighty bug left the picture rather distorted, but having been trapped in a motionless corncob for so long, I was easily able to make sense of things. As the mosquito took off and flew up just over the tips of the tallest cornstalks, I was finally able to get a better idea of where I was. Albeit very blurry, I could see the field stretch on for a ways, bordered by a thin row of trees on three sides and a dirt road on the fourth. The mosquito banked clumsily, giving me a look at what was down the road, where I could make out several distant buildings.

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I wished that I was able control the bug myself so that I could get a proper view of things, but that made me wonder. Could I? Focusing harder, I willed the flying insect to change directions, and to my shock, found that the mosquito responded as I commanded it to turn back towards the cornfield. It worked! Via the kernels that I was absorbing from the winged bug, I was able to hook my now-powerful consciousness up to the simple creature and control it. Having prior been a human capable of movement, being in charge of the mosquito's motor functions came almost second nature to me, with the added dimension of flight.

Grazing the tips of the cornstalks in the field below, I searched for "myself". I figured that from the view of another creature, I would finally be able to find my exact location. With tens of thousands of ears of corn present in that field, each emitting tiny bits of kernels, I wondered If I'd ever be able to find the particular ear that I'd see when I "scanned" myself. I immediately got the answer upon spotting a particular plant that seemed to be radiating a brilliant amber glow. Flying closer, it was obvious that the glow was emitting from a single ear of corn that was growing part way up its stalk. Unlike its fellow corncobs, which trickled out only trace amounts of energy, this one almost seemed aflame with a dark red glow.

"There I am," I thought to myself, almost wanting to cry.

I finally had confirmation that I was indeed reincarnated as the fruit of a corn plant. I'd seen that same ear of corn countless times when scanning myself, there was no doubt. I then wondered why I wasn't able to see my own brilliant energy whenever I did a scan, but figured that perhaps an individual cannot see their own kernel levels. I also deduced that the reason why the energy that my new body was emitting looked so different than that of everything else was because I had recently learned to absorb the kernels of other living things, presumably bolstering mine greatly since it had been weeks since I'd started.

"So if I cultivate kernels, then I'll get stronger," I stated to myself, piloting the mosquito higher over the field and directing it towards some of the distant buildings. "Who knows what I can do with this power! This is so cool, maybe being stuck as a chunk of corn won't be so bad after all."

With that, I pushed my new insect host forward, ready to explore remotely from the safety of my vegetable body.