Wanting

I blinked in shock and was barely able to utter a nervous, "what?"

"I know you want my betrothed," Thana said again. Her directness and calm manner unnerved me.

Almost stunned into silence it took a second for the pieces of my brain to come together, but my mouth did not fair so well. "I-I-I don't know what you mean," I stuttered. I will not deny that I might be a little infatuated with my rescuer, but to say I want him? Even that is a little too extreme for me.

"I want to live in and serve this pod, Councilwoman," I said sincerely, my head slightly bowed. "That is all I could want right now."

I lifted my eyes to her, but she was fixated on driving. Her lips pursed a little at my response. "That is good to hear, for now," she said cooly. "Geo's and my betrothal is important in maintaining this pod. I will not allow someone to destroy it, especially not some outsider. Understood?" she asked gravely.

"Yes, Councilwoman," I said quietly with a nod. We sat together in silence for several minutes. I looked out my window and didn't dare turn to look at her, but I could feel the tension slowly easing.

"Councilman Albin tells me that Councilwoman Nera has asked to see you again," Thana said casually, as if our previous conversation never happened. "It isn't every day that she allows someone from outside her crew into one of her sporos, much less ask for someone to come twice. What did you do?" she asked.

I turned towards her and saw her looking at me expectantly. "I wouldn't want to speculate. I'm sure Councilwoman Nera can tell you why she wants me back," I said in an attempt to avoid the question. I'm still not familiar with this pod's many power struggles and political games, so it is best to stay quiet.

"Councilman Albin said you did not give him any details either. Why is that?" she asked.

"It is Councilwoman Nera's sporos and research. She should be the one to report the findings," I replied confidently.

"Hm," Thana hummed to herself. "You are loyal which is an honorable trait to have," she said before turning to look at me. "The question is, where does your loyalty lie?" Her eyes held mine for a second, as if she were trying to discern the answer for herself with just a glance, before she turned back to the tunnels. "Remember, I am the head of Arca Pod. If you wish to be loyal to the pod, you will be loyal to me," she said firmly, leaving no room for argument. She pulled her car next to the loading dock but made no move to exit the car. Instead, she turned to me and asked, "so, what did you do that made Councilwoman Nera ask for you back?"

I hesitated for a moment but finally relented. "I brought seeds with me," I admitted. Thana glanced at me to see if I was telling the truth. "I don't know if they are still viable," I quickly added, "but I think we should try. I've heard stories of ancient seeds being discovered in sealed pots that were thousands of years old that still grew. So it seems possible," I said with a hopeful smile.

Thana's expression was calm, but her eyes shimmered with excitement. "Really?" she asked in disbelief, but I could sense her undertone of hope. "You have brought seeds from Earth?"

I nodded. "I couldn't bare to part with them," I said while smiling with embarrassment. I acknowledge it is a little unusual to love your seeds that much, but so far my odd love has served me well.

"Let's not delay then!" Thana said with a genuine smile on her face. With her long fair hair and slender features, she reminded me of an elegant elf.

It wasn't long before we were docked at Sporo, Nera's home station. As soon as I exited the ship I pressed my head to one of the dock's walls and breathed deeply, trying to push the nausea down.

"Are you ok?" Thana asked with concern.

"I just need a minute," I said and swallowed the acid in my mouth.

"Councilwoman Thana! This is a surprise," Nera said happily as she walked towards us. "I had no idea you were coming today."

They nodded to each other in greeting. "Well I had heard that you wanted to see the Ancient again so soon and could not contain my curiosity," Thana said with smile.

Both women looked at me with pity as I tried to stop my mild shaking. After a minute the nausea subsided, and with a deep breath I stood up straight away from the wall.

"I am ready, Councilwomen," I said.

Both looked at me with uncertainty, but at last Nera relented. "Very well, let us go to the nursery," she said. As we began walking I noted how much larger this dock was than the sporo03. Containers filled with produce buzzed every which way as they were loaded onto ships for transport. The dock workers worked diligently on their tasks, but I caught them glancing my way with curiosity as I walked past them.

The large door at the end of the dock opened to the main tunnel which I later learned connected the station from end to end. Nera lead us through the cold, sterile metal tunnel for several minutes until I saw a light up ahead. She turned to me and said, "you will like this, Ancient One."

Curious, I followed her into the light and gasped. The tunnel opened up into a large dome with ceiling lights to imitate a beautiful Earth morning. The circumference the dome consisted of several stories that provided pedestrians vantage points for the main attraction at the dome's center: a large apple tree.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Nera whispered.

"Hmm," Thana hummed in agreement.

Recalling my dream I could not help the shiver that ran down my spine. Was it coincidence or fate? Nera turned to see my reaction, and I gave her a smile. Despite the ominous feeling I got from the tree, it was truly beautiful, especially how it contrasted so much with its sterile metal surroundings.

"We must not waste time," Nera said after giving the tree another look. "This way, please," she said as she ushered Thana and I down a small passageway. We soon made it to a metal door intricately carved with vines and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Two guards stood at the front of the door and bowed their head to Nera. "Councilwoman," they said in unison before resuming their post.

Nera nodded back to them and then looked both ways to make sure the passage way was clear before taking out a keycard from a pocket near her breast. She slid it into a slot next to the door and typed in a code. I could hear the mechanisms inside moving the heavy latch before the door swayed open. Nera opened it just wide enough for us to make it through before quickly locking the door behind us.

I found the behavior curious and was going to ask about it, but I got momentarily distracted. Before me was an entire seed bank along the walls, and just below it I recognized some of the original Ark documents.