The Key

Rui's attention shifted to the alien flora specimen. 

He hadn't thought much about it, but he had to admit that coming face to face with an alien was still a surreal experience.

Not just life like alien microbes, but a sophisticated and complex life form that resembled a sapling.

He knew based on the Divine Doctor's previous discoveries that this life form was based on an entirely different model of life than the Gaian Tree of Life or even the Earthen Tree of Life. It was jarring for him to stare at a living being that wasn't part of the Gain Tree of Life because he couldn't see the antithetical environment to it subconsciously by virtue of the Tree of Life model.

And yet, it was as fascinating to him as it had been the first day he had seen it.