Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 15:23:14 +1100 From: Sakura Kangen Subject: Seedlings Chapter Zero (Preview) (gay/sf-fantasy) IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS FIRST Hi everyone! This is sort of a chapter zero of a potential story I'm thinking of continuing! It's the story of a society of people living in a Dyson tree, and of a grand conspiracy and a huge twist at the end, uncovered by our protagonist, Kom, and he falls in love with a guy that you won't see in this chapter. If, after reading this chapter, you think this story is something you would enjoy reading, write to me at this address: sakurakangen@gmail.com And I will continue it! The Tree Endures! -------------------------------------------- SEEDLINGS: CHAPTER ZERO PREVIEW - Deadmatter -------------------------------------------- Kom brushed aside the foilage that had found its way onto his hammock. There was alot of deadmatter falling recently. Some of his tuftmates liked a lining of soft foilage on their hammock, but Kom hated it - besides, spit spiders often found their home in such convenient clumps of foilage. Kom shuddered at the thought. When he was young, a spit spider had poisoned him, and he nearly died. He smiled then - remembering the old Philosopher who had miraculously cured him. "Oie! Kom, go to sleep already! Don't just stare at the wall like you've had too much sapwine." He turned and saw an unfamiliar man lying in the other hammock, rather pudgy, with a heavy set brow and small, dark eyes. Despite his somewhat aggressive appearance, he looked quite cheerful. Kom looked at him for a moment. "You are?" The large man stood up and bowed. "I am Par. We meet on good terms. You are?" Kom returned the bow, "I am Kom. We meet on good terms." Kom sat on his old wicker chair and said nothing more for several moments. Eventually Par spoke up again, "I am your new tuftmate. The Council assigned me to you after the.. shall we say.. disagreement you had with your last mate." The smaller man raised a single eyebrow on his otherwise emotionless face. "Disagreement?" Par seemed to be struggling, "Well, perhaps 'disagreement' wasn't a good word.. Well, hmm," he shifted into his hammock, "the Council somehow caught word that you were, hmm, not fulfilling your duties?" Kom looked at him with a deadpan expression, "You mean sex." The man cringed at his directness, "Well, y..yes I suppose that's it. So, anyway, so, anyway, the Council thought that perhaps the problems you have been having with all your tuftmates is that you prefer, shall we say, the, hmm, more masculine?" "That's not it at all." Kom shook his head, "I'm not going to have sex with you or with Shie." Par looked at Kom like he was insane. "Well, why the hell not?" "Philosophers don't concern themselves with such things." Par looked even more bewildered, "Since when was a twig like you a Philosopher?" Kom's gaze became steely, as he got off his hammock again to brush off some of the foliage he missed. "I will be a Philosopher." He said after a few moments. Par laughed. "No, you'll be a tuft farmer. How could you possibly even consider this idea? The Philosophers don't just adopt anyone, you know, and you'd have to get it past the Council first - I don't think anyone has ever actually tried to become a Philosopher.." Kom's shoulder's slumped, and he looked towards the entranceway, away from Par. "You may go to the Council and tell them that I will take Shie back. She didn't laugh at my dreams." Par laughed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I'll hear you out from now on, dai?" Kom continued to look at the entrance, and Par realized he was serious. "Well, okay, I'll be going.. but you should learn to look on the green side of the leaf once in a while." Par walked out of the room, and Kom said nothing. As Par went through the entranceway, however, a fracture appeared in the tree wall. "What did I do?" Par asked, hearing the loud cracking sound. "Nothing." Kom walked over to the wall, stroking it with his hand, feeling the thin crack that had appeared in the wall to his room. before looking up at Par with genuine worry on his face. "The tree is dying." -- And that's all for my preview Chapter Zero. Let me know if you want me to continue this story by writing to me at: sakurakangen@gmail.com -SK