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After an hour of traveling under the permanent dusk of Glow, Dys breaks the silence between them. “Wouldn’t your time be better spent convincing expeditions to take the readings for you?”
Tang retorts bitterly, “You think I haven’t tried? For the last three years, there have been no signs of hostility from the wildlife, but once the suns position themselves behind that,” Tang gestures to the wormhole looming over their heads, absorbing the light of both suns, “they become too scared to leave the colony walls.” Tang stops to shoot an resentful look behind her where the lights of the colony is barely visible between the trees.
“Now you know what I have to deal with,” Dys groans, stopping after his sister.
Tang’s stern expression shifts to one of fear and her posture tenses. She rarely leaves the colony walls, and can’t remember the last time she’s been out this far. “We are safe, right?”
“There’s no telling. We’re close enough to the colony that we shouldn’t be bothered by anything threatening, but there’s always a risk of danger out here. That’s why you need a guide. Someone to protect you from Vertumna, but also to protect Vertumna from you .”
Tang relaxes somewhat at his logic. “That’s not funny, Dys.”
“Come on, now. Not much further, now.”
The siblings walk the rest of the way in silence again, listening to the songs of chirping insects and watching in awe at the various life glowing fluorescent under the wormhole’s blacklight. Dys wordlessly stops in front of a tree, a bed of bright blue and orange flowers shining all around it. Tang stands beside him and looks up at the wormhole, enormous in the sky– lights flowing around its pure black center in a breathtaking display of countless spectrums. Dys looks at her quizzically.
“There is a whole world of new possibilities out here,” Tang glows. “There is no telling what Vertumna hides during Glow.” Something suddenly occurs to her and she looks over at Dys, “This Gardener, why couldn’t she meet us at the colony?”
Dys gestures toward the tree beside them, “This is Variegation. She will be your guide.”
Tang looks the tree up and down. She throws him a stern look, “Dys, that’s a tree.”
Dys shrugs, “It’s how she likes to spend her free time.”
“How is a tree supposed to be my guide?”
“She has some unfinished business in this body. She told the others she’d be ending her cycle sometime in the next few days. She’ll join you then.”
A bright pink squid-spider known as a Vriki falls from one of Variegation’s branches and scurries into the woods.
Tang pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes. “Fine,” she sighs. “Let’s go home now please.”
-
By late afternoon, the siblings are back at the colony. Tangent, still bitter at having her time wasted, returns to Engineering to fulfill her duties as Chief Engineer. Night comes, and she retires to her quarters not tired but impatient to get to the next day. After a few hours of lying sleepless with her thoughts, she finally drifts to sleep.
Tangent is roused not long after by a rustling outside her open window. Unbothered, she rolls onto her back to fall back to sleep. Then a sudden, overwhelming anxiety overtakes her. Something's watching her. Did it follow them from the forest? There would have been an alert if the colony was under attack. Is she going to die, here, now? She has to act now!
She musters all her courage just to open her eyes. She sees two orbs, shining green, looming above her, watching. She screams, thrashing, falling off her bed– she fell into something. A body- a monster! It has her now. Kicking and punching, she won’t die here, not like this. There’s still so much work she needs to get done. She just needs to disorient the monster, then she’ll run out the door, find the soldiers. She’s going to be fine. She doesn’t realize as her screams slowly start turning into soft hums. She feels warm. Her thrashing slows until she’s lying still on top of this creature who hasn’t made any movement at all. In the dark the only shining still are the green eyes watching Tang from above, like two constellations.
“Are you done?” The voice comes from the green eyes. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I was under the impression that we had a responsibility to fulfill.”
Tangent claps the lights on and looks up at the shape she assaulted. A woman– 7 feet tall; dark mauve skin; long, silky black hair; brilliant green-spattered eyes, one bruised– is sitting on the ground, holding Tang on her lap, her strong arms wrapped gently around her thin frame. Tang’s nose turns pink.
“We do–” Tang begins, before collecting herself. She pushes herself onto her feet off of the Gardener. “Wait, who are you? What did you do to me? I’ve never felt like that before.” She stares down at the Gardener, her panic returning.
The Gardener gives her a brazen smile.”I’m Variegation! You can call me Ria. I helped induce a calm for you- it has no lasting effects. Are you ready to go?”
Tangent forgets again to be scared. Instead, a look of annoyance shows. “Variegation, of course.” She walks over to a counter to pour some cold, leftover coffee into a cup. “I didn’t expect you so soon. I assume you’re done with your business,” Tang asks with clear disdain.
Unfazed by Tang’s flippant attitude, Ria responds with her same brazen smile, “I did! The last of my Vriki brood was weaned tonight. I came as soon as I could.”
“Great,” Tang replies dryly. She downs the coffee and grabs her bag of field equipment. “Let’s begin, then.” She walks out the door, not checking to see if Ria is following.
A soldier runs up to Tang. “Everything okay? I heard screaming.”
Tang waves her away, “We’re fine. Night terrors again.”
-
Outside the colony walls, Tang starts adding to her notes hoping for a quiet night of scientific observations.
“Night terrors?” Ria breaks the silence.
“Guilt, manifested as visions as I sleep. That's all you need to know.” Tang replies coldly, clearly a touchy subject.
“I would like to know more.” Ria replies, oblivious and friendly.
Tang grimaces, lowering her arms. She looks at Ria, apologetically. “Please... don’t.”
For the rest of the dark night through the dark morning, Tangent works quietly. Ria speaks up with small talk occasionally, probing Tang, wanting to know her better. Tangent responds curtly in turn.
-
“Don’t step there,” Ria warns.
“Where, why?” Tangent steps out of the way. Trying to step again, she struggles to move her feet.
“There. Blobgrass,” Ria says sheepishly. “Sorry. Are you feeling okay? Your reflexes and thinking seem to be slowed.”
She cuts the transparent, sticky grass clinging to her boots. “I just need something to eat.” She rummages through her bag looking for a soybar. She doesn’t find one. “It seems I have run out of food. How far is the colony?”
Ria points toward the colony, “One hour.”
Tangent starts walking that way, cautious of the blobgrass.
“I can help, you know.”
“I apologize, but what do you know about anything?” Tang snaps.
Ria laughs thunderously. “Everything! Try me.” Something scuttles away from them, startled by the Gardener's volume.
Tang jumps slightly at the outburst, and looks at Ria sceptically. She picks a blue-green fluorescent mushroom, and holds it up to Ria. “Tell me the properties of this mushroom.”
Tang feels a prick on one of her fingers and drops it quickly.
“For starters, it’s venomous. And before I tell you more, it’s probably best we get back to your colony quickly.”
If there was a fungus like that out here, Tangent would have known about it. It must be a property it exhibits only during Glow, how careless. The world around her starts spinning, and she falls backward. The wormhole shouldn’t look like that. Falling to the ground, time slows as her thoughts edge toward oblivion. Ria catches her, and lifts her over her shoulder. Breaking into a sprint, carrying Tangent carefully. Tangent's consciousness fades.
-
The lights dim in the medbay, Tang blinks her eyes open to see those two shining green orbs looming over her again.
A nurse addresses Tangent, “We were able to cultivate and administer an antivenom before any serious injury developed. Variegation here brought us a sample of the venom that stung you. She never left your side.”
Tangent sits up slowly, her head throbbing. She looks at Ria groggily, then to the nurse. “Food?”
The dim lights in the medbay signifying that it is night. That means Tangent's been nearly a whole day without eating, which with her genetically enhanced metabolism is unbearable.
“Right, yes. Give me a minute.” He leaves.
Alone with Ria, Tangent leans forward and holds her head in both hands. “Thank you.”
“If we’re going to function together, I am going to need you to trust me, Tangent.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
The nurse returns back with a tray. On it sits a bowl of hearty blue-ish soup, a cup of water and a cup of blep tea. A note sits on the tray: “Feel better soon. - Sol, Tammy”
“You're free to go whenever. Enjoy.” The nurse leaves them.
Tangent looks down at the tray for a couple minutes unmoving, before she lets out a sob.
Variegation grabs her hand. “Eat, please. You need your strength.”
Tangent gives her a teary smile, and shakily starts lifting the spoon to her mouth. Spoonful after spoonful, she regains her composure and starts scarfing down the soup. After clearing the tray, Tang’s headache passes and she finds her energy again.
“Much better,” she states confidently, as if she had not just been weeping five minutes ago. “I feel much less human.”
Ria gives her a reassuring smile, “I’m glad. Would you like to return to fulfilling our responsibility now, or do you need rest?”
“I don’t need rest,” Tang says flatly. “Let’s leave.” She pauses, remembering. “With food this time, though.” She heads toward the cafeteria.
-
“Thank you, again. For saving me.” Tangent says abruptly while carefully analyzing a yellow flower.
“It was my responsibility as your guardian, it was no trouble.”
Tangent smirks and looks back at Ria, “My guardian?”
“Yes,” Ria states matter-of-factly.
Tang smiles to herself and returns her attention to the flower. “Well, thank you anyway.” The flashlight on Tang’s holoeye goes out. “Newton’s bloody apple, not again!” She swears, and tries hitting the side of her head to get it work again. She swears again, several times. She looks around frantically for Ria.
“I’m right here, don’t worry.” Ria holds her around the waist.
Tang’s nose turns pink in the dark. “This old Earth tech, we can’t keep it maintained much longer. I need to install a better functioning one, but we don’t have many left. We really need to focus on developing the tech to manufacture new ones.” Tangent rambles, flustered.
Ria starts glowing, dimly.
“Are you...” Tangent stares in awe, “... glowing?”
More brightly now, like a humanoid lantern. Not so bright that she would hurt to look at, but bright enough to light the area around her. “This should be fine, correct?” Ria looks down at Tangent, still holding her close. “Can you work in these conditions?”
Flustered, Tangent tries to respond. “Fine, y-yes. Yes. Thank you.” Frozen in embarrassment, she pauses before murmuring, “I need you to stay close.”
“Of course!” Ria laughs and teasingly pulls Tang closer.
“N-not that close.”
Tang pushes away and Ria lets her go. She starts to walk back to the flower she was studying, before turning and grabbing Ria’s hand to lead her. Ria follows her lead with a gentle laugh.
Ria has something to remark about every plant they study, like a walking, glowing encyclopedia. Tang listens patiently, noting all the useful information, and listening intently to the stories she has about each and every species. Sometimes it seems Tangent is glowing as bright as Ria while she silently admires her wealth of secrets and knowledge about the planet and its life.
-
A whole day passes like this before Tangent starts yawning.
“Why are you doing that?” Ria asks.
“I’m tired.”
“Do you need to go back to your colony?”
Tangent considers her options silently. She feels safe, warm and comfortable at Ria’s side. Realistically, that’s the same function her bed serves, so there is no real reason for her to return to her quarters. She looks up at Ria, and squeezes her hand. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“You don’t have to go back right now if you don’t want to.”
“I want to stay here… with you.” She looks up at her, expectantly.
Ria looks into her eyes, she starts glowing more dimly. Her gaze falls down. Tang licks her lips. Ria starts to lean down for a kiss, and Tangent leaps up at her. Ria, shocked, catches her in both arms, Tang straddling her. Ria falls back, leaning now against a tree. Tang runs a hand through Ria’s impossibly smooth hair and kisses her passionately.
They spend the night together under the stars.
-
After sleeping in for six consecutive hours, Tang stirs. The wormhole high in the sky, her nude body entangled with Ria’s, she looks up to the sky with a soft smile. “No nightmares.”
“I’m glad.”
They stay together unmoving, enjoying each other's company. Tangent moves to face Variegation. “I’m sorry for being brusque with you when we first met. If it's okay with you, I would like to tell you about my night terrors.”
Ria nods.
“When I was younger, our governor at the time tried to use my research for...” She winces. “No, I thought that was the best course of action... to win the war...”
“I already know.”
“You don’t understand! I attempted a genocide. All the xenofauna, the entire ecosystem, everything you worked on for tens of thousands of years. I was going to kill it all. I was going to kill you...” Tangent clenches her fists as tears stream down her face.
“I know.”
“Why!” Tang screams, hitting Ria. “Why are you so kind to me! You should hate me! Why don’t you hate me!”
“I’m still alive, Tangent," Ria purrs tenderly. "Look around you. Everything is still here. We’re together, here, now.”
Tangent sobs, holding her lover tight- snot, tears and cries streaming out from her face. Ria, having lied here with her this long, obliges herself as a comfort pillow.