The sun was slipping below the horizon, the peaks of the Andes reaching up and shattering the light into vast shards that spread over the tropical canopy. While the sky took on a purple and orange haze, the wind abruptly stopped. The clouds above held fast in the sky, except for one. It slowly descended gliding across the still sky seemingly ignorant to the lack of breeze. As the shadow of the Andes spread over the forest, the only light remaining was the almost magenta reflection off the clouds, and gradually even that faded. Except on the stray meandering cloud. As it came down to rest over a tree it continued to glow, the only source of light in the sky now, a gently glowing purple on a black sky filling with stars. A clear beam of orange light shot down through the soft wisps of water vapor, cutting through it like a knife. The cloud dissipated revealing the stark metallic shape it had masked. A disk, thicker in the middle with a pronounced dome on the top and a circular opening on the bottom from which the orange beam emerged. It was huge, like a floating city in scale. The surface was dotted with a pattern of lights oscillating through different hues of color.
The sharp orange beam scanned the tree tops until it finally came to rest, locking in place. The orange turned to red abruptly and gravity seemed to fold back on itself within the confines of the crimson light. Branches that were drooping heavily began to raise towards the sky, then with a low rumble, the trunk of the tree began to raise as well. Birds scattered from the tree, disoriented by the nullified gravity, but able enough to escape the beam. The howling of monkeys put the entire forest on alert as one immense Kapok tree, over two hundred feet in height, began to lift from the ground. The wide buttressed base of the tree was wide enough to drive a car through, and the roots held fast dragging up an immense clump of soil as it ascended into the sky. Anything that could fled the tree, escaping to the rest of the forest in a frenzy of self preservation but the tree had no such alternative. It was pulled into the sky in that red beam and pulled inside of the slowly rotating saucer. Swallowed up, the bottom of the ship closed, the red light vanished, and the forest was left quiet once more. The bird calls subsided, the howler monkeys found new perches, and the glimmering disk vanished back into the sky from whence it came.
Inside the ship the massive tree was hooked up meticulously to some sort of device as it hung suspended in the air. As the device connected itself to the roots, to the branches, and pierced into the trunk of the tree it began to translate thoughts.
*Greetings, we have identified you as the dominant species on this planet* the thought rang clear inside of the tree’s own awareness. *We regret the way in which we have made contact, however it was necessary to establish communication.* The simple statement took weeks of time to transmit in a form and speed the tree could understand.
The Kapuk thought… in the slow and deliberate way that trees do. *Understood. Please understand I am hesitant, you resemble in many ways one of the greatest scourges of our world. Metal beasts controlled by virulent mammals.* The tree was moving, but slowly. The leaves curled inward slightly, imperceptible to anyone too impatient to watch.
*Your world suffers? There is an ecological disaster ongoing?* The device that connected to the roots and branches of the tree supplied it with clean water, and a stream of energy that made photosynthesis redundant.
*There is, they have enslaved many of us, using us for display. They slaughter us with immense devices that slice into us and bring us to the ground before our time. Entire communities taken down in the flash of a day.* The tree explained.
The sharp orange beam scanned the tree tops until it finally came to rest, locking in place. The orange turned to red abruptly and gravity seemed to fold back on itself within the confines of the crimson light. Branches that were drooping heavily began to raise towards the sky, then with a low rumble, the trunk of the tree began to raise as well. Birds scattered from the tree, disoriented by the nullified gravity, but able enough to escape the beam. The howling of monkeys put the entire forest on alert as one immense Kapok tree, over two hundred feet in height, began to lift from the ground. The wide buttressed base of the tree was wide enough to drive a car through, and the roots held fast dragging up an immense clump of soil as it ascended into the sky. Anything that could fled the tree, escaping to the rest of the forest in a frenzy of self preservation but the tree had no such alternative. It was pulled into the sky in that red beam and pulled inside of the slowly rotating saucer. Swallowed up, the bottom of the ship closed, the red light vanished, and the forest was left quiet once more. The bird calls subsided, the howler monkeys found new perches, and the glimmering disk vanished back into the sky from whence it came.
Inside the ship the massive tree was hooked up meticulously to some sort of device as it hung suspended in the air. As the device connected itself to the roots, to the branches, and pierced into the trunk of the tree it began to translate thoughts.
*Greetings, we have identified you as the dominant species on this planet* the thought rang clear inside of the tree’s own awareness. *We regret the way in which we have made contact, however it was necessary to establish communication.* The simple statement took weeks of time to transmit in a form and speed the tree could understand.
The Kapuk thought… in the slow and deliberate way that trees do. *Understood. Please understand I am hesitant, you resemble in many ways one of the greatest scourges of our world. Metal beasts controlled by virulent mammals.* The tree was moving, but slowly. The leaves curled inward slightly, imperceptible to anyone too impatient to watch.
*Your world suffers? There is an ecological disaster ongoing?* The device that connected to the roots and branches of the tree supplied it with clean water, and a stream of energy that made photosynthesis redundant.
*There is, they have enslaved many of us, using us for display. They slaughter us with immense devices that slice into us and bring us to the ground before our time. Entire communities taken down in the flash of a day.* The tree explained.
*What measures have you taken?* The alien intelligence seemed to show genuine care.
*At first, we didn’t. Many of us thought it did not affect us, only others, and ignored it. Assuming wrongly that they would tire and change to work in concert with us as many other species once deadly had learned to. Instead they only grew more efficient and virulent. Evil triumphs when good trees do nothing. Now we finally have begun to curtail the oxygen we produce.* The tree seems to hesitate, notes of regret flow through its thoughts. *It puts many beings at risk, but many of those beings are at risk from the scourge already. It might be the only way to stop them.*
The soft lights in the cavernous chamber inside of the saucer slowly pulse. The alien intelligence seems to be considering. Finally it responds *If you teach us what you know about this mammalian virus, perhaps we can help. We have wiped out infections on planets before and would be pleased to aid you in preserving your culture and world.*
The conversation had taken more than a year at the rate the Kapok Tree could communicate, they seemed to reach an accord. It would only be a few more years and a small fleet of saucers would arrive ready to exterminate all the humans and welcome the delegation of Trees from Earth into their galactic society.
*At first, we didn’t. Many of us thought it did not affect us, only others, and ignored it. Assuming wrongly that they would tire and change to work in concert with us as many other species once deadly had learned to. Instead they only grew more efficient and virulent. Evil triumphs when good trees do nothing. Now we finally have begun to curtail the oxygen we produce.* The tree seems to hesitate, notes of regret flow through its thoughts. *It puts many beings at risk, but many of those beings are at risk from the scourge already. It might be the only way to stop them.*
The soft lights in the cavernous chamber inside of the saucer slowly pulse. The alien intelligence seems to be considering. Finally it responds *If you teach us what you know about this mammalian virus, perhaps we can help. We have wiped out infections on planets before and would be pleased to aid you in preserving your culture and world.*
The conversation had taken more than a year at the rate the Kapok Tree could communicate, they seemed to reach an accord. It would only be a few more years and a small fleet of saucers would arrive ready to exterminate all the humans and welcome the delegation of Trees from Earth into their galactic society.
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