The Astralaceaes

Chapter 35: To Cage a Wolf

Mek-Tek's coughs echoed within the alcove as he touched his chest.

"We—" Mek-Tek spoke before grunting and coughing again. "Big one...eh'em—"

"You...need a drink?" Haledon asked.

"I have one around." He squeaked between another cough. Pointing across the room, he asked. "Is that my water?"

Haledon followed the direction of Mek-Tek's hand and spotted a miniature seat with an almond-sized cup resting on top of it.

"I'm going to say yes," Haledon chuckled to himself and reached out with a quick hand motion. A vine extended from around his wrist to the distant drink, ensnaring it. "Here you go."

The vine carefully pulled the almond to Haledon's hand, where, with a gentle grip, he extended it out to Mek-Tek. The Druid eagerly grabbed and gulped down the drink.

"Thanks," Mek-Tek said as he released a relieved exhale.

Reaching into the nearby wall, Mek-Tek carefully withdrew a vine. Gingerly holding onto one of the leaves, he muttered in Druidic and adjusted his almond below the leaf's tip. Haledon watched as water droplets began to form along the midrib and slowly dripped down into the cup. The Druid didn't hesitate and quickly drank from the cup before refilling it. Adding the final drops to his drink, he released the vine into the wall and returned to Haledon.

"Mmm," Mek-Tek said happily. "Water. Delicious water."

"Good?" Haledon laughed, amused by the ordeal.

"Astra water tastes different. Something about the filtration...a little bit sweet."

"It's a supplement," Birchbark announced, her body emerging from the central tree. "You lack trace nutrients, and I have been supplementing them for you."

"So the water isn't sweeter?"

"It is when I need my Druids more attracted to the nutrient mixture."

"Fascinating, you can lead the horse to water and make it drink. How do you—"

"Umm, Mek-Tek," Haledon interrupted. "The Mechanite, what's your idea."

"Right—I think I might be able to block the Mecharrion's signal."

"What does that mean?"

"You know how I said the Mecharrion sensed me and killed the Mechanite? Well, it was more that it cut off communication and sent it into shutdown—or death? I guess it's not dead, just forced into a permanent dormancy."

Haledon looked at the insect uncomfortably. He found a strange beauty in the plants growing from the metal carapace.

"How does it work?"

"Well, I can't speculate yet because I haven't designed it," Mek-Tek responded and began to pace, speaking to himself. "But I do have an idea, and the Astra will require a bit of genetic modification to do it."

"I can help," Birchbark replied with a nod. "What do you need?"

"Can you help both Mek-Tek and Gazeas simultaneously?" Haledon asked.

"Yes, I can. But I will not have to as Gazeas has left." Birchbark turned to face Haledon. "I was coming to tell you."

"I thought she was going to look for the Mecharrion?"

"She said there were more important things to be done in the biodegradation pod."

Haledon's mind began to race with thoughts. "The composter? Was it—did the Mecharrion kill someone?"