The transport had dropped them off a kilometer or so uphill from the camp.
It shot off towards the colony, quickly disappearing from sight, leaving
them looking down onto the camp.

The camp was located in a large basin surrounded on three sides by mountains.
It was made up of a cluster of large tents beyond which was a path leading up
to a cave. From where he stood, Lennier could make out a stream of people
moving between the cave and the camp and he assumed that this was where the
actual dig was.

All around the camp and where they stood, were more of the strange plants he'd
seen on the way. He looked at them closely. They looked as though they were
young trees with huge leaves and vines. They were also a strange reddish-yellow
color and were covered with strange gray berries. The vines spread out in every
direction, becoming tangled with each other, so it was impossible to tell what
vine came from what plant.

Lennier was so engrossed with them, that he did not notice Dr. Carter come up
behind him. She positioned herself at his shoulder and said, "Never seen one of
these, huh?"

He jumped slightly, but quickly composed himself, "No," he said, staring at the
fascinating plant, "what are they?"

"Edenberries," she said pulling off some of the fruit. She handed a couple to
Lennier and began munching on hers. He looked at them nervously for a few seconds
before eating them. They were at once sweet and very refreshing, and he found he
liked them instantly. Still, they seemed so out of place somehow.

He looked at Carter, "Excuse me, but I was under the impression that there was no
natural plant life on this planet."

"There isn't," she said, popping another berry in her mouth, "these are genetically
engineered to survive under any condition. They were brought here to be the main food
supply for the colonists."

"Are they supposed to be growing out of control like this?"

"No, they were supposed to be grown in a green house under strict control, but
someone dropped the case or something and they got out. After about a year the plants
started appearing in and around the colony. Every year there's more and more of them
because they spread so easily."

As if to emphasize her words, a strong wind passed through causing thousands of seeds
to blow away. A flash of light and a clap of thunder above heralded the coming of a storm.
Carter sighed irritably and said, "Between these monstrosities and those damn processors
creating all this humidity, this place is going to go from desert to jungle in a decade."

She hoisted up her bag and beckoned to him, "C'mon, let's get inside before the storm hits."
She started down the hill, and he reluctantly pulled himself away from the intriguing plant
and followed her down.

For a few minutes she didn't speak, but walked down in contemplative silence. Finally she
said, "You didn't say much on the way up here, and what you did say was very vague."

He didn't answer. She was, of course, right. All he'd said about himself was that he'd
been attache to an important official from Minbar and that they'd had a falling out. He
didn't go into any specifics, but he didn't exactly lie either. Minbari never lie, he
remembered, but they do not always tell the whole truth.

That wasn't true either, because Minbari did lie, he had done so himself on a few occasions.
An odd bitterness arose in his throat as he thought about it. Was nothing he once held sacred
more than a lie?

"Lennier?" she was standing in front of him looking concerned. He realized that, in his
musings, he'd stopped completely. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Sorry," he said, "it was rude of me. What were you saying?"

She smiled, "You do that a lot, must be tired or something." She started down again,
"I was saying that you seem to be very secretive about your past, which is ok." She
laughed, "I am absolutely the last person for openness. There are many things I don't want
to share with others, particularly with anyone official."

Carter stopped laughing and then looked at him with a little more seriousness. "Anyways,
I haven't known too many Minbari, let alone any from the temples, and I've always been
rather curious about it. So I was wondering if you tell me maybe a little more about your
planet and the temples." She looked at him hopefully, "I mean, without revealing any deep,
dark past demons."

He smiled and said, "I will be glad to share with you, and help you better understand us."

She grinned, "Excellent! Maybe afterwards I'll tell you about prison."

Lennier stopped completely and gaped at her. She went down a few more feet, then stopped,
turned, and grinned at him wickedly. "Lennier," she said, "joking, come on."

He laughed nervously, not entirely sure that she really joking, and followed her down as
he began to recount his early days as an acolyte.

Behind them, on the path, a small rodent crept out checking that the coast was clear. It
was what was commonly known as space vermin, which could serve to describe about twenty
species. This particular breed of vermin had come here in a supply box and had escaped
after landing. Now it was in vermin heaven, surrounded by a seemingly limitless supply of
food. It began feasting on some fallen berries.

A sudden rustle of leaves made it raise it's head in alarm. It stood perfectly still,
listening and watching for any movement.

Nothing.

The rodent relaxed and continued its meal.

In a flash, it was over. There was sudden snap and the rodent found itself wrapped in a
crushing coil. It struggled briefly but in vain, it squeaked pathetically and died.

The vine loosened slightly and pulled the dead rodent towards its plant, disappearing
into the foliage and the other vines.