Edit to chapter 48:

[0000]

He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought that had something to do with Gertie's fungal infection. This is different...I think."

ET touched a drooping plant and closed his eyes, attempting to revive it like he'd done with Gertie's geranium back on earth.

For a moment, it became restored to full bloom, but then, when he brought his hand away, the plant turned black and died.

ET clenched his fists and scowled. "There is something wrong with the ground. We need to find a Gomovo."

[0000]

The creature let out a loud moo.

Roy shined his flashlight in the monster's face. A pair of huge eyes dilated.

We found...a familiar beak pointing back at us, framed with feathers.

"Vadful?"

The massive bird licked him in the face. He dropped the flashlight.

Picking up the light, he gave her a shove. "Shoo! Move your big butt out of here!"

Vadful gave a bewildered squawk, but understood the crowd enough to comply.

He backed out further, and we emerged in...the ruins of a flower garden.

I imagined that, in its greatness, you wouldn't be able to see the concrete and glass domes of the school through the foliage. Unfortunately now, with the flowers drooping, several plants sucked dry of color, the leaves of trees gray and falling off, it seemed like gazing through a smile when teeth are missing.

Charlie, having had enough of the scary tunnel, zoomed out of the stairwell, taking off through the dying trees.

Yizewo strolled through the garden, frowning at the dead plants. Olxebak muttered that she had to use the bathroom, and left for the building.

Roy rubbed his forehead. "Norenio is going to kill me. If I knew where I was, and didn't have to babysit, I'd try to find the communicator."

"Vemorik?" Spike asked.

"Yes. Do you know where it is?"

"I'll get it for you."

"You, uh...sure you don't want to stay here and counsel, nennop?"

Spike looked at me, looked at Jamie. "They seem to be very pleased with each other presently. I won't be gone that long."

"Hey, get us a heater and some blankets and towels while you're at it."

"I'm pleased to add harmony to your relationships." He waddled off.

Yizewo said he'd go locate the heater.

Now properly outside in the warm air, we all thawed out a little. Gertie dropped her extra parka she'd been using like snow pants and sat on a bench, stretching her numb toes. I wrung out my clothing the best I could while still wearing them.

Roy threw his arms around Vadful, kind of a mean trick, he just wanted to not be cold. The bird shivered and brushed him off with an irritated moo.

Noticing an eerie shadow fall upon me, I glanced back and found an oversized statue of a Qulpari.

ET noticed me staring. "That is Poxgezam, Tolnavra of Bubbivay. She contributed nothing to the science of horticulture, but Bubbivay did not want a statue devoted to himself for his achievements."

Roy rolled his eyes. "You get a lot of those kinds of statues around here. Qulpari practically fall over themselves avoiding credit for things, like they'd farted in public instead of accomplishing something historically significant."

ET didn't comment. He only looked around and sighed. "This used to be the most beautiful garden in the region." He touched an alien rose bush and closed his eyes. Like before, the plant bloomed for a few seconds, then shriveled and died.

I scratched my head. "I don't understand. The water is cleansed. Why doesn't that work?"

"Pollution has saturated the soil. We must get to the Gemovo."

I followed him through a row of ruined shrubs. Gertie lagged behind, peering through the eyepiece of a telescope attached to a `I didn't contribute to the field of Cosmology' monument. "Hey, Elliott! Look at this!"

When I took a peek, I discovered a nest of eggs.

A wall of feathers suddenly blocked my view.

A deafening mooing sound. My nostrils filled with the smell of wheat, melted plastic and tobacco. I jumped back with a start.

Another Grunkiahu, this one rearing up on its hind legs and flapping its giant wings like an angry goose.

I stumbled away from it, only to find another huge bird shape looming over me.

I backed up further, bumped into the edge of the staircase, teetering over the side.

Shakily, I grabbed hold of an obelisk, righted myself on solid ground, scowling at the `other bird.' It had been another statue, Dilupru, the pet Grunkiahu of Emgewlo, who taught the healing sciences to many, but did not want a statue of himself, either.

Roy grabbed my arm, dragging me away from there. "Elliott, stop fooling around! You're going to break your neck!"

I glared at him, but bit my tongue.

Charlie gave me a comforting nuzzle.

What a sad garden! Row upon row of dying (but interesting) alien plants and drooping trees. Statues were the only thing that still looked good:

A monument to Paqbenav, "Who definitely did not contribute greatly to the study of telepathic communication."

Azahlex, foremost in the study of entomology, who preferred to have a giant sculpture of a bug to be made in his honor.

Orsodwa, `Definitely not a master healer.'

Roy snickered. "Some of these guys...they'll get into arguments about how they didn't do something historically significant, or `Maybe did do it, after all' when someone comes up and claims the credit. Qulpari still have pride, they just mask it with double speak and attempts at reverse psychology."

I tripped over a sick Qulpari on my way out of the garden.

ET gasped. "Daxmeru!"

"Do you...know this guy?"

"You...kissed Jamie in his house."

Not shocked that he knew. In between sharing minds, and simply talking to Jamie...

This Qulpari, that shocked me.

Purple, with leopard spots, he would have looked nicer if so much color hadn't drained from his body. "Your archaeologist friend?"

I and Jamie stared at each other, probably thinking about the same thing.

"Honestly, we owe him a favor." Jamie leaned in close, making up more lyrics to the cleansing song: "Get well, Mr. Archaeology guy, I really don't want you to die, sorry we broke in your house, but we were gentle as a mouse, please don't be upset, Daxmeru guy. Please heal real good and do not die..."

She noticed my facial expression. "Anytime you want to make up a song and sing it, Elliott, you're welcome to."

"You're fine," I mumbled.

Daxmeru coughed and sat up. "Mekhilata, my daughter...Where is she?"

Glancing around, I really couldn't tell. A lot of sick Qulpari sprawled on the brown grass.

ET, despite being the same species, had nothing to add. "I don't see her."

Daxmeru wrinkled his face. "She spoke about investigating the source of this pollution. I hope she's not in danger."

"I have your contact information. I will let you know if I find her."

"Thank you, my friend. Can you heal these others like you have me?"

Jamie, daunted by the sheer number of victims, rubbed her face in frustration. "It would really help if I wasn't doing this all by myself."

"Oh right." I pulled the alien musical instrument out of my pocket.

ET held up his hand. "Time is of the essence. Let us heal the Gemovo first. Perhaps it will make the job easier."

Jamie's facial expression reflected uncertainty. "If...you say so." And then, under her breath, "Please Lord, let it make the job easier."

I and ET hurried past all the sickly Qulpari feebly moaning on the ground. "I don't get it. They're not plants. How did they get sick?"

ET seemed puzzled himself. "Toxins in the air, or water perhaps, possibly more of Warkinde's unpleasant creatures."

Jamie hung back, apologizing to Mr. Daxmeru for trespassing in his house.

"It's really okay. What were you doing in there? I'm unfamiliar with your species and your culture..."

Embarrassed, I kept walking, trying not to hear her explanation about men and their...improper etiquette.

I'm sure my sister hadn't fully thawed yet, but she'd developed this fear of abandonment. A few feet behind Jamie, she knelt beside a random stranger, and lacking the guitar, sung to heal them.

A few yards further, the terrain became familiar. I sighted the entrance to the school...and the mushroom-like thing growing out of the ground.

Roy trailed behind me, watching to make sure I didn't get into trouble. Being so close to our supplies, he caught Spike before he returned to the garden, asking him for the Vemorik. Spike tried to give him the blankets and towels too.

"Give those to the girls. I gotta watch Elliott and make sure nothing dangerous happens."

Spike looked a little annoyed, but followed the order.

Roy clicked buttons on the Vemorik, calling Norenio. I rolled my eyes as he told her basically everything we went through in the last few hours.

...Well, I'm assuming. You know how your mind wanders when people start telling a story you already know to someone miles away. Plus, she's his cuculur. It didn't matter to me if he bragged to her.

I knelt beside the white...plant, playing the cleansing song on my flute. Roy chimed in with his harmonica.

Jamie leaned over me, adjusting her collar.

ET shooed her away with his hand. "This is a plant. Elliott's powers are sufficient to handle this." He pointed to Charlie, who now busily hummed the cleansing song to a sick Abreya. "Help the others."

"I want to see this thing." Jamie put her hands on her hips indignantly. "You're still mad because I blew up Warkinde's bike thing, aren't you? Look, you're a smart alien. You don't need to interrogate the guy to figure out where your...where Pabyeba got taken to."

ET rubbed his face. "Mudo."

"Why can't I sing to this thing?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were getting tired."

She only shrugged.

ET slowed his breath, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Jamie, this will require more than a mere song. Also, I do not want you using that Ganzare anywhere near the Gemovo."

Finished with healing the Abreya, Charlie hovered over a Qulpari beside them, humming the song again. ET cast a glance that way, nonverbally dropping a hint that Jamie should go help.

"Fine." Jamie removed the collar. "Now can I sing to your plant?"

ET shook his head. "Please. Let me sing first. There is an ancient nature poem I know, perhaps it has been written for this very tune."

"Fine, fine. Let's hear it."

We played, and ET crooned words that only rhymed in Wumpaza.

My sister, having just finished singing for another sick Qulpari, quickly rushed to join us, eyes wide as she listened to ET with breathless attention. Her lips moved silently as she tried to memorize the words.

The white thing shifted, turned green, taking on the shape and appearance of an oversized cabbage.

I frowned. "That's it?"

My girlfriend scoffed. "No kidding! How's this going to save the planet?"

"Hey, slice it up and add some corned beef," Roy joked. "It'll give us something to eat while we make our next move."

Jamie sat down next to me. "Would it help if I kissed Elliott? Last time Gertie only suggested the idea and he made a plant destroy Yatgibi's floor."

I blushed. "What is the plan, ET? Just make it grow?"

"No, we must ask it what it needs." ET stuck his fingers into the dirt. "Elliott, Grunspeak with me."

I imitated him. "Like this?"

ET nodded.

The dirt smelled like a bag of Miracle Gro potting soil, an unnaturally rich, sanitary fertilizer smell, though I'm sure this stuff didn't emerge from some factory process. "Is this far enough?"

"Shhh! Listen!"

Gertie sat crosslegged on the other side of the Gemovo, staring in fascination.

"Roger would have a horrible time here," Jamie muttered. "Everything is about agriculture stuff he hates."

"Do you like it?" I asked.

She only shrugged. "So far it's been a survival thing. You might as well ask me if I like paying for things with money."

I smirked. "Ironic example."

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

I focused my eyes on my Qulpari friend. "What am I listening to?"

"The Gemovo. Listen with your plant ears."

"I don't have plant ears."

"Do not shame me, Elliott. You can do anything I can do with a plant, you only need patience and self confidence. The Gemovo speaks if you are quiet enough and pay attention to what stirs the soil. Can you hear what stirs the soil?"

I furrowed my brow. "No..."

"Dig deeper."

I wiggled my fingers deeper into the dirt.

"No, I meant, listen deeper. Listen to the soil."

"Dirt doesn't have a noise."

Roy snickered. "It does if you shovel it."

ET ignored the comment. "Slow your breath. Clear your mind of all thought. Listen with your fingers and body. Slow your mind. What do you hear?"

I felt something crawling. "Umm...ants? Uh...maybe a worm?"

"You are at the surface. Do not speak, just listen deeper."

"Would it help to touch the plant?"

"It might. Perhaps the direct approach is best, until you master listening to the soil."

I took my hands out, but ET blurted, "Close your eyes. Only touch Gemovo with one finger of each hand. We do not want to damage Gemovo with heat and pressure. Place the rest of your hand in the soil."

I placed my fingers as he suggested and...listened.

One minute passed, then two.

I sighed, opening my eyes. "ET, Qulpari are dying."

"Hear, hear," Jamie groaned. "This is boring yoga stuff, and just as useful."

When ET didn't move, she added, "We don't have time for this, ET. That Warkinde guy still has Pabyeba, and maybe Pete too. You can't just sit here and keep this plant company."

"If we don't heal the Gemovo, there won't be a world for Pabyeba and I to live in."

"So this is the only one?"

"No, but we don't know the extent of Warkinde's damage. We must regain what is lost, before the others fall. I have seen what you call `dominoes.' This could be a domino that spreads to all Jufuceri."

"The Vietnam argument," Roy muttered. "At least you're not shooting anyone."

ET breathed slowly in and out. "Jamie, you save the Qulpari. Elliott will save the plants."

Jamie let out a frustrated breath. "This is so stupid! I'll be doing all the work!"

"Only if you do not know how to teach."

"I hope you and your dumb plant have a nice time together!" She frowned at my sister. "A little help?"

Gertie looked disappointed to miss out on...whatever this was, but gave her a reluctant nod. "ET, can you teach me how to Grunspeak later?"

"Gladly."

Jamie stormed off with my sister in tow.

I gulped. "You really think I can do all that, ET? Save all the plants?"

"Elliott, you heard a worm. There is only one living worm within two feet of your fingertips. I have also felt it." (Qulpari obviously don't use American standards of measurement. I was just giving my interpretation).

"The...other worms are dead?"

"Warkinde's pollution is far reaching."

"There's something else, like a worm, down there."

"That is a root."

"It moves like a worm."

"No, you are feeling it grow, from its own perspective."

All of a sudden, my eyes rolled back in my head, and my whole body went numb, like I'd experienced a mild electric shock. My eyes filled with visions of...dirt.

A thought popped into my head: Hello, who are you?

It did no good to speak. My mouth moved at a speed faster than this thing spoke. I answered with my mind instead. I am Elliott, a human from another planet.

You are a non-plant...you know far away soils.

Yes.

Vorxora... you were just here yesterday.

I sensed ET's smile. That was ten years ago, my friend.

Ah, non-plants. Always thinking so fast...

Speaking of fast, Jamie had returned to us for a moment. I heard her complain that Warkinde may have already killed Pabyeba, that we didn't have time for plant hugging, but her voice had become far away sounding. I mostly heard the plant breathing.

After a long silence, it spoke again: I appreciate the gift of foreign pure water. I enjoy the small refreshing treat. It would be nice if you had more.

The plant referred to my dripping clothes, maybe my sister's. That stuff is rare. I... guess I could find you some other water.

Anything would be better than this half polluted liquid...Thank you for healing me. Another nanosecond of suffering like that, and I would have surely rotted away.

You're welcome. An enemy has done this. We are trying to undo the damage.

I turned my attention to ET. I'm hungry. When did we last eat?

Patience, Elliott. We will eat when this is finished.

I did my breathing exercises, pretending I wasn't hungry. Many plants are dying. Can you help?

I am sorry. I have set down roots, but my soil has lost its goodness.

The ground isn't good? Really? I thought you, of all things, would be the last one who would complain about that! Aren't you able to remove pollution from the ground?

I nearly died. I'm fighting the toxins as we speak, but I need space to work. Healthy soil. Unfortunately, I cannot move.

I and Vorxora have the power to restore plants and make them grow.

I sense the power, but you will only cause the death strain...I need nutrients. May I break your skin and take them from your body? In exchange I will provide you with dietary fiber and protein.

Starving, I responded with a mental nod.

Something pricked my fingers, and I suddenly felt like I'd been hooked to a machine at a platelet donation center, blood pumping out, blood flowing back in. My pulse felt irregular, but ET gave me reassuring mental...hugs?

Wait, I thought to ET. What's the difference between this guy and Ihyokxa, that liquid thing that wanted to absorb me?

Gemovo has nothing to hide, it does not seek to trap you...

And I do not need your companionship, the Gemovo finished. Vorxora leaves me for a few hours and thinks I missed him.

Elliott, your entire lifespan is a week to Gemovo.

I mentally nodded. Why are the Qulpari sick, Gemovo? They're not plants.

When Jufuceri gets attacked by pollution, all suffer. Jufuceri defends itself. Non plants receive disease.

That's not fair. They received no warning.

It is not Jufuceri's fault you do not speak its language. This is why Jufuceri defends itself.

What if it gets worse? Will Jufuceri die?

Another laugh. Jufuceri cannot die. If pollution continues, Jufuceri will still exist...if you like deserts.

How do you know what a desert—

ET interrupted me. I know the answer to this already. Let's not waste time asking obvious things we know.

We can dig you up, Gemovo. Where do you want us to move you?

I've never known a plant to laugh. Of course, I didn't know we could have a conversation, either. Laugh it did. You know nothing about what you suggest.

I got a mental image of the entire plant. The root system went down for a damn five to six miles, and radiated out horizontally a longer distance. Portions viciously clung to rocks, pieces of buildings, buried objects, bones, other plants, pipes, you name it. I had to laugh myself. If we somehow had help, could we move you?

I felt the plant shudder. I don't want to move!

You kinda have to. You said the soil is messed up.

No. Just replace the bad soil with good.

That seemed like a good idea to me, but ET disagreed. We want to make sure the soil is completely pure, so you can work your best. We cannot easily reach below you and remove all that bad soil, and the corruption might spread to you and rot your roots. But if we can dig a deep enough hole, and fill good dirt around you, you will have a better chance.

After an agonizingly long pause, the Gemovo agreed. Perhaps if I got trimmed a little.

But we can't just trim off everything, right? I've heard that's fatal to plants.

I felt the plant flinch. It showed me which plants could be cut like hair or fingernails, without causing the death strain of trying to grow too much. It also had a prescription of sorts, nutrients and so forth, that would give it the strength to survive amputations. Elliott, now that I know your plans, if you instruct the non-plants on where to dig and cut, I will shut off my growers and let roots die to make the move easier. Give me time and let me select the place...A word of warning: I don't take being hurt kindly. If anyone gets careless, I can and will damage your building's foundation.

We'll be careful. Thank you. I began distancing myself from the plant.

Wait. I have seen your nature problem. I have a son. He has not yet taken root. Grunspeak with him, and he will help you.

When I finally pulled my hands out of the dirt, it had grown dark.

My whole body felt numb. When I moved my arms and legs, I got a crazy pins and needles sensation that wouldn't go away for an entire minute.

I could barely see anything, now that the sun had gone down. ET made his fingers light up to compensate.

After speaking telepathically for half the day, it felt like my jaw had rusted shut from neglect. I cracked my mouth open, forcing out speech. I sounded like ET. "Don't you have overhead lights? Street lights? Flood lamps? Building lights?"

"The Yalavro school limits their use to prevent light pollution. It's better for stargazing. The bright glowing insects and bioluminescent plants would have been sufficient to light our way. Some areas of the building do have a little illumination."

I sighed. "Anyway, we should look for our friends."

ET waddled toward the school building with his glowing finger. When I followed, I tripped over the side of a tent.

A light flickered from within. I leaned in close, trying to see who it was.

A moment later, a glowing ball floated out from the tent. At first, I thought it to be Charlie, but when the orb came closer, I saw my sister holding the object — some kind of alien flashlight. "Elliott! You're okay! I was so worried!" Gertie gave me a big hug. "Did you fix the plants?"

"Not...yet."

"That's okay. I know you can do it."

I stared at her. In my absence, she'd found some outlandish clothes to wear, a long tunic with a fan collar, embroidered all around with a pattern that looked like the world's longest centipede. Her leggings had rings around them, reminding me of the legs of Big Bird from Sesame Street, but the wrong color. Also, weird glove-like shoes — they left her big toes sticking out. "What are you wearing?"

"We saved the textile school professor. They needed practice, and studying our winter clothes, so we got free clothing. I like how they just wave a laser over your body and know your measurements. There's an outfit for you in the tent."

"Did a teacher give you that glowing thing too?"

"Actually, that's just something from Olxebak's cart."

"Elliott?" Jamie came out of the tent with another moon lamp.

She'd changed clothing too. A...squaw dress, not brown, with a ruff collar, embroidered all around with that same centipede design. Her leggings seemed...intentionally manufactured with holes like Swiss cheese all around.

"Well if it isn't plant boy!" Her voice sounded hoarse. I didn't have to guess why. "About time you snapped out of it! You know, we could have slept in the dorms here, but someone had to stay out here and watch the human vegetable!"

My face flushed red, both due to anger, and shame at...apparently letting everyone down. "Sorry. Thank you for watching me."

"You get the...thing to fix the plants yet?"

"It's called a Gemovo," Gertie corrected.

I sighed.

Jamie didn't wait for me to explain. "Huh! I knew that thing wouldn't work!"

"It will work, we just need to replant the Gemovo."

She suddenly looked worried. "Why are you talking all slow like ET?"

"Sorry." I tried to speed up. "I just mind melded with a plant. Is...everybody healed?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you and your squashy friend!"

"Sorry. I've never read a plant's mind before. I didn't think it would be that time consuming."

She indignantly put her hands on her hips.

"Thank you for being the hero. Sorry I missed your beautiful singing."

"I heard it," said ET. "It made pleasing vibrations through the ground."

"Oh yeah. I did notice that."

Jamie gave me this disgusted look, like I should be saying something romantic.

I swallowed. "There's a reason why I never sing. You're a much better singer than me."

She smirked like I hadn't given the perfect compliment, but `close enough.'

"Nice outfit."

Jamie groaned. "Don't remind me. Roy told them to make us `anything as long as it's decent and not wet.'"

"It's still nice."

She chuckled, embarrassed. "Thank you...You're still talking like ET."

I hadn't noticed because my brain told me I spoke normally. I laughed, discomforted, glancing at my alien friend. "Is this going to be permanent?"

ET put both hands on my shoulders, gazing into my eyes.

After a moment of silent staring..."You have memories of Gemovo's entire root system, and you are trying to hold on to them, like a long dream."

He had read my mind. "Yes."

"You need to commit this to something permanent so it will not be lost, and you can rest. Let us go into the Yalavro."

"I need paper. Like, reams of it."

"We do not waste trees here."

"I know that. It doesn't have to be tree paper. People make paper out of all kinds of things. Reeds. Bamboo. I'd say cloth, but Roy's attempt at paper making sucks."

"We'll go into the Yalavro and look around."

By then, Roy had stirred from slumber. When ET led me past the tent, he stopped me. "Elliott! Thank God! I didn't know how to safely wake you from that catatonic state!"

"Sorry." I cast an anxious glance at the school. "Me and ET are trying to help the plant. We need to get supplies and stuff."

"Whoa. Hold on there. You just spent seven hours as a human vegetable, and you talk like you're on drugs. You need to take a break from Mr. Plant."

"I have an entire plant's root system mapped out in my brain. It's a lot to process. ET says I'll be fine once I get it all out. I need paper or something."

Roy rubbed his eyes. "If he's wrong, I'm going to kill him." He brought another moon lamp out of the tent. This one had wings, and hovered next to him in the air. "I'm coming with you."

Roy's hovering lamp lit our path as we walked. "Call any vegetable..." He sang to himself as we walked. "Pick up the phone..."

"How's Norenio doing?" I asked. 'Is she safe? Still trying to hatch that egg?"

"Yes, and yes."

ET stopped and gave him an expectant look.

"No, it hasn't hatched yet, but it's shaking like it could happen any hour now."

ET clapped his hands and pumped his fists, displaying more childish energy than I'd ever seen him show before.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Geez, Vorxora! Did you and Elliott switch bodies or something?"

Gertie grinned and squeezed ET's hand. "I'm happy for you. We've got to find Pabyeba and tell her."

The comment dampened his spirits somewhat. "Pabyeba..."

I put an arm around him. "We'll find her, ET. We have to."

Once more we entered the main foyer/`student lounge' of the building. Although the plants there hadn't stopped being dead, Yizewo or someone had put the fountain back on, and clear water gushed through it.

I glanced at ET. "Should we restore to heal these plants? They're not out in the dirt..."

ET opened his mouth to reply, but Roy spoke first. "Don't. Your head will probably explode. Remember why we came in here."

To my surprise, ET nodded his head in agreement. "We can fix these plants after we help the Gemovo."

A crowd of Qulpari and Abreyas faced us, pointing to us and murmuring to one another. While some of them thought of us as their saviors, others complained about the dead plants, or, in hushed whispers, blamed us for causing the problem in the first place. Honestly, they had a point. I released Warkinde, after all, and as students, they knew history.

Not all of them paid attention to us, of course. One Qulpari seemed too busy reading a scroll to his blind companion. Another blind one muttered to herself as she read a beaded wampum thing.

ET pushed through the crowd, muttering apologies about how we needed to get to the art department. First time I'd ever heard of getting to an art room described as a semi emergency. When anyone indignantly asked why, ET said it was for the Gemovo, and they seemed to accept it, albeit with some skeptical raised eyebrow ridges from those we passed.

In the rotunda beyond the admissions center, we climbed a staircase, entering a huge spherical room, divided up into different terraces, with ceiling to floor windows. Art supplies had been spread all across the floor. In one section, Qulpari painted and sketched an unclothed Abreya male, using cloth canvases, thin calligraphy type paper and such. No pencils, you know, because of the wasted wood — they had chalks and clay graphite stuff, the brushes looking like pieces of driftwood. They had easels, but short ones — you had to sit on the floor to use them. Many preferred to just draw or paint with the art surface flat on the floor. They had a sculpture area.

Late at night, and they still worked at stuff. Very dedicated. Not sure where the lighting had been hidden, but the place had pleasant ambient lighting, sufficient for crafting a masterpiece.

Roy seemed unsurprised by the posing model, but, well, let's say that before this, I never heard anyone using the word `bifurcated' to describe male anatomy.

ET brought me several sheets of...(Rice paper? Not sure) and thin a stick of clay-graphite.

The moment I touched graphite to the paper, I...went somewhere else again.

Automatic writing, I think that's what you might call it, but not writing this time.

Elliott, ET said into my mind.

I'm trying to finish.

Someone shook me.

Elliott, I have a better method.

My hands felt sore. I blinked several times, focusing my eyes.

The early rays of dawn crept up along the windows. I'd covered a pile of paper, thick as an encyclopedia, with elaborate diagrams of plant roots. Everyone in the room stood around me, staring at my artwork like I were the next Pablo Picasso or something (Well, with the exception of Jamie, Roy and Gertie, who just looked worried).

I met the artists' gaze, and one by one they started clapping.

That...would have been great, but I have zero artistic talent, and I was trying to illustrate a three dimensional object in space, from multiple angles.

I gave them a sheepish grin, uncertain what to say. I mean, could I really claim credit for this? I certainly couldn't come up with anything other than pictures of tree roots and, like, tour the country with an exhibition or anything.

ET brought one of those strange goose creatures up to me, this one with speckly patterning on its body. "Elliott, this is Migash. She has a special computer that can make 3D images with your thoughts."

I shivered. Her being of the same species as my captor at the zoo didn't help matters. "You want her to scan my brain?"

"It is like the device that places...`movies' in your mind, but in reverse. Do not worry, no one will cut your head. It is non-invasive, unlike what your scientists do."

"Can...you get someone to bring me something to eat while I'm doing this? I'm starved."

Gertie dropped one of my drawings. "I'll get it."

Roy rolled his eyes. "I know why you volunteered, little girl. Don't fill up on sweets."

"It's breakfast. Nobody else likes sweet food on this planet."

"You're exaggerating. Norenio makes sweet stuff from time to time. Anyway, it's like China. They're not real big on sweets, they think of fruit as dessert. It's healthier that way."

Jamie crossed her arms. "This is coming from a guy who tells us not to mention Cheetos, or, what, Pizza Hut in his presence?"

Roy blew a raspberry. "Fine. Have your desserts. But I want you to use a Wumpus when you're done. If I ever meet your folks, I don't want them complaining that I let their kids' teeth rot out."

Gertie eagerly tromped down the stairs, with Jamie on her heels.

Roy turned one of my sketches around and around. "Hmmm...I'd definitely frame this and hang it somewhere. On earth, you could probably load a bunch of these into your hippie van and sell them all across town for a good price."

I scoffed. Yeah. Like that was going to happen. "Yeah, but I can only do tree roots."

"Hey, Jackson Pollock could only do paint splatters. Don't sell yourself short."

"I...guess I could, um, barter with them here..."

Migash, with the flapping wings on her lower body, moved remarkably fast...or maybe my brain hadn't sped up yet. We took a couple tunnels through the building, arriving at a laboratory twice the size of their art room.

Not much decoration in there. Mostly charts full of symbols for...science stuff. I bet their periodic table would have been interesting, but I couldn't figure it out because they didn't have the same language, or exactly the same chemical signs.

I can't begin to describe the things I saw there, except in very general terms based on my limited education and Mister Wizard:

Chemistry stuff. Could have had something to do with genetics, I don't know. They used computers.

Theoretical stuff. A lot of computers, probably involved math, but Albert Einstein would have to translate his equations into Qulpari math symbols to really communicate with them. They drew diagrams and formulas on an oversized tablet computer.

Electronics stuff. I figured humans might be able to build devices like that in the year 2000. One Qulpari worked on a machine that made a little black cube spin in the air. I think they used dry ice for some reason.

Medical stuff. They used protective gear for some of it. Maybe disease research?

One chemist put drops of something on a plant. It turned pink and exploded. Dirt and leaves flew everywhere.

The chemist wiped his face. "Mudo..."

A connecting room had geology stuff in it.

Like the creature I'd encountered at the zoo, Migash didn't talk much, so I got no explanations.

I wondered what Jamie would say about all this, but of course she and my sister were off getting breakfast.

At a loss for words, Roy just whistled and stared at everything. He got thoughtful, rubbed his chin like he had an inkling about what these Qulpari were doing, but didn't verbalize (perhaps because he didn't know as much as he thought).

"And I used to think it was amazing that our chemistry teacher told us the formula to make methamphetamines."

I looked at him askance.

"What? You think I'm brilliant enough to cook up a batch? The guy was just trying to make the class interesting. Didn't work." He made a snoring sound.

Our destination: The psychology lab. In there, Qulpari slept in special beds, which apparently allowed you to share dreams and record them on a device. They experimented with helmets that allowed you to control vehicles remotely with your mind, video games you experienced in your brain.

Crash! Crunch! Qulpari attempted to lift dishes and sculptures with their mind, only to have them shatter on the floor, or implode in a shower of broken bits. I suppose you might call those guys `disabled.' Researchers studied them with non-invasive brain scanners, gave them medications.

An Abreya sat crosslegged on the floor...thinking, his headphone-like device translating an elaborate mind palace into a holographic model.

Migash instructed me to sit down next to this thinker, and wear one of those things on my head.

Not comfortable at all. It pinched my ears, the contacts clamped uncomfortably against my temples. Still, not as painful as a lobotomy, right?

Nothing happened. "So...what do I do?"

Migash clicked buttons on my headset, activated a menu on a computer. "The system is ready for imaging and recording." A funny sounding voice, like a mouse squeaking. Maybe that's why she didn't talk?

I stared at her. "Like, now?"

In answer, a glowing blob appeared in front of my face.

"How does this work? Just think of —?"

A single root of the Gemovo formed in the air, rapidly gathering detail and definition, gaining dozens of tiny hairs, connecting with other roots, gaining thickness as it neared the main trunk, splitting off into other roots, expanding in all directions.

So many roots...so deep...

Someone handed me food, but I just mechanically stuffed it in my mouth and kept building the model. I didn't even taste it. I could have been eating bacon, chitlins, or a block of Styrofoam. I just...absorbed it, marking where it glommed onto stuff, where weeds latched on, where it could be cut, and where it shouldn't.

Oh, and I added a map, indicating where the Gemovo wished to be replanted, and the location of the Gemovo's `son.'

When I unconsciously started going back and adding more tiny hairs to the plant, I cried, "I'm done! Stop the recorder!" ripping the headset from my temples.

I stepped back, gaping in astonishment at what I'd created.

It's one thing to have a mental image of how something is going to look in your head. It's another to actually see it as a three dimensional computer model that you could look at from any angle.

Okay, so I had a taste of that back on earth when I got those ship building instructions beamed into my brain, but this machine took it to the next level.

I even had it color coded, so they knew exactly where the sensitive areas were, where it could be safely cut.

The Abreya who had been building his mind palace scowled when he saw what I made, his own mental construct collapsing like a sand castle at high tide. He grumbled and removed his headset.

ET pointed to the holographic trunk. "Look! Music notation!"

An alien music diagram, somehow grown on the surface of the plant, either raised like bas relief, or manifested from the color spectrum somehow, possibly in the ultraviolet range.

I raised my hand to touch it, but of course it just passed through. "Will this be enough to help the Gemovo?"

"Yes." ET spoke to the bird creature about sharing the information with this or that Qulpari, and their gardening society, making sure they used pure fertilizer and so forth.

Relieved of such an immense mental burden, fatigue at last set in, and I blacked out, collapsing on the floor.

The last thing I noticed as consciousness faded: My hands and forearms had turned pea green, and they bloomed in sprouts like well tended Chia Pets.