The fields of cardamine stretch out for miles. Human based harvesting was a common sight as acolytes used threshing tools with gloves. The sharp grasses and blooms of the alien fern where at thier fullest orange as the spores where ready to take flight in the spring winds.
Farther from the pyramid below the hill in which it stood was a dormitory. Large garage housing combine and harvesting equipment that where robotic in nature.
It was apparent the harvesting going on now was for pollination of the plants. It takes vary little spores to re fertilize the ground, and the grass harvested in this time was not vary potent. it wasn't until Mid-Summer when all the spores had been shed and the grass became its most brittle would the combines activate.
"Initiate. Find some gloves and clippers. " A female voice called. " We have a craft for you to learn."
Chris was looking around when the woman approached. Smiling, and happy to be in that place - the wind, the fields, the sky, it all looked wonderful - he quickly went to gather the tools he was asked to find, and then returned, eager to learn whatever she was going to teach him.
"My name es Vira." She said sitting on her knees in the dirt.
"Everything.. as a number and a time. You have to trim and harvest what is ready. And know what is not ready, and what must be put away." She started sorting through the grass.
Showing him the different colors of orange and that the most ripe spores where actually dark blood red, and that if there was brown it was overripe and needed to be burned.
It was a simple medatative task... Vira.. as it turned out was the High mother of the cult and worked with initiates and even the few "slaves" the cult revived to harvest seed spores.
"Most importante... you.. a must rest.. every quarter hour.. Take time. Look around. Its easy to dive deeply into toil but.. Life .. life it is not toil. You live. you enjoy things.. Work like this can be enjoyed for what it is..
Purification of the hands... through work... " It had already been four hours and the sun was int he position to stop.
"You have.. the thoughts?" she asked him as she led him from the clipping field towards the dormitory.
Chris followed Vira's instructions eagerly. The liquid cardamine had given him an incredible ammount of energy. He could have been like that for hours if it weren't for the rests he had to take. Chris quickly learnt the differences between mature grass and immature grass, and found out he enjoyed the task. It was relaxing, peaceful, calm. While performing this task, his mind was free from the painful memories and the angst at last. "I will never see cardamine the same way again, now" he thought, remembering the times when he used to buy cardamine from the dealers in Alcatraz, and realizing that it was all harvested trom Malta first, before being processed and delievered to Liberty.
When Vira asked him, Chris replied:
-How did this place come to be? Has it always existed? Why don't people realize of their doom and turn to the salvation in cardamine, in this place, in the Great Spirits?
"Big questions.. you will learn the answers. Most. well. Answers are dangerous to little minds. Yours is thirsty. you are now drinking." She said.
Time had come late in the day as a majority of the acolytes wandered to the dorms where they slept.
It wasn't rooms per-say, the building was domed and sunken into the ground and this afforded ant hill like chambers that split off along the ground and under it.... oddly.... like a hive...
The hive architecture wasn't lost as though there were skylights at ground level there where stained glass and holographic art (the flat kind) seemingly pressed into polished steel or glossy surfaces all over the sub Terran clusters.
Down to a cluster where there was a statue of a man. "Ignota" it was titled. It was a roman centurion, every part of the statue was highly detailed even with small hints of color.. the texture of the marble was even formatted that to the touch the material of his..leather armor, plated scale, his shield.. and even his skin.. all felt different and looked lifelike... But he had no face.
"He is Specter or.. Ignota...unknown... he guards your chambers.. also shows you where home is." Vira said.
Beyond the statue was indeed a chamber of beds, cots, living areas... decentralized.. but oddly flowing seemingly a natural flow to enhance community to its inhabitants few of which where inside.
"Rest here.. in morning time we.. maybe doing more harvest..or.. other duty. Depends on the Nine, if they have time to see you." she said. bidding him rest.
There was a Blonde haired man watching holonet inside with earplugs, and what looked like one of the hunched over addled initiates sweeping up something in what.. you "think" is a kitchen.
Chris took a quick look around. He had seen and worked a lot during that day and he wanted to rest. But he couldn't. He was too curious about everything around him. "The Nine... The Nine... see me?... Me?"
He headed towards the kitchen-looking place, attracted by the sweeping sounds, wanting to know what they were doing.
Not very social, as he usually was, and new in this place, he greeted his new brethren: Uh, hello! I'm Chris Bell, I arrived yesterday...
"I'm used to boredom." -said Chris. "I was born in an orphanage. And I'm really willing to work hard here. I really feel I was called... somehow. Vira told me to rest here. Where should I sleep?- then looks at the initiates sweeping- "And what exactly are they doing?"
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