Author Games: Brave New World

Task Three Entries: 1-12

Natalia "Olive" Amber

Olive's chin rested on not the earth, but the dirt of Danu. The ground here was Danu, not earth. She would have to get used to that.

She would also have to get used to the different organisms. That wouldn't be much of a chore. The flora and fauna on this planet were so fascinating, and that was just from what she'd seen in her brief time already on this planet.

The plant she stared at now was an example of fascinating flora and fauna. It was similar to various plants from earth, but also drastically different.

It rose up from the place where sand met dirt. In all the examples of this specimen Olive had managed to spot, they all sprung up where the sand and dirt formed a line in the ground. It's stem was thin like a flower, but it expanded into something similar to a small bush.

Either the bush part was extremely light, or the stem was extremely strong, or some mix. It would require some tests for her to be able to conclude effectively what was responsible for the plant's seeming to defy gravity. Regardless, once she found the reason, she could offer that knowledge to the architects to apply to the structure of the Eden buildings.

"Miss Amber?" A voice called. "Miss Amber, you are needed in Dr. Moriz's clinic."

Olive sat up. The only sign of her irritation was the snort that blew out through her nasal nostrils. "Can't it wait?"

The speaker, a girl from one of the more irrelevant departments, frowned and tilted her head curiously. "Why? Were you doing anything?"

Was she doing anything? Did this girl not understand that Olive had been in the midst of observing a unique specimen, the likes of which had never been seen by human eyes before?

Relax, Olive told herself. She had expressed her superiority to Eve, which had not worked out very well, and Eve had turned out to be a rather pleasant girl despite her pitiful lack of a triple digit IQ.

"All right," Olive said. She rose. "Try not to step on any of the plants around here."

"Okay," the girl's voice lifted at the end, as if she were asking Olive a question.

Olive only shook her head. Sometimes there was just no hope for intelligence in a human being. At least with plants, there was no hope for conscious intelligence to begin with, so one could never be disappointed by its lack.

She made her way across the in progress colony. Everywhere buildings were hastily erected and still in progress. The only building close to complete was the residence hall, which was sufficiently built to take competent care of its residence.

Dr. Moriz's clinic looked as if it were constructed by children with a pile of sticks. Olive couldn't blame her. The doctor had more important things to worry about then the construction of her study. Once the research had begun, then she could take a step back to worry about the quality of her quarters.

Olive knocked on the door. Unlike the girl from out on the beach, she didn't want to barge in and interrupt someone's research.

Dr. Moriz answered the door immediately. "Olive," she said. "Come in."

Olive entered into the clinic. Dr. Moriz was as wild looking as ever. On anyone else, the look would imply a lack of intelligence, but Olive knew Dr. Moriz by now to know that messiness was her way of expressing her insight.

"What is it, Dr.?" Olive took a seat by her desk.

Dr. Moriz closed the door behind her. "I'm afraid I have some news. Rather good news, of course, but news. News is news."