Book 1 — Chapter 36

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Day: Hyndinga

Date: 24

Month: Nokaokarium 

Quarturn: 1618

Location: Leu’Anna Station — the country of U’Awesa

Tane looked at Jacinth, who spoke with a sincere apologetic tone. 

“I know you’re eager to disembark. And of course you’re welcome to do so ahead of me. I need to get some correspondences sent out before I become unavailable. Due to our visit.” 

“Eager is putting it mildly,” he admitted. But as he glanced out the forward windscreen, and didn’t notice anyone approaching the airship, he shook his head and continued. “But seeing as this is your first time here, I don’t want to leave you behind to wander around on your own. Plus … I don’t think anyone saw us coming in.” 

“Is that unusual?” Jacinth asked with a caution to his pitch. 

“It’s not worthy of concern,” he assured Jacinth, but noted as he continued. “However, it isn’t common. Either everyone is really busy, or someone is sleeping on the job.” 

He turned his attention to Jacinth, who nodded to his comments but didn’t take his eyes off the screen of the tablet; his eyes focused on the words that graced the screen. Words that prompted his brow to furrow in worry.

“Speaking of concern, you’re looking so there. Is everything okay? Or better, is it something you can share with me?” he asked with his own wariness. 

He watched as Jacinth typed quickly, his face falling even deeper into apprehension and focus. But after only a moment of silence, Jacinth turned his attention to him directly and lightened his expression and tone as he spoke. 

“My consternation stems from some information I have just received. It’s nothing of secret. I just didn’t want to burden your mind with distractions today.” 

“I appreciate the consideration,” he responded. But as the corners of his mouth turned up, he spoke in a teasing tone and continued. “However, as your friend, I’m willing to sacrifice some of my mental toil towards your labors.” 

He felt a light relief come to him, as Jacinth produced a grin of his own to the tease. But as Jacinth nodded, he let out an audible sigh and spoke in an emotional tone. 

“This Hynjia, there is a rally planned in Melchior for workers’ rights. Union rights. I’ve been in contact and working with some of the organizers and various others, trying to bolster their numbers for the attendance. The more people they have, the more attention they can garner. From that, the more candid conversation they can stir. And they need that now. They’ve been trying to foster political and social capital, but with people’s obsession with extreme moralizing, they’re finding that difficult.” 

“I … don’t follow,” he remarked with a shake to his head, as he truly wasn’t clear of which Jacinth was referencing. 

“Let me explain by paraphrasing one of their main contributors,” Jacinth responded as he adjusted himself in his seat. “He pointed out that politics, in general, can be measured on a spectrum: with ideals being classified as one side to another, oftentimes to extremes. Granted, some fall in the middle, but their voices aren’t as penetrative in the social consciousness. In that same vein, you have a middle class that has it just a little better off than their working-class peers. He fittingly referred to them as the ‘Anahita class,’ with the less fortunate counterparts being the ‘Melchior class.’ The ‘Anahita class’ have an undeniable disdain for those in the ‘Melchior class’ based on a host of stigmatizing assets contended by the upper class ideologues. Things such as applying intrinsic worth, subjectively … equating wealth as a rectitude while seeing poverty as a character flaw … pushing the cognitive bias narrative that the result of actions will always be fair and fitting — victim-blaming — hence my comment on extreme moralizing, and even promoting scenarios for how the ‘Anahita class’ are actually the victims of the ‘Melchior class.’ Of course, these are all fallacies, but truth isn’t a prerequisite for driving a wedge between two of the most numerous and powerful groups. Because of this, they’re struggling to find political allies in all of this. Not in the sense of politics, but in the sense of class.”

“Well, the upper class has, throughout history, always used the middle class as a shield,” he put forth, adding to Jacinth’s narrative. “I’ve always noted the fear of poverty can make one extremely malleable. And as for the victimization, that’s a story as old as time too. People who think they are victims create new victims by punishing innocent people, and forgo holding the actual perpetrators accountable. It will take some valiant voices to go against the grain.” 

“And that is where they — and I — are struggling,” Jacinth admitted with a tone of defeat in his voice. 

“Wait!” he exclaimed. “Why don’t you attend? You said it was on Hynjia. We should be done by then, I would presume.” 

He watched as Jacinth tilted his head from side to side quickly. A non-verbal “well …”, indicating there were complexities to the simple solution. It was one that caused him to turn his head in question as he asked. 

“What are the issues?”

“Two-fold,” Jacinth stated with emphasis. “First … I’m not proud to admit as it will highlight my selfishness … however, this meeting is too important for me on a personal level, as you well understand. I couldn’t guarantee that I would see them tomorrow in earnest, so I wanted to give myself ample opportunity and be there as long as possible.”

He nodded and offered an expression of understanding with a light smile. It was one that was accepted, as Jacinth returned the smile. But as the smile faded to thoughts, Jacinth’s expression darkened as he continued. 

“Second, I was informed by someone with graces that this rally may — and I want to emphasize may — have some bad actors attached to it. Those who would,” Jacinth paused as he let out a breath of frustration. “To paraphrase another — victims of struggle, victims of oppression, are not virtuous by default. Many forms of subjugation wouldn’t be successful without accomplices among the subjugated. This is where my consternation lies. I have been trying to appeal to more notable guests in an effort to deter those who would-be accomplices. With no success. Therefore, I’m letting the right ones know of the graced concerns around the rally. It seems they’re determined to move forward, if only to help expose those aiming for their failure.”

“And by deter, you mean make it less appealing for the bad actors, as they wouldn’t dare bring harm to an ‘Anahita class’ person, as opposed to easily harming a ‘Melchior class’ person,” he asked for clarification. 

“Precisely,” Jacinth affirmed with a tone of sorrow. “These collaborators to the upper class align themselves with those … who treat people as property. Cheap and disposable.” 

He felt the breath of disheartenment leave him as he processed Jacinth’s words. Though, his mind acknowledged that he only wished they were just words — ones that could be applied hypothetically in outlying cases — instead of them being the active thoughts and practices of the institutions he was a part of. 

As the shame touched his eyes and brow, his attention turned back to Jacinth, who inhaled sharply as his voice came forward in a hurried condolement. 

“Tane: please, no. I can read your expression easily, and I wish you would not take so much upon yourself. I know … you know … you’re in a precarious position. If I were a better friend, I would have discouraged you far before you reached the levels you had in Hylatee. And those guilts would not be there.” 

“No,” he interrupted. “I would have, at any stage of the company, felt the guilt of contributing to such, as I do now.”  

He fixed his attention on Jacinth, who swallowed visibly and nodded in response to his thoughts. But as Jacinth’s face moved into a visage of sadness and shame of his own, he felt compelled to assuage his guilt and offered in a teasing cadence. 

“As for not discouraging me, it makes you, as you’ve pointed out yourself, selfish. But a great selfish friend all the same.” 

• • •

Tane kept his eyes closed as he brought into himself a deep and purposeful breath. One that carried with it the sweet scent of the pastures that surrounded him. As he opened his eyes, he let his attention cast to the far-off distances, as the warm winds blew the tall grasses, causing them to bend, and exposing the underside of their blades to the sun’s light — revealing the silvery-white shimmer against the variety of matte-textured green and purple hues. It was akin to white caps on an ocean, as the wind curled the grasses in waves of harmonic rustling beauty. 

He released the breath he had been holding and truly felt a healing sensation roll over him, just as the grasses rolled with the wind. 

“It’s always a wonder to see someone new, or someone far removed, experience the grasslands. They see the splendor in what has become commonplace to most of us. It’s a good reminder to not take this place for granted.”

He turned to look back over his shoulder towards his sister, Ireka, and nodded enthusiastically at her observation as he concurred. 

“Couldn’t have been said better, Ireka. For my sake, never become accustomed to this. You don’t know how dearly you miss it until you’re gone.” 

“Well, what’s stopping you from coming back to the lawhet-o’amat?” his step-brother, Moassim, asked with a grin. 

“I’m sorry, my Attata is rough,” Jacinth asked with a careful tone, as he tried to repeat the words correctly. “Lawhet-o’amat means?”

“The sacred land,” Moassim responded with a smile of pride as he gestured out towards the grasslands. “You don’t get closer to whatever Deo or sacred is, than when you’re out here.”

“Thank you,” Jacinth responded with a grateful nod. “And indeed, you really can feel something out here that is devoid in the cities. An energy … or more, a hum. I … it’s difficult to describe.” 

“You feeling that?” Moassim asked with a smile of knowing. “Takes a perceptive person to feel it. Takes a highly intelligent person to recognize they’re feeling it.” 

“You sound somewhat surprised,” he observed with a jestful cadence.  

“As a native city dweller myself, I can’t help but recall my own city-centric stereotypes,” Moassim mused with a wry smile as he continued. “I see it as you’re either one of three. One: you’re around so much artificial energy, you become desensitized to all energy. Two: you’re around so much artificial society, you become jaded and handwave it away. Or three, and these are the rarities: it strikes you like a lightning bolt, and you finally know life. So, yeah, I’m somewhat surprised. No direct offense meant there, Jacinth.” 

“Deo, no!” Ireka exclaimed in a sarcastic cadence. “How could anyone take offense to the presumption that their living situation makes them numb and cynical?” 

As everyone laughed at Ireka’s comments, Moassim threw up his hands and shook his head. He spoke around his laugh in a mildly defensive tone. 

“I was only speaking from experience and observation. Further, I complimented him as a precursor. Right?” 

“You are correct,” Jacinth agreed around his continued chuckles. 

“Uuurrr,” Ireka growled playfully with a roll of her eyes. “I can’t be mad at you.” 

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a bell ringing off in the distance. An understood call beckoning them back to the main house of the steading. He looked at Ireka — who, with a clap of her hands, spoke with an enthusiastic tone. 

“Sounds like they got a hold of everyone. Let’s head back.” 

As she turned and walked toward her STV, she called over her shoulder and asked. 

“Want us to walk back with you?” 

“Not needed,” he responded, as Ireka and Moassim both mounted the STV and started the engine.

“Fair enough,” Ireka spoke with a raised voice to speak over the noise of the STV.  “We’ll go ahead. Watch your footing on the way back; the syboles have been prolific burrowers this season and have already caused more than one twisted ankle. See you back at the house!” 

He raised his hand in acknowledgment as Ireka and Moassim sped away towards the steading. It was a moment that struck him with a blissful remembrance, as such events had played out many times in his past. Standing on that modest hill, looking over the open spaces, and watching his siblings head out before him. 

“This place is nearly too beautiful to be real,” Jacinth commented in a soft tone, as if his breath were truly being taken away by the vista before him. “I’m at a loss at how you could ever turn away from this.” 

As they began the walk back to the steading, he considered Jacinth’s comment for a brief moment. Knowing that so long ago, when he had made the decision to leave, he was wholly convinced it was the right one. And while he was admittedly far from any semblance of happiness, he knew without a second thought; it was still the right decision, and one he would have made again — only with certain key edits to his choices. He released a breath as he answered openly. 

“Considering my situation now, it does make it seem all the more ludicrous that I would forgo a life here. Yet, I’m confident in my rationale. Perhaps the most consequential being, I really didn’t have a place here. My elder siblings fell into their purpose here with ease. As if they were born to be here. And while I’m not implying that my parents wouldn’t have moved the moons and sun to make a space for me that would have made me content, I wanted more than content. I wanted the thrills and happiness of the world at large. The people. The places. The vitality of the city. That is where I believed I belonged. Brings to mind the Hume adage: be careful what you wish for.” 

He felt the smile increase as Jacinth laughed with vigor at his comments. But as Jacinth’s laugh subsided, he sighed and noted with raillery. 

“Which brings my mind to the Hume idiom, the grass is greener on the other side. I’m looking at this from a point of reference that is coloring my thoughts to said idiom. I understand your reasoning, but excuse me for saying so: still aghast at your choice.” 

As his own boisterous laugh came forward, he tilted his head back and forth quickly, weighing Jacinth’s words extraneously and appreciating the humor behind them. But before he could respond, Jacinth asked with a more earnest voice. 

“Prior to meeting the rest of your family, refresh my memory on their names and the work they do here, please.” 

“Of course,” he agreed as he brought in a deep breath to prepare his extended exposition. “My mother, her name is Tharma. My father, his name is Sibeli. Now that my siblings have taken over so much of the other duties around here, they focus on managing the steading part of the station. With 42 buildings and over 80 employees and families, there’s a lot to manage. We have everything from an on-site doctor, an educational teacher for the family’s children, to multiple mechanics. Again, a lot to manage. My eldest brother is Umberto. He is the head manager of the herders and the technical manager. That being because so much of how they manage the herd is done through technical means now, it’s all but indistinguishable between the two. His partner, Ly’dey, she’s head of sales in U’Awesa City. Unfortunately, you won’t have the opportunity to meet her, as she’s only here on weekends. My elder twin sisters are Shosta and Sueva. They are only two quarturns older than me. Shosta is the manager of the farm part of the station. It’s a bit further off as you can’t see it from here, but we have a significant orchard that she specializes in. All self-taught. She can graft a tree limb to about anything, she’s so good. Sueva is a veterinarian and obsessed with the cremorchi. Neither have partners at this time. And my sister, Ireka, who is the same age as myself, is also a veterinarian. And of course, her partner, Moassim. He’s an interesting story; but he’s a station hand. And probably the happiest person here.” 

“Yes. One could see that,” Jacinth mused with a chuckle. “Both Ireka and Moassim are a pleasure. However, and forgive me for being so direct, but I’m presuming Ireka is also an interesting story.” 

He felt his own chuckle move forward as he nodded and spoke around the laugh. 

“I’m sure the significant melanin difference between her and I did not escape your notice.” 

“It was conspicuous,” Jacinth commented with a chuckle of his own. “As was her beautiful red hair. Like a deosis in the mythical stories with her enchanting smile. Just lovely. But returning to my original thought: you referenced her as your sister, would you be willing to elaborate?”

“She is my adoptive sister. Her grandmother, who raised her, was a former teacher here at the station, and the very best of friends of my late grandmother. She passed when Ireka was young. And I can’t say what prompted her grandmother to raise her, nor why Ireka didn’t reunite with either of her biological parents after her grandmother’s passing; but when she passed, it seemed like only weeks after that my parents adopted her. They adored her. Still do. We all do. And I’ve never felt the desire to address her other than a sister. For she’s as much of a sister to me as either of my biological ones.” 

He glanced at Jacinth, who, while still focused on the ground before him and the steps he was taking, had a bright smile across his visage. Seemingly touched by his sincere considerations towards his sister. But as he returned his attention forward, Jacinth continued his questions. 

“And you said Moassim was an interesting story?”

“Moassim is,” he admitted with another chortle, prompted by his memories. “He and I were classmates during our degree education. Both in cultural studies. He was fascinated with the cultures around farming and ranching. Him being Attata, graced a thought of mine one day about the station and nearly sewed himself to me thereafter. We became good friends, and I brought him here during school break, and he sincerely never left. Ended up completing his education remotely, as he switched sponsors to my family. He fell in love with Leu’Anna — and subsequently fell in love with Ireka a couple quarturns after making this his home. Honestly, if anyone is best equipped to take over the management of the station, it will be Moassim. He would go to war for this place and the people here. As I said … some of us, we almost seem born to be where we are. And in Moassim’s case, while he was born far from Leu’Anna, whatever providence that is out there found a way to bring him here. Where he truly and always belonged.”

• • •

Tane felt the grin of pride come to him, as Jacinth leaned forward in his seat and studied the massive wall-mounted screen before him with intensity. He glanced towards his brother, Umberto, as he leaned back in the seat next to him, and also showed a grin of pride as he watched Jacinth wordlessly marvel at the screen. 

“I say this with no offense, Jacinth,” Umberto commented in an honest pitch. “But the research and development Turingi is doing in Akkad is putting Hylatee to shame. The equipment and programming we’re using isn’t even current-generation, and it provides us with more data than sometimes we can extrapolate. The updates that utilize the current inserts, not demanding we upgrade the inserts with each new release. We’re so grateful for that, we don’t mind the price increase for updates. Again, no offense, but might want to take notes and bring them back to Hylatee.” 

“Far from offense,” Jacinth commented as his eyes remained on the screen. “It’s the difference between developing for advancement and creation, as they are doing at Turingi, and the development for destruction, which Hylatee is so proficient in.”

He looked at Umberto, who pursed his lips a bit, expressing a look of unease towards Jacinth’s comment. 

But Jacinth, without taking his eyes off the screen, seemed to sense the awkward silence in the room as he smiled lightly and offered. 

“Apologies for letting my more unreserved thoughts find a voice. I’m so impressed by this, I’m speaking with little thought and bringing discomfort to the forefront.” 

“You’re fine. We’re fine,” Shosta remarked in a casual tone as she spun in the rotating office chair. “Even if it wasn’t for Tane, we’d all still perfectly understand where that comment came from. There’s a reason we can’t have commerce directly with Hylatee, which makes what you said only an example thereof. Too, there’s a reason why you have the ‘please Deo, let him take over Hylatee soon’ reputation with all the people who don’t work with Hylatee. Everyone knows what you’re about, and again, you’re fine.” 

“Thank you,” Jacinth responded with a quick look to Shosta. But as his attention returned to the screen, a look of perplexity came over him, and he asked. “I’m not clear on the data the panels around the map are showing. Can you explain this to me again from the beginning?” 

“With pleasure,” Umberto replied with a bright smile as he turned in his chair towards the main workstation and began to open and close panels as he explained. “The map you see on the screen is the whole area that makes up Leu’Anna station. All 1,000,000 hectares. We have monitors of various kinds all over the station. We can access specific layers and superimpose them when need be. We can observe the weather. We can observe rising water at some of the key crossing points in the creeks and rivers. Fence and border monitors. We even have seismic monitors for the occasional rumble near one of the ancient core columns.”

“Core columns?” Jacinth asked with surprise. “You have one on your land? And you don’t have every geologist in the world knocking on your door to study it?” 

Everyone let out a chuckle, as Jacinth’s question was one they had all experienced. He watched as Umberto chose a point on the map and zoomed in to show its location and answered. 

“Oh, no. We have a lot that come knocking. They don’t bother us as much as the ones who don’t knock. We’ve all had to confront at least one scientist not checking in with us before they start digging around and studying. The column is here, right on the southeastern border of our land, near the mountain range. It has been studied well before our great-grandfather took over the place. It’s, with certainty, a core column. Goes all the way down through the crust, the upper mantle, the solid transition zone, and into the plasma core. However, it doesn’t go all the way to the unknown core. I think they said of all the core columns, only thirty percent reach the unknown core. But as you can see from the satellite image overlay, the diagnostic landform, it has the swirl landscape pattern they all have around a column. Though we’re lucky, as seismic activity seems to be more directed further south in the high mountains, and we just get little hiccups here and there.” 

He felt his head pull back in confusion as he glanced at Jacinth and noticed the concern in his expression. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked. 

“No, not wrong,” Jacinth responded as he glanced up at him and shook his head. “Don’t mind my visage. I was just struck by the landform. I’ve seen something similar before, but not near a known core column. Something I took note of … to look into another time to sate my own curiosity. Nevertheless, back to your explanation, Umberto.” 

He felt his own bother elevate to Jacinth verbally dismissing his expression. He knew him well enough to know that Jacinth had observed something that wasn’t just based on academic curiosity. Jacinth’s face told a story that while he knew not the narrative, he could surmise it was something of importance. Something of trepidation. And most likely, something to do with Hylatee. 

But before he could consider Jacinth’s words any further, his attention was drawn back to Umberto, who continued to explain the workstation and its functions. 

“So all these dots, you see scattered on the map, are transmitter towers. All the cremorchi we raise, upon birth, are fitted with electromagnetic field frequency tags that identify, track, and most importantly, monitor each individual cremorchi. We just call them tags for short. The transmitter towers you see on the screen have a designated range, but given how far the range is, all the towers overlap at some point; therefore, not a meter of Leu’Anna goes without monitoring. The tower’s bulk read so we know where every cremorchi is at all times … lest they get off station and are out of range. So by sending out a ping, I can see where each cremorchi is, see which herd they’re with, and can even see a history of their movement from the past 12 hours. Which is good as we don’t ping them daily. But when we do, we see where they’ve been, and make an educated guess, based on their activity, where they’re headed. Which is helpful for when we go out to work with them, as they can move fast despite how big they are. Additionally, these tags are set up to … actually, Sueve, you want to explain this part to Jacinth, since you’re the most knowledgeable about it?”

“Sure,” Sueve agreed as she moved over to sit next to Umberto at the workstation. 

She adjusted herself in the chair and took over control of the controls; her voice rose with enthusiasm as she spoke. 

“All my chrem-babies, that’s what I call them … as Umberto said, are fitted with the tags. What he didn’t mention was that the tags are fitted internally, and are capable of measuring over 30 biomarkers. Too, I must agree with Umberto. The programmers at Turingi have done amazing work with what can be assessed remotely. For example, it being that time of quarturn here, I can ask the program to send out a ping to all my female chrem-babies and check for elevated concentrations of glycoproteins which tells me that they are likely pregnant. I simply have to enter the range data I’m looking for, and it will tell me within minutes. Then we can head out and test them for confirmation. Some biomarkers are even continuous and automatic, such as with blood glucose; sending out a warning ping that comes to us identifying the location of the chrem-baby. We’ve even been able to diagnose some devastating illnesses remotely, as these are the kind that spread fast and are potent. The biomarker monitoring caught it in advance and helped us quarantine the sick before it spread too far.”

“For the love of Deo, don’t breathe a word about this to your mother, or she’ll have all of you in Minu fitted with these before month’s end,” Shosta commented in a mildly sarcastic tone. 

“Shosta! Not cool,” he countered, as he was taken aback by the blunt nature of her words. 

However, before Shosta could defend them, Jacinth spoke in an assenting intonation. 

“It’s perfectly acceptable, Tane. While I’m grateful for your consideration, it’s unwarranted. I’m not offended by astute observations. Shosta said nothing that didn’t cross my mind as Sueve was explaining it. To be honest, knowing this is commercially available, I’m surprised she hasn’t considered such before. But thankfully, she’s too distracted by other matters to find another way to strip us of our inalienable rights. Deo, have mercy.” 

He nodded to Jacinth’s words, but side-eyed Shosta and gestured with his head to express his disapproval. It was a reproach that went unnoticed, as Shosta was paying him little mind and only thanked Jacinth for the affirmation. 

But before any further words on the scrutiny could be spoken, Jacinth breathed out with a chuckle and a shake of his head. 

“This operation is beyond amazing. I’m an admitted enthusiast for the effective and efficient. And this makes my brain tickle-giddy with how streamlined it is. I almost wish to write a fan letter to Turingi.”

As everyone laughed, Jacinth continued to look at the screen and shake his head in wonderment, with a bright smile of admiration on his face. But as his head tilted to the side in question, he relayed his thoughts as he asked. 

“One thing that is bewildering me is I was under the impression that cremorchi were poisonous to consume. That’s why they don’t have any natural predators. How are you circumventing that?”

“Through nature,” Sueve responded with a large grin. “You’re perfectly right, the cremorchi meat is poisonous due to a host of proteins that work together to create a toxin that is stored in the muscle and fat cells. However, our great-grandfather, who was a veterinarian that worked at the station, when they were raising basawaht, began to study the cremorchi in detail as they’re native to the area. He discovered that after a certain age, their bodies didn’t create the proteins any further. Additionally, the proteins began to break down and, by the time a cremorchi was at the end of their life cycle, they were almost completely devoid of those toxins. One of the things we monitor is age. The average life cycle for one is about 23 quarturns. Around 20 quarturns, we start monitoring them more carefully. Taking urine samples, blood samples, seeing how they’re doing. When we start to notice a decline, we bring them in to be corralled in an area just over the hill from here. Let them live out their final days sheltered, warm, and well fed. Then, when they pass from natural causes, we test and harvest the meat.” 

“I’ve never been aware of such a compassionate manner of meat processing as this. You all must be so proud of your work. You’re great-grandfather’s discoveries. It’s all commendable,” Jacinth remarked with a tone of honest respect.

“It’s compassionate, but it makes me cry. Every time. And I still can’t eat the meat as it just doesn’t feel right,” Sueve reflected in a sad pitch and appearance. 

But as her expression lifted, she bounced from her chair and offered with a chuckle to her voice.

“I think it’s time we ruin the meat for you, too. Let’s go see the chrem-babies!”

​

• • •

“Dear Deo! I didn’t realize the cremorchi were enormous!” Jacinth exclaimed with a near shout. “I’ve seen pictures, of course, but nothing in the way that properly delineated their size.”  

Tane felt himself laugh energetically, as it was a statement that he could empathize with. For while he had literally grown up around the cremorchi, it was still a surprise to see them after a prolonged absence. And indeed, their size was something of a marvel. 

“They’re so tall, even while being a quadruped. Can they rise on their hind legs alone?” Jacinth asked with excited interest. 

“They can,” Sueve responded. “They sometimes will do so to reach foliage on trees. Or to push the trees over.” 

He and Jacinth, while they closely followed Sueve, Shosta, and Umberto, approached the large holding pen as Jacinth asked with a hint of wariness in his voice. 

“Apologies for my ignorance, prompting so many questions, but are they aggressive?” 

“Aggressively adorable!” Sueve answered with a tease to her voice as she opened the walking gate and gestured. “Come on. Let me introduce you to some of the babies.” 

He looked at Jacinth, who turned to him and raised his eyebrows in question. One he answered with an encouraging nod, as he, Shosta, and Umberto leaned into the corral fence, all enjoying seeing a novice to their world. 

As Jacinth followed into the pen gingerly, Sueve took the moment to answer the question that was put forth. 

“They are formidable in size. On average, 180 centimetres at the neck, 195 centimeters at the hump, and 335 centimeters long. All that with over 2,700 kilograms of mass on them, most people retreat when they get close. But they are pretty easy-going. Without any true natural predators, they don’t have a strong fight-or-flight reflex. Their shoveled-shaped nose can look to some like it’s used for a weapon; but in reality, it’s to help dig for roots during winter months. Honestly, the only time you’ll ever see them grumpy is when there is a food scarcity. They’re herbivores. And if they come into an area of lack, there is some pushing and shoving for the resources.”

He again chuckled to himself, as while Sueve was full in the pen, walking and talking, Jacinth was keeping his back close to the fence. But as a small bounce of startle came from Jacinth, he felt a more vigorous laugh come forward when Jacinth groaned with apprehension. 

“Oh dear Deo, I made eye contact.” 

His laugh continued as one of the cremorchi, whose attention was garnered by Jacinth, approached with a happy trot. 

It was the movement that prompted Jacinth to recoil by reflex. Which caused him to lose his footing and fall to his backside. And with that fall, made everyone gasp vocally with genuine concern and spurred rapid responses from Sueve and Shosta.

Sueve quickly moved between Jacinth and the cremorchi while Shosta stepped onto a stud of the fence, and leaned over far enough to grab Jacinth by the back of his collar, pulling him quickly to a stand. 

As he let out a breath of relief, he looked at Jacinth, who seemed perplexed by the tone shift, and everyone being so quick to jump into action. 

“I believe ‘thank yous’ are in order,” Jacinth spoke as he brushed his pants off briefly. “But unclear what just transpired.” 

“Oh, you just gave us a scare,” Sueve responded as she pet the cremorchi on the nose and moved towards its neck. She put her full arms around the neck and squeezed as she clarified further. “They really are just social babies who just don’t understand how big they are. If they see you sitting, they will come at you and try to sit in your lap and needless to say, if they get anything beyond their head in your lap, their weight will break bones. They don’t mean to hurt; they just want to cuddle … don’t you, you big softy.” 

He chuckled at Sueve’s description, though his heart was still firmly in his throat, as he too was aware of what could have unfolded. But as he tried to relax, he brought into himself a deep breath as he suggested. 

“You can go over and meet him now. His tail is saying he’s excited to see you.” 

Jacinth nodded and moved to where Sueve and the cremorchi stood. 

“Come, give him an ear scratch, and you’ll make a best friend,” Sueve encouraged with a voice that imitated child-like cadence.

As Jacinth approached the cremorchi with unease, he reached out a lightly shaking hand and rubbed behind its upright ear. 

“The skin is so textured,” Jacinth observed with surprise. “I wasn’t expecting that as their coloring conveys a more flat matte surface. Too, most photos I’ve seen, they have a much more saturated red/brown color. All the ones in here look almost faded.” 

“That’s because of both age and the decline of toxins in the body. The toxins affect the coloring to an extent. Illustrating to would-be scavengers to stay clear,” Sueve clarified. 

“Awww,” everyone gushed in unison as the cremorchi’s eyes closed with pleasure and it leaned its head into Jacinth’s chest with affection, jogging him off balance. 

“Not blowing smoke,” Sueve prefaced her remark as she explained. “But it’s so rare for them to show this much affinity towards someone on first meeting. This lean you’re feeling, it’s a behavior only seen when rapport is formed. Almost never this fast. This baby is trying to bond with you.” 

He felt his smile soften as Jacinth appeared touched by the information. It was a detail that encouraged him to engage the cremorchi further as he wrapped his arm under the chin and rubbed while he leaned his head against the cremorchi’s temporal crest. 

It was an action that was met with a vocal coo from the cremorchi; one indicating it was very happy, as it rubbed the side of its head up and down Jacinth’s torso. 

“Oh! They vocalize,” Jacinth commented in a soft wonder. 

“They do,” Sueve confirmed as she stepped back from the cremorchi, allowing it and Jacinth to interact without her presence. 

He couldn’t help but feel a slight anxiety to Sueve’s movements; he felt that Jacinth was still uninitiated and could potentially be injured with an unpredictable action. But his anxiety was pushed aside, as Jacinth raised his head and admitted to Sueve. 

“Mission accomplished. You’ve ruined the meat for me.”

As they all chuckled at Jacinth’s words, it was a short-lived one, as he felt himself inhale sharply; the cremorchi adjusted its head with a quick movement, startling him. But the movement was not one of sincere danger, as the cremorchi proceeded to lick Jacinth with its large tongue from waist to ear. 

He emoted by reflex with an “ewww,” followed by a boisterous laugh, as the lick covered Jacinth in a slobber that was thick and viscous, causing strings to pull and further dribble as the cremorchi turned and moved away with the affectionate goodbye.

“Oh Deo!” Jacinth exclaimed as he, guided by Sueve, stepped back to accommodate the cremorchi’s turn and leave. “Oh. Oh no. Oh Deo, it’s so sticky!”

As the laugh from everyone only continued to increase, it was joined by Jacinth, who was guffawing so hard at the predicament, it made his eyes squint into the crescent shapes of joy. 

It was an expression that caught him off guard. For while he was appreciating the moment, observing Jacinth laugh with such exuberance, it was a telling contrast of the sorrow Jacinth carried with him on the daily. 

“Come on, will get you cleaned up,” Sueve assured as she continued to guide Jacinth out of the pen through the walking gate. “Follow us up to the house. Mother and Father are probably back by now, anyway.” 

“You okay?” he asked as he approached Jacinth, his voice still letting out the residual cackle. 

“I’m apparently adored. That is how I’m going to conciliate this and make it okay for the present,” Jacinth responded with a grimaced chuckle. 

They both turned and ascended the hill to follow his siblings, who were still giggling. He couldn’t help but acknowledge the thorough happiness he had noticed on Jacinth. 

“Have to say, you looked to be in your bliss just now,” he remarked. 

“Tane,” Jacinth responded with a happy sigh. “I was. I’ve decided these next couple of days will be for accumulating and caching as much felicity as I can. Because I believe this may be one of my last chances to enjoy for a good while. I will need these moments, these memories, to carry me through what is coming.”

• • •

“Jacinth, you are to sit next to me. Tane, sit across from me, next to your father,” his mother, Tharma, instructed as looked for a gap in the long table. 

As he found one, he side-stepped his way through it as he marveled with excitement at what was unfolding. 

Not long after returning to the house, his mother and father had arrived from their errands in a local town. He was naturally confronted for not warning them of his visit. But such playful scoldings were far overshadowed by gratitude and affection towards his presence. Emotions and actions that were extended to Jacinth, as his parents were quick to bring him into energetic hugs and extensive doting. 

However, a simple visit would not do as his mother decided to throw together a station meal in celebration. Inviting all the employees and their families to open-air-dine at the main house on the veranda so everyone could see him. 

It was an endeavor that sent everyone into a frenzy of preparation, as tables had to be set and food had to be prepared for the nearly hundred people who had accepted the invitation. Though, with so many people helping, including himself and Jacinth, it took only a handful of hours and they were all taking their places for the station meal. 

As he took his spot, he looked around and found a serenity strike him. The portable tables, lined in two rows to accommodate everyone, covered with well-used white linens. The house plates in their simple white to — as his mother had said when she purchased them — showcase the colors and textures of the food. Along with the plates, a miscellany of serving platters in varying colors and sizes from both the main house kitchen and what was brought by people to add to the celebration, dotted the tables with aromas that enticed all the taste sensors. This paired with a multitude of glasses ready to receive everything from water to wines. All illuminated not just by the lowering sun, but with candles that gave the large gathering a more intimate feel. 

It was at the moment he found it imperative to swallow. Not just from the biological need, but to repress the welling of happiness that was flooding through him with such intensity, it was pushing the floods to the corner of his eyes.

He felt a flash of relief as his father took the seat next to him and patted him on the back with endearment. A physical action that helped temper his emotions as he turned his attention to his mother as she sat next to Jacinth and spoke. 

“I understand you won’t be having any of our farmed meat with us.”

“Correct. I’ll have to decline,” Jacinth affirmed. “After today’s meeting with the ‘babies,’ despite knowing the natural way in which it’s processed, I wholly empathize with Sueve’s point of view.” 

“And your wishes will be respected, dear,” Tharma assured Jacinth in an uplifting pitch. “We have some fish-based dishes, locally sourced from a lake just south of us. Plenty of plant-based protein dishes. Nearly everything you can think of. The only requirement is you’re not to leave this table until you’re giddy satiated.” 

“I believe I can happily oblige that request,” Jacinth responded with a nod and a grin. 

But before any further words could be shared, Tharma and Sibeli stood in unison from their seats as Sibeli struck his utensil against a glass, garnering everyone’s attention. Tharma looked around at everyone with a bright smile as she spoke. 

“Welcome all. Let me start by saying thank you to all who helped make this meal possible on such short notice. It warms my heart that you all would do this to help celebrate a surprise visit from Tane. Because while many of you are acquainted with him, you weren’t required to participate in something that means more to me than it does to you. And yet, you are here. No matter what your contribution, it’s another example of the quality of people who have assembled on this station. People from all groups, backgrounds, and exposures, coming together to experience community. I honor you all and the gratitude you inspire in me.”

As soft gushes of appreciation were heard up and down the table, they dispersed gently as Sibei lifted his cup and spoke. 

“I raise my glass to family. To fellowship. To blessings in all forms. And to futures that are abundant in all of these for each of us.” 

He raised his glass and again felt the need to swallow his washing emotions. Only this time, it wasn’t just happiness that was fueling his sentiments. It was accompanied by something more unfortunate. A thought that informed him he would be wise to follow Jacinth’s lead at this time. To absorb and hold the happy moments close, as they would be hard to come by in the near future. 

It was a realization that dispersed to the back of his mind, as everyone vocally concurred with the heartfelt salute, which quickly gave way to voices erupting with excitement as the night’s festivities began. It was going to be a night he would hold and cherish for many solar years to come. ​​