“Not just survive.” She motioned to the garden. “Thrive.”
He nodded. “We don’t need generators to rid the ship of excess carbon dioxide and provide us with the oxygen we need. The trees and other plants do that for us. They also provide us with more than enough food. Spices, too. And even clean and recycle our wastewater.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “What?”
He motioned behind them. “All of our wastewater is pumped into the park’s far end as groundwater. As it makes its way toward this end, the roots of the plants absorb nutrients from it and remove anything harmful, purifying it naturally and even more efficiently than the recycling processors found on most warships. By the time it reaches the lake we swim in and the streams that feed the garden’s irrigation system, it’s clean. The excess is then carried through a simple filter into storage tanks to be used again.”
“That’s incredible. So you literally have your own self-sustaining ecosystem?”
“Yes.”
“I am so freaking impressed.” She started forward once more, tugging him after her. “Tell me more about your garden and what some of these vegetables and fruits are. That one looks almost like corn with some kind of bean vine growing up its stalk.”
Janwar named the different plants, beginning with the reladi she called corn. Reluctantly releasing her hand, he broke off one of the round vegetables and peeled back the husk to show her the yellow interior. “We use reladi in many dishes, but it’s also used to make my favorite snack: jarumi nuggets.”
She grinned. “Eliana mentioned those. Either her or Adaos.”
“They’re addictive. I admit I used my piratical resources to acquire the recipe.”
“So you make all of your food?”
He shrugged. “Much of it. We buy special treats when we visit planets or docking ports. And I have our favorite restaurant prepare meals in bulk that we freeze and can reheat whenever none of us feel like cooking. But the park provides everything else.” He started down the row. “Here’s something I think you’ll particularly enjoy.”
Simone hissed suddenly.
Spinning around, Janwar found her staring down at her arm. It looked like she was in pain. “What’s wrong?” He strode toward her. “Did one of the nehpits sting you?” A number of the plump little insects buzzed around, busily collecting nectar and pollinating the plants. Usually, they paid Janwar and the others no heed.
She glanced up at him as he reached her, her face full of dismay.
“Simone?”
Spinning around, she ran back to the forest.
Janwar dropped the reladi and jogged after her. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
She stopped a few strides into the trees with her back to him.
“Simone?” He halted behind her.
Lowering her head, she shook it slowly. The hands at her sides curled into fists, increasing his concern. Then she turned to face him.
His heart sank. The pale skin of her face was now a livid pink. When she held her arms out for his inspection, they too were pink and appeared burned.
“What happened?” Trying to hide his alarm, he gingerly clasped her fingers and studied her angry flesh. “Were you stung?”
“No.”
“Is this some kind of allergic reaction to the reladi?” How could that be? She’d eaten meals that contained reladi several times without suffering any reaction to them.
“It’s an allergic reaction,” she confirmed, her voice a little thick, “but not from the reladi.” Was she on the brink of tears, or was her throat swelling from the allergic reaction?
Janwar’s concern escalated. “We need to get you to Med Bay.”
Shaking her head, she didn’t move when he tried to urge her back down the shaded path. “Med Bay can’t help me, Janwar.”
The resignation in her tone halted him. “I don’t understand.”
She nodded at the garden behind them. “You said the plants provide you with everything you need. You provide them with everything they need, too, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Where was she going with this?
“Including simulated sunlight?”
“Yes.”
She stared past him at the garden, her expression wistful. “I was so entranced by the beauty of it all that I forgot for a moment…” She shrugged and sent him a sad smile. “I simply forgot.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The peculiar virus that infects me…”
“The one the Gathendiens genetically engineered?”
She nodded. “Another downside of it is photosensitivity.”
He stared at her. The Tangata’s corridors were well lit, as was the training room and every other he’d shown her on the tour. “All light doesn’t harm you.”
“No. But sunlight does.”
And he’d just led her into simulated sunlight.
“If I’d lingered longer than I did, my skin would’ve blistered.”
Janwar bit back a curse. “Apologies. Many apologies.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t know.” Again her gaze drifted past him. “And I should’ve realized that all these plants would need more than standard artificial light. It was my mistake.”
His heart clenched at the regret reflected in her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to Med Bay?”
“Yes. It’s just a sunburn. It’ll fade quickly as long as I stay in the shade.” She turned and headed back up the path.
Silence engulfed them as he followed.
His was rife with self-recrimination. Hers carried a palpable sadness.
“You have to avoid sunlight completely?” he asked softly.
She nodded, her eyes on her boots. “On Earth, I only ventured out at night. My brethren, too. No amount of sunscreen applied to our skin could prevent the inevitable reaction.” She shrugged. “It’s one of the things I loved so much about being on the Kandovar.” She cast him a smile that lacked its usual hint of amusement. “And here on the Tangata. For the first time in many years, I could keep the same schedule as everyone else—sleeping at night and going about during the day—and feel… normal.”
Then he’d dangled sunlight in front of her and yanked that normalcy away.
Though Simone still seemed to find pleasure in the forest and its inhabitants as they meandered through the trees, disappointment had leeched some of the joy from her.
“I don’t know why you’d want to be normal,” Janwar mentioned casually. When she glanced up at him uncertainly, he arched a brow. “Normal is boring. If anything, I’d think you’d want to be more like me.”
Her lips twitched as some of the darkness left her countenance. “And you are?”
Turning his head to face the path ahead, he tilted his chin up and looked down his nose at her. “Magnificent,” he announced haughtily.
She laughed.
Pleased to have made her smile again, he held out his hand.
Simone didn’t hesitate to take it, twining her small fingers through his as they continued their stroll.
CHAPTER EIGHT
They reached Promeii 7 five days later.