Transplant (26 page)
As the years rolled by, the new generations had to move further into the forest, but this posed a problem.
The deeper into the forest they went, the darker it got at ground level, so there was a natural limit to the degree of penetration that was viable, until some bright spark suggested an alternative, that they move up into the levels just below the canopy.
The trees deeper in the forest were truly giants, and the massive branches which linked each tree to its neighbour made a very efficient highway for the new forest dwellers to travel on. Any threatening predators were quickly despatched and each new enclave kept in communication with its neighbours via the linking branches.
They didn’t have it all their own way. The forest was developing its own brand of life forms, and these migrated hither and thither as space and food supplies dictated, and occasionally there were clashes and casualties on both sides, but usually the humans won.
As each new generation matured, and the strongest members took up the senior positions in each group, the racial memory of their beginnings began to fade as survival necessities became of prime importance, only a few dedicated people passed on the old stories down to the next generation, and that was only to those who were interested.
The metal cutting blades so painstakingly wrought by Arki so long ago, began to wear out and eventually became useless, odd pieces of metal were found but the method of converting them into useful devices was long forgotten, and the finds became objects of mysticism, adding to the tales told by the elderly of bygone ages to entertain the young or anyone else who would listen.
The radiation detector lasted for a very long time, but what it detected and the significance of its signals were forgotten long before the solar powered regeneration and power storage system failed, which was a pity, as several groups wandered into areas of high radiation and subsequently suffered massive radiation burns and genetic damage, which led to their demise.
Any form of clothing had been discarded long ago, as the temperate climate suited the unclad figure, and was less restrictive of movement.
A few artefacts survived and were added to by finds from the old ruins of the pre destruction period, but their uses were beyond the comprehension of those who found them, and generally they were relegated to the safe keeping of the Story Tellers, which most groups seemed to have acquired.
The Story Tellers performed a useful service to the groups, as they studied the use of herbs and other useful gifts of the forest for the treatment of ailments and accidents, worked out methods of combating the more deadly invaders of a group’s area, and generally kept an eye on the mores of their enclaves.
The forest grew and gradually took over most of the land masses, new species appeared from time to time adding to the continual diversity of life on Earth, and a kind of stability was achieved.
Nature, for want of a better word, rested for a while, allowing her new creations to find their own niches in the rich panoply of life which now pervaded the shattered remains of what so-called civilized man had wrought upon the Earth, and although it would never be the same as before, it was surviving well, despite the differences.
As always, she would take her time before the next great thrust forward to populate the universe with sentient beings, whatever form they might take.
But generally speaking, those which survived the best seemed to be equipped with two arms, two legs, a trunk and a head, although what went on in the head was not always as predictable or reasonable as she might have hoped for.
Nature had one invaluable thing in her favour, time, and there was plenty of that.
* * *
D. B. Reynolds-Moreton
from sci-fi-cafe.com
from sci-fi-cafe.com
William L.K
SPECIAL EDITION: Includes two bonus short stories
A man finds himself floating offshore looking back at a destroyed city. He has no memory of what happened, what his name is, who he is. The few survivors he meets also share the same memory loss. Confused, they travel the one undamaged road towards the truth, guided only by The Voice.
William L.K
The Stritonoly Chronicles: Book one.
Dmitri, son of the Czar of Stritonoly, driven insane by the forbidden poison of the slave-race Acidel sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events.
A terrifying and eternal force stalks the forest nearby as a storm of epic proportions gathers over the Citadel.
William L.K
The Stritonoly Chronicles: Book two.
Continuing six years in the wake of the night of treachery and the greatest storm Stritonoly has ever seen.
Princess Becki has grown in these years. She learns that her powers over the men that hold her captive may bring her what she has been waiting for, and more.
As the story unfolds Barok discovers a terrifying truth about himself.
William L.K
The Stritonoly Chronicles: Book three.
The explosive finale to the Stritonoly Chronicles series.
The prize of ultimate power on Stritonoly is at stake as Strito with Princess Becki at his side lays siege to the citadel.
Barok emerges, transformed again and returns to the Citadel to make amends to his wife and to the Acidel - but their very existence hangs in the balance as Gunther unveils his terrible plan to destroy Strito's army.
DDD Bryenton
The Alter Inferno Complex: Book One.
The human race tore itself apart during the Age of Judgment... We unleashed enough firepower to vaporize whole nations, poisoning the Earth and grinding civilization down.
Then came word of the Last City. A new Elysium welded together from the carcass of our old technology. A place ruled by a god-machine named Kronos, Guardian Engine of Humanity..
DDD Bryenton
The Alter Inferno Complex: Book Two.
In the depths of the inferno, suffering and survival are one and the same... So when a renegade xenotech finds the means to end a war of utter genocide, the fate of one planet means nothing.
Too bad it's ours.
If you're a fan of Gibson or Banks then this is for you.
DDD Bryenton
