"James Van Pelt - Lashawnda at the End" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pelt James Van)

wasnтАЩt dead yet. I wondered if it knew what was happening.

тАЬDonтАЩt you see whatтАЩs interesting?тАЭ She pushed the plants back even farther. тАЬThis is important.тАЭ

тАЬWhat am I missing?тАЭ

She smiled. Even through her faceplate I could tell that she found this exciting. тАЬThe gopher-rat should be
dead. If the plants grabbed him just for his water, heтАЩd be nothing but bones now, but heтАЩs still living.
Obviously something else is going on. ThereтАЩs lumps like this one all through the forest. I dissected one.
Without a thorough analysis, I canтАЩt tell for sure, but it looks like the plant absorbs everything except the
gopher-ratтАЩs nervous system. ItтАЩs symbiotic.тАЭ
The leaves seemed to tighten a little around the gopher-rat. We stood in the middle of the forest. I
couldnтАЩt see anything but the treesтАЩ tall stems and the sticky leaves that covered most of the ground. The
sun had dropped lower in the sky so I couldnтАЩt find it through the trees, although their tops glowed
orange and yellow in the slanting light. Even through the suit, I could feel that it was growing cold. тАЬIt
doesnтАЩt look like an equal relationship to me.тАЭ

тАЬMaybe not, but itтАЩs an interesting direction for the ecology to take, donтАЩt you think?тАЭ
***


тАЬWhy would a plant want a nervous system?тАЭ I said. WeтАЩd turned the lights out an hour earlier. My arm
was draped over LashawndaтАЩs shoulder, and her bare back pressed warmly against my chest. I didnтАЩt
want to let her go. Even though my side ached to change position, I wanted to savor every second. I
wondered if she sensed my grief.

тАЬNo reason that I can think of,тАЭ she said. Her fingers were wrapped around my wrist, and her heart beat
steadily against my own. тАЬBut it must have something to do with its survival. ThereтАЩs an evolutionary
advantage.тАЭ

For a long time, I didnтАЩt speak. She was so solid and real andliving . How could her life be threatened?
How could it be that she could be here today and not forever? She breathed deeply. I thought she might
have gone to sleep, but she suddenly twisted from my embrace, cursing under her breath.

тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter?тАЭ I said.

She sat up. In the dark I couldnтАЩt see, but I could feel her beside me. Her muscles tensed.

тАЬA little discomfort,тАЭ she said.

тАЬWhat did the medic prescribe?тАЭ

тАЬNothing thatтАЩs doing any good.тАЭ

She coughed heavily for a few seconds, and I could tell she was stretching, like she was trying to rid
herself of a cramp. тАЬIтАЩm going down to the lab. IтАЩm not sleeping well anyway.тАЭ She rested her hand
against my face for an instant before climbing out of bed.

After an hour of tossing and turning, I got up and did what IтАЩd never done before: accessed LashawndaтАЩs
medical reports. After reading for a bit I could see sheтАЩd been optimistic. There were a lot less than a