Botanicaust

vote? ”
    Everyone rose , women and men.
    “ Who is in favor of allowing the Blattvolk to stay and learn the ways of Christ? ”
    The room vibrated with “ aye. ”
    “ Who would see them cast to the dogs or beyond the gate? ”
    A few called “ aye, ” but not as many.
    The bishop sighed. “ We are not in unity, then. Let us adjourn until tomorrow evening, after we have had time to pray. Let not idle gossip sway your decisions, but seek Gotte ’ s Wille with a true and clean heart. ”
    The congregation gathered hats and headed toward the doors. Many Brothers and Sisters met Levi ’ s gaze and nodded. The decision wasn ’ t made, but his heart was filled with hope.

H aldanian Protectorate
    Vitus leaned against the nuvoplast wall outside the Liebert Building to catch his breath. Sunrise painted long shadows along the streets, and the morning air pressed cool against his clammy skin. I should have ordered a skimmer . He filled his lungs and pressed on toward the duster hangar.
    Last night, Burn Ops had located an industrialized settlement northeast of the river. That had to be where Tula had gone, and he wanted to be there when they flashed the place. The Fosselites wanted Tula alive — to administer justice, they said, but Vitus wasn ’ t so sure. More and more he ’ d come to believe Kaneka had given her the longevity treatments, and they wanted the technology back.
    Not if he got there first.
    Rice still claimed she couldn ’ t access the data in Kaneka ’ s files, and Vitus ’ s treatments had ceased days ago. His blood samples showed the telomerase fungi were doing their job, but his own body had turned against him; his T-cells had gone rogue, attacking not only his chloroplasts but also his other cells as foreign objects. He ’ d been born with chloroplasts! The ripening had been bad enough. Now, he itched and ached and his eyes had become bloody and sensitive.
    He needed Tula more than the Fosselites did, and he intended to be there when Burn Ops found her. He ’ d even put up a reward to assure they would bring Tula to him before releasing her to the Fosselites. The need to take her alive soured his stomach. He ’ d have loved to see her burn.
    At the hangar, a duster was preparing for takeoff. He ’ d requisitioned his treatment team to accompany him, in case Tula needed their attention when they found her. The men met him on the tarmac, carrying medical cases. Jules put a hand on his elbow to help him and Vitus shrugged him off. “ Get in the duster, ” he growled.
    As he attempted to hoist himself into the vehicle, he regretted refusing the man ’ s help. His beads tangled on the door latch and he fumbled to free it, nearly toppling back onto the pavement. Heart racing from the exertion, he regained his balance and his dignity, and said, “ Pilot, take us up immed — ” He stuttered to a halt at the sight of Tula ’ s mongrel boyfriend. “ I thought you ’ d been removed from burn duty. ”
    The Burn Supervisor huffed up into the cabin to address Vitus. “ Sir, this is only scheduled as a QC run. ”
    Vitus curled his lip and turned to the pilot. “ Not anymore. Clear for lift. ” He plopped down in the seat behind the pilot and rearranged his tangled necklaces.

    The Holdout
    Tula woke to a strange chorus of chirping. She rose and padded to the window to investigate. Amidst the tree branches spreading up and over the house, small birds rustled the sparse, yellowing leaves. She leaned over the sill, chest swelling in the fresh morning air.
    The rest of the house lay hushed in sleep. Eily remained curled beneath a wool blanket on the floor beneath the sofa. Tula wondered how the meeting had gone. Long into the night she ’ d waited, finally falling into an exhausted slumber before Levi and the others returned.
    Thankfully, she and Eily hadn ’ t been chased from their beds. Straightening her dress, she entered the kitchen in time to meet Samuel, dressed and ready for work. He nodded once and departed through the back door. From upstairs she heard footsteps as others readied for their day.
    In one of the cupboards, she located a ceramic mug and filled it with water from the tap. The kitchen was so strange and yet familiar at the same time. Next to the stove rested a bowl of brown eggs and a wooden breadbox. Pots and pans hung from hooks along the wall to the pantry. On the table a black leather book sat at the head, and Tula ran her fingers over the cover. The Holy Bible.