Botanicaust

instinct, Tula tacked on a scientific justification. “ The altruistic behavior was unusual. And he arrived with a primitive notebook full of drawings of what appeared to be a stable community. I was assigned to study him and find out if there were more Outsiders like him. ”
    The doctor turned back to her work. “ I see. And the Haldanians believed his people might have something to offer? ”
    “ A group of peaceful Outsiders, people who could still live off the land, would be a valuable asset. ”
    “ That they would. ” The doctor pulled the cattail wrap from Levi ’ s wounded arm.
    Tula leaned closer. How could they see in the watery illumination from the ceiling? “ Don ’ t you need a light? Fiber optics would be easy to run in here. You could channel full spectrum sunlight. ”
    “ Unfortunately, we have severe skin sensitivity to solar radiation. This is why your friend must bring his son here for our help. We cannot risk exposing ourselves to ultraviolet or other potentially damaging activity. One of the side effects of the longevity enzymes, I ’ m afraid. ”
    “ Are there a lot of side effects? ” Tula thought of the red eyes.
    “ There are always costs when man alters nature — his own or the world around him. Rosalee is the perfect example of the price for our longevity. Our bodies can be maintained, but our brains deteriorate. Telomerase is ineffective on brain cells. ” Rice used a toe to open a bio-waste disposal unit and tossed the cattail fibers inside.
    “ Oh, how awful! ” Tula knitted her brow. “ Are many of you effected? You and Dr. Kaneka seem fine. ”
    Dr. Rice stiffened. “ Oh. We ’ re working on some secondary enzymes. But our supply is … unsteady. ” She peeled back the leaf compress. “ Ugh. Look at these Mgunga leaves. What an invention. ”
    Tula watched the poultice as Rice tossed it away. “ We call it yuvee. It predicts incoming ultraviolet surges. ”
    “ Yes, yes, the fluorescence is a useful byproduct if you spend any time outside, I suppose. ” Dr. Rice cinched Levi to the chair and rotated him to access his shoulder. “ The Mgunga tree was engineered to fix nitrogen levels in cropland. Do-gooders trying to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Planted it all over the Midwest. The original species was from Africa, and lived on no precipitation. But give it a little rainfall and it explodes. Couldn ’ t get rid of it once it settled in. And the amarantox loves it. ”
    “ I was actually surprised by the variety of plants growing Outside . And the animals! I ’ d been led to believe nothing was left from before the Botanicaust. ”
    Dr. Rice cut the binding on Levi ’ s chest and shook her head. “ Nothing like before. I was married to a botanist before the Botanicaust. He was on the Amaranthine Team. The one that lost control of the amarantox. ”
    Tula ’ s mind reeled. In school she ’ d learned the Botanicaust had been caused by climate change, in spite of scientists ’ best efforts. Amarantox had simply filled a gap. “ The amarantox was created on purpose? ”
    “ Not exactly. The plant was supposed to help us live forever. It has naturally high levels of a unique tocotrienol, which researchers attempted to enhance. They didn ’ t realize they ’ d also increased the plant ’ s defensive chemicals. It secretes compounds into the soil to keep competing plants from sprouting. When the drought hit, the amarantox took over and cross-bred with all the native amaranth, spreading the toxic genome throughout the continent. Crops couldn ’ t compete. The weed shrugged off targeted herbicides, and farmers resorted to broad-spectrum sprays, which only helped kill off the competition. ”
    “ Why not burn the fields? We keep the plants down that way. ”
    Laughing, the doctor said, “ Ah, mankind never changes. Where do you think the name Botanicaust comes from? Burning was no better than herbicides. Without vegetation to hold the soil in place, the land became a dustbowl. Until the amarantox moved back in. Needless to say, my husband was fired. ” Dr. Rice set the diagnostic chair on autosurgeon to cleanse Levi ’ s exposed wounds then looked up. A quiver raced through Tula as she met the doctor ’ s blood red stare. “ Your turn. ”

H aldanian Protectorate
    Under the fiber-optic light above his desk, Vitus held out a wrist to admire the lapis bracelet and matching ring — a gift from the new psychiatric intern who wanted to make