Earthseed

green specks among the yellow grass; wolves and bears and wild cats, brought here as embryos, were maturing beyond the settlement, preying upon rabbits and deer. It was too soon to tell if the rodents and insects would retain their niche or gradually disappear.
    The settlement had begun to stir. Young horses whinnied in the corral near the fields. Tonio and Gowon waved at her as they herded the cattle from their stalls toward the lake. The cattle gained some nourishment from the yellow grass, but the young people had learned quickly that other foods were needed if the cattle were to thrive, and they had already begun to grow corn, grains, and greener grass for their feed. Their sheep did better on the yellow grass, but still required supplements.
    Chickens clucked at her as she passed the henhouse. She stopped next to the pigpens, turned toward the fields of grain, and gazed at the domes just beyond them. Aleksandr and his group lived on the other side of the fields; the distrust many of the younger people had felt toward them had faded to caution and a guarded friendliness.
    Serena and Jennifer were coming toward her. Zoheret greeted them, noting with some disappointment the frowns on their faces. No one ever seemed to come to her just to talk, or to relax, only to issue a complaint. She understood why Lillka had so happily surrendered her leadership.
    Zoheret was the leader now. She had refused the post back in the Hollow and had refused it again after they had begun to erect their domes. By their third meeting, it had become clear that both Tonio and Ho were aspiring to the position; Lillka had given it up, knowing that too many had lost confidence in her, and Brendan did not have enough supporters. The group would have split into factions if Zoheret had not given in; she had then appointed a board to advise her and to soothe those who might feel left out. Lillka had told her a story afterward of ancient Earth, of a man offered a crown and refusing it, then accepting it, only to be struck down by those who had given it to him. It had not been the sort of story Zoheret had wanted to hear.
    “We have a complaint,” Serena said.
    Zoheret sighed. “The board meets tomorrow. We’ll hear it then, at the regular meeting.”
    “Daniella’s not doing her share again,” Jennifer said in her halting speech. There was now only a trace of hesitation in her words, and she looked stronger; the tiny implants Ship had placed near her spine had aided the girl. “She’s always—”
    “Tomorrow.” Zoheret waved a hand.
    “Just make sure we’re heard,” Serena said. “We have to settle this. We want her out of our dome, too.”
    “Tomorrow, I promise.”
    “Today’s a big day, so just don’t forget during all the excitement.”
    “I won’t forget.”
    The two walked away. Zoheret thrust her hands into her pockets, glancing only fleetingly at her artificial arm. It looked like her own arm, until one came too close and saw the hairless skin, the too-regular fingers. Except for an occasional ache, she rarely noticed it now; Ship had done a good job. But even the regenerated nerves had not restored all the feeling there, and she still dropped things when not concentrating on her tasks.
    She stopped in front of the dome that Anoki shared with five others. As she gazed up at his window, Bonnie tapped on the pane, then pushed the window open. “Zoheret? Wait, I’ll be right down.”
    Zoheret waited. Her cheeks burned as she remembered how she had planned to speak to Anoki about living with her; he had told her that he was going to live with Bonnie before she had had a chance to speak. But she had wanted someone only to keep her from being lonely; Bonnie had wanted Anoki for himself.
    Bonnie came out, carrying a basket, and led Zoheret away from the door. “I have a problem,” Bonnie said, and Zoheret felt disappointed again.
    “The meeting’s tomorrow.”
    “I don’t want to bring it up there. Anyway, I don’t want Anoki to know I told you. It’s Owen. He keeps trying to pick fights.”
    “I know.”
    “You don’t know that he finally got Anoki mad enough to fight him. They went up the hill last night. Owen beat him pretty badly. I finally got the truth out of Anoki. He told me not to say anything about it.”
    “If he can’t settle it by himself,” Zoheret said, “then tell him to make a complaint.”
    “I did, but he won’t.” Bonnie shifted her basket. “I don’t think it’s going to end until