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The vibrant colors of the Akikonian sunset were fading into the nascent night. The summer had been sunny and dry, the perfect kind of weather for a good harvest of red grapes. The continent was fertile and brimming with potential for anyone involved in farming. Yet, for her, the biggest gamble was only beginning. She was preparing to make wine in a world where the bacteria in the soil and air differed from those on Earth.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uQMQUaoDg
Scratching her right cheek absentmindedly, Megumi took a seat on a wooden stool in front of the fermentation tanks’ platform, looking at the monitoring display. The temperature inside was about 23 degrees Celsius, optimal for red wine production. The right amount of cultured yeast had been added, and everything appeared to be within norms. Now she had to wait about eight days to see the first results when the primary fermentation ended.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIB4gUTFOA
Megumi trusted the traditional methods more than modern technology, although she tried to make the best of both. Her farm used a computerized system to supervise the fermentation process. Nonetheless, her tanks were not steel containers but large open vats made of the best oak wood she could find. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMquY98hLC
Climbing onto the processing platform, she did a final visual check of the tanks. Each vessel contained a dark liquid covered by a thin crust of grape skins. It looked promising and had a pleasant fragrance. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WVoYGRU8K
A few more months and the investment might pay off, the woman thought. Or it might not. However, she quickly suppressed the unpleasant image. Better stay positive. A small business on a rural planet could become something big by next year. Many people were going to spend handsome amounts of money on a beverage not chemically synthesized. A drink from natural ingredients will always have a superior taste. Of course, some farmers were already making beer and saké, but the wine would be something new, something refined. And she would have the advantage of being the first to put it on sale.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeNqY1y9Q9
Megumi inhaled the sweet scent of the fermenting must, then climbed down from the platform and returned to the middle of the hall. She pressed the tiny badge from her chest and called out: 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPKjfiTzj6
“Porto, come here!”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvr1pcz2uCj
Five or six seconds later, a vaguely humanoid shape appeared from the yard, sliding noiselessly on three thin wheels.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NEg9Drnzn
“Yes, ma’am! What are your orders?”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtjQwZdKCx
“Supervise the fermentation process overnight. Check the indicators and look inside the tanks once an hour. Wake me up if anything out of the ordinary happens.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1B39U4iIEF
“Yes, ma’am. I will check the tanks every hour until you come back. If anything unusual happens, I will wake you up.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvuTEvME6u
The robots on Akikonia were rather primitive. You had to give them clear instructions and then listen patiently as they repeated them. It was the only way to ensure they did exactly what you wanted. Still, these robots were the main workforce in such an underpopulated world. The entire labor force on Megumi’s farm consisted of ten intelligent machines. Self-plugging themselves every eleven hours into outside outlets connected to large sets of batteries and solar panels, they did all the necessary hard work under her remote supervision. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UPl7iFzr0
It would take many decades until the great migration started by Empress Akiko reached its purpose. Yet, someday, this planet would rival the most successful colonies in the Galaxy. It had a well-balanced environment, rich in metals and minerals, and no big predators. The plants and animals brought from Earth thrived on it. The climate was mild, the atmosphere almost identical to Earth’s, and the gravity only slightly lower. The local magnetic field provided excellent protection from harmful cosmic radiation. A moon comparable in size to the one revolving around Earth kept the planet’s axis stable. The axis inclination was slightly over twenty-two degrees, maintaining four seasons in the temperate areas, like on Earth.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH29rygsNB
“There is glory in our work here, the glory of future generations and the pride of the Empire,” Megumi whispered, reciting the beginning of the official colonization pledge. Her voice trailed off. Perhaps there was glory. Perhaps not. However, she couldn’t change her mind and return to Earth now. Better to think of the future and make this gamble succeed. Then decide what to do next. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zqnmTRYFg
The valley outside was already under the night’s power. She felt exhausted after a day of hard work. Her body was in desperate need of some rest. Ten minutes later, the woman was deeply asleep in her bedroom.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZooNhfwdN
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AIuR20BO1
The Sun’s disc was emerging from the blue-green ocean. In front of the purple horizon, several seagulls glided across the waves. Breathing in the salty air, Megumi walked leisurely along the shore. Suddenly, a green fish pulled its head out of the foamy water and called loudly:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QjT1v54T5
“Please wake up, ma’am! There is a problem with the tanks!”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDDMZ609vK
“WHAT?”Megumi said and opened her eyes. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEsZagxym3
Porto stood next to her bed, the lights on top of its head blinking nervously in the dark. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwsWsUFOr7
Oh no! No, no, no! Please, God, make everything all right! was all that came through her dizzy mind, but she already knew something was wrong. Megumi lowered her eyelids and remained in bed for a few more seconds. Her body ached with fatigue. Then she opened her eyes again and pulled herself into a sitting position with a grunt of pain.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tRJGVAJyN
“What time is it?” she asked.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15S0qsX6eh
“It’s three twenty-four in the morning,” the robot said.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1n8S4ownc
Three minutes later, dressed again in her work clothes, Megumi peered inside the aromatic half-darkness of the first tank. The liquid glowed with a faint bluish light as if invaded by colonies of microscopic luminescent organisms. Fear poured into her brain. This is bad! Really bad! Nobody would ever risk drinking it!145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fcALhigXS
Soon, she found that all the tanks had been affected. The whole grape harvest seemed wasted. Ironically, the temperature, the yeast concentration, and all other parameters looked fine. Megumi climbed down the platform and began to pace across the hall, talking to herself in a low voice:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhJsoE8DBD
“Think! Don’t let panic take over! So, let’s begin: what am I going to do? I suppose I could take a sample and analyze it under the microscope. There’s still a slim chance to kill these things. I only need to know what they are. Yes. That’s it! Let’s take a sample and analyze it.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4XuatV0PC
Holding an empty glass in her left hand, Megumi climbed back onto the fermentation platform and bent over the edge of the first tank. The liquid surface was low, rather hard to reach. Suppressing a yawn, she bent down further, peering into the large vessel, trying to examine the glow more closely. A moment later, her feet slipped, and she plunged head-down into the must. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ycsGAEeuM
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCrBgQQkfW
Something grabbed her legs and pulled her up. Coughing, with her face and hair covered by dark grape skins, Megumi waited to be dragged out of the tank. Soon, she found herself seated on the wooden stool in the hall. Thanks to Porto, only her head and shoulders had sunk into the fermenting liquid. She began to shiver from the cold. Tiny streams of must were pouring over her clothes. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8o0mmRusn
Motionless, the robot stood in front of her, holding the glass filled with must in its metallic fingers, waiting. The hall felt different. Everything around felt different, but Megumi couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed. Something had happened during the brief moment she was with her head inside the must. Yet, she couldn’t remember what. A short blackout, but why?145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucDUGQwsDM
Megumi gave a long look at the glass in Porto’s hand. The flickering light was gone from the liquid. Wiping her face and neck with a towel, she climbed back onto the tank platform. The light was still there. She took an empty glass and filled it with must, careful not to slip again inside the vessel. The liquid came out clean. It was the standard, dark-colored, fermenting grape juice.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93GLzhO2Wo
She began talking to herself again, this time in a louder voice:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGHDCXZEcW
“Think! Try to understand what’s going on! The glow doesn’t seem to be part of the must. If so, how does it stay in place? A local species of luminescent bacteria appears to be there. Buy they aren’t there. Perhaps they’re hidden deeper below and beam their light toward the surface.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPjcvUZT34
Megumi lifted the glass in front of her eyes and inspected its contents for a while. Then she brought it close to her lips and inhaled the liquid’s bouquet. The fragrance was rich, full of subtle elements that defined a future top-quality wine. She opened her mouth slightly but was reluctant to take a sip. Instead, she emptied a small amount of juice into the analysis box. The tool’s display lit up immediately as the chemical and biological check began. A message box popped out:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzVg0FbTAa
PLEASE WAIT! ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS. ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 10 MINUTES.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hdnZzS8eM
“I might just take a quick shower and clean my hair until it finishes,” she mumbled and left the room.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YADUntK6O
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡob13gYTWUH
Hair freshly washed and dried, now wearing clean clothes, Megumi read the analysis report carefully. A long list and a few pie charts described in detail the contents of the glass. Everything was as expected. Everything was all right. The liquid was safe to drink. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M74gvm88F
Well, perhaps the wine will turn out fine. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCd2asjjBT
“Cheers!” she said in a loud voice and took a sip from the glass.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxlcnAoupY
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxXXiQWrVX
The room looked the same but felt different. Time and space seemed to curve into a soft sphere that enveloped her. The air had become warm and sticky. And then there was the continuous soothing, never-ending vibration, like the sound of a silver bell. All the fatigue was gone.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6Gy0ZaYtO
“What in the Universe is going on?” 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIeo6xtUgI
Her words came out muffled, barely recognizable. Startled by the changed perception of her voice, Megumi tried to take a step toward the tanks. Her body felt weightless. The motion made her soar in the air. A moment later, she was floating above the first tank. Inside, the blue glow had become brighter. Behind the hazy surface, she could see a few dark shapes moving.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1PX165jvd
The first thought took her by surprise. It carried a tentative message of friendship spiced with a flavor of curiosity. The thought had a regular geometrical consistency, more like a pyramid, but was rather pale and blurry. More thought-shapes followed. Different forms, sharper contours, brighter colors. Sending greetings, asking questions.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39vCjN2KzK
Words gathered in her brain. The words took shape. The words became phrases. The message went in.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlniBImBdk
They only think through emotions, sharing direct feelings, direct experiences. These beings are so different and at the same time so easy to understand!145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYmZtCORHx
Megumi tried to answer. The words couldn’t go through. She turned back to emotions and sent them a message of love and peace. Emotion-questions flew back and forth. Emotion-answers followed. They had been there, on the planet, all the time. Unnoticed by humans, living their lives in harmony on the extended surface of the hypersphere. Her new friends.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg4Nr2NFeI
The must fermentation had gone differently on Akikonia. The local bacteria had activated a gate towards their realm. Now they were eager to invite her in and go out to explore her world. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyLWterdYQ
Her brain translated the emotions back into words: 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6cD3HNDeB
“Want to switch for one day? Perhaps for a few days?”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg3s85fW7z
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqFNnaygug
“Megumi, what are your plans for tonight?” Tadao asked. “I’m going to the city. Why don’t you come with me? We could have dinner together in a fancy restaurant. I’ve got a good harvest of rice and can afford to offer you a nice treat.” 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WYgEgCFTk
“I’m sorry, but I can’t come,” Megumi replied. “I’m still busy supervising the fermentation process inside the tanks.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4LBuzGXV6
“Still, it’s only a couple of hours,” the man insisted but was immediately cut short:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ3lZEZMBi
“It will be late when I finish the work. Then I’ll need some rest. Perhaps, before I go to bed, I’ll take a little sip of wine to sleep better.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHq8y5Rq34
“All right,” Tadao said after a short pause, surprised by her reaction. “I’ll keep the invitation open for another evening when you’re not so busy. By the way, how is the wine turning? Do you think it will sell well?”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0Jn7TVIbN
A blue light flickered for a moment inside Megumi’s eyes. A faint smile spread over her lips:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGOCRPlUPQ
“It’s still in the primary fermentation phase, but the taste is promising. Why don’t you stop by and taste it when you get back?”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoqVcuXx5v
“Sure!” the man replied, slightly confused by the unexpected invitation. “I’ll be happy to sample it. Do you need anything from the city?”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wIlONRXxl
“No, thank you!”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogSPctTW5W
“OK. See you soon!”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYyCgdAOoo
Tadao got inside the car and left. Inside Megumi’s eyes, the blue flicker flashed again. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILsPhCVc0e
*145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaKbS7OkdX
The vibrant colors of the Akikonian sunset were fading into the nascent night. The electric car was running smoothly on the synthetic surface that linked the farms to the city. Seated comfortably next to Tadao, Megumi was gazing through the transparent roof at the first stars. She turned her head toward him and said:145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoRiuwr1KE
“I think the city dwellers are going to like the wine, despite it being still in the primary fermentation phase.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gnu2XAB10
“I bet they’ll love it,” Tadao responded. “The ten bottles from the trunk probably won’t be enough.”145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DQydZRqCm
“Ten bottles will have to do for this visit. I can’t wait to see their reaction after taking a sip from them,” Megumi said. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUFcije3ZB
A blue flicker filled her eyes for a moment. Tadao said nothing, his gaze focused on the grey road. But a similar blue flicker filled his eyes a fraction of a second later, an emotion-answer to her emotion-question. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjubk6S8DlF
The bright lights of the city loomed ahead. They were getting close.
(c) Marian C. Ghilea, 2018-2024
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