The Mech Touch

Deep terraforming was a massive and intricate process that required a huge amount of planning and patience.

The Aducs were quite suitable to perform these commissions. They were steady and stable. They also valued thorough and complete transformations. Their desire to create planets that were as friendly to human life as possible meant that they were willing to wait in order to finish the job!

Though Ves already learned a portion of the information shared by his tour guide, he also gained a deeper understanding of the Aduc Family and its approach towards its business activities.

Terraforming was not just a means of living to the Aducs. It was also a passion for them! Gaia Worldcrafting Services never remained stagnant. It employed many researchers who were all dedicated to inventing new methods and solutions to deliver even better planets to their clients!

A few hours passed by as Kievenar continued to show Ves and his fellow Larkinsons around.

While the Aduc heir did not bring his guests to any places that contained anything related to spirituality, Ves still appreciated the opportunity to get a glimpse of the many functions of the Green Dream.

If the Aducs truly needed to, they could complete an entire terraforming mission by relying on their flagship alone!

Of course, doing so would also double or triple the time it took to complete the transformation process. This was highly inefficient and most clients simply weren't willing to wait that long to obtain a good planet.

After Kievenar showed his guests around a biolab where a lot of Earth species underwent targeted modifications in order to fit a specific habitat, the man led the Larkinsons to the center of the capital ship.

Ves soon realized that they were about to step inside the most important compartment of the Aduc Family's flagship.

The amount of reinforcement surrounding this central compartment was much higher. The surrounding decks and bulkheads consisted of higher-quality alloys that were not only capable of withstanding more damage, but also disrupted any signals that passed through the materials.

This was a major deviation from the remainder of the capital ship. All of the other sections of the Green Dream conformed to the standards of a non-combat vessel. Only this location was different!

"Due to safety precautions, we must ask you to leave your guards outside this entrance. You may choose to decline, but if you do, we cannot allow you to pass any further."

Ves frowned a bit. Though he wasn't too worried about his safety, he would feel a lot more vulnerable if he had to proceed without his honor guard.

He realized that this was a matter of trust. Ves had to take a leap of faith and believe the Aduc Family did not harbor any ill intent towards him and his clan.

He tried his best to extend his senses past the gate, but the space behind it was so huge that he wasn't able to pick up anything special within his sensing range.

"Meow."

Lucky, who pretended to be a mere mechanical pet, did not sense anything suspicious either.

If not for the fact that the Aduc Family might find out and take offense, Ves would have sent out Lucky or Blinky to slip past the obstacles and take a peek of what the Aducs were hiding behind the gate.

Ves eventually shrugged. "Very well. Our guards will stay behind."

The Aducs would be fools to screw him over. Besides, the main reason why he paid a personal visit to the Aduc Family was to build up trust. Displaying an unreasonable degree of suspicion was not conducive towards this goal!

Kievenar and the Larkinsons soon passed through the opened gate.

The space behind it turned out to be a massive hall converted into a biome. Ves noticed that the air circulating through this massive compartment was substantially different from the rest of the vessel.

It wasn't as sterile and filtered as the air that typically cycled through a large starship.

Ves lowered his head and dug his feet into the grassy surface. The green carpet was anything but uniform. Differences in shading, water sources and interactions with fauna caused the grass to be shorter in some places and longer in other places.

Up ahead was a small natural-looking forest. The Aducs did not appear to have employed any form of planning at all as the forest environment looked a bit messy.

As Kievenar slowly led his guests down a dirt path, Ves wondered at the purpose of this biome.

"What is this place, Kievenar? Why put so much effort into guarding this compartment?"

"You will see. We will have to bring you to the center before we can give you an explanation."

They traversed through the forest for a couple minutes before they approached a large clearing.

As soon as the group strode outside the thick bushes and overhead leaves, they all gained a clear view of a large and ancient oak tree that was planted atop a low hill.

The tree looked extremely remarkable!

It had many large and thick branches that extended from its trunk in such a way that they curled down due to their substantial weight.

The branches also bore many leaves, each of which were so vibrantly green that Ves felt tempted to take a bite of them! He was already wondering whether he should make a request.

The group slowly climbed up the hill until they encountered a few familiar faces.

Matriarch Erexi Aduc along with Tierna and Pesca Aduc had already gathered in front of the trunk of the ancient oak tree. They were all wearing their elegant green-and-beige robes, which looked particularly fitting in this nature-filled environment.

Ves and Joshua did not pay attention to the presence of the Aduc leaders.

Instead, the central tree had completely captured their attention!

"Ves…" Joshua wondrously uttered.

"I know. I can sense it as well. The vitality of this tree is…"

The tree was alive in a way that caused all of the other trees to pale in comparison!

It possessed a passive form of spirituality that reminded Ves of a hibernating bear!

If the majority of the trees in this biome represented an asteroid belt, then the central tree was akin to a star!

Even though the ancient oak tree was not too massive, its age and its primordial quality instantly demanded respect. Even the most ignorant person would be able to recognize that it was special!

While Ves and Joshua continued to be captivated by the ancient tree, Matriarch Erexi slowly stepped forward with her bare feet pressing upon the grassy soil.

"Welcome… to our green sanctum." She spoke with gravity in her tone. "You are one of the few guests who has received the honor of approaching our greatest heirloom. When our family was at its height, our ancestors received a great privilege. They were allowed to take a young sapling as well as a patch of soil from Old Earth. Throughout the years, we have allowed the tree you see behind me to grow under the most natural conditions possible."

Ves widened his eyes. "Are you saying… that this is a genuine tree from Old Earth?"

"Yes, it is. The oak tree is a completely natural Earth tree. Her genetics have remained untouched and we did not make use of any artificial supplements to accelerate or fortify her growth. For centuries, this oak tree has flourished under our possession. We did not grow her aboard a ship, but planted her in several different territories depending on the planets where we chose to settle. It is only recently that we have relocated her to the Green Dream."

Ves found it weird that they referred to the tree as if it was female.

"An heirloom like this should have a name. What is it called?"

"We call her the Old Lady." Matriarch Erexi smiled. "We are aware that oak trees are hermaphroditic in nature. Nevertheless, our ancestors honored and revered her as a woman, so we have carried on this tradition."

"Each member of the Aduc Family has an obligation to visit the Old Lady in order to honor her and the Earth she came from." Kievenar Aduc explained. "We should pay her a visit at least once a year, though we usually pay homage once a month or once a week if it is convenient."

"Amazing." Ves softly said. "Is this part of a religious ritual?"

"Not particularly, though we have formed many special beliefs about the Old Lady. She is arguably one of the most remarkable trees that humanity has brought into the Red Ocean."

Ves believed in this claim. The old oak tree might not have started out as anything special, but the Aduc Family's extreme reverence of Old Earth's natural wealth caused its members to worship the Old Lady as if she was a religious totem or idol!

Centuries of accumulated worship has slowly imparted more and more spiritual feedback to the oak tree. The ideology of the Aducs remained consistently consistent over the years. The vast majority of its members were surprisingly homogeneous regarding their views on nature.

This meant that whatever spirituality they rubbed off on the Old Lady was highly uniform!

This led to the current situation. By now, the Old Lady had developed a strong and vigorous spirituality. The only flaw was that she was not really 'alive' in the way that Ves was accustomed to. The oak tree was essentially a vegetable.

"Can you feel her, Patriarch Ves?"

"I can feel she is alive." He replied. "She has accumulated a fair amount of power. Your Old Lady has truly become a priceless relic."

Matriarch Erexi let out a brief sigh. "I was asking whether you can feel what is wrong with the Old Lady."

"Pardon? I'm not an expert on trees, but it doesn't look like there is anything wrong with this tree."

"She is not doing well as of late. Her growth has stalled and she has even regressed in several areas. Our best biologists have tried their best to restore her health without ruining her integrity, but we have failed to develop an effective solution. After studying her conditions for many years, we have formed the conclusion that her ailments cannot be cured through biological means. She can only be healed through other means."

"You mean…"

"The reason why we have invited you here is to consult with you on this problem that has been plaguing us for over a century. While the Old Lady is still stable, we fear that her condition will deteriorate further if this problem is left unattended. Patriarch Ves, we formally wish to borrow your expertise. If you can diagnose and solve the problem, we would be immensely grateful to you and your clan."

Though the Aduc Matriarch did not explicitly mention what they would do in return, Ves did not think the Aducs would be stingy in repaying their debts!

The Old Lady was their most important relic and heirloom! The sheer quantity of spirituality stored inside the tree was a clear sign of her immense importance to the Aduc Family.

"Can I step closer?"

"You may, but please note that the Old Lady is under heavy protection."

As Ves stepped forward, he was able to gain a much more detailed impression of the Old Lady's spirituality.

He did not sense anything wrong or problematic at first. The spiritual character of the old tree was gentle and passive. Its spiritual attributes were remarkably consistent and mostly consisted of wood, earth and life.

As Ves struggled to find out what was wrong, Venerable Joshua quietly strode to his side.

"I know what is wrong." The expert pilot said.

Ves turned to his friend in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes. Don't look at how strong and healthy she feels. Instead, focus on whether she feels at home. I am afraid that the Old Lady is anything but comfortable. She is quietly suffering."

This was a shocking remark! Ves quickly changed the way he observed the Old Lady and tried to sense what Joshua had described.

He widened his eyes a moment later.

"You're right, Joshua! The Old Lady's spirituality is rejecting her physical body. It's as if her soul is stuck in the wrong body!"

How could this be possible?! Ves was cycling through ideas as he examined the Old Lady's spiritual character with great attention.

He eventually formed a shocking theory.

"I think I know what is going on!" He said. "The Old Lady… is an Earth tree that is not on Earth! She's homesick! As long as she isn't planted on humanity's home planet, she will never feel comfortable!"

This was a serious ailment! Ves had no clue how he could remedy such a problem!