Aleks received praise from Master Fyodor, as well as resentful glances from the other students, but as he stood and regarded his work, he knew that something was wrong.
The arm-like stems were thicker and stronger than he thought he’d designed. For the head, he’d taken inspiration from a plant that trapped flies between two spiked leaves, but this head was much bigger than he had meant it to be. Where it should have had thorns on the edge of its mouth, Aleks’s plant instead had what appeared to be teeth: spiked like thorns, but white and hard like his own.
Aleks knew though that he couldn’t say anything to Master Fyodor or anyone else. He realized now that he didn’t want them to destroy the thing he’d created. Aleks felt a strange bond with it; there was a part of him here. And now it was time to call it to life.
Each student held a tiny vial of essence in one hand and stood in front of his or her plant. Their creations would each receive five drops. For some, this would allow their slow-moving and simple plants to live for many years. For others, there would be just a brief explosion of life and activity before the essence worked its way through the plant’s system and killed it.
“Students,” Master Fyodor said. “You may now activate your creations.”
Aleks stepped forward, his hands gloved to protect them from any accidental spillage of the deadly liquid. He allowed his five drops of essence to fall into the guardian plant’s open mouth, and then spoke the activation sequence he’d built into the splicing.
“Mohl-tour. Ahn-sahl-ahna,” Aleks said.
The guardian plant straightened, turning its head first to the left, and then to the right. It swayed a little, even though there was no breeze, and then stopped when it faced Aleks, seeming to regard him, though it had no eyes.
Aleks tilted his head and smiled. It seemed happy to be alive.
“Well done,” Master Fyodor said. “Soon you will be able to call yourselves cultivators.”
The teacher went to each student in turn, congratulating them and shaking their hands. Master Fyodor clapped Aleks on the back when he came to the blinking young man, saying he was impressed by Aleks’s guardian plant, and would like to talk to him about it sometime.
Master Fyodor moved on, and Aleks turned once more to his creation. He frowned and tilted his head to the side in perplexity. Had it moved? Wasn’t it standing a little more to the left now compared to before?
Aleks knew that in a month or two Master Fyodor would try to help him sell it to someone; perhaps a farmer or another cultivator. He would be meaning well, but Aleks wasn’t sure if he wanted to sell it.
Couldn’t he just keep it, for a little while?
~
Aleks was on his way home when he heard a female voice from behind him.
“Aleks!”
He turned. It was Vera.
“Ho, Vera,” Aleks said. He tried to think of something to say. “Congratulations. Your climbing vine is thriving.”
“Thanks,” Vera said. “I just came over to congratulate you, actually. I can't believe how much your guardian plant has grown.”
“I made a mistake actually,” Aleks said.
“I’ll bet it was nothing.” She chuckled. “You’re the type who probably can’t sleep when you make the slightest slip. I only tried two strains and my hands were shaking so much afterwards that I couldn’t make my dinner.”
“I thought you did well,” Aleks said. “There are some things I can show you though, if you’re interested.” He thought about the strains she might find easier to work with.
“You always tilt your head when you’re thinking, did you know that?”
“Really?” Aleks said.
“Yes.” Vera smiled, stepping closer to him. “Really. You think a lot.”
“I wish I didn’t think so much,” Aleks said. “I wish I didn’t have nosebleeds and cough so much and get out of breath when I run.” He instantly wished he could take the words back.
“Oh, Aleks. Clever is better than strong any day,” Vera said. "I was wondering—" She suddenly stopped. "What is it?"
Aleks's mouth had dropped open. Vera followed the direction of his gaze.
It was the guardian plant. It stood among some taller trees forty or fifty paces away. Aleks could swear it was watching them.
“How did it get out of the Lyceum?” Vera wondered.
“It’s as if it’s been imprinted,” Aleks said. “You know what I mean — given a place to guard.”
“Or a person.” Vera grinned. “It knows its creator.”
Aleks looked back at the guardian plant. “Stay here,” he said to Vera, smiling. “I want to try something.”
He walked away from Vera, ten paces, and then twenty, his eyes on the guardian plant the entire time. “Look,” Aleks called, “it’s not watching me at all. It’s watching you.”
“Why would it watch me?”
“I don’t know,” Aleks said, shrugging as he came back to Vera. “I’ll have to get it back inside the Lyceum though.”
Deep inside, Aleks wondered. Why was the guardian plant interested in Vera?
He liked Vera a lot.
How much of him was in his creation?