Author Note:
This is not insta-spank-bank material. It is surreal and somewhat dense material, requiring an attention span greater than twitter post. There are several scientific words, you might need a dictionary, I know I did, but the resulting word-porn was delectable. Praise in public, criticize in private - your feedback is appreciated.
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A Study in Botanical Reproductive Systems
They called it the Greenhouse out of earthly habit. In exoplanetary truth, it should have been cobalt but that didn't have the same ring. Nevertheless, blue was the atmosphere on Kepler-10b. This was predominately due to the metal levels in the surface composition. The light from the sun-star that managed to filter through the gaseous whorls, reflected the bruised indigo hues of iron infused lava rock.
Dr. Markel Jenner's job as an extra-terrestrial botanist, was to develop indigenous, alien plant-life. Not such an easy task living below the craggy surface. Above temperatures were untenably super-heated. Even during the night half of the planet's cycle, it would scorch any bio-matter to a cinder.
Under the pervious rock, the subterranean troposphere was perpetually cerulean. The cooler climes of moonrise informed his senses that it was time to get up. He stretched his arms wide, all bodily muscles tensing then relaxing.
In the galley, he paused to slurp down a blueberry bagel extract. Better than plain, still unappetizing after eating them for the better part of an Earth year. There were only so many choices on the breakfast menu in his dietary supplements. Ah, space-food.
After gulping down his daily nutrients, he cleaned his hands with an anti-bacterial gel that left his hands smelling like a hospital. Even with the humidifier artificially moisturizing the air, the disinfectant evaporated off the doctor's skin visibly. He had actually tried observing it when he first arrived on the exoplanet, amazed at the natural time-elapse effect.
Pausing at the adjacent Greenhouse door, Markel plucked his favorite water-spritzer from the shelf and held it to a spigot embedded directly into the wall. Behind that very wall, a series of piping spread like roots into the pores of black basalt. Lined with a hyper-spongy sort of skin, they collected the gasses that became trapped underground, cooled, and condensed them into thin rivulets of water.
He shut the tap off when the precious liquid reached the top, and screwed down the pump. It was old-fashioned, this bygone garden tool, but he used it anyway. The careful attention to detail that was required for its use had fostered in him an empathy for his plants. To nurture them was a masterstroke - like Michaelangelo, through Markel's touch these plants had life.
A glowing red button beckoned his palm and the door circulated, swiveling open. Markel stepped in, watering can in hand, and the door spun as if to deposit him in a darkroom. If anything, the longhouse that opened before him fluctuated between a pale seafoam and deep oceanic blue. It depended on the temperature of day.
The botanist closed his eyes, drawing in a breath. Even in the arid desert, one could not mistake the smell of organics. It was the scent of life, of wonder. Slowly exhaling, he allowed his gaze to open upon row after row of plant-beds. Stepping onto the gravelly floor, he ran his hand over the tall blades of bluegrass, letting them tickle his palm with a smile.
Photosynthesis on Kepler-10b primarily processed the emerald greens and ochre spectrums of light, causing the plants to take reds, blues and purples. Spritzing the bluegrass, he moved to the next aeration tray, surveying the plant-pod with care. Her flavonoid biosynthesis produced a sort of bilberry skin-tone.
Markel's brow knit closer as he noted a newly dried up layer of plum epidermis. It had gathered around the base of the bulbous plant like a disheveled garment. Inscrutably, he felt particular affection for the alien beauty of this plant and fussed over her health .
Perhaps it was the pale-blue of her prickled dagwood skin, with its elaborate latticework of heliotrope veins that captured his fancy. Or maybe, he thought as he gently pinched free the old layer, maybe it was the elegant curvature of her multiple stems which swept upward into unopened leaves of mulled wine.
"Day 273, angiospermae indicae remains more finicky than an orchid, refusing to bloom." He swiped at his brow. The heat of the night was heralding the onset of Spring season. "Water levels provide for adequate subsistence, yet she is either incapable or unwilling to yet show herself."
The plumage of his Indigo Plantae was a mystery yet unsolved. He only knew that there were magnificent discoveries secreted within her omphalos, and it was his job to coax them forth. Stroking a textured leaf between his forefinger and thumb, Dr. Jenner soothed the micro-hairs reassuringly.
Astonishingly, the scarlet plume began to unfurl. The extraterritorial botanist stood enrapt. Before his very eyes, the blade widened, flattening into his palm. Heart pounding, he waited patiently, a thin sheen of nervous anticipation upon his skin.