The Seed

By Brian Poe

 

            On a warm summer night in an isolated part of Central Virginia, a meteor streaked across the sky. Suddenly it squashed into a disk, as though hitting an invisible wall, and bounced on thin air. It reformed into a little metal ball and came to rest, hovering about 3000 yards above the surface – completely unseen by human eyes. Becoming acutely aware of its surroundings, the little metal ball silently surveyed the ground below, for this was to be the site of its creators’ resurrection. The orb had been studying the planet since it entered the solar system and found that it was nearly perfect, though the CO2 concentration could be higher and it was already inhabited by sentient life. Nonetheless, the little metal ball chose a nearby stream and landed, making only a gentle ripple as it pierced the still water. It spread itself into a disk and planted one stout root into the soft sand of the streambed. The shimmering intruder exploded inside with activity, preparing for its purpose.

            As the days passed, the orb devoured the air and land, all the while soaking up water. On the third day it built itself photocells to take in the sun’s light. On fourth day, the microscopic machines inside built the first cell culture area and factory cells were quickly cultured from nanomachine husks. Just hours later, photosynthesis began to yield carbohydrates and nitrogen fixation yielded a constant trickle of nitrate and energy. Roots grew down and ‘leaves’ grew up. The orb was alive and busily collecting nutrients in preparation for the rebirth.

Geological data suggested that only a few short months remained of favorable temperatures, so the orb hastened in its task. In a week’s time the little metal ball had become a factory for raw materials, spanning eight feet in diameter with a curious bulbous growth in the center. Defense mechanisms and sensors abounded and the alien installation began to interact with its environment.

With frightening speed, the extraterrestrial had become a terror within the ecosystem. Fish and mice learned to keep their distance, and many a deer had been stung by eerie metallic thorns. A wide variety of local creatures were captured, analyzed, and broken down to useful molecules. Insect and bird traps soon provided a constant source of food... Dull metallic pincers impaled a hummingbird feeding on a strange sweet liquid, and no part of the squirrel meal earlier that morning was wasted. The factory grew and grew, consuming anything around it.

            Two weeks after it landed, first cell of the orb's precious cargo was built within the factory's womb. He, the cell, wasn’t really that different from humans. He had much the same physiology, and many of the same structural adaptations had evolved on his planet, though they were later perfected in labs and computers. His metabolic pathways would be fine-tuned to Earth’s environment, and he would make Earth his home. The alien embryo grew quickly and soon his mind would be restored; reconstructed. They had wanted real individuals, with memories intact, to start the first colony. The orb grew ambassadors from a long deceased race. Over a hundred of them were stored away, deep within the orb’s computer. Every one had died so they might be reborn; millions had volunteered. They were to populate a thousand messages in a thousand bottles, cast into a sea of stars…

 

For the first time in 12,072 years, Xysth opened his eyes.