02-11-2001 05:17									#1
	The White Pine Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Outside Gaia's Landing, MY 2110

"Things are getting better, Emily," Dee said as she spread a soil-acidifying additive at the base of the white pine sapling. "Our terraformers are out now, and they are busy coaxing every little bit out of Planet. We've started roads between our three bases, and have begun a couple of farmland plots so that we won't be on the edge of starvation anymore. Later we'll start a few forests, although I hope you will not have any more company. There are too many white pines here already."

She leaned back and forth while on her knees, working the additive into the loamy soil that was rich with pine needles. It felt moist and cool to her hands, and the needles added a prickly sensation as she kneaded the soil. She could even feel some the fine near-surface root fibers, which would quickly re-establish themselves after the disturbance and then make good use of the nutrients. When she was satisfied she smoothed the soil with a waving, back and forth motion, working the needles and additives further into the dark iron red earth.

Dee stood up and wiped the granular material from her gloves as she surveyed the semi-orderly rows of white pines. Most of the trees were small, little more than waist high, although some were almost 6 meters tall now. The trees nearest to the path were the tallest, and the trees got progressively smaller away from Gaia's Landing. Some trees had simple mementos of faded ribbons, holopictures, or weathered wooden toys at their base. All of the trees were lovingly tended, and there were informal pathways in and among the trees.

Then Dee realized that it was quiet, which was very unusual indeed. All she heard was the barest rustling of the pine boughs. To her that was strangely alarming, and she looked around, looking low for movement and listening for sound.

She started when she heard a high pitched voice from directly behind her. "Mommy, does Emily talk back to you?"

Dee turned around, and there was Scott. He had been standing in back of her all this time without saying a word. He could be quiet when he wanted to, which wasn't very often. She looked him over and he wasn't very dirty, either, which was also unusual.

"No, Scotty, she doesn't. I can feel her, though. She is with me all the time."

Scotty thought about that for a moment. "Can you feel me? All the time?"

Dee smiled. "Of course I can feel you!" she said as she swooped down and buried him in a hug, tickling him a little. He squirmed for a moment, and his laughter was interrupted by small shrieks of delight.

Finally Dee stopped, gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head, and took his hand. "Time to go home. Are you done playing?"

"Uh, huh. Can I say goodbye to Emily?"

"Sure you can," Dee responded, still grinning.

"Bye Emily!" he shouted, while using his free hand to wave vigorously at the tree.

With that Scotty turned around and started dragging Dee down the path.

"I'm hungry," he announced after they had walked a whole 10 meters.

"We'll have dinner when we get home. It's not far."

"I'm hungry now!" he warned.

"I know. You'll just have to wait."

"I want a ginger cookie."

Dee sighed. Were all four-year-olds so assertive? "After dinner, sweetie." Still, she loved him, demands and all.