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Wendy E Gamble
a rough-cut book bubble about
Shoot for Earth: MedSci Missions 3
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Insight
Food Forests for Life
Communities in my province have been putting in Food Forests since the pandemic (maybe before). There has been a general realization that if the trucks stop rolling in, people still need to eat. There’s a lot of wilderness and land in my area, but surprisingly little food production. That’s starting to change, however, with changing attitudes. Anything people can grow in their backyard helps. On the Spaceship Chiron, a garden is vital. There are cloned foods available while the ship is functioning properly, but what happens if they have to evacuate to a planet? The quiet custodian, Joe, has perhaps the most important job on the ship when it comes to everyone’s survival in case of emergency. He had input into the design, and knows how to program the drones for every aspect of every growing season. Now he has the chance to start something new, that will likely outlive him. As wise Joe knows, with nut trees that start slow and live hundreds of years, planting now is not just food for your life, but food for beyond your lifetime.
Book Excerpt
Shoot for Earth: MedSci Missions 3
Joe was in awe of what he couldn’t have. The public green on the grounds of the Fabarian city center was certainly that. Green, green, green. From the ground to the tip of an arbour, there were leaves. Perfectly round, cupped, large and irregular, fan-folded, and the spade-like shape often seen on Earth. On closer examination, though there was a complete spectrum of colour. Red-brown vines peeked out here and there, and a rainbow of blooms shot up or plastered themselves to leaves, walls, or the earthen floor. Shades of pink and purple pollen dusted random patches, casting blues to browns over protected areas. The scent of it wafted about, one minute sharp and citrusy, then honey sweet, depending on which flower gave sway. Breeze-blown foliage sparkled as fronts flipped to shiny backs and occasional spots of light infiltrating the canopy shone bright. Walking brought tickles of plush velvet, or if one ventured off the path, prickles.
After recording all he could on his Pocod, Joe gave a long sigh. Time to get back to the ship. This could have been his work for the rest of his life, but now that almost all humans had been booted off the planet his place was back on Chiron. He’d briefly considered the kind offer by the Fbarian council to stay and look after the garden here, but then who would look after the one on Chiron? Everyone chosen for the journey here had a vital role to play, and though he didn’t interact with the crew or specialists much, he felt a responsibility to look after them.
He caught the shuttle up to Chiron, with some precious seeds they’d offered for his hard work. Once on board, the seeds in hand shook him out of his sad mood. Eagerly, he headed to the modern version of a hydroponic garden to plant them. A ten-year-old black walnut waved at him as he entered the natural earth food forest. It was a complex ecosystem with compost tea trickled through an irrigation system. A peachy scent wafted into his nose as he tested a fruit, practically petting the fuzzy surface. He made a note of ripeness and passed on by hazelnuts, small fruit and herbs. It was time to finally start creating an alien zone in one of the reserved isolation sections.
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