RC 299 through 384 - Swamp fishing

I sit from the van roof eyeing out the vast distance, it seemed to my awareness since we parked this close to the swamp that something else noticed to.

I had originally intended to hang here for when I have the go ahead from system. As system was running vital testing and not that he told me - was waiting for a drone return. I knew he sent one from the parts missing from storage. I will not pry into his interests.

Besides, this lack of radiation around the swamp has made me on edge. From the basic tests without equipment required. I know that isn't water in that swamp. The longer I have studied movement of the swamp plants and made clippings. The more to sick of a nightmare this thing is. Going by the mapping, it is massive and if I am right.

The tree... the only single thing in a radius miles. The thickness of that trunk, would meant its roots run that far too. This tree continues to move at night... drastically only at night. Closer to my view.

2 days... it has moved right across from us. The drone has returned with a mission request by the local dome city official government. To work out the landscape eater... as there has only been 4 records of them. Each a devastating ruin. The disease signatures these things contain the most percentages of had meant I knew whom they used to be.

I knew their names. A shame that its this way. I don't think system realizes or cares for whom they were. Its what they are now... a threat to us all - that is what matters. I have to agree with that.

Yet... this tree has recall at least. I knew from the items it leaves at the shore edge overnight. The things it was trading... literally trading. It knew when guns were drawn to leave more space the next night.

I spend the evening awake, staring from the roof. Eyeing the actions of what it would do to me.

A whipy tree core with many vines of thorns as acting fingers. It lifts a string of organ like fruits of differing shape. It could pop on and leak out a fresh organ. A full meaty and no disease trace... yes I know what it was meant to mean. Trading organs. Donations to those whom would die without them.

"Is there something the matter?" System hovering the orginal and smaller drone.

"I can not kill them. Even in their mental insanity to eat passing strangers. They gave up just as much as I did to be here. What right do I have to take it from someone that believes in life?" There is a lot of thinking about things. A hovering stare back and forth. The stare to my look to the tree and back to me.

"Pardon?"

"The land eater... its a transformation disease victim. It was my coworker. Another under ice." Jumping off the roof and walking up to trading. I had through the daylight sorted a box of goods. I lay placing my trade along in a line along the floor. I sit with a waved hand over my goods to trade. I picked exact items for this... to work out whom. There is how the red fruit lingers in looking about items. A few pokes at things to see if they were still good.

Beer. It one beer can. This is K. We promise to sit at some place for a drink when we were free. Opened the lid with a tin opener, putting the opener down for me. I to repeated the beer picked, check and open. Lifted in hover.

"To freedom from governments and iced in metal caps." I say. The clapping of vines agreeing in applauding. Down the beer by pouring over the core tree. I laugh a little, "Hard to drink without a mouth. Footie stay then. A goal celebration." I pour mine over me too. The laughter it has, so clear that it was rolling. The trunk bend away and thron vine slamming the floor. I to could help but laugh with. Looking at the beer can and laughing harder.

"Is there joke here?" the hover drone scanning the tree.

"You would know. The practices are lost with time. It's not same anymore. They don't do sports in the cities. They have gyms and dancing and gods for bid inside argument reality golf. No football, ruby, cricket or boxing. Remember boxing?" I talked towards the tree as it wavers in listening and giving nod, "Jab. Jab. Under cut. The drill sergeant was a nightmare." The land fella makes his own. Motions of mocking the boxing rules. But then also has vines reconstructed a obstacle course. Organ like fruit for heads. Motions of replaying a few drills. It was easy to remember as it was repeated skills learning. The shows something else. A day that someone slide hard and broken the spine... this is a personal memory of theirs. I don't know which is leading role.

The watching of vines had evaded time. Sunrise approaching. It wavers like a good bye and the whole core tree swelled up of all the vines of the area. A massive thick tall standing thing with smaller radius of acid pool. Deeper pool then smaller amount . Nothing about the soil left behind had any nutrients or life. A sponge for chemical wiping. Its travel through death radiation was telling of its purpose and intent.

"The tree you claim to be someone that you knew... they have a file and nanotechnology system reads. I will make code contact with the system and see what happened." Hover drone scanning through the changed area of the lacking land eater.

"For areas wiped clean of pollution and posions like nuclear radiation, the is amazing. I am sure there is places where this sort of person would be perfect. If it meant setting up a sort of no walkers zone for this being applicable." Kate rants in trying hard to justify not needing to kill.

Kell Ryan Samford. A specialist is soil data, plants and chemical studies of environmental changes. He had adapted to such body to allow it. In guessing, he had murdered raiders: guns and stolen goods are all he trades. False Caravans sides recovered or the remains of some being stripped down for parts. Was being genuine to follow rules, there was attempts to kept some alive... recovered in jelly.

This jelly was later used as a city resource for cuts and healing sores. The city is hoping for a reward for more harvest of the jelly while removing the threat. Its seems that they will not be able for both ways. It is a more sustainable future if we could help move this organ tree to somewhere more filthy and need of land reset.

"Good evening..." So the ai army folks came forwards. It would be no doubt that they witnessed the conversation between Kate and the Tree. The conversation between self and Kate, "We are the one sent to watch and observe strange creatures around heavy trafficking routes from wilderness to dome cities. We had originally came to deal with the raiders that lived around here and had no problems because of the land eater. It's the Human folks that wanted more resources from the land eater. But... if the information your system is posed as truth. Well this makes everything complicated. Do we tell or not? Kill and loss mission requirement or move land eater to more suitable locations? The team needed if we do... do we tell them?" Purple99.8 on moving up, watching the Kate. She listened but wasn't looking to them... simply at the colouring horizon.

"In someway, you should ask K yourself. If he still listens to internal signal reading." Kate waving her left hand about, "His a reasonable fella."

"How does a biological tree have a signal?" Mustard45.01 came really close to the edge with looking at the trading on offer by both sides. The scanning and reporting. The signal that made heads twist and nod by Teal31.8 and Snowflake22.9 (not the original white body ai we met before).

"Dont stand on his lip to long. You might cause a accident." Kate warning with them backing off. Vines sprout with poking about collecting and trading. Putting new trade out for the exchange.

On the house was that he pulled whole machines that been lost in his jaw on accident or wandering into his space while he slept. The ai took those in and moves those along to be back to safety.

"Lady Nick... We wish to give you a special request. It is not of the government or the humans for that matter. We keep having a certain bird fly and speak to us about things. Asking for someone more able to read and understand science to help this certain area."

"That very interesting... A bird that speaks full conversations. A mutant." She seems excited about this.

"You give a positive response... meaning they'll probably have no issues with you. The colony is sensitive group of many shapes but all the same mind sets - so we could summarize from the birds telling. Gave us a relic to find them but asked this to be secret. Not inform humans and that we would suit to the sensitivity of the issues."

"They want someone whom understands other creatures. To be empathising or not scared of the ones asking for help. It sounds very cool to me. To meet more interesting people. Of course, my definitions are not the same. Take in mind that I consider K here a person. Lost as he may have of his human shape. He still the same person inside."

There is a lot of odd tilts by younger ai folks, looking about between all confused as system was. But this lot did ask questions, as I thought system should have. So system us still hiding things. I will leave it to him to work it all out. I am sure he still judging me.

He still scans me often when I give a emotional reaction to things. Scannibg for ill intentions then actually trying to understand why I felt as I did. He didn't ask questions... thats what get me the most. Any other ai asks questions to learn and understand... but why would he not? He isn't using my brain for his own things. He uses my mind for calculations crunching or textbook information I read. Sometimes the calculations are for cell differences... of what - I lack the context. That meaning he had been comparing cells from his own history library. A lot suspicious acting with the second drone.

I just hope its not a distrust in me. Wondering what makes me, a honest heart, unreliable. I have hide nothing, or try to not. Maybe he misunderstood. Thoughts aside... this offer about helping new folks sounds exciting. I really do like the sound of it.

"It be a long travel." System has analyzed routes, "Through infection zones to high for human travel. Even it humans worn a suit... a small team would be ate. Send one specialist alone or send a army. Given the distress of sensitivity... finding a specialist was a preferred method. You just haven't encountered or had already sent failed attempts."

"You are right... We had a hotel of children block us. We had sent someone a different way and they were found dead hung by tree vines. One candidate was kicked out very quickly and were later on trail by the city for experimental substances."

"Unlucky slim pickings." Kate nods in understanding, "Trial and error for seeking the right someone. I am happy to step up next... but I will take own routes. I make trades along the way there. Given I could tell you about to give me a location I knew from my past. I am well aware of what sort of equipment that needs to be found. Tricky stuff to find decent. I can't used your modern stuff... it would scare them... which would be why some failed."

"Really? How do you know?" Snowflake22.9 asking... a dipped tone. Odd for ai.

"What do you call the area now?" Kate ignored the question.

"Here... a scan copy of the document. We choose to not make it calculated for hacking purposes." I nod in getting why. The interface of argument reality awaked in my left eye, the study of a zoo leaflet. I had been there. Some people that meant something... yes. We went together. Why? Who? I am hurt a little.

"Yes... I have been there before. A long time ago. You would understand Purple99.8. That sort of length of time."

"Yes... I know what you mean. I can rely on you both."

"I hope so." Kate turned the argument reality off and offered a hand, "I wish you safe travels and good luck with K. He quiet a talker. He loves sports and celebrities. Taking about famous stuff." She smiles warm.

"You almost to good for that system." Purple99.8 shakes back. The shocked action of the others being so shocked of such interaction, breaking a taboo.