Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

68:50, Day 578, Year 58133

Twin Peaks Haven, Shashan, Shashvat Ananda (शाश्वत आनन्द), the Realm of Eternal Bliss

The dining pavilion emerged from the violet forest, its architecture much different from everything back on Earth. Living pillars of bioluminescent flora twisted upward. Xin adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, still cautious.

"Rather magnificent, isn't it?" Kathrin's cultured accent drifted from behind him. Her serpentine form glided past, alabaster skin catching the ambient light. The eye-like orbs on her breasts appeared to study him with unsettling interest.

Xin's gaze darted to Lorna, watching as she absently reached for her neck – where her silver pendant should have been.

His breath caught. When had it disappeared? The pendant had been there when they first arrived on this moon, he was certain. But to mention its absence now, in front of their hosts...

"Don't worry about etiquettes. Make yourselves at home," Vyomendri gestured to a large round table that seemed to grow directly from the violet ground. The chairs were equally organic, their stems sturdy and leaves surprisingly plush.

Emmanuel had already claimed a seat beside Tanha with easy laughter, but not before venturing one hand to squeeze at the Sūkṛmuc's ample breasts.

In response, Tanha chuckled as she playfully gave Emmanuel's cheek a gentle slap.

Xin looked to Lorna, who settled into her chair. She remained unfazed in her botanical dress as she drank water from a small crystalline cup casually. Shortly after, she caught his gaze. "Something wrong?"

"No. Not really." Xin looked away and straightened his shoulders, reminding himself of their mission. They needed the Moondust Crystal shard.

"So," he said, his voice firmer than he expected, "The shard in your Hatching Chamber – it's from the Moondust Crystal, right? The same artifact we were sent to retrieve from Osram."

Vyomendri's expression didn't change. "The Southeastern one, you mean." He settled into his leaf-made seat. "Yes, that shard is what you seek. But possession and ownership are different."

A soft chirping drew Xin's attention upward. A Weaver drifted down from the canopy, its violet bee-like form carrying a crystalline pitcher. Its golden compound eyes caught the light as it approached, wings humming as it poured Xin his cup of water.

"I mean, this is cozy," Lorna muttered, her botanical dress rustling. The deep purple petals hugging her bust seemed to respond to her unease, tightening slightly. "But Xin's right. We want to know where things stand."

Kathrin coiled herself into a position both regal and predatory. "First, sustenance," she said, her dark eyes flickering between Xin and Lorna. "One can't properly negotiate on an empty stomach."

"Madhukari," Vyomendri said, waving at a tree, "The appetizers first?"

The Weavers emerged carrying plates. When one spoke to announce a dish, its voice was almost human, though growling.

"Lunar biryani," it rasped, setting down a steaming platter. "Grains blessed by Chandrak's light."

The scent wafted up, but Xin couldn't relax. The Moondust Crystal was still out there, and Thomas...

"Your thoughts seem far away," Kathrin observed, her forked tongue flickering out. "The shard troubles you greatly."

"It should trouble us all," Xin replied. "The Imperium could have obtained the main Crystal body."

Before anyone could respond, the Weaver with the pitcher accidentally brushed against Lorna's braids. It froze, making a nervous squeaking sound as its wing became entangled in her golden hair.

Lorna laughed unexpectedly. "Here, let me help you, boy," she said, carefully freeing the Weaver's wing. The creature bobbed gratefully, squeaking with embarrassment as it darted away.

As Xin watched this exchange, he noticed how Vyomendri and Kathrin shared a look.

"Harald Omdal entrusted the shard to you, didn't he?" Xin asked, dispelling the brief lightness. He felt Lorna tense beside him.

Vyomendri's violet eyes widened slightly. After a moment he said, "Yes, Harald left the shard in our care many years ago. A complex man with complex motives."

Xin saw Lorna's fingers curl tightly around her empty cup, her knuckles whitening. This was personal, not professional.

A theory had been forming in his mind since their conversation in New Uppsala, one he hadn't dared say aloud.

"And where is this Harald now?" Lorna asked carefully.

Another Weaver arrived with more food. "Dosas of lunar wheat," it said, setting down a platter of thin crepes. "Filled with tender fungi and..." it paused, searching for words, "...cheese of Tanha's making."

Emmanuel grinned, already reaching for the dish. "Really?" he said, tearing off a piece. "Then the taste is worth any squeamishness."

Xin noticed how Lorna's eyes followed Emmanuel's hands, her fingers twitching with hunger. Despite everything, they hadn't eaten properly since leaving Earth. The events at Door Valkyris felt like a lifetime ago.

"Harald Omdal's whereabouts are his own concern," Vyomendri said finally. "He comes and goes as he pleases. The last time he visited was nearly two years ago. He spoke of experiments on Europa, and of preparations for something he called 'the Awakening.'"

Lorna stiffened almost imperceptibly. Only someone watching closely – as Xin was – would have noticed.

"Is the Terra Alliance hunting Harald now?" Kathrin asked, her tentacles swaying casually. "Is that why you're so eager to find him?"

"No. We're here for the Crystal shard," Xin said firmly before Lorna could respond. "Our mission is to secure it before the Imperium can harm more people."

"Your directness is refreshing," Kathrin mused. "But perhaps we should first address your assumptions. After all," her dark eyes glinted, "not all who think differently mean you harm."

"Like Harald?" The words left Xin's mouth before he could stop them. Beside him, Lorna went very still, the skin along her neck tensing, revealing some sort of silver blue latticework beneath.

She was distressed again. Xin wondered if he should push this subject further.

A heavy silence fell over the table. Even the Weaver hovering near a crystalline lamp paused in its duties.

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"You speak his name with suspicion," Vyomendri's voice cut through the tension. "Yet you know so little of what's happening outside your system." His violet fingers traced the rim of his cup. "Tell me, Xin – what do you think you know of Harald's time among us?"

Another Weaver came carrying a deep pot that pulsed with its own light. The liquid inside glowed bright green.

"Helionite soup," the creature announced, its compound eyes fixed on their tension. "Blessed by Primarch Moro himself."

Lorna's breath caught slightly. Even Emmanuel's easy manner faltered for a moment. They all knew what Helionite meant – the nuclear waste that fed Radi-Mons, processed here into something meant for consumption.

"You fear the Helionite," Kathrin observed, her British accent making the words sound musical. "Yet you seek the Crystal's power without fully understanding it." She reached for the pot, lifting it gracefully. "Perhaps that's where we should begin our discussion."

"The Crystal isn't meant for your kind," Tanha interjected, pressing closer to Emmanuel. "Its power belongs to those who understand sacrifice."

"So you Rakshasa people do?" Lorna's voice had an edge now, her earlier hunger forgotten. The blue glow beneath her skin pulsed stronger with her emotion. "The Alliance is trying to prevent the Crystal from being weaponized. For all we know, the Imperium has already begun."

The Weaver by the lamp chirped anxiously, its wings creating a soft harmonic. Something about the sound made Xin pause, made him notice how Kathrin's eyes hadn't left him since he'd mentioned Harald.

"We understand more than you know," Kathrin said softly, pouring the glowing soup into bowls. "For instance, we understand that the virus within you, dear Lorna, grows restless. Even now, it demands attention."

As if on cue, Lorna pressed a hand to her temple, pain flickering across her face. The translucent patches along her neck spread further.

"Lorna?" Xin half-rose from his chair, but Kathrin's voice stopped him.

"The soup will help," she said, sliding a bowl toward Lorna. "Unless you'd prefer human medications? The ones that merely mask symptoms rather than addressing their cause?"

Xin watched as Lorna stared at the glowing liquid hesitantly. A Weaver drifted closer, its presence somehow reassuring despite the tension.

Xin reached for Lorna's bowl. "Well, if anyone's testing this first," he declared, meeting Kathrin's gaze, "it's going to be me."

The glowing liquid felt warm through the bone-carved bowl, almost alive in his hands. Xin lifted it to his lips, aware of every eye on him – Kathrin's dark gaze, Lorna's concerned stare, even the Weavers' compound eyes reflecting the soup's light.

"Bold," Vyomendri murmured, amused.

The first sip flooded Xin's senses. It tasted nothing like expected. Not toxic or bitter, but rich and complex.

Heat spread in his chest. His mind felt suddenly clearer, sharper, as if a fog he hadn't known existed had lifted.

"Xin?" Lorna asked with concern.

He set the bowl down carefully, surprised by his steady hands. "It's... safe," he managed, though 'safe' seemed inadequate for what he'd just experienced. "Actually, it's more than safe. It's..."

"Enlightening?" Kathrin suggested, her tentacles curling with satisfaction. "The Helionite we process here isn't merely sustenance. It's communion."

Lorna reached for her own bowl, hesitant but determined. As she drank, Xin watched the tension ease from her shoulders, the translucent patches of her skin slowly returning to normal. Her eyes widened, meeting his with new clarity.

"The headache," she whispered. "It's gone. Completely."

"Of course it is," Tanha said, leaning forward. "Your virus recognizes what it needs. Just as we recognized what you all needed when you fell through our gates."

Emmanuel, already halfway through his bowl, laughed. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Xin said, the soup's clarity helping him see connections he'd missed before, "that you've been planning this. The healing soup, the evasive answers about Harald – you're testing us." He turned to Vyomendri. "You want to know if we're worthy of the shard."

Vyomendri's expression remained calm, but something in his violet eyes shifted. "Perceptive. The shard isn't simply an object to be handed over. It carries consequences."

"If Harald entrusted it to you," Lorna said, her voice steadier now, "he must have had a reason. He doesn't do anything without purpose."

"You speak as if you know him well," Kathrin observed, studying Lorna with new interest.

Xin saw the moment of decision cross Lorna's face – a slight tightening around her eyes, a subtle shake of her head directed at him. Whatever connection she had to Harald, she wasn't ready to reveal it.

"The Alliance has extensive files on him," Emmanuel interjected smoothly, saving Lorna from having to respond. "He's been on our radar for decades."

The answer came not from their hosts but from above. A new sound drifted down from the canopy – music unlike anything from Earth. It seemed to come from the bioluminescent flora itsel.

Two more Weavers descended, carrying what looked like living flowers that pulsed with rhythm. Their wings vibrated with the strange melody, creating an otherworldly orchestra.

The soup's warmth lingered in Xin's chest, spreading outward through his limbs like a gentle current. He watched as Lorna set her empty bowl down, the faintest hint of color returning to her cheeks.

"The main course," announced a Weaver, its wings creating a soft harmonic as it descended with several other servers.

What followed was a procession of dishes unlike anything they'd seen on Earth. Living platters unfurled like flowers, revealing steaming meats with iridescent juices, violet grains arranged in intricate patterns, and vegetables that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.

Emmanuel was the first to reach for a slice of something resembling roasted meat layered with golden fat. "When in Rome," he grinned, taking a generous bite. His eyes widened immediately. "Holy shit," he muttered around the mouthful, "this tastes like... I don't even have words."

Tanha watched him with amusement. "It is venison from the highlands of Devithar," she explained, her hand sliding provocatively along his forearm. "The beast feeds on crystals that grow only on the northern slopes."

Xin hesitated before selecting what looked like a rice dish speckled with crimson berries. The first bite nearly overwhelmed him. His body responded instantly, fatigue melting away as energy surged through him.

"You should try this," Emmanuel said to Lorna, indicating a dish of writhing blue tendrils that somehow smelled like cinnamon and sea salt.

Lorna, still cautious but clearly famished, served herself a portion. As she ate, Xin watched the remaining translucent patches on her skin recede completely. Her movements became more fluid, the tension in her shoulders dissolving with each bite.

"This is incredible," she admitted, reaching for a crystalline carafe of amber liquid. "What is this drink?"

"Nectar of the Ambrosia Vine," Kathrin said, her void eyes squiting as she watched Lorna drink. "It heals while it intoxicates. Though only slightly."

As they ate, Xin noticed the strange music growing louder, more insistent. Their hosts exchanged meaningful glances as platters were cleared and replaced with desserts that glowed with internal light.

Emmanuel ate with abandon, one arm draped casually around Tanha's shoulders. "I could get used to this," he declared, sampling a translucent confection that resembled a honeycomb.

Minutes passed as they all ate in comfort.

Xin took a small blue fruit that pulsed like a heart. When he bit into it, sweetness exploded across his tongue, followed by a tingling sensation that spread to his fingertips. He felt strangely alert.

"The crystal-fruit heightens perception," Vyomendri observed, watching Xin's reaction with interest. "Useful for what comes next."

Lorna finished a serving of something resembling custard, her movements more confident now. When she set down her spoon, Xin noticed a subtle shift in her demeanor—she felt more aware, her gestures more fluid.

"I haven't felt this... present... in weeks," she murmured, meeting his gaze directly. "Whatever was in that food."

"Not 'whatever,'" Kathrin corrected, her serpentine form uncoiling as she began to rise from her seat. "Everything. Every dish prepared with intention, every flavor aligned with purpose." Her tentacles swayed with the music that had now filled the pavilion. "And now that your bodies are restored, perhaps your minds are ready to engage in our other traditions."

The Weavers cleared the last of the dishes efficiently, the table itself starting to shrink and recede into the ground, creating an open space in the center of the pavilion. The bioluminescent flora pulsed brighter, casting shifting patterns across the gathered faces.

"What does it mean?" Xin inquired.

"It means," Kathrin slithered around with fluid grace, her alabaster form catching the mixed light of flowers, "that some truths are better danced than spoken." She extended a hand toward Xin, her tentacles swaying with the music. "Shall we?"

"I..." Xin hesitated, glancing at Lorna. The food's energy coursed through him, making everything feel slightly unreal, yet sharply defined. "I'm not much of a dancer."

"Then perhaps you should start with a more familiar partner," Vyomendri suggested, his violet eyes glinting as he gestured toward Lorna. "After all, trust begins with what we know, doesn't it?"