{"id":277,"date":"2025-03-24T10:32:28","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/roses-wildflowers-pure-classicpress.local\/?post_type=stories&p=277"},"modified":"2026-07-11T16:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T23:45:12","slug":"of-earth","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/societyforritualarts.com\/rw\/2025-spring\/stories\/of-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The rickety old rocket vibrated all around him as Jack entered the final hours of his three-month journey from Mars to Earth, loud enough and shaky enough that a less confident man would have been saying his final prayers. But Jack was that kind of confident, and only grew more so when the stolen ship\u2019s forward cameras returned the best kind of news: patches of green grass sprouting up among Earth\u2019s mottled gray ashes, signs of life on a planet thought to be too devastated by war to ever truly recover. Even better were the blocky shapes of structures that looked like buildings: signs that Earth humans were alive, and that they were building things that Jack could take from them. There was nothing like champagne to pop these days, but Jack dug out his bottle of homemade booze and celebrated with every searing sip as the ship entered the automated sequence for landing, lifting his glass in a laughing toast to the Martian brothers who had refused to gamble on his genius plan and would never realize how much they had missed out on this amazing opportunity.<\/p>\n

Touchdown was shaky enough to make it clear that the gamble had been a close one, the engines groaning and the ship shaking all around him, but since Jack had all his limbs intact he certainly wasn\u2019t going to complain about the hard thump of the landing. He took one list sip of the bottle and set about assembling the weapons he had: a gun he had 3D printed on the machine in the back and that misfired half the time, as well as the hunting knife he\u2019d been gifted when he graduated to Ranger, kept clean and sharp by his constant care. Like every Martian, Jack had been born to be a warrior. His birth was approved solely to provide his faction with one more fighting man in their unending wars for Martian territory. But Jack was tired of the endless wars, especially after- well, after everything. He was tired enough to bet his life on this venture, despite all the doubt from all his brothers, and he was about to collect his winnings.<\/p>\n

If his brothers had agreed to join him, Jack could have staged a conquest that would have claimed the continent in less than a week. Instead, invading solo, he would have to start out a little stealthier while he assessed the shape of the situation. The sensors found his first targets easy enough. Two humans seemed to have realized there was a landing and were heading this way.<\/p>\n

Time to hustle. Jack jogged down the gangplank, slammed his fist into the button that would shut the door behind him, and jogged across the wide circle of flattened grass that the rocket had left on landing. A tall grass filled the surrounding fields, with the occasionally scraggly tree trying to make its way up towards the sun, all of it a wide open space under a cloudy blue sky. Jack took a deep breath of the thick air, probably not the healthiest but still far heartier than Mars, and threw himself down in the grass to wait for the new arrivals.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t have to wait long.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa, it really is a rocket!\u201d the first exclaimed, a voice high pitched with excitement and- was that a woman? Jack almost lifted his head high enough to be seen, then forced himself to flatten back down into the grass. He\u2019d never seen an actual human woman, just the woman-shaped robots they let the men use. Every faction on Mars carefully selected the genetic traits and genetic genders for any children, and every faction needed far more warriors than child-bearers. But these two women- barely more than girls, really- seemed to have been turned loose here on Earth, excitedly circling Jack\u2019s aircraft in an admiring way Jack\u2019s ego couldn\u2019t help but appreciate. Still, he had to do what he had to do. Waiting until the rocket blocked the further woman\u2019s line of sight, Jack leaped out of the grass and grabbed the nearest woman in a full body grip.<\/p>\n

\u201cShhh,\u201d he whispered in her ear, one hand holding her mouth and the other holding the knife to her throat, trying not to focus his attention on the hostage situation and not the marvel of a soft, breathing body against his instead of a hard metal robot. \u201cStay quiet, and I won\u2019t-\u201d<\/p>\n

She jerked her head, then cried out when the knife sliced a slim gash in the side of her neck, the sound barely audible with it muffled by his hand.<\/p>\n

And yet, the other woman seemed to know the second he grabbed her friend. \u201cRose!\u201d the other woman yelled, circling the rocket and running straight towards them, holding her own neck as if she herself had been cut.<\/p>\n

Jack cursed as he angled his arm to put pressure on the wound and felt it slick with blood, his thoughts flying straight to Tom, to the feeling of Tom\u2019s blood flowing under Jack\u2019s hands as he tried desperately to stop his brother\u2019s red blood flowing out across the red sands of Mars, too fast for Jack\u2019s hands to hold it back, too fast for- Jack cut off those thoughts before they could go any further. Tom had been a chump, just like all the rest of their cradle cohort, Jack himself included. Leaving for Earth was the first part of not being a chump, of taking for himself all the things he should have had.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow see what you did,\u201d he scolded the hostage that would help him get those things, keeping her body between Jack and her friend and breathing a sigh of relief when the wound wasn\u2019t deep enough for the river of blood he had pictured. The hostage had to at least stay alive, although he wouldn\u2019t mind if she was scared enough to spill some details on the local geography with him. \u201cBoth of you need to be a little more welcoming to your new guest here on Earth,\u201d he said, eyeing the friend with a smirk, \u201cand make sure I don\u2019t need to kill either of you to get my way<\/p>\n

Whether too brave or too foolish, the friend seemed unafraid. \u201cLet her go,\u201d she growled, taking her hand away from her own uninjured neck to swing her backpack over her shoulder and pull out some kind of box.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re a little confused about the situation here, sweetheart,\u201d Jack drawled, angling the knife in his hand on the gun on his hip so that the other woman could see them better. \u201cI\u2019ve got the weapons, so how about you lower your bag and show me all the things inside that you\u2019re going to share with me today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRose?\u201d the other woman asked, lifting the box and hesitating.<\/p>\n

\u201cLilac,\u201d Rose hesitated, then took a deep breath. \u201cDo it,\u201d she said, and before Jack could decide what \u2018it\u2019 was and whether it was time to shoot Rose in the foot or something, the box had made a noise and his vision had gone dark.<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

Jack was pretty sure he was out for an hour or two before he shook himself awake under the glare of a harsh overhead light. He was at the center of a cobblestone circle, where he sat in a chair with his arms and legs both bound. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust enough to realize that it was night, with a full moon bright overhead and the part of the courtyard that wasn\u2019t covered by a spotlight marked by small, twinkling lights.<\/p>\n

A crowd of people stood around him, all wearing the same dark jumpsuits as his intended prey, Rose, and his unexpected attacker, Lilac, both of them standing at the front and to the side. At the head of the crowd was one man and one woman, both with long, graying hair and formal headpieces that Jack was fairly sure indicated some kind of leadership. The whole crowd behind them was spooky. Not so much for the variety of ages, skin colors, and genders, which would indeed be unusual for any crowd on Mars, but very much for the way they watched him, silent and watchful, much like a Ranger troop poised for battle. Still, Jack had faced down a lot of troops in a lot of battles, and he wouldn\u2019t let these Earthers scare him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well, well,\u201d he said, leaning back in his chair and ignoring the pain in his arms from the new angle. \u201cWe seem to have a whole gathering here. I\u2019m Jack, and it\u2019s nice to meet you all. Excited to see a Son of Mars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew it!\u201d said Lilac, her excitement only a little subdued by recent events. \u201cHe had to be from Mars!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA very good hypothesis,\u201d Jack said, inclining his head with exaggerated admiration. \u201cAnd very good aim with your weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a weapon,\u201d said his former hostage Rose, crossing her arms and looking down at him with that same watchful expression. \u201cIt\u2019s a device that emits wavelengths that cause sleep in the brains of most mammals. We were using it for our research.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, I\u2019ll remember that,\u201d Jack said with a lazy smile. \u201cAre there any other-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for your testimony today, Rose and Lilac,\u201d said the older man who stood at the front of the audience. \u201cThat will be all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes Elder Elm,\u201d said Lilac, inclining her head in a half bow towards the older man. \u201cYes, Elder Willow,\u201d she added, inclining her head in reply to the older woman\u2019s nod of agreement. Lilac faded back among the crowd, but Rose took a single step back and stood towards the front, still watching him closely.
\n\u201cSo, you have joined us from Mars,\u201d said Willow. \u201cAnd your first act is to take a hostage?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly he is like our ancestors, Willow,\u201d said Elm, the two trading glances even as Elm\u2019s voice remained loud enough to reach their audience. \u201cViolence is in his nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree,\u201d Willow said. \u201cClearly, we will need to expedite our plans for planetary defenses. In the meantime, Jack of Mars, you have two options before you. You may return to Mars in your vehicle, or you may accept our ways and join us here.\u201d
\nJack brightened, sitting up straighter in his chair. \u201cWhy, thank you kindly. I\u2019ll certainly join you all here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait until you\u2019ve heard the conditions,\u201d Elm said with a wintry smile. \u201cAs you may have heard, the people of Earth do not have the best history when it comes to stewardship of our planet or ourselves. It was only three generations ago that the planet was devastated by the Final War. We call it the Final War, because we are committed to ensuring it never takes place again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we have all agreed to a solution,\u201d Willow explained, picking up her part of their smooth speech. \u201cWe have agreed that harm done to one will be treated as harm done to all. And to live up to our agreement, we have created implants to harmonize our minds, sharing pain from one as pain for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that again?\u201d Jack asked, suddenly wondering if the radiation had made them all a little crazy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I\u2019m sure you don\u2019t have as complete an education on Mars,\u201d Willow said with a small, superior smile that made Jack want to punch her in the teeth. \u201cWe inject a series of implant through your nose,\u201d she gestured, as if Jack had missed the part where a needle went up your nose, \u201cand the brain stem,\u201d she turned her head to indicate the back of her head, \u201cAnd use those entry points to spread the implants across all the critical neurological junctions. The implants receive your pain, and transmit it amongst us all. Similarly, your implants will receive the pain of others, which they provide to you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026\u201d Jack trailed off, unable to think of a word horrible enough for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarvelous?\u201d Elm smiled. \u201cYes, it is. We feel when others hurt, and they feel for us. We never cause physical fights, and we work through our interpersonal differences of opinion to come to the best possible outcome for us all. It can be time consuming, complicated, and painful. But it allows us to overcome the aggressive traits that our species has been cursed with, and lets us live together in harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a great blessing science and community have bestowed upon us,\u201d Willow agreed. \u201cA small price to pay for peace. And we freely offer it to you, Jack of Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack sat for a moment in stupefied silence. They offered torment, the complete loss of self, as if it was a favor? He tried to imagine sharing his mind with his Martian brothers, and shied away from the very idea of letting them see straight inside to his smallest and weakest parts, the ones that felt pain and felt the fear that came with it. He tried to imagine feeling the pain of his brothers, all at once, and could not imagine being able to live through that agony.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cthat I cannot refuse emphatically enough. You\u2019re a planet full of crazy people and now I\u2019m trapped among you. You can\u2019t just change my mind, my self that way!\u201d he exclaimed, his voice rising to a shout. \u201cIt\u2019s barbaric, worse than torture! I can\u2019t imagine the pain you must all feel.\u201d His voice cracked. \u201cFeeling all the pain, all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like that!\u201d Rose exclaimed from her place at the front of the crowd. \u201cSharing our pain helps to lessen it. It brings us together, gives us-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t, and you can\u2019t!\u201d Jack shouted, his breaths going uneven and frantic at the thought of all those minds, interfering with his own. \u201cYou can\u2019t do that to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Elm snapped. \u201cWe are not monsters, and we don\u2019t alter anyone without their consent. You have made your position clear, so you will be sent back to Mars in your vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been focused on making our planet livable again, so we have no aircraft capable of interplanetary travel,\u201d Willow added dryly. \u201cYours will have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack let out a wild laugh. \u201cMight as well sentence me to death right there. That rocket will never make it back. And even if it does-\u201d he cut himself off with a shake of his head, unwilling to explain the punishment for his theft, and even more for the betrayal in leaving his brothers behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yet, this is the path you chose,\u201d Elm said. \u201cWe are old enough to remember the worst of the aftermath of Earth\u2019s last war. We will not return to violence again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you accept the implant, or return to Mars?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n

Jack closed his eyes against the bright lights and the judgmental eyes. Maybe he should have just died with Tom. Better to go out with his brother than endure the slow torture to come, spending each day waiting for the oxygen leak, the engine failure, or the slow and painful execution that would finally end his sorry life.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019d never go out as a coward. \u201cI guess I\u2019m going home one way or another,\u201d he said, opening his eyes to smirk at the Elders. \u201cGo ahead. Send me home to my Makers.\u201d<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

They kept his hands bound, but freed his legs to frog march him across the courtyard and into one of the buildings he had seen on the cameras, a small wooden structure that at least had a gentle mattress filled with straw. Jack tried to stay awake and search for exits, but one of the Earthers brought out their sleep machine and knocked him out again.<\/p>\n

He woke to the sound of a quiet argument, with two increasingly familiar voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that the Elders have done with their decision is prove that they don\u2019t follow our principles unless their implants force them to,\u201d Rose was arguing, speaking softly as she crept across the creaking wooden floor. \u201cThey avoid violence when they\u2019d feel the pain, but they don\u2019t care if they hurt anyone whose pain they don\u2019t feel in their implants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re also like, worried he\u2019s going to try to hurt someone,\u201d Lilac pointed out, also speaking quietly as she trailed behind. \u201cLike he did you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but just because he was violent doesn\u2019t mean we should be violent back!\u201d Rose exclaimed, her hushed voice turning heated. \u201cHarm done to one is harm done to all. That\u2019s the law we all agreed to, and just because he hadn\u2019t been modified doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t count! He\u2019s still a person, even if he\u2019s a person without empathy himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I can have empathy,\u201d Jack said, opening his eyes and no longer pretending to sleep. \u201cI just reserve it for friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lilac audibly scoffed, but Rose nodded in agreement. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t learned yet,\u201d she told her friend. \u201cWe can\u2019t let them send him to his death just because he hasn\u2019t learned.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the interests of getting these chumps to set him free, Jack swallowed his rage at this indignity and nodded along with a tense smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a compromise that will work for all of us,\u201d Rose explained, taking Jack\u2019s elbow and helping him to his feet. \u201cI\u2019ll just take you to another part of the planet. It\u2019s isolated, with no human inhabitants so far, and no agriculture specialists to help with recovery.\u00a0 It hasn\u2019t come as far in recovering from the war, but it\u2019s still survivable. You\u2019ll stay there, and we\u2019ll stay here, and our paths need never cross again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good to me,\u201d Jack said, already imagining his trip back, and how he\u2019d avoid the sleep machine next time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll check your location on this tracking chip,\u201d Lilac provided, apparently less trusting than Rose. She held up a needle in demonstration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, going to sneak your mind control in?\u201d Jack asked, giving up on his trusting cover and sending the needle a distrustful glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s a tracker,\u201d Lilac repeated patiently. \u201cIt goes into your arm, and it will warn us if you come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t want- you can\u2019t-\u201d he sputtered, frustrated that these two weren\u2019t as quite as gullible as he had thought they were. Still, they were gullible enough to get him out of here, and he needed that a lot more than they needed him. \u201cFine!\u201d he gave up, shrugging up his sleeve. He would just remove it later.<\/p>\n

Lilac raised the syringe, then hesitated. \u201cWe can tell when it\u2019s been removed,\u201d she warned him.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, what do I care?\u201d he hissed. \u201cI can survive in any wilderness with animals I can hunt.\u201d He\u2019d just have to come up with a new plan, or learn to survive on his own just like he\u2019d planned in the first place. \u201cAnd your Elders will be okay with this?\u201d he asked, taking probably too much pleasure in the pointed look that Lilac sent Rose. \u201cWill you be punished?\u201d he asked, reluctant to know the answer if it might force him to \u201cempathize\u201d with her after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing painful,\u201d Rose said with a small smile, \u201cfor that would only hurt us all. I\u2019ll probably be asked to minister to the ill and the dying. It\u2019s the most challenging of our tasks, since we feel even more of their pain by proximity, but it\u2019s a price I\u2019ll willingly pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unbelievable, and yet she seemed committed to it. Jack kept quiet as they led the way, sneaking around the small wooden buildings and out to an air strip, stretching off towards the sunrise on the horizon. They might not be ready for interplanetary travel, but the Earthers could still manage an airplane. Rose led the way to a little one with long, solar powered panels, that took off swiftly and silently in the early morning light.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, your hive mind can\u2019t tell that you\u2019re leaving?\u201d Jack asked, joking but entirely serious as he looked out the window to see if anyone was following them.<\/p>\n

No planes appeared, so he looked up in time to see Lilac rolling her eyes from the copilot seat. \u201cNo, we told you. We still have our individuality, and we don\u2019t share our thoughts or any other feelings. We only share pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, psychological torture,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe share emotional pain too,\u201d Rose agreed, studying the map on the dashboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmotional manipulation, more like,\u201d Jack scoffed, picturing the ways that shared pain could force a man into a corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is the guy we\u2019re going out of our way to help?\u201d Lilac pointed out, her sidelong glare at Rose making it clear who she blamed for Jack\u2019s failures. \u201cSomeone who can\u2019t even be bothered to listen to why we might make a different choice from him? You know they aren\u2019t going to let us do any survey missions for ages after this, and it\u2019s going to set me way behind on my training for a leadership position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, and I feel your pain,\u201d Rose said, reaching out to briefly touch Lilac\u2019s shoulder. \u201cDo you want to go back? I can\u2019t take you all the way, but we could make a landing so that you can go back and tell them I tricked you into this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I made this decision too. I\u2019ll turn my broadcasting down,\u201d Lilac sighed, and Jack\u2019s ears perked up at those words. \u201cI felt your pain at the thought of sending someone to his death, and I can\u2019t do that to you. That\u2019s how it works in a civilized society,\u201d she continued, raising her voice to make sure Jack heard. \u201cSomeone\u2019s going to hurt and someone\u2019s going to be happy, and since we\u2019re all going to feel all of it, we work together to make it as pain free as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill creepy,\u201d Jack grunted, but he shut up for the rest of the flight, pointedly ignoring the easy chatter between pilot and co-pilot. It was a long trip at this plane\u2019s measly atmospheric speeds, soaring across dusty gray terrain and iron gray ocean. He frowned out the window at all these pieces of the original home planet, damaged but still healthier than anything they\u2019d made on Mars. Why had the people of Mars ever left this home behind? They might have dreamed of building something new, but a fat lot of good that had done them. At least they had missed that Final War, he reminded himself, turning to watching the crater they passed over as the plane began its slow decline. Now he just needed to figure out how to dodge this implant-enforced Final Peace.<\/p>\n

They were barely past the crater when they floated down in a gentle landing, leaving Jack furious as he stormed out of the airplane to the desolation that awaited. \u201cWhat, you\u2019re going to leave me in the blast zone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNear one,\u201d Rose said. \u201cBut far enough out that there\u2019s life again. Look,\u201d she pointed down at the hoofprints in the charcoal dust. \u201cDeer have been here recently, so there\u2019s plenty for you to hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh great,\u201d Jack said sarcastically, staring at the bleak landscape, barely cheered by the sprigs of grass and struggling sprouts that might one day be trees. All of it the new home he would forage alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s a lot better than you deserved, but agree to disagree,\u201d Lilac countered. \u201cRemember, we\u2019ll be watching, and if you try to take from us again, we will intervene.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah?\u201d he sneered, more confident here where he could make a break for it if they got out of their sleep machine. \u201cAnd what if I manage to get in touch with my Martian brothers? What if they come back and join me once I tell them that you\u2019re here and have so many nice things to share?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re starving on Mars, we would try to share our supplies anyway,\u201d Lilac reluctantly allowed. \u201cTell them we would be happy to help, but also that we have our defenses ready if they try to take.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, so you will do violence,\u201d Jack said with a strange twist of glee at the thought of these holier-than-thou bastards demolishing the ragtag Martian fleet.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefenses that disable your equipment, not defenses that destroy,\u201d Rose pointed out with all the easy certainty of youth. \u201cWe know the mistakes our ancestors made, and we won\u2019t be like them again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019ve got it all figured out then,\u201d Jack said, pacing angrily across the ashy gray earth. \u201cYou\u2019re a chump, you\u2019re all chumps,\u201d he concluded, turning back from their path to jab his finger at her collarbone. \u201cYou\u2019re the ones getting scammed here, and you even know about it, all of you taking advantage of each other, and you\u2019re just letting it happen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is it bad if we all get that advantage?\u201d Lilac muttered, throwing up her hands and heading back towards the plane, clearly done with this conversation, but Rose stared coolly back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know, and I choose to let it happen,\u201d she said. \u201cI choose to live our values to the fullest extent, not abandon them when it\u2019s inconvenient. Harm to one is harm to all. I will live to that principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour loss,\u201d Jack shrugged, forcing his face into a rictus of his cocky smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yours,\u201d said Rose with a small smile. \u201cGood luck out here, Jack of Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack watched her go, waiting for the moment she\u2019d turn around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you aren\u2019t going to keep trying to con me into joining your cult?\u201d he joked to her back, ignoring the surge of relief in his stomach when she turned back around to give him a nonplussed glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just hard for me to believe,\u201d he continued when she didn\u2019t answer. \u201cI mean, I just don\u2019t get it. You didn\u2019t want anything from me? Like, anything at all?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to give you an option other than death or the surgery you refused to consent to. Does that count?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but that was for me. What\u2019s in it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a thing,\u201d Rose said, holding his gaze until Jack got uncomfortable and turned away. \u201cBut that\u2019s the point of our society, for how we treat each other every day. We just help each other, and do our best to ease each other\u2019s pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Jack said, his voice strangely childlike. He thought of Tom again, his heart aching all over again at the loss of his brother and the complete indifference of his faction. Ask anyone on Mars, and they would say that Tom had died because he wasn\u2019t strong enough to survive. It was always the weak who suffered, the strong who thrived. That was the way of the world, and Jack had never questioned it until he had seen Tom\u2019s empty face staring up at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand!\u201d he said again. He\u2019d seen Tom dead and decided to take up a new way of living, not caring about anyone or anything so that he, Jack of Mars, would never hurt like that again. And yet, these people seemed to be running straight into more hurt, choosing pain, day after day after day. \u201cWhy do you choose this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how to explain it any better,\u201d Rose said, looking almost as frustrated as Lilac. \u201cIf you\u2019d only let us-\u201d she stopped, took a deep breath and slowly let it out. \u201cLook, I get it. You\u2019re afraid of feeling everyone else\u2019s pain. I could explain the mechanisms that keep it from impairing us- upper bounds on pain signals, filtering the signals by proximity- but I don\u2019t think the mechanics aren\u2019t as important. All I can tell you is that it doesn\u2019t hurt worse when we share our pain. It means that I always know others will care when I\u2019m hurt, and that they\u2019ll do their best to help, and I know that I\u2019ll do the same in return for them. Not everyone on Earth is able to do that on their own,\u201d she admitted, looking pained at the thought. \u201cThat\u2019s why we need the implants. But sharing our pain doesn\u2019t make it worse. We ease other people\u2019s pain, and our own, by knowing that we aren\u2019t alone in feeling it. If you can\u2019t understand that,\u201d Rose sighed and shook her head. \u201cI can\u2019t help you any more than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you just live like that?\u201d Jack asked. His face was wet. Maybe it was raining? He\u2019d heard that water fell from the sky, on Earth. \u201cEvery day, knowing that other people won\u2019t hurt you and you won\u2019t hurt them! Every day, every one of you lives like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t perfect,\u201d Rose said, hesitating at the sight of his damp face. \u201cWe can still cause pain, inadvertently or otherwise. But we do our best, every day, because we truly share the best outcomes or the worst.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it sounds great when you put it that way,\u201d Jack laughed, aiming for sarcasm and well aware he had missed his mark. He hesitated, knowing he was on the precipice and unsure whether or not to make the leap. \u201cWhen you were talking earlier, your friend said she could turn it down? Does that mean you can turn off the feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get first level control over our own implants,\u201d Rose said, speaking slowly as if trying not to scare off prey. \u201cIf there were allegations that it was being misused to allow someone to do harm to others, it would be presented before a jury, and they would decide whether that control needs to be revoked. But that only happens in the worst of circumstances,\u201d she hurried to add, studying his face as if doubting what she was seeing. \u201cThere\u2019s been nothing like that in my lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her lifetime hadn\u2019t been all that long, but that seemed like a good sign. \u201cSo if I took on the implant,\u201d Jack asked again, his heart beating faster as hope warred with doubt, \u201cI could turn it off if it became too much?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were to agree, I would make sure everyone understood that was required,\u201d Rose assured him, eyes wide at this very specific hypothetical. \u201cEspecially while you adjusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, okay,\u201d Jack said, swiping at his damp face. \u201cI don\u2019t know how this will go, but- fine! I agree! Put your crazy implant thing in my brain! I want to feel that too. Feel that I\u2019m safe. Know how to not hurt other people. How to keep other people from being hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well- I\u2019m- are sure?\u201d asked Lilac, who had returned from the plane and looked very alarmed at the turn the conversation had taken. \u201cBecause I\u2019m sure living in the wilderness would be great, once you get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Rose ignored her. \u201cWe can\u2019t keep everyone from being hurt, but we always try,\u201d she told him, with the kind of firm faith that left Jack both envious and comforted. \u201cAnd when the worst happens, we can help each other bear the pain. Welcome home, Jack of Earth,\u201d Rose said, holding out her hand, and Jack shook on it.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n ","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1087,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-277","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fx-builder-entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOf Earth - Roses & Wildflowers Spring 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Of Earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Time to hustle then. 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