“That’s because you haven’t. You’ve been unconscious for nearly seventy-two hours.”

She helped me out of my sweat suit, then wrapped her arm around my waist and escorted me to the edge of the steaming geothermal pool. I eased myself into the bath. The hot eucalyptus water was marvelous, drawing the fatigue out of my body while helping to clear the fog from my brain.

Dharma left me, disappearing around a bend. When she returned she was carrying a polished crystal bowl that held an assortment of exotic looking fruits and vegetables. She handed me a glazed goblet made of a turquoise-colored mineral that changed colors in the reflected light. Inside the container was a thick milky broth.

“Drink this, it’s a soup made from wild berries, goats’ milk, and nuts.”

I drained the warm liquid while she separated what looked to be a pale red miniature banana from a bunch. Peeling it exposed the violet meat inside. “Try this, it’s exquisite.”

I handed her the empty goblet and popped the fruit into my mouth, the taste of peach and kiwi bursting across my taste buds. I devoured three more of the citrus, then pointed to the bowl and goblet. “Where did you get these containers? I don’t remember seeing them aboard Oceanus? Were they yours?”

“Believe it or not, the cephalopeds created them. Do not be fooled by the creatures’ appearance, they are incredible artists and artisans, farmers and botanists, astronomers and engineers with talents that exceed our own. What’s more, when one individual masters a particular trade or talent, the ability is shared equally among all cephalopeds. If a ceph working the crops discovers a better method of cultivating the soil, by the next gathering every member of the colony will have acquired not only the technical knowledge, but the physical ability to manifest the same results, even though the action has yet to be experienced. You taught Oscar how to complete a donor-to-patient blood transfusion; now every adult and young adult in the colony can perform the same task flawlessly, though they may never actually use the procedure.”

“How is that possible?”