She scanned several of the cup formations that made up the tree’s leaves. The birds’ roost had a small puddle of water at the bottom of it—like a sink. Eva hopped over to the wide leafy platform and dipped her hand into the puddle. She lifted the chilled water to her nose and sniffed it as it ran through her fingers, but smelled nothing. After pulling out her drinking cup, she scooped up the water and stuck her tongue into it. A faint taste of cabbage was present; otherwise, the water was unremarkable. She dropped in a water purification tablet and drank.

Eva paused, wondering if she’d waited long enough for the water to become purified. Is this water poisonous? Am I going to get sick? She tried not to focus on the water, or the expanse of the illuminated dawn sky above her, and pulled out her Omnipod. “Check for messages, please.”

“You have no new messages—voice or otherwise.”

“Can . . . can you send a message to Muthr?”

“Attempting voice connection to Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six . . . ,” said the Omnipod as the little lights began to flicker around its central eye.

“Come on.” Eva picked at the medi-sticker on her thumb. “Be there, please.”

“I am sorry, Eva Nine. I am not receiving a reply,” the Omnipod said. “Would you like to leave a message?”

“No, thanks.” Eva stood up and scanned the forest. She squinted through the wandering trees and flocks of flying creatures.

Where am I? she wondered. I was in the woods last night, but not anymore. How long have we been traveling?

In the far distance she saw it.

To the southeast, a small wisp of smoke curled and evaporated just above the treetops—the smoke from the Sanctuary’s exhaust vent.

Muthr.

Eva scrambled down the wandering tree and hopped onto the pebbled ground. As the tree lumbered on, she stepped out from its shadow and onto the winding open plain that lay between her and what remained of her underground home.

CHAPTER 7: LIFE-FORMS

Eva inspected the round, smooth stone cradled in her hands, half-expecting it to disappear in a cloud of light motes—but it did not. She turned it over and over in her hands. For one thing, the brown and blue striped stone was heavy, much heavier than Eva had imagined it would be when she’d picked it up from the ground. This was contrary to everything she’d ever held in the holography chamber. There, everything was as light as the filtered air that filled the Sanctuary.

This is real, she thought as she held the stone out in front of her, all of this.

Sand and gravel crunched under Eva’s sneakboots as she marched across the winding plain. The odometer on the shoe’s heel clicked as it counted out the distance. She stopped and checked her progress. “I’ve gone almost two kilometers. That’s the farthest I’ve ever walked.”