Erias paused. She had forgotten to get Effuslucia's signature while she was in the Second Bloom's hab. A sting of regret flashed through her core for a brief moment. Should she turn back and get it? No, she thought to herself, the returns on such an endeavor would certainly be unworth the time poured into it. She had more than enough names on her petition already. If Arliss would not submit, then he would not be persuaded by the addition of a single name which belonged to an affini he clearly did not respect. It followed, then, that she would merely have to retrieve it later should things come to that. Ideally her parchments would not need to see use, anyway. The mere existence of them would likely force Arliss to listen and concede to the use of less extreme measures. She checked her tablet. 

One message from Cira. It was an hour or two old now. "I'm back at the hab preparing dinner," it read, "Camli said she hopes you make it home in time to get some rest!" Erias felt a moment of profound joy. Camli was an absolute sweetheart, as always. She sent a message back promising that she would get plenty of rest, and there was no need to worry about her. She reminded Cira of each floret's preferred bedtime, and gave her permission to use the homemade Class Z's for Velma if she struggled to sleep. "The ideal dosage is two milliliters by injection, but she may not feel comfortable with you holding the needle. Six millileters of the ingestible version, mixed with two milliliters of water, should do the trick orally. If she goes that route, it'll take longer to take effect- so you'll need to stay by her bedside until she falls asleep. I appreciate this. I know you're up to the task and I'm so terribly grateful for everything you do." 

Erias pulled up her map. It led her along a path towards that military affini's abode. The way wasn't far, which actually caused Erias to opt for a scenic and slightly circuitous route rather than follow the map exactly. She needed a minute or two to finish collecting herself before she could bear to look at this disappointment. She rehearsed potential openings in her head. Her body's frantic chaos both increased and slowed down in response to this act of introspection, which attracted a bit of attention from the other sophonts out and about around her- not that she was paying enough attention to notice. "You are going to leave this solar system, or I will make you?" No, that was too aggressive, it was too personal. How about…

"Erias?" It was him, staring at her with a face like an insect's. His dark green body was segmented and plated, the boundaries between those plates lined with flowers. "What brings you onto the Crest?" You know damn well what brings me here, Erias resisted the urge to snarl at him. She regarded the other affini with an expression coated in the kind of scorn only the truly elderly could conjure. 

"We need to speak," she stated in an assertive voice. Her anger crackled under her words like fire. "Somewhere private. Immediately." He seemed stunned, like a beast struck with a blunt force tool. The male affini went silent for a second and the legs beneath his body skittered with wild abandon. 

"Dare I ask whether this is about the Terran?" He asked, finding his confidence again. "I must apologize for stepping around you but I assure you, I act in her best interests. I will not apologize for seeing to it that another affini understands the urgency of their task."

Was this imbecile actively choosing to get owned in public? 

Well, far be it from an old woman to tell a young fool what embarrassment he could and couldn't take. Still…it would be undignified to air this so publicly. 

"Arliss, I have here a petition here that concerns you." She held up the paperwork. "We will discuss it professionally, politely, and in private. Now come along, I have florets at home and they will miss me if you waste my time." 

"Hmph," scoffed Arliss, growing visibly agitated. His legs skittered even harder than they already were. "Very well. But I have florets myself, you know." 

"Then we're in agreement," Erias said snarkily. "This matter is to be resolved quickly. Don't worry, the petition to be rid of you accrued eighty seven signatures in two hours. If that proves faster, we can simply take that path instead." Arliss froze for a second. Was it horror? A feeling of betrayal? Shock, perhaps? Regret even, dare Erias hope? She knew not, and didn't care much. She knew only that whatever emotion locked his body in place, some immature part of her was delighted to see it take hold. The feeling passed from him quickly and his buglike form scampered after her, but both of them knew now who had the power. 

"Eighty seven…" Arliss whimpered. "You must speak in jest."

"This is no time for play, Arliss. I assure you, I speak nothing but truths." Erias quickly sent Mort a message requesting access to his lab. Within twenty seconds, he answered, granting permission. "I'm not proud of this rootshow, you must be aware. We affini have placed ourselves above and beyond all other life in the cosmos, and that is a great enough affront without actors like you tarnishing our position." She half expected him to object and say something to the effect of, "why shouldn't we be there?" but he impressed her by not doing that. The two made their way towards Mort's lab. 

—-----

"Let's see…" Erias muttered as she checked Mort's stores. Factoring in Arliss's age, the size of his core, his number of blooms…everything was accounted for. Simply ejecting him forever was an option, but…the affini in her was too powerful to reject an opportunity for growth (and drugs). "Now, the way I see it. You have three options, Arliss. We can eject you from this solar system forever, you can refuse to leave of your own volition and force me to use this petition before a council, where I assure you defeat is inevitable…" she trailed off. 

"And the option where I stay?"

"I'm afraid no such thing exists for you in this or any future," said Erias with a crushingly blunt tone like a slab of steel. "But, we can take this as a teaching opportunity. There's an old Terran book Thunder told me about, where at the end the evil king is defeated with a spell that forces him to consider the lives and pain of each and every peasant as equal to his own. I'm told the books are kind of…not worth it, but that part struck a chord with me."

"...." Arliss watched as Erias typed into consoles, poured liquids into beakers, and operated many medical devices at once. "And your point is?"

"Are you familiar with the Krez'agt?" Asked Erias. She tried not to think about them too much. Arliss paused for a moment. 

"A pet species, I assume?"

"Yes, quite right. They were a race of pack hunters. Obligate carnivores, you see. Easily domesticated for much the same reasons as Terrans, though their science was significantly more advanced. This was when I was a second bloom, too, so we had slightly fewer technological advancements under our own command as well." She paused, trying not to recall her time spent with them. It was…touchy, even now. 

"And what do they have to do with me?" Asked Arliss. "Are you going to tell me you were like me, once?"

"If I were half as disrespectful to affini or other life as you are, I'd stop reblooming out of shame," Erias stabbed with naked contempt. She caught herself immediately. "My apologies. I am simply very protective of those under my care. I'm sure you understand." Arliss was afraid of her now. She could feel it. Good. Affini youth could use a bit of fear in their lives. 

"Y-yes," Arliss replied, "I am sorry. You may continue." 

Erias turned her mind back to the wolf-like creatures she'd been speaking of. "In any case, the culture of the Krez'agt as a collective was very warlike in spite of their capacity for kindness. Much like Terrans, in that regard as well. Speaking of, have you heard the Terran phrase 'the difference between medicine and poison lies often in the dose?'"

"No, but it's hardly a difficult sentiment to arrive at," answered Arliss. "It's basic pharmacology. Overdoses are bad." 

"Yes," agreed Erias. "But it's not just medicine this applies to. What heals one creature may maim another. All approaches to health must account for the patient first and foremost. Now, as for how the Krez'agt play into this…" she poured one last vile full of a dark purple liquid, and transferred it into a specialized injector. "This is a drug I created based on the Krez'agt's greatest act of cruelty: an empathy enhancer called xenapheron." 

"I don't understand," said Arliss. Curiosity pulled him harder than fear or anger could push. The hook was in him. "How could an empathy booster be an act of cruelty, for a pack species especially?"

"You see," Erias said, "the Krez'agt couldn't usually pack bond with anything but others of their kind, or other predators big enough that hunting them wasn't viable. Xenapheron could break the mental barrier that stopped them from doing so. And under the right conditions, a Krez'agt could, say…pack bond with the only food source available to them. Their documents record instances of testing the drug on prisoners of war. Some saw their food as family, but buckled under the threat of starvation and consumed anyway." Erias's voice was dark now. She recalled reading those documents for the first time, her then-bright leaves being shaken by an ominous gale of her own horror. "Some refused, and chose to starve rather than harm their companions. Some cannibalized their own bodies in defiance." 

"..." Arliss shook off a sense of mounting horror within himself. "And why is this relevant?" 

"Because. Xenapheron was originally intended to do good. It was supposed to be used consensually to help the traumatized learn to trust. A medicine was turned into a weapon, and passed into affini hands it became medicine once again. With this drug I can force you to see that human as your equal and understand how you have hurt her, so that you may learn from it."

"A human…my…!" Arliss backed away. His body shook and split and reformed into a wheel of arms. "What kind of affini are you?"

"A doctor," Erias spat in defiance. "An old crone who has seen the universe's horrors and chosen to empathize rather than conquer! A song, old and crumbling and robbed by time of its tune and rhythm, yet obstinately defying the corruptive urge to place itself above its listeners! I will not be insulted for my insistance that Mane is worth all the kindness that she can be given, any more than I will sit back and let the rancid actions of the most powerful Krez'agt be used to color the reputation of the least! I am an affini who watches as her fellows break and abuse and experiment on the minds of their captives and is filled with the same powerless dread as those we war with! Empathy, damn you, I'm an affini who has learned empathy beyond the condescending urge to overpower and erase!" She paused and collected herself. Deep pulses. Her core slowed down, as did her twirling vines. "Apologies. I do not like to be considered lesser for my ability to respect my patients. Now, will you take the drug or not?"

"No," Arliss shook his head-hand. "I refuse. I appreciate the history lesson but you are not putting that in me."

"Yes, that makes sense," Erias sighed. "I suppose I wouldn't trust an affini to drug me right after they blew up like I just did, either." She placed the injector in a storage compartment. "Will you be leaving of your own volition or shall this take even longer?"

"I…" Arliss trembled. "I will be off the Crest by tomorrow night."

"Splendid. Return to your hab, then. Your florets deserve a well-prepared last dinner in their home system." 

"You won't…take them?"

"Why would we?" Asked Erias. She was put off by the question. "Perhaps I ought to press a motion for that, if there's something I'm not aware of," said Erias to herself, "but as it stands I see nothing to indicate such a necessity- and besides, that would extend the process of getting you out of this part of space. I'll let whoever takes you look into that."

"Thank you…!"

"Go."