Detach 5.3

It's morning now. Poly asks, "Why did you trust me so quickly?" I answer easily, "Well you did save me back there. And then you were so calm and gentle. You made no big moves without asking first if it was alright." He thinks he's funny, "I guess you didn't have to worry about getting pregnant either." "Stop! You're making me shy! I've never done that before." "I guess it was quick but the feeling was definitely there." "No, I mean I've never been with a man." "Ohh. Umm. Thank you for the honor." "It was always just something I never saw for myself. My mother, my family, they had told me that I would follow in their tradition and I had always believed that I would. They've never been with men either." "Uh? There must have been some man?" "Actually, there wasn't. See, you know the plant I carry around on my bike? It's not just any normal plant. My family keeps it secret. That's why I had to leave, I want to share it with everybody. When a woman ingests the leaves, she becomes pregnant with a baby who shares her genetics, her clone." "Uh? Seriously? That's pretty wild." "It's very important that I keep that plant alive. I don't have any more seeds and I can't get more without arousing suspicion of my mother or other relatives. They're already on to my plans. If they find out I have this plant, they'll absolutely do something to stop me." "Why do they need it to be a secret?" "They claim it's for their safety. We've been labelled witches before and prosecuted for it. I think it's just about control, their own power trip." Poly makes a good point, "If it were really about safety, why wouldn't they just spread the plant in the wild?" "I don't think it grows very well in the wild. It's very fragile. I wish it were possible. Whatever it is with the plant's genetics that give it the powers of parthenogenesis also make it less viable for its own reproduction. Some kind of trade-off. This strain my family guards has been with us for centuries. They say that it was when one of us saw a snake eat the plant and become pregnant that we learned of its power. Snakes know the secrets of the plants. When we've got enough seeds to spread around, we can try to grow it in the wild." "I get why you're doing this now. The fertility crisis is serious. Did you ever hear the theory that planetary warming caused dinosaur testicles to fall out of the narrow range of viability? Anyways, I may be able to help secure your plant's future. My parents have a huge ranch and there's a greenhouse where it could grow with all the help it would need." "Really? Is that close? Let's go. Also, the plant is not an 'it,' he's Sal. I named him. It's short for the full name, Salvia Partheneolus." "Ok, we can go. It's only a few days ride away. There's just one thing: my dad and I aren't really on good terms right now. He wanted me to take over the ranch operations so he could retire but I don't like the business of killing cows and destroying trees so they have pastures to graze on. I told him that if I was in charge, I would work to restore the land to a forest and make it a home for many species." Poly continues, "That's one of the projects I consider a failure. You know how in the last few years, biologists and governments have set up drones and satelites so they can monitor all of the animals and their migrations? I believe this is our way out of agriculture as we know it. If we can track populations in this way, we can manage them without fences and private property. We can get all our meat from these wild populations that live on their own accords. Old style ranches are just a relic from when biological sciences didn't have these capabilities. With the communication technologies of today, these ranches are completely disgusting tools of bourgeoisie wealth concentration. If it went further and if so many humans weren't so sensitive about their privacy and welcomed similar tracking, we would know more about each other too and we could really make some positive change." "How did the project fail?" "Well, my dad proclaimed that he spent his entire career clearing brush in order to make more effective pastures for the cows and said he wouldn't stand by and let me destroy his life's work. After that, I made a few internet comments on the subject. That's about it." "So we'll tell your parents something else so that they welcome you back. Just a little con, nothing serious. Tell them you've found a woman with whom you're looking to settle down and you've changed your mind about living on the ranch." "Uh, yeah, a little fib. That'll work. I'll call today and let them know we're coming." "I'm glad I met you. What are the chances you were around last night when I needed you?" "I don't believe it was chance. The universe is a great mind, and just like our minds, it receives flashes of inspiration, providing impetus and direction to great works. The cause of an event is not always in the past. Our meeting was set by your success in spreading Sal. He's destined to succeed and grow, and in order for that to happen you needed my parents' greenhouse so somehow, the conspiracy came together, bringing us together." "That's deep, man. I like you."