@VisualInspiration
My symb Jordan and I, we’re a good team – most of the time. It’s a win-win. I take care of oxygen supply, and he delivers water and nutrients. When we’re alone, I expand to my full size, overtaking his body and making him look like a large bromeliad. We can travel through space for months, even years. Lighting a vessel is much simpler and cheaper than recycling air and water, and of course, we always have a good story to tell. That’s essential for a human-plantoid symbiosis.
The only problem occurs when it comes to mating. After a long voyage, he craves human company. I understand that and retreat into the deepest regions of his body, leaving him with just a slight greenish tint to his skin – nothing more. His partners seem to like that look, or maybe they don’t even notice. I don’t ask, and he wouldn’t tell.
But things get more complicated when it’s my turn. When I meet my kind (sometimes in a natural habitat, sometimes other symbs like me), I communicate through fragrance and spores. Sorry, but that’s how we have sex, and we like it. But afterwards, my poor symb sneezes and coughs for about two days. My mating companions often spread genetic signatures completely different from mine, and my symb’s antiallergics don’t help much. And – oh, look at this cute guy! He’s paired with an orchid-type – that one's hot! Come on, Jordan, what do you think about these two?
#microfiction
#scifi
(Dedicated to John Varley whose idea I, um, borrowed for further development...)