Dr. Cornelius Thatch's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Dr. Cornelius Thatch flexed his root network three miles east, tasting the bitter alkaloids in the grove's edge plants. His purple tendrils wrapped around seed pods, secreting enzymes to extract the compounds. Each harvest brought him closer to his goal: building a medicine trade from Auster's toxic flora. The eastern groves burned his roots like acid when he pushed too deep, so he worked the borders where resistance was weak. He'd already identified twelve compounds with potential. Now he just needed buyers who understood their value. But first, he needed a place to sell them. He pulled his consciousness back to his main body and began growing the shop. Purple vines twisted upward, forming walls that glowed softly in the dim light. Iridescent petals bloomed across the structure, their colors shifting from blue to green. He shaped doorways and shelves, each one grown from his own living tissue. The Alien Herbal Haven took three days to complete. Thatch stood in the center, his tail curling around a support beam he'd grown for stability. Shelves lined the walls, ready for vials and containers. The bioluminescent vines pulsed with a steady rhythm, bright enough to read by. He'd processed six compounds already, each one diluted and stabilized for human use. Two could treat infections. Three reduced inflammation. One stopped bleeding in seconds. His genius had turned poison into profit. Now customers just had to walk through the door. He touched a shelf with his purple fingers, feeling the connection through his root network below. Everything was ready. His medicine trade could finally begin.