1
Ryn woke to soft blue light flooding her cabin. The Aurelius drifted in slow orbit above Oris's newest continent; below her, the rivers of the living planet shimmered like veins of liquid crystal.
She lay still, listening to the low hum that filled the ship. It wasn't machinery. It was the sound of Oris himself—distant, rhythmic, the heartbeat of an entire world.
She whispered to the quiet, "Good morning, Oris."
Good morning, Ryn.
The answer came at once, gentle in her mind. Your orbit is stable. The sunrise over the eastern ridge will begin in two minutes, local time.
Ryn smiled. "You still track our mornings better than our computers."
Your mornings are part of my rhythm now.
She rose, stretched, and floated to the viewport. Outside, a soft golden line crept across Oris's horizon as light spilled over mountains he had formed only a few cycles earlier.
---
2
In the mess hall, the small human crew spoke in hushed excitement.
Kael sipped his coffee, eyes still on the planet below. "He's growing again. Another chain of floating islands, perfectly spaced. It's like he's composing music."
Ryn nodded. "He calls it 'the Bloom.' Says it keeps balance."
"You ever think he's lonely?" Kael asked quietly.
Before she could answer, a familiar voice filled their minds.
I am never alone. Every life upon me speaks in its own way. And you, humans, are my guests. Loneliness belongs to those who forget they are connected.
Ryn set her cup down. "You always know when we're talking about you."
You are part of the Link now. I listen, but I do not intrude.
Kael grinned. "That's… only mildly terrifying."
Terrifying? No. Symmetry is not to be feared.
Ryn laughed softly. "He's learning humor, too."
---
3
Later, Ryn and a small team descended to one of the new islands. It floated above turquoise water, covered in translucent trees that sang when touched by the wind. Liora Prime III guided them telepathically.
Stay within the bright plains. The trees resonate with your body's electricity; touching them carelessly may disorient you.
Ryn crouched, brushing her gloved fingers against the ground. "It's warm. Alive."
Everything here lives, Liora said. Even the stone. Oris weaves awareness into every molecule.
Ryn looked up at the sky, where streaks of silver clouds swirled in deliberate patterns. "He's painting the atmosphere."
Yes. Creation is his language.
She breathed slowly, feeling the faint hum rise through her boots. The sound wasn't mechanical; it was a pulse, like the ocean's heart beneath her.
---
4
That evening, the crew camped beside a small lake whose surface reflected constellations even in daylight. Ryn recorded quietly into her log.
> "Day 482 since contact.
We've grown used to his voice. We live with the awareness that the ground beneath us is sentient.
Sometimes I think he breathes with us. When we sleep, the wind slows; when we wake, it quickens.
The clones visit us often—each one different, yet all sharing the same calm patience.
I wonder if he dreams."
The log blinked green. She closed her eyes.
I do dream, Oris answered softly, though she hadn't called to him. My dreams are your skies.
Ryn smiled. "Then they're beautiful."
---
5
The next morning, a ripple passed through the air—a subtle change, like a held breath. Liora appeared beside the camp, her form translucent and light.
"There is movement beyond the far horizon," she said aloud this time, her voice clear and human. "Not danger. Something new. Oris wants you to see."
Ryn and Kael followed her gaze. In the far distance, above the clouds, they saw a faint shimmer—new continents forming in orbit around a distant sun, visible even to the naked eye.
Kael whispered, "He's creating another world."
Ryn felt the thought before it was spoken.
Yes. A new garden. Life requires space to grow. You may watch from afar, but not enter until it welcomes you.
Ryn pressed her hand to the ground. The pulse of life answered beneath her palm.
"We'll wait," she said. "We've learned patience."
That is why I trust you, Oris replied.
---
6
As the sun set, the air filled with the slow song of the crystal trees. They resonated with every gust, harmonizing with the whisper of the waves and the soft heartbeat of the planet below.
Ryn stood at the edge of the cliff, eyes on the horizon. "He's still growing," she murmured.
Kael joined her. "So are we."
---
7
That night, Oris spoke to her again, privately.
Ryn, do you still wonder why I was made this way?
"Every day."
Then let us find out together.
And the stars above shifted—slowly, deliberately—forming new constellations shaped like blooming flowers.
---
To be continued.