Ethereal Agriculture, # 1— “Not Yet Quite”

Ethereal Agriculture, # 1— “Not Yet Quite”

[Short stories. Images generated by hotpot.ai]

Jerrick’s neighbor, Gastonwald, was the owner of Grim Visage Farms, and true to its name, Grim Visage always looked like a helluva mess. But despite its looks, Gastonwald found a way to achieve surpassing out-put, certainly more so than Jerrick. As a logical result, Gastonwald was much richer. 

In the ordinary plane of Terra, beginning as a farmer with only a few tools would take years of struggle.

But on Golden Apple Farms and the surrounding lands of the Plane of Flora, farming had evolved to a state where the obstacles were quelled, and the possibilities were re-opened. 

Jerrick’s goal was to make the next evolutionary stage of apple. On Terra, Honeycrisp was the one to beat, though to be honest, it didn’t seem possible. A fresh Honeycrisp was all there was to being Apple, and for now, that ambition was on a distant horizon.

He owned his own beehive. As a start up, he had simply bought one, having little personal crafting ability. Even though it was designed for honey to flow automatically out of a spigot, you still needed to approach the beehive to collect it.

Jerrick’s bees still stung him, but less so than they once did. Despite perhaps prevailing scientific thought, bees actually could build a relationship with their owner. Jerrick noticed when they buzzed near him, the sound of their wings wouldn’t fray his nerves as much. They were getting used to him, and he was eking out honey from the hive, little by little. In a matter of weeks, he’d have a small collection of organically-derived jars of honey to place in the market, of a quality comparable to numerous rival brands.

On The Plane of Flora, it was possible to make headway as a fledgling farmer, because limitations did not exist due to constraints of space, time, or even quality of work. As long as someone, somewhere, was willing to buy it, goods could be shipped via a Willow Portal to wherever in the Multiverse it was sensibly needed, and the resulting Coin was tallied on Jerrick’s Coin Bracelet. He did not need to find a buyer, and Gastonwald was unable to impoverish him by lowering his prices with his far superior affluence. He could take his time, as much as he needed, to see through his vision of his own breeds of superior produce.

One of his plans was to breed honeybees with mouths that could eliminate vurroa mites, perhaps by crossing them with a more formidable insect. He’d have to be careful, though, as that is what created African Killer Bees. No, Jerrick would take his time.

So far, their chief output was the ho hum affair of carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, cabbages, sugar snap peas, and blueberries. Despite not being especially desired produce, and easily being undercut by other farmers on Flora, as long as someone, somewhere in the Universe was willing to buy his carrots, Jerrick would receive Coin. 

A beehive, a glorified garden, some livestock, and some fruit saplings. On the plane of Flora, the growth of a farmer’s saplings and other produce was tethered to their edification as a person, meaning it didn’t necessarily take a lifetime for fruit trees to be worth the investment. Moreover, since Flora did not follow the same rules as Terra, death was not so much an issue.

Was this Heaven for people like Jerrick? He could take all the time in the world, until he finally produced the next stage in Apple Evolution. He could receive the romantic vision that many sought: love and happiness on a thriving plot of land, a simple life, with children and plenty of good things to eat, their noses out of trouble so long as they continued their honest labor.

Jerrick hoisted a relatively paltry supply of carrots, potatoes, and cukes into the Portal Willow, and received the resulting Coin. With that, he adjusted the payments of his two farmhands, which as of now was only slightly less than his own income. Olive and Baker labored all day, like he did, and so as of now, they were a corporation of three people, reaping the benefits with near equal share of their operation. Which, again, was a hamlet with produce just beyond a garden, some fruit saplings, chickens, and some goats.

“You know, salt is a surprisingly hot commodity on Golden Apple Farm,” said Olive.

“You keep saying that,” said Jerrick. “Is it really so difficult to acquire?”

“I’ve only just recently ascended to Flora,” said Olive, “It beats me why salt is so scarce.”

“On Terra, you could get a year’s worth for a dollar twenty-five,” said Baker.

“Whaddaya need it for?” said Jerrick, although he knew full well.

Olive scoffed in good humor, “How is that even a question!?”

“I miss Ranch Dressing,” said Baker, “It would help with eatin’ carrots and cukes for over half my meals.”

“Use your Coin wisely,” said Jerrick.

“It feels like we’re doing barely more than treading water!” said Baker, “Ranch Dressing would almost be a third of today’s Coin!”

Olive said, “If we can just make cheese with salt in it, all would be well.”

“I suppose. As long as you share the salad dressing.”

“I’m not used to this,” said Baker, “On Terra, we’d have eaten all those goats by now.”

“Make do with eggs,” said Jerrick.

“I know,” said Baker, forlorn.

Buying commodities on the Plane of Flora was also easy, because after activating the coordinates, entering a Portal Willow would bring you to a pocket dimension where you could obtain the desired items, though Coin was necessary. However, unlike with Terra, the prices were not always comparable. Salt was much more expensive, along with salad dressing, spices, meat, snacks, and anything beyond subsistence-living. Moreover, the average Coin the Golden Apple Farmers brought in meant that they were lucky to get bacon once a week, and they had to pay upkeep for things like refrigeration of milk and other amenities, such as toothpaste. Baker only brushed his teeth once a week, but he ate an apple every day.

But they weren’t yet Golden Apples.