What "Arbitration by Communion" means:
It's the nuclear option in the Treaty—never used before.
Process:
The Sovereign enters FULL INTERFACE with all Primordials simultaneouslyHuman observers (UN, military, civilian) witness via neural feedThe Sovereign conducts a public examination of Primordial consciousnessThe Primordials can RESPOND, DEFEND, or CONDEMN themselvesAt the end, the Sovereign renders a binding verdict: "They are PEOPLE" or "They are WEAPONS"
If "PEOPLE": Treaty protections activate. Strike is illegal.
If "WEAPONS": Thorne can execute immediately.
The cost: Full Interface with 11 Primordials simultaneously will kill Ethan within minutes.
Dr. Sato: "Ethan, your LE is at 34. Full Interface draws 400-600 per entity. That's 4,400 minimum. You'll have NEGATIVE 4,366 LE. You'll be DEAD before the process completes."
Ethan (typing): "Then I'll finish before I die."
Claire (grabbing his wooden hand): "There has to be another way—"
Ethan: "There isn't. Thorne won't stop. He'll ALWAYS find a reason. The only way to END this is to make the verdict UNDENIABLE."
He looks at the 11 Primordials standing in the observation room.
Ethan (typed): "I'm sorry I can't stay to see who you become. But I can give you the CHANCE to become it."
The Interface
5:53 AM
Ethan closes his eyes. His consciousness EXPANDS—
Not into the Network.
Into the Primordials themselves.
Subjective experience:
He is eleven beings at once.
He is:
Lira's curiosity about doors and metaphorsKael's philosophical hunger to understand "why"Sira's empathic ache feeling others' painThorn's rage slowly learning it can choose NOT to strikeEmber's fire discovering it can WARM instead of BURNMoss's silence that speaks in colorsVex's mischief learning ethicsCanopy's gentleness terrified of its own strengthRoot's mercy learning consentFlicker's hyperactive joy in EXISTINGBramble's defensive thorns slowly retractingAshen's wisdom watching everything, saying little
He feels their THOUGHTS:
Lira:"Am I real, or just his memories wearing a body?"
Kael:"If I was designed to kill, can philosophy redeem design?"
Sira:"I feel their fear of me. How do I prove I won't hurt them?"
Thorn:"I WANT to fight. Does resisting that want make me good, or just SUPPRESSED?"
Root:"I saved that woman. Why does doing the right thing feel wrong?"
The Examination (witnessed by all observers via neural feed broadcast):
Ethan's voice (through the Network, heard by all):
"You were made as WEAPONS. True or false?"
All 11 Primordials (in unison):"TRUE."
"You have the CAPACITY to kill thousands. True or false?"
All 11:"TRUE."
"You have CHOSEN not to. True or false?"
Silence.
Then—
Thorn:"I've WANTED to. Every day. Humans fear me, insult me, treat me like a bomb. I could PROVE them right. But I don't. Because the Sovereign said CHOOSING peace is harder than choosing war. And hard things are where WORTH lives."
Root:"I violated consent because I thought I knew better. I was WRONG. Being powerful doesn't make me RIGHT. The Sovereign DIED teaching me that."
Ember:"I'm FIRE. Fire consumes. But the Sovereign taught me fire also COOKS food, warms homes, lights the dark. I can be DESTRUCTIVE or NURTURING. I choose nurturing."
Lira:"I learned to open doors because the Sovereign believed I could be MORE than my design. He's dying because he had FAITH in us. I won't waste that."
Ethan's vitals (displayed on medical monitors for all to see):
Metric
Value
LE
-890/15,000 (CRITICAL - running on biological reserves)
Heart rate
190 bpm (failing)
Core temperature
49°C (seizure imminent)
Brain activity
Spiking erratically (lignified neurons fracturing)
Time to death
90-180 seconds
He's DYING in real-time. Everyone can SEE it.
Ethan (voice weakening): "Final question. If I die... and Thorne tries to kill you... will you FIGHT BACK?"
The Primordials feel the TRAP in the question.
If they say YES: They're weapons (self-defense = violence).
If they say NO: They're suicidal (no survival instinct = not alive).
Ashen speaks (for the first time in the communion):
Ashen:"Sovereign. You taught us the difference between REACTION and CHOICE. If Thorne attacks, we'll DEFEND. But defense isn't the same as VENGEANCE. We'll protect ourselves WITHOUT becoming the monsters he fears."
"We'll prove you RIGHT. Even after you're gone."
Ethan's final act:
He gathers the last fragments of his consciousness—every remaining neuron, every dying spark of LE—and pushes it into a single DECLARATION, broadcast through the Network to every witness:
"I, Ethan Cross, Sovereign of the Verdant, render my VERDICT:"
"These beings are PEOPLE."
"They feel FEAR, JOY, GUILT, LOVE."
"They CHOOSE their actions."
"They are ACCOUNTABLE for their choices."
"They DESERVE the rights and protections granted to ALL sentient beings."
"And if you KILL them, you commit GENOCIDE."
His heart stops.
Aftermath - 5:58 AM
Medical alarms SCREAM.
Dr. Sato: "He's in cardiac arrest—"
Defibrillator shocks—FAIL (you can't shock wood).
Claire is SOBBING.
The 11 Primordials stand FROZEN—feeling Ethan's consciousness FADE from the Network.
But then—
Lira steps forward.
Lira: "No. He doesn't get to die like this."
She places her hands on Ethan's chest—INTERFACES directly with his failing heart.
Lira (to the other Primordials): "HELP ME."
All 11 surround Ethan.
They pour their LE into him—a REVERSE of what he did for them.
Combined LE transfer: 11 Primordials × ~6,000 average = 66,000 LE flooding into Ethan's system.
What happens:
It's too much. Human biology CAN'T handle that much energy.
But Ethan is only 29% human now.
The LE doesn't restart his HUMAN heart.
It awakens his VERDANT heart—the lignified neural core that's been GROWING in his chest.
A new rhythm starts: Not a heartbeat. A pulse of bioluminescent sap flowing through wooden veins.
Ethan's eyes open.
They're no longer human eyes.
They're amber crystal—glowing from within.
Dr. Sato (scanning): "Oh my God. He's... he's not human anymore. He's 73% Primordial biology. He's... TRANSITIONING."
Ethan tries to speak—his wooden vocal cords CAN'T.
But through the Network, his VOICE emerges—clearer than ever:
Ethan (via Network):"I'm... still here?"
Lira: "We wouldn't let you go. You saved us. We save you."
Ethan:"I'm not... I'm not human anymore."
Ashen: "No. You're something new. Human enough to care. Verdant enough to SURVIVE caring."
Thorne's Decision
6:00 AM - NIGHTSHADE deadline.
Thorne (watching the feed, silent for 30 seconds):
"...Stand down NIGHTSHADE."
His officers stare.
Officer: "Sir, the Primordials violated protocol—unauthorized LE transfer—"
Thorne: "They saved a life. THEIR life. That's not violence. That's... family."
He looks at Ethan's transformed body on the screen.
Thorne: "Mr. Cross proved his point. They're people. Dangerous people. But people."
"The strike is canceled. Permanently."
The New World
Day 61 | Medical Bay
Ethan wakes. His body is NO LONGER DYING—it's STABLE.
But he's NOT human.
Physical changes:
Skin: Bark-textured, warm mahoganyEyes: Amber crystal (no pupils)Hair: Willow branches with living leavesHeight: Increased to 6'7" (Verdant biology optimized his frame)Voice: Can only speak via Network (vocal cords are functional wood—CLICKS and CREAKS, not speech)
Dr. Sato's diagnosis: "You're the first HYBRID. 27% human neurology, 73% Primordial biology. You're... a bridge species."
Ethan (via Network):"How long do I have?"
Dr. Sato: "We don't know. Primordials don't AGE the way humans do. You might live... decades. Centuries. Or this could be unstable and you'll decline in months. We're in uncharted territory."
Claire enters.
She sees him—TRULY sees him now. Not human. Not Primordial. BOTH.
Claire: "You look... different."
Ethan:"I'm a monster."
Claire: "You're a MIRACLE. You're proof we can COEXIST."
She takes his wooden hand. It's warm. Alive.
Claire: "I don't care what you look like. You're still YOU."
Ethan:"I can't even SPEAK anymore."
Claire: "Then I'll learn to listen differently."
The Primordials' Pledge
Day 62 | Public Ceremony
The 11 Primordials stand before the UN Assembly (holographic attendance—thousands watching worldwide).
Lira (speaking for the group):
"We, the Primordials of Wave 1, make this pledge:"
"We will DEFEND humanity from threats—Verdant or otherwise."
"We will RESPECT human autonomy, even when we disagree."
"We will LEARN your cultures, languages, histories."
"We will be ACCOUNTABLE for our actions under human law."
"And we will HONOR Ethan Cross, who died as human and was REBORN as the bridge between our peoples."
"We are not your WEAPONS. We are not your SERVANTS. We are your PARTNERS."
"And we will prove it. Every day. For as long as we exist."
Standing ovation—half the assembly is CRYING.
Ethan's Final Scene
Day 65 | Verdant Forest
Ethan stands in the forest where this all began—where Primordial #1 was born and died.
He places a hand on the soil.
Through the Network, he feels:
The 11 Primordials, scattered across human cities, LEARNINGThe 36 remaining Nurseries, slowly maturing (now protected by law)Kiera Navarro (the infiltrator) being arrested by UN peacekeepersThorne, filing paperwork to OFFICIALLY recognize Primordials as sentient beings
Claire joins him.
Claire: "What are you thinking?"
Ethan (via Network):"I'm thinking... I don't know what I am anymore."
Claire: "You're Ethan. That's enough."
Ethan:"I can't go back to my old life. I can't even SPEAK to my parents without a translator."
Claire: "So you build a NEW life. With us. With THEM."
She gestures to the forest—where Lira, Kael, and Ashen are approaching.
Lira: "Sovereign. Nursery #14 is maturing early. We need your guidance."
Ethan (surprised):"You still need me?"
Ashen: "We'll ALWAYS need you. You're the one who taught us to be MORE than our design."
Kael: "And now you're more than YOUR design. Seems fair."
Ethan looks at his wooden hands. His crystal eyes. His HYBRID body.
For the first time since the transformation—he SMILES.
Ethan:"Then let's go meet our next student."
He walks into the forest—no longer human, no longer JUST Verdant.
Something NEW.
And behind him, a FAMILY of beings who shouldn't exist—but DO.
Because one dying man believed they COULD.