The world's new normal was far from being nice. It was a mess of trying to put things back together as they kept falling apart. In the big, crowded room that used to be an Ambrosia factory, now called Coordination Hub, everyone felt overwhelmed by how much there was to do.
Naomi was looking at a huge, bright map made of wall fungi. Different parts shone in colors that indicated what was wrong: red for not enough food, blue for water issues, yellow for buildings in trouble, and green for health problems. The map was mostly yellow and red with a few blue areas and some rare white ones that indicated things were okay.
A former Taste-Guard person, now in charge of supplies, was pointing at a bright red zone in the old Low Nutrient areas. "The Vat-Bread isn't going there. It's definitely not a supply problem. The local fungus that we used to make the bread with has been infected by some kind of mold from the Nerve-Jungle. It causes bad nightmares, so people refuse to eat it."
One of the Symbiote tendril-keepers with a gentle voice said, "That's Somniphage incarnadine mold. It consumes fear. The seep should be closed immediately. We can send a cleanup crew, but Carvers are needed to cut out the infected tissue that is the source of the release of fear."
A former Carver, now a Somatic Engineer, shook his head. "Our teams are only equipped for a limited number of tasks. We're working on a lymphatic backup in the Sternum District that is causing muscle weakness. If those muscles twitch too much, a whole area might collapse."
It was just unending, hard choices. Every solution created new problems. They were not really in control; they were constantly performing emergency operations on their patient, who was also their home.
Bianca was looking on and felt that her work was of little importance compared to these urgent crises. She looked at the people surrounding the table—those who were tired, worn out from making impossible choices. This was what the real meaning of taking care of their world was: fighting disease, pests, drought, and the hard work of trying to keep things alive.
Leo entered, smelling of wet dirt and cold air. He had just been to the Aqua Vita area. "The water pipe is broken," he said immediately. "Not due to fighting. The ground moving caused it. A minor earthquake has broken the old stone pipe we've been using. We are losing the new water. Finding a new way is a must, and Sanctum's bone-marble is needed for support beams."
Naomi's arms fell. The bone-marble was intended to mend the wearied houses. Another decision: water for later, or homes for now.
"We'll fix the leak," she said, sounding tired. "Fitting a temporary fungal seal. Half of the bone-marble is to be used. It's not a real fix... it's just a quick fix."
Everything is just a quick fix, the supply officer remarked with a sigh.
A young woman who was formerly a Nutrified and is adept with fungi nervously raised her voice. "The Somniphage mold... the old Scriptorium books mention it being used in a drink called 'Dreamers' Respite.' It's a potent sleeping medicine. Could we... gather it? Use it? Instead of incinerating it?"
The place became silent. Harvesting something, even if it is poison, feels wrong.
Lucien, who had been quietly observing, decided to chime in. "That's quite something. Not for eating. But the mold is unique. It absorbs fear components. If we could grow it in a controlled manner close to other leaks, it could be like a living filter. A specific cleanup crew."
It was quite a different concept. They could use problems instead of destroying them. The Symbiotes' thinking was gradually influencing people.
"Okay," Naomi said, jotting it down. "Tendril-keeper, coordinate with the fungi expert. Establish a culture. Determine if we can regulate it."
The meeting was jam-packed with problems and small victories and lasted for hours. When it was over, Bianca approached Naomi. "You're keeping it together."
Not really, Naomi said in a whisper, eventually breaking. "We are trying to hold back the ocean with sticks and spit. Sometimes I understand why Wilder wanted the Feast. Not because it was right, but because it was easy."
Bianca reached out to her sister. "Easy is gone. All we have is hard. All we have is the next quick fix, and the one after that."
They left the Hub together and walked through the fungus-lit corridors of their world that was struggling but getting better. The work wasn't special or exciting, but it was necessary. They were coming to the realization that living through it meant doing the records, repairing the things, and simply not allowing their world to die."