Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley

fell to almost two miles below, which implied that the forest's roots went even deeper, an ancient and ubiquitous grasp. Almost half an hour after receiving the trip signal it was down there that Catriona was headed, seeking proof for a wild theory.
    To either side massive trunks sloped up towards the light, some spiralling around each other for strength and support, others criss-crossing to form junctions where Uvovo villages nestled, glowing clusters of lamps and conical roofs, indistinct figures walking or climbing from dwelling to dwelling amid the entwining dimness. One such township lay directly below, but Catriona had given Pgal clear instructions earlier and he was swift to guide their trictra off to one side, behind a dense screen of cultivated symbiotic flora. She tugged on the cowl of her baggy robe, keeping her human features concealed from any chance Uvovo observer. Yet they were still taking risks, since only Listeners went about the underforest swathed in this manner.
    Moments later the village was behind them as they plunged on into the depths. From beneath her robe she took a small direction-finder orb then tapped Pgal's shoulder.
    'Leftward a little,' she said.
    The Uvovo herder just nodded and guided the spidery trictra down one of several long, thick vines. Like the mooring hawsers of some immense ship they curved away into the gloom, bearded with lichenous webs. Others snaked up the gnarled, mossy sides of trunks and branches like veins, leaching away moisture and nutrients which in turn served to feed a further array of parasitic plantlife. As the trictra clambered down one of these great living towers, Catriona looked from side to side, smiling as she spotted a familiar beetle or reptiloid, reflexively matching them against the entries in her codex memory. Whenever she caught sight of something apparently new she stored it away in her reminder file for later reference.
    All the memory advantages of Enhanced genes, she thought, without the self-programming skills which would have earned me a well-paid, high-level research post. Hoiv tiresome would that have been . . .
    Catriona was a failed Enhanced. Her germ plasm came from the Hyperion's cryostocks and had been genetically re-engineered to increase memory capacity and allow conscious, detailed control of information. The refined higher functions allowed an Enhanced to use their own cortex as a programmable computer , to from any chance Uvovo observer. Yet they were still taking risks, since only Listeners went about the under forest swathed in this manner.
    Moments later the village was behind them as thev plunged on into the depths. From beneath her robe she took a small direction-finder orb then tapped Pgal's shoulder.
    'Leftward a little,' she said.
    The Uvovo herder just nodded and guided the spidery trictra down one of several long, thick vines. Like the mooring hawsers of some immense ship they curved away into the gloom, bearded with lichenous webs. Others snaked up the gnarled, mossy sides of trunks and branches like veins, leaching away moisture and nutrients which in turn served to feed a further array of parasitic plantlife. As the trictra clambered down one of these great living towers, Catriona looked from side to side, smiling as she spotted a familiar beetle or reptiloid, reflexively matching them against the entries in her codex memory. Whenever she caught sight of something apparently new she stored it away in her reminder file for later reference.
    All the memory advantages of Enhanced genes, she thought, without the self-programming skills which would have earned me a well-paid, high-level research post. Hoiv tiresome would that have been . . .
    Catriona was a failed Enhanced. Her germ plasm came from the Hyperion's cryostocks and had been genetically re-engineered to increase memory capacity and allow conscious, detailed control of information. The refined higher functions allowed an Enhanced to use their own cortex as a programmable