BEYOND THE EXOSPHERE

It was a giant golden structure nearly as tall as a skyscraper. "Finally", Sallie said as she expresses a mix of excitement and fear. Excitement because they had had finally arrived at their destination after their long devastating journey through space. Fear because if the Tree of Life couldn't revive her mother's corpse, their entire journey throughout the galaxy would have been pointless and in vain. Worse, this will guarantee that she will never get to see her mother alive again. 

Jexter attempts to console her, "Don't worry Sallie, this will work. We will make sure of it."

As they land their spaceship to the root of the tree of life, they are visited by the Florians. The Florians were a peaceful alien species, with a deep connection to nature and the magic that flowed through it.

Unlike other alien species, the Florian's possessed no technology, but instead they used magic. They had an old fashioned and primitive lifestyle. The Florians approached Sallie and Jexter with gentle smiles, their eyes shining with warmth and kindness. They were green beings with skin that seemed to blend seamlessly into their natural surroundings, like the trunks of trees or the petals of flowers.

One of the Florians, a green elderly being with long, flowing vines for a beard, stepped forward. "Greetings, travelers, I am Zarrk, the chief guardian of the Tree of Life. I sensed you have travelled thousands of miles throughout the galaxy just to come here to the Tree of Life, seeking something precious."

Sallie nodded, her eyes filled up with tears. "Yes, we've come here to revive my mother. She's...she's been dead for a while now, and I was told that the Tree of Life has the power to bring her back."

This elderly Florian nodded sympathetically. "The Tree of Life is a powerful and ancient vessel. Many throughout the galaxy come here to taste its power. It holds the secrets of life and death within its heart. But the power to revive the dead comes at a great cost. Are you prepared to pay the price?"

Sallie hesitated, unsure of what to say. Jexter stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "We'll do whatever it takes," she said. "We've come too far to turn back now."

Zarrk nodded. "Very well, but before you proceed, you must understand how the universe and life works. This entire universe is just one interconnected entity. Where life is destroyed somewhere, it is being created elsewhere. You must understand the nature of the Tree of Life and the power it holds. If you demand something as precious as life, you must give something as precious in return," the elderly being said. 

Sallies heart began to beat enormously. What did she possess that was as precious as life itself. She turned to Jexter, "Jexter…I don't know what to do. What do I give in exchange for my mothers life?" Jexter calms her down by holding her by her shoulders.

Jexter asks Zarrk, "Are you saying you want one of us to sacrifice our lives in exchange for another life??"

Zarrk replies, "Not necessarily. All I am saying you need to offer something very precious. Something very precious..that once it is taken away, it cannot be returned."

Sallie's eyes widened in alarm as she looked at Jexter, then back at Zarrk. "Something like what?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Zarrk's continues to explain to them, "There are many things that are also precious, Sallie. Memories, experiences, abilities...the list goes on, but both of you are females meaning you have the power to create life yourselves."

Sallie's eyes widened in shock as she realized where Zarrk was going. "You can't mean...," she started to say, but Zarrk's next words confirmed her fears. "I mean that both of you have the power to bear children, to bring new life into the universe," Zarrk said, his eyes fixed on Sallie. "And I sense that you Sallie, your womb is still fresh and untapped (Sallie is still a virgin)."

Jexter's grip on Sallie's shoulders tightened, as if she sensed that Sallie was in danger. "What are you getting at, Zarrk?" Jexter demanded.

Zarrk's expression was unyielding. "I am saying that in exchange for the Tree of Life's power to revive Sallie's mother, Sallie must give up her own chance at motherhood. She must surrender her fertility, her ability to bear children, to the Tree of Life forever."

Sallie's breath caught in her throat. Give up her fertility? It was a heavy price to pay, but if it meant bringing her mother back? She hesitated, unsure of what to do. "I…..I….I will never have children of my own. I will never get to watch them grow. Never get to hear anyone call me mum," Sallie begins to realize what this meant. She falls to the floor and begins to weep. 

Jexter feels sympathetic towards Sallie. She wishes she could help her but sacrificing her own fertility for another person's mother was too much of a great deal.

Sallie's weeping stopped followed by a minute of silent. She had finally made up her mind. She rose up and said, "I will do it. What more could I lose? My mother means the world to me." Zarrk's concludes, "Then it is settled. Your fertility will be the price for the Tree of Life's power to revive your mother. Let us proceed with the ritual."

Sallie brings out the cryogenic cube that contained her mothers corpse from her pocket. Upon activating it, the cube brings Sandra's shrunken corpse and enlarges it its normal size. 

Zarrk calls his fellow Florian guardians of the Tree of Life to carry the corpse inside the tree. They all eventually enter the Tree's magical roots where the ritual would take place. 

Inside the tree, Jexter tries to comfort Sallie one last time. "I wish I could help you. I sincerely wish I could, but magic is beyond me. All I can do now is to wish you good luck." Sallie replies, "Don't worry. You have already done a lot for me Jexter, bringing me to this planet."

 Zarrk asks, "The ritual will require your complete surrender. Are you prepared to give yourself over to the Tree of Life?"

Sallie took a deep breath, her eyes locked on Zarrk. "I'm ready," she said, her voice firm.

The ritual commences as Sallie and her mother's corpse are both wrapped in vines. Zarrk raised his hands and starts speaking magical words. The air around them erupted in a blaze of light and energy. Sallie felt herself being drawn into the heart of the Tree of Life, her very essence merging with its ancient power. As the energy enveloped her, Sallie felt her consciousness expanding, merging with the Tree of Life's vast network of roots, branches, and leaves. She saw visions of ancient civilizations, of birth and death, of the cycle of life that had played out countless times on Floria. The Tree of Life's energy coursed through her veins, filling her with a sense of primal power. She felt her fertility, her ability to create life, being drawn out of her, like a river flowing into the sea. Sandra's corpse, wrapped in vines beside her, began to glow. Sallie's heart swelled with hope as she saw her mother's body begin to transform, her skin regaining its warmth and vitality.

Zarrk's voice whispered in her mind, "The balance of life is being restored. Your sacrifice will be rewarded." As the energy reached its peak, Sallie felt herself being pulled back into her physical body. She opened her eyes to see her mother, Sandra, standing before her, alive and most importantly, cancer free. Her body cells, tissues and memories had been fully restored by the Tree of Life. As Sallie gazed at her mother in wonder, tears of joy streaming down her face, Sandra's eyes fluttered open. She looked around, confused, before her gaze locked onto Sallie.

"Sallie?" Sandra whispered, her voice weak but full of love. Sallie nodded, her throat constricted with emotion. "Mother...you're alive," she stammered. Sandra's face lit up with a warm smile as she opened her arms to Sallie. "My child...I've missed you so much," she whispered, embracing Sallie tightly.

Jexter watched the reunion with tears in her eyes, a smile on her face. Zarrk stood beside her, a look of serene satisfaction on his face." The balance of life has been restored. Sallie's sacrifice has been rewarded," Zarrk said, his voice filled with a deep sense of peace.