Rebirth
Fertilla started her yearly circuit of Zestar Three and the rebirth began. Fertilla's strange green light illuminated the surface of the planet and the moist soil came to life. Green moss crept over the ground covering tree trunks that had been dead and brown for the last six months. Dormant buds unfurled into trembling leaves and waving fronds, and the meadows sprouted a rainbow of flowers.
It was the third spring that Isak had witnessed on Zestar Three. The swift, silent unfolding of the countryside still held him in awe, as did the inevitable death-dealing autumn. Then Fertilla's green light dropped to an emerald glow as she slipped beyond the horizon. In a space of hours, all greenery shriveled and died and all animal life became dormant.
Fertilla emitted no heat. The glowing yellow sun that rose in the west every morning provided warmth and light. But only Fertilla's green radiance brought forth life through a chemical reaction with the flora and fauna of the planet. The visitors in the space station were the only living beings privileged to witness the rebirth.
As Isak watched from his vantage point on a hill, small white rocks began to move in the greening valley below. Their shapes became softer, they uncurled spindly legs and began to lope across the grass. One bobbled up the hill and peered at Isak with beady black eyes--rock hoppers awakened from a six-month sleep. The little animals, alert and hungry, were eager to feed on the swarms of black flies that exploded from patches of sooty soil.
Larger rocks awakened, and soon the valley was teeming with animal life, creeping, running, hopping, slithering. On the mountainside, feathers rustled as giant stones sprouted wings and took flight.
Isak shivered with excitement when he heard the rumble high up in the mountains. Fertilla's beams had penetrated the highest crevices of the mountains and the quesalts were awakening.
He hurried up a path worn deep into the mountainside by hundreds of pointed hooves. As he approached the green tinged peaks, the rumble became thunder that echoed from mountain top to mountaintop. He dived off the path into the thick brush as the first wave of quesalts breasted the hill and raced down the path. Long white manes and tails floated on the wind. Each spiraled horn glinted in the strange sun's glow. The animals, despite their speed,
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