THE MOMENT
"Amazing...," It was the only word Bonnie could utter. She stood in twilight looking down at the flaming hillside. A cool, gentle breeze washed past her and down the hill pushing the heat away. She knew what she was looking for; but, it took her several moments to spot the golden flowers. They existed in the space between the barren ground and the layer of fire they produced from the rose tops.
"You get used to it after a while," her guide, Rhapsody, said. Rhapsody was a teenage girl with long, straight white hair that ended at her back and glowing red eyes. Bonnie knew she was headed to somewhere magical just by Rhapsody's appearance; but, she wasn't ready for the flaming field. The fire burned orange with a faint golden tint that stood out against the dim purple sky. The angle of the hill made the fire look like another sunrise even though the sun was setting behind her.
"I don't ever want to get used to this...," Bonnie replied with a shake of her head. It was the most beautiful site she'd ever seen and she couldn't imagine ever growing bored of it. "... but... what am I doing here??" she turned and focused on Rhapsody for the answer. She wouldn't have listened if she was staring at the field. The events that led her to that moment were a whirlwind that only took half an hour at most. One minute she was working in her greenhouse and listening to the news; and, the next minute a national broadcast announced the existence of alternate universes.
As stunned as she was when it happened, she wasn't prepared for Rhapsody to walk out of a black portal and into her greenhouse. She found it interesting that she wasn't immediately terrified and instead listened to Rhapsody's proposition. Unfortunately, her mind was too distracted by the ongoing announcement on the radio. It seemed like her world just changed in a major way and she wasn't sure what that meant for her. Instead, she smiled, nodded, and followed Rhapsody through a portal. Rhapsody promised the most beautiful flowers Bonnie had ever seen and she certainly delivered.
"I suppose you could call it a job interview," Rhapsody said. "Though, it's up to you to decide if you want the position. It's already yours if you like."
"Doing what?" Bonnie rushed the question out to keep herself from taking the job then and there. She'd developed extraordinary patience as a necessary part of her job; but, she was still ready to agree to anything for the job.
"These are known as 'Dragonsbreath Roses'," Rhapsody gestured down the hillside. "They're typically quite rare across the multiverse."
"Rare?" Bonnie giggled once she glanced at the field again; it was hard not to feel joy at the beautiful sight. There had to be at least a couple hundred roses from what she could tell. "They don't look too rare from here..," she said. She was well aware that she had a limited point of view. This was only her first trip to an alternate Earth; but, it was chosen for her. She was afraid that she would take the job the moment she stopped talking.
"My boss, Ms. Sharp, has worked quite hard to learn how to cultivate them in large quantities like this. This is a private farm on a private Earth," Rhapsody said.
"It sounds like she doesn't need another botanist..," Bonnie said.
"Arguably, she doesn't," Rhapsody nodded. "She has already assembled quite a talented team of botanists from different universes; but, she has a specific job in mind for you."
"Well, what is it?" Bonnie asked. She was anxious to take the job; but, she knew she needed more information first. At her question, Rhapsody pulled a golden, flaming rose from out of a saucer-sized portal.
"Now that she knows how to grow them, Ms. Sharp would like to see what kind of interesting crossbreeds you can create with other plants." She offered the rose to Bonnie to inspect. Bonnie accepted it while being mindful of its black thorns. She brought it closer to try and smell it; but, it was like trying to sniff a lit candle. She admired the jagged golden petals and could see where they got their name from. It wasn't just the flame on top. Each individual petal reminded her of a dragon scale. It was weighty in her hand; heavier than the thousands of roses she'd hefted throughout her career. The job was explained well enough, for the moment, and holding one was just too impossible to resist; it was magnificent.
"Yes!" Bonnie said. "I'm in," she nodded. "So, if I'm going to be working with them can you tell me the dangers?" She kind of guessed Rhapsody wouldn't have those details for her; but, she was eager to learn as much as possible about them.
"Dangers?" Rhapsody asked as another tall black portal opened next to them.
"Yeah, you know, the more beautiful the flower, the more deadly it is. Dandelions really mess with some allergies and rose thorns just plain hurt too much; what do I need to be careful with, with these? And why me??" The last question had been in her mind since the beginning; but, she was afraid to voice it before she secured the job.
"'Why you' is an easy answer," Rhapsody said as she encouraged Bonnie to step through the portal. "You're the best botanist we could find whose favorite number is #41," she said.
"Huh??" After a morning full of twists and turns, that answer was the most unexpected one yet. And, she wasn’t even wrong, which only confused Bonnie that much more. How did Rhapsody know her favorite number when she didn’t even know she had one?
"Don't worry…," Rhapsody grinned. She again motioned at the portal. Bonnie took a step into it to show she was willing; but, she still wanted to hear an answer. "...Mundo will explain all that to you in orientation; as for the dangers...," she shrugged. "...if you're not careful, it'll burn your house down I guess."