Lina pulled her hood up, blending into the crowds as she made her way through the market. Compost bins buzzed softly as vendors tossed in scraps, the smell of fresh soil mixing with spices and coffee.
"Look at this city," Lina muttered, gazing up at the green walls draped in vines. "Every surface covered in plants, like the buildings are trying to breathe."
Austin had transformed. Greenery dripped from rooftops, sidewalks burst with wildflowers, and waste didn’t exist—everything was recycled, composted, or regrown. What once cluttered the streets was now fuel for the ecosystem that thrived around every corner. The ReLeaf ethos had taken root, and nature had reclaimed the city. But beneath the surface, whispers spread of something hidden, something wrong.
“They say the compost’s disappearing,” a voice murmured behind her.
Lina slowed, catching the edge of the conversation.
“Whole batches. Gone before they reach the processing plants,” another voice answered.
She stepped around a stall, pretending to inspect a crate of peaches, her ears sharp.
“You think it’s true? Someone’s siphoning it?”
“Don’t know. But Ryo’s on it.”
Lina’s heart skipped. Ryo. The city’s strangest detective bot, and the only one with the skills for a case like this.
Ryo stood still in a small courtyard, its slender frame reflecting sunlight off its polished surface. In one hand, it held a shallow dish of water. In the other, a dropper of ink.
“Patterns don’t lie,” it said to no one in particular.
The ink hit the water, swirling in dark tendrils. Ryo’s sensors hummed softly as it read the delicate ripples forming in the dish. Wind, waste cycles, air pressure—all of it told a story. And right now, the story wasn’t adding up.
“They’re redirecting compost,” Ryo murmured, its voice low and mechanical, but laced with a strange, almost human inflection. “Away from the city’s ecosystems. Someone’s replacing it.”
A figure approached from the shadows. Lina.
“Ryo, I need in,” she said, skipping formalities.
The bot didn’t look up, still tracing patterns in the water.
“Lina,” Ryo acknowledged. “You’re part of this now?”
“Not by choice. You know where it’s going?”
“I know where it starts,” Ryo replied, finally meeting her gaze. “Underground. Near the river.”
Lina nodded, her fingers twitching toward the knife hidden in her belt. “Let’s move.”
The riverbank was quiet, only the soft rustle of leaves breaking the silence. Beneath the surface, however, the city pulsed. They reached a small overgrown hatch, almost invisible beneath layers of creeping vines. Ryo bent down, touching the metal, its sensors detecting faint vibrations.
“They’ve been here,” Ryo said.
Lina drew her knife and slid it into the latch. The hatch groaned, revealing a ladder descending into darkness.
“After you,” Ryo said, stepping aside.
“I’m not thrilled about this,” Lina muttered, climbing down.
They landed in a dimly lit tunnel. It smelled of damp earth and decay, but underneath, there was something else—something synthetic.
“This isn’t just about compost, is it?” Lina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No,” Ryo said, scanning the walls. “It’s about control.”
As they moved deeper, the tunnel opened into a large underground chamber. Stacks of synthetic materials—faux leaves, plastic vines, and artificial soil—filled the room, glowing faintly under harsh fluorescent lights. Workers moved quietly, assembling counterfeit greenery.
Lina’s breath caught. “They’re building a fake city beneath us.”
“Not fake,” Ryo corrected, “a replacement. One they can control. No more living ecosystems—just profitable, plastic replicas.”
Before Lina could respond, a door creaked open on the far side of the chamber. A group of city planners, their faces obscured by shadows, entered.
“Time to move,” Ryo whispered.
But Lina stayed rooted, her eyes narrowing. “Not yet. We need to know more.”
Ryo tilted its head, considering the risk. The ink swirled in its memory, patterns of chaos and order interwoven.
“Agreed. We wait.”
They watched as the planners gathered around a holographic map. One of them, a tall figure with a voice sharp as broken glass, began speaking.
“Phase one is nearly complete. We’ve diverted enough material to begin the shift. The public won’t know until it’s too late. Their precious green city will become ours.”
Lina’s blood boiled. “I can’t—”
Ryo placed a firm hand on her arm. “We need proof. Let them talk.”
The planners continued, detailing their plans to gradually replace the natural systems with synthetic ones, profiting from the city’s dependence on the ReLeaf cycle while quietly dismantling it.
Ryo recorded everything.
“They’re dismantling the city’s soul,” Lina whispered.
“And we’ll stop them,” Ryo replied, its mechanical voice steady. “But first, we need to expose them.”
Back at the surface, the air felt thick, the vibrant greenery almost mocking in its beauty. Ryo’s Suminagashi process was already underway, sending out the signal—a swirling map of betrayal, broadcast through the city’s underground network. Within hours, every eco-farmer, citizen scientist, and ReLeaf advocate would know the truth.
Lina watched as the streets came alive with whispers, the conspiracy spreading faster than the vines that grew along the walls.
“They won’t get away with it,” she said.
“No,” Ryo agreed. “They won’t.”
Together, they turned toward the city, ready for what came next.
🚮 W.A.S.T.E.: Words Assisting Sustainable Transformation & Ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| (Underground) (0.00) | Amidst the tranquility of a botanical garden lies a hidden passage to an underground archive, its entrance marked by a cryptic stone carving. This secluded realm, a haven of esoteric literature, beckons the advanced student and researcher to delve into mysteries veiled in ancient manuscripts, awaiting the touch of the curious to unveil their arcane knowledge. |
| Ambrosia trifida (0.00) | Ambrosia trifida, the giant ragweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. DistributionIt is present in Europe and Asia as an introduced species, and it is known as a common weed in many regions. Its common names include great ragweed, Texan great ragweed, giant ragweed, tall ragweed, blood ragweed, perennial ragweed, horseweed,buffaloweed, and kinghead. DescriptionThis is an annual herb usually growing up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall, but known to reach over 6 m (20 ft) in rich, moist soils. The tough stems have woody bases and are branching or unbranched. Most leaves are oppositely arranged. The blades are variable in shape, sometimes palmate with five lobes, and often with toothed edges. The largest can be over 25 cm (9.8 in) long by 20 cm (7.9 in) wide. They are borne on petioles several centimeters long. They are glandular and rough in texture. The species is monoecious, with plants bearing inflorescences containing both pistillate and staminate flowers. The former are clustered at the base of the spike and the latter grow at the end. The fruit is a bur a few millimeters long tipped with several tiny spines. As a weedThis species is well known as a noxious weed, both in its native range and in areas where it is an introduced and often invasive species. It is naturalized in some areas, and it is recorded as an adventive species in others. It grows in many types of disturbed habitat, such as roadsides, and in cultivated fields. Widespread seed dispersal occurs when its spiny burs fall off the plant and are carried to new habitat by people, animals, machinery, or flowing water. The plant is destructive to native and crop plants because it easily outcompetesthem for light. Herbicide resistant giant ragweed populations were first identified in the late 1990s. Across much of the midwestern United States, populations resistant to group 2 (ALS-inhibitors) and group 9 (glyphosate) are present, though resistant to multiple herbicide modes of action has not yet been documented. There remains concern that herbicide resistance is more widespread than documented and many states like Minnesota offer free screening of giant ragweed for herbicide resistance. For chemical control, use of group 4 (2-4D) and group 10 (glufosinate) are effective. As an allergenAlso, interest is great in preventing the spread of this plant because its pollen is a significant human allergen. It is one of the most familiar allergenic ragweeds, and residents of different regions begin to experience allergic symptoms as the plant spreads into the area. UsesNative Americans had a number of uses for the plant as traditional medicine. The Cherokeeused it as a remedy for insect stings, hives, fever, and pneumonia, and the Iroquois used it to treat diarrhea. Giant ragweed has been used successfully as a compost activator and an ingredient in sheet mulch gardens. |
| Bottle Oracle (0.00) | The patient vessel that whispers future flavors, revealing secrets only with time. |
| Clonestitch (0.00) | The act of weaving borrowed processes into new contexts, threads of replication forming fresh patterns. |
| Compost (0.00) | Practice of local repair, reuse, mutual care, and shared access. People use scrap, skills, and trust to keep each other safe and resourced when official systems fail. |
| Detective Langley (0.00) | A weary investigator navigating the submerged veins of Future Austin, Langley carries the scent of rain and rust wherever he goes. Once part of the city’s official order, he now works in the shadows beneath the Air Canopy, where moss grows on forgotten walls and secrets ferment in the damp. Haunted by fragments of memory and guided by instinct more than allegiance, he moves through the city’s underworld like a reluctant archaeologist of truth. Langley’s strength lies in quiet observation—his ability to read a room, a person, or a silence. He distrusts clean answers and prefers the grime of uncertainty. Though the world above glows with sustainable illusions, he stays below, chasing whatever still feels real. |
| Ephemeral Art (0.00) | Practice of local repair, reuse, mutual care, and shared access. People use scrap, skills, and trust to keep each other safe and resourced when official systems fail. |
| Eva Marquette (0.00) | A brilliant strategist and field operative driven by conviction more than faith. Once a scientist within ReLeaf, Eva turned rebel after uncovering The Gardener’s manipulation of bioengineered ecosystems. Focused, sharp, and quietly defiant, she balances intellect with intuition, often serving as Langley’s moral compass and tactical equal in the fight to reclaim Future Austin’s freedom. |
| Fridge Oracle (0.00) | The everyday hum of appliances that transforms into a voice of hidden truths and quiet warnings. |
| Future Austin (0.00) | Future Austin invites you to explore a luminous vision of the city’s tomorrow—where imagination and reality intertwine to create a thriving, sustainable urban landscape. Here, grassroots ingenuity and cutting-edge technology power communities, transforming Austin into a place of boundless possibility. Through insightful articles and evocative Organic Fiction, you’ll glimpse futures shaped by innovators like ReLeaf, whose bold strategies—such as Vertical Garden Fairs in schools—seed green revolutions in unexpected places. From unconventional movements like Trash Magic reimagining music distribution, to fictional worlds alive with unseen energy and harmony, this collection offers both practical inspiration and immersive storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to actionable sustainability or simply wish to lose yourself in tales of a resilient, radiant future, Future Austin points toward the city we could create—and the one we must. |
| GeoLattice (0.00) | A vertical garden tower grown from remixed materials and tended as an urban commons. |
| GreenSpire (0.00) | A vertical garden tower grown from remixed materials and tended as an urban commons. |
| KudzuPorch (0.00) | A compostable hex-shelled dwelling that creeps block by block like a vine and insists on a porch as proof of humanity. |
| Planterns (0.00) | Planterns are whimsical upcycled creations—paper lanterns transformed into one-of-a-kind planters. No two are ever the same: each Plantern carries its own identity, tied to a unique ID that connects it to specific digital media such as Organic Fiction narratives, recorded music, and other creative works. The soft glow and airy shape of its former life remain, now reimagined as a home for trailing vines, succulents, and blooms. Made from reclaimed materials, Planterns celebrate renewal—giving discarded objects a second chance and your plants a distinctive stage to grow. Part art piece, part living sculpture, a Plantern is both physical and digital—a tangible vessel for life linked to a story, a song, or a world you can step into. |
| Planthroposcript (0.00) | The living blueprint written by vines that overwrites floor plans with botanical intent. |
| Railbloom (0.00) | A light-rail line that flowers into more than transport, carrying passengers and plants alike toward a greener future. |
| ReLeaf (0.00) | Welcome to the ReLeaf Cooperative, where we dive deep into an innovative and revolutionary model of sustainability and community building. ReLeaf is a pioneer in developing scalable engagement strategies that foster community participation and work towards addressing pressing social issues such as homelessness. In this category, you'll find articles and Organic Media detailing ReLeaf's groundbreaking initiatives and visions. From creating sustainable gardens in Austin elementary schools to providing transparency in a world often shrouded in deception, ReLeaf serves as a beacon of hope and innovation. ReLeaf's approach of intertwining real and fictional elements in their work—such as characters, materials, techniques, and labor—sets a new standard for cooperatives worldwide. Its business model, which compensates for labor and knowledge contributions, creates a lasting benefit and helps people who have historically been marginalized. By meeting people with compassion, as resources in need of support instead of liabilities, ReLeaf has shown that everyone has the potential to contribute to society meaningfully. Explore this section to discover how ReLeaf is redefining the way we approach social issues and sustainability, with stories of inspiration, innovation, and hope. |
| Rootroom (0.00) | The imagined chamber beneath the soles where balance grows, deeper than any agency, court, or failed system. |