VERTICILLATUS

The thin line between beauty and nuisance was tested by Helianthus, a quartet of musicians who made their home in the Pinwheel Galaxy. Khromaticus, the glowing yellow flower native to their planet, had sustained their people for centuries. Its medicinal properties, its culinary properties, its fertilization properties, all contributed positively to life. But an attack on the insects who pollinate the plant, in an effort to rid the seaside resorts of the buzzing nuisances, decimated the khromaticus species beyond repair. Now, faced with no other option, synthetic alternatives were introduced, many of which killed those who dared ingest it. One thousand years passed, a great migration leaving the planet desolate, though still habitable. Knowing nothing of what came before them, the members of Helianthus, stumbled upon a still-living khromaticus, thriving in the depths of a cave, a pin of light from the surface able to help maintain its factory-like production of nutrients. After ingesting its petals, their minds awakened, shattering their constitutions and birthing the heart-thumping beats they would be known for. With seeds in hand, they rushed back to their homes, tears streaming down their cheeks. Their home had been saved, a new revolution brewing as the khromaticus flourished once more. Khromatic is their love letter to that seminal moment, one that nearly erased the past and ensured, at least for now, a sunny future.