a bee's head covered in mushrooms

Vivek and Alexander are driving through the Mojave desert to rescue the tree, though neither of them is entirely sure what that means. Alexander explains that you have arrived, little seed, and that he can hear the "tree" giving you information about him and Vivek. The car runs out of gas, but the airfield is within walkable distance if they get going. It's going to get very hot in an hour.

Alexander wants you out of his head. He never wanted adventure. He and Vivek are contacted by Martin at the airfield, who says they need to keep moving. Hunters have been spotted.

"Hunters" could mean a few different groups here: ex-military, miners, hippies... Vivek has been doing some research. He took ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea, with the Matsé people, and wonders if the CIA spread a drug based on ayahuasca at the music festival. He doesn't believe people using it always hallucinate. Alexander sees something near the road. Keep moving.

Vivek says that people have had visions of strange entities for thousands of years, but Alexander wants more concrete answers. He explains what Robert says about the Plant People – plants want to be medicine. Vivek thinks that finding out who is talking to Alexander is important. There's a noise, and then Vivek realises that Alexander has been grazed by an arrow in the calf and is bleeding copiously. Then the desiccated dead emerge.

Alexander is still bleeding and the zombies have picked up your scent. Further ahead, you see a group of people standing with bows and arrows. They must have been who shot Alexander, and they are watching you.

You can see the airfield, but the bleeding is getting worse – the arrow must have been coated with an anticoagulant. Vivek begs you to help, little seed, to keep Alexander moving, while he talks to keep Alexander conscious.

You reach the airfield. Alexander argues that Vivek's theories centre Western fantasies of exploration and conquest over Indigenous cultures. Vivek agrees, tells him to rest, then uses a flamethrower to kill the zombies. The watchers applaud politely. Alexander has always felt you most clearly, and knows things about your guide even they doesn't know about themself. Your guide urges him to get on the plane and come and find them.