Nectar was a vital part of Caterpillar life, not only was it the only food that certain of the higher caste butterflies would bring themselves to eat, but it was also one of the most pure form of nutrients that the caterpillars had. The nectar was from the blossom of many plants, but as these were seasonal by nature, most nectar came from a plant called the Honey-bean, a relative of runner beans, but one which blossomed all year round. This plant had been engineered by the original Ceres hydroponics workers, and gave off a nectar which contained all the nutrients needed for life in liquid form. The discovery of this plant was one of the factors in the Caterpillar's development from grazers to sentient life. Nectar was also one of the few forms of alcohol which was fermented and distilled, not synthesised. Remiel's farm had contained, as well as several healthy honey-bean plants, an engineered nectar still, which used its own internal heat to distil the nectar into a strong spirit, absorbing the undistilled parts, and feeding them back into the xylem and phloem.
Copyright 1999 Ian Rennie, for Remiel Productions.