The Whispering Trees Of Lagos.

The Whispering Trees of Lagos

_(A Tech Mystery Novella, ~10k words)_

Part 1: Roots

Lagos, 2025. Ayo, a sharp tech-whiz journalist, sips _zobo_ at a street stall in Ikeja, probing a weird trend. Trees in old Lagos neighborhoods "whisper" data messages via wind patterns to users’ phones. Locals call it _iroko tech_. Rumors fly: whispers hold secrets…or dangers.

Ayo’s editor wants answers. “Is it real?” he asks. Ayo’s gut says yes. Whispers ping her phone now: _“Meet me under old mapou.”_

Part 2: The Pattern

Ayo meets Kai, a curious botanist, under the mapou. Trees sway; phones buzz with messages - traffic updates, deals, whispers about officials. _Iroko tech_’s power grows. Kai decodes: ancient trees network like nodes, using Lagos’ wind + moisture to transmit data flows.

Ayo tries to publish; sources dry up. “Don’t touch this,” warns an old techie. Whispers turn cryptic: _“They monitor roots.”_

Part 3: Shadows

As Ayo digs deeper, whispers darken. Government wants control; hackers want profit. Trees “talk” more urgently. Ayo’s hunt puts her at risk. One night, _iroko_ messages warn: _“Stop. Now.”_

Ayo hides. Phones buzz everywhere: _“Ayo, we see you.”_ Kai’s lab gets hacked.

Part 4: Sync

Clue: whispers link to an old Nigerian legend - trees as guardians of communal memory. Do trees want Lagos to remember something crucial? Ayo meets an _iroko_ elder: “We whisper what people forget. Balance tech…or lose soul.”

Ayo faces choices: expose tech or protect the whispering network.

Epilogue

Ayo decides to safeguard _iroko tech_, letting trees keep whispering. But whispers now hold a message: _“Change, or lose the beat.”_ Lagos stirs, uneasy.