The Gaia Effect

by Claire Buss

  'We are.' Jed pointed at his wife and put on his best smile as he ushered the IGA into the kitchen area and offered her a beverage. Pete looked at the cocoon again. Kira nibbled her fingernails, turning towards the cube when Grace began to cry. She teetered, not knowing whether to go to her or speak with the IGA. In the end the plaintive noise decided her, and she scooped the baby up, rocking Grace gently, and humming as she walked over to the others.

  'I'm here to carry out an infant suitability assessment not drink synth-caf, but I suppose one would be nice. It's not often we get time to indulge while at work. I'm surprised you even have the drinks machine given your requests.'

  Jed and Kira looked at each other in confusion.

  'Requests?' Kira asked.

  'Ah, sorry, we thought you'd be non-conformers you see, because of the no technology request. I mean almost all parents have a NanNan these days and we just thought... well, you know.' The IGA coloured slightly as she sipped her synth-caf. 'No offence.'

  'None taken,' Kira said smiling. 'We're not pure naturals but we wanted to try the natural approach with the baby. After my studies I was curious....'

  The IGA interrupted.

  'Oh I see, hobbyists then. Well each to their own. I'll leave the paperwork for the NanNan as well as our latest brochure and then when you want to order, everything will be there for you.'

  'If,' whispered Kira under her breath.

  The agent frowned as she walked around the lounge area.

  'What's that?' she asked, pointing at the lit candle in the corner of the room.

  'Oh. Mm, that's mine. I was just meditating before you arrived.'

  'Meditating?'

  'Yes. You never heard of it?'

  'No. I mean not in real life.' The IGA patted her neat bun. 'I read history at Higher Academy you know, I remember some of the strange customs.' She moved closer peering at the candle on the small table. 'So what do you do with it?'

  'Well,' Kira had followed the IGA into the lounge and she sat down with Grace. 'I believe in balance, so sometimes when I feel stressed or out of sorts I like to try and focus my energy on releasing the things that made me feel out of balance. It's easier to think of it in terms of light and colour, moving from dark to bright,' Kira paused, searching for something else to say. 'Controlled breathing helps....'

  The IGA interrupted again and pointed at the small blue statue.

  'And who is that?'

  'That's Gaia. She is the spirit of the Earth, dedicated to keeping the life force of the planet in balance. She can be used as a focus point.' Kira could see the IGA was looking troubled. 'I work in the Archives so I have approved access.'

  'Ah, well I guess that makes sense. Not sure how I would write this up anyway. Probably best not to mention it to anyone. I expect it's quite a personal thing and let's face it we don't tell everyone about everything we do behind closed doors do we?'

  The IGA glanced at the cocoon before turning to look at Kira and smiling, not realising how offensive she sounded. Kira agreed, in disbelief yet relief that the topic would be dropped. The IGA finished her drink and fished out her paperwork.

  'Right, here's my checklist. Neural jack's in use?'

  'No'.

  'Nan-Nan installed – no. Scent patches activated?'

  'No'.

  'Cube ordered?'

  'Yes.'

  'Type?'

  'Standard sleeping, able to move around our apartment.'

  'Hmm,' the IGA looked down her list. 'I don't think there's much point in me going through the rest of the options. They are all classified as high-tech and you've clearly decided against that kind of help. I don't think there's anything else I can do for you today.'

  'Don't you want to look at the baby?' Kira queried.

  'Do you mind a health probe?'

  'Is it non-invasive?'

  'It can be.'

  'Alright then.'

  Kira watched suspiciously while the IGA brought out a handheld, pressed some buttons and then directed the scan towards Grace laying in her cube. Several bleeps later the IGA handed Kira a readout.

  'It's all good. Remember to visit your local Med Centre if you have any queries. Do you have a medical handheld?'

  Kira shook her head.

  'Well, you might want to look into that otherwise how will you know if the baby is okay? Contact your local Agent, they'll have what you need. I'd recommend a health check at six weeks but obviously get in touch beforehand if you have any worries. Babies are tough little things.'

  The IGA gathered her things. After a cheery goodbye she left the apartment.

  IGANN: Outdated practices on the rise – who do you know who is being retro?

  Share your updates and sweep it out to City Forty-Two.

  'Well that was a waste of time.' Kira lifted her daughter out of the cube and turned to look at Jed. 'Are you ready to meet Grace?'

  She placed their daughter into Jed's arms. He held her away from him until he realised she wasn't going to cry, then he smiled and brought her closer to him. Kira touched his arm, kissing him on the cheek before walking away to the bedroom.

  'My daughter,' Jed said. 'Wow. So tiny.'

  He gently stroked her cheek and touched her tiny hand. When she curled her fingers round his, his breath caught.

  'Pete, look, look - she's holding my finger.'

  Pete grinned.

  'She's so perfect. I'm a Dad.' It suddenly seemed like a huge responsibility. 'Woah. I'm a Dad.'

  'You okay Jenks?'

  'Yeah, yeah. Do you want to hold her?'

  'You sure?'

  'Course.' Jed transferred the sleeping baby into Pete's arms. His heart swelled in his chest as he watched his friend hold his tiny daughter. After a few moments the two men looked at each other and Pete cleared his throat meaningfully.

  'Huh? Oh yeah.' Jed called through to the nearby bedroom. 'Kira, what is Martha doing here?'

  Jed glanced back at Pete standing awkwardly with his daughter.

  'She called me earlier, in pieces, asking if she could come round. I wasn't going to tell her no. What's going on?' Kira replied as she returned to the kitchen with a bundle of cloth in her hands. Jed sidestepped his wife's question.

  'Why is she cocooned?'

  'She was trying to tell me what happened to her. She was so upset, she wouldn't let me touch her. She started hyperventilating.' Kira gestured towards her cocooned friend. 'I didn't know what else to do – I know we installed the apartment protection system to combat any aggressive behaviour but I figure this way she'd get some rest and maybe feel better. I was just about to call you when the IGA arrived.' She turned to look at her husband. 'What the frag is going on Jed?'

  She unwrapped the cloth and tied it around her body, watching Jed and Pete, waiting for an answer. Pete half shrugged.

  'We can't Kira, it's classified.' He frowned. 'What are you doing?'

  Kira looked confused for a moment then realised what he was talking about.

  'It's a baby wrap. I discovered them in Archive. Don't distract me Pete. What do you mean it's classified? What does that mean? Is she in danger? Am I in danger?' She took half a step towards Grace.

  'No, you're not in danger hon,' Jed said. 'It's just...out of our hands. I'm sorry, I know she's your friend but I can't break case confidentiality.'

  Kira huffed a little and took the baby from Pete, placing Grace inside the fabric wrap, close to her body.

  'I'm sorry hon.' Jed tried to placate his wife. 'We needed to speak to Martha and when we checked her locator expecting her to be at the med centre, it flashed up here.'

  Kira glared at him.

  'I have to finish organising the baby homecoming.'

  She pushed past him and stormed straight through to the bedroom.

  Jed sighed then looked at his partner.

  'Have you got your holo-recorder, Pete?'

  'Here? Now?'

  'How else are we going to get her into questioning without everyone seeing?'


  Pete looked at the cocoon then motioned for Jed to lead the way over to the couch.

  'Forty-seven? Retract cocoon please. Administer revival.'

  'Affirmative.'

  'Pretty techy for you isn't it, Jenks?'

  'Mum - Ingrid talked her into getting them for the whole family because she gets serious discount. Not that we had much choice. We came home one day and it had already been installed.'

  While Jed was talking the cocoon disengaged, slid up and over the sleeping Martha and returned to a recess at the top of the couch.

  After a few moments Martha began to stir. She looked around.

  'Wha…Where is Kira? Why are you here? What's going on?'

  'It's alright Martha, may I call you Martha? We just want to talk to you about what happened.' Pete tried to sound as non-threatening as possible.

  'Oh.'

  Jed moved to sit next to Martha on the couch but she shrank back with a small gasp so he veered to one side and sat in the armchair.

  'Your father made sure we'd get the case,' Jed said. 'No-one else in Force has any details. Nor will they. But we need to take your statement.' He paused. 'I understand how uncomfortable it might be to talk about.'

  Martha looked at him. 'I doubt that.'

  'We've found the footage of the attack.'

  Martha didn't react, she continued to stare at Jed.

  'All we need is your statement and we're one step closer to closing the case.'

  Martha didn't respond.

  Pete placed the holo on the table in front of the couch and activated the recorder.

  'Force Case G7753. Detective Jenkins speaking, also present is Detective Barnes. The date is 15th April 2215. Interview being held with Miss Martha Hamble. Could you please state your name for the record.'

  There was a long silence.

  'Martha Evelyn Hamble.'

  Kira could hear Jed's voice from the bedroom and although she couldn't make out the exact words he sounded firm and in control, interviewing Martha. The homecoming party was pre-organised, all Kira had to do was access the social file and hit confirm. Everyone knew it was tomorrow but at least this way the parentals would be happy with the officialness. Nothing to do now but relax with her new family yet Martha's distressed arrival had stopped that from happening.

  Should she go through to the lounge and interrupt a Force matter? Her friend had after all come to confide in her. Kira looked down at the innocent, sleeping baby peeping out through the folds of the baby wrap and a wave of protectiveness swept over her. Martha had come to Kira for help not the Force. She couldn't leave Martha out there by herself. Kira came into the lounge. Jed and Pete looked at her, but neither man spoke. Kira sat next to Martha, found her hand and squeezed it tight.

  'Mrs Kira Jenkins and child have entered the room,' Jed said.

  'Tell us in your own words what happened Martha.' Pete tried to sound encouraging.

  Martha bit her lower lip and swallowed, shifting in her seat. It wasn't until Kira squeezed her hand again that she managed to find the words. In a hushed voice, she began to speak.

  'I was walking home from work. It was such a beautiful day yesterday, I could imagine birds singing. I was feeling so happy.' Martha paused then looked up at Kira. 'I knew you had Collection. I was so pleased for you.' She shook her head. 'There was a woman. She was blue. And a bee. There was definitely a bee. I think. Why would I have imagined that?' she said half to herself.

  Jed stared at Martha. It can't have been the same person. It was a new ad by Corp. A coincidence, surely. Martha stopped talking and looked down at her hands.

  'Go on,' Pete said. Martha looked up at him, her eyes full of tears.

  'He hit me. I fell. I don't remember ... my head.' She touched the side of her head. 'Hurt. I couldn't see. But there was someone on top of me and he, and he, he was..' She started sobbing.

  'He was…..in me. I never. I had not….I didn't want to. I tried to push him but I had no strength. He was smothering me and I had no strength.'

  She trailed off.

  'I was powerless.'

  Her shoulders shook as she cried.

  Kira looked at Jed horrified, then tried to hug her friend as best as she could but Grace in the baby wrap made her bulky and Kira was frightened of squashing the baby.

  Jed motioned for Pete to stop the recorder.

  'Kira,' he said. 'You can't breathe a word of this to anyone.'

  Kira scowled at him.

  'And who exactly am I going to tell?'

  Pete spoke to Jed.

  'Her statement matches the footage. We've got the medical files - why don't we leave it as is Jenks. There's no conflicting evidence. Once facial re-cog comes back we've got him.'

  Jed nodded in agreement and the two men stood, Pete packing away the holo recorder.

  'You head home Pete,' Jed said. 'I've got re-cog on my ear comm, I'll let you know when it pings through.'

  'No problem. I'll upload the interview and wait to hear.'

  They clasped forearms and Pete left. After the door closed Jed sagged slightly, his head planted for a brief moment against the wall.

  Kira and Martha were speaking softly on the couch together. Martha stood and headed through a door on the other side of the lounge.

  'Is she okay?' Jed asked.

  'She's going to shower. I told her she could use our water credit, we've stockpiled a bit and I think she needs to feel clean.'

  'Yeah sure. We've got the physical evidence.' Jed caught his wife's hand and held it tight. 'I'm so sorry this happened.'

  'You will catch him won't you?'

  'We will do whatever it takes to catch him, I promise.'

  'And then what happens?'

  'It's a termination. You'll probably never hear it on the sweeps. Martha being who she is.'

  Grace began to stir inside the baby wrap, making small noises as if she was searching for something.

  'I guess she wants feeding again,' Kira said. 'Do you want to do it?'

  Jed smiled. 'More than anything.' He made himself comfortable on the couch but before Kira could pass Grace over he suddenly sat bolt upright.

  'What's wrong?'

  'Oh no, don't worry it's not a bad thing. I just remembered something, I promised Mother I'd send out an update and I haven't had time to put anything together yet.'

  'Oh, I've already prepared one.' Feeling rather pleased with herself she brought it up on the portable touchscreen for Jed to read through. He read it and handed it back with a grin as he took Grace.

  'It's great hon, thank you. Get it sent out and we can finally start being a real family.'

  JENHUB: So excited to have Grace, she's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen.

  CORP: Latest Collection a success - baby Grace Jenkins joins Detective Jed Jenkins and Junior Archivist Kira Jenkins, the youngest family unit so far.

  INJEN: Latest model NanNan beta test's are extremely favourable. Click through for details on how to pre-order.

  A few hours later Jed was scrolling through his dailies, looking at who had read their update, which was in fact everyone they knew. There were several comments from people expressing their congratulations and excitement about meeting Grace at the party tomorrow. Ingrid's response had been typically impersonal, with the usual new tech links inserted at the bottom. Kira's close friend, Ruth, had been the complete opposite, gushing with congratulations and enthusiastic support for their choice of parenting style.

  There was one post from someone he didn't recognise - Dina something or other - expressing her sincere delight at coming to the party. She must be a new friend of Kira's, Jed thought. His jaw cracked as he yawned. Checking his wristplant Jed realised if he didn't go to sleep soon he'd probably end up going without. Re-cog should be through in a couple of hours and with it Pete and Jed could arrest the bastard behind Martha's attack.

  Chapter Four

  Kira stared at the sleeping baby in the crib next to her. She was frightened that if she closed
her eyes Grace might need her and she'd miss it. Or even that someone would come in and take her - which was ridiculous seeing as the apartment was locked. But Kira couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen.

  The evening had been extremely subdued. Martha had seemed calmer after her shower, even holding Grace for a time, though she hadn't eaten much. None of them had. Kira and Jed hadn't felt like talking either. They hadn't even celebrated the first day of their new family. Today would be difficult too. With all their guests descending for the homecoming, not only would Kira have to defend her natural parenting style but she had to make sure no-one found out about Martha, especially Ruth. Ruth might sweep it and use the attack as a soap box to complain about Corporation, not thinking about how upsetting that would be for Martha.

  Kira turned over and watched Jed as he slept. He looked so peaceful, as if nothing bad could touch him. Then his ear comm began to ping. Kira elbowed him in the ribs. Jed groaned and touched his ear.

  'This is facial re-cog with results for Detective Jenkins. Please activate verbal confirmation.'

  'Confirmation activated.'

  'Positive match for Michael Greenwood. Apartment Six, Lower 7th. Information uploaded to file.'

  The call ended and Jed sat up, touching his comm again.

  'Lower 7th.'

  Kira shushed him pointing at Grace. Jed continued in a quieter tone.

  'I need a security lock-down on Apartment Six. No entry or exit except for Detectives Jenkins and Barnes.' He ended the call and looked at Kira, grim-faced.

  'We've got him. I've gotta go.'

  He quickly got dressed and nodded towards Grace.

  'She slept well.'

  'She woke up twice for a feed. You slept right through.'

  Jed looked a little sheepish.

  'Don't worry. You'll be getting your share of night shifts.' Kira grinned at him.

  Jed kissed his wife, turned to leave then came back and kissed his baby.

  'Will you be alright, you know, with Martha?' He jerked his head in the direction of the guest room.

  'We'll be fine. I won't say anything to anyone. You won't be late home will you?'

  'I'll do my best hon. This is a big deal, you know what Mr Hamble is like.'