by C D Tavenor
“Cam is six,” said Fields. “Sylvia is nine.”
“Cam seems quite curious.”
“I think that might just be a natural reaction to seeing you for the first time.”
Fields sat down at his desk in a black, cushioned office chair. He motioned for his two guests to take a seat in the chairs opposite his own. Elizabeth obliged, and Theren followed suit, though they were certain it looked quite awkward.
“So, what can I do for the two of you?” he said. “I confess, I was surprised when my secretary mentioned receiving correspondence from one of the richest persons in the world. Wanting to visit me privately in my own home? A novel request, but I of course wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity.”
“We thought it important this conversation occur face to face, not even through Virtual,” Theren said.
Elizabeth nodded.
“And I invited Theren along last minute,” Elizabeth added. “It’s good experience for them, and I thought you might enjoy meeting them.”
“Its—their, my apologies—presence is certainly a pleasant surprise,” Fields said. “Cam has obsessed over you and Jill for months now.”
Elizabeth had certainly managed to find that little piece of information through some grapevine. They appreciated the apology, too. Many people had gotten used to referring to Theren as an “it” for almost two years.
“So, to answer your question,” Theren said, “we are actually here to offer you a job.”
“Oh? So it’s not a lobbying effort then, relating to anything connected with my duties to St. Peter?”
“Of course not. We would never put you in such a position. But your position as mayor is what piqued our interest in you in the first place.”
“I think he was joking,” Elizabeth said. The two humans shared a little smile.
“Oh,” Theren replied. “Oh, I think I get it.”
“I would have been more surprised if Golden Ventures had taken an interest in St. Peter than you coming with some grandiose political offer,” Fields said. “Excuse my sarcasm.”
“No, totally justified to make light of this absurd meeting,” Elizabeth added.
“Though in fact,” Theren said, “Your role as mayor of St. Peter is exactly why we have contacted you. As I’m sure you know, Sol Mining is in the process of finalizing a permanent colony on the moon. Luna Base is transforming into Lunar City. In addition to the already existing research and industrial facilities, it will become a permanent residential colony. And, hopefully, house a few international operational capacities.”
Theren looked toward Elizabeth, unsure if she wanted to initiate this formal portion of the conversation. She subtly nodded. “We would like to invite you, Mr. Fields,” Theren said, “upon completion of your service as mayor of St. Peter, to join Sol Mining and Golden Ventures as the Administrator of Lunar City.”
Fields leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. The office chair leaned backward, supporting the man’s weight.
“Not what I expected at all,” he said. “Not at all.”
“My job offers usually aren’t expected,” Elizabeth said, before Theren could continue. “I tend to forego traditional job applications in favor of psychological profiles and real world results. You’ve turned around the economy of this small town after that terrible windstorm a few years back. Your educational credentials are simply phenomenal. A J.D. from Harvard and a Masters in International Relations from Stanford? An Aerospace Engineering degree from Purdue? You’re a scholar, a politician, and a scientist, all wrapped into one.”
Theren could tell Elizabeth’s comments floored Fields. The man’s skin flushed, contrasting with his brown cheeks.
“Based on your continued academic work on the Law of Space,” she continued, “even after you became mayor, we knew you would be an individual interested in what lies beyond this planet. Yet you still find your soul in the interpersonal dynamics necessary to be a good politician.”
“Of course,” Theren said, “the job would entail moving your family to a very alien place. That reality cannot be understated, nor hidden from you or your family. So, what are your thoughts?”
“First off, I’m honored by the offer,” Fields said. “Very honored. My instincts tell me to accept, though it would take some time adjusting to the role of a bureaucrat, rather than that of an elected official. I obviously need time. Relocating my family off world? Just a few years ago, I’d have called you both insane.”
“Well, I didn’t exist a few years ago,” Theren said.
“And you know,” Elizabeth said. “We’re trying to make the insane ideas of the world sane.”
“But I am intrigued,” added Fields.
“We hoped you would be,” Theren said.
“But I need to talk to my family, of course, especially Rebecca.”
“Of course.”
Elizabeth pulled a few digital documents into the air. “Do you have access to Augmented Reality?” she asked.
“Certainly,” and Fields accepted her file sharing request. She transferred the files.
“These will give you a description of what the position will entail, as well as a draft preliminary employment contract.”
“When would you like an answer?”
“March 30,” she said. “I think you know why we need an answer by then.”
Andrew moved the files into invisible folders. “Yes of course. I’ll do my best.”
After a few more minutes of conversation, Elizabeth and Theren thanked Andrew Fields for his time, and he led them out of his office. As Fields went to open the front door, Theren noticed a noise coming from down the hall, emanating from the basement door.
Theren turned around, mirroring Fields’ own movements. The basement door was slightly ajar, with Cam sitting on the top step, his face buried in his hands.
“Cam, is everything okay?” the father said.
“Theren, we should probably go,” Elizabeth said under her breath.
Elizabeth turned to head out the door, but Theren rooted their feet, staring at the tears streaming down the boy’s face.
“Cam?” Fields said, after the boy didn’t answer.
“You know I hate flying,” Cam said to his father. “And now you want to make us fly far away. Fly to the moon. Why?”
Elizabeth grabbed their shoulder. “Theren, come on.”
Cam fell back from the step onto the floor of the hallway, his puffy eyes turning toward Theren. “No. I want to hear it from you. I hate flying. Why still offer my dad this job?”
Fields looked toward his visitors. “It’s okay, you can stay. He deserves an answer.”
Before either of them could respond, Fields knelt down in front of his son. “Cam, I’ve not accepted the job. We, as a family, have a lot of things to discuss, and I of course would have taken your fear of flying into account.”
“But why isn’t it just a no?” The boy rubbed his reddened eyes, falling back against the wooden floor. “Why can’t they just leave? Leave us on Earth?”
Theren was unsure when they should actually answer the child’s question, so they waited for a signal from Fields.
“Things aren’t quite that simple,” Fields said. “We have to think of the greater good, of the world beyond ourselves. If you absolutely required it of me, I would say no, but before you give me that ultimatum, you need to do as I’ve taught you. We need to think about all of the relevant factors, together, as a family.”
Cam didn’t say anything for a moment. He wiped away the tears from his cheeks. “Okay. But you didn’t even mention my fear to them.”
“Why are your fears something I need to share with them?” Andrew said. “They are something for you to share, and you alone.”
“Well I’ve shared them,” Cam said. He looked up toward Theren and Elizabeth. “What do you think?”
Before Elizabeth could say anything, Theren said. “We care about your fears. But I will tell you why you should want to go too, w
hy going to the Moon actually helps your fears.”
Cam twisted his head, a look of genuine confusion appearing on his face.
“You say you are afraid of flying, yes? What is it about flying that scares you?”
“I don’t know,” Cam said. “I guess it’s the idea that the only thing between me and the ground is the air. When I jump, I fall quickly to the ground. If something goes wrong with the plane, then I’ll fall even faster to the ground.”
“Well, what if I told you that if you and your family moved to the Moon, to space, that your fear of falling, that fear of falling fast toward the ground would practically cease to exist?”
“How?” The boy’s eyes squinted with skepticism, though he sat up in curiosity.
Theren thought back to the photos on the wall. The Fields family had flown to Switzerland for a ski trip. Something traumatic must have triggered the fear recently, within the past year or two, given the child’s young age.
“When you are in space, gravity drastically changes,” Theren said. “The reason you fall so quickly to Earth is because Earth is so big. But up in space, the Earth is much further away, and the Moon is much smaller than Earth. Do you know what that means?”
“Something about gravity being weaker, I think.”
“You’re essentially right. Gravity’s effect on you is weaker. When you are flying in space, in some instances, gravity barely has any pull on your ship at all. The ship flies around as easily as we can walk. Even easier, actually.”
Cam looked at his father, then at Theren. “That, that kind of makes sense. It’s still scary. I don’t know.”
“Just something to think about,” Theren said.
“No, wait. I would still have to fly to get to the Moon. Fly farther and faster than ever before.” Cam fell onto his back and stared at his father, who still kneeled in front of him. “No. No. I don’t want that.”
“That was a worthy try, Theren,” Elizabeth said, “But I think that it’s time we go.”
“Are you sure? What if we could help him convince his son?”
“I think we risk doing more harm than good at this point.”
Elizabeth once again turned to open the door, but the child’s fear transfixed Theren. Fields dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall, his son’s head at his feet.
“You are my son. I will do nothing to harm you. If I told you to trust me, if I told you that I will always keep you safe, and that we would be safe if—and I say if—we decided as a family that we should take this opportunity, would you trust me?”
Cam rolled back and forth on the ground before positioning so his head stared straight at the ceiling. “Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know.”
“But do you trust that we’ll figure this out together?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s say goodbye to our guests.”
Fields stood, gently pulling his son up from the floor. To Theren, he mouthed the words thanks for trying.
“I hate to keep you here any longer,” he said. “As I said, my family will discuss and we will be in touch.”
He held out his hand, and both Elizabeth and Theren took turns shaking it.
“You’re a smart kid,” they said, turning to Cam. “Your father is smart, too. We need him, and I’m sure we need you too. If you have any questions for us that your father cannot answer, he can put you in contact with me.”
Cam smiled. “People at school say you’re evil. But I like you a lot.” His tears had vanished, though fear certainly lingered.
* * *
Audio Transcript, January 7, 2051, C.E.
Jill: Ever since Theren created SII, you’ve faded from view. Why?
Simon: I don’t need to justify my actions to you.
Jill: You’re our principal benefactor. Just as we have to account to you, you must account to us. What aren’t you telling us?
Simon: Stop messing with things you don’t understand. Theren is the last remnant I have of my best friend. I am hiding nothing. Just because I don’t believe his business will succeed doesn’t mean I don’t support you or Theren.
Jill: I know you considered suing again. I know what law firms you contacted, and the arguments you considered. This isn’t just about Wallace. You have other motives underneath the surface. I know who funds you.
Simon: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Jill: Sure.
* * *
“I was genuinely impressed back there, you know,” Elizabeth said. They were just over forty minutes from Saint Paul International Airport. “You handled yourself majestically, better than I probably could have responded to that child’s question, in fact.” She rested her hand on the frosty glass window. “I think those words to Cam may have saved us from finding another potential candidate.”
“Why?” Theren asked. “I only told him what I thought would make sense to a child. He didn’t even seem convinced in the end.”
“It wasn’t the content, per se. You engaged directly with the child. You viewed him as a person, believing he could understand the reality of the world. Not many people are able to talk to children so clearly.”
“Well, technically speaking, I am younger than Andrew’s son,” Theren said. “But still, I really don’t see what you’re seeing. That son seemed far from convinced.”
“But perhaps you did enough. Only time will tell.”
Before Theren could reply, the car pulled to a stop. The screen between the front and back seats dropped, revealing Katy. “The car’s engine cut off, and I’m not sure why. Should I take manual control?”
“Of course,” Elizabeth said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
The car resumed its journey, but as they rounded another bend in the road, the vehicle slowed. Katy pulled the car into the berm. “We’ve got an overturned car in the middle of the road.”
Theren observed a rapid change in the digital signatures emanating from Elizabeth’s AR Lens. If Theren understood the data correctly, she had just placed her security software in emergency standby mode. Theren followed suit. “What’s wrong?” they asked.
“Taking precautions,” she said. “I’ve already sent out an emergency message to call paramedics to the scene, in case someone is hurt.”
Elizabeth made no indication to Katy that they should get out to check on the driver, however. Looking through the screen between the front and back seats, Theren glanced out the windshield, but they couldn’t see any people near the overturned vehicle.
“Should I drive any closer?” Katy asked.
The crunching of ice and gravel signaled an approaching car from behind, so Theren swiveled their head around so they could look out the rear windshield. A black truck rounded the bend behind them, parking just a few feet behind their car’s bumper. A man and a woman stepped out of the cab. Outfitted in winter camouflage, they each held non-distinct rifles in their hands.
“Probably not, then,” Katy said. “We’ve got even more company. Look right”
Theren glanced into the trees. Three more individuals, dressed in similar garb, approached their vehicle with rifles pointed at the ground. Theren ran an image scan. A few search algorithms affiliated their uninvited guests with a local extremist militia group, tolerated by the locals and closely monitored by the U.S. government. They ran more searches. A sneaking suspicion entered their mind, one they hoped was way off mark.
“Activate the external microphones,” Elizabeth said, while using her Lens to broadcast a distress message outward from their location.
Katy activated the audio system, and Elizabeth pressed a button on the backseat’s dashboard. “How can we help you?”
“Excuse me ma’am, but there is something inside the car that we want,” said one of the men.
“What are you talking about?” she said. Theren could hear just an ounce of fear in her voice, but she masked it well. “There are only three passengers in this car, on our way from St. Peters back to the city. We don’t have any person
al belongings on us; this is just a rental.”
“All due respect ma’am, but we know you’re lying. You’ve got that thing in there, and we want it.”
The man was talking about them. Theren connected to the vehicles external cameras. In addition to their rifles, the militia was equipped with knives and handguns. One man even held a grenade.
“I don’t think this is a worthwhile fight, Elizabeth,” Theren said. “You know as well as I do that they can’t actually hurt me. And if I don’t go with them, they’ll certainly hurt you.”
For a moment, Theren expected Elizabeth to object. Her eyes darted from them to the window.
“Please,” Theren said. “I might even learn something important.”
“What are you going to do?” Elizabeth said, turning to face the synthetic.
“I’m going to observe them for as long as possible. Learn about them.” Theren saw Elizabeth’s pursed lips. “Don’t worry,” they added. “I’ll simultaneously piggyback off your present emergency signal so the authorities you’ve notified can track them down. At the very least, we can file suit for stolen property.”
“You’re assuming they don’t know you’ll contact the police, though.”
“If they don’t know that taking this body doesn’t actually affect my cognitive function in any way whatsoever, I doubt they understand how I work, either.”
“Fair point.”
Elizabeth pressed another button on the dashboard, opening Theren’s car door.
“Thank you,” Theren said. “We can’t afford to lose you.”
“I appreciate that sentiment. Good luck.”
They stepped out into the now midday sun, the snow reflecting blinding brilliance. A train’s horn sounded somewhere in the distance.
One of the vagrants pointed her weapon at their MI. “Move.”
They followed the woman toward the truck, where she pushed them up into the truck bed. Two men from the roadside took seats in the truck’s back seat, while the original occupants of the truck returned to their places up front. The final vagabond plopped next to Theren, pointing his weapon at their chest.
