The Owners

by Tara Basi

  The little robot began a slow dance and in an unusually pleasant voice began to sing an ancient song Mina vaguely recognised. The words were about parting and perhaps meeting again someday when blue skies had driven dark clouds away.

  Mina couldn’t stop the tears. Such a very old and lovely song. It suited the moment. Trinity carried on singing quietly as they stared out over their world.

  The Ark lifted off the surface and within minutes it was in orbit. The storm it had conjured up with its departure bruised the surface. Eleven other Blocks rose up and joined the Ark. Mina imagined the whole planet must have trembled at their departure, maybe triggering earthquakes. Huge patches of the continents below were being obscured by angry swirling clouds.

  Before they entered the gateway Mina made a final call to Anton. His crumpled, damp eyed face lit up her screen with his warm toothless smile. She had to ask, “Still think we’re doing the right thing?”

  “Sure. You have to save everyone you can, anyway you can. And Earth’s not going anywhere. Doubt the Vigilance will have any interest in our home once they discover you’ve outwitted them.”

  “And Eva, Anton? What about Eva?”

  “Mina, as a species, we’re growing up. Playing with the big boys. Leaving home, making our way in the universe. We just need some time to adapt, evolve, learn. Time, that’s all we need. Anything else is a bonus.”

  “You haven’t answered my question Anton.”

  “I don’t know Mina. You don’t know. Maybe even Truculent doesn’t understand Eva. We just need time.”

  “Survive for long enough.”

  “Exactly Mina. Exactly. And, you’re carrying precious cargo. You know that don’t you?”

  “The people in the pods?”

  “Sure, but more than that. In your head. After me, you’re the last of our kind.”

  “Last?”

  “The last person who knows, who saw what we can achieve before the Blocks. And we were only just getting started. Vigilance have probably been civilised for a million years. Think what we could do in that time. We’re not chickens Mina. We’re not germs. You tell them Mina. Make sure they know.”

  Mina’s smile was brittle and thin. She knew Anton meant everyone in the Ark. He was right, they might forget. Think that the Ark was all that there was. The limits of their ambition. Had they made it too comfortable?

  “Is that why you added the observatory to the Ark roof?”

  Anton nodded slowly. “If they ever stop going up there you’ll know we’re in trouble. Don’t let that happen Mina.”

  Mina didn’t want the responsibility he was piling on her but she knew there was no one else who might understand. Except for Battery Boy. He’d never be satisfied living in a Block, whatever it was called or however comfortable it was. “We won’t Anton.”

  “Okay then. You be on your way. I’ll keep an eye on the old place.”

  “I’ll miss your counsel Anton. Stay safe and don’t drink too much.”

  “Bon voyage. Send me a postcard. The Maxinquaye and the Earth will be here, waiting, when you come back. I’ll probably be retired.”

  Mina was crying too much to say anything else. The caravan of factories moved rapidly away from the Earth and in minutes they had passed through the giant gateway Truculent had left behind.

  Such an incredible event, the last of the human race fleeing their home, and it was all over so quickly, without incident or fuss. Mina doubted that what lay ahead would unfold so smoothly.

  Chapter 18 – OMG

  Looking back the way they had come, through the glassy eye of the gateway, Mina could see only unfamiliar constellations distorted by the gateway’s lens effect. Looking ahead only one object filled their eyes: a red giant, an old star that had probably eaten its satellites long ago, and come perilously close to swallowing the gateway. Mina guessed its expansion had peaked. In a few million years it would probably collapse into something violent. The gateway might not survive the star’s final, cataclysmic transformation. There was nothing but death here. Probably why Eva had chosen this gateway. There was no reason for the Vigilance to come this way.

  Block after Block popped into existence, to join the Ark and remake their caravan. The twelve massive monoliths moved off, accelerating rapidly away from the ruddy ball of nuclear chaos.

  Stuff had his faced pressed against the transparent wall of the roof space staring at the retreating red spot. “Is that a dying star?”

  Mina had been helping the little boy study basic cosmology in the learning tubes ever since they’d made the decision to leave Earth. It had become his latest obsession.

  “That’s right Stuff.”

  Jugger had his arm around Pinkie. Junior stood on wobbly fat legs holding on desperately to Pinkie’s thigh. As usual they were standing slightly apart staring out into space. Jugger turned towards Mina, “How big is it?”

  Mina was surprised that Jugger was interested in anything outside of the Ark and its presidency. “The old star is huge, probably a hundred times bigger than our Sun.”

  “It could be a thousand times bigger, and it’s probably colder than the Sun,” Stuff added.

  He had been paying attention. “Right again, Stuff.”

  Jugger turned back to stare at the star field. “Not the red thing, everything. How big is all this?”

  Mina gave Stuff an encouraging smile, she was curious to know what he would say. Truth was that no one knew how big the universe was, beyond the observable. Or even if it was the only one.

  “It goes on forever,” he said. “There’s a billion billion times more stars and planets than all the people that have ever lived. Ever.”

  Mina swallowed, she didn’t like being reminded of how many they’d lost.

  Pinkie folded her arms and sighed. “We were very unlucky then.”

  “What do you mean Pinkie?”

  “That the Blocks ever found us.”

  It was a horrible thought that it was just chance. All that death was only bad luck. A cosmic accident. A fatal lottery ticket.

  “You were out here before? In the Small Business?” Battery Boy said.

  His question jolted Mina. Yes, she had been. It was like remembering something from history and yet it had only been three years since she had returned to Earth. She was the only one left alive of the Small Business crew. Mina had grown to detest her crew mates on their long voyage and now she’d give anything to have them back. “Yes, not so far away from Earth. We explored a relatively nearby star.” Mina choked back the tears. “We were the first, the first human beings to visit another system. It was going to be a triumphant homecoming. The world was supposed to cheer us - the heroes’ return.”

  Tress put her arm around Mina’s shoulder. “You are a hero; the whole world will cheer when everyone wakes up. You did it Mina.”

  Mina hugged Tress and sobbed. Maybe it would happen. Even if it didn’t, in the eyes of her friends, her new family, finally she had almost, succeeded. “There’s still the awakening. I’ll feel like a hero, we all will, if everything works out.”

  “It’s time.”

  Mina spun around. Eva was towering over her. She was dressed in black liquid metal from toe to neck. The clinging one-piece was unadorned. There weren’t the usual weapons festooned about her ridiculously muscular body, but she was holding the hilt of a long sword in one hand. This was the first time they’d been in Eva’s physical presence since they’d gassed her. Eva was taking no chances. She was flanked by two terrifying Crawlers. Their numerous lithe arms swayed and undulated like the tentacles of a giant squid. Eva raised the serrated edged sword, that was at least as long as Mina was tall, and pointed the tip at Mina’s throat.

  “The data. Now.”

  There was no point in stalling any longer. The people needed to be woken. “Trinity,” Mina croaked.

  Eva blinked. “Good. In exactly thirty-five days. At noon. The people will awake in their designated locations. Fully indoctrinated.”

 
; “I prefer ‘prepared for their new lives.’” Mina answered.

  “As you wish. Our business is finished. We won’t meet again unless Truculent heads towards Earth.”

  “Wait, we want to address the people on the awakening day. Welcome them. Say a little about what lies ahead,” Mina insisted, reaching out to grab Eva’s arm as the alien started to turn away. It felt like her forearm was made of solid metal.

  Eva gave Mina a long thoughtful look, “You think that’s necessary? Doesn’t your indoctrination cover everything?”

  “No. It’s important they see us, know we’re with them and will guide them. Till they can guide themselves.”

  “Really? That would be important?”

  “Psychologically and culturally it’s essential. Otherwise they wake alone.”

  Eva smiled. Mina didn’t like it. “Details will be passed to your machine. The emergency factory broadcast system will be enabled. It will take your welcome everywhere, across all the factories. Even the janitors and the Channels will be watching and listening.”

  Eva and her phalanx of Crawlers floated down through the floor. She watched till the crown of Eva’s head vanished. Mina would be happy never to see Eva again.

  Mina was left wondering exactly what she would say on the day fifty-seven million woke up on a spaceship travelling to another planet. Their average age was just twelve. Every single one of the sleeping masses had been born inside a Block. They had never seen the sun rise, walked on a beach or felt a snowflake on their skin. In the Ark they would have a good approximation of all of those things. When they reached Eden they would have to leave their last link with Earth behind when Eva reclaimed the Ark. Mina stopped worrying. If Eva honoured their agreement, she’d find something to say.

  After Eva left they all stood for a while in silence staring out at the nameless red giant rapidly flying away till it had shrunk to nothing against a sea of bright stars. Mina had tried hard to identify anything familiar in the starscape, without success. She had no idea where they were though she was fairly certain they were still in the Milky Way.

  It was time to turn to more practical matters. “Trinity, is everything operational?”

  “Yes. Reference has handed over control of the internal Ark infrastructure. Transportation, communications, support systems are all active. It’s keeping control of the Block stuff.”

  Mina wasn’t surprised. It was a good sign, exactly what they’d agreed with Eva. “She’s doing what she said she would. It could all work out.”

  Tress took Mina’s hand, “I think it’ll be alright. Why would she bother making everything in the Ark, the farmland, the cities if she was just going to Band us and bleed us?”

  Battery Boy wasn’t satisfied. “It’s still a prison. We’re still prisoners. And it’s not over till the Blocks are gone.”

  Unusually, Jugger was smiling. “Maybe. I see opportunity and more freedom than we’ve ever had. Prison or not, its home for the next five years. Maybe afterwards you might get your wish Battery Boy but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

  Pinkie walked over and put her hand on Mina’s arm, “You don’t know what’s going to happen. Nobody does. We’ve got to grab whatever comfort we can, while we can. Maybe Junior will see Battery Boy’s dream come true. That would be good. Me and Jugger, we ain’t wasting our lives waiting.”

  Mina could only nod. Everyone would have to find their own way and they wouldn’t be alone. Millions would be joining them on that journey of discovery in a little over a month.

  “Where are all the people in the pods going, when they wake up?” Stuff asked.

  It was a good question. Anton and Mina had spent months working on that particular algorithm. “Everyone has their own home and they’ll know where it is. In the beginning they’ll wake up in small groups, twenty or so. We designed it so there’s a mix of ages. Every group has at least one older person. And we’ve tried to put people together that might get on.”

  “How do you know who’s going to get on?” Jugger asked.

  Mina was surprised. He’d never shown much interest in her work with Anton. “It’s not guaranteed. Our algorithm is based on how their brains are wired and the type of skills we’ve given them.”

  Stuff smiled broadly. “You made families?”

  Mina had never thought about it like that. They could have tried to find DNA traits that indicated people were related but that seemed pointless. Babies were taken at birth. There were no families in the Blocks. And when they woke up on the Ark nearly everyone would be a stranger, related or not. “Something like that. If people were found together in a Block we’ve tried to keep them together, if everything else said they had a chance of getting on. It’s only meant to be temporary. So they’re not alone when they wake up. It’s to help people through the first few days, weeks and maybe months. When everyone goes to their homes they might have different neighbours. At work, school they’ll meet other people.”

  “Are there lots of other kids, like me?”

  Stuff was touching on some of the most difficult issues she and Anton had had to deal with when they were designing the Ark society. “Nearly everyone’s a kid compared to us. Average age is twelve. No one’s older than me or Tress.”

  Tress frowned. “Really? You never said. That’s a little depressing.”

  “Rubbish, the Ark’s a cougar’s paradise,” Nurse Trinity shouted out.

  Mina had to laugh.

  “What’s a cougar’s paradise?” A puzzled Tress asked before Mina could tell her not to.

  “Don’t answer that Trinity!”

  Jugger’s frown suggested something was worrying him. “Older than me?”

  Mina was relieved to get off the subject of cougars. “Very few, less than one per cent of the population.”

  A smirk replaced Jugger’s frown. “That’s good.”

  “Anyway, the first few years are going to be the most difficult. While people find their feet, their friends and a family.”

  Stuff had started fidgeting and he looked bored with the view of the stars that wasn’t changing. The boy was obviously impatient to explore the Ark interior. “I want to see our finished new home; can we go now?”

  Home. It sounded strange to her ears. Almost foreign. She hadn’t really had a home since she was a little girl in Pune, India. That was many lifetimes ago. The others didn’t even have that. Maybe that was why Mina hadn’t felt as comfortable as her friends when it came to choosing where they would live in the Ark. They could literally claim any property, on any level they wanted and call it their own. It seemed like stealing. It made her feel guilty and it wasn’t really home. Her companions didn’t share or understand her reservations.

  Jugger decided to take his family as far away from the others as he could. He chose as his Ark home a palatial penthouse in New Tokyo. Tress and the two boys decided to stay together in the familiar surroundings of New New York. They selected three large penthouse apartments on the top floor of a beautiful old building overlooking Central Park. Mina got over her guilt and took the last penthouse on the same floor. They had each taken a corner of the building and made their own little Heaven House. Mina tried to forget that analogy as soon as she thought of it.

  Suddenly, she felt lost. What were they going to do now?

  “Let’s have dinner together in New New York tonight. We might not all be together again for a while,” Tress suggested, answering Mina’s unspoken question.

  Jugger didn’t look that interested but Pinkie was enthusiastic. “Great idea Tress. I assume you’ll be cooking but glad to help.”

  Mina smiled, she was pleased they’d all be together for a while longer.

  From Anton’s spectacular observation deck they took a cavernous lift down into the Ark proper, and then a driverless train to the inter-level transport hub. From there they descended in another vast lift to the New New York level. The real city of New York had a population of twenty million and occupied nine hundred square kilometres. Their New N
ew York was only half the size, with plenty of space for expansion. The city occupied less than a tenth of the available space on that Ark level and there were many more habitable levels in the Ark. Mina and Anton had calculated that the Ark could easily accommodate a population of ten times the number of people Eva would be waking from the pods.

  From the hub they caught the subway into Manhattan. “Let’s get out at Times Square and walk the rest of the way to Central Park.”

  The others thought it was a good idea. Particularly Stuff. He wanted to see his rebuilt Store, the source of his gum, ever weirder costumes and cartoons. They’d all had enough of being underground after months beneath the Park back on Earth. It was a beautiful sunny day. The Ark had clouds, sunrises, sunsets and seasons, along with the random day-to-day weather variations from Earth. It occurred to Mina as she strode down Seventh Avenue that none of the ex-Block slaves had any experience of weather.

  They had watched the city being built and flown over it many times in the Van that collected their blood. Particularly when they were deciding where to live. The Van never landed and allowed them to get out. This was the very first time they had walked through their creation. Mina was overwhelmed. Under a bright blue sky, the city looked eerily beautiful. It could have been an impossibly large work of art. Not a place people would live. The streets were pristine. Not a single item of litter marred their perfection. Store windows were filled with inviting goods. Apart from their homes, fresh food was scheduled to be delivered on the night before the awakening by an army of Crawlers. Mina strained her neck gawping at the gleaming skyscrapers. She was mesmerised by each new scene that unfolded up ahead or down side streets as they strolled along Seventh Avenue towards the Park. It was completely different to the New York they’d left behind, which was overrun with vegetation, decaying and discoloured. The stillness was unsettling. Earth’s New York was equally uninhabited but it was filled with the noises of rampant wildlife, joined in summer by the drone of countless insects. The city they had made was like an empty sterile set for some movie about the last human left alive. She couldn’t wait till it was filled again with people and the streets were noisy, dirty and lived in.