by G J Ogden
He walked closer to the large window and placed a hand on it to steady himself. He felt oddly lighter and less rooted to the ground. Through the window he observed that the stars were far brighter than he was used to. It was an entirely cloudless and absolutely crystal-clear night and Ethan was struck by the beauty and intensity of it. He waited by the window, looking out for several minutes, his mind a jumble of everything that had happened in the past few days. Despite the intensity of the images in his mind’s eye, he felt numb. He knew he should be wondering where he was, if he was in danger, and what had happened to Maria, Kurren and Summer, but he felt no urgency to deal with these questions.
He stood by the window, looking out, feeling the coolness of the floor on his bare feet. After his abrupt awakening, he found it soothing. In the sky beyond the last of the gray domes, he noticed that the moon appeared unusually large and bright, and was also radiating a color that he’d never seen before. And then the realization struck him like a falling boulder, shaking him from his trance-like stupor. It was not the moon, but a planet, bright and blue against a backdrop of nothingness. His planet – he was looking at his planet from the moon base. He stood a little away from the window and looked on, awestruck, dumbstruck. They had made it.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” The voice startled him and he physically recoiled. He was still feeling on edge. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” said Maria. She had entered the room without Ethan noticing, and was standing a few paces behind him. Without thinking, he went over and wrapped his arms around her. This took Maria completely by surprise, but she returned the embrace warmly. “Hey, it’s okay,” she said softly into his ear, “we made it.”
Ethan released Maria and stepped back a pace, returning his gaze to the window. Maria noticed the wetness of his clothes, and felt it on her cheek and neck from their hug. “Are you okay?” she asked, concerned. “Let me get the medics to check you out.” She went to leave, but Ethan stopped her.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just, shock, you know. I maybe panicked a little. But I’m okay, really.”
“Are you sure?” said Maria, looking him over.
“I’m sure, Sal,” replied Ethan, smiling.
Maria liked it when he called her, ‘Sal’, and she smiled back. “Everything must seem a little unreal right now,” she said, nodding over to the window, with the vibrant blue planet framed in the center, “but give it time. You’ll get used to it.”
She was dressed in a uniform, which was sleeker and more fitted than the utilitarian outfit she had been wearing when they first met. She looked good, Ethan thought, certainly compared to himself. He looked down at what he was wearing – loose fitting beige pants and a thin shirt that buttoned up at the front. Compared to Maria, he felt quite under-dressed.
Maria sensed his concern over his clothing. “Don’t worry about what you’re wearing; we’ll get you something more appropriate soon.”
“Can I have my old clothes back?” Ethan asked, hopefully.
Maria hadn’t been expecting this. “Oh, I’m afraid we... er... got rid of them,” she said, sheepishly.
“Got rid of them?” Ethan repeated, mildly offended. “How? Where?”
“We sort of incinerated them,” said Maria.
“Sort of incinerated them?”
“It’s okay, we’ll get you some new clothes,” Maria added, trying to sound positive.
Ethan took a deep breath and nodded. Katie had made the clothes for him, but now, like her, they were gone. The enormity of what he’d done was starting to hit.
Maria tried to change the subject. “You’re in the hospital wing,” she said. “You’ve been here for a few hours – a planetary day, we use the same measure of time up here.”
Ethan looked surprised. “Why so long?”
“The medics needed to attend to your injuries,” replied Maria. “They gave you a cocktail of medicines to help you get back on your feet, but it knocked you out for a bit too.”
“I still feel a little... strange,” Ethan said. “Like, I’m not quite on the ground. Does that sound crazy?”
Maria shook her head. “Not at all, gravity here is a little lower than you’re used to on the planet, so you may feel a bit lighter, but you’ll get used to it.”
Ethan had to ask Maria to clarify what gravity was, and though he didn’t fully understand the definition she gave him, he accepted the explanation. He turned around and looked out of the window again, trying to process everything, and trying to think of something to ask. He expected to have a million questions, but after a period of contemplation, all he could manage was a feeble, “So, we’re on the moon?”
Maria smiled, warmly. “I think I need to get the medics to check your head again, make sure nothing inside has turned to mush.”
Ethan smiled back. “My head does feel like mush. If I’d have known the journey here would have been so…”
“Wild?” Maria suggested
Ethan laughed. “Yes, wild!” he agreed. “If I’d known then I’d probably have stuck to fighting roamers on a desolate planet with scant food and the constant threat of death. It seems a lot safer.”
Maria laughed. “Glad to see your sense of humor survived the trip,” she said. “So, now that you’re up, what do you say we get started? How about a quick tour?”
Ethan again looked at what he was wearing. “Do you think I can get some proper clothes first?”
Maria laughed again. “Sure, I’ll have someone bring you in a few choices and sizes. Wear what you like.”
She seemed at ease, comfortable and happy, and this made Ethan feel at ease too. But then he remembered what he’d left behind, and guilt stabbed at him again. His smiled faded and he looked down at the cold, white floor. “What about Summer and Kurren?” he asked solemnly. “Do you know what happened to them, and if they’re okay?”
Hearing their names also had a sobering effect on Maria. She also looked away momentarily, before forcing herself to look back at Ethan. Her right hand trembled slightly and she pressed it tightly against her leg to steady it. “I monitored for as long as I could,” Maria answered. “I know the launch bay doors were released, which means Kurren and Summer would have been able to get out. But beyond that, no, I don’t know anything more.”
Ethan considered this in silence for a few seconds, and realized that of the two, it was Kurren that was most in danger. Summer would survive, he had to believe that; she was a born survivor. But Kurren was injured, and also Summer’s enemy. He was less convinced about him, but for Maria’s benefit he would play the optimist. He could see she was hurting.
“So long as they could get out, they’ll get back to the settlement.” he told her, convincingly. Maria nodded and managed a weak smile. “And I’m sure Kurren will be fine,” he added. “Summer is skilled at treating injuries, so she’ll be able to patch him up.” He thought about adding, ‘So long as she doesn’t kill him first’, in a joking way, but reconsidered, because he didn’t want to tempt fate. Nevertheless, Ethan’s comment seemed to ease the tension in Maria’s shoulders.
“I’m sure you’re right,” she replied, maintaining the weak smile a moment longer. “I’ll have someone bring you some clothes and we’ll meet up again soon, okay?” Ethan nodded, and Maria touched him gently on the shoulder, tugging on the thin material a little. “Thank you, Ethan,” she said tenderly, and then added, with a touch of melancholy, “and, I’m sorry.”
The latter took Ethan by surprise and he was unable to process a reply before Maria had turned and left the room. Perhaps she meant about Summer and the mess they had all made in getting here. But, still, it was an odd thing to say, and it gnawed at him.
Several minutes passed during which time Ethan quietly gazed out at the blue planet, in awe of it, until the doors slid open again. This time a young man entered, carrying some clothes and a couple of pairs of boots. He acknowledged Ethan with a nod, but walked past him and placed the items carefully on the bed. He was dressed in a unifor
m that more closely resembled Kurren’s when they had first met, but with less elaborate adornments. Perhaps he was a lower status or rank, Ethan wondered. The man turned to Ethan and said, very formally, “Please put these on, sir. I will be waiting outside to escort you to the briefing room.”
Ethan walked over and inspected the clothes. They were functional and well-made, and also clearly designed for utility, with multiple pockets in the pants and reinforced shoulder and elbow areas. But they had no insignia or adornments, save for a UEC emblem on the breast pocket.
“I guess the tour has to wait?” Ethan asked, but the man did not react and simply excused himself, formally, and left.
Ethan changed into the clothes and walked towards the door, which he was surprised to discover opened for him automatically as he approached. The young uniformed man was standing outside, as promised, and he gestured for Ethan to follow him. They walked along clean, white passageways, passing a series of others rooms of varying sizes, but all with a similar, sterile look to them and all bustling with people getting on with whatever it was they were doing. This place is big, Ethan thought, as he passed the tenth or eleventh room; he had lost count. They then exited the hallway into a much larger space, at which point the uniformed man momentarily broke his silence to explain that this was the medical wing’s main reception area. Again, people moved to and fro, not paying Ethan or the young man any attention, besides the occasional polite ‘hello’ or nod. Then they continued outside, at which point the surroundings changed dramatically. The sparse, white design of the medical building gave way to scenery much closer in look and feel to that of the city near the settlement on the planet, with angular buildings made from synthetic-looking materials. The big difference was that these buildings were intact and clean, unlike the weather-beaten, broken and battered streets and buildings of the city on the planet. Despite this, however, the similarity in design was unmistakable. The most impressive of all the architectural elements was a strange egg-shaped structure perched on top of a huge metal stem, close to the apex of the vast domed ceiling.
Ethan looked up in amazement at the size and scale of the place they were in. They could fit perhaps a dozen or more settlements the size of Forest Gate in this domed area alone.
“Is that all that’s between us and… out there?” Ethan asked the man, feeling a little queasy at the prospect of what lay beyond the dome’s oddly translucent boundary.
“I’m not authorized to answer any questions, sir, but don’t worry, it’s quite safe,” was the young man’s polite reply.
Ethan was now aware that more people seemed to be noticing him. Couples and small groups would sometimes slow down or stop and whisper to each other as they passed by. He thought about asking the young man about this, but didn’t as he guessed at what his answer would likely be. After a couple of minutes of this close observation Ethan was beginning to feel a little paranoid, but he saw with relief that ahead of him was a large, gray building with an impressive-looking UEC insignia above the main doors, and assumed this was their destination. Ethan noted that the insignia was the same one that was emblazoned on the uniforms that Maria and the young man wore, and it also matched the one on his shirt.
The man stopped as they reached the door, which opened for them automatically. “Please go inside sir,” he said, politely, “Captain Salus is waiting for you.”
“Who?” said Ethan, before remembering and feeling a little stupid. “Oh, never mind.” The man did not react.
“I’m instructed to inform you that venturing outside of this building, unescorted, is forbidden.” The announcement took Ethan off-guard. It sounded like the man was reciting from a script. “There are many restricted areas and areas that are off-limits to you...” the man stopped abruptly and hastily corrected himself, looking quite embarrassed, “… that are off-limits to non-UEC personnel. This is for your own safety, sir,” the man added, returning to his scripted delivery style, but the flush of his cheeks gave away that he’d made a mistake. The man then said his goodbyes and marched off.
Ethan frowned. “Off-limits to me?” he wondered. “For my own safety?”
“Ethan!” The friendly shout was from Maria. She was walking towards the door, motioning for him to come inside. She looked happy to see him, the earlier trace of melancholy now gone.
“What did he mean when he said there are areas off-limits to me?” Ethan said, as she got close enough to hear him without needing to raise his voice.
Maria shot him a confused look, clearly surprised by the question. Ethan explained what the uniformed man had told him, including his slip-of-the-tongue. Ethan noticed that Maria’s smile buckled slightly, and she stuttered a hesitant reply, though her voice remained cheerful.
“Oh, don’t pay it any attention,” said Maria, “there are areas that are off-limits to lots of people, it’s just a safety thing, you know?” The answer, though cheerfully delivered, was unconvincing and evasive. Ethan felt himself getting cross.
“I think I can manage not to kill myself,” he said, tartly. “I’ve managed so far.”
“I know,” Maria replied. “But, for now, where you need to be is in here, with me. We can perhaps have that tour later, okay?” The intention was clear; Maria didn’t want to talk about ‘off-limits’ areas, and Ethan realized that the young man’s slip was a bigger mistake than she was letting on. For the first time since he’d met her, Ethan felt suspicious of Maria, and that made him feel anxious and exposed in this alien environment. Up to this point, he had taken it in his stride, despite the strangeness and enormity of the situation, because of his unflinching belief in why he was doing it and, more importantly, for whom.
Maria noticed his unease. “Hey, it’s okay Ethan, I’ll look after you,” she said. “I know this is all really strange, but we’ll do this together, okay?” Again, there was the tender tug to the shirt sleeve, and despite his doubts, Ethan couldn’t help but feel reassured.
“Okay, Sal,” he said. “Better get to it then.” She led him into the building and he followed her through a long and strangely empty hallway into a small room. The door closed behind them. “It’s a bit small for a meeting, isn’t it?” said Ethan, wondering why they had left the larger room to stand, cooped up, in this metal box.
“This isn’t the meeting room, Ethan,” Maria said, stifling a laugh. It made him feel both annoyed and embarrassed. Maria again picked up on Ethan’s shift of mood, something she was getting adept at, and held back from teasing him further. “Just hold on to the rail there, and your lunch…” she added with a knowing smile. Ethan frowned as she took out a flat piece of plastic from her shirt pocket and pressed it to a panel on the wall, which then glowed green. The room instantly shot upwards. Ethan was completely unprepared and buckled at the knees due to the sudden acceleration. Since he hadn’t held onto the rail as Maria had suggested, he nearly crumpled into a heap on the floor, but was saved this further embarrassment thanks to his quick reflexes, which allowed him to catch the railing just in time. Almost as quickly as it had begun, the pressure eased, allowing Ethan to adjust and regain his balance. Through slits in the walls of the room, he could see that they were travelling upwards. Then the little box decelerated with the same alarming velocity and Ethan felt like his feet might lift off from the floor. This time he was holding on to the rail, though, and so managed to keep his balance, and dignity. A note chimed in the room, like the sound of metal striking metal, and the doors opened. Maria stepped out first and led Ethan through a grand archway and into a room with an enormous black table at the center, surrounded by twelve impressive-looking black chairs. At first, Ethan thought the room had no walls and simply existed in a void, but as he moved further inside he could see that the walls were of a transparent material, similar to the windows in the room where he had woken up, and were curved rather than flat. He chanced a look out and wished he hadn’t; they were a very long way up. How high Ethan didn’t really want to know, but it was high enough that the people on the sur
face looked like bugs, scurrying in and out of the various buildings below. Ethan had never experienced the sensation of being so high and he felt a little queasy. He remembered the egg-shaped structure he’d seen on his way out of the medical wing and assumed that was where he now was.
“We call it ‘the Teardrop’,” said Maria as Ethan gingerly backed away from the transparent walls. “It’s sort of a symbolic meeting space.”
Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “If it’s called ‘the Teardrop’, I’m almost afraid to ask what it symbolizes.”
“I could tell you, but I don’t think Administrator Talia would be happy if I did,” said Maria, cheekily.
Ethan laughed. “I think we’re past the point of worrying what Talia thinks,” he said with a smile.
Maria walked over and stood beside him and together they looked out across the domed metropolis below. It was an incredible sight that made Ethan wonder just how majestic the cities on the planet must have been, before the Fall.
“A long time ago, this is where the leaders of the many governments on the planet met to sign the treaty, guaranteeing energy security on equal terms to all people,” said Maria. There was pride in the way she spoke this, Ethan noticed. “This beautiful, transparent room, high above the surface, was meant to symbolize the openness with which all present entered into the treaty,” she continued. “Just as the room hid nothing, so would all of the representatives. No hidden agendas.”
