“Now, no need to cast guilt upon me,” Arvin said. “You are hardly ready to drop over and die.”
“Perhaps Arvin has to go and stop this new Outbreak you were telling me about?” Myrtle laughed.
Arvin’s smile disappeared and his face looked stricken. “Mother, what did you just say?”
“Oh nothing. Just folklore and gossip spread by your father’s fool friend Theodore. Why? Is there really another Outbreak?” Myrtle asked as she studied her son’s face.
“Mother, there have been incidents with the smugglers. I have a meeting with Constable Durand. He has been traveling to meet with all the gamekeepers and deliver a special message from Governor Werner. Our post here will be meeting today, so of course I cannot miss it.” Arvin looked uncomfortable as he spoke.
“Son, is there a threat to us?” Oliver asked.
“Father, do not worry. The smugglers have not been getting into the Woods, and that is a good thing. Constable Durand is just making his rounds to meet us personally. If it were something really serious he would have had us called into Tula to the base there,” Arvin said.
“Arvin, I can always tell when you are hiding something from us. The lines around your lips tighten ever so slightly. So just tell us now,” Myrtle said. “Otherwise your father will go back and talk to Theodore and make for more rumors. He will probably also not sleep, as your father will be trying to figure out what this new Outbreak is about.”
“Mother, it is not an Outbreak. At least I truly do not think it is,” Arvin replied after a moment of hesitation.
“Is it the brown water? Is that it?” Oliver asked.
Arvin’s lips grew tighter, and then he blurted out, “There has been a mobilization. My daughter Lyudmila, has volunteered for the gamekeepers. She will be leaving as soon as I get home. Even I do not know what this is all about. It may have to do with the toxic brown water, but I am not sure. I have not seen so much secrecy in my whole life.”
“Lyudmila? As a gamekeeper? I thought she was working at the mill grinding meal?” Oliver said. “Out here away from the town of Tula, there is not much else to do anyway, but our mill is very important for food production.”
“Yes, she was working at the mill. However, that work has been rated as a lower priority job and is being done now by the older people. Some people are being called up in the mobilization. My younger children get a deferment to finish their schooling, but Lyudmila must report. The notice of her volunteering was given yesterday.”
“So surely, this is just a drill or practice,” Myrtle said. “The last mobilization was when the Outbreak happened, and that involved everyone, no matter what age.”
“Yes, mother, I am sure you are right. It is likely just a drill or practice. Lyudmila will probably be off for only a few days and then come back with some happy camping stories,” Arvin said.
Both his parents knew he was only masking over his own fears and his words rang hollow.
“So you cannot even join us for lunch?” Oliver asked. “You truly have to leave now?”
Arvin hugged his parents and held tightly to them. “I must go now.”
“Can we come to say good bye to Lyudmila?” Myrtle asked.
“If you could run, we could do it together. As it is, I may be late getting back, but I wanted to give you your lunch and tell you in person. I love you mother. I love you father.”
“I love you too son. I am proud of you!” Myrtle said.
“You tell Lyudmila that we love her,” Oliver said.
“You will tell her yourself when she comes back. I must go!”
Arvin turned and began a stead running trot which led him down the path and away.
“If Hugo had lived he would be too old to run now, and would have time for us,” Oliver stated.
“Hugo would be nearly thirty years older than Arvin,” Myrtle said.
The elderly couple walked back to the bench and sat down heavily.
“I suppose you will say you were right,” Myrtle said. “I should have listened.”
“You were the one who was right, dear. Myrtle, all I repeated was gossip, and we know nothing at all about what is really happening.” Oliver stretched out his weak leg. “Shall I serve you the lunch?”
“Well certainly. I cannot think why there would be a need to mobilize all the young people,” Myrtle commented. “Unless, something truly bad has happened.”
“Arvin did not say all the young people, did he? I heard him say a mobilization, and this area was affected. Perhaps it is just a training drill of some kind,” Oliver replied. He handed over one of the rolled butterbrots and several slices of pickled beets.
“Sharina did make her wonderful ham salad,” Oliver commented as he watched his son fade into the distance.
“She is a good daughter, almost as good as if she had been our very own, instead of just marrying our boy,” Myrtle replied. “I wonder how she is handling this mobilization?”
“She will be fine. You and I survived the Outbreak, our children and grandchildren will get through whatever this is. Whatever happens, they will do their best, and I will be proud of them,” Oliver answered.
“Like little Hugo,” Myrtle said quietly. “Or they will be like Hugo.”
After taking a bite of pickled beet, Oliver asked, “Myrtle? Does the river look lower in the water level?”
“Not to me, and I do not see any brown toxins in it either.”
“My eyes are probably fading, but it looks lower that I remember for this season.”
Neither one wanted to talk about what might or might not happen to their oldest grandchild, Lyudmila.
2 Can they come to the gardens?
“When did you say Brinley would be here?” Paul asked Gretchen. He had just finished shaving the brown stubble off his chin. It washed away in the sink. The hair he removed was darker than the very light blond hair on his head. His skin tone and head hair were both similarly light. He blew out a deep breath knowing he would not have to shave now for many days. He usually had scruffy facial hair, but kept it trimmed on occasion.
“She only said she was coming, she did not say exactly when. You could ask Brinley yourself on the multiceiver if you need a precise time,” Gretchen responded. She was standing near the window of the room they had been living in. Her deep brown skin glowed with health and her frizzy dark hair was clean and combed. She turned and walked over to Paul. “So you have shaved in honor of seeing Brinley again?” Gretchen teased.
“I shaved because I had a chance to do so. With Brinley coming here, who knows what will be the next crisis I must endure.”
“Your friend will not be able to come here again,” a girl’s voice said from the doorway.
Paul jumped and turned around.
“Will you stop doing that?” Paul snapped at Rika. “It frightens me terribly when you just show up.”
“I am sorry to cause you fear,” the young girl replied. Her narrow green eyes, the color of pools of stagnant water, grew a bit bigger. “I just wanted you to know your friend Brinley will not be allowed to find the Gardens of Delight.”
“Why not?” Paul snarled back before Gretchen could interfere. “Brinley was here before.”
Rika’s luxurious, wavy, golden hair tossed a bit as she flipped her head and turned away. Her tall and thin body moved in a wispy manner. She began to walk away, but then stopped and turned back. Her small mouth was tight, but she spoke in a soft and controlled voice. “I know you have had a lot of pain, but you need to think about nice things. Nice thoughts.” There was a slight flush to Rika’s prominent cheekbones, but otherwise her color was her typical pale. “You have asked questions, I will answer.”
Paul nearly spoke again, but Gretchen’s hand restrained him.
“Thank you Rika, I would like to understand what you mean,” Gretchen said gently.
“The Gardens of Delight cannot be known by others. Martin, Irina, and the triplets all agree remaining hidden is for the best. You may leave to
meet your friend, but Brinley will not be allowed to find us again.”
“So all the children decided, and Brenda agrees?” Gretchen gently prodded.
“The Teacher was not asked,” Rika said. “It would cause her too much pain, and we do not want that here.”
“You have been very kind to us,” Gretchen said. “We appreciate what you have done.”
“I know you do, but he is still sad and still wants to escape,” Rika said and pointed her finger at Paul. “There is no escape now. We are all in the Vanguard together with the bad animals and the machine people.”
“I am sorry,” Paul said honestly. “You just scared me. I should be used to things just jumping out at me from nowhere.”
“I am not a thing. I am a girl.” Rika turned and marched quickly away.
“Paul, she is a child,” Gretchen admonished. “Your sarcasm does not help us. They have been good to us, and even though I do not know how we got here, after the teleportation system failed, I am thankful we did.”
“I said I was sorry, and I am.”
"klauuk kak-klauuk kak" came the animal sound from outside the door.
Paul looked out, ready to again shoo away one of the annoying chickens. The rusty red colored bird scrambled away down the path and into the crops. The rows were very orderly with vegetable plants flourishing under the light from the central orb which hung over the chamber. Paul’s mind jumped about. He was unsure what to call this location, this place. He knew its official name was Terragora Investigation and Evolution, but that helped him about as much as knowing the species name for some habitat animal and having never seen it.
Paul’s thoughts vacillated between considering it as a tiny biological habitat, even though it was far smaller than the vast other biological habitats, or thinking of it as a mechanical corridor, a room or chamber, even though it was larger than most of those. It also was different because the central orb hanging over the top of the area cycled through a day and night rhythm like the sky tubes did in the habitats, unlike the mechanical sections of the Vanguard which were lit unpredictably. That glowing orb was a yellow color, and warmth radiated out from it. It was about fifty meters above the deck and shined down on the entire room. That relatively low hung light was much closer to the ground than the sky tubes which were roughly two thousand meters off the ground of the habitats. Sometimes Paul thought of it as an experiment and biological research laboratory, but that did not quite fit either. So considering the many contradictions and contrasts, Paul was unsure what to think of the place he and Gretchen had been staying.
“I am not sure if it is the same bird or not. Maybe they take turns coming over to annoy me, they all look pretty much the same,” Paul said. “I am sorry about snapping at Rika.”
Paul breathed deeply and exhaled slowly. The pleasant smell of vegetation and biological life also permeated the area, yet Paul could see the side walls from everywhere in the place. Those side walls arched up to a pinnacle at the top from which hung the light orb. Again the observations in that place were unlike the long visual vistas which could be seen in the habitats and made him think the area was more like the corridors. He took another deep breath of the aroma and liked it. He then recalled that most of his life he had never smelled any biological growth because of the strict and sterile environment of Dome 17 where only humans lived and the food producing biologicals were tightly contained. Not only was the air here fresh, it was also nicely humid, another big difference from recycled and dry air of Dome 17.
“Paul, you must be particularly careful around these children. They know more than children, and are powerful in ways we do not understand. But back to the clucking animal. Is it a white chicken or a rust colored one?” Gretchen asked interrupting his mental pondering.
“It is a rust colored one. I can tell that difference. It just ran into the field.”
“Is it a male or female?” Gretchen asked.
“I did not ask it.”
The chicken disappeared behind the plants which had medium green, oblong shaped leaves with deep furrows and veins on them. There were occasional small walkways between sections of plant rows. All of the walkways led toward the center where the small building stood beneath the glowing orb.
Creeping along the path, stalking the chicken was the gray and black striped cat.
“Also that cat animal is out here again,” Paul said, looking back toward Gretchen.
“The one that adopted you and follows you around?” Gretchen teased. “The one that loves you and seeks to sleep with you? That vicious carnivore?”
“That thing has claws and fangs and remember there were lots of those when we came across them,” Paul replied. “And yes, it does try to get in my bed and sleep with me. It sometimes ever swats at me.”
“Bernie!” Lennie said as he and his sister and brother came running along.
The cat looked back at the triplets. They were younger than Rika, and were the youngest of the children who lived in what they called the Gardens of delight. Lennie, Jennie, and Bennie each had large grayish-blue eyes which shone out from their dark faces. They had neck-length, thick, wavy, brown hair. Their wardrobe was uncomplicated, and completely red colored. Paul had not seen them wearing any other color since he awoke in the bed. He recalled them wearing ivory colored clothing back at the Reproduction and Fabrication facility, but now they each wore red like the first time he had met them.
“Bernie? Come and play with us. The chickens are tired of you hunting them,” Jennie said.
The cat turned and put his tail straight up and walked right toward the triplets. The young children squatted down and began to caress the cat which flopped onto its side and then rolled onto its back and purred a soothing sound.
“Paul, those triplets always remind me of age-mates from Dome 17. However, my understanding is that they share the same genetic materials,” Gretchen commented. “They do like animals.”
“Only the nice ones,” Paul recited as he recalled that the triplets often remarked about nice verses bad animals. “We should go and talk to Brenda and find out what these children are saying about Brinley.”
“I am not sure that is a good idea, but go on if you really want to. Remember Rika said that Brenda, the Teacher was not asked,” Gretchen said diplomatically.
“Still, we should talk to her, she is the only adult here,” Paul replied.
After a while, they left the barracks and walked along one of the paths which led to the center of the Gardens of Delight. The room had a clear door which Brenda opened as they approached.
“Hello sweeties! How are both of your today?” Brenda asked. She was shorter than Brinley or Paul, and a bit heavier. Her light brown, straight hair hung to her shoulder level. She had a happy round face with a pleasing smile.
“We are waiting for Brinley,” Paul blurted out, but then looked around at the inside of the room. “And for Larissa. They both said they would be coming here.”
The outer walls enclosed a hexagonal shaped room perhaps ten meters across. The room was just a bit taller than Gretchen, and that gave her an uncomfortable feel of having too low of a ceiling. Some of the orb’s light filtered in. There were chairs and a table located at the center of the room. All six children were seated around the table. There were places for about nine more people, but those chairs were empty. On the side opposite the door was a bench with controls and a display screen. Several minicomputers were arranged there.
“Teacher,” Rika said. “Our friends need to leave to join the woman Brinley. You remember her and how nice she was.”
“Brinley is wonderfully nice. It is a shame she cannot come here right now. Privacy and safety must be our main concern.” Brenda looked at the children. They all seemed surprised. “Yes, I knew what you had planned, and it is good to remain hidden away and safe here. Oh I understand that Paul and Gretchen need to leave.” Brenda turned to face them. “It was so very nice of you to stop by. I hope you are rested and recovered from your ordeals. I
fear there is much more to come.”
“Teacher, you knew?” Rika asked.
“Yes sweetie. I am your guardian after all. I agree with your decision,” Brenda smiled as she spoke.
Martin, with his blue eyes and medium complexion looked quickly up at Paul and Gretchen. “The shiny silver door will not work a an exit anymore. I had to fix that in a different way since you last were here.”
“Martin, can you just let Brinley in, and then we will leave with her?” Paul asked.
“I would like to, because Brinley is very nice, but we all agreed that no one else can come here. It is because of the bad animals and the machine people. Those other, the sullied people are not too hard to keep out. There is still one in that insane room,” Martin replied.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 141
