Gemsigns

by Stephanie Saulter

  The newcomers were a handsome, willowy youth with a bruise under one eye, ordinary black hair pulled back in a ponytail, and long, elegant, seven-fingered hands. His companion was a blonde girl who clung to one of them, with no gemsign that Eli could see. A battered guitharp case hung from the boy’s back. They looked scared, tired, and not a day older than eighteen.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. Honestly. You’re both very welcome,’ Aryel was saying. She caught Eli’s eye and asked him to wait with a flick of her own. ‘Gaela wondered why you were reluctant to come before.’ This to the boy. ‘I wish we’d known, we could have told you it wouldn’t be a problem. Just relax, get settled in and get some rest. Lapsa will show you the way.’

  She nodded to the gillung woman, and smiled at the boy and girl as Lapsa pushed open the door to the plaza. The girl still looked anxious. Aryel said, ‘It’ll be fine. I promise,’ and she finally sent a timid smile back. Aryel waved goodbye to them through the door and turned back to Eli with a sigh.

  ‘New neighbours?’

  ‘Yes. He’s been getting roughed up for a while, apparently, but they didn’t think it would be okay for them to come here.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘His girlfriend’s a norm.’ She waited for his reaction. He raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Blimey. They’re pretty young to be that controversial.’

  ‘I think they’re so young all they know how to be is in love. They didn’t understand how difficult it would be, but they’ve been learning fast. He’s definitely not welcome in her family – I’m not sure they’re even speaking to her any more – and they were certain we wouldn’t want her here. Things were getting desperate, they had to barricade themselves into their flat last night with people shouting and crashing things against the door all night long. We heard about it and got in touch and he finally let us know what the problem was. We sent for them straight away, but they’ve spent so much time convinced it would be an issue wherever they went they still can’t quite believe it’s not.’

  ‘And it really isn’t?’

  ‘Not here. I know some groups feel differently, but when we made the Squats our home we made a commitment not to exclude anyone.’ She looked up at Eli with smiling eyes. ‘I hear you’ve just enjoyed one of our seminal experiences.’

  Eli glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. ‘What, having my mind read by a five-year-old?’

  ‘Gabriel needs to learn to be a bit less generous with his talent. No, I meant Bal’s cooking.’

  ‘Oh.’ He smiled back. ‘That was one of the best meals I’ve had. Ever.’

  It had been, too. Gaela had met them at the entrance to the roof, taken the situation in with a glance, rolled her eyes in exasperation and relieved Bal of the leeks and the final few minutes of scolding. Gabriel’s apologies were so funny that by the time they got to the flat Eli’s amusement had outrun his shock. They had sat in the kitchen and talked about the garden, the library, and most of all how they had trained themselves to parenthood and worked out how to adapt what they learned to accommodate Gabriel’s ability. Eli noticed, because he was looking for it, that the conversation managed not to include any indication of when this had happened.

  All the while Bal was peeling, chopping, and assembling various ingredients in various pans. Gabriel sat on the floor, building an elaborate, branching tower from coloured blocks, and from time to time interrupting the grown-ups with observations that Eli thought were as trenchant as they were hilarious. In what seemed like no time at all the rooftop forage had been transformed into steaming platters, delicately scented and delicious. Eli was dumbstruck.

  ‘You cannot have learned to cook like this from books. Can you?’

  Bal chuckled. ‘Not entirely. Back in Bhutan we used to take turns, and I always liked it. We didn’t have much variety but they were letting us access pre-Syndrome archives by then, so I got into the habit of looking up whether any of the stuff in the mountains around us was edible and what you could do with it. That got me into databases of recipes, and they link to lots of old television programmes about food and cooking. So I ended up doing more and more of it. When I came to London and met Gaela and we finally found this place, I used the same resources to figure out how to restore the garden.’

  He shrugged. ‘Gabriel’s right, you know.’ He dropped his voice to a stage whisper. ‘But don’t tell him I said so.’ The boy giggled. ‘Almost anything you need to know about anything is in a book or a vid archive somewhere. So what if it’s mostly pre-Syndrome? So are these buildings, so is all of our non-organic technology.’

  ‘What’s non-organic?’ piped Gabriel.

  Gaela explained. Bal pitched in with examples. Gabriel fired questions at them until he was satisfied. They weathered the onslaught with practised fortitude as Eli thought back to the pre-Syndrome family vids he had seen. It was not, perhaps, so surprising that this household was the very picture of loving, engaged, tolerant parents and precocious, inquisitive, confident childhood.

  Now Aryel was looking at him, all sky-blue eyes over a knowing smile.

  ‘So what’s the verdict? Happy, healthy, well-fed family with just a bit of an interesting twist?’ The blue gaze turned penetrating. ‘Or do you still think there’s something there you need to worry about?’

  ‘I think there’s a lot to worry about,’ he said carefully. ‘Bal and Gaela are already concerned about the impact of Gabriel’s ability. They’re trying to both ensure he’s properly socialised, and shield him from notice by the outside world. That’s not a sustainable situation.’

  ‘We know.’

  ‘I really like them. And I realise now that they – and you – must trust me to have allowed me to learn what I have about Gabe. I’m flattered by that. I’m touched. But I have to wonder why. When we first met you stressed to me how much gems value whatever privacy they can get. Gaela and Bal have just relinquished theirs, and their son’s. I don’t believe they would have done that – I don’t think you would have advised them to do it – without a very good reason.’

  The smile had slowly faded as he spoke. Now the lips were a firm line, and the blue eyes were serious.

  ‘What might that reason be, do you think?’

  ‘I think you are concerned you might someday need someone like me to vouch for the health, the normalcy, of that family. And as I said, I wonder why.’

  She sighed. ‘He did say you were smart.’

  ‘Who did?’

  ‘Gabe. When he first saw you, at reception a couple of days ago. That was his immediate impression.’

  ‘Again, I’m flattered.’

  ‘What did you think when you first saw him?’

  ‘That he must have joined the Squats community recently. Otherwise I would have been aware of the family.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘And then I checked the datastreams and discovered that he and his parents have in fact lived in the Squats for at least a year and a half. Very odd. I thought I had a better memory.’

  ‘I believe Sally Trieve had a similar experience.’

  ‘I believe she did.’

  ‘And what do you think now that you’ve spent time with him?’

  ‘That he doesn’t seem to have many points of reference that pre-date the Declaration. That he learned to speak after he was already living here, which would suggest he started quite late. And that he’s a bright, sweet kid with great parents.’

  They had wandered away from the entrance, Eli had thought quite randomly, to avoid being overheard. But now Aryel pushed open a door and led the way into a small office. She pulled her tablet out of her cloak and slid it into a dock. The larger screen on the desk lit up. She dropped onto a knee-seat that appeared to have been specially adapted for her, and waved him to a regular chair. She sat there for a moment, elbows on desk and chin on hands, thinking, before she looked up at Eli again.

  ‘Well, this is a week for conundrums, so let me pose you another one. Do you think the end can justify t
he means? That it’s acceptable to do something that would otherwise be wrong, in order to achieve a greater good?’

  He had asked virtually the same question the day before, in relation to Zavcka Klist and her rumoured proposal. Once again Aryel Morningstar seemed to see right through him and pull his confusions to the surface.

  ‘I think we would all say there are circumstances where that could be true.’

  ‘Would the protection of a child be among those circumstances?’

  ‘Aryel, you’re leading me into a trap. If I don’t have any more information then of course the answer has to be yes.’ He spread his hands. ‘But it’s not enough. What is the child being protected from? The authorities wouldn’t just stand by and allow a gem child to be harmed, not any more. So why this elaborate subterfuge?’

  ‘You shared something very disturbing with me when you showed me the Bel’Natur report. You trusted me to understand what a difficult position it put you in, and the difficult decisions it might require you to make. Now I’m afraid I’m going to do much the same to you.’

  She tapped the tablet, entered a code, and leaned forward for a retinal scan. Eli’s eyebrows shot up.

  ‘Yes, another high-security vid documenting the abuse of a child. Not as gruesome as yours, and you already know the story has a happier ending. Or perhaps I should say a happy middle. We don’t know the ending yet.’

  *

  The image came on blurred and tilted, with Aryel’s voice in the background. Gaela, we need to record this. Before you clean him up any more, we’ll need to be able to prove how he was when you found him.

  The vidcam righted and focused, with Bal’s voice now, She’s right, honey. I’m just going to set it here, out of the way.

  Then the blur that must have been Bal moved aside and Eli started. A thin, naked boy-child, half covered in a wrapping of blankets and what looked like black plastic, sat on an ottoman which Eli recognised from Bal and Gaela’s flat. Instead of sandy brown, his hair was a glowing royal blue. He was shaking, bruised and dirty, and his eyes darted from one adult to another like an animal caught in a cage. There were tearstains on his cheeks, and he huddled towards Gaela. She knelt behind him, holding him in her arms, with an expression on her face that Eli thought would make an army throw down their weapons and beg for mercy on the spot. She held a cloth in one hand, and a basin of what looked like water rested on the floor beside her.

  Are you still thirsty? Do you want some more to drink?

  The child who barely resembled the Gabriel he knew was nodding dumbly and she held a cup to his lips. He drank thirstily. Bal, he’s going to need some more.

  Bal moved to get it.

  The boy began nodding again a moment before Gaela asked, Are you hungry, sweetie?

  Okay, we’ll get you something to eat right away. Can you talk to us, sweetie? Can you tell us your name?

  The boy was already shaking his head. On the vid, Aryel’s frown deepened. Eli glanced over at her. There was an echo of the same frown on her face now.

  Gaela fed another cup of whatever Bal had concocted to the child, whispering soothingly all the while. Don’t be scared, sweetheart. We won’t hurt you. No one here will hurt you. You’re safe now. You’re safe, it’s going to be all right.

  Gaela? Aryel spoke very quietly. Stop speaking. Just think it.

  Gaela looked up. What?

  Just for a few minutes.

  Why? Gaela looked to Bal, but he was looking at Aryel and nodding. Let’s all just think it.

  The vid went quiet then, Gaela holding and rocking the child while she gently sponged dirt and tears off his face, Bal and Aryel watching intently. In her office, in the present, Aryel sighed and explained how Gaela had found him.

  ‘She called Bal and he called me. It was late at night so no one saw them bringing him inside.’

  ‘Why didn’t you call the police? Take him to hospital?’

  ‘Because of this next bit. I’ll explain as we go.’

  The child had stopped shivering and sank into Gaela’s arms, eyes half closed. He kept squinting at her hair, and his fingers reached up and twined around it. Bal said quietly, He seems to have got the message. He looked at Gaela. He’s hearing things we’re not saying.

  Her eyes went wide for a moment. Then she looked down at him, her brows creasing in concentration. The boy pushed down on the stuff that still entangled his legs. Gaela helped as he kicked himself clear. She looked up at Bal and Aryel. I thought it was time to get him out of that stuff.

  Aryel nodded. Very good.

  But his hair, Aryel. It’s wrong. It’s not real. And I don’t see any other gemsign, do you?

  No. Hang on. Her face on the vid went still for a moment. The boy looked over at her, a puzzled expression flitting across his own. It was the first hint Eli had seen of the curious child he had just spent a couple of hours with.

  I don’t think he knows what a gem is.

  Eli’s jaw dropped. Next to him Aryel began a quiet commentary as on the vid the child they would decide to call Gabriel was gently sponge-bathed, wrapped in a clean, soft blanket and fed. Along the way the vidcam was moved in to capture the marks they found on his body: tiny burns at the temples, strap lines at the wrists and ankles, needle marks inside the elbows and on the buttocks. There were larger bruises on his upper arms that looked like fingerprints, and one on his cheek that looked like a slap. Eli felt sick to the stomach. The rape and murder of the young girl on the Bel’Natur vid had been infinitely more horrific, but this was heart-wrenching in a different way. This was a child he knew.

  ‘He couldn’t speak for days,’ Aryel said. ‘Dehydration, shock, and drugs too we think, to keep him quiet. Language came back to him, but no memory of who he was or what had happened to him. Which I think is a mercy.’

  ‘Does he actually believe he’s Gaela and Bal’s child? Doesn’t he remember being found?’

  ‘It’s the oldest proper memory he has. Anything before that is just an impression, very vague. And he doesn’t like trying to remember. It really upsets him. He knows that his life didn’t start last winter in a happy home in the Squats with Mama Gaela and Papa Bal, but as far as he’s concerned that’s the only part he wants to think about. He’s recovered extremely well, as you’ve seen. I think that’s partly due to extraordinary resilience – we’re seeing that again now, in the way he deals with the things he’s picking up from the minds around him – but also because he hasn’t been forced to try to recollect his past.’

  ‘I still don’t understand why you didn’t call the police. Find who did this to him. Get him professional help.’

  ‘Because we did find out who did it to him. We found out that very night. This was right after the Declaration, remember, and we didn’t yet know whether the authorities would properly investigate the abuse of gem children. But we knew we would. And there were things about him that just didn’t fit, that we wanted to understand.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘Such as that despite his astonishing ability, he looks and acts just like a norm child. His hair had been dyed, and he had no other identifiers.’

  ‘So, he’s unengineered and therefore lacks gemsign. A natural child.’ Which was what Bal had said.

  ‘Yes, but. A naturally conceived gem child would have gem parents, and as you saw, he didn’t seem to be familiar with gems at all. He was fascinated by Gaela’s hair, and Bal’s, and,’ she jerked a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the swollen structure of her back. ‘When he caught sight of himself in a mirror you could see he was baffled, and scared. He didn’t know who was looking back at him. We think he was sedated when they dyed his hair. Now a gemtech would have had no qualms about removing him from his parents as an infant, but where could they have kept him that he never saw or learned about other gems? And why?

  ‘So we asked a friend who has a particular gift for navigating the streams to help us work out where an unmarked gem child who’d never seen another gem might have come from. Our pl
an at that point was just to try to get a bit of information ahead of reporting it because we knew that once we did, it would be very hard to do our own kind of digging. Gaela and Bal had already decided they were going to ask if they could foster him, which in the chaos of the Declaration and the government having to take over the crèches might well have been approved. But what we discovered changed our minds, Eli. And it brings us right back to your old friends at Bel’Natur.’

  19

  One Year On: Whatever happened to Henderson?

  ‘One Year On’ is a series of retrospectives to

  mark the first anniversary of the Declaration

  of the Principles of Human Fraternity

  Register for expert opinion and analysis

  Autofeed

  @Observer.eu/commentary/Declaration_GenPhen_Henderson/2212131AS

  For all the scandalous tales that emerged from within the gemtechs’ GMH laboratories, dormitories, and indenture pools prior to the suspension of those institutions, it is worth remembering that many of the most egregious abuses were not uncovered until after the Declaration. The case of Nicholas Henderson and the GenPhen Laboratory in Essex is a sobering example, and should give pause to those pundits who advocate a return to reduced governmental regulation and oversight of bioindustrialist practices.

  GenPhen was an ostensibly independent facility which conducted specialist research, testing and genome analysis. That the Bel’Natur conglomerate was by far its largest client has led to speculation that GenPhen was in fact a secret subsidiary of Bel’Natur, useful for keeping some of its more unsavoury practices at arm’s length while at the same time gathering confidential information on competitors’ projects. Bel’Natur has always strongly denied this, pointing to the wide range of services offered by GenPhen, including gene scans for private clients unconnected with the human modification industry.