The Purlieu Experiment, Book 1

by Linda L Rigsbee

  Chait’s brows lowered and he looked at Kenyon. “I’m not the one who put the lives of every captive in danger so that I could be free.”

  Kenyon slowly turned his head, his eyes cold as they fixed on Chait. “One: You’d better hope that none of those captives has so much as a hair on their body disturbed. Two: They wouldn’t have been there if you and your kind…”

  “Son,” Quade interrupted in a firm but gentle tone. “I think we have already discussed this topic thoroughly.” He gave Chait a stern look. “When you are wrong, accept it. Don’t keep digging yourself in deeper trying to defend yourself.”

  It was Donte’s guess as well that Chait was trying to save face by shifting the attention to Kenyon. Still, one person had died in their attempt to make Kenyon submit. Why wouldn’t they use the captives as negotiating tools? Akira’s expression suggested the same thing had crossed her mind.

  What would stop the Lochfowk council from turning on Sima and Akira as traitors? He met Akira’s gaze and saw the fear there, but he saw something else…determination. She was no longer the victim. For the first time it occurred to him that Sima was trying to get Akira out of the colony for her safety. But Sima hadn’t been the one who suggested that Akira go with him. He was imagining things.

  Donte wanted to return with her and protect her, but this was one time that his presence would only make matters worse. It was good that Chait had met Quade. It was obvious that he was in awe of him. If he was impressed now, he was going to be stunned in a few hours.

  The tram slowed at an elevated station where a tram waited on a spur that went into the mountains. There Donica left them with the news that they were invited to a celebration and overnight stay in Bergen that evening.

  The tram picked up speed and carried them on to their destination. The tram began to slow down as it approached a huge building. Two large doors slid back, leaving an opening large enough for the tram to enter. When the end of the tram was inside the building, the doors shut. The tram came to a stop beside a dock. The tram door opened and they all exited onto the dock. From there, Quade led them down a long hallway to an office. They were greeted by a uniformed officer.

  “It is good to see you, President Quade. We have the pod ready to launch on your command.”

  They were escorted to another room, where Quade put his hand palm down on a pad. The door opened to a ramp that was anchored inside the door of a transport pod. They walked inside the pod and each of them took one of six seats. Quade sat in the pilot seat and Kenyon sat beside him. Quade began punching buttons on a keyboard, mapping their course. Donte helped Akira strap into her chair, demonstrating the method for Chait. All the while Donte explained what they could expect.

  “When we launch, you will feel like a camelus is sitting on you, pushing you back in the chair. It will be difficult to breath, but the oxygen content inside the pod will increase, so don’t worry, you won’t suffocate. You may even lose consciousness for a few minutes. When we are free from gravitational pull, you may feel some vertigo. It will go away after you get on the spaceship where there is artificial gravity.”

  After checking to make sure they were both buckled in securely, he disconnected the ramp and pressed the button to close the door. It sealed with a hiss. Donte sat in a vacant chair and buckled himself down.

  Quade glanced back at them in a mirror over his seat. “Is everyone ready?”

  They all said yes. He pressed one more button and leaned back in his chair. There was a hissing sound as the pod released gas in the chamber behind them. The gas suddenly exploded, shooting them up and out of a tube. There were no windows, only a monitor with their progress and projection.

  Donte closed his eyes and didn’t fight the pressure that threatened to push him through the chair. With each second it was more difficult to breath, but he remained calm. As the pressure reached the point that he didn’t think he could stand any more, it eased off. Instead of being pushed into the chair, he began to feel as if he would float out of the chair if not for the straps. In fact, that was precisely the situation.

  He took a deep breath and looked at Akira. She had passed out, as had Chait. Quade glanced up in the mirror. How are they? At that moment Akira opened her eyes and gasped for air.

  “I think I’m going to be sick.” She said.

  Donte pulled a pouch from the side of her chair and pressed it to her lips. “Keep it sealed, because the vomit will go everywhere if you don’t.”

  Akira gagged a few times, but didn’t throw up. Donte smiled at her. “It will go away soon.”

  A hissing sound was followed by a rumble. The pod was navigating in space. The overhead display came on, showing distant shiny objects.

  “Those are the ships,” Donte said to Akira.

  “How long until we reach them?” The question came from Chait, who was looking pale.

  “Not long,” Donte said.

  As they spoke, the objects were getting larger. In a few minutes they were recognizable as spaceships. The closer they got, the bigger the spaceships appeared. There were three at equal distance from each other.

  Quade pointed out the ships. “This is the Moeder, originally a Bergen ship. This one is the Baigh, which was originally Lochfowk’s ship. The farthest one is the Azar. It originally supported Libertad. The crew on board all of them is mixed now, all volunteers who sign up for three years initially. Some sign up again at the end of their term.” He glanced at Chait and Akira. “They are always in need of new recruits, if you find that thought interesting – men or women. The Azar is mostly used for technological research now. They are responsible for the computer upgrades.”

  Chait struggled to sit up, his eyes round. “How big are they?”

  Donte smiled. “Large enough to hold a fleet of airships.”

  The pod slowed and moved under the Moeder, approaching a landing bay. Slowly it turned into a hanger and docked. The sensation of gravity immediately returned. Donte unbuckled and walked to the pod exit door, pressing a button to open it. When he turned, everyone was getting out of their chairs. Quade led the way out the door into a narrow hallway. There they were met by a stocky uniformed officer with blonde hair and light blue eyes. He smiled and spoke in the original language, addressing Quade.

  “It is good to see you again, Monomi. How is it with you?” He held out his hand, palm up.

  Quade grasped his forearm and smiled in return. “It is good with us, Monomi. It was a smooth trip. How is your family?”

  For a few moments they exchanged pleasantries. Finally Quade turned to the others. “This is Adriaan, the commander of Moeder. Adriaan, these are my sons Kenyon and Donte. You’ve met them before.” He indicated their guests. “This is Akira and Chait, from Lochfowk.” He switched to their language and reversed the introductions.

  Adriaan gave them a quick tour of the command center before taking them to the library. There he left them with instructions to let him know when they were ready to leave.

  The library consisted of both digital and physical books. Quade took Akira to look through the shelves of books, while Donte and Kenyon demonstrated how to work the computer that read the digital files. Chait was eager to learn, catching on fast.

  Kenyon and Quade explained the purpose of the spaceships – to protect the colonists – and explained the laser technology. Donte had seen it before, but had never used it, since he had not yet served his three years. He listened as Quade explained the process.

  “There are twenty airships aboard each of the spaceships. You saw how long it took us to get here. That’s about the amount of time that it would take for the airships to get to the airfield. They can be anywhere on the planet in minutes. They were never intended to be used against the colonists, only to protect them against invasion.” He paused, his gaze settling on Chait. “At this point I would like to make it clear that the mascots were not considered colonists.”

  Chait looked at Quade. “Who makes decisions about these airships now?”


  “The movement of the spaceships and airships are dictated by the commanders of the spaceships. They get their input from the leaders – at least those who are participating rather than isolating themselves.”

  Ouch. That was clear enough. Akira and Chait looked at each other. If that didn’t rattle them, nothing would.

  Chait turned a sardonic smile on Quade. “Then they outrank you.”

  Quade nodded. “With regard to the spaceships and airships, yes. With regard to the colony of Libertad, no.”

  “Then what right do you have to tell Lochfowk what to do?”

  Akira looked like she wanted to shrink. Actually, Donte was interested in hearing how his father would respond to that question. It was fair enough.

  Quade studied Chait a moment, possibly trying to decide the best response. He certainly didn’t look intimidated by the question.

  “The Parliament is gone now. There is a coalition of colonies that include Bergen, Bosvrouwen, Vlaktes and Libertad. We try to maintain order. Raiding and holding other colonies captive is not order. Mascots are not protected by the laws pertaining to the colonists. Now that The Parliament is gone, we must make our own rules. Generally speaking, the strongest are going to rule.” He gave Chait a level look. “You are free to challenge me any time you think you are up to the consequences.”

  The smile slid off Chait’s face and his expression became wary. “Are you threatening me?”

  Quade’s smile was wry. “I was answering your question. If your question was not a challenge, then my answer was not a threat.”

  Conversely… Quade wasn’t backing down. Donte had never heard Quade talk to anyone the way he was talking to Chait. He clearly had the upper hand. He wanted Chait to recognize that fact. The only reason Donte could think of that he would lay it out that clearly was that he considered Chait an important part of Lochfowk’s decision making. There were only four council members and Chait was probably the strongest. As such, he probably held Chait largely responsible for the continued situation with the captives. Quade was pushing Chait hard…hopefully not too hard. There was only one thing that kept Lochfowk from releasing the captives at this point – threat of reprisal. Was Quade trying to make reprisal sound less attractive than facing the opposition?

  Donte had never examined his father’s motives. Quade was an honest and honorable person. The idea that Quade’s methods might be flawed had never occurred to him before. Was it because he was still a kid when he left, or was it because knowing Farasi made him question everyone? Perhaps he had set Quade and Pieter up as perfect examples and discovered he didn’t measure up to that image.

  Chait eyed Quade for a few more moments and then shrugged. “It was only a question.”

  Donte breathed a sigh of relief. Quade had left an honorable escape and Chait had taken it. That was something valuable to keep in mind during negotiations.

  Quade looked at Akira. “I have arranged for us to fly back on an airship. It will carry the pod back. The pod eliminates the need to keep airships on the airfield. If they have more warning, they usually schedule an airship to come down and get us. There are pods that can be launched immediately, though – assuming there is someone with authority to request and navigate it.

  Visiting the spaceships was always a sobering reminder. None of this was about the mascots. It was all about the colonists. The mascots were expendable equipment, not people. That was why the words Monomi and Nomi were intended for exchange between mascots only. Mascots kept order and there was rank within them, but the colonists were never meant to be treated as inferior.

  The trip back to the airfield was uneventful and the tram was ready to take them to Bergen. Chait and Akira had little to say. In all likelihood they were feeling as humbled as Donte was.

  CHAPTER 21

  The tram shot across the flats of Bosvrouwen, following a straight rail until it reached the mountains. From there it climbed in a sequence of curves that followed the mountain ridges. The scenery was breathtaking. High meadows gave way to ridges of mountains. As they climbed, patches of snow were more frequent. At one point the rail took the tram through a mountain pass so high that they had a good view of the flat plains of Bosvrouwen. It was a tawny color butted up against the purple, blue and gray mountain ridges.

  Donte breathed a sigh of contentment. This had been home to him for several years before he exchanged vows with Liana and he still missed it. Liana had never understood his love of the highlands, but she was a native of Libertad. She thought it was the most desirable place to live. The idea of living in the mountains chilled her to the bone. They both liked Libertad, so they had settled there.

  The main colony of Bergen was tucked into a large valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks. Cottages were surrounded by well maintained pastures with rock fences. There were bovines, caprines and all sorts of domestic stock.

  The tram slowed as it entered a long covered structure. There it came to a stop at an elevated building. Inside was a heated lobby where Donica greeted them with the warmth that was always hers.

  A coach was ready for them and took them up a cobblestone road to the Groot Thuis. The gates were opened and they rode into a large courtyard. Pieter and Saskia lived in a large three story rock home. The bottom story was a huge open lobby with lifts at the back. They were taken upstairs to the living quarters of Heerser van de Bergen and his mate.

  Saskia met them at the door and welcomed them inside. She hugged Donte, moisture filling her eyes. “I am so happy to see you. The weeks between your letter and the news that you were actually alive were long.”

  Donte held her close for a moment. “I’m sorry, Grandmother. I wish I had never written that letter.”

  She patted his arm as she drew back. Wiping her eyes, she turned to introduce her mate to the others.

  Donte tried not to react, but he was shocked to see the healthy man he left six years ago now in a wheelchair.

  Pieter welcomed their guests first before he turned his attention on Donte. “Donte, you cannot imagine how delighted I am to see you alive and well.” His gaze traveled every inch of Donte’s frame. “You are thin, but we will take care of that.” His attention came back to Donte’s eyes. “I wish to talk to you in private about a matter of great importance.” He nodded to the others and addressed his mate.

  “Saskia, would you see to the comfort of our guests while I talk to Donte?” He gave Quade a level look. “We shall talk later.”

  Donte followed Pieter to his office. He knew his grandfather well enough not to assist him, no matter how much he wanted to. Pieter instructed Donte to shut the door as he turned his chair to face him. He indicated a hide covered chair “Sit down, Donte. It hurts to look up at you. I believe you have grown taller.”

  Donte sat in the chair he indicated and smiled. “Possibly I am taller.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers, trying to keep his head the same level as Pieter. He waited for Pieter to speak. Pieter had never wasted much time on small talk. He hadn’t changed.

  “Donte, as you can see, my health is failing. It has always been my wish that you would take my place. Is this something you would consider?”

  Donte’s elbow slipped off his knee and he jerked upright. “Now?”

  Pieter’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Does the idea frighten you?”

  Donte considered the idea and finally nodded. “A little. I’m not prepared - and what about Donica?”

  “Donica lacks both the experience and the temperament. You are my choice. I must know how you feel before I speak to my Cabinet.”

  Donte ran nervous fingers over the short hair on his scalp. There were so many things he planned to do. Eventually he had hoped for this, but not so soon. Of course, he would have to spend three years in service on the spaceships before he could rule.

  Pieter watched him with concern. “What is it, Donte? I always thought you wanted this.”

  Donte nodded again. “I did…do. I am honored. It’
s just that…I hoped to be instrumental in bringing the colonies together.”

  Pieter smiled, his eyes conveying both relief and a touch of humor. “Yes. Our little peacemaker.” He sobered. “Surely you must know that we all want this.” He reached out and patted Donte on the knee. “I cannot think of a better emissary for our colony. It is your safety that concerns me. After this last experience with Nyumbani I do not want you to travel without protection. You had no representation and from what I understand, you offered no resistance.”

  “I murdered their king…”

  “Do not use the word murder for what you did, Donte – nor assassination. You executed him, as any responsible mascot would have done. This was not something the colonists could do. They knew this. They had no right to execute you. After six years, they saw you as one of their own. This cannot happen again. If you are to represent Bergen, you must make it clear that you are not a captive.”

  Of course, he was right. It was his fault that the Nyumbani had treated him the way they did. He had become one of them. In his grief, he had completely lost focus. After his children were born, his position had become parental. He could and should have left after Heri was born, but he had become personally involved. How could he abandon his children? Only near execution and being exiled from the colony had forced him to leave. In direct contrast, when he entered Lochfowk, he had done so with the mind set of an emissary…which was probably why they had accepted him as that.

  “I see what you mean,” Donte said, “But wouldn’t an escort imply distrust?”

  Pieter’s sandy brows drew together in a frown. “You have been a captive of the Nyumbani for six years. They almost executed you and then decided to send you through the mountains with no clothes into unfamiliar territory. Lochfowk detained you and kept Kenyon captive for 30 years. They haven’t earned our trust…or have I missed something?”

  Donte couldn’t resist a smile. “It doesn’t sound like you’ve missed a thing.”