Growth (GAIA Trilogy Book 2)

by Morton Chalfy

  Lucas fended them off as best he could and for a while they were as close to a normal family as they could manage. The boys wrestled with their father and called out to Maeve to "watch this Mom" and tried to get as much physical contact as they could.

  Miriam sat quietly on her mother with one arm around her neck and their heads touching. They were growing more similar in appearance every day and Lucas worried that his daughter would be caught up in the family business, so to speak, and be groomed to eventually replace her mother.

  He shook his head at the thought. By nature a retiring behind the scenes sort, he keenly felt the price Maeve paid for being the face of Gaia to the world. He didn't want to sacrifice his daughter on that same altar.

  Cindy joined them for dinner and as usual grilled the children on their day asking questions the parents wouldn't and getting honest responses. She checked on their schoolwork and their friends and their relationships in general. They had known Cindy all their young lives and considered her a part of the family. Jack in particular called her Auntie Cindy and showed off some of the fighting moves she had taught them every chance he got. He had once famously announced to a schoolmate, "My Auntie Cindy could beat up anybody!"

  When Cindy heard about it she took the three children aside and taught them how secretive they had to be about the household.

  "But you can beat up anybody," complained Jack.

  "Perhaps. But that has to be our secret. Like a secret power, okay?"

  "Yes Auntie."

  After the meal the children were taken in charge by their nanny and the adults were left in the sort of peace that descends when childish voices are silent.

  "Have you heard from Helene?" asked Maeve.

  Lucas told her about the message he'd received.

  "How does she sound? Rejuvenated?"

  "Can't tell, but she's working away so that must say something."

  "Do you think we'll do that someday?" she asked.

  `Lucas snorted. "I don't know if I'd want to if it meant just going back to work for another thirty years. Now if it meant you and I got youthenized and go off together for thirty years of fun I'd be all for it."

  Maeve looked thoughtful, "I don't know how one drops a lifetime commitment..."

  Lucas was rueful. "Well, we're not there yet. We'll have to wait and see."

  Maeve said, "I wish I had Helene's dedication. She wants to keep working on Gaia forever but I'm the one who should have that fervor."

  Lucas shook his head, "One zealot is enough for any organization. The Gaians take up enough of your life already."

  In the moment of silence that followed they reached for each other's hand. The reality of their lives was starkly imprisoning. Their roles were key to the religion, the work they did had global implications and tired or not they were far from laying their burdens down.

  "Well, let's have fun tonight, shall we?" said Maeve. "Let's make the most of the hours we have free, okay?"

  Lucas jumped to his feet and pulled her up and into his arms.

  "In you I forget the world," he said.

  "Who said that?"

  "I just did."

  "Very poetic."

  "Did it work?"

  "Yes. Let's go to bed.

  Chapter 4

  The ambulance copter that came for Harrison was luxuriously outfitted with all the medical equipment hidden behind smooth cabinetry. He was still sore in many places and appreciated the embrace of the armchair they provided. Somehow it relieved the pressures on his body to the point where many of his aches disappeared.

  The flight was over dense jungle and Harrison looked at it with a degree of satisfaction. He had heard how well Brasil's protection of the Amazon basin had gone and how quickly the forest had returned, but seeing for himself made it real. They flew a thousand feet above the treetops and there was nothing much to see but a display of all the shades of green.

  It was very much like flying over the ocean for monotony and then the medical complex appeared in the distance. First it was a cluster of white buildings around a Grow Tower and then the City of Rejuvenao spread out beneath them. The medical buildings were surrounded by a city of markets and homes where the indigenous people who worked at the menial jobs lived.

  The professionals lived and worked in a half dozen giant cubes. The copter banked and swooped to land on one of them. They were greeted by a young woman standing by a motorized version of the chairs on the ambulance. Even from a distance Harrison could see that she'd been chosen because of her looks, a statuesque, lithesome beauty who personified Brasil's face to the world.

  "She could be Miss Universe," muttered Harrison.

  The attendant who had disembarked with him said, "She was."

  "Senhor," she smiled at him and indicated the chair.

  Gratefully Harrison sat and the chair took off with Miss Universe trailing and talking to Harrison.

  "We'll stop at your rooms so you can rest and then we'll meet the Director for a late lunch in an hour. Does that sound agreeable?"

  "Yes," said Harrison, bemused.

  The use of such a ravishing beauty as a greeter made him wonder. Her presence was disconcerting at the least and would have been devastating had he been more susceptible. He concluded that he was being given the royal treatment and in the end that served to heighten his alertness.

  The rooms he was shown to were a continuation of the luxury he had seen throughout his stay.

  He began to wonder just how lucrative the combination of biological services was. To maintain the levels of luxury would require an enormous expenditure and Harrison quickly tapped out a message to Lucas - "Just how rich are these guys?"

  Lucas' reply came quickly, "Incredibly."

  Harrison rode to lunch on what he thought of as the Luxmobile with Miss Universe sauntering at his side. Her proximity to him, the subtle scent she wore and the rippling movements of her legs and thighs and rear were enough to distract an angel but only served to remind Harrison to stay alert.

  "When being distracted, mind your wallet," floated into his memory, an admonition about pick pockets in some ancient travel guide. "Good advice," he thought and wrenched his eyes away from the jiggle beside him.

  A door opened smoothly before them and the Director, Jorge Alvarado, dressed in a natty white suit, stood to greet him. Harrison rose from the chair to shake his hand.

  "You are recovering well, I trust, Professor?" asked the Director.

  "I think so," replied Harrison. "I have nothing to compare it with but I feel better every day."

  The Director nodded and led them to a table set for two. With a nod he dismissed Miss Universe and they sat down.

  "You are formidable, Professor," he said to Harrison. "You did not turn to watch la senhorita leave. Most men do."

  Harrison chuckled. "And most men would then be amenable to your suggestions."

  The Director laughed, "Most men, yes. But not you?"

  "To be determined."

  With another nod the Director called for lunch to be served.

  "So Professor, how do you think we're doing?"

  Harrison looked perplexed.

  "I mean humanity. How does the Gaian movement think the species is doing?"

  Harrison shrugged, "Lots of work to do before we have an answer."

  "But in your opinion - how long will we survive as a species and what will the Earth be like when we're done?"

  Harrison settled back in his chair. He was sure this was not idle lunchtime chat so he wanted to consider his responses carefully.

  "Well, from a Gaian point of view, ultimately it won't matter. Whether we live for thousands of generations more or succumb to some natural or man-made calamity the Earth will survive, however changed, the bacteria will survive and since there's at least four billion years left to the life of the sun Gaia will reconstitute itself."

  "And your personal view?"

  "Too early to tell. We're still on the brink of possible massive change. I'd cal
l it fifty-fifty."

  "And do you care? I mean you obviously are working hard, you and the Gaians, to save the world, but do you care about the survival of humanity?"

  Harrison looked closely at the fastidiously dressed gentleman across the table and thought about the question. "How do you mean?"

  "We are not a very likable species," said the Director. "We do awful things to one another. We show no propensity for giving up violence. Most people are ignorant, petty, venal and willing to do harm if they think they can get away with it. Do you care if we survive? Or will the world be better without us?"

  "That's just a portion of humanity you've described, even if every one of us has some part of that portion. But we also help one another, care for one another, nurture our young and work for peaceful resolutions. That's why I say fifty-fifty. It's too hard to judge humanity. I do care about the survival of my family, my friends, my allies and my posterity. How about you?"

  Harrison asked the question in an attempt to reach the point he was sure the Director was making. Instead of an answer though he got another question.

  "What do you think is Man's purpose on Earth?"

  Harrison stifled his immediate response. In his classroom when he received that question as he did regularly he would respond with "Immaterial at our scale of living," but he didn't want to be dismissive of the Director.

  "I don't have an answer to that. What do you think?"

  It was the Director's turn to lean back thoughtfully as if weighing the fitness of his listener to receive a profound truth.

  "I believe we are meant to do what we've always done. To sail off into uncharted waters on voyages of discovery. To seek new lands and perhaps new people. To expand into the unknown."

  The intensity of the Director's delivery, the sure conviction that lay behind the words struck Harrison forcefully. He had no doubt that this was the underlying motivation for his invitation. Noncommittally he said, "Very interesting."

  "Would you be surprised if I said we are working on that expansion of humanity's universe?"

  "Not now."

  "Would you care to see our work? I very much want your opinion."

  "I'd love to," said Harrison, thinking "Suspend judgment and keep your wits about you."

  "Then come with me," said the Director.

  Chapter 5

  The day began early for Lucas and Maeve. For several years, nearly ten while the children were growing, the level of physical intimacy they usually enjoyed had to be scaled back. Now, when the children's interests were turned outward and no longer included barging into their parents' bedroom to climb into bed with them, the intimacy had returned.

  They had found that they were both so tired at the end of the day that a quick cuddle was followed immediately by snores. Early mornings, however, were perfect for intimate relations and they took full advantage of them. Sex at the start of day sent them both into the world happier and more self-confident.

  In their respective spheres they had confidantes and companions but many things could only be shared with one another. They had been hand picked for their roles and the jobs that went with them and had become serious adopters of the goals they had been tasked to pursue, but on a personal level they needed each other's love and validation. Morning sex accomplished that support function.

  "What's on your agenda today?" asked Maeve.

  "The same as usual. I'm meeting with Sam for a strategy session and then with the Squad to go over new threats to the network."

  "Anything new from Helene?"

  "Not from her but Harrison has sent a provocative message. I'll have to do some research for him."

  "About what?"

  "I'm not sure. He has misgivings about the Director there at Rejuvenao'. Wants me to dig into his background for clues."

  "That whole business of rejuvenation gives me the creeps sometimes," said Maeve. "I want to be a grandmother and a great-grandmother. It would be weird to be the same effective biological age as my grandchildren."

  "I agree with you there but what about when we're seventy and they offer us a re-set to forty? Will we be able to turn it down?"

  "We'd be a part of the living freaks. And I'd still be a public figure. I don't think so."

  Lucas nodded in agreement but thought how unlikely it would be for the Gaians to let her loose. She already inspired minor frenzies at her public appearances. If she lived long enough for Rejuvenao' it was almost a sure bet that the pressure on her to go through the process and remain in her role would be overwhelming. Instead he said, "One day at a time. And whatever we do it will be together."

  Maeve smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. "You can shower with me," she invited, "but no fooling around."

  Once clean and dressed they parted at the bedroom door, she for a morning full of visiting dignitaries, he for a working breakfast with Sam at his desk.

  Sam came into his office followed by a robot meal server loaded with food. As Sam had aged his South Seas Islander heritage came more to the fore. He had always been a large man, tall, thick and thickly muscled with his long hair often allowed to go wild on his head. Now he was huge, his long hair cropped short all over his head and his face etched with a permanently suspicious look from his career in Security. He carried an electronic notebook which he set in front of Lucas while they both took food from the robot.

  "How're the kids?" rumbled Sam.

  "They're fine. The boys said you are going to take them camping this weekend. They're jumping out of their skins."

  "Yeah. I'm taking them up to the Sky Cabin for a night. And I want to take them to see Aquarius and get a good dose of what he has to say."

  "That will be interesting. How's the Water God's health?"

  "Better than mine, I'm afraid," said Sam. "He must be twenty, thirty years older than me and his skin is like leather, but he still jumps around those rocks like a billy goat and is still full of energy."

  "Don't let him frighten the boys too much."

  "Oh, he won't. He likes those kids."

  They settled down to run through Sam's security concerns and at the end Lucas shared Harrison's messages.

  "Do you want me to have someone do a deep background on the Director?" asked Sam.

  "Yes, but make it someone who can keep their mouth shut. Report only to you."

  "Sure. I'll put Rachel on it. She wouldn't tell her mother. And she'll find what's there."

  "Good. Let me know what you find as soon as you have something. Harrison will want any insight we can give."

  In the other wing Maeve was greeting visitors, accepting petitions and offering advice about resources. Most of the time she was "making nice" as she put it, but occasionally had to deal with hard-edged matters. One came to her that morning in the forms of a middle-aged woman and her thirteen year old daughter.

  They lived in a cube in Detroit and a coalition of Muslims and Fundamentalist Christians had taken over the local school board and had passed rules against the teaching of Gaian principles as being offensive to their religions.

  "They sent my girl home in tears, calling her a tool of the devil."

  The girl nodded in confirmation and said, "The principal sent me home but the kids were being so mean I was glad to go."

  Maeve looked concerned, "Did they hurt you physically?"

  "No. Just my feelings. But they threatened to gang up and kick me if I came back."

  Maeve waved Cindy over and conferred with her.

  "First," she said after talking it over, "I want you to stay with us for a few days." She saw the look on the woman's face and correctly interpreted it, "at our expense of course. Who's back home? Dad? Siblings?"

  "Just her father and he's all right. He's out of town on business, he's a robot repairer and they send him wherever he's needed."

  "Good. I want to have our people look at the situation and see how we can remedy it. Meanwhile you can stay here and even join a class at our school."

  The mother looked dubio
us but willing, the girl looked excited. After they left in the care of an aide Cindy said, "Lucas needs to know about this."

  "Indeed he does. He's always been worried about a religious backlash and here it is."

  Chapter 6

  The Director led Harrison to an open robo-car which rolled them along the corridors to an elevator that descended below ground level for what seemed like several hundred feet. They exited the elevator into a tunnel of smooth walls, flat pavement and overhead lighting.

  In the distance a glow appeared which brightened as they approached and suddenly they were on the lip of an enormous room carved, presumably, out of the earth. The room was bathed in light from sources Harrison couldn't discern.

  The perch on which they stood was well above the floor of the cavern and gave them a panoramic view. Below them hundreds of people were at work tending various machines whose purpose was not readily apparent. Harrison tried to make sense of the scene but felt his perceptions were somehow distorted.

  "What do you think?" asked the Director.

  "Frankly, I don't know what to think. The scene seems off in some manner I don't understand. The people seem different somehow."

  The Director smiled as though Harrison was a particularly apt pupil.

  "What if I said the tallest person in the room is four feet high and the heaviest weighs forty kilos?"

  Harrison looked again and gasped. All at once the scene clarified itself and the proportions became understandable.

  "That's amazing," he said while his mind raced for an explanation - especially as the Director was the author of Directed Evolution.

  The Director looked pleased. "This room, and those beyond it, are a full size model of our planned interstellar vehicle. The people are our community of astronauts."

  Harrison was monitoring his face to keep any negative expressions away.