"Then nature took its course. After a couple of weeks of jumping at every sound we decided no one was coming. I'd go out at night to buy supplies and food and after a while I took the girls with me to scavenge building supplies. Over time we built a little shack where we could have water and a toilet, both were part of the emergency set up, and life began to feel normal. The girls had schoolwork from the network and I got busy building a comfortable apartment out of found objects."
She broke off again to sip tea and think some more.
"And then Annie, my eldest, brought another girl home with her and then the rest of that girl's family. She was rescuing homeless families from the park by finding girls her age. A real helper. Anyway, that was the beginning. We brought families in one by one until we had a group that could control the space. We could all see that secrecy was our best protection so secrecy became our way of life."
She sat back and was silent so long that Harrison prompted, "But you were found."
"Oh yes, but not for two years. By that time there were hundreds of us. We were discovered when a new Maintenance Manager took over the job and did a top to bottom examination of the cube."
"What happened?"
Granny laughed. "Mostly nothing. He was brought to me and it was comical. He kept asking if anyone knew we were here. He certainly didn't want the responsibility. So I lied to him. I said we made a deal with management - in return for the space there'd be no homeless people begging in front of the cube or sleeping on the street or defecating in the nooks and crannies. And we would police ourselves. I said that management thought it was cheaper than the large security force necessary to keep the homeless at bay."
"And he bought it?"
Granny laughed again. "First he sat and thought about it for a long while then he said, 'I think you're probably right about the cost/benefit ratio. We'll save money on jails and hospitals if it works right' and then we formalized the rules. No panhandling, no craziness and total secrecy."
"So how did it spread? I can believe one maintenance manager with a heart and brains but many of them? Hard to fathom."
"Economics," said Granny, "pure and simple. This cube had lower operating costs, fewer security costs and no homeless people begging at the doorways or sneaking in to steal from the mall shops. At first it was only shared with people he trusted but the numbers were drastic and the lifestyle benefits were great. People don't like to be panhandled by dirty, crazy beggars."
Harrison thought about it, "I'm still boggled by the intelligence of it. That goes against all my experience."
"It's easier to live with a fait accompli that works to your benefit than one which disrupts your life. And secrecy really helps."
The girl returned with Granny's pills and Harrison took his leave.
"Come back anytime," said the old woman.
"I will," said Harrison. "I definitely will."
Chapter 45
Shawnte, nee Shawnte Thalia Jones, began her professional life as a social worker case manager for the City of New York. Underpaid for the responsibilities and overloaded with clients. She had discovered that, besides management, most of her clients needed life coaches to fill in the blanks in their knowledge. When one of her families brought her Down Below to check on their accommodations she recognized the fertile field it provided for her work.
"It took some doing, some real persuasion, for my bosses at Social Services to set up an office down here with me in charge," she told Lowell and Mishi, "but the economics were incredible. I'm more effective for less money than anyone with a comparable work load. And I never have to leave home," she laughed loudly.
They spent an hour with her, talking, laughing a lot and watching her minister to her flock who came in for brief visits with questions, reports and small gifts.
"Lots of kids," said Lowell speculatively. "What about schooling?"
Shawnte's look grew concerned, "You've touched a nerve there," she said. "Some go out to public schools but not many. Most are being home-schooled here but not very well I'm afraid. It's worrisome."
Lowell said, "We can help. Gaia can fix that problem for you."
"How?" she asked. "And how much will it cost?"
"No cost," said Lowell, "and if I can be shown around to get an idea of what we'd be dealing with I'll let you know how."
Shawnte signaled an aide, a boy of perhaps 12 or 13, tall, slender and serious to show Lowell around their home. When they walked off Shawnte turned to Mishi and asked, "Is something more going on between you two or is it just hot sex?"
Mishi was slightly taken aback by the directness of the question and first said, "You must know my Granny. You both go right for it."
She laughed nervously and then said, "I think there's something happening. I can't be sure. He's from up there, you know. I can't always read him."
"But you want something to happen?"
"Oh yes, and not just because the sex is hot. He's really sweet and gentle and very quick."
Shawnte nodded and asked, "What about Gaia, what do you know?"
Mishi launched into her history with them and the educational set-up they provided. As she talked she became more animated and excited and then stopped in the middle of her speech to laugh out loud. "I'm a convert," she laughed, "and I didn't even know it."
"Did you convert to Gaia or to Lowell," asked Shawnte.
"Both, I think."
When Lowell and his guide returned he found the women sipping tea and talking about how to get Shawnte and Mishi's Granny together. Lowell said, "If you both come to the Gathering we could make it happen easily."
Shawnte said, "Maybe," and then asked, "So can you help us?"
Lowell nodded. "Easy. We can supply every kid a tablet loaded with the best instructional videos from pre-school to college, we can train your teachers to use them with the children and you'll be up and running a proper school in no time."
"No cost?" she asked.
"No cost."
"We don't have to become Gaians?
"No, not at all."
"Then why do you do this?" she asked slightly suspiciously.
In answer Lowell produced a dongle which would plug into Shawnte's viewer. "Watch this video. It's Moms telling the story of Gaia, and then you'll know why. If we can it's our obligation to save the world."
Shawnte's look of experience with the world spoke volumes. "Good luck with that," she said.
Chapter 46
Maeve woke up brimming with the enthusiasm of a new idea. She glanced at the clock and realized Helene would have already been up for hours so she called her from her bedside.
"Good morning, Maeve. What's up?" asked Helene, slightly troubled by the early hour at Maeve's end.
"Nothing bad," Maeve assured her. "I just woke up thinking. Helene, we already operate a mini-school here for associates' kids. I want to open the Gaia Academy. Our own school system. In a couple of years we'll have a high school level going here, we already have the curriculum. We don't have to stop giving it away but our own academy would have enough cachet to attract bright kids from all over and enough financing so that you could, say, educate kids from Down Below."
Maeve could see Helene digesting the idea and watched a grin begin to spread on her face.
"I like it," she said. "We'll need a good founding director, impeccable credentials and a loving heart. Unless you already have a candidate I'll set a head hunter on it."
"No, I have no one in mind. We'll have to have a board meeting and set up a separate fund for it. We should do that right away..."
They discussed the logistics for a bit until Helene said, "I'll find the person and a space if you'll deal with the financing. I'd love to announce it at the Gathering."
While she did her morning ablutions Maeve ran through financing models in her head, estimating costs and extrapolating the initial size of an endowment based on income production. As soon as she stepped into her office she dictated a memo to the board outlining her plans and the mon
ey necessary to fund the start up and fired it off, asking for immediate approval.
Mai Ling was called in for consultation and said, "I'll get a release out announcing it. That should draw interest. Probably have people putting in for places at the school. First come first served? Testing for places?"
Her questions gave Maeve pause. "Say that the first Academy will open in New York and that admissions requirements will be announced closer to a physical opening."
"Shall I coordinate with Helene?"
"Definitely."
Mai Ling left and Maeve marveled how at a few years over thirty her P.R. person still looked like the breathtakingly gorgeous girl of over a decade ago. Her mother had been a notable beauty and was still, in her sixties, used as a fashion model. "Genes," thought Maeve, "can't beat 'em, can't escape them."
A glance at the clock showed that it was Reception Room time and she went off merrily, buoyed by the thought of their very own school system.
`Lucas had awakened to a bed emptied of his partner and spent his time in the shower wondering what had gotten her started so early. He left a message asking her the question and went to his desk to eat a small breakfast and scroll through his messages.
Fran had sent him a coded missive in the middle of her night and he quickly put it through the decoder. "The Big Bad Wolf is on the move," it read, "left North Africa in private plane. Possibly heading for eastern Europe. More later."
Lucas called Sam, "Axel Radnich's on the move. Think we've pushed him to it?"
"If he can't access his money through his pet bank that might be a reason to move base. Are you going to hit him again?"
"Not immediately. I want to see where he lights and give him just long enough to feel good before we pull the next rug out."
"Don't wait too long. He's off balance now, don't let him get his feet set."
"I won't. Fran's on the case so I should get plenty of warning."
He went back to his messages but realized he was too distracted by waiting to see where Radnich was going. He finally went to his coder's room and told them to prepare the next attack and focus for the moment on assets in eastern Europe. "We're not sure yet but that may be where he's heading. Make it the first of several options."
At his desk again he thought about the room full of coding engineers he had just left. Most were in their twenties and reminded him of his time in similar rooms. The work was intense and required long stretches of concentration. Most coders were burned out by thirty and moved on to less pressured aspects of the profession. Since Gaia's inception Lucas had been the chief of all IT operations but now realized that had to change. Other duties demanded his presence and the gulf between himself and the coders widened every day.
"I need to groom someone for Chief of IT," he thought.
When he called Sam to express that idea he was surprised at the reply, "About time. You're too old for them to relate to anymore. Who do you have in mind?"
They talked that over for a while and settled on three possible candidates.
"I'll interview everyone after this Big Bad Wolf thing is over," said Lucas. "You can join me if you like."
Chapter 47
Harrison was packing for his return to Ocean City One and Helene was idly watching him choose a wardrobe and carefully fold and stow it in his luggage. "So tell me again why you're flying halfway around the world?" she asked archly. "Desalination? Really?"
Harrison, intent on his choices, absentmindedly answered, "Really. You know how important that technology would be. It has implications for every part of the world in which we're active."
"You could wait for the reports."
"Not like seeing it for myself. Also, the Director will be there as well and he wants to see me about something too mysterious for even secure communications."
Harrison's ambivalence about the Director was clear from his intonations.
"So Mme. Albana played no part in your decision?"
Helene's tone brought Harrison to attention. "Not at all," he scoffed. "I'd forgotten about her until you just mentioned her name."
Helene chortled, "I bet you did."
"Really. Actually one of the reasons I'm going is the long flight there and back. I have a ton of notes and recordings about Down Below that I can't work on here because of the interruptions. On the plane I'll have time to organize them, and do some thinking and work out an approach to writing their history."
Helene was amused at his earnestness and stopped teasing him.
"Besides," he said, "I love you too much to endanger our relationship."
She smiled at him, "I know that, darling. I really do. But what you do with others won't endanger our relationship."
Harrison's look said, better than any words could have, "You say that, but I'm not dumb enough to believe that."
When he left for the airport to catch the Director's private plane once more it was after some fervent caresses and a whispered, "I'll miss you," from Helene. On the long flight to the Southern Ocean he listened to the recorded conversation with Granny and added to the notes he had taken and generally spent his time in contemplation of this new urban wrinkle. When he stretched out to sleep it was with the feeling that the material was coming together in his mind.
The plane landed on Ocean City One and was met by a group of porters led by one of its junior officers who escorted them to their cabins and announced "Captain's Table in an hour," before taking his leave. Harrison was happy to find himself in the same underwater room he'd had before and spent the hour unpacking, washing up and watching fish.
Going to the Captain's Table he saw Mme. Albana from across the room in a flirtatious conversation with an unknown gentleman. The complex of emotions the sight elicited in him was a surprise to Harrison. Clearly the jump in his heart the sight of her evoked meant he'd been lying to himself and Helene about wanting to see her again. On the other hand, the flirtatious act she was putting on with the stranger made him feel like a dupe. "She's like that with everyone," he though, "not just me."
He suddenly felt he understood her husband the Captain's indifference to her actions. "He's seen it a hundred times," Harrison thought. He resolved to keep from being a fool and to see her differently, less personally.
When he got to the table he was surprised when she leaped to her feet with arms outstretched and a broad grin on her face, "Professor Barnes," she cried. "How lovely to see you again." She embraced him warmly and planted a kiss on both cheeks and took his arm to lead him to the seat next to hers.
Harrison's resolution of the moment before vanished into the salt air. Captain Albana also greeted him warmly, much to Harrison's dismay, and the Director, also already at the table, rose to shake hands with him. The conversation ran through the usual platitudes of "How's your health?" and "What have you been up to these past months?" These exchanges were automatic, requiring no real thought or attention and during it all Harrison was acutely aware of Mme. Albana by his side. She managed to touch him slightly at many different points, with her hands, her hips, her breasts and her shoulder. Since it was surreptitious in a public setting Harrison was uncomfortable, constantly looking to see the Captain's response, of which there was none.
A sailor approached the table to say, "Sir, the demonstration is ready."
The Captain rose, "Mesdames et messieurs, please follow me."
The group obediently rose and trooped after him to the edge of the city. It was a short walk and while Mme. Albana made every effort to stay close to him Harrison was slowly pulled away by the Director. "Professor," he said, "I particularly want to have a little chat with you when this demonstration is done."
"Certainly," said Harrison, wondering what the subject might be.
Chapter 48
At the edge of the city where it met the water were two men dressed in lab technician's clothing next to the desalinating apparatus. One of the men stepped forward to give the pitch.
"What we have here is a system to quickly capture pure wat
er from the sea." He pointed to various components, principally a forty foot long roll of some fabric that lay along the edge. "This is a roll of Water Wand, a proprietary film that is transparent, very light and very strong. Using drones we stretch the fabric above the waves. Sunlight through the film hastens evaporation which then condenses on the film and is directed to the tank."
The faces of the watchers reflected a sort of bored interest and then they turned the apparatus on. It was simple in the extreme. Three drones attached to the leading edge of the fabric, which was stiffened by a rod along its width, flew out over the water. When the full extent of the roll had been reached the drones hovered at about ten feet. It was an impressive sight, the luminous square of translucent fabric held over the face of the ocean.
The technicians adjusted the height of the drones and the group waited. After just a few minutes the sound of dripping water could be heard. At first it was just plink, plink, plink, but it quickly built into a flow and soon a thin stream of water was running into the tank.
"As you can see," said the technician, "the rate of flow is quickly significant. It follows micro-grooves in the fabric to the near end where it's channeled into the siphon and then into the tank."
A murmur of appreciation began to sound in the group. "What's the capacity?" asked someone.
"A gallon an hour per square meter."
The other technician was drawing small cups full of water from the tank and passing them around. "Not a trace of salt," said the technician proudly.
Mme. Albana had made her way back to Harrison's side. "Wonderful, don't you think?" she asked putting her arm through his and leaning her breast into it.
He smiled at her and agreed, "Yes. Wonderful."
"I thought you'd like it," she said, taking his response to mean that her breasts were wonderful. "There are more wonderful things to come," she said, and squeezing his arm she moved away.
Harrison was writing his notes on the demonstration: "Simple, effective, not scalable for mass use but quite enough for ships, floaters, even islands with little or no fresh water."
Growth (GAIA Trilogy Book 2) Page 14
