The Remnant

by Laura Liddell Nolen

I made a face. “These robes are not as fun when they’re wet. Come to think of it, it’s a little weird. It’s not like they dressed like this in Asia before we left Earth. So at some point, someone decided that now, we’re all gonna wear robes. What’s that about?”

  “I can’t complain,” said Eren, tightening his sash a bit. “They’re pretty comfy. When they’re dry, anyway.”

  Isaiah turned toward me from his place in the water. “It’s the same as the uniforms in Central Command. No one wore jumpsuits down below, either.”

  “I wonder what they wear in Europe,” I said.

  “Maybe it promotes unity?” said Eren. “You know. Like the way the Arks all have half their population from the rest of the world?”

  “Hey, speaking of uniforms,” I said softly, laying a hand on Eren’s arm. Across the beach, at the peak of the dunes we’d just crossed, three figures advanced toward us.

  Eren sucked in a breath. The darkness obscured their faces, but the figures were unmistakable. “Guess he didn’t like being uninvited.”

  Isaiah rose from the water, but remained at its shore, feet submerged in rolling dregs of foam and water.

  “It’s An and Shan,” I said quietly for Isaiah’s benefit. “And the Commander’s with them. How did they find us?”

  “We weren’t exactly subtle, Charlotte,” said Eren. “Besides, where else would anyone want to go?”

  Isaiah was silent.

  When their group reached ours, I regretted our little romp in the water. The Asian delegation looked as fresh as daisies, and the Commander cut his usual authoritative figure. But we were dripping wet, hair ragged, and shivering in the moonlight.

  Eren cleared his throat. “Shan. I hope you don’t mind our exploring.”

  “On the contrary,” he said. “I’d have been terribly sad if you didn’t, seeing as how you are leaving so soon. It’s a self-contained ecosystem.” He waved an arm around, causing An to release her grip. “Our Ark has artificial gravity generators built into every floor, plus one more up there,” he said, pointing up at the moon. “It makes the waves by simulating the pull of the moon back on Earth, but on a graduated scale, since this ship is much smaller than an ocean, of course. The floor and the sand are hydrophobic, so that the water cannot escape. And look!” he said, drawing near and nearly laughing himself, “there are even sandpipers.”

  I gasped, following the line of his outstretched hand into the sand, and barely caught sight of a fat bunch of white feathers as it disappeared, sleep disturbed, into the night.

  “A bird,” Isaiah muttered, almost to himself.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said through chattering teeth. “Unbelievable, really.”

  In response, Shan bowed slightly.

  “It’s good you are here,” said An. “Together. If the other Arks can achieve peace through diversifying the populations, I must believe that it is possible on your North American Ark as well.”

  The Commander interrupted her with a snort. “Did you really think the reason we split the population of each Ark was to promote unity?”

  I stared at him. “I wasn’t exactly invited to be on the planning committee, Commander, but I assume that was the idea.”

  “It’s so that no one nation is wiped entirely out of existence. There are Americans on board every ship. Egyptians. Israeli. Russians. And they will find each other.” I could hardly breathe from shivering, in spite of Eren’s chafing, but the Commander’s words brought their own special kind of chill. “The only way to promote unity is to increase the strength of the leadership.”

  The Asians watched our interaction calmly. “Here,” said Shan, “we’ve brought blankets. The night air can be a bit chilly at this hour for those who swim.” He distributed a blanket to me and Eren, and we wrapped ourselves together. I twisted around and into him, like we were wrapped in a giant, warm tortilla.

  “I never want to leave,” I said suddenly. “It is safe, you said? No sharks.”

  “We have a few moments before we must return you to your shuttles,” said Shan. “There are sharks. We’ve tried to preserve as many species as possible. But they are corralled, at the moment. We’ve been unable to allow all the fish to swim freely, but they are multiplying, and we should be able to populate a true ocean again, one day.”

  I continued to gape at the horizon. “Are there starfish? Sea horses? Holy cow. Do you have octopuses?” I frowned. “Octopi?”

  “Yes to all of the above, and more,” said Shan. “Most of the volume is dedicated to the fish we eat, but we tried to save as much as possible.”

  An did not reply. Instead, she stared at our Char-and-Eren burrito thoughtfully.

  Shan stared at An, who had taken a step back and was now perched near the top of the dune.

  But Isaiah hadn’t moved from his spot near the water. Finally, he joined us, planting his feet in the sand directly in front of An. “So, Madam Imperial,” he said casually, “when may we expect your decision?”

  Eighteen

  “Imperial?” the Commander blustered. “But—”

  Shan moved to the side, barely placing himself between us and An. I froze in Eren’s arms. Eren looked from Isaiah to An and back again, frowning.

  “You are an observant man, Mr. Underwood,” An said calmly, looking down on our group. “What gave me away?”

  “Oh, there’s been plenty,” he replied. “Mostly the fact that you downgraded my title even after the ‘Imperial’ kept calling me a king. There were always rumors on Earth that a secret Imperial was chosen after the meteor was announced. Someone much younger than the last one. So you’re the right age. And Shan acts more like a bodyguard than a diplomat, at least around you, Your Highness. You sure don’t act like you work for him. And he just said we were leaving. That’s news to me. Probably to all of us, except you.”

  “We have reports from your Ark,” said Shan. “The fighting between you has resumed. You will return immediately.”

  An arranged her robe, allowing the Imperial medallion to hang in front of the belt at her waist. It glinted briefly in the moonlight. “I have one goal.” She spoke quietly, as though fully assured that we would strain to hear every word. “Peace. For me, nothing else is possible. But your Ark is not peaceful. I would rather eliminate you completely than risk your attacking another ship.”

  “But we didn’t do that!” I said suddenly. “We are not responsible for whatever happened to Ark Five.”

  An narrowed her eyes. “I like you, Charlotte, but I warn you not to take me for a fool. Perhaps you are not personally responsible, but your Commander is armed.”

  “He’s not my commander. I answer to Isaiah. And Isaiah wouldn’t hurt a fly. That’s why you have to help us.”

  “Even if I grant your innocence in the disappearance of Ark Five, you remain a threat. You are bent on killing each other. Here are my options: One, I could destroy you all. This is risky. It lowers the human population too far.” An looked out over the water. “We are one disease away from extinction. One war. One missed step. I prefer not to bring us any closer.”

  I nodded, letting out a breath. Wrapped against me, Eren did the same.

  “Two. I could ignore you—all of you. Refuse to resume trade. You are unstable. The other Arks will follow my lead. You would eventually starve. Again, this is risky. Your people will riot. Your leadership may change, or disappear. Instability would increase, and I am afraid I would still have to destroy you outright.”

  “Please consider not doing that,” I said nervously.

  An smiled grimly. “Three. I could lend my full support to the Commander. Together, we would crush the Remnant.”

  I stopped, took a breath. “An. Ambassador—I mean, Your Imperial Highness, please. Please don’t put that man in power.”

  She gave me a cold look. “I didn’t. You did. You North Americans are the ones who voted.”

  “The Remnant didn’t exactly choose him.”

  Her head tilted a bit. “If you say so. My final
option, of course, is to grant your request, in the hope that you are telling the truth. I could help you create this two-government system you seek and expect you to keep each other in check peacefully.”

  I froze, afraid to speak, in case I ruined the moment.

  “But it’s very important that you understand me, Ambassador. I have a single objective, and it is this: there must be peace among all remaining Arks. Should I choose to grant your petition, I will reopen trade. Should you form other alliances, I will not interfere. But if you threaten the peace in any way, I will destroy you,” she said calmly. “All of you.”

  Up until then, the others had remained silent, watching our exchange with interest. But now, Isaiah spoke.

  “Your Imperial Highness. It seems that your conclusion must be to ratify our petition for independence and resume trade immediately.”

  An nodded toward Shan, who began to speak. “The Imperial would like to pose a solution for the benefit of all people: Asia will reopen trade with North America for a limited time, on a trial basis. We will keep our fighter ships from your sovereign territory in space. In exchange, the people of the North American Ark will declare an immediate ceasefire among themselves.

  “The Imperial has also reached a decision regarding the fate of your nations and your Ark. She finds His Majesty’s proposal holds the most promise.” An inclined her head gracefully toward Isaiah, who was nodding his approval. “Central Command will join Asia in agreeing to recognize the Remnant as an independent nation-state,” said Shan.

  An cleared her throat and took over from there. Her voice was brazen in its youth and its sweetness, daring us to challenge her power. “In exchange for this concession, Asia will further agree to become an ally of Central Command and the Remnant alike. For so long as the ceasefire remains in effect, we will forbear to fire our weapons as well.

  “Years may pass before Eirenea is terraformed. We cannot hope to build a new life out of our present situation should this war continue. We cannot afford to lose another Ark, but if another Ark is lost, it will not be the one entrusted to my care.

  “I acknowledge the fears of my people and the other Arks. You are not to be trusted blindly. To that end, I place two conditions on my offer, to be met within twenty-four hours. The first: we will continue to monitor blast frequencies on board your ship. We will stop your reign of death from extending any further. You will effect immediate peace among your people. I will not tolerate continued warfare among your Ark.”

  We straightened. She certainly had our attention.

  “And two: in the spirit of cooperation, you will each give a valued member of your delegation to the other.” An fixed the Commander with a chilling gaze. “You alone, Commander, have stood in full opposition to the Remnant, in every circumstance. You will give your son in its service, so that I may be assured of your future compliance.”

  “My son?” The Commander paled. “What do you mean?”

  An didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied him. His face was marked with genuine concern, and his voice was higher pitched than usual, as though he’d cast aside an act he’d been playing for years.

  “What do you want with my son?” he asked again.

  “For myself? Nothing. You will give him to the Remnant, and receive their ambassador in return.”

  “My son belongs in Central Command, with me. He has a job to do.”

  “I’m not talking about death, or imprisonment, Commander, or even citizenship. Your son will live with you, along with his wife. This pact will be sealed with more than ink and blood.” She gathered the length of her robe in her fist and extended a hand to Shan, who rushed to prepare to escort her off the dune.

  Her gaze swept across us all. “Therefore, citizens of the North American Ark, hear this: your treaty will be ratified on the wedding day of Ambassadors Turner and Liaison Everest.”

  Nineteen

  Shan bowed. An nodded again to the group before accepting his outstretched arm, and they headed for the platform.

  “Wait!” I said, and began to frantically untwist myself from Eren’s blanket. “Your Imperial Highness, please!”

  Eren put out a hand to stop me, but I ran past him, shivering, and crossed the dune to walk next to An and Shan.

  “Your—did I hear you correctly? You want me to marry Eren?” I studied her face in the moonlight, but she was serene, implacable.

  “Ambassador. May I call you Char? I like this name for you. It is as though you have burned brightly.”

  “Char is—yes, that’s my name, Your Imperial…”

  “Likewise, you may call me An. There are many forces at work here, Char, and those of us in positions of authority are not generally able to find the happiness we seek for ourselves.” She moved closer to Shan, who clearly wanted her to. “But here, we may be able to find a pleasant outcome for everyone. There are others who are not so lucky.”

  “You mean you and Shan? But you’re the Imperial. If you want to marry him, why not just do it?”

  “It is five o’clock U.T.” An’s smile dimmed. “My decision is final. Good luck, Char. You have one day.”

  I waited until the platform walls had closed around the two of them before stomping furiously back to Eren, fists tight. “How could you! How could you! I’m not some kind of, of—”

  “I don’t speak for the Imperial, Charlotte,” Eren looked at me. His face was hard, with a trace of pain, like he’d known I would take this badly. “This wasn’t even my idea.”

  “Well, it wasn’t hers! She was all set to blow us up this morning. She basically told me that.”

  “Actually, it was mine,” said Isaiah. “Although it’s not exactly original. Treaties and informal alliances have always been sealed with marriage. Started back when we were all just tribes. And now, here we are again.”

  I lowered my voice to a whisper in a futile attempt to keep from sounding shrill. “I mean, I don’t exactly trust your father not to kill me in my sleep, so where would we even live? Are you just going to join the Remnant? Has it occurred to you that we are too young to be making life commitments here? Oh,” I said, as my whisper became a hiss, “and I am not having a baby, whether or not they start giving out bonuses.”

  The three men stared at me, each momentarily at a loss for words.

  “So this was your big plan all along?” I said. “This is why all the secrecy? I hope you two are happy.”

  “Actually, I am,” said Eren. “Word of an alliance will reach the Ark before we’ve even landed. Because of us, people will have hope again. It’ll be all over the news on every ship. They’ll sleep safe in their beds tonight because of us.”

  I glared at him, refusing to grant him any points, no matter how much sense he made. How dare they leave me out of this? I thought of my father reading the news of my marriage before I could reach him. Before I had returned his son to him. Had I failed him again so easily?

  I shook my head. This wasn’t over yet.

  “That was the mission,” said Isaiah. “Recognition from Asia. As goes Asia, so will Europe and South America. It’s going to be a lot harder to crush the Remnant when we have equal standing to any of them.” I opened my mouth to scream, but Isaiah crooked his elbow at me and spoke softly. “Take my arm, Charlotte Turner. Let’s take a stroll by the sea. You and me.”

  I turned back to Eren one last time, but words failed me. He’d clearly planned this out with Isaiah from the beginning. Maybe even since he’d been their prisoner.

  He looked pained. “This way, I can protect you. The Remnant will be safe. It’s a good plan, Charlotte.”

  “You have to be kidding me.”

  He gave me a hard look. “I thought we could fix everything, if we could be together. I thought you felt the same way.”

  “And now?” I said, letting my anger show in my voice.

  “And now… it’s still worth it, for peace. But maybe you’re right. Maybe everything is different.”

  “Yeah,” I said, marc
hing down the beach to where Isaiah still stood, arm out, waiting. “It is.”

  The waves crashed in carefully metered moments, and for a long time, I walked in silence on Isaiah’s arm. It was an easy pace, enough to put some space between us and the rest of the group without wearing me out after my six weeks in an eight by ten.

  Nevertheless, my breath ran short. “Isaiah, please. If I marry him, the Commander will kill me. You know he will.”

  “You can handle yourself. And Eren won’t let that happen. He loves you. But you know that already.” He ran a hand over his head, as though thinking, but his face was an unreadable mask.

  “You once told me that you loved me. You were manipulating me, even then. Do you even remember the day we decided to live? The day we started running? Was everything a lie between us?”

  “You were always running. Always trying to get somewhere. But not me. Not that day. I was done. My journey was over. I really believed that.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  He stopped walking. “I just needed you to know that there was a time when you were the only thing I had.”

  I shook my head at him. The familiar heat of my anger crept up through my chest, burning my face, and I gritted my teeth. “So why are you giving me up?”

  “I could still be your friend, Charlotte, if you’ll have me. But you know where my priorities are. Where they have to be. There’s nothing more to say.”

  “Oh no? How about this: you can’t make me marry him.”

  “You forget that I have what you want.” Isaiah’s voice was low and deep.

  I considered that. “You’re not threatening West, are you?”

  “He’s a good kid. Nothing like us. No, I’m threatening you.”

  He faced the water, as though watching the waves fall against his feet.

  “Ise, this isn’t like you.” My throat was tight. I tried to take his hand. His arm was like stone. “Don’t send me back there. Please.”

  But my friend was long gone, and only a king remained. He stood suddenly, like a cat, and turned to leave. “Marry him, Char. That’s an order.”