Paradise Reclaimed

by Raymond Harris

  “Yes, now might be a good time,” said the strategos. She paused whilst her guardian contacted them. “Yes, they are both available. The cafeteria might be a good spot, more informal.”

  Prax stood but Biyu and Nuku hesitated; not yet understanding they had been effectively dismissed.

  “Biyu will remain with Torv and myself,” the strategos said firmly whilst still managing a warm smile.

  “Right, then follow me magnus,” said Prax as he walked toward the door. Nuku followed, turning to look at Biyu who shrugged her shoulders to indicate that she was just as perplexed as Nuku.

  “Catch you later I guess,” said Nuku. Biyu nodded as she walked out the door.

  “Sorry to separate you like this,” said the strategos, “but there are matters that are only of concern to each of you. Magnus Teixeira has her area of responsibility and you have yours.”

  Biyu nodded and looked to Torv who managed a small conspiratorial smile.

  “The ambassador knows in general of what I’m about to say but he will not be responsible for the details. In this matter you are directly responsible to me, do you understand?”

  “A direct order?” Biyu asked.

  “Yes,” said the strategos, “although I suspect you may have guessed this already. Part of your brief is to physically protect both Smith and Teixeira. They will be told that in matters of personal security you have final and absolute say. I also expect you to physically intervene to protect them. Do you understand?”

  “Even if my own life is forfeit?” Biyu asked calmly.

  “Yes. When you agreed to this commission the justice said you would be given another choice. This is that moment. You are free to decline. In which case you will return to the capital immediately and we will make other arrangements. We understand the severity of this request and do not make it lightly.”

  Biyu looked at Torv and wondered why she was present. “I accept,” she said, knowing full well that she would have naturally acted to protect Smith and Teixeira.

  “Not that I ever doubted it,” smiled the strategos. “Of course we will give you all the tools you will need. Magnus Torv will you please demonstrate?”

  Torv smiled broadly and as she did so two sharp needle-like fangs descended from behind her eyeteeth. She held up both hands and two claws popped out of her middle fingers.

  Biyu was startled and leant back in her chair, instinctively ready to leap away.

  “These are biomechanical enhancements,” said Torv. “The fangs are modelled on serpent fangs and contain a powerful neurotoxin which you will be immune to. The fangs are stored in the maxilla and the venom sacks in the upper soft, palette. The claws are stored in the distal bone of the middle finger. They are a razor sharp ceramic and ideal for slicing veins and tendons. Thrust it forward and it can penetrate skin. Used in the right way such a stabbing action can pierce a chest and enter the heart; into the eye at the right angle and it can penetrate the superior orbital fissure and enter the brain. These modifications are all designed for extremely close, mortal combat. Apart from that my bones have been strengthened with a new ceramic material that bonds with calcium, tripling bone strength. In addition my kneecaps, elbows, heels, balls of my feet, hands and skull have been further strengthened. May I demonstrate?” she asked the strategos.

  The strategos nodded, obviously delighted at Torv’s modifications. “Just pick something easily replaceable.”

  Torv stood and with one blow shattered the solid hardwood arm of a nearby chair. “It still hurts and you can still bruise flesh, but that heals quickly. Bones take longer to mend so that puts you at an advantage. They have been carefully designed to maintain full flexibility and to be undetected, except by X-ray. Neat eh?” said Torv as she retracted both her fangs and claws.

  “These enhancements are voluntary and reversible, but I’m guessing you have already decided,” said the strategos. “The surgery will take a day and it will take a few more to heal. There are also other biomechanical enhancements to do with pain control and energy/adrenaline and nutrient reserves, small capsules secreted in protected cavities, particularly the interior ilium. These will be particularly useful if you succumb to physical stress and fatigue.”

  “Built-in armaments,” said Biyu. “I can see how they’ll be useful in a tight situation.”

  “Well, we’d like you to undergo one more modification,” said the strategos looking at Torv, indicating for her to explain.

  “Yes, it wasn’t ready when these were done. You’ll be the prototype.”

  Biyu raised her eyebrows. “A test case – for what?”

  “I’ll take you to see Tojo, magnus Shimazu, and he’ll demonstrate, but basically they’ve made important advances in nano and they’re working on ways to insert nanos into humans. In this case a dozen nano drones stored in capsules in your maxillary sinus cavity. When they are released they exit your nose.”

  Biyu grimaced and reflexively squinted her face with the thought of nanos in her nose.

  Torv laughed. “That hasn’t been the weirdest suggestion. Some have suggested a little nest of the beasties stored in a capsule in the womb. You’d literally be giving birth to a swarm of nanos.”

  “Ugh, gross,” Biyu grimaced.

  Torv seemed to be enjoying her discomfort. “Well, it’s all about practical cavities and orifices. I’m not sure a vagina is the best option. Men would have something stored near the prostate and they’d literally have to ejaculate nanos, which might be a bit uncomfortable, especially if they can be programmed to return. A nose makes more sense. You can pretend to sneeze and away they go, and return would be easy. It’s the obvious choice.”

  “And the function of these nanos?”

  “They can have a number of functions; some can attack eyes and blind your attacker, others are sensors to be used in reconnaissance,” said Torv leaning back in her chair, clearly finished with the explanation.

  “I also understand that you wish to donate some of your eggs to your partner,” said the strategos. “We will do that at the same time. In fact we can arrange to perform the full procedure. We will fly your partner here and she will walk out of the hospice pregnant with your child the next day.”

  “When?”

  “As soon as she is at the right point in her cycle, which I believe is next week.”

  Biyu remained seated, tears beginning to well in her eyes. It was all too much. Torv reached forward to rest a hand on her wrist to comfort her.

  “The problem is I’ll be on Earth when she’s born,” she sighed.

  “Not necessarily,” the strategos assured her. “If it is at all possible we will return you to Eden. I will demand a jumper and that the resources be made available. Believe me, I will move mountains. You are making a huge sacrifice for us and we will make a sacrifice for you.”

  55

  Li Li and Alice

  “You can wear some of my clothes until we buy you more,” said Li Li in French. “You are about the same size.”

  “A little smaller, but I don’t mind. I doubt they’ll have the type of clothes I like in Thimpu anyway. Besides, I can’t imagine Goth will be practical on Eden. I imagine we’ll all go naked like primitives if it’s warm. I mean; do we even know if Eden has material to make cloth? Maybe all we’ll wear is grass skirts.” Alice bounced on the bed to see how soft it was then looked into the ensuite. “Nice room,” she said pulling apart the curtains to look at the view. “You don’t mind sharing?”

  “Do you want a room on your own cheri?”

  “No, I’d be lonely. I just thought…”

  “I will enjoy your company. Besides, when I leave, this will become yours.”

  “I won’t be long after you. They should send me on the next jump.”

  “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. There may not be room until the first wave of colonisers. The next group will be made up of geologists, agriculturalists and builders. I’m not sure you are cut out for the manual task of preparing the first buildings or
going on geological surveys.”

  “The lifting will make me strong,” she said as she stood bouncing on the bed, flexing her arm muscles. “I have the genes.”

  “Perhaps we should start injecting you with testosterone?”

  “I wouldn’t mind muscles,” she said flopping onto her stomach.

  “You’ll grow a dick,” teased Li Li.

  “Wouldn’t mind a dick either,” Alice replied poking out her tongue. “Like a lady boy.”

  “Like the singer Harisu,” said Li Li.

  “No, he had the chop, he was MF, not FM,” said Alice using a scissor motion with her fingers. “Bye, bye dickie.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.”

  Alice kicked her feet and watched as Li Li looked in the wardrobe for some clothes that might fit her. “So, when are the others arriving?”

  “Sauveterre is coming next week…”

  “With Anaïs and Jules?” Alice asked excited.

  “Yes, and their mother Marie-Louise. He will be involved in establishing the clinic. You’ll help him.”

  “It’s child exploitation,” she protested.

  “Can’t have it both ways, miss I-have-an-adult-mind.”

  Alice rolled onto her back and dropped her head over the edge of the bed and looked at Li Li upside down. “So have you decided who has the best genes to father your first?”

  Li Li did not blink. “It’s a small pool. I think the best strategy will be to mix things up to guarantee variety. I’m not monogamous so maybe I’ll choose different fathers. Why, who do you think?”

  “David,” she said matter-of-factly. “His genome is very sound. Once we have fixed up his issue with diabetes.”

  “Yeah, he is cute… and quite smart.”

  “Have you discussed a population strategy?” Alice asked suddenly flipping from girlish behaviour to adult seriousness.

  “In what sense?”

  “Have you done the numbers? Seems to me a fifty-fifty policy will be restrictive. Better to have more females because males have an endless supply of sperm. If there are more females you can build the population quicker. And if you eliminate monogamous exclusivity you will get a greater genetic variation. It’s probably best not to have too many full siblings to prevent inbreeding, half-siblings will be better.”

  Li Li stood frozen by Alice’s observation. She hadn’t even thought about it. She had assumed there would be a large enough base to start with, which would be stimulated by further waves of emigration. “Well, there’s the first thing you can do. Why not write up a proposal? You’re good with these things. Think through the various scenarios and extrapolate the results. You never know. You may be the first director of genetic diversity. Be sure to factor in homosexuality…”

  “Oh, you mean Archi?”

  “You worked it out?”

  “It’s obvious, and his genome shows a propensity, but I don’t have to factor it in because I assume we will use some form of IVF. The men can donate sperm and women can act as surrogates. I mean; I assume sexual orientation won’t be an issue on Eden. I hope not, I haven’t worked out what I like yet. Theoretically I’m open to all possibilities.”

  “And you’ve thought about this have you, theoretically that is?”

  “Yes,” Alice said with a wicked smile. “Who knows I might even have a crush on you. You could be my first taste of pussy,” she giggled.

  Li Li threw her a skirt and a t-shirt. “Here, try these on.”

  Alice turned up her nose. “A bit plain, maybe I’ll adopt traditional Bhutanese clothes. I think I could blend in, we seem to share a common Mongolian heritage.”

  Li Li shook her head. “Suit yourself. I’m having a bath before we go down to dinner, you can join me if you wish. Then you can pick what you like.”

  “Oh, poor plain Jane,” teased Alice. “Nothing to wear.” She stood on the bed and undressed, letting her clothes drop around her on the bed. “Ready,” she said prancing and bouncing around naked.

  Li Li sighed; people had complained that she had been a precocious brat. They just hadn’t met Alice.

  56

  Cynthia

  It was Tojo who first expressed concern. She was handling volatile liquid explosive and lost focus, almost dropping it. It could have been a fatal mistake. He spoke to Prax privately, suggesting that she hadn’t been able to master her hormonal fluctuations. Whilst it was the responsibility of a thera to assess her, the strategos intervened suggesting a more personal approach might be best.

  He suggested a walk around the mountain because it would remind her of their time at the Spanda monastery. But it was also a partly selfish decision. He had spent too much time cooped up inside the mountain in meetings or sitting in front of a screen cramming as much as he could (in recent days the local Creole dialect) and he needed a break. The open air would rejuvenate them both.

  At first she was nervous because she knew she was in some sort of trouble but after they had walked for an hour she began to relax. They talked about her training and she knew he was listening carefully to every word to try and detect the smallest inconsistency between thought and feeling. It was a process she knew well and had hoped one day to master. When she did, she could watch her own inner dialogue with detachment and harmonise her thoughts and feelings.

  He found the conversation stimulating. It wasn’t an area he had given a great deal of thought to. She described the various techniques they had been working on and their tactical and strategic strengths and weaknesses.

  “If our ethics demand we try to preserve life, sabotage becomes a key technique of war. If we can block an advance by destroying key assets: bridges, roads, storage facilities then we might be able to prevent a battle from taking place. Better still if we can destroy military hardware before it can be used. I’ve been reading about various resistance and insurgent techniques. It’s all rather exciting. I quite like the idea of sneaking about.”

  “The danger doesn’t concern you?”

  “It’s the risk that makes it exciting, like free climbing, but everything will be well planned. Our focus at the moment is to find ways to destroy things in a way that makes it seem natural. A micro explosion in just the right place will be almost undetectable and make it seem like a structural fault. That’s the really interesting part; finding ways to make it all seem due to natural causes. There is no point in big explosions unless you want some sort of psychological impact and you want them to know who did it.”

  “I understand explosives were used to terrorise people, especially in the twenty-first century. They designed weapons to maim…”

  “Yes, we’ve started studying that. People would carry the explosives on them and use them on the public. Insane. Incomprehensible. I understand the mechs are working on ways to detect, defuse or dampen such devices. They are working on a nano foam that solidifies immediately it experiences sudden explosive force. I don’t pretend to understand the physics, but the prototype can contain a small explosive. It will become part of our training. We may find ourselves sent in to disarm such devices. This is where my enhanced strength will be useful.”

  “How so?”

  “There’s a surprising amount of lifting and heaving involved, and a denser muscle structure can help protect internal organs from blast waves. We have clothing to protect us from shrapnel.

  “It seems to me that in the last few weeks your musculature has increased and become more defined. Magnus Shimazu has told me you are contemplating further masculinisation,” he said watching her already well developed back and glut muscles ripple as she walked. “Although, that would seem to be improbable in such a short time span.”

  “I’ve lost a bit of body fat but my enhancement has been stimulated by the release of growth hormones. It’s part of the pubertal growth spurt. I’ve also started taking artificial enhancers, steroids, a specific protein diet.”

  “You’re considering sex reassignment?”

  “No. My clitoris will get larger, but th
at’s all. My genome is particularly suited to attaining hyper strength. I’ve always been interested in developing it to its full potential - as a female. I want to have children eventually.”

  They continued to walk silently, the topic of conversation momentarily exhausted - and because they had come to a strenuous climb that required concentration and an increased oxygen intake. Cynthia led the way, effortlessly using her strength to climb over rocks. For all her strength she had not lost any agility and from his position behind her he was able to fully appreciate her superior musculature in full action, every flex and extension of her powerful legs, gluts, back, shoulders and arms.

  He had to catch his breath when they got to the top of the rise. The vista was worth it, a seemingly endless panorama across the variegated forest canopy with several species of howlers, draco and fliers darting and wheeling in search of food.

  “When you have caught your breath do you want to try a climb?” Cynthia asked pointing a twenty-metre cliff face. “My guess is that there is a valley just over that rise. I think I can hear a waterfall.”

  He looked at the cliff face. It was of moderate difficulty with plenty of suitable hand and foot holds. “Lead the way; you were always better at choosing the best way up. Just remember your advantage.”

  She smiled. She seemed to have forgotten about her worries and it was if she were back on a rock climbing excursion in the mountains.

  He was glad of the exertion. It gave him a chance to assess his own physical improvement and he thought he noticed a definite increase in his arm strength, although he also noted a weakness in his obliques and abdominals, especially when he stretched for a handhold (he would tell Torv). Cynthia of course had no difficulty and when they came to a particularly difficult section that was just beyond his ability, she grabbed his wrist and with one free arm effortlessly lifted him so that for a moment it was only her brute strength preventing him from a nasty fall. She swung him holding all his weight until he was able to find a hand and foothold and continue unassisted.