by G J Ogden
Maria laughed. “Glad to see your sense of humour survived the trip,” she said. “So, now that you’re up, what do you say we get started? How about a quick tour?”
Ethan again looked at what he was wearing. “Do you think I can get some proper clothes first?”
Maria laughed again. “Sure, I’ll have someone bring you in a few choices and sizes. Wear what you like.”
She seemed at ease, comfortable and happy, and this made Ethan feel good too. But then he remembered what he’d left behind, and guilt stabbed at him again. His smiled faded and he looked down at the cold, white floor. “What about Summer and Kurren?” he asked solemnly. “Do you know what happened to them, if they’re okay?”
Hearing their names also had a sobering effect on Maria. She also looked away momentarily, before forcing herself to look back at Ethan. Her right hand trembled slightly and she pressed it tightly against her leg to steady it. “I monitored for as long as I could,” Maria answered. “I know the launch bay doors were released, which means Kurren and Summer would have been able to get out. But beyond that, no, I don’t know anything more.”
Ethan considered this in silence for a few seconds, and realised that of the two, it was Kurren that was most in danger. Summer would survive, he had to believe that; she was a born survivor. But Kurren was injured, and also Summer’s enemy. He was less convinced about him, but for Maria’s benefit he would play the optimist. He could see she was hurting.
“So long as they could get out, they’ll get back to the settlement.” he told her, convincingly. Maria nodded and managed a weak smile. “And I’m sure Kurren will be fine,” he added. “Summer is skilled at treating injuries, so she’ll be able to patch him up.” He thought about adding, ‘So long as she doesn’t kill him first’, in a joking way, but reconsidered, because he didn’t want to tempt fate. Nevertheless, Ethan’s comment seemed to make Maria feel more at ease again.
“I’m sure you’re right,” she replied, maintaining the weak smile a moment longer. “I’ll have someone bring you some clothes and then we’ll meet up again soon, okay?” Ethan nodded, and Maria touched him gently on the shoulder, tugging on the thin material a little. “Thank you, Ethan,” she said tenderly, and then added, with a touch of melancholy, “and, I’m sorry.”
The latter took Ethan by surprise and he was unable to process a reply before Maria had turned and left the room. Perhaps she meant about Summer and the mess they had all made in getting here. But, still, it was an odd thing to say, and it gnawed at him.
A few minutes later the doors slid open again. This time a young man entered, carrying some clothes and a couple of pairs of boots. He acknowledged Ethan with a nod, but walked past him and placed the items carefully on the bed. He was dressed in a uniform that more closely resembled Kurren’s when they had first met, but with less elaborate adornments. Perhaps he was a lower status or rank. He turned to Ethan and said, very formally, “Please put these on, Sir. I will be waiting outside to escort you to the briefing room.”
Ethan walked over and inspected the clothes. They were functional and well made, and also clearly designed for utility, with multiple pockets in the trousers and reinforced shoulder and elbow areas. But they had no insignia or adornments, save for a UEC emblem on the breast pocket.
“I guess the tour has to wait?” Ethan asked, but the man did not react and simply excused himself, formally, and left.
Ethan changed into the clothes and walked towards the door, which he was surprised to discover opened for him automatically as he approached. The young uniformed man was standing outside, as promised, and he gestured for Ethan to follow him. They walked along clean, white passageways and past a series of similar-looking rooms, some bigger and some smaller like his own, but all with a similar, sterile look to them and all bustling with people getting on with whatever it was they were doing. This place was big, Ethan thought, as he passed the tenth or eleventh room; he had lost count. They then exited the hallway into a much larger room, at which point the uniformed man momentarily broke his silence to explain that this was the medical wing’s main reception area. Again, people moved to and fro, not paying Ethan or the young man any attention, save the occasional polite ‘hello’ or nod. Then they continued outside, at which point the surroundings changed considerably. The sparse, white design of the medical building gave way to scenery much closer in look and feel to that of the city near the settlement on the planet, with angular buildings made from synthetic-looking materials. The big difference was that these buildings were intact and clean, unlike the weather-beaten, broken and battered streets and buildings of the city on the planet. Despite this, however, the similarity in design was unmistakable. The most impressive of all the architectural elements was the vast domed ceiling. Ethan looked up in amazement at the size and scale of the place they were in. They could fit perhaps a dozen or more settlements the size of Forest Gate in this single domed area alone.
“Is that all that’s between us and… out there?” Ethan asked the man, feeling a little queasy at the prospect of what lay beyond the dome’s oddly translucent boundary.
“I’m not authorised to answer any questions, Sir, but don’t worry, it’s quite safe,” was the young man’s polite reply.
Ethan was now aware that more people seemed to be noticing him. Couples and people in small groups would sometimes slow down or stop and whisper to each other as they passed by. He thought about asking the young man about this, but didn’t as he guessed at what his answer would likely be. After a couple of minutes of this close observation Ethan was beginning to feel a little paranoid, but he saw with relief that ahead of him was large, grey building with an impressive looking UEC insignia above the main doors, and assumed this was their destination. Ethan noted that the insignia was the same one that was emblazoned on the uniforms that Maria and the young man wore, and it also matched the one on his shirt.
The man stopped as they reached the door, which opened for them automatically. “Please go inside Sir,” he said, politely, “Captain Salus is waiting for you.”
“Who?” said Ethan, before remembering and feeling a little stupid. “Oh, never mind.” The man did not react.
“I’m instructed to inform you that venturing outside of this building, unescorted, is forbidden.” The announcement took Ethan off guard. It sounded like the man was reciting from a script. “There are many restricted areas and areas that are off-limits to you...” the man stopped abruptly and hastily corrected himself, looking quite embarrassed, “… that are off-limits to non-UEC personnel. This is for your own safety, Sir,” the man added, returning to his scripted delivery style, but the flush of his cheeks gave away that he’d made a mistake. The man then said his goodbyes and marched off.
Ethan frowned. “Off limits to me?” he wondered. “For my own safety?”
“Ethan!” The friendly shout was from Maria. She was walking towards the door, motioning for him to come inside. She looked happy to see him, the earlier trace of melancholy now gone.
“What did he mean when he said there are areas off limits to me?” Ethan said, as she got close enough to hear him without raising his voice.
Maria shot him a confused look, clearly surprised by the question. Ethan explained what the uniformed man had told him, including his slip-of-the-tongue. Ethan noticed that Maria’s smile buckled slightly, and she stuttered a hesitant reply, though her voice remained cheerful.
“Oh, don’t pay it any attention,” said Maria, “there are areas that are off limits to lots of people, it’s just a safety thing, you know?” The answer, though cheerfully delivered, was unconvincing and evasive. Ethan felt himself getting cross.
“I think I can manage not to kill myself,” he said, tartly. “I’ve managed so far.”
“I know,” Maria replied. “But, for now, where you need to be is in here, with me. We can perhaps have that tour later, okay?” The intention was clear; Maria didn’t want to talk about ‘off limits’ areas, and Ethan realised th
at the young man’s slip was a bigger mistake than she was letting on. For the first time since he’d met her, Ethan felt suspicious of Maria, and this made him feel anxious and exposed in this alien environment. Up to this point, he had taken it in his stride, despite the strangeness and enormity of the situation, because of his unflinching belief in why he was doing it and, more importantly, for whom.
Maria noticed his unease. “Hey, it’s okay Ethan, I’ll look after you,” she said. “I know this is all really strange, but we’re together, okay?” And again, the tender tug to the shirt sleeve. Despite his doubts, Ethan couldn’t help but feel reassured.
“Okay, Sal,” he said. “Better get to it then.” She led him into the building and he followed her through a large and strangely empty hallway into a small room. The door closed behind them. “It’s a bit small for a meeting, isn’t it?” said Ethan, wondering why they had left the larger room to stand, cooped up, in this metal box.
“This isn’t the meeting room, Ethan,” Maria said, stifling a laugh. This made him feel both annoyed and embarrassed. Maria again picked up on Ethan’s shift of mood, something she was getting adept at, and held back from teasing him further. “Just hold on to the rail there, and your lunch…” she added with a knowing smile. Ethan frowned as she took out a flat piece of plastic from her shirt pocket and pressed it to a panel on the wall. The room instantly shot upwards. Ethan was completely unprepared and buckled at the knees due to the sudden acceleration. Since he hadn’t held onto the rail as Maria had suggested, he nearly crumpled into a heap on the floor, but was saved this further embarrassment thanks to his quick reflexes, which allowed him to catch the railing just in time. Almost as quickly as it had begun, the pressure eased, allowing Ethan to adjust and regain his balance. Through slits in the walls of the room, he could see that they were travelling upwards. Then the little box decelerated with the same alarming speed and Ethan felt like his feet would leave the floor. This time he was holding on to the rail, though, and so managed to keep his balance, and dignity. A note chimed in the room, like the sound of metal striking metal, and the doors opened into a grand room with an enormous black table at the centre, surrounded by twelve impressive-looking black chairs. At first, Ethan thought the room had no walls and simply existed in a void, but as he followed Maria out of the box he could see that the walls were of a transparent material, similar to the windows in the room where he had woken up. He chanced a look out and wished he hadn’t; the room was a long way up. How high Ethan didn’t really want to know, but it was high enough that the people on the surface looked like bugs, scurrying in and out of the various buildings below. Ethan had never experienced the sensation of being so high and he felt a little queasy.
“We call it ‘The Teardrop’,” said Maria as Ethan gingerly backed away from the transparent walls. “It’s sort of a symbolic meeting space.”
Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “If it’s called ‘The Teardrop’, I’m almost afraid to ask what it symbolises.”
“I could tell you, but Talia wouldn’t be happy,” said Maria, cheekily.
Ethan laughed. “I think we’re past the point of worrying what Talia thinks,” he said with a smile.
Maria walked over and stood beside him. Together they looked out over the vast area of the moon base. It was an incredible sight that made Ethan wonder just how majestic the cities on the planet must have been, before The Fall.
“A long time ago, this is where the planetary leaders met to sign the treaty, guaranteeing energy security on equal terms to all people,” said Maria. There was pride in the way she spoke this, Ethan noticed. “This beautiful, transparent room, high above the surface, was meant to symbolise the openness with which all present entered into the treaty,” she continued. “Just as the room hid nothing, so would all of the representatives. No hidden agendas.”
“So why not call it, ‘The Transparent Room’ or ‘Open Room’, or something like that. Why ‘Teardrop?’” asked Ethan.
Maria smiled. “Ah, well that’s the best part,” she said, clearly glad that Ethan was paying attention, and was interested. “As the story goes when the final governor to sign the document finished her signature, she also shed a single tear, which fell on the paper and mixed with the ink, creating a tear-shaped stain. It was considered the final mark of acceptance and approval, and so they named the room after it.”
Ethan had to stare solidly at his feet to stop himself from feeling sick, and barely heard Maria. “That’s great, Sal,” he said, uneasily, “but couldn’t we have done this somewhere, you know, less high up?”
Unseen to Ethan, Maria smiled broadly. “It’s a great honour, Ethan. This room doesn’t get used much these days.”
“No world leaders left, I guess, huh?” Ethan quipped, and Maria’s smiled disappeared. Ethan hadn’t intended to be so cutting, and the sharpness of his response surprised even himself. It reminded him of Summer. He fought that image back; he did not want to be reminded of her right now. He felt sick enough as it was.
“Well, the sooner we start, the sooner we can get back to ground level,” said Maria, plainly.
Ethan looked from his feet and towards the centre of the room, which helped to steady his stomach. It was then he noticed that two of the large black chairs were occupied. The chair at the very top of the table was filled by an older man, perhaps similar to Talia’s age, dressed in the same uniform as Maria, but with many more adornments to the collar and cuffs. The chair to his left side was occupied by a severe-looking man dressed in utilitarian clothing, similar to the sort Ethan was wearing, again with the addition of some designs and metal studs to the collar and cuff. He was younger, perhaps late middle-aged, and looked like he’d seen a fight or two in his life.
Ethan approached them, still a little gingerly, and the man at the top of the table at once stood up, followed swiftly by the man sat to his side, who then took a step back. The older man wore a warm, but carefully controlled smile, not unlike the one Maria had given Ethan earlier, when they were discussing his restricted movements. This made Ethan instantly distrustful of him.
“Welcome, welcome!” the older man said, gesturing for Ethan to come closer. “It’s an honour to meet you, Ethan. Captain Salus has told me so much about you.” Ethan glanced over at Maria, wondering what she had been saying about him, but Maria was standing rigidly, hands by her sides, a plain, serious expression on her face. “All good, of course,” the man added, casually, still smiling, as if he thought this qualification was important. “I am Governor Archer, Thomas Archer,” he continued. “I have the honour and privilege of running this base and presiding over the UEC governing council. Please excuse the formality of the uniform; it’s merely protocol in these situations.”
“What situations?” asked Ethan, abruptly. He was genuinely interested, but the way he blurted out the question seemed to visibly disconcert Maria, who he could still see in his peripheral vision.
Governor Archer’s face retained its easy smile. “Defence protocol, Ethan,” he answered, after a slight pause. “I am Governor, but also the commander of our security forces here – the defenders that protect us from GPS attacks and keep us safe and secure.” Archer walked around the edge of the table so that he was standing more directly in front of them, and then added, “I understand that Captain Salus has already briefed you on our situation?”
“Yes,” said Ethan. “Sal showed me some images on a holo, or whatever it’s called.”
“Already on first name terms, good!” said Archer, enthusiastically.
Ethan thought he saw Maria wince, and considered that his familiar tone perhaps wasn’t appropriate in this situation, though he was merely responding in the same, casual manner in which he had been welcomed. His mind was then overtaken with memories of what the ‘holo’ had shown him, and what Maria had said. It seemed like such a long time ago, and so far away, and in the excitement and strangeness of recent events he’d almost forgotten. He remembered the meeting in the settlement hall, in far l
ess grand circumstances than these. The thrill of learning the truth and the crushing disappointment and regret that followed. He recalled the suspicion, anger and resentment from Summer, and the ultimatum from Administrator Talia to Kurren and Maria, with its passive-aggressive undertone and its own sense of bitterness. In recollecting all this, he felt a sudden sense of uneasiness, as something didn’t quite add up. And then he realised why.
“Maria, I mean Captain Salus, said that people up here were in danger?” said Ethan, conscious that he perhaps shouldn’t sound too personally attached to Maria. While it was clear that Maria and this Governor Archer had talked before his arrival, he was pretty sure Maria would have left out any personal details. “She said that it was something related to the same sickness that causes The Maddening on the planet?” Ethan added, again phrasing the sentence more as a question.
“That is correct,” said Archer, a little hesitantly, the reason for Ethan’s question unclear to him.
“So where is the danger?” Ethan asked, annoyed that he was having to spell it out. “Forgive me for being blunt, but I don’t see anything wrong up here. Everyone seems just fine.” The more he spoke the more Ethan found himself becoming irritated. “In fact, Governor, it seems that you have it pretty good up here, compared to us Planetsiders, anyway.”
The Governor listened patiently, impassively, wearing the same, easy smile. For some reason he irked Ethan. He had felt uneasy ever since arriving; a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. And now, standing in front of these men, dressed in their immaculate uniforms, in this pristine room poised almost magically above their peaceful kingdom in space, with its artificial lighting, comfortable temperature and total lack of any apparent threats or dangers, the realisation struck him. Life on this base was good. There was no suffering, no adversity, at least none that he had witnessed. Compared to the daily struggle and constant threat of danger that he had lived with his entire life, this base was a paradise. He questioned why he had risked so much – and sacrificed so much – to be here.
