The Soultakers (The Treemakers Trilogy Book 2)

by Christina L. Rozelle

  “What time is it?”

  “Four a.m. You’ve all been asleep for a while.”

  I lie back down in silence, staring up at the cracked, grey ceiling. Last night—seeing my mother—it wasn’t real, but it sure seemed so. “Thank you,” I say. “You made an impossible dream come true.”

  “You’re welcome, Joy. I hope you realize it would be mentally and emotionally . . . damaging . . . to do that more than once.”

  “I understand. I’m grateful for that moment, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

  “Eee?” says Baby Lou.

  I kiss her. “You hungry? Wanna eat? And later, Momma will give you a nice bath.”

  “I can get her something from the kitchen.” Zee stands, stretches.

  “Doesn’t the time go by much slower when you don’t sleep?”

  “No. I have ways of keeping myself entertained.”

  Yawning, I sit up in the cot and lay Baby Lou down in front of me. “You’ll have to tell me about that sometime.”

  “Okay, sure.” She smiles.

  “Let me get her diaper changed, and we’ll come with you.”

  “Oh, that’s unnecessary, Joy—”

  “I want to, I’m curious. This place is remarkable.”

  “It is that. The Old World may have destroyed a precious piece of the Earth, but they were also brilliant at creating marvelous things.”

  “Yeah. Smart of them to bury this place to keep it intact.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  Once I get Baby Lou’s fresh diaper tied up, I hand her off to Zee, slip on my boots and, after a nice yawn and good stretch of my sore body, take Baby into my arms once again. “We’ll have to get you a new sling.” The grim vision of its last use flashes through my mind.

  “You can let her down here, Joy. It’s safe,” says Zee. “And I’m sure she’ll enjoy the freedom.”

  After a brief moment of hesitation, I decide she’s right. I kiss Baby Lou again, nuzzle her soft cheek. “Would you like to walk?”

  “Wak?”

  I stoop and set her on her feet, giving her my fingers to steady herself. She grips them, whimpering up at me.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. Momma’s right here.”

  “Are you ready to go eat, Miss Baby Lou?” Zee asks.

  “Eee, eee.” She bounces, teeny curls bobbing.

  “And I’ll need to bathe her a little later,” I say. “She’s filthy.”

  “Sure, whenever you want.” Zee leads us out of the dorm room, and I sneak a peek over at the boy’s side where Emerson, Pedro, Tristan, and the rest, snooze. After scanning the row of beds twice, I don’t find Mateo.

  “After we go to the kitchen, let’s check on Smudge and Mateo first.”

  “We can do that, though they may still be asleep. I understand you wanting to see them though . . .” And she looks away.

  “Zee, what is it?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  “You know I can call your bluff. Tell me.”

  We pass by the medical wing corridor and the lobby seating area where, beneath the same palm tree, Chuck leans against a wall with one foot propped up. He sips at a steaming beverage, sets it onto the table beside him, then puts his instrument to his lips.

  “Morning, Chuck,” says Zee.

  He waves with a wink.

  “Tell me,” I coax. “What’s on your mind?”

  At Baby Lou’s toddle-speed, we approach the Ferris wheel—now still and empty—and I find early morning stars beyond the overhead mini domes.

  Zee sighs. “Okay, so . . . after I implanted my device into you—the one that allows us to telespeak?—I discovered a . . . cross-transmittal . . . A similar device had already been implanted into you.”

  I stop and stare, confused. “Lord Daumier—?”

  “No. This was nothing he did. It was an older-model device. And it was hibernating.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Whoever implanted the device into you is not currently running the program. It was no longer in use.”

  “That’s . . . strange . . .”

  “Are you aware of anyone who might’ve implanted it?”

  “No clue. Unless it was the Superiors or something . . . but there was never any evidence they did. At least I don’t . . . think there was.”

  Zee points past the roller coaster to the building’s end, where a glass elevator leads up to a low-lit, open room, set back away from the balcony. “Seraphim’s up in the observation deck already,” she says. “I’ll take you there after we check on your friends. I think you’ll love it. And he’s eager to meet you.”

  “I’m excited to meet him, too.”

  We turn down a short corridor, and a bright light pours out from an open doorway ahead. An earthy, rich aroma fills the air.

  “What is—?”

  “Coffee.” Zee inhales, rising to her tiptoes for a moment.

  “It smells amazing.”

  “It is amazing.” She gives me a nudge.

  When we get to the dining room, I’m reminded of Zentao’s common area. Tables and chairs, colors, flowers, wall pictures, and curious, edible fragrances beckon us inside.

  “Where does the food come from?” I ask.

  “We have a series of underground greenhouses that use the same mirrored lighting as the jungle. Coffee and soy beans, rice, corn, potatoes, and other crops not native to this area are now grown beneath the dead Earth, thanks to AOAI programming. It has taken a few years, but they’ve finally perfected farming suitable for each.”

  “Sounds great. So, we can stay here? We’ll be safe? Fed?”

  “For now. But there is a larger objective ahead.”

  “The fall of Alzanei, right? Will there be enough room here for the refugees?”

  “Maybe. But we’ve yet to work out the details. The most important thing is locating all three of the Seeker’s Keys.”

  “Well, we have the location of two of them. We just have to figure out how to get them. Any idea where the third might be?”

  “Greenleigh. But where in Greenleigh? Not a clue.”

  “How will we find it, then?”

  “Joy . . . we’ve all come together in this way for a reason. None of us has the whole answer; we are each a piece of the puzzle, and each carries a clue to solve the mystery. And we will, but it’ll take time.”

  “And further explanation, because I’m so confused right now.”

  “Here, have a seat.” Zee pulls out a chair, and I sit down, lifting Baby Lou into my lap. “You’ll understand everything soon enough. Now, hang on for a couple minutes. I’m going to get you two some beetsauce and bread from the kitchen. And I’ll get her soy milk. She’ll love that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, and coffee!” Zee claps her hands and hops. “You’re in for a treat.”

  I giggle at her excitement. “I can’t wait to try it.”

  She disappears into a back room and I realize now: some of who Zee was in Alzanei wasn’t an act. I think I like that. Even though she was playing a part, she was still . . . herself.

  Baby Lou reaches for a vase of flowers in the table’s center. I touch one and find it’s silk. My mother once had a bundle of silk flowers that belonged to my grandmother. I pull out a large white one—a daisy, I think—and hand it to Baby Lou, who puts it up to her mouth.

  I take the flower back and stick it into the vase. “No, Baby, it’s not for eating.”

  “Eee eee!” She yanks the tablecloth and spills everything over. At least there’s no water in it.

  Zee soon returns with a tray filled with various items, which she sets down in front of us. She slides a bowl of purple mush toward us. “This is beetsauce. It’s delightful. I brought extra in case you wanted to share it with her. And th
is”—she points to two steaming cups—“is coffee. It’ll wake you right up. I added soy milk, along with three cubes of sugar. That’s how I drink it. There’s soy milk in her bottle as well.”

  “Wow, thank you. This is perfect.”

  “Careful with the coffee, though; it’s a little hot.”

  I sip the coffee, bringing earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter to my mouth all at once. A strange flavor, for sure, but I like it, and after about half of it I am more awake and alert. Zee sips her cup, too, and we sit in silence, with Baby Lou and I trading bites of beetsauce and bread. Zee appears to drift off into her thoughts, and I trace the stitching on the base of my neck, drifting off into my own.

  After Baby and I have eaten all we can, Zee finishes off the bite of bread and few spoonfuls of beetsauce left. “That should hold me over for a couple of days.” She dabs a cloth napkin at her lips. “Now let me get these dishes back to the kitchen, then we’ll go visit your friends.”

  “Zee, wait . . .” I touch the stitching on my neck again. “What about—?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve blocked transmission of the Nirvonic System.”

  “I know, but can’t they . . . unblock it?”

  She considers this for a long moment before answering. “There is a very, very slight chance they may be able to. But worrying over it is neither necessary nor helpful. I’m monitoring you, and if I notice any strange behavior, I’ll take action.”

  “Any way to remove it? Can Seraphim—?”

  “No. Since Raffai began awakening OAIs . . . Lord Daumier’s scientists have been hard at work on an upgrade to the Nirvonic System. Unfortunately . . . they have achieved this.”

  “So, I have an upgraded version . . . The nurse said that . . .”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. The procedure is riskier now, even for highly trained OAIs. Once inserted, it biologically meshes with the brain and becomes . . . a part of you. So removing it would be like cutting out a piece of your brain.”

  As long as Lord Daumier is alive, I’ll never really be free, no matter where I am. They’ll advance their technology enough to take control of my brain, then, it could be me who hurts the people I love the most. Like Smudge did to Ms. Ruby under Arianna Superior’s control. Now that I’m awake, well-rested, and clear-headed, the reality of our escape has set in. We may be away from Alzanei, but we’re not out of danger. We still aren’t free.

  With Baby Lou toddling at my side, we follow Zee down the corridor to the medical wing.

  Joy? Are you there? Mateo asks in my mind.

  Yeah, I’m with Zee and Baby Lou. We’re on our way to visit you and Smudge.

  I’m not there; I came to the dorms to find you. Must’ve just missed you somehow. Probably when I went to the washroom.

  That’s okay. After Zee introduces me to Seraphim, we’ll head back. How are you?

  Much better. The treatment here is outstanding.

  That’s great; I’m so glad. I’m so sorry I hurt you—

  You saved my life, Joy, so stop apologizing. Please.

  Okay, I’m . . . Okay.

  All right, see you soon.

  In the medical wing, we find Smudge’s door propped open, with Smudge lying in her bed, chatting quietly to Johnny.

  “We’re not interrupting, are we?” I ask.

  “Not at all,” says Johnny.

  Smudge waves.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” I approach her bedside.

  “Much better. The doctors here . . . are the best.” Her voice is still hoarse, but sounds the slightest bit better.

  “Mateo said the same thing,” I say. “And I agree. I can’t even believe you were . . . dead . . . less than twenty-four hours ago. And now you’re sitting here talking to me.”

  “I can’t believe it, either. I thought I’d never see any of you again.” She studies Zee next to me.

  “Oh, this is Zee—”

  “I remember. You introduced me to her last night.”

  “She just shared with me last night that her donor was . . . my mother.”

  Both Johnny and Smudge gape in disbelief. Johnny drops onto his cot. “Wow, how intense is this?”

  Smudge smiles, teary-eyed. Mine soon follow, and I take her hand, then notice Zee’s in tears, too. I motion for her to join us, and the three of us embrace one another, a heartfelt celebration of this bittersweet victory.

  Johnny wipes wetness from his face, too. “Man, this is pretty damn awesome.”

  “Isn’t it?” I laugh.

  “I remember you,” Zee whispers. “He was quite fond of you.”

  “He was,” Smudge says. “And I’m sorry, I . . . do not remember you.”

  “I had extensive modifications when—never mind, it’s a long story. That’s fine. You know me now.”

  “How long was she under . . . the first time?” Smudge asks Zee.

  “Six months straight. What about yours?”

  “Four, but he didn’t find anything, did he?” And Smudge chuckles.

  “No.” Zee joins her with a giggle. “He sure didn’t. Richard was smart; he knew.”

  “Yes, he did. And yes, he was.”

  “What are you two talking about?” I ask.

  The two AOAIs exchange non-verbal cues, then Zee begins. “Once Lord Daum—”

  “Look”—Johnny holds a hand out—“I’m getting sick of hearing this asshole’s name. Can we just call him Mister Ugly, or—or Lord Dumbass, or something?”

  Everyone cracks up. When the laughter has died down, Zee continues. “When Lord Ugly—”

  Johnny gives a nod and a thumbs-up.

  “—first transferred our donor minds to human bodies, he placed them into extensive MemTap programs to unearth any information that might’ve been useful. Eventually, though, Lord D—er . . . Lord Ugly”—Zee giggles—“discovered that Richard had never told them anything about the Keys, at which point, he made them into servants of his instead. That seemed to make up for it. Somewhat, at least.”

  “So let me get this straight,” says Johnny. “Both of your donors—Joy’s mother, and her father’s lover—have been used for two OAI minds? Transferred, then re-transferred . . . because . . . why, again?”

  “Sometimes select minds are chosen to be re-transferred into upgraded OAIs,” says Zee.

  “This is all so damn confusing. But amazing, too.” And he swoops down to steal a kiss from Smudge. “Crazy how it’s all worked out.”

  “I don’t understand why he would risk having you so close to me,” I tell Zee. “If he knew your donor was my mother, it seems careless that he’d choose you.”

  “And how did he not know you were awake?” Johnny adds.

  Zee clears her throat. “Well, first, the technology here in the Refuge surpasses that of Alzanei. Not by much, but enough for now. Seraphim has some programs that assist the AOAIs who wish to remain in Alzanei. It enables them to pass the Scan so they don’t end up in The Pit.”

  “The Scan?” I repeat.

  “That’s how they find the AOAIs. The ones who refuse Seraphim’s implant. Anyway, and I also convinced him that knowing more about your background would help me . . . manipulate you.”

  “And you were actually manipulating him by saying so.” I laugh again. “That’s something my mother would do.”

  She winks. “Yes, it is.”

  Baby Lou squirms and whines in my arms, impatient with what’s going on.

  “Hi there, Miss Baby Lou.” Smudge tickles Baby’s toes, and Baby Lou babbles back to her.

  “I suppose we have a lot to talk about,” Zee says.

  “I suppose we do.” Smudge grins again.

  “Well, if you’re strong enough,” I say, “maybe you and Johnny’d want to come to the observation deck to see Seraphim with us . . . ?” I spot a wheeled chair in the corner an
d point to it. “We can push you in that.”

  Smudge considers this for a moment, then nods. “Yes, I would . . . love that.” Then she takes Johnny’s hand. “Do you want to go?”

  “Well, if you’re going, then, hell yes. I go where you go.” And he kisses her hand.

  “I’m really glad you . . . found me. I had lost . . . faith . . .” She looks up at Zee. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be gone, and . . . they’d all be suffering. Thank you so much for everything you did . . . to help them.”

  “Of course,” Zee says. “They saved me, too.”

  “Believe me, I understand that. They are a . . . remarkable group of humans.”

  “That they are.”

  After a long moment of silence, Smudge speaks again. “You’ve all told me I should not feel . . . guilty about what Arianna Superior made me do . . . to Ms. Ruby . . . but that is very difficult. Ms. Ruby was a great woman . . . kind, loving, selfless . . . Arianna knew how much Lord Daumier wanted to have me back . . . as well as lay claim to the rest of you, for various reasons. She knew you . . . trusted me. She . . . used me to get you.”

  “Smudge,” I say and lean closer. “The Queen assisted in our escape.”

  She perks up, eyes alight, yet confused. “She did?”

  “She worked with Zee. Told Arianna Superior the exact time of the wedding so she’d show up and create a diversion. Then Queen Nataniah speared her, and she dropped into the chasm, dead. The Queen avenged her sister’s death, and Aby’s . . . and Raffai’s.”

  Smudge takes in a deep breath in contemplation. “I never would’ve expected . . .”

  “Me, neither. Must’ve been what Ms. Ruby said before she died. She asked her to help us.”

  “Hang on,” Johnny says, “I thought Arianna knew this was all gonna happen. Isn’t that why she turned us over in the first place?”

  “No,” says Zee. “She was lied to. Lord . . . Ugly told her he’d generously reward both her and the Queen, that there’d be a ceremony shortly following. Arianna believed that the ceremony would be for her, that he’d marry her, make her Head Saint of Alzanei. She believed it would happen because she’d catered to his every whim for years, ever since she was young, one of his pets, along with Mona Superior.”