by Erica Rue
29. DIONE
“Almost there,” Brian said. He paused and looked around for something in the waning light. Just a few minutes later, he was on his knees brushing some sticks and leaves out of the way to reveal a secret door. He ushered her down into a small underground room that looked abandoned. It contained a humble table and a couple of cots, but not much else.
“It’s a smuggler’s den,” he said.
“Are you a smuggler, then?”
“Only when the occasion calls for it. We’ll rest here and get an early start tomorrow morning.”
In the corner, he found a glowglobe. Dione watched in fascination as he opened the top, dropped in the remains of his dinner, and gave it a shake. The effect was almost immediate. A dim glow emanated from the sphere, which he hung on a hook from the ceiling.
“What do you smuggle? Food?”
“Mostly, though the Matching is coming up soon. Around this time, there are usually a few people looking for a way out.”
“They can’t just leave?”
“I’m sure some do and manage to live in the forest, or build a home far away, but the trackers often find the runaways. We offer them protection in exchange for hard work.”
“Seems fair.”
Dione was exhausted, but her curiosity led her to pull the journal out of her bag. Brian began to tinker with some small electronic he’d pulled from his own.
The diary picked up with the same vitriol against the Architect. But as the entries progressed, the author seemed to change her mind. Dione earmarked a few as she read, then came back to them.
I thought she poisoned me when she gave me that injection. But now I understand what she did. She was just giving me another chance to hold him. My son. I didn’t believe it at first because I could only see him. But now I remember everything in 3D. Like the warmth of his tiny body against my skin. She won’t tell me his name. She says she doesn’t know and maybe that’s true. How could I forget my own son? A part of me doubts these memories, like she planted them, but it’s not just my mind. My body remembers him, too, and aches to hold him one more time, like it knows a part of it is missing now.
There were other memories she wrote down, but she kept coming back to the one of her son.
Things are clearer now, but she says it will only last like this for a couple of weeks. Then everything will go back to being hazy, until it’s lost completely. I don’t know why I let him do this to me. To all of us. To take our memories. Can it really be a new life, if you don’t have an old one?
I see her plan now. I’m more than leverage to get what she wants from the Farmer. She thinks I’m her best chance to set things straight, because everyone will believe me. I don’t know if this is true or not. She had me write these memories down, this truth down, in my own hand, so that I would read the words and change everything. She’s going to lock the Flyers and give me the key. But I’ll only have the key if I still have the journal, or at least that’s what she said. It’s just her way of making sure that there is balance. She thinks that I can heal the divide. The refugees have taken over the Field Temple, but she doesn’t want the people divided. She talks about how things will be when he’s gone, and I think she plans to kill him. Truthfully, I don’t think her plan will work. She’s put her faith in the wrong people. Or the wrong person.
Dione paused, considering what she just read. She thinks that I can heal the divide. Brian had mentioned a divide earlier. Was he talking about this?
“Brian,” she looked up, “can you tell me more about the Great Divide that you mentioned last night?”
Brian nodded and set his project down on the table. He pulled an empty meal bar wrapper out of his pocket. “This is the Field Temple. And this rock,” he said, grabbing a large pebble from the ground, “is the Vale Temple. Before the Ficarans existed and occupied the Field Temple, everyone moved freely between the two buildings and the Forest Temple. But no one was actually free. Your life—where you lived, who you married—was decided for you by the Farmer. He taught everyone a lot of important things, don’t get me wrong, like best farming practices and what to forage. Breeding stronger musical responses in animals. The Aratians like to remember it as a utopia, but people who were ‘genetic liabilities’ were treated differently. The more dangerous recessive genes that you had, the less of a person you were.”
“Dangerous? Like they increased the odds of disease?” Dione asked.
“Yes.”
“How did they do such detailed genetic tests?”
“The Farmer taught his closest followers how to use the equipment and how to do the tests, but that knowledge is carefully guarded.”
Dione didn’t understand how they could know so much about genetics, yet think that the Farmer was a god. It was clear to her that he was just a man who longed for power. He had somehow managed to intertwine science and ignorance. Somewhere in their education he trained them to believe that science was magic. And as much wonder as the things she discovered evoked, to call them magic was an insult to the centuries of work done by persistent men and women.
Brian continued. “Eventually the Architect showed up. No one was sure where she came from, but she could see how upset people were. She’s the one who told them that the Farmer wasn’t a god. They could leave. They were free. She helped them organize and rebel. They took the weapons and the Flyers, and they took over the Field Temple. There they founded the Ficaran settlement.
“They tried to make her a god but she didn’t want that. Supposedly the last thing that she said before she locked the Flyers was that they weren’t machines of war and to use the weapons for protection only. She warned us not to believe the Farmer’s lies and to trust what we could verify.’”
No matter what the journal’s author said, Dione liked this Architect, assuming Brian’s story was true.
“So she locked the Flyers after your people used them to escape?”
“Yes, she was worried we would go back to attack the Aratians. Then the Farmer’s wife went missing and turned up dead a few weeks later. She had killed herself. The Farmer was furious, and everyone thought there would be war, but the Farmer left abruptly and never returned. When it became clear that he wasn’t coming back, his most trusted advisor, David Bram, stepped in to govern until his return. Supposedly the Farmer had been planning to leave for a while, and the trouble with the rebels forced him to move up his plans.
“Bram legitimized his role by marrying his eldest son, Michael, to Clara, the Farmer’s daughter. Somehow the Aratians weren’t suspicious at all that Clara and Michael were a perfect genetic pair.”
Well, for a story called “The Great Divide,” she shouldn’t be surprised that it didn’t have a happy ending. “Why do you want a Flyer, if the Architect thought they were so dangerous?”
“I’m not going to use it to fight.”
“For what then?” Dione believed him, but she still thought she should know what he planned to do with it.
Brian looked down and picked up the device he had been taking apart and proceeded to put it back together.
“We’ve already made a deal. You don’t have to tell me.”
Brian sighed. “It’s not exactly a secret. Most people try to talk me out of it when I tell them, so I just stopped telling people.”
“I won’t try to talk you out of it,” Dione said. Her experience with Lithia meant she was used to getting ignored when telling people not to do stupid things.
“My father is missing. He sailed to the southern island a few years ago and hasn’t come back. He knew the Farmer was a liar, and that he didn’t create us. He thought that maybe we came here from somewhere else, but he never found any evidence. Then he came up with this theory that all the evidence was on the southern island. But the currents make that a one-way trip.”
“Is that why you asked us if we’d met any Ficarans?”
“Yes. I want the Flyer to go find my father. Maybe when we get there, you can show me around, since you’re more f
amiliar with the area than me.” He glanced up from his tinkering.
Dione panicked. Lithia was not here to smooth things over and fill in the awkward silence that hung in the room.
“Sure, um… I guess I can do that. It’s just—”
Brian burst out laughing. “You really are a terrible liar. It’s a good thing you have Lithia with you.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Dione said.
“Come on, you’ve been a give-away this whole time. One day, I’ll teach you how to lie. It can come in handy.”
Dione could feel herself giving up. “So you’re not mad we lied to you?”
“Everyone lies. You didn’t know me, and you’re clearly not from around here. Will you tell me the truth now? Where are you from? My father will be upset if he finds out I never asked.”
Dione didn’t feel like she had a choice. She needed an ally, and without Lithia here, she didn’t quite know what to do. The truth wasn’t always easy, but usually, it was the best option. Brian didn’t even seem mad, just confused. What would happen if she told the truth? Would he believe her? At this point, she really couldn’t refuse.
And so, Dione told him the truth. She told him about their ship, and the Ven attack. She told him that the Vens sounded a lot like the demons that fell from the sky. She told him that her friend Bel really was in trouble, and that Zane was still up there with her, waiting for them to bring back the medicine. She even told him about what she had found on the space station: the terraforming, the research bases, and how there were still things she didn’t know.
For a few long, agonizing minutes, Brian said nothing. When he had finished processing, he looked up and said, “I believe you.”
“You do?”
“I mean, my father… I don’t think he suspected that we came from another planet. He always thought we were brought here from the other side of the world, or the southern island. That’s why he went there. The Farmer forbid it, and even the Architect warned us not to go there. He thought that’s where the big secret, some hidden civilization, was. Do you know what’s there? Could you see it from… space?”
“We didn’t even know there were people here. Something must have interfered with the scans we did. We didn’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
“You didn’t know we were here?”
“Not a clue.” It sounded like an apology.
“That explains why you crashed.”
“That was all Lithia,” Dione said, smiling. “Don’t blame me.” Her smile quickly faded. Lithia was still a captive. Or worse. She felt the tears coming, so she turned away from Brian and returned to her cot. She didn’t need him to see her cry. “I’m sorry, I just…”
Then Brian did something unexpected. He moved over to sit next to her and just held her. The second his arms wrapped around her, she started sobbing. It was like an invitation to let everything out. All of the worry, the despair, and the guilt.
“My father always said crying was as natural as eating. When you are hungry, you eat and the hunger goes away. When you are upset, you cry, and then you feel some relief until the next time you are overwhelmed.”
After another minute, Dione wiped her face on her sleeve and felt her anguish subsiding. Instead of telling her everything would be okay, he had let her cry. All of the anxiety from the crash and the pursuit and Lithia’s abduction needed an outlet, and there it was. Everything was not okay, but she was doing all she could to change that, starting with getting some rest.
“I think I’m ready for bed now. Thanks, Brian, and I really mean that.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
“What? Where are you going?”
“No, I mean, never mind,” he said. In the fading light of the glowglobe, she thought she saw him smiling. He reached out and put a hand on her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He was gentle, slowly moving his hand back to brush her hair out of the way. She put one hand on his chest as she kissed him back, feeling his heart beat under the hard muscles there. After just a few moments, he pulled away. “Good night, Dione.” Even in the dim light of the glowglobe, she could see him smiling that gorgeous smile.
“Night,” she said. She heard Brian settling into one of the other cots, and she suddenly felt wide awake. What did his kiss mean? Was it simply out of pity for a crying girl? After a few moments of consideration, she realized what he had been asking. She had totally just blown it. He must think that she was an idiot. And probably a bad kisser, now, and she would never get another chance.
Her pulse was racing. After one kiss. Brian could probably hear her heart pounding from the other side of the room. She listened for his characteristic snores, but heard nothing. Could he be lying awake in his cot right now, too? She strained to hear him breathing, but her exhaustion closed off her senses too soon.
30. ZANE
Zane almost couldn’t believe it when he woke up and went to the command center, only to find that the spider had worked. It was like power coming on after a storm. He didn’t realize how much data had been trapped on the surface, but here it all was. Comms were back, but other signals escaped, too. He would have to sift through those later. The planet had also been blocking access to certain station databases, but now they were open. He downloaded everything to the Calypso. Eventually, whoever was down there would recover, but it would take a while with their outdated systems. For now, he had the upper hand.
The first order of business was finding Dione and Lithia. He was now receiving location information from their manumeds. They weren’t designed to be trackers, but he was able to get their location from the Calypso. All their manumed traffic, including location, went through the ship. That was the easy part. He was alarmed that they were not together, but he decided to try Lithia first.
“Lithia? Lithia, are you there?” he said.
There was a long pause, and it filled him with uncertainty. She had to be alive.
“Hello?” A young female voice answered, but it was not Lithia. Zane did not recognize the voice. Someone on the planet had gotten a hold of her manumed.
“Who is this?”
“I’m Cora Bram. How are you doing this? The Farmer took all of the communication devices. Is he coming back? Has he sent you?” The voice had gone from confused to ecstatic in seconds.
Zane had not expected this. He was about to answer when a call from Dione popped up. He immediately answered, ending the other call. Maybe Lithia had lost her manumed, and she was with Dione.
“Zane, thank god. How is Bel doing?” she said, relief and concern both apparent in her voice.
“She’s not doing well. The medical bed is helping her breathe. Where are you? Where is Lithia? Is she with you? I called her, but someone else answered. There are people that live on this planet.”
“I know. And I’m with one of them right now, but some of them took Lithia.”
“Why? What happened?”
Dione caught him up on the basics, explaining how the trackers took Lithia and that she and Brian were on their way to get another shuttle. Zane pulled up a map of the area in order to follow along. Lithia was now at the Vale Temple, which he assumed was the Vale Base on his map. On the other side of the forest was the Field Base. Dione was close.
“So you think that one shuttle will be enough to infiltrate the Aratian town? From the info I have up here, it looks like the terraformers called it the Vale Base. It’s down in a valley, protected by forest, hills, and sheer cliffs. It won’t be easy.”
“We don’t have a choice. They have the meds and Lithia.”
“Well, someone named Cora Bram has her manumed, so maybe you can get her help.”
“Cora Bram?” Dione said. “Brian, isn’t that… Evy’s cousin? Maybe she really is helping Evy. You have any ideas?”
Zane still didn’t understand all this business about Ficarans and Aratians, but he trusted that Brian was a good guy. Or at least good enough.
“I don’t know,” B
rian’s voice came through. “Cora is Evy’s cousin, and the daughter of the Aratian Regnator. She could have a lot of pull with her father and help free Lithia.”
Zane’s manumed buzzed. He had gotten a text message from… Lithia? No, Cora. Cora had figured the device out fast.
Who are you? Are you the harbinger? -Cora
“I just got a text from Lithia’s manumed asking if I’m the harbinger. What does that mean?”
Brian answered. “The harbinger is supposed to herald the return of the Farmer. If she thinks you’re the harbinger, you might be able to use that. After all, you do have communication devices, and the Farmer collected all the old communicators before the Great Divide. She might think that the Farmer gave them to you.”
“And then she’ll trust us?” Zane said.
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot,” Brian said. “You might be able to convince her to give Lithia the manumed.” Brian gave Zane a crash course in Aratian and Ficaran mythology. Zane hoped it would be enough.
Then Dione spoke. “I know we just got in touch again, but I’m going to have to leave my manumed soon. Brian says I shouldn’t take it into the Ficaran settlement. I’ll be out of contact for a few hours at least, until we secure the shuttle.”
“Take me off speaker,” Zane said.
There was a moment’s pause, and then Dione’s voice came through, closer, more intimate.
“What’s up?”
“Are you sure you trust this guy? Why can’t you take your manumed?”
“The Ficarans are really into… forced sharing. He doesn’t want me to take anything that might be perceived as valuable.”
Forced sharing. There was some of that on space freighters, too, if you were in the lower classes. The news made Zane even more wary, but if the Ficarans had the Flyers, there wasn’t much of a choice. “All right. Check back in when you get the chance. Hopefully, I’ll have good news.”
