by Claire Buss
'It's not that, it looks lovely, so generous of you. It's just... is it safe? What are your radiation levels like?' asked Kira.
'My radiation levels? Ha! You funny lady. There is no radiation here - this safe place. Please eat, eat!' Artem gestured wildly at the table.
It was all they needed. Jed sent Ash back to the skimmers to tell the operatives to come through and have something to eat. Everyone else hurried forward, chattering excitedly and exclaiming over each new morsel they discovered. Once they satisfied their initial hunger the team relaxed, sitting around the room with plates of food and a drink, waiting to see what would happen next. Ruth went to sit next to Artem, having left Sarah with her Auntie Jean.
'Ruthie. My Ruthie. Life shines on you, eh?' Artem nodded towards the baby.
'Sort of. You know she's natural?'
'I know. I get all sweeps.' Artem spread his arms expansively. 'Corp fart and I know. Hahaha!'
'Why haven't they tried to stop you?' asked Jed.
'I pay. They leave me alone to do what I do and I pay. Always a greedy man at the top. Always wanting something, I get the something.' Artem shrugged as if it were no big deal.
'So they could wipe you out if the wanted to then,' said Jed, feeling defeated.
'No, no, no, no, no. Is not happening. I have antennae. I get all sweeps. I am network. No-one breathes, I don't know.' Seeing that Jed looked unconvinced Artem started to point the the people dotted around the room.
'Her - Dina. Lost family in 15 riots, very sad. Lost baby. Very, very sad. Work in Camp Eden. Now here.' He moved on. 'Him, Dr Max. Him big scientist fella. He discover Earth, she heal. This is good. Good work.' Artem nodded in satisfaction as people began paying attention to what he was saying. 'You. You Jean and Malcolm. You lovely peoples. You look after and you talk. Jabber, jabber, jabber. Hahaha!'
Everyone was smiling but he wasn't finished.
'You. You Ashvin - you big time techie. You come see my system. You learn.' The finger moved on. 'You Martha Hamble, you governor, important lady. Special lady, special baby.' His eyes misted slightly. 'Much loves. And you! You Kira and Jed. Importants people. You are seeing her, the blue lady. The Gaia.'
He sat back in satisfaction.
'What about me then?' asked Ruth in an amused voice.
'You're my Ruthie. Is enough.'
Zac coughed, feeling a little miffed at being ignored. Artem huffed at him and waved a hand. 'You Zac. Everyone know Zac. Is good.'
Jed put his plate down on the floor. 'Well, you clearly know who we are. Who are you?'
All eyes swivelled back to Artem. He leant back in his chair and began speaking, using his hands expansively.
'Me, I am Artem. I listen and I collect and I pay. Corporation they no see what I do. Some peoples come to me and I help. I have plane. Is enough.'
'So, will you help us?' asked Jed.
There was a tense moment until Artem clapped his hands. 'Of course! I help you and you show me blue lady. Come. I bring room.'
Kira shared a worried look with Jed. None of them had the power to make Gaia appear. She hadn't seen her in weeks and apart from the one dream, there had hardly been any contact. The group dutifully followed Artem back into the large foyer of his house and began to ascend the grand staircase. He showed them to the guest wing, containing enough bedrooms for them all, including dorm rooms with bunks for all the operatives.
'You rest. Have shower. Take moment. We will talk more at dinner.' And he left them to their own devices.
Jed cleared his throat. 'Well, I guess we'll all take a shower then. Ash, can you organise Alpha and Beta team to get their gear sorted out? I want everyone to take the opportunity for a wash and a rest.' He waited while Ash jogged back to the team to relay the message before turning back to the others. 'See you back here in an hour?'
Everyone nodded and went through to their respective rooms.
'What do you think about Artem?' Kira asked her husband.
'He's certainly a character.'
'Should we be worried that he pays New Corp to leave him alone?'
'It must be a frigging big payout for them to turn a blind eye to all this.' Jed gestured around. 'The man is an information nexus. He must have something on everyone. I can't believe it's tokens that keep them away.'
'Do you think he will help us?'
'I think if he finds us interesting enough then yes, he'll help us.'
'Well,' said Kira. 'We'd better be extremely interesting at dinner then.' And she hurried off to get freshened up.
When everyone was ready they reconvened and made their way downstairs, following the delicious aromas to the dining room where Artem was waiting for them. There was one long table for the operatives and a smaller one with four high chairs Artem had produced from somewhere. Everyone sat looking forward to a delicious meal.
As staff served the first course of some kind of vegetable broth, Dina spoke up. 'Where do you get your produce, Artem?'
'I grow and I buy. Is not hard. Always something for something,' he replied.
Everyone tucked in, the children playing with breadsticks.
As the soup bowls were cleared away and a simple roast chicken dinner began to be served, Artem broached the reason they were there.
'So, you want help. For what?'
'We want to find a safe place to live, away from Corporation,' began Jed, but his wife interrupted him.
'Gaia wants us to help her. We need to cross the ocean, spread the news that the planet has begun to heal. Remove the yoke of Corporation. Spread her message of renewal and new life.' She faltered as she realised everyone was gazing at her. 'She told me she needed us.'
'Is not hard to get you over there. I have plane. Will be hard to make point. Lots of space - not lots of people and Corporation have many eyes.' Artem shook his head. 'Will be difficult.'
'Have you been over there?' asked Jed. 'Can you tell us what it's like?'
'No, only flown. But skies are clear.' Artem grinned. 'I know place. I take you.' Then he frowned and steepled his fingers, pursing his lips before speaking again. 'Is not same. Is wilder, bigger, more space and more danger. But the cities, they still there. Not glitter like 9. You been 9?'
Jed, Martha, Dina and Max nodded sadly while Zac grinned then realised he was the only one and hastily took a sip of his drink.
'Does that mean New Corporation is fully in control over there?' asked Martha.
'I think in cities, yes. They should have tech and med and Collection - all things.'
'So where are they getting their babies from?' asked Ruth. 'We shut down the baby lab in 42.'
'Is not only lab, milaya.'
'What do you mean, it's not the only lab? There are more?' Kira was aghast. She looked at Jed in horror who half shrugged. He had no idea there were more labs.
'Is big world, yes?' Artem gazed around the table. 'You only met me today. Be more surprises tomorrow.' He chuckled at his own cleverness but when he realised no-one else was laughing he grew serious once more. 'Listen, when you shut your baby lab you put Corp in panic. These babies sell for high credit. You stop Corp credit. This is very bad. Why they punish 15. So sad.' Artem shook his head. 'Now we have new New Corp and you lady, you pissed them off.' Artem wagged a finger in Martha's direction. 'These new neural implants, this is not what tech should be. All sheeps bleating, baa! Baa! Baa!'
No-one knew what to say but Artem didn't seem to notice. He continued.
'Med labs. That's how they do it.'
'How they do what?' asked Dina.
'Make the babies! They gather all the sperms and all the eggs then it's mix, mix, mix and bingy bangy bongy babies.'
'What in the Med Centres?' Martha was incredulous. 'Are you sure?'
Artem nodded vigorously.
'What about the sterilisation though?' Martha asked.
'Is cocktail. They dose you in the water. But you know this - you broke the water in 42, yes?' Artem looked back and forth for confirmation.
/> Dina nodded. 'Yeah, we found out they were treating the water but, are they doing that everywhere?'
'Yes! But they can undo it with the sperms and the eggs. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.' Artem shrugged as if it were a small thing but the others were shocked. This was something that even Martha's father hadn't known about, if he had been telling the truth.
Jed tried changing the subject. 'What about the force behind City 15? Do you know who that was?'
'Is militia.'
'New Corp have a militia?' Jed wanted to know more. 'Do you know where they are based? What their set up is like?'
'Is ghost. No chitter chatter.' Artem looked downcast then grinned again. 'But once they speak, I know.'
'How have they managed to build a militia without anyone noticing?' Martha asked, addressing Jed.
'Well, the chief thought they never disbanded to be honest.'
'Is true,' Artem piped up. 'In beginning Coalition think problem - problem is genes. They no good. Event cause sickness and genes, no good. So if people have babies, babies no good. This very bad. And so they make cocktail and sterilise and think we grow little bit and all is fine, all is okay.' He stopped talking and the whole room waited for him to continue.
'And?' prompted Ruth.
'And nothing. Stayed same. Babies grown, is what it is. What you're going to do?' Artem focused on his dinner and for a while no-one said anything while they processed what they'd learnt.
'I have a question.'
Everyone turned to look at Zac in surprise, not expecting him to have anything to add.
'Why don't they have the tech to grow their own babies over there?' he asked Artem.
'Is good question. Power. Power and technology. Is what Corporation have.' He paused to take a long drink. 'Over there is big place. Spread out. Harder to connect than here. Everyone sterile and everyone desperate for baby. Desperate means do anything, pay anything, give anything. And so, Corporation provide. They also destroy.'
'We know,' muttered Ruth.
'You think control here is control. Control there is air.'
'Is there any place for us over there?' Kira asked. 'It sounds like we'd be better off staying here.'
Artem was quiet and he looked at Zac who nodded briefly.
'The Resistance will take you. And I take you to the Resistance.'
'Oh, that's wonderful!' gushed Kira feeling relieved, turning to smile at Martha and the others. Martha started guiltily, she had not mentioned Zac's revelation about the Resistance to anyone else yet.
'For a price. Is business,' said Artem.
Silence fell as everyone turned to look at Artem.
'Yes, there must be price. Artem never does business without price.' But he seemed to be embarrassed and cleared his throat several times before continuing. 'I want to meet Gaia. I want to see mother of Earth. You show me and I fly.' He sat back in his chair, waiting to see what would happen.
Everyone turned to look at Kira this time. She flushed under the scrutiny.
'Um, we can't conjure Gaia up, you know? She is the spirit of the Earth. She only shows herself when she wants to,' Kira said tentatively, unsure as to how Artem would react.
'But you've seen her. You, all seen.' Artem looked around the table.
'Well, yes. But not all at the same time.' Kira's gaze flitted to her friends, looking at them to help her out.
'I saw her in the street but unexpectedly,' offered Jed.
'I saw her in Camp Eden,' said Max.
'And she sat next to me on a bench,' Dina chipped in.
'I saw her in the park,' said Martha softly, a faint tremor in her voice.
'Yes,' said Artem, pleased. 'You all see. You tell her to see me.'
Kira didn't think she had much of a choice. 'I'll see what I can do,' she said faintly.
No-one spoke much after that, eating their dessert in silence and withdrawing to the next room for coffee. It wasn't until they split up into smaller groups that Jed cornered Kira and asked her the obvious question.
'How exactly are you going to get Gaia to appear?'
'I don't know. Try to reach her spiritually, I guess. I'm assuming this place has some kind of natural garden.' Kira glanced around, but it was too dark outside to see. 'I think it's a problem for tomorrow. The children are tired, I'm tired. I think a decent night's sleep would do us all the world of good.'
Kira and Jed made their excuses to the group, taking Peter and Grace with them to their guest room. Kira had no idea how she was going call Gaia forward but the moment her head hit the pillow she was fast asleep.
Chapter 30
Kira awoke to birdsong. Through the open window she could smell fresh grass after rain. The sun peeped through the curtains casting golden rays across the floor. She stirred slowly and realised Jed was not there. The children were gone too. That shocked her into being fully awake. She leapt out of bed and grabbed a nearby jumper, chucking it on over her jumpsuit before hurrying out of the room. As Kira reached the top of the stairs she heard laughter from the dining room and felt instant relief. On entering she saw she was the last to wake and everyone else, including all of Alpha and Beta team, were already seated and having breakfast. She smiled self-consciously and hurried over to Jed.
'Morning, love.'
'Morning,' she replied, giving him a quick kiss before going to grab a cup of coffee.
'So, today we meet Gaia, yes?' Artem spoke to Kira.
'Um, yes, we can try. Do you have a garden?'
'I have big garden. Herbs, plants and wild space.'
'That would probably be best.' Kira felt too nervous to eat anything. 'Can you take me there? We might as well make a start.'
'Do you want some company?' asked Ruth but Kira shook her head and stood waiting for Artem. He kissed Ruth on the cheek which surprised everyone and then beckoned to Kira to follow him out of the French windows.
The gardens were beautiful, perfectly sculpted and full of heady perfume, but it was towards the bottom that Artem led Kira. He ducked under a hedge bower and stood to one side to let Kira take in the wild garden. It was stunning. Completely overgrown, full of every wildflower imaginable and bees, there were bees buzzing from flower to flower collecting nectar.
'Oh, this is perfect,' exclaimed Kira softly.
Artem stood expectantly, waiting for Kira to work her magic but she didn't know what she should do. She took a deep breath and tried to connect with the environment around her, but Artem's presence was off putting. Kira bent down to take off her socks and let her bare feet connect with the earth beneath her. She took another deep breath and tried to imagine blue energy from the Earth rising through her feet, travelling through her body and leaving the top of her head. At the same time, she visualised all the bad things that she'd been holding onto being swept out of her aura. After a good twenty minutes or so she felt relaxed and at one with the Earth around her, she thought she could sense Gaia and opened her eyes in hope but there was nothing there. Artem had adopted a lotus position on the ground to her right and he looked at her with hope in his eyes.
'I'm so sorry, Artem. I don't know what else to do. We could try lighting some candles and calling out for Gaia to appear but I thought this would work.'
'Is okay. You tried. You stay and you try. Gaia come, then we go.' He helped her up and started walking back to the dining room while Kira processed what he'd said. If she couldn't summon Gaia then Artem wasn't going to take them across the ocean. He also wasn't going to let them leave either. Her heart sank at the impossible task before her.
In the dining room everyone had gone except for Ruth. Artem left the two women together shouting over his shoulder that he'd talk to them later as he walked out the room.
'How did it go?' asked Ruth.
'Shouldn't I be asking you that?' countered Kira.
Ruth blushed. 'We're just old friends, reacquainting ourselves, that's all.' She nodded towards the garden. 'I gather it didn't work?'
'Oh, Ruth. I don't even know what t
o do! She's always sort of appeared before, hasn't she? I tried to connect with the Earth and open myself to her spirit but nothing happened. And Artem...'
'And Artem what?'
'He said it didn't matter and I could try again and we would stay until I did it.'
'Okay.'
'No, you're not listening, Ruth. He won't let us go until I've made contact, until Gaia manifests. We could be here forever!'
'I'm sure he didn't mean that,' Ruth replied but she looked worried. 'Let me speak to him.'
'Thank you. We can't stay here indefinitely, can we?'
Ruth shrugged and the women left the dining room in search of their children. They found them playing in a small sandpit around the side of the house.
'How'd it go?' asked Jed but Kira shook her head.
The day passed and there was no sign of Gaia. That evening as they went in to dinner, Kira hurried over to Ruth.
'Did you speak to Artem yet?' she asked, but Ruth shook her head.
Artem displayed the same jovial manner despite the muted response from the rest of them. Only the children were in high spirits earning themselves indulgent smiles and the odd laugh from the grown ups. Once everyone had eaten and the families had left the dinner table, Kira managed to corner Ruth again.
'Well, are you going to speak to him?'
'Yes, but not right now!' Ruth muttered and turned away from her friend, smiling at Artem who was cooing over Sarah.
As the evening dragged on, Kira grew more and more restless; passing on her irritability to Grace and Peter until even Jed begged her to sit down and relax. She noticed Artem and Ruth whispering in the corner and was hoping her friend was managing to persuade Artem to help them anyway. At one point he shook his head vigorously but somehow Ruth made him smile again. Finally Artem stood up.
'Goodnight one, goodnight all,' he announced as he left the room whistling. Kira darted over to her friend.
'Well?'
'He's agreed to take us but he wants to wait until the morning before he announces it. He didn't want to but...'
'You convinced him!' Kira said happily.
'I agreed to stay.'
'You what?' Kira wasn't sure she had heard her friend correctly.
