Meronym stared at Zachry for a few moments, wondering what he was thinking. For a few seconds she held her breath; was he so upset about what they talked about? The more she looked at him, the less that seemed likely. He seemed comfortable, walking a little back and forth, just as if he was walking on the cliffs on his island. His body moved with the gentle up and down motion of the ship as it went slow over the water. Then he sat down. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"I think we have to get him, he may fall." Corbin said, with concern.
"No, I don't think so. He is a goat herder. I have seen him walk on more treacherous cliffs and outcroppings than this hull. "Meronym said, keeping her eyes on Zachry. Corbin crossed his arms.
"Well, the hull of our ship is not a place to take an afternoon stroll. And we have to go into hyperdrive with the hovermotor; there is a storm closing in and we have to try and outrun it." Corbin warned, looking out over the starboard side at the dark, forboding clouds in the distance. Meronym looked at him.
"Have you asked him to come back in?" she inquired. Corbin looked stumped.
"No, I don't really know how to speak his language." was the excuse. Meronym crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"Really? Corbin, Valleyman Speak is just a dialect of Prescient, Consumer, English whatever you want to call it. It is not Subspeak…"she started, then gave up when Corbin shrugged his shoulders. "I'll go get him." She mumbled as she walked by him.
"Thank you!" Corbin replied back. Then he did a double take. "What?!"
She was already on her way.
Meronym walked down two levels, to where there was an open walkway on the side of the ship. Meronym shut off the annoying frantic calls of Corbin that were coming through on her device. She walked as far as she could to the front of the ship. There, adjacent to the end of the opening in the hull was horizontal white metal bars, about every foot, going all the way up to the top of the ship's hull.
"So that is how you got there." Meronym said, and without thinking, she reached out and grabbed the bars, and pulled herself up. Once on the access ladder, she went up a few rungs until she made the mistake of looking down. The water churning around far beneath her scared her and she pulled in closer to the hull. She squinted her eyes shut and breathed deeply a few times.
"What in hell have I gotten myself into..." she said, looking up. It was definitely closer up than down. "Come on Meronym, you can do this. Gotta get this man off the hull." She said, her heart pumping in her chest. She climbed it slowly, until she got to the point where the rounded hull flattened enough for her to walk. She was not as steady as Zachry, it seemed. There was a raised rubber runner that went from as far back as she could see, rounding around the front of the ship, about a foot in width. Meronym surmised this was probably for maintenance, not for strolls. She looked back at the flight deck. Corbin threw his arms up and grabbed his head, shaking it. Meronym held up her hand to signal patience.
She walked up, and although terrified, the wind rushing through her hair and the expanse of ocean before her, she had to admit to herself, it was exhilarating. Zachry was looking around when she must have caught his eye. He turned around, in shock.
"Meronym, what in the name of Somni you doing here?" He said, jumping to his feet and coming to steady her. She grabbed his hands , and together they walked back to the front where it was most flat. "You best sit down or I'll have to be jumping into the drink to retrieve a lost prescient." He said. Meronym aquiessed, feeling unsteady.
"Zachry the query is why you walking on topside our prescient ship?" She said, as he plopped himself next to her. He looked at her seriously. Then looked out over the ocean, and waved his hand from side to side.
"In the bowels of this metal monster you call vessel I cog we moving forwardly but I cant feel or see the earth move. Disconected, apartlike from all surround. Up here reconnected I am. And I can see the sea creatures, delving neath the waves." He said. "Then I cog more about what you tell me in the tower on the Devil's mount. Bout' Somni just humankind, persecuted and killed like my Valleymen kin back there. I tell you true true Meronym it stab my soul. "
"I sorrysome Zachry…out of my place I was." Meronym said. She had been feeling upset about the sudden revelation. She still did not know why she did it…Zachry looked at her.
"All that is definite is what mouth taste, eye see, ears hear, hands feel. All the rest is what is up here." He pointed to his head "and in here." He put his fist on his heart. "All this Valleyman cog bout that is, the augerin' I hear from mouth of the abbess keeps me Somni-fearing man, when I think twicely."
"What she say?" Meronym asked. Zachry looked at her with one eye.
"In throws of revelation the Abbess say 3 orders from Somni herself. The first two the reason you still live to sit by my side. She tell me to go under the bridge when you nearly fall, and the Kona cross over. She tell me don't let you go when old Georgie filling my soul with lies on the mountain, when hands ableedin on the rope. The third time I filled with too much hate to stop me from slittin the throat of my enemy as he lay sleepin, when she said don't." Zachry stopped, getting choked up. "only aftern I hearin little Catkin wimpering neath the table, safe until I made it so the Kona I killed couldn't go back home with his herd. Nearly killed us both I did, until you come a savin us. "Meronym blinked. She didn't know her life was saved by a message supposedly sent by Somni.
"Don't cog what to say bout say so." Meronym said softly. Zachry looked at her then nodded.
"Samewise me. So…I cog someone, something out there bigger than I watchin over…don't care what or who. But me, simple folk, find it easy to cog one who walk the earth one day be god Somni next."
Meronym looked at him seriously. He stood and held out his hand.
"Seems like your kin want for us to return to the underbelly of the beast." He said, looking over her shoulder. She turned around. Corbin and a few other prescients were waving them in from the window. They both waved back.
"Long timewise we here. Must leave now. Storm's a commin'." Meronym said.
"Aye, fine storm lookin' like."
"But I like your choice of ocean watchin perch, though." Meronym said smuggly, walking back , Zachry going before her, but holding her hand tight. As she was climbing down the access ladder, Zachry waited for her below, and with his strong arms pulled her in to safety easily. He held on to her close, for a moment longer, as their eyes met. She held her breath as she examined his blue eye, the roughness in his skin, the tribal mark on his face.
"Sorrysome…" he said letting her go.
"Don't be." Meronym said, snaking her hand into his. He smiled.
"Something telling me can't make this habit or on this ship I not be welcome." He muttered. They walked silently back to her office. He stopped in front looking at the books . "Leave you back with your reading." He said.
"Interesting, very muchly so tis. I cog there much to be learned about holy ones by those they knew in sacred texts." She said.
"One day, tell me storylike." Zachry said, leaving her at the door of her office.
She went back in, sat down, and continued Hae Joo chang's discourse, right where she left off…
With a few simple words she had disarmed me. I had completely underestimated the effect Somni would have on me. My mouth fell open a little, and it took me a second to regain my composure. She looked away politely. I suspended the orison and quickly opened up several screens. I took her hand and lifted it for the orison to scan her.
"This is my own private library. It covers many different topics. I will program it so that you can access all of this." I explained. She nodded. "What would you like to see?" I asked. She looked around the screens, and then at me.
"What you think I should know." She replied. I turned to her. There was that look of slight worry on her face. I paused a second. I just realized I had made that expression again.
"Somni, you have always been ordered what to think by others. I believe knowledge is a mirror; the more you learn about the world, the more you learn about yourself. But you have to be the captain of that voyage." I encouraged.
"But I do not know where to begin." She replied. I nodded in agreement; she was right. Living in such a rigid, restricted fashion was just hard for me to fathom.
I started to open random pages. A couple of screens showed artist painting on canvas, maps of the world, some poetry on one, scenes from an action vidi, one excerpt from a philosopher, and the video class of a rather eccentric physicist, Yusouf Suleiman. Her eyes lit up. "That one." She said. I wondered why she picked that one.
I expanded it and together we looked at my favorite professor from university. I smiled as the equations appeared across the screen, as he lectured in his rather colorful way. At least he was entertaining.
"What is he doing?" She asked, with curiosity.
"Teaching physics. The mathematics of how the world functions." I answered. "He made it interesting." I looked back at her. Her eyes were moving quickly over all the screens.
"Here, try it." I said, moving the orison in front of her. "Like this…" I said, showing her the tiny hand movements necessary to split screens, open menus. She moved her hands expertly, quickly learning how to control the screens. She had a wide eyed, open smile of delight. "Very good." I commented, sitting behind her. "You learn quickly."
"This interface is similar to the one I use at Papa Song." She said. "And yes, we do learn quickly." She continued. I did not quite understand.
"What do you mean?" I queried. She stopped and looked at me, then looked down shyly.
"Seer Rhee used to say that Somni fabricants were easiest to train. We remember every detail." She returned to work with the screens.
I got up, leaving her alone for a few minutes to go into the bed room and check on supplies. I checked my bridge skywalk pod; it was in working order. I had several phasers in the closet on the shelf. I pushed one small phaser gun into my waistband. I looked around, then I found what I had come to get. It was a digi signaler, which I programed to alert me with location only when activated. I returned to the living area.
She stopped for a second to look at me again.
"Hae Joo," she asked "What do you look at on your orison?" I strolled over to her and after a moment of contemplation I opened my locked files. The red "BANNED" overlay put on there by Unanimity was visible on practically every screen. I looked back at her, to see her reaction. She blinked and looked at me solemnly.
"You don't have to look at these, if you don't want to." I said. She looked between me and the screens.
"Go on." She urged. I was quietly ecstatic. I considered locking the information on cytogenetics, but did not. At least it did not talk about exultation.
"I am a scientist, by training." I said. Not exactly what I do now, but I left it at that. "But I am very interested in philosophy, so I tend to read that the most." I maneuvered the bio on Solzhenitsyn before her. "This is who Mr. Cavendish was referring to last night." She was immediately captivated. I leaned back.
Somni was deeply involved in exploring multiple screens at once, bright eyed, completely engaged. I backed up against the wall and just took it in. This is what Union wanted: a fabricant learning, teaching herself. Becoming immersed in what they called Union Propaganda. Union would have wanted me to be more involved in showing her what to read, but I did not believe that was right. She had spent all her life being told what to do, what to think, threatened with death if she disobeyed; I did not want any part of that with me. I was in awe of her, how excited she was, doing something so natural, as human as this: exploring the seas of knowledge. It was beautiful, as was she. I looked away.
At that moment, as if I had called her, she slowly looked back at me and put her arms down. There was that sweet little smile. I definitely felt a connection with her, that strange sensation in my chest…but I knew I had to remain on task.
"I like your… philosophy." She said. "very complicated, beautiful words."
"I cannot take credit for the work of such brilliant people." I said, smirking. She looked back at the screens. Before, all I saw was a naïve, innocent young woman, and now, I could sense that her inner strength was growing. But with her innocence will go her peace of mind. I had to broach the topic sometime, and my time for contact was growing short. I approached and sat down before her.
"Somni. " I said, not knowing just how to begin. She turned to face me with that charming air. "They do not like the fact that I took you away from Papa Song." Her expression became somber.
"I know." She said, softly. "I cannot go back." She put her hands in her lap. "I do not want to go back." I was happy to hear that expression of will.
"They are looking for you, and they if they find you, they will take you away. You are safe here, now, but we will probably have to go to another place soon. Do you understand?" I said.
"Yes, I do." She looked down. "I will go anywhere, with you." She said softly, raising her eyes. I put my hand on hers, and stroked it.
"Yes. I will be with you, I promise." I gave her a small smile. I was not sure how much of that promise I could keep. "But first, I must go out for a short while, to make some arrangements. This…" I said, turning over her hand and placing the signaler in her palm "sends me a signal to tell me where you are. Use this only if you are in danger. I will come and find you." She cradled it in her hands, looking worried.
I stood up and put on my jacket. I turned back to her, and there she stood. She looked sad and nervous. I walked up to her and held her shoulders. She was shaking.
"I will be back soon. Just keep using the orison and the time will pass quickly." I suggested. "Don't worry, everything will be alright." I said, reassuringly. She nodded, but I felt she was not reassured. I looked at the time. I had to get to Union command.
I left the apartment, after showing Somni how to lock the door and reactivate the security behind me. I rushed down the stairs and onto the elevator on another floor. Once on the ground, I sneaked out the back door. Only when I was several blocks away did I turn to look back. Just a few hours together and a few seconds apart, already I missed her.
I hurried down into the underground passages and jumped on a small vehicle. I was speeding on my way to Old Seoul and Union command. What was I saying to her, about everything being alright? We were fugitives. I was harboring the most wanted fabricant in the city.
I arrived to the border of Old Seoul and walked into it silently as I had done hundreds of times. I hurried down another set of stairs, into the abandoned subway tunnels and waited 5 minutes in the dark to see if I was being followed. All clear. I entered through the secret entrance and walked down the specific halls in this labyrinth of tunnels. I spoke my code word at the inner door. It opened. The guards greeted me with a nod. Atul, the Union Doctor and my friend, saw me from further within. His dark skin shown in the dark light, his teeth a bright white in his wide smile. He signaled for me to join him.
He greeted me with a firm grasp of my arm. I returned the greeting. "It is good to see you, Chang. We were concerned, waiting for your message." He said, walking with me down the hall. "Just why are you in such a rush?" he asked, looking at me questioningly.
"I need to speak with Apis." I said. "I have her." He stopped short for a second.
"The fabricant? Where?" he said, catching up.
"Safe house in Neo Seoul."
We stopped at the door outside of the General's Office. His guard walked in for a second, then came back to the door. I handed him my weapon, and after patting us down, he showed us in. General Apis was there, leaning over a map on his desk. Several others lingered in the dark corners.
"Commander Chang." he said, expectantly. "You are the last one to contact. We were about to send..." I could not contain myself.
"General, I have her. Sonmi 451." I interjected. He grunted, with a small smile on his lips and sat down. There were murmurs behind us. I turned to see several familiar faces; one I knew as Damyen, the spy from the head of ministry. There was also Marcus, a chief enforcer and Damyen's guard, also Union spies. I gave a small nod. They were serious, returning the gesture.
"Well that is good news. " Apis said. He leaned forward. "And how is she?"
"She is doing well. " I replied. "For now she is safe."
"Do you think she will be able to make the transition to free will?" He asked, pointedly. "And complete our mission?" I knew this was for the spy's ears.
"I believe she can." I said. Damyen stepped up.
"The ministry is up in arms. Enforcers are everywhere; the search is extensive in the city; they will question everyone and knock down every closed door. It is almost as if they know our plans." He looked over to me, then back at Apis. "I will see what information they have on Chang and get rid of it if possible. I will keep you informed." Damyen and his entourage left. Apis watched him go. There was a questionable relationship between those two. The general looked at me again, this time with a big smile.
"I knew you would be able to do it, my gentle son. Now tell me. What is this Somni 451 like?" he said, motioning to a seat nearby. I sat down.
"She escaped with me of her own accord, with a little urging of course. She is very shy and timid, but I believe there is courage and strength in her. " I said. "And she has already started learning, reading banned literature..." His eyebrows rose. I continued to sing her praises for a few minutes. I saw the smirk building on his face.
"Is that so?" he said. "When can I meet her?"
"Not quite yet." I said, standing up. "I have not told her certain details of who I am, and why I freed her." He sat back.
"I am surprised she did not yet ask." He commented, a single eyebrow rising in disapproval. "Omission can be considered deceit."
"She trusts me" I responded quickly "and does not question my motivation."
"Even so, you must tell her soon. She should come here, to be safe." he warned.
"Yes of course, but..." I said, as I paced. "I do not want to overwhelm her. I think the problem thus far has been that the other officers were more concerned about the mission than the fabricant they were trying to save." The general looked at me with interest. "They were doomed to fail." I insisted.
"You care about Somni 451." He said, with that raised eyebrow. I looked away. I should have known; Apis could always see right through me.
"Yes." I admitted to him, but also to myself.
"That is why you will succeed." He said. He poured himself some tea. "Your intentions are pure, Hae Joo. That is what she sees. That is why she trusts you." I thought that was some kind of approval.
"I can only proceed as fast as she is able to tolerate. In the end, it must be her choice, to go along with the plan." I insistd, as Apis sipped his tea and sat back. "Is that not the spirit of our quest? Self-determination?" I asked.
"Truer words I could not have said." Apis nodded.
We continued our short discussion on security measures; more Union soldiers would be assigned for surveillance around the safe house. Time was not our friend. General Apis did not like delay. I told him I would prefer to bring her back to my hideout in Old town. To hide her in plain sight. There, I hoped to have her continue her learning and development under my close watch in a slightly more palatable place than the tunnels of Old Seoul. He did not like that plan, but he would allow it.
I went back to the apartment under the cover of darkness. I had not been away long, but I felt anxious to get back, if only to allay her fears. Or were they my fears? I sprinted up the stairs to in the last few floors avoid the cameras in the elevators. All seemed quiet.