Looking for the Age of Aquarius
10a ("What Is Not Known Is Our Folly")
I called Me-ma and Nanina to see if the storm caused any damage at the apartment and was relieved that it was minimal. "A few windows were broken, and one of the trees out front fell over, but really we were lucky. The houses sustained more damage than we did, but so far, it's all being cleaned up," Nanina said.
"Okay, the four of us will head over the houses and see if we can help," I said. No point of worrying her with my plans to have Lukas purged at the cul-de-sacs. I hung up and called Ihmen. Thankfully this time she picked up.
"Ihmen, how are things there? Is everyone all right? Nanina told me the storm wrecked things up over there. What's the damage?" I asked.
"One question at a time," she replied with a demure laugh. "No one was hurt, but the park is a mess: broken branches, leaves everywhere, some of the glass windows, we lost a few of the awnings and the pools have to be cleaned up."
"How many of the awnings are gone?" I asked. One of our concerns regarding the strip of land between the houses that were back-to-back in the housing development was the satellites that the government or curious civilians could use (such as Google Earth) to look down on communities and people's houses.
Especially considering that we fluorescence a vivid brilliant blue in water. So the area we called the strip or the park, the backyards that were left open as one long park-like play area for the family to use, had been camouflaged with trees, large patio roofs and awnings, gazebo style and arbor-like pool houses, and large umbrellas. Very little of the pools or grassy areas were actually visible to the sky. But with a sudden storm like the one we just had, there would have been almost no time to draw back and tie down the awnings or take down the umbrellas and to pull the patio furniture into the houses.
"We are assessing the damage now. Thankfully we didn't have electric failure and the pumps are all functional," Ihmen stated.
That was a relief. "Ihmen, the four of us are coming over. I also have a situation that needs to be addressed, and I'll need your help getting the other Ikseyan to agree with me."
"Okay," she drawled out slowly. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"
"Because you won't," I replied. "But hear me out." I told her about Lukas' incident with black ciper and that Sophia had used her blood infused with black ciper to heal him. "Only thing is, neither were purged afterwards – both are still harboring black ciper in their blood – and it's possible that Lukas is still carrying it in his lungs."
"Mahureen, you know he is!" she exclaimed. "How many days?"
"Two days before Dinaskyu – the day I helped Roman, Emery and Drake destroy the plant Zoeda hid at Black Bear Lake State Park," I stated.
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"I know. The good news is that as far as I know, Lukas is the only one to have the spores in his lungs. But I think Emery should be checked as well," I continued, but I understood her concerns. I had them too.
"Mahureen! You can't just bring humans here! They aren't supposed to know about us and this place!" Ihmen said, alarmed. "And they will have to be quarantined!"
"It's only the two, and I'll be careful. I'll bring Luks tonight, and Emery and Sophia first thing tomorrow morning. Besides, Sophia should meet the Ikseyan. I'll take them directly to Doug and Marcial's house, so we only have to evacuate the one home, and—"
"I will have to ask the Hwatab," she said, cutting me off.
"No, Ihmen, inform them. I'm not asking for permission – this has to be done. Lukas is a friend of Roman's, and he has proven to be useful to the heir apparent Itrejivil Iksen. I already told Lukas and Emery a little about us, so it's a moot point to ask permission now. Besides, if we don't do this, he will be a risk to everyone he comes in contact with – including the fifteen of us in school," not that our three Zæsak scouts posing as seniors in school or Teri, Durren, Corben and Lynne have that much contact with Lukas, but… "I can't risk there being a living human black ciper host. Not to mention, but if he infects Roman, imagine the complications," I argued. There really was no point arguing anyway – it had to be done. "Oh, and ask Giles if his neuro-inhibitors are ready? I want to use them." He was one of our Sævad medical physicians, and had been working with our biotechs and micro-biomed engineers to improve the neuro-inhibitors.
"I'll inform the Ikseyan and the physicians. But I'm telling you, they will not like this one bit," Ihmen warned me.
"I understand," I said. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Lukas called me as soon as I hung up. "I can't believe it," he said. "She didn't even question it. She left, telling me she was going to my grandmother's and plans on staying there for a few days. She even drafted out a quick note for school – so I'm in the clear."
"Is your grandmother all right?" I asked.
"I'm sure she is," he said. "My mom would've said otherwise. I will have to help my dad tomorrow with the restaurant, and I have to clear the palm fronds from the yard."
"Give me your address, and we'll help," I said. A minute later I had the address and looked up the directions on MapQuest.
When we arrived, Lukas and Emery were pulling two palm fronds to the curb.
"Ahhh, hi," I said, glancing at Lukas as if to ask 'Why is she here?'
Luks pulled me aside, but Justin followed us. I held up my hand, letting him know I'd handle this. "She came to see if I was all right. I told her I would be going to your house…" Lukas started to say, then looked down, unable to meet my gaze.
"What did you tell her?" I needed to know.
He looked embarrassed. "She knows about the black ciper anyway, but she was concerned when I said that I had to be checked out."
I wasn't pleased, but at least it was Emery. "You shouldn't have told anyone," I said, not hiding my disappointment. "But I trust Emery."
Emery approached. "Is Lukas all right? He said that he had to be treated – purged of black ciper?"
I turned to her. "Yes, I don't know how much Roman told you, but I know that he wasn't told everything, apparently. Since Sophia used black ciper to cure Lukas' lungs that means it is still in his blood, and he needs to be treated with red ciper to purge it out of his system. He's going to spend the night with us so my physicians can cure him." I considered for a moment; her being here was fortuitous. "You were in contact with the spores as well; they should check you out, just to be sure."
"Okay," Emery said with a nod and made a phone call to her mother, telling her she wanted to come to my house as Lukas gave us a quick damage report.
I turned to my cousins. "Loraine, you and Lukas board up the broken windows; Justin, Jason and I will help with yard clean up," I said and got to work. Between the six of us, it didn't take too long before were done and Lukas and Emery were crammed into the back seat of my car with Jason and Justin. I made my way to the houses, dodging fallen trees, palm fronds and other debris. Twice I had to take a detour, but we made it all right.
I turned on the street leading to cul-de-sacs. Briarhill Road was a mess, and the mud was thick in a few places, but the car made it through. I'll swap it for one of the smaller SUV's once I get there, I thought, passing Elmwood Lane and turning on Oak Knoll Drive, the names we chose for our streets because they seemed common enough.
Rusden and his boys were out front cleaning up, and he took out his phone as I pulled onto Doug and Marcial's drive and parked in their garage. I led Emery and Lukas to the front door and down the stairs to the first basement, what we called the Care Unit. The house was quiet, as if deserted, and all the doors were closed, a natural precaution. I led them down the next staircase to the rooms we used as our treatment facilities. Meheka, Ihmen, Doug and Marcial were waiting for us. I introduced Emery and Lukas to everyone. "This is Lukas Parnell and Emery Whitehill."
Lukas' eyes widened as Ihmen nodded to him in greeting, and he stammered a, "Nice to meet you," and recovered quickly before shaking Doug's, then Marcial's hands. Emery was warm and polite as I expected her to be.
"So is this the human infected with black ciper?" Meheka asked kindly, taking Lukas' hand gently.
"Yes, the human we need to purge," I replied.
We entered the soft white, pale peach and light orange corridor. I know it was quite clinical, very ascetic what with the laminar-airflow and high-efficiency particulate arrestance filtration in each room and weekly scrub-downs, so I smiled reassuringly to my human friends.
"Giles is here, and he thinks the inhibitors are functional," Ihmen told me as we led my friends to a treatment room.
Three of our physicians were waiting, already in protective gear. I could tell Lukas was getting nervous. I reassured him as well as I could, and Marcial and Gerand explained the procedure to him, answering his questions. He would be given a large dose of activated ciper infused Atrian blood plasma, enough to cause ciper fire. He'd be allowed to burn for a few hours, then given a vire solution to reverse the fire. Gerand made it sound easy; I knew it was not. "It's not as bad as he says," I told Lukas. "Gilles has his neuro-inhibitors, so you won't feel anything." I hoped.
One of the other physicians led Emery to another room to be examined, checked for any ciper residuals. Loraine went with her for support. I showed Lukas where to change and handed him the short boxer-like shorts, then helped him onto the gurney. Gilles placed the neuro-inhibitors.
After a few seconds, Lukas looked at me. "I can't feel my body," he said.
I smiled. "That's good, it means the inhibitors are working," I told him as Gerand and Marcial put the IV's in both of Lukas' arms and his feet. His whole body needed to be purged, considering the delay in his treatment, and being human, we had to hope he wouldn't get thrombosis or an embolism. I waited and watched, sitting close enough to Lukas that he could see me easily.
Emery came back, smiling. "All cleared!" she said, walking up to Lukas. I was so relieved. "How are you doing?"
"Like having an out of body experience," he said jokingly. Across the room next to the monitors, Gerand smirked. "It's like being in the hospital all over again," Lukas said.
"I bet," Emery replied.
"For us this is our hospital," I said, gently touching his cheek, since he couldn't feel anywhere else. Emery sat with him, talking to him, keeping him company, not that I was going to leave him.
When the I.V. packs were all empty, Lukas was allowed to sit up. Soft veining was already beginning to occur on his arms and legs, but he wouldn't be given the vire solution until it reached his neck.
Meheka came to call me to dinner. "I don't want to leave Lukas," I said, urging Emery to go eat.
"No you don't, young lady, you are going to go eat," Meheka insisted.
Ihmen entered the room, and I could see Lukas' pupils dilate, a typical male reaction around her. I've always been amused at the reaction she gets, although I admit, she's gorgeous – model beautiful and graceful. "I'll stay with your friend," she said.
"You okay?" I asked, getting up.
"Yeah," Luks said. "Bring me back a pizza?"
I laughed. "I'll see what I can do; but it's up to Marcial to decide what you should eat." I gave his arm a squeeze and led Emery up to the first level basement and through a tunnel to another house.
"Are all the houses connected?" she asked as I led her through another tunnel for Meheka's home.
"Yes, a full underground community of Atrians, invisible to you humans," I said jokingly, although that is exactly what they were. Meheka's dining room was a large room with arches on the outside wall that opened onto her sunroom and out to her large covered patio. We often held Hwatab here since it could hold many people, but today it was empty except for my three cousins. Ghenna had apparently made dinner for us in the spacious kitchen, but only Loraine, Justin and Jason were there, already helping themselves to the enchiladas and salad as Emery and I joined them. Outside the windows of the sunroom, I could see the shapes of our men and women clearing away the debris and felt a bit of guilt that I wasn't helping.
"They are just, I dunno, shy – we worry so much about being discovered and all," Loraine was explaining to Emery. "It's not that they are afraid of you in particular."
After eating, we played games in the sun room for a while, then Loraine offered to drive Emery home, and I went down to sit with Lukas.
~~~~~o~~~~~
I woke up at nautical dawn and went down to see Lukas again. He was still sleeping peacefully. He had been given the vire solution around one in the morning, and his body had begun to glow as the vire spread through is veins. I sincerely hoped that when Marcial and Gerand checked his tissues and blood that the black ciper had been eradicated. They were going to scan his lungs as well.
I sat with Lukas until six and left to go get Sophia at the Sector gates. Ihmen assured me she'd sit with Lukas, because I didn't want him to wake up and be alone. I wish Loraine had stayed the night, but she did say she'd be back sometime this morning.
I waited, listening to the radio until I saw Sophia and Roman exiting the security checks. What was Roman doing? Shouldn't he be with his people cleaning up the Sector? They needed him and his support, didn't they? It was bad enough I wasn't helping out more with our own clean up. But in a way, I rationalized, I was helping our people, by helping Sophia and Lukas rid themselves of the black ciper spores.
Sophia and Roman stopped outside the gates, and I could tell that Roman was not at all happy about Sophia leaving. I got out of my, well, Nanina's SUV and waved at her. Sophia saw me and brushed Roman off, walked up to my car. "Is everything all right?" I asked.
"Roman doesn't think that this is necessary," she said as Roman stopped beside her.
Behind him the SEU guards were watching us. "Is anyone going to school today?" I asked. I could see a dark skinned guard approaching.
"No, we're needed in the Sector," Roman stated. "What is this about purging my sister?"
"Get in and let's go someplace we can have a private conversation," I suggested, indicating the approaching guard.
Sophia quickly got into the car, and I hurriedly got into to the driver's side. As I turned the key, Roman jumped into the back seat. I pulled out of the parking space casually, and turned for the exit, ignoring the guard waving his arm at us. As I pulled onto the street, I saw him turn and walk away. "First, is everyone in the Sector all right? Did you sustain any damage to your homes?"
"Nothing that can't be repaired," Sophia said. "No one was hurt, but there is a lot of debris from the storm."
I drove a ways, listening to Sophia elaborate on the conditions in the Sector, before pulling over and cutting the engine. I unlatched my safety belt and turned in my seat, and Roman leaned forward his arms on the headrests.
"Now, what is going on with my sister?" he demanded.
"First, I want your word that you will protect the location of the people," I demanded. Sophia's eyes widened and Roman's narrowed. "I warn you, they – those people in the place I have to take Sophia – are my first priority. I have to know you intend to protect them as well."
"Of course I'll… I will not divulge their location to anyone," Roman said. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he copulated, "I swear to protect the locations of the people of the Tgorasad."
"They are not only Tgorasad; there are others, even some of your tribe under my protection," I told him. When he looked surprised I shook my head. "Everyone on the ARDhet that made it to the drop ships – everyone not shot or rounded up in the hunts – they are the ones I've sworn to protect. Many of the escape life pods were shot down by human aircrafts, but the drop ships landed safely. The hunts lasted for a year and a half, but after that, we reached out to the others in hiding, regardless of tribe. That's why I say the people – it's not just my tribes, Roman – it's everyone."
He was thoughtful for a moment. "Okay, you have my word."
I nodded. He finally understood. "Thank you."
"You haven't told me what you intend to do to Sophia," he said. "Castor assured me that black ciper was safe for our kind. He said it's only harmful to humans."
"I was afraid of that," I said, shaking my head. "Roman, black ciper isn't harmless – it's very dangerous. If the spores were inhaled, as I told Sophia, the spores can attach to the connective tissues of the lungs. Using black ciper to cure a victim of black ciper burning only stops the toxic effect to the respiratory system, it doesn't remove the spores – if anything it implants more. If left untreated, if they are not purged with red ciper, persons who are infected with black cipher still carry the spores in their blood and lungs. The black ciper spores are basically parasites that live in the blood stream, and will attack and change the ciper in our physiology as well as the ciper genome in our DNA, turning the person into a black cipher host. Over time, the victim can release more spores into the world through their skin."
"How do you know all this?" he asked.
"This wasn't the first black ciper plant, and we were lucky that time," I told him. "We have Itrejivl and Tgorasad physicians at the homes: Dyllan is a Swamad physician, Marcial and Gerand are Dævas physicians, and Giles is a Sævad bio-medical physician," I said, "And all three will be monitoring Sophia just as they have been for Lukas." That seemed to appease him. "Roman, I have to ask you, did you or Drake get the Cmierk ostka, a death cube from Zoeda?"
"The cube?" he asked, and from the confused look on his face, I dreaded the answer. "No, it was destroyed in the blast."
"No, it wasn't. My scouts went to the boathouse and they didn't find any trace of the cube!" I turned in my seat and started up the car. "Let's get going." I was going to have to tell Ian about it, and have Rayne and Sephen try and find the cube before Zoeda used it again.
The roads were still a mess, and I had to take the same detours as the afternoon before. Roman was quiet, so Sophia and I chatted all the way to the cul-de-sacs. As I led them down to the lower basement in Doug and Marcial's house, Roman asked questions about the construction and why we dug so deep underground. "Most of the people living here still have their markings," I explained. "There are families here, children, and they can't be seen. Only those of us who are unmarked or those of us who's markings are pale enough to pass as human go outside or work in the businesses we've established."
Like before, Meheka, Doug and Marcial met us in the corridor, although Dyllan was there as well. Dyllan greeted Sophia, Nox's daughter, and Roman, Nox's son – his Iksen apparent, warmly. I think meeting him reassured Roman a bit.
"I want to check on Lukas," I said.
"I do, too," Sophia said, but Meheka shook her head.
"No, dear, that is inadvisable," she told Sophia. "He's recovering and his immunity is – could be compromised. The ciper is healing him, but…"
I looked at Meheka, alarmed. "He's doing well," Meheka reassured me, "but early indications show he may need another round of the purge."
My heart ached for him. Had the black ciper infestation really had that strong of a hold in only a week? "I understand. I'll take Sophia to change and meet you in the treatment room." Roman didn't want to be separated from his sister, but Dyllan told him it was only a changing room. I gave Sophia the breast band and shorts and waited for her to come out. She came out, still wearing her tritajie, a hooded coat with a poncho-like collar that could be draped over the shoulders.
We entered the treatment room and Marcial and Gerand explained the procedure to Sophia and Roman. Meheka took Sophia's tritajie as I helped her onto the gurney. Knowing she was uncomfortable being so exposed, I laid a drape across her middle. "We have to see your legs, arms and chest," I explained. "So we can judge the progression of the ciper fire."
"I understand," she said, giving me a worried smile. She was being so brave. "Will this hurt?" she asked.
Giles walked up to her head. "No, not at all like when you used the black ciper to cure the young man's respiratory burns. These are neuro-inhibitors," he said, showing her the triangular devices. "They will be placed between the third and fourth vertebrae. You will be able to breathe comfortably, but the sensory and receptors of your peripheral nervous system will be impeded – you're body will feel numb, or as Lukas put it – you'll feel as if you're not in your body." He set them in place and asked her how she felt.
Sophia's eyes became unfocused for a second before she looked at us again. "I don't, I feel… disconnected, as if my body isn't mine, or it's… asleep," she said.
I nodded. "That's actually good," I said, and smiled at Roman who was holding her hand.
Like with Lukas, IV's were placed on her arms and feet, and the ciper infused plasma allowed to drain into her body. At least with her being Itrejvil, we didn't have to worry about thrombosis or an embolism occurring. "Try and relax," I told her. She was definitely more apprehensive than Lukas had been, and I spoke to her about anything I could think of to help her take her mind off of it.
I went to check on Lukas, seeing that he was already undergoing his second purge. I told him that Sophia was in the next room. I tried to divide my time between my two friends, and when Loraine came, I asked her to stay with Ihmen to comfort Lukas, but I was still bouncing between the two rooms as much as possible. I was grateful that Meheka stayed with Sophia, giving comfort to her and to Roman.
Lukas' second purge took much shorter than his first, because the ciper fire spread so much more quickly, therefore the danger was greater, but his recovery was taking longer. Thankfully he didn't experience thrombosis or an embolism, but the physicians wanted him to rest for another six hours or more.
Because she was Atrian, Sophia needed much more ciper infused plasma than Lukas had to induce a full on ciper fire, and although she reacted better to the vire solution than Lukas had, glowing really brightly to the vire, it was four in the afternoon before she was able to get up and walk around. But she needed hydration to fully recover.
"So now we should get you up to the pools for a swim," I told Sophia as Meheka arrived with turquoise swimsuits and wraps for her, Roman and me.
"We should get back to the Sector," he said, eyeing the swimsuit.
"You can, but Sophia needs to hydrate to fully recover properly. If you want to leave—"
"No, I'll stay," he said, cutting me off.
"Roman," Sophia said his name slowly, and I forced myself not to smirk. "I'd like a swim and," she looked at me, "see how you live."
"Okay, this way," I said, leading to the changing rooms. Sophia and I changed quickly, meeting Roman in the corridor.
"So that's a purge," Sophia asked as we climbed the stairs for the ground floor.
"It's a lot easier with the neuro-inhibitors," I said. "Believe me, I know."
"How?" Roman asked.
"I told you; Sophia and Lukas are not the only ones who've had contact with black ciper," I told him. "There was another plant – a much smaller one than the one we destroyed at the boathouse. It was in a warehouse. The black ciper was grown from an arm – I don't know whose arm. Two of my men had to be purged – the third victim was a Trag and had to have his memory altered as well." Actually he was still in custody here – the elders wanted to terminate him, but we've been using our herbs to modify his memory. "The fourth victim was dead and had to be cremated." The old neruo-inhibitors were not as effective that time.
As we exited the house for the park area, Sophia gaped in wonder. I spent seven years here, swimming in the pools and playing on the grass under the trees, that I had come to take the park for granted. Even though many of the residents were still cleaning the last of the fallen debris from the storm and repairing the broken awnings, showing the park to Roman and Sophia, I realized just how pretty the pools were. Several of the children were swimming in the pools with nets, having been given the task of collecting any twigs and leaves the sweepers missed. Several of the people stopped to watch Roman and Sophia as I led her to the nearest pool house.
I jumped in as Sophia eased into the pool. At first she simply sunk under the water, watching the children, but after a long soak, we started to move about. I led her through the aqua tunnels to the next pool and the next before coming up to the surface.
"How many pools are there?" she asked as Roman surfaced behind me.
"There are 23 in all, not counting the caves and disconnected 20' by 12' endless pools," I said. I never bothered to count, but I know that Elmwood Lane and Oak Knoll Drive had twenty-one houses each and the last six houses on Briarhill were ours, which meant that over eighteen houses lined the park area, but some of the other houses had pools as well.
"Are they all connected?" Sophia asked.
"Yes, they are, mostly, but the children are encouraged to keep to the pools in the park since they glow brighter than the adults," I said. We swam until Sophia said she'd had enough, and I led her and Roman back to the Care Unit so she could visit Lukas. He sat up as we entered his room, glad for the company. I was pleased that he was doing so well. We ate dinner with Lukas, but then Ihmen came to get me for the Hwatab meeting.
"Roman, come with me," I suggested. He seemed reluctant, so I assured him Sophia would be fine here with Lukas, and even she thought it was a good idea for him to go. I led him to Meheka's house.
I took a deep breath before walking into the dining room, head held high, shoulders back, back straight. I walked up to the middle of the table, the wysedia position at Meheke's table, and indicated that Roman sit beside me, on my left. I left the moltek where it sat. "Roman is not familiar with the formal customs, so we shall dispense with them for this meeting," I said. My statement garnered a few surprised faces, but I sat straight and tall as the others took their seats. I introduced Roman to each Iksen in turn. "This is Patrik – interim Sævad Iksen; Meheka – our Dævas Iksen, and her daughter, Ihmen whom you've met. Ihmen is Meheka's Second. Ian – our Zæsak Iksen, and his son, Jhark, his Second. And this is Jerdon, our Cæveh Iksen, and his Second, Lejan." I figured he could meet the other adults, the tribal 'elders,' after the meeting.
I expected him to comment on there being Cæveh represented at our table, but he did not. Maybe Nox did tell him they had been included in the new colony. I controlled the floor, having Patrik, Meheka and Jerdon make their reports as I guided the discussions as I did before. If Roman was impressed he didn't show it. When I turned to Ian, I asked him for the update on the census I asked for.
He opened an interactive projection wall interfaced to his iTablet. "So far we have limited data: Eljida houses 420, and they are overcrowded; Ukaenos has 350 and asks that we not send them anymore as they have limited resources capabilities, but Negea only has about 140 in residence, so they could accept newcomers – and these numbers reflect newborns within the last seven years."
That wasn't so many, I'd expected more than that.
"We've yet to locate the four families that moved from Eljida – we believe they are somewhere along the Pearl River."
"I remembered that, they asked to leave to ease the overcrowding," I said, more for Roman to hear. "I would like them found to assure that they are doing well." I hoped.
"We located five new Iwabas families beside the seven we knew of previously still hiding in the bayou, each numbering between three to five individuals. Most of them are utilizing the voodoo myths as a cover and coloring their skin dark to hide their markings. As far are I know, only four Swamad families have been confirmed to be living along the Pearl River, they too utilizing the leather dyes to appear dark skinned. We've yet to confirm the viability of the five families that we believe moved to the Brenton Sound and the Lafourche area, and my scouts have yet to report back from the Cameron and Vermilion areas. So far, except for those we've set out, the people are staying in the lower Louisiana areas."
I turned to Ihmen and opened the discussion for the ten men and women who volunteered to go to universities and promote our interests in the areas of science, astrophysics, astronomy and areospace.
"Kenton says his project is at the Allen Telescope Array has reached its zenith, but he's willing to stay. Kerift says he has put forth his doctoral thesis in LSU on fuel development – our formula for the ARDhet. It is being used now in the Kepler II's. Walsh is now a research scientist/assistant at the SETI Institute at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Agynee says that her computer program has been approved for use following a successful trial run Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo. She's now writing a program for the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Boruck at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Ca., says that the Kepler II's scanning and relay systems are operating well and the data received has so far narrowed our choices. He'll give a full report later. And Haden has put forth our designs for triangulation astronomical observing research satellites to the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, that will improve the ability to spot planets around various suns in the Milky Way Galaxy. Duran has applied to his PhD in astrophysics. Carl is in his last year in Mechanical Engineering. Ptigura's grant at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has been extended. Haden was accepted into the project at the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. Kurke has been able to replicate the metals we need to replace the ARDhet's missing hull panels; he is filing patents on the formula this month. Deyne says he has received a grant for his duranium, tritan-stalunsile panels and transparent aluminum. And the foundry we've been looking to acquire—"
This report had Roman bewildered. "Why are you giving humans our technology?" he asked me quietly.
"Ihmen, excuse me," I said and turned to him. "Considering the hostility of the indigenous people of this planet and the fact that amicable relations are so slow coming, even with the integration program, we have been moving forward with the idea of finding another solution."
"Another solution?" Roman asked.
"Yes, another planet," I stated. I turned to Ihmen. "Do you have the information of the ones we are so far considering?"
She opened the interactive projection wall interfaced to her iTablet. "We have narrowed the list from fifty possible inhabitable planets down to ten," she said and reviewed the list, incorporating the newest data we've received. This really did impress Roman. "So far the Kepler II program has been moving forward, but we're still trying to get three more space observatory crafts launched. If we do, the search parameters will be wider."
We wrapped up Ihmen's report and reviewed the household expenses, needs requests and birth announcements. I turned to Roman. "How are things in the Sector?" I asked.
Roman looked at me astounded. "We've overcrowding in the south section, and there is a waste removal issue in several sections."
"How about food, communication and water?" one of the elders asked.
"Food, we're good. The market is mostly Goodwill, government subsided surpluses and federal food bank items. Water is not an issue," he stated, and I was glad for that. "But we're not allowed communication devices or human technology of any kind in the Sector."
"What about clothes, medical supplies and education for your youth?" another man asked.
"We have a clothing allowance and there is a government clothing exchange," he said, and I wondered how that worked. "Mostly we fend for ourselves medically, but serious injuries are handled by the SEU paramedics or the Edenvale hospital – although we avoid going there at all costs."
"I know that you have other questions, and I know you'd like to ask Roman regarding to loved ones and friends who may be in the Sector. Hopefully, as relations between humans and our people improve, Loraine, Justin, Jason or I can have access to the Sector, then we might be able to discreetly inquire, but for now, that information has to remain guarded."
"Why?" Roman asked.
"Names on a list can indicate who or how many are living outside the Sector. We keep our locations a carefully guarded secret, and if any human on the SEU guard, Homeland Security or the National Guard got hold of such a list—"
"They'd know that there were people out here looking for them – it would start up the hunts again," Roman said.
I was glad he understood. "It's hard not knowing. Both my visits into the Sector allowed me the opportunity to make careful inquiries; I did manage to provide comfort to a small handful of those I spoke to and to their family members living out here."
"What about giving me a few names that I could check, and let me do the same?" Roman asked.
I turned to the Iksen, although several of the adults in the room sat up straighter. Hopes were high, it would ease minds. "I'll set the vote to you," I said.
There was discussion on how many and how Roman and I would exchange the names, and whether it was advisable. Ian was worried about security, Ihmen that people would talk, telling others that they heard that their families and friends were well and alive, which would potentially cause resentment, jealousy and many others to hound Roman and I to put their names on the list to ask. "It can't be a written list. Even names in Kwandon can be translated by the humans," she warned.
"I don't know, it's still very risky, and the SEU would inform Homeland Security of any suspected free Atrians… but we could try," Meheka said. "We all know that this way of hiding will eventually have to end. And when we come out of hiding, the humans will react poorly."
I knew of the eventuality she spoke of, when we'd have to present our desire to rebuild the ARDhet to the government and hope that the contributions we've made will count enough, prove to the politicians that we had no intention of colonizing here, but I didn't expect that time to be a smooth one. And Ian frequently prepared me for a lengthy interrogation regarding our culpability and deceit. I waited until the elders had their say and the arguments were made and heard. When the same arguments were being repeated I called order. "I ask for your vote, honored mothers – honored fathers?"
As expected they were split. "Please continue this discussion, and we shall open it up at the next formal Hwatab. Anyone who wishes to may share their thoughts to the Iksen representing them." I concluded the meeting and informed those present that I wanted to check on my friends in the clinic.
Meheka walked with Roman, still discussing some of the points covered in the Hwatab meeting, as we went down to check on Lukas.
I was pleased that Lukas was up and dressed. Ghenna had returned Sophia's tritajie and clothes to her, all freshly laundered as well.
"I think it's time I took you home," I told Lukas, knowing that my evening with Roman and Sophia was hardly over.
After dropping off Lukas, I headed to the apartment, not the Sector. "Where are we going?" Roman asked.
"Considering all the revelations you've had today, I assumed you'd have questions," I said and glanced at him quickly in the mirror. "You just found out that we not only protect Eljida, but we've built Ukænos and Negea, and that we have been using Atrian technology in the human sciences sectors to locate a viable planet and to create things we needed to not only build underground structures here in Louisiana, but plan on rebuilding the ARDhet to leave."
Sophia looked at me in shock. "What? Wait? Leave?"
I turned the corner. "We were never supposed to be here," I told her. "Your father gave the order to bypass this planet because it was already inhabited – with a technologically advanced people. That was when the people stirring up the dissent onboard ship went into action. Nox had led us to this dense section of space, what the humans call the Milky Way, because our sensors indicated numerous galaxies, thousands with viable stars with planets in a circumstellar orbits, hoping to find one at a range that can possess liquid water on the planetary surface and possibly support life. But people were getting impatient."
"Yes, I know this," Roman said. "But we crashed and now we have to make the best of it."
"Do we?" I asked him. "Consider this; Sophia said that the last hurricane started directly above the ARDhet. It was caused by our anti-gravity thrusters. That means that the humans are not taking apart the ship as we'd been led to believe." I turned the corner onto my street. "And we've discovered that 35 of the planets human have deemed as having the possibility to support life – are possible to support life, although maybe not ours. And with the current advancements in their stellar technology in the last five years, we've increased that possibility to over a hundred more, although we have narrowed our list down to ten that we are hoping have significant water resources. We've only to verify the atmosphere, cloud cover, precipitation and air qualities… it's actually getting exciting."
"We're here," I said as I pulled into the parking structure. I led them into the courtyard, smiling as Sophia's eyes widened. We had a variety of plants – Atrian plants – that we grew here, both on the second floor balcony and in the courtyard, and a circulating water feature that had two swimming ponds and a waterfall.
"You live here? It's gorgeous," she exclaimed and I had to admit, I loved it too. I took her up to my unit on the third floor, grabbed water bottles from the fridge and joined them on the sofas.
"I'm just surprised that you never consulted my father any of this," Roman stated as I handed him a bottle.
"You're assuming that we didn't," I said, jumping up. I went to retrieve my Iksen's phone. I handed it to him, and Roman gaped at me in shock.
"This is like my father's phone!" he said and even Sophia expressed her surprise.
"Only Meheka and Robert Grund – our Zæsak Iksen who's been missing… Meheka gave me his, so now I have one. Someone named Weebler and made them, and Nox would let us know times and dates to meet," I said, apparently another revelation to the Iksen's son and daughter. "When your father died, we lost all contact. I had hoped that you and I would establish a trust," I said to Roman, "but that took a while. Joshen and Rachel are making phones that won't be picked up by the SEU scanners."
I'd hoped for more time to talk to Roman, but my roommates came home, carrying food enough for an army, followed by the boys.