Chapter 20: Culmination

A light, misting rain pattered down to coat the nearby leaves and grasses. He would have preferred if it had been sunny on his walk this morning, but it could have been worse. The dirt still held firm under his combat boots.

There was something to be said for getting caught in the rain, knowing you could go back home to a nice, dry body.

Lucas stopped when he realized that he had walked up to the teaching tree. It was the largest tree left un-bulldozed in the avatar compound. The avatar drivers used it to learn more about the bioneuroanatomy of the plane.

He detested linking with Eywa. It was an overwhelming, de-individualizing experience. It made him, a man used to feeling superior, vastly inferior. How could he compete with billions and billions of souls? He was only one man.

They had no choice, now. The only person he could trust with this task was himself.

In an out-of-character moment for him, Lucas looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was there. There would be nothing unusual with him coming here - perhaps he was doing a bit of routine fieldwork, which was somewhat accurate. The act he was about to form just seemed...intimate somehow.

Lucas sat down cross-legged, facing towards the tree. He felt for his neural whip. Reaching forward, he gingerly brushed away some of the dirt and leaves from an exposed net of roots.

Even if it wasn't his favourite thing to do, Lucas was a seasoned linker. It was a mandatory requirement for the field. He dropped into the link seamlessly.

He was instantly taken aback by how different the chatter was this time. Languages had never been his specialty. When you were in the link, the voices were there, but there was also an implicit understanding of the meaning behind them. So although the Na'vi consciousnesses would "speak", in a sense, in Na'vi, Lucas could understand what they had to say, despite having a rudimentary understanding of the language as best. Incidentally, linking was one of the best ways to learn Na'vi languages.

Translation is not a perfect science. It is often indirect. Even between Earth languages with a similar history and development, there are certain differences in the way things were conceptualized. There is no English equivalent to the word Shaedenfreude. French curse words are often comprised of references to the Christian faith. Culture builds language, and language shapes thought.

There had been some sort of massive shift in the Pandorian collective. There were many new voices, talking in new ways. Familiar ways, to Lucas. Recent events might have accounted for the influx of new minds, but not for the novelty. There was military jargon and imagery, and Grace's scientific method, and - knowledge. Knowledge of Earth.

Boers had warned him it would be like this. Lucas had seen it now, with his own eyes, out there in the forest. He had been close to ordering Li to shoot the shit out of that ship, but he knew better.

More accurately, he had been afraid. Afraid of her. He had watched the banshees screaming down out of the sky on the videofeed.

Hello, he projected tentatively. He was ready to bail at the first sign of hostility. Strangely, there was none. Were they picking up on his intentions? And if that were so, what did they think of them?

Hello, the voices breathed back at him.

You are learning about us. You are talking to us.

Yes, yes.

You have heard Earth's messages?

Boers. Yes. The speaking computer.

Do you plan to help us? With the consciousness transfer?

All life is sacred.

Speaking in riddles, Lucas thought. He would have to speak in riddles back, he supposed.

Does any part of you resist?

Yes.

Why?

Our lives are a delicate balance. Humans are not delicate.

Will you do anything else with the human technology?

Restore and maintain balance. That is the purpose.

Lucas had heard all he needed to. He delinked. He rubbed his temples. How were the Na'vi handling these changes, he wondered. He was sure some of them would not like it.

He himself wasn't so sure of his own opinion on the subject.

Lucas tried to wipe away some of the moisture that had collected over his skin. He glanced at the dormitory building some paces away, then shook his head. He wasn't sure when the next time would be that he would use his avatar. Better to put it into amniotic storage. He would have a lot of work to do from here.

Hayley was halfway through shoving a spoonload of oatmeal into her mouth before she realized that she was awake and having breakfast. BLinking, she reached for her mug of instant coffee and washed its' entire contents down her throat.

She really had tried to sleep. Hayley wished that she could sleep in her Na'vi form, but it wasn't possible. As soon as she slipped into a state of drowsiness, she felt the tingling of the link in the sides of her head, then that bright light, then -

Hayley shook her head. She wondered where Li was. Maybe he was sleeping in, or out driving.

From the centre of her eye she could see Dr. Lucas enter the sparse mess hall. He was heading for her. She hadn't tackled to Lucas in a while, she realized. Her days as of late had consisted of; wakeup, feed her human body, check the intranet and subspace messages, shower, go for a run or play a round of basketball in the gym in the gym, sit in on the occasional meeting, then back into the link as soon as the other duties at the base were complete.

Due to her own biological needs and the length of a Pandorian day, Hayley would occasionally keep odd hours, like Li and the other drivers. It was common for Lucas to not check in on her for a couple of weeks. Even when he did check in, it was brief and to the point. If we wanted more detail, he could always check her vlogs and reports. She had been dutiful in keeping her paperwork current.

"Good morning, Matthew."

"Mind if I take a seat?"

Hayley gestured to the empty bench. Lucas set down his tray. He swigged at his coffee much like she had seconds before.

"How have things been with the ocean tribe?"

Hayley shrugged. "I've completed the official ceremony to induct me into their tribe. I'm one of 'their' people now."

"You don't seem to be very thrilled about that."

She chuckled. "It's seven in the morning...I think. But yeah, things aren't as easy as I thought they would be."

"How so?"

Hayley stabbed at what was left of her hash brown.

"I guess Sully and I had different intentions going in. Jake had a mission to get to know the Omaticaya so that Quaritch could get them to give up their land. Honestly, I'm glad I ran into you today, because I'm not exactly sure what my mission is, sir."

Lucas folded his arms behind his head.

"I think we're all having to figure that out right now," he replied thoughtfully. "During the right, all the people you see here tried to do the right thing. They weren't thinking about what their new lives would be like here."

"But we're trying to figure out how to help the earth now, right? We're trying to work on bioengineering some sort of solution for energy and oxygen production?"

Lucas nodded. "But you're wondering what your role is in all of this."

"Exactly."

"Well, you know that I've been tied up lately in the bioengineering project. Last time we chatted, I had just mounted an expedition to confirm the location of some of the plants Grace had proposed as suitable for alteration. I'll be honest, Hayley, and say that I haven't been giving your own mission as much thought as I ought to. I think that an alliance with the ocean tribe and our colony will be helpful to us as we move forward, but perhaps there's something more there. What do you think?"

"I mean, if we're being honest with each other...I haven't been seeing it that way. It's been a more...personal journey. I've made friends I've gotten to know them. I've been welcomed into their group. But now I'm part of two worlds, and I don't know which one to pick."

"Do you have to choose one?"

Hayley nodded. "I know I will, eventually. But won't we all?"

"What do you mean?"

Hayley looked around the room.

"How long are humans going to exist on Pandora? Are we going to have a real, viable colony here?"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't know. We might. I think the Star may have one more shot at making it here. I think that's why it's so important to continue to establish relations with the Na'vi. That could be your role, Hayley. You could be the bridge linking our two worlds."

Hayley nodded.

"Lucas, have you heard about what's happening with Ewya?"

To his credit, Lucas kept his face almost completely blank.

"How do you know about that?" He shook his head again. "Of course, the Na'vi would know by now. The cat's out of the bad, as Boers has been saying."

Boers. Hayley remembered the last time she had spoken with him. When he told her that the entire human race was fucked. That guilt, anger and frustration welled up, just beneath the surface, all over again.

"Boers? You've been in contact with him?"

"Yes, regular contact as a matter of fact," Lucas replied. "I didn't want to discuss it with you because of the...difficult nature of your last interaction."

Hayley felt her face glow red with a sickly blush.

"Don't be embarrassed, Hayley. It was a difficult time for everyone. It's perfectly fine to be angry. There are still plenty of things to be angry about."

They let the silence linger between them for a moment. Hayley considered bringing up what she had learned from Grace/Ewya again, but thought better of it. Lucas had been courteous to her about her breakdown. Maybe she would insist on an update another time. Besides, there were other ways of obtaining information.

"Is there anything else I can be doing to help your mission, Lucas?"

He considered it. "Keep getting to know the natives. Talk to them about how they see our presence here, and what we could do to make our relations better. If anything comes up, just document it and we can make a plan to touch base at the next big meeting."

Lucas picked up his tray.

"Have a good day, Hayley."

Evening in hometree. The hunters had brought in a fresh kill, a pa'li. The homemakers had gotten to work stoking the fires and roasting the flesh. Fresh herbs and berries made a marinade that they slathered over the beast as it turned on the spit.

Neytiri tore at her piece. She had chatted idly with some of the others of her clan. Parents, hunters, craftspeople. They were all working together to pick up the broken pieces. They had glued them back together, but their lives were still fragile, too fragile.

"You look like you're thinking about something important."

It was her husband, Jake. He sat down beside her, cross-legged on the earthen floor. He put his arm around her and drew her in close. It made her heart leap into her throat.

"My Jake."

"What's wrong, Neytiri?"

"My mother spoke to me this afternoon, about your trip to Vitraya Ramunong."

"The Tree of Souls."

"Yes. She told me the two of you spoke with Eywa about the new changes taking place in her. She said there are many human voices within Eywa now."

"It's true. A lot of the people who died at the battle of the Tree of Souls are with Eywa now. But there are other voices, too. Eywa has been absorbing some human technology within herself."

Neytiri pulled her husband's arm around her. "Jake, I am scared. I thought the humans would leave us. I thought that it would be fine for some of the good humans to stay. But look at what is happening now!"

"Neytiri, I know why you're scared. Eywa is changing. But I don't think we need to worry too much. She has existed for thousands and thousands of years. She's strong. Humans aren't all bad. I think she'll be able to take their good parts and learn from them."

Neytiri shook her head.

"We should have sent them all away, Jake. I wish you would understand why I feel this way. Mother told me of Eywa's plan - surely you are concerned too?"

"You mean her plan to try to save the humans on Earth through subspace transmission? She wants to take in their souls. They're dying back at home, Neytiri. That's what we did. We had to do it, otherwise they would have killed us. But we sent these massive events in motion."

Neytiri looked at him with those fierce glowing eyes, a tigress.

"What do you care about them, Jake? You are one of the People, now. You have left that world behind. They doomed themselves. They killed their mother. Maybe there are some good humans left there, and it is sad that they will die. But their ancestors doomed them, Jake."

"Maybe Ewya will only accept the souls of the good humans. We have something like that back on Earth - God and heaven. Eywa's like heaven - she'll take those people who are good."

"Ewya does not only focus on the good. She cares only about the balance. She takes life and gives it in ways that we do not understand." Neytiri signed. "You are my mate, and we are bonded for life. We must be bonded not just here-" she placed her hand on his bare chest, over his sternum, then moved it up to cup the side of his head in her four fingers. "-and we must be bonded here was well. It is difficult because we are so different, Jake. So please, hear me. You must listen."

Jake nodded.

Neytiri placed a hand over her abdomen. "I worry about the future, about Eywa, not just as the Chieftess. I now worry in a new way. I worry as a mother."

"You're-"

Neytiri put a finger to his mouth, a coy smile slowly emerging.

"We will announce it to everyone soon, my mother and I. But yes, it is true. A boy."

"I thought -" Jake gulped for air, "I thought the avatars were sterile-"

"Sterile?"

"Barren. They - they must have made improvements in the...in the way they combined human and Na'vi."

"Your child will be something entirely new, then," Neytiri said gently. "A new person, for a new world. I pray that we can make his world safe."

The bones in her hand dropped to the floor as Jake swept her up in his arms and held her more tightly than he'd ever held on to anything in his entire life.