Alive
Book 2
Pt2
1
It was a perfect day to be lazy. And after all the cake and revelry from the day before, not to mention to the few celebratory sips of wine his Father had allowed him, (after which he knew he'd never understand the fascination with alcohol) David really wasn't in the mood for anything that required prolonged concentration. So, for a change he turned off his computer, put down his books, his lute and lessons, and left his mechanical siblings to their own studies.
He had initially hoped that Ariel would take him up for a spin in his new Strato-cruiser. It was a 'Vayu'; a sleek two-seater, imported from India. After the drowning of major western cities led to the decline of US industry, India had become one of the chief manufacturing centers of the world. Along with Brazil, China and Mexico, they made most of the top line cruisers, terrain or airborne. The Vayu, named after a Hindu deity that ruled the wind, was their most popular model. Small and light, easy to store and maintain, it was the perfect craft for beginners, and David could not wait to get airborne. But he wouldn't be allowed to pilot it by himself until he got a permit, and then only in permit zones, far away from populated areas. After that would come the legal hoops Dad would have to jump through to get him registered and licensed, if he ever hoped to fly inland.
Until that time though, zipping over the open waters with a licensed pilot wouldn't be breaking any rules.
But Ariel had been busy doing maintenance on the Cybertronics fleet. He'd been poking around beneath a copter with its panels off, when David came into the hangar. Ariel had crawled from under the craft, taken one look at the hangdog look in David's face, and knew what he wanted.
"Sorry," he said. "Not today, buddy. Maybe tomorrow."
But David knew tomorrow was a workday. His flying lessons probably wouldn't start until the following weekend. He retreated without argument.
After a while of playing with the new toy dog Mario had made for him, David's laptop buzzed. It was a text from Eddie.
"U up?" it said.
"No. I type in my sleep." David replied.
"Brat. Wanna dive w us?"
David thought for a moment.
"No excursions per The Admin," he wrote.
The Admin referred to his Father. 'No excursions' meant there'd be no sneaking inland right now. He knew the two scavengers had been planning to take him to check up on Monica; a belated present for his birthday. But it was too much of a risk now. Dad was watching.
"Just mapping," came the reply.
"K. When?"
"30mn. Lower docks," Eddie wrote. "And nix the little spy."
David laughed. That was about Teddy. No one could be sure anymore who was watching through the toys eyes, or listening through its ears. David suddenly realized that Teddy was probably how Dad had found out about the trips inland.
"Way ahead of u," he wrote.
2
A little over an hour later they were free floating a few miles beyond the cluster of sunken skyscrapers of old Manhattan. The weeping of the Lions was only a low rumble in the distance. Massive cloud heads billowed above, like herds of great white mastodons casting huge shadows on the waters as they trekked slowly through the sky. Even the Ocean seemed bluer than usual.
If only every day could be like this, David thought as he sat on the edge of the retractable loading platform that floated alongside Skipper's boat. Whatever they dredged up would be piled and sorted through here, and then the junk would be thrown back in the water, or taken to a disposal center if it was something toxic. If they located anything valuable, but too big to haul up with the skiff, Skipper would tag it as 'found' and go rent with a bigger boat. But big finds were rare now-a-days. There was still plenty of small stuff, however, to make up the difference.
David was in his favorite old cut-offs and a t-shirt, piloting the RC Amphibicopter his Father had given him and kicking his bare feet into the cool water. He was using the regular RC controls now, and wore a lens-sized monitor over one eye so he could see from the copter's vantage. On the small monitor, he could see himself and the two scavengers from the RC camera high above. Skipper was at the wheel, studying a monitor that displayed what was beneath the boat. And Eddie was on the deck, slipping into his skin suit, getting ready to go after anything Skipper found. .
David decided to have some fun.
"Heads up!" he yelled.
"Heads up what?" Eddie said, turning quickly to see what David was talking about.
"Up your butt!" David said. Eddie started to say something back, but was forced to duck as the toy amphibicopter whistled by, just feet over his head, and dashed out toward the horizon.
Skipper started laughing.
Eddie was not so impressed.
"Oh, real funny!" he said. "Do that again and you're swimming back!"
David was having too much fun to acknowledge the threat. He put the copter into a vertical climb until it began to stall, then he leveled off and let it hover there. In his eyepiece, he noticed a real copter approaching from beyond 'The Torch', as the locals called the looming arm of the drowned statue of Liberty. He watched the copter quietly for a moment, wondering where it might be headed.
"Heck, I could make it home from here," he said, finally, without even looking to see how far away it was.
"Not in this current, you ain't," Skipper said. He'd been watching a monitor that displayed colorful graphs of the submerged surface, superimposed over a layout of old city planning maps; ones that had been made before the first of the great waves had hit back in 2012. The maps told him what types of buildings should be submerged there. The color-coded graphs showed him what types of metals might be lying around or hidden inside them. Every scavenger was hoping to see the signs of gold or silver. But they weren't the only metals that had value. Copper. Brass. Titanium. All could bring enough coin to be worth a dive.
"Oh, that's nothing, Skip," David said. "Did you know the youngest person to swim the English Channel was only 11 years old?"
"Fascinating," Eddie grumbled as he went back to suiting up. "Maybe I'll give you a chance to beat that record."
"Don't start you two," Skipper said. But he knew this was just their typical routine.
David had piloted the RC to the point where he could make out the writing on the approaching copter. It was black letters in a bright amber circle. It read: 'Yellow'
He knew that logo. It was a private shuttle service that Dad sometimes used to bring visitors from inland when the fleet was unavailable.
"Nah, that wouldn't beat any records," he said, returning to teasing Eddie. "Home is only a few miles away, and when I got there I'd be climbing onto a dock. The Channel is 21 miles at the narrowest point… well it used to be anyway, back when the record was set… and then you have to climb up a cliff of rocks when you get to France."
Skipper sighed. "Kid, you ever read anything that'll do anybody any good?" he said.
David chuckled. "In this day and age, Skip, nothing is more valuable than information," he said.
"And what philosopher said that?" Eddie teased. "The Buddha?"
David clucked his tongue. "Actually an old friend told me that. And The Buddha wasn't a philosopher, he was a prince who gave up a life of royalty to be a wandering spiritual teacher."
"Well, whatever," Eddie said. "I still bet you couldn't make it."
Skipper gave Eddie a sour look.
"Nobody's swimming back, and that's final," he said.
"I did it before," David said nonchalantly. But Eddie was prepping his air-tanks and Skipper was studying something on the screen. Neither bothered to challenge his claim. This was actually a good thing, because he could not have explained that he'd been a Mecha at the time, and had been carried the distance by underwater currents. He chuckled to himself, imagining what their reactions might look like.
The shuttle he'd been watching in his eyepiece, zoomed over the Lions and was now setting down atop the Cybertronics building. One of the lab guys was waiting there, but David's RC copter was still a couple miles out, and he couldn't zoom in tight enough to see who it was.
Skipper suddenly let out an excited guffaw.
"Booya, y'all!" he yelled, laughing.
David heard Eddie scamper up on deck to see what Skipper had found. But he ignored them both, preoccupied with his RC as he maneuvered closer to the Cybertronics building to try and get a better view of the visitors.
Two people had exited the shuttle. A man and … a woman? No, it was a girl! His RC cam wasn't close enough to make out her face, but he was sure she was young… about his age. The idea piqued David's curiosity and he sat up straight.
"Hello?" he muttered to himself.
She was light skinned, dressed in a dark jump suit with a bag slung over her shoulder.. Her hair was dark and done up in long braids.. The man that had arrived with her had dark hair too. But he was dressed in casual business attire, slacks and a plain white shirt.
A tech?
And there was something else too. Something oddly familiar about the way he moved.
"David! You should see this!" Eddie said. Whatever they'd found had obviously made him forget about tossing David overboard.
"In a minute," David said. He watched the man reach back into the copter and pull out some large cases. Salesmen maybe? They obviously weren't bringing parts, or they'd have gone straight to the lab dock. Then he realized that the cases were luggage.
Luggage?
That meant visitors. They rarely had anyone stay over, and Dad always told him beforehand. David hated stay-overs and office parties with a lot of outsiders, because he was usually told to stay out of sight. The less he was seen, the fewer questions were asked. He hoped these people wouldn't be staying long… well except the girl. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad.
"David!" Skipper called. "C'mere, boy. Check this out."
David set his RC to auto, so it would hover where it was, and set the controls aside. Then he rose, grumbling about being interrupted from his spying.
"What-what-what?" he said, annoyed as he climbed the ladder from the platform to the deck and up to the wheel.
Skipper stepped back and gestured for David to sit at the monitor. Eddie punched him playfully on the arm as he passed.
"That's for the fly over," he said.
"I owe you for that!" David said, rubbing his arm in mock pain as he sat at the steering console. "Now what is so important that you need me to -"
David's breath caught when he realized what he was looking at. It was ironic that Eddie had brought up the Buddha. In any other situation it might have been funny. But it wasn't. What he saw on the screen oddly resembled the Hindu 'Wheel of Life': a large circle connected by lines running, like spokes, from a point at its center. The whole thing glowed faintly orange on the screen, a sign that it was comprised of steel. Duller colors indicated where other materials had been used, or where rust and barnacles had corroded the surface.
"A Ferris Wheel," David said slowly. It was almost a whisper.
"Give the man his prize," Skipper said. "And, if I am reading this layout correctly," he tapped a key on the console and a series of numbered white lines overlaid the image, "we should be right over top old Coney Island."
David started to reply, but his mouth just hung open.
"C'mon, Mr. Bookworm," Skipper said. "You never read anything about old Manhattan? Coney Island? Old amusement park from back in the 20th Century? One of the first places to go when the big wave hit. It was off-limits for years, but I guess the Feds finally found whatever they were looking for. Heck, we might be the first scroungers here since the ban was lifted."
"Oh, yeah," David said, feigning a late realization. "Coney Island."
He repeated the word, robotically. A strange urgent feeling began building in his chest. But his friends didn't notice his sudden unease.
"Yep," Skipper said. "And lookie here." He pointed a calloused finger at the monitor, indicating a dot in the center of the glowing wheel. It was small and faint, a sign that it was probably covered by soot and sea life. But the hint of its shape and the deep blue light that shone from it, left David no doubt about what… about who it was.
"Think that might be something special? Hmm?" Skipper said.
3
Nobody knew about the statute that stood beneath the restless waters. David had not even told Alan Hobby, the man who had fathered the boy in whose likeness he had been created, of it's whereabouts. Something inside told him that 'She' should remain a secret; that Hers was a sacred place, and that he had only been granted a mortal life because of his ardor and determination.
Because of love.
He had once offered to take his friend Angelo to her, so that he would have this miracle for himself. But Angelo had automatically shut down after freeing David from his captivity. He could never repay that sacrifice. Now he intuitively understood that any other who sought the special gift, must come to her of their own accord, on the wings of their own determination.
There had been many nights during his time at the End Of The World, when he'd sat quietly on the sill of his room, plucking his lute and gazing out on the ocean, wondering about the miracle that had happened. Sometimes, on those lonely nights, he thought he'd seen a glimmer of blue light swirling deep in the water. But it had only lasted moments. It was probably divers, he would think afterwards. Or maybe just his imagination. But in the end it didn't matter what he'd seen, if anything. He had never sought Her out. And he had no intention of ever doing so.
Perhaps She was the source of the Blue Dreams, as he called them, those strange visions he could never remember upon awakening. Perhaps She was calling to him somehow… or maybe a trace of the magic that had been performed was still in his brain, and would awaken during his slumber.
No matter what the cause, though, he would not go down there.
Nor would he let anyone else.
4
"I don't know Skipper," David said, trying to maintain his calm. "It looks pretty dangerous. Don't you think?"
Skipper paused a moment, humming as he studied the monitor. "What do you mean?" he said. "I don't see any problems."
Eddie was suited up, standing at the edge of the platform, waiting for Skipper to upload the coordinates of the Ferris Wheel. The small computer in his headset would retrieve the data, and then use luminous arrows in his mask to guide him.
"Ready," Eddie said. "Send that stuff, so I can get going."
Skipper reached for the send button. But David lunged and caught his hand.
"Wait," he said, his mind racing for an excuse. "Uh… How do you know it's ok now? I mean… didn't you say the Police had banned this area for scavenging?"
"It's called 'salvaging', kid. And it was the Feds who locked us out. The reason I know it's ok is because I am one of the few scroungers around here who bothers to check the Government website for updates. It was cleared for salvage two weeks ago."
David clung to Skipper's hand as he sought desperately for another reason to keep them from diving.
"Yeah, but are you sure," he said at last. "I mean… you could get in a lot of trouble if you're wrong…. Right?"
Skipper was not a stupid man. He pulled his hand away from the keyboard and looked at David cautiously.
"What is up with you, David?" he said. He never used David's name unless he was really concerned. "Something you're not telling me?"
Eddie made an impatient noise. "Hey-hey! I'm waiting here!" he said.
David inadvertently bit his bottom lip as he thought. Skipper mistook this telling expression to mean there was something he was afraid to say. The man's fuzzy brows narrowed.
"Were you out here before, kid… when it was still prohibited?" he said.
David was about to answer when something suddenly buzzed against his leg. The sensation surprised him, and he jumped.
"Somebody had too much wine last night," Skipper said, only half joking.
"It's my pod," David explained quickly, reaching into his pocket. He rarely carried the thing since Teddy was usually around to act as a phone. But Teddy was in exile. David scanned the screen. It was a text from Grace.
"Visitors. C me b4 u go 2 ur room."
David punched the affirmation key and tucked the pod back in his pocket.
Eddie cleared his throat. "Sooo, are we still doing this or what?" he said. His impatience was turning into anger. Skipper held up a hand for calm.
"Hold up, Eddie," he said. Then he looked at David long and hard. "C'mon. You know I won't report it. Were you down there?" he said. "Or were you with somebody who went down?"
"Well..." David started. Then he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Look Skip," he said, "that was a message from Grace and… and I have to go back now… for some reason."
It was a lie, and he hated lying, especially to friends. But there was no other way out.
"Please trust me on this one, Skip" David said. "It's dangerous down there. That Ferris Wheel fell over a long time ago, but it hasn't settled yet. A good current kicks up and Eddie could get hurt."
Skipper was glaring at him skeptically.
"Better to err on the side of caution, huh?" David said. "For Eddies sake?"
The old scavenger's weather-worn features finally softened.
"Was it Hiro?" he said. "Was he and Chiyoko diving out here? Is that what you don't want to tell me?"
David didn't let his elation reach his face. Skipper had just given him an out! He looked down into his lap for a moment, pretending to struggle with a difficult admission. Then he looked up at Skipper and put on his best 'guilty-kid-trying-to-look-innocent' expression; something he'd learned working the Flesh Fairs with Sy and the gang.
"I can't say," he said, smiling weakly, as if he'd just broken a confidence. It wasn't exactly a lie.
"Bah!" Skipper yelled, slamming his fist on the wheel. "I should'a known that crazy old scavenger had been out here."
"Salvager," David corrected. "But yeah, he's crazy… and old."
Skipper made a reluctant laugh. He never stayed angry with David for long.
"Maybe you could send a bot down?" David suggested. It was a diplomatic ploy. He hated playing people like this, but it had to be done.
"This is a Mecha restricted zone, kid. You know that," Skipper said.
David was completely aware of that. But he slapped his forehead as if he had forgotten.
"Oh yeah," he said. "I'm around them all the time, so I forget about that."
Skipper sighed. "I wish I could send a bot down, but damned Cybertronics…" He stopped and smiled an apology. David just waved it off, grateful that the ploy had worked.
"No offense," Skipper said. "Your Dad's a great guy but all those damned regulations, man. They ain't fair to the rest of us." He made an exasperated sound, and ran a hand over his brow as he gazed around the horizon. Then he turned back to David.
"Why didn't you warn me off before Eddie suited up," he said.
"I didn't know it was the same place. I was too busy with my RC," David said, grateful to be able to tell the truth again.
"Well, next time bring your lute instead," he said. "I like your playing, and to tell the truth that damned RC gets annoying after a while."
Then the man's face lit up.
"Hey, what's the depth limit on that thing?" he said.
David knew where he was going with this.
"Umm… not enough?" he replied.
Skipper gave him a last suspicious look.
"There's more to this, I can tell," he said. "I guess you have you have your reasons for not saying. But we'll go into that later. Right now I better get you back, before Grace has a conniption."
"I don't think she has those," David said as he stood to let Skipper sit at the wheel.
"All women do," Skipper replied. "It's why I avoid 'em."
It was David's turn to make a conciliatory laugh.
Eddie mumbled something indecipherable as he threw off his headset and struggled to remove his tanks.
"Forget this!" he said, picking up David's remote, which was laying on the platform where he'd left it. "If we're not going down, I'm going up."
Skipper started the boat and began heading back as David and Eddie started to argue over the RC controls.
5
It had been months since David had seen his old friends, Chiyoko and Hiro. They dropped by once in a while, when they were making their rounds, or when they stopped in to visit the other scavengers who lived around the sunken city. They always hid their Mecha child in the boat when they came, to avoid any unpleasantness with the private security force that patrolled the city. But David had seen the boybot on the last visit, and they were taking good care of it. Chiyoko was smiling a lot more too.
But now he had to send them a message. He'd implicated them in his lie to keep Eddie from diving, and he wanted to ask Hiro to play along. He was sure the old guy would, but he would also expect an explanation.
What could he say? That Skipper had been about to disturb the Blue Fairy's resting place? And when Hiro asked what the hell the Blue Fairy was… then what?
He could figure it out later. Right now he had to see what Grace wanted.
He had flown his RC through his window before he'd entered the building, and landed it safely in his room. He raced up the loading dock and caught the elevator to Graces place. It was a level down from his Father's and took up almost half of the floor. There was no hallway. Just like Dad's study, the elevator emptied right into her workspace. But unlike Dad's, Grace's offices were colorful and modern, adorned with paintings and plants. It was deceptively luxurious. This was a business after all, and on an ordinary workday it would be filled with her staff, typing and phoning and arguing with clients, buyers and sellers, lawyers and technicians.
But today she would be alone.
She was sitting at a desk when David got off the elevator.
"What is it," he said as he approached. Grace rose and leaned a hand against the desk. There was a hint of presumed authority in her posture.
"A new hire arrived today," she explained. "He's going to be part of the lab crew. That means he'll be lodging here."
David shrugged. He decided not to tell her that he'd seen their arrival, and knew the man wasn't alone.
"Dad never said anything about that," he said. Grace sighed and crossed her arms. Why the defensive body language? David wondered. It wasn't like her.
"Yes. Well, he showed up early," she explained. "His final interview wasn't even scheduled until next week. But Alan was afraid of someone else grabbing him. I guess Cyberchild was making some last minute offers… big ones. Soooo…."
"So Dad snatched him off the shelf, eh?" David finished for her. Grace nodded. "He must really want the guy." David said.
"Yeah," Grace said. "Apparently he's got a lot of real world experience with the sims. And he has a good record. His profile analysis suggested high level of commitment and a strong sense of loyalty. And you know how important that is to your Dad."
"Which brings us to me," David said. Grace sighed, nodding.
"You know the cover story," she started, "You are…"
David cut her off.
"I am his adopted son, found in an unlicensed orphanage five years ago, hence the lack of birth and lineage records, etc etc…" he said. "Don't worry. I have it down, Grace."
"Don't take this lightly," she said, suddenly stern. "This man will be staying here and while he may be trustworthy, he's no dummy. Against my strong recommendations, Alan … I mean your Father, has decided not to play hide and seek with you anymore."
David took a moment to decipher this.
"You mean, he wants me to meet him?"
"Yes," Grace said. "Against my strong recommen-."
"You already said that," David said.
"Well, I am saying it again," Grace replied. "Against my strong recommendations, your Father wants to introduce you to this man and…." Grace paused and rolled her eyes.
"And his daughter," she said.
"And his daughter?" David said.
"I already said that." Grace said.
"Well, I am saying it again." David replied.
Grace laughed in spite of her inexplicable discomfort. Was she anxious about the girl? David wondered why.
As if she was reading his mind, Grace took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Did your Father explain to you about girls?" she said.
Oh, David realized. Now he got it.
"Girls?" he said, pretending to be confused. "You mean physically… like the way that they're different? Or mentally… the way that they're crazy?"
He jumped back just in time to avoid the knuckles she had intended to knock against his head.
"Got to be faster than that, lady." David laughed, scampering around the desk to avoid her grasp.
"C'mon, David," she said when she gave up the chase. "I am trying to be serious now. There's going to be a teenage girl living here, and I just want to know that you know… whatever there is you need to know."
David snickered.
"Why do adults get so squeamish when they talk about sex?" he said.
"David!" she said. "I'm being serious now."
"Are you having a conniption?" he said.
"Oh, if I have a conniption, you'll know, mister. Now assure me you'll behave yourself."
David was taken aback by this.
"Grace," he said slowly. "Who do you think I am?"
"I think you're a teenage boy," she replied quickly. "Believe it or not, I was a young once and I know a little about them."
"Well, I may be a teenage boy, but I'm sure I'm not the kind you're thinking about!"
It was Grace's turn to be taken aback. David donned an apologetic look.
"I mean, don't worry about me," he said, softer.
He hadn't meant to yell. Perhaps some experience from her youth had caused her to think the worst him. A quiet moment passed between them before Grace replied.
"Ok, young man," she said, "I guess I'm assured." She pulled a small mirror from the desk drawer and started preening her hair.
David usually teased her about her fastidious nature. But he knew this was not the time.
"Let's go meet our guests" she said when she finished prepping herself.
David stammered. "You mean… now?"
"I mean now," she said.
"But… I'm not even dressed," he said.
Grace looked him over quickly.
"I understand the beach bum look is back in fashion," she said, and started away.
David followed, hoping this wouldn't take long. He still had to contact Hiro, before Skipper did.
6
Mario and a half dozen of the other techs were gathered at the center of the lab, laughing at something, when David and Grace entered. White robed, blank-faced Davids were hanging from suspension poles along the walls. A few were standing at attention on the floor of the room, their bodies in various states of repair.
A man's voice broke over the chatter. It was strangely familiar.
"Oh yeah. I've seen that malfunction before," the man said. "We used to call it the Quimp Shuffle."
The techs all laughed again. Mario made a reply that David couldn't make out, causing another round of laughter among the techs. They were obviously taking a liking to the new man.
Dad was standing in the middle of the group, arms crossed, smiling at his new employee, who had his back to David. When Dad noticed David and Grace he beckoned them over.
"Grace, David," he said. "Come meet the newest member to the Cybertronics family."
David approached, a sudden growing feeling inside, that he was walking right into one of Sy's 'unknown unknowns'. The new man turned and smiled. David's recognition was instant. But the man obviously did not share it.
"Hi, I'm Stuart King," he said, offering his hand "It's good to meet you."
David reached out slowly, fighting to keep a straight face.
"Nice to meet you too," he said hoping his voice wouldn't break; hoping nobody would sense the feeling of unreality that had suddenly fallen on him.
"David, eh?" Stuart said. "Well that should be an easy name to remember around here."
Laughter erupted again.
"Are you a sim?"
David flinched. What had the man just asked him?
"Uh… what?" he said.
"I said, out for a swim?" Stuart repeated, gesturing to David's attire.
"Oh, yeah," David said with a nervous laugh. He held up his RC controls. "Uh, out flying my RC copter. Birthday gift from my Dad."
"Ah," Stuart said. "Great." There was a quick awkward silence. Then the man turned and shook Graces hand.
"Good to see you again, Grace" he said.
"Same here, Stuart." She said. "Welcome aboard." She stepped back and shot David a concerned look from the corner of her eye.
"Oh," Stuart said, as if an after thought, "This is my daughter."
The girl was standing at the edge of the gathering, intently studying one of David's silent brethren.
"Honey?" Stuart called.
When the girl realized she was being beckoned, she turned and approached. David remembered her face well. But she had grown. They both had.
"Well, introduce yourself, sweetheart," Stuart said.
"Hey," she said, holding a delicate hand out to David. "I'm Amanda."
David took her hand but could not meet her eyes. He was feeling as out of place and disoriented as the first time they'd met; seven years ago, when she had found him standing among the doomed rejects in the pigpen.
At the Flash Fair
Where her father had worked.
"My name is David," he said.
(cont...)