Mrs Maheswaran extinguished the waxlights one by one as she descended the staircase for the final time. The beige wallpaper dimmed in the half-reflected light of dawn. Beneath her, Connie perched among the suitcases, staring glumly at the floor.
Priyanka paused two steps from the bottom, looking back. "I never liked this wallpaper," she murmured wistfully. After a moment, she turned to face Connie. "That's everything," she told her daughter. "It's nearly time to go. Are you ready?"
"Yes, ma'am," Connie managed, trying to feign enough energy to stave off any accusation of sulking. It had been hard enough to remain chipper over the past few days, as they packed their entire lives into a few scant containers. Now after waking at cockcrow to be ready on time, she had spent more time than seemed reasonable sitting and waiting, staring at ornaments she would never see again.
"Where's your father?" Priyanka asked.
In response, Doug emerged into the hallway. "I was in the kitchen — just double-checking we didn't leave anything perishable."
"We could have packed more of the food," Connie half-heartedly protested.
"It's wrong to hoard food," came the predictable response. "This way, it's a nice gesture to whoever lives here next." Then, Priyanka smiled. "Besides, there'll be plenty to eat in our new home."
Doug checked his pocket watch. "It's two minutes to. I, uh, we don't want to keep them waiting."
"Right!" Priyanka stood up straight. "Grab your cases! Say goodbye to the house."
("Goodbye, house," they dutifully chorused, and exchanged momentary grins.)
As the family turned to the door, Connie paused as her mother rested a hand on her shoulder. "Connie, I know it's hard to move away. You'll always have happy memories of this place. Well, now it's time for us to go and make some new memories." Connie smiled, uplifted more by the intent of the pep talk than its substance.
They stepped out into the early light. The other houses in the settlement lay still, although in the distance an early riser could be seen tending their allotment.
A moment of silence as they stood on the front path. Doug shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Hmm. Thought they'd be here by..."
His utterance was cut off by a rush of air as the ship descended. Connie took an involuntary step back as the smooth metal came to an abrupt halt what felt like mere inches away. A door revealed itself, swooshing open on an empty cabin fitted with enough seats for at least twenty people. At the front of the craft, a short red gem sat at the helm of a dense control panel. Turning round in her chair, she smiled at the Maheswarans and recited: "Greetings, humans! I'm here to transport you to be processed. Please step aboard!"
"Thanks, Ruby," said Doug as he climbed into the ship. Connie, overwhelmed by the novelty of the situation, was unable to process her response to this (how did he know her name?) before cognition caught up and she felt secretly embarrassed, but glad she hadn't managed to blurt out anything stupid.
As the door shut behind her mother, she wondered where they were meant to stow their cases, before a low humming alerted her to the fact that they were already moving. In defiance of physics, there was no inertia to be felt, and the cases lay still where they had been set down. The only real evidence of motion was the Ruby's grappling with the control systems, and Connie fervently wished there were windows so she could see how fast they were going. Or would this be a sight beyond the human mind's comprehension? Blinking, she made her way to sit between her parents in the warm unnatural light.
"Perhaps at processing we'll get some answers," Doug murmured. The letter, stamped with the Diamond Authority logo and signed on behalf of an Agate, had appeared on the Maheswaran doormat with no fanfare. Its content was much the same as the previous time they had moved, the language striking an odd tone as if the writer was apologising for doing them a favour. Actual details were scarce, however, beyond the fact of their relocation and the deadline.
"What did they say the last time?" Connie asked.
"I suppose you were too young to remember. There were some cave-ins near the old house after an earthquake — the settlement wasn't in any danger, but it wasn't the best place for a growing child to be running around. I think a couple other families were moving too, for the same reason."
"It was absolutely right." Priyanka stared up at the walls of the craft as she spoke with a quiet intensity. "P5T7 has been a wonderful settlement. Such beautiful surroundings, and safe too. I only hope that our next home is just as suitable."
It was the first time it had occurred to Connie that her mother was anxious about the move, too.
Settlement P5T7 was nice. Had been nice, she reminded herself. There was an orchard, gently rolling hills, and miles of scrubland beyond the fields. She'd been so young when they moved in that it was, to all intents and purposes, the only home she'd ever known. For years they had been largely self-sufficient, and had lots of time to spend together as a family.
Still, it could be a little stifling. Dad's work took up very little time, and Mom's only duties were in home-schooling her, so it had begun to seem like there was never a break from their parenting. And the other residents, although nice, weren't all that interesting to talk to. Connie couldn't help feeling a little jealous when her parents told her stories about places they'd lived before, some of which sounded a lot more fun. Her dad treasured fond memories of the friends he'd grown up with, sneaking out after dark to skim stones and watch gem ships manoeuvring against the stars. There were no ships in the night sky over P5T7. Connie had hardly ever seen any gems herself — mostly just the occasional Amethyst making a delivery. Even the Zircon with whom her dad had occasional meetings would come to the civic hall instead of the house. The more Connie dwelled on it, the more she suspected her fond memories of home were going to blend together somewhat. Perhaps this was the downside of living somewhere so safe.
I hope we move somewhere interesting, she decided.
"Here we are!" the Ruby cheerfully announced as the door opened on a vast hangar. Sheer marbled walls surrounded them on all sides, and it was impossible to tell how the craft had got in.
They huddled in the shadow of dormant airships as a lilac figure approached.
"Priyanka, Doug and Connie?" the Amethyst grinned, looking them over in no particular order. "Follow me, it's not far."
As they reached for their luggage, she added: "Hey, I can take those for ya." She tucked Connie's case under one arm before effortlessly lifting the others, and strode in the direction of a doorway before they could thank her.
They followed the Amethyst down a broad corridor lined with mysterious brightly-coloured tubes. Gems of all shapes and sizes bustled between doorways.
"Where are we?" Connie asked, breathless.
"This is where gems work, Connie," her mother told her.
"But where is it?" Connie insisted. It seemed impossible that these majestic halls existed in the same world she knew.
"Hush with the questions, please. We can talk about it afterward."
Before long they were ushered into a kind of office. It had been furnished with some seats designed to be comfortable for humans, but the green gem inside perched on a solid angular throne adorned with translucent floating displays. She looked up and managed a half-smile as the doorway sealed itself.
"Good morning. Thank you for joining us. You can call me Moss Agate."
There were questions: had they enjoyed living in settlement P5T7? Had they been given enough notice to prepare for the resettlement? Had the gems they had encountered so far been polite and helpful? How many orbital cycles had it been since Connie's birth?
This last question was directed at Connie, and she overcame her shyness to tell Moss Agate that she was thirteen. The Agate fixed her with a too-broad smile, before turning her attention back to Connie's parents.
"No doubt you're anxious to know why you're being relocated."
"Oh..." "Well..." Their sudden eagerness to deny any such curiosity was quickly silenced with a gesture.
"It's alright. We know this can be a difficult process, especially with a thirteen-year-old... girl?"
Connie gave a quick nod, her expression serious.
Moss Agate took on a subtle but unmistakable air of self-importance as she launched into her speech. "There are a combination of reasons. It's no secret that agricultural yields around your settlement have been disappointing in recent years. Food subsidies have been on the increase, and while this is never an issue in terms of our own resources, it does not bode well for the ongoing self-sufficiency of the settlement. So this is just one step in an ongoing process of scaling down settlement P5T7 to a more realistic size.
"Furthermore, my analysis suggests that your talents are being wasted. Mr Maheswaran, your Zircon speaks very highly of your peacekeeping efforts, but let's be frank: in such a small community there's precious little for you to actually do. Really, what trouble could there be? Mediating the occasional dispute over a horse? No doubt you've found it dull at points. And Mrs Maheswaran," she continued without waiting for any response, "you have done a fine job raising such a polite child. There is no longer any need for you to dedicate yourself full-time to her education. You must miss teaching classes. Settlement B1C7, where you will be located, is large enough to sustain a small education centre. And yes, Miss Maheswaran," — here she glanced triumphantly at Connie's suppressed excitement — "there will be other humans close to your age for you to interact with, which will aid in your social development.
"B1C7 is a coastal settlement of over a hundred humans. As I mentioned, there is an education centre, in addition to recreational areas, and a number of autonomous manufactories run by local residents for the benefit of the community."
Connie's melancholy of the past few weeks was becoming a distant memory. This new settlement sounded fantastic.
"I'm sure there's a lot you'd like to know, but don't worry. There will be plenty of time for you to be properly inducted upon your arrival." Moss Agate leaned forward, suddenly stern. "However, as this will be your first time living in a coastal settlement, there is just one thing I wish to make clear at this stage: the ocean is dangerous. I am aware that humans have a fascination with bodies of water. Do not be tempted to enter the ocean, or we will be unable to guarantee your safety. Remember this and your time in settlement B1C7 will be a pleasant one."
With the Agate's warning ringing in their ears, the meeting was swiftly wrapped up. The gem had been polite in her stilted, inhuman way, but did not give the impression that questions would be welcome. Her mom, the supreme authority figure in Connie's life as she knew it, had seemed cowed by the imposing gem in a way that brought home the inescapable gulf between their species. Gems didn't sleep, they didn't die. Their technology was beyond incomprehensible. The immensity of their knowledge threw humanity's ignorance into sharp relief.
It must be like having to deal with animals, Connie thought.
Still, the excitement wasn't over: they would be travelling by gem warp! Again they were shepherded through identical corridors by a burly Amethyst — Connie thought it was the same one as before, but kept her reactions vague in case she was wrong and ended up seeming rude.
"We took your luggage through already," she was saying. "So don't worry about that, they'll be loading it up on the other side. B1C7, huh?"
"That's right," Doug responded, matching her tone. Connie had a sense he was hoping to fish for information, and made sure not to break the brief silence.
"It's a nice part of the world," the Amethyst volunteered. "Got some good fields out there so it's one of the larger settlements. Humans seem to like it, so you should be fine."
The chamber they had entered was filled with an array of circular, crystalline floor panels. These lit up intermittently as gems emerged from shafts of ethereal light, or disappeared into the same, none of them breaking their purposeful stride. Connie's gaze followed the lights up to the rocky ceiling, which looked more carved than built — were they underground? Their escort suddenly halted at one of the warp pads, directing the family on board. "Here you go, shorty," she encouraged, helping Connie up onto the platform.
"Miss? Ma'am... um, Amethyst?" The question fell out of her before she could think it through. "I've never ridden... I've never been in a gem warp. How... what do I..?"
The gem grinned. "Don't worry, it's easy. All you've got to do is stand still and I'll take care of the rest. Don't go moving around in the stream and we'll be golden. How about it?"
Connie nodded assent, relieved that she hadn't caused any offence. She glanced up at her parents to gauge whether she was in any trouble for speaking out of turn — which would be unfair, she told herself, as she could hardly start asking mom and dad for answers when they were standing in front of a representative of the all-knowing Diamond Authority.
As it was, her dad simply gave an encouraging smile. "Here, you can hold onto my hand if you like." Wordlessly, Priyanka made the same offer. The Maheswarans linked hands as the Amethyst activated the warp pad with a gesture.
The surrounding area suddenly dissolved into a blur, and there was a sense of rapid motion as this blur resolved itself into a seemingly infinite vertical cylinder surrounding the four passengers. Connie's stomach lurched as gravity seemed to forget all about her. She glanced briefly up at her mother, whose hair was billowing out as if they were underwater. Mine's doing the same, she realised, but swishing her head to one side to feel the effect just gave her motion sickness. Instead, she tried to find a constant point in the stream to focus on. This seemed in vain until an increasing proliferation of green spots began coalescing into an image, which abruptly came into focus and became their reality.
Gravity gently reasserted itself as the warp pad's energy dissipated, and they touched down on the glassy surface.
On the nearby road, their suitcases were being strapped down onto the back of a carriage by a stocky blonde woman in a blue uniform. She turned and waved as they descended from the pad, before resuming her work. "Looks like you're in good hands," the Amethyst offered, before reactivating the warp pad and dissolving into a pillar of light.
Mrs Maheswaran took the lead in approaching the carriage. "Greetings. My name is Priyanka Maheswaran. I see you're expecting us?"
The lady jumped down from the carriage. "Good afternoon, my name's Barbara Miller! I take it these are Doug and Connie? Pleased to meet ya." She extended her hand for a round of vigorous handshakes. "If you want to hop on board, I'll take you from here to the settlement, show you around a bit so you can make yourselves at home."
"Thank you. Were you waiting for us long?"
"No, not at all. Can't fault the Authority on efficiency, at least!" Barbara climbed up onto the front of the carriage as she spoke, taking the reins.
"Absolutely," Doug agreed, distracted. The three sat in a row behind their driver, who twitched the reins and set the horse in motion.
"How far is it from the warp pad?" Connie's mother asked.
"It'll take a little more than an hour. Don't worry, it'll fly by."
Connie nudged her mother. "Why don't they have the warp pad closer to the settlement?" she asked quietly.
Priyanka adopted her teaching voice. "Because the gem warp network was constructed by gems for their own purposes, which are unrelated to the locations of our settlements. Regardless of this, they are generous enough to let humans use it when necessary."
Barbara swivelled round in her seat to grin at Connie. "Hey, kid! Connie, right? Don't worry about bothering me with questions! I'm sure you've got lots of questions about this place. Well, we've got nothing but time, so it's no bother."
"Oh! Thank you, ma'am." Connie smiled politely. Then, feeling something was expected of her: "What's it like living here?"
"Eh, it's fine, but it's better to be more specific, you know? What particular thing do you wanna know?"
Connie glanced at her parents, whose faces gave no indication that this was anything other than good-natured banter. "Well... what's it like for you? What do you do in the community?"
Barbara smiled indulgently. "Good question. I assist William Dewey — he's the civic leader — with various things, delivering goods, distributing announcements, and of course escorting folks like your good selves."
Connie blinked. "Gosh. Where we come from, the civic leader didn't need an assistant. Because the settlement was so small, I mean. I've never lived anywhere... big," she finished lamely, opting for a neutral adjective out of residual loyalty to P5T7.
"Oh, well then. I bet we've got a bunch of things in B1C7 that you're not used to. Why don't I list a few and you can stop me if I'm being patronising?" There was an uncertain silence. "Hah! Alrighty then. So obviously we have the education centre, that's two classrooms with a small library. The civic hall has a stage outside for performances. There's a windmill on the hill, processes our grain for us. Let's see, what else..."
Priyanka spoke up: "Our Agate mentioned some manufactories?"
"Oh, yeah, we have a few citizens giving their time to various enterprises for the community. There's tailoring, so if you're patient you can have a few clothes that aren't hand-me-downs. There's a workshop and forge that anyone can use. I mentioned the windmill, and we've a small bakery, so you can get your bread made, and they'll do cakes on special occasions... which reminds me. Not to put you on the spot, but just so you know. Most of the citizens donate some of their allotment space for the manufactories. If you can grow a little cotton, or sugar beet, that'll go a long way for us, 'cause we just can't put those crops in the general rotation."
Priyanka was impassive. "What size are the allotments?"
"Oh, standard, about seventeen yards each side." Barbara looked suddenly uncertain. "Like I said, I don't mean to put you on the spot. It's not compulsory or anything, it's just some people might get a bit..."
"It's fine," Priyanka reassured her. "It all sounds wonderful. I must be honest, when we heard we were moving, a part of me couldn't help worrying that we'd somehow done something wrong. But I know that's just paranoia."
Barbara snorted. "Something wrong? I doubt it! You guys have got one of the best houses in the settlement. Sounds to me more like ya did something right."
A silence fell as they rode past fields of corn which rippled under gusts of wind.
"How have the harvests been, here?" Doug asked after a while.
"Oh, they've been good." Although positive, Barbara's answer lacked the enthusiasm she had shown thus far. "We've not had any major problems — the occasional light year but that's been down to freak weather, I think. There are years when we don't need a subsidy. Certainly there's been no talk of downsizing the settlement. No, we're fine as far as I can tell. Of course, back in the old days..."
Barbara trailed off, and they rode in silence as Connie's mind raced with thoughts of new things. Everything in P5T7 had been so old. Her clothes were cut and stitched together from worn-out dresses, and she had grown up reading the same dozen books which had come with them from her birthplace.
Priyanka broke the silence. "You mentioned freak weather conditions? How severe?"
"Well, nothing crazy. Maybe that was the wrong word. It's pleasant most of the year but some winters we've had snowstorms. What was the weather like in your old home?"
"Comfortable most of the year, too hot in summer. In my opinion."
"I've never seen snow!" Connie exclaimed.
Barbara gave her a wry glance. "Well, when you do it'll be a mixed blessing, believe me. A few years back we had a late cold snap and most of my potatoes were beyond saving. My kid had fun, at least!"
"Oh, you have a child? ...Congratulations," Priyanka added after a moment's hesitation.
"Well, nearly an adult now. As a matter of fact, she'll be in your class."
"I see. I shall look forward to meeting her."
As they crested a hill, settlement B1C7 suddenly came into view, and with it, the ocean. Dozens of buildings were set out in neat squares, bordered on two sides by the turbulent water. Beyond the settlement, a ridge jutted above the beach, on top of which the windmill was silhouetted against the clear sky.
"Home, sweet home," Barbara announced.
"It's huge!" Connie cried. She tried to guess what some of the other buildings were. There was an open square near the centre, which she reasoned might adjoin the civic hall. At the near end of the settlement, a water tower was placed uphill from the other structures. Even this was more impressive than the one back home. Rows of houses could be distinguished along with their adjoining allotments. And to either side of the settlement, the expanse of glittering water looked nigh-endless from this altitude. Connie stared at it in fascination as the slope took them downward.
Barbara exchanged greetings with a couple of passers-by as they neared the bottom of the hill. Seeing the figures of other children in the distance, Connie suddenly became overwhelmed and sank down in her seat, not ready to interact. To her left and right were buildings that had appeared almost like toys when viewed from the crest of the hill. This street alone comprised as many houses as she had ever seen.
Barbara parked the carriage outside some stables, located on a corner of the settlement where the insistent rumble of the ocean could be heard in the distance. Inside the building, a middle-aged man with a bald patch surrounded by unruly long hair was feeding horses. Noticing the cart's arrival, he came out to meet them.
"Hey, Barb. Who have you got here?"
"These are the Maheswarans — the new teacher and peacekeeper, and their daughter. Greg, you fancy doing me a favour?"
The stableman addressed Connie and her family first. "Pleased to meet you all, I'm Greg. Sure, Barb, what'd you have in mind?"
Barbara leapt down from her seat. "I'm going to show the Maheswarans around the boardwalk. Could you take the carriage and drop their luggage off at the empty house on Sussex Road?"
"Sure, no problem. I'll drive it back here afterwards and get everything squared away."
Connie's parents got out of the carriage, and Mrs Maheswaran immediately approached Greg. "Thank you very much, you're most helpful. The largest case contains some books and is quite heavy, so be careful."
"Hey, no problem," the stableman grinned, "I'm tougher than I look."
"Now," Priyanka continued, "the smaller green case contains seeds which are separately packaged, and it would be a disaster if these were to become mixed up, so..." Greg's smile became strained as he found himself on the receiving end of a short lecture on the importance of careful handling.
Connie noted that no such warnings had been issued to the Amethyst who had helped them earlier.
"Come on, kiddo." Her dad was beckoning her. "You ready to see our new settlement?"
Connie found, to her surprise, that she wasn't. Everything so far had been little more than a series of impressions as she was transported through new and dazzling environs. Interacting with them would be a different matter. Now, she would have to immerse herself in the unfamiliar situation and it would all become real.
She focused on her dad's expectant smile, and put her feelings of trepidation to one side. "Let's go," she said, and climbed down from the carriage to begin exploring their new home.