Chapter 10: NID
Varielle was reading quietly in her bed, a local news publication, with a dictionary by her hand, when someone came in. She glanced up; it was Daniel.
"Asleep, you should be," she said a little sternly. "No good are you, if exhaust."
"Exhausted," he corrected. "I'm fine."
"No, you are not," she contradicted bluntly. "You look like me, a long night after, with interesting new compound."
He smiled a little at that. "I was hoping I could talk to you some more."
"Yes. I just wake up, think a little. Nothing to do."
"Reading our news?" He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Would you like some?"
"I try it once. Taste like urine and powder of limestone. I prefer water." He smiled again, just a little lopsided quirk of the mouth.
"What do you think of our news?"
"Is relief to know you not all live below ground."
"You thought that… oh! No, no, this base was built here to be safe."
"I understand. Some of ours are same. I wish I see your world, your stars, trees, people."
"Well, I suppose I could arrange something…"
"Wait, it must. As soon as walk I can, return to my people I must."
"Why? Why the rush?"
She sighed. "All teams report at intervals. Different times, different missions. When we arrive on planet - your name? Never mind, we not name it either. When we arrive, cannot call home. Controls broken."
"Yes, the dial-home device was malfunctioning. We've seen that before and knew how to fix it."
"We did not. Could not go home. Some supplies, they send us, while try to think of something. We move to forest for water, food, explore, try to learn, hope to find clue to way home. Had been… twelve local days. People back home talk of ways back, but nothing decided. Our people talk much, like yours." He smiled a little at that. "But still, they call, sometimes; we answer. Now we not answer. They will not send others, if cannot come home, but will worry. All my team have families. Grown children, parents, people to come home to."
"And you?"
"My master, Amarell, he raise me, I tell you this. He have six children, all older me than."
"Older than me."
"Older than me. Janama - my almost-mother - is dead. Two years of ours since. All have someone, aunts, uncles, no children depend on us, no true loves. Except Restons, they married couple, they come along on team. Die together." She closed her eyes. "But still, have friends, com- comrades? What is word for one you work with, sound like that at start?"
"Colleagues."
"Yes. Colleagues. Plus if is threat to my home, tell them I must. As soon as can get there."
"You won't be able to walk for another few days at least, even as fast as you heal. Do all your people heal like that?"
"Essan."
"What does that mean?"
"I think you say damn. I heal must." She had ignored the question.
"Oh."
"Tell them of your people, I will," she said.
"You'll need some way to find us."
"I saw you dial. I remember."
"You remember that?"
"I remember everything. Is one reason why I come; am - ah - back-up for computer. Remember all, if try. But is not always instant. Is why have trouble with words. Need to think, learn, process. Fit words into thought matrix in head. I very good at it, is natural talent. Another reason I chosen. Our… how you say… project less military than yours. Here almost all soldiers, fighters - even scientists most military. Even you wear same clothes."
"And your clothes?"
"Were same because are most durable material we have, warm at night, cool in day, wash easily, and cheaper in one colour. Also good colour for forest, blend in. Not all same - pockets, undershirts, they change. Is not rule. Is just more bother than result to be different."
"More trouble than it's worth," he said slowly. "I think I see." He was lost for a moment. "How do you think your people will react when they learn of us?"
"Is hard to say. Our government much like yours, with regional people," she fumbled for the word.
"Representatives. One to speak for all."
"Yes. Representatives, but you have two - Senate and Congress, one for area - state, you say. We have one, I think more like Senate. Is near election time. If one big group say go for alliance, other side will say no, to be saying different things. So if you want to talk, talk to military. Not civilians. After all, they the ones who do fighting. As for Jedi…" She sighed. "We have influence, but no power. Is…" she shook her head. "We have powers for emergency, but only used for emergency. Otherwise, we advise. We protect. We watch, learn, teach, study, sometimes fight. Not always. Just sometimes. When few or no other options." She leaned back.
"Sounds a bit like here," he admitted, taking a seat and sipping his coffee. He passed her a glass of water.
"Thanks," she said. At one end of the room the nurse who had been checking on the one other patient, who was asleep, left the room. "Daniel, what is NID?"
His head snapped around. "What? How do you know of them?"
"There was a man, earlier, here. He one of them, wonder about me - what he can learn from me, profit from me. They think they have way to keep me here. I need to know."
"Who was he? How do you know he was NID?"
"I not know his name. Tall, dark hair - doctor, I think, or dress like one. He take away a copy of X-rays and medical record."
"How do you know he was NID?" Daniel was standing up, coffee forgotten.
She sighed and looked away. "He was thinking it."
"You… you know what people think?"
"Not always. Not like you must think. Look, is not common among my people. Is… special trait. Most people like that, train as Jedi. Not all, is no rule you must. But some do. It takes talent, then training. I have both. But must…" She sighed. "Is not like seeing or hearing. I need work at it. Feelings are easier. To be aware of people around you, is common for Jedi. Anxiety, fear, anger, hate, happiness, other things. Is normal, acceptable."
"People trust you?"
"Is what Jedi are. We are meant to be worthy of trust. People like you."
"What?"
"You are like Janama. She was not Jedi, no talent, but good woman. She have an old phrase, one I think of her. 'No malice in the soul', I think you say. Like you. If a perfect world, all Jedi have soul like Janama. But is not. You know that."
"I, ah, wouldn't say that…"
"I would. You have sense in here," she jabbed her head, "and here, what is right, what is wrong. Stick to it, as best you can. When others slide, forget, want to forget, you are there, speaking of forgiveness, of caution, of empathy. It is hard, when others expect you to be always there to balance them."
Daniel looked shocked.
"Why so surprised?" she asked gently, nudging his chin with two fingers so he looked her in the eye instead of studying the floor. "Do so few people truly know you, to try?"
Varielle was reading quietly in her bed, a local news publication, with a dictionary by her hand, when someone came in. She glanced up; it was Daniel.
"Asleep, you should be," she said a little sternly. "No good are you, if exhaust."
"Exhausted," he corrected. "I'm fine."
"No, you are not," she contradicted bluntly. "You look like me, a long night after, with interesting new compound."
He smiled a little at that. "I was hoping I could talk to you some more."
"Yes. I just wake up, think a little. Nothing to do."
"Reading our news?" He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Would you like some?"
"I try it once. Taste like urine and powder of limestone. I prefer water." He smiled again, just a little lopsided quirk of the mouth.
"What do you think of our news?"
"Is relief to know you not all live below ground."
"You thought that… oh! No, no, this base was built here to be safe."
"I understand. Some of ours are same. I wish I see your world, your stars, trees, people."
"Well, I suppose I could arrange something…"
"Wait, it must. As soon as walk I can, return to my people I must."
"Why? Why the rush?"
She sighed. "All teams report at intervals. Different times, different missions. When we arrive on planet - your name? Never mind, we not name it either. When we arrive, cannot call home. Controls broken."
"Yes, the dial-home device was malfunctioning. We've seen that before and knew how to fix it."
"We did not. Could not go home. Some supplies, they send us, while try to think of something. We move to forest for water, food, explore, try to learn, hope to find clue to way home. Had been… twelve local days. People back home talk of ways back, but nothing decided. Our people talk much, like yours." He smiled a little at that. "But still, they call, sometimes; we answer. Now we not answer. They will not send others, if cannot come home, but will worry. All my team have families. Grown children, parents, people to come home to."
"And you?"
"My master, Amarell, he raise me, I tell you this. He have six children, all older me than."
"Older than me."
"Older than me. Janama - my almost-mother - is dead. Two years of ours since. All have someone, aunts, uncles, no children depend on us, no true loves. Except Restons, they married couple, they come along on team. Die together." She closed her eyes. "But still, have friends, com- comrades? What is word for one you work with, sound like that at start?"
"Colleagues."
"Yes. Colleagues. Plus if is threat to my home, tell them I must. As soon as can get there."
"You won't be able to walk for another few days at least, even as fast as you heal. Do all your people heal like that?"
"Essan."
"What does that mean?"
"I think you say damn. I heal must." She had ignored the question.
"Oh."
"Tell them of your people, I will," she said.
"You'll need some way to find us."
"I saw you dial. I remember."
"You remember that?"
"I remember everything. Is one reason why I come; am - ah - back-up for computer. Remember all, if try. But is not always instant. Is why have trouble with words. Need to think, learn, process. Fit words into thought matrix in head. I very good at it, is natural talent. Another reason I chosen. Our… how you say… project less military than yours. Here almost all soldiers, fighters - even scientists most military. Even you wear same clothes."
"And your clothes?"
"Were same because are most durable material we have, warm at night, cool in day, wash easily, and cheaper in one colour. Also good colour for forest, blend in. Not all same - pockets, undershirts, they change. Is not rule. Is just more bother than result to be different."
"More trouble than it's worth," he said slowly. "I think I see." He was lost for a moment. "How do you think your people will react when they learn of us?"
"Is hard to say. Our government much like yours, with regional people," she fumbled for the word.
"Representatives. One to speak for all."
"Yes. Representatives, but you have two - Senate and Congress, one for area - state, you say. We have one, I think more like Senate. Is near election time. If one big group say go for alliance, other side will say no, to be saying different things. So if you want to talk, talk to military. Not civilians. After all, they the ones who do fighting. As for Jedi…" She sighed. "We have influence, but no power. Is…" she shook her head. "We have powers for emergency, but only used for emergency. Otherwise, we advise. We protect. We watch, learn, teach, study, sometimes fight. Not always. Just sometimes. When few or no other options." She leaned back.
"Sounds a bit like here," he admitted, taking a seat and sipping his coffee. He passed her a glass of water.
"Thanks," she said. At one end of the room the nurse who had been checking on the one other patient, who was asleep, left the room. "Daniel, what is NID?"
His head snapped around. "What? How do you know of them?"
"There was a man, earlier, here. He one of them, wonder about me - what he can learn from me, profit from me. They think they have way to keep me here. I need to know."
"Who was he? How do you know he was NID?"
"I not know his name. Tall, dark hair - doctor, I think, or dress like one. He take away a copy of X-rays and medical record."
"How do you know he was NID?" Daniel was standing up, coffee forgotten.
She sighed and looked away. "He was thinking it."
"You… you know what people think?"
"Not always. Not like you must think. Look, is not common among my people. Is… special trait. Most people like that, train as Jedi. Not all, is no rule you must. But some do. It takes talent, then training. I have both. But must…" She sighed. "Is not like seeing or hearing. I need work at it. Feelings are easier. To be aware of people around you, is common for Jedi. Anxiety, fear, anger, hate, happiness, other things. Is normal, acceptable."
"People trust you?"
"Is what Jedi are. We are meant to be worthy of trust. People like you."
"What?"
"You are like Janama. She was not Jedi, no talent, but good woman. She have an old phrase, one I think of her. 'No malice in the soul', I think you say. Like you. If a perfect world, all Jedi have soul like Janama. But is not. You know that."
"I, ah, wouldn't say that…"
"I would. You have sense in here," she jabbed her head, "and here, what is right, what is wrong. Stick to it, as best you can. When others slide, forget, want to forget, you are there, speaking of forgiveness, of caution, of empathy. It is hard, when others expect you to be always there to balance them."
Daniel looked shocked.
"Why so surprised?" she asked gently, nudging his chin with two fingers so he looked her in the eye instead of studying the floor. "Do so few people truly know you, to try?"