Asymmetric Problems — Chapter XXII
Quarry 3 "Red Stone" — That Same Morning
The drugs used to sedate the avatar wasn't allowing Rayan to completely disconnect from the body. Preventing him from returning to Ticonderoga in the hopes of reporting to Danielle and Wade about what had happened to the avatar exactly. Knowing they were eager to hear back from him at any moment.
Unfortunately for them, that wasn't going to be the case. Not for a long while anyways.
What he didn't know (and neither did Wade) was that Danielle knew he was perfectly alright. Having been updated by General Ardmore earlier in regards to the whereabouts of the avatar itself. But rather than share her knowledge with Wade and Asher; she chose to keep this information to herself, opting for the plausible deniability that came with not being fully informed while maintaining the obliviousness that was expected of her.
And while she happily didn't mind keeping Asher in the dark. She knew she was inadvertently hurting Wade in the process. A man she trusted and a man she considered a friend. A man, she knew, was going to be ultimately disappointed in her once this entire ordeal involving Asher and Jake was finally finished. But a man who, she believed, was eventually going to see that she had every right to keep them both in the dark. Because the way she saw it, Asher was playing Russian roulette with every Na'vi life on Pandora. And if she divulged how she knew this information by the ways of General Ardmore, then Asher was going to assume everything for the worse, and presumably would push him to side with the RDA even further. As ironic as that sounded in her head.
None the less. She couldn't chance it. Not when they were this close. Her job now was to keep buying the Na'vi time. Time that was quickly becoming a scarce commodity the more Asher kept his avatar in danger.
Back at Red Stone, Rayan was lying on the bed, watching the room around him slowly fade in and out of darkness. A torturous endeavor that was completely devoid of pain, thanks to the drugs. Where he couldn't get close enough to fall asleep properly, and neither could he stay awake long enough to string together two simple thoughts. A matter of which left him paralyzed from doing anything other than to stare at the ceiling and wait. Wait until someone returned into the room or wait until the drugs took over and he could finally fall asleep. Either way. He was forced to wait.
After what felt like hours, though it was difficult to be sure exactly how long he had been staring at the ceiling, the drug's influence started to wane. Allowing Asher to summon his strength to lift his hand into his limited view and see the IV tube connected to his arm that led to a stand nearby. Monitors beside his bed displayed his vital signs, indicating that he was in stable condition. However, the situation struck him as both unusual and strangely routine. There were no guards stationed at the door, no restraints on his wrists, and no medical staff attending to him. Or her for that matter.
Nevertheless, something did feel wrong,and it wasn't merely a side effect of the drugs. It largely stemmed from Sato, the man in the suit Asher had encountered earlier, and his cryptic remarks about keeping the Tipani woman here.
Asher had no idea what for, but he was determined to find out. But first thing was first. He needed to know if the Tipani woman was alright.
Not that he needed to, but considering she tried to save the life of this piece of expensive equipment, the least he could do was check up on her.
Which was going to be tricky. The drugs, whatever they were, had left him feeling as though he inhabited the body at a distance. He could sense the weight of his limbs, heavy, dull, and the feel of cool rushing air brushing across his face, teasing him that he was here but not altogether. His hands and fingers responded to his commands, but there was a dissociation to them. As if he couldn't quite completely bring the avatar under his direct control no matter how hard he tried.
A type of sleep paralysis without feeling groggy.
Strange.
After some considerable effort, Asher managed to gather his thoughts and establish a more cohesive connection with the avatar, granting him control over his voice once more. He was going to try calling out to her. To see if she was alright.
"Hey," he uttered, his voice predictably raspy, weighed down by the lingering weariness induced by the drugs. "Um, ma'am?"
He waited for a response, his ears perking up, straining to catch any sound from her.
Nothing.
And although he knew she might not understand his words, his experience with the Na'vi suggested she might be annoyed with him for daring to speak to her in English. Just enough to cause some kind of response. But there was nothing. The only thing he could hear was the sounds of a gentle, rhythmic beeping from her monitor, assuring Asher that she was still alive but simply unconscious.
What also didn't help Asher was that he was lying on the bed, waiting for her to do something. A prospect that left him without a way to gauge her reaction. If she was conscious and aware, then she might've been paralyzed from the fall. And if that was the case, then she was probably desperate to communicate with him. He needed to do something about it. Gathering his strength, he propped himself up and shifted into a more upright position on the bed, allowing him access to see across the white room and where he found her on the bed, motionless.
Taking deep breaths from his mask, he lowered it and called out to her again.
"Excuse… me… ma'am."
His words hung in the air, echoing faintly before dissipating into the stillness of the room.
And still… there was no response from her; not the rustling of sheets or a murmur to let him know she was aware of his presence.
Troubled by her unresponsiveness, Asher cautiously attempted to shift his legs off the edge of the bed. He was mindful of the persistent ache in his ribs as he lightly tapped the cold floor with his toes, testing his ability to stand. After ensuring his balance, he firmly planted his weight on the ground. As expected, his knees felt wobbly, and his back throbbed with discomfort—a clear indication of being trapped on the bed for far too long.
Guess no one bothered to move him around while he was here. Too bad he couldn't say the same for his tail that continued to act on its own accord. The moment Asher stood up, his tail brushed against the IV stand next to the bed, prompting Asher to reach out and catch it before it could topple over.
"Damn tail," he murmured in irritation at the unexpected hindrance. He did, however, appreciate that the drugs hadn't affected his reflexes or his ability to move and stand. It was a shame that the drugs didn't do the same for the pain. When he moved to stand upright, it intensified, forcing him to sit back down on the bed to wait as the waves of discomfort ebbed away. As soon as it subsided, he turned his attention to the woman on the bed, determined to reach her.
Carefully testing his balance with measured steps, Asher approached her bedside. He was cautious not to overexert himself, even as he felt the strength gradually returning to his body, though the persistent chest pain told him to slow down. A warning he gladly ignored as soon as he saw her face.
Peering over the bed, he observed how her eyes were still closed, and her face and arms were covered in bandages. She also wore a mask, indicating that this room had an atmosphere unsuitable for Pandora's native inhabitants and that the mask wasn't simply there for medical reasons. It also proved to Asher that the RDA was interested in her survival, in contrast to their usual protocol at Bridgehead where the Na'vi were shot on sight.
Perhaps not everyone in the RDA shared the same opinions as Ardmore? He thought, pointedly.
Unfortunately for him, the bed sheet concealed most of her body, denying Asher from discerning the full extent of her injuries. If there was something more going on with her body, he didn't know and he wasn't about to remove the sheet just to go poking around her body. It was unethical. And while Asher had encountered far worse injuries during his time, leaving him desensitized to the gruesome reality of life, he couldn't help but feel… sorry for her. He didn't ask for her help, and he surely would've told her not to risk her life for this avatar.
And yet, she did exactly that.
Why?
"Ma'am," he whispered to her gently, careful not to startle her.
Once again, there was no response.
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, hoping that would induce some kind of instinct to wake her up. But to his surprise, she didn't.
"Damnit…" he muttered under his breath.
As Asher continued to examine her, he noticed something rather unusual. She was wearing a shirt. Despite all other aspects of her appearance screaming Na'vi—from her braided hair to the choker she wore, and her overall alien look—Asher found himself oddly fixated on the shirt she was wearing. It made her appear almost human and somehow wrong.
It didn't belong on her. But why did he care if it did?
Without knowing what was going on directly behind him, Asher was tempted to pull the sheet down and see what else they had given her. At the same time, the door to the room silently opened, revealing the silhouette of a man. This individual kept his hands tucked behind his back, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene between an avatar and a Na'vi. It was undoubtedly intriguing to the man as he was deeply committed to converting the Na'vi from their savaged roots and found fascination with how avatar drivers were obsessed with forming some kind of relationship with the Na'vi. This directly contradicted the fact that the Na'vi had consistently proven hostile toward humans, even after all the assistance offered by the RDA. It wasn't enough for them that they were given medicine. It wasn't enough for them that they were given food. It wasn't enough for them that they were given shelter. And still, they rejected it all.
To Sato's point of view, the Na'vi were bred to be resistant against the merciful actions of the humans. It was simply a matter of time when they realized they — the Na'vi — were wrong.
Once his curiosity had been sated, the older man cleared his throat. At that, Asher's ears and tail flicked as he spun around, inadvertently causing the IV stand to spin with him.
"I..." Asher started to say, appearing somewhat like a child caught red-handed in a cookie jar when he did start to pull the sheets down.
"No," Sato replied, his tone apologetic. Flanking Sato were two Skels. Their guns lowered but their attention entirely focused on Asher as Sato continued, "forgive me, I should've made my presence known to you earlier."
In spite of the polite introduction, Asher had no intentions of extending any gratitude to this man, especially when he told Asher that Kxeyìn wouldn't be leaving this place.
"I know you've told me," Asher began, but Sato raised his hand, palm facing Asher, signaling for him to refrain from speaking.
"Allow me to start by expressing my pleasure of having a UNE representative here at our quarry," Sato stated.
"Quarry?" Asher repeated, confused by the fact he was at some mine when this place looked… well, nothing like a facility he expected. Hell's Gate in comparison looked like a trash heap.
"Yes, a quarry," Sato affirmed, seeming amused by Asher's confusion. "It's been quite some time since the RDA hosted a genuine, shall we say, 'guest' at one of our quarries."
"Guest?" Asher echoed, feeling increasingly perplexed. Where exactly was he?
Sato continued, "Did you know that the RDA used to welcome documentary crews to Pandora? National Geographic was here about twenty years ago, filming a special on Pandora, specifically on the RDA's operations on this moon. Their segment on the quarries was quite captivating. We granted them unrestricted access to nearly everything—how our machines operated, the nature of unobtanium, and the significance of our work here for humanity back on Earth. If you happened to see that special, I was a bit younger than I am today."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no guest at your quarry or to Pandora. I'm a UNE diplomat, here to facilitate a possible peace between Earth and the people of Pandora," Asher replied firmly.
Sato nodded in acknowledgment. "I know who you are, Mr. Asher. You're quite famous around here. Eh, perhaps not on the same level as Jake, but just as so."
He pointed a finger at Asher, seemingly unfazed by their significant height difference, given Sato's shorter stature compared to the average RDA employee.
"You're a veteran of the Sino-American War, with several commendations, all of which were revoked after that 'incident' in Malaysia," Sato continued as he circled around the avatar, recounting Asher's history. "But it seems you've kept a low profile since then. You became a medic; I assume to help people rather than kill them. You were promoted to Lieutenant and later honorably discharged from the US Army. Then, you joined the UNE as an attaché. Based on your background, I wouldn't have expected it. But your first assignment was on Earth's moon, dealing with those Heinleinites. Nasty business, I read."
"Okay. I get it. Big whoop. You know who I am. Congratulations." Asher replied sarcastically.
But Sato wasn't finished.
"You managed to talk them down before... the military carpet bomb them to hell. Impressive work from the videos I've seen. Left a series of craters the size of Rhode Island. But between you and me. They were lunatic terrorists. And I congratulate you on protecting Earth while we were away, trying to save Earth."
Protecting Earth. Just hearing that stung as Asher subtly lowered his gaze to that comment.
As Asher recalled. He was no hero. He was there sent by the UNE in hopes of talking to a bunch of desperate people down from doing anything stupid. They were Heinleinites—a rogue group of so-called sovereign citizens who had acquired a nuclear weapon from a black market network who sympathized with their cause on Earth and threatened to launch it on one of Earth's cities if their demands weren't met. A fatal mistake if there ever was one. But a dire situation that led to the UNE desperately sending Asher to negotiate on the hopes he could talk them into surrendering themselves.
What Asher didn't understand was why him? He was a rookie in the diplomatic world. Barely able to convince a dog to do a backflip, let alone to talk a bunch of terrorist into surrendering. The real reason he even got the job in the first place was through a friend, whose own acquaintance led him to meeting the UNE diplomatic program, where his veteran status gave him the opportunity to climb up the food chain.
And yet, somehow, he found himself moon-side, wearing a suit that was no older than both his parents combined. The UNE's argument was that he had military experience. Experience, they argued, would come in handy in the event the Heinleinites decided to stage a military coup against Earth. He would be, for a lack of a better world, their hitman, doing their wet work if negotiations into their surrender soured. Although he didn't initially see it that way and official records never stated as much, Asher suspected as much when he was given a concealed weapon that looked like a pen to the untrained eyes.
The entire mission was as radical as it was suicidal.
Asher was prepared, like everyone else on Earth, to treat them like hostile terrorists with no consideration for life. But upon arriving, he realized they were impoverished farmers simply trying to make do with what they had. Their leaders believed that threatening Earth would force the nations to release water resources on the moon, which the rest of their people didn't agree with. But beggars couldn't be choosers and with morals up against the wall, they weren't exactly clamoring to overthrow their leaders quick enough.
Could he blame them? At the time: Yes.
In retrospect: No.
As the old adage goes: 'Desperate times calls for desperate measure' and this situation was no different.
In previous decades, several state entities were sequestering territorial land from the non-state people who had no home to call other than the moon itself. They desperately wanted the nations of Earth to realize what they were doing was killing them by taking so much of their water away from them. In response, they bonded together, forming a group that would defend the rights of all Heinleinites, a name taken from the book 'The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress', and of which they saw themselves as the 'Loonies'. Granted, they didn't really find the name fitting and instead opted for Heinleinites, after the author.
Asher tried to negotiate, but their terms were beyond his capability. They were asking the UNE personally to force the nations on the moon to give up the land in order to use the water they had secured illegally.
The only thing he could promise them was that if they surrendered, then their children will be spared, as would the mothers. And at the eleventh hour, right before they were about to launch their nuclear payload, Asher convinced them to surrender. Which surprised even the UNE, believing they had no choice but to attack their base of operations at the northern pole of the moon. But he did it.
Afterwards, Asher was told by the UNE that law enforcement teams from Armstrong were on their way to arrest them. And as soon as Asher left to debrief back at Armstrong, a naval vessel, branding the European Union flag across their hulls, arrived and bombed their outpost, killing everyone, including women and the children. The very children he promised would be untouched.
This, along with the 'incident' in Malaysia, became scars he was forced to carry. Of course, when he came back to Earth, the UNE labelled him a hero. The man who saved Earth, or so the media claimed. A title he was told to uphold before the public. He would have quit if it was not for the fact that the UNE made it clear to him that the EU was acting on their own accord and out of UNE's oversight. Something he didn't believe but didn't have proof to support his own claim.
Thankfully, Asher's name came and went, and he was back to resolving further disputes elsewhere. All of which were not noteworthy compared to the Heinleinite crisis. Especially when word came back from Alpha Centauri that some avatar driver managed to overthrow the entire RDA colony on Pandora.
That alone garnered more media attention than anything else in that time. People even forgot who Rayan Asher was by the time the files of Jake's name came flying across the UNE's nose. Everyone wanted to know who it was that managed to cripple to RDA operations on Pandora. Everyone but Rayan. He was on Titan at the time, attempting to delegate political disputes between colonists and the Indian government, who argued they had rights to the southern quadrant of the moon.
It ended well as expected. No one died and Asher was returning to Earth when he was told he was selected to go to Pandora.
A shocking surprise that, after so many years, landed him here, in an avatar body, reliving the entire experience laid out in detail by Sato. Possibly to provoke him or to establish dominance as a condescending know-it-all asshole.
Either way. Asher was growing tired of it.
"Everything was going fine here if you were wondering. That was until… Jake Sully."
Sato paused, his gaze slowly drifting down to Kxeyìn on the bed as he finished his thought. "The man who effectively ruined my chance into buying my way into having eighty-percent control of the RDA. All because he wanted… this," Sato extended his hand down and brushed a stray strand of Kxeyìn's hair away from her eyes.
Despite not knowing this woman, Asher felt compelled to stop him. But just when he made a move towards Sato, the Skels were pinning him to the floor, and with it, the IV stand that clamored next to Sato.
"Let me go!" Asher struggled against them.
"Isn't it interesting how life works?" Sato said, turning back to look down to Asher. "One moment, I'm a breath away from owning the RDA. The next, I'm on my ass, because Jake wanted some of this."
"I said let me go you bastards!"
Sato, unperturbed by Asher's plea, slowly walked up to him at eye level.
"I have diplomatic immunity!" Asher cried. It was no use. Sato simply stood there, studying the face of the avatar.
"Oh. Your face. Simply exquisite work that was done. You almost look… Na'vi." He couldn't help himself. With his wrinkled hand, he reached out to touch Asher's face. Asher resisted at first, but a mechanical Skel hand grabbed his head from behind and held him still.
"You're about to cause a diplomatic crisis, asshole!" Asher warned, his anger simmering.
"Mr. Asher, I assure you; my intent isn't to harm you. I'm simply a curious man, appreciating the work our company has done for you."
Asher felt the small human hands caress his cheeks and was forced to watch as Sato's petite smile suddenly tightened with a grin.
"Very fascinating. No eyebrows. Feline nose. And look, your dots glow when you're angry." Sato said, his finger lightly touching Asher's face.
"What the hell do you want from me?" Asher demanded.
"You?" Sato said with an almost whimsical tone of surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Asher. I believe you got it all wrong. No. I have no interest in you. However, General Francis Ardmore believes I should show you our quarry. To give you an idea what we're doing here. That way, it leaves an impression on you that what the RDA's intentions are, is wholly for the benefit of the Na'vi. After that, we will send you on your way to Jake Sully. But my business is with the woman—not you."
Asher's expression winced with confusion.
"The woman…. Why?" Asher said, fighting against the mechanical hand that held him there.
"Why do you care so much for her? Is she… your lover by any chance?" Sato's tone held a hint of mockery.
Asher's snarl was immediate. "No. She's not. She helped this avatar and I'm returning the favor to get her back to her people."
"Favor?" Sato said, his smile taking on a curious affair. "You mean… you want to help her?"
"Yes." Asher replied, frustration coloring his words. He couldn't understand why this was so hard to believe.
Sato shook his head, disappointment evident in his expression. "I'm sorry to tell you, but as I've said before, she is not leaving this quarry."
Asher wrestled against the Skels. Seeing this, Sato then nodded to the Skels. "You gentlemen can let him go."
Asher struggled against the Skels, and seeing this, Sato signaled for them to release him. When they did, Asher felt the full weight of his exhaustion, causing him to slump against the floor. Gathering his strength to stand up, he loomed over Sato.
"The hell are you talking about?" Asher said, clutching his side from the pain.
Sato breathed in the air and nodded to himself. "I believe it is time, then. Come. We have much to discuss!"
Immediately, medical staff flooded into the room, each focusing on Asher and Kxeyìn. The nurses proceeded with great care as they removed the IV tube from Asher's arm, simultaneously bombarding him with a barrage of health-related questions. He answered to the best of his ability, although he found himself increasingly bewildered by the unfolding situation. Attempting to ask a question in return proved futile amid the whirlwind of queries and the nurses' persistent efforts to usher him out of the room. Eventually, he was unceremoniously escorted from the chamber, leaving Kxeyìn behind, surrounded by other nurses.
It felt like it could be the last time he laid eyes on her.
After being provided with surprisingly well-fitting clothing for his avatar, Asher was guided through the facility by security personnel. The facility itself was relatively small compared to Bridgehead, which required Asher to occasionally hunch down to avoid hitting his head on the overhead pipes. There were other personnel present, but they seemed largely indifferent to his presence as he was led down a hallway and eventually ushered into an atmospheric exchange gate.
Here, the security guards donned their masks, while Asher let his mask slip beneath his chin. The instant the doors opened, he was greeted by intense sunlight, prompting him to instinctively shield his eyes with a hand as he walked onto a gravel path, where his boots made a soft crunching sound beneath his weight.
As expected, it was an RDA facility. Gray concrete urban boxes piled onto the earth looked like some kind of madman's attempt to pacify the green poison, scattered across the landscape.
Already bored by them, Asher's gaze was drawn upward to the expansive sky, which stretched out without a single cloud in sight for miles. Only the gas giant dominated the horizon, its slow, steady rotation a familiar and welcoming sight to Asher, who, mere hours before, had nothing else to look at but a ceiling.
For the first time in a while, he relished being outdoors, breathing in the Pandoran air, feeling the humidity and the warmth of the sunlight embracing his skin. It was… strangely comforting.
Granted, if he was in his human body, he would have a different choice of words for this humidity. But he was happy regardless.
After a while, the two security guards he had been following gestured towards a large canopy in an open area with dirt and grass, signaling him to go there and wait. Asher shrugged and headed in that direction. He noticed several workers conversing with each other, discussing something he couldn't quite grasp. But the moment he approached them, they dispersed back to work, without ever acknowledging his presence.
As he stood there, clutching his side and growing increasingly thirsty, Asher contemplated returning indoors. He didn't feel like having his time wasted when he could be trying to get the Tipani woman out. But just as he turned to head back into the facility, Sato emerged. This time, the man was dressed in shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, a ballcap, and wore an exopack mask. Walking confidently across the shimmering morning heat, he exuded an aura of control. His shoulders were back, neck upright, and his gaze focused downward in Asher's direction, conveying that he meant business.
"Tell them to move the excavator! I don't want it sitting there in the mud and rotting!" He shouted to one of the workers nearby.
A prompt 'yes, sir' was the response.
Walking beneath the canopy, Sato took off his cap to wipe the sweat from his brow before putting it back on and looking up to the avatar.
"I am glad you are here."
"How about we cut the shit, huh? What do you want?"
"I want you to see this, Mr. Asher," Sato replied, gesturing toward the quarry. "Come, follow me."
Stepping back into the sunlight, Asher instinctively shielded his eyes from the glare with his hand as he followed the elderly man, who surprisingly kept a brisk pace for his age. Upon reaching their destination, Asher noticed a handrail that provided some safety. A sign on the handrail warned them not to lean against it as Asher peered past the railing, finding a massive quarry that took him completely by surprise.
Just the sheer size and depth of the pit alone left him audibly muttering, "What the..."
It was a gigantic hole in the heart of the forest.
What he didn't realize was that he was seeing the corpse of the Omatikaya home. The vestige of a Hometree that was uprooted and destroyed long ago. Never to be seen again. Never to be known that this place once belonged to the Na'vi. Everything that was their home was destroyed in the burning fire. And if there was a hint of it, Asher failed to recognize it.
But that wasn't the only thing that caught Asher's eye. He started to notice blue bodies, covered in mud, walking around, carrying bags of soil over their heads in order to deposit it elsewhere as a small area, where more blue bodies were huddled, dug with equipment to reach something that water pumps were working overtime to drain.
Sato, standing next to Asher, pointed down at the site.
"This. Mr. Asher. Is what I wanted you to see. Humanity's hope. A standing future against extinction. Unobtanium."
Asher nodded silently, his ears reflexively folding back as the thought of the Na'vi being forced to work in the mines troubled him deeply.
"Why are you using the Na'vi?"
"You know. You are the first person who really asked that question?"
It wasn't. But Sato was trying to make him feel comfortable.
"So… why?" Asher persisted as he looked down beside him to Sato.
"The Na'vi are cruel people, Mr. Asher. Savages. Heathens. Barbarians. You name it, they fit the bill perfectly. They see progress as a problem. They see the cure as the disease. We are simply trying to afford them a better way of life."
"By making them work in these mines?"
"By making them work towards the betterment of their species." Sato countered as he began to walk around the edges of the quarry, expecting Asher to follow. As he continued, he elaborated "You see. The Na'vi have no future. They lack purpose beyond their mere existence – breathing, eating, reproducing, and continuing their life without reason. It's hardly a fulfilling life, hardly an experience to be cherished. Living in the forest, in squalor, in challenging conditions is not what I would have expected from a people whom Miss Augustine once described as seeing the world with beauty in their hearts. Their world is made to kill them. And as a result, they fight for land, like us. They fight for resources, like us. They fight each other over silly differences. But just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening. They are us, from the past. They simply haven't realized that what is saving them is standing before them. And that is us, Mr. Asher. Humanity."
Sato stopped, pivoted, and stared up to Asher. "They themselves have becomethe problem. They hunker in these trees, like animals. And as a result, they attack us, like animals."
Asher couldn't help but question, "You don't think it's because we came here uninvited?"
Sato smirked. He relished an intellectual debate. "Mr. Asher, your country would not have existed without someone coming uninvited. Humanity itself would not have existed if we did not spread throughout the world, uninvited. Did we have to conquer for it? Yes. Did our species pillage? Yes. Did we take what did not belong to us? Yes. I see no one shedding a tear for the Denisovans. The Neanderthals or the Cro-Magnons. Because, Mr. Asher, the strong will always prevail over the weak and frail. And the Na'vi are weak and frail. I want to make them strong. I want to make them like us. Is that too much to believe?"
Asher nodded. It was.
"Good, now let me show you how we're helping the Na'vi."
It was a long silent walk towards a series of wooden shacks off by the side of the quarry, where, as Asher was beginning to realize, is also where the Na'vi were living. Directly behind the shacks were massive, electrified fences, intended to keep predators out, but it seemed more to keep the Na'vi from escaping.
Upon arrival, the Na'vi approached Sato. Unexpectedly, Asher heard one of them speak in perfect English. "Good morning, sir. How are we doing today?" The Na'vi offered a simple wave to Sato. He was also dressed in work pants, a shirt, and wore a ballcap with the RDA insignia on it.
"It's good to see you David."
David? Did Asher hear that right? One of the Na'vi was named David?
Sato turned to face Asher. "This is Mr. Asher. Mr. Asher, this is David."
Asher was left momentarily speechless. He was so taken aback that he didn't even notice when the Na'vi extended a hand toward him.
"It's good to meet you, Mr. Asher!" David said with an unmistakable note of happiness in his voice. What was even more surprising was his American accent. If Asher didn't know better, he might have mistaken David for an avatar.
With measured hesitation, Asher took David's hand and shook it. But he couldn't help but steal a quick glance at the four fingers on the hand. Nope, not an avatar.
"Uh... likewise," Asher stammered, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Sato provided an explanation, saying, "David is one of our star pupils. He was abandoned by the RDA some fifteen years ago, where he remained in stasis until we found him again. Funny thing is, we all thought he was some kind of Na'vi that was captured. But the truth was, he grew up around humans. He loves humans and thanked us for saving him when we found him. Honestly, I was surprised he made it at all."
"I owe you a debt of gratitude, sir." David responded.
Asher was about to ask a question when an explosion tore through the air, causing him to instinctively crouch down. Sato and David, on the other hand, seemed entirely unperturbed by the noise.
Sato reassured Asher, saying, "It's okay, Mr. Asher. That was our engineering crew making progress deeper into the ground."
Reluctantly, Asher stood back up, still feeling uneasy.
Sato turned to face Asher's avatar and said calmly, "Let me emphasize this: the Na'vi here are well taken care of. She will be taken care of. I give you my word."
"Why do you need her? To be worked in these mines?"
Sato nodded. "Would you rather she fight the RDA? To kill humans and in return, be killed herself?"
Asher pondered for a moment on the question as a 'no' quietly slipped from his mouth.
"They have homes, as you can see. They have food, clean water, and other Na'vi to socialize with," Sato gestured to the rest of the Na'vi who were approaching them. Unlike David, these Na'vi spoke with accents more familiar to them, using broken English.
"Hello, sir," one of them said with a smile.
Another, standing off to the side, waved to Asher. "It is… good… see… you."
Asher greeted them with a simple "Hi."
They also wore human clothing. Shirts, shorts. But their faces were dirty, as were their hands and legs. Some of them looked incredibly weary, clearly coming off a long shift.
Sato continued speaking as he led Asher through the area, his voice filling the air. "They are regularly treated for injuries, paid on behalf of the RDA, and if they do well, they are promoted, just like our own employees. They're treated with respect, and no one can lay a hand on them without my permission." Asher quietly followed, observing the Na'vi who came to line up along the shacks.
"They are taught to read, given an education, provided with comfortable clothes, and, if they wish, they can choose a human name," Sato explained.
Sato finally halted by the last shack and turned to face Asher, anticipating the UNE diplomat to be on his side for once.
"That all sounds..." Asher began, but Sato interjected, "Too good to be true?" His face was partially obscured by the sun's glare when he said that.
"Well. Yes. I mean. No." Asher shook his head, "no this is wrong. You've kidnapped the Na'vi. You coerced them to work."
Sato countered, "No, Mr. Asher. We didn't kidnap them. We took them from a difficult circumstance, one that, I'll admit, Ardmore placed them in when she ordered the ISV's to burn down the forests. Our landings came at a severe cost, and as a result, we should pay them back."
"By forcing them to work in these dangerous mines?" Asher inched closer to the railings, peering down at the quarry where hundreds of Na'vi were forming a line, passing bags of earth between their hands and leading them up to a deposit pit where a machine siphoned the earth into another pit.
"You make it sound like these are slaves," Sato retorted.
Asher shot back, "Because they are slaves! What you're doing here is no different from the mines I've seen on the moon! The only difference is, those people had the guts to call it slavery. You and your people call it fixing a mistake!"
Sato smiled; his hands still held behind his back. "I understand."
"Do you?" Asher asked, his anger evident on his face.
"I do. And I would support you if it weren't for the fact that, under your United Nations of Earth laws, the Na'vi have no rights as humans."
Asher hesitated, realizing the flaw in his argument. "They... The Na'vi..."
Sato's expression remained unchanged, but Asher could almost imagine a smirk. "Yes," Asher conceded, "You're right. The Na'vi don't have rights. But it doesn't mean we should treat the indigenous population of another world as mere tools to be used."
Sato made a 'tsk tsk' sound as he pointed off in the distance. Across the quarry were a group of Na'vi, gathered around, being inspected by humans.
"See that, Mr. Asher?" Sato prompted.
Asher followed the direction of Sato's finger. "Yeah?"
"Those Na'vi are receiving treatment for injuries as we speak," Sato explained. "They have the day off, they'll return to their shacks to rest, they'll be fed, regularly checked, and when they feel ready, they can return to work. No one is forcing them to do anything. They are doing everything out of their own free will. Does that sound like slaves to you?"
Somehow, Asher didn't buy it. But he also couldn't deny it. Everything he had seen so far wasn't hurting the Na'vi. Other than, perhaps, working the mines that is.
"No," he conceded, "But how many deaths have you had?" Asher inquired, and Sato swiftly responded, "Two."
"Two?" Asher questioned.
Sato nodded. "One due to disease and another due to an accident. We've been operating these mines since we arrived here."
"What exactly is the goal here?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Sato replied enthusiastically, leading Asher back to the canopy. "Let me peel back on the business objectives the RDA had set out when we came back to Pandora. One of the key goals is to integrate the Na'vi into human society. The other is to continue mining operations. Now, before you think how immoral that is. Let me show you why we're doing that."
As soon as they were back in the canopy, Sato approached several boards with numerous papers attached to them. And with a finger, Sato pointed to one such paper.
"These are our plans. Every Na'vi starts at the bottom of the ladder. They are basic of the basic of workers. Yes, they work in dangerous conditions, but we implemented dozens upon dozens of safety measures that we would use ourselves. To protect them, you see? And if a Na'vi does well, they earn points. Enough points gives them a promotion, followed by a selection of choices they can pick. A choice of better bunks. Better housing. Better food. Whatever they want, we can give. As long as it's within the limits. Mr. Asher, did you know we actually ask the Na'vi what they want to eat? Many of the Na'vi spend enormous points on choosing what they want to eat, and our specialists goes and gets it for them, prepares, and offer it up to them."
Asher folded his arms. "How do you acquire the Na'vi?"
Sato rocked his head side-to-side, knowing he was expected to give an answer when it was plainly obvious that the Na'vi didn't come seeking this mine by the way of help wanted posters.
"SEC-OPS is ordered to take prisoners whenever the Na'vi fight them. And since Ardmore has no taste for blood, and neither do I, we take them from jail cells and bring them here. To work. In doing so, we educate them to become functioning, well-behaved people."
It sounded too good. Way too good to be true. But it was true. All of it. The Na'vi that he had seen, were partially happy and he didn't see any guards patrolling the place to keep the Na'vi in line. No one was being hurt and Sato was freely walking about without security by his side to be harmed by them.
Still… Asher couldn't allow the Tipani woman to stay.
"Okay," Asher said after a moment or two of thinking this over. "I still have to make my reports,"
Sato nodded, "Please do."
"But, I need to take the woman with me. She is of great importance to my work as a diplomat with the Na'vi."
Sato bit his lip, evidently frustrated but weighing his options. "We've invested significantly in her recovery."
"I appreciate that, and it will be reflected in my reports."
"If I agree," Sato mumbled, "does that mean we can continue our operations without UNE interference?"
"I'll submit my report through the interplanetary network array," Asher replied. "Hopefully, within a year or two, we'll receive a response. If the UNE deems your mine compliant with the law, you won't hear from me again."
"And if it's not?"
"Then I'm afraid the Na'vi will need to be released."
Sato contemplated the implications. However, with Ardmore at his side and the UNE perceiving the RDA's actions as Earth's protection, trading one Na'vi woman for a lifetime of freedom from UNE interference didn't seem like a bad deal at all.
"Alright, Mr. Asher. You have a deal," Sato agreed. "We'll release her into your custody."
"Good," Asher said, a smile forming on his face. "Then we're leaving today."
High Camp — Afternoon
"Sitrep?" Jake asked of Theo as he hung the mask around his neck and made his way to the center of the room. A few faces greeted Jake with subdued expressions, and although moral around the science shack seemed low, some still tried to show a smile or two when Jake passed by them.
"Mornin' Jake; they haven't found them yet." Theo responded, his voice a battered blend of exhaustion and a slight hint of hopefulness as he leapt from computer desk to computer desk. Evidently searching for ways to pick up on Rayan Asher's radio frequency—assuming he was still transmitting, of course.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Theo confirmed, not bothering to look up from his work. "Saeyla and that Tipani chick tried one last time about two hours ago before giving up. I think they might've been spooked by all that gunfire last night. I know I would be." Theo explained, his fingers dancing across the keyboard while his eyes remained glued to the screens around him.
"Alright," Jake breathed. "And nothing on Rayan's radio frequency?"
Theo let out a frustrated sigh, an unspoken answer implicit of a no.
"Would be easier if I knew what I was looking for," he said, "plus, the mountains out here play hell with our radios and trying to find his frequency by utilizing the tower inside these mountain does not help whatsoever. I told Norm that. But no. He didn't want to me to put an antenna on top of the mountain. Because he said it would be like us waving at them to drop bombs on us."
With a decisive keystroke, Theo initiated a flurry of programs. "Not like they know where we are anyways." He turned to face the towering blue figure with crossed arms.
"You know why, though," Jake reminded him.
"Sure," Theo replied sarcastically, his shoulders lifting in a dismissive shrug. "I just hate the fact there is a Na'vi woman out there who could be dead for all we know and we're just standing around here with our dicks in our hands, pretending we're going to rescue her at any moment."
"Theo… did you get any sleep?"
Theo shook his head. "Not a wink. Doesn't help that Max brewed some disgusting coffee that made my stomach upset. Honestly, I think my stomach is plotting a revolt against me."
Suddenly the screen behind him started beeping. Pivoting, he saw it. Error: 9901x
"You bastard!" Theo shouted at the screen and started shaking it.
"Hey, whoa, c'mon... Theo, it's just a computer." Jake tried to intervene, but his blue body threatened to knock everything down if he tried any further, forcing Jake to stay outside the circle of desks.
Theo exhaled and threw another curse at the screen before returning to meet Jake's concerning gaze. "Oh man. What I would give to get some proper equipment around here."
"Like what?"
Theo stared at him for a second before laughing. "Serious?"
Jake flashed a toothy smile. "Of course. Name it."
"Well," Theo sighed, "For starters. A decent expresso machine that doesn't give me cramps. That wouldn't be too much to ask, now would it, Santa?"
Jake chuckled. "I usually just slurp on some juice Neytiri gives me."
Theo rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Oh wonderful. Yeah, let me guzzle down some strange alien orange juice."
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
"Pandoran food doesn't exactly settle well with human stomachs, 'member?"
"Right."
"Another thing is that we're working with twenty-year old computers here. We would have received the latest and greatest before you sunk that battleship and left us stranded with blueprints that keeps printing out older equipment."
"Well… not exactly my fault." Jake said, his ears folding back.
"Aah, I didn't mean it like it was your fault." Theo said, holding the silence captive for a second more before cracking a grin. "Except when you broke my very expensive Rolex."
Jake pointed at him half-seriously, "that was not my fault. I swear. Neytiri was talking to me, and I didn't know my tail knocked your watch over your desk."
Theo laughed. "That's another thing you should add to your list." Twirling his mustache, he glanced back over to the screen, the error code still taunting him to try again. "Just keep us in mind every once in a while, okay? But uhm, I'm gonna keep working on this and I'll let you know if I find anything."
Jake stood there for a second, then nodded. "Okay, you got it. I'm going to check on Amanti."
"Sure. Norm's with her."
Walking into the hall, Jake was greeted with the surprise appearance of Amanti standing outside the room, helped by Norm who was telling her to take it easy in Na'vi. She was stubborn to his advice as she leaned against the wall, catching her breath with the help of the mask.
"When I was at your height, I was fighting nantang. Fierce, cruel nantang with these hands." Amanti said, showing Norm her scar-marked hands. "I will never take my life easy."
"Okay then," Norm said, grinning. "My mistake."
"It is a dangerous mistake to make, sawtute."
"I see you, Olo'eykte," Jake greeted, "and how are we doing today?"
Despite how annoying it was to hear Jake talk like the Sky People, Amanti still managed to smile as she answered back with a raspy voice, "I see you, Olo'eyktan. I am well. Thank you for helping me."
Jake's smile widened. "You should thank Norm and the rest of his team."
Norm waved his hand unflappably. "She doesn't need to."
Despite her cold hard appearance of a warrior leader. Amanti was still gracious enough to bow her head to Norm, "But I do thank you."
The scientist couldn't help but say back, "Nìprrte'"
She smiled, happy to hear her tongue spoken so eloquently by Norm. However, she did have other things on her mind. Chiefly, when she was allowed to leave to see to her people.
"Am I free to leave?" She asked of Jake.
Approaching her, Jake quickly examined her injuries and nodded to Norm.
"Yes, when Norm believes you are ready."
"Oh. She's ready Jake. She's ready to punch the living crap out of a palulukan—or me. We just gave her some more pain killers and she'll be ready to leave when she feels like she can. Besides, Fmilam is outside waiting for her."
"Fmilam?" Amanti said, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Yes." Jake replied.
"And my children?"
"They are there too," Jake said, but that was where his smile dropped. "I do have to talk to you about your daughter, Amanti."
"Has my daughter done something wrong to upset you, Olo'eyktan?" The leader sounded almost bothered that her daughter might have upset the balance between their two People's when Jake raised his hand, suggesting that wasn't the case.
There was no other way to say it either.
"No… but uhm… your daughter, Olo'eykte. She is currently missing."
Her face hardened upon hearing that her only daughter was missing.
"My daughter is missing? But how? She was here, with my People. With your People."
Jake explained the entire story to her, beginning with the crash and up until they lost contact with her when she fell out of the Samson. It was a story that Jake was delicate in explaining, as he knew she needed all the information as plainly as possible. When Jake finished, he stressed to her that they were doing everything they can to find her.
It didn't matter to her. Amanti was already trying to move pass Jake.
"I must leave. I will find her, Olo'eyktan Tsyeyk Suli. I will bring her back."
Norm was already behind her, urging her to slow down. She didn't have it and pushed him aside.
"I am sorry, Olo'eykte," Jake tried to explain. "But the Sky People are making it difficult for any rider to fly over the area that we believe she was lost in."
"Then I will fight my way."
Norm finally spoke up, "not with those injuries, you are not!"
Amanti didn't care, she was waddling to the center of the shack, determined to find her daughter.
"Olo'eykte!" Jake cried out, walking up behind her.
"It is deeply unwise to stop me, Olo'eyktan."
"But your wounds. They are not healed."
"Then I will make them heal." She said, stopping near the exit of the shack. She looked up and down, side-to-side, not making sense of how to get out of here. Frustrated, she started hitting the entrance door with her hands. It hurt, but she didn't care.
Jake hated seeing her like this. Approaching her cautiously, he kept his hands out towards her, both ready to protect himself but more importantly to stop her from hurting herself.
"Olo'eykte," Jake calmly said. "We are doing everything we can to find her. I will be out there myself if I wasn't—"
She turned around, her face mere centimeters from his as she shouted, "Then you will!"
Jake froze. The realization that he wasn't doing enough was hurting Amanti. If they were his kids, Jake told himself, then he would be out there, no matter if the RDA was going to try and kill him for doing what a father did best. So, why was it any different with Amanti's own child?
If she was doing better, Jake would have no qualms about releasing her to find her daughter. Though, as it stood, she was in no condition to do so.
Hearing nothing else from him, Amanti pushed him aside and turned back to hitting the door.
"I must leave!" She cried desperately.
"Okay… okay," Jake breathed and then said, "I will find her, Olo'eykte." Moving beside her, Jake opened the door. "I will find her and bring her back to you."
She nodded with him. "That is good to hear, and I would be with you if it were not for my head hurting."
Norm characteristically added, "that's because you were hit on the head, Olo'eykte!"
Jake shared an expression that suggested he should quiet down with the sarcastic remarks. Norm merely grinned as he sealed the door behind them.
"That sawtute is loud," Amanti commented, leaning against the wall.
"He is," Jake said, leaning opposite of her.
When the door opened, Amanti and Jake were greeted with cheers by the Tipani who had come to give their support to their leader. Amanti wasted no time in returning the greeting as Jake helped her down the stairs. When Fmilam came by her side, Jake was free to leave and return to his marui.
There, he noticed Neytiri, with Tuktirey and Kiri.
"Dad!" Tuktirey exclaimed and leapt off the bed with Neytiri snickering behind her youngest. The little girl ran up to Jake and hugged him, prompting Jake to lean over and pick her up.
"Neytiri," Jake greeted. "I gotta go."
"Go where?" She said, rising from the bed. "What has happened?"
"Daddy has to go sweetheart," Jake said to Tuktirey as he rubbed his nose against her cheek. She didn't like it and crossed her arms defiantly to his love.
"I don't want you to go," Tuktirey said. "I want you to stay!"
"Jeyk," Neytiri breathed as she stood watching him reach for his gack. "Are you alright? What is going on?"
"No one can find the daughter of Amanti. We've already sent riders, but they have not been able to find her. Max and Theo were also unable to locate the dreamwalker's radio. So…" he leaned down to lower Tuktirey as he scooped up the gack. "…that means I'm going to go and find her myself."
"But Jeyk, you do not need to do this," Neytiri urged as she took his free hand into her own. "You have done everything you can for the Tipani."
"Not everything," Jake said, now reaching for the weapon that hung on the wall of the marui.
Kiri was silently watching from her seat on the floor as Jake walked passed her.
"Yes!" Neytiri cried, rushing after Jake. "You have done everything! More than everything! I will not allow my mate to go out there and risk his life for this woman!"
The Marine checked his weapon, then slung it around his back. "Sorry, Ney. I owe Amanti this."
"Owe?" Neytiri echoed, her tail flicking about in irritation. "You do not owe her anything!"
Just then, Lo'ak entered the marui, his face beaming with excitement when he noticed his father carrying the rifle in hand. "Going somewhere, dad?"
"Dad is going to look for the Tipani daughter of Olo'eykte Amanti." Kiri added against Neytiri's annoyance.
"Oh. Can I come?"
"No." Jake said, walking past him.
Neytiri leapt in front of Jake, denying him access to leave. "You are not leaving…"
"Neytiri…" Jake pleaded, his gaze locking with hers.
"…not without me," Neytiri defiantly stated.
Jake stood there for a minute, unsure if she was being serious, but seeing the way she looked at him, she was dead serious about it. Which was quite unbelievable considering everything she had been through.
"You really want to?" Jake asked.
Neytiri's eyes lowered as she showed her fangs. "If you ask me that again, ma Jeyk, I will rip into your flesh."
Jake grinned, "thought so."
Kiri yawned and fell back into her padded seat. "Mom and dad, on another adventure. I guess that means I have to watch Tuktirey again."
"You got it kiddo," Jake mused.
Tuktirey, still upset that her dad and now mom was leaving, decided to jump and land on top of Kiri's stomach.
Kiri reacted by grunting as she wrestled Tuktirey around.
Jake, finding amusement of the scene, finally turned back to Neytiri who still scolded him with her looks. "You should really take a weapon," Jake advised, gesturing to the rifle.
She looked down at the weapon, then back up to him. A silent answer that read: No.
"After what Saeyla said about what she saw, I need you to protect yourself."
"My father's bow has not failed me, ma Jeyk. And it will never fail me."
"Fine," Jake breathed. "Kids, stay. Listen to your grandma! We'll be right back."
"Okay!" Kiri grunted again when Tuk-tuk took the opportunity to tickle Kiri.
Lo'ak meanwhile had a frown on his face.
"Next time, I promise." Jake said to him.
"Sure, dad, whatever."
"Tell Net that we'll be right back too."
"Okay," Lo'ak answered.
With her bow in hand, Neytiri was ready for the rescue. Though she didn't have time to paint herself up in war paint as Jake was already leading them to the plateau.
"Remember my signals?" Jake asked of his mate.
Neytiri's brow furrowed at his question.
"Alright, if I hold my hand up like this," Jake lifted his hand, closed palm. "That means stop, if I point to the ground, you get down. Communication will strictly be over radio," he tapped on the throat mike she had around her neck.
Neytiri already knew this, but somehow, hearing it again was comforting.
"If you see sawtute, do not attack. Just press down on the mike with two clicks. If you see Kxeyìn, three clicks on the microphone. Got it?"
Neytiri stopped walked to have one last look around of High Camp. She knew she was going to make it back, but she wanted to have a lasting image of this place before venturing out of the camp. She guessed this place was leaving an impression on her, whether she wanted to or not.
"Neytiri?"
She glanced back to her Jake, a smile finding her. "Yes. I understand."
"Alright, let's go."