An ocean of flesh
Cursive text is in Na'vi
As it happened, despite his best efforts, Jake did not manage to wake up before the next shift change. And Neytiri for her part missed the correct time to wake up Thomas by some thirty minutes, having only realized her mistake by chance. Fotrtunately Thomas did not seem to mind, apparently deciding to think they were being nice by conspiring to allow him to sleep a little bit longer. Even Neytiri seemed perfectly happy to let that explanation stand, though perhaps more than anything because she didn't want to admit to a mistake.
A bit later in the morning Thomas was once again observing atop another ridge with Jake and Neytiri waiting below him, until he motioned them over. Neytiri reached the top of the ridge first, and was stopped in her tracks in stunned silence as she beheld a vast plain of sand, riddled with darker colored patches, all of it shrouded in a dense haze of mist. Not a spot of green to be seen anywhere. Far in the distance she thought she could just make out the outlines of a sprawling construct of concrete and metal, hundreds of artificial lights shining even in the light of day. Dozens of spires rose towards the sky like the mockery of a forest, each one belching black smoke endlessly.
As bleak as the landscape earlier had been, this was… something else entirely.
Jake reached the top of the ridge moments later. Seeing her distressed expression he draped his arm reassuringly over her shoulders.
Thomas, however, did not leave them with much time to contemplate the sight before them: "Right then. Replace the filters of your masks with new ones. Doesn't matter if the old one still has some use in it. Always better to do the crossing with a completely fresh one. And double check that the seals are completely intact while you're at it. And put on your raincoats."
With some difficulty they tore their eyes from the scene and began to do as he had instructed, Neytiri once again following Jake's example on how to proceed.
Once they had done as asked, Thomas regarded them both. "Alright. Now listen to me very carefully, both of you. The crossing ahead will be a tough one. Most everything you'll find out there will be toxic. So don't touch anything and stay on your feet. And stay together. Visibility is pretty bad because of the fog in there. Easy to get yourselves lost if you get separated."
"When we stop to take our breaks spread your raincoats beneath yourselves, outside facing the ground, sleeves, hem and collar folded so nothing seeps inside them. Your masks will stay on unless you need to take a drink, and then only long enough for you to do it. The water you will find out there is contaminated, so it will need to be treated with the water purification tablets to make it potable. My advice is that unless your canteens are totally dry, don't bother refilling them with water from the Zone. Drink sparingly, and you might not need to do it at all. And when it's time for our meal, we'll set up the tent for it." He continued.
"Are we clear?" He asked.
"We're clear." Jake confirmed at once.
"Her too. I need to hear her say it." Thomas insisted.
"We're clear. I'll do as you've said." Neytiri replied.
"Okay then." Thomas said with a nod. "Let's go. Morning's wasting."
They left the final ridge, and descended into the mist.
Many hours later they were still trudging through the hellscape. With the mist all around, they could see barely forty meters ahead of them. Their compasses and the lights of the industrial zone they could occasionally see in the distance were the only things that gave them a sense of direction there. Certainly it wasn't the terrain features.
The land at their feet was mostly a flat plain, with only a few small rises. More importantly it was completely bare of any vegetation. The darkened patches they had observed earlier were indeed mostly black, though riddled with rainbows of other colors, like with an oil spill. Many of the patches probably were oil spills. Here and there they came across holes and small craters. Jake wondered if they were the result of work crews digging around for some reason, or if there had been fighting in the area. Either were possible, though Jake certainly wouldn't fancy picking a fight in this rotten place. You'd be more at risk from your surroundings than from the enemy.
Tiny pools at the bottom of the holes held about the only water they had found. But those murky puddles looked as uninviting as one could imagine. Thomas was right. They would be better off if they didnt need to take anything from this place.
And this place stunk. Their masks luckily protected them from the stench, but on the occasions they needed a drink of water the masks had to come off for a moment, and every time they were hit with an assault of pungent smells so potent it made them want to vomit.
Neytiri had been at a loss for words at the sight of it all. She had been even more quiet than before. She was sticking close to him, to the point she was being clingy. Behind her mask, tears had left lines on her face.
"How are you holding up?" He was finally prompted to ask.
"It's just… dead. Just gone. You warned me, you did. But I didn't think it could really be anything like this. How could they? How could they do this? To their own world?" She wondered.
"Bit by bit. Being greedy, being indifferent, placing their own needs first. Choosing the quick and expedient way rather than the slower options that would have left them in want but would have brought stability in the long run. A lot of it just the weight of too many people, needing, wanting, becoming this unstoppable thing no reason can overcome." Jake explained with a saddened voice.
"When I lived here… I remember feeling so numb. All the time, everywhere I went. It never felt like there was anything I could do. No way to make a difference. And the people around me still needed to eat. So I did nothing. Just shut out everything I couldn't control and focused on taking care of myself as best I could. As a soldier I followed my orders, without paying attention to the consequences. Simpler that way. I suppose it's a common story many of the people living here. It was only when I came to our home that I started feeling like I had a chance to do something different, something meaningful." He explained.
"And of course, even that proved a lot harder than I had ever thought it could be." He added bitterly.
"If sights like this are common… then I can understand a measure of apathy setting in. Emptiness like this… in our world there are many dangers. Dangers that arise from our home teeming with life. But in this place… it seems the opposite is true. Here it's the desolation that's dangerous. There is nothing here. No food, no shelter, and by the looks of things no water that I'd care to drink. All that surrounds us is poisonous things. And if it was like this everywhere… what would there be left to fight for?"
"Though I find it odd you'd claim there is nothing they could do about this when they are the ones who caused this. And are causing it. Right at this moment." She added, nodding towards the lights of the industrial zone in the distance.
Jake shrugged. "There's a lot that could be done differently of course. A lot of things that don't need to happen. But it's also… not quite as simple as all that. The people that live here have their needs. For instance I'm quite sure they need whatever that place produces."
"But at what kind of loss? Look at this place!" She protested.
"Yeah. But suppose your choices were to cause damage like this or let our clan starve? Our children? What would you do then?" He countered.
"The People would never end up having to make a choice like that. That's what Eywa's laws are for. She protects the Great Balance, and through that we don't have to worry about our needs. The Sky People have no care for the Balance, and look what they have done." She countered.
"Why are you speaking for the Sky People?" She demanded.
Jake sighed. "Just trying to explain why it would be tricky for them to change course even if they wanted to. And some of them want to."
"Well if they were wise they'd live they'd give up their destructive ways and live more like us. But I don't see them becoming so reasonable." She replied dismissively.
Jake sighed again. She made it sound so easy. But she didn't understand. Give up everything and go back to the Stone Age? Not going to happen. Not even if Earth wasn't as overrun as it was. Even the likes of Christina only hoped for mitigation, common sense in place of unrestricted greed, both here and on Pandora.
"What matters is that our world doesn't end up looking like this. And that is why we can't make deals with these demons." She added, oblivious to his musings.
Just then Thomas stopped in his tracks, startling Neytiri that she had been overheard, despite having been speaking Na'vi the entire time.
"Yo, I think it might be about time to have our meal. Let's set up the tent." He said instead, Neytiri feeling a wave of relief.
They ate their meal in the cramped confines of the tent and continued. By the evening they reached the edge of the industrial zone. It looked a lot bigger up close, a massive sprawl of pipes, chimneys and buildings built into a near impenetrable labyrinth. Tiny shapes of workers and robots could be seen wandering all around the conglomeration. In the distance to their right they could see a mess of smaller structures, the town they were to head to.
This was where Jake chose to stop Neytiri, going to stand in front of her, taking gentle hold of her shoulders.
"Okay, we're almost at the town. English from this point forwards, ok? I don't know if any of the locals could recognize Na'vi, but we're better off not taking any chances. Almost certainly they could hear that it's not any language they know of, and we don't want anyone start asking us any uncomfortable questions." He told her.
She nodded her understanding. "All right."
"What was the fake name you were to use while we are among them?" He decided to quiz.
She was taken aback. "It was… N… Ner…" She stammered, to her embarrassment realizing she had managed to forget.
"It was Nella." He supplied. "And my name was Charles for the time being. Repeat those names to yourself as many times as you need to on the way, so you'll remember."
She nodded again. "Nella, Nella… and you were Charles."
"You still have the card you were given? The thing that had personal information on it?" He asked next.
"Yes, sure." She said, producing the card after a few moments of searching her pocket.
In response Jake showed his card. "Good. Keep that handy."
"Okay, if you're all ready, then let's get going." Thomas said, removing his breathing mask, the other two following his example.
"Um, wait. Is it alright to just walk into their village? I mean, won't we be stopped by their guards or something?" She asked.
"Nah. The RDA prefers to stop intruders well away from the town and their facilities. In the Mountains or the Red Zone. Nowhere near as heavy security this far into their turf. Not unless there's been an attack or one is suspected, and I haven't heard of anything like that recently. And in case something has changed while we were travelling, I can lead us around their checkpoints and such easily enough." Thomas replied.
But can't they tell we are strangers among them?" She pressed.
To that Thomas just laughed under his breath and resumed his slog towards the village.
"Did I say something funny?" She asked, frowning.
"There's going to be quite a lot of them out there. Enough that most of them won't recognize each other. Trust me, unless we draw attention to ourselves we won't be noticed." Jake told her.
Soon enough they had entered the town, walking down the street. And true enough the street was full of people, hundreds, if not thousands, and no one seemed to be paying them any attention. Having never seen so many Sky People in one place, Neytiri was staring around her with wide, frightened eyes, trying to stop her hand from going for her knife. So caught up in the spectacle was she that she didn't notice a passerby heading towards her until they clipped her shoulder, causing her to grunt in surprise. The passerby mumbled a quick apology and continued on his way, paying her little attention. Though he was not the one hit, Jake's hand immediately went to check his pockets, particularly the one where the envelope holding their money was.
"Mind your things. There are some pickpockets around this area I'm afraid. I've lost a few of my items to them over the years." Thomas commented for his part.
"Pickpockets?" She enquired.
"A type of thief that steals small items from your pockets. I hear deliberately bumping into people is a common tactic of theirs." Jake explained.
"So that might have been…?" She asked with some alarm.
"It probably wasn't. But better check that you still have everything." He told her.
"I take it there aren't a lot of thieves where you're from?" Thomas asked.
"Not really, though we know what it means. A clan takes care of their own, so most of the time there isn't much need to steal. And many things don't belong to anyone in particular, but the clan as a whole. And visitors? They usually know better than to disrespect the hosting clan's hospitality." Neytiri replied.
"Lucky you…" Thomas commented.
Having walked their way through the town, they were soon in front of a large bus station, vehicles constantly arriving and leaving to the highway leading off into the distance.
Thomas took a look at his watch. "Alright, the bus we want leaves in forty five minutes, from platform eighteen. You two go on ahead. I've got a few things to buy for the return trip. I'll meet you there."
"Will do." Jake replied, leading Neytiri in a different direction as Thomas went on his own way.
Later, after several switches between different transports in different town of various size, the three of them eventually found themselves on another bus. Neytiri was resting her head against the window, looking at the traffic and the surrounding landscape, her expression glum. This mode of travel was so strange, beyond her experience. Everywhere she was surrounded by strangers and unfamiliar things and devices, Jake her only island of familiarity in this sea. And what she was seeing through the windows was not exactly improving her mood. Apparently they had left the Red Zone behind them ages ago, but aside from the Sky People and their demon machines there seemed to be very little life here. She thought she spied a few gnarled bushes flashing past, but that was it. No animals as far as she had seen.
Jake had claimed there had been different kind of places here on Earth. But seeing nothing but this for days on end, everywhere she looked, she was starting to wonder if this was all there was to see after all.
The sun was already falling below the horizon, making her feel even more gloomy. The only nice thing about this mode of travel was that all three of them had been able to take quick naps. After two days of walking and limited sleep the night between, that was certainly welcome.
She noticeably perked up when she noticed something change in the scenery. "Finally, something alive!"
Thomas turned his head to look out the window as well. "Farmlands. They grow food for the city and elsewhere there. Most of the still arable land on this world is used for the production of food. Seas too. I havent seen them myself, but Ive heard the Atlantic and Pacific have multiple of these giant algae farms the size of Texas. They make food, and oxygen, of course."
"Atlantic? Pacific? Texas?" Neytiri asked, slightly irritated that she was once again bombarded with terms that meant nothing to her.
"Atlantic and Pacific are names of oceans here. And Texas is a region of land. A sizeable one." Jake explained.
"I see…" She said, returning her eyes to the vast fields of waving grain outside.
"So they're growing this? All this, just for the sake of food?" She contemplated.
"Kind of have to, to get enough to eat for all the people living in there." Thomas said nodding towards something in the distance. Neytiri turned her head… and her mouth fell open. In the light of the setting sun she now beheld a range of angular mountains of metal and glass, shining with countless lights. As they approached the city more and more roads came to view, each filled with vehicles, flowing like a river. Ever increasing numbers of buildings soon obscured those roads from view, as the bus drove into the maze between the structures. And then there were the people. Oh, so many people…
Neytiri sat frozen in place, staring at it all, something having shorted in their brain. She was shivering slightly. Jake was looking outside as well, a slight look of apprehension on his face. It had been many years since he had seen a sight like this. Long enough for his perspective to shift. It no longer felt like anything familiar. Neytiri's response, for the moment, went unnoticed by him.
Thomas by contrast appeared completely calm, waiting for them to reach their stop. When they got close he tapped Jake on the shoulder.
"Next stop is the commercial zone, in a few minutes. We can spend the rest of today shopping what we need. Then we have an apartment in town we can spend the night in, head back the next day." He explained
"The shops we need are open twenty four seven I expect?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. We can take all the time we need." Thomas confirmed.
Jake nodded, then turned to Neytiri. "Okay, let's get ready to get off."
At this point he finally became aware of how Neytiri was reacting to all this, a worried frown appearing on his face.
"Hey… you alright?" He asked, gently shaking her shoulder. It was enough to snap her out of her trance, starting slightly as her focus returned to him.
"Wha-what?" She asked in bewilderment.
"I said: are you alright?" He asked.
"I… I…" She tried, at a loss for words to explain how she was feeling.
"Come on we need to get off." Thomas interrupted as the bus was starting to slow down for the stop.
The bus arrived at the stop and they stepped out. A dozen other people got onto the bus as soon as the doorway was clear. Once outside Neytiri stopped again. All around the towers of the Sky people stood tall, immense, dominating blocking out the Sky. Roads and bridges in multiple levels crisscrossed between the false mountains. Lights and holograms in every direction filled her eyes with shining colors, like some grotesque replication of the jungles she called her home. Everywhere she thought to look the Sky People and their machines swarmed endlessly, filling every pathway. Constant motion in every direction, impossible to focus on or make sense of.
They pressed close even here, strangers constantly hurrying past her, intruding in her space. Close proximity and physical contact were not unknown in the clan. But it was always by choice, always by permission. An element of being part of a community and family. And even the least known member of a village was at least somewhat familiar. And if one wished for distance, solitude and privacy, there were endless spaces for one to lose themselves in, for as long as one wished. But here there was no choice, no familiarity, and no escape that she could see. There were too many, too close. She felt like she was suffocating, her breaths shuddering, struggling for air. There was a hum in her ears, a drumbeat in her chest that shortly rose to thunder inside her skull.
Turning back to her as soon as he was outside the bus, Jake was quick to notice her distress. "Uh, hey, maybe we should go sit down for a minute?"
She managed to nod shakily. They managed to guide her to a bench where there were slightly less people around, sitting her down on it. As she doubled over, holding her head, Jake knelt down next to her.
"Baby, I'm right here. I'm here. Talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you." He reassured, looking at her with concern.
"There's just… so much here. Too much… everything. The desolation in the wilderness was awful. But this… this is a living nightmare. How can a place like this even exist? It's just too much. I can't… I can't…" She said, her eyes shut.
"Hey there. Is there some problem?" A new voice asked, surprising them both.
Jake turned his head, seeing a stranger standing close by. In what looked like a police uniform. Jake had to stop himself from giving an annoyed sigh. Of course. Just what they needed. Of all the people here, this cop just had to zero in on them. Great.
"No problem, officer." He said.
"Are you alright, ma'am? You look a little distressed." The police asked, ignoring Jake.
"I… I'll be fine. I just need a moment…" Neytiri said, though she looked very much I'll at ease. She spared a glance at the police. Then her eyes squeezed shut again, as she continued to hold her head.
"She just a bit overwhelmed at the moment. We live in a bit more remote area. She hasn't seen a city this size before." Jake said. Not the best possible lie. Where on this planet could you live that you would never have seen a city, enough to be affected like this? But it was the only explanation that came into mind quickly. And it was close enough to the truth not to be entirely unbelievable.
The officer did not seem entirely convinced though, eyeing them both with a suspicious frown. "Might I see some identifications? From both of you." He ordered.
"Why? We haven't done anything wrong." Jake said.
"I'll be the judge of that, sir." The police replied firmly.
Jake glanced to the side. Thomas was standing a short distance away, his hand having snuck inside his pocket. No doubt he was still mindful of Christina's orders to protect the investments of the Green Angels. He would not allow them to be arrested. If need be he would intervene. Though if he did their mission would definitely be a bust, leaving them in a dangerous situation deep in enemy territory. And if he opened fire, casualties among the bystanders would be almost inevitable. The thought of some random civilian ending up like Tommy just for being in the wrong place at the wrong timer caused a clenching feeling in his stomach.
Best not to let things get that far out of hand then…
"Alright. One moment." Jake said, taking his ID out of his pocket.
"Nella, you need to give him your card now." He told Neytiri.
She did not respond at once, apparently not recognizing the name as belonging to her, and still caught in her inner turmoil.
"Nella, come on, he needs the card." Jake repeated.
This time she stirred: "Wha-? Uh... yes. I just need to…" She said beginning to search through her pockets. It went on long enough that Jake started to worry she had actually managed to lose the card despite being advised not to. But then she finally located the right pocket, quickly handing the card to Jake, who passed it on to the police officer.
"You mention that you weren't from the city. Might I enquire what is the purpose of your visit?" The officer asked as he examined the ID cards.
"Uh, we were hoping to make use of the tech stores around here. I've got some garage projects I'm working on and I needed parts for them. She agreed to come with. To help out and maybe see the sights along the way, you know." Jake explained. Again, not too far from the truth.
"I see…" The officer said thoughtfully, continuing to examine the cards. He then turned his eyes back
"Are you sure you are alright, Ma'am? You don't need any help?"
"I'll be fine. I just have to gather myself." She said quietly.
The police considered for a moment, trying to decide if that was good enough. "Very well then. Enjoy your visit. And stay out of trouble." He then said, handing them back their ID's.
"Will do, sir. Thank you." Jake said as the officer went on his way.
A short while later Thomas walked over. "That was well handled. I was a bit worried we might have a scene. More that we had I mean. What is the matter with her anyway?"
"She has never seen a place like this. Could not even have pictured it until five minutes ago. How would you feel? Give her a break." Jake explained.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to warn you about this earlier, right before that chopper showed. But it managed to slip my mind." He told Neytiri.
"Alright, fair enough? But is it over and done with at least?" Thomas asked. "Because we can't afford meltdowns like that. If she can't hold it together we might be better off dropping her at the safehouse and handling this without her."
"No. Him and I… we aren't getting separated here. Not for any reason." She spoke up. She stood up, facing Thomas's eyes.
"But if you can't hold it together…" Thomas challenged.
"I will. Wait and see." She insisted. "Now if we still had a task in this nightmare place then let's go do it."
There was a noticeable pause, after which Thomas shrugged. "Okay. I'll hold you to that. Follow me then."
For the remainder of the day they wandered around the city, going from store to store, Jake methodically acquiring the items on their list. Once again Neytiri was in for a surprise at the sheer number of items on offer. There were far more things than she thought any number of clans would need in generations. But then she recalled the unending throngs in this horrid place, a shiver running down her spine.
Back home there was occasional bartering between individuals and other clans, particularly with clans that specialized in it. But here it seemed there was a different system she wasn't familiar with. Since Jake and Thomas were the only ones that knew how exactly the whole thing worked, she had volunteered herself to carry the items they got. At least it gave her something to do, no matter how small. Beyond that she was stuck watching, all the while quietly simmering how she was feeling like a giant baby.
Not knowing what to do was… not a feeling she was accustomed to. With the clan she had long since learned the skills needed to be a useful, functional adult. And with the skills she bothered with, like hunting or flying, she tended to rank among the most skilled. Rarely was she left confused or surprised by anything back home. At least while she had still been in the forest. But here nothing seemed to make sense. Most of what surrounded her wasn't even remotely familiar, and much of the time the logic these things worked on escaped her, employing the device-sorcery of the Sky People. That sphere of knowledge she had always been happy to leave as Jake's domain, only bothering with the most bare-bones essentials, like the devices they used to talk over distance. She had tolerated it when her children had sought a deeper understanding, though not always happily.
Now though, watching the seeming effortlessness with which Jake and their guide navigated this bizarre environment while she persistently floundered… it only increased her sense of frustration. She could walk and talk, but what else was she good for here, where nothing seemed to work like it should. It was a feeling of helplessness that had persisted ever since their capture, and she despised it. She wondered if this was how Jake had felt when he had first arrived in their home? Oh, how she was starting to regret her harshness at his apparent ignorance at the time.
Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to understand what Jake had meant when he had told him you could not act like Na'vi here. But that did not change the fact she loathed the alternative. Loathed the Sky People's way of doing things. Loathed the only solution to this insufferable impasse. She supposed she would have to eventually decide which bothered her more…
Hours after their shopping spree, with Thomas away on some errand of his own, Jake had brought Neytiri into a local bar, buying both of them a beer with the leftover money, like Christina had suggested. It seemed he needed to try something to improve his wife's day, and this was the only thing that he had been able to think about. But already he was starting to wonder if he had only made it worse. Because Neytiri was embarrassingly obviously not enjoying anything there. Not the décor. Not the drink before her. And certainly not the ambience.
Even here the presence of people was overwhelming, the bar brimming with customers. The din of multiple conversations and the ceaseless blare of rock music created a deafening combination. Jake and Neytiri had managed to find themselves a secluded alcove, giving them at least some protection against the unending noise. Though even that could only go so far.
"There's so many Sky People here. I've never seen this many people. Must be a thousands of clan's worth here. Or more." She contemplated, staring down at her drink.
"Jake… is this all of them? All the Sky People there are? Are they all just crammed here like insects in their hive?" She asked.
Jake shook his head. "Not all of them. Not even close. This is a big city, no question. But there are many more like it out here. And some are even bigger."
"More places like this? A-and bigger you say?" She gasped.
"Well, how many Sky People are there then? On this world?" She asked.
"It… it's tricky to explain…" He tried.
"Jake. How many?" She insisted.
"Some twenty billion last I heard." He said quietly.
"And is this a very large number?" She asked.
A pause as Jake considered how to describe the number. "Well, you know your tens, you know your hundreds, you know your thousands. After that comes tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands. You with me so far?"
"I think so." She replied.
He nodded and continued: "A thousand thousands is a million. And a thousand millions is a billion. And Earth's population is twenty billion."
Several moments passed as she tried to wrap her head around the number. Then she scoffed in mild annoyance. "Jake, stop fooling around. I was asking seriously."
"Neytiri… I wasn't joking." Jake replied.
Her irritation switched to confusion. "But… you have to be. That has to be the biggest number I've ever heard. There can't be that many of them! How would this world survive if there were?"
"Well that's just it. It doesn't. The Sky People have been able to hang on thanks to their technology. But Christina wasn't lying when she said this world is dying, And perhaps in a way that's not reversible. The sheer volume of people that need to be provided for. It's just too much for this world to bear the burden of them." He explained.
"And so they are desperate to take another." She concluded.
"Jake… why didn't you tell me? Why tell no one that these are the numbers facing us?" She asked.
"I didn't want you to despair. And when they were gone from our world they didn't matter. I really wanted to believe they wouldn't return, even as I worried they would. And once they did come back… at the end of the day only the ones who were on Pandora counted in our struggle. I hoped we could push them out again like last time. And then it wouldn't matter how many there are here. But if their plan really is to take our home for their own… they might end up being a lot more determined than I thought. But at the end of the day we can't give up. We have to keep trying, no matter the odds."
"I know, but…" She breathed heavily, suppressing a shudder. "If they all come to our world… if even a fraction of them get there… we've lost. We'll drown in flesh."