Eden's Root (52 page)

Tears ran down her neck and into her shirt. “So yes, I know that you do not take the Sick here,” she shook her head. “But it’s time that you made some exceptions.” She turned to John. “I don’t know if John actually is Sick. He looks tired because he just carried his Sick daughter all the way here on his back for months,” her voice rose. Eyes flew open in acknowledgement and shock. Fi snorted. “Well, it’s no secret that Rachel is Sick. She’s been too weak to travel for months, so he carried her. On. His. Back.” She emphasized each word while John dropped his tear-streaked face. “And when he grew weary, the others did too,” she gestured to her Family with pride.

She turned back to Larry and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Taking about John had helped her to recover herself. She took several deep breaths. No one at the table attempted to speak. They sat in miserable silence and waited.

“Here’s the thing Larry,” she said in a calm voice, feeling centered once again. “I’ve walked around this place and I’ve seen my father’s fingerprint everywhere. I remember every word of our last months of conversations, when he told me about Diaspora and Eden,” she said, smiling. “And when we ran and I had his journal I used to take it out and read it over and over again.” She tilted her head and took a step forward and smiled. “It’s funny, I just did it to feel close to him, but now I realize that I was actually studying Eden.” She turned to Louis.

“Like the combination of geothermal and hydroelectric systems that you’re using here to generate electricity and heat water and control temperature,” she gave an example. “And the water and air recycling systems, the way you use gravity as a pump in a lot of areas. That seems like a good idea, very efficient.” The tears began to return as she thought about her father, the joy he would have in knowing he had helped people. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to continue. Her voice shook with anger and grief.

“The reality is that without my father’s contributions you people would all be shit out of luck. I fought like hell to get my sister here to safety and I accomplished that, and believe me none of you wants to know what it
fucking
took to do it. And along the way I found and was lucky enough to keep with me, the best bunch of people I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.” The tears welled over once again as she continued. It felt like they would never stop. She gulped air and finished.

“So now we are here and I’m playing my goddamned card. We will be useful, but you will take us. All of us,” she said and folded her arms as she turned to sit down with her Family. Meeting adjourned, she thought as she put her head into her hands and sobbed. She doubled over as the agony exploded inside of her and she finally cried for them all…and finally cried for herself.

----------- Fi -----------

Two days later, Fi stood in front of the full-length mirror in her personal pod, braiding her long hair. Spaces within Eden were generally small, but personal pods were tiny, containing only a small section of cabinets, a mirror, and a bed. Single adults lived in these and shared common spaces. Families lived in separate self-contained pods that included both common space pods and sleeping pods. As a self-designated adult, Fi had chosen to live in a personal pod for the time being, though she spent little time in the common spaces. The last thing she wanted to do at this point was to face the curious glances of the other colonists.

When she had been shown the space the day prior, she’d found her original clothes folded on the bed. They were cleaner than she could ever remember them being. She pulled them on eagerly and a wave of reassurance washed over her. With her hair pulled back and her own black t-shirt and cargo pants, she felt like herself again. The only things missing were her gun and knife, she thought with irritation. Touching her left thigh where the strap of her knife normally provided comfort, Fi sighed. Maybe now that they had passed the Consideration she could get Gary to return the knife. She knew there was no chance he’d let her have the .22.

It had been only days since the emotional speech she had given at their Consideration. As she had expected at the time, her argument had been sufficiently convincing. All of the Family had been accepted into Eden without question. Following the actual acceptance, the judges had asked them to share their stories. Tears flowed freely down all cheeks by day’s end, and the entire group had left the room exhausted and wrung out. A soft knock came at her door and Fi startled.

“Come in,” she called and the door slid open. Larry Waters stepped into her room with an apologetic expression on his face. Fi was confused, what could Larry want from her? For a moment, she worried that he’d thought better about keeping a Family Member.

“I’m sorry, I hope that I’m not disturbing you,” he began and she shook her head.

“Not at all,” she admitted, frowning. “What’s up?” He smiled and Fi relaxed. His visit must be friendly.

“Well, I wanted to know if you would be willing to join me for part of the day today. I could show you around Eden some and we could talk more about your experiences Topside.” Fi’s frown returned. Sensing her discomfort, Larry’s face looked chagrined. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not easy for you to talk about it, but your information could be crucial to our first efforts at Reconnection,” he explained.

“Reconnection?” Fi echoed. “What’s that?”

“It was never our plan to hide out here in Eden forever Fi,” he began. “At some point we have to make our way back Topside and reconnect the survivors. We have some plans and as we mentioned, we conduct Seeks, but we will take any helpful information we can get to aid our efforts.” He paused and took a breath, studying her confused face. “I think I’m getting ahead of myself. Perhaps we should start with breakfast,” he smiled. Fi tilted her head and smiled back.

“Alright Larry, it’s a date,” she laughed. “Let’s get something to eat.” They left her pod and headed down the tunnel leading to the central areas of Eden, but instead of going to the cafeteria pod, they turned west toward the field pods. Fi walked behind Larry on the narrow walkway. “I thought we were getting breakfast?” Larry grinned at her over his shoulder.

“We are,” he said and kept walking. After another turn they emerged onto the main field pod in the giant natural cavern that Louis had shown them the first day. Again, the scene took Fi’s breath away. Beneath the blue beam of light, the apples hanging from the tree in the center gleamed. Colonists in white coats moved among the rows of fields, taking samples and caring for the plants.

Larry headed to a ladder leading from the walkway down to the actual soil of the fields. With a wave, he indicated that she should join him and she followed with excitement. The very first thing she’d wanted to do when she saw this room was to walk among the fields. They made their way from the outer edges of the circular fields through the rows. As they strolled, Larry explained some of what she was seeing.

“These fields serve as both our own colony’s food source and a living genetic vault of heirloom species,” he said with pride in his voice. “We are all living on unaltered sources of food here in Eden,” he explained and Fi took a deep breath. Though she had known this, that Eden would contain only Truefood, it was reassuring to hear. It gave her hope for John and Rachel’s possible recovery to know that they would be eating foods that enhanced health.

Her fingertips trailed over the growing corn shoots as Larry pointed out the different types of things they had planted. Fi was amazed by the extent of Eden’s crops. Of course she had expected that they would be growing cereal grains and vegetables, but they had so much more. It was truly an accomplishment, she thought as pride in her father swelled in her chest. Eden was partially her legacy as well, she knew.

“This pod is only one of our pods devoted to heirloom food and plant growth,” Larry explained, pointing to tunnels that disappeared farther to the west. “In that direction you will find our orchard pods, nursery pods, wild grass pods, and heritage livestock pods.” Their stroll through the fields brought them to the apple tree at the center and Larry stopped and turned back to Fi. He studied her face as she stroked the leaves of the tree with her fingertips.

“I notice that you seem to feel the same way about Eve that we do,” Larry grinned. Startled, Fi turned to him and then back to the tree. Larry’s shoulders shook as he started to laugh.

“Eve? You mean the tree is named Eve?” she laughed, shaking her head. Nodding, Larry chuckled and reached up to pull down two fresh apples.

“Ridiculous, I know,” he said and handed one to Fi. “Breakfast,” he said and she smiled. Of course, she remembered, Larry had promised her breakfast. Fi took a bite and chewed, the sweet, tasty apple filling her mouth.

“So how did this tree get a name?” Fi asked, her mouth still full of apple. “Do all your trees have names?” The corners of Larry’s blue eyes squeezed up as he smiled at her teasing and shook his head.

“No, Eve is special,” he murmured, squinting up into the shaft of blue light that painted the mature apple tree. “She was our first resident of these fields. It was a very careful transplant and we weren’t sure she would take, but she did,” he smiled at Fi. His expression really could be very kind, she thought. “My friends that donated her were so relieved, they had worked to keep her vibrant for so long.”

“So she’s named Eve because she was the first resident of the garden?” Fi reached out to touch Eve’s branches again and cupped a hanging apple. “And she’s female of course, so she couldn’t be Adam,” she paused. “Well, actually she’s both, but I can see going with Eve,” she corrected herself and Larry laughed out loud, startling some of the colonists working in the fields. Faces stared at them with curiosity when they saw Fi.

“You’re a bright one Fi Kelly,” Larry chuckled. “It’s a real pleasure to get to know you,” he added. Fi smiled wider.

“The feeling is mutual,” she acknowledged. She held up her apple core. “What should I do with this?”

“Pick out the seeds and pocket them. We’ll take them to the lab pods so the scientists can decide what to do with them.” Fi nodded and did so, as did Larry. Then he grinned at her and chucked his remaining apple core into the open fields. Fi’s mouth dropped open. Who would have guessed that the dour man she had met at the Family’s Consideration could be so playful? It reminded her that Larry wasn’t really that old. She followed suit, making sure she didn’t throw near any working people. Fi brushed her hands together and wiped them on her pants and then looked up into his amused face. Fi realized that her behavior had been crude and felt sheepish.

“Sorry. Manners tend to go when you live in the wilderness for a while,” she offered. He nodded and his face grew serious again and he headed into the other half of the fields with Fi trailing behind him.

“Larry,” Fi said as she jogged after him. He set a fast pace for a short man, she thought as she hurried. “I know your purpose today was to ask me about what we learned Topside. But Asher is really your best resource there. He is our documentarian after all,” she said and Larry stopped and turned.

“Ok, so what do you want to say then Fi?” he asked, curious.

“Well, it occurs to me that as the former Leader of my Family, I should ask my new Leader a lot more about himself,” she said and Larry looked surprised.

“What makes you think I’m the Leader here in Eden?” His tone was incredulous. Fi’s eyes widened. Was he kidding?

“C’mon Larry, are you serious? Eden may be democratic, but you are definitely its Leader,” her voice grew aggravated. It wouldn’t do to have a Leader who couldn’t even acknowledge it, she thought. He shook his head for a moment and then sighed, peering at her from under his eyebrows. His eyes burned with a look that was almost angry.

“Fine,” he said, his tone bitter. “You’re right, though we don’t truly discuss it ever. I’m the Leader. They all defer to me to make the hard decisions. Who’s in and who’s out. How big can we make it, how many can we save? How much food is enough for God’s sakes,” he said. His voice rose for just a moment before he regained control. “So yes,” he said through gritted teeth to Fi’s stony face. “I’m your new Leader, if you must have it verbalized.” Fi tilted her head, taking in his new demeanor. Angry, offended, authoritative. Good. He was a Leader, however reluctant. She nodded her head.

“Actually Larry, yes, I really must have it verbalized, thank you.” Standing with her hands on her hips she pointed at him. “I would say that I have earned that right more than anyone in Eden, wouldn’t you?” Though his gaze was dark, he nodded. Suddenly compassion surged through Fi as she realized why he was so angry. She softened her voice.

“You feel it all don’t you?” she asked and He turned away from her.

It was a measure of Larry’s toughness that he did not even wish to show her the weight of his burden. She stepped in front of him so that he had no choice but to meet her gaze and she persisted.

“You feel each and every single person,” she pointed at him in sudden understanding, “All nine billion of them. You feel responsible…” Her voice drifted away and she allowed herself to stand in silence with him, surveying humanity’s last hope as it grew upward toward the glittering blue air. After a time, Larry spoke.

“I’ve never actually met another person who understood exactly the way I feel,” he murmured and turned to her. “And I never could have imagined compassion from you Fi,” he said as his eyes filled with tears for a moment. “It’s more than I deserve.” He brushed away his tears with exasperation. Fi was certain that Larry did not cry in front of others very often. She smiled gently.

“And I never could have given my Family into the care of someone less tough than you Larry. The fact that you upheld your own rules when you cut my family from the list actually gives me more faith in you.” His mouth dropped open and she chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty angry, but if there was anyone in the world who could understand, don’t you think it’s me?”

She realized that she meant it as she said it. Larry cared about people. It must have killed him to know that he’d personally ordered the likely death of two little girls. The reality would have been so real, so painful. And then by some miracle, they showed up at his doorstep alive. Yes, Fi realized. Her living, breathing presence was absolution for more than Louis, it was absolution for Larry. She held his gaze to ensure that he understood.