by Liam Clay
I start to search the battlefield. Vyev comes too, although she does not give me a reason. I find Peace, Delez and Rajani together. They are sitting in the mud near the Garden’s vine curtain. Delez seems happy to see me, but the sniper is looking glum.
“I missed it! The whole damn thing.”
“How horrible for you!” I say mockingly. “What happened?”
She points to her boyfriend. “Tarzan here got into an argument with the vines.”
“You didn’t have to come back for me.” He says mildly.
“But you were just hanging there like a game target at a county fair.”
“Counties don’t exist anymore.”
“Semantics.” Peace looks up at Vyev. “Did Anex fight any better this time?”
“A little bit.” The Grav allows. Then she smirks. “But now you two have some making up to do.”
“Sorry lady, but I don’t think we’ll have time for that. The Anex show doesn’t tend to stick around places very long.” She points to Rajani. “And besides, this one hired us to help find her people.”
The Medgician nods. “That is true. But it may be a good idea to stay with the Gravs for now. If they let us.” She adds with a nod in Vyev’s direction.
“How do you figure?” Delez asks. “Not that I’m against the idea or anything.”
“Finding out what happened to my people is a useless task if I can’t save them. And the Gravs are already fighting a war against the Null. So maybe we should try to help them win it.”
Vyev snorts. “By doing what, playing in the mud?”
“No. By arming your people with the same weapon being used against you. Nanovax.”
“You mean the white webs?”
“Yes. I invented that substance in its weaponized form. And I have cultures with me that can be used to make more.”
Vyev straightens. “Hera will want to hear about this. Find your friends and meet me at her longhouse.”
She departs for the vine curtain, and we return to the battlefield. I try to manage my emotions; but with every minute that we don't find Tikal, my anxiety level doubles. Thankfully, the search doesn't take long. Her and Francis are to either side of Lucy, supporting her as they approach the Garden. We gather together on a dry patch of ground. Of the group, only the poker player is injured.
“What happened?” I ask.
Francis grins. “Oh man, did you guys miss some shit. Lucy single-handedly took out one of those tanks.”
“Really? How?”
“She grabbed a gun barrel as it went by, climbed along it, and pushed through the thing's shell. I thought it was eating her alive, but she made it inside. And the next thing I know, the whole tank is disintegrating.”
“You blew it up while you were inside it?” Delez says incredulously.
Lucy gives us a tired smile. “Did you see those clear bubbles inside the shell? Well I started throwing grenades into the open ones. That was enough to destabilize the whole vehicle, and it fell apart around me.”
“So how did you get hurt?”
“I twisted my ankle when I was thrown clear.”
“I think we can call that a fair trade.”
There is a dark subtext to this conversation. Everyone is wondering how many battles we can take part in before one of us dies. I already came close. And if Hera accepts Rajani's help, there will be more violence to come. But that's what we're good for, right? Murder, murder, murder, kill, kill, kill.
.
An hour later, we are back in the laboratory longhouse. There is a hole in the roof where a filament of nanovax landed, but otherwise the place is untouched. Hera has been joined by a committee of elders. They listened quietly while Rajani repeated her offer, and now we are waiting on their reply. It has not been quick to come, though; apparently not all Gravs are as impulsive as Hera. Finally an elderly man with a missing ear speaks up.
“My name is Salk. First, let me make sure that I understand this correctly. You are suggesting that we engage in a guerilla war against the Null, with the goal of destroying their globetank division. And once that is done, you want us to invade Medival itself. Is that correct?”
“It is.” The Medgician says. “If you continue to fend off the tanks as they appear, you will eventually lose, and be killed. So you must act instead of reacting.”
“By wandering the wetlands seeking out battle? That seems a sure way to die as well.”
“Alone, it would be. But what if you united all of the Gardens under a single banner? That would offer you a better chance of success.”
The man glowers at her. “You are not one of us, no matter the color of your skin. Otherwise you would know that this is impossible. Each Garden is a closed ecosystem. We do not fraternize with one another. Even the Gravs who dwell under our own platform are strangers to us.”
“Seriously?” Tikal breaks in. “Why would you ignore the existence of people who live so close to you? And saying 'it's always been that way' is not a proper answer.”
Salk is left with his mouth hanging open, and Peace snickers.
“That's what I thought.” Tikal says. “But just consider what you are being offered here. How many Grav children have died in these attacks? How many parents and cousins and friends? But with your own supply of nanovax, you could fight the Null on even terms. At the very least, you could hope to drive them back into Medival. And what is standing in the way of that chance? Tradition? Fear of change? I think your people need you to move past that.”
I glance at my girlfriend, impressed by her arguments. The blunt force is still there, but now there is a layer of diplomacy wrapped around it. From the start, it has been obvious that Hera wants to accept Rajani's offer. But she must need the support of the elders to do that, because the huge woman has been quiet until now.
“You have stated your case.” She says with a respectful nod. “Now please step outside while we talk.”
We rise to our feet and move to the door. Lucy is using my shoulder for support.
“Do you think they'll go for it?” She asks as we emerge into the open.
“I don't know. But they can't go on like this. I mean, take a look around.”
The forest is a mess. Whole stands of trees have fallen over, and others are being eaten alive by snarls of purple fungus. A longhouse in the next copse over has been completely flattened. A Grav family is picking through the debris - saving a frying pan here, a favorite shirt there.
“Or they could run.” She says. “Just pack up and fuck off, leave the Garden behind.”
“And go where? We've been all over this region, and it isn't exactly teeming with hospitable land. Plus Hera would never go for it.”
“You're probably right. What about us, though? We never signed up for a drawn out struggle. If the Gravs say no, and Rajani isn't prepared to take a shot at Medival right now, I think we might be within our rights to go home.”
“And do you think we should?”
She watches as the mother and father try to lift a beam off their daughter’s toy box.
“No, I don't.”
Picking up a branch to use as a crutch, Lucy limps over to help the Gravs. After a few moments, the rest of us join her.
When Hera finds us half an hour later, she has a grim smile on her face.
“The elders have accepted your offer. Medivalian, you can use my lab for your work. And in a few days, we will seek out the other Gardens and try to forge an alliance. I don't know what they will say, but it is worth trying, I think.”
Tikal shakes her hand. “Thank you. Is there anything we can do?”
“Yes. You can accompany us to the underside of our Garden tomorrow, and help convince the people there to join our cause.”
CHAPTER 25
That evening, we bed down on the floor of Hera's lab. And as usual, quiet time leads to reflection. We left Opacity in search of other cultures, and we've certainly found them. But none have been stable enough to open traditional relations with. Instea
d it feels like we're either putting out other people's fires, or barging in where we don't belong, depending on your point of view. But the Null are a threat to the entire region, and I do not agree with Shion's policy of hoping they will just go away. All of which has culminated in selling this war to the Gravs. Are we doing the right thing, though? I fall asleep without an answer.
The next morning, we meet the elders in a hidden valley near the Garden's center. Interlocking tree branches form a canopy overhead. The place has a quiet solemnity to it, and may hold religious significance to these people. The elders are gathered around a dark cavity about three meters across. At Hera's gesture, we join them at the brink. The cleft looks naturally occurring, although obviously that is not possible. A faint light is visible in its depths; the cut must go all the way through to the other side. I lean out to get a better look, and a bout of vertigo hits me.
“Careful.” Hera says. “Gravity is distorted here, and the crossing can be deadly if done wrong.”
“The crossing to where?”
“The Under.”
“Um, okay. What do we need to do?”
“I will show you.”
And with a nod in my direction, the woman steps out into empty air. At first, she appears to be falling normally. But just past halfway down, her speed begins to slow, until she seems to hover in empty space. Her body becomes a silhouette, and then she slides sideways and out of view. Peace rubs her eyes.
“What the hell just happened?”
Salk gives her a condescending look.
“Surely world travelers like you have seen this type of effect before?”
“No. We've been too busy trying to find your missing ear.”
“But you didn't know me until yesterday.”
“Ooh, you're a sharp one. Better not trade any more verbal barbs with you. How about you just tell us what's going on instead?”
“The Garden's gravitational center is in the core of the platform. It is holding us to the ground here, and it is holding our neighbors to the ground on the other side as well.”
“Upside down?”
“Your powers of observation are astounding. Yes, upside down. The Unders live their entire lives that way.”
“You're kind of a catty bitch, aren't you?”
“Peace...” Delez says quietly.
“Oh, fine. I'll just jump then.” And before anyone can stop her, she follows Hera into the void. Delez is right behind her, and then it's my turn. One blind step, and I'm dropping like a stone down a well. But my speed increases faster than it should, until I have to shut my eyes against the wind. I must have passed the halfway point now. And very gradually, l start to slow down. Then something hooks me around the waist. I'm pulled hard to one side and sent skidding across a smooth surface.
“Another one!” Someone cackles. “Where do the Overs find these people?”
I open my eyes. Standing over me is a wizened monkey of a man, age indeterminate. We are in a shallow valley identical to the one I just left behind. Another woven canopy obscures the swamp below; which is probably a blessing, since I'm not ready to look up at the ground just yet.
A group of Unders have gathered to greet us. All are wiry and pale: the result of extensive tree climbing and very little sun, I would imagine. Hera is standing off to one side, looking awkward as fuck. But Peace seems to have found her people. She claps with glee as Tikal is hauled out of the gravity well and dumped on the ground beside us. When everyone has made the crossing, the Unders’ leader turns to Hera.
“So, what brings you to our half of the woods? Finally going to take me up on my offer?”
Her nostrils flare. “For the last time Pon, I will not marry you. I am two times your size.”
“That just means there's less of me to love!”
“Why would that be a good thing?”
“You're right, I'm a bad boy. You should probably spank me.” He sobers. “But if you haven't come to make forbidden love, then why are you here? Unders and Overs don't mix.”
“I know that. But we are at war now. Had you noticed?”
The man yawns behind his hand. “Is that what all the running around down below was about? I thought you were playing croquet with very large balls.”
“Always with the joking, Pon. But what will happen when the Null kill my people and ascend to claim their prize? They will swat you and your acrobats down like flies.”
“They can try.”
“What is there to stop them?”
“Have you ever fought upside down?” He points to the canopy over - or, more accurately, under - our heads. “If that barrier wasn't there, you would all be frozen with vertigo right now.”
“Maybe. But the enemy will not be. Please, can you just hear me out?”
Pon seems surprised by this; Hera must not ask nicely very often. “Fine. What do you want?”
“You communicate with Unders from other Gardens, yes?”
“Of course. Not all Gravs are as antisocial as you lot.”
“Then we would like you to send word out. In one week, this Garden will arrive at the Timestone for a council of war. Anyone who meets us there will be given a powerful weapon by our new Opacian allies. And all we ask in return is their promise to reserve that weapon for the Null.”
Pon looks suspicious. “What kind of weapon?”
“You will see when we get there. Can you deliver the message?”
“Yes.” He says shortly. “But I can't guarantee that the Unders will deliver it. Most of them speak to their Overs even less than we do.”
“Just try. That is all we ask.” She turns to go.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“This is no joke? You really want to unite the Gardens?”
“Yes. It may be the only way to survive, for all of us.”
“Alright, I will send your message. And throw my support behind it, too. Just try to remember this the next time I propose to you, yeah?”
.
Two days later, me and Rajani are down on the battlefield again. But this time, we are specimen hunting. The destroyed globetanks look like whale carcasses that have been dropped from a great height. Their liquidized shells form small lakes around the globular innards within. Each vehicle is also equipped with a reflective cube that contains the vehicle’s software core. All four tanks have been gutted by fire, but the Medgician is still hoping to find samples of living nano-material.
“Is it weird?” I ask as we pick through the remains. “Spending time with your mother's people?”
She nudges a pile of ebony goo with her foot, frowns, and moves on. I've resigned myself to being ignored when she says, “Yes, it is. I never knew my mother. She left me at Medival's gates when I was just a baby, with a note to say whose child I was. My father tried to deny it, but a paternity test confirmed the truth. He accepted responsibility and took care of me after that.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“Don't be. My mother must have wanted a better life for me, and in Medival I had one. The Gravs have an interest in biology, but their laboratories are nothing compared to the green pyramid's.”
“Maybe so, but there's more to life than work, Rajani. Aren't you mad at your mom for giving you up? And at your dad for trying to get out of raising you?”
She shakes her head. “My research is more important than old family squabbles. It would be foolish to let myself become distracted by such things.”
“Actually, I think your feelings might be pretty important.”
“So I should be more like you people?” She replies sharply, her veneer cracking for a moment. “Always hurting each other by accident, and letting emotions get in the way of your mission?”
“What a mean thing to say. But that's not what I meant. You know that the Null can turn people to their side, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well I'm afraid that if you keep acting without emotion, Hera might decide that you're a spy.”
This br
ings her up short. “You really think she would accuse me of being a Null?”
“Rajani, we've been traveling together for weeks, and even I get suspicious of you sometimes.”
“I see.” Her face is stone cold, but I suspect that I have deeply offended her. “They conquered my city, and you think I might be one of them?”
“I'm sorry. But... would it kill you to show some emotion once in a while? Just one public laughing fit or flipout would be enough.”
She looks away. “I don't know if I can do that.”
“Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you.”
We continue on in silence. Then Rajani spots something in the wreckage, and her face lights up. The moment reminds me of when Kalana used to make a breakthrough - the childlike pleasure it brought out in her. The Medgician runs over to examine her find.
“This is it.” She says with obvious pleasure. “A living nanobot culture. If I can model its genetic structure, I should be able to create a strain of nanovax that will consume it at a rapid rate.”
Taking a vial out of a pocket on her jumpsuit, she collects a sample. Then we head back toward the Garden and its sentient vines. But I have a plan now. If Hera sees Rajani in a moment of scientific triumph, it may be enough to allay her suspicions.
.
The next morning, we begin our journey. Tikal and I walk out to watch the Garden's fan belts spin up. They are fueled by a fermented sludge from Hera's lab. The stuff is supposed to be non-toxic and carbon neutral, but it smells awful and we don't stay long.
Our destination is four days away. And if Pon doesn't screw us over, it will become the site of the first ever Garden jamboree. Hera doesn't want to explain Rajani's presence to the other Gravs, so she plans to present the weaponized nanovax as an Opacian invention. This is a smart decision; but it means that if this shit doesn't work, we will take the blame. As a result, we've all been spending a lot of time in the longhouse, watching the Medgician practice her craft. I've been hoping that Hera will catch her in a moment of success. But the Grav leader has been absent, making preparations for the jamboree.