Sean relaxed, and Fi exhaled as he walked back to Sara and flopped onto the beanbag with her. A cloud of white pellets squirted from its side as the seam finally gave way, and they all laughed.
“Hey,” Fi turned to Asher. “Don’t we have a birthday to celebrate?”
“Oh boy,” he joked. “Jerky and seeds for my birthday!”
He rejoined her on the soft couch as she passed out the rations. Nestling against Asher with a strip of jerky in her hand, she was surprised when he leaned down and whispered in her ear.
“The food and the rain are not the most disappointing parts of this birthday. I mean, compared to my last birthday…”
She gasped and smacked him on the arm. Every time she thought he was going to stop reminding her that she’d semi-accidentally spied on his bath, he would bring it up again.
“Sorry, buddy, no peep show in the cards today,” she whispered back.
“Darn it.” He snapped his fingers and she laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Sean asked.
Giving Asher a squeeze, Fi switched gears. “I was just teasing him about being legal to drink now.”
“So does this mean that you’ll be buying the kegs for our parties in Eden?” Sean joked.
“Oh yeah, you know me…I’m the life of the party,” Asher said. “And being that I’m legal now, I say we start our own portable still, and start making moonshine as part of the mission.”
“Moonshine!” Fi laughed. She hadn’t thought of that before, but of course that was true. Humans had been making alcohol forever. There was no way they were going to stop now. “People are definitely going to go back to making moonshine,” she agreed, as she wiped her eyes, and her laughter subsided. She leaned back against Asher again. “Maybe we should have moonshine at our wedding, Ash. People always say that the party is what makes the wedding.”
Asher choked, which was almost a disaster since he was also chewing a piece of jerky.
“Yes,” Sean added, while Asher coughed. “I think that giving our whole Family moonshine after years without a sip of alcohol is a great way to make your wedding memorable.”
For the next few hours, the world faded away while they waited out the summer storm with Asher’s drunken college stories as entertainment. It had been a successful summer of Seeding. They had completed nearly fifteen stations and were headed back north toward Eden. Toward home, Fi thought. Even though it was tough living underground, it was equally tough to be away… away from safety, away from the Family, and especially away from Kiara. Still, she thought, it had been worth it.
They would complete another five to ten stations by the time they got back. Even though it was just a beginning, she felt comfort and peace working to take up permanent residence in her heart. She couldn’t yet trust that the world had been set onto a better path, but she did feel hope.
There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays
----------- Fi -----------
When they arrived home, Fi was overflowing with excitement to see Kiara. Once they’d been through sanitization, she burst through the main hatch like a freed animal.
“Kiara?” She raced through the tunnels toward the residential pods, with Asher just behind. “Kiara?” As she turned the last corner, she heard a squeal.
“Fiiiiii!” Kiara flew into her arms.
“Ah!” Fi sighed as she swept Kiara up and spun her around. “Oh, my baby girl!”
She pressed her face to Kiara’s head and kissed her hair. Her weight in Fi’s arms was so welcome. She rocked her back and forth. Whenever she had missed her while she’d been away, she’d imagined the feel of Kiara’s arms around her neck with their cheeks pressed together, just as they were now. “I missed you soooooooooooooooo much, it nearly killed me,” she said.
Kiara leaned back, still wrapped around Fi like a little monkey. “I missed you too, Fi.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Shhhhh,” Fi hugged her close again, and stroked her hair. “I’m back now Kiara, and I’m staying for a long time.” She looked up and caught Asher’s expression. “Ki, I think someone else missed you pretty badly.”
“Ash!” Kiara shouted, and slid out of Fi’s arms and jumped into his.
“Ohhhhh,” he squeezed her tight. “My Ki, how have I done without these hugs all this time?” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then touched his nose to hers. “Have you been practicing while I was gone?”
She nodded. “I can’t wait to show you. Uncle Gary says you’ll be proud of me.”
Fi shook her head. It was amazing to her that her sweet little sister was so taken with martial arts, but, she thought, maybe the apple didn’t fall so far from the Family tree.
“We have all the time in the world now, Kiara,” she said, “so why don’t you show us everything we’ve missed while we were gone?”
Kiara nodded. Asher put her down, but when she reached for his hand, his face contorted with emotion for just a moment. Fi covered her mouth as her eyes pricked with the warning of tears.
“C’mon, Ash,” Kiara said. “I want to show you my school project too.” As they walked hand in hand, the little girl babbling happily, Fi felt her heart ease, finally content in the knowledge that they were safely back together.
The following day, Fi and Asher made a visit to the radio room to catch up with Tom. As they traversed the long, dim tunnel, Fi was surprised to see other colonists. In the past, Larry and Gary had insisted on keeping the radio room highly secured. Fi rarely saw anyone there besides the operators. Now people were filtering in and out every few seconds. Light streamed into the tunnel each time the door slid open, which was frequently. The radio room was buzzing like a beehive.
“What’s going on?” she wondered aloud.
“I don’t know,” Asher said. “Obviously some things have changed while we were gone.”
When they entered the radio room they saw Tom standing with his hands on either side of his head. “No, not there, please!” he said, his voice sounding stressed.
One whole wall of the room was being excavated, and a pile of tablets and radio parts sat in the opposite corner. In one area, an actual hole had been punched through the wall into a new cavern being excavated on the other side.
Daniel stuck his head through the hole. “What?”
“Daniel, will you talk to these guys?” Tom pleaded. “Make them understand that we can’t damage the cabinet with our main radio array, or else there’s no point to any of this?”
“Tom,” Fi spoke, and he whirled. The stress dropped from his face.
“Fi! And Asher! It’s great to see you guys,” he looked around and grimaced. “Sorry for the mess.”
“I see you’re expanding,” Fi smiled. “All of a sudden you’re a very busy man, Tom.”
Tom nodded, sending the other colonists from the room while they caught up. “Yes, Daniel and I are both very busy now. We need more radios in here so that we can support multiple operators 24/7 to manage the Nets.” He flopped into a chair and gestured for Fi and Asher to join him.
“The Nets?” Fi asked.
“Yes, we do have some catching up to do,” Tom smiled. “I know you all have been listening to the chatter between the stations you created.” Fi nodded. “I’m sure it warms your heart to hear so much of it, as it does mine, but it has created a lot of work for us here. Even more so now that the stations have started to create their own sub-stations.”
“What?” Fi’s mouth dropped open in shock and Tom nodded.
“I know, we weren’t expecting it either, but the admins for the stations have really seized control. Several of them reported that within weeks of being set up, other Topsider groups showed up on their doorsteps, having heard from passing travellers of a nearby radio station. In some cases, the admins have managed to set up additional radio stations with the sub-groups, and they all use the same antenna. They chat amongst themselves, but also with us. We’ve started calling these little mini-towns ‘Nets.’ It’s our shorthand for networks.
They’re loosely connected, but they are connected. In some ways, the Nets are the beginnings of real settlements.”
“Wow,” Asher exhaled, and sat back in his seat.
“Yeah, I know,” Tom said. “We’re very excited. Seems like it started with Jean and Luc actually. They contacted us about two weeks after you all went back out and said that new people had shown up and asked to share the station. It was Luc that figured out how to set them up with a separate radio of their own, giving them a connection to the station and to Eden, but giving them space as well.”
Fi sucked in her cheeks, reflecting. Yes, it made sense. People are inventive. You give them a little bit of help, and it’s amazing what they can do. “That should make Seeding a lot easier, if our initial ‘seeds’ are going ahead and doing it on their own.”
Tom got up to adjust some of the radio signals. “Yes, you’re right, Fi,” he agreed. “Just listen.”
He turned up the volume and scrolled through the frequencies. Fi and Asher sat in silent amazement as voice after voice came through the speaker.
“…Peppers are exploding, but the tomatoes aren’t doing as well…”
“…About ten years and then Susie…”
“…So you can dry it on a rock in the sunshine and then…”
“…Of course we thought they were lying…”
Fi was transfixed. For a year, she’d spent hours in this room with Tom or Daniel and never heard one voice, not one other human being to tell them that they were not alone. And now…this. She took a deep breath as tears welled in her eyes. As Tom shifted to each new frequency and a new voice rang through, Fi felt her heart soar. It was all worth it, she thought. This is why I left Kiara. This is why we risked our lives. For this.
“Right now the chatter is increasing by leaps and bounds every day,” Tom added.
“And that’s not all.” A voice from behind surprised them, and they turned to see Larry entering the room with Louis and Gary close behind. “There’s more good news.” Larry turned to Tom. “Everything going ok?”
“Yup, all is well, if a little crazy,” Tom’s smile was weary. “I just took a break to catch up with these two.”
“So what’s the other good news?” Fi asked.
A genuine, bonafide grin broke across Larry’s face, and he opened his arms in an expansive gesture. “It’s harvest time, Fi! Some of the first heirloom crops are being gathered and set aside for the winter as we speak.”
Fi felt her heart pound. The harvest! She hadn’t even thought about it, she’d been so focused on finding out Tom’s news. “So the harvest is going well then?” Louis burst out in loud laughter, and Larry chuckled.
“Yes, Fi,” Larry assured her. “The harvest is going very well. Of course there were normal losses to pests and weather…and everyone is just learning how to farm again. But generally families saw a good harvest, and all report having good seed recovery.”
Fi drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Wow. Good seed recovery…so the plants made it to flowering without any die-offs? There’s no sign of the GM strains? Are they are going to be ok, to have enough food this winter?” The questions streamed out of her, each one an unspoken anxiety nursed in the darkness of her heart’s hidden corners.
“There are no reported die-offs at this time,” Louis said, “which makes us cautiously optimistic. We’re having the admins send us seed samples so that we can do some direct genetic testing, but for now it seems like it’s all Truefood.”
She smiled as he indulged her with her own nickname for heirloom and natural foods. This was fantastic news! Maybe the GM plants had really succeeding in killing themselves and we won’t see them again, she thought. We can only hope.
“And as for the immediate need for food, and whether the Nets will have enough,” Louis continued, “for the most part the answer is ‘yes.’ Some crops are still in final harvest now, and in some cases the Nets have grown beyond the initial crop allotments we dispersed. That means that some may still have to scrape by this winter, but by next winter they will start to support themselves.”
Feeling a little weak with all the good news, Fi grabbed a small folding chair and flopped into it. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just a little overwhelmed.” Asher stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders. Fi patted Asher’s hand gratefully and sighed. “We did it then, is what you’re saying. The goal has been met.”
“The goal has been more than met, Fi,” Larry chuckled. “We blew right past the goal. In a million years, I never would’ve predicted that the stations would start to grow on their own, and that the Nets would form. It seems silly now that we didn’t think of it. Once people start to talk again, it only makes sense that they’re going to gravitate to one another.”
“It shows that Topsiders are starting to trust each other again,” Asher mused. “That’s really good.”
Fi nodded, as she processed all that they’d shared. How strange to think that they were the ones who started all this, and yet they had been the most out of touch the entire time. Though they listened to the radio chatter at times when they felt safe, and were close enough to a station to get a signal, they had mostly been cut off during the summer Seed.
Suddenly something that Louis said came back to Fi. “Hey Louis? You said that you were collecting seed samples from the admins…”
Louis nodded, “Yes?”
“Um, how are you doing that exactly?”
Louis’ eyes widened. “I forget how much you’ve missed. We’ve re-established the mail.”
“What?” She and Asher spoke simultaneously, his hands dropping from her shoulders in shock.
“Mail? As in snail mail?” Asher asked. The others nodded.
“Yes, it’s definitely snail mail,” Larry said. “We have runners, and in some cases, bicycles that are being used to transport letters and items between the Nets.
“Wow,” Fi said, her head whirling. “Mail. That’s so cool.”
“Unfortunately it’s still not that cool for the carriers,” Larry acknowledged. “You can imagine that it’s a rather dangerous job. They have to change routes and use roundabout ways of approaching Eden to maintain our secrecy.”
“Yeah, I see your point. How did you get people to do it?”
“How did we get you all to risk your lives for the Seeding, Fi?”
Hmph, Larry had a point, she thought. Having mail again wasn’t a luxury; it was a really important step in reconnection. “I assume that they’re all volunteers then?”
Larry’s mouth twisted. “Seeing as my fortune is all tapped out, I don’t see how we’d pay them.”
Of course, she thought. Duh.
“Buuuuuut, they’re compensated,” he added.
Fi raised an eyebrow. “Food?”
“Food, ammunition, seeds.”
“Jeez, Larry, by today’s standards that’s the best paying job in the world,” she smiled. “You still know how to sweeten a deal.”
“Touché, Fi, touché.”
She stood and stretched. “It’s amazing to hear that we have mail again, even if it is super snail mail.”
“Maybe next year we can do letters to Santa,” Asher added, and they chuckled.
“Okay, Tom, don’t let all this craziness get to you,” Fi said. “It sounds like it is only going to get crazier from now on.”
Asher yawned and reached for her hand. “We’re going to head out and get some things done. Let’s catch up some more tomorrow, if that’s ok with you, Larry.”
“Of course, Asher. We know you’re both tired. Besides, you’ll be with us for the winter now, so we have plenty of time to discuss your great success.”
Just before they left, Fi turned back. “Hey, have you all been listening to that preacher guy? The ah, what does he call himself…Truther?” The three men exchanged cautious glances.
“Yes, of course we have,” Larry said. “And we’ve heard the other Truther stations that have popped up as well. They’ve been…active.”
/> “What do you think about that?” Asher asked, curious. “Are you worried about them at all?”
Larry shrugged. “We’re worried about everyone, as you know. At this point, there’s nothing we can do to stop them from broadcasting, and it seems like a fringe group. Let’s just say we’re keeping an eye on the situation.” Asher nodded, satisfied for now.
“Oh, one more thing you guys,” Tom piped up. “We’re going to have a colony-wide Thanksgiving celebration, and the Nets are all going to participate in one huge radio broadcast. It’s going to be the biggest single celebration of Thanksgiving since the Famine.”
Fi felt herself weaken. This was too much good news in one day. Her heart could barely take it. It was amazing…crazy…too good to be true. It was impossible to describe the way that his announcement made her feel. The idea of all those stations, all those people in the Nets, all having Thanksgiving together…it was almost like the old world. Almost.
“Count us in then,” she said, swallowing past the tightness in her throat, “for Thanksgiving with all the fixings.” She gave a little wave and headed into the tunnel with Asher. “Thanksgiving,” she repeated in disbelief. “A real harvest Thanksgiving.”
Asher squeezed her hand. “I know, Fi. It’s a miracle.”
Radio Silence
------------ Fi -------------
With their mission complete, and a joyful Thanksgiving on the horizon, Fi was surprised when Asher told her that Larry had called the Seeders in for a meeting.
His face was grave as they entered the room. “Have a seat please,” he urged. Gary was already seated, his face stony. To Fi’s surprise, Tom was also present.
“So what’s so important that Sara and I had to be pulled out of school?” she joked, trying to lighten the mood. Larry winced, and she bit her tongue. Obviously, this was serious. “What? What’s wrong?” She took her seat
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