Chapter Fifteen
Ava was glad that Knadyn didn’t let the situation bother him for long. That was one of the great qualities about him. Things were strained for a couple of days then they seemed to bounce right back into their old, easy friendship. When she asked him if he was okay with everything he had laughed. Then with a mischievous smile warned her, “You do not want me to pressure you into anything … that does not mean you cannot pressure me when you are ready.” Ava felt the familiar thrill at Knadyn’s words. Then he had gone for his extended swim. Leaving her to cool her overheated body in the waves by herself.
Soon enough it was time for her to pick up her weekly food rations. When she walked into the transport dome, she got a surprise. Knadyn’s uncle was standing at the controls waiting for her.
“Hello.” She smiled at Knollig. “Is there a problem in Terraneu?” she always worried that something had gone awry. It came with growing up in a bunker and living with constant turmoil.
“There is nothing wrong.” He assured her with a warm smile. Ava recalled Brennae telling her this uncle was the diplomat. With that smile, and warm as whiskey voice, she wasn’t surprised. “I am here to inform you that we are having a council meeting tomorrow and you are requested to attend.”
“What could I possibly have to say that would be of value?” Ava was puzzled that she would be invited to a Terraneu council meeting. She figured they would make a decision and then tell her what they wanted.
“We are eager for your input into a few items that are concerning us.” Knollig hedged his answer, “Advise Knadyn about the meeting and try to arrive first thing tomorrow morning,” That said. Knollig moved toward the transport, “and thank you Ava. For everything you have done for my nephew.” Then he was gone.
Ava puzzled over when to tell Knadyn about the meeting and decided on that evening when they were lounging on the patio.
“Knadyn, I need to talk with you about something.” She brought up her impending trip.
“Okay.” He said without hesitation. He had been reading in the hammock and placed the reader down to listen to what she was saying.
“I have to go somewhere tomorrow morning for a few hours.” She was going to stick with the facts of the trip, without saying anything that might bring on an episode. “It is a very important council meeting and I will only be gone as long as absolutely necessary.”
“Is this meeting about my treatment?” Knadyn wanted to know.
Ava thought for a moment then answered honestly, “No…well not as far as I know anyway.”
“If it is a council meeting, then I am sure you will want to attend.” Knadyn ignored her amazed look and went to pick up his book again, “I will be fine.”
Ava took a moment to regain her thoughts. Soon he would be released from whatever Jeromy had done to him and could get on with a normal life. “Thank you for understanding. I think I’ll head to bed. Good-night Knadyn.”
“Good-night Ava, sleep well.”
~*~*~*~
“The meeting will come to order.” Kniam hit a gavel on the table. “What we decide today will be voted on by the community and we need to get started.”
Ava had been seated in the middle of a U shaped table. The male council was on one side, the female council on the other. Kniam was in the middle. She wasn’t sure what this meeting was deciding, but she supposed they were about to tell her.
“Ava.” Knadyn’s father spoke directly to her, “We have talked with your father and he suggested that Renee would be our best chance at getting the release code for Knadyn, if there even is one. If we were to get a message to him do you think he would meet at the portal?” Kniam was looking at her keenly and it was slightly unnerving.
“I don’t know him well enough to answer that.” She replied honestly, “If Renee was orchestrating things so that you would reach out, he should happily show up at the portal if he knew you were willing to talk. He might even be there waiting for you.”
“Do you think you would be prepared to go to the Earth government and bring Renee to the portal if he is not already waiting?” he paused, “There is a small chance that the rebel faction will have lost that area to the government. We asked your father and he said that Renee would not trust him. He suggested that you might be able to do it.”
Ava thought for only a moment, “Yes. I would be happy to try. Will it be safe for me to there? That area is crawling with military, both government and rebels.” Her father must trust that they would keep her safe or he would never have suggested her but she needed to ask anyway.
“You will wait on Antilles until it is safe. We will take care of the military forces.” Knaleg spoke from his place at the table. “Knadyn was caught because of the type of mission he was conducting. His team was tasked with getting all of our equipment through the portal and off Earth. We did not want to leave anything behind. There were a few atmosphere cleaners that were slow to respond and even when attacked Knadyn had the sense to destroy the satellites and when he saw he was cut off from the portal he sent his team home.” Flexing his arm and shoulders, his voice gruff with emotion Knaleg stated emphatically, “We are not on a mission of equipment retrieval.”
The white haired male that she had learned was Brennae’s mate spoke when Knaleg paused, “We are going on a hunting mission.” All of the hair on her neck stood on end at the utter lack of emotion in Marcael’s words. If she hadn’t known that he was mated to Brennae and by all accounts…well by Brennae’s account…he was a warm, passionate and incredibly loving person. She would have pegged him as a stone cold killer. Go figure.
Ava knew who they were hunting. “I will get Renee to the port pad if I can.” She knew she would do whatever it took. She would do it for Knadyn.
“Thank you Ava.” Kniam was quick to assure her, “For everything you have done so far and might have to do later. You are saving my son and have my eternal gratitude.”
Ava thought for a moment about all they had said then stiffened her spine. It was now or never. “Yes, well how long is your ‘eternal gratitude’?” She had surprised them with her outburst but she wasn’t done yet. “I am willing to risk my life, but are you done helping the survivors on Earth?”
Amber seemed troubled when she said, “It’s complicated Ava. We have a long history with Earth, but there is a lot of damage we can’t fix.”
Ava snorted, “I have seen what you can do. It’s not that you can’t fix the damage. It’s that you won’t. Be honest enough to state the truth.”
“We have used our technology to return the atmosphere to its former levels…probably even cleaner than when Amber and the others first came here.” Kneus began to say more but she spoke first.
“That isn’t going to save everyone.” Ava was pleading for all of the life on Earth and the responsibility was immense. “Yes we can breathe the air again, but what about the soil? Most food sources are gone. The Earth government faction, in Scotland at least, is going to smother out any other survivors they find. To what end? They will eventually run out of food too.”
“I think that the oceans will still produce food. Our studies show an abundance of life has survived in the water. I think you are over exaggerating the problem.” Kneus spoke again. “As for the soil, it is not contaminated in many regions. The ability to harvest food may take time, but it is not impossible.”
“So we are to be sucked into the life that the government faction lays out for us, or be eliminated?” Ava couldn’t believe what she was hearing and said so. Her gaze on the women she implored, “You used to be from Earth and know what it would mean to leave us to our own fates.”
“Life before what you told us the survivors are calling the End was the same. Governments controlled their territory the same way as you are describing it is now. What would you have us do?” Mairi looked at her imploringly, “You feel that we are treating this unfairly. If you were in our position, what would you do?”
“I would help.” Ava insisted emphatica
lly.
“We were helping and that is what got my son attacked and almost killed.” Kniam broke in. “If we continue with giving aide to Earth we will be constantly in battle. The females know this to be true as well. Earth factions are continuously fighting with each other. They have been for thousands of years longer than you could possibly know. If we stay connected to Earth to help, we will be drawn into the endless bickering as well.” He paused to make eye contact with everyone at the table, “Make no mistake, if we agree as a community to assist on Earth we will be sending all of our males into the fighting if it comes to that.” He looked at the female council, “The male council members will be bound by honor to join in the fighting as well.”
His words caused the females to all start muttering and it was Catherine who spoke up, “With our technology we would be able to defend any group we chose to be allied with.”
“This is a Pandora’s Box if I ever heard of one.” Amber looked strained, “This whole situation is primed to just get messier and messier.” She looked at her fellow female council members. “When did it ever work on Earth for one group of people to have more than others? It is like Kniam said. Even if we somehow managed to stabilize all of Scotland, there is the rest of the UK. What happens from there?”
“We could start by doing the change on them so that they don’t have to fight over food.” When Jen stated this, the whole room went silent.
“Are you out of your mind?” Asteen looked pale under his tan. “Have them live for a thousand years?”
“Earth was overpopulated and the environment in jeopardy and that was when the average lifespan was seventy.” Everyone looked to Thian. “Imagine the damage if the lifespan were equal to Terraneu.”
“We could adapt the genetics involved so that they do not live for a thousand years.” Kneus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We would have to modify it for the single sun anyway. The only reason we adapted our genetics to last for a thousand years was our low numbers.” He looked around the room at the incredulous looks on the male council members faces and shrugged, “What? I am just saying it is possible and Jen is correct. It would take away one motivation to fight if their survival was not bound by the food supply.”
“I think you are forgetting something important in all of this.” Ava tried to get everyone’s attention, “The population is at a reasonable number. You will not be dealing with that many people. The number of survivors is a fraction of what you remember the population being. If you were to start in Scotland, the government and rebel forces combined that I know of would be a similar number as you have in Terraneu. How many more could there be in all of Great Britain?”
“We have a lot to think about.” Kniam stood up and inclined his head at her. “We told the rebels we would help in some way. It will be voted on in the community. To help the survivors of Earth, specifically the island of what you consider Great Britain and thereby also repaying the rebels for helping us. Alternatively, to completely pull out of any type of operations on Earth. If the vote is to leave Earth to its fate then the portal will not be activated again. If that is the decision we will find another way to repay the debt we owe to the rebels.” Kniam looked at her and she saw the depth of concern in his eyes. He grabbed his mates hand and Amber spoke next.
“No matter the decision made by the community regarding Earth. You and your father will be invited to reside here in Terraneu. In the community of your choice. What we call the original Terraneu is a group of the core domes and are still for singles and industrial purposes. McPhersonville is the northern community and New Haven is to the south and they are for mated couples.” Amber stood up next to Kniam and Ava was shocked at what they were offering. “If you choose to come to Terraneu, the medical unit will fix your body to our genetic modification. You will live for a very long time, you will not eat solid food, and if we have ongoing relations with Earth you cannot go back there for longer than a six month period, when allowed.”
Stunned speechless at the ramifications of the choice before her Ava just nodded her head. When she was able she whispered, “Thank you for the offer. I will have to think about it.”
“Yes.” Kniam nodded. “We understand. The meeting is adjourned. Baylech can you announce the two choices to the males and come back to me with the male decision.” He looked at Mairi, “Can you get the women together and advise me of their decision. We will convene again later when all votes are counted.” He smacked his gavel on the table and the meeting was over.
Chapter Sixteen
After walking around Terraneu and getting nowhere in her thoughts, Ava realized she needed to talk to her father. When Knadyn’s parents had offered to let them come to Terraneu, she had been thrilled. Then the reality had hit her like a bucket of cold water. Could she leave everyone else behind on Earth while she lived a fantasy life here? Would the guilt of what had become of the survivors eat away at her? She didn’t have anyone she was particularly close to, but she did have a few people she considered friends. She needed to know what her father was thinking. She found him with Kneus in the technology dome. Excusing himself for a few minutes, they started walking randomly on the paths.
“They told you about the offer to stay here on Terraneu at the council meeting?” her father knew her well enough to get right to the point.
“Yes.” She nodded, “What is your take on the offer?”
“Well I have additional things to consider.” He looked at her sideways. “There is another path they are offering me.”
“What would that be?” Ava wasn’t sure she liked where this was headed.
“Well, I talked with Kniam at length and he thinks that they will agree to assist on Earth, the vote is leaning that way—”
“That is great!” Ava didn’t dare to hope it was true.
“Let me finish.” Her father moved her to sit on a bench. “If what Kniam thinks comes to pass, Kneus will suggest that the people of Earth have the genetic change done. It will make the survivors dependent only on the sun and water for nutrition. These men aren’t naïve enough to think that the fighting will stop completely. They are smart enough to know it is a Band-Aid on the problem. The council is willing to provide technology, medical aide and weaponry to all survivors. The only thing they will ask in return is that everyone answer to one leadership. The two warring factions will have to unite in order to get this help from Terraneu. Then any other survivors that come along will have to answer to the new leadership as well.”
Ava frowned wondering if that was even possible. A life similar to what they had here on Terraneu would be a powerful motivator. She supposed that it could happen. Seeing her father looking thoughtful she asked, “What else. There is something you haven’t told me yet.”
“There is an additional caveat to their offer. The existing leadership of the government faction will not be allowed into any position of power on the new council of Earth. They have to agree to step aside. That is to be their punishment for what they have done to Knadyn.”
Ava cringed. “Have you told them how power hungry Jeromy is? He will never agree to step aside. He thinks that he holds all the cards with Knadyn and the booby traps he planted in his mind. Are the males from Terraneu going to get the release command before stating this demand?” Ava’s voice was going higher in octave’s as she yelled. By the time she was finished her father was patting her hand.
“Calm down, they know what they are doing. They are much older than even I could imagine and they are honorable to the extreme. Knadyn is the priority and they will do whatever it takes to get that release command. I know Renee and Jeromy as well as you and have warned the council about them. I think that Renee will agree to their terms and will try to work Jeromy around. He is old and tired of all the politics. Getting this new lease on life, literally turning the clock back and being young again…he will agree.” Her father tapped his chin, “Now Jeromy on the other hand. I am not able to say what that boy will do.”
Ava snapped, “He is
not a boy anymore. He is a brute and a bully. He won’t agree for any price to give up the power he thinks he has.”
Her father just sighed, “Well then I suppose it will come down to a vote. The men of Terraneu are going to give the people a choice.” Grabbing her hand and squeezing he said, “That brings me to the next part.” Ava looked into his hazel eyes and worried her lip between her teeth. By the tone of his voice, she knew she wasn’t going to like what he would he was going to say. “The Terraneu council would like me to be a liaison to Earth. The new Earth council would answer to me, and I would bring all concerns to Terraneu.”
Ava frowned, doing the calculations in her mind, “If you were required to stay on Earth, you couldn’t have the change done to utilize the two suns. They would alter you like the Earth survivors for the one sun. You wouldn’t be able to live here.”
Her father nodded and got even more serious, “Ava, we have been together a long time. Just us against the world. I know that it has been a hard life and I sometimes wonder at the fates that brought us to Scotland.” He went to rub his temples, a thing he did when thinking under stress. “I am going to agree to what they are asking. I think the adventure of helping Earth survivors pull together under the new rules will do me good. I don’t want to live for longer than the one hundred years they will be adding to the Earth human life span. Starting over as a young man and living another one hundred years is enough for me.”
Ava went to say that she would do the same, but before she could say anything, he held up his hand. “I want you to think before you say anything. I am not blind Ava. I know that you were never meant to be serious with any of the males you grew up with. You never had any interest in them and found the thought of commitment ridiculous. Can you honestly say that you feel that way now? About Knadyn?”
Knadyn: A Terraneu Novel (Book Six) Page 7