“Can I help you?” a guard asked. She was idly looking down at a tablet.
“Yes, I’m here to see Abdul Patel,” I said, clearing my throat first.
“He’s on the thirtieth floor. Who may I say is coming up?” The woman looked up, and her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, sir. Right this way.” She lightly clasped my arm. “Hank, cover for me. I’m bringing Mr. Parker to see Mr. Patel.”
“Thank you” – I craned my neck to see her name sewn into a patch on her New Spero military badge – “Shelley. How long have you been doing this job?”
She bristled with pride as she tapped the elevator button. “I’ve been in this posting since I came here with the initial wave. Well, I didn’t work here, per se, but with the base up until the tower was built. I knew Patrice Dalhousie.”
“I did too,” I said softly.
“Now I feel stupid. You knew her better than most of us,” Shelley said.
I set a hand on her shoulder. “I was only around her briefly. She was with you all for more years on Earth than with the first big wave to New Spero. Many of you spent a lot of time with her. I wish I could have.”
She smiled sadly at me. “You and Mary Lafontaine are amazing.”
“Mary Parker,” I said, and Shelley laughed nervously.
“I keep forgetting. I apologize.”
“Nothing to apologize for.” The elevator lights showed we were at floor fifteen. Halfway to the top. “Shelley, are you married?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Kids?” I asked. She looked about thirty.
“Two girls, sir.”
“Just Dean. You don’t have to call me sir. Do you like living on New Spero?” I was out of touch with the regular residents of our world. I needed to get that normalcy back.
“I love it. We’re part of something new, something important here. It’s our second chance. Thanks to you and the other Heroes of Earth, we have new life breathed into us,” Shelley said. We were facing each other in the elevator, and it was strange to hear her say that name given to the few of us from the Event.
“Do you think we have what it takes to thrive here? Honestly?” I asked, unsure how she would reply.
She waited a moment, and a few floors zoomed by. “I do. I think we’re resilient and resourceful. We’ve made it through a lot and will continue to do so.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” The elevator beeped, and the doors slid open. Shelley led me down a hallway, and to a reception desk.
“Mr. Parker is here to see Mr. Patel.” She turned to me. “It’s been an honor accompanying you. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me.”
“Anytime,” I said, and she walked away. “Shelley,” I called down the hall.
“Yes, sir?” she asked.
“Would you and your husband like to have dinner with Mary and me this week?” If I wanted to know what was happening in New Spero, what better way than to discuss it with two regular citizens?
“We’d be honored,” Shelley stammered.
“Bring the kids,” I added as the secretary motioned for me to enter the mayor’s office. I left Shelley bewildered in the hallway. I would never get used to the notoriety my fame brought with my own people.
Mayor Abdul Patel’s office was surprisingly simple. Everything about Dalhousie Tower was basic. Resources were limited, so it was made from cheap alloy metals, as well as hard resin materials. The designers still ensured it was all comfortable and safe, and I didn’t mind the simplicity of it all.
Wide windows overlooked the water for several kilometers, and the military base could be seen in the distance. Mayor Patel stood from behind a simple desk and crossed the room to meet me as I entered.
“Mr. Parker, so pleased to make your acquaintance. We met once before in Washington, years ago, but you wouldn’t remember that,” he said, his accent thick.
I smiled, indicating I might have remembered him, but the reality was, I didn’t. I’d met a lot of faces and heard a long string of names in the weeks after the Event. Not many of them stuck in my memory of a time that wasn’t much more than a blur for me and the others.
“Thank you for the invite. You have no idea how nice it is to be home,” I said.
“Where were you?” he asked, and I let out a laugh, which I covered with a cough. Of course he didn’t know what craziness was going on with me and Mary. He had a city to run and a world to help steer.
“Off-planet for a while. Anyway, what can I do for you?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Come, Mr. Parker. Take a look with me.” He walked back to the window, and I joined him.
“Quite the view,” I said, taking in the widespread city below and beyond. I hadn’t realized how far Terran One spread out now, and it was impressive. To the west, endless skyscrapers stood; to the east, row upon row of dwellings. I couldn’t imagine the sheer amount of energy needed, or the amount of waste this many people in one area would create.
“Do you know how many people live in the boundaries of Terran One?” he asked.
Clearly I had no idea, and I shook my head.
“Over one hundred and fifty million people.” He was looking outside and didn’t see my jaw drop. I knew the population was huge, but hearing that number was absurd.
“I didn’t know,” I said.
“The Shimmali people have gifted us renewable energy sources, allowing us to never worry about power again. Sewage is transported to the next barren world over. Things we could never dream of before are now possible. Health care is so easy now that most of it’s done by a robot. Cancer, gone. Birth defects, gone. Old age will become a thing of the past.” Abdul kept looking outside as he spoke. “Our population was decimated by the Event, and then we lost a lot more after the Bhlat took our world. But we’re still going to grow exponentially. Without war or illness, we’ll populate and populate. As people become happier, they’ll fall in love and have children, and the cycle will continue.”
“That’s a good thing,” I said.
“Yes. It can be a good thing. We have the space here. The planet can accommodate a lot of people. Pollution is a thing of the past. With our new manufacturing technologies in place, we’ll never kill this world. But we will need leaders, Mr. Parker. I can only do so much, as can the rest of the mayors and their councilors. We need people to help improve conditions at a fast pace.”
I had a feeling I knew where this was going. It seemed a lot of people were in need of Dean Parker these days. “Look, my wife and I have been through a lot. We need some time for things to get back to normal.”
He turned to me and smiled thinly. “Everyone here has been through a lot. We don’t have time to wait for things to happen. We need structure for our people. We need leadership.” He sat down and motioned for me to take a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk. I obliged.
“From what I hear, you guys are doing a good job. Leonard can’t talk to me without singing your praises,” I told him.
“Yes. Leonard is a friend of yours. What a lucky boy he is. Good head on his shoulders too. Terran Thirteen is going to break ground soon, and we need a mayor there. I’d like you to take that spot, Dean. It’s in the southern region. Fertile soil, a lot of fresh water, and potential for so much. It would be a great place to raise a family.”
“I have a great place to raise a family,” I said.
He steepled his fingers. “Consider it. Talk to your wife. Talk to Magnus about it. He would love you to take on a leadership role. He told me himself.”
I doubted this mayor knew Magnus as well as he was claiming. “I will. Thank you for thinking of me.” I got up to leave, and he stood at the same time.
“Dean. The people of New Spero can use a leader. Eventually, when everything is ironed out, we’ll need a single person in charge. Terran Thirteen would be a stepping stone for that. For you to become New Spero’s president, or emperor, or king, if you wanted to be. No one would question Dean Parker, the man who single-handedly saved
our race.”
I wanted to laugh in his face, to tell him how crazy he was being. King Dean Parker. Then I wanted to yell at him for ever saying I single-handedly did anything of the sort. But it wouldn’t help, so I shook his hand and left the office, all with a bitter taste on the tip of my tongue.
NINETEEN
Jules’ cries woke me, and I got up first so Mary could stay sleeping. I left the warmth and comfort of the bedding, my bare feet cold against the wooden floors. Jules’ room was beside ours, and I entered, seeing my little girl flailing about, pumping her tiny arms into the air.
“What is it, honey?” I asked her. She kept crying, and I picked her up, smelling one possible reason for being upset.
I quickly changed her before carrying her into the kitchen, where I prepared a bottle filled with her mom’s milk. I saw a reflection and spun, worried someone had invaded my house. My first thoughts went to the gun I kept in the cutlery drawer, but they vanished when I saw it was Karo. The tall Theos was sitting on the couch, his hands wrapped around a mug.
“Good morning, Dean,” he said quietly.
“Hi, Karo.” I sat opposite him, Jules laid across my arm, taking to the bottle with closed eyes.
Karo smiled as he watched Jules curiously. “What a miracle. A spark of Dean Parker in a tiny package.”
“What are you doing up?” I asked.
“I don’t sleep much.”
“Anything you want to talk about?” I prodded.
He looked up at me, and I saw sadness in those bright green eyes of his. “I’m alone.”
“We’re here with you, Karo.” My words sounded empty.
“Not like that. I’m the last of the Theos. There are no more of my kind.”
“Hasn’t it been that way for a long time?” I asked, not trying to diminish his feelings.
“Yes, but then I had a purpose. I was the last, the one to wait for a need. You stopped the Iskios, and now I have no function.” Karo stared into his empty cup.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better,” I said, meaning every word. I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be the last of your kind.
“Thanks, Dean. And thanks for taking me in. If anything, it’s been interesting to learn about humans. They’re not so different than we were at this infancy stage.”
“I’m glad to learn we’re only in our infancy, and that we have nowhere to go but up as a people. We’re heading to Terran Thirteen today to check out the progress. Would you come with us?” I asked.
Karo leaned forward, his posture a little better. “That sounds like just what I need.”
“Do you miss staying with Natalia?”
“They were a delight. I hope their travels bring them what they want,” he said.
“So do I.” Magnus had left last week with Natalia and their two children. He’d also taken Charlie and the older Carey with him. I’d wanted to ask if I could keep Carey here, but they were too attached to him. He slept beside little Dean each night, and I couldn’t take that away from them. Carey was getting his second chance at racing around in a spaceship. Three years was a long time, and I knew the chances the wonderful dog would be alive when they got back were slim to none.
Maggie woke up, and I could hear her shake her body on the bed before jumping down and joining us in the living room. “Do you want to come for a walk with me and my girls, Karo?” The red morning light cast through the windows; just enough light to go for a walk out here in the country.
Karo got up in answer and stretched. He was tall and had had custom clothing delivered to our house last week. It was in our styles, but he looked out of place, with his dark gray skin and long white hair, in jeans and a hoodie.
Soon we were outside, the air fresh. Smells from neighboring crops accented the breeze, and Maggie ran ahead as I pushed a sleeping Jules in her stroller.
“How are you finding being on New Spero? From what I hear, you haven’t spent much time at home,” Karo said.
I thought about the question long and hard. “It’s been an adjustment. I feel like a stranger among my own people. I walk down the streets of Terran One and I don’t recognize anything anymore.” I needed to get up to Terran Five for a visit with Isabelle and James soon as well. We’d talked over teleconference, but not in person since I’d been back. Isabelle was so excited to be an aunt.
“I understand that better than anyone,” Karo said, idly kicking a rock as we walked.
“Take your time and figure out what you want to do,” I said. “If you want to hide out here forever, you’re welcome to, or you can spend time with Sarlun on Shimmal. Maybe even Bazarn Five, or back to Haven. Whatever you want.”
“I’ll have to see what’s left for me.”
After a few more minutes, we turned around, heading back home. Today, Terran Thirteen awaited us.
____________
The lander trip took three hours. Terran Thirteen was much as Mayor Patel had said. I beheld vast sprawling lakes as we lowered, and farming already started; squares of different crops colored the landscape below us. Otherwise, there were only a few buildings up so far. We landed near the construction, and as the doors opened, I felt the warm afternoon air envelop me.
I took the stroller out, and Mary propped Jules into it. We were bringing her everywhere with us, and I was getting used to pushing a stroller. This was my new reality. At times, I felt a longing for something more, but when I looked down at my four-month-old baby girl, I snapped back to the present. She needed me with her. Mary smiled as we started toward the waiting hosts. Denise walked behind her, in uniform. Slate had urged we bring her as backup. I thought he was being a little too overprotective, but we liked having her around regardless.
“This might not be so bad,” Mary whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek. Since I’d told her about Patel’s offer, she’d been excited. I knew she’d get bored after a year on the acreage as well, though she claimed it was the life we deserved. Mary always had a driving force that needed to be filled. I did agree that she needed some time after her ordeal to get back into normalcy.
Karo got out of the lander, wearing a baseball cap with his long hair tucked underneath. He still stuck out like a sore thumb, but no one here knew he was a Theos, not that the word would mean anything to most of them. He went and stood beside Denise, who glanced up at him and smiled.
“Welcome,” a short woman in a pantsuit said as we neared the small group. She shook our hands. “I’m Sharon, and I work with Mr. Patel. This is Francis, and Bart.” She gestured to the two men beside her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Francis said with a French accent and shook our hands. His gaze lingered on Karo in awe.
“We’re happy to be here,” Mary said. “Where do we start?”
Bart took the lead. He was an older man, nearing sixty, with a shaved-bald head and a white goatee. “This is ground zero. We’re building the first residence for the construction crew, though as you know, we primarily have robots doing the grunt work now.” He pointed at the structure behind us, and when I focused on the building, I saw them. Dozens of small drones hovered around the edges of the building, some soldering frames, others lifting and dropping supplies into windows.
“Then we’re creating the basics for a city. We start with a health care facility, schools, and food-processing plants. Once we have shelter, health care, education, and nutrition taken care of, we expand to the rest of things, like recreation, entertainment, and of course businesses for everything in between. We’ve done this with seven Terrans since the initial five were created, with a much sparser population,” Susan said, ticking the areas off with finger counting.
“How long does all of this take?” I asked.
“In four months, we’ll be able to accommodate ten million people.”
I nearly choked at the response.
She continued, “In another six, we’ll house fifty million.”
“That’s ambiti
ous,” Mary said.
“We don’t have time to mess around. We’re overpopulated. Things aren’t getting better in the outskirts of our existing colony cities. We need to spread out on Proxima B,” Bart said.
“You mean New Spero?” I asked.
“Yes, New Spero. I almost forgot, we also set up fire and police in the first stage. Most of the fire protection is built into the structures now, with fire suppression drones. Those came via Shimmal, and have stopped half of Terran Seven from burning to the ground,” Bart said.
“How is crime?” I asked.
Bart looked over to Denise, as if to pass the baton to her for this question. “It’s getting worse. We’re mixing many nationalities together, and tensions get high. We preach that we’re one race, against a thousand others who’d take what we have from out there.” She pointed to the sky; my gaze followed her finger. “Drugs are bad in areas too.”
“Drugs? How?” I asked. We’d left in such a hurry, that amazed me.
“People will look for any way to survive. Some of it comes from things as simple as someone bringing marijuana seeds with them. Others are chemical. Sometimes we’ve seen a complex chemical drug traced back to a faraway world where it’s prevalent.” Denise wasn’t shying away from the questions.
“And how does it get here?” Mary asked.
“We don’t know. We have limited trade with partners across the universe now,” Susan answered, then looked to me, as if giving me credit for that, or blame. “Someone’s sneaking it in. We’re trying to be diligent at the ‘borders’,” she said with air quotes, “but once the recipe is found out, the dealers are cooking it themselves.”
“Other crime? Murder?” I asked.
Francis answered this. “We’ve had a total of five hundred murders in the last twelve months. Considering our population, we consider this a huge win, but it’s still too many.”
Old Enemy (The Survivors Book Six) Page 13