Deleted

by Phoenix Ward

  “I see I’ve made you uncomfortable,” Orram said, his smile falling a little. “I mean you no offense, Ms. Alvarez. I know you are not like the government that runs your city. You do not have to fear ostracization while you are here. We treat all our guests with respect.”

  Tera bowed like the old man had. “Thank you,” she said.

  “I have also heard a bit about you, Mr. Myler,” Orram said, addressing Ethan. “Your People’s Union friends were able to outline the crimes that were committed against you. Absolutely horrible, if you ask me. Know that we all feel blessed by your presence here.”

  Ethan blushed. He almost felt like he had a fan but didn’t know he was famous.

  “Come along, then,” Orram said, turning away from the autocar and the two guests. “I’ll show you to your rooms. You’ll probably want to get comfortable before you meet with the king.”

  Tera and Ethan started to follow the older man down a slight slope that led into the denser part of Opes. A few people emerged from their dwellings to get a look at the newcomers. Some retreated back inside when they saw the metal and plastic woman who walked with them. A bit of murmuring drifted to them on the wind.

  “When will we be meeting with the king?” Ethan asked. He wasn’t sure how long he wanted to stay in the dust-filled city.

  “Soon, soon,” Orram replied.

  “Why can’t we see him now?” Tera asked. She looked over at Ethan. He could see that she shared his sentiments.

  “He’s meeting with someone right now, actually,” Orram answered. “Other visitors, like yourselves. In fact, I’d say the king has been rather popular since his coronation. A number of people have come to his temple with all manner of requests.”

  “Who’re these other visitors?” Tera asked. There had been no mention of another party in their briefing with the Clevingers.

  Orram turned to look at her, a sour look on his face. He led them between a couple stacks of adobe apartments, through a narrow alley.

  “Some missionaries,” he replied. “I believe they came from Shell City as well.”

  “Missionaries?” Ethan asked.

  “They’ve come to spread their religion,” Orram said. There was a bit of distaste in his tone. “They worship digital ghosts, like you, Ms. Alvarez. ‘Installed intelligences’, I think you call them.”

  “They worship them?” Ethan said. He wasn’t sure he was following along right.

  Tera’s eyes went wide. For a moment, she was back in the abandoned church, watching the man stick the knife in his own throat. She could still see the blood pooling on the wood floor in her mind.

  “That’s what they say,” Orram replied. “They want everyone to join them. I think it’s ridiculous that the king is even entertaining them. Their mere mission here is an insult to the kingdom and, were I in charge, they’d be expelled immediately. They serve only to create rabble where there was none. I can’t lie and say that no one has found their preachings…intriguing. That’s what worries me.”

  Tera said nothing as they continued out of the narrow alley and into a wider, dirt-laden street. A number of people moved to and fro, most wearing long robes like Orram. Theirs were simpler, with more humble colors, but the style was the same. Women moved their children aside as the entourage continued past them.

  “Not much farther now,” Orram said. “Sorry to make you walk for so long. You’re probably used to using your machines for such distance.”

  “It’s no worry,” Tera replied, tapping on her metal legs. Orram laughed a little.

  “Tell us a little about Opes,” Ethan said once a silence started to settle over them. “We weren’t told much about your culture before we were sent here.”

  “Yes, your friends did seem to be in a bit of a hurry to meet,” Orram commented. “But I’m more than happy to educate people about our way of life. We’ve been here for a long time, but never became ‘Opes’ until after the Great War. I could go deep into our long-form history, but that would be a conversation for another time.”

  “You seem to have made quite a home here in the desert,” Tera observed. Any topic to get her mind off the Shedders was welcome.

  “We live off the clay that God gives us,” Orram said. “This oasis has proved quite fruitful in that regard. We are able to shelter our people and create a culture of art. There is even a bit of gold in the area that all the people of Opes share.”

  “I hope you don’t consider it an offensive question,” Tera started, “but why haven’t you clashed with the Council? They’re the kind of people who would take whatever they can, assuming they have the power.”

  Orram chuckled. “I think they know better,” he answered. “They realize that Opes has the perfect balance of men and women willing to die for their country and nothing of value worth killing for. What would they take from us? Our clay? Do you think your mechanical tyrants would have much use for adobe construction?”

  “You still have people,” Ethan said. “And the Council likes to take people.”

  “Then they would have to raise us from the dead, Mr. Myler,” Orram said. “Every man, woman, and child would sooner join God than let the Council make body slaves of them. Yes — we know what your I.I. leaders do with people. We would not allow them to succeed, even if it meant the end of Opes.”

  They took a right turn and approached a large clay building. It had many openings in it, all covered with cloth doors. A number of steps led up to a second floor. Orram led them to one of the openings on the ground level.

  “This will be your room to use while you’re visiting us,” he said. “Feel free to make yourselves comfortable.”

  “How long will we be waiting?” Tera asked.

  “I will come fetch you when the king is ready to speak,” Orram replied. “Other than that, I cannot say. King Hum takes his time if God deems it right to do so. And only King Hum can know what God asks of him.”

  “Thank you,” Ethan said, pushing aside the cloth door to their room. “Come on, Tera. We might as well get situated.”

  Orram gave them another low bow, the smile returning to his face.

  “Please, enjoy your stay in the holy kingdom,” he said, then turned and left.

  24

  The Naming

  Ethan and Tera could only sit in their empty apartment room for so long before they became too restless to contain. They came to a mutual agreement to go on a little walk around town. If Orram wanted to get in touch with them, they figured the king’s adviser would be able to find them.

  When they emerged from behind the cloth door, they noticed a line of Opes citizens making their way deeper into town, to the right of their room. People were trickling in around the line, headed in the same direction. It wasn’t the mindless wandering of a town in the middle of an average day; the people moved with purpose.

  “Where are they going?” Ethan asked. He only got a shrug in response from his mechanical companion.

  A young woman, about Ethan’s age, walked past them, and Tera reached out to get her attention. The Opesian jumped a little when she saw the artificial woman who had touched her, but settled when she noticed Ethan.

  “Oh, you’re the outsiders!” she said, a sparkle of realization in her eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Tera asked. “Where is everyone headed?”

  The girl looked back at her with confusion. “It’s the Naming ceremony,” she replied as if everyone should know what that is.

  “Naming ceremony?” Ethan repeated.

  “It’s where our children receive their adult names,” the Opesian replied. “It’s a very important step in maturity. A number of children are being named today.”

  Tera thanked the young woman and let her continue on her way.

  “Wanna check it out?” Ethan asked.

  “I don’t see why not,” Tera replied, watching more worshipers flood past them.

  They joined the Opesians in their long, crowded march towards the temple in the center of the city. T
he lines of people ran through the streets and through the town square that lay before the massive temple.

  As Tera and Ethan got nearer to the place of worship, they couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer size of the structure. It was the largest building in Opes by a long shot, even two or three times larger than the king’s palace. It was made of sandstone and clay, built in cascading tiers that reminded Ethan of the pyramids he’d seen in his education. At the entrance of the temple, two enormous stone statues of a man and a woman welcomed the masses as they trickled inside.

  “Ah, didn’t want to stay cooped up?” a voice came from behind them. They turned and saw Orram, also in line to get into the temple. “I can’t say I blame you.”

  “This place is massive,” Tera observed, looking up at the walls that towered above them.

  Orram nodded. “A true point of pride for our people. A great amount of care was put into its construction.”

  “I find it hard to believe that this was all done by hand,” Tera said.

  “I must confess that we used simple machinery for the building,” Orram replied. “We are not backward technophobes, you know. We just don’t like those computerized devices that you’re so familiar with, and with the way Shell City is run, I’m sure you can understand why.”

  They were finally able to enter the temple with all the other people, shoulder to shoulder as they shuffled forward. The interior was even more impressive than the outside. Along the sandstone columns that held the structure together were gold inlays that sparkled in the sunlight that bled in through the windows. It was impossible to tell from this distance, but both Ethan and Tera had a hunch it was real gold.

  The walls were covered in tapestries so large that they could cover a soccer field. The images and patterns were abstract and hard to discern, though some familiar shapes could be identified. There were birds, flowers, snowflakes, and stars. Ethan saw what he thought was a goat and Tera imagined one shape was a tree.

  At the top of the temple, to cap off the decor of the place, was a massive mural of the planet Earth. An ethereal glow came off the blue globe, reaching out to the dark, star-dotted heavens that surrounded it. Four hands reached out towards the planet, one coming from each corner of the ceiling. The fingers stretched towards the blue orb like they were receiving some divine gift.

  The three of them marched in file with the worshipers until there was nowhere left to advance. Eventually, they were all standing so close together that there was hardly room to lift their arms. They stood like this for a few minutes, until it seemed like every square foot of the temple was packed. Reaching just above everyone’s heads, just at the front of the chamber, was a stone platform. Once the commotion of the crowd started to settle, a woman in a white robe and hat like Orram wore strode onto the stage.

  “Good tidings, my congregation,” the lady on the stage said. “We welcome you into God’s house.”

  “Amen,” the crowd said in unison.

  “That’s Sister Tarrin,” Orram whispered to the two guests. “She studied under me for some years. She’s a decent priestess, but a bit grandiose, in my opinion.”

  “Let us bring out the children to be named,” Sister Tarrin said, waving her arm off to the left side of the stage.

  From behind a curtain, six children emerged. They all looked at their feet timidly as they stepped up to the middle of the stage where the priestess was. They couldn’t have been much older than seven or eight years old. All of them avoided looking directly at the audience as they were intructed to face them.

  “These children are presented before the holy spirit and everyone in this chamber to be named — to become adults,” the priestess said, her voice booming through the temple. “Every child here represents the phoenix of humanity. They are what keeps the spirit of the Earth moving and they bring our people closer to God. Each soul born in the world lights up a new star in the night sky, and those with the strongest faith burn the brightest.”

  The priestess stepped away from the center of the stage, retrieving a clay bowl from behind one of the curtains. She brought it up to the first child on the right and dipped her thumb into the dish. A bit of oil glistened off her thumb as she wiped it on the boy’s face, from his hairline to the tip of his nose. Then she dotted him on the chin.

  “Speak your name, child,” the priestess said.

  “Kartun,” the boy said. He raised his eyes and looked out over the crowd as he did.

  “And does Kartun swear to serve God and his spirit, the Earth?”

  “I do so swear.”

  The crowd erupted with cheering and applause. The boy beamed, a new look of pride washing over his once-shy expression.

  The priestess moved on to the next child. Dipping her thumb in the oil again, she anointed the little girl like she had the boy.

  “Speak your name,” she said.

  “Zenna,” the girl replied.

  “And does Zenna swear to serve God and his spirit, the Earth?”

  “I do so swear.”

  Applause ensued again.

  The process repeated with the other four children, each declaring their new names as they were anointed with oil.

  “Maylee!” one girl declared.

  “Ozrius,” a boy said.

  “Natir,” another girl named herself.

  “Orion.”

  With each new name, the crowd clapped and cheered them on, welcoming them into their society. Tera couldn’t help but feel a little warm at the scene. Each child smiled with such joy that it was contagious.

  “These are always my favorite masses,” Orram said after they applauded the final child. “So joyous.”

  “Orram, do mind telling us a little about your religion?” Tera asked as the priestess started going into a sermon.

  Orram’s eyes seemed to twinkle a little, and he smiled wide. “Not at all, Ms. Alvarez!” he said. “I always love teaching people about our worship. What do you want to know?”

  “This God that you pray to,” Tera started, not quite sure how to word her question, “is he the Christian God, from the New Testament?”

  “Yes, but that hardly encapsulates it,” Orram replied. “He is also Allah and Yahweh. He’s Buddha, he’s Jesus, he’s you, and he’s me.”

  Tera and Ethan looked at him with cocked eyebrows.

  “You see, God isn’t a singular being, but the spirit of life in everything,” Orram said. “He is not merely the creator, but the creation. We are all a part of God, like your cells are a part of you — ” he turned to Tera ” — or wires, I suppose, for you.”

  “Do you believe in an afterlife?”

  “In a way, I suppose we do,” Orram replied. It was clear that talking about his religion was a source of delight for him. “When we die, we become closer to God, so long as we have lived a decent and pious life. We become a more knowing part of his functions. It would be like if one of your cells could learn to speak and listen to you. It may be confusing, but then we are able to speak with the spirit of everything living — as a whole.”

  “The spirit of everything living,” Tera repeated. “I don’t suppose that includes installed intelligences?”

  Discomfort worked its way onto Orram’s wrinkled brow. “It’s true that we don’t believe that I.I.s — such as yourself — are able to ascend to God. Not because you are sinful, but because your spirit has already ascended. I hope it doesn’t bother you to hear it, Ms. Alvarez, but your spirit has joined the billions of souls that make up much of what God is.”

  “You don’t believe I’m a real person, then,” Tera said. There was a bit of venom in her tone.

  Orram sighed. “It’s much more complex than I can explain,” he said. “You are of course a person and I don’t value a human life over your own. It’s just how our religion is.”

  While they spoke, Ethan became distracted by a figure that stood off to the side of the stage. It looked like a man, but the hood it wore made it hard for Ethan to tell. On all sides of the st
ranger were other men and women in dark robes, but their heads were bowed down, as if to see the priestess giving her sermon would cause them great pain.

  Then, while Tera and Orram were discussing the afterlife, Ethan saw the figure turn his hooded head to say something to one of his companions. He was an onyx-colored bodyshell with a light green glow visible through his seams. The hood did well to cover his artificial features, but not when he faced an observer dead on. As the hooded I.I. said something to one of his entourage, his ocular receptors locked on to Ethan. For a moment, they stared at one another.

  Ethan looked away. Something about the hooded stranger sent shivers down his spine.

  “Who’s that?” he asked once there was a lull in Tera and Orram’s conversation.

  The old priest looked to where the teenager indicated and spotted the bodyshell. His face fell into a look of distaste.

  “That’s Reverend Nidus, as he calls himself,” Orram explained. “He’s the leader of that foreign cult I told you about. The king finished speaking with him earlier today, but needed time to prepare for your meeting. Why he humors them, I’ll never understand — but I suppose it’s not my place to.”

  Tera and Ethan both looked at the hooded bodyshell. His green eyes glowed back at them from across the temple.

  25

  Nidus

  “Good morning!” a voice called from outside the apartment.

  Ethan jolted upright in his bed. He looked around the room with a disoriented expression, forgetting for a moment where he was. In the corner, Tera took herself out of stasis mode, her mechanical head lifting towards the source of the voice.

  “Hello?” the voice came again. It was Orram. “Are you awake yet? The sun’s been up for hours!”

  Scrabbling around the room to get fully dressed, Ethan shouted back, “One minute!” Tera did her best to not watch as he made himself decent.

  Orram’s wrinkled, smiling face greeted them as they pushed the cloth door aside.