Seeva shrugged. "That was yesterday. I’m over it. And it’s not like I won’t get another opportunity to share my thoughts."
"You have such a positive spirit, Seeva. Never lose that," Creighton raised her glass, then swallowed the last of the champagne contained in it. "Just keep on working, and don't let the idiocy of my kind weigh on you.”
Seeva smiled and nodded in agreement, but she didn’t respond in hopes that her silence would inspire Creighton to change the subject.
“You know, now that I think about it,” Creighton said. “I have something you may be interested in. You too, Alifred.”
“I’m all ears,” Alifred said, before Seeva had a chance to respond.
“It’s somewhat sensitive,” Creighton explained. “Perhaps we should move somewhere more quiet..."
Alifred silently gestured for Creighton to lead the way and then he and Seeva followed her, back up the stairs to the balcony. The organic man who had previously harassed Seeva before was gone. The only other people up here were a young couple in the middle of a heated kissing session; the fact that they were being observed did not slow them down. Creighton cleared her throat, saw that they had no intention of stopping, and then moved further along to a more private spot.
"The man who organized this party," Creighton began, "he’s a personal friend of mine... For the past few years, he's been organizing a quarterly trip to various overseas destinations. He usually brings a fairly large party along with him. Up and coming actors, athletes, social media darlings. You know the types. He likes to keep his finger on the pulse, he knows who's been in the news and who is hot property, so to speak.”
At this point, Marina suddenly appeared on the balcony with a very handsome organic man in tow. As soon as she saw Creighton and the others, she waved him off and strode toward them.
"Alexa Creighton, is that you?" she said.
"Marina," Creighton said back, in a rather cold tone of voice.
Alifred leaned in toward Seeva, whispering quietly in her ear; "They have history... Past relationship. It didn't end well."
"I thought I saw you in that miserable crowd," Marina said. "And now you've found my friends. How convenient. What's this about?"
"An opportunity," said Creighton, turning back to the others. "These trips usually consist of around ten invited guests. This time around, I happen to be one of them. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. In fact, I really should be at home getting ready right now."
"Then why are you here?" Marina demanded.
"There’s been a hiccup. A few of the guests ran into legal trouble and can’t make the trip. My friend asked me to attend this party to curate some replacements. When I realized you were here, Seeva, I knew I had to talk to you. In my mind, no one else is more deserving of this sort of vacation. Especially after what happened yesterday."
Creighton turned her gaze now, first to Alifred and then to Marina.
"I suppose I might as well extend the offer to the two of you as well," Creighton said. "It would do Seeva well to have some familiar faces with her, I'm sure."
"Oh, I'd love to!" Marina said immediately, seeming to somehow forget her earlier suspicions now that she was getting a free vacation out of the deal.
"What would be expected from us?" Alifred asked.
Creighton smiled at him. "Nothing at all. This is purely leisure for my friend. He likes to travel, and he enjoys being in good company. Think of it as a free vacation, a chance to unwind as well as a chance to befriend some influential people. That's all it is."
Alifred looked at Seeva. He seemed pretty much sold on the idea. And Marina was just about gushing with excitement.
"What do you think, Seeva?" Alifred asked.
"I don't really know," she admitted. "I'd have to think about it."
Creighton smiled. "Don't think too long. I can get you on my flight tomorrow, but that will be the last chance. It leaves in about twelve hours."
"I'll just say yes for her," Marina said quickly. "We're going."
Seeva, overruled by her friends, had little choice but to seriously consider Creighton’s offer. Years ago, when she was first getting started in her work, she had adopted a simple and important philosophy; say yes to every unique opportunity and never turn down a good thing. And so, she ultimately decided to take her own advice and see what this trip had to offer.
CHAPTER 7
◆◆◆
Seeva strolled into the terminal early the next morning, groggy from all the stimulant and also nervously excited. She approached the ticket desk and tentatively offered her name, still doubtful whether this opportunity was real. But her name came up, and in a moment she was given her boarding information.
She stared at the boarding pass in shocked silence for a moment. On one hand, the place they were going to was beautiful. She had always wanted to see it. On the other hand...
Alifred was there suddenly, smiling tiredly and waving his hand. He already had his pass. He must have been sitting off to the side, waiting for her to show up.
"Did you see where we're going?" Seeva asked.
"The island nation of Ulea," Alifred said. "One of the newest countries in the world. Gorgeous place, I hear."
"Yes, gorgeous. But also backwards. They don't have civil rights for synths,
Alifred. As soon as we step onto that soil, we don't even qualify as living beings anymore."
Alifred shrugged. "Shouldn't be a big deal. It’s not like we’re going on our own, Seeva. Did you look at the make of plane we're taking? Must be owned by this Creedy guy. I bet we’re probably landing at a private airfield. We won't even go through customs. And then we'll be at some cushy resort. I wouldn't worry about it."
So Seeva didn't worry. She was sure Alifred was right.
◆◆◆
Soon they were joined by Marina. They all waited just a bit longer, in case Alexa Creighton showed up, but then the woman at the ticket counter called out to warn them that they might miss their flight if they didn't start moving.
"Don't worry, it won't leave without us," Alifred said confidently. "Private plane, remember?"
"But I do wonder where Creighton is," Marina said, glancing around.
"She's probably onboard already. We should get moving."
So they went through the airport, sliding through security. A helpful man in a blue airport uniform showed them the way to their gate, a tiny jetway in an out-of-the-way and thinly trafficked branch of the terminus. No one was manning the jetway, and it looked dark and abandoned. With a shrug, Alifred led the way down the narrow corridor.
At the end of its gently curving length they discovered a plane cabin open to them, as well as a motionless stewardess who muttered a vague greeting as they stepped inside. Turning right, they found a cramped but well-appointed passenger cabin. There were twelve seats here, and only two of them were currently occupied. Creighton wasn't here.
Seeva, feeling a pang of worry, turned to the stewardess. "Is this the right flight? Going nonstop to Ulea?"
The stewardess nodded twice, then gestured for them to take their seats.
"Well, let's sit down I guess," Alifred suggested.
Marina had already beat them. Already she was snugging a seatbelt into place around her waist, settling in for the reported flight time of six and a half hours.
Alifred sat. Seeva took the spot next to them. They put their own seatbelts on and waited. Five minutes later, the plane door shut, and the engine noise increased. The stewardess took her own seat up in the utility cabin. Alifred looked over at Seeva, smiling nervously as the plane began to roll across the tarmac.
"Well, maybe she took a different flight after all," he said.
One of the strangers they shared the cabin with, a big bald man with a wire in his ear, glanced up from his data slate.
"Ms. Creighton couldn't make it," he said. "There was a family emergency. It's just going to be you three on this flight."
"Just us?" Seeva asked. "A whole flight just
for three social media influencers?"
The big man nodded. "Mr. Creedy doesn't mind chartering a flight like this as long as someone will be on it. He is sad to hear that Creighton couldn't make it, but he understands."
"Is that who you work for?" asked Alifred. "Mr. Creedy?"
"In a manner of speaking,” the big man said in a curious tone. He winked at Seeva and Alifred, then went back to his reading.
The two synths found the wink a bit odd, but they decided to forget about it and focus on the vacation that lay before them.
Soon, the drink cart came through and Marina seized the opportunity to get blitzed on stimulant. She was in full party mode. Seeva just hoped she wouldn't try and give one of the big bald guys a lap dance.
CHAPTER 8
◆◆◆
Something about the hum of the plane, the occasional throat-clearing noises from the bald guy, and the presence of Alifred next to her made Seeva feel very calm. Before she knew it, she was drifting through the synth equivalent of a dream, through streams of raw data brought forth by her cyber brain’s background connection with the data sphere. Wherever she passed through it, she caught glimpses of the truth hidden inside the cryptographic strings. Communication threads, words between people or transmission handshakes between hardware. They passed through her at the speed of light, and it was impossible to tell whether she was drifting through the sphere or the sphere was drifting through her.
She woke suddenly to the voice of the stewardess, announcing the beginning of their descent. Craning her neck, Seeva was able to peer through the window next to Alifred. All she saw was cloud, rich and fluffy white. But soon it began to thin out as the plane dropped. Soon she was looking down onto the variegated greens and blues of the tropical ocean. Seagulls wheeling through the air far below, tiny atolls making white patterns of breaking waves in the ocean tides.
The nation of Ulea rolled into view over the horizon. As one of the newest countries, it was also one of the smallest and most sparsely populated. It consisted of three separate islands, a large central one and two small satellites. All in all, Ulea covered an area of about forty-four square miles. Its population was a scant nine thousand, mostly contained in the small city of Irapo on the main island's southwest coast.
Seeva knew all of this from her dream. She had sought out information on Ulea, and memorized it as she slept in her seat.
She figured they would be landing at Irapo. It made sense, and it seemed to be the case as the plane dropped lower and lower.
But then they kept on going, hitting a small updraft of heated tropical air which lifted them. Up they went again and back down they came, curving toward the eastern coast. They flew over unbroken jungle, thick and lush as anything Seeva could have imagined. It all looked small from up here, easy and quick to cross; down on the ground it would be anything but.
In a moment, Alifred spotted and pointed out a large cleared strip in the jungle up ahead. The plane swept low, nearly brushing the tops of the jungle trees. They set down, rolling across sunbaked concrete, the dark wall of the jungle looming around them. The plane slowed with a rush of air, and they crawled past a line of men armed with rifles.
Off to the right, Seeva saw a small cluster of buildings. They certainly looked like something out of a resort.
"What is this place?" Alifred asked, staring at the buildings.
"It’s a private ranch," the bald man said.
"One of Creedy's?" asked Alifred.
The man nodded.
"Aren't you coming?" Marina asked him.
"I stay with the plane," the bald man said.
"Too bad," Marina replied. "I bet there are some comfy beds in there..."
She was ignored. The stewardess came back, waving them out of their seats.
"There's a storm that might be swinging this way," she said. "We need to be taking off again as soon as possible, or we'll be stranded here. Let's get you all settled in..."
They all unbuckled their belts and stood up, following the stewardess out to the stairs. It was still cool in the cabin, but up near the door Seeva was suddenly hit by a wave of humid heat that almost made her stumble.
They climbed down the steps, already sweating. The jungle was still, the air thick with moisture. Everything was completely stagnant, the high-pressure system building toward a violent explosion later. The jungle was not silent, by any means. Seeva heard sounds, strange whoopings and calls she thought she would only ever hear in movies.
And then she heard voices. A man appeared from the rear of the plane, followed closely by a retinue of rifleman. Where they were sober and stiff, he was loose and languid and cheerful, the type of guy who always seems to be on vacation no matter where he goes. He wore canvas shorts, tattered old sandals, and a short sleeve button down shirt. The shirt was open in front, revealing a tanned physique almost beautiful and lean enough to pin the guy as a synth.
He strode over, waving and grinning, showing rows of white teeth. "Here they are, the newest arrivals! And the last. Everyone else is already here. Come on, come on, don't be shy..."
He started sweeping his arm in a grand beckoning gesture. The three synths walked forward. Seeva couldn't speak for the others, but she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She forgot to even introduce herself or say anything at all. She just let the tan guy and his riflemen lead her along, toward the buildings.
There was a small wooden fence and gate barring their way off the tarmac. A very quaint fixture. Teak wood, it looked like. Seeva touched a fencepost as she passed through the gate, feeling the slick, aged veneer of it under her palm. It made her feel grounded at last. Yes, she was still on Earth. But in a place where her kind were feared and hated in equal measure. Which made it not so different from a lot of places back home, really but they were way out in the jungle, on a private ranch. Surrounded by more forward-thinking people. Alifred was right; she'd be safe here.
Tarmac became rough cobblestone beneath her feet. She looked around at the buildings. At first they seemed to be crude bungalows. Thatched roofs, stucco walls. But the longer she looked, she realized that they were simulacra; sturdy things made of modern materials. From far away they looked like the sort of buildings that would have been built on these islands for centuries. But up close, they appeared to offer all the modern comforts. The best of both worlds.
Seeva and her friends were led along toward the largest of the three buildings, whose front doors were wide open. The riflemen dropped away, hurrying to various posts around the tiny compound.
The tanned guy beckoned them further, up into the dark interior of the cabana. Immediately Seeva's nose filled with tropical smells. Pineapple, coconut, suntan oil. She could see no source for any of these smells. Apparently, they were artificial, pumped in to set a certain mood.
There was also a smell of human sweat, which came from the tanned guy who was now taking his position at the front of the room, beside a huge projector screen. He grabbed a pointing stick, cleared his throat, and gestured for Seeva and her two friends to sit down.
There were nine chairs here, arranged before the screen. Six of them were taken. Seeva glanced quickly around at the strangers as she took her seat. It was hard to tell in the dark, but she thought they were all synths. A couple of them were vaguely familiar.
And they were all women. Alifred and the tanned guy were the only males in the room.
"Listen up, now," the tanned guy said. "This is going to be a very brief orientation. An instructional on how things work on this ranch. I just need a minute or two of your patience, and then it will be off to the races. First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Bowen Creedy. But y'all can call me Bowen."
There was a murmur among the seated people. Seeva ignored a whisper from Marina - "This is the guy?" - and stared straight at Bowen, taking him in. Did he look rich? Not in his current outfit. However, he did have that loose, confident air of a guy who knows he has enough money to fix any problem without having to get his hands dirty.<
br />
"First of all," Bowen went on, "I'd like to welcome you to the most beautiful private reserve in the world... in my humble opinion. The outside world will not bother you here. This is a closed system. The jungle acts as a pretty good natural barrier, but we've also installed electric fencing around the perimeter. But just how big is that perimeter? Behind these buildings, past a gate, you will enter a vast and open ranch the size of Central Park. There are plenty of pathways throughout. But never fear, most of the area is quite wild. I've kept it that way on purpose. All the dangerous wildlife has been rooted out, but the labyrinth tangles of the jungle remain. I suggest sticking to the paths whenever possible."
As he spoke, he pointed to various spots on the projection screen. It was an overhead map of the ranch, with all paths and structures visible. Seeva committed it to memory, but knew her memorized version would probably be useless once she was in the thick of the jungle.
"Any questions?" Bowen asked, dropping his pointer stick to the floor.
The guests all looked at each other. No one said anything.
"Good deal," Bowen added with a smile, raising both hands and clapping them together. "Then let's get started! Why don't y’all head on in? Have fun, make yourselves at home..."
He started making shooing gestures, laughing and smiling and cracking jokes. Seeva felt herself swept along, following the line of synths out of the cabana and around a corner. Signs pointed the way, and in a moment they were standing at a tall, steel fence with razor wire festooning the top. Rather less quaint than the little teak gate they stepped through before.
A guard let them through the gate. Yellow signs warned them of the danger of touching the fence itself. But it was actually quite difficult to touch the thing, even if you wanted to. Thick tangles of undergrowth barred the way. The plants closest to the fence were fake, made of plastic or rubber.
There was one path here, curving left. A single signpost, eight feet high, showing eight different panels as well as the distance to each destination in meters. Seeva read each panel, narrowing her eyes, trying to fight the growing disquiet in the back of her mind.
Darkside Dreams - The Complete First Series Page 34