by Pirx Danford
I rummaged through my backpack and found a painkiller which I swallowed.
After a short time it had worked its miracle.
“Much better!” I sighed with relief and then asked Rolf “You know what a gun is?” With a factitious look he replied “What? Do you think we are living in the Stone Age? Hey don’t look so dourly, just making fun. Well very rarely we are able to activate one of the entertainment devices and are able to watch some of the old movies from earth and there are even some taped on the ship.” With a sincere look he unexpectedly asks me “The earth… the Benefactor is spreading that it is just a fabrication.”
His questioning look tells me what it is he wants to hear from me and I bent to him and touched his upper arm, while telling him “As truly as I am here with you right now earth exists. Even as it is several light-years behind now, I have been born and grown up there.”
My words obviously fill him with confidence, with verve he gets to his feet and reaches down to help me up. “So why did you want to know if I knew what a gun is?” he asks and I hesitate for a moment before taking one of my pistols from its holster.
After setting it on stun I hand it over to him. “Be careful with it. Look here is the trigger, its basically as in the movies, you hold it this way, locate the target here with the notch and then fire. Try it out”
On top of the small table we were sitting at last night I put 2 compact lumps of earth lacking any better targets and demonstrate the weapons use.
As he hits with his second shot already Marple whispers “I bet he is cheating.” And I look at him eyebrows raised to which he apologetically smiles. “Yes the glasses, I dubbed them Rogspa now by the way, gave aiming assistance to me.” I nod approvingly and commend his quick learning ability.
We decide its about time to move out and take the narrow corridor leading to the outside wall of the mound.
After arriving there Marple and Rogspa cannot find any indication of soldiers nearby.
We rapidly head towards the forests edge, entering the cover of the trees I sound a loud sigh of relief and when I notice Rolf’s inquiring look I state “Lately I have been caught off guard far too often, I feel much more at ease with good cover around me.” At that moment a glimpse of the overhead jungle brings back the memory how I lost my hauling rope back at the towers top. “Marple take a note please. Next time at a functioning fabber I have to produce another hauling rope.”
In the meantime Rolf found his bearings and signs me to follow him.
With his experience we progress very fast and after only two hours nearly crossed half of the section, as he suddenly stops among the trees “We’re here!” Baffled I look around, but there are only trees all around us. Suddenly the ends of two rope ladders smack the ground beside us, with a lot of effort I detect movement at the tree tops. Curiously I start climbing up, after a while I spot a camouflage net riddled with leafs.
From below it was invisible, but here high above the ground a small village was floating as if that was the most normal thing in the world.
Even a few tiny gardens were visible, probably for herbs I assumed.
The ground was slightly swaying, which reminded me of the few trips by boat I had back on earth.
The slight vertigo is uncomfortable, but I tried not to let it show as I followed Rolf to a somewhat larger hut.
The old Rab is coming up to meet us and is obviously relieved about our return.
He beckons us to follow him “Oh! There is so much to talk about, but sit down with me and let us have some tea together first.”
He is effectively keeping us from telling anything, over laboriously setting us up with cups of tea from herbs completely unknown to me, only when we each had a sip he lets us give account.
I leave it to Rolf to tell from our adventures “And finally Helen even entrusted me with a pistol. Luckily we didn’t encounter any soldier on the way.” With these words he hands me back my gun and I put it in its place, somehow it eases my nerves to have both weapons again and I feel a ting of guilt, because these folks hadn’t been any danger to me throughout.
“Yes the soldiers.” States Rab “That is a strange story. They didn’t search the segment, but loudly announced a message at several locations.” He sighs “And in the meantime reports reached us from other Open Eyes verifying that the same message is announced through all of the outer decks.” With a gaze to me he continues “It is being demanded, that whoever finds the Awakened has to turn her in. Should any evidence show that someone gave her shelter without turning her in the whole group in question will face obliteration as punishment.”
Rolf whistles and I heavily gulp as I ask “What will you do now?” with a tired look the old Rab replies “We always fought. Against the lies, the greed and madness. Conflict followed with us from earth on this ship, isn’t that so? If we have to perish, then we do so with the certainty to have the truth on our side.” My relief was palpable. “Child you did not truly expect us to betray you? Also you have to keep a promise to us.” He says with a smirk. I explain that I have to get to the maintenance station as fast as possible, but the old Rab insists on me repairing the the learning computers first. I have no refutation to his arguments that after a few days less soldiers will be on the way and that even if I should fail later on, at least a few people would become familiar with the ships technology.
An elderly woman from the village leads me toward a small hut just for my use, after the talk is over and Rolf bouncily runs towards a group of young folks that greet him with loud hooting.
I can see now how he attracted the cockiness that had him having such high jumps on the outer hull.
The small lodge is homely, but I barely have time to store my backpack as the old woman drags me along. “Surely you are hungry” she states and I only just notice how loudly my stomach grumbles. The slight feeling of vertigo did make place for gnawing hunger, with my appetite soon I would resemble a dumpling.
There was a sort of community kitchen, but to prevent the load becoming too much for the mountings, the groups having fetched their food quickly went away to other locations.
Rolf and some others apparently had been waiting for me and after I obtained a bowl with a goulash from meat and berries they don’t leave me any choice but to join them.
After a short while we arrive at the trunk of a gigantic tree, which even at this height stretched up ahead. Practiced they climb up with their food, someone relieves me from my bowl and I join the climbers.
We are still a good distance away from the tree top when we arrive at a platform with benches and I indulge in the best meal since a long time with the most incredible view.
Below me and above me the treetops ripple, even as the ceilings forest is at least half a kilometer away and much thinner vegetated it still appears like the mirror image of the forest at my feet.
The wonderful food, the carefree conversation and the fantastic view let me forget the constant strain haunting me for such a long time now.
The smiling faces make it clear that finally I found friends.
And as these strangers became new friends, I felt this strange new world slowly becoming home.
Forgathering
The remaining day went by calmly, around afternoon I received 5 of the learning tablets at my hut and was left alone to tinker with them.
From Marples database I received the information that these devices in fact were the standard learning devices, designated for the crew’s children.
Actually one of the tablets even had the original production series badge from 1600 years ago, but had been repaired with spares multiple times already.
At the end of the day I managed to combine the parts of the five devices to one functioning computer, but now I faced the problem of a missing supply of energy and even more importantly I had no access to any learning programs whatsoever.
After a short debate with Rolf he took the depleted battery and went away to a location he believed would have a working po
wer outlet.
His friends, who visibly envied Rolf for the glasses, went to bring me all of the learning machines the tribe salvaged over the years. So now I had another 26 broken broken machines, it was late in the night when I tiredly put away my tools, but now I had another 2 working tablets and 27 data storage chips, which I had to try out later.
The swaying of the ground should not keep me from sleeping for long and when I woke I made my way to the kitchen to find out what I could score for breakfast.
There was fresh goat milk, freshly cut fruit and hot flat-bread from an unfamiliar dough.
Invigorated I greeted Rolf, who triumphantly handed me the charged battery.
We went to my hut and I grinned broadly while handing him nearly a dozen more batteries, to which Rolf rolled his eyes.
Excited I inserted the battery into the first of the repaired devices and it actually was booting up.
The robustness of these devices kept surprising me, the batteries charge would be good for two days of use, with batteries in prime condition a use of several weeks would be possible.
All of this I explained to Rolf, who eagerly wanted to know what it was that could be learned from the machines.
I shrugged and pointed at the data storage chips “It depends on what is stored on these chips, if they do work at all.” After the first four completely faulty chips my excitement slowly changed to pessimism.
Then finally with the sixth chip my excitement returned, it was a complete training going from the first year of apprenticeship until master’s certification, sadly it was about gourmet cooking.
Of all chips it was the thirteenth emerging as jackpot, it included an extensive learning course for the first four years of basic school.
After that we find a chip with facts about humanities history, but sadly on technical courses at all.
By now its time for lunch and we meet Rolf’s friends again, after lunch he takes off with them to charge the other batteries.
I visit the old Rab and he is willing to tell me a little about the ships populace, but evades any question about the source of the collapse.
The next few days carry on like this and at the end I have 14 repaired learning computers, sadly only only half that many batteries work for a duration worth mentioning, but at least we were able to make copies of the basic school course to some revived memory chips.
Also I learned that there are 20 different peoples on the ship, which had developed from the former 5 personnel categories. Some of them only are a few and others are as numerous as the Open Eyes.
But the people with the most numbers and with the best weaponry were the Iron Warriors, the Benefactors people.
To my incessant questioning about the collapse finally the old Rab explains to me “You have to understand that our peoples part in the events was inglorious, which is why we don’t talk about them. We try to atone for the sins of our ancestors. I suggest you visit the maintenance center first and find out about the state our world - ah the ship of course - is in and after that I will completely disclose to you all about the events of the collapse I know.”
Apparently I have to settle with that and we decide that I should be on my way the next day already.
To my surprise it is not Rolf who will accompany me, but by now he is much too important for the tribe.
While I mentally prepare for my departure I absentmindedly caress TRB-19, who has a place of honor in my hut and to which I still feel a weird sort of connection.
Unexpectedly there is a knock on my door “Hello?” a female voice sounds “Come in” I call and an resolute matron enters, who I had seen at the community kitchen before. “I am Agatha. I have it from Rolf that you too are a dreamer.” This baffles me, so that at first I am at a loss for words “Well Helen, the old Rab suggested that we two should get to know each other and if you agree we could travel to the neighboring tribe together. It has been much too long since I visited my sister and maybe this will be educational for both of us.”
I nod “This sounds great, there has to be a reasonable explanation about these dreams. But tell me, the tribes don’t keep among themselves? How does all of that relationship stuff work for your people, do you have the concept of marriage?” To just chatter and now and then tattle about men was something I had been missing and the evening quickly goes by while we talk about everyday stuff.
Late in the night it is certain that we will travel together.
With a feeling of regretfulness I bed myself for my last night in the village.
So much time passing by between being awake. Yet at each awakening I learn how to use a bit fewer energy to mend the retainers and manage to stay awake a while longer. And while hanging in the air and thinking I wonder, what is the meaning of all this. Why do I hover here short of plunging down? Just before we were meant to swarm and repair something, but what was it? Need more en er g y y y…
Early the next morning Marple wakes me with a low signal tone, as we managed to extend the power outlet into the village during my repairs she is freshly charged.
A month passes by much more quickly as one would expect. After last nights dream the certainty that all of my equipment is fully charged was enormously calming.
Agatha and I were traveling light and it took a while to be on our way while the whole village was accompanying us to the ground for a heartfelt farewell.
I remember that there had been huge dividing walls, parting the sections, but I cannot see a wall in the distance. As I ask Agatha about that, she explains that the walls had been dismantled in the war times as the Open Eyes would not have stood a chance otherwise.
We only have to reach the next section, to prevent attracting attention I wore a similar garb of fur and fabrics as Agatha and had wrapped my backpack with a larger fur.
Marple was stashed away, even though I was missing the keenness of her sensors.
Owing to our slow speed we only made about half a kilometer per hour, but our goal was as close as 4 kilometers, so that was fine.
Agatha was explaining her dreams to me, after I told her of the few dreams I had since waking up on the ship.
It was strange, the dreams always seemed to be focused on a certain device of the ships gear, until it failed completely. Time and again I catch myself patting TRB-19, which I had tied fast wrapped in cloth at my hip.
Agatha had witnessed the demise of four devices throughout her life and was currently dreaming of one of the fabbers.
All on its own that fabber had developed the desire to create a copy of himself, but his reserves barely were enough for even a single screw. Agatha was looking glumly while relating from the machines powerlessness, it was plainly obvious how much it was agonizing her.
Towards the end of our small journey I had taken shine to her and promised that if possible I would find that fabber and fill up its production materials.
The second tribe I was graced to become acquainted with was not living within the treetops, but in small huts right beside a stream and close to an airlocks mound .
Everything looked exactly as I had pictured it from Agathas descriptions. We had agreed to keep my identity a secret for now and had come up with a fake identity as visitor from the B decks.
Agatha introduced me to the tribes elder, one Eirik Castanella and I felt by the glances I received when we arrived that I was not welcome at all, still Eirik was very courteous.
“A friend of Agatha is always welcome with us.” His voice resounded with a firm baritone and radiated with a pleasant warmth. “I won’t stay for long, my target is in section II” when I explained this his look darkened.
“There are bad news. Flying Hustlers have been spotted on their way there.” Agatha whispered “I’ll explain this later” into my ear and then turned to Eirik exclaimed “Then we’ll stay here for the night and decide at the morning how to continue. Is the tribe safe here? Won’t they attack you?” “Oh I doubt we are an attractive target, but we keep scouts close to them, your sister is with
these Agatha.” Couldn’t help but notice her worried look.
“But let us dine together, then we will show you were you can spend the night.”
To my pleasant surprise this tribe was keeping fowl, so there was chicken spiked with very intense herbs.
And while we were having dinner and conversation, slowly the looks of the men and woman lose their resentment, until finally at the end of the meal loud jokes were being made.
I repeat a few of the stories I heard at Agathas village and then report that keeping up the resistance throughout the B decks is continuously demanding a huge toll and slowly I am accepted as a resistance fighter.
This makes me wonder if this is really only a character I play and I have to think of Mark.
Later that night we were lead to a small hut, which usually was used as tool shed and which hurriedly had been readied for us.
Nonetheless it was clean and both cots were looking comfy.
When finally we are alone I received a history lesson from Agatha, which obviously she would have liked to evade. “Helen, as you might remember we, well the staff designated to the outer decks, were organized in small tribes right at the start. Until the incident this worked pretty well. I won’t forestall Rab, but you can imagine something pretty severe happened.” At this Agatha pauses and ponders her next words with great care. “Before the rise of the first Benefactor we all only had been known as the Shell Tribes. After that there were us, the Open Eyes that refused to obey the Benefactor. Still there were those that stood with the Benefactor and those ore the ones that are called the Flying Hustlers. At first there weren’t many, working as mercenaries and assassins, from their offspring though there came a number of tribes, yet as much as we would like to deny it they come from the same roots as we do.”