THE PEACE KEEPERS

by Tom Tryst

Daniel puts an arm around his shoulders and hugs him awkwardly as they walk, then releases him. “There’s room for five more farms on this section. One right behind ours. It might be possible.”

  “You’re the Warden here. Can’t you make that happen?”

  Daniel is thinking just that thing. “Tell you what,” he answers, “when you know that’s what you want to do, you let me know, and I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

  They had reached the rows of trees they are looking for, and Sherry and Samantha catch up. There are piles of baskets along the rows, as the robots are due to arrive to harvest the first crop, the first full crop for the young trees. Daniel plucks one of the red-yellow fruits and hands it to Danny. He hands another to Samantha.

  “This is what we would call a peach, on Earth,” he advises, “It’s pretty much like it. Sweet and juicy.” He takes a bite and motions for the kids to do the same. Juice runs down their chins.

  “It’s really sweet!” exclaims Danny, chewing.

  “And juicy,” adds Samantha, frowning as she wipes her chin on her sleeve.

  “And it will make a marvelous jam,” Sherry advises.

  They are at the far end of the cultivated field. Three rows of fruit trees separate the farm from open grass and the barrier of huge trees beyond. Daniel points through the orchard. “That’s one of the plots yet to be farmed.” He is speaking to Danny, but not looking at him.

  Danny walks through the two outer rows of fruit trees to get a better look. The field is almost as flat as their own, and closer to the stream if they ever need to irrigate plants needing more water. He soon returns, slightly smiling, but saying nothing. It is later, when they are returning to the farmhouse, the basket of fruit carried between him and his father, that he asserts, “That piece of land . . . I want it! Make it happen, Dad!”

  The settlers of Paradise are completely cut off from Earth, having absolutely no word of what is happening. All have left family and friends behind to an unknown fate. Any inquiries are met with phrases such as ‘as well as can be expected.’ That might be the truth in the eyes of the Universal Council, for they had written off Earthlings as incapable of ruling themselves, destined for self-destruction.

  The Universal Council recognized the futility of trying to work with uncooperative Earthlings, who were trying to revert to monetary trade, and withdrew all the Peace Keepers, the robots and most of their monitoring equipment, leaving Earth to its own fate. With their final exit, chaos quickly followed. The downfall and ruination came rapidly; within a year most civilizations ceased to exist, with the weak overrun by the stronger. No part of the globe was left untouched, unruined.

  The Middle East and Northern Africa were the first areas to plunge into anarchy, the governments overthrown by incapable leaders taking the helm. The jungles of central Africa were once again becoming the homes of almost primitive tribes, fighting among themselves and living off the land, much like their ancestors. The militaries of the various nations tried to fill the gap left by the aliens and keep peace, but rebel factions overwhelmed them. Their last efforts were to destroy nuclear weapons, to keep them out of the hands of forces taking over. Over the last few years, fighting among the many rebel forces had exhausted all of the heavy armament, with no one manufacturing new arms. Very soon, all cartridges for hand weapons will be exhausted as well as the ability to reload ammunition, with both bullets and gunpowder becoming increasingly scarce.

  Equitable trade was non-existent. Surviving was again a matter of the stronger prevailing. Hundreds of millions of people were starving to death each year, with the numbers increasing as the earth was being stripped bare of edible vegetation. The population of Earth continued to plummet.

  Most local fighting between competing camps was with bow-and-arrow, swords, spears, hatchets and knives. The unrest was spreading into the European countries, the Asian countries and the Russian countries. In the United States, the various states were beginning to strive for their independence, no longer seeing any benefit with being tied to the Federal government. But local governments could rule no better. As cities ran out of food, desperate people spread out through the farmlands, desperately searching for food. Farms lands were being stripped bare, never to be replanted. The population was quickly dwindling, all living hard scrabble lives, with only the strongest surviving.

  The Compound had been closed and sealed off within days after Daniel and his group were transported to Paradise, with the people sent to new assignments that didn’t last. The energy grids began shutting down as fuels were exhausted. Only pockets of areas still had power, those maintaining functioning on renewable sources. Nationwide communication was nonexistent except for systems maintained by the remnant of the federal government and the military. There were pockets of local radio stations struggling to keep the public advised, mostly ham radio operators.

  Earth was destined to revert to the middle ages, with clans struggling for land and its produce, fighting for the nourishment to keep them alive. Only when mankind was almost extinct would the remaining fragment try to recover as hunter/gatherers - or, at best, an agricultural society. There would be no governments; just clans governed by the strongest and meanest. Hunger, warfare and disease would devastate Earth in the years to come. The Earth’s environment would recover, with the atmosphere cleaning itself as the population dwindled to small, isolated clans

  The Universal Council patiently monitored the fate of Earth.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Daniel, still the Warden of Ward 3, and his people have been on Paradise for eight years, the event celebrated only with a party in the center, for it is only an informal, local holiday. Other Earthlings have been on the planet longer, with the date of the first settlers unknown.

  Danny, now 7/21 - as the settlers now count the ages of their offspring - has just gotten his own farm, specializing in growing rare vegetation needed by the Universal Council. He married one of the villages’ daughters. With his dad’s influence, he obtained the adjoining piece of land that he quickly coveted into a very productive farm. Samantha, now 6/18, is being wooed by two local boys, but is in no hurry to settle down. As he did with his son, Daniel has arranged for her and her husband, whoever that might be, to take over the Durwood farm, soon to be vacated. Charles and Carol Durwood, having had four children who are now on their own, are opting to retire on the shores of Lake Placed, just outside of Tranquility. Their remaining two children are remaining in New Haven.

  Daniel and Sherry’s third and fourth children, again a girl and a boy, are quickly growing. The couple has met their ‘quota,’ and will have no more, opting to permanent sterilization. And both have chosen to keep working the farm so they will be close to Danny and Samantha.

  Their daughter, Debby, also has four children. Their first, a girl they named Janice, married a boy from another ward and moved away. Their visits are infrequent, with the parents usually traveling to her ward for visits.

  While the children are growing quickly, due both to their genetics and the environment, the opposite is happening to their human parents. They don’t seem to be aging at all, not looking any older than when they arrived. They attribute this to the healthy diet, living an active lifestyle, and the climate. Their new sun is much gentler on the body, as is the lighter gravity.

  While the aliens would neither confirm nor deny, Daniel has come to the conclusion that the aliens had done something to them while they were in transit. None of the women selected were pregnant, something the aliens verified, claiming that pregnant women could not transport without harming a human fetus. He now doubts that the claim is true. They were allowed to have unprotected sexual intercourse with their spouses, yet when all thirty of the thirty women in his ward repeatedly became pregnant, they always had native babies. It is obvious that all the men were made infertile, perhaps permanently, for even after the women had met their quota, there were no additional pregnancies by the husbands. Either that, or each woman had been made infertile after
the last alien birth. Perhaps both, for the aliens made it clear that there would be no breeding between the humans and the native Paradisians. It was a serious offense for a human to have sexual relations with one of the Paradisians, carrying severe punishment. A Peace Keeper would immediately know when a person was even thinking of violating the code - and be dealt with severely. As soon as a desire was put into action, when a violation was about to take place, there would be immediate intervention. None would be tempted to have sex with the natives, even though the children grew to be beautiful adults.

  As for the native Paradisians, humans were not sexually attractive.

  Now that his ward had complied with the requirement to produce the new race, by his count a total of 202 children, half male and half female, he wondered what their future would be. In his ward, there were now 82 farmsteads, with all arable land being developed. As soon as an alien child was mature, they were coupled by a ceremony conducted by 37, apparently the Paradise version of marriage. Many chose to take on a farm in the ward, having become emotionally attached to their human parents, but as soon as all the land was taken, the others moved to other wards in the valley, or to other parts of the planet. Their second child, Samantha, married a native from a nearby ward and was living on a farm within a half-hour cart ride. He did not know where their last two children were taken, and could only hope they would keep in contact with them.

  With the native population doubling every two-to-three years, Daniel realized the planet would quickly be filled, with each native couple allotted a 40-acre farm. Would they stop reproducing, with a new baby allowed only when an adult dies? When the planet was filled, would they take farms away from the humans? Without human children, when the last human died, the entire population would be native Paradisians.

  Despite having given birth to four children, Daniel is delighted that Sherry retained her shape, to him being more beautiful than ever, now with slightly larger breasts without a hint of sagging. He, himself, has lost the slight middle-age paunch, looking younger, much to Sherry’s pleasure. Their love life has become much more active, no longer concerned about the possibility of pregnancy. They are content with that fact. At some point, they will elect to leave the farm and Ward 3, hopefully taking many of their friends with them to the retirement community just outside Tranquility, on the shore of Lake Placid.

  They are having their monthly ‘town hall’ meeting the Center, now more a social gathering than a political session, for nothing much is changing. This evening Peace Keeper 37 has an announcement. After dismissing the native citizens, the humanoid faces only the 60 human couples, now with all their children grown and on there own.

  “Thank you for staying. The Universal Council has a message for you.” They are used to the Council speaking through 37 and listen intently as the voice continues. “Greetings from the Universal Council, good people of Ward 3. First, let us again commend you for raising such fine children. All are well and prospering. And our thanks for the production of your farms. Paradise is becoming an important source of many foods and medicines for this galaxy.

  “Secondly, as a reward for your hard work, over the next five days, we will relieve each of you of your duties. It is time for retirement. We know some of you are ready for the end of this working life, while others would rather remain on your farms for the time being. As you know, you people are the founders of the planet Paradise, along with thousands of other humans. Your purpose has been fulfilled. But now your children - the new Paradisians - need farmsteads of their own.

  “We have developed a better future for you than a boring life at your distribution center. You will have the next five days to gather your personal belongings. You will find shipping pods at each of your farms. Pack everything you want to take with you. The pods will be transported separately. You will be pleased to know that you will be kept together with all your friends and neighbors. Take these days to visit your children. They will be advised of your destination.

  “At midday Friday, three shuttles will take you to Tranquility. From there you will be transported. You will be joining many other humans. Again, thank you for your service.”

  A long silence ensues, with 37 still standing motionless, indicating that the message is over.

  Daniel jumps to his feet. “That’s it?” he angrily demands. “We have no say-so in the matter?”

  “All has been prepared for you,” 37 says in his even tone. “You will not be disappointed with what the Universal Council has prepared for you.”

  “We were told it would be our choice,” Daniel accuses. “Now you’re saying it’s mandatory? And in just five days?”

  “You know you were all promised retirement. No specific time was set. That time has come.”

  “Just where the hell are you sending us?” Charles asks, also on his feet.

  “We have not been given that information.”

  The others are taken surprise by the announcement, excitedly talking all at once, trying to get either 37's or Daniels attention. It takes a while to calm them so he can speak and all hear him.

  “I’m as surprised as you by this. This subject has never been fully clarified.” He turns his attention to 37. “Why haven’t you said anything about this?”

  “We knew nothing of it until now.”

  “What do you know?” demands Daniel.

  “You will be collected at midday Friday and taken to Tranquility, there to be transported to your new destination.”

  “We heard!” shouts Charles. “We want to know where. What more can you tell us?”

  “Nothing more,” responds 37. “Why are you upset? You were looking forward to retirement.”

  “When WE were ready, you shit piece of metal!” Charles spits.

  “OK. That’s enough,” Daniel waves down Charles and the others, then turns back to the Peace Keeper. “Isn’t there anything more you can tell us about this sudden move?”

  “No, we cannot. We know no more than you. As we learn more, we will keep you informed.” The humanoid turns and walks out of sight to the back of the building.

  Daniel turns and looks from one friend and neighbor to another. “37 will try to find more details. I’ll keep pressing him. I know this is a shock, but it was just a matter of time. Like they said, we’ve served our purpose. And we have looked forward to an easier life. Just not so . . . suddenly.”

  “Some of us are ready,” another speaks up. “We would just like to know where we’re going.”

  “And can we visit out kids?” another voices.

  “Or can they visit us?” The chatter continues.

  Daniel holds up his hand s for silence. It takes a minute. “I’ll get as much information as I can. Perhaps we will have a choice where we go. They said we will be kept together. I like that. So, for now, I suggest you spend the next five days saying goodbye to the children. Forget the farms. The robots can take over. Pack the pods. Be ready by Friday morning. As soon as I find out anything more, I’ll pass the word.”

  A few are visibly upset and quickly leave the building. Others gather at the refreshment tables, talking in small groups.

  Sherry joins Daniel. “We’ll have to tell the kids.”

  He shrugs. “What are we going to tell them. We still don’t know where we will be relocated. Or if we can visit.”

  “Danny’s going to take it the hardest,” Sherry acknowledges. “You know how close he is to you.”

  “They’re grownups now. This is their world. Their people. We really don’t fit.”

  “They’ll always be my children,” Sherry insists. “I don’t want to leave them. We don’t even know if we’ll still be living on Paradise! From the sound of it, we won’t”

  He takes her into his arms, holding her tight. “I know, Baby. But we know we’ll be in transporter range. We can visit.”

  “If they let us,” she mumbles into his shoulder.

  By Thursday afternoon, what little they want to take with them is packed into their pod, not mu
ch bigger than a steamer trunk. They are advised that all the household items they would need would be available to them, all they need to concern themselves with was clothing, toiletries and any personal mementoes. They know from their transport to Paradise that they will have to strip bare, then don a flimsy robe; nothing will transport with them.

  They will have a gathering this evening, just the original five couples and their children; at least those who are available. It will be at Daniels and Sherry’s farmhouse; it will be a goodbye to the children. I will also be moral support to the grownups, for they can’t even be sure they will be allowed to stay together, as promised.

  But for now, they want to be alone, taking one last walk through the bordering forests and hilly meadows, one last walk through the countryside they have grown to love so much. It is a beautiful day; they didn’t expect otherwise, for all the days in their part of Paradise are beautiful. They leave the farm areas, through the last of the bordering orchards, many now heavy with ripe fruit or nuts, and into the first grove of giant trees, They stroll out of the sunlight into the filtered gloom, walking hand-in-hand, each silent. They have no need to talk; everything has been talked out. There is a quietude of the forest that matches their deep melancholy.

  The only assurance Peace Keeper 37 has given them is that they would not be disappointed nor unhappy with their new destination. As to visits with their children, it would only say their wishes would be honored. He also assured them that married couples would be transported together, for their own comfort.

  The transport is the last thing they want to think about this afternoon, as they enjoy the dim coolness of the forest. Only tiny patches of sky are visible through the thick canopy of leaves far above them. A few of the trees are beginning to turn from a variety of greens to colors they compare to autumn on Earth, but new leaves are already growing to replace them. Trees on Paradise are never barren, baring native fruit in cycles throughout the year.

  The forest thins and they step out onto a hilly meadow, the grass waist high. They have taken this walk so often, they and others, that they had worn a trail where the trampled grass had given way to a soft, mossy ground cover, slightly spongy to the step but never damaged by their treading. At the top of one rise, they see a small herd of sargands, much resembling Earth’s smallest deer. The herd has already seen them, and stand still, their heads turned in their direction. Sherry has repeatedly tried approaching such wildlife, but they would always move away, not in a hurry, but just enough to keep out of her reach. They will pass withing ten yards of the group, who will watch them until they have passed, then go back to their grazing. To her regret, not a single animal on Paradise has allowed her to touch them.