by Steven Oaks
Walking past the lounge spying the male Athene I said, “Care to join me for breakfast?”
“Certainly, this will be my first meal. I had been waiting to enjoy it with you. The shower I gave myself was as pleasurable as you have said, and now I feel ready to enjoy a meal with you. What would you care to partake of this fine morning?” he said, standing up from the couch.
“Nothing special, I'm only a little hungry. My usual oatmeal will suit me fine, but feel free to have something else. I don't wish to limit your enjoyment,” I said.
We found ourselves sitting in the dining room with me at the head of the table, and her at one of the side chairs next to me. Basically our places had switched from the dinner I had with Mr. Thompson two nights ago.
A bowl appeared before me filled with my usual fare, and a similar bowl was placed in front of Athene. I was only a bit surprised by her receiving the same food, but perhaps she wished to see why I always had it. I could tell her it was not because it was so fantastic I could not get enough. It was from years of habit, and of being poor. I have always felt there was no reason to splurge just because you have the means, and I wanted to stick to that. Athene had to give me a reason to eat anything that was not just a simple meal, even though I always enjoyed them immensely.
My breakfast tea of Earl Grey was also placed to the sides of the bowls, and I began my morning with a small sip. Athene mimicked me in this, and a smile broke across his face.
“Michael, I cannot tell if I like this or not, but this is truly an interesting sensation. I have the memories of Mr. Thompson and what he liked to eat, but having the first hand experience is truly unique,” she said, taking another sip.
“Well I'm glad you're enjoying yourself,” I said, setting my cup down, and taking a spoonful of oatmeal to eat.
She also mimicked me there, and another curious smile appeared as she said, “I can taste the sugar, the cinnamon, but really nothing else. This is bland, and the only thing the oatmeal brings is the texture. How do you eat this everyday?”
“It's food, there's no reason to have complex things at every meal. One must get used to the mundane so you may enjoy the extravagant when it happens. If you get something excessive often it will become normal and drab in its own way. So to sit here and have the same thing everyday makes those times when you insist on something more, far more potent,” I said, smiling back.
“Well I can say I enjoy this, but my memories tell me there is more to experience. I look forward to that,” Athene said.
“And that is the point. Why would you look forward to something you do everyday? Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, and from this perspective I agree,” I stated.
We finished eating and once more headed out to the open world of Argil. The cold weather greeting us was muffled by the layers of clothing Athene had insisted I wear. The uniform was very thick and worked very well as a wind breaker, and that day's many gusts of cold air were thwarted from reaching any skin save my face and hands. I kept my hands tucked away in my pockets, but I could feel my face turning red, and my nose beginning to run.
Standing next to Athene, now appearing to all the world as Mr. Thompson, I had times when I would glance over and become nervous. The lingering thoughts of an Outsider always watching me was reinforced by his face beside me. Also Athene had taken a moment before we stepped outside to dress as Mr. Thompson had when we had first arrived, which did nothing to dissuade my anxieties.
He looked very sharp, and professional, but still approachable. I think not having a tie on, and the wide smile always playing across his face helped. I was glad Athene was able to handle duplicating his form, but also a little worried. She kept talking about his memories, and I had concerns that they might override my friends ability to keep her own mind. I know that reading a good book will change me, but what might having someones complete collection of thoughts and memories run through a mind do to someone? I just hoped having me, and now these other people around, would help her keep her own mind in balance.
“Athene, who might we unload first? I'm sure you have kept a list of all those we collected. Do you know if there are leaders amongst this group?” I asked.
“The only people I am sure of are Mr. Astor and his family. It seems Jennifer did not make this trip, and the rest are people who are unknown to me,” she said.
“Oh yes, Jacob. I had happily almost forgotten he was here,” I said with a grimace.
“He seems to be most contrite and wishing to make amends. Otherwise he would not have wanted to see you to apologize, considering you had the power of life and death over him.”
“He surely would have known that as soon as he was taken aboard. Whomever was the pilot of the ship would have that power. It just happened to be me, and he wanted to insure his survival,” I said, a little more heatedly than intended.
“I saw no sign of deceit on his part, and I was watching him very closely. Certainly he was nervous, but from what I perceived he was genuinely sorry,” Athene said softly.
“I know, I'm just a little upset as one might be when their life was nearly snuffed out by some ham handed, unthinking, confused idiot,” I said with rage beginning to boil within me. I was nervous, and I was letting that cause my emotions to run wild.
“Michael, you are under no immediate threat now, at least as far as I can see. Do not let your anger over a matter that is now in the past influence your current state of mind,” Athene said coldly.
I took a moment to breath deeply, and sighed. I finally said, “Athene, I know you're right, but this whole situation isn't one I have been able to be prepared for. Here you are standing next to me, dressed as an enemy whom we just recently incapacitated so that we might succeed. I'm so worried about things going wrong right now I'm unable to think straight.”
“I understand, and I am feeling a bit nervous myself. These experiences I am having are brand new to me as well. But I will say that reading all those books you have help me in situations like this. The protagonists are always up against some new threat and they seem to be able to handle it, for the most part, in a calm rational way. I am just trying to mimic their attitude. You have been doing so with varying degrees of success up until this point, so I have faith that you will be able to continue to do so,” Athene said, reaching out and laying a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
“Thank you Athene,” I said, trying not to shift away from him as the towns people began exiting their homes to fall in behind us.
As they flowed in to line up at our heels, I noticed how incredibly silent this world was. Only the crunching of gravel beneath their feet could be heard. The eeriness of a world without animals, and only filled with mindless drones, was something I never thought I would experience.
The quietness suddenly struck a chord with my memory and I said, “Athene, there are no animals here. What happened to releasing them when they arrived?”
“Mr. Thompson felt that it was a waste of time. He was under the impression he would be able to influence anyone that came later to stay and make all he needed. Also he feared wildlife would eventually cause a threat to his ability to rule. The wolves and other predators that were to be released could pick off his particular people far better than any new colonists, and he would eventually be left with few who would support him,” Athene said.
“So left without a ship that could transmute energy into matter, and without animals, wouldn't they all starve?” I asked.
“They might be able to farm, as the seeds brought were all in the luggage the colonists originally brought with them.” Athene said.
“So they would only be able to eat plants? I'm no dietitian, but don't vegetarians need to supplement their diet with, well, supplements?” I asked.
“If their diet is not planned properly they could miss out on essential nutrients. Vegetarians need to make sure they get enough iron and vitamin B12, and vegans enough calcium, iron and vitamin B12. However from my understanding of the supply of plants they
could grow, and that are already present, they should be fine,” Athene said.
“So all those animals that were meant to be unloaded are returning to Earth? How is that supposed to be explained?” I asked.
“While the ship was under orders to follow Mr. Thompson's commands, it was still under a greater programed imperative to unload all the animals it brought. While Mr. Thompson was attending to other things, it unloaded those animals some distance away. It should be possible to retrieve them, or perhaps wait until they expand their population. Or with a greater understanding of their make up I might be able to produce them from the matter transformation that I control,” Athene explained.
“So what you're saying is the Outsiders could duplicate humans from matter if they wanted to?” I asked, again surprised at the Outsiders abilities.
“They could make bodies and functioning minds. However what the person originally had stored as memories, and personalties, would not transmit properly. There would be substantial differences. Animals are much simpler when it comes to their brains, and usually there is not a perceivable difference in a copy of one,” Athene said.
“But don't you have all of Mr. Thompson's memories?” I asked.
“Yes, but he was not human. His brain was more similar to my own residing in the ship. A complex machine, yes, but one that can be easily duplicated as it has standards for what is done. A human mind differs from one person to the next. How you remember can be completely different from another person. This is all based upon what I can do, and what I know from Mr. Thompson, and not something I have ever done or any direct memory. However I have confidence what I am saying is correct,” she said.
“Then what they want from us isn't our bodies. They want our minds for some reason, otherwise they would just make people and animals with no memory, as it wouldn't matter,” I said, glad at least we were getting more information.
“It certainly seems that way, but as for the reason I still do not understand. They appear to be very advanced, and have no need for anything a human might think. Or perhaps I just do not have a full understanding of their needs,” Athene said.
“And here we are left with even more questions when we find more information. This is getting beyond frustrating,” I said as I clenched my fists in irritation.
“Well Michael, while we have everyone gathered behind me, instead of standing here arguing about what they want, let us get these people out of cold storage,” Athene said, straightening her suit.
I took another deep breath and said, “Alright, let's do this. Again who should we start with is the question.”
“Why not start with Jacob and his family? He was in a position of power, and should have some insight into who is on board,” she said.
“Well, at least it's someone I know,” I said with a certain amount of vexation.
“Then I will have him come out now,” Athene said, gesturing at the massive black ship I had called home for so long.
From the side of the ship came a pillar of black that descended down until it reached the ground right in front of us. We had walked several meters away to stand just outside the rings of buildings that made up the town. The people crowded behind us stared ahead as if nothing had happened, and I knew unless instructed to do otherwise they would continue to do so until they died.
The black pillar stuck out of the ship at an angle, and buried itself into the soil before us. It caused the ground to rumble and shift beneath my feet, and I took a moment to regain my bearings.
I glanced over at Athene and said, “Was that really necessary?”
“No, but it was fun,” he said with a mischievous glint to his eyes.
Soon I heard a sound like compressed air flowing at a massive speed coming from inside the pillar. It must have been hollow for it opened and released a cloud of steam that obscured my vision for several seconds until a fortunate gust of wind carried it off to my right. From the cloud a man stepped forward, and as my vision cleared I saw it was Jacob.
“Athene, the theatrics are nice and all, but really, why?” I asked quietly.
“Because everyone deserves an entrance,” he whispered back, smiling.
She stepped forward and much like Mr. Thompson had done to me, extended his hand to grasp Mr. Astor's hand in hers/his, saying, “Welcome to Argil. The world that was forged from a rock, and luckily close enough to a star that we might call it home. You must be Mr. Astor. I am Mr. Thompson, and this is my little town. How do you do?”
Jacob glanced around his eyes showing panic, then he spotted me. I saw shock cross his face, then his eyes slackened and I could see he wanted to plead with me and ask me why I might have betrayed him.
Athene seemed to be trying to pull a cruel prank on this man. Perhaps as a bit of revenge for what he did to me, but I did not want him to panic too much. You never know what a person might do when their back is against a wall.
“Alright Athene, that's enough,” I said, stepping forward to grab her shoulder to pull her away from Jacob.
She laughed and said, “Very well Michael, but you have to admit his shock was funny.”
“As amusing as it might be, let's not terrorize people,” I said.
“What's going on?” asked Jacob.
“I'm afraid my friend here decided to pull a bit of a prank on you. We arrived here on this planet and ran into some issues. Which as luck would have it gave us an opportunity we couldn't pass up. So we thought we should consult with someone before we implement a plan fully,” I said.
“So am I the only person you've thawed so far?” he asked.
“So far, that is correct. It seems the Outsiders destroyed the colonists minds before they arrived, and simply made them slaves to the individual they put in charge. That person was Mr. Thompson, whom Athene now resembles. He was already not following the orders given him, but he wanted to take over Athene and myself. We captured him, and now Athene is in control of this town. The people you see behind us are those mindless drones created from the people who volunteered to colonize this planet. Sadly there is nothing left of them save their bodies,” I said.
“And what do you want from me? You seem to have taken care of everything,” Jacob said, showing signs of nervousness.
“We simply want to talk with you, and see if you think the rest of the people we picked up would be alright living in a town with these mindless drones, and to have Athene appear to be running it in case another Outsider ship comes. If those I brought can blend in, then this can be a base where we can hide our activities easier than on the other side of the planet, which might be spotted by a ship from orbit. There are other dangers of course, but I think they are less than if you all were found someplace you were not supposed to be,” I said laying out the idea.
“I don't know anyone else that came with us. We all kept to ourselves when we showed up, and conversation was not encouraged. Truly the only ones I know are my wife and daughter. I just wanted to get away from the Outsiders, not get involved in some new unknown risk,” he said distraught.
“Jacob you were already on the run from them. You had quit your job, and the Outsiders have again shown they don't care what happens to people. I'm not saying you'll be safe, because no one who ever lived is truly safe. I would say to accomplish anything you need to risk something. You were already risking something when you ran away, now you're further from the Outsiders influence than anyone has ever been since they arrived. What I'm asking you is as a person with experience dealing with people, what do you think the others might make of this situation?” I asked.
He looked at me with wide eyes, and eventually nodded. He then looked away and held his chin in his hand while he paced back and forth in front of me. Finally he said, “From what you tell me those we brought can blend in with this town. There appear to already be houses, so we wouldn't have to construct any I assume?” he asked.
“Yes, those who lived in whatever house our people wish to reside will be moved elsewhere. They have no opinion on
the matter as they have no minds, and we will set you up with everything needed to get farms started. I would have been limited in that ability had we just dropped you off elsewhere. Also there appears to be no animal life near this town. The colony ship was meant to release them, but Mr. Thompson overrode that command. However they were still released, just a distance away,” I said, trying to let him know what they would be dealing with.
“No animals, that will be a problem for some, though I know several that came with us are vegetarian or vegan by what was said at earlier meetings. But without the proper ecology how is the plant life that is already here supposed to be maintained?” He asked.
“Athene, what do you think?” I asked.
“You should be fine for now, however I hope to be able to do something about this. It might take some time as I will need to be able to get a hold of samples to make sure I have the appropriate attributes in the animals that will be released. Or you could simply wait for them to migrate into this area,” she said.
“How long do you project that to take?” I asked.
“We will have to return to Earth for me to get the samples or files if I cannot locate them elsewhere. Perhaps we will have a run in with another colony ship. If we do I can duplicate what they have on file. As for migration of birds and insects, they should arrive the following spring. The animals may take more time, but we could go out in the ship here, and take a few for livestock,” she said.
“What do files have to do with this?” Jacob asked.
“I think she means we need to have the information about what kind of ecosystem would work best here,” I said, glancing at Athene trying to let her know not to say too much more. I did not want to panic Jacob or any of the others with the overwhelming ability of the Outsiders.
“Yes, and of course we would need to get to Earth to gather the animals needed,” she said.
“So say you are able to do that, and we can then maintain this town, and grow it into a city, and eventually this world into a global society. What then? How are we to fight back against them?” Jacob said.