Over the last few days they had explored the local area, breaking into teams of two and increasing the distance from camp. They found some promising sources of food: roots, tubers, nuts, fruits and herbaceous foliage, and David, Junji, Anne and Li Li had gone diving and found sources of protein close to shore. After they had passed toxicology tests Junji cooked their first meal using Edenoi foods: the berry David and Akoi had found on the first day, some bluish herbage, a rather bland, starchy root and a sea slug. Archimedes and Constance struggled with the unfamiliar flavours but the others relished them, delighting in sharing gruesome stories about their traditional diets: David about witchetty grubs, Junji about raw seafood, Li Li about odd Asian and French delicacies and Akoi about locusts and scorpions. They were also drinking the water and David had set up a basic bush shower (although the waterfall was a better place to shower, despite the walk).
It hadn’t taken them long to go native. It was expected. It was tropical and it was simply impractical to wear too much. Li Li had explained to Akash that their perspective on Eden was completely different. They were in the wild, away from the prurient eyes of other humans. She said it felt totally natural and not the least embarrassing because no one was there to gawk or complain. “I am not walking naked through the streets of Paris,” she had protested. She also said they had discussed it and the new colony would be one without body shame. It was Eden by name and so they would reclaim the original innocence of Adam and Eve.
Still, they made some attempt to cover up when they gave their reports, zooming in the camera to a close up and sending back as few shots containing full frontal nudity as possible, although that had become increasingly difficult. Not because they were embarrassed, but because some staff on Earth had found the images confronting, especially a handsome Prosperous walking up from the creek, his skin glistening and his impressive, semi-tumescent member nonchalantly swaying as he walked (causing some female staff to blush and some male staff to groan with envy) or Akoi with her jet black skin and ritual scarification. Perhaps it was an uncomfortable reminder that humans were after all, animals (and possibly there was some racial discomfort – the proud, defiant, naked black body had always made whites uncomfortable).
He leant back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and paused to think. There was no reason to hold off the decision. The first person he contacted was Eva Teixeira in Brazil. It was early in the morning and he had interrupted her during her morning run. She was breathing deeply as she answered her phone, her image shaking with each breath. She was a stunning looking woman, every bit the Brazilian Amazon with an exotic mestiço heritage: Portuguese and African on her paternal side and Tapirapé Indian on her maternal side.
“Mr Jayarama,” she panted, her face beaded with sweat.
“Akash, please. Sorry to interrupt.”
“This must be important, a personal call from the boss.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes,” she said as she turned the phone to show she was on a track next to a rainforest.
“Where are you?” he asked, curious.
“Near the facility. A forest track some of us use for cross country training.”
“I wanted to tell you personally that we are going to phase two.”
“You’ve done it?” she asked, suddenly excited. “You have a team on another world?”
“Yes, for a week now.”
“Foder… I mean, wow.” He laughed. It was a common reaction. “Does this mean what I think it means?” she continued.
“Yes. I wanted to ask you personally. Next jump. Are you on board?”
“Shit yeah, I mean, yes sir, with bells on.”
“You understand that this is likely to be permanent?”
She nodded. The image shook as she sat down on what seemed to be a log. He caught a glimpse of a sweat soaked Brazilian Olympic team sports bra, taught, muscular midriff, tight black spandex running shorts stretched by powerful thighs and an incongruous tribal bead necklace. “Yes. I’ve been dreaming of this day.”
“Good, because there’s one other thing… I am now putting you in charge of the jumpers. I figure that seeing as you are going, you’ll have a vested interest. You have full authority and full clearance. I want you to make sure everything goes to plan in Brazil. You are to report directly to me and to Aviva if you have even the slightest problem or security concern.”
Eva seemed to hesitate. He knew she would understand the implications of her new authority. “Of course. You have my word. I will protect this with my life.”
“Okay, it’ll take a few minutes for me to upgrade your status. You’ll get a text confirmation along with a new contract. A formality. When we have your electronic signature you’ll have full access to the data bank and a direct link to Eden…”
“Eden? Paradise?”
“It looks that way. You can talk to the team yourself. They’ll fill you in on the ecology.”
“Really? In real time? Fuck… It still messes with my head, even though I’ve jumped several times. I mean, fuck…”
“Fuck indeed,” he laughed (because it really was extraordinary). “I’m assembling the rest of the phase two team. We’ll see you in Bhutan in a few weeks. Welcome on board.”
“Wow, thanks… I mean, wow,” she couldn’t contain her excitement and screamed with exhilaration.
He disconnected and contacted his other teams to authorise the next stage. He was about to contact Aviva when he noticed a message in his priority inbox. Very few people had access so it was clearly important. It was from the Prime Minister of Bhutan. He rang immediately.
“We may have a problem Akash,” he said without the usual polite banter.
“Yes?”
“The new Indian government has just informed us they intend to replace the current ambassador.”
“I see… When?”
“In three weeks, it hasn’t been made official. We are concerned about the signal it sends. It is Raj Deependra Bhat, a conservative Hindutva linked to Shiv Sena.”
Akash pressed his hand to his forehead. This was not good news. “Bhat is a Brahmin name, from a clan with a long history as government toadies.”
“Yes, a Chitpavan Brahmin… Our intelligence is rudimentary, but he is linked to certain industrial, political and caste interests. We believe he has been sent to advance the interests of a clique within the BJP and to keep a close eye on our relationship with you. People have become envious and suspicious. I thought you should be forewarned.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“We must keep this in the back channels. Publicly we will be gracious, but the king is concerned.”
“Of course, I’ll look into it and keep you informed.”
He hung up and slumped in his chair. The words “the king is concerned” meant only one thing. He was being called on to do Bhutan a favour. Clearly the Indian government intended to tighten its grip on Bhutan. It was annexation by stealth. He could sense it: wealthy high caste Arya looking to set up an enclave in Shangri-La, bringing corruption, nepotism and caste arrogance. The last thing he needed was the new BJP government snooping around his affairs in Bhutan. This could only mean one thing. He was expected to solve this problem. But how?
He rang Aviva directly. It would be the middle of the night in San Francisco.
“We have a problem,” he said.
He could tell he had just woken her but it was part of the deal. “What?” she mumbled.
“Are you alone?”
She sighed. “No, hang on.”
He waited until she had moved to the sound proof office in her apartment. She reappeared on the vid, her red hair dishevelled and a t-shirt hastily put on to cover her nudity.
“Sorry for the interruption,” he apologised.
“I assume it’s important?”
He told her about the phone call. All she could say was “shit”.
“We need a plan. This can’t happen. Not now.”
“I understand.”
“This is high stakes.”
“I agree. Let me get the ball rolling.”
“Good. Sorry to disturb you. Go back to your friend.”
“Are you kidding? This has to start now. Time will be critical. I’ll ask her to leave. She was just a pickup in a bar. I’ll need to contact some of our assets in your time zone. Besides, I won’t be able to sleep now.”
He knew Aviva too well. The adrenaline would be pumping through her system already. “Okay, thanks.”
“How’s the team? I’ve seen some of the vid. It seems we’ve done it.”
“Yes, and now we have to protect it – at all costs.”
After the adrenaline rush of moving to the next stage he crashed. It was difficult enough organising such a monumental technical leap but to try and do it in the current political climate was almost impossible. The jackals were circling and getting closer. Tears began to well in his eyes. It was an enormous privilege to be a part of this moment but it carried an equal burden. As much as he would like to be at the forefront he had to now slip into the background. He had to play defence, to protect the team from the prowling predators, and the more they continued, the harder it would become. There was every chance that they would be discovered and every chance he would be called to play the general. It would be war, plain and simple. There would be hundreds of cliques and cabals fighting to get their hands on a new planet, on Eden: nations, religions, corporations, criminal networks, and sub-groups within each entity scrambling for a place on the top of the pile. He wasn’t sure he could fight them all off. But he had to. They simply could not be allowed to get their hands on void technology. The consequences would be catastrophic.
He buried his head in work, going over the detail again and again, obsessively. He finally dragged himself up to his apartment and the smells of cooking. He thought he might be able to hide his anxiety but he couldn’t fool Tshering or Freja, even Alice was able to read his emotion. He hugged Pema as Tshering looked at him with concern.
“You know you have to tell us,” she said. “You can’t hide from your wives.”
He tried to hold back the tears but they flowed. Pema hugged him tight until Alice took her cue and peeled her from him. “Come Pem, papa has to have a grownup talk with mama and Frey. Papa’s okay. He’s here now. We’ll look after him won’t we?”
Pema nodded. Ordinarily she would be far too young to understand complex adult emotions, but she was very perceptive. “Yes, mama and Frey will know what to do.” She looked at her mother and Freja and it seemed to be a command.
It was Tshering who suggested what he did not want to hear. “It will be dharmic to assassinate him if need be. Bhutan must be protected. Eden must be protected. Even the Buddha counselled king Dalhanemi to protect his kingdom, provided he did so from compassion and not anger or greed.”
“I agree,” said Freja calmly. “It is clear they intend to bring Bhutan under their control to enrich themselves. It is a primary act of aggression.”
“It has risks. We must be careful,” he said softly.
“Of course,” said Tshering. “You must use skillful means.”
He shook his head with self-doubt. He had already ordered people’s death. Could he ever have a clear conscience? It was a dilemma. People would die if he acted but perhaps more would die if he did not. Was it really a matter of numbers?
76
Li Li and David
A morning mist had rolled in off the ocean. It seemed to be a consistent feature of the local climate, at least at this time of the year. The cool ocean air met the warm, moist air of the coast and condensed into a mist that would last until the heat of the sun dissolved it around mid morning. It provided a welcome break from the heat of the afternoon. She was following David down what was becoming a familiar path to the ocean. His dark shape was only partially hidden by the mist. She never minded following from behind. He was beautiful to look at: his naked frame slender and lithe, his buttocks tight and, well, adorable. She was living a fantasy. Ever since she had seen the film Walkabout she had a vivid erotic image of naked Aboriginal men, and David was a very fine specimen.
He was carrying spears he had fashioned out of local wood, one with a clean sharp point, one with barbs and the other splayed; each designed for different kinds of prey.
She was naked too, and armed. Like David she had a sheathed knife on a belt around her waist and her own collection of spears. David had been surprised at her ability under water. She might be small but her years of physical training had given her a strong lung capacity. She could hold her breath for nearly as long as he could and she was strong swimmer, her gymnast’s body giving her flexible and fluid movement under water.
It was their last day in this location and they had hoped to spear a swimmer for lunch. She couldn’t describe them as fish because that was an Earth category. They were certainly shaped like fish, the physics of swimming under water demanded it, but they were different, and they certainly tasted different, like mildly salty apple.
They edged their way along the rocks until the reached an area where the water was deep. There was a slight swell and the water was turbulent. They had to judge the moment after a wave had crashed and retreated. David dove in first and bobbed about waiting until she saw her moment. The water was cool, refreshing rather than chill. David dove under and she followed. The ocean water was not as salty as Earth, which allowed them to keep their eyes open without too much irritation.
They kept in sight of each other as they explored the reef. David saw it first and thrust the barbed spear forward. His reflexes were quick and his aim true. It was a good-sized swimmer. They surfaced and he tossed the fish to shore. They dove again. This time Li Li spotted a crustacean hiding in a crevice. She used her knife to pierce the soft underbelly. David speared another swimmer, a fat, pudgy thing with eyes on stalks. It didn’t look particularly appetising but she trusted David’s instinct.
They hunted for a further half hour, only taking as much as they could carry skewered on their spears. The sun was beginning to break so they made their way to the beach to catch their breath. The whole team was much more relaxed now. The hyperactivity of the first days had subsided. They were entitled to enjoy their surrounds, have a moment of quiet appreciation of the extraordinary beauty around them.
They sat and looked out across the azure ocean. “We’ve got to have a boat. I hope Akash sends people with boatbuilding skills. Who knows what is out there in the deep?” He lay back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Li Li couldn’t help but look at his body stretched out. He was beautiful, especially his cock, which lifted and rolled as the sun revived it from its retracted state, a natural reaction to the cool water. She had never seen it fully erect and she wanted to. Now.
“David,” she said lying down beside him.
“Hmm?” he replied softly, starting to doze.
“Now would be a good time.”
He opened one eye and squinted at her. “For what?”
“To start having sex.”
He froze. “That’s romantic.”
“You knew this moment was coming. You seem to be avoiding it.”
She noticed his penis engorge just a little. Clearly the suggestion had aroused him. He sat up and crossed his legs, hoping to hide his reaction.
“I didn’t bring any protection.”
“Good. You know I want to conceive. I was only waiting until the next phase and I’m in the middle of my cycle.”
“Are you sure? There are no hospitals on Eden.”
She sighed. She had gone through all this before. “Are there any hospitals in your community? Where were you born?”
“In the bush.”
“And your mother was attended by experienced tribal women. Freja, Anaïs and Alice will be here in a month or so. They’ll have medical equipment. Freja has assisted at a home birth and Alice has studied the procedure.”
“She is a child.”
Li Li sighed. “A v
ery competent child. I trust her. Besides, I might not fall pregnant. It could take a while. By that time the first wave may have arrived and they’ll have a field hospital and trained surgeons. I’m not concerned and it is my choice.”
He frowned and looked away.
“This is about something else, isn’t it?”
She had caught him out. He swallowed. He had been avoiding this moment for many reasons. “I’m not sure I’m good enough. I’ve done things in the past… I haven’t always been… You know… Good to women.”
His admission caught her by surprise. She held back her first thought. This might not be what it seemed.
“What do you mean?” she asked reaching out to hold his hand. He withdrew it.
“My sexual history.”
“History is history. On Eden we start anew…”
“It’s not that simple.”
He wanted to tell her everything. She was completely different to any woman or girl he had ever had sex with or even known. He respected her, even feared her. She had a strong personality; an imposing intellect and he had seen her demonstrate wushu with breathtaking skill and fierce intent. She was certainly pretty, but she was boyish: small chested, narrow hipped, petite, almost asexual. He wasn’t sure he liked Asians anyway. He had always found Asian tourists standoffish and frankly racist. He knew many were scared of Aborigines and considered them close to animals. He preferred the European tourists because they tried very hard not to be racist (sometimes too hard) and took a genuine, active interest in Aboriginal culture. Li Li was more European in sentiment, more sophisticated. Throughout his life he had kept his feelings hidden behind a mask of toughness and he knew Li Li could pull that mask off and expose him.
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