She was in a small office with a desk containing a primitive computer and antique paperwork written in a script she did not understand. A large flag was draped across the wall behind the desk, she assumed it was the flag of the Buddhist Republic: vivid red with a gold dragon and snow lion guarding a dharma wheel.
She shook his hand and he grimaced with pain. “Sorry, I guess I misjudged,” she apologised.
He shook his head to dismiss her concern. “It’s okay.” He pursed his lips and studied her for a moment. She was tall, over three metres, with long, athletic limbs and broad, muscular shoulders. Her face was stunningly beautiful with high cheekbones, smooth coffee coloured skin and a shaven head with a small circle of silken auburn hair on her crown tied in a high ponytail. “You can remove your glasses magnus. I won’t be alarmed.” He was lying. As soon as she put them in her shirt pocket and looked at him, her alienness sent a chill through him. She was looking at him with yellow cat eyes, as if she were part human, part snow leopard.
“I’m sorry to have brought you and your team to such a dismal place.” He looked out the window to a flat, dusty plain with small brown hills in the distance and a few battered trees struggling against the heat. “Thanks to you, our distant cousins, the Republic has vowed to restore the lands the Buddha once walked. I am told your science and technology will help return this land to its former glory.”
“The Buddha?”
“Yes, you have heard of him?”
“Yes, on Eden he is considered one of the greatest of the ancient philosophers. You said he walked here?”
“Indeed, in fact he was born here. This land once belonged to the Sakya. He was born in a village not too far from here called Lumbini. Much of it is in ruins and the restoration is a high priority, along with the other important sites, like Bodh Gaya. I believe the Kumari has a particular wish to restore Nalanda to its original glory.”
“Nalanda?”
“Yes, this land can proudly claim to have built the first university in recorded history.” He puffed up his chest with pride as he spoke. “At its height it was said to have housed ten thousand students, some from as far away as China.”
“What happened to it?”
“Muslim invaders destroyed it and massacred everyone. The rebuilding will send a powerful signal to our enemies.”
“And this particular place?” She asked looking through the heat shimmer and dust haze.
“It used to be an old fort. Some of the walls still stand. The best that can be said is that it has certain logistical and strategic advantages. I’m afraid work has been slow, but in time this will become a base for…” He wanted to say aliens and momentarily struggled with the right term. “For, um, Edenoi, such as yourself. I am sure you understand it is for your protection, as well as…”
“Keeping us from view. I understand. We have been briefed about the likely impact of our appearance.”
“Yes, unfortunate, but hopefully in time…” He shrugged his shoulders to express genuine regret. “It is in effect Edenoi territory, governed by Edenoi laws and customs…”
“A diplomatic concession.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t…”
“When the Europeans and Americans began trade relations with Asian nations, special areas were set-aside for foreigners. It is a reasonable solution. My team are highly disciplined, they will adapt.”
“I am amazed by your knowledge of our history…”
“Why should you be amazed? It is our history too.”
“I apologise. It is easy to forget. Now, would you like a seat, a drink?” he suggested, pointing to two leather armchairs.
She would have preferred to stand because each minute she stood allowed her system to adjust to the lower gravity, but she understood sitting would be more politic. “Water will be fine.”
He walked over to a side table and poured water from a glass jug. “I hope you don’t mind. It’s flavoured with lime, a citrus fruit high in ascorbic acid.”
He handed her a glass, she sniffed it and took a small sip. “Quite pleasant, reminds me a little of unripe tingle fruit.”
“Good, yes, good. I have heard that you have some quite exotic fruits on Eden.”
She smiled politely at his small talk.
“Okay, well then, yes… Where were we, acclimatising. Yes, well that must also involve your team familiarising themselves with animals. I understand that Eden has few higher order beasts, mainly foraging and grazing animals the equivalent of goats and pigs?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Torv was intrigued by this change of topic.
“Mankind… That is, Earth humans, have long utilised animals in warfare, most especially horses and dogs.”
Her ears pricked up at the mention of horses. She had seen pictures as a child and the thought that you could ride such a magnificent animal had captured her imagination.
“We are surrounded by many small ethnic groups struggling to survive. Some of these groups practice banditry and attack on horseback. Horses still have advantages over the most sophisticated weapons, especially on the narrow tracks in the mountains. And a cavalry charge can be a terrifying experience…”
“Are you suggesting we learn…?”
“To both work with these animals and to defend yourself against them. Call it an experiment. Here on Earth many humans live with these animals from birth and so learn how to communicate and handle…”
“Communicate?” she was startled by the concept.
“Yes, both horses and dogs understand a reasonable vocabulary of commands. They also form bonds with humans. It is a relationship that has been forged over thousands of years. In fact humans might not have survived without them. It is my understanding the Edenoi have never domesticated any native species.”
“No, you are right, it will be completely new to us.”
“That brings me to the next point. You will be working with expert horsemen and women, some of our best. This will be an experiment in interspecies…I mean to say, cross-cultural cooperation. Your psychologists are especially interested in how the Edenoi interact with Terrans, how you negotiate large and small cultural differences. It will give you a chance to understand Terran sensibilities and for us a chance to better understand the Edenoi. You will also train these men and women, well, boys and girls really, in some of your skills. They will eventually receive genetic enhancements.”
Torv nodded. “Good idea. It’s often the small things. I believe many a conflict has been caused by the most basic of misunderstandings.”
“There will be missions, but most of your stay here will be training, training and more training.” He stood abruptly. “Good, good, excellent. I’m sorry to be so brusque but an important part of my job here is the tedious business of logistics and we have encountered a problem with the local water supply. I need to go and badger or bribe some village elders.”
He held out his hand and she stood to shake it.
“My door is always open…”
She nodded and began to walk out. There was nothing more to say.
“Oh, one more thing… Well, a couple really. General Wangchuk and the Kumari will be here in a few days. There will be a formal dinner. Your human team members will arrive the day before…”
She walked outside and a gust of hot, dusty air rustled her clothes. She began to sweat immediately. Human. He had let his guard slip and referred to them as “your human team”. If so, then what did that make them? Alien? Subhuman? Superhuman? As she walked back to their barracks she looked around. It was an ugly place: a semi-arid region slowly recovering from desertification. She was in a compound surrounded by four reinforced concrete walls with guard towers at each corner, with an interior filled with rammed earth buildings, newly constructed wooden barracks, tents, work areas and foxholes protected by reinforced concrete blocks and sand bags. She understood what troubled her. There was no colour. It was monochrome: shades of dirty white, yellow and brown. She squatted to look at the soil. It was dry a
nd lifeless. Her parents had been farmers, but they had to deal with different problems, namely thousands of thriving species cooperating and competing in complex ways. Here the problem was infertility and an ecosystem stripped of the diversity that had once sustained it: a land destroyed by centuries of poor farming practices and ignorance of the small and large natural forces that had created it. But such land could be restored. In the late twentieth century humans had found ways to reclaim deserts and restore damaged land. Yes, it would take time. The land would need to be geoengineered: hills built to create run-off and shift winds, rivers and streams would be redirected, dams built and underground aquifers restored. Then genetically engineered crops would be planted with the specific purpose of restoring soil complexity, followed by grasses and smaller plants, then trees and shrubs chosen to provide habitats for wildlife that would further enhance the vitality of the reconstructed ecosystem.
She dusted off her hands and looked up at the sun. It was harsher than Eden’s star. She squinted and reached for her sunglasses. She looked into the distance. So, this was Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha? Across the flat plain she could just make out the partially collapsed outline of an ancient stupa. She could understand that this region was historically significant but she couldn’t see the strategic significance. It was too open, too vulnerable. And it would take significant engineering to reshape the landscape and restore the historical buildings. Still, Tshentso must have a reason for basing Edenoi here. Perhaps she was looking at it wrong and this place was part of a psychological strategy. Was Tshentso going to use Buddhism as a vehicle to effect broader cultural change?
It was then she remembered that this land was even older than the Buddha; that it had been the site of one of the first civilisations, the Dravidian Harappan culture who had traded with the ancient Sumerians.
She patted the earth. She was sure it held secrets. Perhaps this was precisely the challenge the Edenoi needed? It placed a different perspective on things. Eden was only ever intended to be an outpost of a much larger ambition, one that had to include Earth – home.
94
The First
“Where did Eva say she put the beers?” said Anne as she entered the first cargo hull.
“Is that all you can think of?” asked Prosperous as he followed her.
“It should be on the manifest. It’s all been mapped,” said Junji looking at his tablet.
“Of course the beers are a priority. Most of this stuff will stay on board anyway.”
“Good girl,” said Junji, praising Eva. “L99D.”
“L for left, is that as we enter?” asked Anne as she checked the numbers on the floor. “Never mind, found it.” She slid out a large container and released the clasps. “Oh you gorgeous, gorgeous girl. She put them in a cooler. Here.” She tossed one to Junji. “What about you Pros?”
He shrugged his shoulders, a cold beer would be good around about now.
“You know, if we’d thought about it we could have asked her to pack a distilling kit. Some of the fruits we’ve found have a high sugar content and will easily ferment,” said Constance as she joined them.
“What we really need to find are plants we can make into half-way decent beer,” said Anne as she wiped her mouth. “All decent civilisations have beer. These won’t last. They were just a treat, a little reward so we could celebrate.” She continued to rummage through the large cooler. “Good girl, she’s got all sorts, ales, lagers, draughts, malts, pilsners, all from top micro-breweries. She spared no expense.”
“Did I hear beers?” said Archimedes as he walked in with a cricket bat resting on his shoulders. “Perfect brew for a spot of beach cricket.”
“They’re cold,” Anne warned.
“Perfect, not all of us poms like warm beer.”
“Deadly,” said David who was the next to appear. “Any Aussie brands?”
“Of course, no Fosters though.”
“Fuck that shit,” said David. “Such a cliché. Eva said she’d do me some Little Creatures, a Perth mob.”
“Look yourself, could be at the bottom of the cooler.”
David approached and Anne stood aside to let people search for their favourite brands.
Akoi appeared at the hatch. “Might have known. Shouldn’t we pull out the pre-fab? We promised we’d at least put up their sleeping quarters.”
“Chill Ako,” said David (she hated it when he called her Ako). “Plenty of time for that.”
“Yes, it’s all about the proper work life balance,” Anne declared.
“You’re not going to win this one,” Constance sympathised.
“All work and no play…” said Anne.
Junji laughed. “You had to be the one didn’t you Anne?”
“Have I missed something?” Akoi asked as she made her way to the cooler.
“Just a little game to see who can come up with a redundant platitude, you know, conversation through stating the obvious. Nice weather we’re having, a fool and his money… You know, they say… That sort of thing.”
“But they have a point,” said David as he opened his beer. “We’ve worked every day. Sure, we’ve had rest periods but no full day of rest.”
“So we should declare today a holiday,” said Junji. “Call it Arrival Day.”
“No, Beer Day, to praise Bacchus for wine and beer,” said Archimedes.
“Why not just call Fuck Knows Day, because who needs a reason?” David laughed.
“Okay, so here’s to a new tradition,” said Anne commanding everyone’s attention. “To Fuck Knows Day.”
“To Fuck Knows Day,” they all cheered.
“And what about me? said Li Li. “Am I that forgettable?”
They all turned to see her standing at the entrance holding a guitar case in one hand and a violin case in the other.
“You fucking bewdy,” said David. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Hope it’s the right one. I mean, it’s not the one you left behind. It’s new.”
David and Anne both rushed to Li Li and opened the cases.
“Did you organise this?” David asked.
“Did I get it right?”
“Yes, a Maton Messiah…” He strummed the guitar and began to tune it.
“Anne?” she asked about the violin.
“Yes, beautiful, how?”
“Eva’s idea. She asked if anyone played any instruments. Turns out we’ve got a few talented musos arriving. Eva plays a little flamenco and Latin jazz so musical instruments went on the list. I added those. There’s more: drums, flutes. We’ll have music and beer!”
“Well, what is it? Beach cricket or sing-a-longs?” said Archimedes.
“Need a proper campfire for music. I can wait,” said David, looking fondly at the guitar.
“Okay, but a bit of discipline, easy on the beers,” said Anne. “They’ve got to last a few days at least.”
“And stack the empties together. Everything can be reconstituted,” Constance added.
95
The Second
To the ordinary Bhutanese going about their business, the bus looked like any one of a number belonging to package tour companies. This one had a logo that read Snow Lion Tours. Like all the others it waited in the designated bay at Paro Airport as a group of twelve tourists dressed in ubiquitous backpacker clothing (jeans or cargo pants, hiking boots and brightly coloured down or fleece jackets and vests) handed backpacks to the driver and filed on board.
A few of the more attentive locals might have noticed that these particular tourists tended to stay in the hotel rather than go out on day tours. But life in Thimpu was generally quiet and the local politics dull. No one was suspicious, not even the local journalists - the movement of trekkers was hardly news.
They dropped their backpacks in their rooms, freshened up and met again in the lobby a half an hour later, too excited to worry about jet lag. Eva Teixeira was there to greet them.
“Welcome everyone. If you’ll come r
ound this way to the service elevator… We should all squeeze in.”
They did as she suggested and looked around nervously at each other, the more gregarious beginning the process of introduction. When they were all assembled in the elevator Eva used her security card and the elevator descended. A few of the more alert occupants noticed that the level panel indicated G, B then froze, even though it seemed to descend three more levels.
The door hissed open and they filed out. “To the left,” said Eva as she pushed herself to the front. “Follow me.” Around one corner they encountered double glass doors. Eva pushed through and they entered a modest sized conference room. People were already seated: an Indian most recognised as Akash Jayarama, two adolescent girls, two adolescent boys (two with impossibly blond hair) and a pretty, slightly pudgy Asian child, a girl of around ten.
When they had all found their seats Akash stood and the room became silent. “For those of you who don’t know me I’m Akash Jayarama, founder of Shunyata. Now I won’t be hanging around to bore you with speeches. I have other things to attend to. I just wanted to be here to welcome you and to personally thank you for agreeing to come to such a remote but beautiful country under such mysterious circumstances.”
Someone started to applaud but Akash held up his hand. “We won’t keep you in suspense. I’ll hand you over to Eva Teixeira, who you’ve met, and to these exceptional people: Anaïs and Jules Sauvaterre, Freja and Lars Thorsson and Alice Kim. They’ll answer all your questions. Don’t let their age fool you either, especially Alice. She can be a bit bossy but as you’ll soon find out, she knows her stuff. Okay, over to you Eva.”
Eva waited until Akash had left and she had everyone’s full attention. “Okay, you are all about to find out why you’ve been asked here. But first I must warn you that what you are about to see may be disorienting and perhaps even shocking.” She looked around the room slowly. “Although I don’t know why I’m warning you, because nothing can prepare you… Regardless of your reaction I need to remind you that you have signed confidentiality agreements and these will be strictly enforced. You will understand why in due course. If you object to anything you see or hear, you can resign. Let me know and I will arrange for your immediate departure and compensation as per the agreement.”
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