Suddenly there was a guttural cry of pain from a misjudged jab. There were more cries and the remaining raiders were waking and reaching for their swords. They had to move quickly. She could hear the clash of weapons and cries of panic and alarm. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of her team block a downward slash of a sword with her armoured forearm and return with a thrust of her own sword into his naked chest. It was not an elegant parry but the girl was panicked. She heard a cry behind her and turned to see a tall man, his eyes wide with fear, rush at her and swipe at her with a knife. She felt a burning sensation across her cheek. She had been cut. One part of her mind froze with shock, fortunately her training kicked in and she blocked the next slash, plunging her own knife into the man’s throat and through to his spine. He dropped instantly.
She heard her name called and ran to its source. The camp had suddenly become eerily silent, all of the men dead, except for solitary curses in a guttural language.
“I have their leader,” someone yelled.
One of her girls had a heavily bearded man in an arm lock, her dagger at his throat, ready to slice. At his feet was a naked youth whimpering with fear. She had heard that these raiders often took boys as sexual playthings. The women were kept at home and non-marital sex was strictly forbidden. Their patriarchal culture had adapted to the restrictions by allowing important men to keep beardless boys to use for sexual release. She felt sorry for the boy, until she remembered that many of the men in the camp had similarly been raped as part of the process of brutalisation. Without intervention, the crying boy would likely become as brutal as the men around him.
Angered she walked up to the man and released her fangs. He went pale with terror. She did not hesitate. As the girl holding him stood back she slashed with her all her might, severing the man’s head instantly. She recoiled as blood gushed from the neck and the body dropped, but she could not stop at the horror of it all, she had to plant specific images in the terrified mind of the boy. She grabbed the head by the hair and dropped it in front of the boy. Then she did something she had not planned. She pissed on the head with the boy gawping at the sight of her naked, gushing cunt. She leant forward, showed her fangs and her alien eyes and growled in rehearsed Pashtun. “Deliver this head to its master and tell him the east is forbidden. All who trespass will die. The dakini protect this land.”
The boy began to shake uncontrollably. She grabbed him by the throat and pulled his face close to hers so he could get a good look at her eyes. She hissed, “understand?” The boy nodded and she released him, leaving him to two of her girls to help him dress and pack his horse. They showed him kindness and when he got an involuntary erection because of the sight of their naked slits, they gently teased him, rubbed up against him and masturbated him to a quick ejaculation to help calm him. He would now be confounded by conflicting emotions – fear and desire, horror and fascination – all of which would help feed a vivid imagination and encourage him to tell fantastic tales of beautiful and dangerous jinn.
Her wound was dressed with biogel. “The cut is deep. You’ll need surgery to avoid scarring,” she was told.
“I’m not sure they have refined surgical skills here on Earth. Perhaps a scar will remind me to pay closer attention. Besides, they can remove the scar later.”
The rest of the unit checked to see that all the men were dead. They did not bury them. Instead they left them as carrion, knowing that in the raider’s religion a proper burial was essential to enter paradise. Perhaps it would make them think twice if they knew wild dogs and vultures would eat their flesh and scatter their bones.
As a final act they secreted nano drones into the boy’s pack and to his further horror and amazement, flew into the sky and disappeared.
115
The Second
It was not what Eva wanted to hear. One of the team members, Rafael, had been discovered sending a text message to an unapproved source. What disappointed her the most was that he clearly knew he was breaking his agreement. He had been quite deliberate in his deception. On a shopping visit into Thimpu he had asked to borrow the phone of a local girl, paying her far more than the call would cost. He had hoped that in doing so, he would somehow miss detection. Unfortunately he did not understand how parochial Thimpu was and that her brother knew that Shunyata would pay well for just such information. The family received a cash reward and the girl was rewarded with the latest phone and a new laptop. She surrendered her old phone without complaint and the text message was recovered and traced. It read simply (in Spanish): P. All is fine. In fact it is out of this world. R. The P stood for Paloma Carabajal.
Eva informed Aviva immediately and they started an investigation, leaving Rafael for Eva to deal with. It was a serious breach. The message was enough to alert any number of interested parties. It could also be of no consequence, a turn of phrase that might mean nothing. Much would hinge on who this mysterious Paloma was. Aviva said they had to assume the worst but hope for the best.
She had come to trust Anaïs’s psychological insight, despite her age. Together they devised a strategy. Anaïs pointed out that Rafael knew too much for them to simply fire him. He was still a valuable member of the team. She had to agree with Anaïs that Rafael had betrayed the team’s trust and that they should be the ones to decide his fate. She talked eloquently about the principles of restorative justice, arguing that this would be a useful experiment in conflict resolution within the colony.
He was surprised when he was called to his first interview with Eva and Anaïs. He smiled but was met with efficient indifference.
“We are acting on behalf of Shunyata’s security protocols. We have full authority,” said Eva.
“Wow, this is a bit heavy,” he said, trying to make light of the situation.
“We have evidence that you have breached your contract.”
“Discúlpeme?”
“You contacted a Paloma Carabajal. You bribed a Bhutanese citizen to let you use her phone.”
“Cómo… I mean, how did you…?”
“This is a serious breach. Enough to terminate your contract and invoke the disciplinary provisions.”
“You can’t be serious. It was nothing.”
“Then why not seek formal clearance? Why be so underhand?”
“You don’t understand…” he began to complain.
“Rafael,” said Anaïs softly. “This isn’t just about any formal contract with Shunyata. Truth is, that contract has no legal standing on Eden. But you have broken the contract of trust with your fellow team members, many of whom have become your friends.”
“Is this emotional blackmail?”
“You have potentially jeopardised their lives and compromised the mission,” said Anaïs more forcefully. “You must make a full account.”
“Or else what?”
Eva frowned. “Do I have to spell it out? You are a guest of the king of Bhutan and Shunyata’s has his full support. Whilst Bhutan is no longer an absolute monarchy, the authorities consider his wishes very seriously. You are far from home and the protections of Spanish law. Do you understand now?”
Rafael went pale.
“Who is this Paloma Carabajal to you?” Anaïs asked. “She is very beautiful. Was she a lover?” She handed a small screen to Rafael. He looked at it with complete shock. It contained a detailed profile of Paloma.
“We prefer to think you have been very naïve,” said Eva. “You have railed against the power of corporations yet you seem to have underestimated Shunyata’s resources and will.”
“We know she is a student at Barcelona. She has been very active in anarchist politics and the indignants street protests. She has been arrested three times…”
“I didn’t think it was any of your business…”
“What do you really know about Paloma?” Eva interrupted angrily. “The activist groups have been infiltrated by corporate and government double agents. How do you know she isn’t working for them?”
“I tr
ust her.”
“What, like we trusted you?” Anaïs asked, pointing to his naivety.
“She was a good friend. Yes, we made love…”
“We asked you to reveal any close relationships. It was a factor in our selection process. Obviously we needed people with as few attachments as possible for precisely this reason,” said Anaïs.
“It happened quickly, after I had applied. She’d just broken up with a girlfriend. I didn’t think… A week, that’s all. An opportunistic affair. You know how it is,” he pleaded.
“So you were thinking with your cock. Didn’t the timing seem strange?” Eva asked.
His face flushed with embarrassment at the realisation he might have been played. “What red blooded man wouldn’t?”
“Were you aware that her father is Juan Paolo Carabajal, a wealthy businessman with links to Opus Dei? Her grandfather supported the fascists,” Eva said sharply.
“She said she didn’t have much to do with her family. It is not unusual for children to rebel.”
“It is also not unusual for the children of the rich to have their little rebellion and return to the fold,” said Anaïs sympathetically.
Rafael bowed his head in recognition of her point.
“The thing is that we have to know for certain. We can’t leave anything to chance. Cooperate and we will deal leniently with you. Tell us all you know about this Paloma and tell us everything you told her. Did you tell her you had been approached by Shunyata and was that before or after you started fucking?” Eva asked.
Rafael seemed confused as he tried to remember. His eyes grew wide with the dawning realisation. “We had been drinking; we got stoned. I don’t remember. I must have let it slip. She came back that night.”
Anaïs shook her head. “I suppose she was suddenly very accommodating? Did she say she liked it in the arse, en el culo?” She repeated the Spanish slowly.
He nodded and blushed a deep red.
“Engañar, pollo de cerebros,” Eva spat. “You guys fall for it every time.”
“What happens next?” he mumbled.
“Aviva and Akash have agreed that this is a matter for the team. You have betrayed their trust. Your fate is in their hands,” said Anaïs.
“And Paloma?”
“Are you still that naïve Rafael?” Eva said as she stood. “If she is a threat she will be neutralised.”
“What does that mean?” he asked nervously.
“You will be confined to your room. Your data access will be restricted. Don’t even think you can escape. I mean, where would you go? The first snows have come. As for Paloma, her fate is in her hands. If she cooperates all will be well.”
Aviva sent a special team to Barcelona. They monitored Paloma’s calls and movements. If she had been in contact with other parties, she was hiding it well. After a period of three days of close surveillance they noticed she had begun to search for articles on interstellar travel. She avoided conspiracy sites and was instead searching for scientific papers. This indicated that Paloma was smart. They checked her school records and began to build a profile that, ironically, suggested she was an ideal candidate for Shunyata. Aviva contacted Eva and suggested she fly to Barcelona immediately.
“In and out. Take Anaïs with you if you like. You can turn it around in twenty-four hours. Make a direct approach. See if you can bring her in.”
“But we are close to launch,” Eva objected.
“I know, but we have to contain this with as little fuss as possible. I know it’s a high risk strategy, but I have a gut feeling.”
She was smaller than they expected, around one and half metres, with a pierced nose, thick black hair and heavy eyebrows; very beautiful in an unkempt, student way; dressed casually in torn jeans, a faded retro anarchist t-shirt and an open military style khaki jacket; a backpack slung over one shoulder. They were waiting at the entrance of the metro station she used every day near the university on Ronda de Sant Antoni, pretending to be commuters, their minds buzzing with a combination of adrenalin and jet lag.
“I can understand why Rafael fell for her,” said Eva as she watched Paloma approach, a pair of impressive breasts bouncing around freely under her t-shirt as she half ran and walked up the subway stairs, her head bobbing to music on headphones (the fact that she was not wearing a bra suggested to Anaïs a lack of inhibition). There was a certain grace in the way she moved, suggesting she had trained as a dancer or gymnast as a child.
To appear as non-threatening as possible, Anaïs made the approach. She smiled at Paloma and Paloma smiled back immediately at the pretty adolescent, revealing what Anaïs thought was a rather cute gap between her generous front teeth.
“Excuse moi, parlez vou Française?” Anaïs asked.
“Oui, certainment. Comment puis-je vous aider?”
“Je suis Anaïs, Paloma…”
Paloma was startled at the mention of her name. “Comment savez-vous…”
“Estoy Eva Teixeira,” Eva said as she stepped forward. “We’d like to buy you a coffee and make you an interesting proposition. We know you don’t have classes right away.”
Anaïs smiled warmly and touched Paloma gently on the arm. “You are interested in interstellar travel are you not? Rafael has been less than discrete.” Paloma stood frozen for a moment, trying to digest what she had just heard. Anaïs took her arm in hers and gently led her toward a café around the corner on Plaça Universitat. “Tengo mucho hambre,” she whispered. “No sirven churros?”
Paloma nodded quietly, too shocked to resist. They found a seat outside the Bar Estudiantil, unconcerned that they might be overheard. The street noise would muffle the mixture of French, English and Spanish. They warned her that what she was about to hear was confidential and that there might be serious consequences if she dared speak of it. This only intrigued her more. They talked for half an hour over a meal of baked eggs, churros, torrijas and rich, black coffee. They answered her every question and asked for her side of the story. She confessed she had slept with Rafael because he had let it slip he had been approached by Shunyata.
“You fucked him to get information? Eva accused her.
“No, not at all,” she replied angrily. “I was thinking of fucking him anyway. I like sex. I fuck a lot. No, I was intrigued. Besides, the best conversations happen after sex, after the distractions and small talk of seduction. As a child I read a lot of science fiction. I wanted to find out about antigrav and quantum data. I like tech. I also wondered why Shunyata was interested in Permaculture.”
“Clever girl,” said Eva. “You worked it out?”
“Not exactly, I dared not think…”
“Until Rafael’s message?”
“Yes, obviously you were planning to set up a colony. We have discovered many exoplanets, but the governments are all bankrupt and inept. Space has been privatised. It had to be a corporation, a very wealthy corporation. If the physics was possible and affordable, it was only a matter of time. I just didn’t know you had done it already.”
“How does your politics fit in?” asked Anaïs.
“Have you heard of a novel called The Dispossessed?”
Eva shook her head.
“Le Guin. It makes sense,” said Anaïs, quick to understand.
“It was an inspiration. And of course, with the Spanish tradition of anarcho-syndicalism… My degree is in law and political theory. Is this what you plan?”
“It would seem to be the best model for a society of postconventional thinkers. You are familiar…”
“Yes, yes, of course. I have been thinking along the same lines. What if we could somehow boost the base IQ? What would such a society look like? Of course it could not be authoritarian. The citizens would not accept it. Authoritarian systems demand the compliant minds of the uneducated.”
Anaïs smiled. “You have not commented on my young age?”
Eva frowned, concerned that Anaïs was going too quickly.
“Well, I did wonder. But surely not? S
urely we are not there yet, at least legally?” Paloma asked as she leant forward to take a closer look.
“Do you have any ethical or political concerns?”
“Not if I can have cat ears.”
Anaïs laughed and Eva shook her head in disbelief. “Una chica friki.”
“Si, una friki, una chica loca, una chica anarquista, una chica pansexual, es que un problema?” Paloma asked as she pulled a funny face at Eva.
“No, no, nada. You just don’t seem the geek type.”
“I like to subvert expectations.”
Anaïs and Paloma continued to talk in a kind of shorthand, almost finishing each other’s sentences. Eva was less certain and thought Anaïs had become too affected by Paloma’s charisma. To Eva she seemed unpredictable, wild. Having her join the team was a risk.
Anaïs took a final bite of her churros and took a long sip of coffee. “Well, I’m satisfied.” She looked at Eva for confirmation and Eva shrugged her shoulders with resignation. She didn’t like the idea but Aviva had said to bring her in. “So Paloma, how would you like to leave with us?” Anaïs asked.
“Today? Ahora?”
“Oui, maintenant.”
“But I will need to pack. My passport...”
“Actually you don’t. Our team can tidy things up and we have new papers. You are now rich bitch Maria Gomez going on a shopping trip to Paris,” said Eva reaching into her bag to reveal a travel wallet.
“I suppose given what I know, I don’t really have a choice…”
Anaïs gave a knowing smile. “But didn’t you decide a long, long time ago?”
Paloma smiled mischievously. “Do we teleport?”
Anaïs laughed. “Sorry, conventional flight, although it is a rather comfortable private jet.”
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