Jan looked past him to Sak. “You! You’re like a fucking magnet to shit! This is your first fuck-up. You’ll pay for your next one,” Jan was now growling with extreme rancor as he turned with the girl, Buzz at his back.
They left, carrying Ghina, and discussing what to do about the gang they saw forming. Jan was talking, “I wanted to kill Sak before, and I think I might put Asa on that list as well.”
“I don’t think killing is allowed here,” Buz replied thoughtfully.
“We’re going to wish we had,” Jan responded. After dropping Ghina off at her wagon to sleep it off, they went back to Winoni’s spot for the tuba, and brought some back for the girls.
The caravan continued into the night, and they finally stopped in pitch black caused by dense cloud cover. There were no moons out tonight. The contisses were tired and complaining. Nobody could see much, unless they shined a light out, and they were trying to save electricity, so lights were used only for security. They finally decided to stop where they were, and to continue in the morning.
Back at Jan’s wagon they all stayed up for a while longer, drinking, talking and planning as usual. They eventually crawled wearily into the wagon, finally going to sleep.
The night was punctuated by gunfire. It had become rather easy to sleep through it by now though.
The next morning, Rachel, who had risen early and was now outside the wagon, awakened the others. She came to the back doors, and opened them wide. She was going on and on about the city. The sky was now clear, and sunlight came blazing in. Those in the wagon got up and out to see.
What they viewed was amazing. Although they weren’t sure where the center of the city was, they could see structures not far from them that were bigger than any the NOV ever had, other than the NOV capital temple. These structures were very different, though. Like the mansion that Dr. Kalep coveted, many had long, slowly sloping graceful lines, stretching upwards for up to eight stories or more. One looked like a gigantic elongated screw. They had never seen so much elaborate architecture. Back in the NOV, everything built aboveground was square and plain — nothing like this. There appeared to be brass designs inlaid into some of the buildings, and most had some type of artistic lean to them.
“Dr. Kalep must feel like he’s died and gone to heaven,” Jan exclaimed. He smiled broadly, as he surveyed the surrounding network of roads and structures. They were still not truly visible because of the all the sand accumulation, but he had developed an eye for it, along with others.
Jan had been a bit sullen the past couple of days, and Martha was happy to see him smiling for more than his usual short moments. She did not know that something was nagging at him.
Jan had not been able put his finger on the feeling, but it was there. Fear and foreboding was on him for no good reason — but then again, the NOV. That’s what’s probably bugging me, he realized. I feel like they’ll come after us. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be able to shake it.
Lep had told him that eighty percent of the population would likely die within three years. Lep said The NOV may never recover. There’s a good chance that they will leave us be, but I just can’t accept that, yet.
Everyone was beginning to mill around, waiting on word of what was next. The planning committee had decided that the safest way to start was to move into a few big buildings as soon as possible, all neighboring each other. They prepared to send out two groups of scouts, mostly hunters, to canvass the area and report back, with maps and photographs of their travels.
Drs. Kalep and Brader would be with the group scouting eastward. Dr. Scrib went with the scouts going west-southwest. The east of their position led towards the river mouth and the ocean, while the southwestward direction went into the western part of the city and south from there. Winoni assisted with Kalep’s group and brought a few miners along with some equipment that would help dig out the way to the entrances of structures of interest. They all rode on contisses or in wagons.
Everyone else just stayed where they were and waited. The area had been secured well the night before. After doing his or her respective chores, most settled down for an early evening. The one’s remaining in Winoni’s wagons broke out the tuba again. They all had a very nice day and evening, singing, dancing, and there were the stirrings of romance in the air. Buz and Tama spent a few hours together, and Jan saw Jasma with a bottle of yama wine in her hand, cornering a hunter that was taking a break.
When it was beginning to get dark, Dr. Scrib’s group came back first from the southwest, bringing photos of a well-laid road structure. The most remarkable thing they found was a magnificent temple. Its peak was made of solid gold, and it was structured like a tall, narrow four-sided pyramid, but once again had the sloping, inward-leaning concave lines on the westward edge. It had multiple smaller duplicate outbuildings attached around it, asymmetrically placed, with pointed tops of varying heights, which peaked out lower than the primary peak of the central pyramidal structure.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Kalep’s group returned from the eastern area. They brought with them a wonderful surprise — the skeleton crews that had been waiting in the three boats that had indeed made it safely all the way down to the river’s mouth. Those boats would certainly be useful, and they made plans to go back and get the rest. Everyone was happy to see them back safely.
Kalep’s group was stirred with tales of fantastic structures. “We were able to enter one, and it went up high enough to see the ocean!” he said enthusiastically. “We have so many places to choose from, I can’t decide!” He was now laughing hysterically.
Decide they did, though. After careful descriptions and study of the maps, they all decided that they would go east, toward the ocean, to a section of city that the hunters said would be easy to defend. Animals would not be so much of a problem as thought, because they had been unable to penetrate the predator-proof construction of the Platacs. Once inside the few buildings they had entered, Kalep’s group found they were relatively clear of debris and sand.
Like everyone, Ziba was enchanted by the photos and descriptions. “Let us thank God for our new lives in — New Aletia!” The ones around her joined in, shouting, “God bless New Aletia!” and the chorus spread down the line to the very end of the caravan. New Aletia was born on this day.
Chapter Twenty-One
New Aletia
T
he New Aletians worked very hard, and the days passed quickly. They had chosen to occupy three buildings adjacent to one another, relatively close to the ocean. One had been a grand office building at one time. Next to that sat what once
was a tall luxury hotel, and they also dug into an outstanding colossal underground apartment building for the families to use. With a little tweaking, Winoni’s crews were able to connect generators they brought with them to the wiring in the apartment building first, for the families. Then Winoni did the same for the other buildings. The sewage system was simple and relatively intact. Plumbing was a big problem, but they were able to take advantage of a water main that came straight from a defunct reservoir next to the river. It took two months to clear and clean it all, but they now had water. The water pipes in the buildings were made of almost pure agrist — they had not cracked or corroded, but connections were a problem. The few plumbers they had worked around the clock, repairing leaks as they arose. Winoni was able to have his people recondition the fixtures and toilets. The parts needed were being made in the machine shop he had set up in the office building. In about three months, most units had electricity and water available, with working bathrooms. The storage areas were found, and revealed stocks of many necessities, light bulbs in particular being happily discovered. Half of the bulbs did not work, but rather than divert Winoni’s resources to the task of manufacturing them, teams of scouts were chosen to dig into the neighboring buildings, scavenging what they could.
At first, the colonists were awestruck by the beauty of the decorative walls inside the hotel and office building, along with
the wondrous arched hallways filled with remarkable paintings and other works of art. In time, however, most folks seemed not to notice the art as much, and some youngsters had written graffiti on a few pieces, which others took down to try to restore.
It took about six months to reach the point that they possessed an oversized perimeter cleared of most dangerous animals that inhabited it. They used the blogs they captured, their “predator alarms,” on not only the trip, but also here in the city as well. The people divided up the chores, which they fulfilled for the most part. Digging out streets and such was a never-ending task.
In the beginning, the yama fields in the ocean were easy to harvest. The overgrowth of yama, unharvested for one hundred years, had crept up to the shoreline from a crevice that ran miles out into the ocean. This yama field was not far to the south of where the river met the ocean. By the time that six months had passed, they saw that they were using it up quickly, and would eventually need to go out to deeper into the ocean to harvest yama.
Winoni had his mini-smelter working. He had found an old mineral processing plant near the southern end of the city, and set it up there. It would take time to get it up and going, so in the meantime they melted down scavenged metals — this was much easier than mining and processing raw ore. He still needed raw ores though, chromium and nickel for certain, in order to produce the best alloys for the particular job. Winoni needed these ores to refine, smelt and machine certain parts needed to get the grinders and such at the plant going.
A group of hunters found old mines not far from the plant, but they remained unexcavated for now. New Aletia had few skilled miners in the group. Nothing along those lines was operational yet, and Winoni had expected to be the master hero when it came to providing invaluable devices, parts, and machines here. Instead, he had become the master ‘bitcher’, due to his unending frustration with what he felt was close to zero production. He spent all his time telling newbies what they were doing wrong. Martha joined in with Winoni’s team, having more mining experience than most, but the starting was still very slow.
Jan was standing outside one day, in the courtyard that was set before the apartment building. He was scratching at his leg. His sores were becoming more numerous, and Dr. Bilge, the one health-care doctor that had survived thus far only stocked a basic antibiotic ointment for sores. Everyone was getting more sores. The doctor said that it was because there were different strains of organisms in the city, for which their immune systems needed to adjust.
In addition, many people needed enzymes. Enzyme extracts from yama were difficult to produce, and required sophisticated resources. Winoni did not yet have the time to build a laboratory to manufacture such. Therefore, stomach and other digestive problems were abounding. Dr. Kalep had finished the last of his enzymes months ago, and was in pain daily. He had succumbed to adding raw splint bile to his daily regimen, but it was harsh, and gave an aftertaste like vomit.
Jan had lately been helping Dr. Kalep’s surveying team. He found it interesting to see the varieties of architecture, and with Dr. Kalep’s input, he got a lot out of it, and developed a high appreciation of the Platac culture.
He was now thinking about what Rebecca had said about the yama. They were finishing their stock of the old dried yama they had brought along with them. The fresh yama needed to be cured, dried, and processed properly, which took time. Winoni was also consuming the fresh yama for use in the hydrogen generators. These were huge aquariums filled with yama. The hydrogen they produced was collected and cooled to a liquid for storage. They needed it for the electrical generators, stoves, and the vaccine module’s temperature control system.
The clouds of oxygen bubbles released by the concentration of yama in the ocean served to help somewhat with sores for those who dared to go in and bathe there. Nobody had seen a molick yet, but there were many hazards besides that ocean creature.
Pladises had started to infiltrate the apartment complex somehow, causing nasty red stripes of infection on the residents. For now, they focused on filling whatever cracks there were in the walls of the underground complex.
Jan looked out towards the ocean and thought again how warm, clean, and clear it was when he was up close. It was not at all like his family’s trips to the dirty beaches and seawater that bordered the NOV. He scratched another sore.
He was outside, waiting for Rachel and Rebecca to come up from the apartment, along with Jo, Jan’s one-month-old baby boy.
Rebecca came up with the baby. “Rachel is still with Dr. Kalep’s crew helping with the city mapping.” It was her first day.
Rebecca continued, “They still haven’t found a theater yet, and she’s obsessed with finding one,” she said.
“She’s homesick,” Jan replied. Rachel had been in a funk, even before the baby was born. “If I have to hear her say, ‘There’s nothing to do’ again, I’m going to volunteer her into the mines,” Jan joked, chuckling.
Other than assisting Dr. Bilge for the occasional emergency, Rachel was usually home with Jo, unless someone was home while she was able to go out.
Rebecca cooed into the baby’s face, and giggled at the baby’s reaction. “Who’s a good boy?” she said, over and over.
Jan looked at her and smiled, thinking, she’s a gem. She loves Jo as much as Rachel does. For a moment he regretted Rebecca did not have her own baby now, but quickly put that thought out of his mind.
“What’s Mom doing in the apartment?” Jan asked Rebecca.
“Scratching and bitching, as usual,” Rebecca replied, as the thought caused her to scratch at one on the side of her neck. “Everybody’s complaining about these damn sores. I think it’s starting to really get them down.”
“You know, you’re right,” said Jan. “Even Jasma’s been in a foul mood lately. She not only has more sores now, there’s something that’s eating away at the scales and skin of her left foot.”
Rebecca agreed, “I know. Since she and Ziba had that falling out last month, they both look miserable. I haven’t seen them together at the love circles.”
Jan and Rebecca started their way towards the beach, which was about a thirty-minute walk away. They took turns holding Jo. Along the way, Jan mentioned the meetings. “Why are so many people skipping the love-circles? It’s only once a week, but some folks haven’t been there for months now.”
“I don’t know,” said Rebecca.
“I think it’s because there’s no NOV here,” Jan said.
“What do you mean?” Rebecca asked.
Jan felt that he could see it, easily, “Now that they believe there’s no enemy of love, they’re not compelled to practice it. They’ve become less interested in the love-circles because they don’t need them as a defense anymore.”
He heard the Guide. “They don’t know that their need to channel love is greater than ever here,” and continuing, “Enemies can be invisible as well as visible. There would be no NOV without the dragon, and each person here has brought the dragon with them — everybody.”
Jan felt a sudden chill, knowing the Guide meant him, too. He said to Rebecca, “We need to push now, to keep the love-circles going, and it’s time to try to talk the non-LERN people here into attending, if not to just watch. We must keep this routine. It’s our way, and it is because of our way that everyone here was saved. It is because of this discipline that we are the kind of people we are.”
Rebecca turned her head to Jan and said, “That sounds a little like the NOV to me, I’m sure it’ll sound that way to the people you want to force, and others. Maybe you should talk to Ziba about it.”
They were heading for the yama fields. Rebecca had become a quick expert in yama. Although he had passed by briefly before, this was Jan’s first opportunity to spend some time close up. When they got to the beach, Rebecca handed Jo to Jan, and ran ahead of them in the dazzling fine white sand to the water. When Jan got there, she was knee deep in the salty water. There was a steady breeze from the west, blowing much of the hy
per-oxygenated air seaward. The waves were gentle. Fortunately, the water was pristine. With the white sand under the water, one could see if a “bad” fish was coming from a distance. They were just on the edge of the yama field. It coated this part of the bottom of the ocean in a relatively thin strip that grew thicker the further it was from the beach, following and dropping into the ocean’s crevice from which it came. One could see that Winoni and company had already harvested big sections. Here, it was about six inches thick. Rebecca knew it would be low tide now, which made it unbelievably easy to grab with one’s hands.
Rebecca waded into the yama, bent down into the water, and came up with her hands cupped, full of fresh stuff she just pulled from the bottom. The water was bubbling all around her with oxygen from the yama she was standing in. She came up out of the water grinning from ear to ear. “Here,” she said, sticking out her hands, “Smell this!”
Jan did the obligatory smell, and realized, “It smells wonderful! That’s what fresh yama smells like? It smells like, what?” He took another sniff and said, “It smells like when it rains or something. There’s a little fishy smell in there too, I think.”
Rebecca held the spongy substance to her face, and then just sunk her face into it, smelling it up, and going, “Mmmmmmmm.” She looked up at Jan, and asked, “Doesn’t it smell ‘healthy’?”
Jan asked, “What’s fresh raw yama taste like?”
Rebecca said, “Not too bad, it is kind of fishy. Want to try?” She held out her hands again. The yama was very white, but had dark speckles imbedded in it.
“Why not?” Jan said and he plucked off a good-sized piece. He took a bite of it, and quickly spit it out, making an awful face.
Rebecca was holding a blank expression hard when Jan bit into it, but not now. She started laughing, and said, “I did the same thing!” Then she noticed the baby that Jan was holding. “Jo’s turning red!”
Dystopyum (The D-ot Hexalogy Book 1) Page 29