Civilization

by Stephen Drake

  “Well, my dear,” Phylicia started, once she’d gotten control of her emotions. “You were certainly gone for a while. Where did you go?”

  “I have no idea,” Annie answered honestly. She saw Phylicia turn quickly toward her and glare.

  “You were gone for three days and you have no idea where you went?” Phylicia asked. “Very well, since you don’t know where you went, tell us who you saw.”

  “I have no idea what has happened to me since the time I left here,” Annie replied. “I don’t know where I went or who I saw.”

  “She’s lying.” Palmer said hotly. “She’s covering for Murdock!”

  “Why would she do that?” Doctor Harris asked Palmer. “She doesn’t owe him anything. She hasn’t known him long enough to throw all of her training down the drain!” The statement was more a warning than a defense; a warning to Annie.

  “Did Murdock do anything to you?” Phylicia asked Annie.

  “He said he removed all memories of the past three days from my brain,” Annie replied co-operatively.

  “That would be impossible,” Doctor Harris said heatedly. “No one can remove memories!”

  “No one? Or do you mean you can’t?” Annie asked the doctor pointedly.

  “It would be impossible without the use of drugs,” the doctor replied adamantly. “And the drugs would only block the memories after the fact!”

  “Well, he gave me no drugs that I’m aware of,” Annie retorted. “You, Doctor Harris, can look for injection sites, once we have privacy,” Annie said after seeing the leer in Palmer’s eye.

  “Did Murdock give you any messages that were to be delivered to us?” Phylicia asked slyly.

  “None whatsoever,” Annie replied.

  Phylicia paced around the area without saying anything for a few minutes. “Okay, we’re done. I would just ask that if you remember anything, please come tell me immediately and please stick close to the pod for the next few days.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Palmer raged, finally getting to his feet.

  “Annie, you can go, but I want you two to stay,” Phylicia said to Doctor Harris and Palmer. Harris and Palmer knew enough to keep quiet until Annie was out of ear-shot.

  “She was lying,” Palmer raged again, once Annie was gone. “She was covering for that bastard Murdock!”

  “I don’t think she was,” Phylicia said softly, almost as if she were talking to herself. “I think Murdock knew we’d question her and he didn’t want us to know anything. He seems to be very clever, more than we gave him credit for. Against my orders, Annie managed to get out of the pod area,” she looked at Palmer, who blushed. “I’m still wondering how she pulled that off. And now, Annie is returned with no clue as to where she’s been or who she’s seen.” She was walking around thinking. “Was that true what you said about removing memories?” she asked Doctor Harris.

  “Have you ever had a surgery that required you to be unconscious?” Harris asked Phylicia. “If a patient,” she continued after Phylicia indicated the negative, “requires a surgery where they have to be unconscious, they can be given a benzodiazepine combined with Fentanyl so that the patient doesn’t remember the surgery once it’s over, as an example.”

  “Do you think Murdock would have access to any drugs like that?” Phylicia asked Harris.

  “If he does, we’re going to need them. From what I’ve been able to inventory, there are no drugs of that nature, in our supplies,” Harris explained.

  “Interesting,” Phylicia said contemplatively. “I think you should inspect her for injection sites, though I doubt you’ll find any,” Phylicia told Doctor Harris. “I want you,” she said to Palmer, “to put a couple of good men to follow her for the next few days! I don’t want her leaving! Understand? I don’t want to be informed that you let her escape again!” She took pride in Palmer’s bright red face.

  #

  “So, how did it go?” Mei Lee asked her husband telepathically.

  “About what I expected,” Murdock responded. He had contacted Mei Lee when he reached a point downriver from the current pod site.

  “That bad, huh?”

  Murdock communicated to Mei Lee all that had happened when he tried to get someone to get Declan so he could talk to him.

  “You know me. I don’t tolerate being shoved, pushed, or grabbed. I just react.” he explained.

  “Add to that, your people skills are sadly lacking,” Mei Lee chided.

  “I know,” Murdock replied. “I keep hoping that some of the people I meet would show a little more respect. You’d think they would realize that I have survived here for five years and they have just arrived and know nothing.”

  “But they are coming from Earth and their last memories were of a place that they knew all the rules. They don’t know the rules here and they don’t know that most everything they had learned means little or nothing here. You have to give them time to adjust.”

  “Do I? I hope the wildlife here gives them a chance to adjust.” Murdock was getting a little petulant. He had always felt that he should have taken care of Whittier at his first opportunity. If he had, maybe Rose would still be alive. But you know that isn’t in your nature, he thought, but maybe it should be. Murdock dismissed the thoughts as stemming from his extreme frustration with people in general.

  “Did you get to talk to Rose’s brother?” Mei Lee asked after a long pause, changing the subject.

  “Yes, he said next month would be better.”

  “So, what’s your plan?”

  “My plan is to get home as soon as possible. I will look for an acceptable spot to locate Annie’s house, though.”

  “I think you need to discuss it with Annie before you do any building. It will be her house so she needs to have a hand in the designing of it.”

  “Point taken, but I can still look for a good spot to put it.”

  #

  A few days after Annie Cooper’s return, the task of building the meeting hall and council chamber fell to Declan. He knew nothing about building anything, but he did do the leg work to get those who did, prepared for the undertaking. They spent the better part of a day trying to decide where to build it and which way windows and doors should face. After all that was settled, Declan sent for Phylicia and Palmer to get their approval on the project.

  “How big is it going to be?” Phylicia asked after Declan finished explaining his thoughts and plans.

  “How big do you want it to be?” Declan asked with a shrug.

  “I’d say a square one thousand feet on a side,” Palmer chimed in. Both Declan and Phylicia looked at him in disbelief.

  “Would you be serious?” Phylicia snapped back at Palmer.

  “I am serious,” Palmer replied. “It should be a grand building!”

  “Okay, then, be practical. It will probably be the first human building on this planet!” Phylicia corrected.

  “I think it should be at least three stories tall!” Palmer added after Phylicia corrected him.

  “I’d say two stories, at the most with the upper story as the council’s quarters,” Phylicia stated giving Palmer a warning look. “I do want it big enough to allow everyone enough room inside for colony meetings and such.”

  “I’ll check with the contractor to see what it will involve. I am assuming that there should be a fireplace for heat and cooking should an emergency arise?” Declan asked Phylicia.

  “Of course,” Phylicia responded. “It should also have plenty of storage space for wood, water, and extra food. How long will it take to build?”

  “I’ll have to check with the contractor on completion time and get back to you. I assume you will give the project top priority?” Declan asked.

  “I would like it done yesterday!” Palmer commanded.

  “That will be fine, Declan, but I am thinking that it would be better on the other side of the transport pod. If it is as tall as I think it will be, we could use its height to extend our sight toward the river and toward the
forbidden ridges.” Phylicia had been wandering around picturing it all in her mind. She could see the advantage of it being a little further away from the stream if it gave them a longer vision range. “Did you find any farmers in this crowd?” Phylicia asked Declan as an after-thought.

  “I did find a few farmers as well as a few builders. The same for metal workers, cabinet makers, butchers, and masons,” Declan informed her. “The majority of the people have no special skill.”

  “We only need one of each skillset so the others should all work under the ones with the most experience,” Phylicia explained. “Use the unskilled for anything that calls for brute strength. They will be the ones that are expendable. We’re also going to need paper and writing utensils, so get on that as well.”

  “Why don’t you, or Palmer, deal with some of that?” Declan asked. He felt like she was trying to bury him under all the tasks that needed to be done.

  Phylicia led Declan aside to talk privately. “Surely you don’t expect me to do those sorts of things! And Palmer is useless,” Phylicia responded conspiratorially. “You heard him yourself! He has no practical ideas or suggestions!”

  “Then why is he on the council?” Declan asked.

  “He’s on the council because the little people want him on it. What that means for you and me is we have to get everything done. All we can hope for is enough people see how impotent he is and get rid of him,” Phylicia said as she walked away with a sad look on her face.

  #

  After her back was turned to Declan, the smallest hint of a smile danced briefly across her face. These fools have no clue, she thought. She already had control of Palmer, for the most part, and was gaining control of Declan. Soon, I’ll have complete control over the council. Then I’ll control everyone!

  #

  Declan understood that the conference was over when Phylicia turned her back and walked away. He was feeling over-whelmed with all the tasks that were being assigned to him. Somewhere deep inside, he was thankful that he was being kept busy. He didn’t want to think about his sister and the work helped somewhat, during the day. He knew he would have to figure out what he was going to do. He knew nothing of farming or anything else that would be productive to the colony. He didn’t have the skills or the experience to even begin to take care of his needs in a wild environment. He had trouble in the civilized world before the take-over. If it wouldn’t have been for Rose, he had no idea where he would be now; probably in a prison or dead.

  After locating the contractor and discussing the changes to the original planned construction, Declan talked to a few of the farmers and hunters. He managed to get them to agree to co-operate somewhat. The hunters agreed to take one or two of the farmers with them when they go out hunting. The farmers were looking for some wild varieties of wheat or rice. The hunters had no idea what the grains looked like standing in a field. The farmers were willing to go looking on their own, but Phylicia had decreed that no one be out wandering around alone. The hunters, having finally deciding to try to locate the river and bring back some of the larger fish, thought the farmers could help carry back any fish they managed to catch.

  After the hunters left with a couple of farmers, Declan spent the rest of the day asking around if anyone knew anything about making paper or writing utensils of any kind. After asking everyone, and having no luck, Declan had another discussion with the contractor about locating a stand of trees. The contractor wanted to look up on the ridge that over-looked the stream. Declan, trying to abide by Murdock’s rules emphatically declined. Instead, he instructed the contractor to start with the trees that lined the stream, but the contractor was also given orders not to clear-cut the stream bank.

  By the end of the day, Declan was exhausted. He had managed to get the meeting hall project started, the hunters had returned with plenty of fish for everyone and the farmers managed to find what appeared to be a kind of barley growing wild close to the river; they weren’t positive and further investigation was needed, but it was promising. As it was getting dark, he collected his ration of fish, built a fire by the stream, and got the fish cooking before he could relax and get off his feet.

  “May I join you?” Phylicia asked as he was tending the cooking fish and not paying attention to his surroundings.

  “Of course,” he responded quickly with a forced smile. “The fish isn’t finished, but you can join me when it is.”

  “I’ve eaten,” she said declining the invitation tersely. “I just wanted to get to know you better. You do seem to be quite a proficient manager, even if you are a bit too introspective. Have you always been this quiet or did it come on you since you talked to Murdock?”

  “I prefer to keep to myself,” Declan responded while tending the fish.

  “I’ve noticed that. Tell me about you?” she asked slyly. “Any brothers or sisters?”

  “If I did, you would be the last person I’d tell anything to,” Declan said coldly without looking at Phylicia. As soon as she had asked the question, Declan heard Murdock’s words of warning again inside his mind. Since his last talk with Murdock, Declan had been watching Phylicia closely and could see that she was clearly taking over all leadership of the colony. As he picked at the cooked fish and nibbled some, he thought he was still on the council just to stay on the inside and know what was going on. Otherwise, he had no good reason to remain.

  “That is no way to talk to a lady,” Phylicia retorted with mock petulance.

  IF there were a lady present, I wouldn’t, Declan thought. Maybe it would be better not to antagonizing her needlessly. “I’m wise to your taking over leadership of the colony.” He could see Phylicia start to protest. “I’m not opposed to that. I don’t want it and Palmer getting it would be a huge mistake. I’m content in my current position.” Declan could see Phylicia relax.

  “So, I take it that you support me in this enterprise?” Phylicia asked.

  “No, you can’t make that assumption.”

  Phylicia looked stricken which transformed into a tense anger that Declan could see clearly. “I’m sorry, what can I count on from you?” she asked tensely.

  “First, you don’t assume anything, not with me. Second, I won’t oppose you openly and will continue to try to do as you ask. Third, I will be free to leave when I choose and return when I choose.”

  “Is that all?” Phylicia asked impatiently.

  “That’s all. I am not your friend or your ally, so don’t make the mistake of thinking that,” Declan warned.

  “And if I don’t agree?” Phylicia asked cautiously.

  “I’ll make sure that everyone knows what you’ve been up to and what you’re planning.”

  “That would be a mistake.” Phylicia grinned slyly. “Most of the people wouldn’t care and the rest would support me. That threat is an empty one. Repeat it again, and you’ll . . . disappear!”

  #

  Ben Palmer was standing under the shadow of the transport and surreptitiously observing Phylicia talking to Declan. She had said to not disturb them during the conversation in such a way that Palmer knew he had better restrain himself. He had been leaning on the landing skid closest to the pair’s conversation waiting for her to finish. Kimberly Grey and Heather Stevens were also waiting close by Palmer, but he could tell that they weren’t comfortable being around him. If he moved closer to the two women, they would stop their conversation and move away casually.

  Palmer could tell that Phylicia was upset when she came walking back toward him. She didn’t slow down as he and the two women stepped toward her, trying to get her attention. She held up her hand in a stopping motion and kept walking. Palmer and the two women fell into line behind her, following her. She didn’t stop until she was inside the meeting hall, or rather, where it would be. The contractor had scratched out where the walls would be and Phylicia led her little entourage inside the scribed marks. With a look she put the women on hold.

  “What do you want?” Phylicia asked Palmer gruffly.
/>   “What did Declan want?” Palmer asked.

  “Nothing. I wanted to talk to him, not the other way around.” Palmer was getting on Phylicia’s nerves and she was intentionally being snappy with him to get the point across, not that Palmer ever took a hint.

  “Well, what did you want to talk to him about?” Palmer asked sheepishly. “We did say that the council would be open with each other.”

  “That was so I would know what is going on,” Phylicia snapped harshly. “You wouldn’t know what to do with any information.”

  “Do I need to work him over a little for upsetting you?” Palmer asked with too much relish.

  “You upset me far more than Declan does. Are you going to go work yourself over?” she asked sarcastically. “Why don’t you leave me alone so I can think? I’m really not in the mood to deal with you!”

  Palmer was dumb-struck and it took several seconds for her words to sink in and for him to do as Phylicia requested. Once he had left, the women got together for their scheming and planning.

  #

  It was some time after Phylicia stormed off that Kimberly Grey came over to the area that Declan was using to relax.

  “Mind if I join you?” she asked seductively.

  “Suit yourself,” Declan said absentmindedly. He was lost in his own thoughts. Murdock’s words of warning were running through his consciousness and refused to stop. He thought he had figured a way out for himself. To hell with everyone else. What have all these people done for me? There are none that I would classify as friends and none think of me as a friend. I know that situation could change and I had decided to include any would-be friends in my deal with Phylicia. The rest can fend for themselves.

  Kimberly had come over and sat close to him on the ground. After sitting with her legs under her and leaning on her hand, she patted her lap, indicating that Declan could put his head in her lap. Declan thought the offer might prove interesting, so he complied.