GAIA

by Morton Chalfy

Cautious by nature he tried to list the pros and cons of marriage in a practical way but gave up when all he could think about was getting into bed with her as soon as dinner was done. "Oh, I guess I'll marry her if she'll have me. No sense trying to kid myself."

  In that mood he made dinner reservations at their most romantic restaurant and arranged to have a bouquet delivered to their table. When he called Helene to tell her she said, "Bring your calendar."

  Harrison was waiting when she got off the elevator and felt his heart speeding up as she walked across the floor to him. "You look beautiful," he said with such sincerity that she blushed.

  "Thank you. You look like a man in love."

  It was Harrison's turn to redden, "Well, so I am."

  They went to their table followed by glances and murmurs.

  "They think we're cute," said Helene giggling, "like teenagers."

  "That's good. I'm proud to be seen in that light with you."

  They were seated in an ultra-private booth where privacy was the norm, interrupted only by the food service and, in mid-meal, the flower delivery. Helene was suitably pleased and impressed and came over to give Harrison a long kiss of appreciation. Over coffee they compared calendars and discussed timing. They finally settled on a two week period and began to talk about the practicalities.

  "Do you still mean that proposal? If you want to back out I'll understand."

  "Yes, I still mean it. If you'll have me I want to marry you."

  She brightened considerably. "Good! We can get married while we're there. Maybe Moms can marry us."

  "Oh, well, yes, perhaps she can. We'll have to write and ask."

  Harrison was elated but worried. He would have to tell Helene that Moms was his sister sometime but then he would have to explain why he hadn't told her before. I'll need to find the right moment, he thought, but not tonight, in case she gets angry. I don't want to spoil tonight.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Moms waited for Maeve to arrive before opening the large carton that had been delivered that morning. When Maeve came into her office they attacked the carton carefully and removed one of the boxes stacked inside. The box held a dozen Gaia Globes, necklaces made of a half-inch globe of the earth with the continents etched in bas relief on a very fine silver chain. Another box held the same necklaces but done in sterling silver. Most of the boxes were in steel, about a quarter were in silver and one held golden globes on gold chains.

  "Cheap, mid-range and high end," said Maeve.

  "What do you think of the card?" asked Moms. The necklaces were attached to individual cards with a form of their overall message and their net address. The cards read, "Gaia Globe, Love Gaia, Heal Her, Maintain a Healthy Balance."

  "I like it," said Maeve. "I might want to change the typeface next time, but I like it."

  The globes were a result of a request for some "Gaia jewelry" from an attendee at the convention that had sent Maeve on a search for something appropriate. She hadn't found anything she liked so she drew a sketch of the globe with dimensions and sent it off to a jeweler in India to have a sample made. The results were in the carton on Moms' desk.

  "I'll take these to the Gift Shop," said Maeve, "after you've taken a gold one."

  "Don't price them too high," said Moms. "We want them to fly out."

  "Oh, I know, and I want to give them away to donors, depending on the size of the gift, of course."

  "That's a good idea."

  They spent several minutes discussing pricing and security for the silver and golds and Maeve went off carrying the carton. She had taken one for herself and one for Lucas and was thinking about when she could get away for a visit to him. Sam wanted to accompany her to give Lucas a hard drive which needed forensic analysis and to "talk some things over with him."

  "Like what?" Maeve asked.

  "Like nothing I want to discuss with you," said Sam gruffly.

  Maeve's feelings were hurt but not for long. "Probably guy stuff," she thought and dismissed the emotions.

  The Gift Shop crew were really enthusiastic about the globes when Maeve unpacked them and immediately set about rearranging things to give them prominent display space. Sandra, the manager, photographed them and loaded the images onto the website.

  "I bet these will be a big hit. I'm going to feature them as our item of the month."

  Maeve nodded. "If they start to sell let me know so I can re-order. This is all there is right now."

  The staff wanted to buy some right away but Maeve gave them all a steel version. "Wear them around and we'll probably sell out to our crew."

  She went back to Moms' office to report on the good reception and to discuss when she could visit Lucas. Moms' communicator chirped at her at the same time Maeve's signaled her. Maeve's call was from Sandra.

  "You better re-order right away," she said. "In the first ten minutes of listing them on the site we've sold two dozen, including six silver and two gold."

  Maeve was flabbergasted. Sandra's voice came again, "Are you there? Did you hear me?"

  "Uh, yes," said Maeve. "I just couldn't believe it."

  "Well believe. We've struck a gusher of demand. Order lots. And lots more silver and golds."

  Maeve mumbled, "Okay," and disconnected.

  Moms had finished her call and was looking at her inquisitively. When Maeve related her conversation with Sandra, Moms beamed at her.

  "Great work Maeve. Get right on it. And tell Lucas that Harrison and Helene will be here in two weeks."

  "I think I'll go see him this evening if that's all right."

  "It is, but please re-order before you go."

  "Oh, I will all right," she said grinning happily. Her communicator chirped again and it was Sandra once more. "Whatever you were going to order, double it," she said. "Our site is going crazy with orders and silver is in the lead."

  Going to her own workstation Maeve was grinning broadly to herself. There is very little to compare with the feeling of having an idea, carrying it out and having it be well received. Producing a hit raised that feeling to an even higher level. "I can't wait to tell Lucas," she thought as she sat down to work out an order and to plan her approach to get the best price possible.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Harrison had never felt happier or more nervous. Helene, with appropriate chemical aids for both their middle aged bodies, was in a sort of second sexual flowering. Her lovemaking was more intense and more frequent than he remembered it ever being and her smiles of greeting for him gave him a thrill whenever he saw them. She was simultaneously exhausting and elating him.

  She was also keeping him balanced on a knife edge of worry. They had planned their trip to Moms' ranch and signed up for a short course on leading Gaia groups and Helene was excited about it. She read him passages from the promotional literature and paragraphs from A Short History of Gaia. When she announced that she was searching for biographical information on Moms he thought he'd better tell her about his relationship rather than let her find out from another source.

  On a stroll back from dinner he casually remarked, "You know the woman who heads the Gaia group we're going to see?"

  "Moms?" she said.

  "Yes. Moms."

  "What about her?"

  "Please don't be upset, but she's my sister."

  Harrison was braced for a stunned silence or an outraged outburst and so was quite surprised at the smug smile that spread across Helene's face.

  "I wondered how long it would take for you to tell me that."

  "You know? How do you know? How long have you known?"

  "Since the day I first mentioned wanting to go out to the ranch. There's a link in her bio to family members, of which to my delight when I saw it, you are one."

  "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

  "Ah, why didn't you?"

  Harrison had no answer.

  "Exactly," she said. "I fully expected you to tell me then and when you didn't I was surprised and thought it must
be something personal between you two so I let it drop. I felt sure you'd either veto a trip or come clean eventually, so....come clean."

  "There's nothing really to come clean about. She's my sister, that's all. We're still close. We'll have a fun trip."

  "Why didn't you tell me right away?"

  Instead of answering he led her out of the huge building into one of the small parks that surrounded it and sat the two of them on a bench in the dappled shade of an oak. "It's a long story," he said.

  "I've got time."

  Feeling like he was casting the die that would determine his future he told her of the embroilment with Lucas and his escape to the ranch and the weird happenings with his colleagues. When he paused she said, "And you thought I was one of them. That I was planted on you to infiltrate Moms' organization."

  "Well, that was a legitimate fear."

  "And now?"

  "And now I'm willing to take that chance."

  "Why?"

  "First, because my gut tells me that this past month was not fakery and that we do have strong feelings for each other."

  "You mean we love each other?"

  "Yes."

  "Then say it."

  "I love you."

  She grinned. "Okay. I love you too. But that wouldn't have been enough. Who did you get to check me out?"

  "Lucas."

  Unaccountably to Harrison, she blushed.

  "He okayed me?"

  "With flying colors. Why are you blushing?"

  "Well, I've had an interesting love life and he is your grandson."

  "Mmm. No mention of that in his report. Anyway, that's all of it. So I hope you're sincere."

  She laughed. "And I hope you're sincere. If it's still a law out here that a spouse can't be forced to testify against a spouse we'll just have to hurry the marriage along."

  Harrison blinked hard. "Moms will do it," he said. "She's licensed and she'd be delighted."

  "That's settled then. Now, are you going to tell me why there's all this paranoia?"

  Harrison took her hand and resumed their stroll. "I will eventually," he said, "but it's long, it involves other people who haven't given me permission to speak of certain events and anyway it may all be a bunch of chimeras, but I'll answer any questions I can."

  "Okay, here's one. Are you going to be chipped?"

  Harrison stopped in his tracks and looked hard at her. "Why do you ask that?" he demanded.

  Taken aback Helene studied his darkened face. "Because I've been asked and I wanted your opinion on it. Now I want an explanation of your reaction."

  "Let's keep walking," he said. "My reaction is rooted in my paranoia and vice versa. It's the chipping that's at the bottom of my current involvement with Gaia and most of what I can't tell you right now has to do with the advance of chipping."

  "So, are you going to be chipped?"

  "I don't know yet."

  Harrison led them to an exit from the building and into a parklet in the sunshine. Sitting on a bench she asked him, "What's the problem with it?"

  "That's it, there may be no problem, or there may be a problem that could spell the end of our species."

  "Don't be so dramatic. It's an ID/Info tool, isn't it? How does that end humanity?"

  Harrison leaned forward until their heads were nearly touching. "I don't want to over dramatize but it's hard not to."

  He looked around and lowered his voice. "Right now all the uses of the info gathered by chipping is being used benignly. Medically, socially, the knowledge is already improving the delivery of services and reducing errors in the systems."

  "So?"

  "So what about the future? What about when everyone is chipped and our elites discover new and improved ways of controlling people? What about the gradual migration of chipped people toward a consciously chosen "ideal"?"

  "You mean towards healthier, smarter kids? What's wrong with that?"

  "No, I mean the homogenization of the race. The loss of diversity in the gene pool and the danger that represents. One new microbe and the species could vanish."

  Helene sat quietly thinking about what he said. "It seems a little far-fetched to me but I can see it's a point to be considered. Wouldn't that take so long that we'd have time to adjust our path away from it?"

  "Not if most people thought it was a good idea."

  "Nothing gets everyone's support."

  "No, fortunately nothing does."

  "So you want to fight against chipping."

  "I'm not sure I do," he said slowly. "I want alternatives around, though."

  "Like what?"

  "Like the settlements in the re-wilded areas. Like the New Nomads."

  "They're a bunch of crazies and robbers," Helene said, a little taken aback.

  "Not all of them. And they do provide diversity in culture and in gene pools. If the chipped society falls for whatever reason they will be available to start over."

  "And Gaia is part of that?"

  "Well, no. Gaia is in case our current civilization crumbles there will remain a love of the Earth and a desire to care for it. Gaia is also intent on aiding society's impulse to clean the air and the water. We want Gaian principles to outlive any and all civilizations."

  "Ah."

  Helene took his arm to slow his pace a little as it had picked up with the intensity of his feelings. "So you expect chipping to lead to an eventual breakdown of society?"

  "No. I expect it to lead to a loss of genetic diversity. But even if its effects are all positive and benign I want the environment to remain the primary focus of the people."

  "But surely..." Helene's voice trailed off.

  "Right, surely people wouldn't lose sight of the necessity of maintaining an environment that would support human life - but of course they, we, could. Selfishness, greed, desire for power and status, all these still rule us and will continue to do so. Those urges are genetic."

  "And you think promoting Gaia will counter that?"

  "I do. I hope so, anyway. Right now dealing with the changes in climate we've already brought about has united the world's powers. Right now there's a lot of cooperation on that front. This is a special moment. We think Gaia can keep that spirit alive even after competition between countries reasserts itself."

  "A tall order."

  "Yes it is," sighed Harrison, "and it's the reason Moms wants it to morph into a religion."

  "I see. Thanks. Let's go make love and you can then tell me more."

  Harrison grinned.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Lucas' acclimatization was taking a long time. In the morning he would follow Aquarius to their latrine pit and then to the spring where they would bathe and fill their water jugs. On the way back to camp Aquarius would gather whatever edibles were available, teaching Lucas who wasn't much interested, how to tell what was ripe for gathering and what wasn't. The "bathroom" was about a quarter mile from camp and the first several times he made the trip Lucas found he collapsed on his mat when they returned and lay there recovering for hours.

  After a week he was able to rest less and work more but his general state was one of energy-less lassitude, except for Maeve's visits which filled him with lots of energy. The success of the Gaia Globe had opened creative vistas for her and everyone else at the compound and plans were well underway for the establishment of a broadcast website on which Moms would deliver a weekly talk and which would run programs on Gaia and Gaian activities on a 24/7 loop.

  "We've already got a dozen guests lined up," Maeve announced excitedly while handing Lucas a list of coding tasks she wanted him to undertake. He was glad for the tasks although coding in the wilderness was uncomfortable and full of distractions.

  "How long does Moms think I'll have to stay in hiding?"

  "She's working on that. In fact she has a plan for the two of us that can't go into effect until you can travel around so she's highly motivated."

  "What sort of plan?"

  "She's getting requests
from all over, urban areas and re-wilded ones, for someone to show them how to establish Gaia centers. Moms wants to send us to help them."

  "Why not just do it by video? Why need a personal touch?"

  Maeve looked at him crossly, "I thought you'd be excited at the chance to bop around the country with me."

  Lucas looked suitably contrite. "I am," he said with emphasis. "I'm just wondering why, that's all."

  "Two reasons. She thinks it best for security if you set their computers up on site rather than over the air or wires where everything can be hacked. You'll also be able to distribute that gizmo you stole. We're going to get a shipment of those pretty soon, I'm told."

  Lucas laid back on his pallet and sighed. "I'd love nothing better. Get me off this mountain so I can regain some strength and take me around to spread the word and the dongles and I'll be happy, as long as I'm with you."

  Maeve looked approvingly at him and smiled. "We're waiting for Harrison to arrive so she can talk it through with him. She does think that at least in the re-wilded areas you'd be safe."

  "Is Helene coming with him?"

  "Yes. Why?"

  "Well, I okayed her. At least I'd like to meet her in the flesh and see if that sets off any alarm bells."

  "We might be able to arrange that. I could bring them up here maybe."

  Lucas sighed again, "I thought I might be able to sneak back for a night. Come down after dark, leave before first light, that sort of thing."

  "Maybe. I'll talk to Sam and see what he thinks. Meanwhile..."

  After a suitable period of bonding Maeve set off on her journey back to the ranch and Lucas set off on a journey of the imagination. He thought about all the small settlements of people in the re-wilded areas and what a trip to bring them into the Gaia fold would be like.

  There were subsistence farmers, herders, hunters and scientists structured in as many ways as there were settlements. Little if any news ever filtered out to the cities so speculation was rife and usually predictable. Some of the more fanciful peopled the plains and forests with savages, cannibals, slavers, and religious cults practicing human sacrifice. Lucas discounted the stories and expected to find people who basically shared his outlook on life - independent to a fault, distrustful of society and caring about the fate of the Earth. Since they would be visiting places eager to join the Gaia network he thought they'd be assured of warm welcomes.