GAIA

by Morton Chalfy

  Harrison and Helene were suitably impressed and when they took their leave, Robin, pointedly ignoring Harrison, asked Helene if she would like to visit some ateliers in Brooklyn sometime. Helene, to Harrison's surprise, said she'd love to.

  "I'll be in touch," said Robin.

  "Do," said Helene, shaking her hand and smiling.

  In the robocar Harrison said, "I think she likes you."

  "Yes," said Helene with a trace of smugness, "I think she does."

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Lucas had been robocoptered to Las Vegas to meet with the management of the Convention Center about arrangements for the Fall Festival. He was waiting in line with the head of security in the all-you-can-eat buffet when he caught a glimpse of curly red hair across the dining room. He started to move in her direction when he realized with a start that it couldn't be Maeve. The surge of happiness he felt at the sight quickly turned to depression at this realization and left him feeling bereft and unhappy.

  "See something?" asked his companion.

  "Thought so but I was wrong, more's the pity," replied Lucas.

  He kept his thoughts to himself out of habit but couldn't shake his emotions so easily. Moms had been monopolizing Maeve's time for weeks to the point where Lucas was trying to make dates to see his lover but to little avail. She was up and out early and home late and always too tired for anything but sleep.

  He tried to bring her on this trip but she was needed at the ranch. Moms promised them a nearly full weekend alone when he returned.

  "Right after the sermon on Saturday you two can go to the cabin in the sky and not come back until Monday noon. How's that?" Moms offered.

  Somewhat mollified but still petulantly unhappy Lucas had agreed. He'd been able to keep his mind on his work until the sight of the red curls upended his emotions.

  After lunch they walked the center, going over arrangements to handle the expected crowds and provide proper levels of security. Lucas wanted explosive detectors at every entrance and a perimeter for screenings set out away from the hall itself. There were costs involved and therefore resistance until Lucas declared that additional costs could be added to the bill.

  At the end of their working walk Security left Lucas at one of the many bars scattered through the hall and went off to catch up on current problems. Lucas ordered a drink and felt a tap on his shoulder.

  "Hey Luke. That is you, isn't it?"

  The raspy voice was well known to Lucas. It belonged to Don Feinberg, a colleague from his intelligence days who had worked closely with him on several projects. For an instant Lucas froze and was thrown back into his days of paranoia fleeing from his imagined pursuers. Remembering Moms' news about his status, he forced himself to appear calm.

  "Hey Donnie, it's me all right. Is that still you?"

  The men shook hands and looked each other over warily.

  "What brings you here?" asked Lucas.

  "Not you," said Don perceptively. "I'm on a working vacation. What about you?"

  "Just work, no vacation."

  They adjourned to a table and caught up on the broad events of their lives over the months Lucas had been gone, talked about Gaia about which Don was knowledgeable and finally got around to the question occupying Lucas' mind.

  "What happened when I left the unit? I expected more of a ripple than it produced."

  "You may well ask that," said Don, "but I can't tell you much. It seems you have friends in high places."

  "How so?"

  "Well, you left and we reported you missing. We reported any hints we had about where you were. We asked for clarification and direction. Nothing. Whatever had your name on it disappeared into the Great Upstairs without a trace."

  Lucas thought about how to ask the rest of his questions when Don chuckled at his distress and said, "The dongle?"

  "Yeah."

  "You couldn't know but we had an extensive plan to distribute that technology to many, many people. You just jumped the gun. Gave us good cover."

  "Why would you distribute it?"

  "Do you know how much business, private and government, needs secrecy to get accomplished? There's no way to operate where every move everybody makes is recorded. Most of the really important stuff would never get done. The closer Congress gets to making chipping universal the more pressure was on us to get this thing out."

  Lucas laughed. "I thought I was doing such a good thing."

  "You were. And if you had waited a week it would have been official."

  Lucas shook his head. "It worked out. Really well." He told Don about Maeve and talked over the security arrangements for the festival, shamelessly picking his colleague's brain.

  In the end he returned to the ranch with a much lighter feeling around his heart, believing in the reality of his freedom for the first time and looking forward to the upcoming weekend.

  "Two days in the sky cabin. I wonder if we'll ever see the sky?"

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  An earthquake had rendered the road to the sky cabin impassable so a robocopter deposited them in the front yard with their bags and provisions before flying back down to the ranch, subject, of course, to recall. Lucas carried their things inside and then joined Maeve on the fallen log that served as a viewing bench. The scene that spread out before them was miles wide and miles long and thousands of feet deep. The country, from their height, was a patchwork of greens and browns and a lesson in topography. The mountains on the far side formed the craggy opposite wall of the valley and created masses of light and dark with its shadow.

  Tiny cloudlets hung high in the sky and any movement they could see was the movement of seeming ants. Even the small herds of bison and yaks and llamas were like toy animals on a toy farm.

  "It's beautiful," breathed Maeve. "I could sit here for hours."

  "That would be okay," said Lucas. "I could bring some lunch out to you."

  "Maybe later," she said. "Come sit by me."

  Lucas dutifully took a seat by her side and was gratified when she took his hand in hers and kissed his fingers. "I know these past weeks have been hard on you," she said, "but it's all been necessary."

  "Yes, I could see that, but I've been missing you mightily."

  "I'm here now," she said, snuggling closer.

  They sat together drinking in the scene until the sun touched the top of the mountains.

  "We'd better get in and get ready for the night," said Lucas. "Get the cabin warmed and the bear alarms set and maybe get into something more comfortable."

  "Like bed?" asked Maeve archly.

  Lucas was greatly pleased. "Exactly like bed."

  To his delight Maeve's responses were very much like old times and she clearly wanted him as much as he wanted her. Alone for miles around they made love with abandon and before the night was over they used the bed, the couch and the bear rug on the floor. They nibbled a little food and drank two bottles of wine and in the end they lay entwined and exhausted.

  "I want to see the stars," said Maeve suddenly and bounded out of bed tugging at Lucas' arm. Groaning, he got to his feet. Maeve was wrapping herself in the comforter and Lucas joined her in its folds. They stood on the cabin's tiny porch and drank in the spectacular sky of the unlighted desert.

  "I never fail to be amazed at the sheer numbers of stars you can see out here. And this high up the air is so clear," she said.

  "Mmm hmm," agreed Lucas sleepily.

  They leaned against the railing, Lucas behind her, their naked bodies huddled under the comforter.

  "How many other planets do you think harbor life?" she asked.

  "I don't know. Millions. Billions. Lots, certainly."

  "And none like us."

  "Not exactly, but probably similar."

  "Why do you think that? Every planet is unique."

  "Yes, every planet is. But the universe was begun as a singularity, and the laws of physics seem to apply throughout, so it stands to reason there would be similar paths of evolutio
n."

  "Similar like wolves and hyenas?"

  "Maybe. In a gravity field you'd develop legs, in water, fins. Similar like that."

  "Will we ever know?"

  "Barely possible."

  "Only barely?"

  "Inter-stellar distances are not like distances on Earth. Something four light years away would require probably forty generations of humans to reach. The only thing people remember after forty generations is how to make war."

  Maeve snuggled deeper into Lucas' arms and set off a chain reaction that had them scrambling back into bed to finish.

  The next morning Lucas woke to the aromas of a breakfast being prepared and the sight of a naked Maeve at work in the kitchen.

  "Come and get it," she called gaily.

  "You come here so I can get it," he said huskily.

  Grinning she set the food off the heat and walked toward him with an exaggerated hip swing and then fell into his arms.

  Later he said, "You did that on purpose."

  "What?" she asked innocently.

  "Cooking naked. Don't tell me you didn't plan that."

  Maeve giggled. "And that's not all I have planned for today," she said. "But first, let's eat."

  After breakfast they dressed and went back to the log. Maeve was carrying two cups of coffee. They sat side by side, sipping the drinks.

  "I've been thinking about our schedules," she said.

  "Oh yes?"

  "Life is not going to slow down for a while."

  "Doesn't look like it."

  "And Moms is leaning on me more and more."

  "I can see that."

  "And she's taking me wherever she goes and dressing me like she dresses."

  "I've noticed."

  "I think she's grooming me to be her stand-in sometimes."

  "More than her stand-in. Try replacement."

  Maeve looked startled and upset all at once. "No, no. Not her replacement. I couldn't do that."

  "Why not? Moms obviously thinks you could."

  "But, she's not going anywhere anytime soon." Maeve's voice was relieved with the thought.

  "Let's hope not, but you might as well get used to the idea, I think."

  They sat on the log, sipping and thinking and watching the play of shadows across the face of the mountains.

  "She's had all these gowns made for me, just like hers but different colors."

  Lucas put his arm around her and squeezed. "I can't say I'm happy that you're the next High Priestess, but since it's you I'll learn to deal with it."

  "So I was thinking," said Maeve. "We can have most weekends to ourselves right after the sermon's over. She's so exhausted when she's done that she's happy to just collapse."

  "Can we keep coming up here?"

  "I don't see why not. It's her private retreat and she never comes here anymore."

  "Can we keep making mad, passionate love?"

  "We'd better!"

  "Can we do that now?"

  In answer Maeve jumped to her feet and ran nimbly into the cabin. Lucas, grinning, gathered up the cups and eagerly followed.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Monday morning they returned to find a tempest brewing. Their first indication of trouble was an angry Sam, muttering as they passed him, "I'll give him an interview..." said with maximum menace. In Moms' quarters they found a crowd, most with angry looks, milling around the offices. The exception was Mai Ling, who had a wide smile.

  Moms greeted them with, "Oh, there you are. I forgot you were gone for the weekend. But here you are and not a moment too soon."

  "Too soon for what?" thought Lucas.

  Mai Ling beckoned to Maeve and took her aside for a private talk. Maeve first looked startled, then angry and then began to smile and hug Mai Ling. Maeve left the room in a hurry, without a glance at Lucas who was thinking, "Well, we're back at it," and then returned in her acolyte's robe, fluffing her hair.

  Lucas could now see that the techies were preparing for some sort of video and got himself out of their way and next to Mai Ling.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  "Right, you've been gone. Well, last night on one of those Sunday Review of the Week shows one of the mouthpieces for the mining industries spent ten minutes trashing Moms and the Gaian movement. The producers are going to call in a few minutes and give us an opportunity to respond."

  Mai Ling's grin was scarcely containable on her face.

  "What's the joke?" asked Lucas.

  "The joke is that we couldn't buy this sort of publicity. Ever since the show we've been fielding messages of support, requests to join, donations and encouragement. Now Moms will get to be her own sweet self to another group of new viewers and we'll get more support. I only hope they're dumb enough to take another bite at us in response."

  "You're sure of the reactions?"

  "They're unmistakable. It's like being attacked by Satan. All the good guys rally to your side."

  The techies were finishing their final checks when the screen lit up for the interview. The interviewer was a well known host who affected formal suits and a southern accent. His manner was soft and charming and lulled many a guest into saying much more than they should have. His manner with Moms was courtly in the extreme.

  "Ah, there we are. Good morning, Priestess. Is it all right for me to call you Priestess?"

  Moms flashed a broad smile, "If you want to put me at ease you could call me Moms. Everyone does so I'm used to it."

  "Moms it is then. I'm assuming you saw our show last night. Mr. Robinson made some remarks that I thought were, well, harsh. Let me show you..."

  The screen showed his guest last night, very avuncular and nattily dressed saying, "They're just a cult of tree huggers. Spirit of the Earth indeed! These are people who want us to go back to freezing in the dark. I just pity the poor fools who get taken in by this scam."

  "Pretty harsh, don't you think?" asked the interviewer.

  Moms was smiling into the camera. "Harsh is as harsh does, don't you think? From our point of view he did us a big favor coming out into the open like that. The outpouring of support for us he's provoked has been enormous and seems to be growing."

  "You mean since his remarks?"

  "Exactly. Our website can hardly keep up."

  "I don't think that's the response he was going for."

  "Perhaps he's a secret admirers delivering a back door bit of aid."

  "What about the charge that Gaia is a cult and a scam?"

  "I think it's something that can be independently judged. Our account books are open to legitimate inquiry and we seek no personal wealth or power. What does he mean by "cult"? I understand he's a born again believer. Does he think his religion is a cult?"

  The interviewer chuckled. "Some folks do."

  "Well, we're tolerant of all beliefs. People have faith in many creeds and it usually helps them through the day. Gaia is ours and teaches us to love the Earth and all its inhabitants. If that's a cult, so be it." The interviewer nodded and went on to the next item in his show, thanking Moms off camera. The room breathed a sigh of relief and Mai Ling said "Yes!" very emphatically. "You were great," she said to Moms, "unruffled, not angry, not attacking, just great."

  "Thank you and thank you," Moms said to the technicians putting the gear away. "And now let's get back to work."

  Mai Ling was leaving with the techies. "I have to get this up on the web site and send PR out to everyone I can think of. You were wonderful!"

  Maeve was now seated next to Moms with their heads close together in conversation. Lucas thought about asking for an assignment but decided not to, opting instead to go to his office through the connecting door to see what two days away from the console had brought.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Harrison and Helene traveled to the ranch via Las Vegas and made a stop at the Convention Center. Helene asked for the events manager and was asked to wait. They were seated on overstuffed chairs which were too close to the floor f
or older people but sat patiently. At the very end of the time which Helene felt was the maximum she would be made to wait, just before she rose to her feet to inquire, a figure came through the door behind the receptionist.

  The events manager was a woman in her late middle age, slender, still shapely and who appeared to be an ethnic mixture of Asia and Africa. She strode briskly up to them and snapped, "Gaians, right. We've gone through this once and sent a packet of instructions to your office. This wastes a lot of my time."

  Harrison and Helene struggled to their feet at her approach and now Harrison saw Helene transform into someone softer and less edgy than he was used to. Her posture and her tone had a visible effect on the manager.

  "I'm so sorry to be a bother," said Helene mildly, "but I'm brand new in the position and the person you showed around was our head of IT so not much use to me."

  Harrison noted that the manager assumed she would be dealing with him and realizing it was Helene who was in charge had softened her attitudes in response.

  "I'll be glad to show you around and answer questions. It was our chief of security who conducted the last tour. I'm not sure what you need."

  The two women set off together with Harrison bemusedly trailing behind. Helene's questions were focused on staging the presentations and how the crowds would flow. In the huge auditorium she asked, "You are equipped to handle a full multi-media presentation, aren't you?"

  "Oh yes. Do you have something for us to play?"

  "Not yet but we have a source for one. Whom should we send it to when we do?"

  "Maddie. She's our best operator. In fact have your creators get in touch with her before they begin. That way she'll steer them right and save us all a lot of work."

  Helene handed Maddie's contact information to Harrison and said, "Let's put Robin in touch with Maddie."

  He nodded and filed it all on his notepad and wondered idly if his academic career was over. When they finished the tour, Diane, the events manager, invited them to lunch. Under Helene's expert management her attitude had totally shifted to one of friendship and help. Several times Helene had given her a suggestion which Diane received with the surprise of someone finding an unexpected treasure in an unlikely place. Her respect for Helene visibly grew and by lunchtime they were acting like old friends.