She dug into a drawer where she had stashed her father’s extra pills. He often skipped meals, which, along with his genetics, made him rail thin. If Eden weren’t careful she’d be just as skinny, and even less desirable. She swapped out the blue pill for a red one and swallowed all three with her allotted amount of water. A nice family meal, she thought, patting Austin.
Time for her mandatory half hour of exercise. She began to run in place through the forest, though her sensors gave her the impression of moving fast. As usual, Austin rested in the shade. Holo-Images of tree trunks and limbs brushed through her long, lithe frame. With each step she focused on a single image: a white dot on her forehead. Safely mated, safely mated, she quietly repeated. The dot grew larger in her mind until a blinding whiteness was all she could see.
Well done, dear. Your heart rate is 110 beats per minute. You’ve burned 200 calories and added .001% muscle.
“Muscle adds curves, right, buddy?” she said, as she came to a stop.
Austin made a snuffling sound and followed her to the tidy, little bathroom.
She peeled off her lab uniform and stepped into the cleansing stall with growing dread. At once, a purple laser washed over her. Each day she expected to hear the high-pitched beep that signaled a diseased mole—an indication of The Heat. Funny, they once were called beauty marks.
Eden heaved a sigh of relief as the laser stopped without a sound. She’d made it through another night. Now, the good stuff, she thought, dialing in a fresh coating of Midnight Luster. Her spirits lifted as her skin and hair darkened to a lustrous shade of black. Water would cause the coating to streak, which was easy enough to avoid in her dry, tunneled world. And in a few days the coat would turn dull and gray—a dead giveaway she was a Pearl.
But for now, she looked beautiful.
Eden stepped out of the stall, refreshed and ready to deal with Jamal. She slipped on a vintage black nightgown and studied herself in the mirror. If only she had more curves. Still, the silky garment was sexy and well worth every uni-credit it cost. She had almost smiled the night she’d picked it up at her local station in the Combs. It wasn’t a nightgown; it was a weapon. One she had saved for a very special occasion. Like tonight, please Earth.
Applying her makeup, Eden expertly shaded her face to appear Coal-like. She refreshed the brown caps in her eyes with darkening drops. Red lipstick, smoothed over the lines to make her lips seem fuller, was the last touch. She let her long black hair dip over one eye and smiled.
“Definitely passing, right?”
AT EXACTLY 05:00, Eden’s Life-Band communicated Jamal’s signal in her head. Her pulse raced as she accepted the connection. She posed seductively, and a distinctive click in her head told her that her Holo-Image appeared before him just as his materialized in her room. He flashed that killer grin.
“How’s my Little Bunny?” he said.
“Jamal,” she said, her sensors registering the warmth of his arms as they snaked around her.
Austin shot up, growling. She had forgotten about him. It was embarrassing, really. As if she’d trained her dog to hate Coals. Maybe he wasn’t color-blind, after all.
“Sorry,” she told Jamal. “Let me put him out.”
She dragged the stubborn animal into the main room. “For Earth’s sake, why do you always act like this?” she whispered. He whined, but she shut him out.
“Come here, pet,” Jamal said.
She walked towards him, swinging her hips, an inviting smile on her lips. As head of security, Jamal could scramble signals to hide their illicit date.
“Hmmm,” he murmured, reaching for her again.
To her delight, things progressed in the right direction when Jamal kissed her for the first time. His lips were moist and searching. The heat coming off of his body loosened her limbs. It couldn’t be any better if he were actually present.
In fact, she heard an internal warning. You’re over stimulated, dear. Your blood pressure and heart rate are dangerously elevated. Why don’t you cease activity now?
Programmed since birth to react, Eden jerked back.
“You all right?” Jamal said. “Let’s slow down.”
“No!” she cried, flinging herself at him.
They didn’t want her to mate. So they could cut her off. But Eden wouldn’t let that happen.
“Whoa, pet. I’m receiving dangerous signals. I don’t want you to explode. I need you around.”
“You do?”
“You have no idea.”
“Oh.” That meant he wanted to pick up her option to mate, right?
He kissed her again, a little too hard, she thought. But who was she to complain? She could hardly believe her good luck. And yet, right from the start, Jamal had defied her expectations.
He’d been hired at REA when the former head of security died of an oxy overdose. Moses always had seemed so levelheaded, but then you never knew what secrets lurked in a world where even children wore a poker face. He had treated her decently, an exception to the rule. Of course, she’d doubted his replacement would be as nice.
One day, the security robot had malfunctioned and Jamal stood in its place. While he’d studied her data, Eden had stolen a glance at him. Was it the warrior-like tattoo or his dark good looks that had felt threatening? About a ninety percent mate-rate, she’d guessed.
He had caught her eye and flashed a blinding grin.
—Hello, there.
She’d turned away, faint with embarrassment and fear.
—I’m Jamal. Nice to meet you.
Was he really talking to her? She’d glanced around but there was no one else.
—What is it, Eden? Don’t you like me?
Why would a Coal even care? Or was he mocking her? Speechless, she’d dared to look at him.
—Well? Am I scary or just not your type?
—I don’t even know you!
Her hand had flown to her mouth. When would she learn to keep her feelings to herself? But Jamal simply had laughed. A big, easy laugh that had puzzled her.
—You’re an honest girl. I like that, too.
Too? What else could he possibly like about her? He had to know she was a Pearl. It said so right there on the scanner. Besides, even with the best skin coating, everything about her screamed lower class. And yet, he’d stared at her with an openness that had made Eden blush. No one had ever looked at her for so long or with such sincere interest.
She even had wondered if her oxy reserves had bottomed out and she was losing her mind. But her vital statistics were fine. Why then had he continued speaking to her in that astonishingly direct way?
—I get it. You don’t think I like your blue eyes, right? You’re wrong about that. Maybe some day you’ll let me see the real you, Eden Newman.
It was as if he’d peered right inside of her and plucked out her heart’s desire. He wanted to see the Real Eden. She had hung on his every word.
—All right. I understand you don’t trust me. Not yet. Why don’t we spend some time together so we can solve that problem? This isn’t what you think. I’m different and I’m going to prove it to you.
—Okay.
The confidence, the bold grin, and the way his eyes followed her when she’d exited the gate had dazzled and unnerved her. She’d stumbled into the lab, dumbfounded.
True to his word, Jamal had persisted and their clandestine visits had begun a few months ago. Now, he lay beside her, as amazing as the sight of a lone flower pushing through the baked concrete.
He settled back and looked thoughtful as he began. “I was thinking about what you said your father always tells you—‘wait and see.’ Maybe the good doctor’s onto something.”
“Uh huh.” Eden wanted to talk about their future together, not her father.
“I mean, look what happened. You got probation—”
“I didn’t start it.”
“I’m not accusing you, pet.” He tucked her into the crook of his arms. “I’m just saying bad news can brin
g good news. Wait and see. For example, tomorrow night, you’re off work.” His eyebrows arched with anticipation. “Which means you and I should go to the Moon Dance.”
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
It was all that Eden had hoped for. A Coal didn’t take a Pearl out in public unless he or she intended to pick up the other’s mating option. And what more public event to show his intentions than at a Moon Dance? By law, everyone had to attend at least nine a year. The Uni-Gov insisted these events reduced the frequent violence that naturally resulted from the crowded conditions in the tunnels.
Eden squealed with delight. She could almost picture a white dot on her dusky-coated forehead. Mated, and with a desirable Coal!
“But I’m on probation,” she said, suddenly remembering. “Bramford hasn’t—”
Jamal lifted a finger to her lips. “Who’s in charge of clearance?”
“All right. But tomorrow night my father’s experiment takes place. You’ll be on guard.”
“I’ll put someone else in charge, take the company craft, cut out to meet you, be back in time for the Big Bang.”
“But I’ll have to go alone.” The thought terrified her.
“Don’t worry,” Jamal said softly. “As soon as you get off the 19:00 transport, I’ll be waiting.” He cupped her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “It’s time for Jamal to make a righteous move. Do you understand?”
She gulped. “Yes.”
“Good.” He gave her a peck on the cheek. “See you tomorrow night, Little Bunny.”
She reached for him but he was gone. Stunned, she lay there, going over what he’d said. Time for Jamal to make a righteous move.
Her Life-Band tingled again. Eden accepted the incoming signal, thinking it was Jamal, even as she realized her mistake. Instead of his heart-warming face, she saw the dreaded logo of the Federation of Free People: a swirl of black that spun around until it erased a small white circle.
Quit, quit! It disappeared but she sat there, reeling. Horrific stories about murdered or missing Pearls ran through her mind. Breathe, Eden.
She moved robotically to open the door. Austin scrambled to his feet, his soft eyes on hers. At least he’d never be killed because of his color. But she couldn’t think about that now. Soon they’d be safe.
“Oh, buddy,” Eden said, hanging onto his neck. “Please, be nice to Jamal. If I’m lucky, he’ll be my mate.”
EDEN FORCED herself to concentrate on the staccato-like tapping of her high heels against the concrete floor in the busy, wide pedestrian tunnel. If she focused on her feet moving ahead, she wouldn’t give in to the paralyzing fear that gripped her. What if one of her co-workers saw her and reported her illegal leave to Bramford?
She couldn’t think about the risk or she might lose her nerve and return home. Never mind, she simply had to reach the regional plaza where her Dark Prince waited.
Eden knew how to deflect attention—shoulders back, eyes focused ahead, her face a blank mask. Just like the other Pearls who walked in groups near her in their designated lane. They kept to the edges, making way for the Coals who swept by on bicycles or in rickshaws.
It was almost 19:00 and the tunnel bustled with activity. The distant blare of military sirens and the chaotic cries of vendors hawking their goods from recessed stalls in the walls jumbled with traffic bells and snatches of conversation. She suspected that each and every Coal passerby wanted to hurt her, though the statistical odds against that were high. And her sensors, which automatically translated the babel of foreign languages into English, the official language, told her it wasn’t true. Still, she could never shake the fear of being among so many of them.
Only a few minutes had passed and already she felt the sinking terror of being away from her unit, away from Austin. Out there, with all that space around her, anything might happen. Each step drained her. Perspiration formed on her brow, threatening to dull her coating, even though, according to her internal sensors, it was only a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit in the tunnel. Not bad for a spring night.
She thought of all the times she’d made this very trek in the past, wearing her same old Moon Dance dress. And yet, never alone. Always with a group of her kind. She fingered the top of the strapless black techno dress, hoping Jamal would like it. The stiff fabric had frayed and lost its sheen long ago. It didn’t matter though, because tonight she wouldn’t be the hopeless Pearl clinging to the shadows in the hall. She would be somebody. Encouraged, she tried to pick up her pace, though the tight dress hobbled her walk.
Ahead, she spotted a boisterous crowd of partygoers at the public transport hub. She hung back, hoping no one would recognize her. In a short while, a high-speed, bullet-shaped vehicle shot down the tunnel and halted at the landing dock. An Ethics Officer stood by the security scanner, watching the passengers get on board.
Eden waited until the long line thinned, then hurried to take her turn. The E.O. stepped in front of her, his face hostile. All of a sudden, she heard two men behind her. Coals, she figured by their careless, drunken laughter.
“Hurry up, let us on,” one of the men called in a high-pitched voice.
“I’ve got protocol to keep,” the E.O. said, curtly.
“So do we, Red,” a deep, cruel voice replied.
Eden saw a flash of fear in the officer’s face. He stepped aside, letting her push through the scanner. She didn’t dare look back at the men who followed her on board. She edged her way down the aisle, past hundreds of people, mostly Coals of all ages, mated couples and eager singles. Luckily, she found a few inches of space to hold onto the overhead bar in the back section reserved for Pearls.
A loud whooshing sound reverberated against the metal sides of the vehicle as it zoomed down the tunnel. Dim yellow lights cast a grimy pall on the mass of dark passengers, all in dark clothing. The only spot of color in the shadowy interior came from Holo-Images of serene nature scenes that played against fake windows. Eden stared intently at them, avoiding anyone’s eye.
She felt a malevolent current coursing through the riders on the transport. Not only from Coal to Pearl, or from Tiger’s Eye to Amber, but within each racial group. The Uni-Gov got it wrong. The monthly Moon Dance usually left a wake of mayhem throughout each zone.
But she couldn’t think about that now. I’m a stone in a cool, dark cave.
The vehicle careened through dark tunnels, stopping occasionally for cross traffic or to let on more riders. She wondered if Ms. Polka Dot Bikini would have enjoyed the beach if she could have seen these desperate people or what would become of Good Earth.
Possibly, man’s only hope lay at Eden’s very own doorstep. She recalled the thrill of piecing together the puzzle of her father’s experiment. Each researcher had been given one small part of the process to prevent the very discovery she had made. Eden, being the best interpreter of her father’s notes, had filled in once too often for ill coworkers and the result was inevitable. At first, she couldn’t believe it.
She’d finally cornered her father one morning when he had stumbled home, weak from overwork and lack of sleep.
—What, Daught?
—I figured it out. Do you know what this means?
—What? What do you know?
—Holy Earth. You’re attempting an Interspecies Structural Adaptation.
Only her crazy Father would think of implanting a human being with genetic material from key animals that thrived in the hottest climates. Only he might succeed, too. His secret approach to programming the epigenome—the genetic master control for DNA—allowed him to skirt the pesky problem of one species rejecting another’s code.
This wasn’t going to be some mild genetic exchange, either. Valuable DNA had been gathered from nearly extinct species with tremendous effort and probably a lot of Bramford’s uni-credits.
The primary genetic donor was the ultimate jungle predator, a jaguar, Panthera onca. Even better, a melanistic cat with a black coat had
been found. Its coloring would not only increase resistance to solar radiation, but also minimize the appearance of camouflage spots, for vanity’s sake. The jaguar’s only natural enemy, the green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, contributed its cold-blooded resistance to heat. The third donor in this potent cocktail was the Harpy Eagle, Harpia harpyja, the most powerful raptor in the world. It could spot a bug from a hundred yards in the air, and its keen vision had been added to the mix.
Land, water, and air—a brilliant killing machine.
If her father’s work succeeded, a Pearl might be able to withstand solar radiation as well as, or even better than, a Coal. Maybe then Pearls would no longer be treated like garbage. And maybe—did Eden dare think it—even she might be beautiful.
She had assumed her father would be proud of her deductive reasoning, even eager to share some of the subtleties of the procedure. Instead, his voice had tightened; the irritating blinking had begun.
—Daught. You haven’t told anyone, have you?
—Who would I tell? I don’t talk to anyone.
—It is categorically forbidden to speak a word of this. You must understand this work is highly illegal and politically dangerous.
—I understand, Father.
—If it weren’t for Bramford’s power such a thing could never be attempted.
Of course, Coals primarily would use the technology. And if one man controlled it, he would be unstoppable in his quest for domination.
—So Bramford will have it all.
—He’ll be fair to us, Daught. He’s given me his word.
She didn’t think that counted for much. Still, she was happy for her father. Already the advanced age of thirty-nine, he wouldn’t have another crack at success.
—Good luck, Father.
A rare smile had creased his tired face. It was the longest conversation they’d shared since her mother had died, and she’d missed him.
Save The Pearls Part One Page 3