by R J Johnson
“And you think you can do better?” he asked.
Dr. Hahn turned back to him, this time, holding a clear plastic vial filled with a blue liquid.
“It isn’t that I could rule this system better,” she said dismissively. “It’s that the system will fail us all unless we do something to fix it.”
She stepped forward and held a syringe over his arm.
“Stop!” The voice shouted from across the room.
Dr. Hahn looked up and over at the source of the commanding voice where Emeline was standing, her mouth opened wide in shock, seeing him strapped down to the table.
The bushy haired man with a beard stepped forward and crossed the room, “By God Julie, do you know who this is?”
She glanced over at him and back at her husband. “Should I?”
The professor reached over him, hurriedly unstrapping him from the operating table. “This is James Meade, the man responsible for stopping Rosetta and keeping the Homeworld safe.”
“It’s not something I put on my business card,” Meade said sheepishly, rubbing his wrists.
Hahn looked down at the syringe in her hand and back at her husband. “I was about to test the –”
“Yes, yes,” the professor quickly interrupted. “No use crying over spilt milk.”
Dr. Hahn glanced back at him with a newfound, well, it wasn’t quite respect, but at least she wasn’t looking at him like he was her next meal anymore.
“He told me his name was Kansas Grayborn,” she said, returning the syringe to the table next to the computer.
Meade saw Emeline glance at him when their mentor’s name was mentioned. He shook his head and mouthed Later. He would have to fill her in on what happened to Kansas and he wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.
He stood, and wobbled slightly, still woozy from the crash. Emeline rushed over to help him stand back up. He held her close to him, enjoying the feel of her body against his. He nearly lost her. He wouldn’t ever let that happen again.
“Are you OK?” he whispered.
“Fine,” she whispered back. “Meade, this place…”
“I know,” he said, squeezing her tight. He stood and turned back to the professor and his wife.
“I hate to impose,” he said, and indicated his naked body. “But you don’t happen to have my clothing nearby do you?”
Dr. Hahn glanced over at the security guard. The guard moved over to some cabinets on the wall and waved his armbar in front of it. The solid white wall shimmered and then disappeared, revealing a cupboard filled with stark white jumpsuits.
“I’m afraid we have a policy of burning all outside clothing,” Dr. Hahn said. “We’re happy to compensate you, but for now, I’m afraid these are all we have.”
“That will be fine, thank you,” he said, taking the jumpsuit from Lurch. Meade put on the jumpsuit, zipping it up over his naked body.
The professor glanced back at him and Emeline.
“If you’d like, I was about to give Ms. Hunan a tour of our facility when you and your friends…” he cleared his throat. “Arrived unexpectedly.”
Meade glanced at Emeline, not wanting to make a move until he saw what she thought of the professor and his wife.
“They’ve been kind to me so far,” Emeline said. “I think it’s worth listening to what they have to say.”
He zipped up the jumpsuit and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling self-conscious without his hat. He glanced back at the professor and Dr. Hahn.
“Lead the way.”
Chapter Nineteen
Take a Tour
The professor began their tour by regaling Emeline and Meade about the history of the outpost. Having seen Shangri-La from the outside, Meade was already impressed by what they’d built in the middle of the Martian outback. However, it wasn’t until he walked through the corridors that he understood what the professor had really constructed here.
During the first initial wave of the Coalition’s settlements on Mars, the first settlers had set up dozens of colonies across the entire planet. But after a series of accidents, mishaps and general bad luck left many of the first-generation settlers dead, the hyperpower became convinced of the necessity of building the Lid before any real colonization could begin.
Once the Lid became a proven technology, five other megacities were built on Mars using similar techniques. Colonists eventually abandoned the smaller settlements for the safer communities that had protection from the harsh Martian environment.
Shangri-La had been one of those initial settlements and had fallen into disrepair until the professor and his wife purchased the property twenty years ago.
They had come looking for a safe place to conduct their research and their own piece of land where they could settle and start anew.
During the first few years, the colony was a few loosely connected series of first-generation pods meant for short-term living. And for a while, they had been the only residents.
But as word their colony spread across the outback, people looking for their own economic opportunities began to seek them out.
It was only after they stopped promoting Shangri-La as a place for people to get a ‘second chance’ and allowed the mystique grow around their colony that the population really exploded.
One week the city was practically a ghost town with only 30-year-round residents. Five years later, more than 50,000 people called Shangri-La home.
The colony was impressive, but he felt like there was something… off about the place. The hallways were too sterile and the rooms too neat. He could tell that it was bothering Emeline too.
The stark white corridors were filled with a variety of serious looking people, all of whom were dressed the same. The Shangri-La colonists were polite, but their appearance and demeanor gave off an otherworldly feel.
After a few moments with the professor, Meade quickly realized that the older man was an odd duck but appeared to have his heart in the right place. The man was clearly intelligent and liked to show off. Meade found it unsettling how the professor’s eyes always seemed to be searching his face for his reactions to what he was saying.
An hour into the tour, he realized the professor was doing far more than showing them the sights, he was also observing them. The doddery-old professor act was only an act. A convincing one to be sure, but still, he made a mental note not to underestimate the man.
“And now, twenty years after building this city up from literally nothing, we’ve come incredibly close to finalizing my dream,” the professor said, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. “Most of our people’s time is spent on expanding the housing capacity our colony can offer. At this point, the only thing that is limiting our colony’s growth is us. We have thousands of people apply for visas here every day.”
“That’s impressive,” Meade said looking around the busy city square. Between the condos and large open park spaces, Shangri-La was one of the few places that lived up to the hype.
“Tell me professor,” Emeline said, turning to him. “If your colony is so popular, why are you kidnapping men and women from the Lady Luck Casino?”
The professor grimaced. He sat down on a bench and waved them over.
“It’s… complicated,” he began. “We hope to bring people into a new life and give them everything they couldn’t have out in New Plymouth. I can promise you, it’s all consensual.”
“Didn’t feel consensual,” Emeline said quietly.
“For that, I apologize,” the professor said, holding his gaze with her. “But, yours was a special case. We’ve never kept or brought anyone here against their will. This I can promise you.”
The professor stood, looking at them, “Would you like to meet some of Roxanne’s ‘missing’ women?”
Meade exchanged a skeptical glance with Emeline, and they gave their assent. The professor led them into a new antechamber where he could look down and see dozens of floors arranged in a honeycomb of offices.
“Welcome to Shangri-La’s nerve center,” the professor said beaming. “The ‘Beehive’ as we like to call it is meant to be our little colony’s next big step.”
Meade’s jaw dropped, and he let out a low whistle when he looked over the railing at the new construction.
The floors were stacked on top of each other and looked out into a huge circle that he estimated to be at least a half a mile in diameter. He counted at least sixty different circles before losing count.
“You built this?”
The professor tried his best to look modest, “It was a group effort.”
They moved down the hallway until they reached an elevator where several people were disembarking.
“Professor,” a young blonde woman with her hair up in a bun and holding a clipboard approached the group. “I’m glad I found you. We need your signature on some requisitions for the hydroponics lab.”
“Oh Jessica, I’m so glad you found me too,” he cried out smiling. “Would you mind introducing yourself to my friends?”
Jessica turned and flashed a megawatt smile at them. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Jessica Stern. Are you interested in joining our little family out here?”
Emeline’s brow furrowed at the name. “Stern?” She typed quickly on her armbar and called up an image of a woman who decidedly worse for wear.
“This Jessica Stern?”
Jessica turned incredibly red and began stammering, “It’s… that’s… that’s from a different time in my life…”
Emeline looked crushed. Meade knew she hadn’t meant to embarrass the young woman and jumped in.
“Sorry, we should have introduced ourselves, we’re actually here at your friend, Roxanne’s request,” Meade said.
Jessica looked startled and her eyes flashed in anger.
“Friend? That woman is no friend to me and if you’re here to drag me back to that syphilitic palace of despair, I’d rather you kill me and get it over with.”
Meade held up his hands in surrender, clearly not expecting this response from the woman. “Hold on, we’re not here to take anyone anywhere.”
Emeline spoke up, her voice soft, “We were sent to make sure you were safe and happy. That’s all.”
“I’m safe all right,” she snapped back, shooting Emeline a dirty look. “I’m safe and I’ve never been happier. I’m actually able to pursue my passion of farming and making sure people have enough food to eat.”
Jessica turned to the professor, swallowing back her obvious anger.
“If you don’t mind professor, I’ll catch up with you later, perhaps when your friends -” she shot Emeline another dirty look, “are not around.”
“Of course,” the professor said quietly.
Jessica stormed off, leaving them behind.
“I can assure you, other stories from ‘missing’ men and women will be similar,” the professor said in a gentle voice.
“The man who brought you here has done the same thing with every other person who went missing. Tate didn’t take them against their will. He simply offered them a better life. They thought he meant through religion, but it’s because we want people to live their dreams.”
The professor turned to Meade, nodding. “People like you. People like myself and my wife who want to make the world a better place, but know that in the meantime, do whatever it takes to survive.”
Emeline looked up. “Why all the subterfuge then?”
The professor’s sly smile returned. “Rumors are the best recruiting tool we have. Can you imagine what goes through a person’s mind once they see they’ve been literally teleported into our colony? It can be a religious experience for many.”
Meade had to admit, if the professor snatched him away in a beam of light, that might have changed his perspective on a few things. He glanced over at Emeline who was nodding in agreement.
“I don’t remember much about the experience, but I know if someone told me God was responsible for that, I would have believed ‘em,” Emeline said.
“People hear about how special and advanced we are out here, and we do everything we can to encourage those rumors,” the professor added. “Do you want to know what really kills a colony like ours? It’s not a lack of resources. It’s the lack of hope.”
Meade knew the professor was right. He’d said something similar about the Martian Independence Movement. So long as they could offer hope, they could survive. It appeared the professor subscribed to a similar philosophy.
“People come here to us here because they believe in the hope our colony offers and that we can offer them a better life,” the professor said. “I like to think we’ve accomplished that for everyone who joins us.”
“So, the rumors aren’t true?” Emeline asked.
“Which ones?” the professor asked. “Besides, would you even believe me if I said they weren’t true? You’re smart enough to know that as leader of a place and people like this, I’d need to keep our abilities close to the chest. Any supposed advanced technology we might possess would fall under that umbrella.”
“What I’m hearing is that you mean to lie to us?” Meade asked.
The professor chuckled. “It’s more like I enjoy placing Shangri-La in the best possible light for our visitors.”
“How long are you going to keep us here?” he asked. It was time to ask the big questions.
The professor’s face fell at this question. “Unfortunately, it may be for some time. If you had timed your arrival at any other moment, I would have welcomed you all with open arms and sent you on your way at your leisure.”
Emeline glanced at him. He ignored her look, and kept his eyes on the professor, knowing this wasn’t the time to tell Emeline about Kansas.
“Unfortunately,” the professor continued, looking uncomfortable. “Your arrival and… ahem… attack on Shangri-La have placed me in a difficult position. My wife and I are engaged in some delicate negotiations that have our facility on a security lockdown.”
The professor saw the disappointment on their faces and shook his head. “I don’t mean to alarm you. I will let you go when I’m able. You have my word on that.”
“Trust is something that’s earned professor,” Emeline said.
“She’s right professor,” Meade said. “We appreciate your situation and all, but we can’t allow ourselves to be held hostage here against our will. It goes against our code.”
The professor removed his glasses, rubbing at his eyes, “I swear to you, we only need a few more days before our negotiations are complete. Until then, I implore you to take advantage of everything we have to offer here in our colony. We have luxuries as good as what you’d find on the orbital cities back at the Homeworld.”
The professor paused, winking at Emeline who kept her scowl aimed at him. “By the end of it, you may not even want to leave.”
Meade snorted, and Emeline laughed. It wasn’t exactly a graceful reaction. But what the hell did they care? He was holding them hostage after all.
The professor shook his head. “We need good people like you two here to help build a better future. Not only for our colony, but for everyone that lives under the Lids on Mars. I’ll need more like you and Emeline here once my plan is complete.”
“What plan?” he asked.
The professor shook his head, “I don’t like being mysterious, but humanity is always evolving. Especially when it doesn’t feel like it.”
“What does that even mean?” he asked.
The professor didn’t answer at first.
“That’s something I have to keep to myself for now. You must understand, trust is earned.”
“I’ve got a similar rule,” Meade said. “But it also seems unfriendly to kidnap someone and not tell ‘em why.”
The professor’s face grew apologetic, “I’m afraid there’s no room on this issue. You and Ms. Hunan must remain here for the time being – my polite hostages if you will.”
“’Polite hostages?” Meade asked. He glanced at Eme
line. “Is that even a thing?”
She shook her head. “Forget it. I already tried.”
She turned back to the professor protesting. “You can’t do this. We have lives back in New Plymouth. People who count on us. They need us to -”
“Your problems back in New Plymouth dwarf the important work we’re doing here at Shangri-La,” the professor interjected angrily.
They looked at each other, surprised by the professor’s outburst, who seemed to realize he had gone too far.
“Forgive me,” he said apologetically. “I get a little hangry in the afternoon.”
He turned and extended a hand to guide them down the corridor.
“What if I showed you Shangri-La could offer the Martian Independence Movement more resources than they could ever need?”
Meade looked at the professor, his eyes narrowing.
“Prove it.”
Chapter Twenty
Believe It or Not
“Our primary mission here is to offer the people who come here a chance to live the life they’ve always wanted,” the professor said escorting Meade and Emeline down the well-lit hallway. “Look at what humanity has accomplished so far. Manned exploration of deep space. That alone should be enough for daily celebrations across the Coalition and Consortium. Imagine what might be possible if we put aside our differences and united under one umbrella.”
Meade had to give it to the man. He was passionate about his cause, that much was for sure. He glanced at Emeline who looked as puzzled as he was.
“I’ll admit people tend to get used to the extraordinary,” he said, shrugging. “But that’s half the problem ain’t it? There’s always going to be assholes who want to be assholes for the sake of being an asshole. There ain’t much you can do about that.”
“What if I told you to imagine there was a way to deal with that?” the professor didn’t even bother hiding his I’ve got a secret! tone.