The Purlieu Experiment
Chapter 21
Copyright 2015 & 2021
In Donte's absence, the tram route had expanded. In addition to the rail leading to the airfield in Bosvrouwen, a spur had been built from Bosvrouwen to Bergen. All the colonies had maintained the standard that the rail must be a minimum of 10 feet off the ground at all times, thus not interfering with the wildlife and presenting no danger to pedestrians or other transportation. The equine remained the major source of transportation other than the tram. The elevated rails offered an excellent view of the country as they passed through it. The sun provided power to run the trams, as well as the little power needed to send messages.
Donte stared out the tram window at the flat land that made the airfield possible. His thoughts were not on the airfield or the spaceships they would soon visit, though. What occupied his mind was much darker. He wasn't sure where his life was heading, but he wasn't particularly proud of where it had been. Once his life had been about family and honor, but now it had sunk to abandonment and betrayal. Of course, his father was right about the captives. He trusted his father and respected his authority. It wasn't about his father. It was about making promises he couldn't keep. There was a point at which a promise could be implied - like fathering children who expected him to be there for them. He had promised Kafil and King Neirin that he would deliver their messages to Lochfowk, even though he knew nothing about their colony. It had seemed so simple; deliver a message and go home. He had promised the acceptance of Chait and Akira in Libertad even though he had not been there in six years. Even this trip to the Airfield and the Spaceship would not have happened if it were not for his father's indulgence. All of it had happened because he had assigned himself far too much importance. Things were working out, but it certainly wasn't due to any skill or humility on his part.
In the reflection of the window, he suddenly noticed everyone watching him. Quade's voice was gentle and caring.
"Son, what is bothering you? You haven't said a word since we boarded the tram."
Donte sighed. "I guess I've had the opportunity to take a good look at myself and I'm not at all satisfied with what I see."
"It's the Nyumbani." Akira said, and turned to Quade. "How could you let him go there? They completely destroyed his self-esteem."
Donte gasped and turned to Akira. "I don't think we can blame the...."
Kenyon's humorless laugh interrupted him. "How many days did you spend on the trail with him, Akira? It only took me one to know that if Donte has his mind set to do something, you're not going to stop him."
Quade glanced at Donte and spoke to Akira. "He was full of passion. He was only twenty-two and his life had been destroyed. We all warned him, but he thought an heir would solve the problem."
Donte reclaimed the conversation. "I thought I could use that excuse to get into Nyumbani, and I did. My every thought was on finding those who killed Liana and Bjorn and taking revenge. There was nothing noble about it. I didn’t think they would let me live long enough to produce an heir. I really didn’t think about that part at all."
Quade nodded. "And you were dead set on doing it all on your own. We wanted the same thing you did. We simply had a different idea of how to go about it."
Kenyon looked at Donte. "I probably would have felt the same way, Donte, only I would have wanted a militia behind me. It's not surprising that you took it personally. It says a lot that you were willing to walk in there and risk your own neck...literally."
Donte frowned. "There was no point in more lives being lost."
Quade smiled. "See what I mean? It wasn’t a selfish act."
Donte shrugged. "Just stupid."
Quade sobered and shook his head. "No, it wasn't stupid. It was an alternate choice - one that considered the lives of our militia as well as the lives of those in Nyumbani. Knowing what you know now, what would you have changed?"
Donte grimaced. "I would have killed Farasi the first time I met him."
They all laughed and Kenyon spoke. "If only we could turn the clock back. But we can't. We have to learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward...with the full knowledge that the only thing certain in life is that we will make more mistakes."
"Tell that to my children in Nyumbani." Donte said in a bitter tone.
Quade nodded. "I'm sure that would be excellent advice for them as well." His gaze shifted to Akira as he finally answered her question. "I could have prevented Donte from going to Nyumbani. In fact, Pieter and I discussed that possibility. We both decided that, right or wrong, he was old enough to make his own decisions. Much as we love our children, we can't live their lives for them. At some point we must recognize that they are also members of the community. We cannot assume we know best for everyone. What if we had prevented him from going and we were wrong? Look at the events that have taken place since. Doesn't it make you wonder if there was a higher purpose?"
Akira looked at Donte. "He's right. For what it's worth, I'm glad you were there when I arrived in Nyumbani."
Kenyon nodded. "He couldn't have arrived in Lochfowk early enough for me. Who knows how long I would have been stuck there?"
Chait grimaced. "With all due respect, you haven't done my life much good."
Donte looked at him. "No, I suppose not. Sometimes we get ourselves into trouble so deep that only we can drag ourselves out. It isn't as if your situation is hopeless."
Kenyon gave Chait a disgusted look and spoke in unison with Akira.
"Chait, you are one selfish person." only Akira substituted person with a vulgar term. When everyone looked at her in shocked silence, her face turned red "Excuse me," she said.
Quade broke the tension with a slow chuckle. "I can't believe you said that."
Kenyon lifted his brows and looked out the window. No doubt he was thinking that she had a large vocabulary of those kinds of words - and yet, she had not used them any time on the journey until they reached Lochfowk.
Chait's brows lowered and he looked at Kenyon. "I'm not the one who put the lives of every captive in danger so that I could be free."
Kenyon slowly turned his head, his eyes cold as they fixed on Chait. "One: You'd better hope that none of those captives has so much as a hair on their body disturbed. Two: They wouldn't have been there if you and your kind...."
"Son," Quade interrupted in a firm but gentle tone. "I think we have already discussed this topic thoroughly." He gave Chait a stern look. "When you are wrong, accept it. Don't keep digging yourself in deeper trying to defend yourself."
It was Donte's guess as well that Chait was trying to save face by shifting the attention to Kenyon. Still, one person had died in their attempt to make Kenyon submit. Why wouldn't they use the captives as negotiating tools? Akira's expression suggested the same thing had crossed her mind.
What would stop the Lochfowk council from turning on Sima and Akira as traitors? He met Akira's gaze and saw the fear there, but he saw something else...determination. She was no longer the victim. For the first time it occurred to him that Sima had been trying to get Akira out of the colony for her safety. But Sima hadn't been the one who suggested that Akira go with him. He was imagining things.
Donte wanted to return with her and protect her, but this was one time that his presence would only make matters worse. It was good that Chait had met Quade. It was obvious that he was in awe of him. If he was impressed now, he was going to be stunned in a few hours.
The tram slowed at an elevated station where a tram waited on a spur that went into the mountains. There Donica left them with the news that they were invited to a celebration and overnight stay in Bergen that evening.
The tram picked up speed and carried them on to their destination, slowing as it approached a huge building. Two large doors slid back, leaving an opening large enough for the tram to enter. When the end of the tram was inside the building, the doors shut. The tram came to a stop beside a dock. The tram door opened and they all exited onto the dock. From there, Quade led them down a long hallway to an office. They were greeted by a uniformed officer.
"It is good to see you, President Quade. We have the pod ready to launch on your command."
They were escorted to another room, where Quade put his hand, palm down, on a pad. The door opened to a ramp that was anchored inside the door of a transport pod. They walked inside the pod and each of them took one of six seats. Quade sat in the pilot seat and Kenyon sat beside him. Quade began punching buttons on a keyboard, mapping their course.
Donte helped Akira strap into her chair, demonstrating the method for Chait; all the while explaining what they could expect.
"When we launch, you will feel like a camelus is sitting on you, pushing you back in the chair. It will be difficult to breath, but the oxygen content inside the pod will increase, so don't worry, you won't suffocate. You may even lose consciousness for a few minutes. When we are free from gravitational pull, you may feel some vertigo. It will go away after you get on the spaceship where there is artificial gravity."
After checking to make sure they were both buckled in securely, he disconnected the ramp and pressed the button to close the door. It sealed with a hiss. Donte sat in a vacant chair and buckled himself down.
Quade glanced back at them in a mirror over his seat. "Is everyone ready?"
They all said yes. He pressed one more button and leaned back in his chair. There was a hissing sound as the pod released gas in the chamber behind them. The gas suddenly exploded, shooting them up and out of a tube. There were no windows, only a monitor with their progress and projection.
Donte closed his eyes and didn't fight the pressure that threatened to push him through the chair. With each second it was more difficult to breath, but he remained calm. As the pressure reached the point that he didn't think he could stand any more, it eased off. Instead of being pushed into the chair, he began to feel as if he would float out of the chair if not for the straps. In fact, that was precisely the situation.
He took a deep breath and looked at Akira. She had passed out, as had Chait. Quade glanced up in the mirror. How are they? At that moment Akira opened her eyes and gasped for air.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
Donte pulled a pouch from the side of her chair and pressed it to her lips. "Keep it sealed, because the vomit will go everywhere if you don't."
Akira gagged a few times, but didn't throw up. Donte smiled at her. "It will go away soon."
A hissing sound was followed by a rumble. The pod was navigating in space. The overhead display came on, showing distant shiny objects.
"Those are the spaceships," Donte said to Akira.
"How long until we reach them?" The question came from Chait, who was looking pale.
"Not long," Donte said.
As they spoke, the objects were getting larger. In a few minutes they were recognizable as spaceships. The closer they got, the bigger the spaceships appeared. There were three at equal distance from each other.
Quade pointed out the ships. "That is the Moeder, originally a Bergen ship. That one is the Baigh, which was originally Lochfowk’s ship. The farthest one is the Azar. It originally supported Libertad. The crew on board all of them is mixed now - all volunteers who sign up for three years initially. Some sign up again at the end of their term." He glanced at Chait and Akira. "They are always in need of new recruits, if you find that thought interesting – men or women. The Azar is mostly used for technological research now. They are responsible for the computer upgrades."
Chait struggled to sit up, his eyes round. "How big are they?"
Donte smiled. "Large enough to hold a fleet of airships."
The pod slowed and moved under the Moeder, approaching a landing bay. Slowly it moved into a hanger and docked. The sensation of gravity immediately returned. Donte unbuckled and walked to the pod exit door, pressing a button to open it. When he turned, everyone was getting out of their chairs. Quade led the way out the door into a narrow hallway. There they were met by a stocky uniformed officer with blonde hair and light blue eyes. He smiled and spoke in the language of Bergen, addressing Quade.
"It is good to see you again, Monomi. How is it with you?" He held out his hand, palm up.
Quade grasped his forearm and smiled in return. "It is good with us, Monomi. It was a smooth trip."
For a few moments they exchanged pleasantries. Quade turned to the others. "This is Adriaan, the commander of Moeder. Adriaan, these are my sons Kenyon and Donte. You've met them before." He indicated their guests. "This is Akira and Chait, from Lochfowk." He switched to their language and reversed the introductions.
Adriaan gave them a quick tour of the command center before taking them to the library. There he left them with instructions to let him know when they were ready to leave.
The library consisted of both digital and physical books. Quade took Akira to look through the shelves of books, while Donte and Kenyon demonstrated how to work the computer that read the digital files. Chait was eager to learn; catching on fast.
Kenyon and Quade explained the purpose of the spaceships – to protect the colonists – and explained the laser technology. Donte had seen it before, but had never used it, since he had not yet served his three years. He listened as Quade explained the process.
"There are twenty airships aboard each of the spaceships. You saw how long it took us to get here. That’s about the amount of time that it would take for the airships to get to the airfield. They can be anywhere on the planet in minutes. They were never intended to be used against the colonists, only to protect them against invasion." He paused, his gaze settling on Chait. "At this point I would like to make it clear that the Mascots were not considered colonists."
Chait looked at Quade. "Who makes decisions about these airships now?"
"The movement of the spaceships and airships are dictated by the commanders of the spaceships. They get their input from the leaders – at least those who are participating rather than isolating themselves."
Ouch. That was clear enough. Akira and Chait looked at each other. If that didn’t rattle them, nothing would.
Chait turned a sardonic smile on Quade. "Then they outrank you."
Quade nodded. "With regard to the spaceships and airships, yes. With regard to the colony of Libertad, no."
"Then what right do you have to tell Lochfowk what to do?"
Akira looked like she wanted to shrink. Actually, Donte was interested in hearing how his father would respond to that question. It was fair enough.
Quade studied Chait a moment, possibly trying to decide the best response. He certainly didn’t look intimidated by the question.
"The Parliament is gone now. There is a coalition of colonies that include Bergen, Bosvrouwen, Vlaktes and Libertad. We try to maintain order. Raiding and holding other colonies captive is not order. Mascots are not protected by the laws pertaining to the colonists. Now that The Parliament is gone, we must make our own rules. Generally speaking, the strongest are going to rule." He gave Chait a level look. "You are free to challenge me any time you think you are up to the consequences."
The smile slid off Chait’s face and his expression became wary. "Are you threatening me?"
Quade’s smile was wry. "I was answering your question. If your question was not a challenge, then my answer was not a threat."
Conversely… Quade wasn’t backing down. Donte had never heard Quade talk to anyone the way he was talking to Chait. He clearly had the upper hand. He wanted Chait to recognize that fact. The only reason Donte could imagine that he would lay it out that clearly was because he considered Chait an important part of Lochfowk’s decision making. There were only four council members and Chait was probably the strongest. As such, he probably held Chait largely responsible for the continued situation with the captives. Quade was pushing Chait hard…hopefully not too hard. There was only one thing that kept Lochfowk from releasing the captives at this point – threat of reprisal. Was Quade trying to make reprisal sound less attractive than facing the opposition?
Donte had never examined his father’s motives. Quade was an honest and honorable person. The idea that Quade’s methods might be flawed had never occurred to him before. Was it because he was still a kid when he left, or was it because knowing Farasi made him question everyone? Perhaps he had set Quade and Pieter up as perfect examples and discovered he didn’t measure up to that image.
Chait eyed Quade for a few more moments and then shrugged. "It was only a question."
Quade had left an honorable escape and Chait had taken it. That was something valuable to keep in mind during negotiations.
Quade looked at Akira. "I have arranged for us to fly back on an airship. It will carry the pod back. The pod eliminates the need to keep airships on the airfield. If they have more warning, they usually schedule an airship to come down and get us. There are pods that can be launched immediately, though – assuming there is someone with authority to request and navigate it.
Visiting the spaceships had always been a sobering reminder. None of this was about the Mascots. It was all about the colonists. The Mascots were expendable equipment, not people. That was why the words Monomi and Nomi were intended for exchange between Mascots only. Mascots kept order and there was rank within them, but the colonists were never meant to be treated as inferior.
The trip back to the airfield was uneventful and the tram was ready to take them to Bergen. Chait and Akira had little to say. In all likelihood they were feeling as humbled as Donte was.
Soft Science Fiction
