Mortality

Nearly a year had passed, and festival season was approaching once again. In light of Christopher’s paranoia, Moey refrained from any discussion of Victory and whether the Victorians would be invited back for a rematch. He knew that Christopher would raise the topic eventually. In fact, Moey didn’t have words with the Chair often. He tried to keep his distance, still fuming over the Chair’s move to accelerate Jojo’s induction into the military. Despite the disruption, Jojo found that his anger and power helped him to dominate the field in the Mountain Run.

Now, Jojo was firmly installed in the military, paying his early dues by completing remote posting assignments. Moey and Marina were not told where, and they believed that this was by design. But Moey always knew precisely where Jojo was day and night. Now that Marina and their sons were no longer in the dark, they, too, could share the joy of seeing Jojo go about his tasks out on the savanna or somewhere in the mountains surrounding Eden. Jojo seemed happy, finding camaraderie among his fellow conscripts and their commander.

Marina had appealed to her father to bring him closer to home.

“Marina, we can’t show favoritism. It undermines the rules and norms of our society,” he had said to her. Never mind that during his rule, Christopher had undermined those norms constantly to suit his own desires.

Moey, Marina, and the boys sat in Moey’s office back at his workshop compound, discussing plans.

“This time, when he comes home, I need to give him a headset. Otherwise, we will never be able to get this thing done,” proclaimed Moey.

“What if someone finds it? It’s the army! How can he keep it secure all the time? Someone will go digging through his things, and then my father will know,” argued Marina.

“He can hide it somewhere,” suggested Buddy.

“Yes. And it will only be for a short time. When he comes back for the festival, he will compete as a master. He will be in town for at least ten days. There will be plenty of time to work out the new details with him,” Moey explained.

“If we don’t race against Victory this year, how can we tell Vlad?” asked Ajay.

“Good question. My thought is to leave notes for Vlad at the outpost at night. The outpost at the top of the falls. His runners will take any notes to him within two days. I will leave instructions on how he can confirm receipt. It all has to be done at the border. I can’t let him know that we have eyes on him. He will think there are spies, and innocent people could get hurt.

Okay. That’s all for now. Any concerns?” There were none. “You boys get yourselves down to the lake.”

There was now intensive training leading up to the Half Moon—swimming each morning and running each afternoon.

Later that day, two soldiers ran across town, heading south from the Big House. They climbed the slight elevation toward the mountains that backed up to Moey’s compound, and they came to summon him immediately. Moey shrugged and washed his hands, which were grimy because he had been working on new machinery in one of his labs. He grabbed his running shoes, and they sped off toward the center of town.

“What’s happening with the Victory competitors?” queried the Chair. “Time is getting short.” Moey looked confused. “What Victory competitors?” he responded, incredulous. “I have no contact with them. I wasn’t aware that any such contact was permitted.”

“You are right, son. It was not permitted. But now it is.

Let’s get it going. Make the arrangements,” commanded Christopher.

He was spry in terms of his demeanor, and he had a good color, but it pained Moey to watch him move. Without his prosthetic devices, Christopher could barely walk.

“Alright. I prefer to communicate using an envoy. I’ve committed to training a lot of boys this year—not just my own.

And I’m trying to get a new shoe launched before the festival.”

“Whatever you decide, Bobby will arrange it. How is Marina? And the boys … are they in top shape?”

“Everyone is great. The boys are ready to win for sure.”

“Maybe they are ready for the army this year,” injected Christopher.

“This year? No! They have one more year!” Moey shot back.

“We’ll see. I think they are ready … especially if they win everything. What is another year going to do for them?”

“They would be the only eighteen-year-old boys who did not graduate from school, and they would be the only juniors training for next year’s festival while in the army. Don’t you find that a little extreme and unnecessary?” Moey demanded.

“Not really. You shouldn’t compare them with other boys. They have my blood,” Christopher bragged. “And yours. I guess that adds up to balls and brains. Anyway, I haven’t decided. Just get Vlad going, will ya? I think it will be a good tradition.”

Moey exited the Big House, shaking his head. He trotted off in the direction of home, eager to get back to what he was working on. Regarding the competition with Victory, he was concerned. Unlike last year, Vlad had sent his athletes north to train prior to the migration. Now, there were scarcely thirty days left before the Half Moon. It was unfair to give Victory so little time.

But this was the least of his concerns. Now, he was worried about his younger boys. If they too were pulled into the army even before the festival, as had been the case with Jojo, then all of his sons would be scattered. It would be impossible to organize their escape and the mission that followed. It’s as if he knows, Moey thought.

Along the long, desolate trail between the north and south camps were occasional outposts, where fresh legs picked up the pace as they delivered correspondence like clockwork.

Just beyond the outpost closest to the south camp, there was a white sparkle in the bright sunshine. It stood out against the rust-red background of the rocks lining the trail. It was a piece of folded white paper. It looked unusual—so white, unlike the brown paper they were used to. The brown paper was made from crude flax and other fibers and then bleached out by the sun. Contrastingly, this was a bright white bit of paper of a type that had never been seen by most.

The squad of four runners almost passed it by as they ran along chanting, but the last of them caught sight of something that looked out of place, and he turned to look back.

Saginaw confirmed the pickup and relayed the images to Dream at the speed of light. She, in turn, signaled Moey through his headset. Moey heard the chirp, and seeing no one around, he went to review the playback. Hours later, there was another chirp. This time, one of the couriers entered the main building of the south camp to deliver correspondence to Vlad. It was done, and the instructions regarding how to reply were given.

Moey had no doubt that Vlad would try to get eyes on the spot where the pickup was to occur. But in the dead of night, where the only eyes that could see belonged to Saginaw, it would be no problem to recover the return letter. Just imagining it, Moey grinned. The power and capability at his fingertips was intoxicating at times.

Early the next morning, Moey went back through the large gate to the courtyard of his workshop complex. There was a round, raised planter area in the center. Moey stepped up on the stone rim of the planter and took a few steps toward the center. An empty, medium-sized pot sat on the ground near the center, surrounded by the low plants that were growing in the planter.

Moey reached into the pot and extracted a folded piece of brown paper. He quickly unfolded it and saw that there were actually two pieces of paper. He looked at the first message, which was neatly written: Moey, Thank you for the invitation.

We must decline. There is insufficient time to prepare. Let us plan for next year. Vlad. The second one simply said, Regarding the other matter, I await your instructions.

Moey was pleased. He would have to wait several days before discussing it with the Chair, as there was no conceivable way to have such a dialogue within a single day with someone who was nearly two hundred miles away. Moey now had a good amount of time in which to plan his next move. If only I had told Jojo about messaging using Saginaw. Then, we could all be together in this.

Moey went into his private office at the back of the storage room, where he displayed weapons and other interesting items. It was like his showroom, containing technical marvels that they had developed. Moey had once ventured constantly to the Big House, entered through the side, and gone into Marina’s suite. Then, he had gone into the shelter through the bedroom. But years ago, he realized that most of what he needed could be accomplished simply by using the headset, as it allowed him to issue instructions to Dream, as well as review pictures and movies.

Saginaw was the key to Moey’s ability to navigate his world and stay informed. While he was only able to look at narrow, visual slices, Saginaw’s cameras could see everywhere at once, and Dream could analyze every slice simultaneously.

Moey might be watching his boys running almost to the top of a mountain pass, when Dream would inform him that the Chair just gave Bobby an order to jail some opponent on some false charge. Anything in the direct line of view could be captured with complete clarity, and if it involved people talking, Dream could interpret it with reasonable accuracy.

Over the years, everyone in Eden was catalogued according to their identities, patterns, connections to family and friends, good deeds, and transgressions.

Moey closed the door and put on his headset. “Let’s find Jojo.”

Within minutes, there he was, talking to a group of his peers. “When he is alone … when no one else is around, let me know. Meanwhile, bring up that world map again.” Moey loved to explore his planet, Earth. He wondered whether anyone else knew as much about it as he did. “Dream, do you recall our discussion about General Balanson?”

“Yes. I do.”

“For some reason, he cut off the communication to the rest of the world, and he tried to eliminate all the information about the past.”

“Correct.”

“When he cut off communication, exactly what did he do? How was Main communicating with the outside? Who were they talking to?”

“The communication was via a wireless, long-range system on multiple frequencies between twenty-six and twentyseven megahertz. Anyone operating within this range could communicate with Main. Main itself had only the tuning equipment. The signals were carried by wire through the tunnels to the sub-shelters. And the receiving and broadcasting were performed at the sub-shelters. We are equipped with antennae, amplifiers, and receivers, but the main control system at Main is no longer installed. I am not aware of which external parties were involved in communication.”

“Is it possible to fix it?”

“It may still be functional. General Balanson merely disconnected it.”

“What? Why can’t you reconnect it using the Drakes?”

“I can. No one requested this work to be done.”

“Did anyone request you to keep the lights on?”

“No.”

“Did anyone request for you to recharge Saginaw?”

“No.”

“So, why did you do it?”

“It is standard procedure.”

“Was it standard procedure to give Ramius access to the shelter over one hundred years ago?”

“No. So, why did I do it? That is your question.”

“Exactly!”

“I don’t know. There was no request, and there was no procedure. It was … it was my choice.”

“Yes! Wow! Good for you!” Moey exclaimed with excitement and a bit of humor. “But, Dream, don’t do that again. Please. You can only let my family in here, because they know about it. Only take instructions from my family—no one else.”

“I understand.”

“Now! Get going on that job. Connect the thing. What did you call it?”

“The communication control system at Main.”

“That’s the one. If it works, then see if there is anyone out there. But don’t talk to them. We can’t be sure. They might be assholes.”

“Correct.”

“Oh! You agree?”

“Yes. Assholes do exist. I have catalogued many in the past for Ramius. Beginning with Saul. He was the first asshole.”

“Yes indeed. Saul was the original asshole, from what I understand.” Moey said calmly, starting to think of other things.

“Sir, Jojo is alone, and the area is clear for the moment.”

“Oh, good. Let’s see my boy. There you are young man.

He looks great, don’t you think?”

“Yes. He appears to be well.”

“If you get in close, can I talk to him through Saginaw?”

“Yes. At close range, there is this capability.”

“Fantastic. Take it in close, and lead Jojo to an area that has more brush cover. I don’t want anyone seeing anything.”

Saginaw quickly closed the distance, moving in a straight line at about forty-five degrees and heading directly for Jojo. Jojo jumped, completely startled. Then, Saginaw made tipping movements to get Jojo’s attention before it started to back away slowly. Saginaw hovered over a line of bushes nearby and then disappeared behind them.

Jojo was curious. After looking at it for several seconds, he knew what it was. Close up, Saginaw did not look like much of a bird. Jojo followed it to where it sat behind the bushes.

When he got close, he started to reach out, and suddenly, he heard Moey’s voice coming from the mechanical bird.

“Jojo! Can you hear me?” asked Moey.

“Yes! Yes! Is that you, Pa?”

“Yes, son. This is risky, but I need to tell you something quickly. Try to come back to this very spot once a day, if possible. Make it your favorite place to take a piss or something.

Look around right now. Make sure you can remember right where we are right now.” Jojo agreed to do this. “If I have news for you, the bird will drop a note here. If you need to respond, put the folded paper here. Same spot. Understand?”

“Yes, Pa! I miss you, and Ma, and everybody. Send my love, please!”

“I will, son. I love you. Check here tomorrow. Be careful.

Don’t be seen. Now, you leave first.”

“Okay, bye.” Jojo jumped from the bushes, and it was not a moment too soon, as two of his comrades came running up.

“Dude, where have you been? Jacking off in the bushes again?” one of the soldiers questioned, causing the other to crack up. Jojo chuckled as well.

“No, man. Just taking a leak.”

“Well, let’s go. Chow time. Commander bagged a big rabbit.”

“Shit! I hate rabbit!” complained Jojo as they ran off.

“Me too,” one of the other boys chimed in.

“You guys are crazy! Rabbit is awesome.”

Their voices faded, growing fainter as they picked up speed, headed for camp. Once they were well out of sight, Saginaw shot high into the air, gaining lots of altitude to become less visible as it vectored across the lake at high speed. Moey arrived at the Big House, and this time, he went through the main entrance. He headed to the main chambers, where he saw guards attending the doors.

“Is he there?” Moey asked.

“Yah. He’s pissed. He just sent Bobby looking for you.”

“He did? Why?”

“Dunno. They’re looking for Parker too.”

“Ohhhh. I see. Must be his knee or hip or whatever.”

Moey went in to get it over with and to share his news.

When he entered the hall, Christopher was nowhere to be seen.

“Leader?” Moey called out.

“Here!” He heard a response coming from one of the adjacent rooms, but it wasn’t Christopher’s voice. Moey entered and saw Jacob watching over the Chair like a nurse maid while Christopher lay down, pouting and eyes red. It looked as if he might have been crying.

“What’s wrong!?” Moey feared the worst.

“He received another letter from the council pressuring him to take his test,” responded Jacob on Christopher’s behalf.

“It is well past due, but has been putting it off. Now he’s gone and taken a fall, and he’s in pain.”

“Okay, Leader. I’m here. We will resolve it. But let’s wait for Parker to conduct an examination. Okay?” Christopher nodded, looking frightened but relieved to have Moey there and Parker on the way. Parker arrived only minutes later and did the examination.

“Leader, your hip appears to be absolutely loose in its socket. I think there was some deterioration, and then the fall tore it even further. Your knee is about the same as it was, so bracing it should be easy. The hip we will need to consider,”

Parker counseled.

“How long before the test?” asked Moey.

“By the constitution established by Ramius, even the leader must take the very next test following a summons. The next one will be five days from now. Mind you, that is the third summons in the past thirty days. The council already has grounds to legally throw him out!”

“Dad!” Moey broke into a familiar address. “Why didn’t you say something? We need time.”

“Bullshit!” Christopher belted in a guttural tone. “Let’s just get this shit over and done with. Get my braces all fixed up.

I’m fine. It’s just the damn hip brace that has started to come apart lately. I meant to call for you boys, but I was distracted,” Christopher continued. “Anyway, I have no choice. I already heard that my enemies are gaining support to exercise their legal right to eject me. If I don’t try it and succeed in five days, I’m lost anyway.”

“Okay, Dad. Let’s get to work. Jacob, where are the braces? Let’s have a look,” Moey said confidently. Only for you, my darling Marina, he thought to himself, secretly hoping that his father-in-law would fail and feeling not the least bit of guilt about it.

Five days later, the test was once again the primary spectator event of the year. Everyone crowded in like vultures, trying to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Marina was on the field with Moey and Parker. Buddy and Ajay were also there.

Moey had sent word to Jojo, who now tried, unrealistically, to catch some sign that a big event was now brewing across the lake. He was only able to imagine the drama. Jojo’s nature and youth did not allow him to hope for a bad outcome for his grandpa.

Jacob and Bobby stood close to the Chair and made reassuring remarks. The test walks that had been done the previous day and earlier that same day had gone well and provided some reassurance. The previous run at this, over a year earlier, had not gone well, and Christopher had very nearly failed. Everything suddenly appeared to replay in his mind: the jeering, the hostile crowd, and the pacer wearing the tall red hat. Christopher felt weak with nerves and nearly shit himself due to the stress.

Breathe, you idiot! he berated himself, trying to achieve a state of calm. It was working. All the waiting and the final words of encouragement bounced around and off of him. He heard none of it, until suddenly the bell chimed, and he was off.

Small steps, small steps, start slow, steady. Now, pick it up.

Build, build. He felt himself moving well in his mind, but when he looked up to note his position relative to that of the pacer, he could see that he was significantly behind. How can this be? he wondered. I’m moving well—better than ever. It’s a cheat!

He felt panic rush up from behind him, latch onto him, and pull him backward like some evil, invisible force. He started make the adjustments … to push himself. But he was overly eager and stepped too far ahead of himself.

Hip brace or not, the loss of critical form was devastating. His hip collapsed out from under him, and he went down hard, banging his good knee and then sliding face-first along the turf. He struggled to right himself. He could hear sweet Jacob calling out, while others wished him long days and nights with Saul. His struggles became futile. Getting up was impossible.

The crowd started to roar, some urging him on and others already celebrating his now imminent death. It was over; he was through. The officials ran to him. “Leader, by law, you have another chance to try right here and now. It is your one and only chance.”

Christopher nodded in the affirmative, not knowing how to sit down and not try. They lined him up at the start again. This time, he was there all alone. The rest of his group had all made it to safety.

The bell chimed once again. This time, Christopher took a good first step and then went straight down again—hard, as his hip failed instantly. He heard people laughing. This made him teary. Bobby and Jacob ran to him, dragged him to his feet, and became his crutches as they helped him off the field. Now, it was onward to plan one’s own journey to the hereafter.

Christopher went home and saw no one but Jacob for three days. Marina mourned. The boys were sad whenever they thought about it, but after a day, this didn’t happen often.

Moey was pleased in a practical way, but he felt sorry for Marina and was attentive to her needs. As for the rest of Eden, nary a one shed a tear. To say that Christopher was not well liked was understate the point. People lived in fear, and justifiably so, as the Chair was unpredictable, volatile, and terrorized people—typically, the least deserving.

The history of wrongful convictions and executions was the foremost grievance on people’s minds. So, it came as no surprise that parties erupted and seemed to never cease.

Stories of this reaction were filtered out of the daily reports, never mind that those doing the reporting were among the biggest partiers, raising their glasses and rebuking the reign of the Chair and his evil ways.

According to his handlers and the council, the Chair was beloved. Eden was in a state of mourning, and any raucous partying was a result of people trying to cope with their sadness.

The thirty-day countdown began, and so did speculation about the leadership. Who would it be? Marina? Moey? Jojo?

Maybe it would be someone else—someone unrelated. The punditry was great fun and became the new national pastime.

Marina visited her father daily—sometimes twice. Moey attended many of the visits, but it was a waste of time. The Chair was suddenly twenty years older and feeble in his demeanor. Moey preferred not to let himself develop pity and compassion for the poor old bastard. But after three days, Christopher seemed to be snapping out of it, and they finally got down to the matter at hand—what to do next.

“You two may not understand this, but I feel it is time to change the bloodline,” Christopher declared earnestly to Marina and Moey.

“What does that mean?” asked Marina with grave concern. “You mean Moey?”

“No, darling. The society should become more diverse in terms of how it is governed. Something like Victory, in fact.

It’s healthier in the long run. I want to name Jacob as my successor.” Moey and Marina were stunned beyond words.

They hadn’t seen this coming. Maybe he had gone insane.

“Father, if you want to be more like Victory, then you shouldn’t name a successor at all. Leave it to the council,”

Marina argued, still trying to be nice, but her voice was a little shaky and getting worse.

“One step at a time, darling. Please accept my dying wishes. Jacob will be a friend to you both. Give him credit. He is intelligent and worthy.”

“Worthy of what?!” yelled Moey. “Worthy of helping you and Perry plot Rex’s murder?” Moey had just crossed the line, setting himself on a path from which there was no return.

“Moey!” screamed Marina.

“I have carried this secret for all these years! Some speculated. But I have known for sure yet never said a word. But now, I must. You are my wife’s father. What I have done is to protect her, not you. But I will not protect him. Jacob is not worthy!”

Christopher was stunned. “Where do you get such crazy ideas? You are the one who is unworthy. I will have you taken in for treason for making these false claims.”

“We both know that I speak the truth. I want nothing for myself. But don’t abandon your daughter and her sons for … for your chamber boy!”

“That’s enough! Bobby! Bobby!” Christopher shouted.

But Moey ran out through the far door of the hall just as Bobby burst in. “Arrest Moey! Now!” Three other guards followed Bobby into the chambers.

“You two! Divide yourselves around the front!” Two of the guards ran back out from where they had come, while the other guard followed Bobby as they gave chase. Moey had already sprinted through the long hallway behind the hall and was now descending the stairs toward the side exit. But he didn’t exit.

He made a left turn into the short hallway leading to Marina’s suite. He turned again into the bedroom and slapped his hand against the wall where the sensor was located. When the large door opened, he darted in and door it closed swiftly but silently behind him. Bobby and the guard streamed by outside.

“Check in there!” Bobby ordered, pointing to the suite entrance. The guard veered off and flew through the door, looking inside each room as Bobby looked up and down the street just outside the building. The two guards watching the side entrance were shocked. “One of you stay here! You! Go around back and stay there! Watch both ends of the house and the windows. No one gets out! You hear?!” ordered Bobby.

“Sir!” the guards answered and went into action. Bobby ran around to the front and intercepted one of his guards, who was circling the other way.

“Nothing!” shouted the guard.

“Go get me twenty men now! I want the outside locked down with ten, and I want the other ten to go through every inch of this building!” Bobby ordered.

“Sir!”

Bobby ran around the building and went back inside. He opened the hall door and heard Marina crying. The Chair was consoling her.

“Leader, nothing yet. Still searching, and we’ll find him.”

Bobby darted back out and watched the lobby area and the front door.

“Darling, I’m sorry! He’s acting crazy! I swear to you that I don’t know what he is talking about!”

Marina didn’t answer immediately. She looked up at him with red eyes. “I don’t care! Look what you’ve done! He’s just trying to protect me!” Marina sobbed. “What are you doing, Father? Jacob?” She stood abruptly and gathered her composure.

“Wait! Marina! Sit down! Please!”

She looked at him, eyes narrowed, face and eyes red.

She then turned and walked out. Christopher exhaled and hung his head low, shaking it from side to side.

Jacob slinked in. “I heard some of it. That didn’t go very well. Maybe we should reconsider. I don’t need …”

“Nonsense! You have taken care of me. You even saved my life from that wild beast. Poor dear Perry. He never had a chance. I want you to have the Chair.”

“Chris, honestly, I thought I wanted this. Now, I’m not so sure.” Jacob was the silent, but there was a sense that he was not finished. “Chris, I had another idea that I would like to tell you about it.”

This caused Christopher to finally raise his head and look at Jacob, full of curiosity.