Destiny: Quantic Dreams Book 3 Read online

“We’ll talk to Mom about it.” Martin had it more difficult than most kids his age. At the young age of sixteen it was his job to become the man of the family and he was performing his duties admirably. He had chosen the wisest of parental answers: maybe. Whenever I used it with Marcus as a child, it usually meant no, but perhaps it would be possible to involve Pawter in some kind of project. She might feel more at ease if she were part of the group instead of one of the group of children who pretended to keep up their schoolwork. Getting the kids to participate in building the colony would serve the double purpose of training our replacements. Provided that we survived out here at all, of course. We waved goodbye to Pawter and Martin and finished our lukewarm meals in silence.

  Chapter Two

  Pawter Jones’s adjustment to living on the surface was on the milder side, unfortunately. Treating anxiety was simple. Convincing others of a new reality wasn’t. We had never suffered an abundance of luxury in the shelter, but people had gotten used to certain creature comforts and amenities that were no longer an option. On top of that, the ratio of shelter-born to surface-born was skewed. To put it simply, it was like herding cats. It wasn’t just that people were ignorant, it was that they were ignorant of the potentially lethal consequences of their actions. All of us had spent the majority of our lives in the virtual world. Any ‘natural’ hazards that occurred there were ineffectual. Eliza and I paid attention to Dad, and Marcus paid attention to us. As we picked up on what was harmful and what wasn’t, we found ourselves de facto subject matter experts on a number of subjects. This ranged from explaining exactly how rain and wind were caused to stabilizing those who had experienced such derealization that they had to be confined to their quarters. I found myself cautioning people away from sharp rocks, drinking unboiled water, and from stepping in feces of all kinds.

  There was some violence, too. What began as sporadic fist fights because full on brawls. More than one person showed up to the medic’s tent with lacerations and even a couple of broken bones. Accusations of thievery and affairs abounded. Without a true governing body or even an elected leader to punish the offenders, responsibility fell on the individual to foil transgressions in the moment.

  It was an utter mess. Each conflict became a sea of “he said, she said” until everyone was so sick of it the matter would be swept under the rug. I suspected the peace would only last until someone committed a truly heinous crime. I must not have been the only one who worried about that as a meeting was called the next day. Every able-bodied person was to gather around the central fire pit for the evening meal. Among those present were several of the accused who shuffled back and forth with their eyes fixed firmly on the ground. They must have assumed they were there to be publicly shamed. I was wondering the same thing. Nothing works so well as a good old-fashioned shunning.

  “What began as a miracle of human cooperation appears to have quickly regressed to our basest sins.” Alexander Fang’s voice boomed through the crowd and shouts of agreement answered. “As it has become apparent that we are not willing to come together for the greater good, it is necessary to establish some kind of peacekeeping force.” The suggestion was met not with enthusiasm, but with silence. Many of us remembered our history. The police brutality of the former United States became world famous before the end. The shelters had their own security force in the beginning as well. Volunteers were issued ‘shock sticks’-not unlike the cattle prods of old. Being on the business end of one ensured that you were down for the count. Most of us felt that even that was too much power. But Gabriel’s actions had changed our reality forever. “We’ll have twenty candidates put their names forward. Tomorrow you will be able to come by my tent and submit your vote anonymously. The fifteen people with the most votes will be issued shock sticks and other equipment. They will be given permission to use said equipment to apprehend or detain a criminal.” Gasps and murmurs could be heard from around the fire and I felt Eliza squeeze my hand.

  The new environment was putting untold stress on us all, and right after a devastating illness had robbed too many of their family members. In addition to that, the vacuum of not having a true shelter leader left people on edge. It would be all too easy to take advantage of the skeletal system and force your way into power. Alexander had the right idea, but I had a terrible feeling this wouldn’t end well.

  I tried to keep to myself most of the time. Engaging in the politics and drama only served to frustrate me. Frustration interrupted my work. Each day became a routine. Get up, eat my ration of breakfast, set to planting. Break for lunch, back to planting. Break for an hour before dinner to help around the colony. Dinner. Evening meeting with the higher-ups. Listen to Eliza rant for half an hour about how stupid the men she was forced to collaborate with were. At the end of it all, I found myself exhausted. I took to waiting until Eliza fell asleep and jogging around the perimeter of the colony. The rhythm of my feet underneath me cleared my mind. Each breath of the night air cleansed my lungs and my sweat shed any problems I was having.

  I knew the routine was working because every morning I woke up ready to take on the tasks of the day. I spoke with Pawter’s mother and was given permission to take her around the colony. We started with plants, given my area of expertise. The girl was amazed when I cut open a leaf to show her the tiny cellular structures inside. As for the animals, I recruited the help of Gerald, one of the guys who had shown an unusual adeptness for trapping. He had aspirations of transitioning into the role of a scientist and had taken it upon himself to sketch detailed depictions of creatures both alive and dead. I was pretty fascinated myself; Gerald had seen more animals than I did. He even had detailed pictures of the small fish that raced up the nearby river. Pawter was over the moon. She peppered him with endless questions and Gerald showed endless patience. That’s the kind of parenting I always aspired towards. Never discourage a child from asking questions, especially if they were about topics that could enrich their lives.

  The fragile peace around the colony was always in danger of unraveling. At least once a day a fight broke out over some insignificant slight or other that frequently ended with one person or another nursing a black eye. The thieving was still present, but the lost items were so insignificant that the ‘security’ team barely took notice. As the weather got warmer, people’s attitudes turned sour. Their motivation to work in the scorching sun was nonexistent. It took the threat of pulling their food rations for the next meal to keep things moving in an orderly fashion. After a couple weeks I had amassed a running club all my own. My nightly routines hadn’t gone unnoticed and people were desperate for some kind of relief from the struggles of the day. It was a little unpleasant having my one hour of peace horned in on by a dozen others, but if I kept my head down and tuned out, it was good enough. Alexander Fang approached me and asked if we could organize a kind of school system. The colony’s children still needed their education and adults who were unskilled in manual labor could always use to expand their skills. So it went. Those who had been teachers in the virtual world returned to their teaching duties, and those of us with expertise in a particular field gave a portion of our day to cross-training other colonists. Things settled down. At the end of the day, we humans are simple creatures. All people needed was a way to occupy themselves.

  Little did I know that tranquility wouldn’t last very long. After adjusting to the new training schedules, people got bored again and the same problems began to pop up. This wasn’t working. Something needed to be done.

  Chapter Three

  Calls for leadership intensified as time went on, fueled by discomfort and the slow progress in settling down. Despite this, each time a proposal to establish a formal leader or group of leaders was put forth, it failed to manifest itself. I think that when it came down to it, people were just plain tired. The new peacekeeping force was proving to be extremely unpopular. The voting system that installed them in the first place eased tensions somewhat, but they were ratcheted back up every time the small gr
oup had to take action. Those who had put their names forward, even the people who weren’t appointed to the position, were viewed with suspicion and outright disgust.

  In addition to Marcus, two others put their names forward for leadership. One of whom, to my shock, was Eliza. I can’t say I reacted well. I think they might have heard the shouting at the very edges of camp. Eliza and I hadn’t fought so much since I had been suffering from severe depression. The truth is that I was afraid. Afraid that she would be taking on too much. She had already spent too many years taking care of me, taking care of Marcus, only to be thrown into a frantic bid to save my life as I battled the disease that burned through the shelter. Now she wanted to be responsible for a thousand other souls and the multitude of problems that came with them? I had to wonder about her sanity. Still, she was a better choice than Azan. The grandson of fabulously wealthy family, he was born and raised to believe that his superiority was contained within his very blood. He split the age difference between Marcus and Eliza, coming in at the tender age of thirty-three. Old enough to know better and still young enough to not care. The thought of putting him in charge made my blood boil.

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I had entreated Eliza to join me in the fields, far away from most of the tents so we could have it out. “What happens when someone decides that they don’t like a woman being in charge? Or a lesbian? I can’t-“

  “You don’t think I can handle it?” Her outburst shocked me into silence.

  “Honey, I-“

  “Fiona, I don’t know where you’ve been for the last twenty years but I’ve endured a hell of a lot. I’ve raised our son, I’ve helped your father clean up the absolute mess he made when he yanked us out of our lives..I’ve even taken care of-“ Eliza shut her mouth abruptly. She didn’t need to finish her sentence. I felt my face redden in anger. Eliza had never remotely suggested that my depression had been a burden to her. In my darkest times I had tried to convince her to leave me, certain that she deserved better. All she had done in response was to gather me in her arms and hold me while I sobbed. Now at the cusp of us starting as new chapter in life together, maybe my worst fears had actually come true.

  “I’m sorry.” Eliza’s voice brought me back to reality. “I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s all right,” I croaked. The anger had cooled into pain and it was hard to keep my voice steady. “I mean, now I know the truth after all these years. About time you said it.” She stepped towards me and reached out a hand but I jerked my shoulder back. “No.”

  “But-“

  “I said no!” I snarled at her. “You go be leader or loser or whatever the hell you want to be but you do not get to play the martyr now. You had plenty of chances to not take on my problems before we got married.” She didn’t reply. I stormed back to camp, knowing too well that our fight would have been in full view of more people than either of us would prefer. Thankfully most of the adults would do what they did whenever a domestic dispute was witnessed. Turn the other way and pretend it never happened.

  By the time the evening meal came around, I knew that I had overreacted, if just a little. The situation had ratcheted up tension in everyone and Eliza and I had to cope with more than most. I resolved to apologize to her later that night. I wasn’t ready to let go of what she had said, but if we were going to survive the challenges ahead we had to work together. While I waited for Eliza I scrolled through the day’s information. Special sensors placed throughout the fields fed me data on everything from soil composition to water levels. The environment wasn’t controllable in the slightest. It just made me feel better to have an idea of what was going on.

  Eliza unzipped the tent flap and stuck a hand into the tent. “Is it safe to come in?” I rolled my eyes. The woman certainly had a knack for saying stupid things at stupid times.

  “Can’t stop you.” I settled into the sleeping bag and turned away from the door. I knew I was being childish. In that moment, I didn’t care. I felt her weight settle onto the sleeping bag next to me and a hand touch my shoulder tentatively. “What.” I didn’t turn over. I wanted to make it sting just a little bit more.

  “Can we talk? I mean actually talk, not like this afternoon.”

  “Sure.” I turned over to face her. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying. I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only one who had suffered from the earlier verbal slings and arrows. “You start.”

  “I am so, so sorry. I know that I can’t take back what I said earlier. It was horrible of me and I can never make it up to you.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “Would it be okay if I explained to you why I want to put my name forward for leader?” I tightened my hand into a fist under the covers.

  “If you explain it to me and I still say no, will you honor that and back out of the race?” Eliza’s jaw tightened. It was her choice to make. I couldn’t-shouldn’t-stop her from pursuing what she really wanted.

  “My love, you and I have been through so very much.” I nodded. That was the understatement of the century. “We’ve raised a beautiful son together, we’ve worked through countless troubles together, and we have survived together. We are the smartest people in the room, and we have made better decisions for the shelter than ninety percent of the people here.”

  “Yeah, we have.” I softened my gaze and stroked her cheek.

  “I hate to bring it up like this, but your father is getting old, honey. Alexander is right. It’s more than time for him to step down from leading the people. He did an amazing job, far and away beyond what anyone would ever expect of a person.”

  I didn’t disagree.

  “I want to put my name in for leader because…” she trailed off, eyes darting away for a moment, as if unsure she should continue speaking. “Well, because I almost lost you. Twice, now.” The realization hit me like a slap across the face. The suicidal ideation I suffered from felt like it was another lifetime. Surviving the sickness seemed again like a distant nightmare. As horrible as it had been to endure both illnesses myself, I couldn’t fathom what it must have been like to have to watch someone go through them. “It feels like there’s nothing I can do to protect you. I can’t leave it up to chance that something else will happen to you. Even if Marcus was elected. Your father is right. He’s an incredibly smart young man but he needs more experience.”

  I nodded. “And what about our son, Eliza? Have you considered how he might feel about his mother putting her life on the line?”

  “He’s a big boy, Fiona. A grown man fully capable of handling himself. If you or I bit the dust tomorrow, I’m sure he would grieve, but he would continue on just fine.” She smiled gently and offered me her arm to lay on. I settled in against her and felt the tension of the day melt away as the sound of her heartbeat thudded through the fabric of her clothing.

  “You can’t leave me out of the process, beloved.” I looked up at her. The wrinkles on both our faces were getting more visible every year. It was one of the things I looked forward to the most when we got married. The idea of growing old with someone was romantic, even idyllic. The strange circumstances we found ourselves in didn’t change that fact.

  “Hm?”

  “If you do this, and if you become the leader of us all, I expect you to bring me in as your partner. I’ll cede the decision making to you, of course, but you can’t barrel through things without considering us. Not like-“

  She squeezed me tightly against her. “I know. Not like your father. I swear to you, I will not abandon you like that. I could never.” The warmth of her body and the lateness of the hour were a cocktail dragging me towards sleep and I drifted off.

  The election wasn’t long in coming. Each candidate was given twenty minutes to make their speech to the assembled crowd. Everyone aged seventeen and up was permitted a vote which they submitted anomalously into a tablet with the group looking on. The tablet tabulated the votes in real time and spit out a result moments after t
he last person made their selection. Alexander took the tablet from the last voter and read it over carefully. The result surprised everyone except me.

  Eliza.

  Leave it to my wife to bend the very universe to her will. She had given one hell of a speech and clearly had proven herself a reliable member of the community. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dad shake his head and put his face in his hands, grinning. I wouldn’t have been shocked to learn that he probably talked her into it. Despite my misgivings, I was proud of her. My gorgeous, courageous, fearless wife who had stopped at nothing to tackle every obstacle that came at her. She motioned me towards the center of the group and kissed me soundly, making the crowd clap and cheer.

  It was decided that she would meet with Jacob and Alexander right after the announcement in order to be fully briefed about the plans for the colony. Her engineering tasks were reassigned to someone else. I’m not sure she anticipated that one. Eliza giving up her projects was almost unthinkable. I was sure she would find time to slot them in between duties. As for Marcus, it was obvious that he was feeling bittersweet about the whole thing. Eliza soothed his ego by appointing him to oversee social cohesion within the colony. It was a fancy way of saying that he would be in charge of settling the petty squabbles that cropped up simply by dint of living with other people. It was a smart decision. In doing so, Eliza positioned him perfectly to become more well known throughout the populous while gaining leadership experience.

  The election seemed to soothe most everyone right away. Even those who had voted for someone else seemed relieved to know that at last, someone could pull them in a unified direction. Eliza got to work right away, restructuring the cobbled together routines of the colony into an organized regimen that worked as well as any machine. In celebration of her victory Eliza decreed that everyone be given an extra ration of food that night. Someone managed to scrape up some food-scrap liquor that was being brewed and passed it around as liberally as possible.