[scifan] plantation - books one to three Read online

  in the world for me. It’s a reassurance that life is as it should be.

  I go outside and sit in front of my tent with an eye fixed toward Finn’s door. I begin cleaning and

  sharpening my own knife. It’s a repetitive, evocative action that helps calm down my nerves. Twice

  before I have found myself in a similar situation, feeling disconnected and distant from Finn.

  The first time was when I was fairly new to the camp and Finn agreed to Damian’s suggestion

  that we kept our weapons in the Armory. We could only keep one small weapon on us when we were

  not on guard or out on a mission. It scared me to death to be nearly unarmed at any time.

  The second time, Finn agreed with Daphne that I was too inexperienced for an overnight mission

  with him and Nya which would have taken us past a spectacular waterfall that everyone had seen but

  me.

  In each instance we did not talk for days. I am determined not to let things get out of hand like

  that again. We are nothing if we don’t learn from our mistakes. And I want to be more than nothing.

  It’s going to be very hot again. It’s seven in the morning and temperatures have already risen

  above 85 degrees. I get tired of waiting for Finn so I walk over to the facilities and get two bottles of icy water. Theo has built a cooling system that leaves the bottles nicely chilled.

  When I get back, Finn’s up and holding the knife that I left there.

  “Good morning,” I tell him with the most sincere smile I can muster.

  “Hey,” he replies, “you got water for me already.”

  “Yep, it’s going to be even hotter today.”

  I hand him one bottle and glance at my knife in his hands.

  “I can’t find mine,” he says as he hands it over to me.

  I turn my face the other way so he doesn’t see the fire on my cheeks.

  “You must have misplaced it. Unless you lost it in that ravine,” I say trying to hide any sign of

  guilt. There are things I do that make no sense. When you are lost and feel you don’t belong, emotions become unreliable. You do things just to forget the reality that you don’t belong, but I’m not sure any of that can excuse stealing your best friend’s knife.

  “No, I brought it back. Don’t worry, I’ll find it.” He drinks some water and spits it out the side.

  He sees my disgusted face. “What?” he says. “Had to rinse the morning out of my mouth.”

  I am more disgusted with myself than with him, but I play along. “Must you do it in front of me?”

  “I’ve seen you do worse, Freya.”

  Unable to smile for him, I examine my knife.

  “When do you start training?” Finn asks.

  “I don’t, actually. I took the morning off so we can have some quality time. Isn’t that what they

  used to call it?”

  Finn laughs so loud that I can’t help but laugh myself.

  “You’ve been reading books again?” he asks.

  “I watched a movie,” I confess. “I know, I know, we’re not supposed to spend too much time at

  the library, but I only watched the first half.”

  “What kind of movie?”

  “Family stuff.”

  “Your favorite.”

  I don’t want to say yes to that, so I say nothing.

  “Okay,” Finn continues. “Since we are both free, why don’t we go watch the second half of your

  movie?”

  Why not indeed? I agree and we set off after informing Rabbit about our plans so that he has an

  answer for Daphne if she asks which she will. I know that Rabbit would like to go, too, but I want

  Finn all to myself right now.

  The half of the library that is left standing is full of wonders. Books, movies, magazines,

  newspapers and music are all at our disposal. We can watch the movies and listen to music on the

  one computer that Theo has repaired. Almost everything we have learned about the world before the

  aliens came, we have learned in there.

  On the plantations they teach us about technology, medicine, science, math, biology and combat

  skills, but they say nothing about the history of the human world, nothing about traditions, family life, neighborhoods, towns or countries. Those things we have read and watched here, in the library.

  Finn in particular is very interested in history. He never misses a chance to inform me about

  things like the Civil War, the constitution, the birth of democracy and dinosaurs which are by far his favorite subject. He hopes to find fossils one day. He and Scout discuss dinosaurs and fossil hunting

  more than Rabbit talks about cheetahs.

  I’m more interested in the ways societies used to be organized, I’m fascinated with schools,

  family life and the movies. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be an actor back then and get to live different kinds of lives. Or what it would be like to have two parents who cared for you

  and supported you. But I will never admit to that. Not even to Finn.

  He has a limp again today and it gets worse as we walk. There is an overgrowth of bushes and

  shrubs all along the path and that makes it even harder for Finn to walk straight.

  I look around and find a branch at about the right height. I take off all leaves and give it to Finn.

  It needs to be adjusted a bit so I take out my knife and fix it for him.

  He thanks me but says that he doesn’t need it.

  “What do you mean you don’t need it? You can barely walk.”

  “I’m just protecting my leg, that’s all.”

  He sighs as he sees my disappointment. He gives in and takes the makeshift cane I just made for

  him.

  “So you do need it after all,” I tease him.

  “No, but I’d rather have a walking stick than hear another lecture about how careless I am.”

  We reach the library half an hour later. Finn checks the perimeter with his binoculars before

  giving me the clear sign.

  We enter through the demolished east wall. Everything seems to be intact and exactly as we left

  it the last time we were here.

  “Right, let me go check on a book I want while you’re getting your movie,” he says. I know he’ll

  bring back some history book and leaf through it while we watch the movie. That always annoys me,

  but he’s lucky I feel guilty enough to allow him anything today.

  The library calms me down. I like to stroll about the silent aisles whose only inhabitants now

  are books and bugs looking to shelter themselves from the heat. I enjoy the feeling of paper on my

  fingertips as I pass through the pages of a book. I like studying the pictures of the authors on the back and try to figure out what their lives must have been like.

  I find the movie I’m looking for up on the shelf where I put it last time and take it to the

  computer. I have to plug it into the small generator Theo has installed under the floor. I start the movie and look for Finn. I find him sitting on the floor with an open book in his lap. He barely responds

  when I tell him the movie is playing.

  “What’s so interesting?” I ask.

  “It’s funny how people used to communicate back then,” he says as he puts the book back. I

  manage to take a look at the title as I help him get up: Literature’s Most Famous Love Stories.

  I know better than to mention the title, but I scrunch my face up in wonderment behind his back.

  We settle down on chairs in front of the computer monitor. Finn takes an apple out of his pocket and

  asks for my knife. He cuts the apple in half as I fast forward the movie to the point I stopped watching last time.

  “What have I missed so far?” he asks as he hands me my
half apple.

  “Well, there’s a family, a mother and four daughters, and they’re having a jolly good time and

  it’s Christmas. They wear fancy dresses so it must be, I don’t know, the 20th century? There’s all this family love and sisterly rivalry, but in a good sense, and I’m pretty sure something bad is about to

  happen, so let’s watch.”

  Twenty minutes later I turn off the computer and spring out of the chair.

  “Something wrong?” Finn asks.

  “Everything’s perfect,” I say. “It’s time to get back.”

  “It’s alright, Freya, I know that you miss your mother and your sisters.”

  “How could I miss them? I haven’t seen them in ten years,” I shout and my eyes well up.

  Finn puts his arms around me and I let my head rest on his chest. “You’re all I have, Finn, my

  only family,” I whisper. “I never want to be mad at you again.”

  “That’ll be the day,” he says. I can imagine the grin on his face.

  I compose myself as quickly as I can and ask him if he has put everything he’s touched back

  where it was. We check around one last time before we leave.

  We’re not very talkative on the way back but we never had to talk to feel connected. He makes

  me feel at home. I’m tempted to confess about the knife, but I don’t want this moment to change. The

  sun and the breeze and a walk with Finn are just what I have been needing.

  My sense of bliss evaporates when Finn grabs me by the arm and forces me to get down to the

  ground.

  “What is it?” I whisper but he hushes me.

  He takes out his touchpad and slowly punches in a command. I know what he’s doing. He

  activates the sensor in the touchpad. It has a very limited range which means whatever it is he’s

  looking for must be near us.

  The signal comes in and verifies his fears. There’s movement nearby. Maybe two hundred yards

  away. Finn sensed it because he’s always prepared, always alert.

  We crawl our way out of the path and into the woods. There’s no telling if this is of any use. If

  there are Sliman around, chances are they already know we’re here.

  We breathe slowly, clinging to the ground, our faces close together. The only thing that keeps me

  from panicking is Finn. His hand rests on mine reassuring and strong.

  We hear the footsteps clearly. The sensor lights go crazy on the touchpad. Finn squeezes my

  hand before he lets go and reaches for his pulse gun. I do the same. I realize fighting is better than dying.

  Three Sliman guards come walking down the path. Their huge figures loom over the landscape

  menacingly. They are in no hurry. I can see their black cloaks and hoods through the vegetation, their heavy boots, but I cannot make out their faces or their insignia. I can’t tell if they are part of a patrol or if they’re just strolling about for reasons known only to them.

  I wonder if we could take them out. If it’s just the three of them, they wouldn’t have a chance to

  react if we started shooting. I look at Finn and he reads my mind in an instant. He shakes his head and although I know he’s right, I still wish we could do something instead of hiding.

  When the Sliman have disappeared down the path and to the opposite direction of our camp,

  Finn and I can finally sit up and breathe freely.

  “What do you make of this?” I say.

  “I don’t know. If they were a patrol, they would have detected our presence. Strange. Maybe

  they’re travelling somewhere.”

  I nod. It still doesn’t make sense though.

  “Does this mean Lost Town won’t be safe anymore?” I ask. “Damian will probably ban visits to

  the library.”

  “Yeah. He’s not a big risk taker,” Finn says. “Maybe Theo can install a sensor here to see if

  more Sliman will pass through.”

  We get up and clean the dust off our clothes. I notice that my hands are shaking slightly and so

  does Finn.

  “Calm down, Tick,” he says. “We’re not in danger. Not anymore.”

  “I’m not worried. It’s my adrenaline. I made myself ready for battle.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “Well, what have we been training for? Hiding in bushes?”

  Finn offers me one of his radiant smiles. “Don’t be in such a hurry,” he says. “Battle must have a

  purpose. It’s not just to tickle Tick’s fancy.”

  I shove him and he almost loses his balance.

  “What?” he protests.

  I find the walking stick and hand it back to him.

  “That’s your reward for being so clever and condescending at the same time,” I say and before I

  know it, he moves closer, his eyes seem to breathe as they look at mine and his lips meet my forehead

  for a long, brotherly kiss.

  *

  RABBIT IS EXCITED to see us when we get back to the camp.

  “Out with it, what’s up?” I command him.

  “Scout wants to move in a tent here with us,” he pronounces.

  Finn scratches his forehead. “Oh boy,” is the only thing he manages to say.

  “I think it’s a great idea,” I jump in. “The more the merrier.”

  “Stop egging him on,” Finn says.

  “Why not? We’ll have so much fun,” I say.

  Even more so, I think, because it will annoy Daphne. It’s a win-win situation. Finn will come to

  appreciate it.

  6

  We walk at a snail’s pace since we entered a 3-mile radius of the plantation to avoid being

  picked up by their sensors. The day is overcast which actually works in our favor since any small

  interference with the satellites can help with our mission.

  I volunteered immediately when the mission was announced thinking it would be a good idea to

  take Finn’s place for once. I owe him this much and he can use all the rest he can get.

  We set out very early in the morning two days ago, Rabbit, Daphne, Tilly, Nya and me, to have

  enough time to rest and chart every step. Daphne is in charge of the operation and Finn made me

  promise I wouldn’t stir any trouble for her. It’s like he lives in my head.

  Rabbit is excited and worried at the same time. Plantation-6, our final destination today, is

  where he escaped from. Where he got trained and tested, and where he made friends, Kicky and

  Mendy as he likes to call them. The chances of him spotting them from the hill are minuscule. There

  are thousands of kids in the plantation but he can’t stop thinking about it.

  As we near the plantation, we have to be silent, quiet as mice, making sure we don’t disturb

  anything around us. If we could talk, I would try to tell Rabbit some story to take his mind off things.

  As it is, I can only touch his shoulder encouragingly every now and then.

  Rabbit believed in the Saviors the first moment he heard the legend. He made a run for it,

  literally, as soon as he saw an opportunity. A broken surveillance system, combined with some

  argument among the Sliman guards, and Rabbit ran like the wind. I was pretty new myself to our band

  of fugitives and could not believe an eleven-year-old had managed to escape. It was Nya who spotted

  him and a team was sent out to collect him.

  Two years later, Rabbit is sent on a mission to spy on Plantation-6 from a safe distance up in the

  hills and gather information. This is the third plantation we’re monitoring. We started with Plantation-4 where Doc was harvested as a child. Then it was Plantation-7, Scout’s grounds of origin. We plan

  to study all of them to learn as much as we can about their simil
arities and differences, with the

  exception of plantations 12 through 15. Nobody has a good idea of what’s going on there but we do

  know that they are heavily guarded and protected. Perhaps one day we will be ready for them but for

  now it’s too risky. If we get really lucky, we might find some fugitive from one of those mysterious

  plantations. That would make things a lot easier for us.

  Daphne signals to us that we should halt. She takes out her detection device and searches the

  frequencies for an opening. She nods. We are close enough. Theo said that once we reached this

  point, we could safely interfere with the satellite control systems and as a result block their security tech. We take out our touchpads and type in the coordinates for the satellite. Each one of us will

  control part of its operation.

  “Alright,” Daphne says, “we have twenty minutes before the aliens realize there’s interference.

  Let’s make them count.”

  Her powers of intellectual manipulation don’t work on me, but she’s right about the main part.

  We have to climb to the top of the hill and take pictures of the plantation.

  We are free to move faster now and talk although nobody feels very talkative. Rabbit

  internalizes when he concentrates. Nya never talks anyway. Daphne likes to isolate herself so she can

  enjoy the feeling of being the leader which is her one true passion in life. That leaves Tilly humming a tune under her breath.

  We reach our position on top of the hill within three minutes. We have seventeen more minutes

  that we can be certain are safe. We probably could risk another five or six but we don’t want to take

  the chance. For the time being we prefer to stay under the radar.

  From here we have a clear view of half of the plantation’s buildings and facilities. With our

  powerful binoculars we can spot the smallest details: a leaf on the ground, a fly on a Sliman’s helmet, a dent in a magnetic bow. I can’t help but wonder if Tilly with her amazing vision actually needs the

  binoculars.

  Daphne takes pictures of the buildings while I type down what they represent: the HQ, the

  dorms, the labs, the kitchens, the lavatories, the training arena, the simulators, the library, the armory.

  It’s all here, almost identical to the other two plantations we have surveyed.