Cars Come Standard Cities Are Extra

8/14/2019 Cars Come Standard Cities Are Extra

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Cars Come Standard, Cities Are Extra

On the morning of my four hundredth birthday, we were given the go-ahead to

inject. There wasnt much fanfare, both for me growing one day older, and the approval.

My employees were mostly just relieved. No more waiting around up in that orbital

station gathering data and running simulations. We were headed for the field.

The cabin of the company shuttle trembled as it entered the planets atmosphere.

I glanced up from the contract I was reading on my retinal display. There were seven of

us making the trip down. We each had our own row and window seat to ourselves. I

preferred the middle. Not too close to the cold space of the aisle but not too far away

from the heat of the edges, either.

Beyond my rows window, flames were licking past in a steady rhythm that tried

their best to put me to sleep. I went back to my reading.

The contract was your standard Applied Sociality Agreement, but with a twist.

The company got a bonus for every township we turned into a city. Whoever the

contracts negotiator was did a hell of a job. I saw my chance to win back some much

needed favor for myself. The higher-ups always enjoyed a heavy quarter in the green,

even from a project on the fringe. Maybe theyd look kindly on that last planet I worked.

Maybe theyd let me work postmodern societies again. Maybe.

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Jared, who was sitting in the row ahead of me, looked back over the head of his

seat and gave another interruption to my reading. Mr. Stiper, he said to me, Can you

change your vision code to look at my stomach? I think theres something wrong with

it.

He was a tall kid with bushy eyebrows, thin lips, and had a habit of making

himself useful. He was young and inexperienced though, like the rest of my employees.

Of course. They never sent anyone but rookies or employees days away from retirement

out to work the undeveloped planets. And here I was, in my prime, the program manager

of one.

Its just butterflies, I said.

Is that normal?

I nodded. He turned back around and fidgeted some more. For a second, I

thought I felt something in my stomach too. I wrote if off as my internal nanomachines

in the warming up stage for their weekly maintenance. It was about time.

Just to be safe I ran a few diagnostics on my Second Skin. The nannies clinging

to the surface of my actual skin hummed under the workload. The report came back and

everything checked out. I told my body to relax and it started to do just that. I closed out

the contract file and shut my eyes, dozing off.

Clouds were passing by the window the next time I looked out. I rubbed my eyes

and sat up. Light from the local star was just peeking out over the horizon. Good, I

thought. Natives tended to trust more in the daytime.

The pilots voice came over the speakers, Well be landing shortly. Make any

last preparations you need.

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I looked down at the tattered pieces of cloth that covered my body. It really

looked like I had come out of a storm, as did all the others. The natives that lived on one

of the planets islands had an obelisk with symbols on it that depicted how their ancestors

had swum over from the main continent to escape a storm thousands of years before.

They would have no problem accepting us if we showed up the same way.

We landed on the very eastern tip of the main continent. It was kidney shaped and

was the largest of the three continents. It was divided into two even halves by a large

range of mountains that ran the entire width of it.

There was a jolt when we touched down and everyone unfastened their seatbelts.

Right by the door of the shuttle there was a stack of makeshift pieces of debris that

floated well. We were running the Village from the Sea injection scenario. Really, it

was the only one we could use. The natives had no religion, they explored nearly every

inch of that island, they were the only human inhabitants on the planet, and whats worse

the villages were tightly knit, everyone knew everyone. I missed just using the simple

and clean Strangers Paradise. Postmodern work was so much easier on injection.

Six of us were going. The seventh, Anne, was just there to send Jared off. She

kissed him right there in the aisle while the others and I moved toward the exit.

Be careful, she said to him, looking up through a few pieces of her blonde hair

that was crowding her face.

He gave her an assured nod.

Hurry up, I said.

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I picked out a good plank of wood from the stack and hopped out of the shuttle.

Dead grass crunched under my feet. I walked up to the edge of a rocky, shallow drop-off

and looked down at the water. It was a deeper hue of blue than Id ever seen. For as far

as I could see.

The wind was blowing steady and strong right into my chest. The pieces of cloth

I wore rippled around my dull muscles. I waited for everyone to get off. When theyd all

assembled into an uneven bunch behind me, I said, Alright, make sure you activate your

aging protocol, and your Skin disguises.

I followed my own advice. The others activated their disguises at the same time.

They were all turned from light skinned rookies to young, heavily tanned natives in the

blink of an eye.

Alright, I said, Be safe, and dont screw up.

I turned and jumped off into the water, everything but my head submerging. It

was cold. The Skin took a moment to adjust my body temperature, warming me from the

inside. After I warmed up enough I started to swim. I heard the splash of the others

behind me. Anne was on the edge of the cliff waving when I looked back. After awhile,

she became just a dot in the distance, and then nothing at all.

The six of us swam and swam, using the debris to help us along. It wasnt long

before the island came into view.

There! yelled someone behind me. There it is, see it?

We all strained our eyes to see. Treetops in the distance. I spotted them too. The

island was still a ways off, but we found ourselves moving faster, kicking harder.

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Waves began to roll in over us. We were close. Already I could see that a few

fishermen on the rocky coastline had seen us. They shouted Look look! Look look! to

the rest of the village. The translation index was doing its job.

Soon there was a crowd amassing at the edges of the water. They whooped and

cheered as the first of us made it safely to land. I had started at the head of the group, but

now was somehow last. I sighed and continued to paddle.

A wave slapped the back of my head just as I softened my grip on the plank of

wood keeping me afloat. It rolled me in a bubbly flurry that I wished would end as soon

as it began.

My mouth tasted air again, but my plank was nowhere to be found. I started to

swim but a pain shot through my side. A cramp? Now? The nannies in my leg worked

too slow to unclench the muscle. Starting to sink, I gasped for what air I could find. It

wasnt enough. My arms thrashed by themselves, trying to keep me up. Another wave

hit, tumbled me further in, then sucked me right back out. I wanted to cough but

couldnt. Had to breathe in, anything now.

Cold fingers locked around my arm. A sudden jerk and I was back above the

water, spitting and coughing out whatever was in my lungs that shouldnt have been.

Hold on, you are fine now, said someone in a low, gruff tone. It wasnt any of

my people. I would have at least recognized the voice.

I tried to stay awake while he swam me to safety, carrying me on his back, but it

was too difficult. I fell unconscious just before we reached the shore.

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***

When I came to, a little girl was sprinkling freshwater on my face. She had a

bucket of it beside her and was wringing a cloth out above my head. I blinked a few

times and hoped the translator in the nannies clinging to my throat still worked.

Hello? I said to her, and waited.

Silence. She looked at me funny.

Hello, she said and turned toward the straw door of the hut we were in. He has

awakened! More cheers erupted outside the hut. Turning back to me, she told me, You

have much luck. The deep blue was about to take you, but Kito got you.

I had to be careful of what I said. I am sorry, I said, Kito has my thanks.

Where is he? The translator was working perfectly.

Oh, he is not here. He lives over there. A ways. My retinal display calculated

the direction she was pointing. West. The west village. He was hunting and spotted

you a ways off. He has good eyes. It gave him happiness to help.

Well, I should thank him then. I tried to get up but felt my head start to spin as

soon as I was upright. Laying me back down, the child smiled at me. She bowed oddly

then walked out of the tent with the bucket and cloth. I laid there for a long time, just

staring at the thatched ceiling.

Jared came in to see me. He had taken care of things, told the villagers our fake

names and the fake story of how our own village was destroyed by a storm, and he had

even convinced them to take us in. I was impressed. When I was strong enough I got up

and went out into the cool noon air.

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The island had three target civilizations. We labeled them by their compass

direction from the center of the island: North, South, and West. There was no east

village. That area was where most of the islands predators lived.

I was in the south village. It was set up in a semicircle right near the coast, with

at least three huts on the interior, then more as it branched outward. The space in the

middle seemed to be dedicated to trade and storytelling and there was even a small stage

for music. Everywhere I walked the villagers greeted me with a smile and a pat on the

head.

Ah, hello there, said an elderly man walking up to me. We exchanged pats on

the head as was the custom. You have much luck. I am glad you are unharmed.

I thank you. I glanced around. The one who saved me, Kito, where is he? I

would very much like to thank him.

He is not here. He left some time ago for his village. You can see him tomorrow

if you wish. We must trade before the deep winter comes. So traders will be sent to both

our brother villages. If you wish, you may go with Inas party. He indicated a woman

outside a nearby hut. She was a bit shorter than I was with large shoulders and very long

black hair. She is a fine trader. You can learn much from her if you would like to start

trading.

Tomorrow I will go then. And my companions would like to visit the other

villages as well.

Very good, that will be fine tomorrow, but tonight we must celebrate.

What are we celebrating?

You.

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Me?

You and your companions. You have survived a great storm like our ancestors.

You are our kin.

He did the odd bow for me and I mimicked him.

Come, he said. I followed him over to the center area of the village.

That night Jared, the others, and I all watched as bards sung onstage of our

appearance, and told the story of how their ancestors came to be on the island. The crude

flutes and the sounds of the surf mixed to form a kind of natural rhythm that Id never

heard before. By the light of a giant bonfire we ate meat and potatoes and were

welcomed in full by all the members of the south tribe.

Dawn. We were up and ready to go. Ina appeared at the door of the extra hut I

had been given for the night. She handed me a coat from the skin of what looked to be a

bear. I put it on, knowing I didnt need it. My Second Skin wouldve kept me as warm

as I could ever ask for. But I couldnt be rude, or look out of place.

Jared and the other employees met meall of us with coats onas the traders

heading for the other villages packed the goods that they were to trade off.

Good luck, I said to them. When I was sure no one else was looking I

pantomimed the words keep in touch. I knew they would keep their communication

channels open, but just to make sure.

They all nodded except Jared. He was still somewhat nervous. I had put him in

charge of leading two of the others to the north village. I was headed for the west village

alone, and two would be staying here in the south village. I thought that setup was the

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fed them with crops grown from the rich soil on the slopes of their part of the island.

Each village had at least a few warriors mixed into the population. They were by no

means professional though. Usually just hunters.

I also learned that being a trader was a venerable pursuit in the eyes of all the

villages. They depended on each others goods, helping to maintain the peace. It was a

barter system. No universal currency had been implemented yet.

By the end of the day, Inas pack had been emptied of fish and was now full of

meat. The two extra coats of fur she now carried were for the two youngest children back

in South village that didnt yet have one. The old woman who gave them to Ina took

nothing in return, as Ina was out of fish by then, traded it all for the meat to get the south

village through the deep winter.

It is all right, the old woman had said, We have extra this year. Take them.

Next time I will bring fish just for you, replied Ina. The best catch.

Thank you, that sounds very good.

It was then that Kito arrived. I saw him coming down the hill toward the base of

rock the village was situated on. He looked a lot like what Jareds Second Skin had made

him out to be: a typical hunter type with long brown hair and a heavy, wrinkled brow. He

had a leather strap draped over top his fur coat which held a long spear to his back.

He had what appeared to be a deer on his right shoulder, but its antlers were

twisted together like bramble and its coat was mottled a darker shade of brown. He set it

down by a butchers block and wiped his forehead.

Kito, I said, walking up behind him. Turning from the deer, he saw me and

grinned wide.

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You are well again. That is good.

Thanks to you.

I was happy to do it.

Well I wanted to thank you in person. I came with Ina and the trading party. I

moved aside so he could see them. Most were eating their midday meal. But not Ina, she

was on her way toward Kito and me. Was it me she was smiling at?

I glanced back at Kito and saw that he had his eyes fixed on Ina. He could sense

that I was more than a little confused.

Kito said, She is my companion.

But you live here while she lives in another village.

Ina is a trader. She goes from village to village, and carries things from each to

them all. In the deep winter she stays here, because it is too cold to travel.

I felt the need to excuse myself when Ina finally got to where Kito was standing.

He touched her belly as if he already knew.

The week went by without incident. No news of Jared or the others doing

anything out of the ordinary. I half expected at least one of them to blow their cover, but

none did. During the week, I hung around the traders a lot, eventually becoming one

myself. The mobility of the life of a trader allowed me to keep an eye on things and to be

the first to know if there was a problem. The temperature dropped an average of a half a

degree per day. It might not have seemed like a lot, but the villagers were starting to feel

the cold bearing down on them.

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=Alright, so from our records the tribes signed a peace agreement almost twenty

years ago, so any hostility they had for each other has died down. What we need right

now is tension between them, so we can build on it. Anyone have any ideas?=

Jared was the first to post. =I think there already is some tension.=

=Not enough to work with though,= another employee posted. I agreed.

=Well Im sure we could use what we have now to start something.=

=No.=

=Nope.=

=Not a chance.=

I didnt want to have the conference go too long. It took money to maintain more

than a couple people on a chat channel.

I typed, =Traders are a big part of the villages. Remember that while youre

coming up with ideas. Well have another meeting this same time four days from now to

decide on a course of action, this way we can observe everything a little more. I just

wanted to get you brainstorming. Oh and be careful out there. Your Skinll protect you

from most things but dont ever rely on it completely. Alright, thats it for today. See you

all in four days.=

=Bye.=

=Later.=

=Good luck everyone.=

I shuffled my way through the forest and found the path leading back to the west

village. I stepped onto it and started walking back.

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Someone called my name after a few steps. I turned around to see who it was and

saw Kito hiking toward me, a pack full of crops from the north village on his back. His

palms were pressed tight against the leather straps around his shoulders. He sighed

heavily the moment he caught up to me. Sweat was pouring down his brow and onto the

fur lining of the crude collar of his coat.

Trading is hard work, he said. I would much prefer to hunt.

I looked at the pack and asked, Where is Ina?

She is back in the village, ill. I have taken up her duties for the day.

Ah. Morning sickness. I didnt know if they had a term for it yet so I just

thought it.

You are still here? Kito asked raising an eyebrow toward me. Did you head

there and back already?

I slapped a hand to my forehead. The south village was expecting another load of

meat for the day. I have not gone yet, no, I told him.

He grinned wide. We are both new at this it seems. I will join if you would like

the company.

Alright, I said and we headed back to the village.

Kito unloaded his take from the north village and I loaded up a pack of meat from

the west villages storehouse. We went to see Ina before we left and I saw how bad she

was. The cold outside didnt help any. She was pale and looked miserable and wanted to

go with us every second we were in there. Kito just kept refusing.

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We were all standing around in an oval at the bottom of a rocky valley near the

center of the island. The others looked strange to me with their Second Skin disguises

on. I took a prolonged look at each of them and then switched my vision code so I could

see through the disguises. I ordered everyone to do the same. The sight of them was still

odd, what with them in their fur coats and pants, but at least I didnt have to stare at

unfamiliar faces.

Anne spoke into the channel from the orbital station. Her voice was hurried. Im

here. Sorry. Hey Jared. There was a crashing sound in the background of what I took

to be a coffee cup spilling. She mumbled to herself for a moment.

Hey hon, said Jared.

Okay, I said, Have any of you thought up any ideas? And what about you

Anne, I havent gotten your latest reports yet.

I know Ive just been a little busy.

Well stop whatever it is youre doing and get me those reports. You may have all

the time in the world up there but we dont.

Jared cleared his throat on purpose. He gave me that give-her-a-break look from

across the way.

Just send me what you have for right now, I said.

While Anne was busy compiling the files, Jared said, Ive been thinking about

their individual food sources, and how that might build some tension if one village had to

rely on another. It might be something worth looking into.

Good, good, I said. Its a start.

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A day had passed since I outlined my proposition. Anne had sent it to the higher-

ups for approval. No word yet. Nothing to do but wait. I scanned the chat channels and

noticed Jared was on one of them, alone. I popped in.

=Jared?=

=Yeah.=

=Everything okay?=

=Yeah I guess.=

I heard crunching footsteps on the rocks behind me. Kito came and took a seat

on a nearby rock. He rubbed his hands together and blew warm air into them.

The deep cold comes soon, he said. Not long now.

Hunting done for the day? I asked.

Most of the game have gone into hiding. The village has plenty of stores

though. Ina is doing much better now. Did you hear?

I shook my head.

Back to trading again, he said, The second she was well enough.

Jared was still on the channel. I posted, =Whats wrong Jared.=

=You ever think of your home?=

Ah, I thought, so thats whats been bothering him. I should have seen it coming.

Its normal for a new employee to have homesickness his first injection.

Beside me, Kito was rummaging through piles of rocks beneath his feet until he

found the perfect one. He picked one up and threw it out far into the water. It skipped a

few times then disappeared into an oncoming wave.

=Rarely. Ive had a lot of homes.=

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I wish I could hunt out there, across the sea, Kito said, pointing. I have always

wondered what lay out there, if it is as big as our ancestors wrote. Imagine the strange

beasts, and seeing land everywhere, on all sides of you for all your sight.

=I mean your real home,= Jared posted, =The one you were born on.=

=I cant remember that far back.=

=Oh. Hey you know Ive been thinking=

Here it comes, I thought.

=What if we just give them all the tech now? Wouldnt that be the cheapest

way of all? And we wouldnt have to make them fight.=

The question came in different forms, but it was always essentially the same.

=That would be like giving a hand grenade to a four year old.=

Kito was still skipping rocks into the waves when I looked back over at him. He

glanced at me and smiled. I smiled too.

=And they are children, Jared.=

=But what if the poison doesnt work?=

=Then well think of something else. Stop worrying.=

Ina is back, said Kito looking over his shoulder at the village. Sleep well

tonight my friend. He got up and patted me on the shoulder.

You as well, I said and watched him go.

=Get some rest Jared,= I posted. =And make sure everyone is ready.=

=I will. Good night Mr. Stiper.=

Jared signed off. I took up a loose rock up and skipped it into a wave. The light

from the star was almost gone. I sat there a little while longer.

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***

There was nothing really to do with the time we had except wait for the higher-

ups to give the proposal their approval, that and prepare for the operation itself. Anne

sent down the materials in cloaked crates. The rest of the time I spent trading, and that

started to gradually decreased too. My free time grew longer as the days got shorter.

Everyone in the villages was becoming less and less active. They reminded me of bears

before hibernation. Thats exactly what they were doing. They would weather the winter

inside their huts and beside the bonfires, all while feeding off their stores.

The pace of the island was slowing, and they were slowing along with it.

Most of the children in the west village had had a few winters under them, but it

was still very new, and dangerous for them. I noticed that Kito always watched the

youngest of them, the ones that had never been through a deep winter before. We talked

about children a lot and especially when Ina was in the conversation.

I was sitting next to one of the central bonfires having such a talk with the two of

them when a call came up on my retinal display, from Anne. I opened the link.

Youve been approved, was all she said.

The link closed and I went on with the conversation. At the same time I sent out

instructions to everyones inbox that was on the island. It was going to be tonight. There

was no time to waste. My bosses had already done enough of that for me.

We struck in the dead of night. A simultaneous assault. I was alone in the west

village, so it was up to me to do it. I snuck through the huts, smelling the lingering scent

of fires long burned out. The storehouse was on the eastern outskirts of the village, the

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only place that they were able to dig down enough without hitting rock. Basically it was

just a glorified hole in the dirt. It was far enough from any one hut so as to not tempt

people to steal from it. The top of it was protected by large logs forced together by

several strands of rope.

I had to make sure they didnt notice that I had been here so I used the nannies in

my eyes to take a picture of the exact shape of the knots used and then untied them.

One of the logs rolled free. I chased it and jumped onto it, letting the weight of

my body hold it down before it could run into anything and make too much noise. I

rolled it back toward the others and made sure it was going to stay.

I climbed down a makeshift ladder and dropped down onto the dirt. My night

vision came on the moment I thought of it. The meat, now where would they put the

meat, I asked myself. I crouched down. There. The lowest part of the storehouse. It

was all kept in large wicker bowls. I had a traders pack with me, but it wasnt filled with

anything but a few tiny pills. I took them out and snapped one open over every bowl,

letting the liquid pour out onto each piece of meat. All of my employees were doing the

same thing at the same moment in their villages. I knew it.

At the last bowl I decided to take one of the largest pieces out and save it. I put it

in my pack and then finished the job.

Once I was done I climbed back up and set everything exactly as it had been

before.

I passed Kito and Inas hut while walking back to my own. I undid the straps of

my pack and let it fall on the ground right in front of the entrance. And thats where it

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stayed. I walked away and went back to my hut. I plopped myself down on the bed of

fur and folded my arms behind my head. Sleep never came. I just laid there.

The next morning I was there when they opened the storehouse for food. There

were no signs of suspicion, no curious villagers that had seen something out of place,

nothing like that. I had kept a channel open the night before to get everyones reports.

One by one each of them had signed on to tell me they had done their job and then signed

off afterwards.

Kito and Ina, who normally were the first out to get food for the day, were

nowhere to be found. Probably eating the gift I gave them, I thought. Good.

A few bits of snow flashed across my face and that was when I noticed the storm

clouds rolling in above me. They were coming in fast, faster than Id ever seen. The air

swirled, taking the snow into its arms and twirling it about like trash in a tornado. I

watched it for a second. Some of it managed to stick into my fur coat, melting the second

it caught hold and seeping down through to finally rest on the surface of my Second Skin.

Everyone around me was starting to hurry either toward the storehouse or away

from it. The ones running away from it had their arms full with food. Stocking their huts

before the storm hit. Clicks of flint resounded from each hut. The villagers were already

hard at work starting their fires for breakfast.

I decided to go and check up on Kito and Ina. It wasnt a far walk from where I

was. There was no knocking ritual for entry, so when I got there I just went in. Kito had

a fire going in the shallow dirt pit in the center of the floor. It was small but growing. He

looked pleased to see me.

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Thank you for the offering, he said.

Yes, said Ina. Thank you. She was sitting next to the fire letting it lick

toward her outstretched palms. Her belly was larger than Id expected it to be. She sat

leaning to the side. It looked uncomfortable, and the look on her face confirmed it.

It gave me happiness to do it, I said.

Kito beckoned me over. I sat down by the fire. The storm outside began to howl

past the hut, making the entire thing tremble. After awhile Ina got up and dusted herself

off. She took a fur coat that had been piled in the corner of the hut and put it on over the

one she was wearing.

Where are you going? I asked, already knowing the answer.

A walk, she said. She couldnt sit still, even when a storm was raging outside.

She had to be on her feet all the time, moving toward something somewhere. I rolled my

eyes when Kito wasnt looking.

He watched her go without saying a word, then eyed me as if to say, What?

I said, You are going to let her go out there?

He laughed. We have survived many times the deep winter friend. She is aware.

I would not worry for her even if one hundred storms came.

Still, I said, I will find her. She should not be out there too long.

I walked out of the hut, but found my search for her cut short. She was standing

right in front of me, right in front of her hut. Her face was strange, a contorted look that

Id never seen on her before. Eyes wide as snowcaps, her mouth was open and breathing

out a heavy humidity onto my face, defrosting it in pulses.

She held a piece of meat in her icy hand.

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Some snow had stuck to it, and like it, the ground around me was also blanketed

with a fresh coat that was only going to get thicker. I stopped to inspect the meat,

flicking my eyes from it to her face then back down again.

Kito pushed past me to see what was happening. The three of us stood there.

Both Kito and I were waiting for her to say something.

The entire village, she said, her upper lip trembling, Is ill. The meat is rotten,

the whole stock of it.

I gasped as genuinely as I could, making sure not to overdo it. Kito joined me.

His was better I thought.

No, Kito said. It cannot be. The meat was okay. It had to have been. That is

our main stock. The village may not even last the storm without meat.

Ina nodded in agreement. What can we do?

I must hunt.

I said, No, the storm will grow worse. The game will all be in hiding by now.

You said it yourself.

I must try to find some.

He went back into the tent and came out with his spear. Ina took off her extra coat

and gave it to him. She wanted to give him both her fur coats but he refused, only taking

the one. He smiled and brushed her hair back away from her face. She went back into

the hut toward the fire after a long hesitation. I remained.

He put his spear into the leather sling and slung it over his shoulder. He stood

chest out and head tip tall, snow flowing in sideways in the steady ripples of an ancient

rhythm. I snapped a picture with my eyes.

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I will come with you, I said.

No, said Kito, You might get lost. You are not a hunter, friend. This is not

your fight.

I can be one for today.

There is no such thing. Either you are or you are not. He flashed a glance at

the hut. Make sure she stays inside, out of the cold.

I will, I said.

Farewell then.

We exchanged pats on the head and he jogged away and out of the village. The

snow drift got so bad I couldnt see him beyond the borders of the village. I couldnt

watch him head out into the frozen forest.

Ina tried to leave almost every hour on the hour. Every time she thought Id given

up and lost my resolve she would try and get past me, and every time she did Id move in

front of the doorway to stop her. The storm had gotten progressively worse in the five

hours that Kito had been gone. The fire crackled between us. Ina clamped her lips down

in the shape of a clams and refused to speak. I spouted some half-hearted reassurances

every now and then that I knew she didnt take seriously. She just sat in front of the fire,

her back to the stone wall, her legs crossed along with her arms, her eyes to the ground,

and her mind on her companion.

I will go look for him, I said and stood.

Ina didnt seem to hear me the first time. I repeated myself. She looked up. I

will go with you, she said.

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You are in no condition to head out into that. I pointed to the door and the

storm howled for me in response.

She argued with me, again and again. But finally she sat herself down, dropped

her gaze, and said, Bring him. A simple enough command.

I nodded.

I left the hut and followed the path Kito had taken out of the village. I searched

everywhere. The trails were obscured by the snow and so it was hard to navigate, but my

retinal display did most of the heavy lifting.

Kito! I called every few steps. The branches and sticks snapped under the

frostbite. All around me the chorus of the cold came and went. Kito!

I opened a direct line to Anne.

Pick up, I thought. Pick up please.

The line clicked and she answered, Huh? Yeah Im up whats

Anne I need you to do something for me, I said, almost having to yell over the

noise from the wind. Go down into the hardware room and I want you to do a full

thermal scan of the island, concentrating on the forest and central area.

Isnt that a little expensive? I mean, the satellite will have to realign and burn

more fuel, and I thought you said not to

Anne if youre not moving by the time I count to five

She moved even before I started counting. She breathed hard into the channel and

pounded her feet down the hallways of the station while I waited in the cold.

Alright Im taking the scan now, she said after a minute. Im sending you the

results.

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Thanks, I said. Kitos heat signature was a ways off. He was near the eastern

part of the island. I ran through the frozen bramble like it was a rope drill at training

camp. My legs pumped faster than I ever thought they could. My breath was a

continuous trail of fog behind me.

Hang on, was all I could think of.

I saw him up ahead. He was carrying something.

Kito, was all I could say. He was trudging through the snow with a large

predator slung over his shoulder. He was wounded and barely able to stand. Still he

trudged, pounding each step into the ground like a stake. His breathing was erratic. I

could see one of his lungs was punctured when I changed my vision code. It was

collapsing. I changed it back.

He noticed me. This meat, it will help them through the storm. Heavy though.

I grabbed the carcass and put half of it onto my shoulder. Then I took his right

arm and put it around the back of my neck. We hobbled along, the predator on both our

backs. Kito had to stop to catch his breath more frequently as we neared the village.

You know, he said as we shuffled along, I do enjoy these walks we have.

I gave a sad kind of laugh. Me too, my friend.

I helped him set down the carcass onto the butchers block like he always did. He

fell to the ground after that. He looked at the hut that contained Ina.

I want to see her, he shivered out.

I went and got Ina. Her knees dove into the snow next to him and she huddled

over him, crying and screaming. The storm rumbled above us, still spewing out pure

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white snow from the dark clouds. It almost looked like it was night out, in the middle of

day.

I sat down in the snow, letting whatever flakes hit my face just stay there and

melt. Ina punched at the ground, yelling. They said their goodbyes. They knew he

wouldnt last the night, even the hour. I could see that blood was filling his one good

lung and that his motor skills were decreasing rapidly. Not long now, I thought.

My friend, Kito said to me, tugging at the sleeve of my coat, I wish you to help

my Ina. My child will be safe with you watching himher. He came to the realization

that he didnt even know if it would be a boy or a girl.

I changed my vision code one last time, looking at Inas stomach.

I leaned in close so that only Kito could hear. I swallowed hard. I whispered,

Its a girl, into his ear.

His face brightened just as the life fell from him. His organs shut down. The

synapses in his brain fired a few more timessome random memoryand then they shut

down as well. Inas screams were drowned in the sound of the wind through my own

ears. The other villagers came out of their huts, huddling around each other for warmth,

all sick, all pale. I could see it on their faces that it had worked. I could see that the

foundation was there. Now it was time to build.

The blue skyscrapers of the city were faded like old pairs of jeans in the distance.

A reminder popped up on my display letting me know I had just passed the exact time of

my birth 620 years ago. I huffed, then closed it.

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I was sitting on a park bench, the mountains of the main continent far behind me,

a pond in front, what looked to be ducks quacking revenge at a boy chasing them around

the edge of the water. The local stars rays were warm on my wrinkled face. The day

was clear and hovered at a constant seventy degrees Fahrenheit. There was a highway

nearby. The humming of the cars always made me feel sleepy, but not today. Today I

just sat back and watched the little guy go.

I heard someone approaching at my back and gripped my knotted cane on instinct.

But it was just Jared. I relaxed. He came trudging up the hill with his hands in the

pockets of his all-black suit, a set of newly cut hair atop his head, and dimmed eyes in the

face of the midday star.

There you are, he said. Working, as always. Even today.

What do you want.

I have to have a reason to visit my very old-looking boss on his birthday?

My outward age was set on eighty-eight years old. Id been putting off resetting

the thing for awhile.

You can do whatever you want now, or so I hear, I said.

Like put you up for reassignment, get you out of this hole.

You could, I said, But youd be wasting your time. I scattered some bread

crumbs for a few ducks wandering my way.

He put his hand up to shield his eyes from the local star and looked at the boy.

That Kitos descendant?

Thats him.

Thats some genetic resemblance.

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I brought up Kitos picture from my archives and compared it to the boy like I had

done a thousand times before. Looks like.

Hows Anne? I asked. You two still

He gave a heavy shrug. Were doing this trial separation thing. Shes living on

her fathers mining world for the time being. Bad place for the kids though.

Uncle Rick I almost got one! shouted the boy from across the pond. He held up

a small feather between his fingers, jumping up and down.

Great buddy, I said. Just dont fall in chasing them. To Jared: He cant

swim yet. Ive tried to tell his parents to get him lessons, but theyre clueless.

Jared looked around. Where are his parents anyway?

I pointed lazily toward the city.

Shouldnt they be here? Jared asked.

I shook my head. They could care less about that kid.

Jared didnt say anything back. He left it that way for a few minutes. I imagine

he was thinking about his own kids. We continued to watch Kitos descendant. The

ducks had retreated back into the pond once they were sure he wasnt going to give up

chasing them. They floated around the center giving him hell. He laughed, circling the

edge of the water.

You should call her, I said to Jared.

He looked down at me. What?

I said you should call her.

Maybe. He checked his watch. You know what time it is right?

Yes, I said. Im not that old. Stop worrying.

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He sighed. You know, the company said youd refuse. That coming here was a

waste of time.

I bet they did. Been sending me requests for my transfer for the past ten years.

Rick, youd be able to work any project you want. You could work a different

project every thirty years, change it up some. He took a look around. This planets

almost ripe anyway. Wont be a decade before they start drawing up the annexation

papers.

Im staying til its done.

Think it over?

I shook my head and sat forward, my back hunching a little over years of practice.

Another sigh. Well at least let a guy sit down for a minute. I did come all the

way from the home office.

I moved over.

He sat.

I patted the only part of the bench that was still unoccupied and called to the boy.

Ryn, come sit by me for a minute.

He hurried over and vaulted up onto it. The wooden frame creaked a bit. He was

getting bigger by the day.

I said, Now I want you to remember this part of your life as vividly as possible,

Ryn, because you will probably be telling your children about this. Can you do that for

me?

He nodded with an energy I had come to expect from him. I turned my head

toward the city and waited, checked my watch, waited some more. All three of us sat

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there, the local star making blackened silhouettes out of our figures. Soon, missiles

streaked across the sky and dove out from behind white clouds. We watched as they

rained down on the city.

Ryn gasped and so did I.

His was still better.

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