Chapter Fifteen
"I wanted to show you something," Ara stood and held out a hand. "It is something I have great pride in."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, then accepted her hand and got up. "What is it?" He'd assumed she was talking about the view from the roof, or perhaps her city itself, but now she was leading him across the roof, along the wide expanse of white marble.
"It is a thing that took me many attempts to make correct," she said as they walked. She'd kept his hand in hers, and was smiling with anticipation. "I believe that you will appreciate the work."
"I'm sure I will." Curious now, he looked around as they walked. The roof was long and wide, with benches and artwork here and there. Clearly it was a place meant to be visited by the council members and enjoyed for relaxation and contemplating matters. You could see quite a bit of the marketplace below, but not well enough to provide any real security or surveillance.
"Here," Ara pointed.
Ethan saw a tall marble pillar up ahead, with something round and rather flat supported at the top. As they drew closer, he could see it was a looking glass. Binocular and round, with leather straps holding several sets of polished glass in a metal case.
Ara lifted it up and handed it to him. "With this, you can see to the mountains."
Ethan raised the binoculars to his eyes and was shocked by what he saw.
Not only could he see all the way to the mountains clearly, but he could actually see the mountains. Even in the twilight, he could make out trees, plants, a few animals wandering up a steep path.
He blinked. "My God, how did you --" He lowered the unit and stared at it. "Ara, how did you manage this?"
She shrugged. "It took many attempts," she replied. "Many days of polishing the glass. Palen drew the idea, but I know how to make glass work, so he requested me to build it."
Ethan shook his head and lifted the lenses up again. They were nothing but polished glass, arranged rather oddly in a metal case, but they magnified with more power than his own HUD could have achieved at these distances.
"You can change them, this way." Ara reached up and shifted some of the glass around, allowing Ethan to focus on places closer than the mountains, or back to the mountains again. "And if you look this way," She took his arm and moved him to the right, pointing at the horizon. "You can almost see the sun."
"Ara this is, truly, amazing." Ethan looked at the device in his hands again, turning it over and around. "You've been able to do something with just glass and metal that we would have needed machines to do." He looked at her and saw her face light up. "I'm truly impressed."
Ara suddenly blushed, a rose-red in her tanned face. "That makes me glad. Your people have many interesting tools, I hoped you would find this interesting as well."
He placed the binoculars carefully back on the marble pedestal. "There are things we can learn from each other."
Before Ara could reply, shouts of anger reached them from the marketplace below. They both walked to the edge and looked down, where three men were engaged in a heated exchange. After a moment, two men wearing gray robes approached, demanding calm. The men lowered their voices, but continued to gesture and make demands.
Finally the two in gray pointed toward the council building, and the entire group started for the building Ethan and Ara were standing on.
"There has been a dispute," she said. "I will show you now how our laws are made."
She took Ethan by the hand again and they returned to the staircase, descending to the large auditorium room where he and the others had first met the council. Ara paused just inside the large room and took a gray robe from a hook, slipping it on over her tunic.
"You may watch, from the doorway," she said. "We require our people to speak Starlight, so you will understand."
Ethan nodded, then followed Ara to the large auditorium. He stopped inside the doorway, watching, as she took her seat in the audience. There were twelve others seated there, some having just arrived, still pulling on their gray robes, while the three men who had been arguing were seated at the table on the raised platform.
One of the councilmen who'd escorted the three to the room stood, addressing the room.
"We have a dispute of trade," he said, pointing to the three. "These men ask for council law to settle the trade."
He sat, and the three men looked at each other. Finally one stood, bowed slightly to the council, and spoke.
"I am Lorin, of Ta," he said. "These two men offered trade that is insufficient." He pointed to the other two. "They ask for three bundles of chacra wood, and offer only two flasks of Alter in trade."
Lorin sat, and a councilwoman named Yuri stood.
"If this trade is not acceptable, why did you agree to it?"
"I did not," Lorin replied.
One of the other two stood then. "He did agree, council. He did so agree to our trade."
"I was deceived," Lorin retorted. "I believed they were offering two flasks. That each of them were offering two flasks. That is the trade I agreed with."
"So this is a misunderstood thing?" Yuri asked. "You believed the trade fair, and now that you are understanding it, you do not?" She turned to the rest of the council. "This is his deciding to make."
Everyone in the council seats nodded, and Ara stood to address the men. "If he believes three bundles of chacra wood are worth four flasks of Alter, it is his agreement to make," she said. "However, I would ask you, Lorin of Ta, did you not trade three bundles of chacra wood to Walen of Nor for two flasks not four days ago?"
Lorin squirmed a bit, shifting from one foot to another, then nodded.
"And why was that trade acceptable, and this one is not?" Ara asked.
"Because he has gained a taste for Alter," the third man argued. "Lorin of Ta should perhaps trade for fruit and meats to feed his family instead."
Ara glared at Lorin. "Is this true? Is your family suffering need because of your trades?"
Lorin looked at his hands. "I will agree to trade three bundles of chacra wood for two hides of beastmeat, council."
"Agreed!" the third man announced with a palm to the table for emphasis. "We have meat to trade, and will do so gladly."
"It is done then," Yuri announced.
The council stood and marched from the room, leaving the other three to mutter and shake hands before filing out behind their law givers.
Ethan stayed by the door while Ara returned her gray robe to a hook on the wall and came back to him.
"That was very fair of you," he said.
Ara sighed. "It was a simple dispute," she replied. "They do not all go so well." She started back through the large open room and Ethan followed. "Our peace is a new thing. And I fear it is very fragile."
"Peace isn't an easy thing," Ethan agreed. "It never is, even for people who are accustomed to it. Most don't realize how fragile it is. They take it for granted, and look for people to blame when it falls apart."
"And who do they blame?" Ara asked as they stepped outside.
Ethan shrugged. "Different people find blame in different places," he replied. "Most blame whoever they put in charge to keep the peace."
"I feared this. That if our peace does not remain, the peoples will blame the gray council."
Ethan looked at her. "They will, probably," he said. "Or they would have, before we came."
Ara turned to him as they walked. "Why would your coming change their thinking?"
Ethan shrugged. "It's been my experience, throughout history, that people will come together who once hated, if they are given something new and different to hate together."
Ara stopped walking and looked at him. "Why would my people hate your people? You have done nothing to harm us, or our world."
"But we are different," Ethan replied. "People tend to fear what is different from themselves. My people worry that we will not be welcome here, that we won't be able to stay."
Ara shook her head. "You are welcome here," she replied. "We are working very hard to keep our peace, and if we should fail, the shame would not be yours." She took his arm and they started back to the building his people were housed in. "We have much to learn from you. Perhaps your being here will help our peace, and not harm it."
"I hope so," Ethan replied.
"And the rest of your people should arrive soon. They have walked far, and you will want to rest with them, yes? We have many empty buildings for them to use."
"We thank you for that, Ara."
They stopped just short of the entrance, where some technicians were unloading equipment from their mobile unit.
"Perhaps soon, I could show you the light side of my world, where I am from."
Ethan smiled. "I'd like that. Do you have family there?"
"No," Ara replied with a sad sigh. "My family are no more. That is why I live here, in the gray. Family is too important to live away, so those here in the gray are here because we are alone."
Ethan blinked. "So, all of the council, they have no family?"
"Many on our world have lost all of their family," she replied. "It is a great sad loss. Family is the most important thing a person can have."
"I agree," Ethan nodded.
"And tomorrow, you will tell me of your family," Ara said. "And why the thought makes your eyes so sad."
"Tomorrow, I will," he replied.
Ara took her leave, and Ethan followed the techs up to the second floor, where they had computers spread out over every table and flat surface. He found Commander Ellis there, reviewing data on a screen.
"Major, we just received word the rest of our group should arrive within the hour," Ellis said with a nod. "One of those council people showed us some other buildings we can use, so we've moved the sleeping quarters there, and we're using this as a workroom."
Ethan glanced around. "Good idea. Any progress?"
"Some," Ellis replied. "Not as much as I'd like, but some." He moved around to look at another computer screen. "We still can't get anything but fragments from the Solaria's data recorders, but they're making progress putting together a program that will be accepted by the fleet ships. We'd like to make sure it will work, but there's no way to test it out."
"Any luck narrowing down a transmission window?"
Ellis shook his head. "Not yet, but our location is perfect. This is the spot we'll want to transmit from once we're able to." He pointed toward the far wall. "I thought those mountains would be better, but as luck would have it, this middle area here will be just fine."
Ethan nodded. "Good. They can build a transmitter strong enough, then? Can we sustain a signal for any length of time?"
Commander Ellis straightened up, considering the question. "You're thinking we could start sending as soon as we're up, and just keep it going until it runs out of power?"
"Something like that," Ethan replied. "If we're not one hundred percent sure of our timing, narrowing it down too far might miss the fleet ship."
"I'd thought of that," Ellis admitted. "Captain Marshall had the same thought, but apparently he was overridden. This is still a Marine operation, I was told."
Ethan resisted the urge to scowl. "Right now, right here, I'm in command," he said. "Let me know when you have a signal and a way to transmit it."
"Yes, sir," Ellis replied with an eyebrow raised.
He walked up the stairs to the top floor and into the washroom to splash cold water on his face, then he came back to the large living area and set his rifle on the table next to the computer and transmit booster he'd taken from Sentinel. A quick check of his watch showed he had another hour before Colonel Patterson would be checking in, so he put some water on the flames to boil and found himself pacing the room.
All this time, he'd been careful not to think of Kathryn too often. Not to think of his twin sister, on Fleet Ship One, speeding toward planet 581c in her sleep. Tried not to think of his last promise to her, that he was going to secure her a nice spot of land somewhere she could call her own. Or her challenge to him to stop chasing off her prospects with his big guns and Marine Major stare.
And he couldn't take the time to think about her now, either. All it did was cloud his objectivity and make him second-guess Fleet protocol.
If he could at least get a message to her -- to the fleet -- and let them know what happened to the Solaria. Let them know why they weren't there, on 581c, securing their new home and paving the way for the human race on a brave new world.
The steaming water caught his attention finally, and he made some tea and sat down to wait for Colonel Patterson's transmission.
Luckily, he didn't have too much time to wait. The computer beeped, announcing an impending transmission, so Ethan put his com unit in one ear and flicked on the booster that would project Colonel Patterson's image into the room, instead of using the lenses and head gear.
"Griff, come in, this is Reaper."
"Here, sir," Ethan replied as the image of the colonel appeared in front of the table.
Colonel Patterson smiled. "You'll love it here, Griff," he said. "The sun's shining bright as ever."
"That's good to hear, sir."
The colonel adjusted his lens for a moment, giving Ethan a view of the sky with the sun several miles high, surrounded by clear blue. "It's a beautiful sight," he said. "And the sky, have you ever seen a blue like that?"
"Not in a long time," Ethan admitted. "Have you met the people yet?"
"We have," he replied, adjusting the lenses back again. "There's a village here, not much different than the one Tolen took us to. Completely empty, except for the guides who brought us here. But Doctor Warren has been sampling the soil and plants, and she says our crops will grow just fine here. Something about salts and minerals in good balance." He waved a hand dismissively. "Scientific crap. What's important is that they will grow, and thrive. And if all of the villages are this empty, we'll have no problem occupying them."
"About that, sir," Ethan shifted in his seat. "The population here is very thinned out. They've been ravaged by war for so long, I don't think there are more than a few hundred thousand still living on the entire world. If that."
Colonel Patterson was nodding. "Yes, I'm beginning to believe you're right. I can't see them all hiding out and only sending a few to visit people from another world. At first I wondered if they had a huge population just staying out of range somewhere, but I don't believe so. They're taking us to another village tomorrow, where they say many of their people live. Something about a harvest."
"They're harvesting?" Ethan asked.
"Doctor Keller wants to check that out, and I'm told an entire tribe will be there, so I'm hoping to find someone who can speak for the lot of them on this light side."
"I believe they have the gray council speak for them all," Ethan explained. "At least they're trying to. These people are very new at this concept of not being at war."
"Well, we have a thing or two we could teach them," Patterson replied. "Hell, we could bring the fleet here with the politicians on board. That would keep those idiots happy for years."
"I'm not so sure that would really help out these people," Ethan replied.
"Agreed."
"Colonel, the rest of our people are arriving now. The gray council have provided several more buildings for housing, and assure us we're welcome to stay."
"Good. It's best to keep everyone together for now."
"They're welcoming everyone, sir," Ethan added. "I honestly believe they'd welcome the fleet. They seem to have the room, and a real desire to remain a peaceful people after so many generations of fighting."
"We'll see, Griff," Patterson replied. "Any progress from Captain Marshall?"
"Yes, they're moving steadily toward having a signal they can send, and a transmitter capable of delivery. But, without knowing for certain what the timing is, sir, I would recommend--"
Colonel Patterson held up a hand. "We'll get to that, Griff. Just give me another day of travel to see this other village and really get to know these people. I'll contact you in twenty four hours."
Ethan nodded. "Yes, sir. Twenty four hours."
Without another word, Colonel Patterson ended the transmission.
Ethan sighed and rubbed his eyes as he turned off the computer. There were times, and this was one of them, when he really wished he'd stayed in the scientific disciplines, instead of transferring to military when Kathryn outscored him on the tests. He'd be napping on a fleet ship, frozen and dreaming, while someone else was making decisions that would alter or affect everyone's lives.
Too tired to think anymore, he went back down a few levels and took the evening meal with Captain Marshall and his people and listened to them talk about data chips and passcodes and transmission rates.
Wingman joined them halfway through and informed everyone, happily, that the gray had not one, but several of the hot-spring fed public baths scattered around the sprawling city in the centerline. He promised to show them all after the meal, while the newcomers relaxed after their long trek out of the darkness.
Ethan begged off and turned in early, hoping to make up for the strange, Alter-induced dreams of the previous night.
He went back upstairs, checked the computer for any messages from Sentinel, then went to the room he'd been using and got comfortable, clearing his mind of as many thoughts as he could.
Considering the number of them clamoring for attention, it wasn't as easy as it should have been, but eventually he found himself waking after a full night of no dreams, and an empty stomach.
The next day was spent pleasantly with Ara and Yuri, as they showed Ethan and several others the building where they taught the Starlight language. As the official language of the gray, they also encouraged its use throughout the land in an effort to merge the two people into one.
Two of the civilians with Ethan were linguists by hobby, and volunteered their efforts to assist in teaching, and learning the languages of the light and dark sides, much to Yuri's delight.
She set them up immediately with private space and began to spread the word, resulting in a filled class within the hour.
Suddenly left alone, Ara decided it was time she showed Ethan one of the hot spring baths in the center of the city.
"Your people enjoyed them last night," she said as she led him through a park, following a gently curving path. "And I should have shown you sooner than this."
"I hope you're not suggesting I'm in need of cleaning?" Ethan quipped.
"No," Ara replied hastily. "But you will find it refreshing."
This one didn't have a waterfall pouring over a massive stone wall, but it was twice the size of the pool in Eferia's village, and extremely deep in the center. There were shallow ends on either side where one could stand and scrub up with the soaping sticks, and plenty of open space to swim and rinse off.
Ethan found it very difficult to keep his eyes where they belonged as Ara stripped and stepped into the warm water. She was athletically built, with long tanned legs, and a firm, lean body. Long, almost-white hair flowed over her smooth shoulders and her voice was like music when she turned to him and laughed.
"You cannot be shy," she teased. "You will miss the water."
He hastily shed his clothes and left them in somewhat of a neat pile over his weapons and got into the water, sighing with relief at the temperature as he swam to the center, following Ara.
They swam for a bit, then stood in the shallows and soaped up, swimming again to rinse off before returning to the edge where they used softly tanned beast hides to dry off before getting dressed again.
"Was that not refreshing?" Ara asked as she secured the tunic's belt around her thin waist.
"It was," Ethan replied. "Thank you for showing me."
She sat on a dry rock and laid her towel over a flat section of stone wall to dry. "Now, will you tell me why your eyes have a sadness?"
Ethan pulled on his shirt and took a long breath, letting it out slowly as he considered the best way to answer that question. They were alone at the bathing pool. Most everyone was securing their market space and making plans to enjoy the evening meal.
Finally he shrugged and took a seat next to Ara on the flat rocks.
"I told you we didn't mean to come to your world," he said. "That we were trying to land on another world, far from here, where no people lived."
Ara nodded. "Yes, you did say that. Your world was used up, and you were looking for a new one."
"That's right. The ship I came here on was the first to leave. We were to land and make everything safe for the others."
"The others? You haven't spoken of them in detail."
"No, I haven't. We needed to make sure our people were welcome here, that we could grow our crops and make a life on this world." He shifted on the rock. "You see, Ara, the rest of my people are on ships, out there." He pointed to the sky. "On their way to the other world. The world we should have landed on. If we don't contact them, they'll continue to that world and not find us there."
Ara's eyes lit up with understanding. "You have family on the other ships?"
Ethan nodded. "We all have family on the other ships. My sister is on the first ship, the one coming next."
"I had brothers," Ara said. "They were older."
"My sister is my twin."
"Your twin?" Ara blinked. "This means samebirth, yes? Your mother brought you both together into the world?"
"Yes, that's right. She and I are the only family we have."
Ara touched his shoulder. "Then you must bring that ship here," she insisted. "You cannot separate family. It is wrong."
Ethan laughed shortly. "Yes, it is wrong. But our leaders separated all the families, for the health of the gene pool." He saw her blank look. "The gene pool," he said. "It means diversity. So that the people can multiply and remain different."
"Oh, yes, I understand," Ara nodded. "Families must mate outside the family."
"Yes, like that."
"But you must bring them here," she continued. "Ethan, you know our shame. You know that our world has known so much war that our peoples are nearly gone." She gestured toward the city around them. "We have room for your people. We would welcome them, and what we can learn from them. Our world would benefit, and your people would have a home."
Ethan sighed and looked up at the gray sky for a moment. "That's my hope, Ara. But it's not up to me. Colonel Patterson has to make that decision."
"It is wrong not to be with family," she said with a determined shake of her head. "For you to be separated from your samebirth sister is wrong. That is why there is only half of you here. To be a . . . a twin . . . is a special thing." She looked at the ground a moment, nodding to herself. "I understand what John Patterson must do."
"You do?"
She looked at Ethan again. "And what you are doing," she said. "You must learn if we can be trusted to keep peace, and welcome you. Just as we have been learning if we can trust you to keep our peace, and live among us."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. "We have to learn if we can trust each other. Your people feared we were hiding a truth, just as we feared you might be hiding a truth."
"And now we know that there is no hiding." Ara smiled slightly. "We truly do welcome your people, Ethan Griff. We only ask that you respect our world, and our peace. And we hope that you can help us keep our peace. There is much we can learn from you. We hid only the shame of our time of dying, and we try to hide the difficulty of our peace, but we have vowed to continue it. There is no other choice."
Ethan cleared his throat and stood, securing his sidearm to his belt. "We have a lot to learn and teach each other," he said. "When Colonel Patterson returns, hopefully we can bring our people here."
Ara smiled and stood. "And to prepare for them, I would like to learn better Starlight. Your Edward and Anna have promised to teach us all to speak better Starlight, and I am anxious to learn."
Ethan laughed. "You already speak it very well."
Ara took his arm and they started back toward the marketplace.
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