Journey of Rick Heiden Ch. 10

The Journey of Rick Heiden

All Rights Reserved © 2018, Rick Haydn Horst

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This novel contains 50 chapters.

CHAPTER TEN

Amaré's visit left us disturbed. If we settled into a new life on Jiyū without going back, and they came through one day, we may not have a life worth living. Despite our reluctance, we had to return.

"I have something to tell you," David said. "I realized it at the time, but so much was happening; it slipped my mind. When I fired upon Katheryn, I only stunned her."

"Oh, no."

"Katheryn is alive?" Aiden asked. "She will tell them where to find the portal."

"I'm sorry," David said, "we had no time, and once I stunned her, I couldn't have done anything else anyway."

"It's unfortunate," I said, "but if we hadn't acted quickly, Amaré could have died, so let's keep that in mind."

"It's a significant complication," David said. "We will have to give it some thought."

"About the portal," said Aiden, "how could they get through? Is this building not fortified?"

"The problem is bigger than it seems," said David. "This building isn't a fortress, and the containment area stops contamination, nothing more.

"The Earth has some resourceful, unscrupulous people who may know where to find the portal. Unscrupulous people will do whatever they must to get what they want, like Katheryn. The Americans probably have Cadmar. To them, he represents a resource of technology beyond their dreams. They will want the source. And while the portal can only carry a few dozen people at a time, people aren't the only thing they could send through. Let your imagination run wild for a moment."

"Oh my," I said.

"Exactly," David said.

"Is there no technological solution?" Aiden asked. "This place is advanced. Don't you have force fields to surround it or something?"

"I hate to tell you this, Aiden," said David, "because I know you love technology. After ages of study and experimentation, we've seen no evidence that force field technology of that kind is even possible, so for the moment, we don't have that option."

"Well, that's a complete disappointment."

"I take it no one knows who built the portals," I said.

"No, it's of unknown alien construction," said David. "We've studied the portal for millennia. We know things about it, but we still don't know what makes it tick. Scholars say that it resists giving up its secrets."

"I figured aliens existed," said Aiden. "It's nice to have confirmation, though. Couldn't you turn the portal off?"

"It has no off switch," said David. "To turn it off, we would probably have to destroy it."

"Why don't we destroy it then?" I asked.

"We can't do that," said David. "The portal represents a line to our past and a connection to our larger family. We know the Earth has crude, undisciplined people, and many malevolent ones, but they aren't all that way. They're our family; we care about them. They never made their circumstance; they inherited it. And knowing that, we can't abandon them. Besides, we have Jiyūvian volunteers all over the Earth doing what they can to make things better, like Pearce in the United States. We can't abandon them either. So, we shouldn't destroy the portal."

"That's a refreshingly enlightened attitude," Aiden said, adjusting his glasses.

"Jiyūvian...really?" I asked, skeptical of the appellation.

David smiled. "I just made that up. No one calls themselves that."

"I like it," said Aiden.

"I think it's terrible," I said, "the name of this planet doesn't lend itself to morphological derivation."

David gave me a blank stare. "You know I know nothing about languages, so what does that mean?"

"It means you can't make new words with it," I said. "It's just a Japanese word that doesn't even sound like the name of a planet."

David looked shocked. "It's Japanese?"

"You didn't know that? I'm sorry, I thought you knew," I said in mild perplexity. "Jiyū is Japanese for freedom."

David mused. "That's the first time I've heard that."

"That's fascinating," said Aiden.

"I thought so too," I said. "It does intimate a harrowing tale --one lost to time, no doubt."

"Okay, let's focus on the business at hand," said David. "We need to make a plan to track down Cadmar and the ring. We don't have much time."

"You tracked me down when they abducted me," I said, "why couldn't we do that? Surely, some of the technology inside him is trackable."

"Interesting," David said. "That's an excellent idea."

"I've seen the scans," said Aiden. "Cadmar's body has loads of technology inside it. Does any of it work when he's dead that we could use?"

"I don't know," he said, "but I know where someone does."

We gathered our things and left level two containment. Magnar and a woman we hadn't met entered the building. She had mixed parentage also, which I realized occurred often. It reminded me of what David said that humans had constructed the concept of race to divide people. Race had no meaning on Jiyū. I once asked David if the people there knew their ancestry. He said that few people knew, and they hadn't cared to know because it hadn't mattered.

The woman with Magnar presented a striking image. She had short wavy hair the color of honey which lay flat upon her head, tan skin, and eyes so darkly brown they appeared black. She wore a Trust uniform like Magnar's, in chartreuse with a black shirt, and naturally, her black pants had no codpiece. They both carried a silvery-handled sword on their back.

"David!" Magnar said with exuberance. "Tamika wishes to meet you. Please, meet my brother's mate; she has something to say."

I could almost feel David stiffen inside at those words, but with bravery, he would weather what he expected to come. She stood before him. They were the same height, and just as David thought she would strike him, or rake him over the proverbial coals, she embraced him instead.

"We know that you will soon return for Cadmar," she said. "I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate that, but Magnar and I have talked it over. For as much as we want to have Cadmar back, he's gone, and nothing will change that. It would ask too much to bring his body home."

"Nevertheless."

"I know," Tamika said, "you must try. We want you to know that, for ourselves, we release you of the obligation. We don't want to lose anyone else."

David turned to Aiden and me. "Tamika, meet Rick, my mate, and this fellow is our good friend Aiden."

I noted that Aiden's expression changed upon having heard David refer to him as a good friend. For the second time, I had the impression that Aiden had no friends, but I hadn't known for sure, and I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass him by asking.

Magnar and Tamika joined us for our first look at the city. We stepped outside, and the sun felt warm to my skin. We crossed the expansive hardscape to an elaborate railing, which served to mark the overlook. Peering over the edge of the dizzying precipice, I saw the city on the gently sloping base far below that stretched to the left and the right of our position, curving like two arms embracing part of an enormous sea. It seemed that a straight line from the temple to the seaside would reach eight kilometers (five miles). In the distance, we could see many large-scale buildings, some had massive colonnades of white stone, and green space scattered about with walking paths. An elevated rail car passed through the center, taking passengers around the city's curvature from one end to the other. I also noticed distinct neighborhoods, and some of the roadways in between.

David pointed to a building in the distance to the left. "See there, Rick," he said, "the rounded building next to that tall one. That's Kagura Hall, one of our theaters. We have a magnificent orchestra and an opera company. And Aiden, see that massive series of buildings just below us to the left? That's Bragi College, the oldest of our two colleges. That's our first stop. When we have time, they can catch you up on all the things that interest you."

"Where's your home?" I asked him.

"You mean our home," he said. "It's to the right. You can't see it from here, but see the tall building shaped like a diamond? You'll find our building right across the street."

"Where do men meet women here?" Aiden asked with squinted eyes as he gazed upon the city.

"Seriously?" I asked him. "Is that the first question you have?"

"Asks the man who already has a mate," Aiden said.

"I showed him the college," David said to me. "What else would he ask? A man must have his list of priorities, right, Aiden?"

Magnar spoke up, slapping his hand on Aiden's shoulder. "And a suitable priority it is!" Magnar exclaimed in his husky voice. "We unattached men must stick together, Aiden. To meet women here, we have diners filled with unmated people who enjoy stimulating conversation. We have a beach that stretches the full length of the city with women of exceptional beauty as well as intelligence, strength, and bravery. And we have places to dance where we revel in the freedom that is at the heart of Jiyū." Magnar brought his mouth close to Aiden's ear. "You'll find the people here passionate. They love many things a young man, such as yourself, will find captivating."

I could almost see the excitement in Aiden's eyes. "Why are we just standing here?"

Tamika smiled and shook her head at Magnar's vivid description. "I must go," she said. "I have one or two matters to attend to before going home. It's a pleasure to meet the three of you. We should share a meal soon. Magnar." She nodded her head at him before returning to the temple.

I liked Tamika; she was intriguing. Magnar seemed less so, but likable.

"Tamika is very quiet," David said as we watched her return to the temple.

"Not when you get to know her," said Magnar. "For now, she mourns her loss. You will find that she is intelligent and witty, but don't let her fool you. She's bested me every time in swordplay. Of all the women of my acquaintance, I respect her more than any other. Cadmar did well."

I noted the swords on Magnar and Tamika's back. "Does everyone carry a sword?"

"Not everyone," Magnar said, turning toward me, "only members of the Trust. We protect Jiyū, and we have the honor of such a responsibility."

David said to Magnar, "You're welcome to come with us when we return to Earth to retrieve your brother."

Magnar paused a moment and glanced at his shoes. "Thank you for that. My heart says go, but my head knows more is not always helpful. I would only hinder your success."

I looked around the hardscape. I saw no paths and no roads. "How do we get down? Please don't tell me we're walking."

"The old path I used to mountain bike is over there," said David, "but it's steep and still overgrown with disuse. We use the lift now, the little building at the edge there."

As flowering vines from the surrounding garden covered it, I barely noticed the glass, cylindrical lift. It provided an incredible view as we descended into the city below.

"Can we swim in the sea?" Aiden asked.

"Yes, of course," said David. "You will find people at the beach most of the time."

"Do any dangers exist here that we should know about," I said, "like any poisonous plants or minerals, for example?"

"None that I'm aware of, we may find some in other parts of the planet. We've not explored it as thoroughly as we should. Before I left, a team had built a new robotic satellite to scan the planet more closely, but it's been fifty jears, so, for all I know, it could be space debris by now."

"We lost it ten jears after we put it in place," Magnar said, "another orbiting body strike."

"Does that happen a lot?" asked Aiden.

"Two my knowledge, it's happened a dozen times," said Magnar, "and they burn up on reentry. This planet has a lot of smaller orbiting bodies made up of meteors and fragments caught in our gravitational well."

"I've noticed the culture here relies on robotics," I said.

"Yes," Magnar said, "and so that you know, we accept robots as people due to the artificial intelligence utilized in their design. We behave towards them as we would anyone else. It serves no good purpose to treat them like slaves. Once you meet one, you'll know why."

When we exited the lift, a metallic bodied, open-topped transport vehicle waited a few yards away on the cobblestone street. It appeared to have neither a front nor back end. It had two bench seats, each facing one another, with no steering wheel or instrumentation, and sat on a strange-looking sphere at each end of the vehicle.

"Speaking of meeting one...," David said.

"Hello, David," said a voice from the vehicle, "it pleases me to see you. Did you find Earth exciting?" As it spoke, lines of light in short windows surrounding the seating area oscillated with the sound.

"Hello, Venn. Yes, Earth was exciting. How are you? I know you still had some testing to do when I left, have they upgraded you since then?"

"I am performing optimally, thank you," said Venn, "and I upgrade frequently. Hello Magnar, I heard about Cadmar. My condolences for your loss."

"Thank you, Venn," Magnar said.

"It's odd to see you sitting here," said David. "Have you waited for us?"

"Yes, not long ago, Amaré requested that I wait for you. He felt walking might prove too much for our new arrivals. I assume these are they, as I do not recognize your other two companions. They match no one in the database."

Amaré was a true gentleman. I needed to thank him. The thought of a trek through the streets worried me because I had more pain than I was letting on.

After the introductions, David told us he met the newly installed Venn before he left, and although he was charming, the test phase meant Venn had no duties at the time.

"So, Venn, do you control this one vehicle or all of them?" David asked.

"In your absence, I have expanded in many ways," said Venn, "I have fully integrated into several main systems. I control all transportation, including the delivery of food and other necessities, removal of organic refuse and recycling, and I oversee the use and maintenance of the Forge."

"My goodness, all that and the Forge too?" David asked. "I see you've made a valued and trusted person here. I'm so pleased for you. Have you reached the Coping limit yet, or have they done away with that scale?"

"They still use Alexander Coping's scale, but it either needs recalibration, or it doesn't apply to me. I'm currently at 159.7% on the Coping scale, and I'm using only 33% of my current capacity."

"What's the Forge?" I asked.

"The machine called the Forge creates many of the things we need," Magnar said. "It can make almost anything from a button to a starship, in pieces of course. It even created the transport vehicle you see before you."

"Shall I take you home?" The doors opened before us like two barn doors leaving an expansive entry for easy access.

"We need to visit Bragi College first," said David, "and if you would, please take our things to the penthouse. We don't have the time."

"I will take care of that," Venn said.

"Sadly," said Magnar, "for now, we must part. I should prepare for this afternoon's session at the Arena."

"Goodbye, Magnar," Aiden said, "perhaps you can show me the hot spots soon."

"I look forward to that," said Magnar.

The firm seats in the transport aggravated the soreness of my glute muscles, but it beat walking on my aching legs. I felt like a bundle of pain, but I tried not to complain about every arduous step. I wanted the experience to toughen me up. At that moment, I envied Aiden.

Many people walked about on the pathways, and bicycles were a favorite mode of transportation. We passed many massive buildings that contained apartments, and specialty shops filled the ground floor of most buildings. According to David, artisans of all kinds would create useful personal items, things for you or your home, and provide services there. Custom clothiers of all kinds had immense popularity as fabrics were plentiful, and people always needed clothing. I knew we would need clothing ourselves soon; we couldn't go about in the same clothes forever.

One City had buildings in an eclectic mixture, but the districts we saw kept the style consistent for the sake of aesthetics. They built many of the structures with figural statuary. Some had ornate metal or woodwork of graceful curving lines and whimsical details. I saw One City as more than a city; they had created a work of art.

"Everything seems so clean," I said.

"It's what happens when you have a community made up of relatively disciplined people and don't create anything that will require permanent disposal," said David.

"The buildings look new," said Aiden. "How old are they?"

"They're quite old and built to last. We have a large quarry about thirty kilometers southeast of here that provides much of the structure. With metallic alloys and some technological help, stone lasts centuries with little decay. We also use many exotic kinds of wood from the rainforest, but we typically use it for furnishings, since we have less of it. On Jiyū, we don't cut down the trees, we wait until storms have knocked them over, but we also have tree farms.

"Robots build all our buildings. They do a far better job than any human. We create plans for them at one of the colleges. The Master Builder then receives the schematics whose army of robots build the structures."

They had designed the sprawling collection of ornate buildings of Bragi College in the Art Nouveau style. The team of architects' designs combined beauty and functionality throughout. The 80-year-old current campus replaced the outdated one they couldn't retrofit to keep up with the demands of technology. The newer one had more than enough flexibility to carry Jiyū's educational needs into the future for centuries to come.

The Information Director routed us to the appropriate team. The director, Nadia, a pleasant lady who seemed well suited for her job, sent us on a five-minute walk to the fourth floor of building 9 to Team E. The building had no lift, and I trudged up the stairs with difficulty, but I managed.

Having found Team E's lab at the end of the hall, we entered a more extensive and brighter room than the lab at Facility3, and I had never seen so much fantastical equipment. The twenty people there looked on in anticipation over a transparent vat the size of a large stockpot. The inside held a clear bag containing what appeared to be a full-term baby.

"Hello, may I help you?" a woman asked. Our singular concentration on the vat held our attention, and we didn't notice anyone had walked toward us.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that looks fascinating." I pointed to the vat.

Curiously, her face held no discernible expression causing what she felt or thought to remain a complete mystery. Her braided dirty-blonde hair hung thickly down her back, complimenting her sand-colored skin, but most surprising of all, her eyes were like purple amethyst that almost glittered in the light. I could tell that Aiden was having trouble turning away from her to deal with the business for which we had come.

By this point, everyone in the lab was staring in our direction. "Yes, my name is Rick, this is my mate David, and this is our good friend Aiden, who one day could become a colleague of yours if I'm not mistaken."

"Aiden?" His name, called by a new voice, drew his attention. "Would you be the Aiden who saved Amaré?" asked one of the men in the room.

"Yes, I am," he said, and that's when they did everything but roll out the red carpet.