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Try to look upon familiar surroundings the way a traveler sees them for the first time.
-Master Fjeld
***
Keralan sat beside her uncle in a standard, white, two-person transportation pod as it raced along on its five-meter raised track. She looked through the full-length glass windows at the barren landscape zooming past. Some of it was nothing but a blur as they soared past various shades of sand that made up wavy dunes below the track. In the distance, the white, beige, and tan rippling hills confirmed the vastness of the desert. Above, the enduring pale violet blue sky served as a reminder of how exceedingly small the desert was under the expanse of Earth's atmosphere.
She glanced over at her uncle, deep in concentration. His face was scrunched up in a frown while he viewed his control screen. A rectangle of light shown through the brown skin of his left forearm, transmitted from the control chip embedded near the crease of his elbow. His fine gray tunic had the usual control panel access cut-out, always in the left sleeve.
Keralan could see that he was composing a message. He was tapping at a keyboard on his skin within the control panel screen. She smiled. He was the only one she knew that still entered text manually.
The sun had begun to reflect off the sand, creating a brightness that made Keralan squint in the dimly lit pod. The interior of the pod was very sparse. Matte finished metal and black plastic paneling lined the walls. A large TCS logo, which stood for Transport Control System, was stamped into the right door panel. Dim strip lighting illuminated the perimeter of the ceiling and floor. It was clean. All the electronics functioned. Miliri's intraprovince pods weren't nearly as well maintained.
It was Keralan's first time outside of Miliri. All her life she had dreamed of traveling the world. Unfortunately, the scenery was plain and uninteresting. Looking out the window had lost its thrill after about five short minutes. There was no sign of life anywhere and nothing to entertain her. She was grateful for the experience of finally entering the Wild, but she would have liked to do so through a more interesting biome. She desperately wanted to see something new, such as snow-capped mountains, rivers, meadows, or forests. That day, however, she and Henry would cross barren land. There wasn't much to see between Miliri and Shebai.
Keralan looked past her uncle to the front of the pod, at the large screen mounted on the panel. A map showed their Realtime location as well as their starting and finishing points. Their speed was just under nine hundred kilometers per hour. It displayed their projected travel time, which was extraordinarily exact, as TCS always was. Two hours and fifty-six minutes. She thought about how the people accepting them at their destination could see them coming on their own screens and know exactly when they would slide into view. 18:03.
She was glad her uncle was busy with his control panel. She didn't know what they would say to each other. In fact, they had said very little to each other that day in preparation for their trip.
Smiling to herself, she remembered how he came to be called her uncle. They weren't biological relatives. When she was four, she had wanted to have more people to call family, perhaps because she'd lost her mother. The other children she played with had aunts and uncles, so one day she insisted that Henry become her uncle. He and her father had indulged her, as they so often did, and the title stuck.
Henry was not only her father's Corporate Advisor, but he was also his closest and most trusted friend. He had been a part of her father's life even before she was born. Henry had been there when her mother died when she was only three years old. He was there when her father nearly lost his mind with grief. He had been with them through every challenge and every accomplishment. He was as much the reason for her father's success as any other factor in his life.
Her father liked to say that Henry was the captain of his ship. It was a funny thing to say, since ships hadn't been in use for more than a hundred years, but in essence it was true. They both relied on him heavily. He was extraordinarily smart and perhaps overly intense at times, but he possessed a solid core of strength that seemed unshakable. Keralan greatly admired this about him, as did Rupert. For all these reasons, her father made sure that Henry received more than his fair share of the corporate profits. In addition, he had entrusted him with Keralan's education.
Being tutored at home by Henry was one of the advantages that Keralan had over the other children in Miliri. In place of a basic corporate driven education, Henry introduced her to a wide array of unusual subjects, from religion, which had become obsolete, to the complexities of biological ecosystem development, as well as the extravagance of art and music. Most of the things Henry taught her about were not essential to the continuance of humanity, and thus, did not end up in the province school system curriculum.
Keralan had also been privileged to learn many practical and useful skills while working at Synpol. She could hardly believe that she wasn't going to spend the rest of her life there. All the time she had spent getting to know her father's corporation had ultimately been unnecessary. She wondered what Giova had planned for her. She hoped they knew what they were doing in choosing her.
She had picked out her best outfit, a crisp white blouse and a slim, ankle length skirt in a navy-blue knit fabric. On her feet she wore her most expensive dress sandals. It was the style of attire she imagined a high-ranking corporate employee might wear. She had pinned her long brown hair up at the back, thinking that it made her look more mature. She had chosen to wear makeup as well, which was unusual. Her lashes were thickly coated in black mascara. Her cheeks held the slightest hint of blush and her lips she left bare.
Keralan pressed her arm lightly, near the crease of her left elbow. Her control panel appeared. She tapped on the music icon. She selected a station to listen to on her micro speakers. The speakers looked like ordinary earrings. A tiny wire curved up from the gold-plated floral studs into her ear. She could barely feel them. They were comfortable even during sleep. Sound was directed precisely so that no one else could overhear. They had been a special present from her father when she turned eighteen.
It was the one luxury that she was taking with her. The instructions that her father had received the day before had been clear. She was forbidden to bring any luggage or tech gadgets. She hoped that her earrings would not be confiscated, but she wasn't planning on pointing them out.
Keralan sighed, remembering the party her closest friends had thrown for her the night before. It had been one of the best nights of her life. They had stayed up late playing games and sharing their dreams, because they all knew that it could be the last time they saw each other in-person.
At first, she had been upset to have to leave them behind. However, realistically, most of her acquaintances would eventually end up in another province, either through marriage or employment. Things were going to change whether Keralan liked it or not. Once she recognized this truth, it was much easier for her to accept her fate.
She decided to send a few last messages. With predictive technology she was able to compose messages without having to type each word out like Henry did. Although she didn't understand how it worked, she enjoyed the convenience along with everyone else who used it. One simply had to choose from a grid of lettered and graphic icons whose options changed with each new phrase. Children learned to do it at a young age. It required manual correction in the beginning, but over the span of many years, accuracy rates reached nearly one hundred percent. For Keralan, it was second nature.
She started with a group message to her friends. Sentences that expressed what she wished to say built before her eyes. When she was satisfied, she tapped the bird icon to send. It was a sad subject, but the words came easily. It was much more difficult to write to her father. Over and over, she composed and deleted words. It took some time, but she finally came up with a short message she deemed acceptable.
I am sad to be leaving you father, but please don't worry about me. I will be fine, though I will miss you. I will see you again someday. I love you.
Keralan exhaled as she tapped to send it. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders. There was nothing more to say. She and her father had an odd relationship. He had always been too busy to spend quality time with her, but he'd buy anything she wanted. His desire was always for her to find a respectable man to take care of her, despite her telling him she did not wish to marry. She closed her control panel, though the music still played on, and closed her eyes.
The haunting melody of flutes, drums, and nature sounds was soothing. It took her away from her own dismal reality, into another dimension. She always loved how music seemed to be able to do that, and as the minutes went on, Keralan discovered that she felt inexplicably hopeful.
Keralan had been craving something new and exciting in her life. For the longest time, she believed adventure was something she simply could not have outside of stories, movies, and her own imagination. She had resigned herself to the life her father had planned for her. It wasn't as if there had been another option. But there, in that pod, with the way the music expanded her mind, there suddenly seemed to be nothing more thrilling than not knowing what her future held. Further than that, though she knew it was extremely naïve, she even entertained the thought that her future promised to be not just new and exciting, but extraordinary.
Perhaps, she thought, I am about to fulfill my life's destiny.
She knew her uncle would not understand. He was understandably angry. He said it was flagrant abuse of corporate power to treat people like mere objects to be sent here and there without choice. Despite the fact that he worked for a corporation himself, he despised them and the supremacy they wielded. At least he felt that way about the highest-ranking corporations. He believed that they had garnered entirely too much control over their lives.
Keralan no longer needed convincing. She agreed with her uncle. She, too, believed that people should be free to make their own choices. It was a human right. But her lessons, the very lessons that had come from Henry himself, had taught her that the history of the world was a tumultuous one. Power was forever in constant flux. It changed hands continually. One form of control gave way to another, and then yet another. She was not aware of a time in which the world operated in any other way.
If there had been something she could have done to retract her summons, she would have done it. She certainly had tried. But, to fight the deeply entrenched tendencies of humanity was a pointless battle that could not be won. Not that day, anyway.
Keralan increased the volume of her music. She didn't want to think anymore. It was too much of a burden. She did not have control over how the world worked. She had only herself to account for.
***
A low tone was sounding, regular and insistent.
"Keralan," she heard her uncle say. "Wake up."
She opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep. She groaned and rubbed her eyes with her fingertips, careful not to ruin her makeup. She glanced at the screen seeing a bold red message.
Destination Approaching 5m.
They had arrived. Keralan was suddenly very nervous. The warning signal stopped, and the pod began to decelerate. Due to the high speed of their interprovincial travel, it would take a few minutes for the pod to comfortably slow to standard intraprovincial velocity.
Outside the scenery had changed to some degree. The color of the sky had transformed to a dusty periwinkle blue. Along the track there were some shabby looking shrubs and even a few trees. The earth was not as flat as it was around Miliri. She could see hills and mountains in the distance. Sand had been replaced by pale earth and rock. She turned and watched as the screen zoomed in on the map. Their location was shown as a red arrow approaching the great walled province of Shebai.
The tremendous irregular circular wall enclosed a vast area of land. There were no less than seven different gates into the city. A web of track made rings and loops around the wall and split off in several directions. It was like looking at an enormous wheel hub with its many spokes. Suddenly they were plunged into darkness, as they entered one of the gates, which was simply a tunnel that went through the wall. After several more seconds, they abruptly emerged into the province.
Keralan gasped. She leaned forward as far as she could toward the glass. There was still enough light in the sky to see everything clearly.
Fields upon fields of different crops grew in lines across the land in different shades of green, brown, straw, pink, red, and orange. There were flowering trees, walking paths, stone bridges, sparkling irrigation channels, and charming little cottages. There were lakes with people in rowboats surrounded by exotic gardens. Keralan saw fountains, decorative statues and sculptures, and picnic areas the likes of which she'd never seen.
All around this view, the massive, towering wall extended as far as she could see, disappearing beyond the horizon. She had known how large it was, and yet, seeing it with her own eyes made its magnitude fully apparent. She had assumed that it would be somewhat like Miliri. She saw how foolish that had been.
It was as if someone had taken the wasteland that must have been there and magically transformed it into a massive bountiful valley literally teeming with life. Keralan understood the value in having large scale food production for a province so large, but it was the beauty of the design and the obvious attention to aesthetics that made it so impressive. The moment someone entered Shebai, they were left with little doubt that they were entering a very special place.
The pod continued along the fields for a few minutes and then began to climb a slope. Buildings came into view. Large nondescript structures in earthen colors were camouflaged somewhat by trees and bushes. Keralan thought that they might be factories. Before her eyes, a sea of homes in different colors appeared, as they entered a residential area. If Keralan hadn't known better, she would have assumed that they were newly built. The homes shared a common style.
Keralan studied the people she saw. Most of them were enjoying the cool evening in fine clothing, walking or sitting in open spaces and under trees, either alone or in pairs. Children played in groups, jumping, running and laughing as adults looked on. In some places, crowds of people had gathered at street markets where food was being served.
Scenes of affluent living rolled in and out of view. Keralan could finally comprehend why people wanted to live and work in Shebai. She had learned from Henry about the not so visible class system at work in Eurafrasia. As much as the top corporations attempted to portray equality for all, Henry had seen the disparity himself. While her father and Lana Biedorf were told Miliri had the very same opportunities as any other province, the difference in wealth between Miliri and Shebai was extreme.
Next to her, Henry cleared his throat, bringing her back.
Keralan turned to him.
"Have you ever been here?"
"No," he said, "but I have been many places. Some even more beautiful than this."
"More beautiful than this?" Keralan asked astonished, looking out again. She was utterly mesmerized.
"Do not be fooled by appearances, Keralan. It is what's underneath that counts," he said.
Keralan hardly heard him.
Henry reached out and took her hands. It was something he never did.
"Look at me Keralan," he began in his familiar no-nonsense tone. She forced her attention away from the windows to face him, appreciating that he was more important than the view. He stared hard at her. "I don't know what will happen when we arrive or how long I will be with you. And we only have a few minutes now." He looked away.
"Uncle," Keralan started, but she didn't know what to say.
He took a deep breath and turned to her again.
"Keralan, you are a wonderful person. I couldn't be prouder than if you were my own daughter." His voice cracked a little, forcing him into silence.
Keralan could hardly believe it. He never showed anything but fierce strength. She had never imagined that he had the capacity to feel sad, yet it was painfully clear that he was holding something back.
Keralan pursed her lips to halt her own emotions from breaking loose. She took a slow deep breath.
She said, "uncle, I will be okay. All right? I will be fine." She hoped that she sounded more convincing than she felt. She squeezed his hands. Henry seemed to force a smile and squeezed back.
"Just remember one thing, Keralan. Be yourself," he emphasized. "Always be true to yourself no matter what happens. Then, you will be fine," he said, letting go of her hands. He turned to the screen.
"I will, Uncle," she promised.
The pod had reduced speed, once again. Through the windows, Keralan could see that they had climbed in elevation, as the city buildings and fields lay far below them. Without warning, the track led them inside a building. The pod slowly circled around a massive entranceway with several tracks looping within one another. It was clear that the area was meant to handle a lot of pod traffic. At the moment, it appeared they were the only transport pod arriving.
The pod slowed and stopped across from a short path that led to a pair of gleaming golden doors. Muscled guards, in dark uniforms stood on either side of the doors. Each man sported various equipment strapped on his arms, legs, and torso. The pod's windowed panels promptly slid open, and the screen loudly beeped three times.
An older woman wearing a sleek dark robe stepped in front of the open pod and bowed slightly.
"Welcome Keralan. My name is Oma. I have instructions to escort you into the household."
Keralan froze.
The household. She was at Giova's private household?
Keralan glanced at her uncle with a questioning look, but he did not say anything. She had assumed she would meet with someone at either the employment center or the Shebai residence office, where she would be scanned and entered into their system. There were strict protocols in place for new arrivals in Miliri. Each province had their own ways, however, so she decided not question it.
Keralan took a deep breath, stood and stepped out onto the stone paved entranceway. The air was cool and moist. Little fishponds gurgled nearby, lit from within and surrounded by tropical plants in various shades of vivid green. The ceiling above them seemed to be made of curved textured concrete with large circular skylights. On either side of the entrance path, two slate gray stone dragons half her height seemed to either greet her or warn her not to enter.
The woman took a small black device from a nearby podium. She scanned Keralan's left arm. The device beeped. The woman did this several more times and then nodded, seemingly satisfied. The control chip in Keralan's arm would provide Giova with confirmation of her identity and status. But that wasn't all. They could block capabilities as well. Henry had told her briefly that they would alter a few things. She made a mental note to check later.
From behind her, Henry stepped up next to her.
"Can my uncle come with me?" she asked.
"I am sorry, Miss. I have strict orders to take you alone beyond this point." The woman stepped back a little way, apparently to give them space to say goodbye.
Keralan had known there was a small chance, but she was disappointed, nonetheless. She turned to face Henry. He smiled, though it seemed forced. They embraced. He squeezed her tight and whispered to her to remember what he said. Keralan had to use all her strength to hold back her tears. She wanted to show a brave face to the people at Giova. Henry stepped away from her. He stared at her intensely for a moment before he turned away. He climbed back into the pod. The door slid shut and then the pod moved away. She waved and then the pod exited the room.
Keralan shivered. Henry's exit felt like having a warm blanket ripped from her body. She didn't realize how comforting his presence was until he was gone.
***
After being thoroughly scanned, for reasons Keralan didn't understand, in a room beyond the golden doors, Keralan followed the woman, Oma. Walking briskly, she led her through a series of corridors and various rooms. Keralan took everything in. The rich colors and materials of the jewel toned walls, the wooden carved furniture, and metallic accents. At first, she was entranced with what appeared to be ancient artifacts, jewelry, armor, pots, vases, rugs, weapons, mirrors, and furniture. Having learned about ancient cultures, she recognized that some of the styles were Egyptian, African, Mesoamerican, and Chinese. The value of such rare items was unknown to her, but she had a feeling even her father couldn't have acquired them if he had tried.
Room after room they walked through; each had its own style, mood, or theme. Keralan understood on some level that they were supposed to impress guests who came to visit. Her own home in Synpol had greeted their visitors with a grand entranceway showcasing rare materials, though it paled in comparison.
On their way, some of the doors they went through were black and made a beeping sound when they approached them before sliding open swiftly. It seemed that Oma was able to go through them with the clearance her control chip gave her. She said nothing to Keralan as they went on at a hurried pace. Every so often she turned as if checking to be sure that Keralan was still behind her. She was delicate in appearance and regal in her manner. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. The floor length robe she wore was made of a flowing matte black fabric with roomy sleeves. A wide satiny dark blue belt was tied at her back in a sophisticated knot.
One of the rooms they went through had a stunning sapphire blue pool lit from within. Above it loomed a massive glass ceiling. Through it, Keralan could see that the sky was just beginning to darken. Around the perimeter of the huge room was a dense tropical garden, lit with lanterns and tiny lights that went in and out like fireflies. Birdsong could be heard. The air was humid and scented strongly with flowers. The scene almost stopped her dead in her tracks. She’d never seen such things, let alone imagined that something so amazing and magical might exist inside someone's household. She was stunned by the exoticism of it, but at the same time wondered what kind of wealth was needed to not only create it but maintain it.
They walked through many other rooms, with something stunning in each. Although she was silently relishing the experience, she couldn't help but wonder why she was being taken through the household. Something told her it was highly unusual. Her mind swirled with ideas about what she was there to do, the least crazy of which, was that she was going to tutor the son or daughter of the Corporate Head. She was highly qualified, having learned so much from Henry over the years, but she wasn't sure how they would have known to select her.
In the next corridor, Keralan spied a large, framed painting with several nearly naked women sprawled out on carpets and cushions. It's adult nature shocked Keralan. She had never seen anything like it before. She couldn't keep from staring at it, taking in the details, as they passed. Her sense that something wasn't right intensified.
What kind of place is this?
Another doorway had one guard standing beside it. It was another black door. The hallway beyond led past full windows that looked out over the city buildings below, sparkling in the night. The sight both thrilled and terrified her. It reminded Keralan how high up they were. There were no such views in Miliri's boring flat landscape.
A final black door led them into a massive room, cloaked in shadow. In the gloom, she could see that the center quarter of the room was marked out by tremendous marble columns that stood about half a meter apart. Her view was blocked by the thick columns, though she could tell that something illuminated what lay beyond them.
Every surface that Keralan could see was made of marble, or stone. The air was cool and filled with a quietness that was also alive with something sacred. The small sounds of their footsteps echoed throughout the space. When they had neared the center of the room Oma asked her to stop and wait. She disappeared behind the columns for a few moments.
When she returned, she told Keralan, “He is ready for you."
Keralan startled.
"I'm sorry, what?" she whispered.
The woman looked surprised. In a hushed tone she said, "I thought you knew?"
Keralan shook her head, suddenly apprehensive.
"You are meeting the Head, and your new master I might add, so, show him his due respect."
Keralan gulped. She'd had no idea. Panic snaked up her spine.
It occurred to her that her father and uncle may have known more than they had let on. Then with instant clarity, she knew it had to be true. Why else was Henry unsurprised that they had arrived at Giova's household? A flash of fury washed through her. How could they have kept her in the dark? She breathed out, trying to calm herself, and then thought to ask Oma what his name was. She had probably heard his name before, but her mind had gone blank.
"His name is forbidden to know outside of Giova," Oma said matter of fact. "But since you are now a resident, you may know it. He is Bilrah." Then with a push she said, "don't keep him waiting now. Hurry up!"