The earthy salad stench of the greenhouse reminded Alida of the garden market in the Demi-Settlements. She was finally gardening, just not where she’d always dreamed. She roamed the jungly aisles of green, picking ripe tomatoes, zucchinis and beans. She ran her fingers along all the leaves, comparing their textures: smooth, furry, coarse and waxy. Light filtered gently through the thick plastic walls and pollinator bots buzzed through the air. If it wasn’t for the mild nausea from the needles Dr Katzis had given her and the close, armpit-like embrace of the air in the greenhouse, she’d be stuffing juicy morsels into her face.
She smiled at the titchy image of Graycie bouncing around and bursting with agitation like a shaken bottle of soda in the corner of her vision panel. Graycie listed all the things she and Shuqba had done since fleeing City 1 and Alida tried to get a word in whenever Graycie bothered to take a breath.
Rhea came in from one of the other greenhouses, flapping her gums about something. Alida told Graycie she’d call back later.
‘What?’ Alida disconnected and leaned against a bench covered with seedling pots.
She must’ve had blank implant face because Rhea rolled her eyes. ‘You’re a slave to that unnatural intruder in your brain. Just like the rest of them.’
‘Jeez, Rhea. Is that what you came in here to tell me?’ Alida rolled her eyes back at Rhea.
‘No.’ Rhea leaned in closer, her eyes darting from side to side even though there was no one else in the greenhouse. The chick was a dimwit, but Alida had learnt never to underestimate a Rewilder.
‘I saw my brother and my niece out there, in the bush,’ Rhea whispered. ‘God sent them to free me.’
‘No shit?’ So Rhea’s Rewilder mates were out there, somewhere. Shuqba and Graycie were only a few kilometres away, living out of a van while they tried to come up with a plan to get her out of the SEM compound. What if they ran into each other? The Rewilders were likely to shoot a Neo on sight.
Rhea nodded. ‘Stick close to me in the next couple of days. I can’t say when or how it’s going to happen. But it’s going to happen soon.’ She ran her fingers through her hair until it stood as disarrayed as one of the poor Demi sods who had no dosh for LeaderCorp medication. ‘What’s the plan, Tod?’ she mumbled. ‘What’s the plan? If only I had some way to communicate with him. I need to get out before they infect me with one of their soulless offspring.’
Alida pressed her lips together. It would be better if Shuqba and Gray made peaceful contact with the Rewilders before they got into a surprise shootout. And they might be able to help each other. Shuqba reckoned the only way to take down a domeshield was with an electromagnetic pulse or by hacking into the security system. Maybe they could work together. An alliance. Rewilders definitely had skills. She didn’t trust Rhea or her Rewilder mates – in fact, most of the Rewilders she’d had contact with were nasty (bloody Odeene sprang to mind) – but Rhea’s desperation to split was legit. Maybe they could all play nice.
‘Why are you staring at me? You better not be uploading my image or whatever.’
‘Jeez, no. I was just chewing something over.’ Alida pressed her lips together, not at all sure she wasn’t messing up big. ‘I have a contact on the outside.’ She pointed at her head. ‘Through this unnatural intruder in my brain. Maybe your brother and my contact can find a way to work together.’