Rooms

  As they traveled through the city, Rad and Sparks had needed to cover their mouths to at least minimally protect themselves from the vial air rushing past, but when they left the city and began the climb up into the mountains on a narrow dirt trail, the quality of the air improved somewhat as well as the general health of the vegetation. They brushed past some shrubs and trees that almost looked normal, but they also noticed many that had succumbed and were shriveled - merely dead mutations of what they once had been. They continued on, and dust flew out from behind their vehicle as they ascended higher into the hills.

  Finally, they reached a cliff area that overlooked a valley. Rad couldn’t help but think back to the last cliff he’d seen with its vast, pristine views. This was very different. Sparks pointed towards the valley floor, and Rad noticed four rounded huts. Sparks explained that they were made of branches which were used as supports and then covered with a material that looked like a milky-colored cloth. The area still had some green growth in it, and to Rad’s surprise, there was even a small stream traversing the valley floor. It was a tiny oasis in the middle of a colossal environmental catastrophe. Glancing up to the head of the valley, he saw a large mountain soaring upwards and disappearing into the hazy sky.

  Sparks nodded towards the valley, indicating that they were about to leave, and told Rad to hang on. The two traveled down a worn zigzag path that took them to the valley below.

  Once there, Rad could hardly believe that anything like this still existed. “How did you find this?”

  Sparks smiled and said, “A lot of looking. I thought that the mountains might harbor an area like this. It was a shot in the dark, but it worked out.”

  Rad wondered about the covering for the huts and asked, “Where did you get that material? What is it?”

  “Well…I stole it,” he chuckled. “I got it from the Shelter with the help of some of my engineering friends. It’s a non-flammable cloth that is bioengineered to resist bacteria and other disease-producing agents, and it also has the ability to hold in warmth and protect the people as they heal. I started this project with two people that were still relatively healthy, and now they are well enough to help others as I bring them here.”

  Rad noticed the small garden and what was probably a well for water. There were fires burning outside for cooking and warmth, and the four huts were all near each other. He also noticed lights shining inside the huts. “Lights?” he asked.

  “Yeah, my friends from the Shelter again. They were able to give me some lights, heaters, small cots, and bedding. Also, we have an energy turbine that is run by the moving water in the stream. I was able to get that up here on the back of my bike to help us run everything. It has the capacity to create more energy than we need, so we even have room to expand and take in more people. I wasn’t able to get a cooking counter to make the meals, but the fires work fine for now. I’m sorry we have to create the smoke, but in time, I’m hoping to get the counter up here. It’ll run off electricity like everything else. Here, let me introduce you to some of my new friends.”

  Rad and Sparks walked to every hut and met six people in total. Rad stopped and spoke with each one and was surprised at how good they looked and how they smiled and even laughed. Their demeanor was completely different than the thousands of Terrans in the city. One of the men named Sam took Rad by the arm and spoke to him. “Do you know what Sparks has done for us? He’s given us back our lives. I’m alone and don’t have a family, but because of him, my family is here now. I’m hoping that when I’m well enough I can help many others come out of that dark hell down there, just as I did.”

  Rad agreed with him and felt a sense of hope here that he knew probably didn’t exist many other places in the world. He was thinking, though, that there must be additional locations on the Earth where people could still live and heal. Pockets, possibly bigger and with even more resources than this.

  After meeting the people in the huts, including Seamus and Mary, who were the first people that Sparks had brought to the valley, Sparks took Rad into the hut where he lived and worked. There was a cot for Rad to sleep on, cabinets with what looked like medications inside, a large table, two chairs, and Sparks’ bed near the opposite wall. He smiled at the thought of living and working here and going into the city to help there as well. It wasn’t much, considering the monstrous problem, but it was something – one step at a time.

  ***

  Rad and Sparks began working and planning together. Sparks found Rad’s help invaluable, mostly because he was an excellent organizer and planner - skills that Rad had learned from being part of the governing councils on the lifeglobes where he’d lived.

  They were able to acquire one more tri-bike for hauling things and for carrying people. Not only did they bring people up to the huts to help them, but they also started delivering drugs that had proven to be affective to the Terrans in the city. They would notice that someone had a certain symptom or injury that they might be able to relieve with treatment, and then they would approach them to see if they’d be willing to take the medication. Their work was slow and plodding, but every day they accomplished a little more. They were even looking for places in the city that they might be able to turn into treatment centers, using the same techniques they’d used in the valley – training healthier Terrans to be their helpers.

  ***

  One evening as Sparks and Rad were traveling back up into the mountains, Rad became dizzy and stopped to recover. Sparks halted and walked over to Rad’s tri-bike and looked at his eyes and felt his forehead. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

  “Well, if you start feeling worse, let me know.”

  They completed the trip into the valley. Rad looked around at what they had built. Now, instead of four huts, there were ten, and the area had turned into a small bustling village with people cooking, working in the garden, resting, recuperating, and tending those who needed treatment. It was a community of healing. Rad and Sparks both felt good about what was happening, but it wasn’t enough. They had to keep at it every day.

  Inside their hut that night, they were discussing what could be done to move the project ahead at a quicker pace. They talked into the night and came up with several ideas. Sparks yawned and thought about what they’d decided. “I think this is the only way we can help people on a larger scale. I need to go to the Shelter and talk to Harlequin about what we’ve accomplished here and demonstrate to her that with their help and the help of the other Shelters around the world, we could actually begin to conquer these problems. The Chosen might even be convinced to stay. They don’t have to leave the Earth. She has to realize that leaving is a very risky venture, too, so why not stay and heal the Earth and it’s people.”

  “I agree that it’s worth trying, Sparks, but there’s a good chance that she’ll say no. You’ll have to be ready to ask if we can use the Shelter after they leave. Having that huge facility at our disposal would allow us to do so much more than we can now.”

  “You’re right. If she says no, I can’t see why she wouldn’t let us use it. They won’t need it anymore. Maybe I can even get some of the scientists, engineers, and medical staff to stay and help us.”

  Rad yawned and said, “That all sounds good. We’ll talk more tomorrow. Time to sleep.”

  As Rad lay there getting settled, his leg slipped out from under his blanket. Sparks was just turning out the light when he noticed a large sore on Rad’s thigh. He hurried over and grabbed Rad’s leg. “How long have you had this?”

  Rad just shrugged. He’d been hoping to keep it hidden from Sparks. There was too much to do. “I guess a couple of weeks. It’s nothing.”

  “Yes it is, and you know it. I’ll get some salve and some pills to help with this.”

  “I need to keep working, Sparks.”

  “I think you’ll be able to if you take these, put on the salve, and rest for a just a couple days. You need to heal this before it gets worse.”

/>   “Okay.” But Rad knew that he couldn’t afford the time. Sparks and the people in the city needed him. He’d seen the pills and salve work with others. He’d be okay.

  29

  The Room: Level 3

  Zeer

  Zeer had seen about all that she wanted to see. Fawn had mentioned that she would leave soon to go to Rad and bring him back to Loon. She felt it was past time to finally get this done.

  “I’m ready, Fawn. You promised that I would be going back to Earth soon. It’s time to do it. Rad has experienced so much. He’s ill and working incredibly hard with Sparks. I need to go there and be involved. I didn’t have a chance like this when I was there, and they could use my help.”

  “I don’t think you should go quite yet, Zeer.”

  “Please, I need to do this. The people are suffering horrendously. You know that here on Loon we work closely together to solve problems. The more closely we work together, the better the outcome. It’s no different on Earth. I know they could use my help. Please…”

  Both Zeer and Fawn heard someone clear their throat. They turned to see Landree standing in the room.

  Fawn was the first to speak. “Okay, Landree, you’ve been listening. You know what’s going on, and you also know how delicate the situation is at this point. What do you feel we should do?”

  His eyes seemed to bore into Zeer as he pondered the question. She didn’t say any more at that point. She had great respect for him and wanted to wait until he’d given his opinion.

  “Zeer, it’s obvious that Rad is ready to be part of Loon. He’s learned much and would be a wonderful addition to our world. Everyone sees that. But if we send you too early before he’s completed the last level of the Room, something could happen to both of you. There’s another thing as well. The situation there is so horrible, so dangerous, I’m not sure it would be good for you to experience it a second time. You’ve just recovered from your previous experience. You made it through the first time, but you never know. We have great plans for both you and Rad, and those plans, along with bringing Rad back to Loon, are extremely important.”

  Zeer lowered her head, gathering her thoughts and then looked back up into Landree’s eyes. She smiled slightly, remembering all that he had done for her and all that he’d taught her. He meant so much to her. She spoke quietly but with determination. “I know the incredible gift that you and Fawn and all the people of Loon have given me. It’s something that I can never repay. However, for days and days now, I’ve been looking at my ancestral home again, seeing how sad and desperate the people were, and how sick the Earth had become. It’s affected me even more deeply than before, not only because of what I went through, but because of Rad’s experiences and what I’ve seen through his eyes. I can’t turn my back on him. I know it’s not my time, but it is my place. I can go there and possibly do some good. If nothing more, Rad will need help getting treatment. He won’t stop working, and I could possibly take over some of his duties so that he could heal. Then we could come home to Loon. Please…”

  Zeer glanced back and forth between Fawn and Landree, waiting for their answer. Fawn was the one that made the decision. “Zeer, it’s near enough to the time when we need to bring Rad home. We will help you go there. We will give you some time to help Rad heal and do what you can for the people. Then we will bring you both home. You must be very cognizant, though, that you, Rad, Sparks, and all the people of Earth are in terrible peril, and that you must never speak to anyone about Loon, your time here, or what you know about their future. You must know that time is a very delicate dimension; our movement through it and what we do when we’re out of our own time is something that we need to be extremely cautious about. This must all happen without anyone knowing about us and without any assistance from us. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I do. Thank you. Thank you so much. I’ll be extremely careful, and when we’re asked to return to Loon. I’ll make sure we do.”

  “Okay,” Landree said, after allowing Zeer and Fawn the time to conclude their thoughts. Then he simply added, “We have a lot of work to do to get you ready to go. You’ll need to be briefed.”

  Zeer sighed, relieved and ready to go to work, and then said, “Thank you…both of you!”

  ***

  Zeer was prepared for her passage through time and space back to the Earth. She would do this trip alone and travel with the aid of her individual energy sphere. The sphere had been programmed for the journey and would maintain Zeer’s bio-needs during the trip. All she would need to do was understand what was going to happen and depend on the sphere to do the rest. Being calm and meditative would allow the orb to more easily interact with her and help keep her safe. Also, the sphere was never to be off her person, especially on a trip this dangerous.

  The day came, and Zeer was as mentally and physically ready as she would ever be. The only possessions she was allowed on the trip were the energy sphere, some water, a bit of food, and the clothes that she wore.

  All of her friends from the different communities on Loon were there that day. She could see the worried looks on many of their faces, even though they did their best to smile and wish her well.

  She told everyone goodbye and then walked over to where Dominie, Landree, and Fawn were standing. It was very, very hard to leave. She had some tears in her eyes, just as they did, but they were also doing their best to show her that they were confident in her return.

  “Please be safe,” Fawn said.

  “I will, and I want to tell all of you again that my life has been immeasurably changed because of you. Please know that I’ll return soon, and I will bring Rad home safely.”

  They all watched as Zeer held out her orb. Its energy shimmered around her. She sat down in a lotus position, ready to start her meditation. She smiled, breathed deeply, and she was gone.

  ***

  The sphere returned Zeer to consciousness directly above the Earth. She had just entered the atmosphere’s toxic soup and was traveling at speeds that took her breath away. It had been some time since her previous experience with traveling in this fashion. It was still strange and unreal to her. She doubted that it would ever feel any different.

  It had also been quite awhile since she had seen Earth at this particular moment in history. Comparing it to Loon provided an even greater perspective on the cruel and senseless destruction that lay below. It sickened her, but it also increased her determination to do what she could while she was there. The sphere set her down near the city where Rad and Sparks were located. Now she needed to find them.

  ***

  Rad was working in a broken down building. He was handing out medications and giving vaccines for various ailments. He and Sparks had become a good team. Rad was excellent at organizing and figuring out the logistics of accomplishing certain tasks, while Sparks was an amazing biochemist, geneticist, and healer.

  Sparks was still surprised that the Visionaries hadn’t been trying to stop him yet, but he figured that they were probably just too busy with their plans to leave and simply didn’t care that much about what he was doing. Ordinarily, they were always concerned about what was going on around them as well as being extremely rigid about hording their supplies. Whatever the reason, he was just glad he was being left alone.

  ***

  Zeer had been searching the city for about a week. At night, she slept outside with the Terrans and gave what aid she could along the way. She’d met many of them whose spirits were crushed – many with little hope - people of all ages who saw their lives as being unworthy and unimportant. Most simply existed, waiting to die.

  Some Terrans had spoken to her about the one thing that all the people outside the Shelter had in common. They hated those who lived inside. They had seen enough to know that everyone within the walls of the Shelter had all the food, water, medical attention, clothing, and protection that anyone could ever want or need. They were even sheltered from the many viruses and diseases that afflicted the Terrans. It was obv
ious that they were much healthier and that they even breathed cleaner air. It was also known that everyone inside the Shelter, while referring to themselves as the Chosen, used a word for the Terrans that showed their complete disgust for them. They referred to them as the Pariah. The name only added to the Terrans utter abhorrence of the “selfish bastards” inside.

  As Zeer continued her search one morning, she noticed a line outside a broken down building. This struck her as odd. She hadn’t seen the people doing this anywhere else. Even when she’d seen them scavenge for the food and water that was available, she’d never seen them stand in a line. Life here seemed to always be disorganized and chaotic, but here was an actual queue where the people sat patiently waiting to move forward. Some of the Terrans were even helping to move the line along and guide others forward when it was their turn.

  Zeer walked up to the door where everyone was to enter and looked inside. She saw a large room with windows broken and trash and dirt swept outwards towards the walls. The center of the room was cleaner with a table and several individuals talking to the people from the line that snaked inside. They were asking them questions, listening, and then handing out supplies of some kind. She walked inside towards the table. One of the helpers asked her to stop and get back in line, but she continued forward, gesturing that she didn’t need to become part of the line.

  Rad was giving a small child an injection. He finished, threw the needle he’d used into a bucket to be sterilized and reused, and then wiped the sweat from his forehead. As he did, he noticed a woman in relatively clean clothes and a jacket standing and watching him. He looked again. She was familiar. ‘Where is she from?’ he wondered. He couldn’t place her but needed to get back to helping people. The next person came forward. Rad just shook it off and went back to work.