Botanicaust (57 page)

H
aldanian Protectorate

Vitus leaned against the nuvoplast wall outside the Liebert Building to catch his breath. Sunrise painted long shadows along the streets, and the morning air pressed cool against his clammy skin.
I should have ordered a skimmer
. He filled his lungs and pressed on toward the duster hangar.

Last night, Burn Ops had located an industrialized settlement northeast of the river. That had to be where Tula had gone, and he wanted to be there when they flashed the place. The Fosselites wanted Tula alive
—
to administer justice, they said, but Vitus wasn
’
t so sure. More and more he
’
d come to believe Kaneka had given her the longevity treatments, and they wanted the technology back.

Not if he got there first.

Rice still claimed she couldn
’
t access the data in Kaneka
’
s files, and Vitus
’
s treatments had ceased days ago. His blood samples showed the telomerase fungi were doing their job, but his own body had turned against him; his T-cells had gone rogue, attacking not only his chloroplasts but also his other cells as foreign objects. He
’
d been born with chloroplasts! The ripening had been bad enough. Now, he itched and ached and his eyes had become bloody and sensitive.

He needed Tula more than the Fosselites did, and he intended to be there when Burn Ops found her. He
’
d even put up a reward to assure they would bring Tula to him before releasing her to the Fosselites. The need to take her alive soured his stomach. He
’
d have loved to see her burn.

At the hangar, a duster was preparing for takeoff. He
’
d requisitioned his treatment team to accompany him, in case Tula needed their attention when they found her. The men met him on the tarmac, carrying medical cases. Jules put a hand on his elbow to help him and Vitus shrugged him off.
“
Get in the duster,
”
he growled.

As he attempted to hoist himself into the vehicle, he regretted refusing the man
’
s help. His beads tangled on the door latch and he fumbled to free it, nearly toppling back onto the pavement. Heart racing from the exertion, he regained his balance and his dignity, and said,
“
Pilot, take us up immed
—
”
He stuttered to a halt at the sight of Tula
’
s mongrel boyfriend.
“
I thought you
’
d been removed from burn duty.
”

The Burn Supervisor huffed up into the cabin to address Vitus.
“
Sir, this is only scheduled as a QC run.
”

Vitus curled his lip and turned to the pilot.
“
Not anymore. Clear for lift.
”
He plopped down in the seat behind the pilot and rearranged his tangled necklaces.

The Holdout

Tula woke to a strange chorus of chirping. She rose and padded to the window to investigate. Amidst the tree branches spreading up and over the house, small birds rustled the sparse, yellowing leaves. She leaned over the sill, chest swelling in the fresh morning air.

The rest of the house lay hushed in sleep. Eily remained curled beneath a wool blanket on the floor beneath the sofa. Tula wondered how the meeting had gone. Long into the night she
’
d waited, finally falling into an exhausted slumber before Levi and the others returned.

Thankfully, she and Eily hadn
’
t been chased from their beds. Straightening her dress, she entered the kitchen in time to meet Samuel, dressed and ready for work. He nodded once and departed through the back door. From upstairs she heard footsteps as others readied for their day.

In one of the cupboards, she located a ceramic mug and filled it with water from the tap. The kitchen was so strange and yet familiar at the same time. Next to the stove rested a bowl of brown eggs and a wooden breadbox. Pots and pans hung from hooks along the wall to the pantry. On the table a black leather book sat at the head, and Tula ran her fingers over the cover.
The Holy Bible.
These were the Scriptures these people lived by. Breathed by. This was what made Levi who he was.
And where you came from
.

She opened it to a random page as Levi emerged from a hallway behind the stairs. His face lit when he saw her.
“
Tula. Good morning.
”

“
How was the meeting?
”

“
I asked your father for your hand in marriage.
”

She blinked, unsure what she had heard.
“
What?
”

“
Once you have confirmed your Faith, of course. And we can raise Eily in the ways of the Lord.
”
He held her hand, but Tula couldn
’
t feel his grip.

“
But, I hardly
…
I mean, I can
’
t just
…
What if I don
’
t…
”
She was about to say
believe
, but wasn
’
t sure how Levi might react. As much as she might want to have faith, she
’
d seen too much of the world to be sure God had a benevolent plan.
“
Levi, do you truly believe everything put forth by your religion?
”

He avoided her gaze, his eyes seeking out the top of the stairs.
“
I try.
”

Before Tula could pursue the thought, Beth appeared at the landing, along with a young man a little older than Eily.
“
Good morning, Levi. Katie, this is Gideon, our son.
”
She urged him down the narrow staircase ahead of her.
“
I
’
ll have some breakfast ready in a short while.
”

The boy hovered at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes wide as he stared at Tula.

“
Gid, your father is waiting.
”

The boy came to himself and scurried out the same door as Samuel.

“
I
’
ll go lend a hand,
”
Levi said, one side of his mouth quirked in a chagrinned smile. The burns on his cheek had calmed from angry red to dark scab lines.

“
I
’
m sure they
’
d understand if you need a day of rest.
”
Beth pulled a black apron over her head and tied it behind her.

“
No, my back is strong enough. Show Tula
—
Katie
—
Sorry. Show Katie how we do breakfast.
”

“
Of course.
”

Tula watched him leave, mouth dry and throat tight. She was going to stay here the rest of her life. Could she be the person Levi and the rest of the community expected her to be? Subject to domestic rules and gender roles as foreign to her as her green skin was to these people. No more Dr. Macoby. No more saving the world through conversion.
No more euthanization
.

But were these people better? They refused to attempt to cure their young. Calling it Gotte
’
s Wille didn
’
t make it any less of a death sentence. Just foisted responsibility off
themselves
.

Like you looked the other way during euthanization?
But she hadn
’
t in the end. And the choice had changed her world.

Sighing, she joined Beth at the sink where she rinsed slices of bacon before laying them out on a towel.
“
Pat them dry and then lay them side by side in the skillet, there.
”

Swallowing her disgust, Tula picked up a pink and white strip and dropped it into the heating pan. Eily emerged from the sitting room, nose in the air sniffing loudly.
“
Good morning, Eily,
”
Beth greeted.
“
Would you like to help, too?
”

Eily cocked her head at Beth and looked to Tula for translation.
“
You wanna help cook?
”
Tula asked.

Peering between the women, the child nodded, and Beth showed her how to wash her hands. The eggs amazed Eily and Tula as Beth showed how to crack them into a skillet.
“
These come from
…
chickens?
”
Tula dredged up the word.

“
I
’
ll show you both the henhouse after breakfast.
”

Ravenous as ever, Eily had to be admonished several times about eating before the meal.
“
So much food,
”
she said, again and again.
“
They don
’
t got the hunger times. Just like you said.
”
She asked the name for everything in the kitchen until Tula was sure Beth might be driven mad, but the older woman continued smiling and repeating the words until Eily had the pronunciation correct.

“
You
’
re a fast learner, Eily. Maybe soon we can teach you your letters.
”

The men returned for breakfast as Beth pulled biscuits from the oven. They all sat together. Eily reached for a biscuit, and Levi grasped the child
’
s wrist.
“
We must pray, first.
”

Eily obediently dropped her chin to her chest and laced her fingers in front of her.

Samuel raised his brows and nodded in approval, then cleared his throat with a reproving look at his son. The boy had been unable to take his eyes off Tula and Eily since sitting. Gid dropped his chin, but his stare crept up beneath his brows as a prayerful silence was held.

Tula watched the gathering, too, watched Gid
’
s eyes dart down every time their stares connected. She tried to pray. Wanted to. Beside her, Eily stumbled through the words to the Lord
’
s Prayer. Levi joined her, encouraged her,
corrected
her. Was there truly a God listening? She wanted to believe. They wanted her to believe.

She finished the prayer out loud with Eily.
“
…
the
Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.
”

But she couldn
’
t make herself believe.