Intentionality (12 page)

“The Mono Elders are not comfortable with this shift of emphasis. They feel it began when Natura took over the leadership of Intentionality. Eve was suddenly missing from the decision-making processes the instant that Natura took possession of the post. We do infrequently receive bland bulletins from Intentionality with regards to Eve, informing us of diary dates and formal occasions that have taken place but no recent photographs. This is apparently at her request. She asked to be removed from the limelight to nurse Eden and then when Eden passed away, Eve never returned to her previous public presence.

“We have developed a strong organisation of Monos working in other areas to bring us daily information reports. There seems to be a discrepancy with numbers. More new Acers are entering the reception facility or ‘SPA', as Natura prefers it to be called, than are entering the city of Intentionality. We have no information as to why or how this is happening. Intentionality itself is like a fortress. Protected by a very powerful electrical current, like a fence, which is active night and day along the perimeter. Someone is, for want of a better phrase, intentionally keeping the Monos out.”

“Do you in all honesty, think that my sister and I are in danger?”

“No quite the opposite, I think that you and your sister once reunited, will be a treasured prize for Natura to keep. She was utterly livid by your separation from Lily. She has threatened the Grand Acer with expulsion. Lily will be fine however our statistics show that the wellbeing of the rest of your class is in question. They may be disposable.”

That word
disposable
sent a shiver down my spine. The very idea that poor Summer, the epicentre of our social gatherings and Grace who thinks first of everyone before herself, should be connected to a word so final was frightening and incomprehensible. For the first time, I began to think of Dawn as the one who got away. There was not a single other question I could cope with being answered at this moment. I would request to rest and hope that my dreams did not come.

8th October

Sleep came quickly, so did the dreams.

They floated in on the tide. I am Lily, or maybe looking through her eyes. Whatever the perspective I am greatly reassured that she is completely safe. More than safe, the feeling she emanates is contentment. I or rather she, can see clearly out to the beautifully translucent polar waters through a particularly polished and perfectly round port hole. They are hypnotic in their movement against the hull, teamed with the engine drone and the soothing chatter in the rest of the cabin. Lily is at ease.

I can also locate Skye and Summer conversing animatedly about their future posts. Skye can't wait for the challenges of gene research. She plans to become a frontrunner in the race to create enough food for everyone, so that the Monos can live inside the perimeters of Intentionality. Summer is also talking about how she will command the troops who will maintain order during such a migration of people.

Grace is moving around the cabin as she would a hospital ward. She systematically rests beside each new Acer, asking poignant questions without prying, are they warm enough? Does anyone need to eat? Have they remembered to drink? Have they understood everything about the next stage of the journey?

Lily is as always looking on, listening well and storing the information until it is needed.

The captain is announcing a change. He has asked for seat belts to be fastened and all Acers to be seated upright. Each bed is mechanically moving into a seated position, cocooning its passenger. A babble of excitement is released into the cabin. Girls are holding hands; it is lovely to feel the warmth of Grace as she takes Lily's hand, ready for the transition from beneath the water to the surface for the first time in their lives. This is something only I have experienced before, but not for real of course. I seem to remember this scenario played out vividly in a dream.

Lily jolts slightly; this in turn wakes me up.

It is very dark in my room, perched as I am on my makeshift bed behind Mrs Jones' wipe board screen. I am disappointed to find that I am no longer comfortable. Nor content. I don't want to be awake, I wish to be connected to my sister. I have never been privy to such an illuminating real time dream. I am also aware that I am not alone. As my eyes become accustomed to the light, my hearing hones in on the sound of light breathing, it's a rhythm I recognise. Willem is once again on duty as my protector; or rather we are once again a strong unit, assured of our own safety by being together.

This waking lucidity is short lived. I am so very tired and not fighting the call of dreamtime. As before, sleep comes quickly, so does the return of the dream, as if it had paused allowing the viewing public time to collect refreshments.

This time the vision is even more recognisable. I am certain that I have seen this before.

The windows are clearing as before, when I was trapped in my glass dream box. Threads of water run across the windowpane, some racing in straight lines, others taking the scenic route! The girls' eyes cross the sub to the right hand side, because for the first time in their lives they can see land for real. The waves are quite still really, regimental, methodical, and not at all scary. Grace is talking about living near the sea. Not, she specifies under the sea, ever again! To this the rest of the passengers collapse into hysterical laughter. I am gripped by jealousy. My friends are conversing and sharing experiences, I am missing out, out of the loop, never to have this once in a lifetime experience with my sister.

For what looks like miles, there is nothing but clear blue sky mottled with fluffy clouds. I can hear the far cry of what could be a seabird. The girls have not noticed this, when it scratches the roof of the hull they jump in unison.

Skye is the first to recognise land. This is what she has been waiting for.

“Look everyone, no really look, those hills are stunning. I just want to be off this sub now, I want to run and never stop, in the fresh wind and even rain if possible, to feel the cold biting into my cheeks. I'm not going to wear shoes, so that I can properly feel the terrain on my soles and the mud squish in-between my toes. I shall keep the dirt in my toenails for at least a week as a trophy, a badge of honour. It will represent the reality of running in the wild as opposed to the confines of the slippery man-made, machine smoothed, contours of The Nest.”

Cabin fever is the only explanation for that outburst! Whatever is Skye thinking?

The girls have all turned now to observe and imagine their own first steps on LAND. Will it be warm, rough, slippery, comfortable or unstable? Not one of them knows yet.

The sub is slowing, I can tell by the speed that the land is approaching. If my memory of the old dream is correct (in many ways I hope that it is not) the sub will be rocked and jolted as it connects with the rails underneath the hull. After a few minutes they will feel land and after that a park will appear. ‘WELCOME' it will say in words and in appearance. Then only after they are seduced, will a boy place the small seed of doubt in their minds, just as he did in my dream all those many moons ago.

Immediately I am struck by fear rather than wonder. I want to wake up. I do not wish to be an eavesdropper any longer. The dream box in which I am placed is constant and unresponsive. If I hammer on it, if I beg to it, will it allow me to surface from this nightmare? If it does surrender me from slumber, I plan to stay awake; to wait for real communication from my sister, not the half-truths that my dreams are constructing with the help of knowledge, guesses and fears all in equal measure.

“Mae, Mae, wake up, are you alright?”

Who is that, what is shaking me? One more step out of the dream box and I will be safe, calm, back with my protector.

“Mae, you are really worrying me now, can you hear me? Do I need to put a call out for Nurse Spendlove? Nod if I do, or, or squeeze my hand.”

It is Willem, I will wake up. I don't really know what the fuss is about. I can't be late for anything nor do I feel unwell.

“Willem take your hands off me before I roll over and plant my fist firmly under your chin.”

“Mae, I have been trying to rouse you for over half an hour. I was beginning to think that the guard had been able to put that acceleration drug into your system again. We can't afford for you to be in sickbay, in a comatose world, for days again like Dawn and Summer before. We need you to be able to relay what Lily is telling you about the inside of the reception area.”

“Hang on Willem, I thought Summer was in the hospital with Dawn because they both contracted a virus. Are you telling me that you knew what it was all along?”

“You were all given a drug to enhance your Evo-gene maturation, it's not usual practise and that's when we got really worried about what was going on. In the past Seeders have been lost, it's very dangerous. If the Monos hadn't worked out what it was we would have lost both Summer and Dawn. We couldn't tell you because it's another one of Natura's secrets. Our job has always been to assist the healthy passage of the Seeders. Thankfully, she is blissfully unaware of our knowledge, skills and plans. So we can treat the symptoms but not the cause of the things that she does, in order to stay behind the lines of suspicion.

“You certainly did an outstanding job in evading suspicion. Our training and treatment in the care of Monos was faultless. I had no idea you were so devious, competitive and driven. I have been the equivalent of a false wall, behind which is a secret invisible defence organisation,” I stated half astounded and half reassured.

We spoke then for hours in that safe space, behind the board in Mrs Jones' classroom, about my life as a twin and a Seeder. I enlightened him with my experiences in the dream box and my misguided hope that Lily and I would eventually be able to assist in the dream of Mono and Acer re-integration. Willem promised to take me to the air hole again in order to explain to me his plan for helping the Monos, when they had broken through the defences. He took time to explain about The Resistance and the actions already in place to keep the journey that Lily was undertaking as safe as possible. Spies, that's what they were, spies, not like the story books and films we were allowed to watch in the recreation area. Real life, efficient, effective, stealthy, strong, ingenious spies!

After the melding of minds we sat quietly waiting.

Firstly we rested, assured that she was being monitored and protected.

Then we waited for news from Lily.

Later we worried about the lack of communication, neither of us wanting to admit that it had been too long.

“Mrs Alder, I wish you to e-mail this highly confidential letter of resignation to Natura. After doing so, I want you to set up an emergency meeting with Mrs Jones. I wish to discuss plans that will ease my departure and the transition of the new Grand Acer into this Nest environment. I wish to ensure that the values I uphold are honoured. I feel that I can best fight this twisted organisation that Natura has evolved from the surface and need to ensure the safety of future Seeders here, whilst that battle inside Intentionality's fortress walls is ongoing. It is crystal clear to me now that Natura is navigating our ideals away from those created by both her mother and grandmother. She is answerable to the council but I fear that they have lost their way. They, it seems are no match for her wilful disregard for authority.”

“Sir I will as always do anything in my power to keep my Seeders safe. I feel at this time it is also appropriate for Mrs Jones to enlighten you as to the work of the Mono family. They too have long been disillusioned by Natura and her power driven vision.”

PALACE OF INTENTIONALITY,

OCTOBER 8TH