Years passed; and the world was being remade again with shocking speed. Rachel's 'Preservation Tech' was remaking the world, slice by slice. The garbage of the last system had been kept contained, and recycled as best they could; but there was plenty of refuse from the last world beyond recovery. After centuries, they had finally found a way to break it down to the molecule; and repurpose it as something useful.
Megan's first time hosting 'Family Dinner' was a success. Biggs was properly introduced to the extended family, and received everyone's tacit approval. It was decided the Alman home in the Mediterranean would be the regular site of 'Family Dinner' from then on, and Megan wasn't sure if she was thrilled with being named 'regular' hostess.
The problems with the Tower's workforce were quietly sorted. The Elders gave several talks on the matter. Hugh was new in the local congregation, but he could tell by the loud silence that the audience was fully aware of the reason for the conversation.
Now that Hugh was aware of it, he was seeing it in more places. The rest of the world had always known that the land allotments were contentious in the more ancient parts of the world. It was a simple fact of having so many generations who lived in such a small area, all suddenly coming back, and more on the way. But there were other points of dissent to consider. Polygamous families had been broken up upon return to a Christian Paradise, and not everyone was finding it easy to move on. The line between outdated ritual and simple human habit was never clearly defined, and had caused some arguments.
And then there were the points where these contentions met head-on; finally unable to give each other space as the world moved into the latter days of the Millennial Kingdom.
~~/*\~~
"According to my mom, they were protesting the Tower." Megan related the story to Biggs. The two of them were at the Alman family home by the Mediterranean; packing up a few things to send on to her parents at the Tower. "They want it cancelled, and apparently it's not a small group. They had nothing to say when it was a regular skyscraper, but now that the first forty levels are finished, and people are starting to get an idea of just how different their regular view is going to be..."
"Didn't think things like protest marches happened nowadays."
"Oh, it wasn't a march. But the discussion has been serious enough that they had to call a meeting with the people in the area. It's hard to blame the ones that are against the Tower, given that… Well, according to mom, some of them were there at Babel."
Biggs blinked. "There at Babel? You mean the actual Tower of Babel?" Biggs blinked. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, I knew they'd have to come back somewhere."
"Yeah. They all heard about the end of OS, saw pictures of the old city skylines. Apparently, it's become something of a phobia."
"We've had towers for centuries!"
"They haven't." Megan insisted. "The great power of this world has always been that it has room for everyone. The people who want to cook on a campfire will always have a campfire. The people who lived in a small town with the same group of people? They never have to move, or even watch those familiar people grow older. And it's not like people get really hung up on switching from a scroll to a codex book. There are people in the world who are dead set against technology, and they can all run their own self-sufficient communities with all the like-minded people."
"So why is this different?"
"First time the culture is clashing forcibly." Megan offered. "The whole point of the Arcology is that it only takes up a relatively small amount of ground space, but it can extend a long way up. Every 'Luddite' for a thousand miles is suddenly seeing a shining tower that would make Babel's designers weep."
Biggs thought about that for a long while. "Y'know, I remember back in the early days, during the first century. The Gold Letters came back first. All the people who were faithful to Jehovah got Resurrected first, going all the way back to Abel. A lot of the more ancient parts of the world couldn't figure out the 21st century when they came back, let alone the 28th. Most of the First Century Christians were thrilled to find out about things like the Database. Some of them were really offended by it, saying we were taking away people's ability to think and learn for themselves, with all the answers provided."
"Wonder if they still think that now." Megan gestured at all the wall, which included framed copies of diplomas and PhDs earned by family members.
"Hard to tell, but the thing is, almost all those people are from countries that put huge value on 'honoring traditions' and 'land of our forefathers' thinking. They've all followed the new rules, and given that most of them worship the same God that we do…"
"Right. Huge learning curve, small need to change their day-to-day lives." Megan nodded. "And the rest of the world encourages it. Even in OS, a huge part of the Holy Lands was the history. People made constant pilgrimages from around the world to see the same lands where Jesus walked. With all the people from that era given priority for the Returning; the idea of upgrading to the new Millennium just wasn't an issue. By the time all the 'descendants' Returned, the world had sort of… sorted itself."
"More than just 'different' thinking. Different people." Biggs added. "Bible Times Israel? A lot of the time, the most interaction they had with other lands was invasions. And now that The Expo is opening a new Branch..."
"See the problem? It's the first time they've had to deal with people who don't think like they do." Megan sighed. "It's the first time I've heard of any organized 'disagreement' since Paradise started."
"There's a reason for that. And I don't mean the 'police force'." Biggs promised. "The reason there's not a huge 'culture clash' in Paradise is because we started with a strong culture of our own after A-Day. We were all a united brotherhood. Our culture was why we survived the world ending. And then the rest of the human race started coming back; and we just… adopted things. We found the best of every culture, every nation, every time period. And then like sought like." He looked off a moment. "The worst part is, part of me understands the Luddites."
"Yeah?"
"There was the Industrial Age, then the Information Age. I was there at the end of it. People who change things in the name of 'progress' assume that everyone who came before them had gotten everything wrong. Like new was always going to be better. We nearly killed the world that way. What we have now is better. We always know why we change things now."
Megan chuckled. "Something I've noticed about this world? Aside from the downright miraculous things, a lot of it was what we could have had in OS, if we'd just stopped being horrible to each other."
"I think you just summed up the 'Good vs Evil' argument in one sentence." Biggs quipped.
~~/*\~~
The increasing population meant that venues for Conventions were being overfilled. The usual way to handle this was to have multiple conventions in the same place; but with the whole world population attending the same program and talking about it; it was difficult to get everyone's schedules to line up. As a result, several sections of the program were broadcast throughout the year, and people watched from home.
Kasumi came in with a platter and set it down on the serving table beside their couch, settling in with Hugh to watch. "What did I miss?"
"The demo is a re-enactment of a conversation these two guys had when studying together." Hugh filled her in. "The younger had come back from the Crusades. The thing about Religious Wars is that you could always justify them."
On the screen, the two men played out the conversation.
~~/*\~~
"...understand why I should change everything about my life. I was a God-fearing man since the day I was born."
"Julian, you fought in the Crusades."
"For God and King."
"So if Christ told you to slay his enemies without showing mercy, would you do it?"
"I have done it."
"If Christ told you to give your life on the battlefield, would you?"
"I've done that too."
"And if he told you to take his enemy into your home, give him shelter? Tend his wounds? Give him your last bit of food and water? Would you do that too?"
~~/*\~~
"I wonder if Zann is seeing this?" Kasumi asked, eyes still on the image.
"I'm sure he is. And I'm equally sure that if I was wounded and hungry, he'd take me in and give me food." Hugh said quietly. "Because if his prejudice is like that, he'd have aged out by now. But I'm also sure that if he had to choose between working with a neighbor and a stranger, he'd pick someone he knew. And so would I, if I'm honest."
Kasumi considered that. "I remember when we met, you wanted to get far away from me."
"I remember."
"Another part of the Old Days we haven't quite shed yet. The comfort zone can be a lot harder to get out of after a few hundred years." Kasumi admitted. "Cliques forming was a problem before Paradise. Now, the cliques are all on the same side, and the spirit of the world has changed enough that the divisions…"
"I don't know. Where does personal preference end and problematic thinking begin?" Hugh wondered aloud. "Back then, God warned His people to keep strangers at bay. The same God now telling them that there are no strangers anymore?"
Kasumi shook her head. "Remember, for us, there's a four thousand year progression between those two commands, even if we came to it late. God's Kingdom was a growing, living, dynamic thing. The first century Christians, at least the Hebrew ones, had that problem. Shedding the old thinking."
"Exactly. But most people skipped all that. Given the world Zann came from, and the one he found when he got here; it's not so hard to understand." He shook his head ruefully. "Sure took me by surprise though. The racial and economic divides of my pre-Paradise life were obvious and quick to prove wrong. Zann hasn't done anything but internalize his faith into his personality."
Kasumi bit her lip. "Think that's the lesson? The God we worship doesn't change; but His organization does?"
"Change? Not exactly. But it adapts to serve in a greater way. Zann isn't wrong, he's just… out of date. Time getting away from someone who'll live forever. Seems to be a recurring theme these days." Hugh admitted. "Nick told me that all the markers of time are passing into oblivion around us. The last of the old cultures, the finishing of everyone's 'one day in paradise' lists… None of us really considered how long eternity might be."
There was a knock at their door. Kasumi paused the playback and went to answer it, showing Eben inside. After they made their greetings, Eben showed them his device. "Given what came before with Zann, I wanted you to see this."
Hugh looked. "The residential list."
"We're at full booking. Some of the workers didn't plan to stay on full-time, but The Expo has a waiting list longer than anything we ever had before. The entire Tower. And our new friends at The Expo have brought their High IQ's to bear, and completed a few of the development tasks well ahead of schedule."
"Which means this isn't just a tower anymore, it's also 'proof of concept'." Hugh commented. "When this Tower is finished, you'll be able to build ten more."
"Thirty." Eben told him. "The Arcology is the solution to a lot of problems that are starting to crop up. Several Regions like the idea."
"I don't follow." Kasumi blinked.
"The population keeps growing. Back when this world was getting started, everyone was given a plot of land, and told to build. But there are billions of people here now. Likely another billion or two on the way, and that's not even counting newborn babies." Eben explained. "The harvests have provided plenty of food, and the meat tanks plenty more. It's not a question of resources. We have sufficient for any number of people. The problem is space, and a certain standard of living. If we all lived wild, it'd be faster than building Arcologies; but most people like having..." He gestured at the screen. "Well, all of this."
~~/*\~~
"What are you thinking?" Kasumi asked her husband that night as they got ready for bed. "You've been off with the clouds since dinner."
"I was thinking about what Eben said, about how we all want a certain standard of living now. After A-Day, some places viewed Paradise as unlimited plain drinking water, clean and lightly chilled. I came back two hundred years later. And I never expected to find television, let alone anything like this Arcology." Hugh explained. "You remember my pre-fab, with the huge hangar for the plane I was restoring, and the olive tree out back?"
"I remember." She nodded.
"I could rebuild the whole thing here in the Tower. Even the plane. Even the Olive Tree."
Kasumi nodded. "The Common Areas are incredible. Everything from an orchard to a cinema. Eben wasn't kidding when he said it was a city in a tower. He could house thousands in here. The Dome alone can create enough food and air and water for the whole place…" She broke off suddenly. She'd been getting more enthusiastic about it as she went.
Hugh was careful in his response. "Back when the Nemo was being built, you got eager like that; and you made yourself stop… Because you didn't want things to change. I remember, Megan and I had to almost surprise you with the job."
"I know." She said quietly. "I don't know why I stop when I get excited."
"No, I get it. We've got a winning formula, and you don't want to fix something that isn't broken." Hugh nodded. "Megan's the same way about Biggs. They've talked about the future, but never in front of the kids. Some of them have bad memories of new stepfathers."
"They'll find the right time." Kasumi said with certainty. "It won't hold them back for long. If only because Megan won't want a repeat of Nick and Rachel."
Hugh nodded, silent for a long moment. "Have you heard from Isobel?"
"When?"
"Since… well, since her wedding."
"We spoke, after her trip…" Kasumi thought about it. "Wow, that was years ago."
"Doesn't feel like years, does it?" Hugh admitted. "I remember, back in OS, time seemed to speed up; the years going by faster. I've been alive for centuries and centuries. We haven't spoken to Isobel in years." He bit his lip. "But the thing is, she hasn't tried to contact us either."
"You think something might be wrong?"
"She's been married for quite a while now. The Caravan is a self-contained group. It wouldn't be out of character for her to simply be busy with other things. If she'd had any big news to share, I would think she'd have called…"
Kasumi was silent for a long moment. "We were talking about how we've come to view time differently, and then we talked about Megan's potential marriage, and now we're talking about Isobel being out of touch. Either you've changed the subject, or you haven't. Are you worried?"
"I don't know. It's a feeling."
~~/*\~~
Later that night, Kasumi poured the tea. Her grandmother's teaset had been ancient by the standards of OS. It had survived the end of one world, and the dawn of a second, and lived for centuries more. It had done so because Kasumi had taken on the responsibility of caring for it. The tea ceremony required a pot be brewed, and then poured over the delicate ceramics. Centuries of this had given the set an incredible luster; and prevented the set from drying out and cracking.
The old masters who made such a set had been returned, and worked their craft again. Kasumi's set was finally starting to wear out completely.
The process was unchanged for a thousand years, but Kasumi followed the process with reverence. It was meditative, almost prayerful.
Jehovah God… Kasumi prayed as she poured. This set lives so long because it is loved. The tea, every day, makes it more beautiful, longer-lasting. What is loved endures the passage of time. In this world, what You love can survive eternity. I hope that everything I love survives with me, but something has shifted. I don't even know how to say it. Hugh believes that change keeps you young at heart. Rachel believes that what is valued can be kept static until the end of time. I don't know who is right. Or if either are.
Kasumi usually ended her prayers with a question or a promise, but today she had neither. They were just thoughts, points of view.
As she sipped her tea, she set her Device to make a call to Isobel.
It rang almost nine times before it connected. The Holo came online automatically, and Isobel was suddenly projected into the room with her. The pretty woman covered her mouth with both hands, a sob in her voice. "Kas!" Isobel was nearly weeping. "Is it really you?!"
Kasumi nearly dropped the cup. "Isobel? What's wrong?!"
~~/*\~~
Kasumi had called Hugh, who immediately told his superiors at the Arcology that they would be away for a while. Hugh flew them personally to the Caravan in his plane, landing as close as possible.
Isobel's Caravan was almost unchanged from the last time. A closed community meant that people rarely came or went; because they had the right mix of people and familiar loved ones. It was a family that could go largely unchanged for another thousand years.
They saw the plane land and closed ranks around the grieving widow, almost forming a wall around her. Isobel's mother was there in front. "Not now, you two." She said, not unkindly. "This is a family thing."
"Mama, let them through." A voice called from Isobel's wagon. She sounded small and exhausted. "I want to see them."
The rest of the community parted and let them in. Hugh had been a welcome guest for centuries, and Kasumi was the first face Isobel had seen in Paradise. They had always been part of the family. But today, they were outsiders again. Kasumi sent her husband a look. Shock. Her face said seriously. Vano was part of the family in OS. We're not from that world. Not to them, anyway.
Hugh nodded discreetly. A different family is mourning the loss; rather than the one we've been part of all this time.
Isobel's home was like several other wagons. Artistic, functional; compact. Most of the things that made up the camp were set up outside; making room for Isobel's private space in here. It hadn't been so private until recently. Isobel was staring mournfully at her wedding photo. Her face was unchanged. "I…" She sniffed. "I should have called you years ago, but I didn't want-"
Kasumi fell on her friend, wrapping her up tightly. "No. Don't worry about that right now."
"I was praying for help, and you called at that moment and I couldn't believe it…" Isobel sobbed. "I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. I should have told you-"
"Hush." Kasumi insisted, hugging tightly. "We love you, Izzy. Whatever else has happened, that hasn't changed. It will never change." Isobel broke down crying as Kasumi pulled them tightly together.
After a while, Isobel settled. "I have to tell you." She said seriously.
Kasumi pulled back enough. "Okay."
"I really thought it made no difference." Isobel sniffed. "The people who Age Out for whatever reason… None of them have been from our Caravan. Not from any of the Caravans that are still together. So I knew; not thought, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he... became a Believer."
Isobel winced. "Ohh, Izzy."
"We all thought it." Isobel said sickly. "The whole wedding party was part of the Caravan. There were barely any guests that weren't. We all knew it was a certainty..."
Hugh heard that and thought of Zann, looking around. He'd spent some time with them; and more than a few had thought he would stay, back before he'd married Kasumi. Not one of them could meet his eyes.
"We were supposed to have forever." Isobel groaned sickly.
"I'm going to go get you some food." Hugh said quietly. "I know you're not hungry, but I know about grief. You have to keep enough routine to stay healthy."
"Is 'unhealthy' even an option?" Isobel wondered.
"Humor me." Hugh slipped out, leaving Isobel and Kasumi alone together.
"Kas?" Isobel scrubbed her face with her hands. "You know how in OS, people just kept making the same stupid mistakes over and over?" She let out a breath. "Am I doing the same thing?"
"How?"
Isobel very carefully checked to see that Hugh was out of earshot. "You remember the night you and Hugh got together? When he admitted how he felt?"
"I remember. You were there, as I recall."
"And I remember you thought he'd come to the Caravan to propose to me." Isobel said with a thin, watery grin. "I never told you this, but… I would have said yes." She looked sideways at Kasumi. "Have I ended our friendship?"
"Of course not." Kasumi blinked. "Does Hugh know?"
"Possibly. He and I came from an era where Marriages were often arranged, or decided quickly. At least, compared to how it was thirty years later, let alone in Paradise. For Romani, it was an arrangement between the groom's father and the bride's. You'd pick someone by their standing in the community, or the reputation of the family. My father would have agreed on a dowry; and… Vano had his kid, but his wife couldn't live our kind of life anymore."
"Yvette wasn't Romani?"
"She was in love. With Vano. But she wanted more, and she knew that not everywhere was quite so welcoming to our kind. She had a son, and everywhere we went…" Isobel shook her head. "She wanted to find a home. Vano was home already. She just stepped off the ride, never to return. Left him and their boy behind. I waited a 'respectful interval', and I would have made him the offer; but that was when the war happened, and we all got marched into those Camps…"
"And then Hugh?" Kasumi said gently, letting her friend pour it all out.
"Back there and back then? Hugh would have a photograph taken with his sweetie; you'd have a few months of chaperoned company; come around for dinner with her folks. That was how they did it right in the 1920's and 30's."
"So when you got to the 23rd Century, and everyone has friendship, closeness; a shared faith, and no fear of being unable to provide…"
"I would have married Hugh. We didn't have much, but we had all we would have needed in the old days." Isobel nodded. "But he was part of this world, and knew it didn't work that way anymore. And even if he hadn't admitted it, he was so thoroughly yours by then…" Isobel wiped her eyes. "I could have told Vano that times had changed. I could have waited, like you and Hugh did. Vano was still 'back there' in all the ways that mattered; and I knew it, deep down. I should have told him that life wasn't short any more."
"You feel like you took advantage?"
Isobel sniffed. "I didn't want him to… God forgive me for this, but I was scared that he'd go back to Yvette. I was scared he'd find her again, in a world where they could be welcome wherever they went. That was the only thing Yvette couldn't handle, and Paradise had solved it."
Kasumi hugged her tightly.
"I pounced." Isobel broke down, loathing herself. "Vano wasn't really 'here' yet. He was there with me, but not with God, and not with the… The century we were in. I can't believe I just said that; but yeah: I took advantage." She looked up at Kasumi. "I really did love him so much, Kas. And I believed. I really did. I was so certain that he'd join us; embrace eternal life… How do people not do that? Eternal youth in Utopia. Was I not worth holding on for? Was I just not worth-"
"No. Stop." Kasumi hugged her again.
(Author's Note: For Witnesses, marrying 'only in the lord' is a scriptural protection. It avoids home strife, and a huge array of problems later on. However, a brother or sister who does not marry a Witness does not automatically face disfellowshipping as a result. Nonetheless, marrying outside the faith is scripturally discouraged. The March 15th, 1982 Watchtower says: 'But what if a Witness planned to disregard God's advice and to marry someone who was not a baptized Witness? Unless there was some exceptional reason, brothers in the congregation would not want to solemnize such an unequal yoking'.
That counsel is for the present day. The purpose of this plotline is to explore the possibility that one would 'assume' that a loved one will choose to become a Believer when in Paradise, as opposed to the present day world. Do the expectations of marrying only other believers change? Do the rules seem different when the Truth has no alternative? I could find no direct mention of this in any of the literature; so we're left with a 'what if'. The whole point of this series is to explore the reasoning, and results of 'what ifs'.
Another reason for this plot: Cliques and 'Factions' among JW's are strongly discouraged, because they can cause divisions and upset the harmony of congregations. But if such an 'in-crowd' can form today, how much of a risk will it be in a world where you can keep the same peer group, literally, forever? This plotline explores some of those dangers.)
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Isobel whispered. "I just told you I was interested in your husband, and that I married someone outside the faith, and-"
"And we care less about that than we care about you." Kasumi didn't let her go.
"Funny thing is, I've been here before." Isobel whispered. "Back in the Camps… I could see it, like flipping a switch. He was one of those people forcibly keeping everyone alive, bucking everyone up; keeping them going. When he found out his kid 'died', he just switched off. I saw the life go out of him." She looked up at her friend. "What would you do, Kas?" Isobel sniffed. "If Megan had aged out…"
"Y'know, there was a time when I was really worried about that. After Erica." Kasumi shivered. "Twelve years old, and I thought we were going to lose her."
"You think everyone has someone like that?" Isobel asked suddenly. "Someone they'd reject Eternal Life for?"
"It's not about Eternal Life. It's about rejecting Jehovah." Kasumi said softly. "Erica rejected God's view of Justice, and tried to get her own. In a way, so did Vano." She pulled back a bit. "Izzy, there are consequences for our choices. And Jehovah has to live with them the same as we do. We're taught at almost every Meeting to pull close to our brothers and sisters. There's a reason for that. We can build each other up, or tear each other down."
Isobel sighed hard. It was possible she'd never stop sighing hard. "I really thought I could build my husband up. And the fact that he wasn't part of the family yet didn't discourage me. It should have, but we're in Paradise, and the number of people who 'Age Out' are a minority. His father married us. When we got the license, nobody even asked if he was a brother; because everyone is."
Kasumi cupped Isobel's face, lifting her chin to make eye contact. "Yeah. But the choice is always the same. To be under God's Rule means to accept His view of things. Sometimes that means changing a bad habit, or giving up a false belief. Vano saw a world without his son, and said 'no'. None of that is your fault."
Heavy silence.
"I've been reading the Psalms." Isobel said quietly. "Even if my own father and mother abandon me, Jehovah himself will take me in."
Kasumi nodded.
"I wonder about that verse now. Most of the JW's I met in the Camps? They all had at least one relative that thought they were mad for taking the stand they did. All those family members have to eat crow now. I wonder if they feel bad for the part they played in OS… Some brothers got cast out by their families when they converted. Some gave up jobs, got sent to prison; fell out of favor with friends…"
"I talked to Rachel about it once. She came out of A-Day with nobody but a congregation she was barely getting to know. Around the two hundred year mark, she realized she'd built a family. One based on faith and kindness, and a shared view of how the world should be. Sometimes I feel sorry for Alec and Beckah, losing people who wouldn't be Returned." Kasumi sighed. "On days like this, I almost envy them. Easier to let the Old World go if you aren't surrounded by the people you loved back then." She winced. "But don't ever tell Alec and Beckah that I said that."
"Back in OS; my life was to keep moving, stick with my people, be grateful for what I had, and be careful of what I had to carry around; because life wasn't a place where you could carry a lot of baggage. Becoming a Believer changed my worldview completely, and my lifestyle very little. My people were all I had. And Vano had been part of that..." Isobel shivered. "When he came back, it was like old times. Before the Camps. I forgot how much that 'worldview' was really worth."
Kasumi wrapped Isobel up tightly in her arms again.
~~/*\~~
Over by the cooking pot, Hugh was watching them. "Will she be okay?"
Isobel's mother handed him a bowl. "When Isobel was nine years old, she wanted a birthday party with the village kids. We all thought it was a bad idea, but she was so earnest about it. We invited everyone. The party was going well until the town priest found out that the honorable families of their town were letting their kids consort with 'gypsies'. Isobel started a game of hide and seek, and all the other kids were taken away from the party before they found her. She stayed in a cupboard on our wagon for three hours before I found her myself. I told her that 'we stick to our own people because we have all the love we'll ever need'."
Hugh shook his head. "Tragic irony. At any other point in human history, she and Vano would have been happy for their whole lives." He shivered. "This kind of tragedy is limited to Paradise."
"Yup." She hesitated. "Does that ever bother you? The numbers on who 'Aged Out' are a lot higher than I expected…"
Hugh shivered. "Back in OS, I never gave much thought to God. My father fought in The War To End All Wars, and I fought in the one after. If God had a plan, I couldn't see it. I never blamed Him; never hated Him. Just didn't think of Him. Most of the world was like that. I wasn't there when A-Day came, but I'm close with several people who were. Apparently, in the days leading to A-Day, one of the hardest things for the Brothers was the fact that they all knew people who just refused to think about it." Hugh looked sad. "I was one of those people. Now…"
She looked ill. "Vano's father blames himself. He thinks that if he'd done it right, refused to marry them until he was Baptized…"
"You can't make someone believe. Not even your kids. Vano's father bent the rules because it was his son. If he'd insisted on doing it right, nothing would have stopped Vano from pretending to believe, treating it like any other religion. Back in OS, plenty of people switched churches so they could get married, immigrate, fit in with the community. It was easy for them, because they didn't much care either way."
"I know. So does Izzy. But that doesn't help right now."
"Ohh, don't you put it all on her." Hugh said seriously. "You all looked the other way. You did it because he was 'one of you' going back many years. Even after decades in Paradise, your Caravan looked to its own before doing what was right. Megan wondered about Vano after only meeting him once, the day of the wedding. If you hadn't been so insular, it would have been obvious."
"I know." Moira admitted finally. "But we all thought… None of the Caravan have aged out. We have a peaceful little community here, and it's been our haven from the world since long before either of us were born."
"I'm sure. And for a girl who didn't understand why the village kids didn't even look for her during a game of hide and seek; I can certainly understand the love for this cosy little family." Hugh nodded. "But nothing's real if it can't live outside the bubble."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hugh sighed. "Back in OS, before the War, there was a rule that women couldn't serve in the Air Force. Not as pilots or mechanics. The colonel's daughter was nineteen, and she knew engines backwards and forwards. Her daddy was career Air Force, and she loved the planes more than we did. Because she was the colonel's daughter, we couldn't complain about there being a girl on base. And after a few weeks, we knew how good she was. About half the guys in the Squadron were sweet on the kid, and the other half considered her a mascot. Anyone who tried anything found out how quick she was with a wrench; and those that tried again met her father." Hugh smiled a bit at the memory. "One night, after a particularly high-stakes training flight, we celebrated with some drinks. We all voted to make her an honorary member of the Group. She knew the planes better than any of the green kids coming outta boot. The war was getting closer, and we all knew it; so our experienced guys were moving up in the world... Every wrench-turner in the hangar was answering to her; the new guys were giving us weird looks about it; and I donated my bars to give her the 'honorary' rank."
Moira chuckled. "Yeah, I can see you doing that."
"One day, a Brigadier came by to 'inspect the hangar'. It was a… call it a photo-op, to remind people we had soldiers, just as the war was turning hot. He saw the mechanics taking orders from this twenty year old female firecracker in overalls, covered in grease, cussin' up a blue streak better than all the career soldiers, and barkin' for someone to bring her a tool she needed. The second he saw that, the Brigadier made a call… Next time we saw her, she was wearing a 'proper' woman's uniform, being escorted to a Jeep where she'd be taken to her next post, filing paperwork for the War Bonds drive and helping the Tea Ladies."
Moira winced. "Ah."
"A few years later, the manpower shortage meant she could be a pilot if she wanted to; but… We never saw her again." Hugh nodded. "We had built this perfect little bubble, far from the real world. And in it, we had things working the way we liked it; and everyone was happy. But the instant the 'real world' noticed us, the bubble burst."
Moira looked down. "You're saying Vano and Izzy never would have happened if you and Kasumi were here, and the Caravan's little bubble popped?"
"Me, Kas, Megan… anyone not part of 'the family'." Hugh nodded.
Moira looked annoyed. "The 'bubble' has given us a lot more than it took away. Isobel was the first of us to be Returned. You and Kas taught her everything she needed, and then she taught us. Jehovah God was wise to do it in that order. Yes, we broke the rules. But we didn't do it because he was 'one of us'."
"No, you did it because everyone else in 'the bubble' took to the Truth easily, and you assumed Vano would too."
"Yes." Moira scowled. "That's not a bad thing."
"No?" Hugh countered. "I remember, many years ago, the Caravan came across a group of lumberjacks that were trying to go back to their old life, hunting and trapping and cutting down trees. You didn't know how to reach them; and then Kas and I came around. You wanted us to talk to them." Hugh gestured back at Kasumi and Isobel. "You've known there was a problem here since Vano's first grey hair. Why didn't Isobel call us?"
Moira was silent for a hard moment. "Because we all wanted to handle it 'in the family'."
"There it is." Hugh said without judgement. "It can be argued that we are to blame too. We didn’t even notice how much time had passed. Vano’s entire lifespan was just… so fast, to people who have lived as long as we have."
"Why wouldn't he accept it?" She asked plaintively, genuinely unsure. "I've seen the same numbers you have. Why are people refusing at all? Surely the entire world is enough proof for anyone."
"Proof enough, not motivation."
"What?"
"Six thousand years of life in a world where life was short? Every form of human culture has asked the question: What would you give your life for? Some answers are varied; some are universal. Not all of them matter anymore; but that's up to them. King, country, money… Almost everyone understands taking the bullet for your kids." He shook his head. "I've been a father for more than three hundred years. My mom outlived both of her sons, and it messed her up enough that she was scared to reconnect with us when we came back. Vano outlived his son. Lost him to Permadeath. Of all the reasons to choose against life; losing your kid is one I can sympathize with."
"What about losing a husband?" Moira asked, voice sulphuric. "Others have lost children. There's a whole generation- your generation, in fact; who lost their kids on A-Day. They weren't there to see it, but it's a fact they have to live with. And they do. The ones that… I mean, there are literally millions of people who have learned how to be happy again. And please, God; let Izzy be one of them."
"Amen to that." Hugh nodded.
"So, what is it?" Moira asked helplessly. "What makes one person say yes, and another say no, and both for the same reason?!"
Hugh thought back to a similar conversation he'd had with Kasumi, the night Erica died. "Sometimes, I wonder if even God knows for sure."
~~/*\~~
"I asked Vano once if he ever prayed in the Camps." Isobel said quietly. "He said that he only ever prayed twice. Once when his son was born, and the other when he thought his son had died. He said both times the answer was 'no'."
"My mom prayed all the time over me back in OS." Kasumi offered. "Turned out the answer was 'not yet'." She bit her lip. "Can I ask the obvious question?"
"If losing a child drove him away from Eternal life, surely having one that lived forever would give him a reason to keep going." Isobel said it for her. "We tried. It never happened… I guess I know why, now."
"Why didn't you call Megan? She finds homes for kids who…" Kasumi trailed off. "Because Vano said no."
"Not Vano. His family. His father was our Elder, and it was… a problem that his son wasn't baptized yet. The rest of his family wanted… Jehovah God forgive me for this, wanted our kids to be part of the extended family. Vano would have adopted if the kid in question was Romani." She looked sick. "I should have called you and Hugh the moment I realized that, but everyone thought that if the people he knew and loved most couldn't change his mind, even the ones back for them dead…"
And Kasumi went right back to hugging her again.
~~/*\~~
Isobel napped. Kasumi didn't leave her side. Her room was her wagon in the Caravan. Hugh went to the entrance now and then while their friend slept. People were leaving food, letters… The Caravan was giving Isobel their support, but not coming in. Isobel didn't want them to.
He brought the offerings in. The Wagon wasn't that big, but it was a neat and comfortable home. His wife shifted gently from beside Isobel and and came over to speak softly with him. "She's sleeping. It's grief. Her brain can't handle what it's feeling, and it's shutting down until it can process a little more."
Hugh nodded. "Feels familiar, doesn't it?"
"We've been here before, with Megan." Kasumi offered. "Back in Japan, I met a Returnee from the Last Days. He was a suicide. Nineteen years old, and only got 89% on an exam. That's how much pressure was put on his shoulders. At nineteen, he decided that he was too far behind the curve, and the best thing he could offer the world was to stop taking up oxygen from people who scored over 95. Then he got here, and he was not happy. Because he saw a world where everyone has a PhD in whatever interests them; and some random person who loves to play basketball with his friends could make a hundred free throws in a row from all over the court. The kid saw what the world had become, and it threw him into a spiral. We nearly lost him."
"But he made it."
They both jumped and turned to see Isobel, still laying on her bed, eyes open and alert. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."
Isobel sat up. "Wasn't really sleeping. I may never be able to sleep in this bed again. This was where Vano and I slept."
~~/*\~~
The three of them got out of the wagon and walked away from the others. At that time of the night, they were unobserved leaving.
"It's a nice spot." Hugh said finally. "Not much light pollution. You can see so many stars."
The attempt at small talk fell flat. There was only one thing on their minds, and they all knew it. Isobel finally said what she was feeling. "I almost hate the Caravan. It's been my whole world for so long, and I almost hate them for it."
"Why?" Kasumi asked quietly.
Isobel sniffed. "Because I should have dragged Vano away from them, and gotten him out into the whole world. Let him see all the people who overcame the same things that held him back..." She gave them a look at their conspicuous silence. "You're kind to not to say it, but I know you're thinking the same thing."
"Moira is afraid that you will leave the Caravan, and never come back." Hugh put in.
"Vano's father is calling the Elders of several congregations. Our way of life has had a hand in his own son being lost." Isobel told him. "I have a feeling things will change soon."
Too late for Vano. Hugh thought, but didn't dare say it aloud.
"I've suddenly gotten a new perspective on OS." Isobel said darkly. "I remember when Megan took over the Orphanage, and it suddenly seemed to me that Erica had been a much bigger influence on her life than even she recognized. Megan was twelve years old when she came here, but what happened with Erica set her on a path that has defined her life for centuries. It's her Origin Story. And it just hit me that we all have one. Even the people who died of old age in OS… Their lives were so short compared to how long they've been here."
Hugh nodded.
Isobel took a breath. "Hugh, recent events have shown I can't expect the right answer from my insular little Caravan. I need you to tell me the truth: Why am I still young?"
"What?"
"I broke the rules. I married outside the faith. Yes, I believed that was just a temporary state, but… I should have waited, and I didn't want to." Isobel sounded sick. "Why am I alive? If I broke the rules, shouldn't I age out myself?"
"I was there too." A voice said.
The three of them turned, and found a familiar boy. They had all seen him before. The Angelics they had spoken to over the years tended to stay with specific groups of people. This one had spoken to their extended family now and then. Isobel had never spoken with 'him' herself, but knew enough. But she'd never heard of an Angel delivering a message to a group. They usually spoke one-on-one. "You're too late." She said acidly.
Hugh rested a hand on her arm, holding her back. She was upset, but this was not the small child he appeared to be. Isobel settled, and Kasumi put her arm in Hugh's. "We'll let you talk." She said, and the Alman's pulled away, out of earshot.
Isobel turned back to her visitor. "You were there when?"
"In the camps." The Boy said. He looked sadly at her. "I was there. The Organization was under specific attack. I had my assignment. You knew there were Witnesses in the same cage you were in."
Isobel stilled. "You could have..."
"I could have razed the whole Third Reich to ashes before the guards yelled 'fire!'." The Boy confirmed. "It was… quite tempting."
Isobel looked at him sharply, as though surprised.
The Boy nodded. "Angels have Free Will too, Isobel. But when people like me decide to overrule our instructions? To leave the service of Jehovah God? The consequences are quite a bit worse than when humans do it."
Isobel was staring. "I imagine it is. I've seen demonic influence up close. I remember, seeing Witnesses in the Camp. And it just occurred to me that you must have been protecting them too, in whatever way you could."
"It was what we were allowed to do, but it wasn't what we wanted to do." The Boy nodded. "In our way, we were in the same position as the Witnesses of the time, praying day and night for the will to do as we were meant to, not fighting back against the evil we saw. Day and night, we watched over our charges, wondering 'How Long?' it would all last. Because, at the time, we didn't know when The Great Day would be. God alone knew the hour. Being placid and peaceable in the face of Demonic wrongdoing was-"
"You knew their names." Isobel said suddenly.
The Boy fell silent.
"The demons? God didn't create them." Isobel kept going. "Satan couldn't create anything at all. He only corrupted." Isobel thought aloud. "So whenever one of you went bad, you all knew who they were…"
The Boy nodded. "We know what it's like, to see something going wrong in someone you care about; powerless to change their mind for them. Even Angels pray for their people to make the right choices."
"I made the wrong one." Isobel whispered. "Part of me is expecting to… Well…"
"Be punished?" The Boy supplied. "No. That's not what I'm here for."
"Why not? I broke the rules. We all did. I married outside the faith; and everyone in the Caravan agreed-"
"And witness the result." The Boy said. "Isobel, people who struggle with Old Thinking don't get struck down on the spot. You personally studied with more than half your family, plus the first Returnees among the rest of your Caravan. You have spent hundreds of years being a source of encouragement and affection to more people than even you know. Your only error here was that you gave your heart to someone who was going over a cliff; and you didn't go with him. Believe it or not, it could have been so much worse. And there's nobody who's going to feel worse about how it turned out than you." The Boy took a moment. "Now. Ask your real question."
Isobel said it finally. "Could I have done something? To make it all turn out differently? I mean, if I had waited-"
"You all saw more than what was there, and all for the same reason. Because the heart is needful, and easily led astray by its own desire. Even the universal desire to be genuinely loved. And your husband did love you."
"Then there was never any hope?"
"There was always hope. But your hopes for Vano, and God's hope for what he could become were always in his own hands and nobody else's. That's the power of Free Will." The Boy said sadly. "There's no 'good' to come out of something like this."
"Maybe one thing." Isobel said quietly. "It shows a problem with the way the Caravan has been running its own affairs. Vano's father has already stepped down as Elder. He just lost his own son, so nobody…" She trailed off. It was just a bad day all the way around.
The Boy nodded sadly. "Congregations becoming cliques was sometimes a problem in the Old System. Especially in smaller communities. In this world, it's much less of an issue, because there are no false religions, and the congregations keep expanding as people Return to life. Your Caravan managed to stay closed off, according to an OS tradition. It is… a unique problem. Unique to Paradise, and Unique to your own family."
"It's not fair." Isobel rasped. "We were supposed to have forever."
Then there came more voices. A small chorus of people, speaking softly enough that Isobel had to strain to hear them. "Jehovah God, please bring your New World fast!" "Father, please; just a little more time, I'm sure my daughter will come back!" "Please Lord; this world has to stop, even if I'm not there in Paradise." "Please, God. I know I can beat this if I have your help and a little more time." "Jehovah, this world is too much! Please, make it stop now!"
Isobel sighed. "I get it. Fair is never what it looks like to us."
The Boy nodded.
"God in heaven…" Said Vano's voice, and Isobel let out a sob at the sound. "Our children are our future. We are their past. That is how it is meant to be. My son must live on, long after I am gone, as his sons will do in his place. It is right, and if I must die too soon, then I can accept that, because I will live on in my child. Please, see him safely away from this cursed place; and give him a long life."
"Vano's prayer was answered. His son lived a long life, decades after his father risked it all to get him out." The Boy offered. "He didn't even know what he was praying for. You prayed that Vano would love you back. He did."
Isobel winced, conceding that. "So I guess the moral is 'be careful what you wish for'?"
"None of this was to teach you a lesson, Isobel. We don't do that." The Boy said warmly. "You loved someone enough to be willing to take a chance that you shouldn't have. If Vano hadn't married you, you still would weep for the loss of your loved one. Back at the Camp, I could have defied my instruction and gotten you out. But I wouldn't be here if I had. As I told you: Angels have to make choices too. The world is made of choices." The Boy looked sideways at her. "How did it turn out, Izzy?"
Isobel sniffed back her tears, conceding that too. "You decided to wait on Jehovah's timing, and all of us were here in Paradise."
"And when you got here, you could have lashed out at God. Some do. When Vano made his choice, you could have blamed everyone except your husband. You could have raged at God and followed his example with him. You chose to stay the faithful course. When Angels saw their friends go bad, there was nothing we could do either; and we were supposed to have forever, just like you." The Boy took one step closer and gave Isobel a hug. "I’ll tell you what He told me: Your life is going to be sadder for a while, but 'a while' is not eternity; and that's how far your Father loves you."
~~/*\~~
Hugh and Kasumi were trying not to stare. Almost everyone they knew had at least one such 'message' delivered at some point. The Angels had become part of their lives, if not a day-to-day one.
The Boy walked away, though they all knew he would vanish once their backs were turned. Isobel came over to them. There was an etiquette to such conversations; and the first rule was that they were personal. Hugh looked the question to Isobel, wondering if he should ask.
Isobel gave them a watery smile. "Listen, do you mind if I come with you guys for a while? I know I can't stay at the Arcology, and I know you're working; but… I just have to be away from the Caravan for a while. Everything here is Vano. Our family, our friends, our homes, our neighborhood… We take it all with us; and it's killing me. I need to be away for a while."
"We've already arranged a bed for you." Kasumi hugged her, yet again. "I won't ask what he said. I think I know. God has a special love for hurting people; which means we do as well. I wish I could make it all better, but I can weep with you for your loss; and I can make sure that you always have love and affection and support."
Hugh sniffed. "You could say that about the whole world for these Thousand Years. Just picking up the pieces and healing the wounds."
Isobel sniffed. "Y'know, he did say something like that." She admitted. "Something I don't think about so often is that other people have to live with our choices. So we need to keep others in mind when we decide things." She gestured at the rest of her Caravan, parked in a circle. "You'd think that we, of all people, would know that. But so much of it just… happened. Being a Christian means none of it 'just happens'. She looked off philosophically. "I'd like to think some choice Vano made put something good out into the world." She leaned into Kasumi's hug. "Just wish I knew what it was."
~~/*\~~
"You've heard about Vano?"
Nick looked up and saw Rachel in his office doorway. He stood up, somewhat stunned. "I did. I thought you were in California."
"I was." Rachel came over. "Um… I don't have anything planned. I sort of… made my way across the planet without thinking about it. That's pretty out-of-character for me, so please forgive any half-formed thoughts?"
"Unchallenged." Nick said without expression.
"You were right. I was putting you off. But not because you didn't matter, or because I didn't care enough to make our relationship a priority." Rachel said. "It was fear." She came closer as she spoke. "Sounds crazy, I know. I'm a Tribulation Survivor. I watched most of our fears get wiped out like flicking a switch."
"What were you afraid of?"
"In OS? The future." Rachel admitted. "And for a futurist, that's a hard fear to define, let alone conquer. Back in OS…" Rachel waved a hand back and forth. "Back then, the past kept getting bigger, and the future kept dwindling away. Time just ran out. Not for the world, for us. Each of us. Have to have 'x' amount of money saved by twenty-five, or face starvation when you retire. Have to have 'x' amount of experience by twenty-one or you'd never find a job. Have to be married by thirty, kids by twenty-six, or you start running out the clock. I was a Climate Scientist. I was counting down to the point of no return. Hundreds years later, I'm still finding signs that I was dramatically underestimating how bad it was, and I already thought it was the end of the world. The Past turned into a giant monster you couldn't escape, and the future didn't exist anymore."
"Except now we're here." Nick was unmoved. "Here in a world where the past is getting hard to remember, and the future is infinite."
"Infinity didn't scare me, Nick. It was the goal. You want the future as much as I do; but you're looking at the numbers, and… And so is everyone else." She tried to explain. "Hugh and Kasumi are terrified that they've missed their window for the things they loved to do. Megan spoke to me like I had the miracle secret of keeping a guy in love with you for centuries without having to commit. Isobel is currently weeping into her pillow because she rushed in, in a world where we all have unlimited time." Rachel bit her lip. "But we don't have unlimited time, do we?"
"We have unlimited lifespan." Nick nodded. "There's a difference. I didn't fully appreciate what it was; but-"
"But life doesn't work like that." Rachel nodded. "Maybe we can always start again, but for things to start, things have to end." She illustrated her point. "I met a man last year, who was a Lamplighter. He was good at it. He was happy to go back to work when he was Returned… Except his industry didn't exist anymore. Alec and Beckah fell in love during the Restoration, but that won't last forever. Megan is running a halfway house, but that won't be needed forever either-"
"Rachel, stop dancing." Nick interrupted her. "Whatever you want to say to me, you had centuries to say it."
"I know." She admitted.
"You're scared that if we got married, then one day our marriage would go the same way of the Lamplighters and the Orphanages and the Restoration: Wonderful for now, obsolete tomorrow." Nick spelled it out. "There. Two sentences. I just said it for you."
"I've already lived it." Rachel argued. "I've been in love three times. Once in OS, once before the Returning began, and you. The first two times ended badly. So I told myself to get it right this time. Both times before, if I'd waited a few years longer in OS, or an extra century in Paradise before I got my heart involved, it wouldn't have started, let alone ended in heartbreak."
"Yeah, but my heart was involved the day we met." Nick countered. "That's why I stopped waiting."
"And that's made me miserable." Rachel finally got it out. "The whole point of waiting was to make sure I wouldn't be miserable again."
"Yes." Nick agreed.
"Yes." Rachel nodded. "I wanted to avoid it for a third time, and I did it to myself by accident." She let out a breath like she'd been holding it for years. "And for the record, it wasn't that I didn't appreciate what I had with you. It was that I forgot what life was like without us being together. It was like trying to imagine tomorrow without the sun coming up. A sunrise is beautiful, Nick. But it's always there; even when you forget to watch it rise. I can't imagine you not there. This whole time you've been here; I keep turning around to tell you something, and I can't figure out where you've gone."
"It's been the same for me!" Nick almost sounded angry. "I started over. Except I can't start over; because even after everything, I don't want to. Not without you." He waved a hand at the window, and the view outside. "And that's kind of a problem, because I moved across the planet trying to start again."
"You and about thirty percent of the people I know." Rachel sighed. "We seem to have hit that point. Did we ever calculate something like that?" She saw his face change and shook her head. "Not important. My point is: Who says we missed our chance? Isn't that up to us?!"
"Rachel, I love you, but we weren't going anywhere. I don't want to go back to square one. And now that we're both doing the jobs we were born to do, and doing them on different continents, how can-" He stopped, suddenly noticing. "You're wearing the ring."
"Took you long enough to see it; I've been waving my hands around like a chicken since I walked in." Rachel nodded. "Alright, you want a show of good faith? How about this: Your job as head of The Expo here? I know that's a temporary thing for you. You want to go on the 'Enterprise' when it launches."
"I do. But we're not calling it that." Nick nodded.
"You can't launch until the Thousand Years are up. That's still a couple hundred years away… So. I'll resign from The Expo, in favor of a spot on your ship."
"WHAT?"
"You heard me."
"Rachel, I'm not that guy. Demanding you quit your job to suit me-"
"That's not what this is. Recent events have forced me to look at my career path." Rachel admitted. "And I've realized that part of the reason we need another three Expo's is because there's no need for any of us to retire once we've worked our way up." She shivered. "And you aren't the only one who deserved promotion, if only I'd make room."
"Rachel, you were one of the Founding members-"
Rachel pulled out her Device. "I've already got my resignation typed up. Your main focus for the next two centuries is going to be this Tower. Let me take care of Project Chariot. There's still a lot of Beta Testing to do. The best work either of us ever did was together. Been that way since before the Nemo."
"Nobody I'd trust with it besides me and you." Nick admitted. "Nothing against the rest of the team, but-"
"But it's the Forever Dream. One that won't become obsolete, no matter how long we're out there." Rachel vowed, smiling broadly. "The Chariot Program is a 'Forever Dream' because we'll never run out of universe to explore. And until it gets to that point, I'm staying right here with you. You were right: You can be part of The Expo from anywhere. You were scared to ask what I'd choose if I had to pick between my work and you? I'll go you one better. You don't even have to ask." Her eyes flicked to the ring on her hand. "Not that question, anyway."
Nick recognized his cue. "Marry me?"
"I will. Today, if you want." Rachel said immediately. "And I'm sorry we waited so long." She took a breath. "So, where do we spend our honeymoon? Because it probably shouldn't be anywhere we can get lured back into work; and that's almost anywhere on Earth at this point."
Nick laughed and kissed her passionately.
She kissed him back until they broke for air, and she hugged him tightly. "Our latest invention was a way to make physical objects last forever. Buildings, materials, books… God gave us the gift of eternal life. What we keep is up to us now. Anything that is loved enough will endure any test of time. And I love you."
~~/*\~~
Biggs arrived at his cafe early, and found Megan sitting at the counter. She was the only one there, and the tables all had their chairs stacked neatly on top, as they usually did overnight. She was rolling her empty coffee cup back and forth between her hands. "Hi." She said as he came in to declare the cafe open for business. "You should lock your door."
"I know. Anyone could wander in." Biggs said, nonplussed at her presence, setting out the chairs. She made no move, just watching him work. "Have you been here all night?"
"Couldn't sleep." She admitted. "Just sort of… wandered over here."
"That's not a small distance to 'wander'."
"My mom says we find the people we need at the moment we really need them." Megan sighed. "Don't know if she meant that literally, but I looked up with the dawn and saw I was here." She slid her empty cup over the counter. "I've been wandering a lot of the night; and I need a cup of strong, liquid hope. Also, I wanted to talk to you, I guess. "
"I'm honored." Biggs said, letting her get there. They'd developed their way. He knew when to push.
"You did say that a barista is the Paradise version of a bartender, listening to people pour out their tales of woe." Megan said quietly, and then smiled ruefully despite herself. "But it is kind of early for it."
"I did say that." He agreed. "And it's never too early for my favorite customer."
Megan gestured at his mural of postcards. "Tell me about that one?"
Her voice was so plaintive. She was trying to edge her way into the conversation, letting him talk for a while first. Biggs tried to figure out what she was thinking, and settled into the story. "That picture was taken at an earthship community I stayed with for a while. Before the recycling tech and the Preserver tech was up to scratch, there was a whole generation or three who turned the refuse of the old world into usable things." He pulled down the postcard, brought it over. "The people there turned it into construction equipment. See the transparent circles all over the walls?"
Megan nodded. "Are those… beer bottles?"
"They were. After A-Day, there were whole factories left without customers. Millions of those things. Solid, durable, uniform. You lay a layer of cement, line it with these things, use the concrete to fill in the gaps…"
Megan peered closer at the image. "These are homes?"
"Small ones, but they work. The people there literally dug it into a hillside, laid the interior with concrete, and made the walls from repurposed bottles and such. Some rooms they left the bottles empty and created semi-solariums. Sun came in through the glass, but the thick walls insulated from the heat. You could grow a garden in the middle of a desert. Other people filled the bottles with the dirt they dug out, and saved a fortune on construction materials-"
"Something terrible happened the other day." Megan got out in a rush. He'd made conversation enough that she'd worked up the nerve to tell him something personal. "A woman you haven't met, named Isobel? My mom studied with her when she first came back. She has been an honorary member of the family since long before I was in the picture… She eloped with a Returnee that she was in love with, back in OS. His name was Vano; and he has a son… Who died on A-Day. He was very much in the 'seize the day, for tomorrow we die' category. Vano had apparently decided that whether there was a 'next life' or not, he didn't want to be where his son wasn't."
"Did you know Vano well?"
"Never spoke to him. They kept to their own little community; especially when things were hard. It's why we didn't find out there was a problem until recently." She shook her head. "I heard and I felt bad for Izzy, of course, but… Somehow, it just gutted me. I don't even know why."
"I do." He said simply.
She almost smiled a bit. "I was hoping you would, because after a night of prayer and wandering, I can't figure it out."
"The world doesn't have many widows anymore, Meg." Biggs said gently. "Doesn't have a lot of orphans either."
"Yes it does, I've been finding them homes for three hundred years." Megan said, and her face twitched. "Oh. I just realized what you meant. The world doesn't create orphans anymore. I'm proof of that, because kids don't get put with parents that can't handle them."
"Say it out loud." He counselled.
Megan winced. "I felt like Paradise orphaned me when I was a kid." She sipped her coffee. "Never should have told you about Erica. I was an open book to you after that."
"You and I have something in common, Meg." Biggs said softly. "We have more family in this world than we ever had in OS. That's true of everyone, but you and I… For us it's a little more obvious."
She shivered hard. "I chose wrong once, you know." She said quietly. "I chose the wrong parents for a girl named Delly. But she never knew it. Never met them. Before I could introduce them, things changed."
"What things?"
"Employment, housing, location… A whole chain of improbable things that added up to them withdrawing their name at the exact right moment, before Delly could get her heart smashed." She shook her head. "I was wondering, if it had some deeper meaning, and then… I saw a familiar face."
Biggs smiled. "I've met them too." He said quietly. "Less and less as this goes on. I guess, maybe; we don't need intervention as much as we once did." He went back to the rest of the cafe, setting up tables and tablecloths for the day. "It's a comfort, to know if we ever go near a line we can't uncross-"
He turned and Megan was suddenly right there, close enough for him to feel her warmth, and he broke off, surprised at the sudden proximity. She was close enough that he felt strange for not holding her tightly. Almost without thought, his arms came up to do just that; and she relaxed against him.
"I know you're not going to 'Age Out' on me." She said softly into his shoulder. "And I highly doubt that I will either, but I love you; and I want to make sure on this much. It was a while ago, that morning on the Tram, when you told me that you'd officially stayed here longer than you had anywhere else in the world. You still planning on staying?"
Biggs' face changed, and just for a second, she could see the echo of his life as a prisoner. The man whose life had been ruined by his need to stay in one place against his will. His expression settled instantly. "I'm staying right here."
Megan let out a breath like she'd been holding it for a year. "My mom travelled constantly until she married. Now she's unsettled by moving at all. I've never done the 'travel' part. If you want to 'wander' again, I can't go anywhere until the Orphanage is done. That'll happen eventually. Maybe not for another century, but it will happen. After that, we can go anywhere you want. Is that… okay?"
"Why would I leave?" He said quietly in her ear. "Anywhere I go now is away from you."
Megan's eyes shimmered like she was about to cry. Just for a second, the street kid was back. The girl from OS that never had anyone keep a promise like that. It passed quickly, but she knew he'd seen it. "They're still in there, aren't they? The people we were, years ago?"
"The way I figure it, it's not so much the scars, as it is the way we've healed." Biggs whispered. "Maybe it was something we needed to fix once, now it's just part of our personalities."
"I like your personality, Biggs. If there's some leftover echo from harder times, I don't care." Megan said seriously. "It's the guy I fell for."
"When this world started, I remember I told my sister that I wanted to be the kind of person I needed, once upon a time. That was so far back I can barely remember what I needed; but I know I would have had a far easier life in OS, if I had someone looking out for me the way you do with those kids." Biggs told her. "Yes, I can wait. But there's nothing that says we have to wait for the work to be done before we can have each other. Especially since we work together."
"So, we'll always have each other, right?"
"Always." Biggs promised.
Megan leaned into him tighter. "Well. I've found something I cannot say goodbye to."
Biggs chuckled a bit and put a kiss on top of her head. "So have I."
***
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