Demeter (7 page)

Ryder just turned red and realized he was in a no-win situation. “Look at that,” he exclaimed, pointing beyond the Pegasus. Apparently they were on a much larger landmass than the ones that Ryder had spotted in front of him. The verdant mountain range climbing behind them rose several hundred feet.

“Any idea how tall those peaks are?” Cynthia asked, bumping into Ryder and knocking them both over. They both stood up turning bright red. She started to apologize, but Debbie interrupted.

“Those are the Five Sisters.”

“How do you know that, Dweeb?” Ryder asked, getting irritated.

“Jonas told me.”

“Jonas?” Cynthia and Ryder asked simultaneously.

“You know, Captain White. He was telling me about Arion. This is the main port of entry for civilian ships. It looked cool as we were landing. It’s shaped sort of like the silhouette of a horse. It has five mountains, the tallest was called…Phar Lap. Let’s see….” Debbie pointed to the mountain far to the right. “That’s Northern Dancer, and then Citation. Phar lap is the one in the middle, then Secretariat, and finally Sunday Silence. Jonas says we may get a chance to climb Sunday Silence.”

“Sunday Silence? That sounds like a great place for you,” Ryder chided, immediately trying to cut himself off as Cynthia scowled at him.

Debbie ignored him. “That’s not all,” she said. “Watch this.” She concentrated for a moment, then folded into a jumping position and launched. She jumped about twelve feet. “We’re only at forty percent of Earth’s normal gravity. Jonas says we’ll be a little clumsy getting used to this.” She landed smoothly.

Ryder realized that he had felt a little lighter on his feet, but just assumed that was from getting back on solid ground after being aboard the Pegasus for five days.

“That was cool.” Cynthia winked at Ryder. “Let me try it.” She jumped and landed awkwardly about eight feet away. “Your turn, Ryder.”

That was the first time Cynthia had called him by his preferred name, and he started to turn red again. He decided to cover it with some acrobatics. “Watch this.” He jumped high and did a somersault. As he was landing, he realized that he was overcorrecting by about twenty degrees.
This isn’t going to be pretty,
he had time to think as he landed on one foot, then spun toward the ground in an ugly fall. Cynthia and Debbie were close enough to each catch an arm as he was going down, preventing a more serious end. Debbie burst out laughing.

“I think you dislocated my shoulder,” Ryder complained toward his sister.

“You’re welcome,” Cynthia said back at him, smiling.

In the distance they saw Randy, Joel, and Athena playing a game of leapfrog, headed toward a low building about sixty yards from the Pegasus. Miss Li was smiling at them, and then turned back toward Ryder. “I think it’s time we gather up our bags and walk,” she said, emphasizing the word
walk
, “into the port of entry.” She motioned toward the building.

Cynthia quickly grabbed her bags and said, “Let’s go.”

Ryder picked up his own bags, now realizing how much lighter they felt in the lower gravity, and joined Cynthia. “Come on, Dweeb,” he called to Debbie.

Debbie grabbed her bags and started to catch up, then paused. “Becky, come on.”

Ryder caught a glimpse of Rebecca out of the corner of his eye and saw the girl smile for the first time since he’d known her. She grabbed her bag and quickly joined the small entourage.

Around the building there was a lot of activity. Dozens of people moving back and forth, and small groups of others clustered in circles talking. There was one group of five young men playing a game similar to hacky sack. They looked like normal teenagers wasting some time, but they had a greenish-brown skin color that Ryder had never seen before. He tried not to stare. As Ryder, Cynthia, Debbie, and Becky were passing, one of the group half looked at them and sneered. “Earthling grubs.” It was obviously intended as an insult. Ryder wasn’t sure why it irritated him so much. He replied, “Well, Earth grubs eat green grass,” and regretted it as soon as he said it.

It was clearly the wrong thing to say. All five of the young men turned and stared with malice in their eyes. As the young men glared, Ryder noticed their irises were mostly orange with yellow speckles that created a disconcerting combination. Trying to look away, he looked down, and noticed they were wearing boots with pointed toes. He started sweating as he suddenly flashed back to Barry Hales.

“Ryder, hurry up. We need you inside,” he heard Miss Li call. Mr. Small walked toward them, intercepted the five young men, and had a whispered conference. The group turned as one and walked off in the opposite direction. But Ryder saw the leader of the group turn his head with a look of clear contempt on his face. He figured this wouldn’t be the last he’d see of the hacky sack players.
Great,
he thought,
a hundred light years from Earth, and I still can’t get away from bullies.

As Mr. Small rejoined them Ryder asked, “Are those the Sagittarians?”

Mr. Small grinned. “No, those are just some hotshot Cryellians up to mischief. The Sagittarians are much more intimidating.” He hesitated, then continued. “They really aren’t that different than we are. Six thousand years of evolution isn’t much. Our DNA still matches up tightly with the Sagittarians, and the Per-Sian’s for that matter. It’s more their manner. Their posture is ramrod straight. They emit a sense of command by their very presence.”

“So they’re giants?” Debbie suggested.

“Not really. Let’s see, the most pronounced feature is a hawklike nose. Their hair is uniformly dark. Most have high pronounced cheekbones. I’d say that is the most common look of the officer corps, but they are really as varied as people on Earth. But their demeanor sets them apart. Not always to the better.”

Inside the facility, Ryder was in awe at the size of the complex that was built right into a bluff, with an atrium that showed eight floors of glass, angling out, revealing a panoramic view of the water and islands below. Apparently the back of the top floor was all that showed from the tarmac. This was the reception area, with a number of small lounges. Miss Li was talking to someone at a desk. The desk looked like it was made out of a huge luminous diamond, but Ryder guessed it was some sort of solid quartz stone.

As Ryder and his friends loitered around the common area, he could see from various angles that six of the floors were lined with long corridors framing rows of doors, all facing toward the water. The hallways looked to be about twelve feet wide, giving the appearance of very long decks that ran a hundred yards in either direction. The walls were of a black onyx stone, while the floors were made of the same self-illuminating rock they had seen in the tunnels entering Demeter. Apparently polishing the rock increased the intensity of the luminosity. Staring at the floor was like staring at a flashlight.

The bottom two floors were public areas. The second floor went about halfway toward the front of the atrium, which at that level was almost fifty yards deep. It was some sort of food court. Just seeing the tables, even at that distance, made Ryder hungry. The bottom floor was crisscrossed with walkways. On both ends it looked like tennis courts, although the far ends in either direction were hard to make out. The rest of the area was divided into eight pools with cabanas scattered throughout. He could hear the echoing laughter of people below, which was reflective of indoor pools. Outside, on the bottom level, Ryder could see a huge meadow and rows of well-tended hedges.

Miss Li gathered everyone. “Okay, we have two suites. Mr. Small will take Randy, Joel, and Ryder to room 317. I will take the girls to room 319.”

“Is this where we’re going to live?” Athena asked. Clearly Athena was feeling less hostile after viewing the accommodations.

“Heaven’s no,” Miss Li responded. “We’ll be here a couple of days before we move on to Europe. This is Arion, the port of entry. We’ll do some testing, work out schedules and assignments for your stay here, and give you a chance to get familiar with some of the culture, geography, and most importantly, help your bodies get used to the lower gravity. You’ve all taken a few tumbles. It helped to carry your luggage, but you’ll find that it takes a couple of days just to understand the way your bodies will respond to the environment. We also run a few medical tests, and no, we are not going to dissect you, but some people simply can’t adjust to the physical differences. We’d rather figure that out here than when you’re halfway up a mountain on a field trip and suddenly pass out or something.”

“Does that really happen? Do people die? How did they get them down? Are we going to be all right? I know I’ll be all right,” stumbled out of Debbie’s mouth as fast as she could talk. She almost sounded like a chipmunk to Ryder, but a glance from Cynthia stopped him from saying so.

“It’s actually very rare,” Miss Li said. “In the last twenty years, we’ve only had four people actually have to be medically treated and returned to Earth. There was a death from a fall when a friend of mine first got here, but that was over thirty years ago.” She quickly changed the subject. “Let’s have lunch. Then we’ll get ready for the first test.”

“A test? Already? We just got here!” Joel complained.

“The test is in two hours, nonetheless,” Miss Li interjected. “The test will be in pool seven.” She pointed below to the swimming pools.

Several people grinned delightedly, but Ryder commented, “I didn’t bring swimming trunks.”

Mr. Small had returned to the group and stated, “We have new swimwear for everyone. It’s in your suite.”

Ryder frowned. “Sounds like PE,” he muttered under his breath.

Room 317 had a narrow but large common room. A step up led to a kitchen/bar area. Off the kitchen was a hallway leading straight back into the bluff. It was cut right into the stone, as the finish was polished rock, which seemed to have some sort of gemstone or other about every twenty square feet.

Mr. Small had claimed the first room to the left down the hallway, and now Randy and Joel were wrestling over who got the first room on the right. Ryder stepped around them and took the second private quarters to the left. He figured it would be quieter in there anyway. The chamber was large, but not palatial. It had a king-sized bed butted against the back wall and centered. In addition, the accommodations included a closet, dresser, and mirror on the far side near the door. In front of the bed was a desk of that same quartz material that was present at the front counter in the lobby. A private bath was off the near side of the apartment. He observed that the bathroom facilities worked on sensors, anticipating his needs. Rather than towels, there was a hand dryer with enough pressure that his hands were actually pushed away when he first went to use it. Once he got over the surprise, he loved it. In less than five seconds his hands were totally dry. He looked at the body-sized unit next to the shower and was tempted to try it out, but then heard his name being called and realized he was supposed to be on his way to lunch.

Three eating facilities graced the second floor. At the far end was a private restaurant with linen tablecloths. Ryder could see wait staff serving a few patrons. The center section reminded him of a mall food court, but the area was totally self-serve. He spotted someone with what looked like a burger and fries, and a table of people sharing a pizza.

Miss Li organized the group at the third eating facility opposite the private restaurant. This area reminded Ryder of a school cafeteria. He wasn’t very excited. He remembered the time he had tried the canned spinach at school lunch; his stomach spasmed remembering the embarrassing experience. He hadn’t eaten school lunch since. He relaxed a little when he saw a menu screen come up that looked very much like the screen on the Pegasus. He was a bit disappointed that the options excluded some of his favorite foods, such as pizza, burgers, and fries. He ordered the fettuccini, hard roll, and salad, which he was certain would please Miss Li.

“Why can’t we eat in the food court?” Joel complained behind him.

Mr. Small responded quietly at the back of the line, but loud enough that Ryder could hear him. “Miss Li wants to make sure you get two nutritional meals each day. Don’t worry, the food court is open twenty-six hours a day. You can have lunch there in the future, and we’ll be sure to make a midnight raid after Yara retires for the evening.”

“Mr. Small!”

Mr. Small looked innocently at Miss Li and shrugged a nonverbal “What?” Ryder didn’t think Mr. Small looked very innocent at all.

“I may not have heard you, but I’ve worked with you long enough to know exactly what you told Joel. No midnight runs this year.” Then Miss Li smiled. “Just make sure you and your wards are back in their room by 2330. I expect to see you no later than 2335.” She wiggled her ring finger at Mr. Small and finished, “Roger.”

All four of the girls with Miss Li giggled.

The table was quiet for several minutes as everyone focused on eating. Halfway through his salad that looked like an odd assembly of weeds, Ryder turned to Mr. Small. “I’m a bit confused.”

“Why is that?” Mr. Small turned his head, as he had been staring toward the food court longingly.

“We’re halfway across the galaxy…”

“Actually we’re only a little over a hundred light years from Earth, hardly halfway across the galaxy,” Mr. Small interrupted.

“Okay, we’re a long way from Earth. Why is it that the food looks so familiar? I would think it would be a lot more,” Ryder paused, “exotic.”

Mr. Small laughed. “If you want exotic I’ll take you to a Cryellian café in Europe. We would consider them vegetarians. They think our food is barbaric. They eat this stuff that reminds me of tofu, but it has no flavor. They would argue about that, but I’ve never been able to distinguish much flavor in any foods they eat. It certainly does have color though...purple, blue-gray, and a very bright pink. Anyway, remember that Demeter has no natural habitat. There are no native plants or animals. Every living organism from microbes to bovine, grass to dewsnips, is imported from somewhere. So we have imported a lot of things from Earth.” He leaned in and whispered, “We could have left these wild lettuces back on Earth as far as I’m concerned.” Then returning to a normal voice, he said, “Let’s see, there are cattle, sheep, and chickens here. No turkeys. They couldn’t seem to adapt to the lower gravity for some reason. There were challenges importing fish.”

“What fish don’t handle the lower gravity?” Ryder drew in closer.

“It’s the minerals. The Sea of Demeter is not a saltwater ocean, but it has a lot of minerals in it. It took a long time to develop species that could live in this sea. We do have a freshwater crab that can certainly compete with any burger.” He looked at his salad with a hint of disgust, then refocused. “There are a few fish varieties we’ve been able to adapt to the sea. Some are pretty ugly. We have orchards in the highlands with apples, peaches, nashis, plums, and more. Along the coastlines we have all sorts of citrus fruits. Some of the dwarf Cryellian varieties are better than oranges or mikans. The only thing I know of that is imported from the Sagittarius Arm is dewsnips. I’m surprised we don’t have any here today. Now that, as my older sister would say, is to die for. Great stuff.” He picked up his fork with resolve and poked at his salad again.

"Dewsnips?" Ryder perked up. 

"What is it?" Cynthia leaned into him and asked.

"Something odd.  I've heard of dewsnips before," Ryder whispered back.

“It is interesting that whenever mankind has moved out to new territories the first thing they want to do is bring their own food with them. There is a certain comfort to familiar flavors and textures in eating. So, if you want a hamburger, or a taco, or great French fries, we have them here.” Then in a lower voice, Mr. Small finished. “And of course we have this stuff too.”

Although Ryder was not a great swimmer, he did enjoy the afternoon they spent in the pool. Miss Li had everyone swim laps. Ryder was surprised to discover that he could swim three times as many laps as he could at school back on Earth, and he still didn’t feel tired, although his arms and legs did start to ache.

After working everyone out for almost an hour, Miss Li informed them that they would stay poolside until evening. “It’s time to unwind and enjoy not being cooped up in the Pegasus for a while.” She and Mr. Small wandered off to a cabana at the far side of pool seven. Randy, Joel, and Athena soon got into a water fight. Ryder considered joining them, but instead offered to get a drink for Cynthia.

“I’ll have a Cherry 7UP.” Cynthia smiled. She looked great in a white, one-piece swimsuit that set off her dark hair and complexion.

“I’ll have one too,” Debbie volunteered, then added, “Becky will have a juice.”

Ryder enjoyed the afternoon as much as any he could remember. He found out that Cynthia and her family had immigrated to the U.S. when she was a baby. Her father had earned his citizenship just two years earlier. Her father was a trained engineer, but had received a teaching certificate and taught mathematics at Burnham High School. Her mother didn’t work. “If you can call staying at home and raising six children not working,” Cynthia said with a laugh.