The Foundling Saga: Revelation (11 page)

Within seconds of him sitting down at the chaperone desk, two uniformed men approached Keller briskly. “Welcome to Rayleigh,” the bearded one said. They both shook hands with him. “Come this way,” he added, holding his hand behind Keller’s back. “We have transport waiting.”

They walked through a doorway towards a vehicle that looked similar to the mediheli he had initially been taken in. They helped him into the craft and strapped him in. The one without the beard got into the front and the bearded one sat opposite Keller. He looked at Keller with interest. “How are you recovering after that long journey?”

“Okay,” he responded, “a little light headed, but I’m okay.”

The ‘heli’ flight, as the bearded man called it, would take about thirty minutes. He introduced himself as Astec.

Keller was stunned by the scenery - it still being light enough to see a good distance. As they passed over a mountain range the scenery still had plenty of green patches but it was clearly dryer. He pointed this out to Keller. “Most of rain falls on the west of New Fiji. It condenses after it comes over the mountains. The East still gets enough rain for crops, but it doesn’t rain almost every day as it does in the West,” Astec explained.

The heli was brought in to land. “Where are we now?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” said Astec smiling, as he undid the straps on Keller’s seat.

They had landed on a concrete area with high grey walls surrounding them and a large domed building to their left. Some uniformed men were walking into a doorway nearby. They seemed a sullen, purposeless group to Keller and he wondered at their body language.

Both men stepped out of the heli and assisted Keller as he stepped down, a little giddy from the flight. “I don’t suppose you have flown in these too often?” asked Astec and, without waiting for a reply, he took Keller’s arm and guided him away from the heli to a nearby door.

The trio walked past a waiting uniformed man and through a corridor. No one seemed to want to scan his I-disc, he noticed. The building was roughly finished and made of bare concrete walls and floor. They passed a number of doors and then took Keller through one of these into a small room. “Wait here,” instructed Astec, “do you want a drink?”

“Water,” Keller said. Astec nodded and left.

Keller was left to ponder his surroundings. The room he was in had a table and two chairs. However, he could see it was used for sleeping with a wooden bed and a plump bed mat. There was also a sink next to a curtain. The curtain was partially open and he could see a toilet and a shower. It looked similar to where he was first kept in London but not as comfortable. He was impatient and frustrated. He didn’t want to wait in here for hours and wondered when the Governor would come to see him, or when he might be taken to meet her.

Astec returned with a cup of water along with another man who introduced himself as Kurk. This tall confident man, pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him with folded arms and examined Keller with interest. Astec stood behind Kurk, leaning against the door.

Kurk stroked his dark beard and seemed to be waiting for Keller to say something. Keller noticed his eyes seemed intense.

“Am I to be taken to see Governor Whelehan soon?” asked Keller. He took an instant dislike to Kurk who seemed to be amused about something at Keller’s expense. Keller knew he was tired and irritated and tried to put his impatience to one side. “It’s been a long journey,” he said by way of explanation. He was annoyed with himself for almost offering an apology.

Kurk looked over his shoulder at Astec as though considering his presence. Then he looked back at Keller.

“These are troubling times on Rayleigh. Your mother is not even aware yet that you are here. She will be soon.”

“I presume she knew I was arriving sometime today?” Keller asked, a little confused.

“Your mother doesn’t even know of your existence. Your mother is focussed on internal affairs at the moment and isn’t even aware that her government helped fund your trip. We intercepted the communication from London regarding your existence and have channelled all further arrangements through a friendly colleague in the government here. We requested complete discretion from London. They are always keen to oblige an off-world Governor - since their wellbeing is only guaranteed by continued trade.”

Kurk continued, seemingly oblivious to Keller’s look of shock. “…They don’t want to end up like Tokyo, whose intransigence during the mid-term Trade rounds two decades ago, suspended off-world trade for a nearly a year. They have never recovered. No one can even land a transporter there now, as security was so badly compromised by the riots that followed. The city is reverting back to the Stone Age rapidly since anyone with any wealth or means has transferred to other cities.”

“Now you, young foundling…you happen to have provided us with some leverage now that we have you in Macau B. You will meet your mother and the two of you are welcome to leave Rayleigh if you don’t cause any problems. I wouldn’t want you to jeopardise the task I have ahead of me to re-align our status, our wealth and ensure we are rightly respected for all that we have achieved here.” He paused, smiling grimly at Keller.

“Rayleigh should, in reality, be at the centre, the very heart, of decisions made affecting mankind.

“My task is a serious task and I don’t take it lightly. The future of Rayleigh needs to be secured in a manner that is in keeping with our forefather’s vision. The truth is, Keller, that your mother should never have been Governor. An accident of marriage, perhaps, but to us who believe in a pure and strong Rayleigh, it is an abomination, a weakness and we mean to set these things right. Your mother is too mindful of the other worlds. Our population is small but we control much of the minerals required for the technical marvels mankind needs to sustain the various worlds so far inhabited. Without these raw materials, the other populations would only exist as Stone Age Earth once existed. In the case of one or two satellite communities, they would perish completely. Our blood and sweat should be better rewarded.”

Keller listened with incredulity. He was still trying to take in what Kurk said about his birth mother. He shook his head and stared at Kurk who seemed to be getting increasingly heated the more he spoke.

“My mother doesn’t know I exist? I have spent four months asleep for what?” He wanted to insult this man in front of him but he knew he had nowhere to go and, suddenly, no one to turn to.

“Keller, you are sent from the Gods as far as I am concerned. We will contact our friends at the Governors House in Plymouth Rock and your mother will be sent a see-com from you asking for assistance.”

“A what?” Keller asked.

“A visual recording of you. Your mother will see you in the flesh.” replied Astec who seemed to be of the view that Kurk, clearly his superior, had now finished.

Indeed, Kurk had finished. He stood up and looked at Keller, “Keller, you would presumably welcome the chance to return to Earth. I understand you are one of the Outsiders from England. If you cooperate, you may soon return.”

Astec held the door open and Kurk left the room without a backward glance.

Astec remained. Keller felt weakened and drained already and was looking at Astec in total confusion. “Keller, you need to get a shower to look presentable – then we will come and take a see-com. The sooner all this is done, the sooner you can leave. There is of course the possibility you could remain here and work with us if you wish. You are a healthy young man and our population is going to need to expand if we are to fulfil our goals.”

“I’ll get some food delivered. You know how to use a shower, don’t you?”

Keller nodded. Astec then left the room. Keller stood up and tried the door. A screen appeared on the wall and stern-faced man was looking at him. “Don’t attempt to open the door again.” There was no ‘or else’. Keller stood back from the door and the screen faded from the wall.

He looked around. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t know what was going to happen but whatever it was, it may as well happen fast, he thought. He took his light bag and looked at his clothing.

“Food.” Keller turned quickly, he hadn’t heard anyone enter. An old man stood behind him. The old man placed the tray on the table. “Best you eat,” he said without smiling. “Don’t try the door again, they won’t like it.” Again, Keller didn’t register an ‘or else’, but instinctively knew that there was one. The man then left.

He sat down, closed his eyes and calmed himself. At the moment, all events seemed out of his control. He had to get a grip of himself as wave after wave of panic and despair seem to be dragging him down mentally. He knew this. He knew that he was limited in what he could do for the time being. However, he did know that he would need to be prepared for whatever came next. He felt his heart racing. Gradually, he regained his composure. He looked at the food. He needed to eat and have another drink. He did so and thought about Kurk and tried to understand the implications of the visit he had just had.

This man Kurk had a look in his eye. Cormic would have said that he was an apple short of a few pips.

Kurk seemed to have spoken too much. He was clearly a leader of sorts but Keller wondered why he had personally been visited by him and why Kurk had felt the need to explain himself. Keller had the view that he was certainly unlikely to be the leader of a tiny group of dissident men - so why had he not sent someone else to interview him? In which case, his visit may have betrayed him for either being someone who gloated or who was nervous of his adversaries. Alternatively, perhaps he wanted to see him first hand and gauge him as a person. Or both? Keller decided it may be both, but he realised he could perhaps of conducted himself with more authority. He didn’t really know, but he decided he needed to win back respect as his first goal. At the very least, he would feel better in himself.

He took the towel off the end of the bed, got undressed, and had a shower.

After his shower, he felt refreshed and he had stopped shaking. He looked around the room as he got dressed. He thought about the door again and the man who had appeared on the wall screen. He recalled the text above the man’s face. Fourtrees Prison. It did tell him two things. He knew from his educational programmes shown on the last couple of days of his journey that there was a Fourtrees Bay on New Fiji. It was the main port from which raw materials arrived from Khatru.

This made him realise that Kurk must feel safer on this side of the continent, otherwise they would have stayed in the Plymouth Rock area. Presumably this was also a main base for him and his like-minded friends. He must have significant support from within the security staff, otherwise he wouldn’t have been holding Keller in a prison. Kurk had alluded to support in Plymouth Rock, however, they clearly weren’t able or willing to make their move yet. Kurk was currently manoeuvring himself into a position of strength and Keller himself was the key, or the catalyst.

Keller recalled how sometimes certain family individuals at Suffolk Road exhibited similar manoeuvring behaviour. However, it was normally reserved for less grand designs. He had seen this when families got together in a form of council to discuss matters and decisions that affected the families. Sometimes these individuals would do their manoeuvring before, or during, or after these family council meetings.

Cormic was clever at reading situations and people. He would point out to Keller when these situations were brewing and who was seeking support from whom and what horse-trading was taking place. He would explain how to watch people – how they sought each other at gatherings, how they spoke to each other and what was both said and unsaid. He always seemed to recognise at family gatherings when a comment made by one person might be an attempt to reinforce a view that may even be unstated as yet. Like a seedling. He would recognise a comment to assure the listener that the speaker was a friend, but at the same time revealed that he clearly wasn’t. Keller would sometimes see his uncle talking to another family member and later he would discuss this with Keller. “He just happened to mention….” then “But why would he tell me that.” Keller used to think that anyone who was less than honest is his dealings should be careful of speaking to Cormic. His uncle would listen and leave a pause, just to see if the speaker continued. It often left an uneasy speaker feeling the need to fill the silence and he would reveal a little too much and betray his deceit.

His uncle was a well-respected representative at the family council, who oversaw the resolving of these minor conflicts. Cormic said that you were always in a position of greater strength if you could see the motives of another family leader. Whilst the Suffolk Road families were a close and peaceful group, not everyone could see beyond the gains of their own immediate families on some occasions. The family council had a wider and longer term view and it was down to these councils and their decisions that some level of fairness pervaded across the families as a whole unit. It was, in fact, the Londoners who advised this approach when they started dealing with the families. It was in their interest that some form of organisation helped the Outsiders cooperate with each other. This had helped, first to stabilise, and then to increase, the necessary trade between the Outsiders and the Londoners.

Cormic had always said that studying people and understanding motives would help Keller in many situations.

Later, Astec returned with a male colleague for the see-com recording. His colleague put down a small black item on the desk. “This is the see-com,” he said as Keller leaned forward to examine it.

His accent was the same as the Londoners, presumably a more recent settler thought Keller. On the wall behind, two viewing screens appeared. One had large writing on it. The other showed Keller moving. He looked baffled until the man leaned forward and waved his own hand in front. “You really are an Outsider,” he laughed, as he moved his hand and pointed to one of the screens. “The see-com is linked to the viewer, so you will see yourself on here. We will put some words on the other viewer. You can read, I presume?” He paused. Keller nodded and the man continued. “We are in a hurry, so look at the words. Read them, and we will see how it goes and if necessary we can repeat this until its ok.”

Astec injected, “Keller, start reading them out loud with your normal voice. Just relax. Go.”

Keller started reading the first line to himself and frowned. “Wait, I want to read through this to myself first,” he then paused looking at the writing. He looked up at Astec, “Is this all I have to say?”

“Look Keller, the lines will move as you say them. There are about a dozen lines; we can run through them first.” He then nodded at his colleague who allowed the other lines to appear slowly as Keller nodded after each line.

“My birth mother hasn’t met me yet, she doesn’t know I exist according to Kurk. Why would she agree to step down and hand over control of a planet colony for my safety?” Keller was looking exasperated.

“Easy. Your mother is soft and a little too optimistic about life. She will also believe that control can easily be regained, but your mother isn’t aware of both our organisation and determination. In particular she isn’t aware of the determination of those inside her own government who are going to help ensure she is set aside for good. This is blackmail Keller, simple blackmail. However it would be better for your mother if she relinquishes power in this manner. None of us want the alternative, which is an armed conflict with multiple casualties which would threaten a great number of people. It would particularly threaten your mother and all those fence-sitters in the government. It would also endanger the wider community of Plymouth Rock who would naturally resist until they understood our goals.”

Keller was horrified at the thought of armed conflict. Like all Outsiders he knew the effects of war. This was taught them from childhood. It was the reason why there were few children being born, why the population was so low and why some people in other parts of the world had succumbed en masse to starvation, disease and had sunk to the level of animals. The Outsiders were fortunate, but they felt, as a people, they were lucky survivors who by simple geography and chance had been amongst the few remaining rural people left in England.

“I’ll read it but I will change some words.” Keller said – he wanted to see how far he could push it. He started reading before Astec could object.

“This is a message for the Right Honourable Governor of the Territory of Rayleigh, Her Excellency”.

“My name is Keller. I am an Outsider from the Suffolk Road Zone to the North East of London, England. I am your Son.” Keller paused and glanced at the viewer that showed his face.

“A DNA Analysis is appended to this see-com message. I am currently on Rayleigh. I am being held as a hostage. I have been asked to read the following message:

“I will be released and safely re-united with you only after the following occurs.

“You must make a statement resigning your position as governor. A transcript is provided with this see-com message.

“This resignation transcript cannot be amended in any way.

“Your resignation must be within two hours of receiving this time-imprinted see-com.

“Your resignation should be broadcast on land and external links simultaneously.

“You will hand all procedural codes over to the Commissioner of Macau B upon resignation.

“Your safe passage and my safe passage are assured. Tomorrow, we will be taken to the New Exeter hub and onward to a community of our choice. We will be under diplomatic protection until our arrival elsewhere. You will choose two of your house-staff to accompany you.

“Mother, I implore you, for the safety of your citizens and for your own safety to abide by this instruction; I will remain hostage until this point.”

He stopped.

The settler quietly re-ran the speech on the viewer. Astec looked at Keller, “You left out the line about how terrified and scared you are??”

“I am not saying that, I am not in fear. Besides it doesn’t sound like a hardy Outsider does it?” Keller said defiantly.

“Maybe not. We’ll leave it. Don’t mistake our hospitality for weakness, though Keller. Next time I ask you to do something, just do it.”

Keller said nothing. He felt a small victory, but he didn’t want Astec to lose face twice in quick succession in front of his colleague. He suspected that would elicit an unpleasant reaction.

“This is fine,” Astec said to the settler, after he watched the see-com recording. “Append the other items and pass it to Kurk for review – he wants it gone within the hour – time is critical.”

The settler glanced at Keller, picked up the see-com off the table and left. Keller noticed a fear in his eyes. He didn’t think this man was fully behind the apparent coup, but seemed to be following instructions.

Before Astec left, he told Keller that he may as well get some rest since he would be relocated in a couple of hours.

Keller sat back deflated. He got up after a while and tried to activate the viewers that had appeared on the walls. Nothing. He examined his surroundings in more detail. He realised he had no chance of escape and, indeed, dare not escape less he precipitate the threatened conflict. He felt he needed interaction with his captors to understand them better. He lay down and waited.

A short while later, the door slid open and a man appeared introducing himself as a doctor.