Black Star

Chapter Sixteen

Touchreik had been awake for an hour before Jak woke him. His guest room had been comfortable, warm and clean. It was fixed, however, there were no augmented reality or sage in place. That meant the room had been decorated and furniture placed in a fixed location. He assumed then that the rest of the humanist primitive accommodations were very similar. If you didn't like the view from the window or the decor, then you would be stuck with it. No way of changing anything to suit your mood or needs. The night before Jak had guided him through the workings of the place. The bathroom facilities were manual. There were physical controls for things like water which has to be tested for temperature by touching. A skill he needed some practice in. Lighting was basic in each room and worked on entry but would simply apply illumination. There wasn't even a basic in-house sage. With no sage then it was impossible to order mood lighting, or refreshments of any kind, there was no assistance whatsoever.

No sage also meant there was no communication in either direction whether that was with the outside world or simply to discuss the day's plans. At last, he heard movement and Jak knocked on the door as promised, just before dawn.

Being already dressed, he waited a suitable amount of time before heading downstairs and was greeted by the smell of cooking. The stairwell was quite grand and led straight into a dining and cooking area where they had shared a nightcap the night before. Three people sat around an oversized table. Jak introduced a female who hadn't been present last night as Vanilla. There was also another person who was male but tiny, perhaps less than half a meter tall. Touchreik's eyes widened when he saw the chubby-faced creature smile and wave at him.

"This is Louey," said Jak proudly.

"Louey," whispered Touchreik to himself. The other two shared an acknowledging nod and a half-smile. Touchreik knew straight away what it was.

"Louey was born out here, Professor."

"A child?" he said his mouth gaping in amazement.

"I'm Louey and I'm seven," shouted the little creature. Touchreik sat down and tried not to stare at the fellow. He was obviously a human but underdeveloped both physically and mentally. Being aware of a 'child' and actually seeing one were two different things. Touchreik was shocked and surprised to imagine what might happen to an organic human raised out here from birth. That they may grow up like animals around them and never be accepted into the city. The DNA would be random and this would cause untold problems.

Vanilla had cooked food he didn't recognise, but it seemed hearty enough and tasty too. The four sat around the table, between conversation Louey and Touchreik stared at each other, each as fascinated as the other.

"This is an incredible place, I'm amazed to find you surviving so well here. Do you plan to return?"

Vanilla answered, "Every one of the people you have seen believes in this place. Some come and go living mainly in Heathen, others live almost permanently and some have never seen Heathen." She tipped her head towards the child.

"How long have you all been here?"

Jak swallowed and dabbed his chin. "One or two of us came out about eight years ago. We found signs of an ancient city, mostly in ruins. We set about clearing the ones still standing. We built shelter, installed power from solar and wind systems. Others came and our numbers grew, the community grew organically."

Jak continued, "We have worked hard on the infrastructure to develop power and food. At first, we scavenged from Mother's systems, but we are becoming independent."

Touchreik had so many questions. "A self-sufficient community outside? But the germs, the viruses?"

Vanilla interrupted. "We are all healthy for the most part, minor illnesses soon get better. Our bodies are building resistance. Our lives are uncertain, we cannot guarantee the 130-year term, but it's a price we pay."