The Evengale flew over the agri-zone to the east of Kypro following the river Keles-Tem as it flowed languidly towards the city. Gliding at eighty kilometers an hour at an altitude of five hundred meters the four teenagers had a clear view of the fields and irrigation canals, storage facilities and processing factories. Massive machines moved on tracks in the ground; they tended the crops with robotic precision, planting, irrigating, applying fertilizers and chemical compounds. Harvesting, transporting, packaging and preserving. Remarkably few humans were needed for this process; the agri-zones were populated mostly by machines.
The humans lived and worked in the com-zones. The agri-process was overseen by humans in control centers looking at com-screens. They monitored the machines, giving commands, adjusting parameters. Most of the humans in the agri-zones were mechanics. They tended the machines that tended their food source. There were transport pilots who brought the products - ready for consumption - to distribution points in the com-zones.
But, there were actual farmers too, who grew and tended plants without the help of machines. These were mostly mechanics who simply loved the feel of soil, the smell of growing things - the green and brown of a garden. These mechanics managed to live in the agri-zones and managed to stay under the radar of the Order. They had quietly and unobtrusively set up their homes within the operations compounds, in garages, storage facilities, even unused transports.
When they were not servicing the machines they tended their gardens. They had built small communities of like-minded green people throughout the agri-zones. Whole families cooperated and quietly did what they loved doing: growing things to eat, blossoms to inspire, herbs for tea to cure and relax nerves, herbs to smoke and dull pain, fungi to peer into other worlds. These connoisseurs of horticulture were, of course, carefully monitored by the Order.
The reason they were allowed to bend the rules and live outside the com-zone was the demand for naturally produced food on the tables of the Keneso. The High Circle already claimed the cream of every crop, but those were crops tended by robots. It wasn't the same. Human Love makes a difference you can taste.
Love had created a niche market for real food.
To the north of the eastern agri-zone was the clear outline of the Lin-Kaars ridge - a natural boundary for the com-zone, and facing it, on the south side of the city was Galtrion Rock - a mesa-like formation half the size of the entire com-zone standing three hundred meters above the surrounding plane and giving the Qonaar an ideal location for surveillance bases where they could monitor the city from the south as well as the surrounding agri-zones.
The megatropolis of Kypro rose before them in the horizon as they flew west – a bristling monstrosity of metal and glass and mineral panels engulfed in a permanent foggy haze of varying shades of gray and yellow. A steady stream of parasitical entities flew or crawled to and from the living-dead mass that Orion, Celi and Fel called home.
Jenna looked nervously out the front window of her small transport, watching their approach.
"Have you ever been in a com-zone?" Fel asked.
Jenna glanced at him for a moment then turned back to gaze at the com-zone. "Once," she said, "when I was younger."
"So, what did you think?"
"It was scary – so much noise and motion."
"Which com-zone was it?"
"Sabba-Lann."
"Hmm. One of the champion mrith teams is from that com-zone – the Panatrons."
They flew in free airspace till they neared the outskirts of Kypro, then Celli placed a request to the traffic com-link. She received an almost instantaneous automated reply. "We got an upper sky lane all the way in, guys," Celli announced, "52-G-7."
Orion made the turn and descended to four hundred meters. "You'll get a good look at Kypro from here," he said.
They plunged into the airspace of the com-zone and Jenna's eyes grew even wider. She stared out the window at the spectacle surrounding her. Massive buildings towered above them and stretched below them to street level. Thousands of transports of every kind flew past them on fixed sky-grids, crisscrossing at odd angles through the smog and the maze of towers. She looked down and saw people and ground transports far below on the streets. They suddenly disappeared as their transport entered a thick bank of smog. Jenna's face was tense as she gazed at this strange world with which she was so unfamiliar but whose people she had come to try to save from a catastrophe that no one would believe was possible. The absurdity of the situation was not lost on the native of Filos-Paas, in the Tibero Wastelands, beyond the Conning Sea.
"We'll go to my place first," Orion said. "My mom will feed us dinner, and we can get our bearings, then we'll have to see what we find out tomorrow and go from there."
"You can sleep with me," Celli told Jenna. "I'll see if I can find you some clothes. I have a friend who's about your size."
Jenna gave her silent consent in the form of a nod.
"That's my building there," Orion pointed ahead as he began to increase attitude, aiming for the roof dock.
"It's so tall," Jenna remarked.
"And I live on the 311th floor."
"Don't worry," Fel said optimistically, "I think you'll get used to it."
Orion brought the transport into the third level of the roof dock. "Here we are," he said as he engaged the docking clamps, "home at last." But his statement struck him as oddly incongruent.
***
They entered Orion's apartment, hauling in their large back-packs. Jenna gazed around at the interior; at unfamiliar objects.
"It's not much," Orion said, "but it's what we have for now."
"It's nice," Jenna quickly replied ."You take good care of it."
"Mom, we're here!" Orion called out and was met with silence. He walked into the kitchen and his G-chip activated the message center. A small blue light began blinking on the wall screen above the counter. He pressed a button and the voice recording played back. "I'll be back at 15 and 25. Welcome home and make yourselves comfortable. There are chalma-toggs in the preserver; you can start on those if you're hungry."
"That gives us time to get washed up," Orion said. "I think we'll all appreciate that."
The girls nodded in unison. "I'll find some robes for everyone and we can put our clothes through the processor. Celli, could you show Jenna where everything is?"
"Sure. Over here."
Jenna followed Celli towards the bathroom. At once she drew herself against the wall. Along one side of the hallway was a large, full length window. "It's a long way down, isn't it?" Celli said. "I only live on the eighty-ninth floor so it won't be so bad."
Jenna, eager to face her fears before they got the better of her, slowly moved toward the window and placed her hands on the glass. She looked down and felt her knees buckle. She staggered back against the wall. Celli rushed up and grabbed her arm. "Better stay away from the windows for now," she said. "At least the bathroom doesn't have any."
Jenna nodded, her stomach in a knot.
***
They had all managed to wash and dress before Belarin arrived, which was nice.
"Mom, this is Jenna," Orion introduced her.
"A pleasure to meet you," Belarin said.
"And you," Jenna replied in her winning manner. "Your son reflects your good character."
Belarin was pleasantly surprised at such a greeting. "I don't know about my character," she replied, blushing, "but he is a wonderful son."
Orion smiled and kissed her cheek. "You have a great character, Mom."
"Okay, okay," Belarin waved him away as she walked into the kitchen, "I've got to prepare dinner, you guys take it easy for now, you must be tired."
They nodded.
***
"So, as I understand, you are not from Kypro." Belarin inquired as they ate.
"I'm from a town called Filos-Paas, in a region we know as Bonthran-Tell; it's on the other side of the Conning Sea."
"Hmmm," Belarin wondered, "I don't think I've ever heard of it. What brings you to Kypro?"
"I'm doing research in chemistry and physics," She said, "it's part of my program of studies." Her three companions were impressed with Jenna's truthful yet evasive answer.
"We're going to be working together for a little while, Mom," Orion said. "It's an independent research project."
"Oh... well, I'm glad to hear that!" Belarin said, always glad of opportunities for her son to engage in High Circle studies. "And what about work," she asked.
"I got three extra calah off, it wasn't a problem, I just have to make them back during the third quarter break."
"Okay," Belarin said, satisfied, "I'm glad you are using your break to do science research, you won't regret it."
I hope not, Orion thought.
***
At 3 and 8 Celli and Jenna stood together on Calorian Avenue, one of the main north-south ground ways in Kypro. Overhead the sky traffic moved like intertwining threads through a magical dynamic tapestry. Jenna observed her surroundings in awe. "It is amazing in a way."
"Yeah," Celli answered skeptically, "but after having spent three calah in the free-zone my admiration for all of this is pretty low – not that there was much to begin with." They watched a late model private transport glide past in the air above them. "I almost wish I had grown up where you did."
"I think you would have liked it." Jenna replied. "But there's no reason why you can't come to visit my town. I would love to show you what it's like there."
Celli looked at Jenna's face and saw the sincerity in it. "I guess you're glad you grew up out there." Celli smiled. "What if it had been the opposite?"
Jenna looked around her again. "I wouldn't trade my life in Bonthran-Tel," She said. "This whole com-zone is an amazing machine, but..."
"It's a machine." Celli confirmed dryly, watching the transport grids above her. "And I am a very small component." She took a breath and exhaled. "Easily replaced – easily overlooked."
Fel and Orion walked up from behind, unwittingly ending the girl's conversation. "Good morning ladies," Fel said in a cheery voice.
"How was your first night in Kypro?" Orion asked.
"Actually, I slept rather well."
"Did you get it?" Celli asked them.
"Yeah, here it is," Fel said, activating his wrist-com, "he opens at 4 and zero."
"Who is it we're going to see?" Jenna asked.
"He's a collector," Fel explained, "he knows a lot about old things, stuff that's not in use. Antiques, I think they're called. Either he'll know what this stuff is or he'll give us more information. He's been around a long time from what I know."