Haven: Book Seven of "The Liminality"

Chapter 11 - Evacuation Plans

Gaia leads us to the perfect spot for us to reconnoiter the hollow. A slab of stone sticks up like a fin just below the peak of one of the ridges flanking the north side of the valley. Vertical cracks offer views of the pond and the flats below under perfect concealment.

"Before we met, I used to come here with Ezekiel, to observe."

"Spying on me, huh?"

"You were a puzzle. My superiors did not know what to make of you."

"What do you think now?"

"I think your soul is pretty ordinary. You were just misvetted."

"Ordinary?"

"There they are," she says. "Inside that commune. Those are loyalist Argents, not rebels."

"How can you tell?"

"I have met those two. They have intervened against me several times in my wanderings."

"You were such a bad girl."

"Still am," she says, peering through a crevice.

"So how am I ordinary."

"In this context, you are not. On Loom, you would be ordinary. Now, you have done extraordinary things, but I know others who could have done the same."

"You don't know anything about me, do you?"

"Oh, piss off!"

The Argents below had gathered all of the Pennies in the compound together and were addressing them as a group. Meanwhile, Ammie and Brent standing at the juncture of the paths, holding what looked like a basket with some flowers. Down the path, I could see a pair of Ophanim, gleaming on the flats in from of my foundation hole and the little cottage perched above it.

"I wish we had Ezekiel with us," she says. "He had the ability to pick up sounds from afar."

"Man, you were quite the spy, weren't you?"

"They're leaving!"

The pair were exiting the commune and heading down the path towards the junction where Ammie and Brent awaited.

I could already feel the mana burbling up in my midsection. If it came to a fight, would not be firing blanks today.

"We could take them."

"No," says Gaia. "Why escalate? Let them do their thing. Look at the way they are acting. So nonchalant. They are not expecting hostilities."

"It means we would have the advantage."

"Not if they have Centurions on call."

"They had better not fuck up our house."

"I am more worried about my Ophanim. It is irreplaceable."

We wait and watch as the Argents—both women—exit the larger Penny compound and approach our neighbors at the junction. Ammie seems to offer them the basket, but it is not accepted. They chat briefly before the Argents stroll back towards their Ophanim.

Gaia's Ophanim is parked next to the house, just a stone's throw away. It is covered with a shroud, but its shape is unmistakable. One of the Argents approaches it cautiously.

"She had better not touch my machine," Gaia grumbles.

"They're pretty damn cheeky if you ask me," I say, sharing her sentiments. "Parking in my damned yard without my permission."

Gaia retrieves a small metallic from her pocket, palms it and extends her fist.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't let them have my Ophanim."

"But I thought you said—"

"I will not let them!"

The way she says it, gets my mana brewing even more. I have no weapon to wield but my finger, but from the way I'm feeling it today, that may be more than enough to focus my force.

The Argent stops several paces short of Gaia's craft and stands with her hands on her hips. Gaia glares, her chin quivering, arm still extended with that metal thing now gripped in her fingertips.

The second Argent shouts something. The first turns and retreats back to their vehicles. Gaia exhales loudly and relaxes her arm. The Argents mount their Ophanim. There is a whirr and a whine as they explode upward and spiral up out of the hollow. Gaia and I drop low and duck under the overhang as the craft buzz by over our heads and disappear high over the hills.

The moment they are gone, Gaia is up and running down the trail.

***

I catch up with her at the gates of Ammie and Brent's compound, where she has caught up with our neighbors as they make their way back home. She is pretty quick on her toes for someone born a hundred fifty years ago. I join their conversation a sentence or two too late.

"But why did they come here?"

"There is to be an evacuation," says Brent. "But we are not included. Apparently, we do not qualify."

"But who is being evacuated? To where?"

"The higher castes," says Ammie. "And I understand completely. They are proven. We are not. It is only right."

"Where are they taking them?"

"A service realm, most likely," says Brent. "That's what we were always promised. What we have been striving for."

"What about the détente?" I say. "Did they say anything about that?"

"They wouldn't speak to us, other than to inform us that we are not on the registry."

Ammie looks wistful.

"If only we had more time in Penult," she says.

"Amethyst and I are young souls. We came in after the war."

"How are they gonna do it?" I say. "Are they sending a ship or something?"

"Ship? I presume they will utilize an interface," says Brent. "That's how it was done on Penult."

"Portals," says Gaia. "And I would presume that whoever is evacuation will first be sent to a sub-realm or enclave for orientation and evaluation before they are assigned."

"What about the rest of us?" I say.

"I can't imagine this is good news," says Gaia.

"What do you mean?" says Ammie.

"I would expect them to come and finish their job once they are done evacuating," says Gaia.

"Finish?" says Brent.

"Eradication. With killfire, or something worse."

"Why can't they just let us alone? Why can't just slack off for a change"

"They are perfectionists."

"Yeah, right."

Tears are streaming down Ammie's face.

"Guys. Don't worry. We'll figure something out."

And I'm already thinking, if these jerks open a portal, enough of us might be able to crash their party and wreak some havoc on the other side. Make them think twice. I've got some organizing to do with my Duster friends.