Power On - Do you wish to restart?

Chapter 7

Log. 24857.j.c

When I looked at all that... I couldn't see how they could survive. There was no preparation, no food in store, there was no place for all of them to sleep, there weren’t even chairs! There were barely any lights! Of all my life, those days were the worst. I turned off the pain receptors, because of my torn skin, but still… everything else continued.

— Alid, come on! — Ori, a thin redhead, not much past his 20s, whispered in the dead of night. — The supervisor is coming back, and we shouldn’t be here!

— Ori, you’re too young, your faith is not strong enough. I should have never let ya accompany me.

— I have faith, but we shouldn’t rely too much on destiny when the Moon is high. It foils all plans, ya must know that.

Alid sighed, Ori was right. The lad was half his age, his hair was red like the sunrise, and his skin had so many dots it made him look more yellow than he normally was. And maybe because he was weak and slow, always short of breath, his mind was sharp and knew his stories well.

Alid himself had doubted all the apprentices he’d ever had. Under the long grey hair, his mind was always thinking and plotting, and his back had started to crumble under the weight of some many thoughts. He emptied the last container onto the water and watched as the grey-ish mass disappeared.

He tucked his bony fingers in his pockets and called Ori. It was time to go. He hated wearing those bright orange jumpers, the safety shoes, and the helmet. He hated pushing and pulling levers, watching those gigantic gates open and close. It was unnatural. Machinations of the wretched Moon.

And as such, it should be destroyed. Bridge City had been provoking them for long enough, stealing their most useful people, encouraging the twisted-minded fools to use and create technology, along with all sorts of bizarre teachings. Some even said there must have been good Machines.

Blasphemy. Sacrilege. Worshipers of Water, slaves of the Moon. They were weak, and only together they could survive. So he was there to fix it once and for all. Bridge City wouldn’t be able to fight back this time. They wouldn’t steal Sand City people anymore. This time, they had come prepared.

They walked back to their stations and made sure people knew they were there; they greeted the supervisor and asked about his family, then talked to the manager and Ori jokingly asked for a raise. She answered with a loud who knows! and waved them goodbye.

Their house was near the city entrance, so once they knew the plan had worked, they could leave as soon as possible. The rooms were filled with water bottles, so they wouldn’t be afflicted with the disease; they had indeed come prepared.

Log. 24857.j.b

My skin was destroyed in many places, every possible thing flew towards us. I thanked the universe for our bodies becoming more resistant over the years, otherwise both of us would be dead.

At last, after what felt like hours, I finally reached the door and went down to the bunker. There weren't many there. The Programmer was there, with my friend and his clones, a handful of inorganics and about two-thirds of the Group. Most of them were hurt and shaken.

Séra woke up quite tired that morning. She had awoken twice to run to the bathroom and her stomach was way more than upset. The thought of a glass of coffee made her feel sick, and for a moment she asked herself if she was well enough to go to work.

With a deep breath, she walked to the kitchen and at least tried to eat some toast, Koira always said toast was good for the upset stomach, but in the end she couldn’t eat it. Ganen seemed worried, they would only have lunch hours later, but Séra said she wasn’t really hungry. She wouldn’t bother Ganen with a bellyache.

However, she had to make a long stop at Esha’s school to use their bathroom. The toilet seats were very small, she felt cramped within those four walls, but at the moment, nothing could bother her more than her stomach.

— Hey, are you sure you should be going to work? — Ganen finally asked.

— I’m fine, I just ate something weird. Maybe it was the mousse.

— Me and Esha had it, and we’re okay.

— Maybe it was bad just for me, eh? It can happen. But, oi, love, don’t ya worry. I’ll be fine by lunch time. — Séra smiled. She truly believed it.

At work, though, she had to make way more pauses than usual, enough to worry her supervisor and make him call Ganen. He explained that Séra didn’t look very well, and it seemed to be getting worse.

— Maybe it’s better if you take her home. — one of the workers said. — We can’t really work well if we’re sick.

— Yeah, I’ll talk to her.

Séra wasn’t the only one in the toilet, so Ganen sat outside and waited for a bit. She got a piece of paper out of her pocket — the crossword puzzle — and stared at the empty space. A 5-letter word starting with “N”. It shouldn’t be that hard.

After a few minutes of thinking, Séra walked out pressing her stomach. She was surprised to see Ganen; it couldn’t be a mere coincidence, afterall, they worked in different stations. When the woman got up and asked how she was feeling, it was obvious she had been called.

— Are you well enough to drive, hun?

— I ain’t sure. — She accepted Ganen’s support as they walked out of the hydroplant. — But there really ain’t another option, eh? I’ll drive slowly.

Driving home took twice the usual time, as Séra had to stop for some moments. Her stomach hurt and cramped, a pain so strong she had to just breath for a while. Ganen helped her into the house, and she ran to the bathroom.

— I’ll get you some water from the cooling box. Try to drink it, okay? — Ganen asked from the other side of the door.

Her only answer was a painful mumble.

The cooling box was a great re-invention of something from the past. Many had heard of refrigerators, but actually seeing one that worked was rare, though not impossible. Normally, it would be something only the rich could ever afford, but every house in Bridge City had its own.

Ganen opened the cooling box and got a bottle of water. They had boiled those at the beginning of the week, and it was time to boil some more, especially with Séra feeling sick. She needed lots of water and vitamins. Ganen heard her grunting once again. Maybe some tea for the pain could help as well.

— How are you doing in there? — Ganen asked from the other room.

— Not good. — There was the sound of running water, then Séra showed up at the door. — Everything hurts.

— Drink this. — She handed her the cold water. — If it continues, I’ll make you some rehydration solution.

Séra agreed and searched for a towel in the bedroom, then walked back to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She was feeling gross and tired, and all she really wanted was to lay down and sleep for days. Ganen made sure she drank some water before sleeping, then said she would pick Esha at school and stop by the market.

— Drink more if you wake up, okay? It’s important to keep you hydrated.

Séra nodded, her eyes already shut, and she barely heard the door being closed as Ganen left. Diarrhoea was a common thing among children in Tree City, they would drink water from the rivers or eat some weird fruit whilst their parents weren’t looking, it happened. The advantage is that Ganen had some experience on how to treat it.

Sugar and salt weren’t hard to find, and she wrote down a list with other things that could help. Walking to the school and back wasn’t that easy, especially carrying goods around, so she emptied a backpack of Séra’s to bring back some fruits and vegetables. Still hard, but a bit less.

She thought of stopping by Tara’s house — it was near the school — and ask if any of them were feeling sick. Maybe, if it didn’t happen to Séra alone, she could have an idea of what caused it. She looked at the sky, the sun wasn’t so low yet, so Ganen decided to make the little detour. Maybe, if they’re home, they might even give me a ride, she thought.

She knocked on the door and waited for a bit; then Ery showed up. He was surprised to see her there, and got worried about Séra. He explained no one in his house was sick, but a neighbour had come home early from his job with the same affliction.

He offered her a ride to the school, once his son had classes with Esha; on the way, he told Ganen of a plague, six years ago, and how devastating it was. They had been boiling the water ever since, even if the people would say it was clean.

— But not everyone does it, you see. Most people don’t. — he added.

— Does the school boil the water? — Ganen asked, suddenly fearful. They weren’t sure of anything, so all options were possible.

Ery looked at her, their fears shared in a single second. He sped up the car.

At school, things seemed normal, there was no rush to return the kids, and the teachers were being friendly as always. As they got in the car, however, Yigor said three of his friends were missing today, and so was one of the school workers.

Ery and Ganen shared the same worried look once again.

— You should go back to Séra. — he said. — I can keep Esha for a few days, if you prefer. I’ll take you there, so you can think a little about it.

— Yeah, thanks. I have an idea of how to deal with this, but… — She looked at her shoppings, bananas, potatoes, and some white meat. — Can we stop by the market for one second? I need some oranges.

— Oranges? Are they urgent?

— Yes. We had a small plague in my city some years before I left, it wasn’t this fast, but they’re similar enough. Diarrhoea is a terrible thing and can wear someone down pretty fast. If we can fix that, maybe the body can deal with the rest by itself, or at least it will give us more time.

— Oh. — Ery was surprised with so much information in so little time. After a second or two, he nodded and turned to the market, and after that quick stop, drove to Ganen’s house.

Ganen entered first to check on Séra. She was all curled up under the blanket, pale and shaking, sweat drowning the pillow. Ganen sat on the bed and touched her forehead; she was burning up.

— Séra, are you awake?

She mumbled a yes.

— Esha is going to stay a few days at Tara’s, okay?

Another yes.

— I’ll get her things and then look after you, call if you need me, okay?

She nodded, half-asleep. That wasn’t good. Ganen hurried and got the girl’s clothes, then walked back to the car.

— Esha, Séra’s a little sick, and it would be bad if you got sick too, I’d be very worried. So you’re going to stay with Ery and Tara for a little while, okay?

— Will Séra be fine?

— Yes, of course. — She tried to convince herself as well. — I’ll take good care of her.

Esha nodded, and, before leaving, Ery insisted they should call for help if anything happened. Ganen thanked him, and didn’t watch them go. She turned back into the house and started getting some cold towels to put on Séra's head.

— How are you feeling?

— Like shit. Everything hurts. And I think I’ll move to the bathroom.

— We’ll figure it out. I’ll make you some juice, you have to drink it, okay?

— I ain’t promising it…

— At least try, please.

Séra nodded and grunted, as she started to get up. It was much harder than it should be, and her legs felt too wobbly to take the few steps to the toilet seat.

In the kitchen, Ganen started cutting some oranges and boiling more water. There was some rehydration solution in the cooling box and enough ingredients to make more. She started squeezing the fruits into a jar, buds and all, put a large amount of sugar, then mixed it well. She took a long sigh and hoped it would work.

Log. 24857.j.a

It was horrible. This is the first memory I’ve had time to save. Comet Treiny really hit Gaya. I was outside when it split into several parts! At first it was wonderful, the sky was filled with lines of light! However, they were too close. When I accessed the Network, there were security alerts everywhere. I grabbed the child and we ran. But we couldn’t get into the bunker. The shock wave caught us first. I was thrown away, the child still in my arms. It was only by luck that I didn't smash her against a wall. This is something I don't even want to imagine.

It didn’t take long before the whole city was sick. The school was the first building to shut down, it wasn’t safe for the children, they could drink water from the sink when an adult wasn’t looking or dare their friends to do it, so the teachers decided it was better if each family was taking care of their own.

Some markets were still open, but the few healthy people were afraid of being infected, so no one was delivering goods anymore. Complaints were towering in the Big Building, and the diminishing number of healthy workers were fighting against the plague.

The hospital was full of dehydrated people, there weren’t enough resources to keep all of them alive and well. Doctors were tasked with the horrible mission of tending to the ones with more chances of survival and prioritising the children.

Finding fruits and fresh vegetables was getting harder every day, and Ganen was worried about Séra’s condition. She spent most of her time in the bathroom, in pain, and she couldn’t sleep well at night. Finding a solution for her fever was difficult and she was barely conscious most of the time.

— Hey, you. — Ganen tried, but there was no response. — I’m going to change the cold pads, okay? They’re warm again.

She sat on the bed, beside Séra, and put a new cold pad on her forehead. Ganen turned on her datapad and started looking for the books she had on medicine and biology. She had read all of them at least twice, and she was sure something on them could be of use.

It wasn’t the first time she spent the night awake in search for a solution, and it wouldn’t be the last. Most of the books said what she already knew: the diarrhoea was the most worrying problem, if they could control that, the body should be able to fight the infection, however, all her research still bore no results.

Ganen felt Séra’s hand reach for hers and held it tightly. She was afraid, and learning most of Bridge City was also sick didn’t make her feel any better. She thought about taking Séra to the hospital, but after paying it a visit, she came to the conclusion they weren’t doing more than she was.

Every passing minute told her her knowledge wasn’t enough, her efforts weren’t enough, and she couldn’t help feeling insecure. If she didn’t even know a simple a 5-letter word, she could never achieve such a grand job as saving her friend. Saving the person she had come to love the most.

And the looks! Every time she walked to the market, people would look at her like she was the culprit. Being fired from the hydroplant — as were all the outsiders — didn’t help with building a good reputation; being alive and kicking only made it worse. It wasn’t difficult hearing people say the outsiders should be sick, not the town’s folk.

At least Esha was safe from all that in Tara’s house. With the spreading chaos, Ganen was relieved the kid was protected from the grain water wasting — as people started to call the affliction. She tried focusing on the books on her datapad, but all she wanted to do was throw it on the wall.

Among all the knowledge she had acquired and fought for over the years, nothing could help her anymore than it already did. She looked at Séra shaking in fever by her side. Ganen didn’t know how, but she would fix that. She had to.

Log. 23379.h.bI

imagine the consequences of a comet falling on Gaya. Perhaps the dust raised by the impact will darken the sky. We’ll need a new source of energy. It would be possible to use the caravan, as it also uses wind energy. Even if there is no wind, we can turn the handles ourselves. But there are many who don’t have this option. Probably my friend would have to shut down his clones; they are quite useful, though they make everyone a little uncomfortable. And there is still all the organic life on the planet that needs light, clean air...

Ideally, we’ll have reached the underground city before anything like this happens.

Alid looked at the black woman who walked alone in the market. She was there every other day, so he knew she wasn’t infected. However, she didn’t look healthy. He imagined she was taking care of a sick one. He stared because he was sure he had seen her before, in Sand City. Talking about photographs.

She was a dangerous woman, who talked about dangerous things. Alid remembered seeing her with some of the best people in town, playing around with the children, helping Séra fix some things, exploring the tunnels with Treiny…

— May the Sun punish you for your blasphemy. — he prayed, low enough for no one to hear, then walked away.

He had to be sure the whole city was sick before leaving; it wasn’t simply a threat, it was discipline. Those people needed to be reminded not to depend on technology, it was frail and dangerous, heresy, using water, a slave of the Moon, to create energy was an insult to the Sun.

Instead of using what was freely given, they had to modify it, twist it into a deformed aberration, they must have spent years building the hydroplant, and it had stolen precious and useful people from Sand City. It was time for retribution after so many transgressions.

Soon, Bridge City wouldn’t be even a shadow of what it once was, and people would go back to the holy way, away from those who dared change the world.

When he opened the door, Ori was kneeling breathless on the floor, a small brass pendant, shaped like a sun between his hands, and pain painted his face at every breath.

— So you really do your prayers. — Alid had never truly believed.

— The same as ya, Alid. — Ori finished his moment of devotion, and put the pendant back on his necklace; he took his time to stand up, then leaned against the wall. — What do ya think? Have we finished our mission or must we stay longer?

— I’d rather stay, there are some healthy people still, some of them too dangerous to let loose; however, I fear some people might be suspicious about us.

— What has the Sun told ya?

— It tells me to stay. — Alid sighed. — My shadow was still strong on the ground as I walked outside.

— Then it’s settled. Let’s stay one more week. If it gets dangerous for us, then we leave, eh?

— I’m always surprised when the Sun’s wisdom finds its way through ya. — The older man turned his back to Ori and got a bottle of water from the floor.

Alid sat on his bed and sipped the warm water. The water which was blessed by the Sun. They would endure one more week. They had to be sure the city wouldn’t escape its punishment this time. He touched a knife in his pocket and whispered what the High Priest had told him before they left. Only those allowed by the Sun shall survive. And you are the Sun’s will, Alid.

On the other side of the small room, Ori smiled. It was endearing to see Alid uncomfortable. He knew he shouldn’t find pleasure in a brother’s ignorance, but if the old man was aware of whom he was talking to, maybe he’d be more respectful.

Ori was a survivor. He had a piece of his soul stolen when he was a kid, it was used to move the evil machines which corrupted a person’s arm. And even with a maimed soul, he survived. Even when the pain in his bones was enough to blind him and air couldn’t fill his lungs, he survived. Even when the world seemed to escape his feet, he survived. His life wasn’t easy, and only the Sun’s blessings offered him any comfort.

— I was wondering, Alid. This woman ya mentioned, the one that was in Sand City. Is she the one who was always walking around with Séra?

— Yes, why do ya ask? — he answered without looking at him.

— Because I wasn’t certain before, but now I am. She dragged Séra along to this city.

— What do ya mean? — Now he was getting nervous. Séra could never leave Sand City.

— I thought I had seen Séra in the hydroplant, but thought she would be smart enough not to leave. Now I know it was really her.

— How can ya be so sure? — Alid didn’t want to believe, he was filled with a silent, deadly rage.

— After what her aunt did to me, I could never forgive her or her family. And as much as we treasure Séra, I fear she’s walking the same path as her aunt.

Log. 23379.h.a

There are days when I don't do anything, I just sit on the sand and let the water wash over my feet. Me and the little child. Today was supposed to be one of those days, but I see the comet getting closer and I try hiding my fear. I brought a book to read, the letters pass by my eyes, but the constant glow in the sky scares me and the words don’t reach me.

Ganen woke up from another sleepless night. Someone knocked on the door again, but she didn’t want to get up. If it was important, they would…

— Miss Ganen and Miss Séra! — they called. Ganen grumped; she supposed it could be somehow important. — We must talk to you, it’s a matter of public safety.

She got up from the bed and searched for a pair of shorts. As she tied the ribbon, they called once more, and she squeezed her eyes. It was way too early for that kind of thing. She opened the door and couldn’t help yawning; she had been too tired and sore for days.

— What can I help you with? — she asked the two suited people in front of her house.

— I’m Yeff and she is Ahda. We’d like you and Séra to accompany us.

— No can do.

— What do you mean? — Ahda, a small woman with black chanel hair, wasn’t used to people refusing their orders.

— I’m sorry, I’m half-asleep, but we can’t go. Séra is too sick and I can’t leave her alone. — She took a step to the side and pointed at the bed, where her friend slept under a blanket with cold pads on her forehead. — Can’t we talk about whatever it is in here?

Ahda and Yeff exchanged a look. There wasn’t anything in the rules forbidding it, though it had never happened before. Not that they knew of.

— Do you mind if I check her condition? — Ahda asked.

— No. — Ganen answered after a while. — Lemme just let her know.

— Is she awake? — Yeff was confused.

— Yeah… I don’t think so.

Ganen sat by Séra’s side and held her hand. When she spoke, her voice was soft and sweet, as if she talked to a scared child. Then she looked up and called them both.

Ahda approached their bedroom, excused herself, then walked the few remaining steps to the bed. She touched Séra’s forehead, and agreed the woman was very feverish and fragile. Her skin was pale and it looked like she had lost a lot of weight.

— It’s the grain water wasting, isn’t it? — Ahda asked.

— Yeah. I’m trying to get her better, but… — Ganen bit her lip; the stress was making everything more difficult.

— I’m sorry. — She held Ganen’s hand, and the woman was surprised with such kindness. — Yeff, let’s talk to her here.

Yeff told Ganen about the city’s situation, the number of sick, the number of deceased, children, adults, and elderly. The number was higher than Ganen had imagined. The next thing Yeff said, however, was the most shocking:

— I’m here, talking to you, because it started at the hydroplant.

— What? — She couldn’t believe it. — I myself inspected those waters, with many others, how could it have started from there?

— That’s what we’re investigating. The water from the river doesn’t have traces of this disease. But the water in the city does.

— So it must have happened after the water left the cleaning station. — Ahda finished Yeff’s thought.

— And you know it quite well, don’t you, Miss Ganen? — But Yeff made the hard question.

— I do. And I’m an outsider.

— Yes. — they answered together, then Ahda continued: — When did Séra get sick?

— In the very beginning, she might as well have been one of the first to show symptoms.

— Most of those people have died, even in the hospital. — Yeff mentioned. — I hate to think you made her sick on purpose, to play the victim card. As long as you keep the secret, she’ll never know.

— You think I did this? — Ganen couldn’t be more disgusted by the idea. — What makes you think I’d risk Séra’s life? She’s my best friend, gosh, I love her! I’d rather put my life in danger.

Ahda examed her expressions, her body language with a clinical eye. She was stressed, that was sure, but she was also afraid. When she talked about Séra, however, Ganen looked desperate, terrified. Ready to do whatever it’d take to heal her.

— Ganen. How have you been treating Miss Séra?

— Ah… — She needed a few seconds to recollect herself. — I’ve prioritised dealing with the diarrhoea, lots of water, rehydration fluid, orange and citrus juices with lots of sugar. I try to make her eat some bread soaked in broth or very soft mashed potatoes, many showers, cold pads for the fever.

— We have a hospital. — Ahda said. — There is a lab there. I think you could be of use for the city.

— First you accuse me, now you offer me a job? — She was quite puzzled.

— You could say I’m a very good judge of character. — the woman smiled with the corner of her lips. — We could take Séra to the hospital and have a nurse around at all times. We can arrange a room near the lab, even.

— What difference would it make? — Ganen wasn’t sure of all that.

— We have cold IV fluid for rehydration and fever. That’s not something you can get out of the hospital.

Ganen looked at Séra, who’d been burning up for days. She had no idea if those two were trustworthy, if that wasn’t a trap; she even considered if there was a prison in Bridge City. Not that I have seen one, she thought.

And there was no need to remind her how nice Diandra and all of the other people they had contact with had been, it was hard to imagine being killed or unfairly imprisoned by such gentle and caring people. She had made mistakes before, though. Ganen wasn’t such a good judge of character as Ahda seemed to be.

In the end, Ganen took a deep breath, there was too much in her mind. Maybe if she was tough as nails and faced whatever destiny had in store, she could save Séra. And learn that goddamn 5-letter word.

— Fine. Let’s do it.