Spirit Tree of the Red Rocks: Future Page 7

  Violet asked, "So anyone affiliated with your group has to go through everything we just did to reach the surface?"

  "Well, yes and no. At the opposite end of the city, there's another entrance to the outside, but getting there makes the way we came look like child's play."

  "You're kidding!"

  "No, Dr. Morningstar, I'm not."

  So he was back to calling her Doctor.

  20: Upward

  Bren's apprehension over Violet's state of mind eased. Now that they were through the tunnel and making their way toward the elevator shaft, she seemed alert and responsive. He thought about her story of living the life of her distant grandmother while in cryosleep, and although his mind wanted to scoff at the notion, he decided to refrain from judgment. Her telling of the story had been done with absolute conviction and he was curious about the rest of the tale.

  They reached the elevator shaft and he changed the glow stick from illumination to flashlight mode. He unlatched the access gate and the metal hinges screeched in protest when he pulled it open. Turning to Violet, he said, "I've been to the surface maybe a dozen times in the past ten years and I want you to know the process is, well, slow. Right now, we're about two miles underground and this elevator travels about one mile an hour using solar energy."

  Violet said, "After what we've just been through, I assure you I won't mind this mode of transportation. In fact the slower the better; I need time to get my wits back."

  "And finish your story about Frannie," he added.

  "Are you sure you want to hear it? It may be just the ramblings of an overactive imagination."

  "But you don't believe that."

  After a moment she replied, "No. I don't. As fantastic as it sounds, I believe I was visited by a grandmother who once lived and walked the earth and for some reason wanted, or perhaps needed, me to experience her life."

  Bren touched Violet's elbow and escorted her into the elevator. It was small, only large enough for four people at the most, perfectly square, and built of thick sheets of metal. He closed the gate and said, "You'll probably be more comfortable if you sit with your back to the metal. I'll sit across from you. He removed the strap keeping the glow stick from being dropped or lost, and set the light on the floor between them.

  When they were both comfortable, he reached up and punched the activation button. He had no qualms about the elevator not working. The organization he worked for was a well-oiled machine with one focus, terraforming the earth so civilization could once again live aboveground.

  Amidst creaks and groans the elevator slowly lifted upward and Bren watched Violet for signs of panic. With her head leaning against the metal and her eyes closed, she appeared perfectly calm. Softly, he said, "Are you going to finish telling me about Frannie and her Indian brave?"

  "Only if you really want to know and you're not just trying to keep me occupied."

  Bren sighed. "I'll admit I do want to keep you occupied, but I also want to know the conclusion to your dream."

  Violet lifted her lashes and the light from the lamp, now dimmed, captured the blue of her eyes and turned them into sapphire jewels. Bren inhaled long and deep. Violet was a woman of substance, conviction, and beauty. She was mesmerizing and he had to mentally shake himself to steer his thoughts away from his attraction to her. She was his charge and her safety was top priority. He couldn't cloud his emotions or his duty by fantasizing a relationship that was never going to happen. Besides, if she knew the truth about him, it would quell anything between them.

  She said, "What are you thinking? You seem to be a million miles away?"

  He gave her a lopsided grin. "I was wondering when you were going to continue your story."

  "You were not."

  "Okay, guilty. I wasn't, but now I am. Tell me about Frannie and the red rocks."

  Violet gave him a smile that made the pulse in his neck throb and replied, "I like honesty. Thank you."

  Bren's gut clenched at her words. He could never be completely honest with her. "I'm waiting. But start at the beginning again," he said softly.

  Violet nodded and he listened to a story that was, quite frankly, beyond belief. It seemed that a young woman named Frannie was also visited in dreams by a grandmother and led to a place of red rocks through serendipitous happenstance. Although the story was farfetched, Bren loved the descriptions of what Violet termed the "Western Frontier," and by the time they reached the halfway point to the surface, he was totally absorbed in the tale, and when she talked about the Spirit Tree, he was fascinated.

  Violet concluded by saying, "And then he entered the teepee, knelt in front of her, and said, "I love you, Spirit Woman." She shrugged. "That's it. That's when I woke up, Agent Bren."

  Her statement was like a cup of cold water dashed in his face. "So you don't know anything else about them or the red rocks or the Spirit Tree?"

  She shrugged and sighed. "No."

  The elevator made a grating sound and began moving even slower. He said, "We're almost there."

  The final five minutes were spent in silence as Bren watched Violet and considered the story she had just revealed. Could it have been more than a dream? Was Violet really visited by an ancestor? He remembered a study he had once read about cryosleep patients. It basically concluded they did not dream. All they remembered was being put to sleep and then awakening. Was Violet the exception?

  The lift shuddered to a stop and Bren inhaled the fragrance of fresh air. It always made him heady. He opened the elevator gate and gently pulled Dr. Morningstar to her feet. As they stepped outside the lift, he said, "I'm glad we arrived at night. Sunlight after being underground can be overwhelming. The false sunlight below ground is nothing compared to the real thing. Tomorrow morning you'll see what I mean." He shut his lamp off and said, "Look up."

  21: Here Comes the Moon…

  Violet felt a jolt of excitement. The air was just like in her dream. It was crisp and fragrant and so, so wonderful. She felt Bren touch her arm and repeat, "Look up."

  She was almost afraid to do his bidding. What would happen when she looked at the sky? Slowly, she moved her gaze upward…and gasped. The moon, perfectly round and white and surrounded by a radiant glow, was exactly the one from her dream, and in that instant, she had no doubt that Frannie had truly visited her. There was no way she could have conjured up such perfection on her own. She also realized something else—Frannie was guiding her somewhere, trying to show her something important. She closed her eyes and silently said, "Frannie, I believe in you." She opened her eyes to see Bren staring at her, a shaft of moonlight making his eyes even paler. She could feel his curiosity about what she was thinking, but she wasn't ready to reveal her suspicion that Frannie was leading them. "It's so beautiful."

  His gaze lifted toward the moon again. After long moments he said, "We'll rest and head for the compound tomorrow."

  He reignited the glow stick, turned it into a beam and shined it around them. "The earth isn't totally barren of plant life. There are scatterings of weeds and shrubs. As I'm sure Dr. Glasmir made you aware, most of the oxygen we're breathing comes from the ocean because plant and animal life has thrived there?"

  "Have you been to the ocean?"

  "No. But scientists in our organization have risked their lives to travel there. We now have a compound on the west coast. For the past three hundred years our government has tried to downplay the fact that the oceans have flourished."

  "Why would they do that?"

  "Because they don't want the populace demanding that funds be directed toward terraforming. Think about it. What would happen if we were able to live aboveground? What if humanity learned they could thrive off the land again? What if they tasted freedom? What if they demanded accountability from their leaders?" He answered his own questions with passion. "Without the right governance there would be anarchy. Governments and monetary systems would collapse and chaos would abound." He presented more questions. "And how would the populace get to th
e surface? The old exit routes have been buried. What would happen in the event of a mass exodus? How many people would die? You saw what it took for us to reach the surface."

  "So what is the solution?"

  The light from the glow stick cast shifting shadows across Bren's face. He said solemnly, "The first item on the agenda is to discover why the soil refuses to yield nothing but weeds and scrub brush. After that a small portion of earth should be terraformed and sparsely populated by volunteers who will till the soil and learn to live with nature. As the earth thrives, the preserved DNA of animals must be used to introduce them back into nature." He inhaled sharply, his passion evident in his gestures and tone. "Basically, we must return to the beginning. We must learn from the past and incorporate that knowledge into creating a better world a little at a time. And when I say knowledge, I include more than technology. I include our social interactions. Surely, in the short time you've been awake you've seen how emotionally bankrupt the populace is. Where are the emotions of joy, love, compassion, empathy, even hatred and sadness? Although people go about their daily routines, they are asleep. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

  "Yes, I do. After I began interacting with others again it saddened me to know I must live in this era. It's so different from the one I left; so void of emotion."

  Agent Bren lifted his gaze heavenward and Violet did the same. Tears stung her eyes when she considered the future of humanity if terraforming never became viable.

  "Follow me," he said abruptly. "There's a small cave nearby where we can sleep. The sun will be up in a few hours."

  Exhaustion weighed on Violet and she suddenly needed to rest not only her body, but her mind and emotions.

  Winding their way around rocks and shrubs they came to a narrow gap between boulders. Bren squeezed inside the opening and then called for Violet to join him. When she entered he shined the light around a small cave and she watched him reach into a crevice to pull out two packages. He handed one to her. "We keep thermal blankets and supplies in the cave."

  "How often does anyone stay here?"

  "Not often. The aboveground scientists rarely go underground. Their facility is about five miles away. In the morning we'll make our way there. We should arrive around noon." He added with a quirk of his lips, "It's in a cave."

  Violet didn't respond to the cave remark. She had something more pressing on her mind. "How do the aboveground and belowground scientists communicate with each other?"

  "About two hundred years ago an ingenious system using 'white noise' transmissions was invented. Anyone who chances upon the transmissions will just think they're hearing static unless they know how to retune the static and listen for certain nuances. It's kind of like a modern day Morse code. As far as we know, the Secret Police haven't caught on."

  "How did they find out about the secret lab I was working in?"

  Bren puffed air. "Occasionally, someone in our organization needs money or medical care for themselves or a loved one and succumbs to pressure, or they're just greedy. The propaganda, as well as the reward for turning over information about 'those opposed to tranquility,' is enormous." He hesitated. "But that didn't happen this time. Dr. Glasmir's wife turned him—and you—in. He once told me she was unhappy with her life, but I never thought she would do something like this." He inhaled deeply and said, "I believe she was jealous of you, Dr. Morningstar."

  Violet gasped. "But she didn't know me as Violet Morningstar; she knew me as boring Mary Jones."

  "Yes, Mary Jones who was monopolizing much of her husband's time. Obviously, she knew he led a double life and suspected you were part of it."

  "That's so sad."

  Bren slowly nodded, "Yes, it is."

  "Does she know about the exits to the outside or the coding in the white noise?"

  "No. There are only six people," he paused and said, "now five, who are aware of the exits and have the knowledge to decode messages. And they're all devoted to the cause."

  Violet bit her lip to stop its trembling. She knew the sixth person had been Nathan Glasmir.

  Bren pointed. "You should sleep behind that alcove at the back of the cave." He reached behind a rock and pulled out a flexible container. "There's enough water here for drinking and freshening up. There are energy bars in the side pocket."

  "What about you?"

  "There are several containers hidden throughout the cave. Now get some rest, Dr. Morningstar."

  "I wish you'd call me Violet."

  He hesitated before replying, "That's not a good idea." He hesitated again. "The best way to keep someone safe is to remain strictly professional." And with those words he turned and walked away.

  After refreshing and eating tasteless energy bars, Violet slipped inside the thermal blanket and rested her head on a self inflating pillow. She doubted she could even sleep after such a day. She closed her eyes."

  "Hello, dearest Violet," said a familiar voice.

  "Frannie! You're back!"

  "Of course, my sweet, I never left you."

  "I've had the most gruesome day."

  "Oh, don't I know. My heart was in my throat many times."

  Violet started to say something but refrained.

  "What is it, Violet? You can tell me anything."

  Violet said with conviction, "I want to return to the red rocks and live there as myself. I don't like my life now."

  "But the red rocks are not the same as they once were. The land is barren."

  Violet stifled a sob. "I know. I was just wishing I could return there every night in my sleep. I was very happy in the valley."

  "But that was my time on earth, dearest. You must live your own."

  "There's not much to live."

  "That's where you're wrong. You have much to do and look forward to."

  "You must tell me what that is because I don't see it."

  "You have to discover why the soil refuses to grow plants. And after you do, you must raise your own family among the red rocks. You know, dear, when I traveled there the land was called the New Frontier. And now, hundreds of years later, it will again be known as the New Frontier. Violet, it's time for you to embrace your life and fulfill your destiny."

  "And if I find the red rocks, what then? Nothing will grow, so how can I live there?"

  "Tsk, tsk, Violet. It seems you have forgotten something very important."

  "What?"

  "Think, dear, think."

  In her mind's eye Violet again envisioned cliffs that radiated multiple hues of orange, yellow, and purple throughout the day; cliffs that enclosed a valley overflowing with beautiful plants, lively animals, and echoed with the sound of a creek flowing between tall pines. She saw the Spirit Tree. Excited, she said, "Frannie, the Spirit Tree is no longer there, is it?"

  Frannie replied, "Now that you're on the right path, I must leave you for a time, dear granddaughter."

  Violet jerked her eyes open to something she had only seen in her dreams and in holographic chambers—sunlight.

  22: Here Comes the Sun…

  Scooting out of the thermal blanket, Violet rushed to the entrance of the cave and stood mesmerized. Before her, glowing in yellow flame was the sun from her dreams. She shielded her eyes, unwilling to look away. From behind her, Bren said, "It's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen."

  Still unwilling to glance away, she exclaimed, "Yes! Oh, yes!"

  Bren stepped next to her and they remained motionless until he said, "We'd better head out. I've loaded water and food from the stash we keep here."

  It was then that Violet shifted her gaze to the topography in front of her—hilly and barren except for scattered brush and desolate weeds, and although spartan, the scene was beautiful. She covered her heart with her hand, overcome with emotion, and said, "I never thought I would actually stand on the surface of the earth. I'm a scientist who doesn't believe in herself or her work."

  Unexpectedly, Bren reached and placed his hand on her shoulder. He said softly, "Tha
t's where you're wrong. You believe in yourself and your work so much, that it's easier to say you don't, than face the possibility of failure. But I know beyond any doubt you will not fail. I believe in you."

  Violet smiled sadly at Bren as she placed her hand over his. "Thank you."

  As Bren had predicted, they reached the aboveground station around noon. The entrance was a small metal door painted the color of surrounding rock that camouflaged it perfectly with the terrain. It was impossible to see unless you knew it was there. The door slid open when his retina was scanned and he placed his palm at the back of Violet's waist, urging her inside. A long hallway stretched ahead of them and he motioned her forward. He said, "At the end of this hallway is the main lab–"

  They were interrupted by a disembodied voice over a speaker. "Hello Agent Bren. This is Agent Jensen and I've been watching your approach for some time. Welcome back. It's been what, sixteen months since you were here?"

  "Seventeen," replied Bren.

  "Ah, yes, of course. Well, we're happy to welcome you and excited to meet the legendary Dr. Violet Morningstar."

  Bren kept abreast of Violet as they continued down a brightly lit hallway fitted with contoured metallic walls that reflected grotesque caricatures of them. When they stopped at the end of the hallway, the disembodied voice said, "I'm opening the door for you."

  Bren saw the question in Violet's eyes and said, "I can enter the station, but not the lab. It's a security precaution. Agent Jensen will give me the code later." She nodded as a metal door so perfectly molded into the wall as to be almost invisible, slid sideways. Bren waited for Violet to enter and then followed. As soon as they were inside, the door closed with barely a click.

  "Welcome Dr. Morningstar and Agent Bren," said a dark haired man whom Bren knew to be around fifty years of age, but looked closer to thirty due to advances in age controlling drugs. Agent Jensen stuck his hand out to shake Violet's and she responded in kind. Then he turned toward Bren and did the same. After the men greeted each other, Agent Jensen returned his attention to Violet. "So, what did you think of our escape route. Quite fragrant, don't you agree?"