12: New Oasis

The sun had just risen when a boxlike structure moving on large soft rollers, rounded the corner and stopped directly below the balcony in front of Ishbel’s apartment. Wearing borrowed Mage cloaks, Peteru and Uretep climbed over the railing and dropped through a roof opening onto comfortable seats, then reached up to take two bundles; a small one containing fifteen enseemats and their terminals, and a large basket containing thirteen sets of Mage vestments so they'd have something to wear if they visited the new city.

Ishbel leaned over the railing. ‘How are you planning to enter New Oasis,’ she asked with a sneer. ‘Surely you don’t think we’d leave the place open to wild birds, bats, possums and dogs?’

They exchanged embarrassed glances. ‘We never thought about it. How stupid is that?’

‘Very stupid! But it’s nice to know you’re not perfect.

‘We never thought we were.’

‘Here, use this.’ Ishbel dropped a small gold disc into Peteru’s lap. ‘It’s a universal key that opens everything, and if you need to contact us, it grants direct vidcom access to our suites. Everything’s working over there, so help yourselves to food and stuff.’

‘Thanks, Ishbel.’

‘Make sure you’re back in three days! You will be needed at the presentation of NumbaCruncha.’

‘We won’t be needed, Ishbel, everything is programmed. The Mainframe needs no more instructions; every mat’s been logged in, the chips are all pre-programmed, all you have to do is have them inserted, place the mats and terminals where we’ve indicated, ensure they’re vandal proof, and number them clearly so everyone knows where their nearest one is and the numbers of the places they want to go to. As we wrote in the instruction notes, there must be an information screen beside every mat with a map showing every place people with that mat are permitted to go, and its corresponding number.’

‘Nonetheless, you will be here! I want you two to instruct the Royal couple in their role as demonstrators.’ Her face was swelling in annoyance.

‘Of course we’ll be here, Ishbel. Don’t worry. We’re your abject objects.’

The joke fell flat.

Her voice too was flat, as well as menacing, and there was no smile in the eyes. ‘That’s exactly what you are, and don’t forget it!’

The pilotless solar powered vehicle was directed wirelessly from Augur’s Transport bureau. The trip was uneventful, if a little bumpy, and on arrival at the equivalent of Ishbel’s deck, they unloaded and the car immediately returned.

The gold disc worked and it was with some awe that they realised they were the sole inhabitants of the vast structure. They wandered around the luxurious quarters that would one day be Ishbel’s, eventually arriving at windows facing the immense circular interior of the city. A hundred metres below, the concourse stretched into the distance. Unlike the original Oasis, the air was transparent, but distant apartments on the far side were still too tiny to make out details, which increased their awareness of the size of the place.

The soft hum of heat pumps and other energy generators permeated the structure. Hallways were illuminated and, according to Augur, the negrav chutes were working.

‘Dare to try them?’

‘No way. It wouldn’t surprise me if Augur thought it would be a joke to turn them off while we’re here.’

‘We ought to go down and look around.’

‘Why?’

‘It’s what we said we’d do.’

‘No, we said we’d check the place out. Well, I’ve checked, and now I want to go for a walk.’

Uretep looked at Peteru and laughed loudly. ‘So do I!’

But first we’d better put the Mages clothes and wigs in neat piles; can’t have them getting angry at having to do something for themselves.’

‘It’s funny they can’t accept being bald. As if a mouldy wig makes them look any better.’

‘I’m surprised they didn’t send over a few Vassals with us to prepare the place.’

They placed a mat for themselves on the floor of a small cupboard-like room down the hallway from the lounge, then spread thirteen mats and their terminals around, ready to receive the Mages if they decided to come. The last one they placed in a small backpack along with the original miniature terminal, a bottle of water, the gold disc and some algal biscuits they’d brought with them.

‘I’ve just thought of something.’

‘Mmm?’

‘If we use the mat to return here, we’ll leave our clothes and pack in the forest. We’ve no spare clothes, so how do we explain it if the Mages pay us a visit?’

‘They probably won’t, but it’s an important point. We leave our clothes here then?’

‘Yes. I don’t think they’d approve of us taking a wander in the forest.’

‘And if they arrive when we’re not back?’

‘We say we returned to our apartment in Oasis to check on something.’

‘Brilliant!’

They stripped, leaving their clothes in a heap beside the mat in the small room as if they’d been transported.

Back on the balcony they closed the door to the apartment, which locked automatically, then checked for wild dogs. Seeing none they dropped easily over the edge and set off across scraped bare earth towards the forest, a five-minute jog away.

Barely fifty paces into the trees they stopped, already too awed to speak or think; scarcely daring to breathe. After several minutes in which the atmosphere began to feel less alien, more neutral, they dared to whisper.

‘It’s huge!’

‘And green.’

‘And alive.’

‘And I want to cry. It’s so impressive. Majestic. I can’t take it in.’

‘These things. Plants. Trees! They’re so tall! So massive! It’s so cool and dim and…’ Peteru ran out of words.

‘And inspiring.’

‘And look at the rope things; vines I think they’re called! So thick we could climb them.’

‘And up there! Red things; flowers. Look, look, look! This coloured thing flapping in the air! It’s fantastic. I want to stay here forever.’

‘Birds. Hear them? There must be millions. All different noises. And there’ll be animals and… Argh!’ Peteru slapped at his thigh. ‘Blood…this worm thing was sucking my blood!’ He tore a thick slug-like creature as fat as his finger from his leg. ‘It’s bitten a hole!’

‘We sure aren’t alone. Dare we go further?’

‘Try to stop me. But let’s keep an eye on each other as we go to check for any other nasties that fancy a bit of our flesh.’

‘It’s lucky we don’t have to worry about losing track of where we are, I’ve already lost all sense of direction.’

‘Me too. It’s actually a bit nerve-wracking, isn't it? So much space. No walls. I don’t know if I can go much further. Sorry to be such a wimp, but...’

‘Yeah. I feel pretty much the same. But it’d be stupid to have got this far and then quit don’t you reckon? Tell you what, let’s make a quick trip back to check if NumbaCruncha really does work outside Oasis, and if it does then we’re safe no matter what happens.’

‘Thanks. I feel braver already.’

‘Better take the disc in case we have to open a door.’

‘Right.’ Uretep popped it into his mouth while Peteru placed their mat on the ground. They stood on it, pressed their wrists and were instantly back where they came from, in the cupboard-like room. Complicit grins of relief plastered their faces. Courage replenished, they returned to the rainforest, picked up their mat and pack and continued bravely forcing their way through increasingly dense and sometimes thorny undergrowth.