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  It was better for everyone that way.

  Chapter Five

  **Briar Lindemay**

  **NICU Nurse**

  **Day 12**

  **Exodus Operation**

  **Personal log**

  **Security algorithm Alpha-1-4-4-3-Lind**

  Today I was ready to lock up Caya in our quarters and place security outside. Not that I have the authority to order security officers around, but that girl is driving me insane. I suppose that after having been homeschooled and sheltered, she’s now acting as if she’s been given the code to the city gates. This whole ship is her new world; it’s massive, and she’s been riding the jumpers into all our surrounding cubes. When I asked her about her adventures, trying to be reasonable, she merely stated she wanted to familiarize herself with the ship since we’re going to be here “forever.”

  Two years is probably forever to a young person, but I still tried to tell her how important it is for her to keep a low profile. Caya’s reaction was unexpected, to say the least. She stopped folding her bedding and turned slowly toward me. “I’ve been a prisoner ever since the damn gene manifested itself. You’ve sacrificed a lot and put both of us in danger by bringing me on this journey. What was it all for, if you expect me to remain in seclusion, hidden from all human contact, from life?”

  She sounded so grown-up all of a sudden, and I couldn’t think of anything to say that would convince her. “You know what might happen if you’re discovered. If they figure it out. The very least is incarceration.”

  “Exactly.” Caya sat down on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Her hair lay around her like an iridescent cloak. Her beauty never stops to amaze me. “From one prison to the next.”

  “But I’d be in prison too if they knew,” I tried, desperate now to make her see reason.

  “Just like before. You and I in our house. Very cozy. Very safe.” Caya blinked at the tears in her eyelashes, and I felt like a total bully.

  “Are you saying I should’ve let it become common knowledge that you carry the gene? That we should’ve stayed on Oconodos and taken our chances? Well, it’s a bit late if you are.” Now I was crying too.

  Caya flew up and threw herself toward me, hugging me close. “No. No! Of course not. This was the right move, but staying in seclusion isn’t the answer. I’m going to have to be just like all the other young people my age, or my isolation will raise suspicions. Don’t you see?” She looked imploringly at me, and as much as I wanted to hold her close and keep her with me at all times, part of what she said had merit. Locking my sister away in our quarters would attract unwanted attention.

  “All right,” I muttered reluctantly. “Can you promise to keep me posted where you are and what you’re up to? It’s not easy for me to let go just like that.”

  “Aw, you’re such a worrier.” Caya smiled with youthful carelessness. “But I do promise. I’ll wear my communicator always, and you can ping the computer and ask my location. That all right?”

  I had to agree or we would’ve still been arguing, and then she wouldn’t have complied with anything. It’s really funny. Caya has our father’s coloration but our mother’s personality, and I’m the image of our mother but have Father’s temper and serious nature. Mother would often drive him crazy by inviting neighbors on the spur of the moment and holding a party without checking with him first. He enjoyed the quiet family evenings, and Mother loved crowds, parties, and socializing in general. Of course Caya would turn out to be just like her.

  My shift starts soon, but I’m not working at the NICU ward this afternoon. I’m going to assist with the Gemosian population, as it’s estimated that at least 1,200 of them are pregnant. The charts put together by the Gemosian health-care system have been sketchy, to say the least, as all their documentation was lost when their homeworld Gemosis was destroyed. The people we’re taking with us to P-105 have spent the last two years in refugee camps on Loghia, which is an unwelcoming place to begin with. Loghian culture puts profit and credit before anything else, and they were maneuvered into accepting the refugees only because they sold the red garnet that destroyed the Gemosian moon to the mining company responsible. To avoid any liability claims, they offered to take care of the “poor victims.” I don’t think we’ll hear many happy stories from their stay. Damn it, I’m going to be late. Forgot I’m riding through six cubes to get to the Gemosians.

  **Close document, using rotating algorithm Alpha-1-4-4-3-Lind**

  Briar stepped on the jumper, having had to stand for the last two stops as the cart filled up with Gemosians carrying bags full of different items. Curious, Briar peered into the open tote next to the elderly woman she’d just given up her seat for.

  “Yarn.” The white-haired woman smiled cautiously. Her olive-tinted skin held a strange paleness, and Briar guessed the woman hadn’t been outdoors a lot during her time in the Loghian refugee camp. Ever the nurse, she returned the smile and offered unsolicited advice. “I’m not sure how good the information exchange has been, madam, but all the outdoor areas, especially the parks, have health light built in that will mimic the sun’s, but without the skin hazards.”

  The woman regarded Briar with kind eyes. “Then I’ll do my knitting outside. I’ve been cooped up for too long. A lot of us have.” She extended her hand, palm down, the Gemosian way. “I’m Diantia.”

  “Good to meet you, Diantia. I’m Briar.” Briar placed the back of her hand on top of Diantia’s, as was their way of greeting.

  “You’re visiting in the Gemosian cube?”

  “Yes, in a manner of speaking. I’m a nurse and specialize in premature babies and newborns.”

  “Then you might run into two of my granddaughters-in-law. They’re both expecting. One of them any day now. We were all so relieved when we made it onto the Exodus ship before she had the baby.” Shadows flickered across Diantia’s face. “We’ve lost so many babies and mothers in the camps. Conditions were less than ideal.” Sadness colored her voice. “We should be grateful, but a lot went on that just wasn’t right.”

  Briar had kept herself informed of some of it, but once the Gemosian population started interacting with the Oconodians, she’d learn a lot more.

  Her gateway came up, and she bid Diantia farewell after quickly exchanging communicator IDs. Walking along the corridor leading to the main outdoor area, Briar made sure to appear welcoming and friendly. It wasn’t hard, as most of the Gemosians looked relieved to finally be on board. As she reached the larger square, she found a large crowd gathered. A young man used a table as a makeshift podium and spoke in the Gemosian language, his voice urgent as he gazed determinedly at the people gathered around him. Most of them were young like him, late teens or twenties, and some were drumming faintly on empty buckets or canisters.

  Tapping her communicator, Briar entered the command for real-time translation. As the young man’s voice boomed from a large speaker, the communicator was able to pick up most of it.

  “This might look like heaven, my friend,” the young man said, “but we need to keep our wits about us. Remember when we went to Loghia, to the camps, how grateful we were. We’d lost everything, damn it, we’d lost a whole world, and they offered us refuge. I don’t know about you, but it’ll be a long time before I forget how cold we were, how we starved, and how the guards treated us. Even set those furry monsters, their hayados, on us. My sister was bitten several times when she was in line for our daily allotment of food. She’s thirteen, and she’ll never go near one of those animals again.”

  “But this is different,” a young woman called out. “The Oconodians are as much refugees as we are, aren’t they? They’re escaping those monsters on their homeworld.”

  Briar flinched. So the changers had been upgraded to monsters now? She was relieved Caya wasn’t hearing this discussion. She would hear something similar at some point, though. Briar hoped she would be there to protect and reassure—or restrain—her sister if that happened.

  “They’r
e not refugees like we are. This is their ship, their technology, and their initiative. They’ve paid for all of this. We get a free ride because of their benevolence, but sooner or later it’ll be time to pay up.” The man placed both hands on his hips. “You know as well as I do, nothing’s free. And don’t get me wrong. I don’t want a free ride either. We need to pull our weight and contribute all we can for the greater good. Everyone needs to do their part.

  “But I still maintain we shouldn’t accept being treated as second-rate passengers onboard the Exodus ships. The Gemosian cube shouldn’t become the ghetto where they also place the Oconodians who may cause trouble where they are now. That’s what happened at our camp. It was all right, despite the cold and the food shortage, until the Loghians started using it as a place they could dump their so-called rehabilitated criminals.”

  “We had those at our camp too,” another young woman called out. “We had to keep guards as soon as it was dark, in two-hour shifts.”

  “That’s why I maintain, no, I demand, we keep our guard up and also form a committee, separate from the Gemosian parliament or any of the old and tired systems that did nothing to keep us safe while in the camps. We need new, young blood, as the old regime was rendered helpless when Tegia was destroyed.”

  Tegia was the moon that had exploded after a mining company used red garnet as a cheap way to shift the bedrock. Briar wanted to hear more from this angry young man but was late enough as it was. She made a note to search the database for him later; perhaps he was well known enough to make the internal broadcasting system?

  The local women’s clinic was full when Briar gently made her way through the crowd of women and children.

  “Finally, Lindemay. Another minute and the Gemosian matron would’ve had you air-locked for being late.” Rydlon, Briar’s colleague, grinned as he motioned behind him with his thumb. “Dr. Shilet is in ex-1 with a Gemosian obstetrician. Why don’t you join them and I’ll take care of the mom in ex-2.”

  “How many rooms do we have at our disposal?” Briar locked her bag in a cabinet under the counter.

  “Four. Gemosian midwives are busy in the other two. They’ll come get us if there’s an issue. They’re really good at what they do.” Rydlon wasn’t easily impressed, so Briar believed him.

  “All right. See you later.” Briar ran a wand over her clothes before donning a protective apron, then sanitized her hands before she entered ex-1. “Hello. I’m Nurse Lindemay.”

  “Ah, yes. Excellent.” Shilet, who worked in Briar’s ward normally, turned and greeted her. “This is Dr. Nilla Moteno, obstetrician.” As Dr. Shilet spoke in the Oconodian language, Briar surmised that either the other doctor spoke their language or they used the real-time translator.

  “Nice to meet you, Dr. Moteno,” Briar said, holding her hand out, palm down.

  Moteno looked surprised but accepted the greeting. “Please, call me Nilla—or Moteno, as I’ve noticed you call each other by surnames a lot among colleagues.” Nilla Moteno was about Briar’s height, had long, dark hair that she kept in an intricate braid down her back, and dark-brown eyes. She looked as pale as her fellow Gemosians; no doubt she’d spent her time in the camps working. How hard it must have been to lose mothers and babies due to the circumstances.

  “Then call me Briar. I’m getting sick of being called Lindemay for sure. Should I get our next patient?”

  “Not necessary. We have Gemosian sub-nurses in charge of registering and triaging,” Nilla said. A knock on the door proved her right.

  Briar opened it, letting in a pale woman. Glancing at the screen on the wall, Briar noted the basics quickly and set her communicator to translate her words to Gemosian. “Mrs. Gloyme, I’m Nurse Lindemay. Welcome to cube twenty-three. Please, take a seat over here while the doctors review your charts. I’m going to draw some blood and scan both you and the baby. The scanner is completely safe to use. All right?”

  The woman nodded shyly. “Thank you.”

  Briar smiled encouragingly as she placed a blood-sample absorber in the crease of Mrs. Gloyme’s arm. Once this was done, she noted the results and was ready to inform her patient. Just as she started talking to Mrs. Gloyme, Nilla interrupted her.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Her formerly friendly demeanor was now frosty.

  “Informing Mrs. Gloyme of—”

  “I don’t know how you do it on Oconodos, but on Gemosis, the doctor informs the patient of any measures.”

  “I see.” Briar carefully donned a neutral expression and turned to Dr. Shilet. “Doctor?”

  “In our medical culture, the nurses are the experts on nutritional and metabolic issues. Reading the results from blood work regarding this procedure is routine.”

  “I see. And as your charity passengers, we should just conform. Is that what you mean?” Nilla looked ready to do battle.

  Briar realized this wasn’t just about questioning her skill or professionalism. It was about drawing a line in the sand. Some Gemosians were bound to use any excuse to do so. After two years in Loghian camps, the 100,000 Gemosians would vary from extremely relieved and grateful for getting out, to hell-bent on fighting for every single part of their people’s way of life. Compromise could be hard to obtain, especially as some of the two million Oconodians thought harboring the Gemosians was a waste of resources since they hadn’t contributed or sacrificed anything to be part of the Exodus operation.

  “I’d be happy to discuss the area of my expertise to reassure you, Nilla, as I’m sure your apprehension stems from concern for your patient’s well-being.” Briar awaited Nilla’s decision on how to proceed, pretty sure it wasn’t just about the patient for the doctor. No, this woman was a proud Gemosian who wouldn’t let anyone roll right over her. Still, now that Briar had called her on her motives, her response would be interesting. Briar saw Dr. Shilet regard them with interest. Mrs. Gloyme looked like she was at a felo-ball match, the way her wide eyes darted between them.

  Nilla gazed at Dr. Shilet and back at Briar. She made a wry face and looked like she’d made an inner promise to be better prepared next time. “Fine. Let’s look at the blood work.”

  Oh, wasn’t this woman a bundle of joy when she allowed her pride and temper to rule? Briar sighed inwardly. She hoped time would show the Gemosians that most of the people from Oconodos were in fact so glad to be under way that their benevolence toward the newcomers was genuine.

  After recommending the correct vitamins and supplements to Mrs. Gloyme, and congratulating the bewildered woman on having twins, Briar left to go to ex-3. Nilla joined her, as Dr. Shilet had another patient. Before they entered ex-3, Briar did what she had to do and stopped Nilla from entering.

  “Listen, Dr. eh…Nilla. I know we work differently. I’m fine with that. I’m prepared to compromise a great deal as long as it doesn’t put patients in any danger or embarrass them. If you’d rather do all of the blood-work readings, even administer medication, and all the other hundreds of procedures on the list of things I trained to do, that’s fine as well. Just don’t corner me in front of a patient ever again. I don’t say that for my own sake, but for theirs. They need medical teams that are in consensus for them to feel safe and cared for. I understand that’s something no Gemosian living in Loghian camps has felt in two years. Let’s give them the feeling of having entered their new home and not yet another disaster area, all right?”

  She drew a deep breath and hoped she hadn’t made things worse. Caya would’ve called this one of Briar’s podium speeches. She was known to lecture when passionate about the subject.

  Nilla seemed to mull her words over for a moment. A faint, crooked smile curled the left side of her mouth. “You’re one of those people who are right where they’re supposed to be in life, aren’t you?”

  “I—I don’t know. I love my job, if that’s what you mean.”

  “I do. And no doubt you’re good at it.”

  “I am.” Briar wasn’t boasting. She was good at her job, even
an acknowledged expert in some areas. “I’m usually stationed at the NICU where I handle babies after birth, but I try to keep current in prenatal care when I can. As Gemosian women are mostly identical to Oconodians, but not entirely, I figured I might learn and be useful at the same time.”

  “With that attitude, I’m sure you will be. Now, should we meet, eh, Ms. Tosimy as a team?” Nilla looked like she was really trying to remain cooperative, and Briar had to hand it to her. Even if she wasn’t buying what Briar said in full, she was trying.

  “Ms? Does that mean she’s not partnered with anyone while having the child?” Briar thought she better ask instead of assuming.

  “Yes. Unless she’s met another partner, this young woman—she’s only eighteen—is indeed alone.” Looking angry again as she read more from Ms. Tosimy’s file, Nilla shook her head. “Poor child. She’s one of the many who were abandoned by her Loghian lover. Or worse.”

  Worse? Briar blinked. “Oh, fuck. Of course. The Loghian guards or camp staff.” She nodded briskly at Nilla before they stepped into ex-3.

  The young woman on the gurney didn’t look a day over fourteen. Her pale complexion, the dark semicircles under her eyes that looked like bruises, and her thin, almost emaciated body forced Briar to dig deep for her professionalism. As empathy was one of her strongest traits, she merely went over and sat down next to the girl. “Hello, Ms. Tosimy. I’m Nurse Lindemay and this is Dr. Moteno. How are you today?”

  “Please, call me Gella. The ‘Ms. Tosimy’ is like holding up a flare saying ‘that traitor.’” Gella looked discouraged. “It’s bad enough as it is.”

  “And how is that?” Nilla pulled up a stool and joined them. She took one of Gella’s hands between hers.

  “My baby has no father. He never will. And my former family and friends will never let me forget how he came to be. I fell in love with a camp guard and thought he loved me back. How old and tired is that story? He said he would register our union and take me to live with him in the capital of Loghia, away from the diseases and violence of the camps. He never did. Once my family and friends realized I was pregnant, he had already been transferred. And here I am. Rescued…but alone and found guilty of being a traitor by the people who used to love me.” Gella shrugged, looking jaded. “If you’d rather I not come to the clinic—”