Chapter 25
It seemed over the next few days, that Simon's proposal had set off a small avalanche. Torin asked Theresa the very next day, though his was done outdoors. Then Rhys asked Abigail, in song form. Diana had been present for the second one, but hadn't liked it very much. The movies they'd all seen had glorified getting engaged and getting married, making them out to be some of the most important things any people could do. While she didn't feel that way herself, Rhys' song had made light of something that was supposed to be at least a little important. Abby didn’t seemed to mind though, saying yes with a laugh, and even joining in for the reprise after putting on the ring.
Diana was a little jealous of that. Not of Abby herself; she had no interest in Rhys at all. No, more at how pure Abby's expression had been. She'd believed, heart and soul, that saying yes was the right thing to do. Diana had felt the same, but not out of joy.
Then Sarah's wedding had happened, in full force, driving all other considerations out the window. Sarah had taken charge of everything, right from the start, even down to the bridesmaids' shoes themselves. Adam had been caught up in it along with everyone else; like snowflakes in a storm. It seemed that Sarah wasn't holding any grudges against Diana for upstaging her, but Diana was still careful not to step on her toes in any way. She'd made her point already.
The wedding itself was held in the only place large enough for a majority of the humans to attend. The calisthenics gym had been refitted temporarily, with a flowered arch, a bunch of chairs, and a lectern up at the front. Unsurprisingly, John performed the ceremony, though Diana had heard rumors that he'd only been ordained by Noah a few days before. You didn't need to be an actual priest to just say prayers, but you did if you wanted to marry people.
Torin and his younger apprentices had been working themselves to the bone getting all the dresses ready. A white linen dress for the bride, and dark blue for the bridesmaids and Maid of Honor. A tux, made of God-knew-what, for Adam, and formal dress shirts for the rest. He couldn't make enough for the whole crowd, of course. Most of them just showed up in the nicest clothes they'd gotten from Noah over the years. It was a quiet group, too, thanks to enforcement from Noah's drones. The younger kids were either shushed or discreetly removed from their seats if they started to speak up or cry.
Simon had helped Bez rig up corrugated tin cans from one of the supply sheds, and run them on strings behind the maglev. Not that they'd be bouncing on the ground, with the speed that thing went. Still, it was the thought that counted. Sarah had given them both a grateful hug before entering the train car with her new husband. It would take them a few minutes to reach Greater Harmony, and then another half an hour or so of walking to get to their air-sealed home. Some honeymoon, Diana thought, but such was the price of jumping the gun and moving into the dome before it was ready.
That left the rest of them milling around the calisthenics gym, talking quietly with each other. Simon excused himself early and went off to the side. Concerned, Diana had eventually followed, only to find him completely asleep in one of the chairs bordering the edge. His head tilted to the side, apparently not painfully, and soft snores lilted up from his position.
"He almost looks peaceful, doesn't he?" A soft voice said from behind her. Diana jumped slightly and tried to regain composure as she turned. It was Bez. He was alone, too. The rest were off near the middle of the grass, using the chairs there and talking animatedly. It was doubtful any of them had even noticed Simon leave.
"Come on." She took Bez by the arm and escorted him away. "I don't want to wake him."
"No kidding. I helped him install the life-support system in your new place, but he said he wanted to do everything else himself. I'm sure you know he's been there every day and most nights since the proposal, getting things ready." Bez chuckled. "He didn't know a thing about construction before, but he learned it just to spruce up the place. I even saw him take down one of the walls to open up the kitchen area! He really loves you."
No he doesn't, she thought back at him. Not in the way you think. She shook her head. "What can I do for you, Bez?" She asked professionally. Now that they were closer to the group, and standing a little apart, no one could accuse them of impropriety.
Bez nodded. "Straight to business; I can appreciate that. So, I've decided to run for office. Simon's office, to be exact: the first member of our new House of Representatives."
She blinked in surprise. "All right. Why are you telling me?"
"Because I want to know how he'll react. Will he be upset? Relieved? Uncaring? I don't think he's unworthy of the job or anything, but I just have a bunch of ideas for new bills I'd like to propose." He coughed slightly, looking embarrassed. "Ok, that was a bad word choice, given all the stuff happening this week. "Bills I'd like to suggest, be made into law."
Diana smiled at that, and thought over Simon's probable reactions. His main passions were programming and engineering, and he talked about them all the time. His goals seemed to be making her happy, and then making everyone else's lives easier if he could. Come to think of it, when John had nominated him as a representative, he'd looked a little uncomfortable. When told about this, he'd most likely be relieved. She wasn't about to tell Bez that, though. Not until she could find a way to use it to Simon's advantage. "What sort of bills, exactly?"
"Minor tweaks to the system, mostly," Bez explained. "For one thing, we've got a bunch of apprentices now who are nearly fifteen years old. But I'm sure you know how Noah stepped up the gestation schedule. Instead of twenty or so every three years, now he's incubating at least fifty per year. New Eden years, but still it's much faster than he used to do it. He learned from his mistakes with us, and is now confident enough to balloon New Eden's population. That's fine for now, but in ten or fifteen years, it'll make things really hard on those new kids."
"How so?"
"Well, for one thing, none of my apprentices get paid. Because they're not eighteen, they aren't allowed to have a paycheck other than the allowance they already get from Noah. One of my bills will hopefully change that, not just for my guys but for all the apprentices in all the professions. This way they'll be much more likely to buy land of their own when they grow up, become voters, and maybe business owners themselves. And when these new generations start getting old enough to think about that, they'll be able to do the same!"
Only half of them will, you mean, she thought sourly, but just nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. What about the other bills?"
He stretched a bit, leaning back and looking up at the dome above. "One of the bills institutes a foster care system. Married couples like Sarah and Adam will be able to take in a younger kid, at least until they have kids of their own. I asked Noah about it already, and he seemed to think it's a good idea. Despite how you, me, Simon and the others all turned out, Noah thinks it would be better to have humans raised by humans as much as possible. He can handle mass numbers, but he doesn't have the same intuition that human parents do. Or so I assume."
Personally, Diana hated the idea. One of the reasons she was so eager to get out was to get away from all the responsibilities of childcare. Still, it was a good idea for other people. Sarah especially, would probably be all for it. Overall, it sounded like a feasible and workable plan.
She nodded again. "Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this. I think you should run, if you want to. As for Simon," she hesitated. "I know it doesn't look like it, but he does care a lot about what Adam and John think of him. Argent too, in a different way. When John nominated him, it was a big deal for Simon. If you're going to run, I have to tell him, and it will hurt his feelings." It was a total lie of course, but it was easy to lie to people who assumed they were smarter than you.
Bez looked down at his feet for a moment. "See, I knew you were the right person to talk to first. I've been best friends with him for years, but you understand him better. How can I soften the blow? I'm determined to do this, but I don't want to lose him as a friend. Or as a voter," he added softly, as if that had just occurred to him.
"The first thing is to soften the blow physically," she instructed him. "He's overworking himself on our new place, big time, and I'm not allowed to help him. He's too proud to ask for help, but you have to do it anyway. Don't take no for an answer."
"He does need the help," Bez admitted. "He may be a genius pilot, but he's a terrible builder."
"He's not a great dancer, either," Diana added, thinking back to the brief wedding reception they'd held just after the ceremony. "Though that could have been just because he's so tired. Don't talk to him about your plans at all, until after the work is done. Trust me, he'll be so grateful for your help, it'll make him less resentful." She almost choked on that one. Simon was the least resentful person she knew, and she knew Naomi!
"I can do that," Bez said eagerly. "Is there anything else that can help?"
"I'm not sure. I'll think about it and get back to you, all right?"
Bez grabbed her hand and clasped it in both of his, shaking it. "Thank you, Diana. I knew you were the right person to ask." He gave her hand one final shake, and then returned to the group. Diana followed his progress, hiding her smile. Simon was such a soft touch usually, that people like Argent could walk all over him. Bez was kind-hearted, but also forceful enough to do the same. At least she could look out for Simon now, in a way she couldn't before.
-.-
The windup to Graduation Day went almost exactly as Diana expected. Only one more proposal happened, but all the other weddings were scheduled well after Graduation. Hers, on the other hand, was taking place the afternoon of the same day. She'd been quite clear on that, right from the start, and Sarah had backed her for some strange reason. Maybe by showing a little initiative with Simon, she'd earned some of Sarah's respect.
It didn't matter either way. Everyone was caught up in the formation of their new government. With Bez's help, Simon had completed their new home, and then gracefully withdrawn from the election race and endorsed Bez. He'd found the whole 'bargaining with Bez to get something he'd already been willing to give away' thing to be very amusing. And he agreed that Bez would definitely be better at the job, but only in private. As far as his friend was concerned, this was a reluctant decision on his part.
The other elections had happened predictably, as well. Adam was now their new President, Bez the only member of the House of Representatives, Argent their only Senator, and John their first Supreme Court Justice. His nomination, interview, vote, and confirmation had taken all of five minutes.
Most of the kids in Harmony had found the whole thing boring. What were these people even governing, anyway? Noah was still in charge of everything as far as they were concerned. Still, Diana felt like she was at the very top of one of those rides she'd read about. They were about to fall, screaming, at great speeds. Eighteen was upon them, and Noah would no longer be able to order them to do anything, or have any authority over them at all!
The Graduation ceremony itself was simple enough. Noah gave one of his usual long-winded, dry speeches about how impressed he was of with them all. He mentioned how they all had the equivalent of college degrees by now, because of how intensely he'd pushed them in their education. Diana had rolled her eyes at that. He'd pushed the guys, certainly, but not her and the rest. Theirs was not to know, but just to be, it seemed. She'd also seen Naomi's expression upon hearing that. At least she wasn't the only one to realize how ridiculous all of this was.
Tycho was the class valedictorian, surprisingly. He tested better than most, according to Simon, but his extracurriculars were always based on the stars. When he wasn't acing test after test, he was out with his telescopes and ranging lasers and whatever else. He stood up in front of them and gave his own speech, stumbling over the words and stuttering every so often. Diana didn't envy him; she also hated public speaking. Even being in charge of a half dozen little girls was a strain because of all those eyes on her at all times. At least his speech was much shorter, and it was followed by Rhys and Abby performing a duet in commemoration of the first class's accomplishments.
The end of the ceremony was just the beginning of the day, though. Once they moved their tassels from right to left (Torin had gone nuts trying to get all the fabric right for their hats), the day moved on. There was a brief trip from the calisthenics gym to Greater Harmony itself, where they all gathered in front of the central building. There, Noah unveiled a rotating globe statue, of New Eden, right in front of the central skyscraper. Or what would be a skyscraper eventually. For now it was just a black support beam sticking up into the sky, with Adam's house built into the side of it. Noah gave another long speech about the importance of setting the right example, not just for the people in the crowd, but for all of humanity that would develop on this planet. It was a bit heavy-handed, but most of them seemed to appreciate it anyway.
Just after that, Argent had taken the opportunity to talk about his own new factory, which produced building materials, surprise, surprise. It was one of many, many companies he was going to found, but this was the one he was publicizing here. He called up some of the crowd to stand with him, proudly presenting his new workforce, to thunderous applause. Massimo presented his agricultural workers, who were all younger than him as well, and officially handed the metaphorical keys to his greenhouse over to the next generation. A thirteen-year-old (New Eden years) calling himself Alan, gratefully accepted the honor and responsibilities of the greenhouse. His business partner Carnegie stood with him, promising to look after the commissary. Simon was more awake by that point, and gave a wry look to Diana. They both knew that Alan and Carnegie had bought the greenhouse and commissary from Argent and Massimo. As far as Massimo was concerned, they'd pooled their allowance and paid him for his share. Argent had demanded more though, in secret. Alan and Carnegie would be paying him a percentage of their profits... in perpetuity.
Diana had to give Argent credit for his move. It was ruthless, calculating, and very effective. He and his family would be benefiting, from now until the end of time, from every single generation that used that commissary.
Simon had dug the truth of the Cannabis plant out from Argent only a week ago. It was addictive, but not detrimental as far as he could tell. Argent had left the plants there, most likely informing at least one of the two new proprietors of the greenhouse what they were, and to keep them a secret. He'd dismantled the alcohol still, though. Not a big enough market for kids. Diana was sure he had plans to set up some kind of establishment here in the big city, where people could buy wine and whatnot.
After that, everyone maglev'd back to the empty dome for lunch, and then she and Simon got married.
Compared to Sarah's wedding, it was simple and understated. Just like Simon wanted. Naomi was her Maid of Honor, and Bez was the Best Man. Most of the wedding party had the same outfits as Sarah's wedding, but she had her own dress and Simon his own suit. They'd been a wedding gift, Torin said, but they'd have to double as a housewarming gift as well. With all of the major functions happening the past few days, the poor guy looked almost as overworked as Simon had been!
The reception was brief, at Simon's request, and Diana was grateful for that as well. She gave a tearful goodbye to some of the younger kids who'd grown attached to her, promising that she would visit from time to time. Then she'd gotten out of there. The train car's cans were rattling behind them on their way out to Greater Harmony. It was just the two of them.
"Thank God," Diana let out, removing the ridiculous veil and headpiece. Simon moved to help her, but she held out a hand. "I can do it. I think."
He looked out at the approaching Greater Harmony dome. "Peace at last, right? I mean everyone but the very youngest are back there right now. It's gotta be relaxing."
Finally free of the proverbial Crown of Thorns, Diana grimaced. "Easy for you to say. You've had peace and quiet your whole life, when you wanted it."
"Tell that to the calluses and blisters on my hands," he retorted, but his response had no real bite. He understood how much of a relief this was for her.
The train was slowing down already. She glanced out at the enormous dome, grateful that she didn't need to put on a breather in there. "So many big things, happening so close to each other. But they're all predictable and even boring. Now, I don't know what's going to happen. I have no idea if it'll be good or bad. Noah's not gonna be nosing around our lives anymore, and our trackers are dead. If Sarah tries to tell me what to do, I can tell her to shove it. You're the only one who can give me orders now, and you're not stupid enough to try it."
He grinned, as the umbilical automatically attached itself to the train and there was a slight hiss of air. "To be fair, it's a low bar to clear. Come on," he led the way into the tube. "I didn't get a chance to point out our place, earlier!" He was carrying all the bulky wedding stuff other than her dress of course. Their marriage might be a sham, but leaving those things in the maglev car would be a pretty big giveaway.
It wasn't long of a walk, either. She took off the horrible shoes now that they were on pavement, and he followed suit. Both of them barefoot, they took in the sheer size of the new city. "Maybe someday they'll have pigeons in here," she said breathlessly. She'd seen people feeding pigeons in city parks in some of the films.
"Maybe someday they can dismantle the dome and pigeons can fly in here," he put in optimistically. "Noah really outdid himself, didn't he?"
"No kidding."
They wandered down more streets, commenting on the various differences between these and ones on Earth. There were no streetlights, but there were a few stop signs. Cars used far too much oxygen for now, but there would be a bunch of bikes here before long. The foundations were solid, so a bunch of buildings would spring up here over time. She began speculating on the upcoming houses, shops, factories, schools, hospitals, etc.
"Fire stations," Simon reminded her, and she nodded.
"It'll be nice to be able to cook without Noah's approval, though," she added. "As long as we're careful and don't use up too much oxygen. It's weird to think that on Earth they had wildfires and stuff. But then it's weird to think of all those trees when we have so few."
He clasped her hand. "Well get there, I promise." But he was slowing her down, too. "We're here."
The culmination of several months of intensive work, with help from Bez, and drones, and many sleepless nights, was standing in front of her. It was concrete and brick on the outside, with wooden doors in a single-story building. It wasn't pretty, but she didn't want pretty. And he knew that. Smiling over at him, she went to the front door and opened it.
He held out a hand, though. "Wait."
"What is it?"
"Aren't I supposed to carry you over the threshold or something? At least that's how it is in the movies."
She snorted. Not only were his hands full already, but it was Simon. Soaking wet, he probably still weighed barely more than she did. Reaching down, she grabbed him by the legs with one arm, and the shoulders with the other, and hefted him into the air. She staggered a bit doing it, but he wasn't too heavy to keep aloft.
They both started laughing as she turned him sideways and stepped through the open door before setting him down. Her laughs faded with an impressed look around, though. "Wow. If this is your definition of a modest two-bedroom place, maybe you should go into construction yourself. You could do pretty well."
He rubbed his hands together, front and back. "Nah, I've got enough calluses for two lifetimes now. One house is enough for me. Lemme show you around."
It was a simple place, but it had all the necessities: kitchen, living room open to a dining room, bedrooms and bathrooms. There was an adjoining room that looked like it had once been a walk-in closet, though. Now it was a simulator.
"I know you miss the old flight simulator, ever since Noah stopped letting you use it. I scavenged parts from the old one to build this, but I think you'll like it even more. It's adaptable, too, so I can load different cockpit configurations for you, along with several hundred scenarios I've been able to download so far. We have access to the professional database right here in the house, but you'll have to only use it while I'm home so no one suspects it's not me. At least you'll be able to keep the door open while you're fake flying, though. That's more than you had before."
Feeling the urge to blink a lot, Diana grabbed him up in a big hug. She held him there, tightly, for longer than usual.
Eventually she let go, and blinked a few more times. "Thank you, Simon. You've done so much to help me, and put your life on hold to get me out of there. I want you to know how grateful I am."
He shuffled his feet. "You deserve it. And it's not much of a sacrifice. It's not like I had my eye on anyone else or anything."
"Still," she insisted, and he slowly nodded. She looked around at their new home again, and let out a big sigh of relief. All of this was hers now, as was this new life. She had to make the most of it.
