The Last Red

Chapter 24: East

"What d'you mean?" 

Salvatore said Block One was close to here. 

"You live in a different block than the one you work at?"

"No," she chuckles, "not a block. A house."

She opens her purse to show me some fruit. "See? These are cherries from my garden," she hands me some. "I picked them myself."

My hand reaches out and I observe the red little balls in awe - I know she isn't talking about those small wooden houses rogue tribes build in the Wild.

"A proper house?" I put a cherry into my mouth and am taken aback with the juicy flavor.

"A big house, yes. My family built it a long time ago," she nods as if it was perfectly normal. "Surrounded with beautiful greenery and plants.

"Told you houses existed," Koben casually reaches for some cherries himself.

I get up then start walking up and down, agitated.

"How many houses are there in the East?"

"How should I know?" she chuckles. "A few thousand at least..."

"Is there a lot of vegetation? How does it look?" I ask yearn-fully. I want to know if the projection Koben showed me was real.

"Most houses do have lots of plants. Some have fences around them, so you can't really see. Others rely solely upon tiny drones to keep invaders out..."

Koben finally joins the conversation. "You worked at Block One. That means you traveled back home East every day?"

Quira nods. "With drones it takes less than an hour. East is not that far from here," she says.

He frowns. "Then why don't you just bring 101 to your house? By drone."

"Salvatore," I correct him. Even though it's hard for me, too to adapt to the new names I assigned us. 

"The transport drone I used belongs to the block. I don't own one, unfortunately. They're crazy expensive," Quira gives us a sad smile. "And since I stole him from Block One, I can't let them see him alive."

"Transport drones have cameras?" I ask.

"Cameras, scanners, chip readers... you name it."

"What would they do if they found out you let him live?" Koben asks.

"Best case scenario," Quira shrugs, "They would fire me and kill him. Worst case, they kill us both." She shakes her head. "If I'm to bring him to my house, it has to be on foot."

"How will you pass the tiny patrolling drones?" I ask, finally biting on the apple. The juicy sweetness takes over my senses immediately. 

This tastes phenomenal!

"That won't be a problem. It's us - East habitants - that defend our territory," she says. "The drones shoot only those who don't belong there," she lifts her sleeve up and we see a bulge under her wrist skin, resembling a beneath-the-skin bracelet. "The drones around my house belong to my family."

"Why don't you call them then? Tell them to send help?"

She nods. "I have, of course. But like I said, we don't own a transport drone. They'll meet us at the entrance to the East so they can give him a new bracelet. That way no drones will shoot him."

So many questions attack my mind - I can't decide which one to pose first.

"Can you get us the bracelets?" It sounds like a plea.

"They wouldn't help us," Koben says.

"Not where you're headed," Quira purses her lips. "My bracelets would keep you safe only if you don't steer away from the path that leads to my house. If you hang around someone else's house without an invitation, they can and probably will shoot you. We're a very fearful people, us of the East."

"Why is that?"

"We're the only ones in the world right now who have freedom. To a degree," she looks to the ground, then back at us with no humor. "We fear it being taken away from us."

"Is anyone trying to take it away?"

She laughs bitterly. "Everyone is. Greedy people," she raises her eyebrows. "Powerful companies, other influential families, rogues who've got nothing to lose," she lifts a shoulder. "You name it." 

She shakes her head. "Freedom is relevant. You always have to defend it. Or it can be taken away."

"Who decides who lives East and who goes to the blocks?"

She almost laughs. "Nobody 'goes' East anymore. Because you can't get new land there anymore. It's all occupied now. You can get it only if you take it away from someone. No one's crazy enough to sell."

"How did your family get it?"

"My great-grandparents were one of the first transfers. They occupied the land while it still wasn't claimed. Like most people who had money to buy the ticket."

Transfers?

"Ticket?" I frown. "Where were they transferred from?"

She lifts a shoulder. "Earth, obviously."

I frown. There's that word again. I remember our last conversation with that white guy from NPS.

"Where are you from?" I asked him.

"What do you think? Just like everyone else, here - the earth."

My face must tell a story, because Quira now shuts her eyes in apology.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry. I thought you knew."

"Knew what?" I barely mutter, fearing to hear the answer.

She bites her lower lip, struggling to find the right words. "This... is Mars."