The Visitors (13 page)

That's when it hit me. In my excitement, I jumped, startling Jady. “Jady, that's it! Of course we don't know how Sir Andrew would react. Luckily, there's a way we can find out what will happen before it actually happens!” I was pacing back and forth as the idea developed in my head.

“Noah, you're not making sense,” Jady said as she stood up to join me.

“Ramona. I have to see Ramona. She can see the effects of situations before they ever happen. If I go to her and explain the problem, she can tell me what will happen!” Why hadn't I thought of this before? Ramona was the obvious answer.

“You mean, if
we
go to her and explain it, she can tell
us
what will happen. We're in this together, Noah. I'm going with you.” She crossed her arms and stood resolutely in front of me.

My first instinct was to argue with her, to tell her that it wouldn't be safe. However, one look at the stubborn expression on her face, and I knew it was useless. “Fine, but we need to go at night. We can't let anyone see us go to her, especially not together.”

“Can we go now? It's still dark,” Jady said hopefully.

“No,” I told her. “It takes a while to get to Ramona's chamber, and we don't have nearly enough time to go see her and get back before morning. In fact, we probably need to be heading back soon. Everyone should be getting up within the next few hours.”

Jady rolled her eyes. “Let's hope that Luke is actually asleep tonight. He has this annoying habit of being awake when I sneak out.”

My heart stopped as I processed what she just said. “He caught you?”

Her expression grew serious. “Yes. The first time I came here with you, I came back in my room and he was sitting on my bed. I told him that I had gone outside for some fresh air.”

Jealousy ran all over me. “He was sitting on your bed? Why?”

“Well, he said he couldn't sleep because he was too excited about the coming night,” she said with a shrug. “He has always been a light sleeper.”

I tried to ignore the stabbing in my chest as I thought about their history together. It wasn't fair that he got to spend so much time with her. “Did he believe you? About being outside for fresh air?”

She cringed. “I don't know if he ever
really
believed me, but he said he did. But then, he started getting suspicious about the two of us, because he saw us looking at each other…”

“Yeah, I wish you could have seen the anger that was pouring off of him the night of the lights display,” I interrupted. “And every time I look at you, his anger seems to get stronger.”

“Well, let me finish my story, and you'll know why. After the lights show, he asked me if anything was going on, and I told him he was ridiculous.”

“He asked you about us?” I shouted. “When did he ask you that? Why didn't you tell me about that?”

“Would you stop interrupting?” Jady said with a laugh. “I told him there was nothing going on, and he seemed to believe me. But then, the night Lucy came to see me, we went out into the woods, as I told you. Well, when we got back, Luke was outside, but we didn't see him. Anyway, we were outside the chamber, and I was telling Lucy how much I appreciated her talking to me. She mentioned that she wanted to make sure you were safe, but she also wanted to watch out for me, because she knew that you loved me. Luke heard the whole thing.”

My mouth gaped open. “Oh no! How much does he know?”

“Nothing,” she reassured me quickly. “Luke didn't hear any of the important stuff, because she told me most of it when we were out in the woods. But he knew that I snuck away with Lucy, and he heard her say that you loved me. So, I had to think fast. He was standing outside, furious, demanding an explanation, and I told him that I had become friends with the two of you because I was helping you guys out with a special project. I told him that it had something to do with us being there, but that I couldn't tell him what it was because it was supposed to be a surprise for us humans. Then I told him that your definition of ‘love' is completely different than our definition, and that it just meant that you were grateful for my help. I explained that your species doesn't feel ‘love' the way we do, which is not a lie, exactly.”

“And he bought that?” I asked doubtfully.

“No, not really,” she replied. “But it was the best thing I could come up with at the time. And I'm still standing by it. So, if you could think of some special project to give to us before we leave, that would be fantastic!” She laughed at her own little joke, which I found completely adorable. I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Putting her hands around my waist, she rested her face against me and held me close. The smell of her hair was intoxicating, and I loved how delicate she felt in my arms. At that moment, I knew I could have spent the rest of my life standing there and holding her.

I rested my chin on top of her head. “We need to go see Ramona tomorrow night. There is no time to waste. I will get in touch with her during the day somehow to make sure it's okay and to warn her that we will be coming late at night.”

“Won't she warn your leaders?” Jady looked skeptical.

“No,” I assured her. “Ramona is…different. You'll see what I mean when we get there. She's one of the oldest and most respected members of our society. The life she lives is pretty private. Our leaders don't bother her unless she is needed.”

“She's old?” Jady inquired. “I thought members of your society who had a gift were given that anti-aging honor. How did she become old?”

“Well, that's the thing. Our society only discovered how to bestow that honor a few hundred years ago. She was around eighty when it was discovered, and she was actually the first member to receive it. So, her body has been frozen at eighty years old.” I didn't get to see Ramona often, but when I did, it was always a treat. She was wise and funny, yet very intimidating, even though she didn't mean to be.

Jady pursed her lips in thought. “What will she think about us? Won't she be angry?”

“Ramona doesn't get angry,” I explained. “Like I said, you'll see what I mean when we get there. She's not someone you need to fear. The only thing to be scared of is the process of getting to her. And you can leave that to me; I'll set it all up.”

A smile crossed Jady's lips. “I'm eager to meet her.”

“You'll like her,” I said as I bent down and kissed her forehead. “We need to get you back to the visitors' chamber. It will be light all too soon.”

Jady mumbled an agreement as we entwined our fingers and headed back through the woods. She stayed right against me as we pushed our way through the trees and branches until we came to the clearing that led back into society. I stopped when the visitors' chamber was coming into view. “Maybe I should say good-bye here. You never know who will be waiting for you outside.” I said it in a teasing manner, even though I meant it. The thought of him constantly worrying about Jady made those ugly jealous feelings resurface.

She sighed. “Good night, Noah. And thank you for tonight. Even if things don't work out the way we want them to, I will live the rest of my life much happier because of the words you said to me. I will never forget this night.”

I squeezed her hand. “You have no idea how nervous I was to tell you that. It seemed like you were already over it. I have been so depressed for the last few days, but every time I tried to read your emotions, you seemed to be okay.”

She grunted. “Well, I gotta tell ya, I have been working exceptionally hard to put on a happy face each day. The last thing I wanted was for Sir Andrew or any of my crew to see how I really felt. Honestly, I didn't think I was fooling anybody. I have felt like a zombie lately.”

“I know exactly what you mean. I've been putting up a guard as well. It feels like a huge brick has just been lifted off my stomach because I finally told you the truth,” I said as I turned to face her. “I'll see you at breakfast. I love you, Jady.”

Closing her eyes, she grinned. “I love you, too, Noah.” She stood up on her tip-toes and gave me a slow, soft kiss that almost knocked me off my feet. Giving her one last smile before we parted, I turned to move in the opposite direction so that I didn't have to pass by the visitors' chamber. As I ambled back to my own chamber, all I could hear were those last magic words she said to me as they echoed in my head.

Luck was finally on my side as I crept back up to the visitors' chamber. There was no sign of Luke outside. Gently, I pulled the door open, stepped inside and slowly closed it behind me, and I was safe. I tiptoed to my little room, which allowed me to walk past Luke's room. Peeking inside, I saw him sound asleep in his bed. A tiny sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I made my way down the hall and into my own bed with virtual silence.

Despite the millions of thoughts spinning around in my head, I found it very easy to fall asleep and was not ready to awake when my father came in to announce it was almost time for breakfast. “I'm gonna skip breakfast today,” I mumbled as I put my pillow over my head.

He laughed as he came over to my bed. “Jady, we don't have much time left here. I suggest you soak in as much as you can. We have a big day ahead of us.”

My eyes popped open at the memory of the three remaining days. Dad was right. I jumped out of bed and threw my blankets messily into place. “I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be ready in ten minutes.”

Grabbing a pair of jeans and a yellow t-shirt, I raced into the bathroom. True to my word, I had showered, brushed my hair to let it air-dry, put on some light lip gloss, and covered my body in the protective cream in just ten minutes. I actually welcomed the burning tingle it caused, breathing in the beachy scent of it. That feeling, that smell would always be associated with Verdant. I met the others in the common area of the chamber just in time to head to the dining hall for breakfast.

Sir Andrew was waiting outside the hall for us. “Good morning, all. We will have a light breakfast before heading over to the botany lab. Some of you had expressed interest in our array of flowers and how they grow when we receive such intense sun and so little rain. I thought you might be interested to see the process of how we engineer our flowers to produce water for themselves.”

Our crew sounded their appreciation, and I was actually very interested in this session as well. I had noticed the lack of rain and wondered how such beautiful, lush greenery could grow in a place that was so dry and hot. The idea of learning how to recreate some of their plant life and bringing a taste of it back to Earth was exciting. Not only could we take a little piece of Verdant to Earth, but it could open new doors. Could we create crops in the desert? Could we end starvation in the world for good?

We followed Sir Andrew inside and took our usual places at the table, where I found Noah already waiting. I was careful to avoid eye contact with him, even though all I wanted to do was shout to the world how he made me feel. There was something thrilling about having this secret romance with him, but it was hard to truly appreciate that exhilaration when I knew the potential separation and danger we faced.

We ate the delicious breakfast of fruit and what could be closely compared to hash browns, although they were much crispier and not smothered in grease the way ours were. When we finished, we stood up to follow Sir Andrew to the botany lab. Noah and I continued our usual charade of ignoring each other as we went our separate ways – I with my group, and he to the training facility. The botany lab was quite a hike from the dining hall. Sir Andrew led us in the direction of the waterfall, which brought that familiar stimulating rush I remembered from nights before. But instead of making our way through the trees and branches that would lead us there, we took a sharp right and continued along the path until we came to a glass building I had not yet seen.

The building was absolutely beautiful – much prettier than any of the other architecture I had seen to this point. Most of the buildings looked almost identical, each one made of that boring gray stone. This building was made entirely of glass, allowing you to view the plethora of colors that existed on the inside. There were enormous flowers everywhere you looked. I recognized some of the bright pinks, purples, and oranges from the waterfall. Many of the flowers had several petals with alternating colors, creating a rainbow effect. I couldn't even speak as we walked throughout the building and stared in awe.

“The glass structure allows the sun's rays to penetrate the flowers,” Sir Andrew explained. “We are able to keep the temperature cooler than the outside world while still allowing the flowers to utilize the sunshine.”

He then led us to a small corner of the room that contained what appeared to be a very complex machine. “This is where the seeds for the flowers are created,” he explained. “While natural flowers can create their own food, they are not equipped with the ability to create moisture for themselves. Thus, they can't survive in the harsh rays of the sun on this planet. Through some simple programming on the machine, natural flower seeds can be enhanced to allow them to do so. Once we mastered how to make the flowers grow, we started to have a little fun. Each seed was also genetically altered to make them larger and design their color schemes.” His explanation made the process seem so simple, but my dreams of creating these flowers back on Earth were crushed. Our crew studied the small, intricate and multifaceted machine with bewildered expressions. I wasn't the botany expert, but I didn't need to be to know that this dream would never be a reality on Earth. At least, not with the technology we currently possessed. And even if we could pick up this machine and take it back to Earth with us, it wouldn't be beneficial – our climate was too different. Having the power to create their flowers and plants wouldn't help when they would die in our atmosphere.

Even though I didn't have much hope for its usefulness back at home, the day at the botany lab was one of my favorites. It was fascinating to see how they helped to create their environment. I was actually sorry when our time was up and we headed back to the dining hall for dinner…until I remembered where Noah and I were heading that night.

I hoped that Noah had gotten in touch with Ramona to make sure we could visit her. With Luke breathing down my neck all day, I wasn't given the chance to be alone with him for even a second during breakfast or lunch. We hadn't even made eye contact all day long. In my head I willed him to give me some sort of sign during dinner that would let me know we were going.

Just as I expected, Noah found a way to give me the information. As I sat down to dinner, I saw a small piece of paper tucked under my plate. Casually, I slipped it out and opened it in my lap. I looked down to see the words “Meet you outside at two o'clock” scrawled across the page. Carefully and quietly, I folded it up and tucked it into my shoe before I began eating my dinner. I didn't dare look at Noah or even nod my head for fear that I was being watched. It felt as though eyes were on me constantly.

Hoping to get a long nap before it was time to get up and meet Noah outside, I got into bed early. I set the alarm beside me to buzz at one forty-five, but I was much too anxious to sleep. Since I was lying awake, I spent my time imagining what Ramona would look like. In my head, I pictured her to be a gypsy, in a room with a crystal ball and incense and beads hanging all around the room. She was wearing bright colors and red lipstick and playing exotic music as she read tarot cards and told our fortunes.

I slipped out of the visitors' chamber like a thief in the night. Noah arrived at two o'clock, just as he said he would, and we took off to Ramona's chamber. When Noah said it was a long journey, he hadn't been exaggerating. We headed away from the visitors' chamber and past the dining hall. Just as we reached the edge of town, a building caught my eye.

The building was not unlike the others in terms of its material. The gray stone covered it from the top to the bottom. But the shape was what caught my attention. The large square base must have covered more area than any of the other buildings combined. At its looming top, it reached a point, creating a steeple-like structure. “Noah, what is that?”

“It's our church,” he said simply, as if I should have guessed.

“Your church?” I asked. “It's huge! Is it the only church in the society?”

“Yes,” he said. “Why would we need multiple churches?”

I didn't have time to get into that with him. “So does every member of your society attend this church?”

“Yes. Church is in session one day a week. Everyone attends.”

“Wow. What is the denomination?”

He blinked, considering my question. “Well, it's a church that preaches about God's word.”

“You mean, like
The Bible
?” I was sure their Bible could not be the same as ours – ours spoke so specifically to the planet Earth.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

I knew we had a mission, but this discussion was too interesting to table. “Can I see a copy of it?”

“The church isn't open right now, Jady.”

“I know that,” I said. “I mean, could I borrow yours when we get back or something?”

He shook his head slowly. “I don't have a copy. Only the religious leaders have copies of it.”

“Why?” I asked in fascination.

“Because. They're the ones with the capabilities of interpreting and understanding it. It wouldn't make sense to common people.”

I smiled.
Interesting
, I thought.
Someone as smart as Noah doesn't feel competent enough to
interpret
The Bible.

We continued walking into what looked like was no longer a part of their civilization. As the paved path disappeared and the brush became thicker, I had to ask one more question regarding their religion. “Noah, our Bible teaches that God's plan for humanity was that a man and a woman unite and become one. They have children together to populate the world. What does yours say, regarding that aspect?”

Noah shrugged. “That's not the focus of our teaching. We have learned that our computer chips help us to eliminate sin. Maybe that type of relationship is the ‘sin' my society speaks of there.”

“I get that. I see the value in it. But it seems like you're not eliminating
sin
so much as you're eliminating
choice
. That's part of the complexity of our system – we have a choice. You don't.”

Noah considered my words for a long time before he replied. Finally, he said, “You know, Jady, the more time I've spent with you and your crew, the more I've realized how little choice we have in
anything
regarding our lives.”

As I squeezed Noah's hand tightly, we walked through tall weeds and trees in the pitch-black night, with only a small laser light Noah held in front of him to guide us. I couldn't help but be uneasy as we pushed through patches of grass that were as tall as we were.

“Noah, are there bugs out here?” I whispered as we tried to create a path.

Noah laughed a little. “Bugs can't live here, Jady. Our climate doesn't allow it.”

“Aren't you lucky,” I muttered. I was still apprehensive as we got further and further into the wild.

Finally, we came to a clearing. In the middle of the area was a gray building that closely resembled the visitors' chamber, though it was much smaller. “We're here. She's waiting for us,” Noah said as he led me to the door.

Before we could even knock, Ramona opened the door. “You're right on time,” she said with a smile.

The vision of Ramona and her chamber my imagination created could not have been more inaccurate. She was an older woman, just as Noah had described, but she was not wrinkled and gray the way I expected. Her jet-black hair was pulled into a neat bun, and her crystal-blue eyes were bright and sharp as she took us both in. She led us both into a room with solid blue walls that contained a couch and a love seat with a small table in the center, and nothing else. No exotic beads, no tarot cards, no crystal ball. The room felt like a letdown after I had let my imagination run wild with what it would be.

Ramona sat down on the love seat and motioned for us to take a seat on the couch across from her. “You sounded quite urgent in our discussion earlier, Noah. Explain your plight to me.”

I expected Ramona to be full of questions, but she wasn't. Closely she listened as Noah explained the events of the past few days. She hung on to his every word, and when he was finished, she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the loveseat cushion. She remained that way for so long that I started to become concerned.

Just when I was about to suggest that Noah poke her and make sure she was okay, her eyes snapped open and remained very wide. Her eyeballs rolled up until you could no longer see the pupils or irises –only solid white. I jumped in fright. She looked like she came straight out of a horror movie. I started to regret our coming there until she spoke. “Sir Andrew knows about the two of you,” she told us in a strange, high-pitched voice that she hadn't used earlier. “Someone has already told him.”

Noah and I looked at each other in confusion. “What do you mean, someone has already told him?” Noah asked. “Are you telling me that he knows
right now
that Jady and I have been secretly seeing each other?”

She nodded, her eyes still wide. “He knows. If you continue your relationship in this way, keeping it a secret until Jady leaves in two days and then you try to go back to normal, he will banish you from the society.” She turned to Noah as she spoke. “As soon as the humans leave, Sir Andrew will confront you, and you will not be allowed to stay.”

I put my hands on my head in frustration. “So Noah's chip will be removed,” I said meekly, not able to bring myself to say what I knew that meant for his life.

“Yes. His chip will be removed and his physical body will no longer function.” Her voice kept the bizarre high pitch as she answered my question. She seemed far away from our conversation, even though she was sitting right beside us.

Noah took a deep breath. “You mean, I will die? That's what it means to be banished?”

I turned to him, surprised by his question. “Yes, Noah. You didn't know that? Lucy explained that to me. When someone in your society is ‘removed,' it's a nice way of saying they are murdered.” I had to restrain myself from going into how hypocritical that whole process really was, but I knew that was not the point of why we were there.