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At the moment, the two most popular planets in the galaxy are Varkas Reflex
and Castlebourne. The former handles virtual simulations very well while the
latter is the only place with extensive and comprehensive base reality sims.
Earth is special because it’s the seed of civilization, but its population
is still decreasing. Some are leaving because they want what those other
worlds have, others because they want to return Earth to the wild.
Incidentally, Gatewood is technically popular too, but only as a pitstop for
other colonies. Most other colonies are niche or family-owned; not central
hubs.
That leaves Thālith al Naʽāmāt Bida. It is the only other Core World which
naturally supports complex life. A human can survive on the surface in the
open air with minimal bioengineering. A baseline human can survive
with the right life support tech. That used to be a huge draw, but other
breathable worlds have since been found, and it’s just not that important
anymore. Life under a large enough dome is indistinguishable from a genuine
sky. Virtual constructs are perfect, and can be programmed with any
environment imaginable. Bida, despite its recent gravity problems, simply
isn’t that special anymore. And those gravity problems are pushing it over
the edge.
Everyone is leaving, including possibly Jande’s sister, Laise. She is
missing, and it’s highly unlikely that something went wrong with her
consciousness transmission. Bida may be known for its minimal use of tech,
but they’re not backwards like Proxima Doma. They’re efficient, and
death is an inefficient use of thought. That was engraved on the arch
over the entrance to the Welcome Center below the primary space elevator,
and above the door to the central substrate inventorium. Laise should be
back by now.
In the weeks following the destruction of Eyrenland, the community has
suffered from all sides. The whole planet has been wrecked. The people
survived, but many are choosing not to rebuild their lives here. They’re
going to those other places to live out their dreams. Some may end up doing
exactly what they were doing before the cataclysm, just elsewhere. Thālith
al Naʽāmāt Bida is dying. It started quick, but it’s gonna end slow. Their
way of life is being threatened by something that was entirely out of their
control, and their own laws. Even Jande’s wives can’t take it anymore.
“Evers, please. Don’t leave,” Jande begs. “We’re building a life together.”
“This world is no longer safe,” Evers argues. “The black holes are still
opening up all over the star system. I don’t want to be here when the next
one shows up. What if it’s in the core of the planet? What if it’s in our
backyard?”
“There’s a fancy ship up there,” Jande reminds her. “The Axiom of Astronomy
is on it. The galaxy’s top scientists have cast themselves here to figure
this out.” He sighs. “They’re gonna figure it out. The farm needs you, more
than ever. I need you.”
“I’m not going to ask you to leave with me. I know that you have to stay,
especially since your father...” She trails off just so she doesn’t have to
finish the sentence. “You have your ways, and I thought I knew what I was
getting myself into when I joined this community and married you. But I
didn’t sign up for this.”
“There are ways around this,” he insists. “We can get a long-range backup
relay. If your body dies, you can be on the other side of the solar system
in seconds, clear of any black hole that may or may not open up here. This
doesn’t have to be the end.”
Now Evers is the one to sigh. “And what if that deep space backup is
destroyed too? I’m not going to risk it. This is an unprecedented threat.”
“Please, just give it another few days. They’re gonna announce something—”
“What are the divorce procedures?” Evers interrupts.
Jande doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t want to answer that question.
“Come on, I know they’re different when the marriage ends entirely, instead
of remaining partially intact after only one leaves, so I can’t just utter
the dissolution line, like Suki. You either come with me, or it’s over. What
do I have to do to divorce you?”
Jande shakes his head. “You’re the one ending the marriage, and I’m the
victim. You have to cut down a tree with an axe, and I have to cut one down
with a knife.”
Evers stares at her still-husband for a minute. “Is that even possible?”
“Eventually, yes. It will take time out of my extremely busy life, but you
can begin leaving before that. It will take hours, if not a day, for you to
finish your own tree, get to the elevator, ride it up, and fly off. I
promise to be done by then. The tree isn’t gigantic.”
“The trees we planted on our wedding day. We have to cut those ones
down?”
“They symbolize our union, so yes,” Jande confirms.
“So older couples have a harder divorce. What if one of the trees is already
dead?”
“Well, ours are still alive, and you’re leaving the culture completely, so
what does it fucking matter?” Okay, he has shifted his emotions away from
sadness now.
“I want to understand what’s happening to us, and I have the right to. I
won’t push it, but I do want to know, what of Suki’s tree?” Evers questions.
“I have to take it down at some point, when I have time,” Jande explains.
“It doesn’t have to be ceremonial or grueling, though. I can use a laser
saw, or whatever.”
Evers frowns at him. “I was hoping to cast my mind to Varkas Reflex. I mean,
if I’m gonna become incorporeal anyway, I might as well travel there without
this body—”
“Goddammit!” Jande pushes past Evers and walks around to the back of the
house. He pulls out his sheath knife and starts to slice against the trunk
of his tree, at the narrowest section he can find, grateful that it doesn’t
have to be at a particular height. He’s already making good progress, fueled
by his adrenaline.
Evers walks up next to him. “I never wanted it to end like this.”
“But you wanted it to end,” Jande points out. “Good, that’s great. I’m so
happy for you, you’re finally getting the life you wanted. I’m so sorry that
I trapped you on the most beautiful planet in the universe. You must have
been miserable.”
“I was never miserable,” Evers begins. “I’m just scared. I don’t think you
see how dangerous this has become. Our ancestors prepared for
everything—everything!—when they started to explore outer space, but they
never thought of this. I know you think what you’re doing is important, but
it’s not worth your life. It’s not worth mine, and there was a time when you
would have agreed with me. Just...think about it.”
Jande stops working for a second to catch his breath. He looks over at her.
“I don’t have time to cut down my tree and help you find the axe in
the rubble that was our shed. You better go look for it so you can finish
this quick enough to cast away in time to catch that sweet VR wave, dude.
Hang ten.” He goes back to cutting.
He can see her nod quietly before she walks off.
She is so inexperienced with the axe, he almost finishes his tree before she
finishes hers. They don’t say another word to each other for the rest of
time. She takes a shuttle to the temporary Welcome Center tent, and leaves
him forever.
