Chapter XXXVI – Heart of Darkness

  Dawn broke across a broad sweep of the Cang Teng River, revealing a landscape that for the first time was not shrouded in rain. A little of the sun’s weak light peaked through the clouds, though only a little. On either side of the river, towering limestone karsts rose up towards the sky, vegetation clinging to them wherever it could find even the most precarious place to take root. On the concave bank, a wider karst revealed a sizeable grotto in which were clearly visible objects of human design.

  Mu had been gazing wearily out upon the passing scenery with eyes both bloodshot and watery from lack of sleep. Yet as that grotto revealed itself, she felt her interest piqued, squinting as if it might show her more detail of the carvings within. She turned to the only wakeful member of Weimin’s crew and asked him about the carvings.

  The crewman shrugged.

  “Dunno, they’ve been there as long as anyone remembers,” he said. “I heard from someone that they’re from long before terraforming.”

  Intrigued, Mu was staring intensely at the grotto as the boat drew closer, bringing the carvings into clearer view. Indeed, she was so fixated that she didn’t even hear the footsteps behind her. The first sign that anyone had approached her was the sound of a voice.

  “The Conductor,” it said.

  “Sorry?” said Mu, turning away from the sights outside.

  She now saw that the one who had spoken was one of the two other passengers who had accompanied them on the journey, and who had hitherto remained silent.

  “Before terraforming, this world was host to a cult that worshipped a being known as the Conductor,” said the passenger, adjusting his glasses.

  For the barest of moments, Mu had a fleeting hint of something to come. Something significant. It was gone before she could make full sense of it, but she was sure it somehow related to this man – unremarkable though he appeared.

  “The Conductor?” asked Mu, making a mental note to explore that hint of foresight later, “Is that a Star?”

  The man shrugged, “I couldn’t tell you. No one seems to know much more than that. Apart from here and one or two other sites, there isn’t much of a sign they were ever on the planet. Whether they left or met an unfortunate end during terraforming, they don’t seem to be here anymore. They called themselves the Orchestra.”

  “Strange,” murmured Mu, her gaze once more turning to the carvings. The boat kept moving, and they were now receding away once more.

  The Orchestra. There was a flicker of familiarity about that. But it wasn’t foresight, it was memory. Where had she heard mention of that before? Try as she might though, she couldn’t recall.

  Instead, as she watched the grottoes dwindle, she wondered what had become of those who had carved them.

  The sun was higher in the sky and patches of blue had even appeared by the time the boat glided slowly to a stop near a singular wooden jetty. They had left the Cang Teng proper and travelled about ten kilometres down a tributary that Weimin said had no formal name, like many of the features of Luanyuan.

  Despite the paucity of sleep she had endured over the past days, Mu felt energised just at the prospect of having a new location to explore. With any luck this would be the one serving as Toghrul’s new home. Certainly, when she probed the future, the answer seemed nearer. She now strongly suspected that this or the next settlement would be the one they were looking for – certainly the feeling she got now was quite distinct from that she had received at the other outlying settlements they had stopped at during the days since leaving Heishui Zhen.

  Apart from gleaning a seemingly universally shared sentiment that life was cruel and harsh in the outlying settlements, they had discovered little else about the possible location and fate of Toghrul over the course of their journey. Were it not for her foresight, Mu thought she might have been verging on giving up hope at this point.

  Unusually, two individuals waited for them at the base of the jetty as the crew threw the ropes to secure their mooring. They had grown accustomed to the life on the river these past days, and each of them expertly disembarked, making their way toward the bank. To Mu’s surprise, she saw that for the first time the other two passengers – including the man she had briefly spoken with that very morning – now disembarked.

  A light breeze whispered among the trees and the sun shone, though the heat and humidity endured eternally.

  “New faces, eh?” said one of the two people who waited to greet them. He was an athletic man, likely in his forties with a few hints of grey in his otherwise black hair. He wore a pair of glasses and had a soft face – a feature which paired oddly with his otherwise well-developed physique.

  Next to him was a woman perhaps ten or fifteen years older than him. She was thin and tall with a kindly face that was nonetheless lined by years of living a hard life.

  Ostara approached the man and extended a hand. “Weimin is giving me and my crew a tour of the settlements,” she said.

  “Showing potential rivals around? How odd,” said the woman.

  “Partners, or potential partners, more like,” said Ostara.

  “I see,” said the woman. “Well, I am Li Shulin.”

  “And I am Zhang Jiwen,” said the man.

  “Ostara. And these are my crew.”

  Mu led the others in introducing themselves.

  This done she listened in as the other two passengers introduced themselves.

  “You can call me Doctor Zhao,” said the man who Mu had spoken to. “This is my research assistant, Ms Lai. Please, pay us no heed. We are simply a couple of researchers passing through.”

  “Ah, fellow scientists,” remarked Zhang, “What is your specialisation?”

  “Transformative planetary eco-dynamics,” replied Doctor Zhao.

  With a laugh, Zhang said to Li, “That’s terraforming to us layfolk.”

  He turned back to Doctor Zhao. “Geology is my speciality,” he said, “Though I’ve been taking all sorts of observations. No doubt not up to your standards, but you’re more than welcome to look over my notes, should you wish. I’ve been here almost five years now.”

  “Most gracious of you,” said Doctor Zhao, with a thin smile.

  Li turned to Zhang. “Jiwen, why don’t you show our guests to the settlement. I’ll stay here and have a chat with Weimin about what he might have for us.”

  “It’d be my pleasure,” beamed Zhang, then said to the rest of them, “Please, follow me. We’ll find somewhere more comfortable for a chat and find out what we can all do for one another.”

  Behind her Mu heard Nova’s voice. “Is it just me, or do these people not seem like hardened convicts?”

  She heard Tavian replying: “Hey, the Empire doesn’t discriminate – it sends all sorts of people to prison. Criminals, innocents, whatever.”

  “Guess so.”

  With that Zhang headed off along a path away from the jetty. The rest of them followed him. As they walked, Mu probed the future. This place was definitely different. This must be the one.

  It wasn’t a long walk from the jetty to the cleared area occupied by a small village. Apart from one of the two larger buildings, nothing here appeared to be prefab – every other structure had the distinct hallmarks of having been hand-assembled from materials available locally. The cleared area in which the buildings sat had been fenced in – the path they were currently on led to the only entrance Mu could see. Around the edges of the fence a trench had been dug.

  “Who do they think’s gonna lay siege to them?” asked Kal.

  “I wonder,” said Mu, her eyes drinking in the details as they walked.

  Passing through the gate, Mu saw there was in fact one other on the far side of the village. No sooner had they entered the village than Doctor Zhao tapped Zhang on the shoulder. “The guards will be expecting our arrival. I will meet with the commandant.”

  “Of course,” said Zhang.

  Mu had almost forgotten this was a convict settlement. Despite the wall and ditch, the gates of the village had been wide open. If there were guards, as Doctor Zhao suggested, they were nowhere to be seen. Were Zhang and Li convicts? Free-settlers? As far as she knew, free-settlers weren’t permitted at these upriver colonies. They must be convicts – though very mild-mannered and polite ones, as Nova had observed.

  Zhang led them across the village grounds. Though the occasional fern or lone tree was present, for the most part grass was the only vegetation anywhere in the village, giving it an unusually empty appearance compared to just about everywhere else they had visited thus far on Luanyuan. They reached the largest of the wooden structures and Zhang took them inside.

  “Feel free to leave your luggage over there,” he said, indicating a long table against one wall.

  The interior of the building seemed to consist of a singular large hall, which had surprisingly little furniture inside it for a room of its size. Two long tables sat at its centre in addition to the one Zhang had indicated as they entered. Two more were pushed up against a far wall. As instructed, they all dropped off their luggage.

  “Please, have a seat,” said Zhang. Once everyone was settled in, he spoke again, “Now, what can we do for you fine folk?”

  The crew exchanged a few glances, but once again Ostara spoke for them. “We have a number of purposes in surveying the colonies, but you may be able to help us tick off one item, quite quickly. It’s a long story – which of course I am happy to tell you later if you’re interested – but we are currently attempting to locate a recently arrived convict.”

  If this aroused any particular suspicion in Zhang, his face did not show it. “And what might this convict’s name be?”

  “Yarghunoghul Toghrul,” relied Ostara, giving Toghrul’s name in the Shang order with family name first.

  “Oh,” said Zhang. “Well, yes, I can help you with that. Mr Yarghunoghul arrived here recently.”

  Mu’s strong suspicion was confirmed.

  Ostara beamed. “Excellent. Might he be available to speak with us?”

  Zhang shook his head. “Unfortunately, Mr Yarghunoghul is currently away on a scouting and research assignment.”

  “Scouting and research?” asked Mu. “Scouting for what? Aren’t the jungles around here dangerous.”

  “They certainly are,” said Zhang, “But that is why we always seek to expand our knowledge of the local area. Safer sites to relocate the settlement to are always desirable. Of course, anyone embarking on such an assignment does so on a strictly voluntary basis.”

  “When do you expect him back?” asked Kal.

  “If all goes well, we would hope to have him back with us by the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Does it, um, usually go well?” asked Nova.

  “As you say, the jungles are dangerous, but every member of the party is experienced. Even Toghrul, who hasn’t been with us very long, has made other journeys beyond our wall. He certainly returned from those unscathed.”

  “Sounds encouraging,” remarked Harry.

  “I must stress,” said Zhang, “There are no guarantees out here. Inside or outside the wall, life is dangerous.”

  “Of course,” said Ostara, “We understand.”

  Zhang seemed to consider them collectively for a moment. Then he spoke again, “In the meantime, I understand there were other matters we could help you with?”

  Mu looked Ostara’s way.

  “I guess you could say we are conducting some research of our own,” said Ostara. “Though surely not of the high calibre that Doctor Zhao is no doubt involved in. Ours is of a more commercial nature. Our crew has been visiting a number of recently terraformed worlds and gaining a sense of the trade prospects there. I hope you don’t find our presence in your lovely village an undue disruption.”

  Zhang gave her a look that Mu was certain was that of a man who was less than convinced. His words, however, had a different tone, “I’m afraid you won’t find much of economic value here, beyond the small trade we do with Weimin and a few others. But of course, you’re more than welcome to stay here and conduct your… research. It would be our pleasure to host you. We can accommodate you without hassle – after all, there are less of us than there once was.”

  “People have finished their sentence?” asked Nova.

  “Not exactly,” said Zhang, the momentarily grim tone in his voice making further explanation unnecessary. “Of course, you will have to speak with the guards. While we are substantially given free rein to run the affairs of the colony by ourselves, it is them who are technically in charge. When the Commandant is finished with Doctor Zhao, I shall take you to meet him.”

  “Are the guards likely to take issue with our presence?” asked Kal.

  Zhang looked around almost conspiratorially. “The guards aren’t that different to ourselves. They are just waiting out their time here. Don’t cause them any trouble and they won’t trouble you. Of course, they may expect a fee for their… cooperation.”

  “Figures,” said Kal.

  “We will cooperate,” said Ostara. “Thank you for your help, so far, Mr Zhang.”

  “Please, call me Jiwen.”

  “Of course, Jiwen,” said Ostara.

  There came a knock and the door to the hall opened. In walked a man of short stature, white hair, and grey-blue eyes. His face was lined, and his cheeks slightly sunken, but he had an aquiline nose and angular jawline. He walked with a slight limp and stoop. He used a cane to walk.

  “Michael!” said Jiwen. “I was about to come and find you.”

  “I encountered Shulin and Weimin,” replied the man, Michael presumably. “They told me you had some newcomers with you. And not sent by the grace of his Imperial Majesty, I hear?”

  “We’re not convicts… no,” said Mu.

  “Not yet, anyway,” said Tavian, brightly.

  “Friends, this is Michael Arthur. He’s the leader of our settlement here,” said Jiwen.

  “A pleasure to meet you, sir,” said Ostara.

  They covered introductions as Michael took a seat. Jiwen also explained the rather thin rationale Ostara had given for their presence. Listening to him repeat it, Mu was struck that it probably didn’t matter. It didn’t sound like the camp guards here were likely to be in regular contact with the Resonance Bureau or any other Imperial authorities. Indeed, from what she’d heard so far, it didn’t seem like they cared about much at all. Frankly, she had expected a harsher regime on a penal world.

  “You won’t see it marked on any maps,” began Jiwen, “But we have taken to calling our little settlement here Port Arthur, in Michael’s honour.”

  Michael laughed. “They honour me far too highly.”

  “Not at all,” said Jiwen.

  “So, you know our latest arrival, Toghrul?” said Michael.

  “Yes,” said Ostara. “He is an… acquaintance of ours.”

  Michael squinted his eyes. “You’ve got your secrets, haven’t you?” He shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me, as long as you intend us no harm. Most people that end up here have some things they don’t want known.”

  Mu studied his face. There were nuanced layers to that face. Wisdom certainly. Mirth appeared ever present, though never wholly in control. There was kindness, too. But also, there was determination. She knew at a glance that this was a man who was willing to do what it took to achieve his goals.

  She gasped when the prescience hit her.

  One more thing became apparent about Michael Arthur: this was a man who had not long to live.

  “Mukushen, are you alright?” said Jiwen, turning her way.

  Swallowing, she nodded slowly. “I’m fine.”

  “Alright… good,” said Jiwen, though his eyes lingered on her a few moments more, unconvinced. The others’ eyes, too, she felt upon her. They would ask her, no doubt. What would she tell them? Nara Enduri, in Its great wisdom, had not seen fit to gift her any specific insights about the nature of the mortal threat to Michael Arthur. Was this something she could prevent?

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  She did not know.

  Yet, it seemed she should probably strive to find out more, before spreading concern.

  Calm, Mu.

  Michael himself continued, unperturbed. “I expect you will be wanting to see the camp. I should warn you, though, not all our residents are as friendly as myself, or Jiwen here. Or Shulin, for that matter. The three of us and Gao Yunqi, who I am sure you will meet later, make up the leadership committee here. We try to keep things running and harmonious, though some here don’t always see eye-to-eye with us on everything. Of course, everyone understands that we must cooperate to survive out here.”

  “We’ll try not to be too offended if some of the others aren’t as welcoming as yourselves,” said Harry, glancing around at the rest of the crew. “Frankly, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve arrived somewhere and folks haven’t been all that happy to see us.”

  “Our feelings might get hurt, but I’m sure we’ll endure,” said Tavian, jovially.

  With that they headed outside.

  “Our stuff’s fine?” asked Nova, indicating their luggage with a thumb.

  “No one will touch it,” assured Jiwen.

  Outside Michael began the tour. “This is our main hall. The Guard quarters are over there—” here he indicated the prefab building they’d seen earlier “—and our storehouse is behind the hall. Other than that, there’s not much to see. Most of these buildings are dormitories. There’s typically eight to a dorm, twelve dormitories in all. There are only seventy-eight convicts here at present, so we’ve got two entire empty dormitories. Providing the Commandant approves, you’re welcome to stay in one.”

  “Thank you,” said Ostara, smiling graciously.

  As Michael was speaking a group of three men approached. One of the three clearly held some seniority over the others, who flanked him almost like bodyguards. He was a heavily built man, near as tall as Kal. His head was bald and he sported extensive tattoos across much of his body. He wore a singlet that showed off his muscled arms.

  “Ah, Mr Ma,” said Michael, “Allow me to introduce you to our visitors.”

  Before he could continue, Mr Ma, spoke. “You with the government?”

  “No, we are not,” said Kal, stepping toward him.

  Ma looked Kal up and down. “Well, ain’t you a big one? How long you staying?”

  “Few days,” said Kal.

  “You bring your own supplies?”

  “We have brought some, yes,” said Ostara.

  Ma looked her way, giving her a distinctly different appraising look to the one he directed at Kal. “Glad to hear it, m’lady,” he said, his tone containing more than a little menace. He looked back Kal’s way, “Don’t cause any trouble and stay out of our way. Do that, and we’ll get on just fine.”

  Kal emitted a noise that to Mu sounded almost like a growl, but didn’t say anything further. Ma and his lackeys observed them a moment longer, then headed on their way.

  “They seemed nice,” said Nova.

  “Delightful,” said Harry, watching as the three men walked away.

  “I’d be cautious around them,” said Jiwen.

  “As long as they’re cautious around me,” grumbled Kal.

  Jiwen glanced his way, but Kal’s eyes remained fixed on the backs of Ma and the other two.

  “Not digging their vibe, Big Guy?” said Nova.

  “Men like that are looking for an excuse to start trouble. I’ve met their sort before,” said Kal, “And there’s only one thing they understand if you’re looking to bring them into line.”

  “They contribute to the colony like everyone else,” replied Michael.

  “As Michael said, not everyone is as welcoming as we are,” added Jiwen.

  “Apparently not,” said Mu.

  What she didn’t mention was that the sense of danger she drew from Ma and his men was not merely based on what she saw, but also yet another twinge of prescience. She had no doubts that Kal was right – these men would be a source of trouble.

  They were not however the primary danger here at Port Arthur. There was something else, something they were yet to encounter.

  The tour was quite brief after that, largely as a result of the fact that most of what there was to see in the colony could be seen from the entrance to the hall. Each of the dormitories were constructed following a fairly uniform plan. Other than that, the only other building of particular note was that which housed the shower facilities.

  “Do you guys ever go swimming in the river?” asked Nova. “With this heat, there were a few times on the boat that I felt like jumping in myself.”

  Jiwen grinned. “We don’t. If we’re down by the river sometime, I’ll show you why. Actually, if you’re staying here, it’s probably worth seeing this. Everyone up for a walk back to the river?”

  No one objected, curiosity piqued, and they made their way back to the jetty at which they’d arrived. Michael excused himself, the tour concluded.

  Weimin was at the jetty with his crew, unloading cargo. Jiwen had a look at what they had stacked. He found a tin of fish.

  “These paid for?” he asked Weimin, holding up the tin.

  Weimin looked his way, distractedly. “Sure.”

  Jiwen took the tin and pulled the tab, opening it up. “I wouldn’t normally waste any food, but I think losing a small amount is worth it for this demonstration. You do not want to end up like this fish.”

  Here he held up a small, pickled fish.

  “Good thing the Cap’s not here,” said Nova, “He’d be pretty sad that we’re about to waste pickled fish.”

  Jiwen tossed the fish from the jetty. Not long had it touched the water when the surface suddenly erupted with frenzied motion, water splashing about as something writhed beneath.

  “What are those?” exclaimed Harry.

  “Snakes?” asked Nova, horror and fascination equally covering her face.

  But Mu knew. “Vines,” she said.

  They looked at her.

  “She’s correct,” said Jiwen. “The river’s full of them. Here and just about everywhere else. Anything goes in that water – it doesn’t come out.”

  “What about fish?” asked Tavian.

  “Haven’t been any fish in these waters in a long time. That’s why everything we eat needs to be imported from off-world.”

  “So, ah, yeah… I’m not going for a swim,” said Nova.

  “Probably for the best,” agreed Tavian.

  “It looked enticing,” said Nova.

  “Probably what the vines are counting on,” said Tavian.

  “Is it all like that?” asked Mu. “The forests too?”

  Jiwen shook his head. “The jungle isn’t as full of carnivorous species as the river, but there’s no shortage. And the carnivorous species are spreading. And near the pits… new species are emerging.”

  “What’d you say about pits, there?” asked Harry.

  “The Heavenly Pits,” said Jiwen, “Places where the limestone has collapsed into caves, opening up quite sizable pits. There are plenty of them in this area, due to the extensive karst formations and heavy rain. For whatever reason, they seem to act as epicentres of mutation among the plant species.”

  “They must have had some role in the early terraforming process,” said Mu.

  “I can only assume so,” said Jiwen. “They’re phenomenal structures, though. The largest we’ve found is over a kilometre wide and at least three hundred metres deep. But at their base… it’s like another world. Entirely new species of plant seem to emerge, sometimes in matters of weeks. And sometimes they find their way to the surface. That’s how the carnivorous vines spread into the waterways, and how other species have entered the jungle.”

  “Well, that’s fucking terrifying,” said Nova.

  “Do you think we could visit one?” said Ostara. “I’d be fascinated to see such things up close.”

  Jiwen seemed to consider. “It isn’t in any way safe to do so. But I have made the journey to the nearest pit myself many times to conduct research. As long as you’re prepared to accept the risk, I’d be willing to show you there. Though, I should clarify, we can’t enter. There’s no way back out.”

  “That would be much appreciated,” said Ostara.

  “Looking for new plants for your garden?” asked Harry.

  “I’m gonna be real with you: I’m not gonna visit you in your garden anymore if there’s a chance one of the flowers is gonna eat me,” said Nova.

  Ostara gave a small laugh. “I won’t be collecting samples, but I am always curious to see a world’s unique flora.”

  “It’s unique alright,” said Jiwen.

  The reprieve from the rain didn’t look like it was going to last. The rumble of distant thunder was the first herald of the coming downpour. The crew had assisted the residents of Port Arthur in transporting the goods brought by Weimin to the hall. Li Shulin had taken the mantle of the settlement’s cook, preparing meals for the others with the assistance of a small crew of volunteers. That night Ostara volunteered herself and Harry to assist. Mu had offered too.

  “Oh, don’t trouble yourself, we’ll be fine,” said Harry.

  “You just don’t think I can do it,” said Mu.

  “I mean, I don’t, but I was trying to avoid having to say that,” said Harry.

  “Well, I offered.”

  “And your offer is appreciated.”

  Mu saw there was no point in arguing further.

  Later they were gathered in the hall, a curiosity for the assembled convicts. They could see Ma, surrounded by a coterie of lackeys at one table. What struck Mu, though, was that looking out across those assembled, it was clear that the convicts were very starkly divided into groups. The Commandant and the six guards sat at a small table, watching the others. A few convicts sat close to Michael Arthur, including Zhang Jiwen. Li Shulin also frequently spoke with them, in between readying the meals.

  Earlier that day, while Ostara had gone to meet with the Commandant (who had acceded to them staying), Jiwen had introduced them to more of the other convicts. This included Gao Yunqi, the fourth member of the Leadership Committee. Looking now, though, Mu could see that Gao must be an outsider on the Committee. Because while the other three members formed one of the distinct groups, Gao appeared to have his own.

  He was a thin man with an air of arrogance about him. He wore ill-fitting glasses that often slid down his nose, resulting in him continuously pushing them back up with the same movement, utilising two fingers, pressed together. Around him others gathered – some of them having rather thuggish appearances not all that distinct from the lackeys Ma kept about.

  Sitting far removed from any of these other cliques, was a smaller group – just three people. An elderly woman with kindly eyes, a young man – barely more than a boy – and a nervous-looking middle-aged woman. Mu hadn’t been introduced to any of this trio yet, and found herself wondering what their story was.

  She also found herself wondering where Toghrul might fit into this scene? Had he found allies among the convicts, or was he isolated?

  For their part, the four Amrita crewmembers not assisting Li Shulin, sat nearby to Michael Arthur’s group. Kal’s eyes seemed to continuously scan the room, but always came to settle on Ma and his group. Tavian and Nova had struck up a conversation with a couple of the convicts. Mu simply sat in silence.

  Soon the food came out – consisting of steamed rice and vegetables, salted fish, and cured bean curd. Each convict served themselves, and as Mu watched, their seemed to be a preordained order to the process, different groups getting their food at different times. Before all of this, Li Shulin brought a plate of food to Michael. The first group that went up was Ma’s with Ma himself loading up his plate first of all.

  Once Mu had a plate of her own, she found Jiwen sitting next to her.

  “Li feeds us well,” he remarked. “It could certainly be a lot worse out here.”

  As he spoke a loud rumble of thunder sounded outside. A moment later the sound of a few droplets of rain on the roof was heard. A moment after that the few droplets became a torrential downpour.

  “I’ll be honest,” said Mu, “Life doesn’t seem as bad here as I had expected.”

  Jiwen regarded her with an inscrutable expression for a moment, then spoke. “There’s much you’ve yet to see.”

  “I didn’t mean to—”

  Jiwen waved his hand. “Please, I’m not offended.”

  Mu decided to change the subject. “What’s the story with Gao?”

  “Gao? Who knows for sure? He says he was a rebel leader. The authorities couldn’t kill him because the outrage it would stir up, so they sent him here instead.”

  “A rebel leader?” said Mu, “He looks young.”

  “Far as I know, he was a university student. Like I said, who knows what’s true. There’s no file – at least not one we can see – that says why everyone’s here. One thing’s for sure, though: he’s got no shortage of political ideas, and he likes to talk about him. He’s developed quite the little group of followers.”

  “It definitely seems like there’s a few cliques here,” said Mu.

  “Oh, for sure,” said Jiwen, “That’s just human nature though. We’re social creatures – put us in a dangerous situation, and we seek strength in numbers. Add a few charismatic individuals into the mix, and this is what you get.”

  “Ma’s charismatic?”

  “To a certain type of person.”

  “I guess so,” said Mu, thoughtfully chewing on some fish. “Do they ever fight? These cliques?”

  “They argue plenty… but it’s only ever come to violence a couple of times, and it’s never gotten completely out of control. Michael makes sure of that.”

  “Guess he’s tougher than he looks,” said Mu.

  “He’s respected,” said Jiwen, “That goes a long way. Even Ma usually defers to him. Gao will sometimes disagree with him in our Committee meetings, but publicly he supports Michael. Everyone recognises the role he plays in keeping things peaceful and making life as easy as it can be out here. Not every settlement has someone like him, and more than a few have descended into violence. Certainly, the authorities will do nothing to stop it if it breaks out.”

  “It seems like they just dump people here. Dump them and forget about them,” said Mu.

  “More or less,” said Jiwen. “The people here… they’re people the governments of the Empire didn’t want around, but for one reason or another didn’t want to kill. As long as we’re out of the way, they don’t much care what we do.”

  “I see that now. This place isn’t really what I expected,” said Mu. “But then again, I didn’t really know what to expect: there’s so little publicly available information.”

  Jiwen smiled. “Oh, you’re not wrong about that. I’ve been trying to figure out this place’s story for years, and I still don’t know much more than what I’ve been able to see with my own eyes.”

  Mu considered her words carefully, before speaking. “Do you mind me asking why you were sent here?”

  Jiwen shrugged. “Sure, I don’t mind. I was working in minerals exploration for a mining company. I highlighted some major safety and legal concerns with a particular project I was involved with and my superiors seemed unconcerned. I figured there was nothing more for it, so I went to the authorities. Unfortunately for me, it seems my bosses had got to them first, because instead of shutting it all down they went right ahead and sent me here to get me outta the way.”

  Mu remembered Jiwen’s own words in relation to Gao. Still, it seemed like a plausible enough story. That was just the way things went, right across the Empire.

  “How about Michael?”

  “No one knows. He’s never said, and to my knowledge, no one’s ever asked.”

  No doubt it was much the same as Jiwen’s – he’d become a problem for people with power and wealth.

  As she was thinking, Jiwen’s voice interrupted her thoughts her. “Are you tired?”

  “Huh?” she said.

  “Are you tired? Do you need to get to bed early tonight?” said Jiwen.

  She shook her head. “Not really,” she lied.

  “Good,” said Jiwen. “I’ll show you what life is like out here after dinner.”

  It was several hours later and the night was very dark, when Jiwen arrived at the dormitory being used by the Amrita crew. Tavian, Ostara, Harry, and Nova were sitting around chatting. Mu was reading a book on her bed. Kal was nowhere to be seen.

  “I’m going out,” he had said, and that was that.

  Mu rose from her bunk when the knock came and went to open the door. Jiwen stood there, clad in a bright orange raincoat. A cone of light spilt from the inside of the dorm, illuminating the raindrops in its path.

  “You’ll need this,” said Jiwen, handing Mu a bundle the same orange as his raincoat. “Are you ready?”

  “I’ll just get my shoes on,” she said. “Please, come in.”

  “I don’t want to get your dormitory all wet,” he said. “I’ll wait here.”

  She nodded and scurried back inside. She rummaged in her pack and found some fresh socks and put them on, then slid her feet into her boots before lacing them up. She unfurled the bundle Jiwen had handed her and draped the raincoat over herself, inserting her arms into its sleeves and pulling up the hood. Buttoning it up, she glanced down at herself before heading to the door.

  “Anything else I should bring?” she asked.

  “No, that’s fine,” said Jiwen.

  “Nice night for a date,” called out Tavian.

  “It’s not—” protested Mu, but decided she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I’m heading out.”

  “Have fun!” called Nova, brightly.

  Mu stepped out, closing the door behind her. Everything became very dark. But only for a moment.

  A flash of lightning lit everything up for a few instants.

  Then the darkness returned.

  Jiwen flicked on a bright torch.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  They traipsed down the somewhat uneven wooden steps out front of the dormitory building and then headed across the settlement. Mu followed Jiwen wordlessly. Ahead of them moved the small circle of light.

  They reached the edge of the village. “Our job is checking the eastern perimeter,” said Jiwen. “Gao will check the western side.”

  “What exactly are we looking out for?” said Mu.

  “Anything growing from the outside in. The plants inside, we know they’re safe, but anything penetrating the wall from outside, that could be dangerous. And it means it has grown there in the last few hours, because we destroy anything we find on these patrols,” said Jiwen.

  “How often do you find anything?” asked Mu.

  “Well, I’ve been tracking it. When we started the patrols about a year ago, we were encountering an incursion roughly once every two nights or so. Now it’s more like eight or so a night.”

  “It’s changed that fast?”

  “It’ll only keep getting worse,” said Jiwen.

  “But… that’s not sustainable,” said Mu.

  “No,” said Jiwen, “It’s not.”

  “What made you start? Doing the patrols, I mean.”

  “It was the morning a resident named Gu Yan didn’t show up for her breakfast duties. Shulin sent someone to look for her. They found her still in bed. There was a crack between the wall and ceiling of her dorm. A vine had come through, crept down the wall. Her mouth was open, she was lying on her back. The vine had grown right down her throat. All over her body little shoots were poking through her skin. In some places they were yet to break through, but you could see the green spots and the little bumps where they were coming. The autopsy showed the vine had introduced certain enzymes into her body that liquefied her organs. It was digesting her from the inside out.”

  Mu shook her head in horror, disbelieving.

  “Do the authorities know?”

  “The Commandant files reports. But the LPDC doesn’t care. The Imperial Government sure doesn’t.”

  He paused and turned to face her, holding the torch between them. “For now, we do what we can. It’s either that, or die out here. But once the jungle is like the river—” he paused and shrugged, “I guess that’ll be the end for us.”

  “But they can’t—”

  “They wanted most of us dead anyway. But it was a problem to have us executed. If the plants do it for them… simple. Solves a problem.”

  Mu felt a deep frustration with herself. How did she keep getting surprised by the injustices of the Imperial system?

  You can’t be that na?ve, Mukushen, she admonished herself.

  “We call the patrols “vine warden duty”,” said Jiwen. “It’s worse for those who go on scouting assignments. At least in here we have a wall. And a ditch.”

  “What is the ditch for?”

  “If there’s a mass incursion, it’s filled with flammable substances. We light it up. With any luck, it’ll slow them,” said Jiwen.

  “But the village might catch fire.”

  “It might. But if the vines get in – en masse – we will die. Fire? It rains a lot here. We might have a chance.”

  “And when scouting? Like Toghrul is now?”

  “It’s tiring,” said Jiwen, “At times two party members need to be continually hacking or burning the vines to maintain the camp clearing. The others try to sleep.”

  “That sounds hellish.”

  “It isn’t pleasant,” said Jiwen.

  Everything was illuminated by the storm. Darkness returned, shortly after came the rumble of thunder.

  “The pits,” she said, “You said they were the epicentres of the accelerated evolution?”

  “They appear to be. No scouting parties ever camp near one. The incursions are too intense.”

  “Has anyone ever gone inside one?” asked Mu.

  “No,” said Jiwen. “I considered it early on. But… there’s no way you’d make it out alive.”

  “I just wonder if there aren’t answers there,” said Mu.

  “Maybe, but answers aren’t solutions,” said Jiwen. “I suspect whatever has happened here, it is beyond the power of the LPDC or even the Empire to reverse now. Luanyuan is a failed experiment – I have no doubts about it. And… I think the era of human inhabitation of its surface is almost done. Whether the vines overrun Heye or the atmosphere becomes toxic first, I don’t know. But this isn’t somewhere that welcomes humankind.”

  Overhead the heavens roared and the rains of Luanyuan kept falling over its jungles.

  The thunder was rumbling over the canopy as Mei Xuelan made her way back towards the ship.

  She was still worried. Xixi wouldn’t come with her, instead just sitting there, propped against the tree, the blood of many colours flowing continuously from their wounds, their eyes staring blankly ahead.

  Why were they being so stubborn?

  It would be easier if they were all together on the ship. Yet though they were hurt, Xuelan knew – somehow – that Xixi would be okay. Even having lost so much blood. So, she made her way back toward the ship, fighting all along against the vines.

  It was not just the thunder that rumbled, her stomach did too. She still hadn’t eaten since they’d been on Luayuan. She had thought that maybe there would be some nice fruit, but the only time she had tried to pick any fruit it had been filled with yucky things like teeth and bones, so she’d thrown it away. Cruelly, the bees had not left any of their delicious honeycomb behind when they’d left. Frankly, this seemed rude after all the effort Xuelan had put into looking after them. Maybe bees could be Discordant after all.

  It was quite dark and stormy by the time that Xuelan finally found her way back to the ship. Captain and Mrs Wen must have woken up, because they were no longer where they’d been resting when she’d left to go find Xixi. There was a flash of lightning and for a moment she thought she saw a long smear of blood where Mrs Wen had been, but then she reminded herself how silly she was being. Blood wasn’t red. It was all the colours. Maybe it was sap from a plant? There were certainly many more plants around the ship now than there had been.

  She found Mother and Father. Mother must have woken up at some point, because she had covered herself in flowers. How like Mother. She had always loved flowers. Father must have fallen asleep while trying to see if some of the plants were edible, because he had a vine in his mouth. They looked peaceful though, so Xuelan didn’t wake them.

  Instead, she went to the ruins of her bedroom and sat there in a spot where the gathering storm couldn’t reach her. She sat and she gazed out on the wreckage and the jungle. She wished Xixi would have come with her.

  She felt hungry.

  She felt lonely.

  Eventually she fell asleep.

  Xixi was in her dream. They led her along a rainbow path through the sky. At its end was a star – not like the stars in the night sky, but a great swirling mass of fire. Around it flew the bees. So many bees.

  “In the Hive, no one is lonely,” said Xixi.

  She looked at them.

  “Don’t you mean the Orchestra?”

  Xixi’s many eyes gazed back at her calmly, reassuringly. They stretched their many wings.

  “You need only drink of my essence.”