Cory Fournier about 2935 words

36 Phyllis St.
Dracut, MA !"26
cory#ournier$yahoo.co%
Sur&eillance Moon
by Cory Fournier
McCleod loo'ed bac' o&er his shoulder and stu%bled in the
loose sand( behind hi%, a %ob ) %ade u* o# those citi+ens o#
Phobos who had decided that they would no lon,er tolerate his
*resence in their co%%unity ) #ollowed li'e a sna'e on *rey,
their bald heads bobbin, in concert as they cursed and *u%*ed
their #ists. Without clothing...and pockets..., McCleod-s
thou,hts, li'e his breath, ca%e in short bursts, they
always...need something...to do...with their hands.... .is lon,,
lean le,s ached, his wide %outh dried out, his *ower#ul heart
*ounded in his chest. I need...to rest..., he thou,ht, but
where/...... Theres only...one... place...
0he Pri&acy Pods were housed in a crater beyond the ne1t
street and, on a world otherwise without walls, they were li'ely
to be the only sanctuary he would #ind.
.e *ushed on, sweat stin,in, his eyes and dri**in, #ro% the
ti* o# his lon,, bony nose. As he wi*ed his #orehead with his
ar%, he loo'ed u* at the s'y. 0he Sun 2he ne&er had ,otten used
to how the days wor'ed here3 shone hi,h abo&e and burned his
sha&en head( the lar,e red orb Mars sat, hal#way hidden by the
hori+on, to his side( Dei%os, his own ,lobe-s sister %oon, hun,
as a s%all sil&er circle( and, e&enly distributed across the
dar')blue hea&ens, the e&er)*resent lattice o# arti#icial
satellites watched and ,listened li'e a ,rid o# %oc' stars.
For once, McCleod a**reciated the barren, ashen, structure)
less sur#ace o# Phobos. At least it ,a&e hi% a strai,ht shot to
his tar,et.
.e s*rinted across a road, bounded o&er one o# the u*ri,ht,
#le1ible)rubber rods that lined e&ery a&enue, and entered
so%eone4s *ro*erty( the s%ooth sand o# the street ran sea%lessly
into the s%ooth sand o# their yard. A wo%an on the *lot o# land,
#eedin, her dau,hter in what would ha&e been the 'itchen on any
other colony, ,rabbed the child and retreated to a sa#e
distance. McCleod entered her ho%e ) really only an area
delineated by a stri* o# #abric strun, taut alon, its contour )
throu,h what would ha&e been a wall, then lea*t o&er a couch in
what would ha&e been a *arlor and le#t out the other side.
0he %ob, close behind, easily na&i,ated the rods, but
#altered en %asse o&er the wo%an-s #urniture. Meanwhile, a
ca%era, #i1ed ato* a two)%eter colu%n 2one o# thousands 5ust
li'e it on the sur#ace o# Phobos3 whirred and #ocused on the
scene.
McCleod crossed the street and cla%bered u* the crater
wall. At the to*, he sto**ed to catch his breath. Fro% here he
could see, #ar down the landsca*e and a,ainst the bac'dro* o#
Mars, a %ass o# *eo*le #i,htin,.
The Brawl..., he thou,ht.
Fi#teen years earlier, the %oon had been coloni+ed, the
e1*eri%ent had started, and, al%ost i%%ediately, the 6rawl had
be,un. So%e #eud, so%e ar,u%ent, so%e si%*le %isunderstandin,,
had turned into outri,ht co%bat, had drawn in #riends and #a%ily
%e%bers o# those in&ol&ed, had ,rown, had e&ol&ed, and had
in#ected this settle%ent e&er since. 0he ,runts and hollers o#
those in the scu##le were %u##led by the dust they 'ic'ed u* as
they #ou,ht.
Inside that fire..., McCleod thou,ht,...is surely hell.
.e swun, his le,s o&er the ri% o# the crater and, care#ul
not to sit his bare bac'side on the rou,h re,olith, slid down
the e%ban'%ent. Ahead o# hi%, #i&e lar,e, white cu*olas,
arran,ed in a horseshoe *attern, bul,ed #ro% the ,ray terrain
li'e *i%*les ready to *o*. 7n the %iddle o# the%, a cul)de)sac
loo*ed around a central *lat#or%, then car&ed throu,h the wall
o# the crater and led out o# it.
8n the *lat#or% sat another colu%n. At its base, as on all
o# the%, was a %onitor, waitin, #or anyone who desired to use
it.
At its crown, another ca%era.
0he Pod that McCleod usually used was closest. .e cau,ht
his balance, ran to it, and tried the door.
7t was loc'ed.
.e turned and saw the swar% o# hu%ans co%e o&er the li* o#
the *it. .e raced to the ne1t Pod and yan'ed its handle( the
door swun, o*en. .e had ne&er used this *articular Pod, but the
si,ht wasn4t un#a%iliar9 a round, white roo%, e%*ty and
unsti%ulatin,.
.e sla%%ed the door shut and bac'ed into the s*ace.
0he %ob reached the do%e and sur,ed around it. As they beat
their #ists a,ainst its steel hull, their ban,s and cries echoed
o&er McCleod in a sy%%etrical cla%or. A nearby %onitor )
abandoned, but still dis*layin, what the *re&ious user had
re:uested ) showed a ,rou* o# adolescents lau,hin, and teasin, a
s%all boy. At one child-s char,e, they suddenly *ounced on hi%,
turned hi% o&er, and rubbed sand in his #ace.
;
Aristide hurried down the road towards the Pods. .is lon,,
white hair and beard :ui&ered sti##ly, his cri%son robes
#luttered, des*ite the stillness o# the lunar air, behind hi%,
and his 'nees screa%ed in *ain with each ste* in the unsteady
,round. I hope I'm not too late, he thou,ht.
.e had 'nown that this had been co%in, #or so%e ti%e.
.e sto**ed in the %iddle o# the courtyard and rested
a,ainst the %onitor and its ca%era)to**ed *ost, then shielded
his eyes with his hand and studied the crowd. So%e o# the %en
*resent, each i%a,inin, hi%sel# stron,er than the last, too'
turns tryin, to wrench the handle o# the door #ro% the Pod( so%e
,athered tools to s%ash it o*en( and so%e, o**ortunistically,
*ressed the%sel&es a,ainst a suitable #e%ale in the crowd.
Aristide s%iled( only Mentors, such as hi%sel#, had the
'eys to unloc' the Pods #ro% without.
<=ait,< said Aristide, and threw u* his hand. 0he crowd
:uieted ) %ost residents o# Phobos ,a&e hi% the res*ect that his
*osition su,,ested ) and turned. <7 would that you tell %e o#
what cri%e this %an is ,uilty,< he said, <For all o# you to be
here, it %ust be ,ra&e indeed.<
A %an, older than %ost and with a scowl and a sneer,
ste**ed #orward, *ointed at a youn,er, but slo&enly, #e%ale, and
said <.e &iolated this wo%an><
<And the #oota,e has born this out/< as'ed Aristide.
For a %o%ent, no one answered. 0hen, the an,ry %an said, <7
saw hi% do it %ysel#, and i# you-ll only o*en this door, 74ll
'ill hi% %ysel#, too><
0he crowd cheered.
<Please,< said Aristide, <he is already incarcerated( why
don4t we chec' the #oota,e be#ore sentencin, hi%/< 0he crowd
%ur%ured, and Aristide %otioned #or the% to co%e closer.
Abo&e the% all, at the colu%n-s a*e1, the chro%e s*here
housin, the o%ni)directional ca%era shined in the sunli,ht.
Aristide *ositioned hi%sel# in #ront o# the &ideo screen.
<Monitor,< he said.
0he console bee*ed in readiness.
<Show %e...< said Aristide, <Dustin McCleod.< 7%%ediately,
0he %achine downloaded, #ro% the %ain#ra%e at the center o#
Phobos, all o# the &isual and audio data o# McCleod-s *ast, bac'
to his arri&al on the %oon. 0hen it awaited Aristide-s co%%and.
<Mada%,< he said to the wo%an, <%ay 7 as' you when the
alle,ed e&ent occurred/<
She loo'ed o## *ast his shoulder and sta%%ered. <7t was at
%y house the other ni,ht,< she said, <74% not sure which. 7t
was... &ery late.<
Aristide s*o'e a,ain to the screen, <?ear #i#teen, D5oon
se&en, hour #i&e.< An i%a,e o# McCleod-s ho%e, recorded around
dus' the day be#ore, a**eared on the screen. 7n it, McCleod was
lyin, in bed, readin, #ro% trans*arent electro)*a*er. <Fast
#orward, ti%es !6,< said Aristide, and the *laybac' accelerated.
McCleod4s #i,ure 5u%*ed u*, whis'ed around his ho%e #or a
%o%ent, then sla%%ed bac' into bed and, a**arently, went to
slee*. 0he crowd watched #or hal#)a)%inute, waitin, to see
McCleod race to the wo%an4s ho%e.
.e didn4t.
<Could it *ossibly ha&e been the ni,ht be#ore, Mada%/<
Aristide as'ed.
0he wo%an lowered her #ace and shru,,ed. <7 was slee*in,,
andit was dar', and,< her #ace turned red and her &oice ,ot
louder, <this %an ca%e into %y ho%e and into %y bed. .ow a% 7
su**osed to re%e%ber e1actly when/< She be,an sobbin,, and the
an,ry %an *ut his ar%s around her and *ulled her to his chest.
0he *eo*le in the crowd %uttered a%on,st the%sel&es and
se&eral, no lon,er con&inced by the wo%an-s testi%ony, wandered
o##. Aristide loo'ed o&er the rest. <?ou conde%ned this %an,< he
said, <be#ore anyone had loo'ed o&er the e&idence/ =hat, then,
is the *ur*ose,< he ,estured at the towerin, sil&er ball, <o#
these/<
<She has no reason to lie,< the an,ry %an said, <and no one
here has as'ed #or your counsel. ?ou should e1tend the ser&ice
o# your wisdo% to those who re:uest it, as is your role in this
colony. And,< .is &oice lowered, <i# you wish to start trials,
you can return to @arth.<
<7 understand,< said Aristide, <that this is what we-&e
a,reed u*on, true 5ud,%ent by one-s *eers( but 7 cannot i,nore
what 7 'now to be ri,ht ) %y %orality chi* assures that.<
0he an,ry %an o*ened his %outh to s*ea' a,ain, but was
interru*ted by a &oice #ro% behind the crowd. <7t is their
*ri&ile,e,< McCleod said, standin, tall and cal% 5ust outside
the Pod door, <to do with %e as they wish. 7 don-t ha&e to ha&e
done anythin, at all to earn their censure, and i# they want to
be rid o# %e, then that is their ri,ht.< A nearby %onitor showed
a husband and wi#e ar,uin,, their #aces #lush. 7n the
bac',round, a baby bawled. 0he *air *ointed at each other, then
at the child, then, #inally, threw their hands u* in resi,nation.
;
Si%on didn-t see the blow co%in,. 7t hit hi% s:uarely on
the 5aw, and his &ision went white.
.e sta,,ered bac'wards and ste**ed aw'wardly to re,ain his
#ootin,, then his hand shot to his chee' and his *in'y s%eared
the war% blood #lowin, #ro% his li*. .is assailant continued
#orward, swin,in, his #ists in wea' swee*s. Si%on dro**ed to one
'nee, then shot his shoulder into his attac'ers abdo%en. 0he %an
,as*ed and 'eeled o&er, then ,ot swe*t away into the tur%oil.
Si%on #ell to his hands and 'nees and s*at blood. Ai#tin,
his head, he cau,ht, throu,h the can&as o# unclothed bodies, a
,li%*se, %aybe only ten %eters away, o# o*en s*ace. A dash, a
%ad scra%ble, %i,ht ,et hi% there be#ore he #aced another
altercation. .e inhaled dee*ly and *re*ared to run.
A de&iant #oot suddenly crashed into his te%*le.
.e colla*sed onto his ribs and, as the battle ra,ed on o&er
hi%, he lost consciousness and the %ultitude, e&en with their
bare #eet, :uic'ly tra%*led hi% until he was dead.
;
0he crowd, di%inished but inti%idatin,, %o&ed towards
McCleod.
Aristide *ushed his way throu,h the%. <McCleod, this wo%an
isn-t tellin, the truth.< he said.
McCleod wa&ed hi% o##. <Bo, she isn-t, but 7 don-t thin'
she-s lyin,. 7 belie&e she drea%t it,< he said.
<She-s a#raid o# %e.<
0he wo%an 5u%*ed. <.e stays in the Pods #or hours and
so%eti%es co%es out with bruises on his body>< she said, <=hat
could he be doin, in there/<
<7-% dancin,, or thin'in,, or sin,in,>< McCleod said, loud
enou,h to %a'e her 5u%* a,ain. 0hen he cal%ed hi%sel#. <7-%
doin, what 7 want,< he said. <7 don4t use the Pods so that you
can-t see %e, but so 7 can-t see you.<
.e turned to the Mentor. <She 'nows that 7-&e done nothin,
to her, or to anyone else( she thin's that 7 ha&e so%ethin, to
hide, since 7 s*end so %uch ti%e in the Pod. =ell, 7 do. 7 ha&e
so%ethin, that 7 have to hide9 %ysel#.<
.e s*un to the crowd and ,estured to the wo%an. <She
thin's, as all o# you do, that e&erythin, should be disclosed to
her, that anythin, she doesn-t 'now %ust be har%#ul to her, or
else she-d 'now about it, and that i# so%eone doesn-t want her
to 'now what they-re doin,, then they shouldn4t be doin, it.
<7 tell her and you that there is too %uch to 'now to %a'e
this *ossible ) unless, o# course, e&erythin, else is stri**ed
away.<
McCleod beca%e silent and loo'ed out o&er the crowd. 0heir
#aces betrayed that they could not i%a,ine the sorts o# thin,s
that he was tal'in, about. .e turned and too' a #ew slow ste*s
away.
Bo one %o&ed to sto* hi%.
A nearby %onitor showed an old cou*le in bed. 0he wo%an4s
le,s wra**ed ti,htly the %an, her ar%s were o&er his shoulders,
her eyes were shut, and she whi%*ered as he ,runted on to* o#
her.
<=here is the *ossibility,< McCleod #inally said, <o#
architecture, or #ashion, here/ 8# culture, or tradition/
Man-s *ro,ress has always been a buildin, o# the new u*on the
old. .ere, there-s nothin, u*on which to build.
<0he only thin, we ha&e here... is #reedo%.<
<=e all 'now the ter%s o# the e1*eri%ent,< said the an,ry
%an.
<0hen can-t you see the *arado1 inherent in it/< McCleod
said, <8ur nei,hbors on Dei%os ha&e no #reedo%, but co%*lete
*ri&acy. 0hey ha&e the ri,ht not to be obser&ed doin, eactly
what they've been told to do. 6ut whether they-re seen or not,
whate&er they do is co%%on 'nowled,e ) so what ,ood is it/
<Bow consider our own situation. =e-&e been ,i&en no
*ri&acy, but co%*lete #reedo%. Does that include the #reedo% to
wear whate&er %aterial 7 #eel/ 0o ha&e any hairstyle 7 choose/
0o e1*ress %y disli'e o# so%eone without #ear o# re*risal/ 0o be
an individual/ Cust because the weather is always co%#ortable
here, we %ust want to be na'ed/ Cust because the world seems
sa#e, we should be e1*osed/ =e ha&e been restricted to a *urely
moral #reedo% by bein, denied all creati&e ones.
<0he #irst thin, we did with our liberty was create the
6rawl. 7s there anyone here who doesn-t 'now so%eone who-s been
in5ured in that... that bli,ht, that ble%ish on our colony/ Do
any o# you still belie&e that the *ublicity o# our histories
so%ehow %a'es us sa#er, so%ehow co%*ensates #or our lawlessness/
<Ba'edness is #or beasts and *re)societal %an( e&en nature
clothes her %ysteries. 6ut what a**ear to be ,reat truths hidden
beneath *edestrian accidents are 5ust the o**osite9 it is the
rules which are *rosaic, and the *articular instances that co%e
about as conse!uences o# these rules which are *ro#ound. 0he
laws o# *hysics are incredible, but not as incredible as their
results9 a roc'et, a rainbow, or a ) <
McCleod was suddenly cut o##( the an,ry %an had *ushed *ast
se&eral *eo*le, then darted #ro% the crowd and lun,ed at
McCleod. A loud re*ort ca%e #ro% Aristide. 0he an,ry %an
stu%bled, then #ell still.
A crude blade #lew #ro% his hand and landed in the sand.
0he unclean wo%an cried out and colla*sed on to* o# his
%otionless body. Aristide li#ted a #old in his robe and inserted
the s%all, s%o'in, *istol that he had *ulled #ro% it bac' into
its de*ths. =ithin seconds, the crowd was cleared ) whoe&er had
been le#t had scattered at the si,ht o# the #irear%.
<Don-t worry,< Aristide said to McCleod and the wee*in,
wo%an, <he-ll be #ine. 7 %issed all o# his &ital or,ans, blood)
loss will be %ini%al, and there won-t be any lon,)ter% da%a,e )
his body 5ust went into shoc', and he *assed out.<
McCleod stood, da+ed. <?ou ha&e the %orality chi*/< he
as'ed Aristide.
<8# course,< said Aristide, <as ha&e all %entors.<
McCleod loo'ed down at the sobbin, wo%an, who whi%*ered
<6rother...<, then said to Aristide, <.ow could it ha&e allowed
you to do that/<
Aristide *u##ed his li*s. <7t dictated 7 do.< he said.
<Do all Mentors carry wea*ons/< McCleod said.
<Always.< Aristide said.
<6ut why guns/< McCleod as'ed, <=hy wouldn-t you carry a
tran:uili+in, de&ice instead/<
<0hen how would 7 be able to 'ill so%eone i# 7 had to/<
said Aristide.
McCleod stood o&er the wo%an, bent in her hunched %ourn,
and loo'ed u* a,ain throu,h the thin, %anu#actured at%os*here to
the all)too)nu%erous illu%inated *oints han,in, in their low,
,eosynchronous orbits abo&e. <0his is what they want/< he said,
then wal'ed to the %onitor, ,ri**ed its sides, and too' a dee*
breath.
<Monitor,< he said, <Show %ePhobos><
0he innu%erable ca%eras o# the %oon instantly be,an
scannin, the celestial body, atte%*tin, to ca*ture the %a1i%u%
a%ount o# sur#ace area. 0heir %ounts ,yrated, their lenses s*un
in #ren+ied s*irals, and their hard dri&es sent their contents
to the %ain#ra%e, then a,ain to the %onitors. 8n e&ery screen
a**eared a #lurry o# scenes, a #rantic %onta,e o# the *eo*le o#
Phobos 'issin,, urinatin,, lau,hin,, and li&in,, as each ca%era
#ou,ht #or the *ri&ile,e o# dis*layin, its i%a,e. A,ain see'in,
the %ost accurate de*iction o# Phobos, the ca%eras #ocused on
these &ery screens and trans%itted their i%a,es bac' to
the%sel&es. 0he audio loo*ed and %er,ed, creatin, a #eedbac'
that lo,arith%ically increased in &olu%e, and this beca%e a
drone, a %antra that e%anated #ro% e&ery %onitor until the
entire sur#ace o# Phobos *ulsed with the hu%.
0hose in the 6rawl continued thrashin, about, but their
blows no lon,er landed9 their &iolence had beco%e ecstasy( their
s'ir%ish, a wild or,y o# ener,y( their riot, a bacchanal as they
danced to the %usic to,ether, li'e McCleod o#ten did in the Pods
alone. A nearby %onitor showed a youn, wo%an lyin, in the lunar
dust, en5oyin, the war% rays o# the sun. .er eyes were closed,
her an'les were crossed, and her hands were clas*ed to,ether
behind her head. She ta**ed her #oot to the rhyth%.
A ,rin s*read across her #ace.