Forager (8 page)

I got to work a bit earlier the following morning as I was secretly hoping Nanako would bring me lunch again. Not because of the meal, but because I wanted to see her. She was the first thought on my mind when I woke, and I couldn’t deny my interest in her.

These desires, however, confused me. What was I hoping to achieve by seeing her again? She would return to Hamamachi with Councillor Okada soon and that would be the end of it.

I had read about romance in novels I found in the ruins of Melbourne, but it hadn’t ever occurred to me that I might experience it myself. All marriages in Newhome were arranged by the children's fathers and were typically devoid of romantic love.

My teammates were already in the Recycling-Works yard, lounging against the truck as they waited for me. Sergeant King and his squad were there too, talking quietly amongst themselves, their box-shaped Bushmaster parked near our truck.

"Hey Jones, you wet the bed or something?" Shorty teased.

"What?"

"You've never been here before nine o'clock before," Leigh said.

"First time for everything," I laughed as I joined them. However, I wasn’t really listening. I was straining my ears in the hope of hearing Nanako’s small footsteps. 

And then I heard them, coming down the street as she and Councillor Okada approached the Recycling-Works. A moment later, they stepped into the yard, the obento lunchbox cradled carefully in her arms.

I stepped towards her, eagerly anticipating the chance to speak with her again. I had taken only a few steps when a Custodian G-Wagon roared down the street and with a screech of brakes, came to a halt in the yard. Three Custodians leaped out, readied their semi-automatic rifles, and headed straight for us.

Nanako and Councillor Okada stepped quickly back into the shadows of the gate. I moved back towards my teammates, my face white with terror. Surely this was it – I had been found out.

"We are looking for a Leigh Williams," announced the Custodian commander – a tall, wiry corporal, practically snarling in our faces.

I was so sure they were here for me that it took a moment for their words to sink in. "Sorry, did you say Leigh Williams. For what reason, Sir?" I asked, hoping against hope that Leigh had not done something exceptionally stupid.

The corporal gave me a withering look and barked, "Is he here?"

To my relief, Sergeant King chose that moment to join us. "Can I help you, Corporal?"

"Sir, I have a warrant for the arrest of one Leigh Williams, for allegations of serious sexual misconduct," replied the corporal as he returned the salute.

"Let's see it then," King demanded.

The corporal handed it over and waited impatiently, aware that King was of higher rank, but empowered by the warrant to carry out his task without obstruction.

"All seems in order," King announced after giving the warrant a quick once through. "Mr. Williams, you will surrender yourself to Corporal Thompson."

Eyes wide with fear, Leigh stepped haltingly towards the corporal, glancing back at me as he went. I didn’t know what he thought I could do, but I couldn't believe he was stupid enough to sleep with a woman outside of wedlock. Especially considering the draconian punishments that applied to those who did.

"Wait a minute. There must be some mistake, Sir," I said far too aggressively as I stepped forward.

The corporal and his men aimed their assault-rifles at me, thumbing off the safeties. "Step back, Civilian!" The corporal thundered.

I locked eyes with the officious corporal and refused to budge. Leigh was my friend and one of my team – a valuable member and we needed him! I was going to press the issue when strong hands grabbed me and slammed me back against the truck's bonnet.

"What the..." I snarled, but stopped when I saw that it was Michal who had grabbed me.

"Don't be a drongo, Ethan, they were about to pop you!" he whispered.

"But Leigh!"

"Has been an absolute moron," he replied softly.

"You mean he's really done what they’ve accused him of?" I whispered back, shocked. I watched as the Custodians snapped cuffs on Leigh and marched him to their G-Wagon.

"Remember what David and Leigh ribbed him about yesterday?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, Leigh and his neighbour's daughter – well, someone must have ratted 'em out."

"Oh good grief!” I groaned, as the G-Wagon reversed and drove out of sight. I immediately ran over to Sergeant King, who was returning to the Bushmaster as though nothing had happened. "Sergeant King!"

The brawny Custodian stopped, but didn't turn around. "What is it, Jones?"

"What'll happen to Leigh?"

He turned and appraised me with clear disapproval. "You know, Jones, I'm beginning to think you've got a death wish."

"Sir?"

"The little stunt you pulled back there? And attacking the Skel two days ago? You'd better ramp it back, boy, or we'll be scraping you off the road before you know it."

"But Sir, isn't there anything you can do about Leigh?" I pressed, ignoring his accusation that I was reckless.

"Mr. Williams will face the magistrate today along with the woman he has been accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with. If sufficient evidence is presented to prove their guilt, they will be sentenced according to the law," King explained, annoyed that I would not let the matter drop. "Now enough of this. To work. And that is an order."

I fumed at King's cold indifference to the matter, but more than that, I was terrified for Leigh. The typical sentence for sexual conduct outside marriage was the death penalty. At least for the woman: if the man was lucky, he may have his sentence transmuted to some lesser punishment. This was another example of discrimination against women in our totalitarian, male-dominated society.

Dispirited and concerned for our friend, we clambered into the truck and drove off towards the gates with the Bushmaster right behind us. However, as we did so, a thought thrust past the fearful and angry thoughts consuming my mind – Nanako!

I turned in my seat just in time to see her step out of the gate’s long shadow, disappointment etched on her face. In her hands was the obento lunch she had gone to such lengths to prepare and deliver.

I had a frantic impulse to tell Michal to stop the truck so I could quickly receive her gift. However, with the Custodians behind us plus King's displeasure that we were running late, I resisted the urge. I slumped back into my seat, leaving Nanako behind.

That I had let her down so dreadfully weighed heavily on my heart, and the memory of her sad face as she watched us drive away tore a hole right through me.

What followed was one of the most unpleasant days I could recall. All day I fretted endlessly over Leigh and his girlfriend’s fate. Had they seen the magistrate? Was there sufficient evidence to convict them? Would the magistrate punish them to the fullest extent of the law, or would he show compassion?

Furthermore, I couldn't stop wondering what Nanako was thinking and feeling. How early had she risen this morning to buy the food to make the lunch? How long had she spent preparing it, adding personal touches like rabbit ears on the tomato and apple slices? Only to see me get so caught up in the morning's trauma that I completely forgot about her. I recalled how dejected she had been when she cried alone on the roof two nights ago. I feared my actions today only added to her misery.

To make matters worse, another of those strange turns visited me as we worked. This time I saw a beaten-up ute parked in a derelict factory courtyard overgrown with wild blackberry bushes. And just like before, although it felt as though I had seen this place before, I knew I had not. It seemed these bizarre turns were here to stay, and as they were accompanied by a massive adrenaline spike, I dubbed them 'spike attacks' for want of a better name.

* * *

The workday finally came to an end and we drove back to Newhome in silence. Michal parked the truck with a screech of worn breaks and the four of us rushed into the Recycling-Works, signed off in the logbook, and hurried to find the boss.

He was in his office, a poorly lit room on the second floor with dirty, virtually opaque windows that overlooked the scrap metal yard. He pushed back his chair and stood when we knocked at his door. "Come in, boys."

We filed in, taking care not to knock over the piles of logbooks, scrap metal records, connotes and delivery receipts that crowded the floor in ungainly piles.

"You've come to find out about Leigh, I suppose?" He ran his hand slowly through his balding hair.

"Yes Sir," I replied, a sinking feeling in my gut, "Did he see the magistrate today?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And?" Shorty prompted, concern etched over his normally jovial face.

"I'm afraid the magistrate found Leigh and a Miss Amelia Lin guilty of unlawful sexual conduct, and, ah, both were sentenced to death."

"What?" we all shouted in horror.

The boss held up his hands. "Wait! Leigh's sentence was reduced to six years hard labour in a prison factory."

I think I almost fainted with relief at this news; Leigh was going to be alright! Yet at the same time, we wouldn't be able to see him for six long years. Our foraging team would also be one member short.

"What about the girl, Boss?" Michal asked softly.

The boss avoided our eyes. "I'm sorry, she was executed by lethal injection at midday."

"How old was she?" I whispered.

"Eighteen."

Outrage drove back the funk that had taken hold of me today. "What kind of society do we live in that executes eighteen year old girls for falling prey to temptation?"

"Be careful, Ethan, verbalising such thoughts could be considered treason," the boss cautioned me.

"But Sir, how can they possibly justify such a sentence? It's barbaric!”

Trajan sank slowly onto his chair, still not meeting my gaze. He finally answered my question. "You know what their answer will be, Ethan. 'Justice must not only be done, it must also be seen to be done. Otherwise the very fabric of society would unravel and revert to anarchy.' ”

“But they render that argument invalid by reducing Leigh’s sentence but not the girl’s. Why didn’t the magistrate reduce her sentence too?" I reckoned I knew the answer to my question, and it made my blood boil. Thanks to the Founders establishing a male-only workforce, men were indispensable. Women, being only homemakers, were not. What rubbish! Women played an equally important role in society and were just as indispensable. Why couldn’t they see that? What made me even angrier was that the Chancellor and councillors could have overridden this absurd practice, but they enforced it.

The boss sighed and looked up. "Listen to me, Ethan – all of you. I know you are angry and disappointed with today's proceedings, and you'll find a sympathetic ear with me. However, as even the walls have ears, I think it best we drop this now and keep our mouths shut. The last thing I need is for the rest of you to end up in prison on the charge of treason. Do you understand?"

It took a moment to get my anger under control, but the boss spoke the truth and I knew it. I hated the system, but there was nothing I could do about it. And he was right, to even criticise it would see me in a prison factory alongside Leigh. Though at least I would get to see him sooner than six years.

Our spirits crushed, my teammates and I wandered back down the stairs and into the yard.

"I'm gonna go to the Foragers Club to get sloshed," Shorty said dejectedly as he looked up at us. "Who's coming?"

"Okay," David agreed, though with some reluctance. He looked like he would rather be by himself.

I grabbed Shorty's arm. "There's got to be a better way of dealing with this than getting drunk. Why don't we go for a long walk or something?"

"I’ll pass on the walk," Shorty shot back. "Look, why don't you come with us for a change, Jones?"

"Sorry guys, I'm heading home," I said. I could think of a million better things to do than destroying brain cells and waking in some random location, sick as a dog.

"I'll keep an eye on 'em," Michal said.

"Thanks mate." I appreciated Michal's maturity, which always shone through at times like this. 

I got back to my small apartment half-an-hour later. I showered and was donning clean clothes when my phone rang. I watched it ring for some time, willing the person on the other end to give up and leave me in peace. But it just kept on ringing so I answered it. "Ethan speaking."

"Good evening, Son. You must come over at once," my father said in a tone that brokered no argument.

"Look, Father, I've had a really bad day and I need a quiet night."

"Out of the question," he snapped. "Special guests are joining us for dinner, and your presence is required. Be here in ten minutes."

"Special guests? Father, really, I'm in no condition to be socialising."