After Dr. Nu asks another to cover for him, I follow him down to the lowest level. He stops on the last stair where a metal wall blocks our path. Of course they don’t know about the food, there is metal everywhere locking them in.
“This is the end,” he says. “No food, no nothing.”
“We need something to break through this material,” I say looking around. By the looks of it, we’re going to need a power drill the size of the wilds of Garden Home.
Dr. Nu looks around and then a light pops in his eyes. “There is one more level that is not covered in metal.” He pauses. “No one goes down there because of the poison.”
I shake my head. “It is amazing you all have survived this long. There are leaves that grow in the dirt that filter the air making it breathable,” I say. “It’s underground no one will be harmed.”
Dr. Nu walks around the side of the final step until we are completely under the stairs. He turns a barely noticeable nob and a hissing sounds before the door is opened completely. Dr. Nu jumps away. I look at his wide eyes and grab a hold of his hand. Together we descend the final two stairs.
Inside the room along two sides of the wall imbedded in dirt are large gold dials and gauges. Some of them are similar to Garden Home’s electrical water system, but bigger in size. A wall with nothing but large chest size leaves stretch as far as the eye can see. I’m guessing this is how they keep the air circulating.
I use my fingers and begin tearing at the dirt, one hand full at a time until my fingers hit a bulb. Slowly, for added affect I pull out the long circular green root that we call cani. I hand it to Dr. Nu; his eyes grow wide in surprise. Then I begin again and pull out a circular purple onion. Dr. Nu nearly falls to the floor with the vegetables in his hand. He opens his mouth and then closes it without uttering any sound. His face is so astonished that I can’t do anything but laugh.
“Saved. Perfect name.” I smile and watch him greedily devour the food. “We must tell the Seers.” He looks at the wall like this is the last time we will see it and we hurry back up the stairs. Dr. Nu’s glow heightens a feeling of glee within me. The instructions of feed me, cannot be this easy, but this feeling, which is alien, is so delicious I want more of it. Is this happiness?
The Seer and an older man in similar robe like silk, wave us into the small room. Dr. Nu can barely contain his excitement as he closes the sliding door. He falls to their feet and explains to them what he has just eaten. He places the untouched onion in her hand.
The woman looks up at me from her position on the floor. “This is from you child?” She asks.
“No mam, it is from the Earth, in my home this is what we eat,” I say to her. “We also have animals that sacrifice their lives so we may survive.”
“Meat? Real meat?” They all say in unison.
“Yes.”
Dr. Nu stands ups. “We must harvest the food from the walls, immediately.”
“We’ll need tools, preferably power tools,” I say.
“You have electricity?” Dr. Nu asks, practically drooling.
His astonishment makes me laugh. “Yes, the waterfalls power us. I can show you how to build one if you want.” All of Garden Home was scientifically generated by the European nations a long time ago. Aside from the food in the walls and leaves at the mouth of the cave, everything else is man-made.
The old man jumps up from the floor. “NO!” He shouts. “This is how it begins; this is how we eventually fall. New innovations, new discoveries, and then we can never stop. We become accustomed to easy without realizing what it is truly harming.” He drags closer and points a long finger in my face. “When you want more than you need, you will not succeed.” The man turns to Dr. Nu. “Our vessels are healthy, they want for nothing. This vegetation that you bring to us is an unnecessary distraction.” Now I am lost. Why would the Universe place itself in a body that requires these specific foods if it didn’t attend for the being to consume?
“But Seer,” Dr. Nu begs. “The Universe has spoken. If it didn’t want us to consume this gift, it wouldn’t have been revealed it.” Exactly.
“You have not reached the realm of the Universe yet,” the female seer says. “Therefore you are unable to decipher the true meaning of its actions. What will happen when it begins to run out? Fights will ensue and lives will be lost.” The woman raises her hand to the ceiling. “That is not the will of the Universe.”
I walk to Dr. Nu and help him up. “Once we harvest the food, we close the holes, and it grows again,” I say. “The food never runs out.”
“We appreciate the knowledge you have given us dear child. The Universe wishes us to wait.” The Seer turns her head to Dr. Nu. “That will be all.”
Dr. Nu bows his head. I stare at them wondering what crazy world I walked into, but this is their home and I am the guest. I won’t change what they believe in, even if electricity is amazing, and food makes me warm and fuzzy. Hopefully they will begin to see that it is okay, and not an evil desire.
“As you wish,” I say.
Dr. Nu and I leave their company in companionable silence. The spread of hope from earlier has diminished a little. Maybe I put too much into Dr. Nu’s talk to really take notice of what is going on. They too have an interrupter made of flesh. Who’s to say their words are right? I certainly don’t see how, but I said I will learn. Then and only then will I decide if this is to be my home or not. There is something to be said about remaining docile. No good will come from it, and I truly believe that.