Cyber Witch

Chapter 8.4 - Walkabout

[Zach]

Maya met us in the council chamber plaza, an open space with tall windows looking out to a peaceful public garden. She had let her shoulder-length dark hair free and exchanged hospital scrubs for a casual outfit like ours, which seemed to be the predominate fashion around here.

Maya smirked. "You two sure know how to shake things up. The whole colony is in an uproar about the terraform AI."

Avia turned her eyes down. "I didn't mean to cause any controversy."

"Phfft! Humbling the Council now and then is a good thing." Maya tipped her head toward the open door. "Come. You must be hungry. We shall break bread together."

Maya led us along a bricked path, passing green spaces and walled gardens of vegetables and bright flowers. None of the trees, though, reached higher than six meters, and many of these were twisted with trailing branches pointing away from the sea.

"Do you have high winds here?" I asked.

"The storm winds are ferocious," Maya answered, then turned to Avia. "Was it true what you said? Could you fix our weather machine?"

"I would try," Avia replied.

"No more could I ask."

Continuing on, we wound through a cluster of public buildings. Except for the council chamber, the buildings were constructed with low, thick sloped roofs, forming a dome shape that resembled ancient mud huts, although larger. I had seen similar construction on other colonized worlds, built by robotic printers using local materials with a special binder. It made for a sturdy and aerodynamic structure, designed to withstand the winds, I thought.

Noisy children frolicked within a fenced, grassy playground outside of a building, presumably a school. Maya held open a swinging door to another building connected to the first by a narrow, enclosed walkway. "Here we are," she said.

Orderly rows of plas-steel tables with sitting benches filled most of the expansive interior. Rows of narrow windows let in ample light. At one end, a serving line offered food buffet-style. Two white aproned attendants scurried about, cleaning tables or bringing more food from a partially enclosed kitchen.

Maya handed us each a plastic tray. "The dining hall serves two meals a day. Anyone is welcome. Food is mostly vegetarian here, although we sometimes get fish or poultry. The botanists have done wonderful things with genetic manipulation of crops, and we always have plenty of food."

Moving down the line, I chose some sort of pasta dish with mixed vegetables and a fruit salad, while Avia took a steaming bowl of vegetable stew and bread sticks. At the line end, Maya took a small round bread loaf from a basket, then disappeared briefly into the kitchen, returning with two red plastic bottles, giving them to Avia. "Fruit punch," Maya explained. "Popular with the kids because of the sugar content, but thought you might need them."

"Thank you," Avia responded as her face brightened.

After we chose a table and sat down, Maya closed her eyes and lifted the bread loaf, tearing it in half. "Creator, thank you for this food. May it nourish our bodies and strengthen our spirits, by your will." Then she handed pieces to each of us.

"Are people religious here?" I asked, widening my eyes.

"Most are," Maya replied, lifting an eyebrow. "We believe in a loving Creator God that expects us to do the same. Does that surprise you?"

"Yes... I mean no. It's just that I've never seen much good come from religion."

"Well," she countered, "a religion that does no good is the wrong kind."