“Isn’t everything down here fairly useful to everyone?” asked Jon. “It doesn’t seem like capitalism is driving this.”
Tabby shrugged. “It’s hard to say. What if they’re used for evil, after everything is cleaned up? What if Shaw uses them for evil after everything is cleaned up?”
“I mean, it’s a possibility,” said Jon. “But there’s always a chance of that, on whatever we work on.”
“Only difference is down here, we can’t just quit,” said Tabby. “I’m not in a hurry to go back to the surface, and if I have a difference of opinion about how to use my batteries, I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. Shaw has the power down here. He controls everything.”
“But you still came,” said Jon.
“I did,” said Tabby. “Because sometimes you have to take a chance. Sometimes hope is the only option. So I hope that after I make my batteries, they’re not abused by dictators, or sold for a premium to only the super rich.”
“I should get back to work,” said Jon.
“So should I,” said Tabby. “Same time tomorrow?”
“That sounds great,” said Jon. Tabby stood up and Jon tried not to stare too hard at her as she walked away. She didn’t look back.
Jon returned to his lab, with Mel still working.
He tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept returning to Tabby.
6
“How was your day at school?” asked Jon.
He was cooking dinner for them again, this time something a little more involved than mac n’ cheese. He was trying to make blackened grouper, with a side of wild rice, with a garlic sauce for the fish. The blackening season wasn’t working for some reason.
Tommy played the same game in the living room while Jon cooked. Jon had greeted him when he got back to their new home, but Tommy hadn’t said a word. Jon felt something in the house with them. A coldness. He hoped dinner would dispel it, but no luck so far.
He finished cooking and plated everything, putting it on their small dining set adjacent to the living room.
“Tommy,” said Jon. “Come eat at the table.”
“I’m playing,” said Tommy.
“You can play again after we’re finished,” said Jon. “I promise. Pause it and come eat. You need to eat, anyway.” Jon waited, listening, and then heard the sound of gunfire from the game stop, and Tommy wheeled over to the table, a chair removed so he could sit.
“What’d you make?” asked Tommy.
“Grouper and rice,” said Jon. “Hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine,” said Tommy. He cut into the fish and ate a bite. Jon ate with him, glancing at him. Tommy didn’t look up once.
“How was your first real day?” asked Jon.
“It was fine,” said Tommy.
“Did you meet any other kids?” asked Jon.
“A couple of them,” said Tommy. “But we didn’t have much time to talk.”
“Well, maybe you’ll be able to get to know them. To make friends.”
“Maybe,” said Tommy, still not looking up.
“Did you have a teacher?” asked Jon.
“A few different ones,” said Tommy. “Depending on the subject. They rotated us around. The different age groups.”
“What did you learn?” asked Jon.
“I don’t know,” said Tommy. “I mostly just got homework.”
“Have you done it yet?”
“Not yet.”
“When are you going to do it?”
“Later,” said Tommy.
Tommy still hadn’t looked at him.
“Tommy,” said Jon. “Tommy. Look at me.”
Tommy looked up from his food after a moment, his eyebrows arcing up in a question.
“Yes?” asked Tommy.
“What is up with you? Are you okay?”
Tommy pursed his lips and looked away. He took a deep breath.
“Why are we here, Dad?” he asked, finally.
“What do you mean? You know why we’re here. I’m working on my research. You’re safe here.”
“But Mom’s not here,” said Tommy.
“She wanted to help people, and she can’t do that down here,” said Jon. “But she wanted you to be safe.”
“I want to be with her,” said Tommy.
“We had an opportunity, and we took it,” said Jon. “We can’t see your mom right now.”
“One of the other kids said they hadn’t talked to their dad in three months,” said Tommy. “And hasn’t heard anything from him at all. No messages, no nothing.”
“We can send her letters,” said Jon.
“I don’t want to send her a letter,” said Tommy. “I want to talk to her face to face. I want to make sure she’s alright. We left her alone up there!”
Jon took a deep breath. “She chose to stay up there, Tommy. And she wanted for you to come down here. She wants you safe, and there’s nowhere safer than here.”
“Yeah, because we’re a thousand miles from nowhere! We don’t even know where we are. Somewhere in Canada, probably.”
“How do you know that?” asked Jon.
“It was cold when we got outside the plane,” said Tommy. “And it took us five hours to fly, and I looked up the specs on that jet. I’m guessing we’re in northern Canada. But we don’t know where. We’re trapped here.”
“We would be trapped anywhere we were,” said Jon. “We don’t have to think about riots here, or martial law.”
“No, we only have to worry about cameras watching us every second.”
Jon sighed.
“It’s better than the alternative, Tommy. I know it’s hard on you, being so far away from everything you know, but you have to be patient. The work being done down here is what’s going to right the ship up top. I’m just doing my part.”
“You’re not here to help anyone.” Tommy still stared down at his food, and Jon’s heart turned cold at his words.
“What?”
“You’re not here to help anyone. You’re here because you want to fix me.”
“That’s—”
“That’s all you’ve ever wanted. And now you have your perfect chance.”
“Tommy—”
“Tell me it’s not the reason,” said Tommy, staring at him now. Jon stared back and then looked away. He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t lie to Tommy.
“That’s what I thought,” said Tommy. “I don’t blame you for what happened. How many times do I have to say it? I’m not broken, Dad. It’s not your fault.”
Tommy held his stare for a second longer, and then reversed, and pushed himself to his room without a glance back.
Jon’s heart burned cold, and he took another deep breath. He wanted to storm after Tommy, and yell at him about everything that had led to this moment, but it wouldn’t do any good. Because Tommy was right. The root of it all was him.
Jon finished his food and put away the rest of it. He turned off Tommy’s video game and the television, and went to his room. He pulled open the drawers in the corner desk until he found a stack of paper with a FUTURE lab letterhead.
Maya,
I don’t know when you’ll get this. They say we can send letters, but no calls or video. First, we’re here. We’re safe. I don’t know where here is, but it’s secure and protected.
I have my own lab, with an assistant, and an incredible amount of resources. I met Eaton Shaw, which apparently isn’t the norm for everyone here. He’s very charismatic, and very smart. He knows what he wants. And I’m going to try and help. I don’t know if my work will actually be that helpful. Shaw seems to think so. I’m not so sure.