The last tree

“What’s that?” asked Thomas.

“That” said his father “is a Pear Tree.”

“Why’s it here?”

“I don’t know. Read the sign over there.”

They both walked around the glass dome to a large copper plaque standing proudly out of the pavement.

“Want me to read it to you?” his father asked, knowing Thomas couldn’t read it.

Thomas nodded, so he started reading the plaque:

The Pear Tree From: Emilia Romagna, Italy, Europe, Earth.

This Pear tree was the final tree pulled before the last humans left Planet Earth in the year 2051. This tree remains here not for scientific purposes, but as a reminder and symbol to us all of where we come from and who we are. The tree from our ships flag is modelled on this exact tree, showing the distinct crooked arm on one side. The tree is protected within this dome, surround by original Earth oxygen and C02 – the only natural oxygen and C02 carried on this ship.

This glass is not to be tampered with in any way, shape or form, and is punishable by prison sentence.

CCTV is in operation at all times.

“Is that it?” asked Thomas

“Yup that’s it. Did you want to go visit the Museum of Humans on Earth now?” replied his father

“Can we go visit the farms? I want to see where pears grow!”

“We can’t son, the farms don’t allow visitors”

“Why?”

“I don’t know?” he questioned “its just how things are. Come on, you where excited to visit the museum earlier and we only have two days left, so lets go tick that off our list!”

Thomas grabbed his fathers’ hand and led the way to the museum across the road.

Thomas and his father had already been in The Capitel for 3 days. It’s a short holiday they had been excited for for ages – holiday destinations are small pickings when all of humanity is on the same, albeit very large, spaceship. The Capitel is the only city on-board. Everywhere else is divided into smaller segments. Although separation and segregation are still issues, no wars break out. Nobody dare start one. Not while the Government run the entire ship.

The Museum of Humanity on Earth is an enormous display of life on Earth; from bacteria that’s millions of years old, to the last petrol car made and everything in between. Books, clothes, money, bones, zoos, and even buildings, everything is here in this museum the size of a town. That’s why Thomas’ father was keen to get there; it takes days to get around it all. But as long as they did the areas they where most excited for, The Dinosaurs and The Evolution of Life sections, then it would be a job well done.

Later, after managing to successfully drown themselves in dinosaur and evolutionary knowledge, they headed to dinner in one of the chain restaurants, Asiana. It specialised in ‘authentic’ Asian cuisine; “So good, it tastes like its straight from Earth!” the slogan above the door read – but of course it wasn’t authentic due to the modification of food on the ship. Only chain restaurants exist on the ship, it’s easier for the LABS to distribute their GM goods – and hide their secrets. Thomas and his father managed to get a seat in the window. They sat on their stools at the high table, which ran across the entire frontage, and looked at the menu. Thomas was only just big enough to see over the table and onto the street. They both scrolled through the tablet menus, anxious to feast after an exhausting day. His father orders; chicken gyozas, a child’s katsu curry (No spices or strong flavours for Thomas) and a Sushi mixed platter for himself, with a green tea and a kids’ FizzPop. The restaurant was overlooking the largest roundabout on the ship, where The Pear Tree stands proudly in the centre, and the museum next door.

“Dad” asked Thomas, “what’s fresh oxygen like?”

His father was bewildered by the random question.

“Honestly, no idea. Why do you ask?”

“Well” Thomas started “in school they told us that on Earth people used to travel to places to get ‘fresh air’, or oxygen, because it was really good for them. So why don’t we have it here? Is it because The Pear Tree uses it all?”

His father took a second to have a think. Noticing his son was staring at him for an answer, he went to speak, but had no answer.

“Well… er…ma…urgh”

“We have a Green Tea and a FizzPop?” an over-friendly waitress announced behind him.

‘Perfect timing’ he thought.

“Yes, thanks!”

“No worries guys!” she said in an old London accent.

“Eat, before it gets cold” he said, hoping his son would forget he asked the question.

“Ok, but what about the oxygen?”

“It’s like you saw earlier on the sign over there, only The Pear Tree has Earth oxygen”

“But why?” Thomas asked, unsatisfied with his father’s answer.

“Honestly, I don’t know, it’s just how it is.”

“You never know anything.”

Their food arrived and, after hovering it up, left Asiana for the hotel.

The accommodation wasn’t special; everywhere looks the same on the ship. The Government owns most hotels, while wealthy Government pals run those exclusive few that aren’t, mostly reserved for the super rich. The décor is the same in all hotels: white and clinical. Lots of gadgets in convenient places; laziness is encouraged. Blank white walls adorn all rooms, bars and entrances. But with everything being light and bright, the security cameras can pick up every slight movement people make. It’s a place designed by a Big Brother Government. They claim it’s for everyone’s safety, not many buy it, but no one dare challenge it either.

Something woke up Thomas’ father at 4.15am. Something didn’t feel right. He threw off the white bedding, tapped the bedside light on and walked over to Thomas’ bedroom door, a smaller room within the room. He slid the door open and glanced Thomas asleep in bed. He slid the door back shut, but as he did he noticed Thomas’ bag was missing by the door. Reopening the door, he looked at the bed again. Either Thomas had grown in size or something was in bed with him. He walked over to the bed and peered over at the pillow – nothing there. Gently pulling back the duvet he revealed a pillow, followed by another. He wasn’t in bed. Thomas’ beloved cuddly toy, Big Elephant, was also missing, so he ran to the bathroom to check if he was there. Nothing. “Fuck sake, not again!” he swore to himself, pulling on clothes and darting out the door.

Thomas had done this before. He doesn’t mean to run away, he’s just… curious. He calls them ‘adventures’; his father calls them ‘trouble’. He knew exactly where he would be – The Pear Tree. Thomas would easily become obsessed with something, and not stop until he had his questions answered. He was too curious, but never saw danger or wrongdoing; he just wanted to learn.

The roundabout was silent– the late night entertainment has its own district in the Capitel, and it was far away from here. He tried to sneak and hide as much as possible; avoiding the security cameras was vital. Big Brother always watches, and nobody should be in this area now; it was a red zone between midnight and six in the morning.

“Psst” came a nearby voice, “What are you doing here?”

“Depends who’s asking” Thomas’ father replied, frightened a government spy was setting him up.

“I work here, in fact I recognise you.” the voice said. “Yes, I served you and your son earlier! Everything ok?”

It was the waitress from the Asiana restaurant.

“Why are you here?” he asked, worried she was a spy – they offer cash to civilians who report anyone out in red zones.

“I left the office door unlocked so came back to lock it, long day! So, where is your son?”

“He ran away, but think he’s here as he has a new obsession with The Pear Tree.”

“Oh. Well follow me, I know a way to get there without the cameras.”

Why was she helping him, he wondered. Reporting him would financially benefit her.

“This is the goods entrance, it runs under the road and right under the tree. There is a loose slab that we can climb through at that end.”

They walked along the goods entrance corridor up to a light that shone through from above.

“That’s the slab!” she whispered.

There was a ladder in place below the moved slab – someone else had been here. They climbed up and stayed close to the ground, trying to avoid cameras. They looked around, but Thomas was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly an alarm went off, red lights flashing.

“Do not move, I repeat do not move. You are on CCTV.” an overhead speaker screamed.

“I think they’ve spotted us.” he said.

There was a sudden crash of glass – a part of the glass casing for The Pear Tree had come away. They looked up: it was Thomas. He’d removed the lid from the top of the dome, had thrown it down and was about to jump in.

“Thomas, NO!” his father shouted.

But it was too late; Thomas had already jumped in and landed on the tree, shaking a few pears of the branches. Drones ran in, flooding the roundabout, pointing weapons at the dome – and Thomas. Robotic hands landed on their shoulders, they instantly knew they were under arrest.

“Look” whispered the waitress “look at his tablet, you’re on their records already”.

Thomas’ father looked bewildered. Why was he on their records? He’d never committed a crime in his life. There was a sudden scream from Thomas, and his father struggled to get free from the drone that held him under arrest.

“DON’T HURT MY BOY! HE DOESN’T MEAN ANY HARM HES JUST A CHILD!” he screamed in desperation.

He looked up and saw a flying drone hold Thomas by his shoulders, and fly out the roof. He watched helplessly as his son was thrown into a government van that flew off along with most of the drones. Within seconds the place was empty apart from Thomas’ dad, the waitress and four drones. They were bundles into the back of another van and flown off too.

“Your name is Bucky Hayes? As in the Bucky Hayes?” the waitress asked.

“How’d you know?”

“Saw it on the tablet.”

“What you mean by the?” he replied.

“Don’t you know who you are?” she asked.

“Nobody important.”

“No! Don’t you know who you are?!” she heavily whispered, wondering why he didn’t know his own identity.

“I’m just a small segment dad with a weird son.”

“Man, they wiped you GOOD” she said. “Don’t you remember the war? The war that you played a big part in?”

“There hasn’t been a war? I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“I don’t recognise you by your looks as you’re new face was kept classified, but dude you know your original name! They wiped that from you, but you clearly remember something from your previous life!”

“You’re crazy,” he whispered to her.

The waitress thought for a second, how could she make him remember his previous life? She noticed one of the drones’ tablets still had his file up. His face continually flicked between his current face, and his old face.

“Look on that tablet, that’s you right?” she asked.

“Yeah”

“Ok, keep watching.”

Sure enough it changed to a different face. A face he recognised, but didn’t know why.

“That’s the original you, Bucky” she whispered excitedly.

He stayed silent. He knew that face. Something didn’t add up. Was she right? Did he have a previous life he can’t remember? And if she’s right, why was his memory wiped? Why was he given a new face? What had he done?