Cold Hell - 2. Chapter 2

For the first three days after coming back from the dead, Danni Aamodt couldn't move, not even to lift his head. Consequently, he was fed fluids through an IV; any time he tried to hold up a fork his hands shook uncontrollably.

The head of the clinic, Natalia Patel, often checked on him. She was a short dark-skinned lady with expressive eyes; the tattoo on the side of her face marked her as a member of Clan Wuxia. So far everyone Danni had seen had the tattoo on their face - she’d held up a mirror so he could see he had one too, meaning he too was a clansman of Wuxia. She spoke with a soft voice and an accent that sounded distinctly British to his Earthen ears - she was not at all what he expected. Danni sensed nothing threatening within her. Dinah on the other hand was a different story altogether. She was a chameleon who hid her greed behind a pleasant smile. He knew the two of them lived together and were in a relationship, which struck him as odd. The two women couldn’t be more different from one another.

His presence made them nervous. The peculiar manner in which he’d been delivered was part of it: He was the only prisoner. Usually when the dropship came, they delivered a dozen to two dozen prisoners at a time; that and his namesake. It could create problems and complicate his integration.

And to Dinah he was nothing more than a rare item to add to her collection: Look who I have, one of the Aamodt’s. The youngest one to be exact.

He extracted this information without having to be told. Every time one of them touched him flashes of information passed through his head like data through a computer processor.

He hated being touched but he was too tired to stop them.

For those first three days he slept heavily, passing in and out of dreams. It was the only form of entertainment that passed within the white walled room where time had no meaning and the usual forms of entertainment he was used to simply did not exist here on Planet Redemption.

When Natalia or one of the nurses came into the room to take his vitals, he remained silent. He spoke only when asked a question. The familiar calming effects of morphine was always welcome.

On the fourth day he couldn't take it anymore. He was tired of staring at the same walls, seeing only the same faces. Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like, confined to this bed, this room? Is this the life my father condemned me to. If so rape me and kill me now, throw my body in the snow, and be done with it.

On day number four, Danni managed to lift his head when Natalia came into his room with an IV bag in hand. His neck was stiff and the simple act was exhausting but he persisted anyway. He didn't want her touching him again.

“How much longer are you going to keep me in here?” he croaked.

“Your body has to readjust,” Natalia said. “You've been on ice for a year. You have to build up your muscles again - that’s going to take some physical therapy.”

He frowned, parsing her words phonetically. People here, when they spoke, had a tendency to leave out certain letters. “When can I eat something half-solid?”

“I can get you something.”

He nodded and said nothing more.

                                                     . ..

Natalia smiled at Danni and said she would get him some chicken noodle soup, something easy on the stomach. Her smile died as soon as she left the room.

Many of the men and women who were sent here came up violent and hostile. Many times she had to offer them morphine or some form of drug to keep them calm; other times they were silent to the point of being catatonic, depressed, and suicidal, unable to cope with where the consequences of their actions had led them.

Danni Aamodt was different. Quiet and calm. Up until now she hadn’t asked questions, except when he first woke up. Where am I? How long have I been here? How long was I frozen for? He barely showed emotion, not so much as a smile or even a tear. The only thing he didn’t seem to like was being touched. Every time she went to help him sit up or lift his head, or touch his arm to take his vitals he would flinch.

His silence made her feel uneasy. Natalia had combed through his file several times. He’d been arrested for trying to assist a group of ecoterrorists bring down his father’s, Danni Aamodt the IV, company and for the attempted murder of his father. She kept wondering when he would try to escape the clinic. And he was only in his early twenties.

Would he attack her from behind when she wasn’t looking, try to escape? Where would he go if he did, when the temperatures could kill you if you didn’t have the proper clothing or equipment on?

Scottolina was one of the nurses on shift for the evening. She was sitting at the nurses’ station, looking bored.

“How is the new guy?” she asked.

“Hungry,” said Natalia. “I was wonderin, if yoi would mind fetchin' him chicken soup.”

“Sure. It’ll give me something to do.” Scottolina got up from her chair.

“Thank you. I’ll keep the chair warm for you until you get back.”

Natalina sat down in the chair and began scrolling through the files again. The computer was large and clunky, and had been obsolete for almost two centuries now; such was the case with all technology on Redemption5S77.

She skimmed through a psychiatric report done by a psychologist named Mans Gruber in Stockholm a month after Aamodt’s arrest. Words like apathetic, emotionally unresponsive, and does not like to be touched leapt out at her.

Scottolina came back with a steaming thermos of soup.

“I’ll take that into him, ” said Natalina.

“Are you sure? It's not like there's a lot to do.”

“I’m sure.”

If she was being honest with herself she found Danni, and anyone who came here from Earth, fascinating. Like most of the people who had been born and grew up on the planet, she had never seen a tree or the ocean except in a few photos and videos in the archives. She’d grown up seeing the same bleached-white landscape, unable to stand outside for more than a few minutes at a time. She couldn’t imagine living somewhere with multiple seasons, colors, and climates.

Danni had managed to prop himself up on the pillows and watched her eagerly, the first real sign of emotion he’d displayed since being revived from the CryoSleep chamber.

Natalia pulled a cart up to the bed and set the soup and cup down. “Careful, it's hot, ” she said. “Let me help you.”

He shook his head, looking determined. “I can do it.” He grabbed the thermos and brought the spoon to his mouth. “Is this made with real chicken?”

“Yes. We keep them in the processing plant where we get our other meat, breeding and harvesting.”

Danni nodded. He chewed slowly, meticulously.

“Earth, ” Natalia said, before she could stop herself, “is it beautiful there?”

He looked at her for a long time, perhaps considering if he wanted to answer or not. Finally he replied, “It was once, but it's dying.” He cocked his head to the side. “On Earth they talk as if everyone here are savages. You don't seem very savage to me.”

Natalia smiled. “Not all of us are. But most of us would rather slit your throat than look at you. So I’d be careful if I were you.”

“I’m not worried, ” he said.

The following day Danni began physical therapy. Despite Natalia’s advice to start slowly, Danni had a different idea in mind. Clinging to the handles of the walker she’d given him, he started making laps around the room.

He wasn't sure which was more embarrassing: the way his leg muscles failed him, pitching him ignominiously on the tiled floor, or his pride. This last time the walker fell over with a terrible clatter. When Natalia tried to help him up he waved her away.

“I’m trying to help you,” she said, beginning to get frustrated.

“I don’t need your help,” he said, scowling. “I...I don't like being touched.”

Her face softened.. “I’m sure you don't need me to remind you, but you’ve been in cryostasis for a little over a year. You’re not just going to automatically start walking around in a day, or even a week.”

Danni gritted his teeth and crawled towards the bed. A string of spittle fell from his lips. She could only watch with embarrassment and pity as he pulled himself to his feet with his arms. He crawled into bed, breathless and exhausted.

She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him. He's the strangest person I’ve ever met...then again he probably thinks the same thing about me. “You’re one of those people that has to do things the hard way, aren't you?” she said.

“I suppose so.” His forehead was beaded with sweat.

“Why?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” he asked.

“I’m curious. Conversation is one of the few ways we pass time around here.”

He closed his eyes. “I’ve never been very good at conversation. Yes, I suppose I have a tendency to do things the hard way.” A wistful smile crossed his lips; beyond the occasional sardonic smirk he never smiled. “I get it from my mom, I think. She was the same way.” He looked at Natalia. “I’m very tired. I think I’d like to sleep.”

                                           …

Within two weeks, through pure dedication (and stubbornness Natalia told Dinah when she returned to their shared apartment), Danni’s mobility improved greatly: He was able to walk around the room without assistance from the walker or staff at the clinic.

“I think he’s ready to finish the rest of the integration process, don't you?” Dinah said. They were resting in bed, drinking hot cocoa - with real chocolate, not the synthetic stuff, a treat only Dinah’s position as warden could afford - after a long day.

Natalia sat up, dark eyes wide. She couldn’t believe what her partner was saying. “He still needs more time: exercise, protein, time to adjust. At least another two weeks. We’ve seen what happens to people after we push them too hard.”

But from the way Dinah clenched her jaw and remained silent, Natalia knew her partner had already made up her mind, and in the end there was nothing she could say that would dissuade her.

                                                 …

Danni awoke from a nightmare to find Dinah sitting on the edge of the bed. “Good morning,” she said with a smile.

He said nothing, only looking at her with annoyance.

She continued as if she didn’t notice his preturbance, her voice bright and put-on. “Natalia has told me about the progress you’ve been making. I think you’re ready to move onto the rest of your new life.”

Danni laughed dryly. It was a bitter, humorless sound. “You make it sound as if I’ve been given a second chance.”

She cocked her head to the side introspectively. “That’s exactly what you have been given. You have been exiled from the people of Earth for your crimes because they feel you are too dangerous to be amongst them - and as such any children you might have, should you decide to have them, are condemned as well. This is not an easy place to live and I can assure you there will be many difficulties ahead. However, this does not mean life is over for you. You can enjoy the things we have to offer on this planet. And from all Natalia has told me about you so far, you will.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said Dinah.

The door opened and a man squeezed his way into the room. He murmured a greeting to Dinah and then cast a quick nod in Danni’s direction.

“This is Everest,” Dinah said. “He is one of my loyal squires. He helps me keep some semblance of order in the colony. Everest, this is Danni.”

Everest cast a quick nod in Danni’s direction. The lower half of his face was covered in thick black hair; his head was completely shaved. His cheeks were weathered from the cold. He wore thick, grey garments and boots and gloves. A pair of goggles hung around his neck. He was tall and broadly built across the shoulders and chest. Like everyone else he was branded as a member of Clan Wuxia. In each of his hands he held a plastic bag; one of them had a pair of boots inside. For a moment his eyes, dark brown, met Danni’s blue ones. Then he stared at Dinah, waiting for orders.

The nod, it seemed, was the only greeting Danni was going to get - he was fine with this.

“These are your clothes,” said Dinah said. “You will be provided with another outfit and an extra pair of boots but after that you will be responsible for getting your own clothes. Judging from the size written down on your charts, everything should fit you perfectly. Inside one of the bags is a respirator - you will need it for when we step outside. The air is very cold here and it’s hard to breathe in. And you always want to dress appropriately. As we all like to say here, there is only one season on Planet Redemption.”

                        … 

Danni could sense them waiting on the other side of the door. Dinah was eager, eager to show him around the colony and see how he would fit in with everyone else. Natalia was lost in thought: She’d been looking through his file; there was something she found that she thought about showing to Dinah...but wasn’t sure if she could. Whatever it was Danni couldn’t extract the information. It was guarded by a wall. He didn't think Natalia was aware she was guarding it.

Everest on the other hand was impenetrable. A shroud hung around him, as smooth and solid as rock. Some people Danni could read easily, and some people he could not read at all. Everest was one of those people.

Danni was grateful for the moment of privacy - to not have someone poking and prodding at him. He was also conflicted with eagerness and fear. He was eager to leave these four white walls behind but also terrified of encountering whatever awaited him outside the clinic. At least in here he was relatively safe. Dinah, Natalia, and Everest seemed to be the ones with the power here. Dinah acted like a mayor/sheriff, Everest the deputy, and Natalia the colony’s head doctor. So far they’d proven to be civilized, if only by appearance for the moment, but what about the rest of the prisoners?

I’m stuck on a planet with the most notorious criminals Earth could choke up and their offspring. Not all of them are going to be friendly.

As Danni pulled on his new clothes he reflected it was no one’s damned fault but his own he was here. His father, in so many ways, had been the one to decide his fate, but Danni had been the one to commit the crimes. He’d joined a group of ecoterrorists to sabotage the corporation. At first Danni hadn’t meant to get too involved, he certainly hadn’t meant for anyone to get hurt - but then things had gone terribly wrong, to the point there was no going back. It had ended with him pointing a gun at his father's head. One of the worst parts was knowing how close he’d come to pulling the trigger; the other was not knowing what had happened to Juan, Cookie, and Tinkerbell.

Especially Juan.

Up until now he hadn’t allowed himself to think of them. To do so, to think of what he’d done and what he’d become was too painful.

Forget about them, Danni told himself, fighting back the threat of tears. You’re never going to see them again. They might as well be dead to you.

When he came out of the room, dressed in his new clothes, oxygen mask hanging from around his neck, Dinah’s eyes crinkled at the corners. Everest and she already had their masks on. “Ready to see your new home?” Her voice came out of a speaker at the center of the mask.

Can’t get more ready than this, Danni thought, and followed Everest and Dinah out into the cold.