The air bus rattled noisily as it banked over the forest of evergreens below. The bus was a worn out old bucket. Like the inmates themselves, most of the machinery in the prison camps of Earth was unwanted debris from elsewhere. It’s no longer wanted anywhere in the Federated Settlements so get it out of sight and out of mind. Ship it off to Earth

Dari stared down at the rolling hills of green passing below. It was pristine, untouched. But that wouldn’t last long. Doing hard labor in a forestry camp it was his job, along with his fellow inmates, to clear-cut the area and send the lumber back to the Settlements. Back to civilization.

The bus leveled out and stopped rattling. Now it just vibrated with a high pitched drone. But that was OK. Dari had been in this bus almost every day for the past two years. He was used to it.

"Hey, Earther boy!" yelled Symond from somewhere near the back of the bus. "You gonna get some tonight?"

A few of the others on the bus snorted and laughed.

"Shut up, asshole," Dari called back. Even among inmates it wasn’t right to talk about someone’s wife like that. "And I’m not a fuckin’ Earther."

That was true, he wasn’t. At least not anymore. Not since he arrived on this stupid planet to find out that it was nothing like the holos and vids he’d grown up with. It wasn’t exciting with heroic adventures at every turn. It didn’t have an ever-changing landscape that was stunningly beautiful. It was dull and it was boring. He had seen nothing but low hills covered in trees, trees, trees, and more fuckin’ trees. It was always either too hot or too cold. Or too wet. And the gravity dragged him down like a lead weight.

Why he had ever wanted to come here was beyond him. The Feds had the right idea - this place was only good for prison camps.

Dari turned his head and looked towards the back of the bus. He was going to say something else to Symond but he stopped when he caught Hella’s eye. Her face was a crimson mask of anger. She’d obviously been staring at Dari for quite some time. He turned back and faced the front of the bus.

He knew that Hella would be looking for revenge ever since the incident at the cafeteria that morning.

She had been standing behind him in the line-up for breakfast.

"That pretty wife of yours is in town I see," she had hissed at him.

Dari’s face turned crimson and he balled his fists in anger. With a great effort he remained quiet, trying to ignore Hella’s taunts.

"I wouldn’t mind a piece of that," continued Hella.

Dari spun around in a blind rage. He brought his fist up to hit Hella in the face but checked himself at the last second.

Hella, however, didn’t hesitate. She brought her fist up giving Dari a vicious jab to the stomach. Hella was a large and powerful woman. It was rumored that she had killed her common-law wife with her bare hands. She was brutal.

Dari reeled backwards from the blow, falling against the end of one of the eating tables. Hella lunged forward but Dari quickly dodged to his left. As Hella’s bulk went by him heading for the table, he gave her a swift chop to the back of her thick neck. As she landed heavily on the table she was momentarily dazed. Dari seized the opportunity to grab a metal tray from the table and brought it down on the back of Hella’s head with a loud clang. She grunted and rolled off the table onto the floor. As she lay in a crumpled heap Dari gave her a kick to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Hella did not move.

As Dari looked up he noticed that the inmates had formed a crowd around the fight. He could hear guards screaming at the inmates to let them through. Dari quietly slipped into the crowd. As he made his way through, several inmates patted him on the back. They were all glad to see Hella get what she deserved.

That morning Dari had worked a loader. As he loaded logs onto the transporters he was thankful that he was operating machinery and not doing more strenuous labor. Without food in his stomach he didn’t think he’d be up to manual labor. After the fight he had been lucky enough to escape into the crowd. He figured it was pushing his luck to try and get breakfast, so he left the cafeteria without eating.

He was also fortunate because by working the loader he managed to avoid Hella all morning. But as Hella was the Dari’s crew boss he couldn’t avoid her all day. Now they were on their way to do ground detail for the afternoon.

The bus started to descend as it passed over the loading area where Dari had been working that morning. This valley was cleared of trees. A huge squat transporter sat in the midst of piles of stacked logs. Loaders were buzzing about, moving the lumber through the gaping bay doors of the transporter.

The bus barely cleared the tips of the trees crowning the next hill before it landed in the adjacent valley. Most of the trees were still standing here, but many of the others had just been cut, waiting to be limbed and stacked.

After the crew filed out the bus shook violently as it lifted off again. Its droning could be heard for several minutes as it disappeared in the direction of camp. Then only the chirping of insects and the distant sound of machinery from the next valley intruded on the silence of the woods.

"It’s hot out here, boss," moaned one of the crew.

"Yeah, can’t we wear spacesuits?" piped up another.

The crew all laughed.

"Shut up, you idiots," snapped Hella. She then barked out orders and the crew spread out in different directions.

Dari headed uphill towards a ridge. His job was to limb some fallen logs on the other side. The climb uphill was difficult. He felt even more weighed down when it was hot like this. His mind was sluggish, his body even more so.

On the other side of the ridge the land dipped down slightly for a few meters then flatten out. In the middle of the large flat area sat the logs that Dari had to limb.

As he chopped away he thought about Loya. He felt awful about last night. He didn’t get to see her that often. When she was here on a conjugal visit, they shouldn’t be wasting time fighting. But she was acting so weird lately. In fact, she’d been weird ever since he’d arrived here.

Like last night she started in on the touching routine again.

"There," she had said, taking his hand in hers, "don’t you feel it?"

"What, the Earth? Come on, Loya."

It was exasperating. When they first met it felt real enough. That affinity for Earth. Like a tangible thing, pulling at them. Yeah, they were real Earthers then. But that was back on Io. Now that he was here … well now he knew what Earth was. And he didn’t want it.

"No, really, Dari. It’s so strong here. I can feel it, hear it. The home of our ancestors. Our home. It speaks to me."

"Stop it! Dammit, stop it! Out there it meant something. Being an Earther meant you stood for something. We spoke out against the hypocrisy of the Fed establishment. But it’s over. Now it’s…" Dari just shrugged.

"Oh, Dari, I wish you could feel it like I feel it. It’s everything that we hoped. The Earth has welcomed us - it’s embracing us. I’m so glad I get to come here. I’m almost not sorry that … it happened."

It was an accident. Or at least, that’s the way Dari saw it. That guy had been bugging Loya, he deserved it. Dari just punched him to shut him up. It wasn’t Dari’s fault that the guy fell wrong, hit his head. But the judge wouldn’t listen - he sentenced Dari to 5 years hard labor.

Io! They all had it in for him back there. They never gave him a chance.

The only silver lining was that he got shipped here. A ticket to Earth! He was thrilled at the time …

"This is a shit hole!" Dari was yelling by this time. "I never thought I’d miss the Settlements, but my god! No wonder no-one came back here. After 5 hundred years of rehab the Earth is now healthier than it ever was. But we don’t belong here anymore. We’ve outgrown it."

"Dari! Listen to yourself. That’s the attitude we’ve been fighting all these years. They laughed at us but - "

"And with good reason! Loya, look around. They were right. This place is not fit for humans anymore. It’s only fit for the garbage they wanna throw away, like me."

And so the evening went on.

Thinking back on it renewed Dari’s frustration. He chopped at the limbs furiously, oblivious to the sweltering heat of the afternoon. Finally, after about an hour, sheer exhaustion caught up with him. He was drenched in sweat and had to take a break. He laid his axe down and bent over taking deep breaths.

As he relaxed his mood softened. Dari realized how fortunate he’d been not to get caught in the morning’s fight. He didn’t want anything spoiling his perfect record in prison. The sooner he was released from prison the sooner he and Loya could start a normal life together, have a family.

A voice behind him made him jump.

"I saw your Tengi bitch this morning."

Dari spun around to see Hella standing just 5 meters away.

This was one of those situation that Dari always feared. There was very little supervision at the prison camp and inmates often had access to potential weapons such as axes. Since Dari had been on Earth several inmates had been maimed in fights and some had died. The guards, who were heavily armed and well-protected, didn’t seem to care.

"Go to hell," Dari retorted, "and don’t you ever call her that."

Hella was referring to the fact that Loya came from a small Ionian outpost simply known as Ten. The term "Tengi" was an extreme insult, used only by the most foul-mouthed bigots.

"You and I have business to finish," said Hella with a snarl.

"Forget it, Hella. We’ve got work to do."

Dari turned and started to walk away from Hella. Behind him he could hear Hella running towards him. He turned back around to face her but under-estimated her speed. He immediately took a heavy hit to the side of his face which sent him sprawling to the ground. In an instant Hella was on top of him with the shaft of her axe across his throat. Dari tried to move but to no avail – Hella’s massive weight was too much to budge. He grabbed the shaft of her axe to try and relieve the pressure. Had he been able to breathe he would have screamed from the pain.

"With you gone," hissed Hella, pushing down even harder on the axe shaft, "maybe I’ll have some fun with your Tengi whore."

The anger hit Dari like a bolt of lightning. Fueled by his rage, Dari found the strength to force his right hand up which sent Hella rolling to one side. Dari pushed her off so forcefully that she lost her grip on the axe. With blinding speed Dari was up and was standing over Hella who had come to rest face down. Dari hit the back of her head with the blunt side of the axe head before she could move.

Dari had no idea how many times he hit her. When he came to his senses he was panting in painful gasps. The axe was covered in blood, as were his arms. Hella’s head was a bloodied pulp.

As the realization of what he had done hit him, Dari’s chest was gripped in icy fear. He quickly looked around. There was no-one in sight and there were no vehicles anywhere in the sky. His mind raced. If he was caught for this crime he’d be shipped back to Io for trial.

And they wouldn’t buy a self-defense argument. Not with his history. He’d be in for life.

Dari began to despair as he thought of Loya. This would be the end of any life they could have together. They’d send him to a mining camp in the belt. If Dari ever saw Loya again it wouldn’t be for years.

Dari started to jog in the direction of the camp. It would take him a few hours to get there but he would still be back before the work crews.

* * * * *

"Loya!" yelled Dari as he burst into the cabin. It was one of several that were set aside for the use of couples during conjugal visits.

Dari quickly glanced around the room. It always amazed him that although the exterior of the cabin was quaint - just the way you’d picture an Earth log cabin to be - the interior was uninspired. With its featureless plastic furniture, it looked just like a cheap motel room back on Io.

Loya walked into the living room from the bedroom. Poor Loya. She had probably been sitting there all day waiting for Dari to return.

"Dari, you’re back early. Is everything - " Loya voice trailed off as she saw the blood on Dari’s arms.

Dari strode over and gave his wife a hug.

"I’m so sorry, baby. I’ve blown it. I’m sorry."

Dari sunk his head into Loya shoulder. He wished he could just stay there, safe in Loya’s arms. After a few seconds Loya pushed him back and held him at arm’s length. Her eyes were wide with concern as she stared at him.

"Who was it?" she asked quietly.

"Hella."

"Is she … ?"

Dari nodded silently.

Loya continued to stare at him. Finally she took a deep breath.

"We’ve got to go."

"Go?" Dari was confused. What was she talking about? "Go where?"

"Hurry up, Dari. I’ve got an air cruiser outside."

Given that he was a model prisoner, it wasn’t unusual for Dari to be granted the privilege of taking an air cruiser for a couple days while Loya was at camp. Dari and Loya often went off camping for a couple of days at a time. Still, this took Dari by surprise. He didn’t know that Loya had requested a cruiser.

Dari stood silently in puzzlement.

"Come on, babe." Loya starting pushing Dari, hustling him through the door. "We don’t have time."

The old battered air cruiser was sitting behind the cabin. It was a small one, with just two seats up front and a small storage area behind. As Dari lowered himself into the driver’s seat he was surprised to find that the storage area was already filled with equipment.

"You’ve been busy today," he said. He felt as if he was speaking in a fog - his brain refused to work. "You’ve already packed our camping gear."

"Yes," said Loya.

Dari depressed the ignition buttons. The engines faltered, didn’t catch. Dari hung his head. He felt defeated.

"It’s OK, babe," said Loya. "This old thing always does that." She glanced over at Dari. His eyelids were heavy. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "Come on over here. I’d better drive."

Dari clambered awkwardly over to the other seat as Loya nimbly hopped over him. After fiddling with the fuel ratios for a few seconds, Loya tried the ignition again. The engines faltered at first but then whirred into life. Dari stared fixedly ahead as the air cruiser lifted gently off the ground.

"Loya. Loya, what … what are we doing?"

"We’re getting away."

"That’s … " Dari was having difficulty getting the words out. The seats were very comfortable and he was feeling drowsy. "That’s stupid. No-one can survive out here."

"We’ll be OK, Dari. I can feel it. The Earth will guide us. Lead us to a safe place."

Oh, man. Not this shit again …

* * * * *

Dari awoke blinking. The sun was in his eyes.

He’d been having a pleasant dream about … what was it again? He couldn’t quite remember. Then he remembered Hella. An oppressive weight bore down on him. He wanted to retreat back into unconsciousness, where it was safe.

Dari glanced over at Loya. Her eyes were red and she looked haggard. It was no good. He had to wake up - he had to give her a break.

"You OK, Loya? You look tired."

"Oh, you’re awake," Loya looked over and gave him a smile. "I’m OK. Not much further."

Not much further? Where were they going?

Dari looked out the side window and was surprised to see that they were surrounded by mountains. High mountains. These were much larger than anything he had seen within the vicinity of the camp. Then something else struck him. If the sun was up on his side then they must having been flying all night.

"Babe," he asked "which way are you headed?"

"North. They won’t expect that."

No, of course not. What idiot would head for a harsher climate?

"Where are we now?"

"Northern British Columbia."

Dari sat bolt upright. This came as a shock. They were almost two thousand kilometers north of the camp.

They flew in silence for a few minutes. Directly below Dari could see the snow on the crest of a mountain. He shuddered involuntarily, even though the air cruiser was climate controlled.

"They won’t find us, will they?" Loya asked, breaking the silence.

"No, you’re right. They’ll look for a few days then they’ll give up. A missing air cruiser isn’t worth the trouble. And a missing inmate is worth even less. Besides, they’d never think to look this far out."

"That’s what I thought. They don’t really care do they?"

No they didn’t. Security was lax on Earth. Back in the Settlements an escaped convict was a concern, but out here it wasn’t. Only the craziest of prisoners went "bush". Nobody expected you to survive out in the elements. It was suicide.

"No, they don’t care if you don’t come back," muttered Dari. "All they care about is keeping the Settlements squeaky clean. Free of garbage like me."

Dari turned around and looked in the storage area. For the first time he noticed that Loya had packed considerably more than was necessary for a short camping trip.

"How did you know?"

"I’ve tried to tell you, Dari, but it’s so difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t … feel. Back on Io I had a small sense of it. I thought it was just the kinship we had with other Earthers. But it’s more than that. When I came to Earth to visit you I felt it. It’s like another sense. I feel things, hear things. It’s the Earth, Dari, it gives me this … power."

"The Earth is just a rock in space, like - "

"No, no, you’re wrong. It’s our spiritual center. But don’t believe me. Look." Loya nodded towards the scene ahead of them.

They were flying over a crystal blue lake that was nestled between steeply rising mountains. At the far end of the lake there was a plume of smoke rising from the trees.

"What?" Dari said. "There’s people here."

"Yes." Loya was smiling broadly. "They’re our people. You see. I told you."

Before long they were hovering low over a crude settlement. The smoke came from a large fire in the center. Around it were buildings. Primitive buildings made from roughly hewn wood. There were carts drawn by horses, and fenced off areas for other animals. The community had a familiar look. It was very similar to European villages of the Dark Ages.

Loya landed the cruiser in an area at the edge of the village. A crowd came over to greet them. There were about twenty of them. About half them were children who were whooping with excitement.

Loya opened up her door. At the front of the crowd was a middle-aged man. His clothing was clean and neat, but they were made from animal hides. He took Loya’s hands in his and spoke to her. Dari could only make out the odd word. The language was based on Standard but it was totally foreign.

"Oh, no," said Loya, apparently in response to the man. "We had no problems finding it."

"Loya, you can understand this man?"

"Yes," said Loya, turning to face Dari. "His name is Ward. You see the words don’t matter. We feel."

Ward looked over at Dari and frowned. He spoke to Loya again.

"It’s OK," she replied. "He is one of us."

She turned back to Dari. "Come on, babe, let’s get out. They’re so happy we’re here."

Dari sunk down in his chair. The crowd was all around the vehicle, staring in at them. The adults seemed well groomed, but the kids were dirty, wild.

"What’s wrong, Dari?"

"These people, they all feel?"

"Yes, babe. That’s how they find their way here in the first place. But don’t worry - it’s virtually impossible for anyone else to find us. There’s no technology, no radios. There’s no trace."

"But Ward is right. You are like them, but I’m not. I don’t belong here."

"Oh, Dari, don’t be like that. Of course you belong."

"No. Let’s not stay. We’ve got lots of supplies. We can make it." Even as he said it, Dari knew that wasn’t true.

"You’re being silly. Come on, we’ve waited our whole lives for this."

As they walked into town the crowd buzzed around Loya. They chattered at her and they all wanted to touch her. But they ignored Dari. The few people that did look over just gave him a puzzled look. Dari felt uncomfortable and frustrated. His feelings squirmed around in his stomach making him feel edgy.

Dari estimated that there were several hundred people in the village. The buildings, although crude, were at least neat and well-kept. They were arranged in a geometric fashion so as to form a network of streets. The streets were even graveled. But it was still very primitive. Dogs and chickens roamed everywhere. Nothing Dari had seen in the holos and vids could have prepared him for this.

As they came into the village’s center, Dari noticed that there was another crowd. They seemed to be gathered around some activity taking place in the middle of the main "street". Loud cheers kept ringing out.

"What’s happening there?" Dari asked Loya.

"They say that we’re just in time for breakfast. They’re running the pig." Loya shrugged. Apparently she had no idea what that meant either.

But Dari soon found out. The crowd formed a rough circle about 15 meters in diameter. Within the circle were half a dozen young men wielding wooden clubs. There was also a large pig that was squealing constantly. It was running around but couldn’t escape as the crowd kept a tight circle. The pig was covered in blood.

An older man handed Dari a club and nodded to the circle. Dari glanced at Loya. She was pale and she held her mouth open in surprise. Dari knew that she wouldn’t approve but took the club anyway. This actually looked like fun.

He and the other young men took turns swinging at the screaming pig. Each time Dari landed a blow he could feel his tensions flowing out through his arms, through his fingers. And each time he pounded the pig the crowd cheered, which exhilarated Dari, heightening his pleasure.

After a while the pig started to stagger. One of the other men kicked it over to Dari. The pig grunted as it rolled over in the dust. It came to rest near Dari’s feet. It thrashed its legs feebly but couldn’t get up. Dari raised the club back over his head and then brought it down swiftly, heavily. The club landed with a satisfying crunch on the back of the pig skull. The pig made no sound.

The crowd then gathered Dari in, patting him on the back, embracing him. He and the crowd became one. Their cheering was his cry of victory. They had conquered, they were the masters. Dari was only vaguely aware of Loya. Her face was hung somewhere in the crowd. She looked shocked, horrified. But, it was only fleeting. Nothing could spoil this euphoria.

Someone had cut off the pig’s head and was handing it to Dari. Instinctively he raised his hands and held the head up high for all to see. The twinge of pleasure that he felt as the crowd roared was intense. It was primal. It was sublime.

As the blood trickled down his arm the realization hit him. The hell with the Settlements and their stupid rules. Who wants to live with their stifling code of conduct? Fuck them all.

Loya was right after all. These were his people.

The end