Archive of Our Own

Eden was Adam’s whole world, it was his home. He lived here since birth, and it has never occurred to him to leave its familiar walls. Of course, the Garden wasn’t without its issues, there were too many different people crammed into its confines, too many different ideas of what’s right or wrong, but that’s where Adam came in. The warden of the greens. One of the many, of course, for the place was way too big for him alone. When the tensions grew too high, when something terrible and sinister was trying to rear its ugly head above the grass, he’d be there, slamming it on the temple with his shovel and telling it to go where it came from, protecting the people of Eden, often – from themselves.

And always beside him was his partner, the love of his life, the wind in his sails, his wonderful, beautiful Eve. She was, until she was not.

***

“Eve, please…”

“Adam, you know I don’t like to be called that. It’s been three years since I started going by my middle name, when will you remember?” She looked at him in exasperation.

“I am sorry. Megan. You know I am bad with change.”

She put her hands on her face in a tired gesture. “How are you, of all people, bad with change.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, never mind.”

“We can still fix this. If we talk through it, if we work together, if you just try with me.” He looked at her pleadingly.

“Adam, I can’t. I am sorry. You are my best friend, but I can’t give you the life you want, when it is not the life I want.”

“And what you want is to work for David Sarif in his despicable orchards up on the mountain.”

“Yes. And you could, too. With me.”

“I like being a warden. I can make a real difference down here.”

“We are making a real difference up there. Bringing a change to the world that desperately needs it.”

“So it is “we” now?”

“Adam! Not like that.” Megan gasped at his implications.

“Sorry. Sorry. It’s just… A lot to take in. And you know what I think about these apples Sarif grows over there. They are what made Quincy go off the rails. Too much power in these little wings of his. He did not want it, and for a good reason – it drove him mad. Eve, I had to kill him with my own hands. Seen him fall off the sky, arrow through his head… Never even found the body.”

Megan flinched at her undesired name being used once again. She responded with anger in her voice.

“Quincy was a margin of error. Seagulls are unstable, you know that. There’s not enough water bodies for them in the Garden, poor things. It does not mean we should stop striving towards progress. Some people will be left behind, some people won’t be able to adapt. It’s life.”

He heard the unsaid words – that he will be left behind. He and his dreams of a peaceful stable life, when all she wanted to do is change the world.

And here they were, arguing again. She was right. They did not make such a good team anymore.

So she left, and he stayed. A first piece of loose string in the yarn ball of Adam’s life, that was slowly beginning to unravel.

***

It took another couple years for the second crack to form on the vessel containing Adam’s reality. That day, he was given an order, and he disobeyed. He knew all the rules, and he thought he knew the spirit of them too, and yet when he did what he believed was right – he was punished for it. No more would he walk along the paths of the Garden in his green warden coat, bow over his shoulder, keeping peace in the land of peace. That road was closed to him now.

The Garden denied him, and Megan extended her hand once again. She was urging him to talk to David Sarif ever since she started working for that crusty old demon two years ago. And the orchards needed a warden, they were growing bigger and bigger, their leafy branches looming over the edges of the Sarif Hill. Over the past decade, curiosity was slowly taking over, and more and more people were moving up from the valley, to try the forbidden fruit. To many who were previously speechless, it gave speech. And to some, it gave incredible new powers. Although the effect did not last long – they had to keep coming for more, and so the orchards had to expand. There were even rumours of smuggled apples being sold down below under the shady canopies of the valley trees.

So he went and talked to Sarif. And then he accepted the job. He did not have much choice left, and this allowed him to be near Megan once more, a prospect that he enjoyed. He could protect her against the increasing unrest the apple operation was creating among the Garden folks. Create some stability for that woman of change, whether she wanted it or not.

***

The new job was good. It was pleasant to apply all that he learned in the wilderness of the Garden to a new environment. He could pick his own team, even if most of them were other Garden rejects like him. He could follow his own interpretation of the rules, and nobody could tell him that he was wrong for it. Apart from the boss, but the boss only did that when Adam dared to challenge him personally. Otherwise, Adam was left to his own devices. The Orchards became his own little slice of peace to keep a watch over. He did not need to like Sarif to enjoy what he was doing here.

And then there was the Snake. Snake was good at silently going down into the grass and up the trees, seeing the world from a different angle to Adam’s, having his own arsenal of deadly tricks to prevent any hapless intruders from compromising the security of the Orchards. That different angle was what bothered Adam, made him uncomfortable. That, and Snake’s unbearable personality.

Yet, sometimes they had to work together, as mandated by the boss.

This time, some mice were spotted at the north boundary. An indication of a hole in the fence, the creatures were small enough that it was easy for them to get in even through the subtlest gaps in Orchard’s security, and the air patrol wouldn’t be able to spot the tiny rodents in the tall grass – this was the job for the ground team.

“Now, Jensen, I believe you are highly redundant for this task. It will all go much faster if you simply stand here by this tree and let me deal with the intruders by myself,” Snake hissed at Adam with disdain.

“I don’t trust you. You are Sarif’s pet, all you care about is apples – not people.”

“I am nobody’s pet. I am my own snake, thank you very much.” Snake slithered between Adam’s feet, striking him on the shin with his escaping tail, as if by accident. “And don’t you dare telling me I don’t care about people. I am well aware of your involvement in the Mesatown Massacre.”

“I was set up.”

“Likely excuse. I don’t care. Let’s just get this over with and not talk to each other ever again.”

Snake moved swiftly through the grass, out of Adam’s sight, and soon came back up with a mouse hanging in his mouth. He stretched his jaw and consumed the creature whole. This was right, this was how nature was supposed to work – snake catches a mouse, snake eats a mouse, the circle of life.

Adam spotted another one and leaped. His human reflexes were not on par with Snake’s, but with rigorous training of the Garden’s warden, he was able to react fast enough. The little creature twitched in his hands, trying to escape.

“Let me go, stupid fuzz!”

Adam’s insides lurched. It was one thing to deal with nature’s creatures who stumbled off their designed path by accident, and another matter entirely when they spoke, expressed conscious thoughts. As usual, the blasting apples complicated everything.

“Only if you tell me how in the blazing flames did you get in here.”

Snake, who came back to observe the show, squinted his eyes. He clearly had other ideas on what to do with a mouse that dared to breach his precious perimeter. Adam looked away. He did not need an approval of Sarif’s lackey. Snake hovered for a moment, then disappeared back into the grass.

***

Over several months of working for David Sarif, Adam gradually warmed up to the old fiend, who, for reasons unknown, often treated him with almost parental affection, a kind of patronising kindness that fathers reserve for their wayward sons. Sarif knew the true machinations of the world, and was willing to teach Adam, if only he’d listen. Adam, true to his role in this familial dynamics, mostly sneered in response to the esoteric wisdoms.

Of course, an important topic was the production of apples. Adam was diligent in his work, and respectful of Sarif’s way of doing business, but as they grew closer, he would not hide his contempt for the fruit.

“Your Megan is quite passionate about these apples.” Sarif expertly jabbed Adam right where it hurt. Not his, not anymore.

“You are evading the question, David.”

“It’s not so simple, Adam. At least I am doing it in the open. You can agree or disagree, but I am not trying to trick you, not like them.”

“Them?”

“They lurk in the shadows, orchestrating the direction for the world to go in.”

“David. They?”

“The God. Deus.”

“Isn’t God… a “he”?”

“God does not abide by your concepts, Adam. God has many names, many facets. Sometimes, even, self-contradicting ones. It’s a balancing act. But what they all share is that they are all-powerful, they sit on top of the world, and they truly believe that they know the best way for all of you to live.”

“All of us? And you? Are you also one of these facets, David? Sitting on top of your apple mountain, looking down on me and my kind?”

“Good question. I am, and I am not. I am the one who rebelled. I am not with them. I believe that people should be able to make their own choices, and so here I am, growing my apples. Want one?” Sarif grabbed a large red apple from the big basket next to him, and offered it to Adam.

“No, thank you.”

“Think about it. The change is coming.” Sarif retracted his offer, and delivered a crunchy bite to it, a thin line of fresh apple juice dripping down his chin, sparkling gold in the midday sunlight.

“Not a fan of change. Never did me any good. But I respect your vision, perhaps for someone else it will be just the right pick.” Adam chose the path of non-confrontational truth.

“Just promise me you’ll think about it, son.”

“I’ll think about it,” he lied.

***

The night before the harvest was supposed to be a time to celebrate. Tomorrow was going to be the hard day, collecting the apples, carrying heavy baskets to where they need to go, making sure every single fruit is accounted for. Tonight was time to relax.

They came out of nowhere, spilling out of the darkness like sleek blobs of tar. They were big, bigger than Adam has ever seen. In the light of the bonfire, their fur sparkled red, standing on their backs in display of power. They had round eyes like the moons reflecting the flickering flames, and claws, such massive claws, longer than his own hand. First, they went for Megan. Adam rushed to shield her, but what could he do, so small, so breakable. He got a swipe of that clawed paw across his stomach. He fell on his back, and another paw stepped on top of him, cracking his ribs with the whole weight of the creature. Megan was screaming. He was in pain, but all he could hear was her scream. He felt hot breath on his face, wet drops of saliva spilling down onto his forehead from the mouth of a creature the likes of which he’s never seen before. Apples. That’s what apples did to people. His last thought, before the enormous jaws closed on his face.

***

When Adam came to, everything was white. He tried to move, but could not. Is that what they called “going towards the light”? Then he heard Sarif’s voice.

“Adam, don’t fight it.”

Adam tried to ask him, what’s going on, but he could not. He could not feel his mouth, or his tongue. He could not feel any of his body. He literally could not fight whatever it was that Sarif was talking about.

“Don’t worry, son, we’ll patch you up in no time.”

The whiteness around him suddenly intensified. He could feel something. Pain. Not in any specific part of his body, but an overwhelming surge of pain everywhere at once. With a gasp, he opened his eyes.

“Easy, easy. Don’t move just yet, it’s not done.”

“What…” Adam’s voice was raspy, his throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire. He went into a coughing fit. Everything hurt. Coughing hurt even more.

“Here, drink this.” Sarif carefully placed a bowl of liquid next to Adam’s mouth and tilted it so that he could slowly drink the contents.

Adam drank. Unfamiliar sweet taste. No. Familiar. He recognised it, even if he had never drank it before. He worked too close to the source to not have known. Apple nectar. Adam yanked his chin away from the bowl, spilling the remainder of the drink.

The memory of the injuries from the fight with the mysterious creatures played through his mind. There was no possible way for him to be alive. Alive and talking.

Apples.

“NO.”

“Adam, don’t look at me like this. That was the only way to save you.”

Adam twisted his body wildly, his arms and legs not listening to him. A sharp streak of pain enveloped his whole being. He fought through it, but he still could not fully move. At some point his flailing must have broken one of the freshly healed bones, because the pain became immeasurable, and he fainted again.

***

It was done, there was no going back, only forward. The harvest was long in the past, as days became weeks became months. Adam’s body recovered. More than that – physically, he was stronger than ever. He had to re-learn to move, without harming himself or the world around him. Had to train anew, not to regain lost muscles, as one would expect after a long recovery – but to figure out entirely new limits to his capabilities. In some way, it was exciting. A story he told himself, to not think about the toxic nectar that was now intermixing with his blood, to not recall vividly Quincy’s mad eyes staring at him from the sky, ready to dive.

But the mental part was much worse.

The new neural pathways popped and bloomed in his apple-borne brain. Things he previously never conceived. Possibilities he never explored. Knowledge he never knew existed. The world loomed around him, bigger than ever before. The confines of the Garden suddenly felt restraining. Everything was foreign and wrong, even the things he took for granted before.

And worst of all, he knew, with utter certainty, that Sarif was right. They were real. They made everything the way it was, they created the walls, the rules, the limits, not because people truly needed any of it – but because it was easier to control the flow of time in a carefully regulated Petri dish.

***

He only spoke to Sarif once since the attack. Busy. Adam’s whole life was turned inside out, and his boss was too busy to come and apologise. And when they finally spoke again – he did not, anyway.

Adam was invited to Sarif’s private chambers, all the way up the mountain. An elegant construct of black marble and amber stone, the tall towers were shaped to resemble enormous quartz crystals, and by the look of them, formed on top of the rocks just as naturally. What Adam would dismiss before, as something trivial, something that’s always been this way, now ate at him. Frustrating questions were forming in his mind. How did Sarif build these towers? Was it that so-called God power? But he did not want to talk about it just then. He had months of pent up anger to unleash.

When Adam entered the office – Sarif did not turn to greet him. A glass of golden liquid in his hand, he was looking down onto the Orchards through the thin layer of crystal separating him from a long fall down onto the rocks below. Adam came over and stood next to him. Without facing his boss, Adam spoke his mind, and when he was done, Sarif responded with his characterisitc arrogance.

“Adam, you don’t understand…”

“WHAT DO I NOT BLAZEDLY UNDERSTAND? You forced this on me, I did not ask for this, I never asked for this. I was happy. Now I have all this… Knowledge. Awareness. It hurts, and I can’t go back.”

“Adam, this is for your own good. I gave you choice. Now you know, now you have the power to choose for yourself.”

“I did not ask you to do that, and I don’t want it.”

What Adam wanted to do was to smash his fists and break the transparent wall in front of him. His new strength would let him do that easily. Destroy the little comfortable world of David Sarif, let the arid air of the outside flow in and displace the perfectly manufactured balance of temperature and humidity. Fill the sanitised insides of Sarif’s crystal castles with the pungent smell of the green valley that he and other people of Eden had to breath in every day. Sitting in his ivory tower, deciding for Adam what is good for him… How is Sarif so different from that so-called God?

“You’ll see, Adam. Give it time and you’ll see that I am right. They have to be stopped.”

On and on he went. Adam was so small, his needs so insignificant, his complaints – so trivial, compared to Sarif’s grand vision. Some people wanted change, craved it. Eve… Megan was one of them. Some did not. David Sarif always spoke of how he wanted to give people choice. Apparently, Adam did not count among the ones deserving that choice.

***

Adam was still struggling with his newfound strengths and abilities, when another attack came through. Their assailants occupied the far-western wing of the Orchards. These were militant anti-apple beavers, with enough numbers to bring down all the trees in the area within hours. The time was ticking for Sarif, and by extension – Adam. He was pulled out of his den and sent off to confront the beavers alone. A good test for his new body, Sarif said. Adam hated it.

The mission went as easy as could be, until he reached the last echelon. Something was wrong. One of the beavers was doing something to a tree, something Adam couldn’t quite understand. Not bringing it down – more like, sniffing it. Digging up little bits of ground around the trunk. Adam moved in on the beaver with the intent to disable his target, so that later he can ask questions and find out what’s going on, but before he managed to get a hold – with a loud snap, eyes erupted out of the beaver’s head. Something small and alive fell to the ground and immediately disappeared into the grass. Adam was left with a dead body and no idea of what he’d just witnessed.

Later, Snake joined him in reconnaissance. Adam tried to explain what he has seen, and Snake, with much contempt for Adam’s deduction skills, concluded that destroying the trees was a cover up for the real purpose of the attack, which was to steal information. The breed of the apples, the fertiliser used, all the little details needed to replicate the exact conditions of the Orchards. For an anti-apple group, these beavers sure were strangely intent on learning about apple production.

And then, Snake found an acorn.

“This – this is from the Oak,” Snake stated without hesitation.

“The Oak?” Adam stood straight, his arms folded in front of him. He had a lot to process this day.

“Yes, the big one, centring the Garden?” Typical Snake. Adam routinely suppressed the urge to step on him.

“I know what the Oak is, Snake. You think they are involved?”

“Of course they are! They’ve been trying for years to push these acorns as a cheap alternative. It’s got nothing on our apples, though. Small hard chewy nuts. Only squirrels and the likes eat them.”

“Then why would they want to steal the secret of growing apples? They already have their own thing.”

“How would I know. Why don’t you go and ask them?”

Adam, begrudgingly, agreed with Snake. He checked in with the boss, who immediately summoned the VIP flight crew. Faridah Malik’s team were all swifts, and she was the swiftest. Small birds, but with enough of them, they could lift a platform for Adam to stand on, and carry him directly to the Oak’s elevated branches. There was no way Adam was making it up there on his own.

***

The birds worked in shifts, swapping periodically between carrying duty and unburdened flight. On occasion during her off-time Malik rested on top of Adam’s shoulder, catching him up on their progress. Malik was the commander of this crew, reporting directly to Sarif, as did Adam. With her being just as work oriented as him – they developed quick camaraderie soon after he started at the Orchards. Him – on the ground, her and her birdies – up in the sky.

They were nearly at the Oak, its crown expanding in all directions before their eyes, its upper branches looming over them, covering nearly half of the sky. They were approaching from the shade side, and the air there was remarkably chill, cut off from the warm afternoon sunlight. At this distance, Adam could almost see the bustling life of the tree, the many creatures who made their homes in the canopy of the leafy giant.

“Arriving soon, Jensen. Get ready, we’ll drop you off at the upper branches.”

“Roger that, Malik.”

“Wait… Something is wrong. We’ve got company.”

“Who?”

“Can’t see yet. They are airborne.”

“Not a good sign. They knew we were going to arrive by air.”

“Owls! Support team, split manoeuvre!” Malik’s screech was echoed by the unburdened birds, who immediately separated from the main procession in a perfectly executed pattern. She joined them, leaving Adam to fend for himself, while the carry team kept their course towards the tree.

The dark shapes of ten or so large birds advanced onto them from all directions. Adam readied his bow, taking the closest attacker down with the first arrow. Another one fell a moment after – Adam’s aim was the steadiest it’s ever been, apple nectar coursing through his veins, making him stronger, more focused. But he was still only one person against a whole team of well-trained mercenaries. All they needed to do was make the swifts abandon their cargo, and Adam would promptly fall down to his death. The small birds could not do much to protect themselves. The support team, the ones that were not currently on carry duty, did their best to cover their comrades with their bodies, bravely flying into the faces of bigger creatures, making circles around them, distracting and disrupting. But one by one they were falling prey to the claws and the beaks – their main advantage being manoeuvrability and speed, which did not give them much upper hand in close combat.

Carried by the momentum of their original trajectory, the whole crew including Adam crashed into the middle layer of the tree, breaking through the branches and sending critters and birds occupying the area scrambling for their lives. In his half-fall, Adam grabbed the biggest branch he could spot, abandoning the platform he stood on during the flight. He quickly moved towards the thicker parent branch and lifted himself up onto it. Finally he had solid purchase under his feet. Remaining swifts scattered in all directions, Adam was glad to see Malik’s familiar shape tailing them, before she too disappeared among the leaves of the enormous tree. Now he stood alone against the advancing owls. There was enough space between outer branches for him to use his bow. He aimed and shot once more, the arrow going cleanly through the bird’s wing, making it drop down, its fall stopped by the foliage. Then he swapped his grip to hold the bow in both hands, and took a stance, prepared to deflect any divers using the wood of the bow akin to a staff. With the swifts gone, and Adam proving to be well-equipped to deal with the attackers both at range and in close quarters, the owls decided to count their losses and retreat.

Once he couldn’t see any more hostiles, Adam went over to the wounded bird and picked her up by the feet. He got rewarded with a flurry of elaborate curses and a slap of the unharmed wing to the face. Adam grabbed the same wing and stretched it out. What have we here? The bird was a church owl, and the inside of her wing was branded, a small round shape, dark against the white feathers. These were professional mercenaries, not some unorganised thugs. After some squinting in the shadowy twilight of the tree’s natural environment, he recognised the brand – Belltower Associates. That was all kinds of wrong. Belltower were the force of peace here in the Oak, they were meant to uphold order – not attack visitors without any explanation.

“Why did you attack us?” Adam’s voice was firm and commanding. He had the upper hand.

“Following orders, mate. No hard feelings.” The bird responded mockingly.

“Whose orders?”

“Why don’t you move your pretty face closer so I can tell you?” Yeah he wasn’t falling for that trick. That’s how you end up without an eye, or worse.

“Why don’t you tell me, and then maybe I don’t pluck your feathers out?”

The bird cackled in its avian approximation of laughter. “Don’t you know that curiosity killed the cat?”

“I’ll take a chance.”

“Have it your way. It all comes down from Zhao Yun Ru. She really hates your boss, right?”

“Blasts,” Adam cursed under his breath. Snake’s hunch proved accurate. Zhao was the one in control of the acorn production here in the Oak. Considering the timing of it, the attack by Belltower owls now must have been linked to the attack on the Orchards earlier today.

He let the bird go, unceremoniously dropping her on top of the wide branch, where she sagged into a heap, nursing her wounded wing. It was well known that Zhao’s elaborate dwelling was carved within the Oak’s trunk itself, placing her at the very heart of the bustling treetopolis. Adam hurried along the branch towards the centre, while numerous locals slowly emerged out of hiding and went back to their regular businesses.

***

Getting to Zhao Yun Ru was an exercise in combat and stealth. When Adam reached the central room of the elaborately carved wooden labyrinth, he found Zhao asleep in her chair. He stepped in front of her, ready to shake her awake. Immediately, she opened her eyes. She did not scream, she did not say anything, she simply looked at him with odd curiosity in her eyes. He did not bother with the introductions – if she sent the owls to kill him, then she knew well who he was.

“Zhao, I know you are behind the attack on the Orchards.”

“You know nothing, Mr. Jensen.” She raised up from the chair as if he was not there. Her gaze went over him, prying, evaluating.

“Enlighten me, then.”

“So, I mess with my competition a little. That’s what friends do. Me and David, we are closer than you think.”

“This wasn’t just messing around. There was something else… You tried to steal the specs. And then, before I could ask any questions, your hacker... died.”

“Ah, that.” Zhao sounded bored. “A little friendly worm. Your apples are full of them, aren’t they? Burrows into your brain and takes over control, such a brilliant little creation – and without the apples, it would be impossible. So much for the promised power of choice.” She pursed her lips and shook her head.

Adam felt sick. He did not eat any more apples since his initial recovery, and somehow this did not affect his gained powers, but normally people needed a regular supply. If Zhao managed to infect Sarif’s produce with these worms, if it was something wide-spread, then she would be able to remotely murder anyone opposing her will, choice or no choice. Adam needed time to think it over. He stalled.

“So you know about Sarif’s plans?”

“Oh, Mr. Jensen. I know everything. David thinks his little rebellion means something, but it is just a blip on the timeline.”

“Then, you are one of them? A facet of the God?”

“How perceptive. But enough about me, let’s talk about your dear Eve.”

“Eve? Megan? Was that also you? Did you order them to kill her?” Adam’s previous thoughts abandoned him. His blood started boiling. Zhao hit him right where it hurt.

“Kill? Oh, no, no, no. You think she is dead?” A carefully administered pinch of pity in her voice.

Adam stopped in his tracks. He’d seen them attack her. He did not see her die. They did not find a body, but that’s nature for you, sometimes dead bodies are... put to use. He did not dare hope, but deep inside he still did.

“What do you mean, Zhao?”

“Your precious Eve is with us now. Doesn’t that make you happy? Perhaps you’ll reconsider working for this nasty rebellious imp? Then we can see what we can do about your… Apple issue.”

“WHERE IS SHE?” Adam almost screamed, while Zhao’s speech remained calm and measured all throughout their conversation.

“If you become interested in my proposition – you can reach out to me through the owls. Goodbye, Mr. Jensen.”

As they were talking, Zhao gradually moved around the room and away from Adam, and now she was standing next to one of the wooden walls of the compartment. A soft green light emanated from the wood as she leaned onto it, and then she simply sank in. She was gone.

***

Adam stepped back out onto the wide inner branches of the Oak. He knew that Zhao could be lying, but he wanted to believe, so hard. There was no corpse. Megan’s research would no doubt be useful to the ones running the show. It made sense. As he walked onwards without any clear direction, lost deep in thoughts, Malik landed on his shoulder.

“Adam, we won’t be able to take you back. We lost too many to the Owls, and the carrier platform is in pieces. You’ll need to find your own way.”

“I am not going back, Malik. Megan might be alive.”

“Megan, alive? Where?” Malik’s voice broke into a screech, as it always did when the bird got nervous.

“I don’t know yet. The attack was ordered by Zhao Yun Ru. She confessed to it herself.”

“The Oak Queen? Then our best bet is to go to the Triads. They are the main opposing force to Zhao’s dominance here in the Oak. They might know something about her dirty laundry.”

“And where do I find them?”

“Follow me. I may work in the Orchards now, but I grew up here. I know my way around.”

And so he followed Malik, through the dimly lit passages along the interlacing branches of the giant tree. The Squirrel Triad had nests in all corners of it, but Malik led him straight to the big boss himself. Tong Si Hung run the harvesting business, illegitimately collecting fruits and nuts from private producers, Sarif’s Orchards being one of them. As the apples grew in popularity, and their effects were fully acknowledged, they quickly became one of the main product that Squirrels specialised in. They did not need to raid the Orchards directly – often, they could intercept the shippings, however they did not shy from extortion either. It was an unpleasant business, and yet, well out of Adam’s jurisdiction. He’d grind his teeth and do what he has to do to get the information, even if it meant working with these despicable rodents.

***

Once Malik got him the passage to Tong Si Hung, surprising Adam with the depth of her contacts within the unsavoury side of the Oak, she followed her crew back to the Orchards, to report and regroup. Adam was facing the boss on his own.

Tong was a creature of business. As he looked over Adam, weighing and measuring him, his quick squirrel brain immediately began running over the possible profits and uses he could procure from a temporary alliance with Sarif’s finest creation.

“I heard you put up quite a show on your arrival to the Oak. I am impressed already, and now a little bird tells me that you are willing to put these notable skills to my use in return for a small favour.” Tong stopped talking and thoughtfully combed through a ripe pine cone resting on his lap. With a flick of his razor-sharp claws he picked out a nut and popped it into his mouth without breaking eye contact. He slowly chewed it over, then continued. “Let’s say I know a place where Belltower owls are, where they should not be. And I know something is happening there, that should not be happening. Perhaps, that’s where your kidnapped researcher is being held, as well.”

“How do I get there?” Adam tried to hide his impatience, but was doing a rather poor job of it.

“You can’t. Not by yourself, and not without your flight crew. We can arrange a transport. But you will have to do something for us there. Deliver a package.”

“Easy enough, I can do that.”

“You have to go down the Oak and head towards the Southern Lake. My friends can assist you down and point you in the right direction, but you’ll have to get there on your own. Once you are at the lake’s edge, we’ll provide passage to the island, where you’ll have to reach the woods and open the package. Inside you’ll find instructions on what to do next. After you’re done with it, you can do whatever you want, our deal will be complete.”

“Hand me the package and I’ll be on my way.” Not a second longer than he needed to spend here. Megan’s life might be on the line.

“I like your spirit. If you ever get bored working for that mountain goat – come to the Oak, we can use someone like you. Provided you live through this little vendetta of yours.”

Some parts of Adam’s “deal” with the Squirrels Triad leader did not sit right with him, but he would be getting a passage to the owls island, and that’s all that he needed right now. He’ll figure the rest out later.

***

Getting off the Oak was uneventful. Tong had his own teams providing assisted ascent and descent along the branchless part of the Oak’s trunk, similar to how Malik’s crew got him there in the first place, but with squirrel-operated platforms. Where Adam’s apple-enhanced but still very human fingers would find no purchase, squirrels’ little clawed paws would let them to go up and down at almost any angle.

Once on the ground below, Adam was pointed in a direction of the lake and left to his own devices. He marked the position of the sun and the location of Garden wall pillars, and headed off. The day was slowly rolling into an evening, making shades longer and giving the sky a lightly yellow tint of approaching sunset.

Halfway to his destination, his steady pace was interrupted by a sudden pull. A beacon called to Adam from the top of the hill to the side of his path. Not knowing why, he climbed, abandoning the route. As he reached the peak, he took in the sight below him, and finally saw what it was that prompted him to come all the way up.

The peacock was dazzling in his beauty, his perfectly aligned tail feathers spread in a fan in a bewitching combination of dark blues and greens with a hint of gold, shrouded by oranges and reds of the setting sun behind him. And the eyes, the infamous fake eyes, the centrepieces of this enthralling display. They stared at Adam, paralysing him, making him blink in sync with their subtle twitches. He knew this person, everyone knew this person, the wonder of the gardens, the gorgeous and mesmerising...

“Elisha Cassan.” He finally uttered the name, barely able to move his lips.

“Please. Call me Eli.” His voice oozed like honey, slow, sweet, full of kindness and regard. The bird folded the tail, letting Adam snap out of his stupor, but the voice alone still compelled him to stay and listen.

Elisha Cassan, the many-eyed magician. Everyone trusted Elisha, everyone adored him, not only for his beauty – but for his carefully crafted words, that filled anyone who heard them with confidence. Adam did not often visit the fountains, where the peacock would normally spend his days, surrounded by followers and admirers. What were the chances to encounter him in the wild like this.

“Why are you here, Eli?”

“You are planning to go to the Owl Island.” Eli cleanly avoided answering Adam’s question. His own words were not a question either, still Adam felt the urge to respond.

“Yes, I am. My… My ex is there. I have to save her.”

“Not everything is as it seems.” Blasting winds, could this bird speak plainly for a moment?

“Are you trying to stop me?”

“No. I am a pawn, like you. But you seem to be… moving up. Who knows, maybe you will even manage to escape the board.”

“You mean, reach the end of the board.”

“I said what I said.” Eli looked Adam straight in the eyes. Adam ground his teeth. He did not enjoy the game of metaphors, but what could he expect from a professional wordsmith, bred to steer the ship of public discourse, his powers further endowed with the apple nectar which gave him this uncanny capacity to physically hypnotise his targets.

“If you don’t like being a pawn – why don’t you escape?”

“Alas, my wings are tied. They made sure of that long ago.” The way Eli said it made Adam sure that he meant the God. Controlling Eli would give them direct control over public opinion. That made sense.

“I am sorry.” Adam truly was, regardless of what he thought of the person behind the feathers. “Why are you here, Eli?”

“To tell you this.” Eli paused. Then continued, pronouncing each word with chiselled precision. “Remember, anyone can die. Even you.” Adam knew well he could. Another blasting riddle? He will think about it later.

“You said it. Now I need to go. Let me go.”

“You are free to go. I am sure we will see each other again, one way or another.” The last of the hypnotic control fell off Adam’s mind. He turned around, went back down the hill, and continued on his path towards the lake, puzzling at the unlikely encounter.

***

The “transport” waiting for Adam at the coast appeared to be a large tree log floating in the shallow waters. Inconspicuous enough that it could be easily dismissed as a natural occurrence, it had a large hollow on the upper side that was likely used to ferry contraband for the Triad. As Adam settled inside the concave, the old trunk split away from the edge of the lake and began its slow journey towards his destination, pushed by unseen underwater creatures.

Adam closed his eyes for a moment, and woke up from the impact of the wood hitting the opposite coast. He must have slept for less than an hour. The evening sky still had some sunlight in it, and the tiny specks of stars were easily visible to his apple-strong eyes.

The beach of the island was covered in patchy grass tufts, abruptly interrupted by the forest edge about an hundred meters in. Adam climbed out of the log and headed towards the trees. His instructions were pretty clear – get to the forest and open the package. He silently sneaked under the canopy, careful to not make any noise that would alert the island inhabitants to his presence, and lifted the lid of the box. And of course, the box was rigged. As soon as Adam opened the lid, the construct unwrapped in his hands, rattles and whistles and other noisemakers spilling out onto the ground in an explosion of sound, echoed by distant hooting of dozens of owls homing onto the unexpected intruder.

Adam cursed under his breath, dropped the rest of the package, and made a few long leaps towards a group of tightly clustered bushes in the direction of the coast. As the owls started emerging from all over to see what caused the disturbance, Adam could see few scrawny squirrels making a run for the transport log on the other side of the beach. That’s what Tong was really getting out of this deal, a distraction, a means of escape for his own, and if something happens to Adam in the process – that’s not his problem. Well, the distraction currently worked in Adam’s favour. While most of the owls were preoccupied with the noises, he slipped off the side of the commotion and deeper into the grove.

He ghosted from one tree to another, keeping low, making full use of his enhanced senses to avoid any notice, until he reached a large opening. In the middle of it, a campfire was burning brightly next to a small shelter of sticks and leaves. In front of the fire, Megan sat on the grass next to a person he did not recognise, deep in conversation. She laughed softly at some witty remark, such familiar sound, and Adam’s heart squeezed.

He shook off some of the leaves he collected in the bushes. He knew he must have been a sorry sight. This day went on for too long, and he had to fight his way through half of it. He stepped out of the shadows, and deliberately made enough noise so that both Megan and her companion turned their heads towards him.

Megan gasped.

“Adam! What… you look terrible, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? Megan, I thought you were dead. I thought you were kidnapped.”

“I was kidnapped. But Hugh helped me. Let me explain,” Megan begged, her eyes full of sorrow. He could not deny these eyes. He must not allow her to dismiss his pain.

Adam steeled himself. He looked through her, at the trees on the other side of the opening. “Hugh?”

“Adam, this is Hugh Darrow, he created apples.” Megan gestured towards the person on the grass next to her.

Adam made a face. “Another one of the blasted God’s facets?”

“Yes.” A hint of guilt in her voice. As if it ever stopped her. First Sarif, now this Darrow. She sought them out, she wanted to work with them. “But he is on our side. We are working together to stop Zhao’s plan.”

“So you are aware of that, too.” Adam felt excluded. Megan was playing on a whole another level, up in the sky with the ones who decided it all. He was left behind, as he knew he’d be. Anger coursed through him. Anger at himself, for thinking that she needed his help, for thinking she would be happy to see him. “Do you also know what Sarif did to me, because of that attack?”

She did not answer directly, but the look on her face told him that she knew.

“Adam, I am so sorry. I should have told you.”

“Told me what?”

“You are… Special, Adam. Not like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?” It was all going wrong. He was supposed to help her leave the island and return back to the Orchards, instead she was turning his world upside down once again.

“You also were created. By them.”

“We were all created, I know that.”

“No, Adam. You were created… later. You are different. You don’t need constant supply of apples to sustain your powers. You only needed to eat one.”

“No. No.” Adam fell to his knees. His head would be spinning, if not for the apple nectar coursing through his veins, keeping him stabilised. He looked at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time. “I will stay like this forever? Please, tell me this is not true.”

“But this is good, Adam. You can change. You are at the root of the new world, where people can decide for themselves.”

“I don’t want it, Megan.”

“You are the only one who can do it. I am so sorry, Adam.” She did not even look at him now. She also did not believe that he deserves the choice, just like Sarif. Who must have known. They both concealed that knowledge from him. All the times David Sarif would offer him an apple, just to try, just one bite. All the times Megan would make an off-hand remark on his stubbornness and resistance to change, and refuse to elaborate. How insistent David was on restoring him after the attack in which Megan was kidnapped. He never did that for anyone else who perished in his service. Was it even an accident, that it happened, that he was killed that night?

Darrow looked at them with interest. “She is telling the truth, Mr. Jensen. Unfortunately for you, I was not so truthful with her.”

Megan turned around and faced Hugh Darrow. “What do you mean?”

“You helped me gain control of Zhao’s little invention, but as you said yourself, the apples are at the root of disobedience. I shouldn’t have created them. Unfortunately, I can’t undo it, not at this point. I can only make sure that nobody will ever trust their power. And for this, I will have to do a little demonstration of what exactly a touch of freedom can do to the people of Eden.”

Darrow snapped his fingers. All around them the forest came to life with screeching and yapping.

Megan looked at him in horror. “What have you done?”

“Interesting. Your dear Adam does not seem to be affected,” Darrow mused. “Lucky for him.”

“What have you done?!”

“I did not kill them, if that's what you are wondering. So I suppose I wasn’t entirely dishonest. They will do much better job of it by themselves. I simply removed all the inhibitions, and added a solid dose of anger. Everyone who has one of Zhao’s brain worms will now attack the person nearest to them, no restraints.”

“I can’t believe this. After all we’ve discussed, I thought we had the same goal!” Megan’s exasperated cries echoed across the opening, but with Darrow’s little trick, the owls of the island must have had other issues to deal with. “We are done, Hugh.” She turned around and walked off at a brisk speed, disappearing into the forest, leaving her mess for Adam to sort out. She knew he would. That’s what he was good at, sorting out the messes Eden got itself into.

“Darrow.” Adam’s anger now found a new target. His own life did not matter as much, when thousands of people were murdering each other all across the gardens. It almost made him feel better, because at least now there was something tangible he could do to improve things.

“I would think you’d agree with me here, Mr. Jensen. Did not you just say how change makes you suffer? Don’t you yearn for the stable, controlled world that you are used to?”

“I do,” Adam admitted easily. “But this is still not your decision to make. Some people want to change. They deserve this choice.”

“You can’t just give people choice. They will choose wrong.”

“It’s not your place to tell what’s right or wrong for them. For us.”

“But look, Adam, what I made them do – they could have done it themselves, that’s now a capability that they have.”

“I seriously doubt they would. But even if they did – so what?”

“So what?” With disgusted look on his face, Darrow repeated Adam’s words back at him. “That would mean that I allowed for that to happen. I can’t have that, this is my world, if it’s anything less than perfect – this means I failed.”

“Nothing is perfect. If you wanted “perfect” – it would be better to not create it in the first place.”

Nothing is perfect. The words echoed in Adam’s head. His marriage, his job in the Gardens, his life before the attack flashed through his mind. It was good, wasn’t it? There were good parts to it. And there were bad parts, too. And then it ended, like all things do. It couldn’t stay in stasis forever, in that one perfect moment of warm summer evening, after a long and satisfying day of work, with Eve sitting in the grass, smiling at him, wanting only him, not leaving him behind to follow her new dreams, dreams that he did not share. What was that feeling? Grief? Grief, interspersed with tiny tendrils of acceptance, crawling over, growing over the hole in his heart. That’s what apples did to people. They allowed them to move on, to become something new, and with that change came growing pains.

“This can still be arranged,” Darrow responded to Adam grimly.

“You are delirious. You made all this wonder, and you’d destroy it just because it now wants to have a life of its own, out of your control? Are all of you like that?” Adam looked at Darrow in disdain.

“Oh, no, I am not delirious – I am the one with the clarity. The rest – they still think they can direct it, even now, even with the Orchards grown out of control, and half the population hooked up on apple juice, they hold futile hope. Finally, they will see what that hope cost them. Their little world, all broken. Should have torched down Sarif’s hill when they still had the chance. I told them, I knew what he was doing there, I was the only one who actually listened to his ramblings. But would they heed me? No! So now it’s my turn.”

“Darrow, this has to stop. You proved your point. People are killing each other out there, there will be nobody left to play in your pantomime.”

“Oh shush. Just a little bit longer, and I’ll stop it. Or you can do it yourself, if you care so much. Go on, just turn the key.”

Darrow turned the palm of his hand upwards, and an orb of light with a long key inserted into its heart materialised in the air. God powers. Figures. Adam reached for the bow of the key. Before he even touched it, a miniature lightning shot from the orb and through the key, connecting with his hand in a jolt of pain, making him flinch and take a step back.

Darrow laughed. “How could I forget. You can’t.” The last part was uttered with grim seriousness.

Adam braced himself and reached for the key once again. Through pain, he took hold of the bow and tried to turn it. The key was stuck, it barely moved, as if ignoring Adam’s efforts. He redoubled them, and could now feel it go into a slow steady spin.

“Looks like you were wrong, pal,” Adam screeched through his teeth. If Darrow truly thought Adam could do nothing – that meant the orb and the key must have been the real deal. He had no idea how any of the God tech worked, that was Megan’s thing, but he sure could turn a key.

For a brief moment, Darrow seemed genuinely surprised, but quickly regained his composure. “I see, I see. I suppose, the apple effect gives you just enough control over your decisions, makes you able to touch the... Well, well. Even now, Sarif manages to surprise me.” As if Adam was some tool deployed by Sarif to thwart Darrow’s plans, a pawn in a game of chess between the all-powerful entities.

Each second of holding the key was torture, Adam’s body still not strong enough to comfortably interact with the divine. And what was he suffering for? Even if he stops the control worms now – Darrow can activate them again, at any time. Other facets of the God can activate them, later, with different goals in mind. He needed to do something drastic.

Instead of turning, he pushed down, used the key as a lever, to break the mechanism from the inside. He pressed hard, and could feel something beginning to give inside the control device. Darrow, quickly realising what Adam was trying to do, began motioning wildly with his hands. Adam could guess that he attempted to conceal the device back to whatever pocket dimension it came out of. Didn’t work. Adam was firmly gripping the key, not letting it disappear on him.

Darrow’s face started showing signs of panic. “Stop this, you have no idea what’s going to happen!”

“Then let’s find out.” Adam gave his everything to this last push. Something snapped within the sphere of light, followed by the key itself snapping into two, leaving only half of it in Adam’s hands. Then there was a loud bang and a flash of bright light. Then there was nothing. Second time over, Adam was getting used to the sensation.

***

Adam came back to his senses. He was lying in a pool of wet mud at the lake’s edge. Cold night rain was battering him from above, that’s what eventually woke him up. He must have spent a while unconscious, his body felt numb and useless despite the warm apple-enhanced blood in his veins. That’s probably what has saved him from any atrophy. He slowly sat up and started massaging his feet with his hands, to get the feeling back in them.

Darrow was nowhere to be seen, and the trees on the island proper were making a whole lot of owl noises. He wouldn’t want to go back in there, not in his current state. There was a lake between him and the mainland, and he had no idea how he’d get to the opposite shore. He resolved to keep himself as warm as he could until morning, until the owls are asleep, and then come up with some semblance of a plan.

With morning, however, the plan found him. Malik and her remaining crew came to pick him up, following a heads-up from Snake. How the Snake knew of his whereabouts, Adam had no idea. All the same, now that he had his ticket back to the Orchards, he could ask the creature himself.

The flight was slow, they had to stop for a rest a few times, as there were not enough birds to carry him in shifts, but they made it back before the end of the day. The place has seen better days. Half-burnt, half-trashed, the Orchards were a skeleton of their former glory. Sarif wasn’t there – must be hiding in one of his crystal towers, licking his wounds, looking from above at how his little venture royally backfired, how much suffering it has caused – for others, not him, not the untouchable facet of the God, rebellious or not.

As soon as the mayhem of the last day has stopped – everyone put their blame on the apples. It was unlikely that the Orchards would manage to recover in any foreseeable future, both in size and in public opinion, which meant that soon enough, most of the populace will lose their speech once again. Speech and the power of choice.

Adam did not need an upkeep – by design, his body accepted and retained all that the apples could give him, and never regressed back, despite his initial hopes. Now he wasn’t so sure he wanted to go back anymore. Snake said that there’s still a large stash of the fruit hidden somewhere, and whoever truly wants it – can find their way to it. Adam did not care anymore. He was done. Done with the Orchards, done with Sarif, done with Megan, done with the whole of Eden.

“Snake, now do you believe me?”

“I don’t want to. But I do. This is all too much to be a mere coincidence. I’ve been looking into what you have told me before, and a lot of it checks out. This is how I found out about the Owl Island. I was not looking for you, if that’s what you thought. But I knew that you’d end up there sooner or later, and I was right.” There was a gleam of smug satisfaction in Snake’s eyes.

“I need to leave the Gardens.”

Snake paused and looked up at Adam from where he was curling up in the grass. “Come again?”

“I am done with this place. I need to get out of here, see for myself what’s outside, think for a time, plan my next move.”

“All that apple juice went straight to your head.”

“Perhaps. Are you going to help me or not?”

“Meet me at the east wall pillar at sunrise. I know a person.”

“Why am I not surprised.”

“You shouldn’t be. I am very resourceful.”

“Thank you, Snake.”

“Now, don’t make me regret it.”

***

When they made it to the other side of the wall – Adam finally realised that Snake was going too. Leaving Eden behind. Well, he can do whatever he wants. Adam had his own ideas brewing, and he would follow them to fruition with or without anyone else. He was beginning to understand Megan’s passion, even if his own plans were somewhat opposed to hers.

The God’s facets were insane, at least the ones he’s met so far. Sarif, Zhao, Darrow... All in their own different ways. From what he has learned, he had no reason to believe that the others were any better, and if every piece of something was rotten – then the whole of it was rotten as well. Megan was pushing forward her own ideas of the future using the ones that rebelled, swapping them like gloves as they lost their usefulness to her, but in essence that was still exactly what they were doing, she was no better – only less powerful. This was not the solution.

A goal started forming in his mind. A new purpose to his life, now not limited by the confines of the artificial paradise-no-more. He wanted to destroy the God. So, how do you destroy God?

“Snake. How do I destroy God?”

Snake was gone, slithered into the stones. Adam stood alone for a time in the blasting heat of the desert. When he decided he doesn’t want to wait anymore, and started turning around to pick a random direction to go in, a snarky snout showed up from behind a boulder.

“You are crazy. Try not to die.”

“Yeah, I’ll try that.”