Chapter Text
The Father
“Video Log, Day 1.” A man sat in front of a camera running a weathered hand across his dark beard.
“The RDA jumped at my offer to join their research team.” He smiled as he spoke, brown eyes alight. “They’ve tried to cover up their recent defeat against the Na’vi.” He chuckled. “What was it they called it again? ‘A new age in the Pandora Project’?” He snorted. “They’re desperate for new minds, it’s why they took me up on my proposal, because they know the value in the planet is still there. The unobtainium and now my amrita project… But the likes of Jacks and Samsun can’t see beyond the immediate cash grab. They don’t see the true value Pandora could offer us humans.”
The man looked off to the side as if staring at something before turning his attention back to the camera. “The possibility of a new beginning.”
“Video Log, Day 2.”
“Samsun has given me the green light on the amrita and transfer projects, but in reality I know he only cares for the first.”
“What’s amrita?” A small voice asked.
The man turned away from the camera to look to the source, his face softened as he reached his arms out and into his lap, he placed a little girl. He smiled down at her, running a fatherly hand across her hair.
“It’s magic and it comes from a certain animals on Pandora. The tulkun.” He answered, bringing an image up on the computer screen.
“Whales?” The girl blinked at the monitor.
“They look like them, don’t they? But the tulkun are smarter than any whale on Earth. Someone found one on Pandora and the data he collected… their biology, it’s exquisite.”
The little girl furrowed her brows together. “What does that mean?”
“It means they’re amazing.” He leaned down, kissing her on the cheek. “Just like you.”
The girl giggled.
“Now,” the man sighed, helping her down from his lap “it’s bedtime for you, miss. Off you go.”
His words were met with whines but he insisted she go. The man’s face followed her form, waiting until the door was closed before he turned back to the camera.
“As I was saying… the amrita. Jacks allowed me to scour the archives of the returned ships from Pandora. The creatures, the wildlife, it’s as fascinating as Dr Augustine’s books described. The tulkun were never included in her work, but someone must have taken one of the portable scanners to the ocean at some point because there was one complete scan of a tulkun calf hidden within the archives.”
“I spent months pouring over its molecular structure, I just knew there was something special about them. And then when I reached the brain, I found it. The amrita. A liquid with indescribable regenerative properties. With just a few tweaks it could be used to do incredible things.” He let out a breath. “It will be revolutionary.”
The man looked down, smile fading. “The amrita was not why I signed up to join the Pandora research team, but with it, Jacks and Samsun have agreed to my requests.” He sighed, looking up again. “They’ll fund my transfer project. And they’ll allow me to bring my daughter and son with me to the planet.”
“Jacob is sixteen and a bright kid, he’s already taken up an apprenticeship with the research team so there was no issue with bringing him. But Maya is only eight. The RDA are reluctant to put a child through six years of cryosleep. But that’s my price for the amrita.”
He leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the table in front of him. “I’ve done the research, I wouldn’t put my daughter through something that was not safe for her and besides, Earth is far more dangerous for a child now than any form of cryosleep.”
He coughed. “Radiation poisoning, chemical leakages, the number of childhood cancer cases have risen exponentially in the last hundred years. It does not matter how many cures we come up with, we are the problem, we are making our loved ones ill. That was the inspiration for my transfer project.”
“I spoke before of the true value of Pandora- of a new beginning. The idea came to me when I saw the old records on Jake Sully. A man who was paralysed and yet found a second chance at life with the Na’vi. One were he walked in the body of a god.” He chuckled. “Where he lead an army and flew a pterodactyl-like creature into war.”
“What if we could offer others a life like that? One on a clean planet that protected its children. I’m not talking about the clones or Avatar Project, though the initial concept is the same. I want to discover a way to complete the soul transfer, a way to ‘pass through the eye of Eywa’ as Grace Augustine called it. To transfer the human mind to the avatar body permanently.”
The Daughter
“Did you hear about the human boy they took from the Na’vi?”
Maya peered at her father over the edge of her book as Larson spoke to him.
“The one that Quaritch brought in?” He replied. “Yeah, I heard about him. But it’s got nothing to do with us.” He said as he turned back to his work.
Larson huffed. “You’re no fun, Coury.”
“I’m not here to be fun.” He said as his eyes caught her own. “And shouldn’t you be focussing on Na’vi anatomy rather than listening to idle gossip?”
Maya lowered her book. “I am.”
Her father raised a dark brow. “Oh really? Then tell me how many pleura do the Na’vi have around their lungs?” He challenged.
Larson scoffed. “Come on, Coury, leave the girl be. She was studying, we all saw. You work her too hard.”
The research hub at the Titan’s Hold had been her home for the past few months now. The ship was as large as a small village so there was no shortage of space, but there was also nothing for Maya to do here aside from sleep, eat and read.
She was not allowed to be involved in any of the work and was certainly not allowed anywhere near the outside world.
When they first arrived on the ship, she had been so excited. They had spent so long on the interstellar crafts, readjusting after six years of cryosleep. Space was beautiful but Maya longed for more, her eyes never far from the planet below. But then when they finally landed on Pandora, she quickly learned that life on the Titan’s Hold was just as restricted as that on the Venture Star.
“They have two pleura,” she told her father “like our own. They also have a central trachea and two large bronchi, but the gas exchange that occurs on a cellular level is completely different. They also have a much larger lung capacity.” She recited.
Larson raised a hand, gesturing to her. “There. She was working.” He said to her father, giving her a wink.
Adam Coury grumbled. “Yes, I see.”
He stood, walking to her with a soft smile. “I’d hate to say it, but Larson may have a point.” He leaned down, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “You deserve a break.”
She smiled up at him.
“Go on.” He nodded his head. “Take the rest of the day off.”
She jumped from her seat. “Thanks, dad.”
Gathering her books, she made to leave the lab but stopped at Larson’s desk first.
“Would I be able to borrow your access card again?” She asked, voice low with hushed words.
Larson chuckled and gestured for her to lean in. “It's about time you had some fun. Do I need to ask what this is for?” He whispered conspiratorially.
She felt him slip the card into her hand as she shrugged her shoulders. “Well whatever it is, I wouldn’t go until after lights out, curly. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you about the cameras.” He advised, playfully tugging at her curly hair.
Larson was her brother’s friend and a tech genius. But where Jacob was cold and serious, Larson was all warmth and smiles.
Maya never knew why the two got along but didn’t question it. She trusted Larson as much as she trusted her father and brother.
She thanked the man, hiding the keycard between her books before leaving the labs.
She spent the rest of the day counting down the minutes until lights out. She was not sure why she was so set on meeting a stranger. Maybe it was the thrill of doing something she should not, or maybe it was because this was the first chance she had to meet someone from the outside world. Someone that knew Pandora and had lived the life she wanted ever since her father told her of this place.
The Titan’s Hold was almost silent at night. The observation stations and communal areas were always full, but the rest of the ship was manned with nothing more than a skeleton crew. One that was easy enough for her to avoid.
Her first stop was the technician’s lab. She used Larson’s keycard and password to log into one of the mainframe computers. Larson had the master control of all the security systems within the ship which was not surprising considering he designed them. He was the one who taught her how to use the software and how she could temporarily freeze certain cameras, such as those in and around the holding cell.
Opening the door from the lab, it took everything in Maya not to react at the sudden sight of soldiers walking down the corridor.
She silently retreated. Shutting the door behind her, Maya held her breath as she listened to their footsteps, waiting until she could not hear them anymore before she attempted to leave again.
The technician labs were almost adjacent to the holding cells, but that did not stop her heart from racing faster than a direhorse as she made her way through the corridor.
On reaching the cell, she used Larson’s card to open the reinforced door. Only once it was open, she realised that she had no idea what she would say to this strange boy.
She swallowed, settling the doubt within her as she forced herself to enter the room. She leaned her back against the door, sealing it shut once she was fully inside, eyes scanning the dark cell for any signs of life.
There was not a sound beyond the hammering of her own pulse in her ears.
“Hello?” She whispered as she took a step further into the room.
Suddenly, she was forced back by a hand at her throat which was accompanied by a feral hiss.
“Wait!” Her hands clawed at the one at her neck. “I’m not here to hurt you, please.” She choked out, struggling for breath.
There was no reply, but eventually the hand around her neck fell and with it, Maya dropped to the floor, gasping for air.
“Who are you?” A boy asked.
She looked up to find a pair of brown eyes staring down at her. He looked to be her age, this strange boy, with blue streaks and mud painted across his chest and a wild look in his eyes. Looking at him, Maya could not help but be reminded of an old book she read on Earth. The one about the baby raised in the wild by the gorillas that took him in. He walked and talked like one of them but he was different, just like the boy in front of her.
She brought her feet beneath her, standing on shaky legs. “My name is Maya. I heard they had a boy from the outside. I just wanted to meet you…”
“It doesn’t matter who they send, tell whoever it is you work for I won’t tell them anything about the Sully’s.” He growled.
She held her hands up. “I’m not here to ask about the Sully's.” She promised. “I just want to know about Pandora. I’ve never been anywhere else but the ship, you see. I… I’m not meant to be here but I need to know about what life was really like out there. I mean, it’s all I’ve thought of since I was told about this place…” She rambled.
The boy watched her as a predator watched its prey. Assessing her, looking for any signs weakness. He was silent for a moment, but then he took a step back, turning away from her.
The sign of rejection made her panic. “Wait, I could make you a deal!” She offered.
He stopped, looking back at her curiously. “What kind of deal?”
“I’ll answer your questions about this place… what I know about it anyway, if you answer my questions about Pandora and Pandora only. Nothing more than that, I swear.”
He looked reluctant but eventually he spoke. “Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal, Maya.” He said, cautiously sitting down on the edge of his bed.
Maya joined him, taking the only chair in the room to sit in front of him.
“Well, since you know my name, I think it's only fair I know yours too.”
The corner of his lips twitched. “It’s Spider.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Spider.”
Spider Socorro taught her many things about Na’vi life. He taught her about the plants, their food, their clothes, but he spent the most time speaking of the ikran and how they were claimed during Iknimaya, of how it felt to fly.
On her end, Maya told him about the amrita.
“It’s why we’re here. My dad thinks this stuff from the tulkun could be used to prolong life.”
“How does he get it?” Spider asked, an accusatory tone layered within his voice.
“I don’t know how it's obtained, I’m not involved in any of the projects, but my dad is a good man. He would never hurt the tulkun.” She insisted.
Spider, however, did not look convinced.
“Why do you want to know so much about Pandora anyway?” He asked after some time.
Maya sighed. It was a fair question. It must seem odd to him, for an outsider to care so much about his home.
“Do you know what’s left of Earth?” She asked him.
Spider shook his head.
“Concrete and metal.”
She was only a child when she left but still remembered how grey it was. Plants, real plants, had become a luxury and a rarity as every piece of land had to be used to its maximum capacity to hold the increasing population. It was stifling, so much so that Maya remembered sometimes finding it difficult to breathe.
“We did that to our home. We destroyed it. But your home… it’s still full of life. Dr Augustine’s book described it as a perfect balance between people, plants and animals. It’s everything I think Earth once was and maybe more. How could I not want to know more about it?”
Spider frowned. “But the RDA want to destroy this place for money.”
Maya bit the inside of her cheek. “I know the people my dad works for aren’t good. But we’re not all bad here.” She said, trying to make him understand.
She felt his dark eyes on her, watching her closely just as he did when she first stepped into his room. “No, maybe not.” He admitted after a moment.
The next time she saw Spider Socorro remained burned into Maya’s mind for days.
She was heading from her dorm to return Larson’s keycard when she heard it, the shouting.
She ran towards the holding cell, only to find Spider strapped to one of the RDA’s interrogation devices.
“Where is Jake Sully?” General Ardmore asked him. “Just form a picture in your mind. One thought is all we need.”
“I don’t know!” Spider screamed. “I don’t know!” But still they did not stop.
The sight made Maya feel sick. It made her stomach roll and her heart sink. He was just a boy, how could they do this?
What she did next, she did without thought. Maya ran past the large avatars, surprising them and herself when she hit the button to stop the machine.
General Ardmore turned as the machine slowed, furious eyes landing on her.
A large hand fell on her shoulder, forcing her to her knees. “Who do you think you are, girl?” She seethed.
Maya froze. “I…”
“You?” The general mocked, reaching for the lanyard around her neck which held her identification badge. “Jacob’s sister.”
She waved a hand dismissively and the arm that held her down was gone. “If I ever see you disregarding a higher up again, you will be punished, kid.” The general sneered. “Confine her to her dorms and let Jacob Coury know about this. And start up the damned machine up again, someone.” She commanded but one of the avatars suggested otherwise.
“General, let me try the personal angle.” He said, deep southern lilt to his voice.
Maya did not know what that meant but could only watch helplessly as she was dragged away, eyes never leaving Spider’s exhausted form.
Jacob had berated her for hours afterwards and Maya had sat there, taking it all as her mind replayed the horrid shouts and screams she heard on repeat.
That day was the last time she saw Spider before the battle with the Metkayina.
And when the day of the battle finally came, she found Spider Socorro on the back of an ikran with one of the avatars, landing on the Titan’s Hold as it was being prepared for war.
Maya watched from the window as he was taken by the guards on the deck before she herself was pulled away by her father’s hand.
“You need to get onto the civilian end before the ships split.” He told her.
The battleship within the Titan’s Hold was built into the large vessel. It was smaller and faster, made for war.
“What about you and Jacob? You should come with me.”
“Jacob is with General Ardmore’s team and I need to look out for him.”
Maya shook her head. “You’re not a soldier, Dad. And this… it doesn’t feel right. Why would you fight for the RDA?”
Her father had been a scientist his whole life. Jacob had dropped his apprenticeship to train with the rest of the soldiers once they reached Pandora but her father had always been committed to his projects.
“I am Jacob’s father. And yours, so you will listen to me and do as I say now. Larson, get her out of here.” He commanded.
She hadn’t even realised Larson was behind her until she felt his hand on her arm, gently guiding her back. “Don’t worry, curly. Come with me, we’ll keep an eye on your dad and brother through the cameras.” He promised.
Despite her reluctance, Maya let herself be pulled back but her eyes never left her father, watching him until she could not see him any longer.
Larson gave her a reassuring smile, leading her to the labs where his desk and computers lay.
“They’ll be alright, you know.” He told her, holding out a chair for her to sit in.
“Do I?” She asked. “What’s going on, Larson? I don’t understand how it’s come to this.”
No one would tell her anything - why they were fighting, what they had done…
Larson sighed. “I’m sorry, kid.” Was his only response, leaving her with nothing but her thoughts and the screen in front of her.
Maya had not looked away from the monitor since the battle began. She could not.
The gunfire, the screams, the destruction - it made her tremble, though whether it was with fear or anger, she could not tell.
Next to her Larson swallowed. “Maybe you shouldn’t be seeing this.”
She shook her head. “No, I have to.”
She felt horrible for it, but her heart clenched at the sight of all the blood, both Na’vi and human, wondering if that made her a traitor to her own kind. She hated it, sitting and watching while death took every man and woman outside like a plague. And then when the tides began to turn and the humans began to fall, Maya knew she could not sit back and watch any longer.
She ran from the lab without a second’s thought, swiftly making her way through to the hold.
“Maya, where the hell are you going?” Larson shouted, trying to reach for her arm but she avoided his grip.
She ran for the speedboats, grabbing a trauma kit and an exopack for herself.
“Maya! Maya!” Larson grabbed her by the shoulders. “Stop.”
Her chest rose and fell with her heavy breaths. “This is insane, Larson. I have to get Dad and Jacob out of there. They shouldn’t be fighting for the RDA. This…” She felt tears well up in her eyes. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to be!” She cried out. “Dad said everything would be better once we came here, but its worse. How is it worse?” A sob tore from her throat. “I have to get them.” She begged him to understand. “I have to.”
Larson’s eyes darted between hers for a moment before he sighed and pulled her to him, holding her in a tight embrace. “Fuck.” He swore under his breath.
Suddenly, he let her go, reaching for his own kit and exopack on the wall as well as a gun.
“Larson?”
He looked down at her. “You’re absolutely insane if you think I’m letting you go anywhere near that place alone. We stay back and call your dad and brother to meet us at the perimeter. Do you copy?” He said with the voice of a military commander.
She let out a breath. “Yeah, I copy.” She replied, securing her mask and pack as Larson opened the gate to drop the boat.
The first time Maya stepped out onto Pandora it was dark but the night sky was illuminated with a thousand stars. Larson’s hand took her own, guiding her down the ramp, towards the small boat. He put on an earpiece and attached the vocal resonance transmitted to his neck as they both climbed in.
“Coury. Coury. This is a call for Coury. Do you read?” He put out the message and Maya waited with bated breath for any reply.
She could not hear anything but when a smile finally formed on Larson’s lips she knew he must have heard something.
“Right, we’ll head in your direction.” He said, releasing his hold on the piece at his neck and turning on the boat’s engine.
“Where are they?” She asked.
“Jacob’s washed up on a cluster of large rocks to the northern end of the perimeter, we’ll make our way to him while we’re waiting for your dad to answer.”
“Right.” She said, reaching into her pack with shaky hands to bring out a pair of binoculars. “I’ll keep a lookout.”
As Larson drove further from the Titan’s Hold, it became more and more difficult for Maya to see anything, her vision blurred by smoke and ash.
When they finally reached the edge of the battlefield, Larson stopped the boat. “We look from here.” He insisted. “I’ll try and get in touch with him.”
As Larson put his hand back to the transmitter, Maya searched frantically across the different outcroppings nearby. She was so worked-up that she almost missed it, but on a second glance she saw it again - a group of people on a large set of rocks.
“There!” She pointed out to Larson. “To the east.”
She kept her eyes on the figures, looking out for one that resembled her brother, but as they got closer, Maya realised that these people were too tall to be humans. One amongst the group, however, was not. She recognised Spider immediately. He was looking down at one of the Na’vi, a boy their age who the others were gathered over. They were crying for him, panicking. She lowered the binoculars down to the Na’vi laying on the rocks, catching sight of the uneven rise and fall of his chest.
He was just a boy, she realised. A boy no older than Spider or her.
Her hands subconsciously searched for the first aid bag, bringing it over her shoulders.
What she was doing was stupid, so stupid. Jacob would kill her. Her dad would kill her. Hell, Larson will probably kill her. But she couldn’t just leave the boy to die.
She turned back to her brother’s friend as he stopped the engine. “Maya, I don’t think they’re human…” He began, but she was already grabbing the only life raft on the boat and jumping down into the water.
The cold shocked her body, making her freeze with the sudden change in temperature, but Larson’s voice brought her back. “Maya!”
She began to swim. “Find Jacob!” She told him, between quick, sharp breaths, unable to turn back to see whether he had listened or not.
It took everything in her to drag herself from the water and onto the outcropping once she was within reach, groaning as her muscles ached from the pressure. She took a breath to steady herself, but just as she began to sit up, Maya was met by a blade to her neck and angry, amber eyes.
“Spider.” She chocked out. “Spider.” She repeated but louder.
“Maya?” Suddenly, the brown eyes she knew were before her.
“I can help.” She gestured to the kit on her back. “Tell them I can help him.” She stuttered.
Spider turned away from her and to the Na’vi. Whatever he said must have convinced them as the blade was suddenly gone.
Maya did not waste any time. She ignored the trembling in her hands and quickly unzipped the bag, searching for the widest cannula. She kneeled over the Na’vi boy once she found it. But before she could reach him, she was stopped by a woman.
"You hurt, I cut.” The Na’vi promised, hand resting on the dagger strapped to her chest.
Maya nodded her head in a silent gesture of understanding. She swallowed, leaning down to feel across the boys ribs until she found the space she was looking for. In one fluid movement she opened the cap and lowered the needle, removing the piece at the end.
The woman screamed at her, grabbing her arm in a vice-like grip and bringing her blade up to Maya’s throat again. There was silence for a moment. But then they all heard it, the hissing sound that released from his chest.
Relief came from her throat in the form of an exhausted laugh. She watched as the boy’s breathing steadied, feeling her own steady with it. And when her eyes raised to his bright golden ones, she found they were already looking at her, tracing her face.
Suddenly, the blade at her neck was gone and the Na’vi woman released her. Rushing over to where the boy lay, she held his head to her chest, muttering prayers of thanks to Eywa.
“What did you do?” A voice asked in English, Maya's eyes widening at the sound.
She looked back to see a tall Na’vi man standing behind her. Her eyes flickered to the weapons strapped to his waist before they fell on his hands.
Five fingers. He is an avatar. Or was one… She looked back to Spider. This was his family, she quickly realised. The Sully's.
“Released the pressure in his lungs. He’ll still need a healer… to stop the bleeding. This will only help temporarily.” She answered, reaching into her bag for the gauze packs. “You can hold this against his wound.” She offered uncertainly.
The man watched her in the same way Spider did when they first met, with untrusting eyes. But eventually he accepted them, nodding his head in thanks before addressing the rest of the group. Maya barely caught onto more than a couple of words before the others spurred into action. A young girl called one of the ilu as the rest gently lowered the boy’s body onto the water. She watched as the girl formed the bond, tsaheylu, taking him from the battlefield while the rest of the family gathered their weapons.
“Maya!” She turned to see Larson had brought the boat over to the edge of the rocks, frightened eyes flickered between her and the Na’vi.
“I’m okay.” She promised before looking back to the Sully’s. “He’s with me. We don’t want trouble, we’ll just leave.” She swore, turning their gazes away from her friend.
Jake Sully looked her up and down once before he gave her the sublest nod of his head, walking away with Spider and another Na’vi boy at his back.
The Na’vi woman was the only one left. She made a short animal-like sound as her family jumped into the water and suddenly- “Maya!” Larson called just as an ikran landed before her. “Maya, look away from it.” He instructed as he reached up for her, guiding her down to the boat.
She turned her head away, hand gripping Larson’s own as she allowed him to help her.
“You stupid, stupid girl.” She heard him mutter over and over again as he wrapped his arms around her but the sound of another voice pulled her attention.
“Tsnì.” She heard, before the ikran let out a screech so fierce it made the boat beneath her shake.
Thank you.
The Son
Jacob Coury had not been the same since the battle with the Metkayina, since his father was killed…
He knew things were bad when he had spent a whole day watching over Adam Coury’s old video logs with nothing but a bottle of whiskey to keep him company, but he could not bring himself to do anything about it.
Not until General Ardmore finally visited him anyway.
“You’re too good to be drinking yourself to an early grave, Major.”
He closed his father’s video. “Major?”
“You’re being promoted, son.” She told him. “Now get yourself together. I won’t tolerate this level of… ineptitude any longer from one of my own.” The General had commanded.
Jacob had wanted to tell her that he didn’t give a shit about being a major but then she sent him the uniform, the badge, and with it the realisation that with this promotion, he could do right by his dad.
He took the new position to heart, working himself harder than he had ever done before. Not just in training but also in the labs.
He was once his father’s apprentice in the research team. He knew everything about his work, including how much it all meant to him. It was his life, his memory. It was everything.
He stared down at his most treasured project now. The avatar held in the suspension tank was Jacob’s perfect likeness in Na’vi form. It was like looking in a warped mirror.
He settled his gaze onto the tank beyond that, to the other avatar his father had spent years creating and felt his lips curl into a snarl.
“Bring me my sister.” He commanded.
“Yes, sir.”
He did not have to wait long for the doors to open again. He recognised her stumbling footsteps before he even turned to look at her.
“Jacob.”
At the sound of his own name, Jacob forced himself to look at her - at her red-rimmed eyes and the dark circles beneath them. He felt the flame of anger within him flare.
“It’s Major Coury now.”
His sister tried to smile at him. “Congratulations.” Maya said, but that only made him angrier.
He forced himself to unclench his fist. “Come here.” He told her.
She looked hesitant, scared even, but eventually she did as she was told, coming to his side.
“Do you know what these are?” He asked, looking down at the suspension tanks.
Maya shook her head, dark brows furrowed together in confusion.
He scoffed. “Look. Really look, Maya.”
He watched as she took an unsteady breath, waiting for her to make the connection.
“They’re us.” She eventually whispered.
“Dad sacrificed so much for us. He always wanted to give us the best chance at life. It’s why he spent hours on end down here working.”
Jacob walked around the tanks and played one of their father’s videos. He felt Maya follow him.
“I’m filming from inside one the the tulkun we captured…” He closed his eyes, letting his father’s voice wash over him.
“Jacob…” Maya interrupted.
“Listen, Maya.” He commanded.
His sister was shaking her head, staring at the screen in horror.
“Jacob, please…”
“I said listen!” He snapped.
His sister recoiled. Her fear should have satisfied him but it was not enough.
He turned back to his father’s video.
“Now, if I have analysed this correctly, I should be able to retrieve the amrita if I insert the needle just here.” He took a breath. “Right, here we go.”
He felt Maya flinch as their father plunged the syringe up through the roof of the tulkun’s mouth and from it a yellow liquid began to fall.
A sniffle to his side brought Jacob from the screen.
He sighed, closing the video down.
“Dad never wanted you to see any of this. He wanted to protect you. He always wanted to protect you.” His sister was crying, tears freely falling down her face as she looked at where the video once played. He brought a hand up, gripping her cheeks beneath his fingers and forcing her to face him. “He wanted to protect you.” Jacob hissed. “And how did you repay him?”
He let her go bringing up another video, this one he had played over and over again. It was what fuelled him to get up in the morning - it was what gave him purpose.
In the video, their father and a few others were trying to corner two Na’vi boys. Boys he could see Maya recognised instantaneously. One of them took the gun from the other and shot out. It was a split second, less than a couple of frames but one moment their father was standing and the next he was not.
He paused the video, listening to his sister weep.
“Tell me who that boy is, Maya.” He eventually asked, voice void of emotion.
She only sobbed in response, shaking her head.
He gripped her shoulders, unable to contain himself. “You won’t tell me? Fine, I’ll tell you.” He sneered. “You saved that boy’s life. Larson was there, he saw it all. You saved the life of the man that killed our father!” He was shouting by the end but did not care how much noise he was making. He needed her to suffer, just as much as he had.
“Please, Jacob…” She cried.
“I don’t want your tears.” He hissed. “You… are a traitor. And all traitors are punished.”
He released his grip, calling the men that brought her to him. “Take her to the cells and keep her there.”
Jacob turned from them all and sat at his father’s desk. Picking up his files on the soul transfer project, he adjusted the camera, calming himself.
“Video Log, Day 1.”
Jacob spent the next eight years split between two lives. Between the soldier and the scientist.
The soldier demanded most of his time and effort. It was his calling, the life he wanted before his father died. But he could also never let go of the scientist.
The Titan’s Hold had retreated back to Bridgehead City after the battle with the Metkayina. There, Jacob worked with General Ardmore, regrouping the men, building themselves from the base up. And as reward for his hard work, he was allowed to continue his father’s soul transfer project.
There were still great minds on the ship, people like Larson although his friend would not speak to him anymore. Not after what he did to Maya.
But Larson was a fool. Jacob allowed Maya more freedom than most prisoners would ever dream of. It was because of him, she could spend hours dream-walking in her avatar body and all he asked for was the time to analyse her Na’vi brain with her connected to it, but even that made Larson complain.
He still had not spoken to his sister, not since he confronted her about their father’s death. And he did not care how many times Larson bleated, he would never forgive, nor forget.
He tried to keep his father’s memory alive through his old projects, but it was becoming harder and harder when all he met were dead ends.
He sighed, facing the camera. “We have reached day 3000 of the video log and I am no closer to figuring out the soul transfer than when I started.”
“Every simulation I run fails. I am convinced that it is impossible to complete in the lab without assessing how the Spirit Tree does it first. The only issue being we have not been able to complete a successful soul transfer at the Spirit Tree.”
“Three years ago we lost Ian Thomson. I’ve replayed the footage. We did everything correctly as far as I could see. There was a tree just outside the Metkayina borders, a risky territory, I know. But the tree was well within the mainland and the fish people only stay in their islands. We were safe, we analysed the nearby radius with drones for months before we came close to it.”
“Larson had designed the equipment for me, albeit reluctantly. We knew the unobtainium at the tree would interfere with our tech but he created basic electrodes that could record the signals fired between the two brains during transfer. The plan was to wait for the transfer to complete, collect the electrodes and analyse which neurones were activated and when during the transfer back in the labs.”
“I still remember how the tree glowed when we finally made it. How its minuscule roots grew and connected Ian’s human and Na’vi bodies. We waited and waited, but nothing happened. And then when we tried to remove his body… Ian didn’t wake up. A perfectly healthy man was dead.”
Jacob sighed. “We need the Spirit Tree to make the project a success. But the avatar bodies are expensive. I couldn’t put another one of my men through the soul transfer unless I had a sure sign it would work…”
He was interrupted by a knocking at his door. “Sir, you’ve-“
He paused the recording with a snarl. “Never,” he stood “open my door without my say, lieutenant.”
“Sorry, Sir. But you’re going to want to see this…” He replied, holding out an exopack.
Jacob frowned, taking the exopack, he walked past the man and up onto the deck without waiting.
That was when he saw her. Maya. She was in her avatar body, smiling down at something she held between the palm of her hands. But at the sound of his approaching footsteps, her ears twitched and smile faded. She looked down to avoid his gaze, dropping her hands and from them, a woodsprite floated away.
Jacob had seen many images of them before, he knew what they were.
A seed from the Tree of Souls. A sign.