Lifeboat

17. The Committee

The door opened onto a spacious, round room, light and airy. A semicircle of wooden desks horseshoed around us. Tall backed wicker chairs sat at regular intervals behind it. Looking up I saw the large round window, that I had assumed was on the second floor, lighting up the room of immense two storey height. Walls painted clinical white with a floor of equal brightness. It smelt of oranges for some reason.

Dante cleared his throat. Obviously expecting acknowledgement of our presence. I only wished to sit down, my ankles ached and my feet throbbed. Pushing my way past him, I slunk over to the nearest chair to my left. He reprimanded me before I could even pull out the seat.

"What the heck do you think you are doing?"

Slapping my hand on the back of the chair I snapped back.
"What the heck does it look like to you?"

He raced over the floor towards me, until there was only the curved surface between us. He grimaced, his knuckles turning white while he gripped the edge of the desk.

"Come out of there now! If they find you-"

"What, Dante? What if they find me? Well?"

A powerful male baritone spoke up behind me, the deep echo ricocheted off the walls.

"It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the world has turned out to be."

I caught the expression on Dante's face as he raised his head to greet the man with the impressive vocal chords. A glimpse of something akin to fear passed over him before he revealed familiarity.

"That's because they aren't allowed to be taught any better, your honour."

"And how would you suggest that we do that?"

The voice became louder, closer, Dante stood up straight and smoothed his dark hair back, fixing his gaze on the man behind me.

"I'd say that it is a job for a new government, a new source of power to deal with, your honour. What do you say?"

I sighed and pulled out the chair in front of me anyway. These gas bags could go to hell.

Dante's eyes threw daggers while I sensed the physical presence of the big voice coming to my side.
"I'm sorry, have we been introduced?"

The panic in Dante's face almost made me laugh out loud. He resembled a rat, trapped in a shoe box, no escape, no way out. I decided to lend him a hand, it wasn't as if I enjoyed seeing him squirm, well, in a way it was.

"My name is Poll and I must say that I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, yet, I have to insist on sitting before I faint with exhaustion, if you don't mind Mr. er?"

A heavy, dark skinned hand fell on my left elbow. A hint of acrid oranges blew towards me with his words.
"No, please, pardon me, Miss Poll, take your seat, get comfortable. It's going to be a long session."

I grinned at Dante, daring him to contradict me now. He raised an eyebrow and stepped back.

A clank of door handles and tapping of heels across the sleek floor awoke me to the error of my ways. Seat by seat, the places filled behind the table. Tall, lean men in flowing gowns of grey cotton, and plump, older women in purple robes. All took a chair, and all fixed their eyes on Dante.

Dante held my gaze, his mouth twitched. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the owner of the big voice settle in the chair to my left. I, being in the last one along the row. A breath of citrus invaded my senses as he leaned in to whisper in my ear.
"I am glad to finally meet you, Poll Tander."

My heart skipped a beat. Recognition pulsating through my veins. Tander, I knew that name. Before I could turn to ask more, the seated Committee began to clap.

They kept a rhythm of single, double, single, double, stamping their feet in time. Echoes bounced from the walls of the near empty room, dust particles floating past the stream of daylight from the window.

Dante caught my eye. He didn't clap, he only gazed at me.

The noise finally stopped and I sat back in my chair, allowing the tall backrest to support my fatigue. I must have let out my breath louder than I'd intended because the great voice next to me flooded over me once again.
"They won't be doing that for long."

Smiling, I turned to face him. The scar across his missing left eye stunned me into silence. I grappled with my words, attempting to articulate some smart remark, but the pale, stretched skin shocked me into silence.

Unperturbed, the giant of a man put a fat finger to his lips and grinned.

I shot my head back to find Dante. He nodded my way and gave me a wink. My breathing settled down to a more serene pace.

One of the tall, grey clad men, sat in the middle of the semicircle, banged his fist down on the desk. The clapping stopped. Younger than the others, probably a little over Dante's years, his attractive features a pleasure to observe. He held the attention of the room for a moment before speaking with a sharp, precise manner.
"I call this meeting to order. On day 178, year 2185. All present are stated for the records in the previous audio file. Bringing to the attention of the Committee is Professor Alessandro Dante. Detailing the outcome of -"
I lost interest in the rest of the bureaucratic spiel, my head whirling with that name, Alessandro, Alessandro. It sounded like a song. Looking over at him, the name really did seem to fit. He must have known what was going on in my brain because he flicked his eyes my way briefly before returning to the main speaker.

Alessandro, I couldn't remember hearing that name anywhere before, not from my small fishing town that I had assumed was my home. So much had changed since I'd left my father that day, and it amazed me how much I had yet to learn. About Dante, my past, this land, the technology and most of all, myself.

The leader had ended his speech and taken his seat. He waved a hand at Dante, Alessandro, to speak.

A thrill of respect returned for this man as he launched into a clear, confident presentation. I didn't follow much of the intricate wording or even some of his phrasing, but I could tell that I wasn't the only one he impressed.

The fifteen people of the Committee gave my Dante their full attention, hanging on every word. Only the leader looked away while he tapped at the screen of the device on his desk.

Once Dante had completed his speech, the leader raised his head to respond.
"And you have no doubts as to your data, Professor?"

"None whatsoever, your honour. However, I must express the need for your action immediately. It is imperative that this information reaches the next Colony Committee, to enable the government scientists to begin their -"

"I am well aware of what is at stake here, Professor, I do not appreciate your inference."

Rumbles of muttered conversation passed around the Committee. Dante's gaze shifted to the floor. He bit his bottom lip, and I knew this must be killing him. The scar faced man to my left boomed his opinions over the mumblings.
"If this is so, then I have to agree with the Professor, has not one of you even noticed the stranger among you?"

A tinge of humour spiked his voice, I turned to see if his expression matched his tone. Yes, it did. A grin spread wide across his face, creasing the scar tissue paler.

Then I noticed the silence. I shifted my eyes to catch Dante's face, checking if all was okay. He nodded at me slowly, his mouth tight, his body rigid. I moved around in my chair, licking my dry lips, wondering what I would find.

Every member of the Committee stared back at me. Without exception, I was now the centre of attention.