Mac could hardly hold back her tears when Isabella offered to help her search for her parents. The truth is that she herself didn't have much hope of finding them at this point, and she imagined that they must not be alive if after so long they had still not contacted her in some way. But there was always a small possibility that they had they had been taken prisoner, or were in some place so far away that they couldn't have given signs of life. Besides, even in the worst case scenario, not knowing what had happened to them was a thorn in both her and her brother Andrew's side. Even if their parents were dead, they would both be infinitely grateful to know how it had happened, and if possible, where their bodies were located. At least this way they could bury them according to the precepts of the Church, and say goodbye to them.
Wilson heartfeltly shook Isabella's hand in both of her own. "I really appreciate the offer, Isa. I know MFE was there, helping the refugees, but I would never have dared to ask you for something like that. I know that at MFE you already have enough work with what you already do, and probably the search for my parents is a search doomed to failure. To this day I don't think they are still alive, but you never know... Yes, I would love to know what happened to them, and if they died, where... they rest."
Mackenzie realized that she was really comfortable with Saito. The psychologist was a person who exuded kindness and sincerity, someone to whom you quickly felt that you could open your soul without fear of being judged, and who truly had an interest in helping others. Mac thought that this gift of instilling such peace and tranquility in her interlocutors was something innate, and not achieved through study, and sincerely doubted that she herself would ever be able to instill that same peace in the people with whom she spoke. However, she thought that there was a lot she could learn from a person like Saito, from her professional actions, and even just by watching her act in her normal life.
When Isa answered her question about why she wanted her to be her student, it fit pretty well with what she had seen of her so far. It was very true that Saito was a shy person, and sometimes she even seemed insecure around strangers, as if there was something about her that she was afraid would upset others. Wilson didn't understand how a person who was capable of conveying such a sense of kindness and sincere sympathy in a conversation, could have that kind of fear of not being liked, but Mac had learned over time that everyone has their own ghosts that make each one be as they are. Therefore, she understood that, feeling this way, Saito didn't feel comfortable with the hustle of having to teach at the Academy, to classes full of boisterous students. It was clear that she felt better in social interactions with just a few people at a time.
Mac shook her head as Isa began to apologize for not being completely transparent from the beginning, and raised a hand to stop her from continuing. "Isa, please, there's nothing to apologize for, really. I just wanted to know, that's why I asked you. You had your reasons for preferring to tutor a person individually, rather than teaching more people, but it isn't something you had an obligation to tell me from the beginning. And of course I'm delighted that it happened that way. In fact, for me it's a great opportunity, and I'm sure that I'll have much better training from a practical point of view, accompanying you, than at the Academy. Learning Psychology is something I do for true personal pleasure, and I've some theoretical knowledge because I've read quite a few treatises. You never read and study enough, of course, but I sincerely believe that I'll get much more out of my time with you than sitting in a class."
Wilson tried to make her words sound reassuring to Saito, she didn't want her to feel bad. After all, Isabella was going to be her teacher, and therefore her superior, academically speaking, so she had no obligation to explain to her why she did things the way she did. Mac had only asked her out of mere intrigue, and because she felt that the psychologist was a person with whom she could talk in a friendly way.
Wilson was silent for a while, watching the people come and go. Several bells rang from the other end of the square, coming from a large building that rivaled the size of the Pontifical Palace. It was built in a style similar to this one, and was also crowned by a large classical dome, but it had no windows to the outside, only some stained glass windows. In the center of the façade, above the large wooden gates, there was a big colored glass rose window, which outlined a large cybernetic eye surrounded by a gear. Mac quickly recognized the temple of Deux, where the inhabitants of Faith Haven went to pray, and to participate in the 3 ceremonies that were celebrated daily. The funerals of those who died were also celebrated there, and the weddings of those who joined under the Faith.
Wilson was distracted by the shouts and chants of a group of about 40 military recruits, uniformed but unarmed, who trotted across the square in formation, singing some type of military tune while a non-commissioned officer ran beside them, encouraging them. Mac imagined that it must be part of the training of future soldiers of the Pygar militia, there had been a lot of military movement lately with the whole Freeport 9 mess... She hoped it wouldn't get any worse, but she knew that the Church was taking precautionary measures. The platoon crossed the width of the square and disappeared into one of the side streets, and their chants gradually died away along with the rhythmic noise of their footsteps. Suddenly, a scream coming from behind startled Mackenzie, who turned to see who it was coming from. She immediately saw Greta Meyer approaching them waving. Wilson stood up again.
"How are you, ladies?" The clergywoman addressed them with a wide smile on her face. "I see you very comfortable here in the gardens of the square. The truth is that it is a beautiful place, although the back of the Palace has a private garden that, in my opinion, is more beautiful. It is not as wide as this one, but it is more leafy. His Holiness usually walks by it every night before going to bed, and I like to do it too when I've some time. Of course it will be completely at your disposal, Isa, if you want to go down for a walk tonight." Greta consulted at the screen of her portable communications device, and then looked at Isabella again. "Well, it's time to continue with the visit, if that's okay with you. My idea is that we go directly to the underground part of the settlement. We can access it through the Pontifical Palace itself, since we are here, although all the buildings you see on the surface have their own access to the underground. Keep in mind that most of the settlement is there, so everyone has to be able to get down easily whenever they want."
The three women set off towards the doors of the Palace, and climbed the entrance steps. As soon as they entered, they found themselves in an elegant but soberly decorated atrium, in which several corridors opened to the right, left and forward, and two wide staircases carpeted in red ascended to the upper floors. Two armed guards saluted Meyer militarily as the group passed in front of them, to which she responded with a smile and a slight bow of her head, but without stopping. The group continued forward down the main hallway, and soon turned left, arriving at the chrome doors of a large elevator, guarded by two other soldiers. The doors opened when one of them pressed the button and the three women entered inside.
When the doors closed and the elevator began to descend Greta turned back to Saito. "Don't worry about your luggage. I've personally ensured that it's left in your rooms, just as it is. The staff has been informed not to access your room unless you request it, so that you have all the privacy you want." The monsignora took an electronic card out of her pocket, which she handed to Isabella. "This card is the access key to the room, for when you want to access it."
Greta looked back at her portable communications device for a second, then continued speaking. "As you might imagine, we're descending right now into the underground galleries of Faith Haven. The core of the settlement is located just below the Pontifical Palace, and extends around it. In the center are most of the colony's services: The medical facilities and scientific laboratories, the Church's employment offices, the basic products market, private shops and restaurants, the performance and projection room, and even the recreation room and bar. We also have a small fire station next to the medical center, the headquarters of the Pontifical Guard, and the office of the Pontifical Gendarmerie, our small internal police department. Further away, in the nearby galleries, there are the residential areas, where the majority of the population lives, and much further away, in the outermost areas of the settlement, we have the galleries in which the production factories are located, and refining of materials, whose smoke extraction chimneys cross the planet's crust until they emerge outside, well away from inhabited areas." Meyer smiled, seeming proud to be able to tell a person from the outside the characteristics of the settlement. "Well, what would you like to see first?"
