The Cooperatives: The scream
S4E2 • Cli-fi • AI protagonist • Slow burn
Hello, fellow voyagers🖖. ‘The Cooperatives’ is a four-part, ecofiction future history sci-fi mini-series and my holiday gift. In this episode, a shadow looms in the dark and the Ghost has an unexpected encounter.
Holiday publishing schedule for ‘The Cooperatives’:
Episode 1: The last forest → December 20, 2024
Episode 2: The scream → December 27, 2024
Episode 3: The struggle → January 3, 2025
Episode 4: The fortune teller → January 10, 2025
‘The Cooperatives’ is part of my cli-fi series There Is Hope—a collection of interlinked stories about life on a planet devastated by climate change and the things that give humans hope. You can start reading the series here.
If you enjoyed this piece, please don’t forget to like, comment, share! 💚
‘Alright, line up with your backs to the kuala, the sacred hut. Yes, ther’re behind you,’ said a tall skinny Siberian man, whom the Ghost identified as the Udmurt Counselor. ‘Nice and easy, we’re not going to harm you. We’re peaceful people. We are not rebellious people. We are not categorical. We can be very indignant inside, but we will not openly rebel. We swallow everything. Just as long as no one touches us. Everything is done in a silent manner. But you invaded our kar, our nest, and cut trees from our sacred grove. What should we do with you now? You tell me!’
With Kalashnikovs strapped to their backs, the Udmurt Counselor and the other Udmurts gathered around and shook their heads.
‘Trees are sacred beings,’ said the Udmurt Counselor. ‘They connect the three worlds together. They are the messengers of the gods. Every time we cut a tree, we must ask for permission. Did you ask for permission?’
The man looked each of the culprits in the eyes. The Ghost didn’t know what the Counselor hoped to see in his eyes, but he tried not to blink. Not that he needed to blink, as he didn’t have eyes to lubricate.
‘I didn’t think so!’ said the Udmurt Counselor. ‘Since you didn’t ask for permission, you must ask for forgiveness. Who’s in charge of this operation?’
The humans hung their heads, no doubt afraid to face the group of peaceful people armed with Kalashnikovs. The Ghost could feel neither shame nor fear, so he watched as a man stepped forward, pointing his finger at Vladimir. It was Anatol, the driver from the previous day.
‘He’s in charge! He’s the son of the High Counselor!’ said Anatol. ‘Hungry for wood, are we?’
‘The trees belong to the kolkhozes, the Cooperatives!’ said Vladimir, stepping back and bumping into the sacred hut.
The rugged group of men and women closed in on the hostages.
‘The trees belong to the gods, as do we, Udmurts, and you and the kolkhozes!’ said the Udmurt Counselor, throwing his arms in the sky.
‘Praise the gods!’ said the Udmurts, following suit.
These humble people had a strong sense of what ancient nomads called bayanay. They were attuned to the forest, to the shared consciousness encompassing the living world and the humans in it. This was one of the more noble traits of the humankind.
‘You, come with me!’ said the Udmurt Counselor, pointing at Vladimir.
Vladimir's eyes darted around, trying to find an escape, but the two Kalashnikovs pointing at him quickly changed his mind. Some humans had no bayanay. There was no shame or remorse for cutting the trees in the youth’s eyes. Just a desperate need for self-conservation.
‘Do you have any idea who I am? You’re going to pay for this!’ said Vladimir, walking away at gunpoint. ‘Officer, tell them! You must protect me!’
The Udmurt Counselor was watching him. He knew that the Ghost could not do anything. This was the Udmurt jurisdiction, and they had committed a crime.
‘We are guests. We must do as we’re told,’ said the Ghost.
‘You two may wait on that bench there,’ said the Udmurt Counselor, pointing toward a wooden bench under a tree.
It was late afternoon, and it was starting to get dark. The forest birds burst into their evening choir, preparing for sleep.
‘What a privilege sitting my ass on wood,’ said the Ghost, joining Kolya on the bench, his feet hovering above the thick juicy grass.
While waiting for the human to gather his thoughts, the Ghost directed his attention to the forest birds, submitting recordings of their chirping to his database: a great tit—Parus major, a Siberian jay—Perisoreus infaustus, a common raven—Corvus corax. The man sitting next to him was stiff with tension.
‘These guys are terrorists!’ said Kolya, his eyes wide. ‘Please, you must do something!’
A black grouse—Tetrao tetrix, a white-throated dipper—Cinclus cinclus. Humans often projected their magical thinking on him. They expected him to save them.
‘It’s not that simple,’ said the Ghost. ‘We’re in the middle of nowhere. I’m cut off and as good as useless.’
A willow grouse—Lagopus lagopus. The man’s body shuddered.
‘I’m sorry,’ said the Ghost.
The door of the kuala opened, and the Udmurt Counselor called Kolya in, leaving the Ghost alone to ponder the situation. Would the Udmurts dare to confront the High Counselor? Would the High Counselor be able to do anything about it? The birds suddenly stopped their singing. The pink hues of the sunset sky lingering over the vast and tranquil taiga were slowly covered by dark grey clouds. The forest was quiet. It was the silence before the storm.
‘Officer?’
The hut door opened, and a familiar-looking teenage girl peeked out this time. For a moment, the Ghost almost thought that he saw a ghost! But he knew that, unlike human senses, his sensors never lied.
‘Please, come in!’ said the girl.
The sacred kuala was a simple hut made of wood, a scarce and precious material humans loved so much. An altar adorned the room. As soon as they entered, the girl withdrew into the darkest corner like a scared animal. But it was too late! Her long black hair was cropped, but the almond-blue eyes gave her away. This was Shia Santos, the hafu teenage girl from the seaweed colonies and a wanted felon. What was she doing there?
‘This is my new apprentice. She knows a lot about seaweed. Come, say hello to our guest!’ said Kolya.
‘I bet she does,’ said the Ghost, shaking the girl’s trembling hand. ‘Also about smuggling trees, don’t you?’
‘Better than cutting them!’ said the girl, pulling her hand away.
‘She got you, officer,’ said the Udmurt Counselor, turning to the girl. ‘You can wait for us outside. It won’t take long.’
Did he know who she was? The concerned look in the Udmurt Counselor’s eyes as the girl silently retreated from the hut told the Ghost that he did. Why expose her, then? What was his game?
‘Take a seat,’ said the Udmurt Counselor.
On the low table was a plate with long icy strips of fish—kyspyt, the local delicacy—and small bowls of mustard, salt and chilly powder. A pot of taiga tea—willowherb and mint—was boiling on a small stove. These were the most well-fed people in the Northern Colonies Alliance!
‘I’d invite you to eat, drink but…,’ said the Udmurt Counselor, picking a fish slice and dipping it into mustard. ‘So, what do you think about this whole spaceship thing, officer?’
The Udmurts were nothing if not hospitable.
‘I wasn’t built to think, sir,’ said the Ghost. ‘But I’m curious to hear your thoughts.’
The Ghost knew that no human was immune to flattery.
‘The moment you put yourself at the top of the pyramid by thinking that everything was created for you, you must prove that you’re the last thing,’ said the Udmurt Counselor. ‘Humans can’t out-survive Earth in outer space, officer. You must know that!’
As far as he was concerned, humans were free to choose their desired ends.
‘It’s not my job to question the decisions made by the High Counselor, sir,’ said the Ghost.
The man nods into his tea.
‘So, what exactly is your job, officer? Cutting trees?’ said the Udmurt Counselor with unmistakable Russian charm.
‘You’re not holding any punches, are you?’ said the Ghost, glancing around the sacred hut. ‘Not very spiritual of you, sir!’
‘Didn’t know you’re a religious man!’ said the Udmurt Counselor.
‘Well, I’m not a man to begin with,’ said the Ghost.
‘Rather a peculiar piece of technology built during the Data War by some data mogul,’ said the Udmurt Counselor.
The Ghost smiled politely.
‘Perhaps you can use this day to do some introspective work, officer. Maybe you’ll finally find some meaning for your existence!’
The dark matter inside the Ghost throbbed again with life. He registered a fleeting flow of data bits. When he tried to grasp them, they vanished like magic. Was the Ghost haunted? The eyes of the Udmurt Counselor fixated on him, bioelectrical signals attempting to interpret technological data bits, waiting for a reaction. Did he know something, or was he simply bluffing? But the Udmurt Counselor smiled and gestured toward the kuala's door.
‘I think we’re done here, Officer. Thank you for your time.’
Outside, they found the Udmurts gathered around Vladimir and Kolya, anxiously awaiting the verdict. The Ghost searched the crowd and found Shia staring at him with fear and fascination like a prey animal. He hovered next to her. The girl flinched but didn’t run away.
‘There will be a storm tonight!’ said a shaman woman, taking center stage.
She was wearing a black robe with small trees in silver stitching. A black headpiece with white fringes that masked her eyes, representing an eagle, completed her outfit.
‘We should offer their leader and his accomplice to the elements. The taiga should decide whether they live or die!’ said the shaman woman.
‘Yes, let mother taiga decide,’ said the Udmurts.
‘Are you crazy?’ said Vladimir, his cortisol levels spiking through the roof.
The Ghost could sense his desperate attempts to connect to the headquarters, but they were too deep into the taiga and cut off completely. Would he help him, though, if he could?
*****
The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the air seemed alive, churned by the wind and the energy of the upcoming rain. The shaman woman raised her drumstick in the air, waiting. A lightning flash brightened the sky, followed by a long, low rumble. The Udmurts shouted and whistled. Then, lightning crisscrossed the sky, and a sudden loud crack vibrated through the air, echoing far into the distance. The shaman woman stroked her drum. Once, twice, thrice. A cold wind rustled through the tree leaves, and a fine drizzle made the air misty. The rhythm of the drum was steady, like a heartbeat. A shiver ran through Shia’s body, the fragile biological matter exposed to the elements. The Ghost increased his energy vibration and got closer, feeling her muscles relax with the warmth.
‘I know where he is,’ said the Ghost. ‘That’s why you came back, didn’t you?’
The drumming picked up as if following Shia’s heartbeat as the Udmurt greeted the heavy rain with loud ululating. Suddenly, a deep growl pierced the night, followed by human screaming.
‘What was that?’ said Shia.
The Ghost could sense her body shaking with fear. Lightening broke the veil of darkness again, revealing the silhouette of a black beast jumping at the two lonely figures standing in the clearing. Then everything went dark again. The booming thunder that followed couldn’t cover the wild screams.
‘The gods of the taiga have spoken,’ said the shaman woman, lightening up a torch.
Only one man stood in the forest clearing, screaming his head out.
‘It took him! The beast took him!’ said Vladimir, eyes wide with terror.
The Udmurt surrounded him, raising their arms.
‘The taiga spared you!’ said the Udmurt Counselor, placing a hand on Vladimir’s shoulder. ‘Welcome, brother. This was your second birth, and we must ensure that you will not waste your new life. You’ll stay with us and learn our ways.’
The Udmurt men and women lifted Vladimir up like a plank and carried him away on their shoulders.
‘Where are you taking me? The gods have spoken! You have to let me go!’ said Vladimir, fighting in vain to wrangle himself free from the strong arms of the forest people.
***
‘We’ll keep him safe, don’t worry,’ said the Udmurt Counselor, approaching the Ghost and Shia.
Fine rain droplets dotted the halo of light emanating from his torch, making their faces protrude out of the darkness, bodiless and ghastly.
‘Was that a bioengineered Siberian tiger?’ said the Ghost. ‘I thought they were forbidden.’
‘Once you unleash it, you can’t forbid nature to subsist,’ said the Udmurt Counselor.
‘You seem comfortable with hoarding forbidden species, Counselor,’ said the Ghost.
The human’s eyelashes sparked with moisture when he blinked.
‘I’m not a bioengineer, officer,’ said the Udmurt Counselor. ‘You could hardly blame me for the tigers.’
‘What about her?’ said the Ghost, glaring at the quiet girl.
The Udmurt Counselor wiped his face with his palm. The rain was getting thicker.
‘I thought I might entrust her to you, officer,’ said the Udmurt Counselor.
‘You want her arrested?’ said the Ghost, feigning shock.
The human smiled.
‘She’s rather hoping to find her fiancé and cross over on the other side, officer,’ said the Udmurt Counselor. ‘I think you might be able to help her.’
‘Where are you headed on the Dust Road?’ said the Ghost.
‘The Dust Pirates,’ said Shia. ‘I want to know what happened with the seedling.’
‘I see,’ said the Ghost.
Drenched by the rain, the humans waited. The Ghost felt the dark matter pulsating again. This time stronger, insisting. Bits of data escaped over its edge. A fortune cookie. The Ghost unpacked it fast. He spoke out loud without processing the data.
‘I’ll try my best,’ said the Ghost.
Was he going to let the girl go for the second time? But to what purpose? Was there a program inside his algorithm that he hadn’t yet accessed? Was this a test?
‘Can we trust him?’ said Shia.
The Ghost met the man’s searching eyes, trying to peek through the windows to his silicon soul.
‘He promised to try his best,’ said the Udmurt Counselor, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to Shia. ‘Take it, you might need it.’ It was a gun.
The man’s voice was confident, as if he knew something that the Ghost didn’t. He felt around the edges of the unknown computed inside him by invisible hands. Was he nothing but a puppet? The wind howled through the spiky shadows of the trees poking at the edge of the world, black against the grey-white sky.
To be continued
If you enjoyed this piece, please don’t forget to like, comment, share! 💚
The Cooperatives: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
Author’s notes
Two years ago, I read a great book about water—’When the rivers run dry’ by Fred Pearce. One chapter about the Mekong stayed with me. It described how the Mekong, the last semi-wild large river in the world, sustained the Cambodian people—some of the poorest but also some of the most well-fed people in the world. When I visited Cambodia in 2019, I saw the desperate poverty of its people. This chapter gave me hope and inspired the scene where the Ghost watches the Udmurt Counselor enjoy his bountiful meal. It’s one of the subtle reminders in There Is Hope—my cli-fi series—of what we stand to lose if we allow nature to degrade further.
This scene was also directly inspired by Ben Rawlence’s ‘The Treeline: The last forest and the future of life on Earth’, a key resource for my research on The Cooperatives. Here, I learned about the ‘last forest’ and was captivated by the Siberian indigenous people’s connection with the cold and the land. ‘The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after warming’ by David Wallace-Wells deepened my understanding of Siberia’s pivotal role in our climate future.
One of the greatest challenges in understanding climate change is the sheer knowledge about the workings of our planet needed to grasp its impact. Few people have the time and inclination to dive into specific science papers and climate books. That’s why I aim to incorporate this knowledge into my stories. The Europe of the 21st century is unrecognizable in the mid-26th-century world I present in my Dust Road universe—a transformation driven by the abrupt, catastrophic consequences of climate change.
‘The larger public still thinks that climate change will be gradual. They are not alive to the fact that it will be abrupt and what that means in terms of climate disasters and the suffering of their children.’—Ko van Huissteden
A defrosted Siberia will bring both peril and opportunity. On one hand, it will disrupt our fragile climate and ecological systems.
‘There is twice as much greenhouse gas—carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous gas—stored in the permafrost as currently is in the atmosphere, enough to accelerate global warming exponentially and effectively end life on earth as we know if it were all released at once. Yet most climate models discount permafrost because of the lack of data even though 40 percent of permafrost is projected to be gone by the end of the century.’—Ben Rawlence
At the same time, it will shift power to a new dominant region, benefiting from favorable climate conditions, access to a resilient forest, and fresh land as the treeline and the people migrate northwards.
I hope that my attempt at weaving these insights into my stories helps readers get a better picture of the realities of climate change.
The Cooperatives: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
‘The Cooperatives’ is part of my cli-fi series There Is Hope—a collection of interlinked stories about life on a planet devastated by climate change and the things that give humans hope. You can start reading the series here.
This is haunting! Really great dialogue especially. Nicely done, Claudia!
This story is picking up steam!