Vali and the Tale of Gomma the Oil Plume King

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On a day like yesterday, Vali awoke to the sounds of the East River. She

could hear the estuary swell as gulls squawked overhead and the faint smell of a rainstorm the night before.

Today the sun was bright and heavy, the air humid to the touch.

I wonder how the harvest will be today, she thought. I need to check on that pokeweed tincture I left downstairs. I hope its not too strong.

She ruffled her sheets and stretched along a makeshift bed hugging the floor. As she dipped her toes onto the ground a small sliver of sun began to creep into the room. She pulled back her hair and climbed a spiral staircase that led up to a small kitchen. There were piles of dandelion root and clover scattered across a wooden table. On a nearby counter glass jars, bottles and tins were bursting with even more dried herbs. Vali looked at her growing medicine library and peered

down at a batch of kombucha hiding under a cheesecloth. I think it still needs a few days before its ready to drink, she thought.

Grabbing her bag from behind the door, Vali began a daily journey to a nearby meadow where there was wild carrot, mugwort, lambs quarter, and mallow to gather. She was wearing a long linen dress with pockets sewn into every seam. A place for everything, even small seeds in-between.

Along the way Vali saw her neighbors Jackson and Jamal sitting by a large tree stump. They had lived next to Vali’s bunker for as long as she could remember. As she approached Jackson was laughing and throwing rocks toward the river. What are those two up to, she thought.

Looks like they’ve been out past the gates again.

“Up again all night...?” she said disapprovingly.

Wild Carrot Daucus Carota Common Mallow Malva neglecta

Lambsquarters Chenopodium album

Jamal looked up at Vali with a menacing grin. “C’mon Vali you know there’s nothing else for us to do around here…why you gotta give us such a hard time?” he said.

“You know there’s been a curfew since the last raid...don’t you remember what happened?” said Vali.

“Those YouthBoyz don’t freaking scare me,” yelled Jackson. He looked over at Jamal and whispered something Vali couldn’t hear. She pretended she didn’t notice.

“Look you guys know what can happen out there beyond the ridge.”

“Whatever Vali...and why do you care anyway?”, said Jamal.

Vali looked over at Jackson who seemed annoyed. At one time Vali and Jackson were friends. As children they would explore the river banks and edges of the consolidated territories, collecting wildflowers

and seeds. But over time they had drifted apart. Vali never knew why exactly.

Vali glanced over at the river. She stared deep into the horizon until the sun was too much to bear. She thought how wonderful it could be if Jamal and Jackson could play beyond the ridge, without fear or suspicion. She sighed and began walking toward the gardens.

“Hey V wait...can I come too?� said Jackson. Vali rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed. They entered a tunnel The Council had built after the YouthBoyz raided most of the bunkers during the last harvest.

It snaked below a large peninsula that bordered a creek to the south, and the river to the west. Somehow the land above had decent soil. A place where wild plants still grew.

As they entered the tunnel, the smells of drying herbs and grains filled the air. Wild mint, dandelion and yarrow were hung to dry and made into teas, flour and medicines. As they exited the tunnel, Vali and Jackson heard something rustle in the brush nearby. They approached

slowly. Vali reached for a small knife attached to her left boot. It was a gray squirrel, a rarity and prized delicacy. She caught the animal by its hind legs and cut its throat. A pool of blood gathered, Vali watching the body slowly drain. After a minute or two she scooped it up and placed it in her satchel.

Jackson was impressed. “Good eye V...I would have never seen that…”, he said. Vali nodded and kept walking, Jackson following behind.

For some reason Jackson had always been draw to Vali as more than a friend, perhaps a schoolboy crush that wouldn’t go away. But he knew Vali was fluid, maybe genderqueer when that sort of thing mattered. Despite his endless flirtations, she rarely showed any kind of interest - something lost after the land known as Hunter’s Point forced

most to head underground.

As they approached the field, Vali noticed a white powder was covering some of the nearby trees and shrubs. Another fungus, she thought? No this was different. As they turned the ridge they saw a plume of smoke coming from beyond the old Daily News Plant, home of the YouthBoyz.

“What’s that smoke V?...Do you think they were able to turn the old oil refinery on again?” said Jackson.

Vali looked into the distance with a concerned look on her face. While she wasn’t sure what the smoke meant, she knew in her gut it wasn’t good. And whatever it was, she knew the smoke would affect their harvest, especially during the few months when sunlight and rain were at their peak.

Jackson and Vali sat on the ridge staring at the plumes of smoke rising from the YouthBoyz territory. They looked at each other with a kind of dread they had sadly become accustomed to. Vali turned back toward the fields and said, “Let’s get out of here before someone sees us.”

For generations the remaining communities of greater New York

survived in old subway tunnels and underground bunkers. The closer one got to the Manhattan Isle, the worse the air and soil became. It was too dangerous for most to travel far - the intense sun, unpredictable weather, and bad air making long distances quite impossible.

The borderlands surrounding the East River and Newtown Creek were home to two clans once controlled by The Council, a group of scientists and old white men who liked to manage the future of things. They once organized rations and living spaces for the people who remained on the surface. But over the past few decades, they had lost control of the consolidated territories. Different clans were organized and slowly began to farm and live on the land.

The Danoclan, were an agricultural and foraging clan that was mostly peaceful, of which Vali, Jackson and Jamal were members. On the other side of the Point of Hunter lived the YouthBoyz. They were excellent scrap metal collectors and builders, and believed in fighting for the few remaining resources left - oil and gas, really anything that could power machines and trucks. Both clans controlled most of Southern Queens, building an extensive underground network of tunnels and reinforced cement chambers where they could control the air quality, filter rainwater, and escape the extreme weather and dust storms. Ironically the city ruins provided some of the best habitats for people, the underground infrastructure of pipes, tunnels and basements a key element of survival.

Not many can remember how the City of New York descended into a period of “rewilding� where spontaneous urban plants began to reclaim the concrete jungles once inhabited by millions of humans.

Some believe it was rising temperatures, or the loss of soil to grow food, or maybe the earth just had a enough and needed time to think.

Whatever it was, the new climate had reduced the life expectancy to just 18 years. Over the coming decades the only plants that could survive were ones suited to deal with drought, rising temperatures, contaminated soils, erosion and increased carbon dioxide. Giant forests began to grow all around the city, creating a lush landscape of plants and animals adapted to these new conditions.

Scientists once called this a “disturbance ecology” describing how wild urban plants adapt to different situations - some created by people, others by the climate. Today the plants that can survive take advantage of man-made pollution, feasting on the nutrient rich waste that people left behind. While the earth continues to regenerate, it remains a dangerous terrain for most humans.

Vali and Jackson made there way back to the bunkers. The walk was

silent and awkward, both of them not sure what to make of what they had just seen.

That night Vali couldn’t sleep. She added a few drops of a special tincture to a cup of tea and stared out her window watching the moon gleam in the night sky. Within a few hours she was asleep. Her dreams were filled with strange visions of the factory and smoke plumes from the day before. She awoke a few hours later in a cold sweat, sat up and took another sip of her tea. Suddenly she remembered The Council election that had divided both clans less than a decade ago. She remembered people fighting after the votes were tallied and the new Council president

Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris

Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum

announced. An unlikely candidate named Gomma had clenched the vote, and each clan felt the election process was rigged. A long fight ensued and the lands surrounding the Point were divided. The Boyz took refuge in the Old Daily News Plant, and the Danos in the underground bunkers and sewer systems that remained below the surface.

Somehow Vali knew Gomma was behind the reopening of the plant. “How could he still be alive,” she thought? “Is it possible they found a way to harvest crude oil from the last spill in Newtown Creek?”

Determined to find out Vali began to pack a day worth of supplies to make it over the ridge and investigate for herself. She closed the door

Broadleaf Plantain Plantago major

Dandelion Leontodon autumnalis

to her room and waited until night fall. Soon the intense sun faded and she began a journey to the river.

As she walked into the tunnels she heard something at the base of the opening. She pulled out her knife and leaned back against the wall. As she peaked around the corner she saw Jackson and Jamal talking.

It was dark and hard to see but Vali could hear Jackson telling Jamal about the gray squirrel she had caught yesterday. He was trying to take credit for the catch. Vali tried to walked slowly past without being noticed. She eventually made her way down to the river and began to uncover a small row boat hidden under a blanket of drying knotweed.

Midway through she heard something in the brush.Another squirrel she thought? No, Jamal and Jackson had followed her.

“What are you doing Vali?...and where did this boat come from?” said Jackson. “If anyone finds out you have this hidden by the river you’ll be exiled.”

Vali looked anxious. She didn’t have time to deal with these two tonight. “Look why don’t you just go back to playing around in the fields and drinking dandelion wine,” said Vali.

Jackson turned toward the river and stared back at the tunnels.

Why does she always treat me like a little kid, thought Jackson.

“If you’re headed to the north end of Hunter’s Point I want to come with. Vali you have to take me or I’ll let the whole clan know what you’re up to.” Jackson responded with a kind of confidence Vali had rarely seen in him.

“Look this isn’t going to work with more than one person - we’ll get noticed right away,” Vali said with a quiet tone.

“You know you need us, I mean how else are you going to get around the fence without someone to look for any YouthBoyz?” said Jamal.

Vali looked out at the river. A sliver of moon was beginning to rise along the coast. She knew he was right, but she also knew it would draw attention to the entire trip.

“Fine...get in, but you both have to listen to me carefully - this

isn’t some kind of joy-ride. This is a recon mission. We need to know what the YouthBoyz are up to before they ruin our entire harvest and the air gets worse.” Vali said this with a kind of presence that Jamal and Jackson had rarely seen from her. They both nodded and began to board the vessel.

Vali was nearly 15 but had never gone beyond the farthest banks on

the southern tip of the Point. Jamal and Jackson, a few years younger, had never made it past the fields even though they had told others they had. As they readied the boat, they all put on face masks to manage the air coming off the river. In the shadow of the night, the trio looked otherworldly.

As they sailed down the river, the small vessel proved difficult to navigate and was slowly taking on water. “Vali I think the boat is leaking...what should we do?” said Jamal. Vali turned and looked down at the hull of the boat. Too much exposure to the creek could be dangerous, but she knew this was the only way.

“Look we just have to make it past the ridge and find somewhere to stash the boat...we can make it,” said Vali. Jamal and Jackson looked

up at each other, both noticeably frightened but somehow invigorated by the adventure.

After a few hours of rowing they found a sandy bank to dock their boat and began to wade through the Tree of Heaven forest that had grown along the coast. They did their best to cover the vessel with brush, but it was clear they needed to get back to the boat before sunrise.

“Ok...this is important. Be as quiet as you possibly can. And look out for stinging beetles, this is the time of night when they’re looking for food,” said Vali. Jamal and Jackson followed one after the other into a moonlit forest that grew darker with each step.

After climbing through cement ruins and brush for nearly a half hour they came upon a chain link fence that was patrolled by the YouthBoyz. Vali knew they didn’t have enough people to keep track of the entire fence, but they had to move quickly. Vali took out a pair of sheers and cut a hole in the fence just big enough to slip through.

Peering over a small ridge, they could see the smokestacks in the distance. The smell in the air had become sulfuric, almost like rotten eggs. They all pulled out scarves and wrapped them around their masks.

As they approached the plant Vali somehow knew the western corner would be mostly unguarded. The YouthBoyz, especially at night liked to drink and smoke by the main entrance.

“Look, we need to get into that air duct to make our way into the plant,” said Vali. Jackson and Jamal were tired and started to look frightened.

“Vali...look we made it this far, but I’m not sure we should go inside, ” said Jackson. “Ya let’s head back to the boat,” said Jamal in agreement.

“You can do whatever you want, but I’m going in”. Vali jumped onto a metal barrel and pushed open a rusted flap covering part of the air duct. The sound startled Jamal. As Jackson slowly prepared to enter the duct, Jamal backed away and looked at Vali who was getting a supply pack ready.

Vali knew he was too proud to admit he was scared. “Why don’t you stay here Jamal and keep guard.”

Vali and Jackson made their way slowly into the plant where she could see people moving around the facility. They almost seemed panicked for some reason. As Vali continued the temperature began to rise and she started to sweat through the linen cloth that covered her body. She looked back and noticed Jackson was farther behind than she realized. She signaled back and whispered, “Jackson hurry up...c’mon.”

Vali turned a corner and saw a glowing light coming from an air vent ahead. As she peered through the small opening, she saw a large furnace and at least a dozen boys shoveling scrap wood into the flames.

They were covered in black soot, sweating from the heat. Vali almost felt sorry for the boys, perhaps forced into labor.

Just as Vali was about to turn around, she saw Gomma. He had aged profusely and was wearing a plastic yellow mask around his entire face - something she had never seen before. He was having trouble walking, and was talking to an older looking boy overseeing the furnace.

She tried to get closer to where Gomma was standing so she could hear what he was saying. “I want these furnaces going day and night until we’ve drilled far enough to begin the extraction process,” said Gomma.

“But Gomma we are almost out of wood and the boys need a break…”. Gomma turned around, acting as though he didn’t hear the call for relief. “I want the drill up and running by next week. Do whatever is necessary”. Gomma began to slowly walk toward another

hallway on the western end of the plant, a minion following closely to his right.

Vali tried to follow them, crawling along the air duct route as Gomma moved into another chamber. The air grew cooler and the smell of roast squirrel and rabbit wafted through the ducts. At another juncture Vali could barely make out a space that looked like an office. The walls were covered in drawings, schematics, and vats of brightly colored liquids lined the wall.

“What if Gomma is trying to reclaim the oil plumes beneath the island…why would he reopen old wounds like that…?” Vali thought.

All of a sudden Vali heard a big thud behind her. It was Jackson, he had dropped a small tool lodged in his pocket.

“Shit, someone probably heard that….” Vali knew it was time to go. She turned around carefully

and began to make her way toward Jackson who was frozen in the same place near the furnace. He looked stunned, and for once in his life didn’t have anything to say.

“What’s wrong…,” said Vali. Jackson didn’t respond, he was just staring down through the vent. Vali peered through and saw a large empty barrel marked “crude oil”, a substance once used to build and power machines that destroyed the land, air and water. They both knew that if oil was available again it would not only signal the end of the harvest, but a return to living underground, maybe permanently. And if the extraction was successful, the tunnels and remaining underground water systems would surely collapse.

Vali signaled for Jackson to turn around. She had to smack him softly in the face to get him to react. As Jackson came around, they both made their way to the exit.

“Look we have to get out of here and warn the Danos...

Gomma’s going to extract the oil below the river” said Vali.

“What do you mean...what’s Gomma going to do with it?”, said Jackson.

“I think he’s going to start powering the oil refinery again... and sell the oil to all the clans…they’ll destroy what’s left of Southern Queens and the Point.”

Vali and Jackson made there way back to the base of the air duct. Jamal was waiting as they slipped out. Why is he just standing there, thought Vali.

“What’s wrong?,” said Jackson. Jamal didn’t respond, moving his eyes to a shadowy corner. Vali looked over and saw a group of YouthBoyz surrounding them.

“On your knees! Now!”, they shouted. Vali and Jackson both dropped to the ground, Jamal joining them. “Gomma wants to see you…”, they said.

To be continued...