Her speech is definitely becoming more refined. Could it simply be from spending time with us and hearing our pronunciation? Handing me the bottle, along with a ladle and funnel, she spins on her heel and returns to her task of cleaning out the fire bed. Dumbfounded, I follow her instructions. Though I theoretically know how vinegar is made, I’ve never actually seen it first-hand. How do these children know how to do this? And where are they getting the alcohol to start a new batch?
I gently tip the jar and allow liquid to trickle into the bottle, careful to avoid hitting the mother. Rose says it won’t cause a problem...but I’m not totally sure I believe her. When the bottle is a third of the way full, I replace the cloth covering the top of the jar, return it to its spot under the counter, and ladle water from a bucket into the bottle to dilute the solution.
Taking a few rags along, I move into the living area. Though the room is bare bones, it doesn’t look like it’s been wiped down in a while. Finding a few pieces of clothing hiding under the table, I search the rest of the room and throw the discovered sticks and leaves out into the yard. Using a rough broom I noticed in the kitchen, I sweep the floor and push the dirt out onto the porch. Placing a folded rag over the mouth of the bottle, I invert it, allowing the solution to soak the cloth. After scrubbing the table, I move to one corner of the room and begin washing the floor on hands and knees. I’m going to need more rags, I think, observing the black residue on the cloth.
My mind is abuzz with questions and possibilities. These kids know far more than we gave them credit for. As far as I can tell, they haven’t had any resources set aside to make their lives easier. Everything they have, they have worked for and created. I’m not convinced that a Tier 1 individual in the same situation would see such success.
A small rustle behind me catches my attention. Rose is standing in the door frame.
“Am I doing it right?” I ask, lifting my hands from the floor and sitting upright on my knees. Her face lights up with a rare smile.
“Yes,” she answers shyly.
“Can I help you with something else?”
She shakes her head. “I—” she pauses, looking at her toes. “I wondered if I could ask you some questions.”
“Sure, ask away,” I say, returning to my task.
She moves next to me and begins dusting the long shelf below the window that sits halfway up the wall.
“What is it like?”
“What is what like?” I ask, clarifying.
“The world. Out there. With the people. You came from Tier 1 right? I don’ really know what that means, but I remember my Mom talking about it. She said that they—you—were better than us and we had no place there anymore. That’s why we came here, because they were sure that Berg was going to…” she trails off and we both scrub in silence for a moment. “They were right,” she finishes, her voice barely audible.
The timeline suddenly snaps into place in my brain. That’s why they’re here: Berg was going to kill them. I take a shaky breath.
“I’m so sorry, Rose. I can’t imagine what your family has gone through. I’ll try to explain it the best I can, but feel free to stop me if you need more details, okay?”
She nods.
“The Tier system was created initially because we truly didn’t have resources after the Crisis. Do you know about that?”
She nods, but looks unsure.
“Our predecessors built a selfish and volatile society where people fought for what they wanted and gave no thought to others, nor did they think about the way their actions were affecting the environment around them. The earth became polluted and unsafe, and eventually most of the human race was wiped out by a really dangerous virus. Nobody was ready for it. They were weak, sick, and exhausted, making them all susceptible. Berg had to step forward to use the genetic information they had to save what was left of our kind. To utilize resources most efficiently, they created the Tier system.”
“The Tier system was created to save us?” Rose asks skeptically, her eyebrows furrowed together.
To save the best of us, I think, but don’t say it outloud.
“Yes, let me explain. There weren’t enough resources for everyone and a decision had to be made in order to prevent more fighting and death. It was voted that people with the highest chance of success—of living and surviving—would receive what they needed. Any excess was then distributed to the next groups who were more likely to survive than others, and so on. As other measures were put in place and the population self-regulated over the years, those became officially Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.”
“We’re Tier 3,” Rose states, matter-of-factly. Her face falls as she makes the realization. “So that means we weren’t supposed to survive.”
“Not necessarily, it just means that you didn’t have the highest chance of survival. Those numbers don’t guarantee success or failure. There are some members of Tier 1 and Tier 2 that don’t live as long as predicted, just like I’m sure there are members of Tier 3 who live longer. It isn’t a perfect system, but it’s the only one we had.”
“So how did we exist? So many years later?”
“Well, we’ve continued to progress and heal. That means that we have more resources now than we had then, and there is much more to go around in Tier 2 and Tier 3. Do you remember anything about your life before you came here? Did your parents have service assignments?”
Rose shakes her head. “I’ve only ever lived here. My Mom only ever lived here.”
That’s right, I think, trying to pull pieces of information from that conversation with Nick so long ago. Nick, I sigh heavily. The timeline is fuzzy. I have a vague memory, but nothing tangible enough to go off of.
“But they told stories,” she adds, her voice lifting.
I lift my eyes from the swatch of floor in front of me, realizing that she has finished with the ledge and is staring at the dirty window. Those are next on my list.
“What kind of stories?” I ask, egging her on.
Her eyes seem to be exuding light as she speaks. “Stories of their life there. My grandparents served by growing food, building equipment, making supplies, jus’ everything. They were so strong and knew how to do everything. At least that’s what Dad said. That’s where my Mom learned it.” Her eyes darken suddenly. “I don’ remember half of what she taught me,” she admits, shame evident in her tone. “Lila, Root, and Caleb—they remember some things and all of the skills we know put together gives us a lot to work with. But I—” she stops, pulling out a well-worn chair from the table and slumping into it. Is she crying? Her shoulders are shaking and she places her face in her hands. Setting my supplies on the floor, I stand and go to her.
“Rose, what’s wrong?” I ask, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, rubbing slowly, attempting to console her.
She doesn’t answer right away, but eventually she lifts her head, sniffing. “I don’ know how much longer we can do this,” she whispers. “The wine is almost gone, we don’ have any more salt, which means we can’t preserve anything. Things are breaking left and right and I don’ know how to fix ‘em—” sobs begin to violently escape her lips. Years of undue responsibility coming to a painful head.
“It’s okay, Rose, you don’t have to be strong for me. Just let it out,” I whisper, rubbing her back.
Eventually, her sobs turn to soft whimpers and her breathing begins to normalize.
“That’s a lot of responsibility you’ve been carrying all these years,” I comment, and she turns her face to mine. “Can I finish my story?” I ask.
She nods, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“So, the Tier system was created,” I review, pulling out a chair and sitting next to her, our knees almost touching. “The years went on, more resources became available, more people survived, and our population grew. Eric and I were both born in Tier 1, and we had Tal and Bentley there, too.” My heart clenches as my tongue naturally wants to continue with the names Beth. And Leah. Taking a deep breath
, I continue, “But now, things are changing again. We have been successful enough that there isn’t as much need for the structure that currently exists. Berg argues that the Tier system is still absolutely necessary for building a society that won’t fall into the same mistakes of our ancestors. But, Eric and I have already seen it begin to deteriorate into just that.”
Rose looks at me quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“Well, our family is here because...because we weren’t willing to do what Berg wanted,” I finish, searching for the right words. “We have been kicked out, just like your family. And there are others, too. Not that have been kicked out—at least not that I know of—but others who are in agreement that things need to change. We’ve seen leaders unwilling to change their perspective…” I trail off, not sure whether to continue. “But who knows, maybe it is changing now. We’ve been removed for a couple of years now. Sometimes I get information from a friend in Tier 1 and it seems like things are moving in the right direction. Our job in Tier 1 is—was—to make things better, to improve society. Eric and I didn’t succeed in that. Maybe someone else will and, someday, we can all go home,” I say hopefully, my throat constricting.
“That’s a lot of responsibility you have been carrying all these years,” Rose quotes, her voice a perfect mirror of my own, and a laugh bursts out of me.
“But I’m an adult! That’s different,” I insist. Both collecting our thoughts, we sit in silence. Rose, still sniffing slightly, cleans her fingernails with a small piece of wood she found sticking out from the table’s edge. I can’t help but inspect my own as I watch her.
Noise outside in the yard catches our attention and we stand, both moving toward the door. Children seem to be pouring out of the woods, excitement and broad smiles on their dirty faces.
One little boy dashes to the door at top speed. “Rose! Eric foun’ us new roots and berries. There are tons of ‘em!” he announces, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the screen to the porch. I follow, waiting until the door slams before I push it open again. Rose is unwillingly being pushed along in the middle of a gaggle of children, and I stifle a laugh. Eric, along with Tal and Bentley, are moving toward them with a line of rabbits and birds strung between them, and the excitement in the clearing is palpable.
Stepping down to the grass, I walk to Eric and embrace him as he sets down his load.
“Tough morning, hey?” I tease.
“This makes me look good, but it was mostly the boys. The other kids were great, too, they just needed to know where to look. I think they had exhausted their favorite spots,” he muses, turning his head to observe the raucous behavior.
Returning his gaze to mine, he kisses me.
“I had a good conversation with Rose,” I say.
“Really? She said more than two words?”
“She did,” I nod, looping my fingers in my pockets. “From what I gathered, I think she may be open to help. These older kids have been carrying a heavy burden.”
Eric nods. “I can only imagine. What are you thinking?”
“What are you thinking?” I shoot back at him, not wanting to be the one who suggests it this time.
He sighs. “I think we need to bring them home with us,” he admits.
I nod in agreement, throwing my arms around his shoulders. “I know it will eat through our resources, but I don’t see another way. We can...figure something else out. I can send a message to Nick when we get back and see what our options are. Speaking of which, I still haven’t heard from him,” I digress. “I also want to find a way to see if there are any other groups like this stuck out here. He’s going to get sick of me bugging him.”
“Seriously, Kate? We can’t handle saving any other groups,” Eric says incredulously, placing his hands on my hips.
“I know! I just mean, we could work with Nick to see if there are any. Then decide what to do.”
“I know what that means,” he mutters.
I smack his arm and he laughs. The children fight for our attention now, wanting to use the morning’s spoils to make lunch.
“Use it,” Eric calls, “but don’t waste. We can save the rest.”
Rose flashes me a worried look, and I assure her with a wave.
“We need to meet with the older children,” I say to Eric when she turns.
“After lunch,” Eric promises, then gives my hand a squeeze and walks—with a definite skip in his step—to join Tal and Bent in the group.
Chapter 103
From the way the sun hangs in the sky, it looks to be about noon when we finally sit down with Lila, Root, Caleb, and Rose. The younger children are all happily playing ball with Tal and Bentley. Tal was absolutely floored that they didn’t know the rules of freeze tag, and Bent jumped at the opportunity to teach them. Watching his excitement struck home the intense sadness in my heart over the lack of socialization for the boys in our current environment. While the butterflies in my stomach are alive and well over potentially taking responsibility for these children, I can already see the positives of having a community of sorts.
Rose sits on the floor between Lila and Root. Her fingers twist and untwist as she watches us nervously.
“How are you all feeling about the next few months to a year? Living how you’re living, I mean,” Eric asks gently.
Almost immediately, their eyes drop to the ground, but Root recovers quickly.
“We are doin’ good—” he starts with a feigned strength, but Rose cuts him off.
“Root, I told her. It’s okay. She knows we need help and...I think we should listen t’what they have to say.”
Though his face turns slightly pink, Root relaxes slightly and nods.
Hesitantly, I begin. “I can’t properly express how amazed we are by your success here. We truly have no idea how you have been able to keep everyone alive on your own, and your knowledge and expertise is impressive.” I pause, allowing my words to hopefully sink in. “Rose let me know that you have all been really nervous about the future, especially since you are running out of the few supplies you were given. I know change is never easy, but we would love to offer help. If you’ll take it.”
Lila’s eyes flash slightly, but she reigns in her emotions before speaking. “What help are you talkin’ bout?”
“Kate and I would like...to invite you to live with us,” Eric stammers.
All four of them stiffen, but Rose reaches out, placing a hand on Caleb’s arm before he can speak. She pulls them into their characteristic huddle while Eric and I watch and wait. This one seems to take much longer than the last few we have witnessed. I guess it’s understandable, considering that we have asked them to completely upend their lives. Eventually, they stand and turn to face us.
“We would have to leave our home,” Root says matter-of-factly.
“Yes,” Eric answers.
“Do you have enough for us?” Lila asks.
“Well, that depends on what we’re talking about. Do we have enough beds? Not yet, but we can easily remedy that. Especially if we all work together. Do we have enough resources? Yes, for now. We will have to make a plan to solidify our supplies for future years,” Eric answers. Before we came into this meeting, we both agreed that it would be best to be completely up front with these four. They have earned the right to be treated as equals.
Lila nods, seemingly satisfied with Eric’s response.
“It’s...hard to depend on someone. To change a way of doin’ things that has always worked for something...that we don’ understand,” Rose explains.
I nod. “It’s hard for all of us, Rose. You’re not alone in that. And we can’t promise that it’s going to be easy or perfect. The only thing we can promise is that we will always work with you to solve whatever problems come our way. We’ll be in this together,” I say.
Looking at each other, the children seem to reach a silent agreement. Rose turns to us and her smile, though hesitant, completely transforms her face.
“Okay. Let�
�s go,” she agrees simply.
“Alright then,” Eric says, wrapping an arm around my waist. Nobody moves.
“What d’we do now?” Lila asks, and I can’t help but burst into nervous laughter. Somehow we’re supposed to have these answers, but the ridiculousness of what we’re doing is so overwhelming that I can’t think past the next second.
“We’ll head home with our boys now,” Eric says. “Give you time to pack up the things you need. Then, in a couple of days, we’ll come back and help you all make it over to our land. You’ll have to camp out on the floor initially, until we can build an extension to the shelter, but that shouldn’t take too long.”
They nod, still unmoving.
“Let’s go tell the others,” I suggest, and everyone seems grateful for a task to push us away from this uncomfortable juncture. The children stumble over themselves as they leave the room. At least I now know it’s not just Tal and Bent that struggle to do things in an orderly fashion.
Eric moves to follow, but I pull him back into an embrace. Wrapping my arms tightly under his arms and across his strong back, I press myself into his chest.
“This is right,” I say, my voice a whisper.
“It is,” he answers, moving his fingers through my hair.
“And we can pull it off?” I ask, laughing nervously.
“We can,” he assures me, and gently tips my face toward his. As he kisses me, warmth spreads through my limbs and it centers me. We can do this, I think. We have to do this.
Chapter 104
Back home, the boys fall asleep immediately after snuggling into their soft blankets—a far cry from the sheets we used the night before. My hips ache for a soft bed. Eric and I put away only the items that absolutely need to be dealt with and leave the rest for tomorrow. We’re too exhausted to be thorough.
As we stumble into bed, I realize that I haven’t sent a message to Nick yet. I am still unsettled about the fact that I didn’t ever receive a reply from him. Quickly pulling out my sensor, I type a quick note:
Tier Trilogy: Books 1-3 Page 53