He paused, tilting his head. “So, if anyone complains at any point on our trip, you’ll have my back then? You’ll tell them I need to have all those things so we can try to contact other surviving communities and have electricity when we build our new homes.”
She nodded. “Yes. Colin said you were one of the first people to wake up from the ship. Who would know better than you what we’ll need to build a new home?”
Aakil beamed. “You said it; I have witnesses.” He stepped back, speaking louder. “And I’ll remind you that you said it when everyone complains. I’m the Chief Scientific Advisor and Freya said it was my decision to bring whatever I need so I can build our new home.”
He gathered up the map and headed out the door with a little too much spring in his step.
Freya turned back to the next woman in line who had eavesdropped on their conversation. “I just made a mistake, didn’t I?”
The woman laughed, brushing a dark wavy lock away from her face. “I’m not sure. But I think your group will haul more than anyone wants to.”
Freya nodded sadly, hearing the segregation in the woman’s voice. She wasn’t coming. “I take it, you plan to stay here.”
Her face flushed. “Honestly, my partner and I both want to come with you but…” She looked down, rubbing a small lump over her abdomen.
Now it was Freya’s face that reddened. “You want to stay close to the ship with its medical bay. I understand.”
She nodded, biting her bottom lip, her eyes flooding with moisture. “I know that what you guys are doing is dangerous, and the entire point of leaving is so the State doesn’t know where you are, but I came to ask something of you.”
Freya blinked. “Oh?”
Her face flushed a deeper shade of crimson. “I came to ask that when you get settled, if it’s possible to contact our community, that you do. I know I’m not the only one who wants to go but can’t because we’re expecting or feel our families are too young to handle the trip.”
Freya nodded slowly.
“And I’m sorry I listened to your conversation, but now I just really hope that you contact these people and they take you in. If that happens, please give us instructions on how to get there without you. I’m sure if you do, more and more people will take the trip on their own.”
Freya pursed her lips. “You know, with those posts already built, I think that’s a possibility.” Freya reached for her hand. “I’ll do my best to have others follow once we find and build a new home.”
A few tears escaped down the woman’s cheeks. “Thank you.” She did her best to bat them away. “And because it’s you, I believe that you’ll make it, despite the odds. You’ll find a new homestead, one safe from the State. And you’ll find a way for us to travel there afterward.”
Freya’s cheeks flushed.
I wish I believed in myself the way she does. I’m terrified we won’t make it.
She rubbed her belly once again. “I don’t know why the State has left us here, but I feel like we’re already living on borrowed time. I want to come with you, more than anything.”
Freya stood, reaching out to her. Without hesitation, the young woman stepped forward into Freya’s offered embrace. Suddenly, Freya was filled with hope. She needed to stop focusing on the current numbers of volunteers and focus on getting to their new home so that others could join them later.
“I wish you safe travels,” the woman said into Freya’s shoulder. “I hope to join you in a few years’ time, in our new home.”
“Thank you.” Freya stepped back and gave her hand another squeeze before letting go.
As she stepped away, Freya turned to the Advisor sitting off to the side—an insistence of Faris to have a representative with her at all times. “I need a break.”
“Will you be returning later tonight?”
Freya looked at the long line ahead of her. She gave a weak smile. “I’ll be back much before then.”
She turned to head out the back door, hearing the Advisor announce her departure as she walked away. She wondered if she would have time to speak with every person who wanted her attention, yet she knew they couldn’t push back their departure to a later date. If they did, she might just lose her spine and decide to stay.
***
There were so many people; so many more than she had expected. Her heart soared, feeling more confident about their upcoming trip. As she looked at those gathered, she realized most of them were there as spectators. They had no bags slung across their shoulders, no extra layers to protect them from the chilly nights. No walking sticks, cloaks, or sun wraps. Just curious eyes.
She took a deep breath. Today was a historic day for this community. They were losing their first, and probably last, Monarch. As disheartening as it was to see their small group of travelers, she couldn’t begrudge the others for staying.
Aakil shoved a long object at her. “Here. There is a sword and belt. Fasten it around your waist before we head out.”
She looked down, instantly surprised by the weight. “What is this for?”
Aakil helped her with the straps. “It’s for emergencies.”
“Uh, okay.” She fumbled with the straps. “Can you be more specific about what those emergencies might be and how this will help?”
He assisted her to cinch the straps tight. “You see the pointy end?”
“Yeah?”
“If something comes running at you, point it at them and hope they impale themselves on it.”
Her jaw hung agape. “I can’t use this. It’s too heavy for me. I’m still regaining my strength after the gestation chamber, remember? It will only slow me down. I don’t need one.”
Aakil gripped the top of her arm. “Yes, actually, you do. It’s for your protection.”
She shook her head. “I’m sure Colin can protect me.”
He gave her arm another squeeze. “Look, Your Highness—”
“Oh, don’t give me that attitude,” she snapped. “I don’t expect everyone to form a circle around me at any sign of danger.”
Aakil barked a sarcastic laugh. “You’re the one with the attitude here. And it’s not because you were the Head of State or our Queen: it’s because you haven’t been here long enough. You don’t get it. There are animals in those mountains. A lot of them. And they’re either pissed we dare enter their territory, or feel we’d make a damn fine meal. This sword may be your last line of defense, but you still need to have one. Everyone traveling is required to carry something for protection.”
Freya understood his reasoning yet felt between its cumbersome weight and shape, it would do more to put her in harm’s way than to protect her. “And I take it we don’t have handguns here?”
Aakil barked with laughter. “If only.”
She brushed loose strands of hair out of her face. “Fine. I’ll wear it.”
The weight of the sword pulled on her side, making her far too aware of its presence. Part of her wanted to complain further, yet she knew it wasn’t the object itself that was bothering her, but the implications of needing to carry it. This journey was going to be more dangerous than she could imagine. The only thing to fear inside the dome was the government, but here, nothing felt safe.
Colin arrived, dragging a full sled into the center of the group. He parked the sled, then leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek before he whispered, “Should we make a speech or something?”
Her insides felt numb. This was it. She had just arrived, yet they were already leaving. Her throat was dry, feeling unsure if she could project her voice.
Together, they closed the gap between them and the group of spectators. “Thank you, everyone, for coming to see us off,” she began. “Today, we go in search of a new home—one free of the State. It is my personal hope this voyage isn’t goodbye, but a new beginning.”
“Yes,” Colin joined in. “My team has built outposts to assist safe travel through the mountains, something I would like us to extend once we find our new ho
me. We hope that more of you will join us at a later date.”
There was a polite round of applause, but nothing worthy of today’s momentous events. The travelers moved toward their packs and sleds, gearing up for the voyage ahead. Others stood idly by, as though they wanted to ensure that Colin and anyone who would listen to him left.
Once the travelers had secured their supplies, they unceremoniously started to walk toward the mountain. There was a great variance in their groups ages, each load of supplies carried, and if they were amongst family or traveled alone, but there was one thing this troop had in common: they all looked terrified.
Chapter 4
Freya
Perspiration soaked her brow. She leaned against the tree and looked down at the colony from afar. The spacecraft and town hall were distinguishable, but the rest of the village blended into the background.
She had an interesting perspective of the land around their community from this angle. It was almost as though the State had placed them at the bottom of a shallow bowl. A large, circular pattern surrounded the colony, dipping inwards.
Throughout the day, Freya and Colin lagged behind the crowd. The group’s leaders took intermittent breaks to ensure the group stayed together. As the strongest group members carried the heaviest supplies, so far, they all stayed within earshot of each other.
“How is everyone feeling? Do you want to walk for another hour or so?” Aakil yelled from up ahead of them. “Or do you want to set up camp here for the night?”
Some muttered to keep going, some grumbled to stop, but one woman spoke up. “Set up camp? I thought you built shelters along the way. Aren’t we going to travel until we get there and then spend the night?”
Aakil shook his head. “No. Those outposts aren’t close enough together for one day’s journey—especially not with all our supplies.”
She turned to the man nearest her, shooting daggers with her eyes. He refused to look up at her, and so she turned her attention back to Aakil.
“Where are we supposed to sleep? What are we going to cook for dinner?”
Aakil narrowed his eyes. “Dinner is the dried meats and berries in your sacks. As far as beds go, the ground will have to do.”
She raised a finger, pointing sharply at him. “No! You can’t expect us to all sleep out in the open. That’s ridiculous. And it isn’t safe!”
“It’s not ideal,” Aakil countered, “but that’s why we’ll sleep close together. It will keep everyone warmer and safe from predatory animals.”
“All sleep together!” She shook her head repeatedly. “No. You promised us outposts along the way. We need to push ahead until we get there so we have somewhere to sleep.”
Aakil gave a sarcastic laugh. Colin rushed forward before Aakil responded. “I’m sorry. There seems to be a miscommunication here. Those outposts we built, they hold supplies, not bunk beds. We’ll be sleeping on the ground until we find the plot of land we’ll call home and build those beds to sleep in.”
Her eyes bugged. She pushed her frizzy, sweat drenched hair off her soft, pudgy cheeks. “What the hell were you guys doing out there for all these years? You spent over a decade building a supply shed?” She directed her anger back toward her partner. “Did you know this? Did you force me out here knowing we would sleep on the ground every night? You promised me I’d never have to sleep on the ground again!”
She grunted and turned back toward their home, stomping each step in defiance.
Colin ran toward her. “You don’t want to turn back right now.”
With a sharp intake of breath, she spun around. “I can do whatever I want,” she screamed. “You’re insane. You, your partner, and that wack job friend of yours! I’m not going to get myself killed because you’re paranoid. The State isn’t coming for us. They would have done it already if they were going to.” She shot a glance at her partner. “I don’t care what you do anymore. I’m going home.”
“If you want to turn back, wait for tomorrow,” Colin pleaded. “It will get dark soon, and you might get lost. Or worse. Just spend the night here in camp and head out when you’ve got a full day of sunlight to get you home safely.”
She marched to the other side of the group, keeping her back turned, and stood with her arms crossed.
Colin addressed the rest of the group. “We’re setting up camp. And yes, we’re sleeping on the ground.”
Aakil appeared at his side, hauling a large roll of hide over his shoulder. He threw it onto the ground and unraveled it. “This hide will sleep about six people. If you brought a hide or cloak, I recommend you throw it down next to this, as the closer we all sleep, the warmer we’ll be.”
The group was silent until Colin jumped in with further instructions. “I don’t recommend trying to bathe or change clothes, as we’re not near a water source. Stack your bags on top of the sleds unless you plan to use it as a pillow. If you think you might get cold tonight, keep an extra layer of clothing at your side so you can use it as a blanket. Let’s all set up our sleeping area and have something to eat. We pack up and head out again at sunrise.”
As Freya looked around at the group, she knew many already regretted their decision to leave. And she understood; having to squat in the bushes to relieve herself was an unpleasant experience. When she first went to her home with Colin, she had thought the crude bucket with peat moss was bad enough, whereas now, she saw it as a luxury.
It didn’t matter that she disliked this new lifestyle. No toilets, sleeping on the ground, walking into the unknown, and eating dried meats instead of proper meals. She was alive and free to make her own life. If this journey killed her, at least her death wouldn’t be from a drug slipped to her when the State deemed her redundant. She knew in her core, all the discomforts along the way would be worth it.
Colin returned to her side. “You okay?”
She realized that she was sitting idly by while others worked. “I’m sorry. I should be helping. I just needed a moment to collect myself.”
He sat down beside her. “I know. I saw you struggling on the way here. I remember the first few weeks off the ship were tough, and we were all much younger when we went through it.”
Her mind drifted off. There were so many facets of his life she still didn’t understand. It was strange. In some ways she felt like they had always been together, and sometimes she felt as though she was just getting to know him. There were multiple holes in his story, and in hers. They seemed to only ever find the time to give each other abbreviated versions of what they shared, leaving so much unsaid.
“Was everyone young on the ship?”
He nodded. “The oldest was 27, and 18 was the youngest. They wanted workers.”
She nodded, returning her gaze back to the views looking down into the valley. Colin followed her gaze.
“Are you thinking about plant types? Or are you actually relaxing and enjoying the view?”
She shook her head, trying to find the right words to explain her observation. It seemed crazy. “Did Aakil confirm that our village was set up in a former city, or near it?”
His brows narrowed. “We don’t know. Could be either.”
She grimaced. “And how far out did you have to go before you discovered any evidence of Earth?”
“You see it.” His eyes widened. “You see the circular pattern that is just a little too symmetric to be natural.”
She nodded. “They bombed this area, possibly multiple times. This can’t be from the war; the State bombed this area to clear all the evidence of previous life, to trick us into thinking we were on an alien planet.”
Colin looked away. “You know, sometimes I wonder if the State saved us in the Great War or caused it.”
“I’m afraid we will never get answers to that question.”
His jaw clenched. “When we first woke up on the ship, we felt so liberated to speak freely. No cameras. No recordings. It wasn’t long before we also realized, there were no narks either. No one on that ship held any
loyalty to the State. We thought we were so lucky when in reality, the State just sent us here to a mass gravesite.” He released a heavy breath. “So why didn’t they kill us? Why are we still alive?”
Freya shook her head. “Something’s gone wrong. They must have miscalculated their plan; they’re too weak to come after us.”
Colin leaned in closer. “Do you think we should stay? If the State can’t come after us, is it worth the risk?”
Freya nodded. “We keep going. If the State has been weakened, now is the time to act.”
“You’re probably right. This way, we can build a new home and maybe get others to leave the colony before the State recovers.”
Delivered: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 7) Page 3