Despite the chaos, she saw Colin at least twice a day. There was so much to sort through, but she knew Colin needed her. In truth, she needed him too, and a break from trying to hold everything together. They still had so far to go before things would normalize, but at least everyone was safe, fed, and had beds to sleep in.
So few of the people in the mountain wanted to stay there, and she couldn’t blame them. Freya gave daily broadcasts to the dome, which were played over the radio to Hope to keep them informed. To Freya’s surprise, several army members wanted to stay in the dome, only traveling back to Hope to gather their families and belongings.
Colin veered off to the side of their path and leaned against the wall for support. He wiped at the moisture on his brow. “You go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
Freya arched her brow. “Colin, I’m going on this walk for your benefit. Doctors’ orders.”
He groaned under the heavy weight of her glare and cautiously pushed off the wall. “Fine. But at least you could slow down. I’m suddenly an old man here and I can’t keep up with you.”
She tucked in beside him so he could lean on her for support. “We can go slower.”
As they took their first few steps, Colin traced his fingertips along the concrete walls. “This place is so strange. I would think it would be just like our underground walkway or even the military underground, yet it’s completely unique to both. It’s really cool, yet I hate it at the same time.”
Her own laugh at his remark caught her off guard. “I know what you mean. I’m so glad I got to see this place, yet I can’t wait to leave. I think the lights are too bright or something. At least in the military underground, it’s as dismal as it’s meant to be. But this place feels like it’s trying to trick us into feeling happy when we’re inside a giant tomb.”
“That’s so fascinating. Can we go back now?”
Freya laughed again, despite how much it pained her to see Colin suffer. She gently placed her hand on his chest as they turned around to return to the medical bay.
They hadn’t made it far, but it took even longer for them to walk back than it had to leave—which was probably her fault for walking too fast. Just as they arrived at the medical bay’s entrance, Colin let go of her to take a seat in a chair in the hallway.
“I just want to sit for a minute before we go back inside.”
Her hand jutted on her hip. “You just want the doctor to think you walked longer than you did.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you hurt me so?”
She scoffed. “Because I know you so well.”
A half laugh escaped his lips, causing him to groan, then burst into a coughing fit. His face twisted in pain, yet he never let a complaint escape his lips. She moved to close the space between them, but she suddenly collided with something else instead.
Before her mind could sort through the impact, fleshy arms wrapped around her legs and squeezed.
“Mathias!” Katrina yelled from down the hall.
He giggled in response to his sister’s scolding and looked up at Freya with a mischievous smile.
Her lips curled upward in response. She leaned down slightly. “And where are you supposed to be?”
He released her legs as he shrugged theatrically. “I dunno.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, which just made him giggle again.
“Mathias,” Katrina scolded him as she got closer. “You can’t crash into people like that.”
His goofy demeanor never faltered. Still smiling, he raised his arms. Freya’s gaze darted to Colin, unsure of how to proceed. He gave her an encouraging nod, and hesitantly, she lifted Mathias, propping him on her hip.
“And who is your friend here?” Colin asked.
“Mathias, this is my partner Colin. Colin, this is my friend Mathias. Him and his sister helped me find the cafeteria and then helped us make sure all the other children got something to eat.”
Katrina breathlessly caught up to them.
“Nice to meet you, Mathias. And is this your sister?”
“Katrina, this is my partner, Colin.”
He held his hand out to her. Katrina hesitated momentarily before she accepted his hand, giving it a weak shake. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Colin’s brows stitched together. “Call me Colin, or anything other than sir.”
Katrina’s eyes flickered around nervously. “Yes, Colin.” She nodded respectfully. “I’m sorry about my brother, Madame Head of State.”
Freya’s face fell. Suddenly, she realized Katrina’s stiff demeanor had less to do with her brother’s behavior than it did Freya’s title. It must have been rather shocking for Katrina to realize who Freya was, after she had acted like a babysitter to most of the children her first night in the mountain.
“Please, Katrina, call me Freya.”
Katrina gave a slight bow. “Yes, Freya.”
“So, Katrina,” Colin cut in, “I hear you’re the official expert guide in this mountain.”
Her cheeks flushed. She kept her gaze on the ground. “No. I’ve helped where I can, but there are lots of people who know more than I do.”
“I think you know your way around this place good enough to give me a tour. What do you think? Can you come back maybe in a day or two and show me around?”
She perked up a little. “I can take you right now, if you’d like.”
Colin looked up at Freya and wrinkled his face. “I don’t think today is such a good idea.”
“Why?” Mathias chimed in.
“He is hurt.” Freya answered. “That’s why we’re here, at the medical bay.”
Mathias’s head snapped to the side, then he pushed and wiggled against Freya. She wasn’t sure what had caused his sudden change but decided it was time to place him back squarely on the ground.
He instantly moved over to Colin, placing a hand on his knee. “You got hurt in the fight?”
Colin’s eyes flicked up to Freya’s before he answered. “Yes. There was a big fight, both in here and inside the dome where we’re from.”
Mathias nodded. “My mom and dad are dead.”
“Mathias!” Katrina chastised.
Freya shifted so she could sit next to Colin and be eye level with Katrina. “We know about your parents, and we’re very sorry. They were so brave and fought so you guys could have a better life.”
Katrina’s eyes misted with moisture as she looked away. “That’s what everyone keeps saying.”
Colin cautiously reached out, gently placing a hand on her arm. “Because it’s true. And I’m very sorry for your loss. Can we do anything to help you?”
Mathias leaned into Colin, and he wrapped his arms around him. It was odd. They looked natural together. She wondered if Mathias truly understood what had happened, or if he would remember. Part of her hoped he wouldn’t remember anything when he grew up, even though it meant he would forget his parents. No children should have to lose their parents so young and then uproot their entire life to be surrounded by strangers.
“I would like something,” Katrina mumbled, her gaze on the floor. “No one will tell us what happens to us next, now that we’re orphans.”
Freya sighed, feeling lost for words. “No one has told you because we’re still trying to figure that out. I keep talking to the people here and in the dome every day, trying to come up with the best plan. It looks like we will bring you and all the other children to the dome.”
“The dome?” Mathias perked up.
“Oh,” Katrina said.
It was apparent to Freya that her answer wasn’t satisfactory, and so she tried again. “Yes, the dome. People back there are working hard to get your new homes and schools set up. There are some children from Idaho, and some from another place called Hope. We want to have you all go to school together so you will all have lots of friends, and more space to play.”
“They all lost their parents too?” Katrina’s eyes widened. “How many are there?”
Freya grimaced. “It
was mostly children in the mountain, like you, who lost their parents. What I’m saying is that we want you to go to school with all the other children, the ones who still live with their families.”
Katrina nodded but still wouldn’t meet Freya’s gaze. She knew she was failing at whatever it was she should say or do for these children but couldn’t figure it out. Freya had no exposure to children before coming here. The fact Mathias had wanted her to hold him was as foreign to her as this mountain.
“I know that probably isn’t enough for you,” Freya continued, “but I’ll tell you as soon as I know more. How about you and Mathias come visit us again? You can stop by and see Colin every day if you like.”
Katrina gave a polite half-smile and nodded, while Mathias’s head wobbled up and down, displaying his excitement of a future adventure. Especially in an area children could only visit with adult supervision.
“Okay.” Katrina grabbed onto Mathias’s hand. “We’ll come visit again, tomorrow. Goodbye.” She nodded to Freya and then turned to Colin. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Be sure to come visit me. I’ll tell my nurses to expect you, so hopefully you don’t need a grown up to get to my hospital bed.”
“Okay.”
She guided Mathias off in the opposite direction until he broke free of her grip and took off running. They listened in silence until they heard Katrina’s protests echoing down the hall once again.
Colin laughed softly, but Freya felt too drained to find their behaviors humorous. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to those kids, but I’m worried.”
He placed his hand on her leg and gave it a reassuring pat. “They’ll be fine.”
“How?” She squinted. “What can we do to make it okay that their parents died? Nothing. We can make sure they’re fed and go to school, but we can’t give them back their parents.”
“No. We can’t.” Colin shrugged. “But I know we’ll ensure that all the orphaned children are well cared for. We’ll figure something out.”
She squeezed his knee. “It’s not me I’m worried about feeling supported.”
“Give it time. First, we’ve got to give everyone in the dome time to get set up, then we’ve got to ship all the kids and families over there, and then we’ll worry about the rest. One day at a time.”
Yes. One day at a time.
This was something she had been telling herself for years. She just hoped that soon, her life would be something more than survival. Someday, things had to slow down.
Chapter 43
One Month Later
Freya
Everything felt oddly familiar, yet the world couldn’t be more different. Today, she was once again about to give an address which would forever change their world—only this time, she didn’t have to worry about how the High Council would respond. She intended to set these people free, into a democratic model of leadership—the same intention she had the day she was shot and brought through the transport device.
She straightened her crisp white button-up shirt and black suit jacket. Fussing over her appearance before an address was a habit but not necessary. She was ready for this. This day was long past due, and she couldn’t wait to see the future this day would create.
The iridescent lights flickered on as she descended into the military underground. This time she didn’t travel through this route for security purposes; it was just faster and easier to get past the assembled crowd from below. She re-submerged at the clinic where she found Aakil and Colin performing their final checks on the special broadcast equipment Aakil had set up for the people in Hope.
“How is everything coming along?”
Colin looked up from his tablet. His gaze traveled up and down her body. “I hate it when you dress like that. Brings back such bad memories.”
Freya laughed. “This is how the Head of State is meant to dress.”
He walked over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I know. That’s why I hate it. It reminds me of when I pleaded from the depths of my soul for you to run away with me and you shot me down. Hard.”
Freya placed a hand on his cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. That incident wasn’t really that long ago for her, but it felt like a lifetime had passed since then. Seeing Colin with gray speckled throughout his dark hair, smile lines around his eyes and lips anchored how much he had changed while she slept. Somehow, they had beaten such impossible odds. She hoped their luck would continue.
“It appears everyone is gathered in the atrium.” Aakil disrupted their tender moment. “I have confirmation; we’re ready to broadcast to both Hope and inside the mountain. Everyone is waiting to hear from their Head of State.”
Freya nodded and looked at Colin. He grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Together they walked hand in hand down the path to the stage in the atrium. She smiled, thinking about how much she preferred Colin’s escort over the military.
The crowd fell into a hushed silence as she passed by. She didn’t stop to touch them this time. She didn’t feel the need. Every day, she was available to these people, not hidden away as she once was.
She took her place at the pulpit and Colin stepped off to the side. She looked out at the masses of people and took a deep breath, ready to begin.
“Welcome citizens. It warms my heart to see you assembled, to see so much hope and ambition reflected back at me through your eyes. Today we make history as we move our civilization from one of oppression to freedom.”
The crowd erupted with applause. A genuine smile turned her lips. She had as much to celebrate as the rest of them. It felt right to be excited.
“There have been many questions regarding what our society will look like moving forward. During my time as the Head of State before colonization, I did a great deal of research into governments of the past. Regardless of the time that has passed, my position has not changed. This is why I have decided to continue leading you as your Head of State in the upcoming year.”
A curious applause rippled around the audience. She had to work to suppress her smile.
They have no idea what’s coming.
“We need time to settle into our new homes, to attend to our wounds, and to mourn the deceased. But one year from today, we will hold an election where you, the people, will choose your next leader. This leader will not be your Head of State; I believe it’s time to retire this title as our new government is born. You will instead elect a President.”
Freya expected applause, but the crowd remained silent. She peered around the room, trying to understand their silence until one man finally called out, “Will you be our President?”
Freya smiled softly. “No, I will not. I will step down once the new government is formed, and Colin and I will be available as advisors to the new government as long as we are needed. The President’s position won’t be a lifelong calling. They will serve their term to the people until the next election is complete. I’m greatly looking forward to the time when our new government is running smoothly, so that I may transition back into agriculture.”
A gasp erupted around the crowd. Freya couldn’t help but smile. Even she could appreciate how ridiculous it might sound. Most people wouldn’t transition from being the most powerful person in the world to digging in the dirt, but it always had, and always would be where her heart was.
“Yes. I see an exhilarating opportunity regarding agriculture now that we have so much land available to us. This is a time for growth and ingenuity. Without practicing population control, we will soon have many more mouths to feed. I’m committed to ensuring we have healthy food sources in abundance for all. Soon, food rations will be another part of our past.”
This statement caused more of a ripple in the crowd than before. They had hunted plenty of wild game and gathered rice from the mountain and more grains from Idaho, but hunger was still in their very recent past, something they would all like to forget.
“I have another change in mind. It may seem small, but to
me, it’s rather sentimental. We became the State because of the collapse of the United States—multiple States becoming one. I would like to abolish the use of the word State and refer to the different areas we occupy as Districts, and once we grow even further, Territories.”
She glanced over at Aakil, standing beside Colin. “My Chief Scientific Advisor will lead a team to reverse engineer the transport device. Once additional units are built, we want to explore this vast land and search for other tribes of survivors who have remained hidden for all of these years. We will someday place a transport device in every District to allow sustainable travel for the purposes of trade, communications, recreation, and new homesteads as our population grows. As we move forward, we’ll only put new technologies into place which pass our specifications for sustainability, to ensure that we protect the delicate ecosystem of the Earth, and not disrupt the healing that our containment allowed.”
Delivered: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 7) Page 31