AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

1.1 AIJA

Even familiar things seem bright and lovely when one is happy. At least that's how Aija felt.

The boring beige of the old building seemed brighter and the hallways looked neater. The tiny old cleaner bot wasn't making too much noise as it passed her on her way to class, steam cleaning the floors. Even the kids in class seemed happier. They were generally restless and wanted to stop reading the assigned book sooner so that they could have some free time towards the end of the class to do what they wanted.

That day they were sitting quietly and reading their DigiBooks with interest or so it looked that way to Aija anyway.

The light through the ceiling to floor windows on one side of her classroom seemed brighter. The apartments she lived at were right next to the school she volunteered at. And, she could see one block through the huge windows. She liked these days when rain was scheduled. And, it was the first rain of the year. She couldn't wait for it. Aija looked at her watch - five more hours for the rain to start.

The Leadership scheduled rain every once in a while if the year's natural rainfall hadn't been good. And, it hadn't been particularly good for a few hundred years now. The Wars had changed so much of the world. Whatever was left of the world, a few self-proclaimed leaders had taken control of it by forming what was now called the Leadership. The Leadership had total control over everything.

Aija had no experience of it, of course. Seven hundred years had passed since the Wars. She had only learned of it when she was in school and she would teach the same to her students once she finished her Teacher Training.

She was brought out of her musings when Riya came over to her and whispered, "That man's staring at our class from the apartment again."

Aija at once alerted. Without looking at the windows she asked Riya to go back to her seat. He'd been there two other times. He'd stared at her and once she'd caught him he'd left.

She looked towards the apartments. He was there, just as Riya had said. He was peeking through the curtains. And as soon as he'd caught her looking at him he left. From the distance, she'd been able to make out only his golden-brown hair. She felt that if she could see him up close she might be able to recognize him.

And she was worried because people were disappearing without a trace of late. The news was filled with such reports. People of all ages went missing and recently the numbers were higher than ever before. Aija was worried if he was spying on the kids. Would he kidnap someone? Should she report him to the school's Principal? He had been there thrice now. But, what if he was a resident at the apartment and was just curious about the school? But, who would spy, like he did, even if they were curious? It confused her.

Aija eventually decided to report him. Better take precautions now than later regretting it if a child went missing. After class, she went to the Teachers' Room to keep her DigiBook. She decided to sit for a minute before she went to report the man; her legs hurt from standing quite a long time in class. A few minutes later she opened the Swift Cooler and popped her face in. She loved to feel the cold air on her face. She'd never known what real cold felt like. No one had known for years. The temperatures were controlled in the Cities. So it was never too hot or too cold. Even when it rained the temperatures were controlled so that no one really felt cold. Aija wanted to know what it felt like; what the real cold of rain or snow felt like.

She wanted to know more of the world before the Wars and the environmental changes that came with them. Of a world before the Wars and its resulting Plagues that killed so much life that it took decades to salvage what was left and continue a semblance of life from before. Of a world in which countries existed instead of the Pristine Cities. Not many had been outside of the Cities there were born in. Very few were given the opportunity to venture out. The Leadership controlled everyone's movements. In fact, they controlled everyone's life. Aija herself had never been out of Innermost One – the Capital of Pristine City One. In all, there were eight Cities spread across the world. And the Leadership had members in Cities monitoring the people residing there.