Mr. Cho leads us through the maze of Nakimu corridors to a room filled with a long table and layers upon layers of papers. He pulls out several pieces and lays them before us.
"These are maps," he says. "They show where the Aeternian powers used to be concentrated."
The maps don't make any sense to me or Crinae or Hyla. They are only marks, squiggles and dots and lines on parchment.
"I don't understand," says Crinae. "What are we looking at?"
"The lines are borders," explains Mr. Cho, tracing a boundary with his finger. "Did your parents teach you about countries?"
"Yeah," says Hyla. "My father did. He said there used to be lots of places with different names instead of Vesperia, one big place ruled by Sebastian."
"My Dad taught us that too," says Crinae. "Right, Naia?"
"Right."
There are words written on the map. The one that stands out for me is "Calgary." A blue circle encompasses the name. Mr. Cho tells us that in ancient times, each country used to have its own Aeternians.
"It depended on the area and what each country needed. Some countries were small and cold, like Iceland, so the people there needed sun in the wintertime to grow food. They had lots of Aeternians like Crinae.
"Some countries were dry and had deserts, like we have now. These people used Aeternians like Naia to gather water for drinking and planting. Canada, where we are now, was so vast and huge that it required many different Aeternians. People who provided not just sunshine but water, wind and fire."
"Can anyone control all four?" asks Hyla.
"Yes," says the teacher in a reverent tone. "Only one person and this one person is special."
"Who is it?" I ask.
"We don't know yet," answers Mr., Cho. "He or she hasn't been called yet by God."
"When will they be called then?"
"When the battle of good versus evil commences. It hasn't happened yet," says Mr. Cho before muttering, "Although I feel like it's already been fought 20 times over."
I'm not sure if I was supposed to hear that statement. I give him a quizzical glance and he shoots me a worried look.
"I'm a believer," he says quickly. "Sometimes it's hard to have faith in something when there's been so much hardship for many years. Let's study these maps and see what we can learn from them."
We pour over the maps pointing out place names that make us laugh like Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! or at how high the mountains are around our home settlement of 33. I had no idea how much elevation I was gaining on my walk to get water: 2087 metres!
I stifle a yawn and that starts a chain reaction that includes Mr. Cho.
"We've been here for a couple of hours," he says. "Thanks for being so interested in geography. I don't get to do this a lot and I thought it might come in handy one day. I didn't want to exhaust Naia and Crinae by making them use their abilities tonight. I've got a meeting soon so I'll see you later."
"Bye," we bid the teacher.
We should probably get back too.
"Time to go," I say to my sister.
"We can't leave Hyla," says Crinae. "She's sad."
Hyla cried a little bit. So what? Crinae and I not only lost our dad but our mom and our sister.
"Solomon and Katherine are waiting for us," I say.
"Waiting for what?"
"They're just waiting. Let's go."
Crinae turns to Hyla.
"Are you coming with us?"
Hyla looks expectantly to me. I really, really don't want her to join us. But I think I have to invite her along. Leaving her here alone would be mean.
"Sure," I say flippantly to lighten the mood. "You can come too, Hyla."
Crinae smiles but Hyla doesn't. There's a flicker of something in her face. What is it? Confrontation? Confusion? Fear? It's fear.
"Sure," she finally says. "I'll come, too."
When we all return to Solomon's, there's an evening meal waiting for us. I eat until I'm stuffed – a feeling I'm beginning to enjoy. It amazes me that my stomach actually sticks out with all the food in it. I've never experienced that before.
Solomon and Katherine eat quickly. They tell us they have a meeting to attend.
"Meetings are illegal, aren't they?" I ask.
"Technically, yes," says Solomon matter-of-factly. "Sebastian outlawed gatherings of more than 10 people in a room. Except, of course, for the community feast celebrating himself."
"Safe to say," adds Katherine, "we ignore that law. There are some stirrings and rumours in the settlement that we would like to hear and address."
"Like what?" I ask.
"Sebastian has been sending out the word about Newtopia," responds Katherine. "He says he'll give Aeternians a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place where they can practice their abilities without having to hide."
"That sounds great!" exclaims Crinae.
Solomon shakes his head.
"No, it's all a ruse," he mutters. "Sebastian is taking the Aeternians and using them as weather slaves."
"How do you know?" Hyla quietly yet urgently injects. "Did my father tell you? He knew about this a long time ago."
"No, Hyla," says Katherine. "Your father didn't tell us but the Resistance passed along information that Sebastian is using us to re-build climate. He had engineers build some sort of technology to harness our abilities. The more Aeternians he has, the stronger and more powerful are the seasons. When he's done with us, he'll wipe us out, leaving the planet reliant on him. He'll get Aeternians by force or by telling us lies so we'll go to this supposed utopia of our own free will. We will never ever give up Nakimu."
"Do you think my family's at Newtopia?" I ask. "The Motos might have taken them there."
Solomon gazes with concern at us three parentless kids.
"We don't know if your families are at the site or being held at the Silo or some other place. That's what the meeting is for. We're going to pool our information and see what we collectively know."
"Can we go too?" Hyla asks. "Maybe someone has heard of one of our folks."
Solomon and Katherine eye each other. She nods.
"I don't see why not," he says.
When it's time to go, Solomon and Katherine lead us deep into the mountain. It's a confusing path that zigs and zags and zags and zigs. There are hidden entrances that open to hidden corridors. I suspect this is so Motos can't find their way in or out.
The meeting chamber's wide but the ceiling is low. It's lit by three Aeternian suns hanging from the ceiling and it looks pretty cool. There are a couple hundred people in the massive room. Some people stand. Many sit on the floor. Some have brought their children and some haven't. I see Dodney in the crowd and wave to him. He turns away.
I shrug my shoulders. Oh, well. Won't be nice to that guy anymore. (I don't particularly like him anyway.)
Katherine motions for me, Crinae and Hyla to sit near the front of the room. We're near a raised platform where two men and three women already sit on chairs. Solomon and Katherine take the two last seats on the stage.
There's a hum in the air of chatter and a slight smell of burning. I catch a mom putting out a small fire in her hair. Oh, her hair just burst into flames again. It's her baby. Every time she reaches for her mother's tresses, the toddler's palm shoots flames.
The young man with eyeglasses sitting by Katherine stands up and waves his arm in the air. With this movement, the mass quiets.
"Good to see all of you," he begins. "You may know my name but I'll tell you in case you don't know. I'm John and I'm one of the organizers of this gathering. I'm going to be telling you about why I don't believe in Sebastian's haven. Then you'll hear from Fujina, who believes in it. You can make up your own minds.
"What is facing us today is more terrible than we've imagined. I wasn't born until after the war but I've heard the stories from my parents. They told me about the devastation, the hurt, the pain and how Sebastian turned Aeternians into freaks and declared us sub-humans."
John stops talking to take a gulp of water from a glass Solomon hands him.
"I've experienced the suffering and humiliation from this proclamation. I've been shunned by my own community in Vernon and turned out as an Unmentionable because my parents were Aeternians who grew food for the poor. I've had to go into hiding to escape the Motos just like many of you. But, but this is the very least of Sebastian's doings. I've witnessed those horrific Motos drag my mother out of our tent by her foot and then chop off her head. With one single sword strike. Right in front of me and my five siblings. The Motos didn't acknowledge our pleas to stop. One killed my mom and then left her where she lay for everyone to see. She wasn't even allowed a burial."
He pauses. Puts his hand over his eyes like he's blocking out the scene. He lifts his head to the crowd. His voice changes. It has fire in it – literally. There are flames shooting out of his mouth like a dragon I've seen in a picture book.
"These are the actions of a depraved force," says John about the GlobalGov, while sweat rolls down his face. "One that is ruled by a megalomaniac. You should never, ever believe a word of what Sebastian tells you. He is only out for one person and one person only. He does not care about you and me – Aeternian or Regular.
"Before the war what was the one thing that was consistent?" John asks the crowd, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose. "That we always grumbled about and it was part of our conversations no matter who we talked to? Friend or stranger? Family or foe?"
I see people furrowing their foreheads and crinkling their noses. Some are squinting trying to solve the riddle.
"Weather!" shouts John. "It's all about the weather!"
Solomon stands up and rushes to John's side.
"I think we're straying off topic here," says Solomon to the group, pushing John into his chair. "We're here to collect information, not stir up fear."
"It's totally relevant," protests John, his flames growing brighter. "Please, let me have my say."
"Now, now," says Solomon. "Let others speak."
"Are you for real?" says John, flames jumping out of his ears too. "What aren't you letting me talk? You promised."
Solomon waves to the crowd.
"No one wants to hear what you have to say," says Solomon. "We're here for information."
I'd like to hear what John has to say. He stands up.
"Come on, Solomon. Weather is the issue, not whether we should be letting people go to Newtopia. You know they'll die."
Solomon puts a heavy hand on John's shoulder, pushing him back into his chair. With that, John's flames flicker and then vanish. The bony woman with white hair on the stage next to him stands up and starts to talk.
"Hello," she says nervously. "I'm Fujina. I'm a mom. I have a son named Dodney and we are moving to the Newtopia. We heard about Sebastian's offer from a friend of a friend. She said he's offering all Aeternians a home and food and clothing for free. We also can practice our abilities. I would like my son to be able to use his skills and not have to worry about being persecuted. That is why we are going. Thank you."
Fujina scurries to her chair and quickly sits down. Dodney doesn't have any skills. At least that's what he told us.
After the two speakers, Solomon rises to his feet.
"We've heard two sides of the story," he says. "Now let's hear questions from the floor."
A man stands up.
"You're crazy, John," he says. "How do you know Newtopia is a trap? I mean, I've heard the rumours too, but how do we separate fact from fiction?"
"No one is crazy," says Solomon. "This is a fact finding meeting. Let's be reasonable."
John nods to Solomon before speaking.
"One of our own Resistance members brought back this information. He said Sebastian is building the new city to be a prison for Aeternians. We'll do all the work for him and him only. That's what this We in Weather program is all about: propaganda. There's no We, it's only Him."
"But again," says the man forcefully, "how do you KNOW? And how does this tie into the weather stuff?"
Solomon cuts in.
"Larry, no one has any clear cut answers yet. John doesn't know any more than you or I do."
"Solomon," sputters John, his face turning as red as the flames that were flying out of his lips earlier, "stop putting words in my mouth. I admit, not many have escaped the city and lived to tell us about it. I'd rather be cautious first than regret later."
A woman's voice from the back of the room rings out.
"What if the people who want to leave for the new city, leave and then report back and tell us how it is?"
Fujina replies.
"I am moving to Newtopia with my son. I would be more than willing to send word to anyone about our life in Sebastian's haven. The Supremeness has said the Motos won't persecute us in the new city and I think it's a wonderful opportunity for us. We won't have to hide anymore. We won't have to live in fear."
Some people clap for her. She smiles widely and sits down.
John holds up his hand to quiet the chamber. Solomon straightens up in his chair and eyes him warily, about to pounce if John gets out of line again.
"This conversation is not to pit us against each other," John says. "We're only talking at this stage. Even talking about Newtopia is scary."
"What I think John means," says Solomon, "Is be safe. If you want to leave Nakimu, fine. I want you to think about leaving your children here while you look at Newtopia. They'll be safe here while you scout out the city."
Hyla and I turn to look at each other. Would parents really leave their kids behind?
"If Sebastian is doing what he says he's doing," says Solomon, "you'll be able to return here and collect your family. For others, the march for the census is starting soon and many of us here are headed to Calgary. Come with us. We'll go as a group and it'll be much safer."
The room erupts into chatter. It hurts my ears and I put my hands over them to plug out the noise. Crinae does the same thing but not Hyla. She's been energized by the discussion.
"Stop that," she hisses. "You need to hear what they're talking about."
Slowly, reluctantly, I take my hands away from my ears. Solomon hushes the crowd by waving his arm over his head.
"Let's talk in the open," he says. "Not amongst ourselves. This meeting is supposed to air concerns. Let's do that."
Another woman begins to speak. She has tears running down her face and hugs herself close in a ratty red shawl.
"I was 17 when the war broke out. First there were skirmishes overseas and we thought they would stay over there. Not travel across the ocean. We went on with our daily lives. You all know we had enough to deal with here already – the heat was killing crops and animals, clean water was next to impossible to find for Regulars and food was scarce for us all.
"Friends from Lethbridge moved in with us in Calgary. They had been forced out of the area when turned into a desert. Then came the sandpours, annihilating any chance of seeding crops. We were all starving, even us Aeternians who can grow our own harvests. I'll never forget that feeling, that achy feeling of hunger. It's so strong and I never want my children to experience that hollowness."
The woman's shawl reminds me of the colour of one of the nice juicy apples I had earlier. My stomach growls.
"Civilians were dying when Sebastian's army came along," says the woman. "At first we thought they were there to help us. We thought they were going to save us. No. They were doing nothing of the sort. Instead they raided our homes for food and water. Stole my baby sister's water bottle out of her mouth. Then, when they couldn't get anything more from us, they bombed our homes and rounded us up."
There are groans from the crowd and someone shouts out that Motos are jerks.
"We Aeternians used our skills to defend ourselves," says the woman. "But the army saw a way to stop that too – by threatening to kill our families. Then the soldiers started to take Aeternians and ship them off. We didn't know where and what was happening. But we knew it wasn't a good thing. That's when my parents decided to pretend we were Regulars, normal people.
"I lost several relatives and friends. I've never heard from them again and I feel if they were living this grand and great life in the new city they would have brought us there to be with them."
"Sebastian is an evil, evil man. He lives only for himself. For power. This new city is only a way for him to amass wealth and control while he waits for the rest of the world to wilt and die. Only it's not happening. We're getting stronger. And if we work together, we can get rid of him."
The lady sits down. Not gracefully but with a thud. Almost like an exclamation point at the end of her speech.
Silence. For several seconds. Then Katherine speaks up.
"I'd like to ask why go to Newtopia when you can live here? Where you're fed, watered and sheltered and among a community of Aeternians?"
Solomon clears his throat.
"You know we are ALL safe here. We're different from other settlements."
What does that mean?
"Where is this new city?" shouts someone.
"Fujina," asks Solomon. "Would you please respond to this?"
"I would be delighted," she nods. "The main new city is in 905."
"That's Toronto!" exclaims someone. "How are we supposed to get there? That's way too far to walk."
"Any Moto has information on travelling to Newtopia," replies Fujina. "Go talk to one."
"Are you kidding me?" says John, aghast. "Put your life in the hands of a Moto? You'll have to tell them where you've been living! That'll put us all in danger."
"If you want to go, that's what you have to do," says Fujina, folding her hands primly on her lap.
"That's absurd!" explodes John. He then waves his arms over the crowd.
"How many of you are deciding to leave for the new city with your kids? Put up your hands."
A few people do raise their hands. More than I thought would take a chance on Sebastian's monster development.
"Are you all stupid?" cries John. "Haven't you listened to a word we've said? And you're going to take the rest of us down with you?!"
"People, people," says Solomon. "I hope you don't choose to go. We'd like to keep our population growing and not shrinking. Nevertheless, we're all allowed to make our own decisions. If you do leave Nakimu, there will be policies and procedures in place for those of you making the trip to the new city. You won't be able to divulge anything about Nakimu. These are things that we'll have to have the Ordinance Council deal with.
"In the meantime, those of us staying put need to ready ourselves to hit the road for the census. In 15 days we'll be travelling to our hometowns to be counted. Many of us in Nakimu were born in Calgary. And that's where we'll be hiking to. Be ready. With that, is there anything else anyone wants to say?"
It's all quiet from the floor. In my head I'm letting out a loud "yahoo!" We're headed to Calgary. It's the break I've been waiting for.
"All right," says Solomon. "Thanks for your participation. Thanks for coming."
We stay seated while people leaving walk around us. Bits and pieces of their conversation flow past us. A couple is confused about their choices. Do they stay or do they take a chance on Sebastian? One man is decidedly for the GlobalGov leader.
"Better start packing," he tells his wife.
Another person says there's no way she'll trust a Moto to bring them safely to Sebastian's metropolis.
"Besides, we have everything here. Why would we leave?"
I wouldn't go if I had a family. But the decision is an easy one for me anyway. It was made for me by Dad – go to Calgary. It's not really an informed decision though. Nah, living in the new city would be going against what my family values: truth and freedom. Dad wouldn't be in the resistance if Sebastian was actually helping Aeternians.
After the meeting, several people approach Solomon to talk further. I see him gesturing and he seems upset. After a few minutes of conversation, he waves goodbye to them and comes to collect us.
"Ready to go?" he asks.
We get up and follow him out of the chamber. He walks heavily, like he's thinking.
"Where is Katherine?" asks Crinae.
Solomon glances back at us and sighs.
"She's helping John. He's terribly upset at what's happening. He can't understand why people are ready to believe in Sebastian with all that has happened in the past. Then he gets lost in those conspiracy theories and it'll only muddy the water, so to speak, for the rest of us. We don't need him panicking people."
Arriving at his hollow, he opens the door.
"Here we are at home. It's been a long day so I suggest you three go to sleep. You have lots to do tomorrow," advises Solomon. "You can wash your face over there before you go to your hollows."
"Good night," we tell him as he goes into another part of the dwelling, closing the door behind him.
I wash my face, which is a luxury I now can't live without. I enjoy the feeling of the water splashing on my cheeks and the way it tightens my skin after I dry my face with a towel. It's a small thing but it makes me happy in a time when lots of things make me sad.
Hyla doesn't stay in the same hollow as us. She has her own down the hall.
"Good night," I say to her.
"Sure."
Sure? She's a strange one. I don't know why I keep forgetting this.
"Have a good sleep," I tell her. I'm not going to be weird back. Too much effort.
Crinae and I fall into bed. I'm drifting off when she begins talking.
"Do you think Mom was in the Resistance too? That's why she left?"
I sit up.
"I do!" I exclaim. "It makes perfect sense. Dad's in it so you'd think Mom is too. They must have needed her for something and that's why she took off and didn't tell us."
"Because if she told us where she was going and a Moto got us, we'd spill where she was."
"I think so," I say, nodding my head emphatically.
"Me too,"
There's hope in Crinae's voice. Hope that I'm holding on too as well.
"It makes total sense."
"Doesn't it?" I say and then drift off to sleep.