Chapter 4

The official slid back into the shadows, just as Elli happened to stroll by. The little boy deserves more credit than Mervie gives him as he, like Official Goodman here, knows what snow is. However, if you were to see him now he would have a cleverly made mask of utter confusion on his face only disrupted by the joyous smile that now slowly spread across his impish face. Snow is a natural thing in our world today, but in this not so far away future snow was not only a rarity, but an aberration. If we are to see the city where all past events have taken place, we would find an impenetrable golden dome lined in the inside with holographic technology and 3-D screens that showed a seemingly endless blue sky. This day however, the sky was stormy gray, not to mention the snow manufactured by tiny machinery with the help of a wide range of nanotechnologies from the screens. This could only mean one thing: someone was interfering with the system that had for years kept hurricanes and other natural disasters at bay; it was a call for change.

Change indeed, thought Spencer, many had disrupted the system, but none had got out of it alive. He crept as gently and noiselessly as he could, if anybody heard them, their cause would be forever lost. His shoe inadvertently screeched against the metallic surface of the Control Room flooring. He swore boldly under his breath, the Control Room’s architects and engineers had designed it especially so nobody could creep upon it and stay unheard. “We’d better leave our shoes here Spence, quick, I’ve got a feeling we just made the dragon stir and if we don’t want it behind us we’d better run” Sicilia took off, her bare feet pounding faintly on the metal. Spence grimaced, his hands trembled slightly while he took his soft velvet shoes off, “ Hey Spence, hurry up!” he heard Sicilia hiss impatiently “It looks as if you never went barefoot in your whole life” she taunted; but she was right, Spencer had never been barefoot in all his life but a queasy feeling of bravado overtook him.

“Take a look at your surroundings Spence, don’t be afraid to do so” his father had told him the day he’d learnt how to swim. His heart ached with hurt at his father´s absence, but swelled in pride, his father had been brave, and he, Spencer Apertumoculus, would be brave as well. “It isn’t too deep” he’d admitted and as soon as he’d uttered those carefully fished words he found himself pushed into the pool by his father, ironically, almost crashing his head on the flexible plastic that was the bottom. Now, he saw the dome above him, the machines around him screeching like over-excited children, and the metallic floor at his feet. Sicilia was standing further off, on the carpeted floor near the elevator the officials used to go up the fifty floor Control Tower that controlled the town’s seasons and weather.  He breathed in convulsively. Just a few meters and it’ll be over.

However, as soon as he put his foot on the metal a lash of burning pain snaked up his legs and he almost screamed in pain, had not Sicilia half suffocated him by hurriedly putting her hands to his mouth to stifle the scream. “Those dimwits weren’t satisfied with only screeching metal, they had to make it burn to satisfy them” she explained understandingly after seeing Spence’s questioning eyes, “Now move!” she half dragged, half carried Spencer to the other side of the room and into the elevator.

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            Meanwhile, as all this happened, Mervie found herself face to face with Ms. Ann’s stern face and another unknown face of a man in black behind her, his face only slightly familiar to the young girl, “Is this the first time she’s been like this?” the official’s silky voice purred, “I think so, Mister Goodman, her father was a conservative, as you well know” Goodman shrugged, “Don´t fret Ann, it is merely some nasty after-effects, it’ll pass after a while, she’s still got to get used to it”. Mervie was seated in the school examining room, an ear to ear smile lazily spread across her thin face. Zane Goodman’s frown deepened, as he closely inspected the girl’s straight nose, her almond brown eyes and hollow cheek bones, and his eyes widened as a recollection of memories flooded into his iron heart. Meanwhile, Ann who had intently watched him since his hurried arrival witnessed his cat-like features change abruptly in recognition. “Aye, you know him Zane. Remember your friend Spencer? She´s his kin, though not as troublesome as one would have expected” she sighed, “Oh brother, how much have I missed you” At these words, the young official leaped from his chair and grabbed Ann´s wrists, now trying to rake his infuriatingly indifferent face. “

Author's Note

Not yet complete...