Chapter 2 Of Continent Man- A book.

A Chapter by soumynona

Norah had never seen anyone outside of the town, mainly because Estner was an isolated small-town that was cut off by elevations and wild lands. Estner as a small-town that belonged to the nation of 9, a poverty-free, peaceful nation that stretched to 1,560 miles, Estner was the only town for hundreds of miles. So it was odd when she learned that the messenger from the Imperial Palace came to town to bring “severe” news.

“Good morning everyone! I’m sorry for the disruption but I bring an update from the Imperial City and Palace,” said the messenger’s corny animated voice. The messenger had the same Imperial Uniform that the authorities bore; a set of shiny black plate armor, an electrical shield, and an electric volt blade that shot purple beams of light that could kill anyone in an instant, but odds were the soldiers wouldn’t hurt a fly, that’s what Norah heard from Mirabelle. The messenger had fetched everyone to the main square in downtown, the downtown area consisted of nine buildings that were alive with electricity, and only four cars drove up, everyone else came by horse or foot. In Estner, if you didn’t dress classy, you were considered a hippie or low class. There was no such things as teenagers, just children, and young adults. It seemed like the town was smart, and mature enough to veer away from such illiterate lifestyles.

The average clothing you would see around the town would be suits, long gowns, berets, corsets, shirtwaists, and hair that was either gelled or curled into ringlets or buns. No one ever grew their hair to be long, and absolutely no one let their hair down. The town that Norah lived in would remind one of the 1940’s time period.

The downtown square was covered with election posters and electric light signs for bars, and restaurants. There was a large fountain that didn’t flow with water, and there were dying camellias and azaleas that were dug around it.

It was snowing, as it always did in Estner. And people huddled around each other in their fur coats as if they were penguins; listening to the shivering Imperial messenger, who was a short, stocky, snub-nosed man.

“The Emperor has been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease,” he said nervously after reading from his electronic book that was glowing through the snowflakes and fogginess.

The square erupted into murmurs and voices, Norah observed that the townspeople were now far more attentive to him than before.

“He is not expected to survive, and now, currently, the Imperial forces are on the search for any genetically-linked relatives to him, as a viable candidate for the throne. As always, if more than one relative is found, the Empire will host an election and the candidates, otherwise known as Continent Men, will campaign for the throne, if only one link is found, then he is to coronate immediately,” said the messenger, trying to shout over the crowd.

The voices and chatter immediately erupted again. Norah could only stand there surprised. Norah had heard of these moments, when there was an election for a new emperor. Norah never lived through one. Mirabelle had lived through one of them, the time when the current emperor was campaigning at the age of twelve.

Norah was fifteen, and she didn’t even think she would’ve known more than him when he was at that age. Now the Emperor is sixty-three years old. Mirabelle always said that there had never, in the history of 9, been a female to be discovered as the heir. Mirabelle was the emperor’s age.

“Children were always the most common ‘links’,” Norah remembered Mirabelle say.

Mirabelle carried Norah away from the crowd just as they started to shout questions at the messenger, who looked like he wanted to go cry like a baby behind one of the guards.

Mirabelle and Norah walked miserably back to their home in the chilly December snow that started to feel like a blizzard. Their house was a crooked wooden house that had gleaming yellow windows and two stories with a sofa on the front porch. Just as Norah’s parents left it. They got inside after Mirabelle put a weather-proof blanket over the sofa on the porch, still shivering and Norah shook off the snow as if it were dust. Mirabelle prepared a fire and made some hot chocolate.

“Mirabelle?” asked Norah once they were all settled and warm.

“Hmph?”

“Why does it snow?”

“Well because when the air gets cold and the precip-“

“No, I know how, but I mean, why?”

There was a long pause as Mirabelle seemed to be thinking.

“Because of something called global warming.”

“Global warming?”

“It’s when the earth is destroyed by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere or our ozone layer in particular. It happened a long time ago dear, you don’t need to worry.”

“How’d we let it happen?”

“Because of our technology, the people who sold and profited from the pollutant energy didn’t listen to the warnings, and now, thanks to them, there is no United States.”

“But 9 is a great place. Right?”

“We are better off in 9, but we don’t have the prosperity that we once had,” Mirabelle shook her head, “Mhm mhm mhm.”

“Why didn’t we listen to the warnings…you know…about global warming.”

Mirabelle shrugged, “What does a blind man see in his dreams?”

“Is that how your parents died…from global warming?” Norah asked, ignoring Mirabelle’s dreamy question because she knew it was rhetoric and it couldn’t have been answered anyway. Then Norah froze and flinched, after realizing the stupidity of that question. But instead of being infuriated, Mirabelle simply nodded, “Yes, my parents died because the glaciers melted.”

“Is that why my parents left?” Norah said, after awhile later.

That’s when Mirabelle looked up, “Shush dear and drink your hot chocolate,” she snapped.

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© 2012 soumynona

Author's Note

Input and criticism is greatly appreciated.

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Featured Review

Becca Bishop

A dystopian utopia....very nice. I'm really liking Mirabelle right now as a supporting character.

One thing: I wish you'd done something different with the foreshadowing about the upcoming Continent Men. I knew right away that Norah was going to be one, so it's not going to be a surprise later one :( boo. But I still like where this story is going. If you don't mind me saying: curse you for only having two chapters up. CURSEEEEE YOUUUUUU!!!! :D :D :D :D That is all :P