The World Which Is

Chapter 05

The dry air, and Rich no longer holding me, snaps me out of... wherever my mind went. I'm on the other side of Court's outer southern gate.

The walk through the town's a blur, with Rich's arm around my shoulders like I'm his.... His arm around my shoulders, his spicy smell masking that of people and buildings and refuse. Base has a reprocessing center, but people have to bring their waste to him, and it's impressive how many of them would rather endure the smells than do the work.

There are plans for a sewer system, but since Base can't change things outside his walls, getting the people with the right abilities to make it happen without uprooting entire neighborhoods at a time is proving difficult.

Every time the mayor's over to talk with Grandpa Louis, the 'how come it's not done yet' conversation happens. More than one of those took place at mine and dad's place because the mayor doesn't bother scheduling appointments.

Rich's a few meters ahead, and I hurry to join him.

"Welcome to the great outdoors," he said, arms wide like he's offering me the world.

"I've been outside the walls before," I reply curtly to mask how the idea he can take me anywhere in it is making me feel. I mean, it's not like I know him. So why I am reacting that way to this hot guy looking at me like—okay, no one's ever looked at me like that. I think I get why the older girls have been gathering guys who look at them that way; it feels... good.

"Really?" He smirks. "The way you were talking, I thought your old man never let you step outside of Base's walls, let alone the town."

"Of course he lets me go out." I point to our left. "Somewhere over there is Salmon River. Me and my friends go fishing there every so often." We take the east gate to get there, but from here, I'm not sure where it is. "Course, when my dad finds out about this, he'd going to ground me for the rest of my life."

"Who says anything about him finding out?" Rich says. "I'll have you back before anyone notices you're gone; don't worry about that."

"Base knows."

"And he knows better than to rat us out. He doesn't want you to get in trouble, right?"

"I guess so."

We walk in silence. We're the only ones on the packed dirt road. The south gate is only for the farmers with their fields on this side of the town. There are fields all around Court that grow more things than I can think of, as well as have animals. I don't think about the damage the Ramthoms will have caused to those on their way in. They're one of the reasons there are so many fields. The other is that it just takes that many of them to ensure a town like Court can sustain itself.

The West Road is the one that leads to something that isn't related to the town. Out west is where Toronto is.

In the fall, the road we're on is filled with carts bringing in grains, fruits and vegetables, but this is early summer. The only things that would come from the farms is meat. The spring harvest is done already. In that way, the timing of the attack was good for us. The farmers can probably rehabilitate the land in time to grow something before the weather gets too cold. That's going to depend mainly on the farming skills and abilities of the workers.

The closest farm is just over two kilometers away from town. Something about making sure there's room for the town to grow. Salmon River runs at the back on Mister Rooster's field, and that's another two and a half kilometers through the wheat or corn or barley. Those are his usual crops.

On the other side of the river is the forest.

On the other side of most of the farms is the forest.

If you include the farms into what is considered the town of Court, which most of us do, Court is this glade inside the giant forest that covers the south of Ontario. It's what this part used to be called, before the system. The older folks still refer to it like that.