When the rains may come (Science Fiction)

56. Not a homecoming

Author's note: This is actually an editorial note. There is gonna be a mention of the Koehlwins using hydroponics to grow veggies and using a yacht to transport seawater to desalinate it and make it drinkable and usable for domestic purposes in Mathesdale. These are all worldbuilding things I've added later on in the edited version. That version doesn't exist on Wattpad. So it may seem thrown in a bit but the final version of the story is gonna be more consistent in these terms. So for now, just pretend that I put all this worldbuilding already and let's keep moving with the story. Thanks for understanding ;) 

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The yacht came ashore at the Bayren city. The Internal Maritime Control Agency received its two sailors. A steel head led them to a single storey cinder block office. One of the sailors was a tall woman with short hair. Her companion was a youngish looking man with a curious look of a middle grader. He seemed like he had never seen an unsectorized city before. The woman showed her documents to the man behind the desk in the office. He seemed to be in his mid thirties and he wasn't a steel head. The plaque on his desk read: Gladdis. He rifled through the woman's documents and looked up at her, surprised. "You are Germaine Koehlwin? By any chance, are you–"

"Yes, Mr. Gladdis. I belong to the same Koehlwin family." Gemma nodded. "That clock on the wall was manufactured by my papa's main company. The camshaft in your car was probably produced at my uncle's company. You probably received dozens of regional cargo ships coming from some Koehlwin factory or another today and that pen you are holding was produced by my cousin's company as a mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility since he manufactures cigarettes and tobacco."

Gladdis was stunned. "Ma'am, why didn't you say that earlier. You could've sent a message. I would've come to receive you myself. Please take a seat."

Germaine raised a hand. "I'd love to, Mr. Gladdis. But me and my friend here are in a rush."

"Allow me to arrange a car for you." Gladdis was already reaching for the phone on his desk and barking orders.

A man in a chauffeur's uniform appeared at the door in a minute. "Sir, you called for me."

"Harold, take the fine lady and her friend wherever she demands. You are assigned to her for the day," Gladdis said.

Harold seemed puzzled but nodded. He offered to take their luggage.

"We only have two backpacks that we are carrying. We are fine," Gemma said.

Neither Harold nor Gladdis seemed to insist.

Soon she was in the backseat of a sedan alongside her companion who was obviously Brendan. And he was in complete awe. He'd only ever seen Germaine as his helpful, laid back friend who also happened to run the town he used to live in. He'd never seen her be so...regal. There was a strange sense of authority to her that only came so naturally to the best of the leaders. In a way, she reminded him a bit of Erik.

Brendan looked down at his hands. He remembered Erik and Cathy and Lisa and her baby and the Harrises. And most of all he remembered Mathesdale. He couldn't believe Gemma had really left it all behind and left it so coldly. They'd driven out of their town in the dead of the night when no one was looking and no one knew where they'd gone.

Maybe Erik would later discover that his family's yacht that used to be on the old pier was now gone. The same yacht they'd used to transport the sea water to their makeshift desalination plant before they ran it into the water supply and the hydroponics farm.

A part of Brendan hoped Erik would come looking for him and Gemma. But he knew that won't happen. As much as he'd come to know the two siblings, he'd learnt one thing–the Koehlwins were stubborn and they'd raise hell to make their point.