Timestone

Chapter Fifteen ϟ Persuasion

I eat my non-fish-stick dinner on the patio slab at the back of the compound. Daylight breaks at the horizon, hinting the end of the dark cycle. Has it already been five days? I always look forward to the beginning of a light cycle. Living through five days of darkness affects my mood more than I care to admit.

Outstretched before me lies a vast desert terrain. Columns of brown and orange rock cast long shadows across the land. I daydream of escaping out there to the desert of Tempus. I could exist free from all of this—create a new beginning, discover my own path. That thought brightens my insides.

But how long would I last before dying of dehydration or starvation? Three or four days? That's when the depressing thoughts settle in. If I died out there, nobody would care. Nobody would miss me or be sad about my disappearance. I have no family or friends—no connections to anyone.

The thought of staying here at the compound becomes more enticing. I begin to understand what Tanek said about the people in the caverns abandoning the life of farming. Whatever they're working on here at the compound seems exciting and filled with purpose. Tanek indicated I could stay and be a part of it. But uneasiness still lingers under the surface. It gnaws like a tiny rat in the back of my brain. As hard as I try, I just can't trust Tanek.

I can't return to the caverns. They would just lock me up or deliver me back to Tanek. Some of them might even try to kill me—according to Vela. Besides, I can't take any chances of becoming more involved in their conflict.

My mind drifts to Vela. Had anything she told me been true? I feel embarrassed for falling for her act of friendship. Then, I become angry and try to focus on other things.

I continue taking in the expanse of land and sky. Tanek is right; this is a peaceful place.

Then, something begins to bother me. The light I saw on the horizon earlier has all but disappeared. It should have been getting lighter, but now only the slightest hint of light remains. It doesn't make sense. But then, Tempus never made sense to me. Maybe this occurs at the dawning of every light cycle? I've never actually witnessed the transition. Perhaps it's like a short preview before the actual light cycle begins.

The arrival of a guard startles me. He stands ready to lead me back to my quarters.

ϟ ϟ ϟ

The following day, I awake to a knock on my door. Andrik enters. He seems to be in a more somber mood than yesterday. He leads me inside the room with the glass wall where we initially met and offers me a seat. "I wish to speak with you before Tanek joins us."

"Okay," I reply with uncertainty.

"I want to tell you about my father," he begins.

I don't know where this is going. It seems out of character for Andrik to suddenly open up, but I give him my attention.

"My father died when I was a few years younger than you are now," he begins. "He was an incredible man and a brilliant engineer." He pauses in a moment of reflection. "What I loved the most about him is that he thought big. He always dreamed of doing great things. He was never satisfied living a quiet, normal life. He dreamed of taking his family to a new land to discover new things. He wanted to be a trailblazer."

I feel obligated to say something, so I offer sympathy. "He sounds like an amazing person."

"He was," Andrik says with a half-smile. "Before he died, he was working on some great projects to help make his dream a reality. But a terrible accident occurred, and . . . he died." Andrik goes silent for several seconds in contemplation.

"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say.

"Me too," he replies. "I'm telling you this because we are also working on some incredible things—more significant than anything my father could have dreamed. It's a shame he isn't here to be a part of it."