The Color of Knowledge

Chapter Thirteen (pt. 4)

"The stick messages are in another room," said Milo. He led them to the other side of the room, followed by the stares of workers. "This is where the magic happens. You know, it was my idea to use sticks as a form of communication outside of Subsolaneus. They're inconspicuous and easy to use." There was nobody in the room when they entered so they gathered around the only table, on top of which were piles of sticks. Skinny and brown in their appearance, there looked to be nothing special about them.

"The idea is to inscribe the message small enough that only a trained eye would be able to read it. Here, try it yourself." He handed a stick to Zari who held it up right in front of her face, squinting hard.

"I don't see anything," she said, handing it back.

"It says, 'get back to us soon with an update.'"

"On our first day a part of the Exploration Unit, we came across a pile of sticks. Did they all have the same message?" Ivy asked.

Milo nodded. "Incase something or someone comes across them and decides to pick one up for whatever reason. We don't just send out one."

"Can you teach me how to train my eyes like you?" Zari asked.

"Of course." He led her to the other side of the table.

"Your friend is something else," said Keegan. "I'm glad you two are here, actually. I've never been back here."

"Why haven't you just flashed your last name like you did back there to gain access before?" Ivy asked. "You seem pretty good at it."

Keegan blushed—hard to tell since his skin was a shade of brown, but the sudden change made his freckles stand out even more as if they were on display. "I hope you don't think I'm pompous for that. It just seemed like you and your friend really wanted to see how the messages were made. I've only done that one other time."

"Last year at the gathering."

He nodded, turning to look at Zari and Milo who were deep in conversation. While his eyes were away from her own, Ivy was able to observe him. His short, cropped hair and terra-cotta complexion was appealing to the eye—her eyes, to be exact. His posture wasn't perfect, a small hunch bent his shoulders slightly. Because of his height, she was able to see a different perspective of his jaw line—angular and strong. She turned away when Keegan caught her staring and laughed.

"Can I show you something?" he asked.

They left unnoticed.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

The only thing she saw for the next few minutes was the cadence of his walk and the faces of passerby she did not recognize. It became clear to Ivy that her guide was taking her somewhere few people ventured, as the crowds thinned and they were eventually the only ones standing at a dead end.