Rowan: The EcoPan

The Success Of Eden

"Carnelian, we have to leave but we'll be right back. We'll hopefully only be a few hours," I say, stroking his hair back.

"Okay. Stay safe. Go save humanity," He says with a lighthearted wink and tries to hide a wince.

"Don't talk," I say. "Get some rest while we're gone. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," He says. I give him a kiss on the cheek then leave the house without another word. I pray to the earth that wasn't the last time I will ever see him alive.

"He's really come through, huh?" G asks glancing back as we walk. "I had expected him to..."

"We've all been through a lot. Trust me I think a part of him wanted to go, but he's stronger than that," I say. G nods.

"My city was much like yours was. We had second child laws, mind manipulation, other horrible things. I never rebelled but now I know that it was there all along. My sister..." I hear her make a choking sound and I think she's about to cry. "My little sister was killed in the shooting when we all escaped."

"I didn't know you had a sister. I'm sorry," I say. I want to comfort her more but I don't think she'd welcome it.

"Well, it's over now. She's dead and I'm alive. Funny how that works, huh?" I see tears in her eyes. "Beautiful people die and the ugly ones get power and riches."

"I'm going to make it to where everybody is treated as equals," I say, my throat tight with passion. G looks me up and down.

"I pray that's true," She whispers then starts to walk ahead.

"We all do," Rook says throwing an arm around my shoulder. He leans in close and whispers, "don't feel bad Rowan."

"I already do," I whisper back so G can't hear us. "But thank you."

He gives my shoulder a squeeze before quickening his pace to catch up with G. I look up at the Center only a few blocks away. It was unfortunate that I ever had to enter this place once and maybe even more unfortunate now that I'm entering it again. This will be the last time I come to Eden. I want to be sure of that.

I take one last look behind me at my old home and it feels like I'm looking back at my whole life. How many times have I changed the fate of humanity? I'm done playing god. I will fix everything that I've done wrong today and leave it all in the past. Now, I live for Harmonia. I live to make Harmonia better, not humanity. Not humanity because today I will complete this job. Somehow I will. Tomorrow morning I will wake up and have a new life and if that means being a new Rowan...then so be it.

I jog to catch up to them as we reach the Center. We walk through the eerily quiet stark hallways trying not to be on edge. There's not another living soul for miles and miles but we still jump every time a light flickers. I remember the horrors I have faced in this building and try to take deep breaths. We walk to Elena's office and although I'm not wearing heels, I feel unbalanced.

Rook opens her office door and I gasp. I look inside and...nothing has changed. There's nothing unexpected. All the bodies were moved, which was expected, but yet I gasp. I gasp because Mira died here. I gasp because my own mother tried to shoot me here. I gasp because this is the plotting place of the woman I once thought was my real mother. I gasp because...this place just holds too many horrible memories to bear.

The quicker we get through with this the quicker we can leave, Yarrow says. I blink a few times to distract myself from the memories and step into the office. I waste no time, pulling the peach seed out of my back pocket. I pinch it between my fingers and look down on it.

"It's your turn now. You get to save humanity," I whisper to the seed as I place the seed on the scanner of the control panel. As I set it down I imagine all my burden and pain leaving me. And as we watch the beam destroy the seed, I imagine that some of my burdens are destroyed with it.