INKWORLD

CHAPTER FOUR

June 3, 2091 -June 4, 2091

A knock on my office door pulled my thoughts off the recently concluded council meeting. The loud urgent rapping on the door was different from my secretary's gentle knocking and I immediately knew who it was. I sat up. "Come in, Caleb."

The door opened to reveal Caleb, his grey eyes lit in anger. I noticed his shirt hugging his chest. Since he took over the architectural designs of most of the buildings in Inkwell, he had added more muscles. Sometimes, I saw him helping to carry building materials.

"How are you?" I asked, playing ignorant.

He stormed towards my table and stopped when he got to the other side. "Don't play innocent, Ivy. You know why I'm here."

I sighed and dropped the innocent act. I knew he would find out and it wouldn't take long before he stormed into my office. I didn't want to tell him about Tobi's call, I didn't want to tell anyone yet, but I was afraid he'll suspect something was up. He was my friend, almost as close as Wunmi so he knew me as much as I knew him.

"What's this about you leading an expedition to earth? Tell me it's just false rumour."

"It's not, Caleb. The council has agreed too."

"Why would they agree on something as outrageous as that? What were they thinking? What were you thinking?"

"Caleb-"

"Why didn't you come to talk to me first? You always talk to me before you do anything stupid."

"Hey," I scowled.

He massaged the creases on his forehead with two fingers. "Ivy, I know you have been thinking of earth but is it necessary for you to go?" He continued when I remained silent. "We can build satellites and send over there if you are really interested in knowing."

He had a point which made countering it hard. "I just... I just want to see for myself."

He peered at me intently. "Are you hiding something from me?"

I bent my head and quickly turned my attention to the file in front of me. "What would I be hiding from you? There's nothing to hide. I just want to know what is happening on earth." That didn't seem to convince him. He stared at me for a few minutes as if he was hoping I would break. I sighed. "I told you, Caleb, I'm not hiding anything."

He didn't seem to buy it but he brushed it off. "Do you have to go? Do you know how important you are to Inkwell? You know how those blood thirsty people have been after the presidential seat and now you want to hand it to them on a platter of gold."

"I'm not handing it to them on a platter. I'm going to come back."

"What if something happens? What if you get infected and you can't get the cure in time? What happens then? Do you know the political battle we will be thrown into? Do you know the hurt you'll be giving your loved ones here?"

I looked up and sighed. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll be fine."

"If my mum was alive, would you do this?"

I scowled. It was unfair of him to bring up Angela like that.

"After all she did... After all your efforts to get her to come save you, you just want to go back on a suicide mission."

I frowned. "It's not a suicide mission. There could be people on earth."

"There's no one on earth!" Caleb almost screamed. He looked frustrated that he wasn't getting to me. "It's been ten years, everyone is dead. The infection has killed everyone. Why are you giving yourself false hope? Why are you giving everyone false hope?"