Skye City: The Darkness of Emmilyn

A Journey into the Past

For hours we cruise through the Sigmaen Ocean, and as we drown in silence, all I can think about is the death of poor Rupert and how Dynah could so easily have been devoured, how a mere coin toss decided their fate.

Occasionally Carter tries to make conversation but gets nothing back and calls us a 'Talkative bunch' but no-one bothers to explain why as though we are unable to acknowledge the painful reality. We are in mourning for the second time in months and the wounds from Lel's death are still so bitterly tender. Grief is something I never wanted to experience again but here I am.

A group of huge black and white fish come scarily close to the submarine and they look capable of tearing the hull to pieces. I tremble, fearing this will be like the mutant attack all over again, only this time with no way to fight back, but Arturo says: 'Nothing to worry about, they're just Orcas. They're actually a giant species of dolphin, probably coming to say hello.' I stare at the monstrous dolphins with huge jaws, willing them to swim away, but they will not leave us alone. For some reason my brother seems enthralled by the fact we are completely surrounded and helpless as he stands with bent knees at the window.

It must be an hour later when the orcas finally bugger off and we must be some distance from the mainland because the water is no longer orange. It is now a surreal blue which I understand is the correct non-polluted colour. In these cleaner waters we pass many smaller fish and other sea creatures of the non-scary variety. The deep blue beneath the submarine darkens then turns yellow and I realise the water is getting shallower. I spot vague murky bubbles in the distance and as we get closer, the reality becomes clear – they are huge glass domes connected by tunnels.

We cruise towards a slot at the base of one of the domes and a metal door rises to provide access and we dock inside a small chamber. The door seals behind the submarine and the sea water drains, then another door sinks through the floor with a gasping sound. The bubble-roof hisses open and we rise from our seats, taking turns to descend the departure ramp.

Carter taps buttons on a panel then joins us inside the airlock and says: 'Lock submarine.' The bubble-roof seals shut and we walk through a long glass tunnel with the ocean overhead. The huge main dome is visible as we approach, but its contents are obscured by seawater and reflections and the thought of what is coming next is almost bewildering. Non-Citizens could never ordinarily access such a location.

'I hope this place is quake-proof,' Arturo mutters.

A thick iron door bearing the words: Camari Dome 1 sinks through the floor on approach and we enter a glass dome which contains an endless blur of inter-connected buildings kind of like the ones in the Medio hubs – the sight of gleaming metal and glass and trees and plants and swarms of Citizens is mesmerising. On land we would be chased by hoverbots if we dared trespass on a restricted area, but I assume this place has no need for such patrols.

We access a glass elevator tube, standing on a disc which swooshes our party up many levels and we exit in a sparsely crowded area. We follow the promenades and tunnels past what I suspect are apartments, but the seamless metallic complex makes it hard to tell, hard to distinguish one building from the next, and the tinted windows mean I cannot see inside. Finally Carter stops at our destination and presses the buzzer on a door.

Moments later, a child's voice says: 'Can I help?'

'Rising Tiger, now open up, you little scamp,' Carter says and the front door slides upwards.

'Access granted. Hello, Uncle Carter,' a boy of maybe five grins from a face which vaguely resembles my brother's. Weird.

Carter ruffles the boy's thick brown hair and we follow a passage into a room with white and silver decor which is just as nice as Eyris' living room but even bigger. It contains luxurious leather sofas, some fixed into alcoves and others positioned in the middle of the floor. Toys are scattered in the corner, a vase with white flowers is sitting on a glass table and paintings of trees and flowers cover the walls. The place is so pretty, so comfortable, so isolated – our rebel hideout surpasses everything I was hoping for.

'Mam, they're here,' the boy yells as we stand near the doorway.

The boy plays in the corner with his toys as I look to the wall-sized window which provides a murky ocean-view. The window must actually be part of the glass of the dome, making this one of the most desirable apartments in the city. Wow. I want to make myself at home, but this place seems too nice, too perfect and I feel like I do not deserve to be here. Still I would not be anywhere else. I have entered a dream while still inside a nightmare.

'You're right, Carter, this is a swank...' Arturo stops mid-sentence as a woman with long silver hair emerges through a doorway. She is wearing a red and grey robe which trails along the floor and she is walking strangely, almost sideways as she looks away. She twitches as she comes closer, still looking away and I sense something unusual, intense. Her face twitches towards me, ever-so-briefly and the glimpse races my mind backwards, seeking old memories as though time is rewinding. She reminds me of someone. Who, I do not know, yet the reminder is strong.

Her face twitches towards me again and I remember being a little girl, laughing with my brother as we were chased around an apartment and fighting with pillows. This happened such a long time ago, before we were orphaned... Tears well in my eyes. I cannot help crying. The woman looks directly at me, her teary grey eyes surrounded by lines which were not there before... Her nose and cheekbones are prominent. Her trembling lips... I remember the shape of them, wide and plump. They twist slightly to one side when she smiles, but she is not smiling. How do I know this? How can this memory I did not know I have be real? How can she be back after eleven long years?

Her hand is on my cheek and her face is suddenly a blur as she turns my head from side to side and I am completely paralysed. My dream... My impossible dream has finally come true.

'It's you. It's really you. My girl.' She wraps her arms around my neck and sobs uncontrollably, then she gathers herself and says, 'I heard the names. I couldn't let myself believe it. Not until I saw you with my own eyes. I demanded they bring you here so I could see for myself, so I could keep my children safe...'