Chapter Text
It’s been fifty years or so papers were no longer parchment for human history onward, except for traditional post mails. Even the screens are holo with blue film tone. Keyboards were attached only if it’s too bother to speak up their mind. A small black pinball connected through brainwave in wires. To lessen the noise and foremost training the brain to ‘talk’. Most technologies advance would mark the liberty of science but William Schofield vaguely ignored it. He enjoyed pens and tablets.
His fingers scribbled down all the resources required for his raw theorem. Studying was part of his delicacy and it successfully saved thousands of hungry tummies back in the farm. Scholars were likely to confront his ideas but neither one he’d give a damn. At least, he sharpened his mind and tools. Digging the soil from the scratch while the bright minds sitting casually for something he didn’t give any shits. Not until Erinmore observed this young man’s inner quality of behave. It also became the reason why he bothered to step down inside the musty sections of the huge library. By himself.
“Good evening. At last, the face of long lost gentleman of my admiration is sitting on our intellectual sanctuary. May I have a seat here, Mr. Schofield?”
Erinmore, a professor of all the known proficient. Mostly spent his daylight time to reconcile with his patience and obviously quite amused with his prize across the table. Otherwise, his smiled only left notorious impression to William. Will nodded respectfully.
“I need to send my gratitude since you’re finally here and no longer in doubt to avoid our letters. This’s indeed a lovely day, isn’t it? Albeit the nice constructions, nothing good comes from human’s hands. We’re in the peak of severe massive extinction. The sun burns too deep and the chain of life circle is broken. All we really need is a man who willingly to stand one last time.”
He clearly emphasized his last words to William in exquisite manner. Leaving a frozen chill to Will’s backbone. “With no less respect sir, the settlement will end this catastrophe, in behalf of your faith in science and whoever God you serve?”
“It’s never about to end the catastrophe, Mr. Schofield. It’s to act our roles as human being. Our ancestors have wandered million miles since the creation of universe and nothing changes ever since. It’s always the simple journey. To survive.” He smiled with the most fatherly face. “Once they complete the primordial calculation, the training will soon follow. To be honest, if I may pick one of thousands gentleman in England, you’re always be my first option, Mr. Schofield.”
“Why me, sir?” Will frowned while gripping hard to his pen.
“Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne.”
Will still couldn’t frame the whole statements Erinmore spilling to him. This old man was the mysterious of the mysterious. As if his secrets had secrets. He saw Erinmore checking time from the fancy watches on his wrist. Time was part of privilege he had.
“I hope you really reconsider the situation we’re battling in, Mr. Schofield. Either die here or there is clearly shown on your face right now. Die comes soon than you can’t hold up. But, the question is how humanity sees you die. We need a man like you and that’ll be my final word.” He rose from his seat and untucked the edge of his burgundy coat. “One more thing. I believe you’re in the middle of doing your own research. The problem with the contaminants in your farm. Sadly, we already did our best in examining the sources but it all comes from the one-dead source. The acid rain, Mr. Schofield. No applicable technologies able to formulate the desterilization in giant scale. But, I respect your effort. I’ve assigned Mr. Blake from my department to assist your research and continuingly become your flat mate started from today. He’ll escort you to the student’s flat.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
Erinmore offered his last short farewell with a handshake. Behind the grimace Will always found from this man, he also saw a sincere heart inside it. It’s totally confusing and annoying. But in the end, Will did nothing. He just stood there until the man left him in a real battle.
He got a quick beep from the cellphone. It’s a name of somebody Erinmore mentioned earlier. His new flat mate and of course the same boy he met just five hours ago. Hard to admit, it sparked a tiny light inside Will’s belly.
‘First of all, it’s not my idea, it’s Erinmore’s order. Second, have you finished roaming over our research cabinets? Third, if yes then meet me in front of the gate, just below the cherry tree. See you there. Blake, Thomas.’
‘Got it.’ He replied fast.
William hurriedly packed his tablets, pens, and leftover lunch into the same sack bag he had. Marked his sign out with the cardkeys Blake handed to him back to the telly robots. Then, stepping out to see the new lad as informed. The strange sensation churned from his internal organs. Not from the gut acid for sure. This’s too weird. They barely met.
Across the greenies, behind the high bricked corridor, the gate was opened a slight. Cherry trees were the first mark Will’s eyes caught and the same boy from early afternoon stood awkwardly while playing with rocks under his soles. He fastened his walk to greet the young Blake. His cheeks are as red as the cherry petals. “Ready to discover the unseen?”
“What?”
The young lad laughed sweetly and patted Will’s back. “Nothing. C’mon, Sco.”
Loud notice of automatic speakers reminded the students to obediently follow the night hours rules. It’s merely considered as the action of safety. Night hours had become citizens most enemy since the level of carbon dioxide elevated during the cleanings. Blake explained to Will the history of the cleanings and why most cities ultimately the metropolitans required such a procedure. Staying out from glamorous city life had deducted Will’s decent knowledges. He barely understood.
“Blimey, I’m starved. Bet they serve another proteins from that tin flavored with the smelly onion. At least they need to find better recipes. Well, it’s healthy and look at my body. But, I have to be honest, it’s painfully gross.” Blake complained about his unfavored menus to Will. Walking side by side on the zebra cross. Will noticed some rush hours seen throughout their paths to the student flat. Loud notification still can be heard even from such distance. Blake continued to babble. “Dinner is still in an hour, dang.”
“Here.”
The leftover William kept was a bread and ham. He packed them from the farm as breakfast and lunch. He took a small bite then giving the big chunk to Blake. Smiling in reserved.
“For God’s sake this’s yum! The last time I ate real food was three or four months ago when Joe going back to his mission and he got huge pack of rations but in a real food!” Blake couldn’t hide his excitement and smiling nonchalantly to William. Watching the lad chewing in such a happy moment gave warm content feeling to the Schofield. There’s a loud cheer came up to his brain only to put his fingers drown inside the fluffiness of Blake’s chocolate hair. But, he just walked in still. “So, is this the privilege of living in the farm? No wonder they do have long livings, don’t they?”
“Depends on how you respect the life you’ve been given.”
“Ouch, that’s hurt but it’s true. Anyway, thanks, Sco! You’re a real saver. Though it’s not enough.”
Will chuckled and hiding back his cold hands inside the pocket jeans. They both finally reached the down streets of student area where tall buildings and small park drew a circled structure. The students were seen everywhere and they’d just come back from the campus or labs. Through Will’s lenses, Thomas Blake was not that complicated, proved by his rich inner being. Greeted other students and never hide the cheeriness though it’s clearly seen how tired and hungry he’s right now. A very opposite of his gloomy upbringing.
Blake’s flat was just behind the tallest brown building at the center. Will followed him until they made into the front door.
“I guess they’ve put your luggage inside.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t bring any. It’s just for temporary.”
With a sound of soft click, the door opened. The smell of fresh dandelion seeping inside Will’s nostrils. Sweet and calming. It reminded him of the childhood he spent at the farm.
“Temporary? I thought we’re going—I mean—you’re going to stay here until the training program starting. That’s exactly what I heard from Erinmore from his emergency call. So, sorry if you see unpleasant things in here. Well, I’ve just got no time to clean it.”
“It’s fine, Blake. It’s totally fine. It’s… wonderful. The scent is also nice.”
Blake grinned while closing the door but realized something bizarre from Will’s words. “Scent?”
“I mean the freshness. Dandelion, I suggest?” Out of his weary, Will scratched the back of his head and shuffled his uncombed hair. “Can I… hang my mantle there?”
“Sure, sure.” Blake’s crystal eyes followed Will’s figure from his back. Watching the older man in curious. “Speaking of space, actually I don’t mind adding a flat partner, if that’s what makes you concern. Half of it from Erinmore’s but truthfully it’s more than okay for me in personal. I never really have flat mate before so I hope we could get along well. Besides, I don’t really put many furniture inside my room. Lack of color, nay? Looked so boring, aye?”
“No.” Will’s answer straightforwardly. “It’s perfect.” He could see how relieved the young Blake. “I’m in your charge, Blake. And I hope we do get well, also.”
A very profound laughter echoed all out the room. Will lifted his eyebrows only to find Blake was excruciatingly overjoyed with the presence of this farm old fashioned-boy. Unless, he’s not a boy anymore. “The way you said that—it sounds like we’re a married couple. Oh gosh, blimey. You’re unbelievable, Sco. I wish you could stay bit longer. Also, don’t forget with our bets, nay?” Blake winked and still chuckled in amusement. William also had no idea he’s able to form a complex emotion like this one. Living for decades of harsh life pushed his carefree side. Probably, he never had it since the beginning. Thomas Blake definitely opened and cracked his thick skin and heart. Something he seldom tried since it’s a waste.
Blake still busied himself deciding which bed Will should have. Before doing any self sacrificing, Will’s okay with any and don’t mind to use the big couch Blake put in the common room. Albeit, the younger lad worried it gave worst first impression and he insisted to Will sleeping on his bed instead. They argued like a real bozos and finally someone needed to end the stupid war.
“Let’s sleep together then, only for tonight. After that, I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Wh-what?”
Neither blink nor a slight movement, the emotions of William Schofield were battling each other. Mocking his eternal idiocy.
“Okay. That sounds uncontested.”
Out of his eyesight, Blake hurriedly exited himself out and groggily went to the kitchen. For God knows what he was doing inside. Meanwhile, Will shuffled his hair crazily for suggesting such an imbecile outburst opinion at the first day of his flat partnering. His sense came back after the hummed sounds from heating tea pot. His feet followed the smell.
“Tea?” Blake offered with his usual warm smile.
If home was a place to belong then surely William wouldn’t mind to stay bit longer only to grasp a ray of hope. If what Joe told him was right then perhaps he would’ve found the answers of all the hurdling questions inside his timid head in here. Through the person named Thomas Blake.
And, it’s just the tiny part prelude of their stories.
***
Weeks to months passed faster than they could comprehend. Magically, in days only, they’d both recognized each other’s habits. Blake observed in quiet how Will spending his spare days only to read, scribbles, did simple illustration of frameworks, etching lines to lines, and biting his nails. The last one urged Blake to come there to his side and pulled the hand away from his dry lips. Offering tea or juice to replenish his lack of sugar intakes. Although he’s way younger than Will, Blake was blessed with a nurturing side he even didn’t reckon where it came from. Probably, being the younger child of two siblings affected his upbringing. In a glimpse, they’re matched icon in a very strange fate.
Their last togetherness didn’t end upon that first night only. Sometimes, Blake would sneak inside Will’s blanket and enjoyed the warmth until sunshine awoke them up. It’s unspeakable but it’s shown beyond their eyes. It changed Will’s demeanor in a part he’s unconscious of. He wrote everything and e-mail-ed it to Joe. One thing he never did before.
Frankly, Joe and Jean replied in such a comforting words.
Nonetheless, everything must come to the finale. Or, at least, to reach another brand new days.
Will got his first enlisting notification in the settlement’s training program. So did Blake and Mary.
“It will be fun. Or so Joe said yesterday. He said he’ll be our trainer in first session. So, this is it, I guess.” Blake checked each of the backpacks of theirs before closing the flat door. His fingers trembled hard. “Fuck! It’s supposed to be easy.”
Military was part of William Schofield’s life long ago. He never take for granted in any kind indecisive departure. He realized it’d be not easy for some people, especially Thomas Blake. The sweet heart of his was too pure to see how life could really shot them back in any seconds. Will took away Blake’s tremor fingers from the door knob. Caressing them with his calloused farm boy palms.
“Sorry. I’m scared, Sco.”
“I know.” He never left his hold to Blake’s until the younger one finally relaxed. Will kissed Blake’s rosy cheek. “Better?”
Blake bit inner side of his cheek where Will just left his lips there. He took a deep breath in and out. Then, chuckled to console his worry. “Yup. Sorry for being too childish. I just—”
“Don’t. Stop crucially forcing yourself to keep steady. We all have been through this. It’s okay to scare, frightened, or cry. It’s humane, Blake.”
Loud bang came from the downstairs. Few students who also got access into the semi-military training for the settlement program were hoarding outside the buildings. They got busses to accommodate them to the air force base just few kilometers away from the airport. Some of them were curious albeit anxious. The settlement would focus on youngsters between eighteen to thirties. Blake’s eyes captured every faces the students were showing. All he knew Will never let go of his hand.
“Talk to me, Sco. Anything. Tell me a story of your daily routines in your farm. Or just babbling a lousy story I’ve never heard before from you.”
Their wheels made slow bump and moving in slow pace. Will did exactly what Blake asking him to do even most of the stories he told was corny. In the contrary, Blake’s one was indeed humorous. He retold the Wilko sing-song tale. His old schoolmate who got his ear bitten by a rat after pouring too much fragrances on his oily hair. The smell stayed for a week and he dared to shampoo-ed it away. As result, he was asleep only to—
“—find his ear is missing!”
“Wouldn’t it be painful? He didn’t reckon it?”
“Nah. He’s always asleep like a real log. Dead log.”
“Can’t argue.”
For two hours they drove passing the Hyde Park and straight to the midtown border. The loomed of lunar flat dooms appeared when the busses went ascending further beyond the air force gate. Counts of men made lines in orderly. Women and men were separated according to ages and education background. The busses stopped and parked just outside the large open field with few closed areas, probably as the field training lawn. Since the Brexit long time ago, England had privilege to build its own ISS operation based. As Will tugged their backpacks and helped Blake to carry his own bag, he witnessed large commando building that used to not exist few years go upon his military camp training. Everything changed so drastically for small period of time. Everything… everything for the settlement.
“Shall we, Sco?”
“Yes. Off you go.”
Lines of lines young people were seen everywhere. Blake pointed their basecamp after noticing Joseph’s, his brother, presence. They followed the others and walked in scrurry. They’re all wearing similar tunic suits, quite different with origin military ones, but packed with necessary outlooks. Blake waved his hand in excitement to Joe but his brother seemed ignore it.
“Wait until they finish the briefing, Blake.” Will whispered in low tune.
“Yeah.”
In all of sudden, no noise or incoherent whispers could be heard. Blake mimicked Will’s stand pose and chuckled a bit. “So, this’s how a real military, aye?”
“Shh.”
A man with a cig between his lips shouted hard at their lines. He’d indeed spent his most of life in military compound although there’s no more real war happening out there. The war they fought was deliberately the public uprising toward the settlement. It’s minor but still annoying. He called himself as Leslie.
“You reckon him, Sco?”
“No. Never see him before. But he’s dog tag. He might have been in battle.”
Blake continued under his curiousity, “I thought the real battle we had was when the Brexit thingy, you know.”
“It’s just false history. We’ve never been in war anymore since long ago.”
“I see.”
When the chatters went off once again, Leslie walked through the lines. The smugness on his face literally annoyed Blake. Alas, he stopped right away in between him and Will. His baggy eyes observed Will’s feature.
“You. Have you enlisted yourself into any military training in juvenile program?”
“Yes, sir!”
Leslie grinned and tapped Will’s shoulder couple times hardly. “I like that spirit. I’m waiting for more, Schofield.”
Schofield. In a sultry whisper but quite venomous.
He knew his surname but he didn’t remember any about this Leslie guy at all. Will’s cerulean eyes rounded in a confusion even after the man stepped over furtherly. If the dream was real and everything that once happened outside his memories truly existed, some people were born twice to answer his questions.
And the training began after the first flare blazing on the Old World’s sky.
TO BE CONTINUED