Chapter Text
AFTERMATH
‘Cherries.’
' Lamberts.’
‘Well people think there’s one type, but there’s lots of them - Cuthberts, Queen Annes, Montmorencys. Sweet ones, sour ones...’
He dreamt the same cherry trees again. With a soothing voice of unknown.
William Schofield awoke only to find another grey smoke appearing on the hazy skies. Asleep while reading a book was always be his weakness. He remembered shortly after the cattle needed to be fed but they’d just had terrible contamination spread all throughout the farm. This whole green landscape his ancestor owned was the last food source to fill their entire villagers’ belly. Scientists announced to name this earthy place as Old World even before Will was born. Men of his ages fought and bet like madman to get out from the pre-catastrophic day. Killing each other like animals who relied only from instinct to survive. Instead of leaving the yard, Will promised to himself alone.
“I’ll never leave this farm. It’s ours and will always be ours even when they finally decide to blow it with nukes of whatever. Die here, die there, what’s the different?”
Anger is a part that he never missed from his old self. He let go his college life and gave up for anything about title of intellectual wellbeing. Once, he believed joining the army would give better chance to stay alive than going to university. For about eight months training or so, he got a letter from home.
Born without acknowledging your parents was a bliss. At least, he needn’t to promise anything to anyone. Unless, his grandma. The only woman touch he ever had as a lone wolf. The day he read the letter changing his life forever. Death was the source of his anger.
He sighed to loosen out his vulnerability. Burying his deep thoughts alone.
“Life will always find its way.” He mumbled while collecting his spare readings and work utensils into his dirty sack bag. Then, blow unique sound of whistle to his eleven years old border collie. “Time for dinner. C’mon, good girl. Lead the cattle, will you?”
The dinner was already served when Will came in. It’s Joe, the mid-forties lady who took care Will’s grandma since long ago. She’s woman with great skillsets especially finding how unlike Will’s expression he’s showing right at the moment. The border collie chilled out on her usual spot and enjoyed the meal from the bowl.
“Potatoes?” Joe offered. The young lad vaguely nodded. “Well, the postman came. Surely never bother to send you e-mail. Again. And, as usual, it’s written with your name and a stamp of Queen Mary School of London. I won’t ask since you may give me improper answers.”
Will gave a slight hummed. “Little did you know all Schofield are either scholars or warriors, Will. In any honorable wars.” Joe continued and hold her breath. It’s a conversation she knew it would always end up badly ever since Will’s grandma’s burial ceremony. But, she never gave up.
“I’m too old now.”
“Nothing’s too old or too late. You’ve been always your grandma’s biggest pride, Will. You take care this whole farm by your agility so it’s clearly the reason why they—”
“Then it’s also clearly of why I should NEVER leave this farm!” He cut Joe right away. Shooting a sharp glance toward her. His lips trembled hard and he witnessed true horror from Joe’s face. His voice cracked in shock. “Sorry, I shouldn’t shout at you like that. I’m just—we—this farm will die soon, Joe. The water, our rain water, the barn, the stocks, the grasses, everywhere—they die. And I must find a way to keep this on and on. That’s what grandma wanted for me.”
Joe cleared her dry throat and Will sipped her cranberry juice to calm himself. “I just don’t know what to do, Joe. They all count on us—me. They don’t care about us anymore. They keep talking and giving shits on how the settlement will help us to get out from this madness.”
“Maybe that’s the only way.”
Will furrowed his eyebrows while studying Joe’s blatant expression. She continued, “people—oh old people—will die eventually, Will. But, there’s one thing you should remember. Men like you should survive. It’s all about the circle of life. Old ones perish, new leaves born. Some things in this world is undeniable and we’re powerless. No matter what happens, I believe they’re still into that plan. I’m wondering how our world look alike from up there. Not as blue as two hundred years ago, I guess.”
Eerie silence divided them into troubling thoughts. Will peeked from the corner of his tired eyes the border collie was safe and sound. He smiled profoundly.
“You should live. For us, Will. For your family, kin, and blood. That’s what makes human, aye?”
As warm as his grandma’s touch, Joe’s rough palm radiated peacefulness to his cold skin and into his numb heart. To accept such a motherly attention from strangers were another privileged Will never had since his grandma passed away. He dwelled and stumbled into tears minutes after.
“You will find the answer of your forever questions in here. Whatever lives beyond there, you could always find your home. God tells me so.” Joe slipped the letter to Will’s fingers. “You’re not alone, William. There will be more of people like you in there. Don’t give up on them.”
“But what about this farm? What about Jean? You?”
Will never get his answers except Joe’s half across smile. The wrinkles and white hair were out there showing how fragile and harsh life truly were. He sniffed only to get hold of himself. Although it’s almost impossible to reckon, Will finally knew the next step he should take. Whining and asserting himself to anger wouldn’t solve his problems. For the farm and humanity left—for Joe and grandma—he’d stay out for awhile to be a decent human.
“You’d better arrive to London before the authorities start the military confront. The first trial of settlement plan will begin next month, I reckon from the newspaper.” Joe said while seating back to her chair. Pouring her own glass with the cranberry juice. She slightly watched Will’s self battle. “Take the first train tomorrow.”
“What? Not that soon.”
“The doubt will come and change your answer. I believe that letter will be the last for you and they’ll never give anymore thoughts. There’s no time.” said Joe convincingly in serious tone. “This farm belongs to your ancestor. The Schofield’s. But, through this farm, thousands have been fed. Also, nothing lasts forever, William. Even before you’re born, I already know how to take care of this place by my own self. So, don’t worry about us, nay?”
Will didn’t speak any not even until they finished the meal or saying goodnight to Jean, his border collie. Joe always spent her night time in front of their furnace until Will found her at the next morning asleep with her glasses nearly dropped off. But, this time was different. The first sun radiated its strong blaze even when summer hadn’t come yet. The air he breathed in was full of polluted smoke. He wondered would he ever saw the old earth they used to mention on text books after the settlement. They couldn’t tell.
The depart was almost as painful as watching his grandma waving her weak hand to him at the first military training day. Will carefully didn’t set any blinks until Joe and Jean became small dots. He slipped his cold hands inside the pocket mantle on its chest that Joe embroidered from their yarns. It would remind him of home.
But he still promised one thing to them. To come back.
***
“You all just see and wait. They’re about to blurt out the expedition plan and praise the God many of us will be sent outside the orbit this year.”
“Not by any chance, Blake. It’s still too early!”
“Now, now. Listen to ‘em on telly.”
Thomas Blake confronted his team’s hypothesis with rage. In front of twenty four inches flat screen monitor, hurdle of men set their eyes on and rarely blinked. It’s always the same since weeks ago. They’ve waited for almost months to finally grab a conclusion about the settlement they always talked about. The planet was only few thousands lightyear speed, outside the orbit, mimicking their Old World’s old features. Scientists predicted it took nearly seventy years to reach the EA-1917’s—that’s what they name it—system and surface.
“Fuck. By the time we get there, we’re all old sponges!”
One of the students shouted hard. Blake shushed him out and threw a pinball he stole from the game center at him. “Shut up and listen, will ya?” His Scottish accent would strongly sound out when he got mad.
“Aye, Blake. Sorry. Can’t help it.”
The room was back to silence and nobody dared to throw their unnecessary opinions. Not until a lady with soul of joy coming inside and thwacked Blake’s back. She grinned although Blake slipped many swears under his nose.
“Mary!” Blake hissed. Fully accustomed to his best classmate’s character. Mary never learnt to spare Blake’s weak heart even a bit. “Can’t you just simply say hello in well mannerism welcome? I’ll get spine injury even before reaching thirties. For God’s sake.”
“Nah, you’ll be fine, Thoooomas.” She winked and chuckled naughtily. “Ah, they’re still waiting for the settlement news, nay? Bloody waste of time. Can’t they wait ‘till those e-mails sent to them?”
It made Blake raising his eyebrows. “What?”
“What?” Mary noticed how confused Blake surely looked like. “Oh, in a few days they’ll know whether they’re accepted to become one of the first settlers. Still as trainers tho. Military something training. Basically, they’ll act as observer and will have to report it back to earth. Boring task though.”
“Boring? That—that’s definitely not boring, Mary! It’s our first achievement to finally—”
She cut Blake straightforwardly, “I know, I know. But kindly to note the survival index is so low. They’re just guinea pigs. That’s what I thought. Sorry if I sound too harsh or whatever.”
Nothing came out from Blake’s mouth after that. He recollected his thoughts to process Mary’s rambles. Instead of worrying over small trivia things, he’s surprisingly calm. “We’ll make it there. They’ve prepared this for whole years, Mary. Some men have been sent to our moon, the red planet, even Jupiter for fuck sake!”
“Hm, hm, you’re right. Apology for my bewildering considerations.” She patted Blake’s shoulder with half weak smile. Suddenly she’s surprised by the ding sound from her cellphone. “Oh blimey, I should go.”
“I thought you have signed out from the club since the settlement plan go havoc.”
“Nope. It’s not from the club. Well, there’s this mysterious young lad who once a student here, not in our department for sure, he left and went away to join the army, and blablabla and he just poof again. I have no idea his basic backstory but this’s what Mr. Erinmore told me about. He finally answers our college’s letter, asking him back and for some reason, this guy asks me to showing him our research center since he already lost his identity card. He insists.”
The young lad didn’t actually pay his fully attention to Mary’s entire story. But, he began to notice her when she mentioned army and research center. Something from inside him was telling him to join her quest. “Want me to accompany you?”
“Well, good idea! Perhaps you could show him our journal section after? Since I need to collect my papers for Mr. Smith right away before lunchtime’s over.” Blake nodded with no hesitation. “Are you sure? You’ll miss these young lad’s so-called intellectual cold war.” She chuckled.
“Nah. Let them be. I already know the answer though. Next month, big expedition.”
“Yes, yes.” Then, they left the theater room wisely.
***
The first thing Will saw was a tree of cherry blossom. Its white petals were elegantly synced with the rhythm of windblows. The spot he stood in was cleverly structured. It’s definitely embodiment of sanctuary in small size. Glassy doors and windows were parched by the sun and reflecting halos everywhere. But it’s all fake even the green grass underneath his soles. The least thing humanity had longed for.
There were two different sound of steps coming to him. He turned around to notice one of it was a young lady and the other one was a man who just nearly hit his adulthood. A young man whom reminded him of the cherry.
“Hi, I’m Mary. The one you texted minutes ago. I’m assigned by Mr. Erinmore to help you entering our research center.”
“Schofield, William.” Will turned his eyesight millimeter away at Mary’s right side. “And you are—”
“Blake, Thomas.”
It’s supposed to be a simply handshake. It’s not meant anything. But, they had crossed the line of untold. Memories of unknows were flooded inside their souls. Pouring like the waterfall.
“So, Mr. Schofield, which section you’d like to—”
“It’s Sco. Sco, right?” Blake blurted out without averting his gaze to anywhere since the handshake.
Will calmed his demeanor by pinching the bridge of his nose. The voice inside his head told him to stay calm. He tried to grip strongly at his mantle Joe gave to him but seeing this Blake boy forged a memory of he surely didn’t have. It felt like home.
“Sco? Oh you mean William?” Mary moved her head to Blake and Will, noticing a handsome breakthrough. “Here, Blake.”
“Wh—what?”
Mary handed the cardkeys to Blake. Smiling brightly. Pretending to notice it’s already lunchtime. “Oh, I should go, Blake. You’re free, aren’t you? No, chop chop. You have important task to escort this Mr. Sco—Schofield to our research center. Will it be okay, sir?”
“Sir? Mary, he’s still a student like us.” Blake gritted his teeth to Mary albeit the young lady found it amusing. “What?”
Will chuckled while hiding his little laugh with his hand. “Yes, although perhaps I’m quite way older than both of you, Will is fine. Or—Sco.” He averted his eyes directly to Blake.
“Okay, it’s settled then! Now, off you go. We don’t have forever. We also have a meeting about the settlement, Blake. Don’t forget that.”
“Ah yeah. About that, sure.”
Mary left a peck of kiss on Blake’s chubby cheek and swing away. Leaving the two strangers on their own. Blake was the first who broke the odd silence between them.
“So… are you into it? The settlement?”
“No.”
The younger lad furrowed his eyebrow in a way he didn’t understand. “It’s a quick answer for a long thoughts question, I guess. But may I ask you why?”
Will clenched his knuckles inside the jeans pocket. He snorted and absently went to path he supposed not to start as commoner. Blake followed him right after, recognizing Will—no, Sco’s hesitation about wandering into new world or planet beyond theirs. He walked side by side to reach their first destination.
“It’s just not… the home I was born into.”
“Well, my brother told me or I redact from his silly wise talks, home is not a place, Sco. It’s people.” He responded quickly not much in dismay. Will never left his gaze. “How about this, I know it’s uncommon to hear, when I believe we just barely meet—or no? But, anyway. You’re looking for planting section, nay? So you do farming like a real farming? Since all I know our foods and water supplies come from the mysterious facilities called labs? Nobody ever do farming since twenty or thirty years ago, Sco. Um, is it okay if I call you Sco?”
“Yes, sure. Blake.”
Blake didn’t mind to blurt out everything that came from his mind to Will. Will reckoned few things about Blake instantly. About how old he’s, the dog named Myrtle, his brother Joe who already joined the settlement project wing as their astronauts. Studying how human bodies would likely to survive in long process of cryopreservation until the capsule finally reached EA-1917. Will admitted he never enjoyed long discussion about leaving this planet or whatever but it’s Blake beautiful voice that kept him companied.
“Then how about this. I’ll make you joining our settlement program. It’s a bet. The winner gets whatever he wants from the loser.” From out of nowhere, Blake strangely put Will into his silly game again. He played his eyebrow upside down to the man next to him. “Don’t you think this’s a masterpiece of plan, Sco. Sorry to mention this but… we don’t have much future left in here anymore. We should go there and by the time we settle in there, we send the message to the next settlers and go on and go on. Until we all finally find our home we should belong to since beginning.”
“I don’t know. I—”
The sound of bells ringing five times in loud and it gave Blake a sad face. “Probably we should go on. The lunchtime is over. I have class to attend. And you may want to spend you time alone in here? Finding the answers you’re trying to look for?”
“How do you know I’m currently in trying to find some answers?”
Blake rose his shoulders. “Just my guts tell me so. It’s funny, isn’t it? It feels like I’ve known you for such a long time. Sorry, my bad.”
Will remembered now. It’s the same voice he used to hear inside the dreams. Haunting him as if it belonged to someone who’s so dearly. He only knew tiny bits about his ancestor. About how the first and the worst global war happened to this Old World. Turning this only inhabitable world to crumble and losing its beauty. How it destroyed the farm of Schofields. Whoever he was, Will wouldn’t mind to blame his ancestor for starting this chaos.
Heritage was never a topic he liked most. Lineage had nothing to be associated with life itself.
In fact, the Schofield was cursed. Badly cursed. For lingered to past they didn’t start with.
TO BE CONTINUED