The Sowing

My mind is swirling with all these revelations. Life Extinction Events. Wars. Hidden pockets of survivors. Except for what I’d learned from those fragments of books in the Parish library, I never knew there was any other life but the Parish and the Establishment. All this time, we’ve been rotting in our own little world completely oblivious of all this.

My eyes dart to Cassius. At least most of us were oblivious. This new information could change everything.

“What about the rest of the world?” I ask. “Did any other countries have survivors after the wars?”

The vehicle begins to glide forward at high velocity. Straton looks back at us from the front seat. “None that we know of. It’s possible that some survived in shelters such as this one. If so, they’ve never made any attempt to contact us, or at least none that I’m aware of.”

I grip Digory’s hand tightly. Despite my amazement at this place, there’s something about all this that just doesn’t feel right. “I don’t get it,” I say. “If people have survived in Sanctum all of this time, how is it that most of us in the Parish”—I glance at Cassius—“have never heard of you before? How could we have survived without any bunkers, and why have you never come to our aid?”

It’s not only curiosity that fuels my question. It’s anger, too. All this time, the people under the Establishment’s thrall have endured such inhumane and deplorable conditions while Straton and his crew have apparently been living it up down here, with plenty of resources that could have made all our lives so much easier.

It’s Cassius who answers me. “It’s not like that. The people of Sanctum have had their eyes on us from the very beginning.”

My gaze flicks between them. “Tell me everything.”

Cassius and Straton exchange a look and the older man nods. He turns to me. “Centuries ago, once the worst of the carnage was over and the atmosphere had become manageable again, much talk occurred here about our eventual return to the surface. The feelings both for and against were quite passionate—and volatile. A compromise was made. It was decided that a small group of one hundred settlers would be permitted to leave the safety of Sanctum with supplies and provisions in an effort to re-establish a society above ground.”

The sky above turns from darkness to soft shades of pink and purple as we zoom into the Dawn quadrant.

Straton clears his throat before continuing. “It was a risky mission, fraught with danger and fear. Those first pioneers had the unenviable task of braving the elements and setting up a new home.”

He takes a deep breath. “Because of the dangers, it was decided by the ruling council that each member of the expedition could choose only one of their family members to accompany them. The rest had to stay behind. It was a dark time. Families were torn apart. But it was vital to the continued survival of Sanctum that the others remain behind. Of course, the explorers were given as many supplies as could be spared—food, medical provisions—and even were accompanied by a scientist, an agricultural specialist, a tech expert, and a cleric—but it was still a huge gambit. Not all of them survived that first year, but soon they set up a small township and slowly began to thrive under the guidance of their leader, Queran Embers.”

“Queran Embers?” My heart rate accelerates. “Small township.” I catch Cassius’s eye. “The Parish. These re-establishers became the Establishment, didn’t they?”

Cassius nods. “Yes. All of us—you, me—everyone we know back home—we’re all descendants of those first settlers from Sanctum.”

The words gridlock in my throat. I can’t stop staring at our Flesher escort, sitting stoic, the soft hues of the newly born sky incongruous against its repulsive features. All that time, fleeing from their touch, I had no idea I was running from our very own past.

And this place, Sanctum—with its Fleshers, four different skies, giant telescopes, and archives filled with information I’ve always dreamed about—it’s not just a wondrous discovery.

It’s where we all come from. Our true birthplace.

“I can tell you’re as surprised as I was when I learned the truth,” Cassius says. There’s something in his voice that’s tinged with empathy, a harsh reminder of someone that doesn’t exist anymore—that maybe never did. I huddle against Digory, who puts his arm around me, pulling me close against him.

“If we do come from you,” I finally say, “how is it that we’ve never known about you before?”