The Wall

Gus spoke first. “We should wait until nightfall and take the spi

Joseph was listening, stroking his chin and swaying from side to side with Orry in his other arm. I tried not to gaze at the golden facial hair he had grown in his coma, adorable little brushstrokes of pure, spun gold, catching the light. His expression was stern. “I need to know your names and what your intentions are before any decisions are made,” he said flatly. Apart from Matthew, everyone was looking up at him. The way he spoke, no one was going to argue.

Gus walked over to him and shook his hand, introducing himself as the coordinator of the group. We already knew Matthew. Gus introduced Cal as his son and a contributor. Coordinator, contributor, these were words we didn’t understand the meanings of. Joseph shook his hand also. I saw Cal smirk as he approached and then wince when they shook, Joseph squeezing his hand too hard. I didn’t think that was necessary. Cal was still pumping his sore hand behind his back when Matthew introduced two other men and two women. “This is Gwen, Elisha, Bataar, and Hally,” He motioned to a tall, young woman, the woman who had ridden with us, and two dark men, similar in age to Gus, their skin leathery and wrinkled like raisins, muscular and gruff. We nodded in greeting.

“As for our intentions… we could ask you the same thing,” Gus stated, his dark brows knotted in conversation with each other.

I scoffed. “We don’t have any intentions; we’re just trying to survive.”

He shot me a disapproving stare at the same time as a cold wind shot through the tu

“I think what Rosa is trying to say is… we appreciate everything you have done for us but we need to know that we can trust you,” Alexei stuttered, dragging Apella by the arm into the circle. “Everything has happened so fast.”

“You’ve been through a lot, I know, and it is hard to trust people, people different from you. But you can, trust us, I mean,” Matthew said clumsily. He seemed somewhat unsure of himself, which was unlike him.

The woman, Gwen, interrupted. “We don’t have time for this!”

She was right.

The two groups stood opposite each other, like warring tribes. Lines drawn and redrawn. It dawned on me that we were no longer part of any tribe or group. We were only part of each other and those bonds were loose and fraying at best.

Joseph stood up tall. “Look, I am just trying to protect my family.”

My shoulders pulled together at the words. I had the urge to make an excuse and creep away, slide along the wall like a thief and run into the woods. Instead, I took a few steps into the middle of the group. “If we need to go, then let’s just go. But we need answers. Whoever is willing to give them can ride with me.” I sca

Gwen stepped forward. “I don’t know why we’re making such a fuss. We have nothing to hide. I’ll answer any questions you like,” she said, her voice like a whip, tight and lashing. I didn’t recognize it from the conversation in the bathroom and was a little disappointed I couldn’t use what I had heard to catch them out. Gus looked like he was going to object but she glared at him and he turned away. Right then, I liked her.

Everyone pushed their things into the remarkable carriages. Piles of crisp white sharper still against the blaring purple and dusty blue. Tracing the shape when the door was open, they were like giant marbles with a second sphere floating inside them. I heard Alexei exclaiming that they must be electromagnetic, whatever that meant. I squinted at the edge of the door, trying to decipher how they worked, but dogs barking distracted me and we were told to get in. Dogs and sleds went in the rear carriages with Bataar, and the rest settled in to wait for cover of dark.

We took off our suits and piled in. Our entire original group squished into one carriage with Gwen, who sat cross-legged on the floor, staring up at us. She was athletic looking, her limbs svelte under the thin leggings and a cotton top she had on underneath her suit. She was much taller than me, and ta

She scrunched up her face, creating dimples high up on her cheeks. “What do you want to know?”

“What, er, how did you build this amazing train?” Alexei asked. I wanted to slap him. That wasn’t important right now.

Gwen looked amused. “Borrowed technology. Next.” She flicked a nail upwards and it landed on the table in front of Apella. Disgusted, but at least showing a tiny sign of life, Apella used her pinky finger to flick it off.

“Yes but the reflections or absorptions…” Alexei stuttered.

Rage was boiling up—could he ever focus on what was important? Joseph took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, Orry sleeping comfortably in the crook of his arm. I rolled my eyes; he would have to put that baby down eventually.

“Alexei, can you save those questions for later, please?” I said, trying not to sound too a

Simple.

“Who are you?” I asked plainly, realizing I should have asked this about six weeks ago. Staring into her dark eyes, they looked like fiery black coals. I identified with that kind of attitude.

She raised her eyebrows and gave me a quick smile. Then her face turned serious. “I am a survivor. I live beyond the wall. I give shelter to those that need it. I am not chosen but I choose to live.”

A shiver ran through me, icier than the frozen land surrounding us.

Everyone went quiet for a few minutes. The words pulled at us. They were stern and accusatory. Full of heavy meaning we could not weigh. Apella stared at her wispy fingers. Alexei was deep in contemplation. Deshi was trying to stop Hessa from climbing onto the table. Gwen resumed her attack on her nails as we absorbed what she had just said. The last words echoed in my mind, a mirror image of what we had always been taught. I am not chosen but I choose to live. We were chosen—we were told that we were the lucky ones. Maybe we were. But I doubted it.

Everyone was staring at their hands or at the walls. But I didn’t feel this guilt. I didn’t ask to be chosen. Neither did they. Besides, now all we were chosen for was recapture and probably death.

“Is that the Pledge?” I asked, surprised faces all around.

Gwen nodded. “That’s part of it.”