Through the seemingly bottomless chasm a raw wind bent its way past the lush hanging growths and the steep rock faces that they hung from until it reached a flat piece of rock surrounded by nothing but emptiness. All around the island no paths lead to the canyon walls save one, a scraggy arch that was drenched in moss and small indigo flowers that felt soft to the naked foot. Artificial waterfalls roared in the distance, continuing their everlasting duties of bringing life to the scenery. Far below the echo of a busy torrent could be made out over the gale’s cry.

“Karni.” A sharp masculine voice pierced the air. It was not the kind of tone you would expect from a man in a pleasant mood. The youth whirled his head around immediately, an expression of liability engraved on his lively face. Between clusters of soggy brown hair Karni looked up at the rigid face of his father, An’dus Gadmen. Even though he knew behind his father’s stern eyes were warmth, Karni did not doubt that he would be punished for his foolish behaviour.

“Yes Father,” he responded in a feeble manner. He wished he could sound more confident but the surprise of his old man’s sudden appearance had caught him off guard.

“Where is your friend, Ordol?” Gadmen seemed to be more anxious than hostile.

“She’s over on the valley wall,” Karni admitted truthfully. He aimed his finger towards one of the broader waterfalls. “You see? There, in between that shallow pool of water and the large clump of ferns.”

Gadmen shifted his shoulder length hair to clear his vision. His expression changed, the warmth returning to his face. “Yes, I see. The girl drenched from head to foot and shivering quietly in the wind?”

Karni nodded uneasily. His father just grinned. “I know she deserved it, I saw the whole thing. I would have done the same thing at your age if someone had tried to push me under a waterfall.” He paused and became stern again. “You had better go and fetch her now. None of us should spend too long out in the open these days…” his voice trailed off. “Not since they legalised those things.”

Karni stood puzzled for a moment as the tall shape of his father moved away. What things? But he knew better than the question his fathers thoughts and intentions. He would only receive a cryptic answer. The rebellion against society, lead by his father, was not a matter for a child to indulge in. One day when he was old enough, the truth would be revealed to him.

---

The sun sank westward and it blurred with the pinnacle of the mountains in a beautiful orange haze. Every night Karni had used to watch it disappear when he was a young child but now it was a rare sight for him. It was no longer contemplated safe to wander after dusk according to his father. Never was he given a reason for this though.

Karni examined the chamber around him, hidden beneath the surface of the cliff top. To his left sat his father and two other men deep in discussion. One of these men was a newcomer named Benjak who had joined the rebellion just under a month ago. Karni felt a wave of regret as he thought of the rebellion. He wished he could live in the cities that other children his age were living in right now and watch the sun set without fear. According to others it was an utopian civilisation, built on the fundamental beliefs of the people and protected by great Towers that gave life to the world. At that moment Benjak looked up and his keen eyes met with Karni’s. For an instance there was a look of understanding there in the thirty four year olds face. Karni quickly directed his sight elsewhere.

Ordol sat in the opposite corner, her pale face mostly hidden by a large book that Karni could not make out the title of from his position. She was now looking much drier except for the long shadowy hair that lay matted over her shoulders. She looked up and smiled at him. One of the things that Karni liked so much about his friend was her ability to forgive so hastily. It was an infrequent rarity amongst humans and something he wished he could do himself more effortlessly.

Ordol walked over to him. A sprinkle of water fell on his bare knee as she sat down and nodded towards the three men murmuring almost soundlessly in the corner. “What do you think they’re hiding from us?” she sighed.

Karni glanced over at the three men. Gadmen looked distressed, the insecure face of Larson, the blond man sitting next to him, confirmed that there was something was up. Karni shrugged. “You know as much as I do, Ordol,” he said. “They don’t tell us anything.”

Ordol’s expression was one of annoyance. “You’re twelve, almost thirteen, and your own father won’t even tell you about something that could put our lives in danger.” She paused. “That doesn’t seem right.”

“I don’t understand it,” said Karni. “We are rebelling against civilisation yet all I have heard is what a paradise it is to live in. People I have talked to say that the great Towers provided them with food and a stable environment. But when I ask them why they joined the rebellion they go quiet and speak no more on the subject.”

Ordol propped her head on her hand as if in thought. “The Towers were created to heal the world yet our intention is to destroy them.”

---

Karni lay on a firm slab of rock, his body protected from the coarse surface by a thick covering of lichen, which had been gathered from the trees above. This was his bed, simple but as he had been raised in these sorts of conditions, he was content. For a blanket, a layer of coolia’s skin, a natural creature that had existed long before humans had arrived on the planet, covered Karni.

A shape appeared in the stone doorway. Karni looked up and suddenly felt slightly afraid. He was relieved to see it taking shape into his father, followed by Benjak. Gadmen sat down on the end of the bed while Benjak stood back in the doorway waiting for his leader.

“Tomorrow we’re evacuating this hideout,” Gadmen said simply. “I want you and Ordol to leave before the rest of us.”

“Why is that?” asked Karni feeling slightly annoyed at being left out once again.

“It is not safe for you to come with the main group of us,” Gadmen replied ignoring the reason why they had to leave. “We don’t know who or what we will stumble across.” Gadmen’s hand fell to the gun in his belt. “It will be better if the two of you sneak off quietly at dawn. You should be safe enough if you keep yourselves hidden from sight. I’m sorry that I can’t send an adult with you but all my men will be needed. We will meet you at the bend in the canyon, south of here.”

Karni nodded. He wished his father would tell him more though.

Gadmen turned to leave.

“Father,” Karni spoke, attracting his father’s attention.

“Why do we seek to destroy the Towers when they were make the world better?”

Gadmen turned around. “The Towers were once made for that noble purpose,” he said almost sadly. “However their purpose has become corrupted. The descendants of those that built them have other designs for them in mind.” He paused as if he was about to reveal them. “Designs I do not think are for the good of humanity.”

Karni looked blank.

“Good night,” Gadmen said and he turned and departed from the room.

Benjak gazed around the room as for a few seconds longer, as if he was also absorbing what Gadmen said, and after bidding Karni good night retired to his own quarters.

Sleep filled Karni’s eyes and as he lay there pondering ways the Towers could be used for evil, his thoughts turned into dreams. He saw the Towers rise up on huge legs, crushing cities of screaming people into the ground where a chaotic inferno of fire and dust eliminated what remained of them. A huge beam of energy sliced through the planet’s crust approaching Karni with increasing speed. He woke, shaking and dripping with sweat, wondering whether this nightmare could become part of his future or if it was just a figment of his imagination.