Destiny: Book of Light Read online

  Jimmy built a large five skinned joint and Sean just struggled to slap together a three skinner. He was never the best at rolling, but Jimmy seemed to be a master of the art. He even made up his own style spliffs every now and then, giving them weird names like hedgefog, or grassfogger. This one he named the smoker joker. The boys were quickly stoned and set about playing one of their favourite past times. There was an old tree stump in the middle of the camp and they had drawn a bullseye in the middle of it. They would take turns throwing knives, (Stolen from many different places and stashed in the camp,) from a distance of about 15 feet to see who could hit the target. This was Sean’s game. He would hit the innermost circle on average six times out of ten, and he was always getting better. Jimmy on the other hand rarely ever hit the target.

  Jimmy, never being the best at losing, decided he'd go home. Sean stayed on watching the sun break through the gaps in the trees. Bathing in it's warmth as he lay in the dry dusty muck, back slanted on the grassy slope, as he smoked a spliff to himself. "This is the life," he thought to himself. He enjoyed smoking around others, but he much preferred smoking by himself. This was when he was most relaxed. Free to do the thinking he really enjoyed. Thinking about the beauty and complexity of the world he moved through, or watching birds and marvelling at their aerobatics. Many thoughts weaved through his mind when he was stoned and alone, but mainly he enjoyed it because it relaxed him. He began to think about Sarah. Her blonde hair flowing through the air as he lead her to the field. How soft her voice was when she spoke and how much each tear she cried ached so much inside him. He let out a little giggle to himself as he recalled the freckles around her nose. He quickly looked around to make sure nobody heard. He remembered the touch of her hand. So warm and trusting. He longed to hold it again. Then her lips. If her hand and voice could be so soft he couldn't even begin to imagine how soft her lips would be. What he would give just to touch them. Just his index finger, just for a moment. "Oh god, fuck, shit, oh god, oh god." He scrambled to his feet as he saw her walking down the path that lead to the camp. She made eye contact. She stepped over the fence with a smile on her face. He wondered if she knew. "Hi Sean." "Hi Sarah." "Whatcha doin?" "Notin much, just havin a smoke." "Can I join you?" "I'd prefer to be alone actually, if you wana..." She didn't listen to him and just sat down next to him. Sean had noticed that she was in much better form today, she spoke louder and even more. He wasn't sure if he liked it, maybe that he prefered the cuteness that he saw in her shyness.

  And in fact she was in better form today. Things still weren't good at home, but it didn't matter. She had spent the two days since they met thinking about nothing else but Sean, no matter what else was going on around her. This made for an addictive break from the haunting thoughts of her parents. In her spare time she spent the majority of it writing his name all over her school books and copies, mixed with an array of love hearts and "Sarah 4 Sean 4evas." "Can I have a smoke?" she said reaching out to grab it without waiting for an answer. "I didn put you for the smoking type?" questioned Sean while looking at her as if she had 10 heads. "Theres a lot you don't know about me," she replied with a cheeky but somewhat mischievous smile on her face. " She took a soft pull off the joint and before even beginning to inhale began to cough frantically. "You've never smoked a joint in your life." laughed Sean. A little embarrassed now, Sarah’s voice calmed down and it was like she returned to herself again and both knew it. "Well I never have before." "Ok just, put your lips on it and instead of sucking it into your mouth, breath it into your lungs." Instructed Sean. She did so. A long breath and followed by only one cough. "It's doing nothing to me, is it supposed to?" she asked. "Well it takes abit, keep smoking you'll feel it soon enough." And she did. She felt her eyes get relaxed, and it was as if smoke filled her mind relaxing everything, and at the same time everything seemed funny. The two of them sat there smoking and laughing about anything for about an hour. Sarah seemed as if all her problems seemed to blow away with the smoke she exhaled. Rising into the air and disappearing to the background of puffy white clouds.

  A haunting feeling came over Sean as he realised he was no longer just interested in her company. Her lips again became the centre of his attention. He became nervous at the thought that he might do something, but ‘what if she said no’, toyed with his paranoia. He knew that most people liked to kiss, and although he never kissed anybody before, not in anyway outside a family member kiss when he was much younger, that is not what he wanted to do. Again all he wanted was to touch her lips. Place one finger equally between the two to test their softness. To wonder at what he had never known. A feeling came over him like he never knew before as the thought of asking her could he touch them rolled back and forth in his mind. A feeling that he could picture himself speaking the words, and as if he was just preparing to speak them, but the breath did not come. The feeling seemed to last an age. He thought of reaching his hand out and just touching them without asking. He may get smacked or get in trouble for it, but it didn't matter. It would be worth it. But again though he pictured it, and his brain told his arm to move, his muscles did not react.

  She slouched on the dusty muck right next to him. Never had he wanted anything more in his life. And it was right next to him. But never had anything seemed harder to achieve. He felt an erection begin again as the thoughts of her lips played with his desires. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide it this time so he tried as hard as he could to think of something else. Anything else. But there was no use, her lips held to much power. Then he was sure she was looking at the bulge beginning to appear in his tracksuit pants. He was expecting screaming and roaring to begin and bowed his head in shame, and waiting. He had problems with not being able to control his genital functions in the past. The worst he recalled was in school. Sitting at his desk, and despite being surrounded by boys he couldn't help thinking about girls. One began to rise, and he praised god for the cover of the desk. But when asked to come to the blackboard to fill in the answers to the 12 times multiplications tables, it didn't matter how much he refused, Mr Callaghan would not take no for an answer. He didn't hear the end of it for at least six months. This was different though. This was a girl. Not only that, this was a girl that he liked.

  Then she said it. The first time he ever had his breath whisked away from him. The simple words that changed such complicated dread into true bliss. Simply, "Do you want to kiss me?" He raised his head and his eyes met hers. They held in the most comfortable silence. An age lost with wonder in the eyes of their new found yet familiar companions. They each felt they had known each other for a matter of years rather than days. Sarah had dreamed of this moment since she was a little girl, and although she hadn't imagined the weed she was smoking, and the fact that her intense vulnerability may have subconsciously made the necessity of distraction a factor in the moment, and the feelings bursting inside her, everything else was perfect.

  Unravelling the tough guy exterior behind the boy she was dreaming of. The sun gleaming through the trees, warming the two of them under the shades of the trees. Most importantly it was at a time in her life when she needed it. A time in her life when it felt right for her. Expectant and sure of herself she closed her eyes and leaned forward, until she felt her already bruised heart ache to the sound of “no.”

  History books and rare photos were all that remembered the glory days of this land. Imagination displayed where the sun should have glistened off the choppy waves as the Land of Light Monument was announced from the bow of the tanker. But it was only imagination. No sun could shine through the skies here. Not now, not anymore. It had been a gruelling three months aboard, storms puncturing every moment of peace with great frequency. Sean had looked at his voyage as a chance to relax and recuperate from his injuries, but it had been the complete opposite. He spent his time between being thrown around on the deck of Angel, the tanker, while gripping for dear life to the slippy excuse for railings. Either that or cowering in his bunk with the sickening rolling m
otion as his only companion. He thought of her alot. Her final moments haunted his dreams and every waking moment. He spent all his spare time between wallowing in self pity and vowing to the heavens, his revenge. The one thing he was sure of was his revenge. The only thing keeping him going was his revenge. He had been so weak from his injuries that it would have seemed like the best option to let that river wash him away, along with all his pain and memories. But then there was his revenge. He had her hand at his lower back, softly pushing him forward, and he had his face in both his eyes building hatred. "Watch your back round these parts Sean, evil lies in every shadow." The captain's eyes glared at the back of Sean's head as much with confusion as with sympathy. He didn't expect him to return. Sean nodded.

  He limped down the gangway to step foot in another country. Riona. A new soil and a new type of world. The whole country was one city, and the city itself was built on a massive island that used to be connected to the mainland of Hastir with huge bridges. It was a fortress against the rest of the world, and it looked as if it would have had the upperhand. There were 12 bridges in total and each was so vast, they could be seen from space. None remained intact. An endless wall with countless weapons and defence measures scaled the city. All looked to be inactive and massive holes and sections were punched out of the wall itself. Sean was slightly amused by a thought. Millions were spent building this wall to keep things out and the damage done, was from the inside. The docks were filled with the signs of poverty and disease and it seemed as if this new world might not have been such a great idea. There were also many signs evident of the great disaster that had occurred here. In fact what remained of the colossal towers provided an eery atmosphere and backdrop to Sean’s mission, but the clarity of how intact each one was, or even how many there were, was unclear through the blinding darkness and sheer size. If he could see properly they would have taken up all sight of the sky. "We'll have to leave the docks while you're gone. We'll be back here in two hours time ok?" Sean nodded again.

  The towers were also visible from space. An amazing feature of mans creation. They used to be just massive towers, but with the rise in power of the gangs came a massive change in their structure. The lower levels were constantly under attack because of the hatred in the oppression of those who were not part of the corporations. Those that did not conform. The bottom levels were abandoned and the corporations built security measures at level 30 of all the towers since control of the gangs proved impossible. In turn everything below this point was taken over. Connections between all the towers above this level began to emerge as anyone going below level 30 was more than likely never going to return. Although the defence measures were impenetrable, one of the leading gangs decided it was going to bomb the bottom of one of the towers, either not caring or not taking into account what would come falling down after the bomb went off, and the domino effect it would have on all the rest of the towers as they were in such close proximity. An elite team sent into, what was simply referred to as below, stopped this attack, and development quickly began in building adjoining supports between all the towers simply referred to as above. This reinforced the strength of the towers, so much so that even if the bottom of one was destroyed it would be supported by the rest. All 340 of the team never returned. They went down in history as Martyrs.

  "You're a braver man than me I'll tell you that. Nobody has ever gone further than the docks, since the incident."

  Sean stared on.

  It didn't take long before structure of what resembled an actual ground level began, this time on level 40 allowing for the ongoing battle below. But the corporations knew that should anything serious happen below, above would be at risk, because of it's foundations being imbedded in a gang controlled underworld. With all that lay at stake something had to be done. What was done would not only change the course of the planet, but the whole Solar System came under threat. The biggest of the corporations, known as Amack, found a way to harness the suns energy. It was said that a young scientist was sitting in bed with curtains nearly fully drawn. Only a single ray of sunlight cut through his room. He was smoking a joint and blowing rings in a deep trance when he noticed it. As the ring passed through the ray of light, it left a less dense ring behind it in the lights path. This indicated the energy within the light itself. Enough to stop moving smoke. With the abundance of light nearly constant at the higher level of the towers this was an energy source that must be utilised. They began creating solar power.

  Shortly following this another scientist realised the differences between solar power and any other form of power found on the planet. It was a much purer source and with different properties especially in the creation of alloy metals. It was found that the suns energy strengthened metals by oxidization and some other unknown force, to beyond any that existed previously. From this was created a super metal. Anthium. Anthium was completely indestructible by any known means to mankind. But it took years to produce the first of it and it was no bigger than a tennis ball in size. The suns energy needed to be much more concentrated if this metal would ever go into mass production. The corporations saw the potential in the metal and set about doing just that.

  Then came the creation of the solar filter which they called “Birth”. It was like a massive funnel of mirrors between the planet and the Sun, relatively close to the Suns gravitational field but with carefully balanced boosters to counter it. This then focused the Sun's light on a receiver built in Riona Upper. The funnel also acted like a magnifier, multiplying the strength of the light being funneled through it until it was at the point where it was actually drawing energy from the sun, not just absorbing what the sun was giving out.

  "Didn't think he'd actually go through with it captain. Thought it was all a bit of a lark?" "Nah, he's dead serious alright."

  "D'lads were saying he knows one of them?" "Apparently."

  At the moment it was turned on, anywhere on the planet that it was day, dimmed to night. A beam of light with indescribable brightness burst through the atmosphere and into the receiver at the center of Amacks head Tower. They owned five, right dead center of the island. The light was so powerful that all inhabitants of Riona Upper had to wear specially designed glasses. The corporations were prepared for this, and those in Riona Lower were shielded from the light by ground level 40, but thousands along Hastirs coastline were permanently blinded instantly. This lead to a mass evacuation of the mainland coasts to a safe distance from the light. The phrase blind leading the blind was put to the test. Although the Sun was being funnelled it wasn't totally blocked out, but the main source of light for the world now became the beam to Amack. This created permanent daylight in the Southern Hemisphere with Riona, and the light faded the further you got from there, creating permanent dusk at the opposite end of the globe. Anthium went into mass production.

  "We can't just leave him here captain, it's not right. There's gotta be something wrong with him in the head or sumtin?" "It's what we're bein paid for Jimmy."

  First to be created were massive support beams built deep into the core of the earth to support Riona Upper. These beams took many years to construct and to survive you not only worked on construction but you doubled as a soldier, as "The cause," was under constant attack from the gangs. With these attacks though, the Corporations became increasingly proud of their creation. No matter how many set backs or defeats they encountered, once the Anthium was in place and set, nothing the gangs did could affect it. Next came reinforcing the Towers themselves along with Ground Floor 40. This proved much easier without the interference from Below. Riona Upper was secure for now.

  Bits of anything and everything including bodies were everywhere as if each had a story to tell of some warped, abstract artists masterpiece. The crew of the tanker unloaded six containers and the captain picked up a package from a locked safe with which he had the key. He walked to the safe with Sean and after taking out the package, shook Sean’s hand, said nothing and got back onboard. They were gone again
within 20mins. All that time nobody appeared near the docks, and as the tanker left, Sean remained standing there, alone against the silhouette of a broken city.

  "I'll see you in time, you."

  What was once the greatest and most influential power globally, was now a ruin and a miserable form of existence. The cities foreign policies and war based conquering had left the city itself unnurtured. At it's height it controlled 62% of the globe but at home the gangs began to grow in power, and drugs and disease were widespread. Those who were not a part of the empire were set to be and lived in fear. Only one stronghold besides the conflict between Upper and Lower Riona, remained. Brima. Although Upper and Lower were at constant war if it ever came under attack they would be briefly united. But Lower was only interested in defence, it was Upper that conquered. Then about a century ago, on June 5th, after a foiled attack, the retaliating Brima sent a Dissect Bomb disguised among returning soldiers into the heart of Riona Upper. It was estimated that 490 million people were killed instantly. Countless more were permanently deformed from radiation mutation. Amack lost control of "Birth," and it drifted into the center of the Sun. The explosion and the previous draining of the Suns energy left it as a dying star. It was much dimmer and with a blue tinge.

  "You just have to believe."

  It took an estimated 33 seconds for the bomb to explode and spread across both Riona Upper and Lower engulfing all that it touched. In this time the face of the world was changed forever. The single greatest power in the world with whole continents bowing to it's command, suddenly released it's grip leading to a free for all. The blast sent out a blinding white light that was equally powerful at every point on the face of the Earth and lasted roughly five seconds. This was quickly followed by a wave of earthquakes rumbling through the whole world which lead to massive tidal waves and extreme land mass shifting destruction. Then a second blinding light from "Birth," being lost into the sun, lasting 15 seconds. The total number of deaths in this time was estimated at a further 300 million, but the real number would forever remain unknown. This incident in turn led to widespread panic at thoughts of a counter attack. The world erupted into riots and civil war. Especially in the countries previously conquered by Riona, both in political bodies trying to take control of the newly established countries, and in taking back their countries from the Riona military forces, also known as Ri. The latter was relatively easy to achieve as it wasn't the military presence that dominated these countries, it was the fear of the city itself. The world waited for the retaliation, but it never came. The city was silent.