The two boys were sitting on the roof of Tony’s building, their feet dangling over the ledge. Before them, sprawled the bright green rectangle of the Algae Farm. It was enormous in size. A good three square miles and dotted with at least a hundred harvester rafts. These specialized vessels were crisscrossing the thick algae surface, leaving black trails behind them. The farming of algae was vital to the Archipelago’s existence. As food, algae crops were a great source of protein, minerals and vitamins. They also had amazing medicinal properties and were used to cure just about anything. But most importantly, this algae crop was the Archipelago’s main source of energy.
Legend had it that Nakamura’s ancestors had discovered a microbe living in the seaweed, and under the right conditions, it could extract sugar from the plant. The sugar was transformed into ethanol and that in turn was used as fuel. All the engines in the city ran on it… But right now, the boys were chewing on the spicy seaweed sticks Flynn had brought. They were delicious! Tony had felt a bit better that day, so Mrs. Romero had finally agreed to let him out for a little walk on the roof… To catch some sun rays. The fresh pigeon eggs Flynn had bartered from Madison also helped in winning the woman over.
Tony’s face was pale, his eyes tired. “What’re you gonna do now, amigo?” he asked, glancing up at Flynn.
“Keep training, of course… Nothing’s really changed.”
“You sure ‘bout that?” Tony looked worried. “Leo Van Zandt ain’t gonna take this lying down, you know… And he’s invited Madison to have dinner with him.”
“That’s his problem,” Flynn said and spat out a wad of seaweed.
“I’ve got a really bad feeling ‘bout this. You should find someone else to be your Crew Mate.”
“But you were the one who told me to go ask Madison… There’s no one else, Tony!” Flynn shook his head. “The Trials are next week… everyone’s teamed up already… I’m going in with her on board.”
“You’ll be putting Madison at risk… Messing with Leo Van Zandt like you two did… Crazy shit!”
“She’s not afraid of the bastard! And she really wants to be on my team.”
“Yeah, ’coz she digs you, amigo!” said Tony, staring intently at his friend.
“Alright, I think I get it now!” Flynn began to laugh. “You’re jealous… of Madison… You’re jealous she’s on the team.”
Tony shook his head and swore under his breath. Flynn couldn’t be more wrong. “No, I ain’t jealous of Madison…”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m just trying to look out for you and the girl, amigo… Like I said, I’ve got a bad feeling bout this… That’s all…”
“Listen Tony, once you get better, you’re coming back with me on the Seeker. We’ll be the best team in town. Madison’s only temporary, OK?”
Tony looked away into the distance. The two boys sat in silence for a long moment then Tony began to cough. He pulled a dirty rag out of his pocket, wiped his mouth and showed it to Flynn… The rag was covered in specks of blood.
“See! I’m never gonna to get better,” Tony said. “I keep thinking ‘bout Mr. Chow and what you said he did on that cable car… How he chose to end it all…”
“What are you saying, Tony!” Flynn’s cried. “That’s crazy talk!”
“Sometimes I wish…” Tony looked down at the twenty storey drop to the water below, “I wish I was brave enough to push myself off this ledge, and be done… Instead of waiting for the Government to do it for me! Waiting for the day my name shows up on the List!”
“Stop it! You’re not going to be on nobody’s list!”
“I know it’s against the law!” Tony looked up at Flynn. “…But at least it’ll be my choice, not theirs!”
Their eyes met and they stared at each other. Tony sat in quiet resignation, while Flynn tried desperately not to choke up, struggling to find the right words. What could he say? Just offer more false encouragements to his best friend… more lies…
“Tony Romero! Where are you?”
The two boys turned at the same time. In a way, Flynn was relieved to hear Mrs. Romero’s voice. It had put a stop to what Tony had been saying… Her head poked from behind the roof’s row of solar panels. When she spotted where the boys were sitting, her eyes grew wide with fear. “Get down from there right now!” she yelled as she rushed toward them.
Tony swung his legs back over the ledge and stood up, followed by Flynn. “Don’t worry, Mom. We’ve done this a million times.”
“I don’t want to hear about it!” She glanced angrily at Flynn and grabbed Tony by the hand. “Enough fresh air for you today! Soup’s ready!” She dragged Tony away, leaving Flynn to stand alone.
He stared after them until they had disappeared, then punched the nearest wall. Knuckles bleeding, Flynn kept pounding at the bricks with all his strength… The pain stopped him from thinking about Tony and everything his friend had said… What prevented him from smashing his hand into a hundred little pieces was the low rumble of thunder over his head. Flynn looked up at the sky and caught his breath… Dark, ominous clouds were gathering over the Archipelago… Finally, he thought, the Lower Side was going to get a break. Rain was on its way! And he knew it would be a huge event! A moment later, he heard the sirens, announcing the approaching and long awaited storm.
Flynn hurried down to the nearest walkway bridge and broke into a run.
By the time he reached his building, the sky was a swirl of angry blackness. The tower was screeching and rattling with every powerful gust of wind. A few raindrops fell on his face as he rushed into his apartment. Flynn’s father was already there, gathering together all kinds of pots, pans, buckets, anything that could be filled with water.
“Just in time, Flynn!” Alan Perry cried. “Give me a hand here.”
Flynn grabbed as many containers as he could carry and ran outside. A flash of lightning lit up his excited face. Seconds later, came the deafening clap of thunder. And then rain began pouring down from the sky. The storm was right above them. Flynn’s father walked out shirtless, wearing only a coarse piece of cloth around his hips. “Quick! Get the soap!” Alan Perry shouted over the sound of more thunder.
Flynn sprinted inside and reappeared a moment later, holding a small lump of home-made soap. He quickly stripped down to only his shorts and kicked his shoes off. There was a flurry of activity around them now. Half-naked people were rushing out of their apartments, carrying pots and pans, placing them on the walkways to catch the fresh rain water. Flynn quickly lathered his body and passed the soap to his dad. Alan Perry scrubbed away the thick layer of salty grime from his skin and then began to work on his matted hair. When he had finished, he just stood under the cascading rain, letting it rinse him clean. The water was warm and pleasant, pounding his body, washing away the foamy scum. Flynn watched his dad. The man was grinning like a child, whistling a tune as he ran his hands over his body.
Flynn shifted his gaze to the crowd around them… Everybody was doing the same. Scrubbing, washing… their faces full of happiness… All this joy over something as simple as being able to clean yourself and your dirty laundry with fresh and unrestricted water… The rain storm was like a gift of life for the people on the Lower Side, pouring down from the skies, a reason to celebrate… Jubilant shouts and laughter rose above the sound of buckets being filled by the driving rain. Singing could be heard, mixed with the howl of the wind and the creaking of the tower.