Havenworld

I sit bolt upright. "We need to get back! Aiden… the medication—"

"You don't have to worry about that. Aiden is taken care of."

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog. "But how…?"

"Aiden was being treated when you saw him, Tristan. The information Mother Celeste told you was a test."

I slowly relax. Just a test. For what, I don't know, but the important thing is that Aiden is safe. He will live.

"I… I don't understand any of this."

"You were never meant to understand. At least not yet."

I automatically stiffen at the sound of Celeste's voice. She and Dr. Hamilton enter together. The infirmary seems entirely too small with both of them in it.

Celeste looks at me with eyes that betray nothing. I can't tell if She's angry or pleased.

"You were groomed for only one thing, Tristan. Knowledge of the Outside was deemed unnecessary for your role. We eliminated as many distractions as possible that could prevent you from performing that task."

Her dark eyes gleam. "Of course, we didn't anticipate your attachment to your brother. Once his condition affected your performance so severely, we decided to move you along to the next level earlier than anticipated."

"The next level of what?"

"Recycling."

I lean back against the pillow as a wave of dizziness makes my vision blur. "Recycling? But I thought that meant… dying."

For the first time, the corners of her usually mirthless lips hint at the existence of humor. "Did you? Then you should be pleased to learn otherwise."

"Do all the mounts come here?"

"All males eventually end up Outside the Haven," Dr. Hamilton says. "The original Matrons were fearful of corruptive influences." He gives Celeste a wry smile. "Like adult males. They established the code you have lived by all your life."

"We would never waste life so needlessly," Celeste says. "The males are placed in this habitat outside the Haven where they can thrive under less constricted circumstances. Volunteers from the Haven choose to live Outside as well. That union evolved into what you see here. When the numbers grow too large, a selected group is chosen to establish a habitat further away. We now have five separate habitats. The experiment is working."

"What experiment?"

Dr. Hamilton smiles. "Repopulation. If you feel up to it, we'll show you."

I'm lightheaded and still a little dizzy, but I manage to get up and on my feet without embarrassing myself. I follow Dr. Hamilton and Celeste through a door that leads further in the compound. Camilla falls in beside me. Now that I'm fully awake, I notice that she had bathed and dressed in a new uniform. The sweat and dust are gone, and the light glints off her hair.

She notices my attention and smiles. "Still confused?"

I nod.

She takes my hand in hers. "Aiden was already medicated and safe when you visited him. He is doing fine now. This was an opportunity to see if you could adapt to quickly changing circumstances. To comprehend the sudden revelation of the truth. It's necessary for the program."

She looks at me as though searching for something. "I'm sorry if you thought I deceived you. I did what they asked, but I would never have let any harm come to you, I promise."

Something about her expression brings a rush of heat to my face. I shrug, looking downward. "I know. I don't blame you for anything, Camilla. I'm glad that you're with me."

She squeezes my hand tightly. "I know it's a lot to take in. You're doing great."

We arrive at a nursery. Row after row of newborns lay in their hampers. The babies sleep, cry and gurgle in playful tones. There's something different about them, something in the softness of their skin and shimmer in their eyes. I have never seen the like before.

"What's wrong with them?"

Dr. Hamilton smiles as though it were his seeds that had brought the entire brood into existence. "Nothing at all. That's the beauty of it."

Camilla has one hand pressed against the glass, smiling. Celeste stares imperiously, her arms folded.

I continue to stare. "But they're not doing anything. They're just… there."

"That's right. No tubes, no hormone adjustments, no accelerated learning programs. This is natural growth, Tristan. This is infancy."

"Infancy…?"

Celeste steps forward. "We believe it to be the answer to our problems with life expectancy. In the past, it was necessary to try to produce as much offspring as possible. Now we're noticing problems in our breeding programs. Issues like Aiden's seizures are more common than ever before."

"The changes went into effect around fifteen years ago," Dr. Hamilton said. "Before the Cataclysm it was normal for children to grow at the rate that nature allows. We chose a select group to develop naturally to see if doing so would reap benefits. You're living proof that it does."

I pulled my eyes away from the babies to stare at him. "Me?"

Celeste does something completely out of character. She smiles. I'm surprised at the transformation of her face, the warmness that hides behind the mask of serenity.

"Yes, Tristan. You were one of those who developed naturally before being inducted into the Haven. Right away we could see you were different. Your attraction to the sea, your inquisitive nature, your development of certain feelings…" she looks at Camilla, who uncharacteristically blushes and peers at her feet.

Celeste turns back to me. "All things that the other mounts were oblivious to. Your generation is the next step in our development, Tristan. Already it has been predicted that you will outlive the oldest of us by far."

Her eyes grow distant. "It's time to institute the next stage in our repopulation efforts. You've already proved capable of developing relationships. We will see if you can take that to the next level."

There's a weight to her words, something that causes me to realize that events have altered in a way that will change my life forever. I look up almost fearfully.

"I… I can't go back to the Haven, can I?"

Her eyes are almost sympathetic. "No, Tristan. Life in the Haven has ended for you. This is your new beginning."

6

It seems as if I've been outside the Haven forever, but it has just been two weeks. I stand and witness the true face of the ocean. It's not as serene and safe as the controlled waters of the Haven. Here the waves pound the shore; dark blue towering walls of water that collapse with powerful explosions of spray and foam. The mist showers like rain, drenching me from head to toe and filling the air with the flavor of the sea.

I love it.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Camilla approaches, her hair loose and shimmering. Her skin has darkened as mine has; toasted under the natural rays of the sun. My peeling nose and back are a testament to the lessons learned from staying out too long in it.

But there is so much to see.

Camilla is another of those raised naturally. We have been reintroduced into the habitat and welcomed by all. Although we do our share of chores as productive members, I'm given a lot of time for exploration and development.

I swallow the outside world whole. Everywhere I turn there's something new to learn, even if sometimes it's by stumbling and falling. The bruises and scrapes still sting, but I wear them like badges of honor now, showing them off to anyone who will pay attention.

I join Camilla as she sits down in the sand. The warmth of her skin tickles the tiny hairs on my arm as we listen to the wind having billowy conversations with the shore. Tiny creatures scurry along, annoyed at having to detour around us.

Camilla squints through thick eyelashes, watching the silver-flecked waves as the wind mischievously tugs at her hair.