The Gates - Book 1 (Chapter 3)

If you’re new to The Gates, start here at Chapter 1.

Chapter 3

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The next morning was a flurry of activity. The day started with Simmy waking up to the sound of various folks from the dwell popping their heads through the window of the shack to ask Elrik about the stranger that died. The story of the stranger had already reached the outlining shacks, so naturally rumours and legends had already begun spreading. Now the usual nosiest of the Older dwellers and the bravest of the kids were poking around hoping for a glimpse of the now currently defined ‘Red Giant from the planet's core’. So you can imagine their disappointment when they arrived to be met with a stern pushback from Elrik who wanted to keep this with only the Elders for now. Some of these hopefuls had not even gotten dressed and turned up in their morning robes. Simmy sat and thought about the events of last night and could not recall that a murder has ever happened in the dwell, sure there had been fights and disagreements resulting in injuries between a fisherman and whose catch belongs to who, or a disagreement over who is next in line at the tavern. But never death. Since the planet went to waste in the nuclear arms race of the 31st century, the remaining pockets of people who survived and managed to group together were left to themselves across various locations on the planet's surface, some not even knowing the others even existed. In Simmy’s case, his people, the Sea Dwellers. Call the Sea their home on this floating city of huts all held together by rope. Early in the formation of the dwell, the Elders were formed. A selection of 7 men and women who run and make the laws in which they are all governed. Elrik, is currently one of them. Long ago they had stated that for all of them to survive it was at the utmost important above anything else, to keep peace and as such it is encouraged that all disputes. Even those between family members would come before the Elders for decisions. If disputes were taken into any dwellers own hands and violence became of it and resulted in serious injury or death. That dweller could face banishment and be left on a raft as the city moved on. So far this has been enough of a deterrent to keep the peace.

Simmy really hates it when his house is full of people. He is used to it of course with everyone coming to Elrik at all hours to solve problem after problem but today he really didn’t want the attention. Especially considering he still had the stranger’s tube in his pocket waiting to be investigated further. So he was happy Elrik was batting them all away. He just needed to slip away now. He tried all morning with no luck, but Elrik was a stickler for the rules and Simmy knew that he would not be able to keep him in the hut much longer as he had school to attend. Simmy planned out the day ahead. He would attend school as usual, however, instead of attending his fishing session afterwards, he would head over to the library and see if he could find anything out about this tube.

He made Elrik his favourite breakfast of pickled red snapper in the hopes it would soften him up and bring his guard down. He ate some himself before wrapping the remainder in some seaweed and started to leave for the day. Elrik stood in front of the door. Looked Simmy square in the face before giving some parting orders. ‘Simmy, you are not to discuss the events of the past evening with anyone today. I know they will ask so when they do, you tell them to talk to me and divert the conversation.’ he took a pause waiting for Simmy to confirm before adding ‘Oh and make sure you come back home straight from school today’. 

‘Crap’ thought Simmy. That ruined his chance of getting to the library.

‘But, I have my fishing session tonight and I need to get my practice in for the exam in 3 weeks’ He quickly rebutted knowing that mentioning the Exam would sway Elrik. ‘Fine’ Elrik replied ‘But keep it short. Only 1 hour this evening.

‘Yes, sir’ and with that he brushed past Elrik and got out the door in case he changed his mind.

Simmy had to walk across the whole Dwell to reach his school, and the fastest way for this was to pass through the Market Square at the heart. Home to the Three Markets that take place each and every day regardless of the weather. Sunrise sees the evening fisherman return and go about selling off their catches.  The high sun of the mid-day summoned the women’s produce hour where women from all across the Dwell converge and sell all the stuff they have been making, everything from tools to intricate clothing and finally the last Market was run when all the children of the dwell are suppose to be nice and tucked in for the evening. This market sells everything from jugs of alcohol to people colluding in the act of prostitution. These acts were once banned on the Dwell, however, due to a lot of unrest, crime and what Simmy assumed was because there were Elders that liked to partake, they decided it would be a lot better for the dwellers to all meet daily and trade in this behaviour under the watch of a newly formed security force known as the handlers. This decision for whatever reason resulted in a very well-run ecosystem of non-violence. 

Simmy passed the centre of the market which was opened out to the sea enabling men to fish freely without having the danger of travelling into the open sea itself and secondly worked as a Harbour for those returning from fishing. The previous night’s rain clouds were moving swiftly away from the dwell leaving behind a trail of cold and low-hanging mist. This is great for the dwell because after a storm has passed over, dwellers would rush to all the various fishing points across the dwell to fish. The storm flushes fish underneath in abundance and makes it a quick and easy source of food. 

Simmy walked past many traders who were still packing up crates and tallying their morning trades from the first market. He reached the end of the market square; from here he faced a choice. He could head left and to the school or head right and to the library.

Simmy had never liked school, he was an adventurer at heart and had big dreams of what the world holds beyond the sea. However school did have its uses, it taught you how to fish, make ropes and survive in storms. All of which Simmy was not a master at and would hopefully be of use one day when he leaves the Dwell. Then today he was definitely not in the mood to deal with school either; the other kids would want to learn of the stranger and being the kid of an Elder, they were sure

to turn this into another way of bullying him. 

Elrik had also requested extra lessons for Simmy on top of his usual lessons, being that his family is in politics and helps manage the day-to-day running of the dwell. Elrik had been training Simmy from an early age in the history and economics of the Dwell. Simmy personally loved learning about the history of the dwell but politics was a subject that drew no interest and this to his distaste is what Elrik had gotten the school to teach him more off. 

The decision was simple; today he would forget school and head right. To the Library and to solve the riddle of the scroll.