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  On cue, the repetitive Tandro beats boomed out to announce the glory of the new world these young ones were – apparently - so fortunate to have been created in.

  Atla’s voice spoke over the beats again:

  “This was a new dawn; a chance to take control of the energy around us and to make more of it, to thrive as we moved forward, together united, into the new procreation era.”

  Tiegal pressed the Holomac lightly, causing the current image - of an exploding star – to still. It created a magnificent scene across the lake: a contrast of shimmering water and sunshine, stars and space.

  “Kimberlings. For the grand prize of a whole pineapple, who can tell me what Atla means by the ‘new procreation process’?” Tiegal challenged them.

  This part was always interesting. It was rare to find a kimberling with a higher level of instinct, a dreamer, who could connect with their beginnings, or even their future. She waited for a few seconds. Eventually, a small, hesitant hand, reached upwards at the back of the decking. Tiegal smiled. She had sensed there was something more vibrant about this one.

  “The process by which pieces of hair and teeth are donated?” The voice was a tremble.

  “Go on…your pineapple awaits. Can you tell us more? Why hair and teeth?” Tiegal challenged again.

  She could see the others looking shocked. This was natural. If you had not dreamed it, how could you believe it?

  “Erm, I think it is because of the carbon contained in them; they are used to make the pods they plant in the creation lagoon.” The shy female kimberling answered.

  “Good! And who do you think donates these parts of themselves?”

  “Erm, I’m not sure? I think, maybe, that many Tandroans can contribute? Perhaps the ones who win the Jarm Matches?” she suggested.

  Tiegal shot her a flash of encouraging light with her eyes. It was bright out here, even in the early morning sun, but this kimberling was highly attuned. Tiegal’s look was all the encouragement the kimberling needed. The young female continued:

  “And, also, I think, that maybe, the combination of these donations, from the different Jarm winners, mixes together to create the final energy colour in each of us?”

  “The colour of your energy determining what…” Tiegal urged again.

  This kimberling was the most interesting one she had taught. She reminded her of her younger self; which did not augur well for the kimberling. In fact, she probably shouldn’t encourage this young one to reveal her dream memories so publicly. It could raise too many warning flags. But it was too late now; the valve had been opened.

  “Your diamond colour energy!” the kimberling exclaimed. “The colour of the diamond you will one day wear in your Derado!” she added.

  Tiegal nodded, allowing the news to wash over and sink into these young minds.

  “One pineapple coming your way! You answered perfectly. And that’s why you hear the older ones referring to how everyone is made of everyone! It is the constitution of our peace.” she recited.

  With this deliverance, Tiegal then reactivated the Holomac once more. It was time for them to watch the speeded-up stages of the procreation journey: the implantation of the carbon donations deep under the cave lagoon; the pouring of diamonds into the lagoon water; the gradual growth of the creation lily pods; and the final stage nine months later, when the pods reach the surface of the water, bobbing in the glow of the cave lighting, before finally opening to reveal a baby Tandroan.

  She hated watching this. There was something so disconnecting about it all. It made her feel nauseous; to think of the myriad of teeth and hair, from strangers she had never met, and probably never would meet, that had made her. It sometimes made her dream of drowning. These nightmares haunted her, made her yearn for the boy on the river even more, to save her.

  It was more comfortable to look across the screen to the other side of Kimberrago Island. That was her favourite spot, where she could re-energise, just by being near the wildlife that preferred to congregate over there.

  There’s a kayak tied to the decking. It wouldn’t take me long to row over there!

  She thought, biting her lip as she mentally weighed the risks of carrying out her urge.

  But tempting as escape was, she realized she couldn’t afford to create any more discontent in the camp. The leaders were already raising eyebrows at her tendencies to form close bonds in the groups around her. She just needed to round this all up.

  When the show finished she pressed the Holomac one more time to switch off the light source so that the screen would disappear. With the exception of the more attuned female at the back, all the kimberlings looked utterly stunned.

  “So…what did you all think of that?” she dared. This question was not on her sheet. Such opinions were not considered relevant for this programme, but she always asked for them anyway.

  The young male at the front, the eager one, threw up his hand in the air. She nodded.

  “Is it a good thing to be a donator?” he asked.

  Silly question, she thought, but useful, as it seamlessly led her to the next section of this lesson: the Jarm Matches.

  “What do you think?” She asked.

  “I think …yes?”

  The piece of fig she had in her hand, ready to throw to him, was now soggy and his answer didn’t really warrant the reward, but she threw it to him anyway.

  “It is indeed a good thing. And it is what you are going to train for during your development years. Those who win the Jarm Matches are given the privilege to donate to our future generations. It is the greatest honour afforded to a Tandroan: to contribute your energy to new life!”

  Now I sound like a robot!

  Even though she was doing what she was supposed to do – following the teaching programme on the sheet – she bristled with frustration. It seemed ironic that she was meant to teach them to think of themselves as individual islands; to preserve their fires and energies; to only exchange their energy with others from a distance and to not let anyone drain it away! As so often happened during these teachings, she felt her own fire burning inside of her; a sudden, uncontrollable rage. There had to be a way to enjoy the search for connection with another, to be more than just single units who cannot love each other or form bonds.

  Like the fair-haired male who plays with the stones by the river in my dreams. We are already connected in some way. I just know we are!

  Just thinking of him again – how she yearned to reach him beyond her dreams – fuelled her frustration further. All this talk of preservation of energy was just a smokescreen for maintaining control!

  “This is how you suck out energy from someone. You force them to say words they don’t believe in!” she blurted out.

  The moment the words left her mouth – when she realised she had spoken her thoughts out loud - she knew she was in deep trouble. The lesson was almost over. The camp leaders would be nearby and there was a strong chance that her outburst had reached their audible range.

  On impulse she ran over to the edge of the decking and untied the ropes so she could free the kayak and jump in. Without pausing to check which camp leader was approaching - she could hear loud footsteps running on the decking between the floating sleep tents and the classroom – she grabbed the oars and began to row.

  As she glanced back to wave at the kimberlings, who had all run to the edge of the decking to bear witness to this unbelievable act of rebellion, she cried out:

  “And this is how you get your energy back!”

  2. The Cave

  Tiegal clenched her hands into tight fists and then rubbed her eyes with such vigour that it made them hurt. She was already wishing she had brought her sun-protection glasses. The way her pupils were flashing their light with such an alarming intensity, they might draw too much attention to her.

  Curse those stupid prophecy dreams again! Now I’m tired, over-emotional, and my eyes are flashing more than they should be! All things that will count against me today.
And just when I need to put on my best performance! To show I’m not too different to all the others! To prove that I have truly redeemed myself after my act of rebellion during class last week.

  She shuddered at the sight of the light from her eyes flickering in her shadow as she approached her two best friends. Even though Zeno and Rinzals’ eyes were also radiating more brilliance than usual– a clear indication of how excited they were - she knew her light was more vibrant than anyone else around them. That her anticipation for the day ahead veered on the brink of fear rather than pleasure.

  “And here she is. The great teacher escapist extraordinaire!” Rinzal teased as she reached him. She rolled her eyes at him, an action which created a kaleidoscope of light flickers in both their shadows.

  Rinzal chuckled and gave her a gentle nudge as he rolled his eyes in unison with her, joining in with her shadowy light dance.

  “I’m only teasing you Tiegal,” he whispered, “I’m just grateful you weren’t punished. And I’m still amazed the camp leader believed that story you gave him about over-heating on the decking.”

  Tiegal shrugged and nodded at him. She was more than aware of just how lucky she had been to escape punishment.

  “So then, this is it! The day has finally come. How do you both feel?” Zeno bubbled. Her excitement was contagious.

  “There are no words to describe how I feel right now. It’s the moment we have all been waiting for!” Tiegal lied, managing a forced smile.

  She saw no benefit in revealing the foreboding feeling that rumbled inside her. How she feared her true self would be revealed inside the energy cave, that she may no longer hide how alien she felt amongst her kind.

  Or, that she still dreamed of a male from another time and space. A male she had never spoken to and yet somehow felt more connected to than anyone who existed with her here, in Tandro.

  Tiegal lowered her eyes from the concerned looks around her, realizing too late that once again she had failed to hide her deeper thoughts. She cursed herself inwardly. Rinzal and Zeno didn’t need to hear her fears. It was not fair to dampen everyone’s spirits with her negativity. This was their special day.

  “Is that Jovil? The energy lagoon master?” Zeno asked as they approached the entrance to the cave. A line had already formed in front of an exceptionally tall male, who wore his coal-black hair longer than most males, and who was counting each of the young Tandroans as they joined the queue.

  “It must be,” answered Rinzal, “I was hoping he’d be here today. I’ve always wanted to meet him. I mean he was the one who monitored our pods! Surely that kind of makes him our creator.” Rinzal enthused.

  Tiegal frowned at her male friend. The enthusiasm he was exhibiting today, for this milestone moment and all its big reveals, confused her. She had always thought that Rinzal was the one Tandroan she could count on to share her disdain for the secrecy that contained them all; about who they really were, where they came from, and what they could do.

  “I thought it annoyed you that we have to wait until we are eighteen to enter the cave and finally understand our energy colours?” Tiegal challenged, careful to keep her voice low. She could have focused her thoughts to him in an inaudible way but there were too many others near them who would pick up her internal dialogue. It was far safer to whisper and encourage him to lip-read when they were in such a busy environment like this.

  Rinzal didn’t pick up on her question. Or, if he did, he was choosing to practice selective hearing again.

  “I don’t recognize everyone here. Do you think some of them transferred from the other islands?” Zeno wondered, scratching at her neck as she surveyed the young Tandroans ahead of them, standing in an orderly queue. Tiegal wriggled her nose. She could smell Zeno’s anxiety. It was a spicy odour. And another contagious emotion. One she was determined not to absorb. Not today.

  “Stop scratching your neck Zeno! It could interfere with your colours,” she advised her friend in her gentlest tone. Rinzal nodded in agreement.

  “Tiegal makes a good point Zeno. They do say the water in the cave lagoon is very sensitive to your emotions. Best to keep calm if you can. We want to make sure we get the best reaction from Atla’s diamonds as possible,” he added.

  Zeno and Tiegal exchanged knowing looks. They both knew he was putting on an act. That Rinzal, just as much as any of them, harboured genuine fears of what the milestone ritual they were all about to face could entail.

  “And in answer to your question Zeno, yes! This is the only energy cave. This is where all pre-releasers have to come when they reach of age. Why? Did you think there was one for each island?” Rinzal queried.

  “I’ve never given much thought to it. I’m not as obsessed by it all as you are Rinzal.” Zeno mumbled, shrugging her shoulders at them both and turning in the direction of the excitable chattering that sounded out from the queue ahead. She craned her neck as though she were looking for someone in particular.

  Tiegal and Rinzal laughed in perfect unison. They both knew Zeno had given a lot of thought about what would happen in the cave. Everyone on Tandro did! How could you not obsess about this rite of passage: the day you finally discovered where you came from and how the diamond would react to your energy?

  “Oh, come on Zeno. We all know that’s not true. You’re the one who’s spent the last two years training to be a mine engineer, just so you could get as close to as many diamonds as possible and absorb their energy. At least you have a clue…a feeling…about how the cave diamond will react when you touch it? Not like me and Tiegal! We’re just teachers! We don’t get near any precious stones doing what we do all day!” Rinzal remarked, giving Tiegal a gentle nudge with his elbow.

  “We have no idea what colour they will assign us!” he added.

  Tiegal took a few steps back from them. The challenging exchange between her friends had released an unpleasant odour that made it uncomfortable for her to breathe. She shook her foot out in front of her to get rid of something inside her shoe. Both Zeno and Rinzal frowned at her. It was clear her stealth efforts to create some distance between them had failed.

  “Sorry! You know my senses are heightened when I’m nervous.” Tiegal explained, realizing too late that she had also failed to conceal her thoughts from them, once again. “And, I know…I’m also really bad at hiding my thinking too!” she admitted.

  Zeno shook her head as she moved herself closer to Tiegal, putting her arm around her shoulders. A strand had fallen loose from her copper brown ponytail. Tiegal reached out to tuck it behind her friend’s ear.

  “Hey, we’re all nervous. You know Rinzal and I are only debating with each other. It’s not this bad energy that you always assume it to be. It’s good to challenge each other like this. It gets the fire inside of us sparking! But I do worry for you sometimes Tiegal. The way you pick up on things so…so…”

  “Emotionally?” Tiegal offered.

  Rinzal and Zeno nodded in perfect symmetry to each other.

  “I know! I am a strange one. Maybe there was something in the cave water when I was being made, something other than diamonds…something that made me this way?” She tried to joke, but the tremble in her voice gave her fears away.

  Rinzal suddenly clapped his hands, nodding his head towards the man they suspected was Jovil, the energy lagoon master, and who was now beckoning the people at the front of the queue to follow him.

  “Well, we’ll find out soon enough. The line is moving. Looks like we’re going in!”

  Rinzal said.

  “Stop overthinking it Tiegal! Just relax and enjoy the experience,” Rinzal instructed. His voice trembled across the space between them. The radiant light from his pupils pulsated out into the darkness of the tunnel entrance to the cave. Tiegal turned her face to his, eager to return light from her own eyes, and highlight the features of his face. To find comfort in the familiarity of him and his light, which she always found much warmer than the others in her camp. They had already lost Zeno to a group
of engineers she worked with as they entered the tunnel. Keeping Rinzal close by was now more important than ever.

  “I am enjoying it Rinzal! I’m just scared that’s all! I’ve just got a bad feeling about what’s going to happen when it’s my turn!” she whispered back to him, berating herself for being so dramatic. The last thing she wanted was to ruin this day for him, but he was the only one who knew about her dreams - and her fears.

  Rinzal touched her arm, ever so lightly, careful enough that no one could have spotted their contact in the darkness.

  “Tiegal. Come on now. It’s just because you let your dreams control your emotions. We’ve talked about this. You have to stop believing they’re predictions of your future. It’s not like you’ve ever dreamed something, or someone, into your life before,” he reasoned.

  “I know Rinzal but it’s just so real to me when I go there that I can’t help feeling it’s trying to tell me something. That something is going to happen,” she responded as she pinched her nose.

  A strong aroma had wafted across the tunnel. A distinct combination of airborne molecules that made the hairs on her arms stand on end. It was the scent of doubt, uncertainty, and excitement oozing from the pores of her fellow Tandroans. There was no doubt they could all feel the powerful energy they were heading towards; that this truly was an auspicious day in their lives.

  “Shh…Jovil is coming over.” Rinzal had moved closer so he could whisper to her.

  Tiegal froze as the line in front of her parted to allow the alarmingly tall lagoon master to make his way over.

  “Tiegal Eureka! Come!” he both announced and instructed as he reached her.

  She managed a tiny wobble of her head, hoping it resembled an assent. Without daring to glance back at Rinzal, for fear she would say something inappropriate, she followed Jovil through the narrow parting of the crowd until they reached the end of the line of participants.

  “You will be called out individually when it is your turn to enter the lagoon. Stay in line for now. The wait should not take too long.”