Clan World

by Jim Kochanoff

  “You’re seen these work? How did they keep them repaired?” he asked enthusiastically.

  “I have no idea,” I answered truthfully. “They were maintained in a central warehouse, and if they broke down, the parts were replaced and fixed.”

  “Where do you live?” he asked with some suspicion rising in his voice.

  I gulped, fearing I had said too much. “Far west of here,” I answered but without giving much detail.

  “Her clan is the Droniums,” Jinn offered, but I cringed, realizing how stupid the name was.

  “Never heard of them,” Ander said and then stared at me. “If I help you, will you take me to your town so I can see this in action?” He pointed to the dead drone.

  “Not so fast, buddy.” Jinn jumped up from her stool and stood with me on the rug. “We came here for some answers. Where did you find this robot?”

  Ander paced, cradling the bee drone. He put it down on a table and pulled out a map.

  “Here.” He pointed a section on the map that looked like a desert.

  “Really?” Jinn looked confused. “Nothing lives there. How did you find it there?”

  “I don’t know. You wanted to know where, and I told you. If I knew who created it, I wouldn’t be asking your friend for help to make it operational. Can you take me back to your home?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “At least not now. I have to find my mother, and she’s not there.”

  Ander made a face. “Then there is nothing more we can talk about. If you change your mind…”

  “I’ve already said no,” I answered and started to leave. Ander pressed something on his desk, and then the rug was sinking. It felt like it was going to eat Jinn and I, and we fell backward. No, it wasn’t the rug, it was the floor disappearing, and the rug was caving in and wrapping itself around us. We both screamed as the darkness beneath the rug swallowed us whole.

  6

  Truth

  “Jinn?” I asked. The room was dark, but there was illumination from a ceiling light in the far corner of the room. It was hard to see, but I could make out the shapes of boxes stacked on top of each other. We had fallen into a type of storeroom, based on all the junk that we had seen upstairs. I thought I could make out a doorway in the far-right corner.

  Damn. We walked right over the rug, ready to be sucked down whenever he wanted. What is the matter with the kids in this town?

  “Jinn” I tried again and thought I heard a muffled sound from behind me. I pulled at the rug and unburied my friend.

  “Ouch!” she said. “I think I banged my head. I’m seeing stars.”

  “Take a moment. We’re not going anywhere unless we can find an exit.”

  “Don’t worry, Tuko will find us. He’ll figure out where we went.”

  “What if they trap him just like us? What is wrong with these people?” I yelled in frustration. My voice echoed off the wall.

  “Small-minded or scared, who knows. Eventually a parent is going find out what’s going on.”

  “Are you sure about that?” I offered. “I haven’t seen one adult since we got into town. It’s like all the parents disappeared and left the kids in charge.” Jinn was quiet, as if she was considering my words.

  “You’re right.” Her silhouette was framed before the door to the right. I heard a door handle rattle but no movement. She banged on the door in frustration. “I should have known.”

  “Known what?” I asked.

  “They’re the Orphan clan. Almost all kids — a few adults check in, but they mostly travel around and bring stuff back from other areas. Like the objects you saw upstairs.”

  “You mean,” I kicked a box which barely moved, “the whole town is run by kids younger than us? How do they get anything done? Who disciplines them? Who feeds them?” I couldn’t imagine any parents just leaving their kids behind.

  “Probably not by choice, but it’s dangerous outside of the town. Some adults never make it back. Most of this clan’s parents are nomadic and spend their time scavenging. They believe their kids need to learn to survive on their own. Sink or swim. If you were forced into the same situation, could you survive?”

  I thought about how far I had come on my own. Maybe it wasn’t that hard to believe a town full of kids could live without adults. It just didn’t seem fair. What parent would abandon their kid?

  “Maybe. Any luck getting us out?” I heard a bang on the wall from Jinn’s fist.

  “Nothing. We’re going to have to wait until Tuko gets us out. I’m fresh out of ideas.” She sat down on a box near me, and even in the dark, I could feel her gaze.

  “We could be here for a while. What do you want to talk about?” I asked innocently. Jinn was quiet. The silence lengthened, and I started to get worried. “Jinn? Did you fall asleep?” I joked.

  “No.” But her answer was curt. Her silence was making me want to talk. I would be terrible under interrogation.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  “Yes.”

  “What?”

  “When are you going to tell me the truth?”

  “What do you mean,” I stammered.

  “Pene, there is no such clan as the Droniums. The name is so lame; I think you could have made up something better.” Now it was my turn to be silent, but Jinn went on. “I don’t know where you were going, but the place we found you is off limits. There is a natural canyon that acts as a barrier, preventing us from going farther west. When you talk about your home and your parents, it sounds forced and fake. I thought we were friends. When are you going to tell me the truth?”

  And there it was. My lies were never believable to begin with. And Jinn saw right through them. Should I try to lie through this? Or just come clean? I really didn’t have a choice.

  “I’m sorry. I’m a jerk. I don’t deserve your friendship. I lied to you because I didn’t think you would believe me if I told you the truth. Once we get out of here, you and Tuko can leave me and go off on your own.” Jinn’s silhouette softened as I imagined the anger flowing out of her body.

  “Hold on, Pene. Relax. I’m not telling you to go your separate way. I’m asking you to tell me something true about you. I’ve helped save your life; I deserve at least that much?”

  I nodded, although I doubt she could see that in the dark.

  “Okay. Have a seat. What do you want to know?” I was going all in — whatever she wanted to know. If she didn’t believe me, it wouldn’t be because I hadn’t tried.

  “What clan are you really from?”

  “I’m not from a clan, Jinn. I’m not from here. My home is much different. We don’t have clans; everyone lives in a big town with lots of technology.”

  “Is that why you were so interested in that bee thing? Is that from your home?”

  “I think so. But I don’t understand how it got here. My home is very…” I struggled for the word, “separate from here. My friends wouldn’t come here.”

  “But somebody must have?”

  “I guess. But what I told you about my mother is true. I thought she was dead, and now I think she is alive. And I think getting into the Cradle may be the key.”

  “Pene,” I could hear Jinn almost laugh, “no one has ever been able to open up the Cradle. It’s a monument of the history of our world. What makes you think you can just walk in and solve a problem that the greatest minds have had no luck with?” She got up and started to pace the room. “If I didn’t like you so much, I would think you must be the most arrogant person I had ever met.”

  Her words cut deep. She wasn’t trying to be mean, just stating how she felt. And she was probably right. I had been arrogant since the moment I entered her home. Since I felt I knew about the lies of my home, I knew everything about hers. I had felt her world was a backwater because it didn’t have the technology of mine. But there was so much about her that I didn’t understand.

  In my home, everyone looked out for themselves. At least here in these clans, there were people who looked af
ter each other. I had to understand this place if I was going to find my mother.

  “Okay. I come off as arrogant. I apologize. But my home is so much different than yours. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how much more advanced we are. Our homes are at two different ends of civilization.”

  “Are you calling us primitive? Are we beneath you, Pene?” Jinn asked quietly.

  “No. You are misunderstanding me. I was scared. I’ve never been away from home. Ever. But I’ve always wanted to travel. To see the world. But when I left my home, I realized that my home wasn’t what I thought it was. And neither is yours. It hard for me to explain; even I don’t really understand it. There is so much more than just what you see. And I’m struggling to hold on to what I know is real.”

  “Pene. Family is real. I would do anything for my family, and I appreciate that you are trying to find your mother. But lying to your friends is not going to get to her any faster.”

  “Does Tuko suspect?”

  “Please.” She giggled. “He’s a boy. He barely listens to anything that’s not food or a sport. I love my brother, but he’s not the most perceptive.” We both laughed, and I stood up. I felt like I needed to move, even though I might stumble on a box in the dark.

  “There is so much I don’t understand. How about you tell me more about your family, and I’ll tell you more about mine?”

  Jinn’s posture relaxed. She wanted to help me; I just had to give a reason why. She leaned backward on a box, trying to get comfortable.

  “I told you that Tuko and I are expected to take over the leadership of our clan someday. Our family has controlled our clan affairs for generations, but the leadership is only handed down if the family member earns that responsibility.”

  “What do you have to do?” I asked. “Save the world?”

  “Nothing quite that dramatic,” Jinn answered, “but a family member must do something that improves the life of the clan. My grandfather’s story is probably the most interesting, if you want to hear about it.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I motioned for her to continue.

  “When my grandfather was a young man, he was a tinker. He could build pretty much anything from next to nothing. His home was a full of empty vehicles that he would reshape. People would come from miles away to try to get him to fix their machines.”

  “Sounds like the guy we just met upstairs,” I interrupted.

  Jinn spat on the floor. “Please. That jerk upstairs couldn’t hold a candle to my grandfather. He’s a wannabe robot maker and probable junk collector. There is no comparison. Anyway, one day my grandpa had a visitor, a family who had left their home due to a rockslide. Most of their animals were killed, and they were forced to relocate their farm. They had nothing but the shirts on their back and could offer almost nothing in currency for their services.”

  “What did they want?”

  “Some tractors to till the ground. Seed planters. Harvesters. But most of what they brought was mangled by the rockslide, and nothing worked. Most people would have looked at that mess and passed. Too much of a challenge and nothing of value in return.”

  “So why did he do it?”

  “The family had a young teenage girl. Smart. Pretty. And she caught my grandfather’s eye as soon as she walked in the door. After that, I think he would have tried to move mountains if he thought it would impress her.”

  “And did he?” I asked, leaning forward.

  “And then some. He created a machine that could do all those things and more. He even added equipment for well drilling to irrigate the farmland. To say the family was pleased was an understatement. Their machine helped other farmers in the area as well.

  “And the girl?” I asked expectantly. Jinn was silent. “The girl?”

  “Once my grandfather was nominated for the clan council, it was against council rules for him to marry outside of the approved council selection. She was a farm girl; she didn’t make the list.” Jinn’s head drooped as if she didn’t approve.

  “That’s sad. Did he have any regrets? No offense to your grandmother.”

  “He met my grandmother a few years later. She was part of another important family in the clan. I know my grandfather loved her. I wouldn’t have been here if they hadn’t. But you realize the burden that leading a clan means. Although others follow you, there are sacrifices to make.”

  “Is that why Tuko and you are out here alone, away from your family?” I watched as Jinn fidgeted in the dark.

  “Pretty much. We’re taking this trip to decide if we want the responsibility to follow in our parents’ footsteps. Both of us are wondering what to do.”

  “What do you parents want?”

  “They say they support whatever decision we make, but I’m pretty sure they will be disappointed if we don’t become leaders of the clan. It’s considered a great honor, and many people never get the opportunity.”

  “Yet?” I could feel her indecision.

  “I’m not sure if I want to devote my life to this. And the sacrifices. I’m young, and I feel like I’m being herded to make a decision before I’m ready.”

  “What if you waited a few years to make your decision?”

  “Not an option. Several leaders of our clan have passed recently, and there are vacancies to fill. If we don’t express an interest soon, there are plenty of other families to ask.”

  “When do you have to decide?” The floorboards above us creaked. I looked up, but the sound stopped. Jinn must have looked as well, because she was silent for a moment.

  “By the time we reach the Cradle. Our drive on our own was supposed to inspire us.” Jinn raised her voice mockingly on the word “inspire.”

  “And Tuko?”

  “He’s wary about the leadership. He feels it’s just a bunch of old men that talk a lot but rarely act. But he likes to show off. I bet he would be even more friendly with Abraham if they were both leaders of their clans.”

  I stuck out my tongue at the mention of Abraham. “What about…” I started, but we both turned as we heard footsteps coming down the side of the front wall. I couldn’t tell if it was one person or several. We heard the rattling of keys, and we readied ourselves to defend ourselves. The door opened, and the silhouette of Ander filled the doorway.

  “What do you want…?” Jinn started. Ander was shoved hard into the room, and a hand reached to the wall. The light flashed, and I was momentarily blinded. I looked up and saw Ander on the floor but a familiar face behind him.

  “Playtime is over, girls. Come upstairs.” Tuko motioned. “There is something you should see.”

  7

  Underground

  I was never so glad to see Tuko. Even if he was still annoying.

  Ander was silent, but I could tell he wasn’t happy as Tuko pushed him back up the stairs. Once we got up the main room, I realized we weren’t alone. There were about ten kids (all younger than us), including the kid from the store. Was this a party?

  “What is this all about? Why did Ander trap us in his storeroom?” I asked.

  “Turns out this is Saul,” Tuko pointed to the boy we thought was Ander. “The kids use the name Ander to warn other kids about trouble. Saul thought it would be an excellent idea to trap the two of you.”

  Tuko grabbed the boy from the store and pushed him toward us. He stumbled but didn’t fall. “Tell the girls what you told me.”

  He scowled at Tuko but then looked back at us. “What do you expect?” He waved his arms around. “Your description is all over the radio. Everyone is talking about what happened at the Gathering. So when a young girl with your same description just happens to show up at the store, what would you do?”

  Okay — he was right; I had been stupid. Everyone was looking for me, and I should have been more discreet.

  “So why capture us — trying to earn points with your parents?” Jinn sneered at the group. No one answered, but they all looked at each other. One of them looked like he was going to cry.


  “These kids have been fending for themselves.” Tuko responded for the group. “There are almost no adults.”

  “Jinn called them the Orphan clan,” I added.

  “That wasn’t what they were called in the beginning, but circumstances have changed now,” Tuko continued.

  “Listen,” Saul began, “we live close to the herds. The town’s commerce was determined by how much food was provided by the livestock and surrounding wildlife. But the animals have become smarter, more aggressive. Many of our adults have died on the hunts, and fewer have come back. Everyone here has lost at least one parent, and only the very old are around now. The remaining adults are hunting. We don’t want them to leave, but the town would starve if they didn’t. But there are so few parents left that the town is barely managing now. It’s forced us to run things in their absence.”

  “We’ve done a pretty good job too!” the boy from the store yelled.

  “But we struggled,” one of the few girls in the group said. She was taller than most, with long black hair. “We’ve had to care for each other. Cook meals, clean homes, teach school to the younger kids and find ways to survive in between their hunting expeditions. Nobody is a kid anymore, and we’re not sure what to do. Even though some,” she pointed at the boy at the store, “seem to think they know it all.”

  “I know more than you!” he yelled back at her. I almost wished he’d gone out on the hunting expeditions.

  “You trapped us to get a reward. Maybe to prevent your parents from leaving next time,” I said. The kids all looked at me, and their eyes were so sad, I almost wanted to turn myself in. I didn’t wait for them to answer. “So why change your mind? Did Tuko threaten you?”

  “Just the opposite.” Tuko gave a smug look, and Jinn rolled her eyes. He may have saved us, but he was so full of himself. “I told them what really happened. How you were framed and some other clan killed Luther.”

  “That’s it?” Jinn asked as if these kids would need more to go on.