D. MacHale - The Pilgrims of Rayne

Far below in the jungle, a wide trail snaked from somewhere deep on the island. It traveled past the mountain and on toward the sea. The trail ended at the wharf where the ten brightly colored sailing ships were kept. Nine, actually. One was at the bottom of Rubic City’s harbor.

Genj announced proudly, “Today is the culmination of a plan that was centuries in the making. The brave people you see below are the pilgrims who will bring our world back to life.”

There were dozens of people on the trail below, all dressed in typical, bright Ibara fashion. There were men, women, and children. All walked quickly and orderly toward the wharf and the sailing ships.

Most of the ships had left the wharf and were headed out to sea. Even from where we stood, I could see their decks were loaded with people. Many were still on the docks, boarding the remaining ships. Others scurried around the docks, casting off lines and helping to load freight. Eight of the ships were either out on the ocean already, or starting to push off and raise their sails. It was a spectacular sight to see against the rising sun. I wished to heck I knew what it all meant.

“It’s a proud day,” Genj said.

It actually looked as if he were crying. The two women of the tribunal were definitely teary. They waved at the people below, bidding them farewell, though they were too far away to see it.

“Where are they going?” Siry asked.

“To the future,” Genj said. “Just as Aja Killian planned.”

Hearing Aja’s name rocked me. I had forgotten that the colony of Ibara was originally her plan… conceived three hundred years before.

“Help me out here,” I said. “What is happening?”

Without taking his eyes from the ships, Genj said, “You saw Rubic City. Do you know of Lifelight?”

“More than I want to know.”

“Then you saw the destruction it caused,” Genj explained. “Millions of people died. It was self-inflicted genocide. Aja Killian was a phader who saw it coming. She banded together with the few who resisted the temptation of Lifelight and created a plan for the future of Veelox.”

Siry and I knew of the plan. We had seen Aja’s journal. But we didn’t know it all.

Genj continued, “They chose this island of Ibara to be their lifeboat. It was at one time a military base used to defend the mainland. Automatic weapons existed to protect it from attack. Forty people left Rubic City to start a new life here. They had a simple philosophy, which was to not let technology define their lives. They didn’t want history to repeat itself. That’s why we live the way we do, relying minimally on technology. Our culture, our way of life, was carefully planned and chosen by our ancestors. We are all the descendants of the forty.”

Drea continued the story saying, “The first part of Aja’s plan was to create a settlement. They lived in this mountain at first, since it was already honeycombed with tunnels and rooms. Eventually they built huts that over time became the village of Rayne. Children were born. Families grew. More villages were built across the island. The sad history of Veelox and the origin of Ibara was not passed down to the young. The fear was that the temptation to rediscover Lifelight would be too great. With the passing of each generation, fewer and fewer people knew the true story. Aja’s plan allowed for a three-member tribunal that would be voted on by the villagers. Only the tribunals knew the full history, and shared as much of the knowledge as was necessary to carry out the ultimate plan.”

“Why?” Siry asked. “Why was it so important to keep the truth a secret?”

Genj snapped a cold look to Siry. “To keep the curious from doing exactly as you did. The fear was that temptation to leave the island would be too great. Ibara needed to be strong in order to be the seat of a new civilization. Ibara needed its people. All its people.”

I said, “So the idea was to create a new population, right here on this island.”

“Yes,” Genj answered. “The biggest concern was disease. A virus, an infection, any sickness would have been devastating. We needed to keep the island free from all outside contamination, and to do that, we needed to keep our people away from any contact with the rest of Veelox. As you can see, it has been successful, but only because of the secrecy.”

I looked down on the ships. The last passengers were boarding the final vessel.

“So what is all this?” I asked.

Moman answered, “The pilgrimage was planned from the beginning. Once the population grew large enough to ensure our survival, we began choosing people from the general population to live in another village on the far side of the island, where they were taught the realities of Veelox. It was an honor to be chosen, for these people would be the pioneers. They would be the first to venture off this island and repopulate the world. They are the pilgrims of Rayne.”

Genj added, “Those ships are carrying them off to start colonies throughout the mainland.”

Siry asked, “So the people who disappeared became the pilgrims?”

“You’re looking at them,” Genj answered. “It was Aja Killian’s vision from the beginning. It’s a shame her life ended in such tragedy.”

“What do you mean?” I asked quickly.

Genj answered, “Aja Killian never set foot on Ibara. After creating the plan that would save Veelox, she was assassinated by Flighters only days before the forty sailed for their new home.”

I had mixed feelings about all that I heard. I was proud of Aja. She had first tried to save Veelox and beat Saint Dane by creating the Reality Bug. Technology is what endangered Veelox, and she tried to fight back with technology. It failed. So Aja went the opposite way and chose a route that turned its back on technology. Her plan wasn’t a quick fix. It was a battle that would be fought over centuries. It was a battle she was on the verge of winning. She wanted another shot at Saint Dane. She got it. Veelox was about to be reborn.

Moman added, “Once the pilgrims are safely away, we will begin the final process, which is to educate the entire island of our heritage. Our population is strong enough now so that people can safely choose for themselves if they wish to stay, or reach out to the rest of our world and join the new colonies. Our mission is nearly complete. Veelox has been saved.”

This was it. This was the turning point of Ibara. The second turning point for Veelox. It’s why Remudi was on the tribunal. The Traveler from Ibara was working to fulfill the vision of the Traveler from Veelox. It was the way it was meant to be.

“Why today?” I asked.

“The Flighters grow bolder,” Genj continued. “The attack two days ago forced our decision. We feared for our ships. They took many years to build. Without them, there would be no pilgrimage.” Genj left the window and went right to Siry. “Because of your adventuring, there is one less ship. We decided to go now, before we lost more.” Siry hung his head.

Genj continued. “Your father lived for this day, Siry. Seeing those ships under sail, carrying the hopes for a new Veelox with them, was a sight he would have been proud to witness. I can’t say he’d be as proud of you.”

Siry looked horrible. I wasn’t feeling so hot myself. I helped steal that ship, and I was about to throw a pretty big downer into their glorious day. Pilgrimage or no, there was trouble ahead.

“Maybe we actually helped the pilgrimage,” I said.

Genj shot me a look of disdain. “And how could you possibly think that?”

“Because of what we found in Rubic City. There’s going to be a war, Genj. Ibara will soon be under attack. I don’t know if your defenses are strong enough to repel this army or not, but even if you’re able to protect the island, those ships would have been targets. The fact that they’re sailing safely away is already a huge victory, even if there are only nine.”