And even if that were true,why?What did they gain by bringing us here, when they’d already thrived for generations on their prosperous main island? They certainly didn’tneedour labor; their own population numbered in the tens of thousands. Most of the work assigned to us seemed focused on expanding these new islands anyway. So why go to all the trouble and expense of building out more platforms, just to fill them with outsiders like us?
It didn’t make any sense, and the questions swirling in my mind felt suddenly overwhelming.
I stepped closer and laid a tentative hand on one woman’sshoulder. The three of them turned, their faces tightening—wary, as if they expected trouble.
“I—sorry,” I said quietly. The room was growing crowded now, filled with the sound of shuffling fabric and whispered voices. “I couldn’t help overhearing what you said. And… honestly, it rattled me too.”
The first woman—the one with long, dark red hair and striking blue-gray eyes, probably in her thirties—cast a quick, nervous look around the changing room. “It’s probably better for everyone if you just forget what you heard,” she whispered, her voice clipped.
The second woman, the hopeful brunette, gave a tight nod, not quite meeting my eyes. “There’s no sense in turning things over and over,” she said. “We’ve got a roof, and we’re eating. That’s more than we had before. And?—”
“I know,” I said quietly, “but I’d still like to hear what you think. I’m new here, as you can probably tell.” I held up my gray ring for emphasis, then turned back to the redhead. “Assuming your suspicions are right, and Fairwell isn’t just saving people out of goodwill… if they’re not building all these islands just for the sake of sheltering us… then what do you think they’re really after?”
The two women exchanged uncertain glances.
“I… honestly, I can’t say for sure,” the redhead admitted at last. “There’s so much we don’t know. None of us have children, but at first, I wondered if it was about that—about the kids, with their strange 100,000 coins rule. But why would they want our children? It’s not as if the locals can’t have their own. And raising all these extra kids can’t be cheap for them. Maybe it really is just about making sure every Fairwell-raised child gets a certain standard of education. But…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “That’s what’s so frustrating. It’s all guesswork.”
I let out a slow breath. “Maybe, for now, all we can do is keep each other informed. Share what we see, what we hear.” There was no sense letting paranoia rule our lives, but it was hard to shake the feeling that real living was on hold. I just hoped that, in time, things might shift, so that it would feel less about survival, and more like life again.
Already, our old home—where some form of joy and leisure had been woven into each day—felt like it belonged to a different lifetime.
“I agree,” the redhead said, giving me a knowing look. “Should we exchange numbers? Seems like we’re on the same wavelength. I’m Miranda, by the way. And you are…?”
“Tani,” I replied.
The blonde chimed in. “I’m Elize, and that’s Jemima,” she said, nodding to the brunette.
We shook hands, and they helped me add their numbers to my phone, then added mine to theirs.
Miranda glanced around the now-emptier changing room. “We should head out.”
“Yeah.” I shouldered my bag, noticing how many people had already left. I fell in step with the trio as we made our way out to the cavern.
Stepping into the vast space, I immediately noticed the difference the suit made. The air was still thick and hot, but I no longer felt stifled or slick with sweat; it was almost a relief.
Hayden stood waiting nearby, arms crossed, already wearing his white suit. He fixed me with a dry stare. “What, did you move in back there?”
I barely registered the jab. I was too distracted, still replaying Miranda’s words in my head.
We started off in the direction the rest of the group had gone, shoes echoing against the stone. After a few paces,Hayden angled off onto a narrower path branching to the right without warning.
“The manager’s given us a different job than the others,” Hayden said, leading me away from the main group.
I shot him a look. “Since when?”
He glanced over, visor reflecting the orange glow from the furnaces. “Apparently, he clocked that it’s your first day in the caverns. Figured you could use something even more basic.”
I frowned, irritation bubbling up. “Isn’t monitoring already basic? Why put it on the list if I can’t do it?”
He shrugged, voice flat. “This one’s more basic. Wasn’t on the board earlier, just popped up an hour ago. He said there’s enough work for two and suggested I join you. Got the instructions while you were changing.”
“Will this one pay less?”
“Probably a bit.”
I let out a long breath. So much for progress. “What’s the task?”
“Surface repair.”
