Chapter 175

  Ellie moved out after a couple of minutes. She was still a bit flustered, and with a bag around her shoulder, she still wore the same uniform, but over it was a long cotton cardigan that completely changed her style. She also adjusted her hairstyle and let her hair down, letting it touch her front and shoulders.

  She had no mind to change her clothes, so this much was all she could afford. She expected complications, yet they did not turn out to be real. She feared Kaufman would snatch him from her, or someone else for that matter.

  There were so many vicious and prudent figures around this land that Ellie wouldn’t do anything if they made their move.

  “What do you want to see?” she asked William right when she stopped before him.

  “Eat something, I guess. I had almost nothing all day.”

  “Oh, right. I know a few places that are open even at this hour. Most are not so far away thanks to the way Central District works.”

  “I am more or less aware of how the Federation looks like. Streets and all. I even have that map, remember?” he attempted to show it to her, but she slammed his attempt down.

  “No need. I doubt you want to guide me. Me, I mean!”

  “Please, guide me...” William gave up, whispered, and bowed his head. She smiled at him and let him follow her footsteps. William ended up listening to her in the same manner as in the library, which helped a lot with pretty much anything going on with his mind and legs.

  “Districts are important, and each corner has corresponding shops as well as streets. Many Walkers are living there and supporting their cause, while the citizens give much of it back. Walkers do it as protectors or icons, or heroes. It is a culture of a couple of groups and places. Each District has specialties, either done by people whose roots are rooted in the past, but most are still kind of versatile.”

  “People are versatile, Ellie,” William added without thinking.

  “Perhaps. It depends on how you look at it. It isn’t as if trading is extremely vast between the bigger lands or organizations. The Federation has its trading done mainly thanks to Walkers—not the tankers, by the way. Travel of this kind is part of horrendous missions. However, William, many special dishes and foods still reach this place from all over the place. Farms are good. We even got artificial farms in the underground and plantations, and so on.”

  “Food is food. What of those district differences? It looks the same to me.” William changed the topic as they walked, knowing very well where the resources came from.

  But it appeared he wasn't knowing everything, and underestimated how deep this land truly was.

  “Central District is the biggest, and I might describe it as a single big city, but that isn’t right. The Federation is the one because of comparisons. This is just not typical at this age. With all these buildings being pretty much everywhere, work is at every corner. Companies and factories are in the East District, which is known for its conglomeration of machinery since there is the biggest fjord. South has the military operations and barracks that reach a bit to the west. North is similar to the Central District, with abundant shops, workshops, and residential areas.”

  “Are shops or workshops regulated? I imagine this place must have some order and laws since it is no camp.”

  “Laws? Of course, but your idea is half correct. Regulations? Without them, what is money? What are the papers called credits? There are fees that every citizen must pay, and shops are the same. Assembly Island regulates everything a few miles from the shores, and it is like a land for kings who are no kings at all. Economics is difficult to explain, so I won’t go into such details. Let’s go get food instead. I’m starving.”

  Ellie grabbed William’s reluctant hand and led him towards the food shops. The order of the streets was easy to follow, and William had no problems remembering how to go back to his new home. He had done so for the past few days already, following long days of lectures and lessons.

  People usually built simple camps, which had two primary sectors: residential and working parts. Consisting of farms, factories, or workshops, it was essential. Making clothes, food, and taking care of animals were all necessary jobs that he had to do.

  In the Federation, that idea was a kind of out of his head, or greatly broadened or fused into a different type of society. It wasn't obvious. No struggle. No pain. Nothing. It seemed like a paradise, yet... what of the people? Were they happy?

  William could see this place as one gigantic camp. It was a literal island, so perhaps calling it a fortress wasn't inappropriate.

  At least from his memory, the Roswell camp was kind of self-sustaining and housed nearly ten thousand people. Most weren’t as big because many camps no longer existed. The bigger the camp, the better the protection and means of survivability, and... more magnets for Darks to show their stinky feet in their proximity.

  Thus, with camps and how the Federation worked with them, there were always Walkers involved, as well as skilled people. Technical knowledge was almost priceless, and anything that provided survival methods was like gold.

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  Be it with those Enginists, the general workers of machines, officers of factories, or simple electricity, tools of humanity were crucial. Enginist was one of the most important professions for constant development. In the Federation, this was even more elevated, thanks to much vaster needs, knowledge, and opportunities.

  With safety, it should be quite nice, so many matters should be more important than farming. This place had its priorities, and Walkers decided them.

  A conglomeration of science and technology of the current humanity ought to be like this, as maintaining any kind of machine or energy was far from being simple. Energy had to come first, which ensured that many professions and maintenance workers were essential for everything to perform well. It needed foundation, land, and... well, things to keep it all afloat.

  Which this island apparently possessed just enough, but never too much.

  Like a cycling loop of work creating more work, development was busy. In camps, that part was the hardest.

  The Federation sent many supporting tools to the camp, where skilled craftsmen used whatever was necessary for healthy lands to prosper. William realized it years ago, thanks to how Roshwell had its workshops and people.

  There were even bikes, motorcycles, and occasional rides that could resemble cars. As for the fuel, that was where ideas got a bit more sensitive. Electric machinery was much more prevailing Outside because other types of power were rare. Also, electronics don't last forever. They could break and turn into scraps.

  The Federation had to be cautious of gasoline and other comparable resources. Most of them stayed in the Federation for that reason. Unsurprisingly, such a big land had connections to many surviving settlements, reaching Canada and what remained of the United States of America.

  Support, resources, and protection were orders that the Federation never lacked. Food was never an option to ignore. Then, there was a secondary to primary reason for the camp's existence that touched on something even more sensitive.

  Darks. The Federation used many camps as surveillance posts, where they would station Walkers to train and work around sensitive areas and execute multiple issues with one act.

  Livable land was reasonable to keep close, no matter if the majority of the Outside was lawless.

  Monitoring Darks was a long-term task all over the place. The Federation wasn’t even self-sufficient, so getting resources, people, and things done was always a challenging alternative. Economics, sustaining power, and resources to make people not suffer were basics that even Walkers worked on.

  William had already seen those military departments, so Ellie’s talk about them wasn’t as important. He was also familiar with the structure of camps and how the military and Walkers often worked together. Some of those were great; others were assholes.

  Sending protectors Outside for training and assignments was understandable. Walkers needed experience and hunts, and providing protection and seeing Outside was a straightforward solution.

  The public didn’t even know how far this idea even progressed, even though such Walkers often acted in the interest of camps. They were responsible for their survival. That was the truth that not every person acknowledged. Liking it or not, every camp had at least a Rank 4 or above Walker, or even teams and better prospects because of time or rare events.

  As meaningful as it was, the Federation was protecting its backbone. It was their lifeline that was way too soft from time to time. All by the orders of the Assembly Island, a conjunction of the highest-ranking members of this society, this wasn’t about a couple of people. It was a wide-scale operation where individuality didn’t matter that much.

  Assembly Island decided who would live and when the camps would die or keep on struggling. It was ruthless and not an easy choice.

  But who else would do it than a bunch of old and powerful Walkers behind the strongest conglomeration of natives in today’s world? China might be bigger, but the Federation had influence and touched a lot of lands and areas. All thanks to the history of dozens of nations.

  Then, there was the United States of America, which was at one point a huge hegemon of this region.

  It was a while ago, however. In a sense, the United States still existed, lingering under the Federation by memories, history, or… very personal people. Old people determined that sort of thing, and Assembly members knew different times of this era because they were old and remembered what once was.

  In fact, there were even many old normal people, but it wasn't about them.

  It wasn’t too old a problem. Just a century, give or take a decade.

  Making tough decisions for almost a million people had to come through more heads and hands than William could imagine. Tens of thousands of people in the camps were invaluable assets, even though most of the Outside never knew the entire scale.

  To their absolute unawareness, the amount of care the Federation kept giving away would shock anyone. It was still the decision of the Assembly.

  As with order and law, people in lower societies were often clueless about the underlying causes and problems the upper class faced. In many cases, the upper ones didn’t know what those at the bottom endured.

  It used to be hard even before the Dawn, when many places were high and low, or poor or wealthy. It wasn’t ever meant for equality, let alone full-on peace.

  Here, William handled a new kind of perspective. Ellie lived in a different world from him all her life. Her parents supported the Federation, and she was born here, where it was already safe. She rarely had to face the reality or consequences Outside.

  It wasn’t even that much of a blissful ignorance; it was a different issue altogether that was almost not an issue at all. It was a gift, maybe. While smarter than others because of her hard work and education, Ellie got to know quite a bit about the world and knew how good she had it.

  She wanted to share it, help others, and return what was once lost. That touched upon Walker’s society, but not too deeply, so she couldn't go as far as she wanted.

  She just wanted to help youths, which she assumed wasn't asking for much. She wasn’t even at that point anyway, but she had no desire to stop thinking or hoping.

  Three days ago, she made a crucial first step.

  Entangled in that was William, and if he would prove it, perhaps Heidi and others would get her what she desired.

  William almost admired her hard work, words, and dedication. He had rarely seen a person like her, let alone spend so much time with one. However, unlike her, someone who could be like her lived different lives or never had a chance to grow or handle education.

  He could only hope that the future would be more generous than for those with less luck. His world was predetermined, coupled with a red shard, Walker shadows, and god knows what else.

  It wasn’t about heroes or bearing one oversized hope. Walker shook the politics, crashed it apart with power, and battled Darks. Saving humanity and establishing a new Dawn, there were things far better than most should feel in this era.

  For the start, one thing at a time sounded adequate.

  Or destroy it all. Then rebuild.