Meteors: Chapter Nine - The Radio Waves

Microphone in studio. - Credit to Guillaume Pierre LEROY on Pexels

Read Chapter Eight here.

Read Chapter Ten soon.

It was late October, and neither Ruth nor Owain had any answers about what had happened that day, or what that carrot charm was supposed to do. Owain wore it when he wasn’t working, a way to remember his friend. Ivona had arrived in Ohlendia and ended up being looked after by a family that it turned out Ruth had known very well, the Byers. They were an Illian family, but in everything other than nationality they were Nitlome though they’d had to leave when the fighting got too dangerous. She was still calling Owain once a day, or Ruth if he was working.

They hadn’t heard from Mr. McCrawley in a worryingly long time. The McCrawleys were basically living at the Ash’s since September, eating meals together, spending free time together, and Mrs. McCrawley only seemed to go home for sleep. She was doing much better, but still clearly stressed, worried about her husband and daughter.

Ruth was still looking for work. She still wasn’t known well in Sobetween, and in this climate, people were suspicious of outsiders even as closely related as Ruth was to the head of their town. She refused to use that relation as a way to get a job, as she told Owain every time he suggested it, she was going to be judged on her own name, not her families.

Owain had been given a few days off, and he and Ruth were spending the evening slightly outside of Sobetween, amongst the forest that surrounded the town. They were lying on the ground, staring up at the stars, and Owain was listening intently to Ruth’s rambling about the sky above them. He stared up through the trees at the darkening sky, away from all the lights of town, the stars were so bright. He had learnt to spot Ilmowos and Enmowos a while back, and Ruth was explaining the myths behind the stars and their names. How two of the stars were supposed to be lovers separated for the whole year until the dragons would gather and create a bridge between the stars. That shooting stars were rarely ever actually meteors more often than not dragons.

“That’s where they are you know? People say they’re myth, but so many stories talk about them ascending, evolving. If we ever make it to living among the stars, I’m sure we’ll rediscover dragons.” She paused a moment; they stared at the stars above them, “Do you reckon that the moon could technically be made of cheese?”

“This again?” Owain asked with a laugh.

“Yes! They’re both made of atoms,”

“So are you! Are you made of cheese?”

“I am made of cheese,” Ruth said with far too much confidence, “And of the moon.”

Owain was starting to suspect she was having him on. Turning his head to look at her beside him, he could see the smile she was failing to control.

“Sure you are,” Was all he said. She laughed, and stayed looking at the stars. Owain continued looking at her. Her eyes flickered to the side, and he returned to look at the sky. “So, any other star facts?” He heard a rustle, but no reply, “Ruth?”

“Nope, not about the Cats,” Looking to the side again, he saw that Ruth had sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. He pushed himself up too. He couldn’t see her face, but something in the way she was sat pushed him to ask.

“What’s wrong?”

“Moses called today,” Owain fully sat up at that.

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s… fine. So’s John, it’s just…” She shuffled around to face Owain, “Have you heard of the camps?” She met his eyes. She looked terrified. He shook his head, trying to look comforting as best as he could. “Apparently, when Gal or Ga-users are captured, they’re not being executed,”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know. Moses looked terrified when mentioning them. He was putting on a brave face, but I can tell.”

“None of you are Ga-users, are you?” Ruth shook her head.

“Dad used to have a Blessed Object, before we left, but otherwise no. I think – Moses has been talking about this soldier, this woman he’s fighting alongside and she’s a Ga-user. I think he’s scared for her,”

“Why? What are these camps?”

“No one knows properly. They’re made of iron. One person’s escaped and the state they’re in, they barely looked human according to him. Malnourished, maltreated, deficient in nearly every nutrient it’s possibly to be deficient in and still alive,”

“If they escaped though, can’t they tell us what’s going on?”

“No. They died in the hospital yesterday. No one will say how. I just can’t believe it,”

“I know,” Owain put a hand on Ruth’s shoulder to attempt to comfort her. She held onto it like a lifeline, “Such cruelty is horrendous,”

“We need to expose it, properly,” Ruth said, a steel to her deep voice. “If we can turn all public opinion against the leaders, the people doing this, maybe they’ll end up without an army? Without supporters?”

“Yeah, but what can we do about it?”

“I’ll figure something out,” Ruth said. She looked like she already had the inklings of a plan, “We should go back into town. It’s almost curfew,”

Owain was at work the next day, going back to the Ash’s after his shift, he found his mum comforting Mrs. Ash. Both Moses and John had been injured in combat, not fatally but enough to put them out of action for a while. Ruth was busying herself on ForReal on her phone, while her dad was cooking tea. He sat next to Ruth, crouched in her spot on the sofa. She had her headphones, listening to something, so that he didn’t startle her, Owain tapped her on the shoulder.

He might as well have shouted “I’m here!” into her ear with how she reacted. Owain thought she would have fallen off of the sofa if he hadn’t reached out to steady her. She paused whatever she was listening to, and pulled her headphones off.

“Dude,” she said, “I could have dropped my phone!”

“I was trying to warn you,” She gave him a once over, taking in the rumpled scrubs he needed to change out of, and the hat still containing his hair haphazardly straining to fulfil its job.

“Bathroom’s free if you need to change,” Mrs. Ash said to him, “Long day?”

“Yes, thank you, Mrs. Ash,”

“Jane, please. We’re not that formal here,” Owain smiled and nodded.

“I’ll get you a drink,” Ruth said, “Let me guess, water?”

“How did you know?”

“You’re exceedingly predictable,”

“My mind is an enigma,”

“Sure, it is,” Ruth said, getting up from the sofa, “You’re just gonna come back in in you’re green turtleneck and your jeans fo which you seem to have several identical pairs,” She said, heading towards the kitchen door. It was Owain’s turn to give Ruth a once over.

“You’re one to talk,” He said. Ruth knew full well that she couldn’t say anything. She wore the same red jumper every day, and her corner on the sofa said more about her predictability than anyone could put into words. She stuck her tongue out at Owain as if she wasn’t in her twenties. Owain made a face back, like he wasn’t either.

When he came back downstairs, he was indeed in his green turtleneck and jeans. Looking to the sofa corner, Ruth was indeed crouched in her spot. A glass of water was resting on the table that dominated the middle of the room. It seemed to be his, as it hadn’t been there before.

“You’re hat’s still on,” Ruth said, without looking up from her phone. Owain reached up, and indeed had forgotten to take off the ridiculous thing. He pulled it off and shoved it in his bag

“You didn’t even look up,” At that, Ruth did look up and tilted her head in a birdlike motion.

“As I said, predictable,” She went back to typing on her phone. Owain sat down next to her, and nosily watched over her shoulder.

“What’s this?”

“I’ve found something, you know what I was telling you yesterday, about exposing those horrid camps?”

“Yeah,”

“There’s this radio station, set up during the second Ga-war, twelve or something years ago. They’re underground and committed to telling the utmost truth about what’s happing across the world. If they hire me, maybe I could get them to look into the truth behind the rumours and hearsay,”

“What roles do they have available?” Ruth looked at him, with a grin that he had never seen before, though it matched the enthusiasm that she talked about the stars with.

“Astronomer,”

“And your qualifications are?”

“Willing, unconscriptable, and unemployed,” Ruth pressed send on her message, “I’ve got a good feeling about this one.” At that, her dad came in, and announced that dinner was ready. They moved into the small kitchen, and sat around the round table that the Ash’s had, within reach of everything in the kitchen.

He was a good cook, talk over the kitchen table went from compliments to family members, and then Mr. Ash brought up the camps. He was always bringing up topics like that, about the war and the dangers that were around. At hearing who was being taken into the camps, Mrs. McCrawley dropped her knife.

“Mum? Are you alright?” Owain asked. She was shaking, even as she tried and failed to pick up her knife. Mrs. Ash picked it up for her, placing it on the kitchen side and grabbing a clean one for her.

“Any kind of Ga?” She asked, ignoring or not even hearing her sons question.

“Any of them. Born, patroned, synthetic, even people with Blessed Objects,” Mr. Ash shuddered, obviously aware that if it had been so many years ago, he would be eligible to be taken to those camps. Mrs. McCrawley couldn’t eat any more. Resting her head in her hands trying to control her breathing.

“Mum, what’s wrong?”

“Your dad,” She said at last, “my Owain,” she looked at her son, the son they had named after him, “We never told you. He was so traditional about these things,”

“About what, mum?” Owain asked, but he had a pit in his stomach. He thought he knew what had scared his mum so badly, and it was beginning to scare him. Especially since they hadn’t heard form him in so long. He leant closer to his mum to comfort her. She turned and held his hands, looking him in the eyes. She seemed so fragile, but so strong.

“He knew things would change for him, metal things. He never did anything, but things changed too much around him for it not to be Ga. If he really wanted to walk, it was like the metal in his legs enabled him to walk. But you know what he’s like. We remember when Ga was taboo and he never really adjusted to this new world we live in. If they find out, I don’t even want to think about it,” She said, her voice trembling.

“Oh, Isabella,” Mrs. Ash said, coming around the table to comfort her friend. The meal was left there. All of them had found their appetite had rather explicably gone. Night had fallen outside, and the stars were burning, until they were obscured by the oncoming clouds, and it started to rain, tipping it down.

Owain was playing, and winning, chess against Ruth when her phone started ringing. She grabbed it, flipping the cover open, and her eyes widened. She looked at Owain, Owain looked at her.

“It’s the radio people,” She whispered hoarsely.

“Answer it then!” He encouraged, and after a seconds hesitation, Ruth swiped to accept, her phone pressed to her ear.

Owain watched the conversation and couldn’’t tell a thing from her face. Her speech didn’t help either, being mainly limited to yes’s and no’s and intense listening. Someone could be confessing their undying love or giving her the verbal whipping of her life and he wouldn’t know the difference. Her face was more neutral than Ohlendia could ever dream to be. She ended the phone call with a ‘Thank you’, and with a few taps, ended the call. She stared down at the phone.

“So?” He asked, leaning forward over the chess board. Ruth looked up, an odd look on her face.

“I got the job…”

“That’s great!” Owain then recognised her hesitation, “What is it?”

“They said I could do research into the camps, that they’ve wanted someone to do so for a while but,” She cut herself off, obviously continuing her thinking internally. Owain waited a second, but his impatience got the better of him.

“But what?”

“I’ll have to go there.”

“To Kailix?” She nodded, “They said that,”

“No, but how else can I get the information I need to give an accurate report. I’m not a spy, I don’t have people to do the work for me,”

“You’re right, you’re not a spy. Kailix is a war-zone,”

“And drastic measures may have to be taken to end that,” Her eyes were set like the steel they were coloured as. She looked regal.

“Well, you’re not going alone.”

“Owain.”

“You’ll need a medic, just in case. All the best adventures need a medic on hand. Like Kilarin and Irlien.”

“They were both girls,” Well, what was he supposed to say, Irlien and George? While that kiss still played on his mind far too much, he was not bold enough to compare them to a known mythic couple, not unless he knew for certain, and this was a time of war, not love.

“You know what I mean. You’re not going anywhere without me. I dare you to try,”

“I don’t want to,” Ruth stuck out her hand to Owain, as if to shake. She looked at him expectantly until he reached out his hand to, “Promise,”

“I promise you’re not getting rid of me,” Owain said, shaking her hand. He got a smile at that. He liked when he got a smile from her.

It took weeks to secure the documents needed. Visa’s took especially long since the war was declared, and even longer if they were for Kailix. Additional to that, Owain didn’t have a passport, something that was unfathomable to Ruth. She’d had a passport since just about the day she was born, and honestly, she’d thought they were necessary to be a citizen of anywhere. She talked him through the process, but he couldn’t force himself not to smile for the photograph. The flash would go off, and the picture would come out with him smiling.

Ruth had the opposite problem. Their plan had come out to their families, and the Ash’s and McCrawleys wanted pictures to hang up of the two of them, just in case anything happened. Owain’s picture was lovely. He was smiling as he always did, looking perfectly at home with his back to the sea and the green forests crowding in at the edges. Ruth couldn’t smile. Not naturally. The first few photo attempts she hadn’t even tried, and then the next two she did try and it was unnaturally creepy. It looked like someone had attached hooks to her mouth and pulled the edges out, and when she was told to try showing her teeth, that was the worst one. Personally, it was Owain’s favourite. She looked absolutely horrendous and before Ruth could throw away the printed version, he stole it.

It was because of Owain they eventually got a picture of Ruth actually smiling. Owain had told her they were taking a break, and she’d immediately relaxed. He kept her talking and used the surefire method of getting her to talk about the stars, and before she knew it, the photographer, Mrs. McCrawley, had snapped a photo and when it came out, she was smiling though her arms were a blur. The Ash’s didn’t care, it was a picture of Ruth smiling, and they didn’t have many of those.

They celebrated Christmas as families over a month early, as by the end of November, Owain and Ruth would be surely gone. They made gingerbread and waited for the documents to come through.

Ruth’s came first. As a radio astronomer and meteorologist she was given permission to enter Kailix for foreign news and journalistic purposes.

Owain’s came through next, refusing passage as he didn’t have a legitimate reason. A journalist does not need a medic, but he was free to appeal if he disagreed, and appeal he did. Owain, with Mr. Ash’s help, called them up, and explained that he needed to go across with Ruth, and they gave him a bit of leeway, as long as he followed training and orders that he would receive in the future. The only medic that a journalist would need, is one who’s primary purpose was that of a soldier, for her protection.

Owain didn’t mention that to his mum. Especially not after the Ash’s got the news that John had died on the battlefield. Shot to the heart, they said. He’d have felt no pain. Some days later, more news came through that Moses had perished on the line of duty, taking a blast to protect his fellow soldiers. Ruth seemed less affected than her parents, if you didn’t know her. She forged forwards with a new determination. Owain was the only one she ever broke down around. She knew she had to stay strong for everyone else.

They’d tried to keep their plans to themselves, but Sobetween was a small town, and any news, especially rumours of news, spread like wildfire. One day Ruth and Owain were planning by themselves, the next they couldn’t go to the local Ezfo to get groceries without someone talking to them about their crazy ideas, asking whether they were that desperate for adventure?

Other rumours flew around, some saying that they were running away, others saying they’d been conscripted late but didn’t want to hurt their parents. One particular rumour was that they were actually going to Kailix to elope. Why it was apparently impossible to believe the truth, Owain couldn’t understand.

Knowing he was going away, Owain’s workload increased, and he got the most intense medical training that anyone in Sobetween had ever received before. He was barraged with textbooks and he honestly believed he was the only person receiving patients in that last week, dealing with every possible incident, some of them eh was sure were completely made up, just to test him.

The documentation finally all came through, everything approved, and Owain and Ruth were fully packed. She had far too much knowledge on the best ways to pack. According to her she had moved officially at least thirteen times, and life with the Nitlome Ruda had been constantly on the move, in true Ohlendian tradition. She knew what she was doing, and was extremely harsh with Owain on what he brought with him. Creature comforts could remain at home, according to her, they were only to bring what was strictly necessary.

Ivona called them, proudly showing off her armband, matching Ruth’s. She babbled on about how the Nitlome measured age by months instead of years, and that when she was eleven and a bit, she would have an Ohlendian Celebration, like, she knew she’d be back in Ahlden by then, but maybe they could visit the Byer’s on that day, right? Ruth understood, wait, did Ruth have a celebration?

Ruth didn’t have time to explain that yes, she had had a celebration, and that by Ohlendian standards she was a soldier, and hadn’t been a child since halfway through her eleventh year. Her next would be in her twenty-third, John had celebrated his some months ago now, where she would officially be an adult, able to compete in the grand Competition if she wanted to. Ivona just carried on talking, in another time, she could’ve just been on holiday with the fun she was having, learning about another culture, what might as well be a different world, but there was a sadness when she talked about coming home, like she was starting to wonder if the war would actually end.

She hated Ruth and Owain’s plans. Kailix was dangerous, and he was her brother. They weren’t allowed to be in danger. They did their best to assure her they wouldn’t be. It was a speech well practiced by the both of them. Neither Mrs. McCrawley, or the Ash parents were fully happy with this plan. Sure, their kids were adults and making these decisions for themselves, but like Ivona said, they were their family, and they weren’t allowed to be in danger. The addition of Ruth and Owain being the only of their children still around meant they were even more reluctant to let them go, especially the Ash’s, she was their only child still alive and voluntarily going to war. None of them ever cried though, not in front of Owain and Ruth. That didn’t mean they knew how much they hated this. Owain promised his mum that he would come back.

Ruth didn’t make any such promises. She didn’t believe in making promises she didn’t think she could keep. She assured her parents she would be as safe as she could be, and while they mostly understood their daughters less emotional ways, they wished that she would promise them her safety. That, like her brothers, she would show how much she was going to miss them, show that emotion that characterised her family’s love for each other, but she had never been like her brothers, and such wishes were never going to be answered.

She did, however, write multiple letters, and hid them around her room. She knew her mum wouldn’t be able to resist going in and cleaning up. Letters to her parents found among the supposedly organised chaos would keep her parents occupied, and Ruth was always better with written word than speech.

The day came, it was a Thursday, sunny though chilly, with a few clouds scattering the sky above them. What Owain thought of as chilly, Ruth clearly thought of as the depths of the ice-lands. For what wasn’t even negative degrees, Ruth had on a fluffy coat, and Owain wouldn’t have been surprised if she was wearing more than one pair of socks.

“Y’know Kailix isn’t going to be much different weather-wise, right?” Owain asked her while they waited at a bus station outside of the woods that encircled Sobetween. The nearest airport was in Kory. Owain was sat on the sloped bench provided for people waiting under the bus shelter. Ruth was sat cross legged on the pavement, staring to the right, down the road where the bus would come. She only knew the side of the road because she’d had to ask Owain. In Ohlendia, roads were supposed to be driven on the opposite side to Ahlden, though most Ohlendians didn’t pay much attention to road laws. Owain had seen some pictures and honestly the idea of potentially driving  in Ohlendia was terrifying. He didn’t think that many live animals could fit onto a motorbike.

“I know” Ruth said with gritted teeth, clearly hating the cold that Owain didn’t think was bad enough for more than a jumper.

“Larry’s mum said she thought you wanted to go somewhere warmer and to tell you that, in case you were under any illusions,”. Owain was dressed in uniform, the blue of medic and the design and material of a soldier. Some myths said that medics wore blue because it used to be a medics favourite colour in ye olden days. It was distinctive at least. They had their small suitcases with them, and Ruth was still staring down the road.

“You ready for this?” Ruth asked him, not looking over.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“Haven’t you never left home before?” She was right. Owain was pushing down the nerves that filled his stomach, wishing that they would leave him alone. He was supposed to be strong, he was here to look after Ruth, not the other way around.

“I only met you in September,” Owain said, the thought occurring with no reasoning, “And you’ve got me heading to Kailix as a soldier with you.”

“You volunteered yourself,”

“I know” Owain laughed, “Of all the things I thought would happen this year, I never thought any of them would be any of the things that have happened because of you.”

They could hear the distant humming of a clunking bus driving nearer, and soon enough, the could see the advertisement covered yellow of the bus coming over the hill.

“Onwards?” Ruth asked him, standing up and pulling up the handle of her suitcase.

“Onwards.” Owain confirmed, grabbing his own suitcase, and flagging down the bus driver.