This civilization is called Mahali Salama. It's Swahili for Safe Place.

Yarrow scoffs in my head. "Not very safe is it?"

No. That's why we're breaking them out. In the prefail days this continent was called Africa. Aaron wiped their memories, gave them fancy food and clothes, and let them forget it all.

Yarrow frowns in my head. Even she knows this isn't right.

"Hey!" Yarrow snaps. "I'm the only company you have! You'd do well not to insult it!"

I bite my lip, knowing she's right. She's the only one who can understand this, I should be more grateful.

"Yes, you should be more grateful for me. Finally you get it! But besides that, how will you get them out?" She asks. I think for a moment. I still have much of Aaron in me, so I understand much of the Ecopans capabilities on my own. But moments like this leave me stumped.

I'll power everyone off, I decide. Something in my stomach slurs when I refer to it as 'powering them off' as if they're not people with thoughts, and feelings, and stories to tell. I will activate all the security bots, and cleaning bots, and all the bots in between to help tear down some of the wall.

Yarrow lifts an eyebrow. It's funny how I can feel what she's doing without seeing it.

"Why do I have a feeling this plan is very risky?" She asks. I sigh.

Even if the bots are able to tear down the wall it might not be sturdy. If anything collapses, or the wall falls, thousands could die, I say trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. I am the Ecopan, not a child pouting about the cruelties of life. I must make the hard decision. I feel Aaron's judgement creep into me, and try to push it out. But I know that if I had to choose between the risk of thousands of my people dying, but most of them being free, or all of them imprisoned in an artificial paradise, I would choose the first option. Death is terrible, but not as terrible as ignorant imprisonment.

"Do it," Yarrow urges me. I 'turn off' everyone in Mahali Salama. I can feel almost a million people loose conscious, falling to the floor. Any one who this didn't work on must be terrified. Anyone with epilepsy, like Lark, or any second child, like Lachlan, must be so confused. I take control of all the bots and have them head to one specific panel, they start to tear it down.

~~~~~~~

I feel a soft hand in my hair and I wake up. I grimace, realizing it isn't the same slow, relaxing sensation, as waking up. Instead it feels more like turning back on, like I'm a machine. Because I am.

"Rowan," I hear someone whisper into my ear. It's Lark. He breath tickles my ear and I smile. She used to be the first thing I thought about in the morning, now she's the first person I'm waking to. I open my eyes and Larks beautiful smile is looking down on me.

"You slept all day!" Lark giggles. Her lips come nearer and they touch my ear gently. "Come on. Get ready, the celebration is starting any minute!"

An hour later I've taken a shower, brushed my teeth, and changed my clothes for the celebration. The sun is setting and everyone is gathering outside. I look out upon them, from what I can best see, through the clear glass of the sphere in the tree. They're several huge campfires lining the humongous valley they're all heading too. Thousands, upon thousands, in a large swarm. My stomach crawls thinking of everything we could do to this earth. Can we truly be trusted?

I looked behind me at my bathing alcove and realize so much of our technology is still being used. And the wood they're using for those fires- it's artificial so things won't catch on fire. We have made absolutely no progress! Tears fill my eyes. Maybe Aaron was right. Maybe we will never be ready to live without guidance.

"Ro," Ash says entering my room quietly. I quickly blink my tears away and look at him with a smile. He offers me his arm, and I take it, walking out of the bubble with him.

"Come on. They waited to have the party tonight so you could be there. They're calling you The Savior of Eden!" Ash says flashing a grin. I grin back, miserably. He looks at me pitying. "It's okay, sister. One day everyone will realize how boring you are."

I laugh, grateful for my brothers teasing. We walk in the back of the cluster to the valley. When we finally arrive the sun has set and the blazing fires light the valley. Intricate rhythms start to play on the drums. I feel hot against the fires, and claustrophobic as my body brushes against everyone I pass.

"I need to go find Angel," Ash says over the drums and parts from me before I can get so much as a word in. I look around and see nobody that I notice. I'm alone, hot, and surrounded. People near start to face me, extending there hands for me to shake, introducing themselves, saying pleasantries. Suddenly, I can't breath. My heart feeling like it's being squeezed and I start to sob. Which doesn't help me catch my breath.

"Please excuse me," I manage to gasp out. I have to get out of here! I run like an animal, where I'm going, I don't know. All I know is I have an animal instinct to get as far away as possible. I shove and bustle through people trying to reach anyplace but this damned valley. I ignore people's curses and protests as I push them. I don't even bother murmur an apology I know they can't hear. Still sobbing and gasping for air I slam straight into a sturdy man without looking at his face. I shift my weight to my other foot to go around him but he grabs my arm. I don't look at him or protest against his aggressive form of praise, I just keep running. When I go to run he doesn't let me go though. Finally, I look up at his face. And it's just the face I want to see.

"Rowan?" Lachlan asks. He looks concerned and alert. "What happened to you?"

I try to hold it back, but I can't. I bend over and puke all over his boots. I look back at him humiliated, apologizing through my tears. His initial response is disgust, but it's quickly replaced by concern again. He doesn't care about his boots.

"Come with me," Lachlan says putting a tender arm around my shoulder, leading me in a direction. Somehow I don't feel claustrophobic with him so near. With his big bulk and powerful voice we're able to part through the crowd much easier. Lachlan is giving off a protective aura. Finally we reach an area with slightly less people. When I look around I see familiar, friendly, faces with second child eyes. I start to wipe my tears and calm down. I see Iris warning the children not to play by the fire a few yards away.

"Thank you," I say taking a deep breath as I turn back to Lachlan. He laces his fingers in mine and continues to lead me. This time he's leading me away from everyone. The bright lights and loud noises of the drums start to fade.

The valley is walled in by high rocky hills, with caves, and boulders that threaten to topple. Lachlan leads me behind one of the hills- which takes several minutes.

"Where are we going?" I ask wiping away the last of my tears. I can hardly see a thing as it is in this darkness.

"Just a few more minutes. I made a place for...well, actual I probably made it for you without even knowing it," He chuckles. "I made it for anyone who needed it tonight."

Lachlan and I walk, hand in hand, on a rocky path until we reach a small cave area with wood in the middle. Lachlan starts to light the fire as I tuck myself into a ball in the corner of the cave a few feet away.

"I know how you feel about all this," He says sitting beside me. The small fire creates a glow through out the small cave. I extend my hands to the fire to warm them, even on this summer night it's cold. "You don't want technology at all, do you?"

I think this over. I don't want technology. But how is that possible when I am technology? "I want humans to learn. It's the only way we will thrive...and we've had a pathetic start." I say miserably. Lachlan takes my hand, leaning closer to me. Suddenly, I don't need the fire to warm me. Still, I look ahead at the flames.

"We're trying. We have a ten year plan. Ten years from now we will be completely technology free," Lachlan says leaning even closer. I want to laugh. Ten years? Congratulations, you'll be middle aged before you can live on your own! Besides, they'll never be free from me, therefore they will never be technology free.

"I'm glad," I say curtly. Finally, I look at Lachlan. He's so close. I feel his heat making me fluster, my thoughts becoming blurred. Lachlan comes just slightly nearer, and our lips connect...only for a moment though.

"Stay with me tonight," He whispers to me. His face is so near, he is so stern, yet so gentle. "Let me hold you in my arms tonight." My throat tightens, and my breath hitches.

"What do you mean?" I gulp.

"Forgive me for my boldness. I will keep more distance, to the best of my abilities, beyond today. But we've gained so much, lost so much, I want to have you near, just for tonight," Lachlan explains. My thoughts drift to Mira, and Dads death.

"And when you say you want to 'hold me' do you mean you want to..." I trial off. Lachlan gulps, then shakes his head.

"That's not what I was asking," Lachlan says, but the tone of his voice shows it all. That's not what he meant...but he longs for the opportunity.

"I'll keep you company in your bed tonight," I tell Lachlan softly. He kisses my head and thanks me. "Walk me back down to the celebration, please."

Lachlan walks me back to the celebration where we say our quick goodbyes, promising to meet him tonight. Once Lachlan and I part, I'm searching the crowd. This time I do better at taking feel breathes. Just as I start to think it's impossible, that I can't pinpoint one person in this humongous crowd, I spot her.

Larks hair is a concoction of color. She looks concerned even as she looks upon the crows with a beaming smile. She only notices me when I'm a few feet away. She smiles unsurely, sipping a glass of wine.

"I thought I'd never find you! I've been looking for you all night!" She says pulling me into an embrace. I let my face nuzzle into her hair. Her skin smells like rose petals. "Rowan, I still need you to explain what happened after you left Eden. I know that-"

"Shhh," I cut her off. I can't think about that now. "Dance with me!" I yell over the loud noise of drums, still beating on. She hands her wine glass to a random man, takes my hand, and starts to hop in circles with me. We hold hands as we jump and skip to the beat like mad women. We get a mixture of amused and annoyed looks, mostly amused.

Finally, I lean in and kiss her, knowing I will be in Lachlan's arms tonight, safe.