The Future is Ours

Seventeen

2 months had passed now since the dimensions had been realigned. It had been a crazy few months, a rollercoaster of emotions, a mixture of events.

Ernesto's mum had had a baby boy, and they had named his little brother Alfonso. He couldn't say he was the biggest fan of the name, but when he had walked into that hospital room his heart had melted. Maybe it was fatherhood softening him up, but he couldn't stay mad at his mum. And he was grateful that Holly had someone going through the same thing that she was, even if it was her mother-in-law. From the moment he held his baby brother in his arms, he knew he would do everything he could to protect him, to look after him, to make sure he never felt alone.

To give him everything he never had as a boy.

The government's insistence to underplay the role of the children in bettering the world continued to frustrate the Sparticles to no end. Not just the Sparticles, in fact. Those aged 19 and under were growing tired that all the hard work they had put into creating a better planet was being ignored. It seemed that almost daily there was a new news story about how much they had messed up the world, how uncivil they were, their inability to cope with being adults.

It was funny. The adults were the people who had forced them to grow up overnight. And now here they were, telling them that they had been playing 'adult' all wrong.

The Sparticles had been in many meetings with the government, trying to convince them to adapt to their new world. In a way, they were a voice for the teenagers and children. For the first two months, it had fallen on deaf ears. They were stuck in their ways, either unwilling or unwanting to take on some of their suggestions.

The government had rented out flats for the tribe on the outskirt of London, giving them the option of either staying with their families or there. They all chose to stay in London. They had near daily meetings with the government, trying to come to some sort of agreement. The children of Britain were relying on the Sparticles to come to some form of deal, to get the adults to listen to them. Already there had been small mutinies breaking out in towns and cities. The government had to keep the tribe on side, less there be a full scale revolution.

And so, an agreement was to be come to.

It was a blustery Autumn day when the tribe gathered together, ready to go and meet with various politicians and leaders to discuss their next steps. They were to be called in in groups - the last few times they had all been seen together had been disastrous, no one could get a word in edgewise. And they often ended with Sadiq storming out in frustration. Not that anyone blamed him, the relationships between the adults and teenagers had grown frosty.

And so, in groups of 2 or 3, the tribe were led into the meetings, ready to discuss the next steps in creating a more peaceful world.

"Ahh, Holly! Ernesto! Please, take a seat." Michael, the newly appointed Head of Civic Relations, gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "You know, you really don't need to take Kimmy into these meetings. We can have people look after her."

Holly glared at him. "Kimmy stays with me." She held her baby a little closer, as if someone would come and snatch her. The conflicts of the last few months had made them both very protective of their daughter, refusing to let her out of their sight.

Michael sighed. "Very well. Now," he flicked through his notebook, "I believe you two are the last of tribe Sparticle to be seen. Have you spoken to them since?"

The pair shook their heads.

"Not yet." Ernesto confirmed, though he knew Michael knew this. They had purposely kept the tribe apart between meetings this time.

"Well, we have a proposal for the pair of you. Holly, as you know, you have become somewhat of a figurehead for a lot of the children who have become mothers during the disappearance. They look to you for hope. And Ernesto, you have a lot of military experience, from your time in military school, to heading the Resistance Party, to fighting in the First Teen War."

The pair shuddered as they remembered the brutal war.

"So, our proposal is this: Holly, we would make you Director of the Young Parents. A newly created government division aimed at helping and supporting young parents from the Disappearance. Obviously, given that you're a new mum, this role wouldn't be a full time position just yet. Not unless you wanted that. And, after much convincing, it has been agreed that Kimmy can attend all meetings with you."

On queue, Kimmy started to gargle, yanking at Holly's hair. She smiled down at her daughter, prying her hair out of her tiny hands.

"And Ernesto, we would like to offer you the title of Head of the Youth's Military. The children of the Disappearance are craving some form of stability. Some structure. But also they need something to keep them in line. You can help by teaching them your militant skills and squashing any outbursts of conflict around the country so that we came, once again, be at peace."

Holly took Ernesto's hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She knew this wasn't what he wanted, not what they had planned. But the anger on his face gave it away. He was a revolutionary, he believed in the right to protest, agreed with the rebellions happening around the country. And now they had the cheek to suggest that he should be the one to try and stop them, to do the government's dirty work for them.

He glared at Michael. "Kimmy needs a feed." Was all he said through gritted teeth, knowing that now was not the time for an angry outburst. They had to be calculated. And right now he couldn't think straight; Kimmy was the perfect escape route.

"Well, I'm more than happy to talk to you alone if Holly would like to leave-"

Holly cut Michael off. "No, it's fine, really. We need some time to think through what you've said." She gave him a tight smile as Ernesto took her hand, leading the young family out of the room.