Waterbound

By Jane Stemp

A thought-provoking story of hidden lives, by Jane Stemp. Waterbound is set in a future of limited resources, allocated to those who can contribute to society, while people unable to contribute are quietly removed. Gem finds her way beneath the City into an unknown place, and there she finds the forgotten people, the Waterbound. Gem and her frie

• Language: English
• Publisher: Upfront
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781784567828

Book preview

Waterbound

Jane Stemp

Upfront Publishing

Waterbound

Waterbound

Copyright © (Jane Stemp 2021)

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photocopying or any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from both the copyright owner and the publisher of the book.

All characters are fictional. Any similarity to any actual person is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-178456-782-8

eBook

Waterbound

First published 2021 by Upfront Publishing Peterborough, England.

An environmentally friendly book printed and bound in England by www.printondemand-worldwide.com

Contents

Chapter 1  The Flower

Chapter 2  Maps and Secrets

Chapter 3  The Tunnel

Chapter 4  The Hollow World

Chapter 5  Strand Seven

Chapter 6  Under All the Houses

Chapter 7  Cement

Chapter 8  Marking Time

Chapter 9  Passing For Normal

Chapter 10  Discoveries

Chapter 11  Bets and Bargains

Chapter 12  Spreading the Word

Chapter 13  Waterbound

Chapter 14  More Flowers

Chapter 15  The Unbinding Begins

This book is dedicated

to my Dad and my brothers,

and (of course) to Robin,

in memory of my dear Mum,

and with thanks to many helpers, including

Kay Hallsworth, Chris Quinton,

Verity Holloway,

and especially

Nabil Shaban, Jen Brooks and

Katherine Soutar.

Chapter 1  The Flower

Gem leaned over the wall at City Edge to watch the stream where it flowed in from the grassland outside. From where she stood in the sunshine it was nothing but a curve of braided light, a small stream for the great arch as it disappeared into the darkness under the City. She leaned farther over, and her long, fair hair swung forward across her face.

Gem righted herself and fished in her pockets. Oh, no! Today of all days. She had forgotten her ID card – and the key for Outside that Pa had given her the credit to buy. Gem screwed up her eyes trying to remember: a vivid mental picture of the small zinc and copper disk lying in the exact middle of her bed. A long walk back home. Gem looked along City Edge to the gate. No one in sight. She walked back a little way, ran forward, and leapt for the top of the fence. Grab, scramble, kick, thud. Illicitly Outside, on her first day as a Responsible Adult. She took a deep breath. Sixteen years and one day old. Don’t disappoint me, Pa had said as he gave her the key yesterday. By which he probably meant, Don’t waste my money, there’s none to spare. And here she was, laying herself open to a two-hundred fine for walking on the environment without paying and without permission.

The nervous thumping of her heart that had made her pulse ache in the quick of her fingernails faded. She looked around. So this grassland, this riverbank, this, was Outside. Outside, where Admin wouldn’t let you go until you were old enough and responsible enough not to damage it; Outside, where the grass was real and not wasting land where you could have grown vegetables and grain. Gem felt as if a thin, transparent skin had dropped off her. She could breathe, run, do what she liked. She ran away from the City, upstream along the waterside, through the grass.

The sun was beginning to go down when she strolled back towards City Bridge. It was time to wonder how she was going to get Inside again. Gem sat down by the stream.

There was the flower. Bright red, lying on its side in the water, spinning. Beautiful. Moving fast. She flung herself forward – Ow! as she landed hard on the ground – and reached for it. Missed completely.

Gem lay on her front in the grass and watched the flower follow the curve of the stream over into the darkness. This was the only wild water near the City. Even the rain was tamed the minute it hit the ground. Piped, bottled, gathered into cisterns; recycled from sewerage. Anything but free. Gem got up on her knees and dabbled her fingers in the water. Fresh to the touch, somehow more alive than the stuff from the taps at home.

You can walk right into it, if you like.

Jay! You made me jump.

He stood beside her, a long way up to look: Jay Delaiah. He was in the class above her, so had been Outside before, maybe more than once. She had asked him what it was like, but he had refused to say. Better make up your own mind, he had told her.

Now he said, with a twist of amusement in his voice, Not educating yourself? The reflected sunlight dappled his dark-brown face and vanished in the shine of his black hair.

I’ve been studying over quota for a month–

The girl’s mad.

– to earn myself a day off. You may not have noticed, but yesterday was my birthday.

I notice everything to do with you, Jay said.

Gem lay down again. She had no answer to that; never did know how to take Jay. He was – acid one minute, honey the next. It made for a nerve-wracking friendship, and sometimes Gem wondered why she bothered.

Did you see it? she asked presently.

Did I see what?

The red flower.

Oh. Yes, I saw that. Jay sat down on the grass where the arch of City Bridge sprang. He folded his legs carefully, one hand on each ankle.

I wanted it, Gem said.

Wouldn’t have lasted, said Jay. I’ll get you another one.

Gem looked up at him, curious. You mean you put it there?

Jay shrugged, and stared blandly back at her: brown eyes into blue. Out of Ma’s garden, he said.

Why? Gem asked.

Why not?

Gem rolled onto her back and looked at the sky. Clouds were drifting across it in puffs of white. For a moment she felt as if she might fall off the world. Then the clouds weren’t moving but she was, drifting on the sky in her scarlet sweater as the flower had drifted on the water. Where does it go? she asked.

Where does what go? Jay liked people to be precise. Sometimes Gem thought he just enjoyed the rise he got out of people by making them rephrase their questions to perfect accuracy.

Where does the stream go? she asked again. After the City? There was so much silence, unnerving silence, that Gem sat up and stared at Jay. Had he not heard, or was he ignoring her?

Jay?

Nobody knows, he answered, his voice flat and final.

Somebody must.

Nobody. He stood up. I should go home. We must be the only ones Outside today.

Gem pulled bits of grass from her sweater. I’ll have to climb, she said to his retreating back.

Jay stopped short in what looked like surprise; but when he turned round, there was nothing but amusement on his face. Well, aren’t you the one! He grinned. Shall I give you a leg up?

Gem looked at him, not sure whether to glare or smile. I came out on my own, I can get back in on my own, thanks. Except that there were people strolling along City Edge now. They could be strangers, or friends, or the ever-watchful Admin. I may have to wait.

I have a better idea, Jay said. Put your thumbprint on this. He flipped her a gleaming circle of metal; an Outside key.

Gem was so astonished, she made no move to catch it. You have them to spare?

They litter the floors of Upper Admin. My father gives me them instead of credit sometimes. Jay took another key from his pocket. Come on!

Gem sniffed. What it is to be stinking rich. But she picked up the key and pushed her thumb into it; then Jay let himself into the City with his own key, fed the spare into the entrance slot, caught it when it dropped out, and tossed it over the fence. There, he said. Nobody’s watching. So long as Admin don’t check the gate line and notice that you went Outside only to come in again half a minute later, we’re clear.

Ultra! Technology has no initiative, Gem said as she let herself through from the green and brown random curves of Outside to the measured lines and shining bluegrey gleams of the City.

No – imagination runs rings round it. Hey, don’t throw that away! Jay caught Gem’s wrist as she headed for the returns bin. I want it.

But it’s been used. Gem opened her hand and let the key slip into Jay’s palm. He didn’t loosen his grip, but continued to look at her, quizzically, as if daring her to say something. After a moment she pulled her hand away.

I keep them. Jay slipped the metal discs into his pocket and grinned. They rattle so nicely when I play at coin economy.

I never knew you were an antiquarian.

You should see my collection of bookmarks.

They sauntered up along the City Edge, and leaned on the parapet over the street.

I wonder what it’s like in the dark, Gem said.

If you’re far enough from the City, you can see the stars, Jay said. It’s very quiet. The wind in the grass, and sometimes the insects chirping. When I was Outside for the night, I woke up before dawn and heard the birds singing.

You are so lucky, Gem said. Money. Parents who let you alone. Anyone else would hate you.

I can’t help having my parents. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at her, his smile less sardonic than usual. You mind, don’t you?

Of course I mind, Gem said, turning away from the Edge and beginning to walk towards the centre of the City. Between the buildings the wind was stronger. It blew leaves, not many, along the water channels in the middle of the street, so that her ears were filled with a dry rustling whisper. Living between fences, always having to be careful about, quote, resources natural and human made, unquote. She breathed hard for a moment, trying to batten down the anger that would have scraped her throat raw if she had let it, trying not to let her father’s sarcasm, that she heard so often, infect her voice. And all because people I never knew or heard of weren’t – careful, I mean. Because my five-times-great grandfather bought oil like you could drink it, and my four-times-great-grandmother loved plastic because it didn’t break and wasn’t heavy, or whatever. And my three-times-whoever, all of them – all of yours, too – came to their senses too late. Better late than never, Jay said.

What an ancient cliché.

So why not recycle words, like everything else?

Gem jumped down into the water channel. At the same moment, somewhere in the distance, an alarm sounded; nothing strident, a gentle cadence of notes that might have been meant for a lullaby, if they hadn’t known better.

Now look what you’ve done, Jay said. Cracked a water line.

Never, she retorted. That’s South Four’s siren. Probably some ultra so-and-so trying to bypass the water allocation meter.

Well, it’s stopped now, Jay said. Pa says we could do with some more rain.

The screen said situation normal this morning.

What do you want? Situation desperate, sacrifice your goldfish? Jay chuckled. Joking, of course. Admin prefers to keep the populace calm.

It doesn’t work, Gem said, not if my pa’s anything to go by. He loses his calm the minute he opens his mouth.

How are your folks?

Same as usual.

Gem, Jay said, how long have we known each other?

We first met, Gem said, as precisely as even Jay could have wished, four years and five months ago.

And I still don’t know how your parents are. Oh sure, I’ve met them, but they were on their best behaviour then.

Gem kicked the leaves in the water channel. Pa might be living on a different planet to me. I can’t do a thing right as far as he’s concerned. She fell silent, thinking of Pa as she usually saw him, his back and head bent over his work line; typing, calculating, costing up, working as if imaginary demons would get him if he stopped, when the worst that could happen was being downclassed. But then, maybe that looked worse to him than it did to Gem. He had given her the credit for the Outside key, and with it the impression that it was more a reward for good work then a birthday present.

Ma goes shuttling backwards and forwards like a satellite on elastic, Gem said. Trying to explain each of us to the other, she says. I don’t need explaining if only Pa would try to see things my way.

Poor lady, Jay said, as if he really meant it.

Gem stepped out of the water channel on the side away from him. She seems to be happy, anyway.

Jay took a big step across and walked beside her. They came to an intersection where three streets met, and the water channels converged in a round basin. At the moment it held nothing but leaves and litter. Gem waded through the rustling heap, just for the fun of doing it, while Jay crossed over on the grey slabs that did duty for bridges.

Shouldn’t she be happy? Jay asked.

She wanted another baby, but we couldn’t afford it unless Pa was promoted, and then Admin messaged her to say she was past the age. Pa’s promotion came through a month later. She turned her face away from him, and felt the wind cold on the side of her neck.

Oh, Gem. Jay sounded unexpectedly sympathetic.

I’d have liked a sister, Gem said.

Not a brother?

What, with you around? Gem looked back at Jay. There was an odd expression on his face, and she turned away, confused. What about you? she asked. Brother, sister?

I’d like someone. He shook himself and changed the subject so obviously that Gem could almost hear the crunch. How’s class? Who are you doing your project with?

Gem wrinkled her nose. "Ness Brenault, so help me. Why does it have to be her whose name is never called for partner, when the other one’s me?"

"Oh, you’ll be all right. Ness isn’t