her deerskin boots kicking up dust clouds but making no sound

Earth: Ishikari watershed: 5250 AD.

"Come on, Hoshiko. Don't be so dense about this," Hiroto pleads, his voice carrying that particular wheedling tone teenage boys perfect when they're not getting their way.

"I already told you I'm not interested, and that doesn't make me stupid. Actually, it makes me smarter than you. And if you keep bothering me, I'm telling my grandpa John," Hoshiko replies, crossing her arms with the kind of finality that should end the conversation—but probably won't.

"Old John? That decrepit fool? I couldn't care less about that relic," Hiroto declares with the bravado that comes right before a spectacular fall.

"Heh. Then you'd better look behind you," Hoshiko says, unable to suppress her grin as she watches Hiroto's face change.

"Oh! John! I'm sorry, sir. I was just joking around with Hoshiko. You know how silly she can be sometimes," Hiroto responds, somehow managing to shrink several inches in the space of a heartbeat.

"Well, I won't be joking when I knock some sense into you. You'd better run along now, son. I'm planning to spend some time with my granddaughter, and I don't need you young wolves sniffing around."

"'Knock some sense into you'—you always talk so funny, Grandpa. But I think you got your point across. Look at Hiroto practically running away," Hoshiko says, laughing as the boy beats a hasty retreat.

"So are these boys giving you trouble? Because I can fix that, you know. I could get Penelope to enforce her rules about unwanted attention. These boys might find themselves doing some time in the detention building," John says, his expression serious enough to suggest he's not entirely joking.

"No, it's okay. They're just boys being boys. It only really bothers me when the married ones start messing with me—but I just make sure their wives find out, and that usually stops it pretty quick." She pauses, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Just because most of the other girls my age already have kids doesn't mean I have to. We have the right of personal determination, so I don't have to go along with what everyone else expects. Isn't that right?"

"That's my understanding of how things work. You can determine your own path, as long as it doesn't harm others or the village as a whole. It's a delicate balance sometimes, but I think you're on solid ground telling these boys to leave you alone. You've got plenty of life ahead of you to find a husband when you're ready. So what brings you out to the stables today?"

"I heard you got some new foals. Dad said I could get my own horse if I'm not married by the time I turn fifteen. I want to pick out a beautiful one while I can. He said if I get married, then it's up to my husband, but I think I'm going to stay single for a while longer," Hoshiko says with a hint of defiance that suggests this isn't entirely about horses.

"We do have some beautiful ones. We crossbred the Russian stock with the Korean horses, and the foals are both healthy and gorgeous," John says, leading her toward the paddock.

"Korean? What's that?" Hoshiko asks, the term clearly unfamiliar.

"Well, the first batch of horses we brought back after we got our barges built came from Old Russia. This last time, we sailed further south to what used to be called Korea and got some from there. We didn't want to keep breeding from the same Russian bloodlines—that's not healthy for the herd," John explains.

"You crossed the ocean again?!" Hoshiko exclaims, her voice rising with worry. "That's so dangerous, Grandpa! I don't want you falling off the boat and getting eaten by sea monsters. Aren't you scared?"

"Yes, I am scared. But fear is part of life. If you let it control you, it'll hold you back from actually living the life you were meant to live. Sometimes you have to push through the fear and do what needs doing, even if you might end up as fish food. Besides, we had guidance for the journey, so it wasn't quite as dangerous as it could have been. Everything's a balancing act, Hoshiko—something I can see you're learning too," John says with an understanding smile.

"So how do you make the boat go all the way to Russia?" Hoshiko asks, clearly fascinated despite her worry.

"Timing is everything. We leave from the west coast around midsummer when the prevailing winds blow toward Asia. That gets us to the mainland with enough time to scout the herds and collect wild poppy pods—we use those to make a sedative that calms the horses for transport. We want the yearlings, the ones just recently weaned. They have the weakest ties to their herds and are easier to separate, plus they're not too bright yet, which makes them easier to catch. When fall comes and we've selected our animals, the prevailing winds reverse and blow back toward home. So we ride the wind in both directions. Getting to Korea took a bit more skill since we had to sail at an angle to the wind, but we've got some talented sailors who know how to set the sails for that kind of navigation. We made it there and back without much trouble."

"Tell me about this guidance, Grandpa. The kids at school say it's all nonsense—just stories made up by old people who don't really remember what happened back then," Hoshiko says, her expression troubled.

"How do these kids think we got here? Did we just magically sprout from the ground like chrysanthemums?" John asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No, they say there was some great disaster on Earth and only a few children survived. Those kids built this village and made up all the stories about the 'before time,' the 'after time,' and this 'new time' we're living in now. They created these stories because they didn't really know what had happened—they just woke up one day with everything destroyed and had to build grass huts and start over. So when you talk about 'guidance,' it makes me wonder where this guidance is supposed to be coming from."

"What does your grandma Penelope say about all this?" John asks.

"She just says she's too busy to discuss such nonsense. My mom is one of those people who isn't really sure the whole 'after time' thing actually happened. But here's the thing—I remember stuff. I remember being Alannah's best friend in the after time. I remember Penny Lake, Crystal City, the Capital, all of it. But when people tell me it was all made up and that these ideas were just planted in my head when I was little... well, that makes sense too. It could all just be dreams based on stories I heard growing up. I'm honestly confused."

"You're fourteen, Hoshiko. An identity crisis is pretty normal at your age. You're still becoming the person you'll be, so naturally your sense of identity is shifting. You'll work it all out as you get older. For now, just go with it and let it take you where it needs to. It will get easier, I promise," John explains gently.

"I get the whole 'being fourteen' thing. But tell me about the guidance—do you really believe in it?" Hoshiko asks, her expression intensely serious.

"Believe in it? I don't have to believe in it. I know it exists because I was there. I was in the underground chambers where the network lives, where the spirit of the Earth resides. So for me, it's not a matter of faith."

"Then take me there. Show me the underground."

"Well, I can't exactly do that. Because we knew there would be doubters—people who might see the network as a threat—the portals to the underground have been sealed and hidden. Nettie is completely self-sufficient now, so she doesn't need us to visit anymore. The way guidance works is you quiet your mind, think about your questions, and after a while, an answer comes. So we thought about ocean currents and weather patterns and where to find wild horses, and after sleeping on it for a few days, we just... knew. That's how guidance works."

"That's exactly my problem with the whole story, Grandpa. Part of me believes it, but when I try to explain it to others, it falls apart. So there's this vast computer network underground, but it's sealed and hidden so nobody can actually see it. The only evidence is from people who claim they saw it but can't visit it again. To get guidance, you basically meditate until you feel like you have an answer. I can meditate too, and after a while, whatever I imagine starts to feel right—but that doesn't mean it's real. There's no physical evidence, nothing I can touch or feel, to convince anyone else, or even myself, that any of it actually exists."

"Any account of things long past is called history. And ultimately, it's exactly that—someone's story. You have to decide for yourself what rings true for you and what doesn't. Faith is what you rely on when you don't have tangible, touchable proof to point to. I can't explain it any better than that. Faith is one of those things that when you need it, you'll have it, and when you have it, you'll recognize it."

"Oh, thank you, Grandpa John. Now I see everything with perfect clarity," Hoshiko says with a smile that's pure sarcasm.

"I see you've inherited Penelope's gift for sarcasm," John says with a grin. "You hungry? I've got some fresh salted mackerel I just brought up from the coast."

"Sure, I'll try it. I thought you were a fresh-fish-only kind of guy—just catch 'em, fry 'em, and eat 'em up. What's with the salted ocean fish?"

"This old lake has seen better days. It got cut off from the river centuries ago when the water changed course. Now it's all silted up with runoff and algae—not much of a habitat for fish anymore. It had plenty of fish when we first arrived, but we ate them faster than they could reproduce. So now I do my fishing in the ocean, but I have to salt them to prevent spoilage, especially the mackerel."

"It's good that we're close to both the ocean and the river. So far we haven't run short of food—when we do, we just look around and find more somewhere else. How are the other crews doing? How's Anahere?"

"Anahere's crew settled in the Osage River Watershed—that's right in the heart of what used to be the North American continent, where I grew up. I seriously considered moving my family there, but decided I could do more good here with Penelope. According to the reports we received, the climate is mild, though it can get pretty cold in winter, similar to here. The whole region is populated with wild animals—deer, elk, cattle, horses, pigs, sheep. Many of these were domesticated farm animals before the great change, but now they roam wild across the territory. It's rich, fertile land, and her crew included many of the First Ones who knew how to live off the land. So I'm confident she's doing well. We have no way to communicate with the other crews—it may be quite some time before we get things like telegraph or radio working again. Might not happen in my lifetime. So all we can do is hope that they, like us, survived their first seasons and got their communities established and growing. When I think of her, I picture her riding bareback across the plains, just like her ancestors did thousands of years ago. I have a feeling she's very happy there. She's an old woman now, but I bet her energy is as high as ever. I can't imagine her any other way."

"I'm glad you came here, Grandpa. Anahere is doing fine, I'm sure, and I know you miss her, but I would have been lost without you. I've never really felt like I belong with this crew, but with you, I feel completely at home. So have we encountered any of the other crews during our travels?" Hoshiko asks.

"When we were near Korea looking for horses, we met a small group from the Yangtze Watershed. They were doing well—many crops like rice and wheat were growing wild there, so they didn't take long to establish agriculture. You have to watch out for flooding in that region, though. There are also wild chickens, cattle, and pigs wandering around, so they had plenty to eat. The animals are leaner now than they used to be, but they still have plenty of meat on them. We talked briefly about establishing trade between our communities, but our ships are basically barges with primitive sails—they're difficult to maneuver, and sometimes you don't end up where you planned to go. It'll be a long time before we have steam ships that can carry tons of cargo reliably. Until then, we'll just have these chance encounters from time to time, and that's not enough to establish proper trade routes. We're working on it, though. You'll see it happen in your lifetime, I'm sure."

"That sounds wonderful. I love the fish and venison and all the vegetables we grow here, but I wouldn't mind some roasted chicken or pork chops once in a while," Hoshiko says with a giggle. "Okay, enough geography lessons. What about you, John? Your daughters are all married with kids and grandkids. You're still young enough to raise a couple more children of your own. Why don't you take a wife and start another family? You're the best father ever, and the community would benefit from it." Her voice becomes more earnest. "John, I love you so much and I worry about you. I know you have tons of grandchildren, but you need your own woman to keep you warm when winter comes. I think you should seriously consider it."

"Ha!" John laughs at the thought of remarrying. "No woman in this community would want an old codger like me. There are too many handsome young men to choose from."

Hoshiko gathers all her courage, and with a slight tear in her eye, says, "What about me? I would choose you. I'm not too young—most girls get married at thirteen, and I'm already fourteen. Plenty of men your age have taken young wives, so it's not like it's wrong or anything. Even though I call you Grandpa, we're not actually blood related. What do you think about that?"

John takes a deep breath and holds it, trying to figure out how to respond to Hoshiko's proposal without causing unnecessary pain. "Oh, sweetheart! I didn't see that coming at all. I had no idea your thoughts were heading in that direction. I'm honestly shocked, and really flattered, but you don't understand what you're asking for. You don't know what it would cost you."

"Are you worried about what people will think? People like Penelope? I don't give a damn what they think."

"Yeah, maybe I am a little concerned about public opinion. May-December romances are notorious for their problems. But mainly I'm worried about what I know from experience. Young women and young men have the opportunity to experience the most wonderful thing this world has to offer—and that's young love. It's difficult and chaotic and you might fight constantly, but in the long run, there's nothing better. I love you far too much to take that opportunity away from you. I'll help you find a good young man—someone better than that boy we chased off today. We'll find you someone who's right for you, someone you can build a real life with, someone who'll be there for the long haul. Not some old man you'll end up burying when your life has barely begun."

"So what happened to your young love? Is that what you're still clinging to?"

"You're wise beyond your years, Hoshiko, to see that. Yes, I experienced young love, and it was the best part of my life. It's something that can never be replaced, and there can never be anything better. It's all I need in this life, and even though I never found my Akashia again, she lives in my heart forever. I'm not saying you aren't just as wonderful as she was, but you're meant for a young man like I once was—someone who can make your life as rich as I tried to make hers."

"So it's one life, one love, that kind of thing? You realize you're breaking my heart here, and now I'll never be able to have a normal relationship."

"Ha! Now that sounds like a fourteen-year-old talking. Dry your tears, sweetheart—you're wasting them on me. You will find what you're looking for. It just isn't me. And that's my loss, but it is what it is."

John and Hoshiko sit quietly, finishing their salted mackerel and dry crackers. Then Hoshiko asks, "Why couldn't you find your Akashia? I helped hundreds of people find their lost loved ones, but there was no trace of her in any of the domains. Do you think the great awakening didn't work for her? Was her life energy lost to forgetfulness forever?"

"Domains? The great awakening? I think you've just found the evidence you were looking for in your own memories, sweetheart. Anyway, to answer your question—I've asked myself that same thing many times. But I've also learned that there's much more to existence than what we see in this life or the life in level 5. I learned from Sally that not everyone born here is actually from here. I learned from her friend Josh that not everyone who dies here goes to level 5. Akashia was such a special person, such an ideal partner, such perfect love, that I'm convinced she wasn't originally from around here, and when she left, she returned to wherever that was. I was sad for a long time, but now I'm at peace with it. For a brief time, I held perfection in my arms, and that's enough."

Hoshiko sits for a while, staring at the distant river, stung a little by the rejection but also pondering the possibility of actually finding the kind of perfect love John described. She suspects he might be one of those older people who romantically remember things as better than they really were. "I need to head home now, John. They'll be wondering where I am. Thanks for the conversation. I love you!"

"I love you more, sweetheart. Come back soon," John says, watching as a beautiful young woman—no longer quite a child—sprints down the long trail leading back to the village, her deerskin boots kicking up dust clouds but making no sound at all.