Written By: Armina Qi Saxton

Standard Disclaimer: See Disclaimer Page

Chapter 1: The Approaching Storm

Halloween had come and gone with the passing of time, as the last of the celebrations died down a few days afterwards. There was no reason to leave Isle de Gambino quickly after the events had finally blown across the sea, as there were no zombie outbreaks or experiments that got out of hand. Instead, the cleanup after Halloween was uneventful to say the least, with little damage done to surrounding buildings and enough trash to last the land for years to come. Now Gaia looked towards the next holidays that would end the year without incident.

November found it's way into the heart of Gaia, with new pumpkins being set up and scarecrows retouched and restuffed. Halloween costumes and decorations were put away until next year when it would start all over again and become orange and black all over again. It was a wonderful cycle, putting up decorations for one holiday then for the next without much wear. To some, it was tiresome effort, to move things all around then have to take everything down once again at the end of the month. For others, it was time spent on doing something other then work and doing nothing around their homes.

The crisp, cool air gave Liam one reason to stay inside his shop rather then being outside, working on new bots or upgrading the ones he already created. The sounds of thunder and the dark clouds rolling in from the south gave him even more reason to stare out into Aekea from inside. Every clap of thunder and the chill of the season made him shudder, despite being inside and out of the weather that was approaching. The thought of forcing himself to stay inside gave him more then enough reason to pull away from the window and concentrate on the few customers that were shopping.

He had seen fewer Gaians outside since even before Halloween, some enjoying the comforts of their home rather then facing the looming weather. From what he heard on the radio, and from others that came and went, that the land was facing a harsh winter and perhaps even more then a blizzard or two. Winter would start early this year, but that had been said for winter's pasts before and had never happened as long as he had lived in Gaia. This year would see if the predictions would come true or they would be just that---predictions.

These Gaians didn't really seem to mind that the day's light was being shattered by a storm, or rather had ignored it and went out anyways despite it. He could do the same if he could, but working on bots required mechanical work and wiring that would be exposed until he could put it together underneath something that could protect it from the elements. He wasn't about to test the boundaries of Gaia's weather just yet, no matter how many people said he was crazy in the first place and didn't want to have to bring all of the junk inside. It was bad enough that he got dirty when working on a new bot and honestly didn't want to bring that mess inside.

Liam felt a hand upon his shoulder and jumped at the slightest movements the fingers made. He turned around quickly to see who it was, ,expecting to see a Gaian ready to purchase an item and go home before the storm broke. He was more then surprised to see the familiar face of Moria staring up at him, her hand moving to her hip and a smirk on her lips. How long she had been standing there before she had placed her hand on his shoulder and why she was so far away from Durem, he didn't know. It was several minutes before he could find his voice to speak and to ask the questions he wanted to say.

"Moria? What are you doing here?" He asked as Moria wandered into the shop and started to look around at the few Gaians that were still wandering around. He looked nervously in the direction of these Gaians, hoping they weren't watching him back.

"Don't worry, pretty boy. I won't harm you. Yet, anyways," She said with a smirk, a devilish look playing on her face when Liam's shocked expression soon started to wear off. "Can't a girl go shopping on her lunch break?"

She batted her eyes at him, turning around and casually walking over to one of the clothes racks. She moved a hand over the pants, flipping through several of them as she tried to look as innocent as she could without trying to look like she was up to something. She was definitely up to something, whether it was just to get on Liam's last nerve or it was because she was waiting for the last two Gaians to leave the store so she could talk to Liam by himself without the interference of others. Whatever it was, Liam watched her with a raised eye brow, trying to figure out why exactly she was in Aekea, of all places, and so far away form Durem. With the approaching storm, which made itself known with a far-off rumble, others were doing the smart thing and staying as close to home as possible.

"You could have gone to Edmund's store instead or even to Ian's. They are closer to you then this place is." It was the obvious, of course, that really didn't need to be pointed out to her. "Why exactly are you here?"

Moria stopped looking through the clothes, turned towards him, and smiled sweetly at him. "Can't stand to be in the presence of a pretty girl?"

"It's....it's not like that. It's...just, well..." Liam rubbed the back of his head, taking several steps forward. It was true that one of his weaknesses was the sight of a beautiful woman, but even that could be overcome with more then just a slap on the face. Even the sight of Moria crossing her arms over her chest and watching him was enough to make him look away. "I know I haven't called in a while, but...."

"You think I'm using my free time up by the phone, waiting for you to call? Please. I have better things to do." She rolled her eyes and pulled a piece of paper out of her pant's pocket. She handed it to him, her amused expression leaving her face and a more serious one appearing. "Here. Edmund wants you to send this to the towns on Gaia's borders through one of your bots. Council's orders, I suppose."

Liam stared at the outstretched piece of folded paper for a moment, blinking back the surprise on his face. It was several minutes before he took it out of Moria's hands and unfolded, wondering what was so important that it had to go through him to get sent out. The Council had very little reason to have him send anything through one of his bots, as they had been outlawed everywhere else in Gaia except for Aekea. The laws concerning bots had been in effect ever since he could remember, recalling how surprised he was when he had been informed that these laws had little to no effect in his own home. It had been to his joy that he did not have to hide them underneath junk any longer and was able to do so much more with them.

As soon as he was finished reading the piece of paper, he looked up at Moria with an inquiring look. He expected no less then a serious look on her face with dancing eyes that told him she was playing with him and that she had come all the way to Aekea just to do it. There was a expression of total seriousness on her face but her eyes were just as serious as her face. They showed no laughing lines around the bases of her eyes, no twinkle in them that told him she knew something he did not, no nothing other then his own reflection. If she was just playing a cruel joke on him, then she was hiding that fact very well indeed.

"Moria," Liam started calmly, "this is an order for all the towns on Gaia's borders to either move in closer to the bigger cities or send representatives to the Council Hall. Why?"

"My guess is because of what this winter is going to be like," She said with a half-hearted shrug. "It's not an odd order, really. From what I heard from Edmund, there are some places that are so far away from central Gaia that no one has ever heard of them. They are practically isolated from everyone else, so the Council has to make sure that they are okay every so often. Gaia isn't as small as you think it is."

Liam looked down at the paper again, re-reading what it had to say. He knew that Gaia was more then just the few places he knew the most about, has he had proof that he had been born somewhere else other then Aekea and was really the only link to his own family. What kind of place it was or where it was in Gaia, he did not know as anything prior to the age of five he did not remember. Whether it was blocked out by choice or because something horrible had happened, he didn't know nor did he really seem to care. His life in Aekea was as good as it was.

"But those are only predictions that G-Corp and the weather station created," He said, looking up at her. "It won't happen, not in a long shot."

"Gaia has been without a horrible winter since before I was even born, so it is about due time for one," Moria told him. She hated the idea of having lots of snow ruining the winter months when there would be so many places to go to, but there was nothing she could do about it. "If you'd listen to Logan's fish stories once in a while, you'd get more then a tale of the one that got away. He is more reliable then the weather station, but I don't doubt what has been said already."

"Yea, he is full advice isn't he?" He mumbled, waving the paper in Moria's direction. "Two questions: Why me and shouldn't Edmund be doing this himself?"

"Because you've got the better equipment here that's more up-to-date then anything else in Gaia, other then G-Corp. Not saying that Edmund couldn't do it himself, but with the old war crap he has, it could take several weeks to get a small note out to the borderlands if he did. It would only take days with yours." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice that Liam picked up almost instantly. It made him smile to see the disgusted look on her face when she rolled her eyes at him. "With winter around the corner, time is everything. And besides, Edmund is busy with G-Corp and the Council at the moment, so he sent his little messenger girl."

"But isn't the secret test...." Before he could even finish his sentence, Moria had jumped forwards and put both of her hands onto his mouth. This caused the few Gaians in the store to quickly glance in their direction, amused expressions on their faces. They weren't really listening in on the conversation between the two, but Moria couldn't take the chance on any of them overhearing something that might slip out.

"Quiet, you idiot," She hissed, looking around to see if there was anyone else closer to them then those few Gaians. "No one outside of G-Corp and the Council is supposed to know where the damned thing is now, other then you and Josie. I guess it's just luck that the other shopkeepers know about where it is located and have the decency to keep their mouths shut about it."

"It's not like no one knows it exists," Liam responded as soon as Moria was confident enough that he wasn't going to reveal where G-Corp was now located and had taken her hands off of his mouth. "Before the Halloween a few years ago, they weren't even aware that even G-Corp existed, let alone a testing facility. I'm sure that there were a few people that knew, but it didn't seem like the general population knew. At least, the ones that said something."

"I'm fully aware that all of Gaia knows about G-Corp and has for several years now." She placed her hands upon her hips and stared at him hard. "But it is still not something that you need to be shouting to everyone in Gaia about, either."

"Sorry then," He muttered, looking at her with an innocent smile. "It won't happen again."

"Whatever," She replied with one last roll of her eyes. "I gave you the paper, so just send it out. The sooner, the better."

Moria gave him one last look before she walked towards the shop's entrance and out as quickly as she could. Liam stood there for several minutes, just watching her walk out of Aekea. There was something about her that he couldn't understand, something that made him shake his head and wonder more. She'd make a wonderful person to keep at my side as a girlfriend, He thought to himself, smiling at the thought of what everyone in Gaia would say if he ever could settle down with one girl. One day, I will. Not anytime soon, though.

He didn't realize that he was alone in the shop until he turned away from the door and looked around the shop. There was no one there, no one that he could see at least. Looking at the piece of paper that Moria had given him, he read it several more times and mouthed the words in silence. Move in closer to central Gaia or send representatives to the Council Hall for winter supplies. It didn't sound right to him, the Council asking the outskirting towns of Gaia to come get the supplies needed for a winter that didn't seem like it was going to happen. Although the Council members were busy with day-to-day events and things that the Gaia population were not aware of, asking those to take days out of their lives to come get much needed things was just plain crazy to him.

But that was the way it had to work now and he had a message to send to those places that had the technology to receive such a message. It would give him something to do on this rainy day, whether he liked it or not.

****

The storm had long since passed the southern regions of Gaia, the sun's bright rays showing through what had once been dark clouds of gray. The grass was still wet from the rains, the trees dripping what water hadn't fallen to the ground, and animals peeking out of their homes to see if the rain was still falling. There was nothing from the sky that came down, except for the light of the day, and nothing that would wash away even the smallest of creatures. The rainbow from the downpour had faded, the day going on as nothing had happened. The outskirting townships of Gaia, the ones that were far away from the central cities, went on with their daily chores.

Many of the southern townships are farming and trading communities, some more like Barton then places that have a few scattered houses and cows. Candle light still is the only lightening source available to those that do not rely on electricity, with the head of the towns the only homes that have any technological advances. These advances were only good for word from the Gaian Council, located in central Gaia, or for when there was no other choice but to use the technology that was, and always will be, available to those that needed it. These communities did not, rather relying on the things that the land gave them and the ability to go months without even touching anything that is outside their own lives.

Perhaps that was why he had always looked towards the northern cities that were countless miles away, in the direction of where central Gaia was and where his own home sat. He was a young man, with slightly tanned skin, shoulder length blonde hair, and deep purple eyes that looked out over the distant horizon with wonder and hope. Although he came from a family that had always been more then just a little rich, and despite him leaving that family four years before, he wore a pair of brown work pants, a brown tunic, and a pair of work boots that had seen better days. That family, what remained of it, had not heard from him since his departure, not even a single word of where he was or how he was doing. That was the way he wanted it, until he could come back and show how much he had changed himself.

His name is Gino Gambino, someone that once lived the life of luxury on an island so far away that he missed the salty air and the ocean that he once could look out into from his bedroom window. There were days that he was lost in the memory of his own home, that there was little that he could do but daydream about what it was like to walk along the beach and do nothing but stare out into the wild blue sea. It had been beautiful, nearly perfect, with his back to the island and facing the water that was so clear and warm during the summer that he wished he was a fish and could swim out into the wilderness beyond his own boundaries. Those days were gone and the days of working in a field of corn reminded him of what he had walked out on.

He still could, if he wanted to walk the miles back to Isle de Gambino to see how much it had changed since he had been there last. Gino was scared, that much he could admit to himself, on returning back to where he once called home. Could he see any changes that would make him turn right around and not come back ever again? How long would it be before he was recognized and trampled over by worried Gaians that did not know where he had been in the last four years? Could he still recognize the man that was his father and not feel like there was no salvaging the non-existent relationship between the two? Would he be able to leave?

There was so much for him in this sleepy farming village that he had called his own for the last year and a half, finding a comfortable place among those that only knew him by his first name. There was no reason for them to know who his family was, or that his father was Johnny Gambino; all they needed to know was that he was there to help them through the winters and summers of past and of present. Here, there was no reason for him to be out of place or to worry that he would be ignored by anyone, as everyone in the small village was like an extended family of some sorts. They knew everyone and the history of their families, so unlike Gino. He had no reason for them to know who he was or why he was really there, just that he was there and out of the spotlight of his family.

It was not to say that he did not miss the city of Durem or the junkyard known as Aekea, as he often stood at the edge of this same village and looked towards the north for the comforts of knowing it was still there. Gino felt as though he could still see the lights of Durem from across the miles, or hear the waves that crashed against the shores of Isle de Gambino, or even feel the cool air in Barton. That much he missed and the fact that his father wasn't standing behind him, a hand on his son's shoulder and a quick smile shared between father and son.

If things had been different between the two, then perhaps he would have stayed and not left his father watching after him, worn and defeated. He didn't regret the action of ultimately leaving his father there in Durem, standing there until his son was far away and out of his reach, but the regret of not keeping in touch with Johnny pulled at him. Gino didn't know if his was what his father had felt when his one and only son left him, but he knew it hurt and it hurt bad. Still, he couldn't bring himself to go back home to where there were those that missed him and wanted him to return. Not when there were still feelings and memories that he could not forget or leave behind.

"Hello Gino," A voice said meekly from behind him. Gino snapped out of his vision of memories about a home that was out of his reach, as he turned around and looked down. A girl, no older then the age of eleven, stood there, a blush on her cheeks and a napkin folded over something in her hands. She had her hair pushed back behind her ears with a yellow ribbon, a dark purple dress on, and a smile on her lips as she stared up at him with wide eyes and a innocent look.

"Hi there," He said simply, with a smile on his lips and the longing expression evaporating from his face. The smile only made the girl blush even more, as she giggled.

"Mother and I baked some cake this morning." She held out the napkin to him, indicating that she either wanted to show him what she had done or was about to give him the napkin itself. "Saved you a piece of it, if you want it."

Gino had to smile even more, as he took the napkin that held the small, yet delicious, piece of cake. "Thank you. I'm sure that it is good."

"What are you looking at?" The girl asked, clasping her hands behind her and looking around Gino, the cake now a forgotten memory. "You know that there isn't anything there but land and other places that would take a while to get to."

"Home is in that direction," Gino said, as he looked over his shoulder for a split second then turned back to the girl. There was no more smile on his lips, the thought of what he was looking at bring him back to the reality that he was in a strange place without anyone really knowing who he was or where he came from. "My home."

"I thought this was your home." There was an edge to the girl's voice, a frown coming to her lips as she stared at him. He knew that look whenever he mentioned that he was not originally from this village, that he came from somewhere that was more advanced and more crowded then a simple farming village. It was never really looked down upon, but those that wanted to know more, gave him a look that made him want to turn around and walk away.

"It's just a temporary place to stay, that's all," He said with a shake of his head. "I like it here, I really do, but it's not my home."

"Then why don't you go back?" She pressed on. "You've spent the last year and a half here. Doesn't your family miss you?"

Gino didn't speak as soon as he knew he should have, keeping the quiet vow he made to himself in his mind. Instead of saying exactly why he had left his home over four years ago, his face became sad and his eyes held that far away look in them once again. There was a nagging feeling inside his stomach, the one that told him he missed his home more then he would ever admit to himself. There would always be that want of returning home and seeing all the familiar faces that he knew so well, but he knew that returning home wouldn't happen any time soon. Not when he felt the time was right to see if his father had changed and the feeling of dread in knowing that he hadn't. When I know he has, by whatever sign the gods and goddesses give me, then I'll go home, Had always been his vow and he had stuck to it even to this day.

"I'm sure that my father does miss me," Gino said softly. "I do need to go back there, just once. Just to see how much it has changed since I was last there, four years ago."

"Go back, then," The girl urged him, giving him a quick nod. It was surprising just how much she sounded like someone twice her age and how much sway she had over him. "It's not helping that you are staying out here all the time, looking towards the north. I'm sure that, wherever you are from, it's better then here."

"Don't say that. I like it here, it's quiet and calm and there isn't anything to really worry about." That was the truth, with being in a smaller community of people. He had gotten to know the villagers quite well and quicker then he would have if he had stayed upon the island and with the ever increasing population.

"Please," The girl said, rolling her cherry-red eyes and pushed her light blue hair back behind her shoulder. "With the little you've talked about your home, it sounds like a paradise compared to this. Get up early to feed the animals, work all day in the fields and barns, do the chores around the hours, and go to bed before the sun sets to do it all over gain. Nice life."

"Well, I'll admit that I wasn't used to having to do a lot of work when I first started out," Gino said with a laugh. "I mean, my father was rich the last time I had really saw him."

He became quiet, not really interested in telling someone about his own life when they did not need to know more then they already did. Gino had always been scared that any part of his life would leak out to any place that he stayed longer then a week and it would become a place that he was no longer comfortable in. It had only happened twice and both times he had gone out in the middle of the night without anyone knowing where he was. They knew he had gone away, because of who he was and the people that he was related to, and no one seemed to want to go after him. If they did, he was long gone by the time they reached any places that he would be hiding in.

"You never told me your last name or who your father is," She said, her head tilting to one side. "No one here knows who you are. You were looking for work one day and been here since then."

"That's the reason why I haven't told you my family surname. Because, if I did, then everyone would be bowing down to me like I'm a prince or something." He shook his head several times. "I'm surprised no one knows who I am here. I've been to places where they know me, and I spent less then an hour there."

"We are pretty isolated out here. We go by names rather then faces of people that we don't know. Without your last name, I'm clueless to who you really are. You could be Gino Whatever, and I would know something about your family without even meeting anyone else in it." She leaned forwards, a mischievous smile appearing on her lips. That smile reminded him of how Ruby went into her mother mode and wanted to get something out of someone and would work nearly every time. "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone else."

"It's Gambino," He muttered, his eyes moving away form her for a moment then came back to her face. Their eyes met briefly, Gino taking note of the surprise on her face at the name she had been given. He didn't know if she recognized his surname or not; if she did, he would be just as surprised as she was.

"Wait, you're a Gambino?" She asked doubtfully, looking as though she was about to burst out laughing. When she saw Gino's serious expression, the laughter died from her face almost immediately as it had come. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." His shoulders sagged, the thought of someone knowing who he was now passing through his mind. It was only a matter of time before everyone else in the village knew the same thing and would ask more then he was willing to answer. "I'm sure you've heard about my father."

"Of course I have! This place may be isolated from a lot of things in Gaia, but it isn't so much that we don't what know is going on in the rest of it." Her face suddenly turned excited, something that he had dreaded happening. If one person became excited over one name, then there was no telling what others might think. "All this time, I thought you were just a regular person. But, you're the son of one of the most powerful persons in Gaia! It means a lot out here, especially with the elder of the village."

"That happens wherever I go, people knowing me based on my father and my name. That's why I hardly use my last name anymore, because it makes the ties back to him." His faced darkened slightly. "I am not my father."

"Never said you were," The girl said coolly, ignoring the dark look on his face as much as she could. "The elder has been in contact with your father before, I think maybe a month or so ago. Could have been longer then that."

"Really?" Gino's shoulders lifted up and his face lightened. He didn't want to sound so overly eager upon hearing of news on his father, but he couldn't hold the slight excitement he felt inside. "Do you know why?"

"I don't know why really," She said with a shrug. "I think it has to do with the few things the village sends to Central Gaia in return for supplies we can't get around here. From what the elder says, your father doesn't seem like the same person he knew a long time ago."

"How? How does he sound different?" If his sudden interest in something another Gaian said was scarring her, it was working and working well. She was looking at him as though he was a stranger that had just entered the township and was asking unusual questions that didn't need to be asked.

"How should I know? I only know this from what my parents have said over dinner and what I've heard from other people." She glanced over her shoulder at something that was not there. "I better get home. I have to finish up my chores."

Without even saying a hurried goodbye to him, the girl turned around and ran towards the large farmhouses on the other side of the village. He watched her go, not sad to see her go but did not want to her to leave as quickly as she had. She had sounded afraid of him almost, like he had started to become slightly insane with homesickness. Whether or not she would tell anyone else in the village that he was a Gambino was the furthest from his mind, as he frowned at the bit of information he had received. His father had been in contact with the heads of other villages, at least the ones that were still on good terms with the Gaian Council. If the Council, or even his father, had been in contact with anyone else outside of Central Gaia, why hadn't they sent anyone after him?

What was more important to Gino, was that he had to go to the island to see how much his father had changed since he had left years ago. If he had changed for the worst, he wouldn't make his presence known to him until after he had left and was already on his way back to any place that didn't know his face or name. If he had changed for the best, then he would stay somewhere in Durem, maybe even the island itself, and allow his father to know that his son was okay. He didn't know how he was going to interact with his father or know when he was going to go back, if he was at all, but that would be decided as soon as he stepped foot into Barton.

And back into his own home.