The audience continued to part for Bob as he moved past. Nobody wanted any part of this. Theo looked at Officer Dougherty. The officer was on his walkie-talkie. Theo assumed he was communicating with the snipers up in the catwalk area. Theo remembered the last time someone had interrupted the mayor and attempted to take the stage. Tiberius had quickly removed the woman from the arena. For some reason, the deputy mayor remained motionless and expressionless at the back of the stage.

  Mayor Lucas's smile had faltered. He looked seriously concerned. Bob reached the stage and with a surprising amount of strength for one so frail he launched himself up and onto the surface. Now, thought Theo, grab him now! Somebody!

  "Sir," said the mayor, "I would be happy to meet with you at a later time and discuss any of your grievances."

  "No," said Bob. "No later. No more." He reached into the waistband of his baggy jeans and drew out a small gun.

  As Bob's hand came up, Dougherty yelled into his walkie-talkie. "Now! Take him now!"

  A bright light flashed and a series of gunshots boomed in the silent hall. Theo's eyes were helplessly drawn to Bob, whom he expected to see falling to the ground. Bob was still standing, the muzzle of his gun smoking. As Theo's eyes panned the scene, he quickly realized it was Mayor Lucas who was falling to the ground. Theo was shoved aside as Officer Dougherty raced to the stage. Everything became a blur. Government workers swarmed over the mayor as Officer Dougherty reached the stage. In the darkness at the back of the stage, Theo caught a glimpse of Tiberius, still looking calm, flicking his thumb up. At that exact instant Bob was struck in the head by a sniper's bullet and he collapsed on the stage floor.

  Theo couldn't breathe. He strained to see the mayor but the mass of people on stage had blocked his view. Security Forces emerged from everywhere ushering the terrified audience out of the arena.

  Theo allowed himself to be carried along in the current of people moving toward the exits. His mind raced and yet his thoughts were a jumble of images and ideas that refused to crystalize into words. He stumbled out into the street and wandered. He was so confused. He wanted to go home, that much he knew for sure, but where was home?

  Theo made his way to the boardwalk. He wanted to get away from the mass of screaming people. The noise hurt his head. He thought maybe sitting in the dark on the beach would be nice. As he stumbled through the sand he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I've got you bro, relax." Bill was standing behind him.

  Theo tried to talk. "The mayor…Tiberius...snipers…"

  "Later man," said Bill. "We'll talk about everything later. Right now you have to calm down."

  "I don't… I can't… the mayor—"

  Bill slapped him across the face. Theo's words cut off mid-ramble. His brain began to reboot.

  "What…what did you do that for?"

  "Whoa, that actually worked," said Bill. "I figured they do that in the movies to snap people out of panic attacks. You looked pretty panicked, buddy."

  "Thanks, I guess. I don't know what happened to me. I think I overloaded."

  "It's cool man. You were front and center for some crazy stuff. People are really scared. I'm not saying you don't have a right to be upset too, maybe more than the rest of us… and I don't want to be an ass, but me, your girl, the rest of our friends… we need you man. You're our leader."

  Theo was taken aback. "That means a lot. I don't know anything more than anybody else though I don't think…" Suddenly, something registered in the back of his mind. "Tiberius! He signaled for the sniper, I know he did."

  "What do you mean?" asked Bill.

  "I think he made the Security Force wait before taking down the attacker. He gave time for Mayor Lucas to be shot."

  "Jesus, Theo, that crazy dude was going on about conspiracies. You don't want to join in with that, do you?"

  "I'm just telling you what I saw."

  "There you are!" Kylee called out as she, Ryan, Michelle and Jamie were walking down the beach toward Theo and Bill. "Are you okay, Theo?"

  "Don't worry," said Bill. "He went a little nutso but I fixed him up good and proper."

  "Good," she said. "When do you think we'll hear something about the mayor?"

  Just then a bright light blinded them. Theo had a second to think that another Event was underway but then his eyes adjusted. The screens of the giant pier mall, shuttered and dark since the event, were now on. On each screen was Paul Tiberius.

  "Citizens of Atlantic Island," his cold voice boomed, "I am deeply saddened to inform you that despite the best efforts of medical staff, Mayor Sam Lucas has passed away."

  Theo felt lightheaded. Kylee put her arm around him and squeezed, grounding him in reality.

  "The elite Security Force has killed the mayor's assassin," continued Tiberius. "There is nothing more to fear. As of this moment I am humbly assuming control of Atlantic Island. We are more than a town or a city. We are a nation that will not be degraded by evildoers. Therefore I relinquish the title of "Mayor" and instead I shall take up the mantle of "Supreme Leader" of Atlantic Island. You will be safe. You will be strengthened. We will all grow together into the glorious nation that Sam Lucas would have wanted us to be. All hail the leadership of the mighty Atlantic Island!"

  Chapter 17

  5 months later

  "Wake up!" a voice called from a great distance. Theo turned and tried to go back to sleep. "Theo, I said wake up!" The voice was back, closer now and sounding agitated.

  "Okay, fine, hang on!" He sat up in bed and shook his head, clearing out the fog of another difficult night's rest. Kylee was perched on the end of the bed, radiant in the morning light that broke through around the thick shades on the windows.

  "Good, you're up. I was worried about you!" She scurried up the mattress and maneuvered into his arms.

  "Worried?" he asked. "Why?"

  "You were talking in your sleep again," she said. "Tossing and turning and sweating. The same as you've been doing since—"

  "Since the night the mayor died. Yeah, I get it."

  She raised her palms toward him. "Chill with the 'tude, mister. I'm on your side, remember?"

  He managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. It's just getting a little old, you know? Dreaming that crap all night and then dealing with the real world all day. I'm not really sure which is worse."

  "So what was it this time?" she asked. "Tiberius again?"

  He shrugged. "I don't really know. It's all a little hazy. I think he was in there somewhere but I don't remember. I just have this awful feeling." He looked at her. "I might remember more if somebody hadn't woken me so abruptly."

  She grabbed a pillow and walloped him in the face. "Remind me not to look out for you in the future," she laughed. "Now come on, we gotta get to work."

  Theo rolled out of bed and went to the closet. He grabbed one of the two brown outfits hanging there. Since Tiberius established total control over the island, many things had changed. There had barely been time for Theo to recover from the loss of Mayor Lucas before his security clearance was revoked and he was barred from the Palace. Only those who had shown unwavering loyalty to the Supreme Leader remained on the advisory council.

  Theo had joined the growing ranks of farmers in Margate. The farmers were assigned uniforms darker than the sandy soil in which they toiled. Theo always felt a little bad about insulting the uniforms as he realized that some unfortunate person on the island had been forced to sew them by hand.

  Now he dressed in one of those baggy shirt and shorts combos. His hair was nearly to his shoulders now and he tied it back in the ponytail style that had become so common on the island since Tiberius had outlawed haircuts above the shoulder. The official word was that this was meant to reinforce uniformity over individuality, but as Bill put it, "Freud would have a field day with this guy."

  The teens had worried that Bill would face a reinstated sentence with Lucas out of the way, but so far nothing like that had occurred. The biggest blow to Bill came in the form of Bertier and his gang of thugs. Instead of being arrested, as had seemed quite certain at one point, Bertier and his friends were deputized to operate on behalf of Tiberius's Security Force of Atlantic Island. This got them out of school, which they liked, and allowed them to create mischief with impunity, which they loved. Theo and the rest stayed out of Bertier's way as best they could, but Theo knew Bill was itching for a rematch.

  Theo's group had all left school as well. The teachers were under severe restrictions and there wasn't much learning of any sort taking place anymore. School existed now only to keep the young people off the streets.

  For everyone else, it was all work, all the time. There were no weekends or days off, not that there would be anywhere fun to go spend that time. Theo didn't mind this all that much. Working in the newly created fields held some appeal, he had to admit.

  Five months of hard work with a modest diet had left Theo a lean, muscled, tan young man who did not in any way resemble the teenager who had journeyed to the shore nearly a year earlier. Kylee assured him that she loved the "new and improved Theo."

  Kylee's access to privileged information at the security station had been severely limited. She was still doing paperwork and other menial tasks, but with little hope of a promotion to the real Security Force. Her relationship with Theo had seen to that. Theo felt guilty for limiting Kylee's career, albeit inadvertently, but she swore it was for the best. She didn't like the attitude of the new Security Force. Those officers who relished being able to abuse their authority were flourishing under the new regime. Those like Officer Menendez, who cared about the people he protected, were being slowly ostracized.

  Officer Dougherty had tried to investigate the mysterious circumstances behind the assassination of Mayor Lucas, and had earned himself a month-long suspension for his troubles. When he returned, the fire inside him was gone and he fell unenthusiastically into line.

  Theo used the bathroom and brushed his teeth, being careful not to use more than the smallest functional amount of toothpaste. The white gel was just one of many products in short supply on the island, and distribution of goods was disproportionate at best since Tiberius's rise to power. Like most things on the island, rations favored those who wholeheartedly supported the regime.

  Theo thought he might try to see Ryan after work. Tiberius had disrupted the science team, cancelling all research related to the Event and the new universe. He wanted them to focus all efforts and resources on the island. With Tiberius's dislike of privileges being extended to the island's youth, Ryan was lucky to still have a job with the science department. As it was, he was not allowed to do much more than paperwork.

  The demotion had taken a huge toll on Ryan. He was moody and irritable and his relationship with Michelle had soured. Theo thought this was probably due in no small part to Michelle's status on the island. She was an outspoken loyalist to the new government, and so she was one of the few teenagers treated with anything approaching respect. She had been promoted to manager of the records office.

  Kylee had asked Michelle why she was so supportive of what was becoming something between a dictatorship and a monarchy. Michelle responded, "It's not about whether or not I like the leadership. What you all don't seem to get is that this is all there is. There's no other country to run to. There's no opposition. As far as we are concerned, Tiberius is the ruler of the world. I wish the rest of you would figure that out and start to play by the rules."

  Kylee had repeated this conversation to Theo. "What bothers me," she had said, "is that Michelle skirted around the actual question. I really think she agrees with a lot of what's happening here."

  "What does Jamie think?" he had asked.

  "She thinks I'm oversensitive. Too much craziness makes me look for more craziness. I don't know, maybe she's right."

  Theo didn't think Jamie was right. Kylee might have been thrown off by everything they had experienced since the Event, but Jamie had also been greatly affected. She probably didn't want to think anything negative about her friend at a time when friends were in such short supply.

  Theo kissed Kylee goodbye and walked out the door. Farmers got to work earlier than most other positions on the island and the apartment Theo shared with Kylee was far from the Margate fields. Leaving so early meant that he almost never saw anyone else on his long walks. That suited Theo just fine.

  The streets leading out of the city had long been battered by years of strong storms and flooding in the summer and heavy snows in winter. The asphalt needed regular maintenance that it was no longer getting, and the Event had taken a heavy toll. Cracks spread like a dark circulatory system in every direction. Weeds grew from the cracks, spurred on and nourished by the torrential storms and ample sunlight.

  Theo casually yanked a weed from the sandy soil, studied it for a moment and threw it over his shoulder. Funny that he still felt compelled to keep things tidy when the Supreme Leader couldn't be bothered. No, that wasn't quite right. Tiberius was a calculating man, and even the condition of the streets wouldn't go unattended. Theo guessed it was more likely this was Tiberius's deliberate effort to allow the streets to go to ruins. Even the government cars had run out of fuel. Atlantic Island was a pedestrian community for the foreseeable future, and Tiberius obviously wanted to route resources elsewhere.

  A few blocks down Theo passed the water treatment operation. Here he saw the day's first signs of humanity. The workers scurried from place to place, carrying vats, hoses and tools. The water treatment facility desalinated ocean water for drinking and bathing, and recycled wastewater to be used again. Giant storage tanks collected rain from the heavy storms. The operation was beyond Theo's understanding. Its construction had occurred hastily during his brief spell working for the mayor. The sheer amount of people hurrying about told Theo that Tiberius knew water was a critical utility.

  There were many things that Tiberius knew, Theo thought. It would be easy to dismiss the man as unqualified for leadership but the sad truth was that Paul Tiberius was a born leader. He knew how to keep a country going. The problem in Theo's view was Tiberius saw everything in black and white without any shades of grey.

  Tiberius was prepared to do anything and everything to enforce his view of what would keep a government operational. He was willing to sacrifice anyone for the greater good of the island. That was simply not something Theo or his friends could accept. Any society was going to be filled with "haves" and "have nots." Everything Theo had ever heard or read told him as much. Yet Supreme Leader Tiberius pushed this paradigm to an absurd extreme, seemingly more so each day.

  The tightening of rations, the endless forced labor, all these changes and restrictions were suppressing the majority of the population while the inner circle grew powerful and comfortable. Theo felt the impact of this as he walked the lengthy route to work. In the city, a short sprint from the majesty of the Palace, a checkered map had formed of affluence next to poverty. The farther Theo walked beyond the city limits, the more poverty reigned.

  Three months in to Tiberius's rule, the Supreme Leader decreed that dissidents could lose their property. In the time since, a convenient selection of citizens who had won nice accommodations in the property lottery had been declared "rabble rousers" and had been removed from their homes. The lucky were sent to communal housing near the farms. The unlucky went to jail with no determined length of sentence. Tiberius loyalists now occupied the quality real estate left behind by the nonconformists. Tiberius himself and many of the government employees had residences in the Palace.

  Theo wondered how long it would be before the government targeted him and his friends. He knew too much about Tiberius and the whole operation there to think that being removed from the advisory council was the full extent of any action against him. He thought about this more and more with each passing week. Was there anything he could do to protect himself and his friends? He didn't think so. In that one regard he agreed wholeheartedly with Michelle: Tiberius was the beginning and the end of authority on the island. If the Supreme Leader decided it was time to make an example of Theo or Kylee or any of them, they were totally and completely out of luck. There was nowhere to run.

  Theo approached the edge of the tomato fields that marked the perimeter of the Margate farmland. The communal properties near the fields were still occupied at this time of day. For a reason Theo couldn't identify, men with families represented a large portion of those Tiberius had evicted from their homes. The women and children milled about on the porches. Their sad faces and emaciated bodies stayed in Theo's mind all day as he worked and they haunted him at night.

  Every once in a while one of the forgotten souls on the porches would approach the farmers. Theo's boss, an enormous man named Jerome, was kind but firm in telling the women to leave. Once, someone got through and grabbed Theo and one other man by one shoulder each with her boney hands.

  "Please," she had croaked, "I'm hungry. My babies are hungry. Please give us food."

  "I'm sorry, we aren't allowed," said Theo. "And you can't eat what we have growing here. None of it is ready for harvest yet."

  The woman didn't listen. She stumbled forward past Theo and his confused coworker. She worked her way through the patches of tomatoes and began clawing at the vines, trying to bring the green fruit to her mouth. Theo tried to grab her gently, but she forced him off.

  "What's happening here?" asked Jerome. "Miss, you can't do this. You can't eat what we are growing here."

  He took her firmly by the shoulders and she looked up at him. "I need food," she said. "We aren't getting enough rations."

  Jerome looked terribly sad. "I'm so sorry," the giant man said. "You need to go or there will be trouble for all of us. If the Security Forces were here you wouldn't be getting away so easily. Just go. Please."