Chapter 97

Ellie looked at him deeply, frowned, and regarded the book in his grasp. “I don’t know. People liked some stories in the past more than others. Many agree with it. I do. Isn't that enough? Bad books are not called good for a reason. More people like good books and praise them for it. I don’t question the decision of the past, while the readers might not be the same.”

“So... this world-class archive is good stuff?” William asked dubiously.

Ellie ended up slapping his shoulder and snatching his book from his grasp. “Ask around if you doubt me, or read them yourself. These books are incredible. The one who organized them must've been a great collector, so don't ask me how good they are. Find it yourself,” Ellie shrugged her shoulders and explained everything she could. Curious words and acts of William, who seemed much more curious about this than the lower floors, could no longer escape her eyes.

William hummed and glanced at the book in her hand. Even if he wanted to, he bet he wouldn't even make a dent in it. That's how robust it felt. Perhaps he would get injured instead. Big letters of this book: Queen of the Rings were carved into the cover that looked like an oil painting and it had this foreboding feeling of mystery in it.

“Rings. Why? That sounds like a bullshit to me. Why would someone be a Queen of the freaking rings? I would call it something else and mighty. Like a lord, monarch, messiah, or other choices are right there. Heavens or adventure of the rings? Well, how about the maker of the rings? Those sound so much more impressive, or are the rings the wrong word? Who would call some pieces of metal made for fingers impressive?” William lamented out loud, which surprised Ellie quite a bit.

As he mumbled, he moved on while Ellie returned this book where it belonged.

There were much more of them so William couldn't find a reason to be too hesitant and slow. With many copies of original works of art, he found an impressive collection of what was once a series of masterpieces.

“Passable Gatsby, War and Peace, The Timeless Odyssey, Gulliver’s Journey, Around the World in Hundred Days, Countless Miles Below the Sea...” William recited the names of a couple of books that piqued his interest from the names alone.

Ellie followed him and made some comments, but let him make his choices and opinions. Her advice fell short when she finally realized that William might be just like her, but never had a chance to see the broadness of the escapism. So she left him alone as much as she could, which made her talk less important, yet some things never left her mind without her mouth's consent.

“Those works are by Jules Vern, an author who lived in the nineteenth century. His books are fascinating in their style and storytelling because the worlds he creates within those books are pretty much old and believable, but fantastical and interesting. They are very special because they feel very real even after many centuries passed since he was alive. It is about nineteenth century! Just imagine what the world was like back in the day.” Ellie said and pointed to rows of books in a corner that William had already gone through.

“Centuries? How did his work survive that long?”

“Well, don't underestimate people who like their books. Also, the world of pen and muse is usually enough for a lifetime, but some stories are old... like seriously old and ancient. They will outlive the authors or they might become greater after their deaths because of luck or sense of time or cultures. I call it incredible how something so simple as words could create different worlds that can go on for many generations. That is one of the most intriguing aspects of this floor.” Ellie talked with stars in her eyes.

“Fascinating,” William added and nodded. By now, he took this floor seriously. His eyes and face became different. At least as far as Ellie could describe it, it felt as if William got angry, or was it his focus? She couldn't tell how to describe him because it wasn't looking bad or good.

Not like he had never found something like this as a child. There was some fun if certain places were optimal, but it sure was gray when he went and lived around Outside.

Instead of forcing himself into a harsh world, escaping it little by little sounded great, if not like a smart thing to do. Giving himself some slack was better and one of his minor rules. It wasn't about enjoyment. It was more about keeping his mind afloat and intact even if that used to be very harsh.

It might not be as affordable in the long run because it had to stop. He will grow up. Every child was like that.

William had nothing to blame. It wasn't as if he could save anyone in his current position, which followed his past and pretty much any child Walker. That might change a couple of years down the road, depending on his choices, talent, or the little gem inside his flesh, bones, and blood. It was foreign, smelling like a hideous devil that was waiting like a parasite. William wondered what sort of thing waited on the other side, or what life would be like under some Walker organization.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The last hour disappeared the fastest out of them all, and before William even had a chance to redeem his curiosity in some books, it was time to leave. The reason was Ellie’s hidden watch in her pocket that pointed to her shift which was their main limiting factor.

It wasn't that important. Ellie often stayed in the library after her shift was over, and she could do the same now. But Burton gave her a word to visit today, so she had to adhere to her shift.

“Time’s up. Do you like this floor? I hope it will be up to your taste, William.” Ellie said with a bright smile; the usual confidence on her face made it quite idyllic.

“Already? Yea. Yea. I will gladly spend the next weeks here in a heartbeat. I will learn a ton for sure. You will not be with me for the whole time, but I am very glad for your help as long as you are fine with it,” William boldly said and bowed a little with his head, sincerely thanking Ellie for today.

“Oh? So you know some manners? How lovely and shocking. It isn't as if I am stopping you. You can continue reading on your own if you have time and mind for it. Just remember what I said. Your card is nice, and this room has some monthly borrowing limits to care about. It's that shelve there, and it works in a reputable way. Don't mess with any books, return them, and let others have their fill. That's it!”

William followed her eyes, noticing a distant shelve in a wall with some books and stuff. Ellie already showed them off, saying how each had some little sensor that made this borrowing possible and not fine like stealing.

“There are no closing or opening hours on this floor, but sleeping here isn't a fine option. Miss Heidi doesn't like it. So as long as you aren't sleeping, be our guest in this grand library of the Federation.” Ellie backed away, waved her hands around, and forgot she was in the library. She was louder than ever and her voice was still crisp and clean, which might be much more impressive if William didn't hold a book half as heavy as a piglet.

“I can stay? Great. I hope to see you tomorrow and do your promise justice.”

Ellie moved towards the exit, waving and smiling at William as her time with him ended. It was enjoyable and she still couldn't forget how that Emblem felt and glinted. She disappeared behind a corner.

“Well, that was something. What a bright talkative girl. I’ve never met someone like her in my life, which might be... disappointing. Oh, wasn't this like... the longest I've spent with a girl close to my age?!” William mumbled and considered whether it was a good idea to continue or leave.

He was kind of hungry, but his eyes and mind were ready to see more books.

Be mindful, have priorities, or make a compromise. What should he choose?

“The night is nigh, so I guess the end it is. Not like my head hurts from the amount of information I had gathered today, but… yea… it is a lot to take in. She also never stopped talking so...” William didn't want to acknowledge that he didn't remember everything that Ellie mentioned. It wasn't surprising.

Sighting, he returned a thick book back to the bookshelf. Named Moody Dick, it was a book about voyages, seas, and traveling, which piqued his interest right away because of those concepts alone. The world of seas and oceans was a peculiar topic he always found interesting, albeit the name of this book was awkward.

He still couldn't forget the first glance at Lake Superior when he was young. It still lingered in his mind. And it was a lake and not a vast ocean like the Pacific that was allegedly endless.

There were his precious memories, right behind... He couldn't remember the face of his mother. His father was just a shadow. That warm hand was far too distant, hidden behind a veil of space and wavering dark shades. The white room felt like no home. The redness felt like an endless pit.

Clicking his tongue and frowning, William unwillingly entered yet another annoying and unstable state after flashes of memories came to his mind. Putting his arms over his face, he squeezed them and took a deep breath, unwilling to see the churning maddening ride of his Emblem beneath his sleeve.

“Nononono. Time to get home. Home! Hopefully, Luke will be there.”

He had no key, so he left, hoping Luke was around and not gone for a week.

Adjusting his sleeve and glancing around the culture floor, William realized he was alone. There were some visitors, yet being here felt good and foreign. This home. This place. Just what was here for him? It was no Outside. It was trivial if he thought about it as little as possible.

But when he didn't, he assumed this might be the best thing he had ever done, followed by the worst feelings ever because of something stupid.

Why? He could've done this earlier. William refused many advances from various proposing recruits that visited Roshwells's orphanage. Deep-rooted issues and hopes crashed them, and WIlliam felt regretful about it every so little after he watched this place. Well, not like he could do a lot of things. Some of his issues were well beyond the Federation, yet some could've been solved earlier.

He wished to slap himself, call names, smack his ass, and carve curses into his hand. His parents were Walkers; he would've figured that sooner because someone had been looking for him for all these years. He would've had a completely different life if he weren't giddy about his parents.

Alas, in some sense of his age, it made complete sense that errors happened. He was a teenager and felt no small amount of confusion about himself, his path, and his future. Conspiring with his hand, he knew a lot of youths were in similar positions, and teaching them was a critical juncture of humanity.

Most of this recruitment occurred in the last two years thanks to his older age and the advancement of his former home. Before coming to the stable Roshwell camp, his life was unstable and changing every once in a while. There were survival groups that would hold kids by their mere principle, while others didn't want anything to do with them because they were a commitment and burden.

No matter if one was a Walker or a regular kid, survivors beyond the Federation weren't pretty, or stable. There was infighting, warfare for survival, and a lot of timed-based issues. Then, there were Darks...

Some people were glad to live day by day, and every loss or hesitation could mean terrifying consequences.