1 The First Morning

"Jury, have you reached a conclusion?"

"We have, your honour..."

At that moment in time, it could be said there was a pause. The universe had come to a standstill at this pivotal moment. The verdict of Trial #24 on the 16th of December, 2999 would change the very fate of humanity.

†

The view was brilliant as always. On clear days like this one could see nothing but the vibrant green canopy of the jungle kilometres below. Though no citizen of the QC was unaware of the jungle, it could be said that none knew anything about it either. The forest remained an enigma to humanity, which in turn resulted in the circulation of many a myth or folktale about it.

One such legend told of a time when humanity themselves were denizens of the forest, scrounging about the ground for sustenance, and creating great clusters of shelter in which they resided. As long as anyone could remember, though, humans survived within the confines of the Quiet Cliff, which most people referred to as "the QC." There were, of course, those restless souls with an insatiable hunger for knowledge, who sought out the secrets of the world beyond the QC. However not a whisper had ever come back from those who left the cliff's safety. In the eyes of society, these people were as good as dead.

†

Eddy turned in his bed, longing for sleep to find him once again, but he was not so fortunate. He eventually grew frustrated and tossed his blanket aside, propping himself up with an audible groan. The same sight as always greeted his senses; sharp sunlight bearing down on a sparsely decorated, stone room. The room had been carved out by hand by his father when Eddy's mother had first become pregnant, and it had been Eddy's ever since. A soft knocking sound came from nearby.

"Eddy, pet, come have some breakfast."

Eddy's mother stood in the doorway, her hair tied neatly back, wearing a long yellow dress that she had woven herself. It was embroidered with blue hydrangeas, which were a common flower found on the cliff. They had always been her favourite.

"I'll be right up." Eddy said as he pushed himself off the bed. His mother smiled at him and left to go attend to the food, but soon after the scent of bread and eggs reached his nose, compelling Eddy to move with renewed vigour.

The kitchen was on the main floor of his house, near the front door. It should be noted that Eddy's family was rather fortunate to have a door, as it was not only expensive to hire a man to install one, but wood was hard to come by on the cliff. Most people had no choice but to deal with wind blowing freely into their homes. Fortunately, Eddy's father had been an enterprising gentleman, and through means still unknown to Eddy and his mother, a door had been acquired. Eddy sat at a 90 degree angle to his mother and ate his food quietly.