2. Emma wasn’t sure why she
had invited Simon, he was
practically a stranger.
She was nervous enough
without him around as it was.
It was her first age-up since
reuniting with her mother, and
she wasn’t sure what was
going to happen. It was
something of a relief to be
presented with a cake, some
cards and a few presents.
3. Really it was enough that she was here with her new
parents, and had so much more to look forward to in life
now. She blew the candles out, knowing she had good
school grades now, an address to use to get a passport,
driving license, a bank account and one day a job.
4.
5. Everyone wished her well and commented on how well
she looked as a young adult. She was happy of course,
but suddenly had butterflies. Could she make
adulthood work after such a shady time as a teen?
6. Megan was used to reading between the
lines – you had to in her line of work. She
was getting an increasingly uneasy about
the news, both in the papers and on TV.
They were reporting the peaceful
protests in some of the big districts, but
she had the feeling something important
was wasn’t being said.
7. She felt that the
testimonials were being
edited, or pictures being
chosen too carefully…
There was something off.
8. The fact that whatever was
going on was effecting sims
from the rural swamps to the
rich suburbs and everything in-
between… the papers were
reporting it too calmly. In didn’t
chime true.
9. She decided to consult Edward. He was a mentor and a friend, and was well
connected. If anyone knew what was really going on, he would.
For his part, Edward was flattered that he was now her first port of call. He admitted
there was something going on, and agreed to fill her in. She rushed next door to hear
what he had to say.
10. “I’ve spent a lot of time cultivating friendships with
Edward sat her some of the richest and most influential Sims in the
down and began country. Appaloosa is a bit of a backwater, but they
to talk. often visit the nearby Riverview as a country retreat of
sorts. Keeps me in the loop.
A while back I heard things that worried me. About the
drought and the vegetable plant disease. You know,
the blight?
11. “Well you’d expect a sudden drought
and shortage of vegetables to drive food
prices sky high. But that didn’t happen.
The government had stockpiled a ton of
food and were ready for it.”
“How could
they have been
ready for a
drought and a
blight no one
knew was
coming?”
“Exactly. That got me wondering too. A bit of
digging told me the answers were being kept in a
secure facility in our own little backwater. Far away
from the usual media spies or criminal
masterminds… but I’m here. So I stole them.”
12. “What is in the documents we
stole? What caused the drought
and the blight?”
“We’re both too young to remember,
but weather round here wasn’t always
just sunny. The big secret is this… the
government created a machine to keep
the weather artificially calm and warm.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t built to be on
permanently. The original scientists
thought it could be used short term, for
sports fixtures or something.
It’s been completely misused.
The drought and the blight, even the earthquake in Bridgeport are all symptoms of it
breaking down.”
