Hanna broke away from the old man and ran part way up the barren hill, spinning, pointing. Skipping? It seemed absurd, but Samuel accepted the truth of it. When the child returned and she and Elias both made their way to the sensors, he heard Ester moan and Adin sob. Hanna’s helmet filled the screen. The crowd watched, stunned to silence, as she sprayed a liquid into the camera, scrubbed, then wiped, and finally placed something over the lens. The grime was gone, the image was much clearer. But the darkness and clouds remained. The land was brown and dead.
Her beckoning call, however, seemed enthusiastic. She pointed to the hills and the tall, broken city towers beyond, a remnant of a destroyed civilization. With all her waving, Hanna looked as if she might simply take flight and disappear into the rising sun.
All eyes in the cafeteria watched as the two of them started their path up the gentle slope. Some whispered their heartbreak as Elias nearly tripped over the remains of the last cleaner who’d died twelve years before. When the priest finally went down, most wept openly. They turned their heads when Hanna tugged at the old man, urging him to get up, only to fall down herself and crawl but a few feet before collapsing, never to rise again this side of heaven.
Samuel, however, watched it all. The joyous entrance, the enthusiastic cleaning, the stumbling toward God. The priest had clung so tenaciously to his faith, all the while worried that his role in the underground community had come to an end. Samuel remembered how, just two days before, Elias had asked if his days were long past, if the sun had already set for believers like him. The secretary hadn’t contradicted his mentor. But he recalled his answer.
Samuel—
A streak of light from the rising sun gently stroked their still, small forms. And the sweepers, as one, let out an anguished and embittered cry. A cry they’d bottled up for a generation. One that could no longer be contained.
It was, indeed, the dawning of a brand new day.
Thanks and Credits
Thanks first go to Hugh Howey for allowing (encouraging!) his fans to play in his playground.
Second, thanks to Jeff Parish, who designed the cover art. Jeff is the author of
Thanks, also, to my cadre of beta readers, especially Stoney, Beth, and Steve for their constant feedback, whether on this work or others. And to Wes, who inspired me to write this piece by first posting his own silo story,
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to you, the reader. Whether you’re a fan of Howey’s “wooliverse” or stumbled upon
Q. First, tell us a little bit about you.
A. I’m a middle school Language Arts teacher, part-time pastor, full-time husband, and grateful father of two living in Kansas. I write speculative fiction on the side with plans to make it a career in the next few years. So far I’ve written mostly short stories and novellas in a mix of genres but mainly speculative, including fantasy, SF, even a bit of horror. I enjoy writing humor as well. The sky’s the limit. Who knows, I might try paranormal romance one day!
Q. What’s currently in the works?
A. I’m finishing a suspense novel titled
Q. How did you come up with the idea for
A. A few years ago I reviewed Hugh Howey’s YA science fiction novel,
So anyway, I decided to write my own version of what might happen if a priestly caste lost its influence and faith spiraled into decline. What power struggles might ensue? Would faith in something beyond life in the silo translate into open rebellion against the ruling class? This “Last Silo” series explores the tension that genuine belief in something “beyond” often causes in our lives.
Q. So this is a religious story?
A. No. It’s an open-ended “what if” that prompts readers (I hope!) to question what’s assumed. I very much intended the story to capture the spirit of Howey’s original. Wool had such an emotional impact, and while I’m not trying to duplicate that, I want the theme to be similar.
Q. What prompted you to self-publish this story?
A. When I saw another silo story pop up on Amazon, I thought, wow, here’s an amazing development. The author of a great series is allowing/encouraging fans to jump into his swimming pool. Fan fic was receiving legitimacy! So I contacted W. J. Davies, the author of