Paradigm (9781909490406) by Ceri A. Lowe

physical—he’d need to prove himself fit and able to lead the Community—and now was a good time to start. He started to run faster, pushing his body to the limit. He ducked and weaved across the path, taking longer strides, testing out the power of his legs. Under the cover of the trees, the rain was bearable and Carter stopped to catch his breath in the lamp-lit forest. His lungs hurt and his legs were tired but physical exhaustion had never beaten him yet. He pushed onwards through the semi-darkness, black branches overhead holding the weight of the water and letting it out in deep plunges when the weight of it got too much. He got caught by the tail end of one leafy evacuation and the backs of his legs were almost pushed from under him. But he kept moving as quickly as he could. He knew, though, that he wasn’t yet fast enough. Physical exertion would need to be one of the first parts of his training.
    But, in just under an hour, for the first time in just over fifteen years, he was back in the centre of the Community, the paved hub with its main podium and fountain garden known as Unity Square.
----
    C arter had imagined that , late though it was, at least a few people might have gathered in the square to welcome him back—but no; the only recognition had been from a frantic young girl, probably, he thought, the daughter of an Industry official who’d heard of his return and that he had been put forward as a contender for the top job.
    When Bobbie Alderney was appointed Controller General the year before his parents were killed, Carter had followed the seventeen-year-old who had beaten Professor Mendoza with his FreeScreens Contribution around the Community until he took permanent residence in the underground offices and was rarely seen in public again. Alderney was what they called Neo-Industry, part of the strong-work-ethic group from the old times. Carter watched him speak in front of the crowds, gaining their complete attention within seconds of opening his mouth.
    â€˜How did you come up with your Contribution?’ Carter asked him once as they were walking through the Community.
    Alderney turned and smiled at him with perfect ice-white teeth. ‘I looked for what was missing,’ he said and sent Carter on his way.
    When he arrived back in the Community, Carter found that, even after fifteen years, Unity Square had changed. The small podium had been enlarged and there were bigger, more imposing screens. At each corner of the square, hidden in the shadows, he could make out the shape of Industry officials. One nodded in his direction.
    â€˜Welcome back, Carter Warren,’ said the man. ‘Glad to have you with us.’
    â€˜Glad to be back,’ said Carter, looking up at the cameras on each of the buildings around the square. ‘Has there been a serious Storm threat recently—looks like a lot of surveillance.’
    The official almost smiled. ‘Just keeping everyone safe,’ he said. ‘We all have a part to play in that.’
    Carter nodded goodbye and walked around the edge of the square. Most of the inside house lights had been snuffed out and the glow from the street seemed dim and uninviting. With the exception of the officials and those moving out for the night shift, the streets were a dark red and empty of conversation.
    Two sides of the square were taken up with double-sided FreeScreens that reflected Community updates into the shallow puddles on the street. A thick crack of thunder echoed around the buildings of Unity Square and the sky shifted from a deep black to a feathery charcoal as the sky unleashed a final outpouring of rain across the angled roofs and into the drainage catchers. For a second there was silence and the FreeScreens went blank before the main colour of the screen shifted and the threat level of the rain had moved back from red to amber.
    Carter watched the news for a while, mesmerised by the huge screens of hardened liquid