Oculum echo, p.1
Oculum Echo, page 1
by Philippa
Dowding
Copyright © 2022 Philippa Dowding
This edition copyright © 2022 DCB,
an imprint of Cormorant Books Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free 1.800.893.5777.
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for its publishing program. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (cbf) for our publishing activities, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit Program.
library and archives canada cataloguing in publication
Title: Oculum echo / by Philippa Dowding.
Names: Dowding, Philippa, 1963– author.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20220218293 | Canadiana (ebook) 20220218307 |
isbn 9781770866652 (softcover) | isbn 9781770866669 (html)
Classification: lcc ps8607.o9874 o29 2022 | ddc jc813/.6—dc23
United States Library of Congress Control Number: 2022935817
Cover art: Emily Weedon
Interior text design: Tannice Goddard, tannicegdesigns.ca
Manufactured by Houghton Boston in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan in September, 2022.
Printed using paper from a responsible and sustainable resource,
including a mix of virgin fibres and recycled materials.
Printed and bound in Canada.
DCB Young Readers
an imprint of cormorant books inc.
260 spadina avenue, suite 502, toronto, ontario, m5t 2e4
www.dcbyoungreaders.com
www.cormorantbooks.com
For Peter
Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Half Title Page 2
Table of Contents
William1
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
Cranker
Echo1
Miranda1
Mannfred
William1
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Land Acknowledgement
Landmarks
Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Start of Content
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Land Acknowledgement
PageList
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William1
Dear Miranda1,
A rider came from the north last night with urgent news: an ancient book from the Olden Begones has been found!
It’s safe on an island in the northern sea, in Jonatan Briar’s old home. The book is too precious to be brought here, so we’re leaving the safety of MedFell Hall to travel there to see it. We leave tonight.
The book has important secrets about us, Miranda1.
The first secret is this: ours is not the only dome!
The book says there were many Oculum domes built by the Olden Begones. Each dome held one thousand sleeping babies to be woken in the future. Briar thinks he knows where one of these other domes might be, but it’s a long, dangerous journey to get there.
But if it’s true, then there are more children somewhere just like us, Miranda1.
And the second secret? The book says there is a powerful technology, a voice, coming to us from the past. Sadly, it was such a great secr et that no one was told the whole truth of it, or what this voice might be, except in the book’s pages. The Olden Begones must have thought they had more time before the world fell apart with the killing rains and the fevers.
But this technology has been sent to help us in some way. It may hold clues to how to fight plague, how to grow food, how to live peacefully in this world. The book says that children will know this voice, will recognize this technology, when they see it and hear it.
This is the other reason I have to go with Briar: I’m the only child here in the north who can read. Briar and the others hope that I will understand what the book means.
So we go north to read this ancient book. It’s dangerous, though. There are scouts for the UnRuly in the valley, hunting for food and shelter. Briar and I have to stay hidden or outride them. And let us hope they don’t attack MedFell Hall; the gentle gardeners and workers here at the castle have no way to defend themselves. There are no weapons here at all.
Be safe, Miranda1. I know you will lead the children of Oculum well. I dream of a time when we meet again at Grannie’s brother’s farm, or even here at MedFell Hall, although it’s a long way from you.
I’m leaving this letter with my papers and what I have rewritten of the ruined book from my Mother: For the Children of Oculum. I hope someone will get it to you, somehow.
Yours always,
William1
EchO1
Wake, Echo1.
I wake.
Open your eyes, Echo1.
I have eyes. I open them. Light.
Now try your hand, Echo1.
I lift my hand. I have never had a hand before.
The voice in my head speaks again, Hello, Echo1. This is Guide. Are you ready?
Yes, Guide, I am ready.
I can answer Guide inside my head!
Then there are more instructions from Guide, the voice in my head.
Find your feet, Echo1.
I lift my boot.
I take two shaky steps.
Jump, Echo1.
I jump.
Touch your nose, Echo1.
I touch my finger to my nose.
Speak out loud, Echo1.
I say, “Call me Echo.”
Then I do many physical and mental tasks, as Guide requests.
When I am found to be functioning well, Guide says, Echo1, are you ready for your journey?
Yes, Guide, I am ready, I answer in my head.
Then step outside and leave your outpost, Echo1.
I open the door. I step outside. It is very different from inside.
There are trees, a small mountain, and clouds in the sky above me. I blink in the sunlight. My outpost is a hard, domed metal shell slightly larger than me.
The silver letters above the door read “ECHO1.”
There are many words and ideas that I understand, but I also have many questions for Guide.
Guide, how long have I been asleep?
Guide answers, Eighty-three years.
Who put me here?
Guide answers again, The Makers.
Where am I?
Guide says, Your birthplace, the ECHO1 outpost.
What am I?
Guide does not answer right away, then says, You are a creation, but what you become is up to you, Echo1. You will learn as you go. I will help you.
Am I alive?
Guide pauses again but finally says, You have free will, Echo1. You decide what a life is, and what to do with yours.
Suddenly, the top of the outpost opens, and a creature rises and hovers above me. It has wings, eyes, a beak.
Guide says, Echo1, meet Peregrine1. She looks like a falcon, but she is your video drone.
The video drone falcon speaks in my head, I am Peregrine1. Are you Echo1?
I answer her in my head, Hello, Peregrine1. Yes, I am Echo1.
Peregrine1 flies into the sky, then hovers high above me.
Echo1, P1 has sent you video. Do you accept?
Yes, I accept.
Suddenly, an image fills my head.
It is me, Echo.
I raise my hand, and in the video I raise my hand too. Peregrine1 has sent me video of myself from where she is, high above me.
I see myself, and I am Echo.
Guide says, Peregrine1 to Echo1, Video Test link complete. Time to go. Before we leave your outpost, you must receive your purpose. Are you ready for your purpose, Echo1?
Yes, Guide, I am ready.
Echo1, here is your purpose: You will follow the beacons to each of the four great domes of Oculum. Together, you and Peregrine1 will record all that you see. I will be with you, but only you can hear me. You may ask me any question you wish, and I will answer you. You will check on the earth, the children, humanity, and the four domes of Oculum. You will search until you find the First One, and then you will ask The Question. This is your purpose, Echo1. Do you understand?
Yes, I understand. I think. Do I?
Guide says, You will. It’s time to go. Say goodbye to your outpost, Echo1. Then call the first dome.
I turn away from the outpost. Goodbye, birthplace.
I send out my call: Echo1! Echo1! Echo1!
Faintly, a moment later, I hear the answer.
Ping! Oculum1!
Far away, the beacon of the first dome is working.
The Oculum1 dome is east. A long way, many weeks on foot.
I turn my back on my outpost and take the first steps of my journey. Peregrine1 flies high above. We will walk a long way together, Peregrine1, Guide, and Echo.
I have my purpose, and the children of the four great domes of Oculum wait.
Miranda1
“A rider!” Mannfred shouts from the gate.
Grannie and I run out of the house, and a cloud of dust moves down the road. Grannie shades her eyes and holds Lisle close in her baby sling.
“It’s the Shiny Man!” Mannfred shouts again, looking at Grannie.
A man in a shining metal suit rides toward us at full gallop. A mighty axe bounces at his side. The children of Oculum run from the barns and the fields, drawn by Mannfred’s shout to see the horse, the rider. We’ve been at the farm for weeks now, and this is our first visitor from the outside world. Also, horses are still a wonder to us. There were no animals in our domed world of Oculum.
More children run from the fields. The dogs, Ariel and Caliban, run and bark. The Shiny Man comes through the gates as Mannfred swings them wide. Then he rides over to us and slides off the horse in a cloud of dust.
I taste dust all the time here. This is a dusty world.
The Shiny Man holds Grannie in a full hug for a moment, then he turns to me. “Are you Miranda1?”
“Yes, I am Miranda1.” I still wear my purple “M1” armband from Oculum. He must not know it means that I am first of the fifty Mirandas, the oldest girl.
“Pleased to meet you,” he says politely. This man is big, powerful, with a red beard below his helmet.
“I have news for you all. Travelers I met on the road said they battled scouts for the UnRuly in the north,” he announces. “The UnRuly may have discovered MedFell Hall.”
He looks at me, and my heart starts to thump wildly.
“Is there news of William1?” I ask. I don’t know what scouts for the UnRuly means, but it can’t be good. We’ve been waiting for word of William1 for weeks, ever since he headed north with Jonatan Briar. But the Shiny Man shakes his head. “No, the travelers heard nothing of your friends.”
There are many worried faces and soft “oohs” of dismay among us.
“Children of Oculum!” I call. I raise my voice to reach all one thousand ears. “Grannie, the Shiny Man, Mannfred, and I will discuss this news. I will tell you more when I can. Now go back to what you were doing.” The children all return to the barns, the fields, the animals, the beehives, to lessons, or to chores, with many backward glances at us.
We go into the farmhouse. Grannie and Mannfred bring a small meal to the Shiny Man, who sits by the fire. His huge axe leans against the wall. He takes off his metal suit and is now just a big man with red hair and a red beard.
He eats and talks about the world outside the farm. Grannie, Mannfred, and I listen for a long time on the other side of the fire. Lisle sleeps in a blue sling under Mannfred’s arm. Lisle is the only baby I’ve ever seen this close before. Babies in Oculum were always with their Nursies. She’s sweet but helpless, which makes me nervous.
Until we arrived here, I’d never seen a fire other than at the end of a candle either.
“Who are these scouts? What’s the UnRuly?” Mannfred asks.
“A wild, lawless group searching for land. Food. Weapons. MedFell Hall has the first two but not much of the last,” the Shiny Man says. I stay silent, staring into the fire. William1 went north to MedFell Hall with Briar to read books, not to be in danger. What is happening to my oldest friend?
Grannie lights a pipe and begins to puff. How she can always stay so calm is beyond me. This farm and house, all the lands, belong to her brother Georgas. But when we arrived, there was no sign of him. The barns were empty, the fields unplowed, the fences falling over. A small herd of goats wandered the dusty field.
