It took an hour to hack into Level 2. Not real time, but close. The satellite feeds showed huge plumes of smoke from wildfires sweeping across land and sea in the north. In some pictures, the red of the consuming flames were visible at the base of boiling clouds of smoke. Roads were full of people fleeing on foot. One set of images tracked the massive wall built along Amerika’s southern border with Mexitli. It had been breached in several places. Another sequence tracked the wall between Amerika and Kanata. It was mostly intact and heavily patrolled by military vehicles. Amazona had been so thoroughly burned it was a moonscape of black and grey which no longer smouldered. Kanata still had its lakes. There was no ice in Arktikos. The few images of the islands had obviously been taken during a bad dust storm, so Bajacu was hidden.

“We need real time information,” Caroni said. Sorrel turned and saw her wiping her eyes. “Can you get into Level 1?”

“I can try. It will take quite a while. Let me stretch my legs.” She turned to face Caroni. “It’s so guatan awful.”

“I know.” Caroni offered a rare embrace and Sorrel held on to the older woman.

“Tell me when you’re ready to start work again.”

It was almost dawn before Sorrel broke into Level 1. She went straight to the chat rooms. Lichen had been right. Amerikans were massing on coastlines and there was a plan to evacuate those who could pay to go to various places on ships. There was a list of destinations and Bajacu was one of them.

The PlAK needed charging – its battery was probably on the way out. Her eyes fastened on the last posts and she gave a little gasp. After the Amerikans put out to sea, they would disable their satellites.

That message was ten days old.

CHAPTER 22 – DECIDING

Despite the growing heat, Caroni called everyone to a second band meeting in the shadiest area left. “Stand or sit where I can see you all,” Caroni said, looking around. “No one behind me.”

They faced their Zorah. “What Lichen heard is true,” she began. “The situation in Amerika is terrible and there are huge boats leaving for safer places, mostly islands. Bajacu is one.”