We woke bright and early the next morning to the sound of a rooster and the crashing of waves against the coastline.

My heart ached to be woken by the tabby that used to paw at my cheek for breakfast, and I desperately hoped she would be waking up with someone that would take care of her needs. I didn't realise how much I would miss my cat standing on my neck with her nose in my face until it was no longer possible.

Sighing deeply, I pushed the thought aside and focused on the man that was now sprawled across me, presumably a result of fidgeting in the night.

"Good morning," I said quietly as Tobi stirred, evidently also having been woken by the crowing sound.

Inhaling sharply, his azure eyes flicked around as he gathered his bearings, before resting his head back on my chest.

"I wonder how Tiger's doing," he mused sadly as he held me tighter, speaking my own thoughts aloud.

"I miss her too," I assured him, wrapping my arms round him and pulling him close. "We'll see her again, I'm sure."

"I hope so," he sighed, and I kissed his forehead in agreement.

We didn't stay under the blankets for too much longer as we knew there was much to be done. After breakfast, we set to work in the fields, turning the soil and weeding as part of our new routine. The work was physical and repetitive, but somewhat satisfying, and I started to understand why Tobi seemed to enjoy gardening as much as he did.

By the time lunchtime came around, we were both ravenous and devoured everything given to us on our return to the dining hall.

As we were finishing our food, Elizabeth greeted us, apparently having just cycled up to the fort on a supply run.

"I can confirm our theory that news of the miraculous conceptions has reached the Andekas family," she told us solemnly as she sat down next to us.

"Oh?" I responded, raising an eyebrow. "You have information?"

Elizabeth nodded gravely.

"Thomas appeared on the screens this morning and explained to everyone that these exceptional pregnancies were special gifts from the Andekas," she recounted. "A surprise offering to a select few who had been loyal to the family, and that any additional conceptions should be accepted with their compliments."

Disbelief engulfed me as I stared at her for a moment, and I blinked incredulously.

"So, the Andekas are claiming the glory for the conceptions that took place outside the Kinnisvara," I muttered angrily. "Do you think the civilians believe what Thomas said?"

"It's hard to say," sighed Elizabeth. "I suspect some will, and others may question it."

I inhaled deeply as the notion of Thomas trying to turn the situation to be in his favour sunk in. The last words I uttered to Tobi before falling asleep the previous night echoed through my head.

People deserve to know the truth.

Which meant somebody had to challenge the propaganda.

"Did you say you had access to a communication device that would allow a transmission to be made to the entire population?" I asked as an idea started forming.

"Yes," she replied. "But it's never been tested. We don't even know if it works."

"Then now seems like a good time to try it," I asserted. "I want to attempt to make an announcement of my own."

"All, right," Elizabeth nodded in understanding. "I'll see what I can do."

Two days later, Elizabeth returned with a small black rectangular box and a set of instructions that looked like it had been written in Dr Stone's handwriting.

"That's it?" I asked when she showed it to me.

"That's it," she shrugged.

"Huh," I responded, intrigued. "Given what it's supposed to be able to do, I expected it to be bigger. Shall we go and find out whether it works?"

Taking the bikes, Elizabeth, Tobi and I cycled to the opposite side of the river and beyond, until the scenery behind us was generic enough not to be recognisable. We couldn't risk the Andekas finding the fort, and so we needed to ensure there were no distinct landmarks in the transmitted picture that could be traced back to our sanctuary.

After finding a suitable spot, Elizabeth and I worked on following Dr Stone's instructions for broadcasting a message onto the universal screens. Tobi had expressed a wish to appear alongside me on the communication, to provide some evidence that Katki weren't violent. Given that the Andekas no doubt traced me through his assigned number anyway, I couldn't see any additional risk in him doing so, and so I agreed.

It wasn't long before we were set up, and Elizabeth checked that Tobi and I were both ready before beginning the transmission. Nodding once as she pressed the appropriate button gave me the cue to start talking.

"My name is Matthew Sullivan," I declared clearly as she pointed the device towards me. "You undoubtedly recognise me as being 'wanted' by the Andekas. But what you probably don't know is why. So, allow me to tell you.

"Three months ago, we discovered the secret to the Andekas' ability to bestow children. Or rather, we found the process they were using to prevent citizens outside the walls of the Kinnisvara from conceiving, and we destroyed it. You've already seen the evidence of my allegation, because subsequently some have managed to get pregnant without visiting the Kinnisvara. And although the Andekas have taken the credit for these miraculous conceptions, the truth is, this situation has been forced upon those that govern us, and now they have no choice but to claim responsibility if they want to maintain their façade.

"Additionally, I've discovered that the Katki are no more naturally violent than anyone else. They're just a group of people that have historically been taken advantage of, and, not surprisingly, revolted against their suppressors. The man standing next to me is Katki. He hasn't been given the Ravim in months, and he has been nothing but warm with his words and kind with his actions since he became lucid. These people – your sons, daughters, brothers and sisters – are being turned into lifeless slaves under false pretences.

"So, why do the Andekas want me? Presumably because I know the truth, and they've been afraid I'll find a way to communicate it to a wider audience. Well ... now I have. The Andekas can't outrun the truth forever, and for as long as I have breath left in me, I intend to fight for honesty and freedom for everyone."

I nodded once, and Elizabeth switched off the small black box.

"Did it work?" I asked anxiously.

"No idea," she replied. "The device did something, but there's no way to tell from here whether it was what we wanted it to do. For now, all we can do it hope that it did the job and go back to staying hidden."

I sighed deeply. It wasn't really a surprise, given that nobody that we knew of had ever tested this technology before.

"Well, whether or not it worked, thank you for trying," I told her genuinely as we mounted our bicycles.

"I'll try to find out and let you know tomorrow," she assured me.

"Why didn't you say anything about Dominic?" Tobi asked as we started to traverse the uneven ground.

"We have no idea what the consequences would be for him if we revealed that publicly," I rationalised. "It wasn't his decision to be born Katki. I won't pull him into this unless there's a very good reason to."

On arrival back at the fort, we helped Elizabeth assemble the excess packaging to take back to Rannik for disposal before saying our goodbyes.

That afternoon, Tobi and I were assigned the task of following the ancient path that led down to the seafront to look for lobsters and crabs. The coastal steps were uneven but not unstable, and we found that with a little care, the excursion was less formidable than it looked. The crashing waves had created rock pools along the pebbly shore, where crabs were taking refuge in abundance now that the tide was out. We returned after three hours with plenty of seafood that could be shared for dinner alongside the vegetables that had been collected by others from the fields.

Since the evening was mild with only a light breeze, Tobi and I decided to go for a stroll after we'd eaten. We walked along the clifftop path, which looked more serene now that the sun was casting an orange glow low in the sky and the seabirds were settling down for the night.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" I asked the platinum blond, slightly anxiously, as we ambled along the high cliffs. "I mean, sending that transmission today, assuming it worked."

"I doubt people would find out the truth any other way," Tobi replied solemnly.

"I know," I agreed. "But perhaps we've just riled the Andekas up even more. What if we've just made them angrier and they and want retribution?"

"None of the Andekas family have managed to find this place in the last twenty years," he pointed out. "Even if they're now after vengeance, they don't know where you are."

"True," I nodded. "But they've never really had a strong incentive to try before now. Those parents with their Katki children disappeared without causing any problems, and I suspect it's probably not been worth the effort of trying to locate them."

"There's every possibility they've treated them all as isolated incidents," Tobi contemplated. "The Andekas probably haven't guessed that all those missing people have grouped together and become a community of their own."

"A network that now has enough knowledge, resources and contacts to potentially start challenging their authority," I added. "Well, if they hadn't worked it out before, they probably have now."

"You really think we can take them on?" Tobi probed.

"I don't know," I admitted sighing. "I never intended to start a rebellion. I just wanted to find a cure for the Katki."

"Do you regret it?" asked my blond companion, stopping to face me.

"No," I replied truthfully, mirroring his actions by also coming to a standstill and turning towards him. "If I hadn't started down this path, I wouldn't have met you. You've changed my life."

"Well, that's true," he chuckled humourlessly. "You can't even return to your own home now."

"That's not what I meant," I smiled at his teasing. "I mean you've changed my perception of the world and how love works. I didn't realise what restrictions I had placed on myself until they were lifted."

Taking a step forward, I wrapped my arms round him and touched his lips gently with mine, my heart fluttering when I felt his arms round my neck, making clear his desire to deepen the kiss. His warm touch was helping to dissolve the worries I had about the future, and so I melted into the embrace and gave us both what we wanted as the ocean breeze ruffled through our hair.

The sun was dipping into the water when we eventually pulled apart and ambled back to the fort, hand in hand to the dining hall where we found our blankets and fell asleep in each other's arms.

True to her word, Elizabeth returned the next day with news that our message had successfully been broadcast to the wider population. I was pleased the facts had reached those that needed to hear them – now it was up to each individual as to whether they trusted my words.

Over the following few days, I endeavoured to continue with our routine tasks without thinking too much about it. After all, there was little else we could do from the confines of a half-destroyed castle situated on the edge of a remote cliff.

However, cognitive processing was part of my nature, presumably being part of what drove my scientific curiosity, and I found it difficult to switch my brain off, especially since the work we were doing was generally physically repetitive. Other than Tiger's welfare, my main thoughts centred on how my parents might have reacted to finding out I was a fugitive. I knew it would be a surprise to them since I was normally one to follow the rules. Seeing my transmission probably shocked them further, but I sincerely hoped that out of everyone who witnessed it, they would be the first to believe me.

It was less than a week after our broadcast that Elizabeth brought news to the fort alongside the provisions.

"There's been a message transmitted to the screens in response to yours," she told me intently after asking me to walk with her alone. "Directed at you."

"From the Andekas?" I presumed, drawing what I thought was a logical conclusion.

"No," she replied anxiously. "It was from your friend, Seren."