Book - The Tipping Point

THE TIPPING POINT

POCKET PROSE

AUTHORS

OLIVER LEEDER MAYA HOBLEY MIA HUANG CHARLOTTE SHANNON

AMAANI BHASIN TANYA NAGRANI NITIKA BETHI

ILLUSTRATORS

GRACE LOUIE VICTORIA HUANG EVA WALLACE

PROLOGUE

The city had once been a place of great beauty, greenery and life abundant. But now, Sydney had fallen into disarray, rubbish piling high throughout the streets. No longer were the days of high priced apartments, overpriced clothes and famous beaches. If one wished to see the sights of Sydney, they would find themselves sorely disappointed. The Opera House was reduced to small tips, right at the top. The once deep, glistening water was almost non-existent, poisoned and diluted over generations of pollution. The green, extraordinary pleasure of the botanical gardens, reduced to nothing more than a dumping ground, no drop of life apparent. Pollution had ravaged this city beyond recognition, far from how it had been so long ago. A small robot could be seen, floating above the clutter. New looking, shiny and sleek. As it approached a large building, a logo that blazoned across its body could be seen, replicated much larger on the side of the building. Echoing softly from inside, a woman’s voice could be heard, midway through a speech. “The City of Sydney is witnessing a time of disrepair that is at an unacceptable level. The new programme is our latest attempt to reverse this. As you may have already seen, our latest model, the WADE’s, have begun their efforts. Although this shall result in a loss of jobs, the WADE’s will carve a stronger path towards a future we all hope for.” A vigorous round of applause could be heard from the hall. At the same time, a different conversation was being held. In a separate part of the building, a man was standing in front of a large gathering of people in uniforms. “As most of you will know, our WADE experiment has proved successful. This has resulted in a nearly unanimous decision to relieve you all of your duties. Please return your uniforms and all council equipment at your earliest convenience.” The man spoke clearly, unaffected by any emotion or guilt. A teenage boy towards the back almost crumpled into himself. He was looking around at his co-workers and friends. Most of them had known this was coming. It was obvious. They hadn’t completed their jobs properly, often too lazy, too tired or simply found it too difficult to begin. When the council had introduced the WADE’s they had known time was limited. They had neglected their jobs and their respect for themselves. And now they had all lost their jobs in one fatal blow. In large lettering: W.A.D.E. Underneath, in a slightly smaller font, was We Are Defending Earth.

Chapter One

Peering out of his muddied window, Alister frowned as he took in the dismal surroundings that he called home. The rancid stench of smoke circled his idle body, commonplace after pollution had infiltrated every facet of Sydney life. The steaming sour smell filled his lungs and burned his eyes. He could feel the trash under his feet as he glided down the stairs, his mother’s words fresh in his mind as he tied his frayed laces. “Alister, our family has lived as protectors of the earth and soil for generations. We have failed, but from failure, success can bloom” He rolled his eyes at the sentiment, ‘How am I supposed do any better when we have the same resources, especially now the council has turned its back on us?’ Banishing the distressing thoughts from his mind he turned to make himself another cup of coffee. Alister sighed as he grabbed his damaged keys, stepping outside into the thick smog. He positioned himself in the direction of the familiar grey alcove where he had worked for years. His mind wandered as he travelled down the littered streets. Alister glanced down at his silver , rusted locket as it swung freely in the warm breeze, brushing up against his dirty clothes. He peered at it, admiring the detailing he could still make out amongst the rust. The locket had been in his family for generations, back when working for the council was considered a prestigious position in society. Council workers were in charge of safeguarding the environment and the people of Sydney had admired them. However, after the sudden epidemic they were the ones blamed for not preventing this crisis and became viewed as not much better than the place they were trying to restore. His mother had given him this locket to remind him of his duty, and to give him hope that the environment could still be restored. ‘We have failed, even robots are trusted more than us,’ he declared. He couldn’t bare to think of the current situation. He gradually closed his eyes as he rested on his bench, made completely out of rubbish, hoping that this was only a dream.

Chapter Two

A loud, whirring noise awoke him from his slumber. “What?” Alister groaned as he was confronted by a WADE attempting to remove the bench from beneath him.

The Robot addressed him, “Hello. My designation is WADE 8.5. Please remove yourself from this vicinity.”

His memory slowly caught up to the recent events. He had been fired, and the WADE’s had replaced his human counterparts. Alister realised he had unknowingly fallen asleep on his old bench. The bench that was about to be destroyed. “Is this really necessary?” he questioned, unwilling to give up what had been his for so long. It had been his spot to escape to when his family were fighting, his lunch-time relaxation. He didn’t want to let go. Especially to his replacement.

“This is a decision made by the government to aid the efforts in returning Sydney to a sustainable environment safe for the human population.” the WADE replied.

Alister sighed dejectedly. There wasn’t anything that he could do to avoid it. Things were changing. And in his case, not for the better. He wondered what would happen if he stayed exactly where he was. Would the WADE leave him alone? Then he realised what it had attempted to do while he was still asleep. It would not deviate from its programming and could continue regardless. He collapsed back down on the bench in an attempt to ignore the reality of his situation.

“Please, this is my bench, could you do it later? When I’m not here?” Alister pleaded, although some part of him knew that it was useless. At the end of the day, it was still a robot. It would stick to its programming.

“This is a decision made by the government to aid the efforts in returning Sydney to an eco-friendly, sustainable environment that is safe for the human population. The previous attempts were not viable to continue. The state of this area was unacceptable” the WADE replied. Alister pushed himself up from the bench, back to a sitting position. He knew the minute he stood up, his little spot would no longer exist. One more defeat he would have to suffer through. Gradually, he clambered to his feet, pushing his unwilling body up. He took one last look at the bench and snapped his head in opposite direction. He didn’t want to look back. The sounds he woke up to had returned, louder and more forceful than before. The truth of the situation suddenly dawned on him. He no longer has any power over this area, he could no longer expect it to stay the same. Gathering his thoughts, he tore down the streets, the streets that he knew like the back of his hand, as he ran as far as he could.

Chapter Three

Alister wandered through the pile of rubble which was once known as the Botanical Gardens of Sydney. He brushed his hand lightly over the top of the black water, polluted by everything you could imagine. As he knelt down in shame, completely unaware of his surroundings, a delicate tear ran down his face.

His quiet mourning was disrupted suddenly when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He jumped away in shock and turned around to stare at the face of a stranger.

Alister looked up reluctantly, as he was still crying. He wasn’t quite sure how to control his outburst of emotions. Their eyes met. An indigenous woman was standing right in front of him, with messy brown hair.

“Hello.” she said. Alister was baffled. Some random person had stopped to talk to him. He was intrigued.

“My name is Vera.” She continued. Her smile was slightly strained, but otherwise looked quite optimistic.

“Vera? You seem familiar.” Then he remembered. Vera. The Olympic hurdler. She was famous Australia- wide. Everyone knew who she was. Alister felt like an idiot. “You were an Olympian, I remember now.” He responded. “Yes, well, that’s me!” she laughs heartily. She looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the right words for it. There was an elongated silence, that both found awkward. They looked out at the water with great grief. Suddenly Vera spoke. “Do you want to go for a run with me?” She spoke in a very rushed tone. A clear attempt to distil the awkward mood. Alister nodded, and off they went. She took a slower pace than usual as it was clear that Alister didn’t have her athletic ability. Their surrounding was desolate, ruined buildings, rubbish and pollution melting into one as they ran past. Most of the trees were rotten, utterly devoid of colour. The beautiful coloured plants were lost under layers of thick weeds and layers of garbage. Abruptly, Vera stopped. Alister questioned her, but she didn’t reply. She looked shocked, almost unbelieving. Then the unexpected happened. She dragged Alister a few meters into the untidy mess that used to be a garden, and something usually hidden from view emerged. A small, but green and alive patch of grass. Neither of them could believe it. A million questions were running through Alister’s mind. How could no one have seen this? How had it survived this long? All he could do was shout with joy. It had been years since he had seen anything so gorgeous. “Wow! It’s real grass! This is amazing!” exclaimed Alister, as he pinched his arm to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Everything else blurred. Vera tugged him down and they both admired it. Vera didn’t stay long after they found the grass. She excused herself and continued her running track. Alister wished she didn’t have to, as it had been so long since he had talked to anyone He could almost smell the flowers flourishing on trees and the rich smell of the fertile soil planted with seeds. Alister wanted to help, he wanted to restore Sydney and help it become what he dreamed of. But, how could he? He was just a young man, with no way to start.

He made his way home, just as dejected as when he began his day.

Chapter Four

The next day, Alister found himself once again in front of the small patch of grass that had somehow survived through the tough conditions. It occurred to him that perhaps this had been the work of the WADE’s. That perhaps they were in fact better. The thought was quickly shut down when he realised that none of the WADE’s had even come close to this area, let alone the fact that they work methodically and wouldn’t come close to this area without clearing the rest of the rubbish first. Distraction aside, the last piece of grass stood before Alister. It had planted the first seed of hope within him, and simultaneously dragged it back down. It symbolised that the future was not as bleak as he had first anticipated and yet, made the future that much more unattainable. The future that his entire lineage had dreamt about seemed on the horizon. But perhaps a future free of rubbish was more than just a foolish desire? The sudden of loss of weight snapped Alister out of his thoughts. It was gone, the locket was gone. Panic coursed through his fragile body like ants scattering upon the destruction of their nest. The warm sensation of hope immediately left his body, leaving him distressed and defeated. Alister immediately dropped to the ground and began to search frantically looking for the locket. He could feel despair take over his body. Just when he was about to give up he searched the grass one last time and saw it. He grabbed it with immense speed. It was the locket, but something was different. It was brighter. Alister was confused. How did the locket change? Why did the locket change? Did it have anything to do with the grass? He decided to try it. He placed the locket back on the soft grass. Once again, the rust became ever so slightly lighter ensuring its beautiful glint in the sun. It was incredible. Alister closely examined the locket for a while and everything seem to be the way it was until he flipped it to the back, he saw something that he’d never seen before. It was small difficult to see. There was an inscription, but it was ineligible. Alister desperately wanted to find out what it said but it seemed as if it was rusted too much. He dropped the locket back on the grass in a frantic, final attempt to discern the inscription, but it didn’t work.

Alister wanted to find out what the inscription said. He pondered why his mother had never mentioned it? Perhaps it had always been too rusted to read. It was clear that the locket responded to the earth being clean. He wondered if maybe it would become fully silver one again if he cleaned up the whole garden. He could only hope. He realised he would need help. There was only really one person he could turn to. Vera. She seemed to be just as awed and amazed as he was by the grass. Perhaps she could help him. He marched off with new confidence inside him, determined to fix both the garden and his locket.

Chapter Five

“Where could she be?” Alister wondered aloud in frustration. “I’ve checked everywhere.”

“Who are you looking for?” WADE asked, “I am here to help all the people of Sydney, to stop the desolate amount of trash that has plagued this city.” Alister jumped at sound of the robot’s voice.

“Stupid robot,” Alister mumbled to himself. “I don’t need your help.”

“I will help you find your friend if you tell me who she is.”

“Ok, I guess. My friend’s name is Vera.”

“Locating Vera, my sources tell me that she’s at the old stadium.”

“Thank you!” He screamed back as he ran towards the old stadium. The place that used to be one of the greatest buildings in Sydney was now reduced to a pile of rubble. Only a faint outline of what it once was. He stared at the old building with melancholy as he approached.

“Vera!” Alister exclaimed, “what are you doing in here?”

“I’m just revisiting the days when I would show up here every morning to train for the Olympics. Even after I won my first medal, I came here every morning and every evening to train. I loved competing in the Olympics. They were my whole life. Then Sydney fell into this disarray and the Olympics just stopped. They never happened again and I never got the chance to feel the way I used to when I competed in those games.” Vera spoke with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

“Well, there isn’t much we can do about that. I mean, we’re just two nobodies who want to make a change.”

“Of course, we can do something!! We need to do something about it!!”

Chapter Six

The clock struck two as Alister raced outside slamming the door behind him, he was excited for the day to go into full swing. Today the plan was going to go into action, things were going to start changing at last. Vera was meeting him in the Botanical Gardens to do some cleaning and to work on his determination and grit. Without stopping for so much as a breath of air Alister dashed through the garden to meet Vera. Her shoulder length dark hair swayed in breeze, even throughout the years she had retired the athlete still maintained her sleek look. She constantly appeared to be so happy and determined, just like the meaning of her name, faith. It was time to start training. They began working on the small patch of grass that she had showed him earlier, working to make it bigger. Time progressed quickly as they worked hard to clear the area. It was hard work, harder than Alister had ever worked before. Hours passed but eventually they managed remove all the rubbish from a whole section of the botanical garden. Alister marvelled in amazement as he viewed the payment of their hard work. The grass beneath all the trash possessed a glossy quality that he didn’t even think was possible until today. Dew drops rested lavishly on the glades, bathing in the newfound beauty of the place. Looking down at the family heirloom hanging from his neck he gasped aloud as he noticed the transformation in its appearance. The rust that had infiltrated its surface began to retreat back, fading as the clean oxygen blessed its surface. The inscriptions on the surface became more apparent, the absence of the dirt that had been resting in the grooves of the locket highlighting the intricate design on the surface. This transformation fuelled the determination in Alister, maybe if he continued saving the environment the inscription would finally become fully clear? It was a thought so exciting that he could hardly contain himself. He was ready to take his journey further.

Chapter Seven

Alister awoke from his deep slumber, it was the best sleep he had had in months. He couldn’t help but recall the previous day. Rolling onto his side he gazed out of his window and was greeted by the grey skyscrapers that surrounded his apartment block. However, he was mesmerised by the baby pinks, oranges and yellows that were peaking from behind the buildings, he couldn’t help but think that today was going to be a good day. The bed frame creaked as he leveraged his body upwards. Beyond his bedroom door he could hear his mother opening and closing cupboards in the kitchen. Springing off the bed, a big smile overtook his face as he walked to the kitchen and towards his mother. “Morning Mum” Alister placed a big kiss upon her cheek and continued to the front door.

Confusion swept upon her face, “Is everything alright honey?” By this time Alister had already closed the door behind him.

From the front door, Alister begun to travel in the direction of the botanical garden with a slight skip in his step. Digging his hand into his jeans pocket his hand clasped around his family heirloom and tugged it out. Turning his fist around, he opened his palm to face the sky and was horrified at what he saw. Instead of the locket being silver in colour, it was rusted. Furiously scrubbing it against his leg, the rust wouldn’t go away. Alister’s heart begun to race and his throat closed up in hysteria. Shoving the trinket down into his pocket he took off running towards the gardens. Slowing to a slight jog, he turned the last corner and saw the destruction past the fence surrounding the botanical garden. Turning to a passing robot that read WADE 12.3, he screamed in frustration “WHERE IS VERA? FIND HER FOR ME!!!” Running into the garden he stomps over mountains of rubbish that had replaced the grass until he came across the original patch of grass. Running over to it he sat down and begun to cry in anguish. “WHY? WHY? WHY?” In the distance Vera could hear her new-found friend sobbing, with great worry for the boy she ran to him. Falling to her knees she locked her arms around his body and rocked him. Only then did she notice all the rubbish that had come back. “Shhhh, everything will be okay” hoping to soften the cries.

Ripping Vera’s arms from around him, he got up abruptly and rubbed aggressively at his eyes “Nothing is okay about this, the whole reason I lost my job was because I couldn’t do it correctly.”

Vera stood up and placed her hands on his shoulders “Of course you did your job correctly, it was the mean council men’s fault that you lost it.”

Trying to catch his breath he looked into her eyes “No I didn’t, this just proves it.” Alister kicked a small pile of rubbish next to his feet, “there’s no use in continuing this project, it’s all useless.”

Vera could see the dejection on the young boy’s face, with a feeling of determination she had to encourage him. “One thing I learnt from my training days was that you just don’t give up. It took me months to learn how to hurdle properly, even now I’m still learning. When I wanted to give up, I knew I couldn’t because I wanted to be the greatest I could be and giving up wasn’t an option. So, you shouldn’t give up. From being with you I’ve learnt that we are the same, we fight for what we believe in.” With Vera’s motivational speech and Alister’s change of heart they begun to redo their previous day’s work. For hours they filled bags upon bags of rubbish until dusk fell and the green grass could be seen. Alister looked over at Vera who was kneeling on the filthy ground, he couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t working. He thought that perhaps she was spent after a hard day of physical labour but after closer inspection she was staring distantly at the athletic stadium. Walking up to her side, he kneeled down and looked at her and was struck by the sadness in her eyes. “You really love that place, don’t you?”

Vera turned her back to the stadium to begin working again. Under the rustling of the rubbish, Alister could hear Vera mumble “Yeah I do. It’s my home.”

Chapter Eight

Alister couldn’t forget the glint in Vera’s eye, her gaze fixated on the hurdles propped up by piles of rubbish. A former Olympian, it was almost impossible to find an Australian who wasn’t aware of Vera’s sporting achievements. Her career had spanned many years, however, it came to an abrupt halt once the pollution epidemic ravaged all the sporting arenas Sydney had to offer. Vera quickly became a remnant of the past generation, her extraordinary feats becoming less and less relevant in an evolving world. All that was left among the ruins of her once flourishing career was a myriad of environmental advertisements that played during daytime television. A grin began to creep upon Alister’s face as an idea formed in his mind. The sudden boost in mood was so unfamiliar, a testament to the fact that his tireless training was suddenly paying off. Chucking his stuff in a bag he rushed out of the door, armed with his newfound sense of determination. Rushing down the streets of Sydney, Alister made his way towards the large building, looming intimidatingly in the distance. Alister soon found himself standing in the center of the stadium that Vera had trained in during her professional sporting years. Without a moment’s hesitation he began filling his trash-bags to the brim with assorted types of litter. His mentor in grit and determination, she had taught him how to succeed as a council worker and now he wanted to help her. Hours turned to days as he spent every waking moment working on cleaning up the stadium. Piece by piece the synthetic track became increasingly more visible, the red material standing out underneath the piles of trash. Eventually the stadium was entirely free of rubbish, the building’s structure clean once more. Leading a blindfolded Vera through the entrance, Alister smiled in glee. He was beyond excited to see her reaction once she realised what he had done. Smiling at her he untied her blindfolded, the anticipation boiling up inside of him. Immediately Vera’s eyes widened in surprise, she had not expected for him to have dedicated so much time and effort to the stadium she held so dear in her heart. She turned and hugged him tightly, tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you Alister. I can’t believe this, I haven’t seen my home turf look like this in years. It’s all thanks to you.” His cheeks reddened, he never knew that helping others could be so rewarding.

“This gesture proves to me that it’s time for us to take it to the council. If they see even half of the passion you have for protecting the environment they’ll be sure to reinstate all council workers once more.”

Following her out of the newly cleaned stadium Alister couldn’t even try and suppress the smile forcing its way upon his face. Glancing over his shoulder he felt the warm feeling of pride fuelling his determination, it was time for him to change the world.

Chapter Nine

Brushing his hand over the lush grass, he felt a feeling of calm wash over his body. “If only the council would listen and help us clean this all up. We have nothing left. No one left to care. There is no way the WADE robots will be able to clean this up themselves.” While he was laying down on the grass, twirling his locket in his hands, Alister remembered his mother’s words, ‘You will be the one to save us from this mess. She was right. He possessed the capability to save Sydney from the pollution, and he didn’t need the help of the council to do it. He found himself standing at the entrance of the prickly gardens, rubbish bag in hand, tidying and cleaning every part of the botanical gardens. Within the span of a few days, with the assistance of some equally motivated council workers who had heard of his journey, it was completely spotless.

“We will not be forgotten, we will return Sydney to its former glory!” shouted Alister to hisband of loyal followers, increasing in numbers every day. “We will keep cleaning Sydney!”

The small group travelled to the Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and other locations in Sydney with their mission in mind. Over the months, the pile slowly begun to decrease until only a few scraps remained. Alister and Vera eventually travelled to every part of Sydney until the amount of rubbish in the area had decreased dramatically. Impressed by their efforts and results the council admitted that they were wrong and made Alister and Vera the official Sydney environmental ambassadors. Smiling with pride they couldn’t believe the change they had made, it was the beginning of a new era.

EPILOGUE

Returning to Sydney had always been emotional for both Alister and Vera. Looking at what they have achieved simultaneously brought a sense of both pride and sorrow, it was a struggle. With the assistance of the other council workers and the WADE robots they were able to restore harmony back to Sydney. Now, because of Alister the city was full of joy and cleanliness. However, Alister couldn’t help but feel a little upset as it marked the end of their grand adventure. Alister tells his fellow peers this truly incredible tale many people are so fascinated that people from all over Australia would come just to hear the story from Alister himself each year. Each year on the 16th of August he would meet thousands of people at the place where it all started, the botanical gardens. Council workers were once hated for their failure to mankind but now they were received with love. Walking over the Sydney Harbor Bridge he looked down at the water below which reflected the sun’s rays. Small aquatic life squirmed around in the depths below, thriving in their new environment. Vera nudged him gently causing him to look up, they were facing a familiar stadium that stood proud before them. The building appeared to puff its concrete chest out in pride as thousands of civilians poured in. Two people in official council workers uniform stood outside, cleaning the streets with the help of their accompanying robots. It was a sight he had never expected to see. Taking a seat beside Vera in the grandstand he looked down at the Olympians preparing to perform in their main events. The Olympics had eventually been revived, the sudden decrease in pollution allowing the event to finally be held once more. Looking to his right he placed a reassuring hand on Vera’s knee as tears welled up in her eyes. It wasn’t just his dream he had fulfilled when the council workers were reinstated, it was the dream of everyone. Only happiness and love were visible to them as they walked down the clean streets of Sydney.

Rubbing his fingers on the family heirloom for good luck he whispered out the words inscribed on its unsullied surface, “guardian of mankind.”

The future of Sydney is dim, where life once flourished rubbish reigns. Failed by the league of council workers that had once defended the environment, the council has brought in an elite class of environmentally friendly robots (W.A.D.E).

Feeling down and dejected young former worker Alister wishes to repair the reputation of the council workers and restore Sydney’s environment to its former glory.

With intensive training from Olympian legend Vera in the art of determination and grit will the duo be able to save the littered streets of Sydney before they are lost forever?

Recommended Ages: (12-16)

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