How The Mission Became a Sanctuary for All After the Fracture

There are a number of buildings that survived the great accident. The comm tower, the veil station, and the power plant all offer those who survived a reminder of how the world once was. None of them are held as dear as The Mission, however. Once a place of quiet contemplation, The Mission was vital in the battles that drove most of the horrors out of this part of the island. In the years since the fracture, it has served as a sanctuary for those in need, a place of healing, and a symbol of what can be accomplished when we work together.

Known as Maluhia or The Place of Peace to the Kānaka, The Mission offered seekers of serenity and knowledge a refuge before the Fracture. It was only natural that survivors sought shelter and safety there. For many years Maluhia served as a place of healing for the people. There the greatest Kānaka herbalists and healers practiced their craft. Whether it be a fever, a broken bone, or something more serious, you could find relief at The Mission. Countless lives were saved there, and not just those of the Kānaka.

The Place of Peace was open to all who needed help and served as an embassy of sorts. When one of the many veil storms threw the great cruise ship against the rocks, the survivors sought refuge there. They traded books, their knowledge, and their stories for food and shelter. Eventually, they formed a school and taught many of our children the power of words and ideas. A group of them reside there still today. While we all seek peace, it is sometimes hard to secure and the island was becoming more dangerous.

The horrors born from the explosion were gaining strength and growing quickly. Night Marchers and Trophy Hunters prowled the trails, the Menehune scurried through the rubble, and the Green Ladies haunted the forests, hungry for blood. The people feared leaving the safety of the village, and they were losing hope. It was then that the great chief Ikaika began to gather the people to fight back. He gathered a great number of Kānaka warriors to battle against the creatures. He formed an alliance with the Thrivers on the hill and the people to the North. Together, the army of Ikaika cleared much of the island and made its way to Black Rock Beach.

The fighting there was terrible and lasted for days. Hundreds lost their lives, and so many were injured that The Mission was overflowing. It was then that Ikaika decided to turn away all who were not Kānaka. Many Kānaka survived that day because of that decision, but as the people were treated, we watched the bodies of our allies pile up outside. Eventually, the Thriver’s commander Colonel Kaua arrived and demanded we treat his people. With his elite band of Koa behind him, Ikaka thanked the Colonel for his bravery but said there were too many injured Kānaka to worry about the lives of Thrivers. He told Kaua to take his wounded and go in peace. The Thrivers were angry.

While most of the monsters had been eradicated, tensions between the people and the other groups on the island grew. The Thrivers refused to trade. Soon there was no ammunition, and when machines broke there were no replacement parts. The people of the North would no longer exchange food for medicines and nets. It wasn’t long before the first skirmish broke out and a scout returned to the Mission with a Thriver bullet in his shoulder. Ikaika may have cleansed the island of the evil the Fracture had spawned but he had made new enemies. The Kānaka could now walk the roads without worrying about Night Marchers, but we walked them alone.

The people began to worry. We had beat back the hordes only with the help of those we had turned our backs on. If the creatures grew in strength again would we be able to fight them off alone? The future seemed uncertain and dangerous, but Ikaika was given a second chance.

The colonel arrived at the mission one day flanked with a large group of Thriver soldiers. At first, the people thought they had come to attack and Kānaka warriors filled the courtyard with spear and koa axe in hand. It was then that the people saw the colonel was holding his son in his arms. The boy had been attacked by Trophy Collectors while on a scouting run and his blood was now tainted with their disease. They had tried for days to cleanse him of the poison but he continued to get worse.

Ikaka listened to Kaua’s story and stopped him before he could finish his plea. He said, “Of course we will do what we can for someone as brave as your son. Sometimes the hardest battle for warriors such as us is learning to live in peace. I made an enemy when I didn’t need to. I beg that you forgive me for my decision to turn you away. From this day forward The Mission will be open to all who need sanctuary or healing. This will be a place of peace for us all.”

And so it has been since that day. Kaua’s son was saved and teaches those interested in learning the way of the warrior near Pu’u. The descendants of the cruise ship survivors have come back and all are now welcome as the great chief promised. I spend my days telling our stories and teaching the lessons of our history, ensuring that we never forget the power of peace and cooperation.

Bruddah Lee
Kanaka Historian

Pu’u: The Home of the Thrivers

When the veil fractured everything that people counted on to live their lives was gone. Many of the roads were damaged, there was no internet or electricity, phones wouldn’t work, and there wasn’t even clean water to drink. With: earthquakes, deadly diseases spreading across the island faster than they could be treated, and extreme weather stirring up volient storms, more destructive than anything seen before, many were lost in the first few days. Many more gave up, because they hadn’t worked hard enough before the accident, and didn’t have the drive to fight all the bad things stacking up against them. But not my grandfather Pa’ani, he and a handful of others knew how to work hard, and knew that they’d have to work even harder if they were going make new lives for themselves and their families. That’s what they did when they founded Pu’u. From that day on, they were known as the Thrivers, and they made the best home that they could for the people who deserved it.

People tried to make it through that terrible first month in lots of different ways. The Kanaka turned back to many of the old ways, by honoring the land and learning what new treasures it held. The people of Tanager Lane closed their gates and nobody was allowed to come or go. The Lucky Dodge Hotel stayed open for those who were secretive, or wicked enough to get a room. Many went off to create a new world and a new way of life; some believing in the power of dance and destruction, and others focused on the drinks of the past and living a reckless life. None, however, had the determination, drive, and resources that the Thrivers did.

As soon as he made sure my grandma and my dad were ok, Pa’ani knew who he had to find. As Vice Principal of Pu’u high, my grandfather knew that he’d need the talents of everyone in his PTA golfing team. If he was going to help his family make it through this catastrophe, living the life they had grown accustomed to, he’d need the help of “The Hole-In-Nones”.

Grace Luahi had connections at the SSHAM factory and owned a number of warehouses filled with useful items, food, and drink. Chris Treadwell helped run a turbine and geothermal energy company. He had maps of well sites and plenty of equipment. Trip Alunu owned the islands biggest HVAC company and had plenty of spare solar cells too. Lastly, my grandpa had keys to every building on campus, including the vocational buildings with medical supplies, and all the extra tools and equipment they would need.

The surviving members of the golf team pulled together and worked to lessen the great burdens of life after the fracture. They had power and water running again within a week. Soon, others found their way to the school, and asked for shelter, but it was always the same. These people didn’t work hard or prepare before the accident, and they didn’t after. They would steal, and not do their assigned tasks. Even though the team tried to give them a chance, they didn’t share the same values and had nothing to give or contribute. Worse still, they let a number of Kanaka in even though the ube fever was running rampant. They gave the Kanaka water without getting anything in return. The Thrivers knew that it was only a matter of time before these outsiders would ruin everything. They needed to find more people like them.

Then someone said they knew a retired officer from the yacht club, and suggested that they try to find him. It turned out to be a great idea. Colonel Kaua had set up his mobile bunker along the beach and had taken in many influential families, but they were under constant attack by desperate people, and the horrors of the forest. The team explained that the yacht club people would be much safer on top of the hill at Pu’u, and that the mobile bunker would be just the thing to deter people looking for handouts. The colonel agreed, and over the next few days, they moved the bunker to where it still sits today, with his son guarding Pu’u and teaching the ways of war.

Along with other families like: the Pahili’s, the Hoomana’s, and the Palakiko’s, The Hole-In-Nones created a paradise within paradise by sharing values, working hard, and being smart enough to have things before the accident. They didn’t just survive, they thrived. I’m proud of what my grandpa and his friends did, and I hope that nothing like the fracture ever happens again. If we have to count on the hard work of people like my brother, we won’t make it. He can’t even pick up his toys.

Akamai Mahelona
5th Grade
Pu`u School Lahaina