《The Last Orphan》


 Chapter 1 - The last first day

    CHAPTER 1


    The last first day


    The greatest secrets are the ones you can keep from yourself. To master such an art takes more than discipline, more than talent and more than all the luck the universe can muster. You must sacrifice your mind to a foreign vessel, have it carry you across trepidations and pray you honed it to perfection. Now sit, blind but for the darkness, as you listen for the echoes of your future cry out, in ecstasy or pain, you¡¯ll never know. This is a torture greater than another man''s hand can deliver, such is the cruelty of ambition.


    My name is Den.


    This planet, Delph, is my final checkpoint. They want me to do something they know I¡¯m too afraid to do, they know I will refuse. They will let me run, perhaps for sport, which they will dress in a weighty sense of culture and ritual. Their duty to hunt me, my duty to run. Maybe they will underestimate the navigator this time.


    ¡°Den, are we going?¡±


    Leena had bustled her way into my room, always up at the crack of dawn. Why you¡¯d want to watch that grubby sunrise is anybody¡¯s guess, I¡¯d expect that even her simple mind would like to keep itself switched off for as long as possible.


    ¡°Let me get ready.¡±


    She huffed. ¡°We will be late, then you will be rushing. You said¡­¡±


    ¡°I said, let me get ready.¡± I whisked in a scornful tone.


    Leena was, for lack of a better word, a simpleton¡­not every bee buzzed in that hive of hers. I blame myself for her condition¡­it was my fault, but she brought it upon herself in a way, naive and lacking in vigilance. That¡¯s what her report would say if I wrote it.


    When I looked at the box we lived in, the food we ate and the water we had to ration I would curse myself. That was my fault too¡ªa three-roomed flat, accented in Delphs¡¯ familiar pallid green and muted maroon palette. The tables curved into the yellowed wall tiles and the chairs were bolted in place. It was efficient though, I could give myself that. Yes, Den, the procurer of efficient living spaces.


    My morning routine was interrupted by the tinny cry of my comms unit. I let the caller wait while I pulled my lived-in overalls over my legs and slid my arms into them tenderly¨Clike a soldier might don armour before a great battle. The button to answer repulsed my finger for a moment, a trick of the mind, fear was the fuel of procrastination.


    ¡°D4Delivery service, Den speaking.¡± What a fruitless introduction. My illustrious delivery career was coming to an end. Delivery boy¡­a pitiful time waster, a sour prod at my pride.


    ¡°Quaint.¡± That unmistakable voice crackled, broken but strong.


    ¡°Checking in on me?¡±


    ¡°Three days, be ready.¡± He said.


    ¡°I am ready, but I have a request, hers to be specific.¡± I wiped the sweat from my brow. If I were to outsmart my soon-to-be pursuers I¡¯d need them to gift me an honour.


    ¡°Unorthodox.¡±


    ¡°She wants me to inspect the ship, a quick tour¡­she¡¯s nervous.¡±


    ¡°An¡­Leena can be assured everything is in order.¡± He spoke with a grin, nervousness excited him.


    ¡°Still, let¡¯s make the pilot happy, yes?¡±


    The response took an aeon, purposeful and effective. He enjoyed tension. It was refreshing to speak to someone more odious than myself though, he made me feel normal. ¡°Very well.¡±


    My body deflated with relief. I¡¯d need access to that ship. ¡°Thank you.¡± I tried to swallow that, I had no reason to thank that failed abortion for anything. I''ll make him suffer if I get the chance to kill him.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I will collect you and her.¡±


    ¡°She wishes to stay.¡±


    ¡°Malikus will want to see her.¡±


    ¡°She can tell him all about you.¡±


    I smiled at this pause. He was mulling over his choices. Never underestimate the strength of a wretches self-preservation instincts, I should know.


    ¡°Very well, I will speak to her when I arrive.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow then?¡± My voice raised at the end with a chirpy bounce. A subtle signal that I¡¯d won the minor engagement. He¡¯d be furious.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I hung up, then caught my head with open palms.


    ¡°Come eat, Den.¡± Leena¡¯s voice eased through the gap between the sleeping quarter''s sliding doors.


    I never ate in the morning. Breakfast made me sick these days, our menu didn¡¯t help. The doors opened with a mechanical grunt, revealing Leena sitting at the dining table, nibbling a meat cube sceptically as if it might give up the game and show her where the real food hides if tortured long enough.


    I split the blinds with my fingers to peer at what the day had to offer. The sun made this planet seem beautiful from some angles. It filled me with a momentary flicker of pride before I reminded myself that it required help from the universe to appear half-decent. Delph was an industrial world, here to produce goods at the lowest price for the highest cost, the price being the inhabitant''s souls.


    Delph was in the final stages of its life cycle, the population had been dulled and battered into submission. The replicated blocks were gated, penning people in, an endless ocean of cubes, all smattered with green, red and grey. The sprawling containment cells spat smoke into the skies, dimming the sun''s potential. Furious sky trams tore through the smog, dragging the citizens to their designated factories or back to their designated living blocks. That¡¯s probably my fault too.


    After breakfast Leena and I scurried out of the apartment. Bottom floor, my choice.


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    I shook my head at Leena. ¡°The same time as it always takes.¡± I kept a high pace which forced Leena to skip every so often to keep up.


    ¡°I miss, Ray.¡±


    ¡°You saw him last week.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Raymond Remsher. The man we were going to see. He had a ship, I had a license to use it. Technology was the first thing they took. Amazing what can be achieved with a few terrorist attacks, the closure of a few intergalactic trade ways and a well-armed enforcement organisation.


    A cacophony of discontent rumbled out from one of the public news terminals. Playing the same old tripe about Yunar, our sister planet. All contact had been lost with it, fears of a disease annihilating the populace. The Royals had blocked all transport there, they couldn¡¯t go if they wanted now. The sky trams were once accompanied by the thousands of humming inter-orbital ships, carrying passengers not only for work but for leisure and trade too.


    ¡°We always walk, why can¡¯t we fly?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a ship, Leena. You ask this every time.¡±


    ¡°Ray has a ship, he said I can fly it.¡±


    ¡°Ray says a lot of things.¡±


    Ray lived in an adjacent block, we¡¯d have to take a tram or, if you were privileged like me, your pass would let you through the gates between. Most were not. What a privilege, the right to go from one shit square to another unimpeded. Leena had moved up in front of me to lead the way now she had caught her stride. She dragged her fingers along the walls, perhaps to find a way to experience this city on a different level.


    We moved into Ray¡¯s block. There was no guard to question me at the gate. Deliveries were made by people like me, a handful were left per hundred blocks. Basics now, food, water and air conditioning units. Ray was the captain of my operation. However, through an oversight that felt unlikely, his ship had a jump core left over. How it slipped by the meticulous security during the migration is a cause for concern, the fact it ended up in my hands, well now we have a conspiracy. If this was a ¡°divine¡± intervention, it would be hard to tell if it is for my benefit or to add sweetness to my inevitable downfall.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    A scruffy denizen had stepped across our path. I raised my arm to halt Leena and sweep her behind me. ¡°What?¡± I gave my head a slight shake of disdain.


    ¡°Let me through would ya?¡±


    ¡°Piss off.¡±


    ¡°You have a pass, I wanna see someone in there, I won¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°Go back to your home.¡±


    His dirty face screwed up, it was hard to tell if he was about to cry or scream in a fit of rage. He squatted with his face buried in his hands. Sobbing. What a pitiful creature. Crying because he can¡¯t go through a gate. I could help him, but it didn¡¯t matter, he would be soon washed away with the other plankton on this dirt ball.


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    ¡°He¡¯s hurt I think, Den.¡± Leena tugged at my arm as she stepped around.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°You should help him.¡±


    I pushed Leena onwards. ¡°You should be less naive, you don¡¯t help the helpless, they¡¯ll just come back for more.¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    I pushed her on. ¡°Never mind¡­let¡¯s get to Ray¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    I turned to catch a glimpse of a child at the gate, she was reaching out to the man I¡¯d declined entry to. He wasn¡¯t lying at least, usually, people lie. My old instructor always said: ¡°The truth is there to bolster a deeper lie.¡± Sure, he wanted to see his daughter, but why was he split from her in the first place? Probably abusive or something. Anyway, we are too far away to turn back now, I have more important things to attend to.


    The heat had slowed our pace, I took a moment to pause, the grate under my feet wobbled in a weak threat to fall through if I didn¡¯t step off. I looked down into the dark guts of the planet. I could feel what moved below, its watchful hunger oozed up between the bars of the grate and wrapped over my boots. Invisible ¨C all in my mind ¨C yet it took an effort to prise my feet from the steel.


    We climbed the creaking steps that hung precariously from the side of his office building. The light breeze swayed us and carried the scent of Delph¡¯s sickly sweet air. My lips had already dried out, my face peppered with dust that adhered to my sweat.


    Ray¡¯s hulking green door awaited, I pushed it open and slid into his cool office, the climate offering respite from Delph¡¯s prickly heat. Remsher was dressed in his usual blue overalls and white collared polo shirt. He was a sturdy man: haunched shoulders, a head full of scruffy, ginger hair and a beard to match. His bulbous nose threatened to take over his face, but his wide blue eyes helped the war effort of keeping him looking more Human than ape.


    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Ray leaned back in his battered red chair.


    ¡°Got held up by a weirdo.¡±


    ¡°No way to talk about Leena.¡±


    Leena stuck her tongue out and went to the bookshelf in the corner of the office. Ray¡¯s office was smattered with tacky shite from off-world. Ornaments, mechanical contraptions¡­books, who reads books? Half of them are probably contraband. Leena busied herself perusing his museum, while I took a pew at his broad desk opposite, Ray.


    Ray rubbed his hands together. ¡°Work is running low these days¡­soon we will become obsolete.¡±


    I shrugged at him.


    ¡°That means they get to take my ship.¡±


    ¡°We are already obsolete, Ray.¡±


    ¡°Is that what this little get-together is for?¡± He pushed out his chin and looked at me through those galactic nostrils which seemed to compound his facetiousness.


    ¡°More of a pre-emptive strike plan.¡± I raised my eyebrows and married it to a calculated grin, I had to be in the know without knowing enough.


    Ray took a sip of his water, careful to savour it.


    ¡°Gunna pour me a glass?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°If you like drinking my piss.¡±


    I washed his comment away with a bitter chuckle. Sure, it was banter, but it was the truth, after all this time I still wasn¡¯t worth a glass to him. I called us friends, but I was certain he¡¯d be dead weight and I was more than prepared to cut that away. Navigating the complexities of dialogue with Ray was a delicate balance of well-timed statements and crude ad-hominems. Not enough of the former and he¡¯d have you on the end of a hook for an hour before tossing you back into the water, too much of the latter and he might hang you from a hook. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°So, what is this pre-emptive strike?¡±


    ¡°Yunar.¡±


    Ray spat a mouthful of water back into his glass as I answered. He placed the glass down carefully and wiped his mouth. ¡°You want to go to Yunar?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were retarded, Den¡­¡±


    I held up my hand. ¡°Do you want to stay on this planet?¡±


    ¡°I want to stay alive.¡±


    ¡°You believe that nonsense about a plague?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s convincing enough for me.¡±


    I smiled at Ray. ¡°Wow.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Had you pegged as a man with a little more¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronise me, Den.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it so easy, Ray¡±


    Ray gulped his water, floaters and all. I¡¯d still drink it. ¡°My ship can¡¯t jump anyway.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, I know exactly what that core is capable of.¡± I had picked up a bird figurine and was turning it in my hands to inspect it. It gave my eyes something to do rather than make contact with his.


    Ray shook his head. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not been used in years.¡±


    ¡°Worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a prick stain.¡± He leaned over to snatch the bird from me.


    ¡°You can see what¡¯s happening to Delph.¡±


    Ray was shaking his head. ¡°Yunar? You¡¯re taking the piss, right out of my dick.¡±


    ¡°I can get us there.¡±


    ¡°Through the security too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an expert at that stuff, remember, I told you I was with interplanetary I.D systems, we¡¯ll be straight through the kill zones, no problem.¡± I¡¯d resorted to gaslighting. His eyes pulled up and to the left, while he tried to untangle the web I¡¯d spun.


    ¡°Right, and how do we do it then?¡±


    ¡°You give me the Omerdertha¡¯s I.D snap, I¡¯ll have it updated, we¡¯ll be off-planet¡­got a job lined up.¡±


    Ray folded his arms. ¡°A job now? Is this from your mysterious contact?¡±


    I pondered my response but was interrupted by Leena dropping some plastic model ship on the floor. I winced as it smashed and the parts skittered across the tiled floor.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Leena held her arms up and grimaced.


    Ray¡¯s grunt rumbled from his breast as he stared through me at Leena. The model''s fate might be mistaken for a clever foreshadowing of events to come, but I knew this reality all too well. It was a threat, a cosmic deterrent to make me turn back. Try harder, Mother.


    ¡°I can get us the crew and past Yunar¡¯s planetary security.¡±


    Ray offered up a broad smile. ¡°You have a contact on the planet don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± My lie was instant, faultless, tempered with the calm of an expert.


    ¡°Well, if I smell one thing off, I¡¯m out.¡±


    I kept a straight face, Ray was a fragment of my cascading plan. On the inside I was frantically grasping at the pieces as they fell, externally, I was barely human, betrayed only by a bead of sweat that strolled down my temple to my cheek.


    ¡°But this is your fucking funeral, and I won¡¯t be there to blow out the candles after it.¡±


    I cocked my head and nodded as I clasped the back of the chair I now stood behind. ¡°Of course, Ray, you have my word¡­¡±


    Ray clapped. ¡°Fucking yes, off this shit hole¡­Yunar isn¡¯t a shit hole is it?¡± He was using the bird figurine to simulate flying through the air.


    ¡°Lush, I hear¡­you can bring your stupid bird with you.¡±


    ¡°Bird? This is Gypaetus barbatus.¡± Ray winked at me as he set it down carefully. ¡°Use it for all my passwords.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± He set the bird back, exactly where it was before I had disturbed it.


    ¡°Right. Ugly thing, I need you to watch Leena while I gather the team, need the Engineer.¡±


    Ray was leaning back with his hands behind his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be all day¡­you¡¯re gunna get Skarlet are you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°What a cunt she is, you know she has a new man, right? Bigger than you, harder too I bet¡­most are.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think he has it in for you, Den¡­I went there to pick up some tools¡­he asked about you and said he¡¯d break your face or something¡­he¡¯s called Ratshit I think.¡±


    He knew more than he was letting on. ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Probably Skarlet filling his head with shite about you slapping her or being a twat to her.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Want me to come by?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    ¡°Not to help, to watch.¡± He slapped his knee and laughed.


    He had the audacity to call someone a cunt while he laughs at his own shit jokes. ¡°Give me Omerdertha¡¯s I.D snap and I¡¯ll have it updated to pass the security.¡± I turned on a dime and hauled the large door open as quickly as I could, I needed to get out.


    I left Ray¡¯s office and hunched over, catching myself on my knees to cough up a glob of phlegm. Here I was, clinging to a life I was done with living. The warm air enveloped me as I stepped out, the heat exposure wasn¡¯t the most crushing feature of this world. It was the ceaseless concrete corridors that rifled off in all directions, reaching out to eternity. A wave of sickness bubbled from the pit of my stomach when I stared down an alley. I felt as if I could collapse and fall down it to be shot out into the void. That would be a relief.


    It wasn¡¯t the inhuman brutality of this city (a breathing organism that pulsed with a sad whimper as its inhabitants floated from one day to the next) that called my fears to bear. It was the creatures that lived below. They waited for me. Haunted me as my lifeblood trickled through the sewage to splatter on the tips of their tongues. A sea of wiggling red muscles vibrated with orgasmic anticipation at the smallest drop of my essence. Only my hatred for them would resuscitate my self-preservation engine. I think. Was it my hatred for them? Something else curdled in my gut as if I was being manipulated like an artist''s manakin, contorted into positions and decisions not my own.


    Now there was a task to complete. It was a task I had set myself, for myself¡­as far as I knew. I was resisting the programming in my head and thinking in abstract ways. My name is Den, I am the navigator, but I will not guide my pilot, they will try to force me¡­but this time the navigator will win.


    I had a scorned ex and her beau to bring into my plan. Unlike Ray, however, Skarlet almost meant something to me, somehow. My heart''s door had opened to let in a slither of light, but when those delicate fingers curled round, I broke their knuckles. Now I had to reap the seeds I''d sewn. It wasn¡¯t her dark gaze or serrated words that made me flinch, it would be having to cast her into my machinations with abandon. She would succumb to my will, as the weak always did. She doesn¡¯t deserve my future, and yet, like a coward, I¡¯d feed her to it.

 Chapter 2 - So far so good

    ¡°You have been chosen Navigator¡ªyou are honoured¡ªyou will be bathed in glorious terror.¡± I stood before Malkius, his face so irresistibly macabre that I couldn¡¯t look away. His skin crawled and pulsed. Those eyes were a concentrated yellow with small black pupils.


    He took my chin in his skeletal hand and embedded his fingernails in my jaw. I felt my head impelled backwards. I squeezed my eyelids together, glued there by the infernal terror. ¡°Open your eyes, Navigator¡ªembrace your mother.¡±


    My eyelids crept open to receive an inexplicable image. A demented infestation of torture. Wails of in-humanity echoed disturbingly from outside in and inside out. The cries of children cut deepest.


    A wretched tendril forced into my opened mouth. The nauseating spinal flesh dragged against my oesophagus and I choked as its infinite mass washed over me like molten ice.


    A piercing screech rattled my skull. My surroundings were illuminated by an agonising light, brighter than a trillion suns. I screamed and waved my arms about in front of me as if I was fighting a swarm of enraged wasps.


    The light soon dimmed, offering me respite. A repugnant slag crawled around my legs; lumpy, oozing and alive. I was in a sea of corpses¡ªmangled and slopped. The sea stretched out in all directions, further than the eye could see. An eternal genocide committed by something with an uncurable hunger.


    I could hear the echo of a whale beneath me. The whale''s pallid form breached. The whale¡¯s skin hung free in patches, flapping about grotesquely. It opened its mouth to display a line of teeth, each one like a shard of broken china. Its spout ejected lashings of filth upwards before it pushed down into the seething mess. The aftermath of this showered over me as it slapped against the surface of the blooded ocean.


    The piercing sound returned; louder, more aggressive and more violent. My eardrums rattled and pulsed threateningly at the verge of exploding. My eyes fought to stay closed. I could smell it, inches from my face. I didn¡¯t want to look but I was compelled to deny myself a moment longer of darkness. I opened my eyes.


    I looked around from the Sky Tram platform bench I was sprawled on. The tram had just screeched to a halt and the platform auto announcer was calling the destinations. I wiped the sweat from my brow and forced myself onto my feet; staggering forward to board as I was still coming to. It was hard to remember how I got on the station floor from Remsher¡¯s.


    I admired cities'' digital map, it made the city seem more...loved. Endless grids and numbers, and the trams ran through them all like rats in a maze. They hung from rails that ran between buildings. I almost felt guilty as the cart battered down the aisles and rattled the poor bastards in their beds. Then again, if I was awake then they could get up too. The interior was the bare minimum, unfinished metal¡ªnot a lick of paint or kiss of craftsmanship. Crappy thin steel benches ran down each side of the cars, torture for the arse.


    ¡°State your business.¡±


    I glanced up at the guard who interrupted my in-depth shoe study. ¡°Waiting to see if this stops at the Royal complex.¡± I offered the guard a wry smirk. Just another fool with a gun and a trench coat.


    ¡°They don¡¯t stop there¡ªever.¡± His voice modulated through that flat steel mask.


    ¡°Yes, I know, it was a joke.¡± I had already taken out my pass to offer it to him


    ¡°Very good.¡± He walked off, to accost more people.


    I stood for a moment to hold the cabin handles; staring silently through the yellowed acrylic windows. We passed the central point of the city. I fixed my gaze on a circular, featureless disc; it had a five-mile radius. People would postulate its reason for existence¡ªfurther intrigue was incited by the guards that surrounded it to prevent plebs from using it as a playground. The mythos that circulated its creation was creative, to say the least. The contents beneath that ultra-white disc would only come to fruition when it was too late for them to contemplate their own ignorance¡­I smiled at that.


    People had set up stores and were sleeping around the edge. Citizens loved it. It was emotionless, yet a welcome break from the oppressive monotony of the prefabs. To see that open space must have been liberating. All the more ironic they were forbidden from enjoying its surface.


    The Tram arrived. Its juddering action felt as if I had offended it¡ªforcing me to steady myself lest I be tossed down the lane. I walked through the replicated station and down into the replicated streets. It was as if I¡¯d not moved an inch.


    I felt nostalgic as I trod the streets. I missed Leena walking in front of me and dragging her hand over the walls already. I reached out to feel the wall to ape Leena. The rough texture tingled my fingers. The warm concrete felt nice, I could see why she liked it.


    The heat became oppressive as the day moved into its teenage years. The warmth amplified more offensive smells of rotten meat and piss. Every time I passed over a grate, I held my breath.


    I banged on Skarlet¡¯s door with the side of my fist. My legs were thankful it was on the bottom floor. Hunger had rendered my body jelly. I was looking forward to seeing her again. The door began to open and I put my hands behind my back in anticipation.


    Disappointment ensued, this must be ¡°Ratshit.¡± I had forgotten about him. Or probably willed him out of my conscience. His square face angled down at me in contempt. His monstrous body filled the door frame.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you, mate?¡± His voice was a low growl.


    ¡°I¡¯m...¡±


    ¡°Banging like a Royal type¡ªwe dun have nowt for you.¡± Ratshit leaned over me. His muscular arm was outstretched to press against the door frame. Skarlet picked a winner here.


    ¡°I¡¯m Den.¡± I looked up at him.


    ¡°Skars ex is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me¡ªI am here to speak to Skarlet about¡­a job.¡± It was best to start by being open and honest, that¡¯s the basis of all good relationships.


    Ratshit gripped my throat. My fingers instinctively coiled around his wrist like a vine, to wrench at his arm in protest. ¡°You like to hit women, eh?¡± He pulled his elbow back and pistoned an accurate shot to my liver. I heaved and clasped my side, resisting the urge to vomit. I had lowered down to a single knee to recover. It was like someone had squeezed me with a giant pair of nutcrackers.


    ¡°Thanks, Ratshit.¡± Why did I say that? Thanks a lot, Ray.


    ¡°What the fuck did you just call me?¡± He stepped towards me. Probably to kick me into space and finish the job. I might get lucky and land on Yunar.


    ¡°Radzick!¡±


    He was halted by a shrill call from inside the house. Radzick looked back, the voice was Skarlet¡¯s. It had a nasal growl thanks to her cleft palate surgery. She had that unapologetic rhythm to her gait. Everything she said she meant and everything she meant was usually poorly received. She didn¡¯t care though. At least she didn¡¯t show it.


    Skarlet barged past Radzick and stood over me. Her skin-tight pants hugged her thick legs. The busty chest contained within a hooped black and white sweater was always a welcome sight. Her sweater hid the tummy I knew she had under it. I still liked it though. She blew a lock of her frizzy brunette hair that dangled in front of her petite face. Cute woman¡ªif only to look at.


    ¡°What the heck are you doing here?¡± Her voice rattled through me. I had forgotten how loud she could be.


    I managed to stand, looking down at her. Radzick seethed behind her¡ªlike a penned-in bull, ready to break out and show me his horns.


    ¡°I came to offer you a job.¡±


    ¡°A job? You said you didn¡¯t need an engineer because all you do is local shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t loca¡ª¡±


    Skarlet shut me down. ¡°But I was good when we were fucking, eh?¡± Her foot tapped against the doorstep.


    ¡°We are going off-planet¡­to Yunar. I need an engineer who can run a jump.¡± I dusted myself off and wiped the froth from my lips.


    ¡°So you¡¯re retarded like your sister now?¡± Her eyes widened in fury.


    I frowned at Skarlet, capturing her in a moment of regret. I was engaging her in an emotional joust, she was a better rider though. Skarlet apologised¡ªnot with her words¡ªbut with her softened features and relaxed posture. I¡¯d take it. ¡°Everything is set, we¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to batter this prick or what, Skarlet?¡± Radzick¡¯s head hovered over her shoulder like an ugly boil. He waited patiently like a good dog for Skarlet¡¯s approval, which I was certain she¡¯d give.


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    ¡°No, Radzick, just go inside.¡± Skarlet closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I nodded with sincerity at her moment of mercy. A kind gesture I¡¯m sure would be followed by a price to pay.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to Yunar with you, you can piss off.¡± Skarlet prodded at my chest. Irksome, little pixie.


    ¡°Skars¡­look.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you call me that!¡± She pushed me backwards with her palm. I yielded, she clearly needed the space.


    ¡°The pay is fourteen thousand bonds.¡± Skarlet reigned in her incessant desire to snap back and traded it in for a moment of pause. That amount moves anyone on this planet. Even if they were too foolish to realise they¡¯d never enjoy it.


    ¡°You''re full of shit.¡±


    Hard to believe that she¡¯d never owe Delph a single day''s work in the factory again. Then again, what else would there be to do? ¡°I¡¯m not, he¡¯s given us the job. It¡¯s the last one, then I¡¯m gone¡­I won¡¯t bother you ever again.¡±


    Skarlet¡¯s face turned to offer a reddened cheek. Had I said something wrong?


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯d want? Never to see me again?¡± Skarlet¡¯s green eyes studied mine. I followed them but they gave me no clues.


    ¡°Well¡ªno, I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°You just talk out of your arse all the time, don¡¯t you?¡± Skarlet loved laying these traps, she was so good at them. I fell into every one of them. She always asked why she had no friends. I¡¯d never tell her the truth.


    ¡°I can find another Engineer. I just thought of you first because, well you know.¡± A cheap emotional ploy. I was naive to think Skarlet would buy into it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a kid, I¡¯m the only Engineer you know. I bet you¡¯re not even ready to go.¡±


    My mouth closed into a smug smile. ¡°I am ready, you¡¯re the last person I need.¡±


    Skarlet leaned against the wall with folded arms. A Tram ran overhead, its roar followed by a welcomed breeze chasing after it that kicked up dust and dirt, coating the side of my face. ¡°Yeah? Got a ship and a pilot?"


    ¡°Remsher and his ship.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? you¡¯re using that Omedetha piece of shit?¡± Skarlet stuck out her bottom lip quizzically.


    ¡°Works fine¡ªcan do a jump no problem.¡± Like I had a fucking clue.


    Skarlet was nodding and smiling. She was mocking me. I hated it when she did this.


    I wanted to just slap her pudgy face. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Got a medical officer who can run a jump too?¡±


    Skarlet, with an accurate click of her tongue, sent my world into a chaotic vortex of crippling doubt. Prickly heat stabbed every inch of my skin as I became hyper-aware of my futile efforts. I found myself searching Skarlet¡¯s features as if my ignorance would be answered on her forehead. Her disdain was palpable.


    ¡°You truly are a stupid, useless, worthless prick.¡± I doubt it was my lack of ship knowledge that inspired some of those names. Skarlet elaborated as I took the verbal thrashing. ¡°Ray¡¯s ship is from the 3030s. Its jump core is an addition, it has no jump pods. You need a qualified medical officer who can give you pre-jump injections¡ªor you die, painfully.¡±


    My heart sank, and with a face riddled with defeat, I staggered backwards.


    ¡°Sorry Den, looks like you¡¯re not getting your break.¡± Skarlet offered me the first bit of sympathy I¡¯d had in a long time.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your sister a medical officer?¡± I said. A quiet hope brightened my eyes. Her sympathy was rescinded quickly.


    ¡°Prick!¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the sister. The door slammed in my face along with my chances. I raised my hand to knock again, then opened my hand and turned to walk away instead.


    I found a bench to eat the street meat I had bought. It tasted flat and unseasoned, like pulped cardboard. It filled a hole like I would be soon if I didn¡¯t solve my crew issue. I watched the miners who¡¯d clocked off returning home. A procession of poverty marched to their square hovels, to eat their square meat, and bed their square wives.


    I pressed on through the open-top catacombs of Delph. Defeat had mounted me and had its wicked way. I had to find a medical officer that was qualified to provide these injections, and willing to come on a trip to a planet considered plagued. Time wasn¡¯t on my side.


    Jovik¡¯s hermit hole wasn¡¯t far from Skarlet¡¯s. Jovik was who I was relying on to sort out my little I.D problem. I¡¯d need him to make Remsher¡¯s I.D snap compatible with the Beluga and for him to do the same with Beluga¡¯s. One snag though, I didn¡¯t have the Beluga¡¯s I.D snap yet, so it¡¯d take two visits. At least this part of the plan was somewhat under my control. Jovik better come through, or I¡¯d wring his scrawny neck out of pure frustration. Skarlet affected me more than I¡¯d like to admit.


    I descended the alcoved steps towards Jovik¡¯s basement to be confronted by another steel door. I reached down to push my hand into the package flap and patted about until I found his hidden doorbell. He had a habit of opening it while my arm was still in there, so I pulled my hand free quickly. I guess he found it funny.


    The shutter slid open furiously, and his maddened eyes searched my face. ¡°Yes?¡± His squawk was muffled from behind the door.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Jovik.¡± My voice crackled like an antique record player. I could feel the dust at the back of my tongue, no amount of swallowing washed it away.


    ¡°How do you know if it¡¯s a good afternoon?¡± His squinting eyes judged me.


    I took in a deep breath to help me find the strength to deal with this annoying ferret. ¡°Can I come in?¡± I cocked my head, it had become a chore to keep upright.


    ¡°That depends,¡± said Jovik.


    ¡°On what?¡± My voice eased through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything.¡±


    ¡°I need your help.¡± It stung me to say those words. His ego was uncontrollable, like his mouth.


    The door swung open¡ªa shifty man roughly my height peered around. His wispy comb-over threatened to scarper with the breeze. His ratty face always looked irked. He filled the space between the partly opened door and the frame. His eyes obsessively scanned behind me.


    ¡°Were you followed?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come in, quickly now.¡±


    I followed him through as he shut the door hurriedly. Each of his installed locks clanked and pranged as he sealed us in. His neurotic behaviour was like a theatrical play. He had already wandered into the back room to fiddle with something.


    Jovik¡¯s den of antiquities was laden with illegal tech. A chorus of hums and whirls chattered discordantly. I stepped over his thin bed in the middle of the room. The room''s edges were surrounded by desks that were furiously cluttered by all manner of crap.


    Two screens were stacked up in the corner of the room, one playing the news, the other rhyming off unintelligible computer nonsense. Overhead the lights swung on cords gently from left to right as if they¡¯d hanged themselves¡ªgood idea.


    Blueprints and posters of techno-bollocks hid the walls of his dank dwelling. Stacks of old manuals stood guard at the edge of each desk, daring someone to read the tragic contents within. I couldn¡¯t imagine the impenetrable layers of boredom that lay between those covers.


    ¡°I need your help with something, Jovik.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t do it yourself?¡± he called from the other room. He was sweeping his desk for something with random twists and turns like a rat in a tube. Paper rained behind him as he became visibly frustrated.


    ¡°I need to know if you can switch over two IDs for me.¡± Jovik had stopped listening to me.


    ¡°Do you know why you can¡¯t do it yourself?¡± Seems everyone wanted to snipe at me today.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a genius like you.¡± Perhaps stroking his globulous ego would get this prick to work.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t apply yourself to anything.¡± Jovik shook his head, he didn¡¯t even have the decency to look at me while he opened me up.


    I picked dirt from my nail while I waited for his prattle to conclude.


    Jovik closed the distance between us and adjusted his glasses by pushing up his nose. I backed away to avoid that infamous breath.


    ¡°You could be right,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did you know I once hacked a Royalist ship?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I took a seat on the armchair¡ªmay as well get comfy.


    ¡°I made it spin¡ªengage weapons¡ªof course, no one got hurt, I''m not a monster.¡± He waved his arms about frantically. Outlining all the details with rehearsed hand gestures. Jovik¡¯s moral of the story moment came when he explained it was about who really had power or something.


    ¡°My issue is much simpler.¡± I couldn¡¯t have been more monotone. Jovik¡¯s lip curled up at my dismissive tone.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it yourself then?¡±


    ¡°I think we are past that now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a waste of space, you know that, Den? You can¡¯t do anything, do you wipe your own backside?¡± His hands found his hips. What a fucking woman. That nerdy little face soured into a ball of disgust.


    Sufficiently irked and with ire raised, I sprang from the chair. Another line of communication needed to be opened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit me!¡± Jovik raised his arms and stepped back, his weedy frame trembling.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to kick your arse?¡± I felt a surge of energy from wielding a bit of dominance. It was about time someone showed me some respect, even if I had to take it by force.


    ¡°No, but after what you did to Skarlet, who knows?¡±


    I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from swearing. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to Skarlet. She¡¯s helping us on this mission, which is going to give us a huge payoff.¡± I didn¡¯t do anything to Skarlet that she didn¡¯t ask for. People seemed to want to think the worst of me, apart from Leena.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your tacky bonds, I¡¯m all set. Do I look like I work in one of those mines?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll do it for free?¡± I held Remshers I.D snap up and waved it in front of his face.


    Jovik looked at me before sitting back on the desk, I had his attention.


    ¡°How much?¡± No one refused the bonds. They talk a big game, but they all fall in line.


    ¡°Two Thousand,¡± I said.


    ¡°Bloody hell! I could build you a ship for that much.¡± Jovik shined his desk lamp in my face. ¡°You better not be lying to me, Mr. Den.¡±


    I raised my arm and turned from the glare. ¡°Piss off with that,¡± I said as I fell back into the armchair. I explained to Jovik what I wanted. Wipe this snap¡¯s information, print the name Beluga on it, and make it universal. All I¡¯d need to do is grab the Beluga¡¯s and drop this one in their ship.


    Our attention was stolen by the news stream, the caster spoke about the upcoming arrival of a Royal support ship named Victoria. It had been touted to bring with it high-quality food, water and basic technology.


    We both watched in silence, peeled away from our own awkwardness. A slithering tendril of impending doom coiled around my throat. Jovik¡¯s sharp tone cut through the monitors¡¯ volume and sent the tendril slinking into retreat.


    ¡°Ha¡ªlooks like the Royals are trying to win back some favour by pretending they care.¡±


    ¡°Very cynical of you,¡± I said.


    Jovik made the changes to the I.D imprint while I waited. I pulled at a loose thread on the armchair. I probably could have reduced it to a ball of fibre if I¡¯d continued for the day. Interviews of citizens showed glimmers of hope. They spoke excitedly of what they¡¯d do with their tech, and how long they¡¯d been waiting to eat something that wasn¡¯t a cube of protein. Clueless delusions.


    ¡°All right, all done,¡± said Jovik. ¡°This will work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t even look at him, I was still fixed on the news. The screen¡¯s colours painted my face and cast shadows on the wall behind me in the dimly lit room.


    ¡°It was difficult you know¡­I had to take branching co-¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jovik, it¡¯ll do.¡± Did he want a pat on the head or something?


    ¡°I expect my payment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it after you do the other I.D. snap,¡± I said. My body creaked, irritated that I had the gall to stand up from that comfy armchair. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    I knew today was going to be tough. My chances were slim but I¡¯d be damned if I was going to make it easy for them.


    I stood outside Jovik¡¯s door which had been slammed closed before I could say bye. I was getting used to that now. In the corner of my eye, in a grate, something moved. I felt it watching me. I shuddered. I had to get Leena and go home, something inside told me¡­or something from the outside.

 Chapter 3 - House Call

    ¡°Before us stands our Pilot and Navigator¡ªbut who will be honoured and who will be elevated?¡± Malikus ran his finger gently under Andrana¡¯s chin, smiling at her wildly. She bit her lip and struggled to contain a giggle.


    I looked on in disgust, corrupt grifters the pair of them.


    Malikus let his contempt for me burn freely on that repulsive face as he walked by. He licked at his lips, pushing an insect back into his mouth that had crawled out onto his chin.


    He turned towards the group standing before us; eight of them. They stood in a line behind a table that held an orb, small enough to fit in your palm, big enough to bash his head in with.


    The room was monstrous in size, a perfectly round hall that imposed itself on you whichever way you turned. Inscriptions followed the inside of the wall, telling an epic five-mile tale. Images of the dead and anguished between archaic passages of the damned. It was written in an ancient language¡ªit spoke of great feasts, hell, sex, the Pilot and the Navigator. Malikus raised the orb and whispered to it.


    His voice echoed senselessly about me like an irksome fly as I tried to push down my worry. I doubt it spoke back. It would be decided now - Pilot or Navigator? A part of me hoped that orb had a say in the decision.


    Malikus held the orb to his ear. ¡°It has spoken!¡± Malikus smiled at Andrana and I. ¡°Corvas.¡±


    I perked up.


    ¡°You.¡± he pointed at me.


    I felt like fleeing, hammering the curved wall with my fists for any way out. ¡°You are to be given the honour of Navigator! You are the envy of us all!¡± Betrayed and outwitted by a scoundrel and his whore. I had predicted this. I had a plan for them all.


    Malikus looked at me a moment as he stood before my wife. His vile teeth were lined up like alabaster icicles; cold and deathly. He turned back to Andrana in a show of arrogance and embraced her. He locked into a deep, slow kiss with her. The rot in my gut curdled and threatened to rush up my throat.


    She turned to me after the kiss, her gorgeous mouth painted with his stench. ¡°Thank you, Navigator¡­your sacrifice is the greatest show of love, my Husband.¡± she almost moaned that sentence. How she did such a wonderful job of taunting me.


    I awoke to see Remsher first and Leena standing behind him, their images resolving as my foggy vision cleared.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doin¡¯ in my office and on my chair?¡± said Remsher.


    I sat up.  ¡°I came back to get Leena but you weren¡¯t in¡­I fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°In my chair.¡± Remsher scratched his mighty chest. His face had collected a day¡¯s worth of dirt and shit like mine. There was no escaping the clinging filth of this rock.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping well recently.¡± My shoulders had stiffened into lead blocks. His chair wasn¡¯t built for napping.


    ¡°He has a bad time in his sleep,¡± said Leena.


    Remsher perched himself across from me to engage in conversation, but I had already started to stand. ¡°We need to get going now, c¡¯mon, Leena,¡± I said.


    Remsher interrupted my attempted flight. The look on his face wasn¡¯t inspiring. ¡°You saw the news?¡± His eyes were uncomfortable on my face.


    I wanted to look away. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should reconsider this whole Yunar nonsense.¡± Remsher picked up the bird, mimicking my past interest, perhaps to comfort himself at this point.


    ¡°I have already secured our I.D. snap and an engineer who can run a jump, plus I¡¯ve confirmed with Him¡ªit¡¯s all in stone now.¡±


    Remsher waved his hand, joining me in this dance only ten years of respect could recite. Ray was going to do everything he could to pull out of our agreement. When he said reconsider, his mind was made up. ¡°Nah. Look, Omedertha hasn¡¯t seen a jump in nearly thirty years¡ªtoo risky...tell Him this ain¡¯t happening.¡±


    ¡°No, Ray.¡± My irritation crawled from the back of my throat.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not your choice is it, Den?  So let''s have my snap back and we¡¯ll meet tomorrow and get some deliveries going. There will be plenty to do when Vicky arrives, eh?¡±


    He was still jovial in tone, but his choice of words told me differently. I had seen this detonation sequence before and I preferred not to be the catalyst. ¡°No Ray¡ªwe are going to Yunar and we are doing this delivery.¡±


    Remsher placed the bird figurine down very gently, albeit with a shaking hand. ¡°Give me the I.D snap, I¡¯ll speak to you tomorrow.¡± Ray¡¯s jaw had clenched like a stone carving.


    ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s already modified and I have traded it off for the new snap. It¡¯s safe, we set off in two days. Be ready.¡± I stood my ground, but the room was spinning. I felt overwhelmed and I was already rueing the decision to position myself between the wall and Remsher¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Wait outside, Leena,¡± said Remsher.


    I took a breath when I heard that big, green steel bulwark groan, like a prison door slamming before a life sentence.


    ¡°Last chance, Den.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Jovik¡¯s changed it over. It¡¯s a Royalist ship now, and if we don¡¯t leave, the Royalists will track you. They won¡¯t care for your cries of innocence...¡± I placed my hands on the desk and leaned into my power play.


    Remsher shoved the desk mightily.  The screech of the table legs echoed about the room in agony as they scraped along the floor. I was pinned to the wall, helpless, as Remsher rose like a mountain forming.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to kill you, and beat Jovik into submission till he changes it back.¡±


    ¡°If you kill me, you¡¯ll not get the snap back. You don¡¯t know where Jovik lives.¡±


    ¡°Some mate you are. You¡¯re nothing but a backstabbing weasel, no wonder Skarlet left you.¡± Ray laughed. It was his laugh of defeat. A furious laugh that only came out when he was trying to be his most venomous self. It was almost feminine.


    I¡¯ll admit, that shitty laugh and his daggered comments lit the fury inside me that I worked so hard to keep calm. A peasant once shoved Leena out of the way, I pushed him down a flight of stairs. The slightest indiscretions would sometimes ignite my soul and burn the back of my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who fucking pulled out!¡± I said, slamming my fist on the table. ¡°You accepted, I have done my part, you¡¯re coming or you swing.¡± As real as the fire inside me was, the glow of its flames wouldn¡¯t intimidate Ray.


    Remsher took up his bird figurine and hurled it. I tried to move away but the dense base caught my temple and dazed me. A stream of blood rushed down my cheek and dripped off my jaw.


    ¡°You fucked me!¡± Remsher said, his voice a little muffled as my senses found their way back to my conscience.


    ¡°I¡¯m going, so are you going to let me? Or are you going to keep having this pathetic tantrum?¡± I held my hand against my head to trap the fleeing blood.


    Remsher slumped back into the chair. He was beaten. I didn¡¯t want to do this to him but had no other choice. I needed a pilot and a ship. Remsher was bound to this mission now. From friend to hostage. I¡¯d have to hope he didn¡¯t kill me out of spite.


    ¡°Just fuck off.¡±


    I eased out of the desk and tentatively walked around his heaving mass. My cheek was smeared with blood from wiping it. Not my best look.


    As the door closed on Remsher¡¯s cage, I could hear him inside, thrashing like a wild baboon. He bellowed unspeakable words. The crashing of furniture rang out into the stairwell.


    ¡°Is Ray hurt?¡± asked Leena.


    ¡°Ray is fine¡ªhe¡¯s just a bit upset.¡±


    Leena looked at me quizzically. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He broke his bird ornament.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how sad, you''re bleeding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± For now.


    Hastily, we bundled ourselves through the apartment door. The air was stagnant and the streets had pockets of activity. Chitter-chatter from the folks finishing or starting their shift. It was the only reason anyone left their house now. A peal of laughter would sometimes bounce out of a shaded nook. I always found it impressive how such an impoverished population found humour. These people had nothing, over the last thirty years their technology was whittled down to pre-space flight times.


    The crime was low at least, then again, there was nothing to steal. Food was handed out in exchange for daily work tokens. Surplus tokens were pocketed to hand in for a retirement package at the end of working life. Good luck with that.


    Leena linked arms with me as we made our way back home. It brought me no comfort. I was almost marching and she struggled to keep up. They were coming five years early. I was prepared enough to take action, but not to feel confident. Everything we¡¯d worked on would come down to this. I had to go to the Below.


    When we arrived back home I stationed Leena in the sleeping quarters and closed her in.  The computer beckoned me. I checked it for messages¡­nothing. So I sat, trying to be natural for an invisible audience.


    I tried to calm myself with deep breaths. Everything in our apartment seemed smaller. The walls contracted around me as if I was hallucinating. It was so lucid that I was able to control the contracting and expanding walls now. Inhales would bring them in and exhales would push them out, at first by inches, then by miles.


    Then came the dull drum at the metal door. I pressed my thumb to the lock. I hesitated¡­then wrenched the spy open and looked out into the cool night. Nothing.


    A disturbance by the window caught my attention. I pulled the stained netting away from the glass. Two dots beamed at me through the murky window from the darkness. At first, I thought they were lights. Then they blinked. They were here.


    I pulled the door open and stood at the entrance. I wasn¡¯t intimidating in the least. My rank meant nothing. My body lacked the fulfilling nourishment it was used to in the past. Only heavy-duty labourers got the extra cubes. Cushty delivery jobs didn¡¯t provide.


    ¡°How were your visits?¡± His voice was the first thing to force me to acknowledge its existence. It was a croak and a rasp. It suggested infirm weakness, but that would give the ignorant a false sense of security. Tucked inside of that rasp was malice far exceeding the imagination of the average plankton that floated about in this sea of mundanity.


    ¡°My visits were pleasant,¡± I said. Looking at him was like drinking my own vomit, a cruel feast for the eyes. His face was partially shaded by the hood he wore.  His mouth was accentuated by the shadow cast over the top of his face, a hole filled with evil spines.


    ¡°Coming top-side was a risk, you might have been seen,¡± I said. A vain attempt at small talk to calm my nerves. His deep-set eyes scrutinised me.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s best I come in,¡± He said, shoving past me with his brutish strength. Everything about his touch showed no ability of gentleness. I waited for his retinue but none arrived.


    ¡°You came alone?¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a chaperone.¡± He sat down slowly. His rancid odour made my eyes water, it had been so long since I had seen these horrors in person. He smelled like a pile of dead rats left out in the sun. It filled the room and gave the air a thickness. ¡°Malikus would like to see you both.¡± His teeth chattered almost mockingly.


    He let his hood drop to reveal his hairless head, those marbled fingers over his moist scalp. He might be mistaken for a dredged corpse if he fell asleep by a river.  His beady, yellow eyes rolled about in those loose sockets. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She is sleeping,¡± I said. ¡°I will see Malikus alone.¡± I glanced back at the sleeping quarter''s entrance. Was Leena prepared?


    ¡°Malikus was adamant he wanted to see you both.¡±


    ¡°You know how she is¡ªalways wants to do her own thing¡­¡±


    He leaned forward towards me, a silent challenge that sent a quirk up my spine. I shuddered as I prepared my body to spring forwards.  He stood quickly, turning to the quarter''s door to open it.


    I thrust myself towards him and slammed my hand against it. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡± Standing up to Ray was one thing. I felt Vizer, who wouldn¡¯t kill me, would be more than happy to inflict pain on me.


    The monster snarled at me and shoved me aside as if I were a child, my arse hit the floor and the back of my head flopped back, cracking against the table edge. The room split into four.


    ¡°What do you want?¡ªI am resting.¡± Leena had called through from behind the door¡ªa well-rehearsed delivery. If not a tad wooden. It lacked the edge she had once carried.


    ¡°It¡¯s Vizer.¡± The beast was resting his forehead against the door to speak to her.  ¡°I have come to take you to Malikus.¡±


    ¡°I am not feeling well, Den will go. Leave me be.¡± That¡¯s right Leena, you¡¯re busy. My senses had returned and I hauled myself vertical to meet Vizer''s glare.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Vizer looked at me for a moment then back at the door. ¡°You¡¯ll have to explain to Malikus why she isn¡¯t coming.¡±


    ¡°Know your place, Vizer, she said no.¡±


    I made sure to lock up behind us carefully. Blackness had crawled over the city and gave everything an eerie shroud. The only sounds outside were the trams battling down the rails in the distance. They never stopped. The mines were manned twenty-four-seven. However the voices had stopped, I couldn¡¯t hear a single citizen. It was a silent spot, the time everyone was either in bed or at work.


    I followed behind Vizer like a naughty school child being walked to the principal''s office. I hadn¡¯t agreed to this rendezvous time. I didn¡¯t like it when I wasn¡¯t the one knocking.


    Vizer stormed down an alley and I had to put a skip in my step to keep up. He wasn¡¯t comfortable up here. His head ducked low as we passed someone. He could hide his face but not his stench.


    ¡°This one,¡± said Vizer. He tapped his foot on the floor.


    I helped him lift the paving stone, out of sight in an empty alley. Vizer glanced about diligently as we pulled it away to reveal a circular drainage hatch. It was finished beautifully. A glistening matte white that had spiral patterns carved from edge to centre. It bowled towards the middle. Dim white lights flickered around the rim. I had forgotten what beauty was hidden behind the dutiful layers of this city.


    Vizer unsheathed a blade from his sleeve and clenched his fist around it. His pale yellow blood meekly dolloped into the central bowl of the hatch. His blood was so viscous it would take a powerful heart to pump that gunk through his veins.


    We waited a moment until the handles turned automatically. Vizer gripped them and heaved the plate to one side. It sounded as if a dying soul called out to us as the echo of the moving hatch bounced down into the abyss. I peered into the unending void and looked at Vizer.


    ¡°You first,¡± said Vizer, nodding.


    ¡°Den!¡±


    I looked up in the direction of the new voice. Vizer followed my head towards the approaching figure, the lights from the hatch had brightened my face. It was the block hopper from this morning. He sounded happy to see me, funny how his tone changed when there was no gate between us.


    ¡°Den, look pal, I really need you to let me through to the next block, I¡¯ll pay ya.¡±


    For fuck sake, he needs to leave now. I watched as Vizer rose from his kneeling position. ¡°Fuck off!¡± I called back. It was the best I could think of to save his life. Not that I cared too much.


    He sauntered towards us both. ¡°What the fuck are you two up to?¡± He said. As he came within arms reach I saw his illuminated face coil in disgust.


    Vizer pinned him to the wall by his throat before he could say anything. I just watched. He was like a gazelle that had been pinned by a mother lion. There was something natural about it. He gasped for air but all that came out was blood. Vizer had buried his claws deep into his throat. I imagined how it must have felt, having those talons scratch at the back of his neck from the inside.


    He wriggled, kicked and then hung loosely against the wall. Vizer bit into the dead man''s face, tearing a chunk of his cheek off. Vizer looked back at me in his primordial rage, the dead man''s flesh flapping between his gnarled teeth. He spat the man''s torn cheek meat into the hole below and then tossed the dead man after it. Vizer wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and bore his teeth at me in an act of dominance. The sound of the block hopper''s body impacting rebounded up to us, followed by a monstrous howl.


    They were hungry.


    ¡°Down you go,¡± said Vizer.


    Cautiously, I anchored my stomach over the lip and lowered myself. My feet scrambled for the foot grips, scratching the inside of the curved wall until they hooked. My hands clasped the edge. I sucked in a deep breath before plunging into the darkness.


    Vizer pulled the hatch over us from above, shutting out our last flicker of light. Now in total darkness, I descended into the Below. Vizer''s feet would catch my fingers or my head. Every so often a gap in the climbing nubs came by a slippery drainage hole. I was just glad the darkness hid what was living in them. With each step down I felt the air begin to warm around me.


    I felt critters crawl over my hands and up my arms as I disturbed them. A larger bug latched onto my foot. Its legs padded up my ankle. I shook my leg like a dog having a piss to fling the bastard off, it felt like a dragon spider. Horrible bastards that loved to bite¡­almost just for the hell of it. It was well suited for the Below.


    At last, my feet found the damp ground. I expected to find the corpse of Vizer¡¯s most recent victim. The hollow dome we both stood in bore no evidence of his kill. Vizer pushed around me and opened the hatchway door into a tubular corridor. It was well lit and comfortably heated.


    I followed Vizer as I studied the tapestry of torment that ran down each of my flanks. Painted images of feasting and people screaming in terror or agony, it was hard to say where it began and where it ended. The doors between the corridors were automated, smooth¡ªa luxury I¡¯d forgotten.


    The next door opened out onto a platform. More of them were about, their yellowed eyes searching me. They were known as the changed ones. In my youth I¡¯d found them to be God-like. I was envious of their strength and what I thought of as great beauty. Time in and out of their company amended my view on these creatures; however, now all I felt for them was spite.


    This platform was one of the travel hubs for the Below. The bullet cart pulled in quietly. It was a thing of wonderful craftsmanship. The cart¡¯s silver and gold exterior was marked with cultured swirls and depictions of great industry: factories, hammers, and trains¡ªall intricately etched into the side panels.


    I looked around the station hub. It was so clean and enticing. Stone arches curved over my head powerfully. It brought back my time here. Little details I had forgotten, like the crests of the various sects carved into the brickwork. It was a message left in time to remind other sects they had been here too and witnessed a great feast.


    ¡°I want to see the ship remember?¡± I said.


    Vizer shot me a look of insult as we climbed into the cart. The golden handrails felt brand new as I lowered myself in. The seats were soft blue velvet that let your body melt into them. A far cry from the trolleys that belted about in the above world.


    Vizer had made it a point to not respond to me.


    ¡°The ship, Vizer, the Beluga.¡±


    He sat across from me and offered only his sneer. ¡°I will show you the Beluga.¡± The cart gently slowed into our station hub. It was so smooth I¡¯d hardly realised we¡¯d moved. I looked up at the platform name board: Mergunt. Odd name, I don¡¯t recall it.


    We stepped off and walked down more wide, tubular hallways. Although surrounded by this undercity¡¯s moist, metallic guts, it still felt more open than any place above. I reached out and ran my fingers against the ribbed walls. I felt the inside of the smooth drainage holes. My fingers followed the tapestry.


    Vizer held out his hand to stop me as we approached two grand doors. They opened with a pneumatic gasp. On the other side was my quarry. The Beluga in all her majesty.


    ¡°Here is her ship¡ªthe crew is prepared.¡± Vizer seemed pleased with his little show. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to run?¡± Vizer looked back at the ship and then at me.


    ¡°I will serve Mother and the Pilot¡­let me check aboard, she wants me to, she trusts me.¡±


    The doors closed bashfully at my demand.


    ¡°You have seen the ship¡ªthat is enough.¡±


    My heart battered at my rib cage. ¡°I need to go aboar¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± His ire was on full display. The monster approached. ¡°You are odd¡ªDen. I have had enough of you already.¡±


    I felt his bony fingers clasp my arm, locking tightly and then with frightful strength they squeezed. I was practically dragged back to the bullet cart and tossed aboard like old luggage. I didn¡¯t feel safe anymore. What if they didn¡¯t need me? What if Malikus found someone else and this was it? Not possible, ridiculous, I was Mother¡¯s son, she wouldn¡¯t let them, it¡¯s tradition.


    As the cart screamed through the tunnel, I focused on not vomiting. My knuckles were white against the side rail. I reached into my pocket and turned Omerdetha¡¯s I.D snap between my fingers. The Belgua was so close...I had to make that switch.


    The next stop brought us to an even more shamelessly opulent platform.  The scent of the air was unpleasant as if someone had lit incense to cover up cat piss. Sapphires, rubies and emeralds were all embedded in the marbled pillars. Just this platform alone was more valuable than the entirety of the overworld.


    Other monsters were hovering about, I caught their stares and returned them. My nostrils flared to suck down air and calm the carpet moths that crashed about in the pit of my stomach. A glorious shag ran through these tunnels. I bounced on it lightly, a pleasure I may as well enjoy while I can. It reminded me of my old office.


    Alcoves that ran down the corridor''s sides now were filled with art and technology. I stopped to touch the screen of a holo-unit. Historical moments captured in programmed light rotated before me. I looked at the over-city map. Its symmetry was beautiful. A perfect maze to keep its occupants moving in endless squared circles. I felt a swell of pride bubble in me. The next hologram was of a Royal, his form was shapeless. As it danced in front of me I was almost able to see something resembling a being before it fizzled away into obscurity once more. Vizer¡¯s cold grip finally peeled me away.


    The dripping and running water that echoed through the hallways was soon joined by the most wondrous of man''s creation: music. It was divine. I stopped and quickly pushed off Vizer¡¯s hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard music in nearly eight years,¡± I said.


    I opened the door to let the sound wash over me. Inside several changed ones danced and swayed to the music. I watched as they spun to the rhapsody. I knew this song. The notes dragged me back through to the moment I first sat and heard it. I closed my eyes to let it carry me adrift.


    That icy pull soon sank my sailboat. I opened my eyes to see they had stopped dancing to stare at me. They knew who I was.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Vizer called them over my shoulder. I continued to follow him but had become more brazen; sampling the fine delights of these gluttonous hoarders. I stopped once again to run my fingers over a bust, not sure who it was. The deft touch this marble had been subject to enticed me. A buffet for my senses that was too hard to resist.


    ¡°Should I leash you?¡±


    ¡°You try living up there.¡± My voice had been softened in quiet contemplation by the masterful art.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die,¡± said Vizer.


    ¡°Then give me just a moment?¡± I said.


    ¡°Your hand is always out to take, but never to give,¡± Vizer said. He had some nerve.


    Arches of gold and lapis lazuli spiralled over our heads here. The majesty amplified as we wandered deeper through the intestines of this parallel world. We stopped at another door. Its golden surface was almost irresistible. I reached out to place my hand on it. Perfection. Engraved on the main plate of the round door was our coat of arms. A hand holding a world that bled down its fingers.


    Vizer turned to me. ¡°Be well mannered with your betters.¡± He said.


    ¡°Vizer ¡ª may I ask you a question?¡± his eyes lost their glare momentarily.


    ¡°Quickly.¡±


    ¡°Will you be dining in here when she lands?¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll have other duties to attend to.¡±


    I leaned into Vizer and breathed out my parting gift. ¡°Then you will be left behind.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wobble my head with a smarmy smirk to accompany it. I studied his face, which had now been repainted with a moment of dull shock. The golden doors pulled themselves apart with that pneumatic hiss and I walked through.


    The space in this room was astounding, curving inwardly for miles. I was under the sleek central plate that the overworld people worshipped. I looked up to the ceiling. It was painted with thousands of images all so detailed. Such splendour underneath a lifeless flat disc, surrounded by the starving. Not starving for food, but starving for man''s true capabilities.


    What a wretched game these monsters played. They writhe in the stolen art and craftsmanship¡­then behave as if they are the arbiters of such excellence.


    Four banquet tables, each a mile long, ran parallel through the centre. About every ten meters, an ornate brass filter blossomed from the middle of the tables. Hundreds of them. I looked all the way down the room, barely making out the edge.


    I walked down between the four tables. The fine ceramic tiles tapped under my boots before changing to a dull thud. I looked down to see a sheet of glass that expanded outwards in all directions around me. I felt vulnerable as if the glass might shatter if I stepped too hard.


    I focused on the movement below the glass, water, like an ocean in a box. The space under my feet darkened. I froze, watching as the shadow grew before it morphed. The mercurial form contorted and flattened. The outline began to resemble a large sea creature. Its pale features became more visible as it rose closer to the glass. An eerie call reverberated in the glass beneath me. The shudder of the glass made me skip forward timidly. The shadow sank back into the cold depths below.


    ¡°Magnificent isn¡¯t she?¡± His sickly voice danced around the room and pricked my flesh with a forgotten fear. He always sounded painfully energetic.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I said. I looked down the aisle between the tables from where Malikus approached. I offered a respectful bow.


    ¡°Only yourself?¡ªdisappointing.¡± He said.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t feel like coming.¡± I raised my head to meet his eyes.


    His robed corpse glided toward me unnaturally. ¡°Well, the pair of you are certainly always very busy, it raises suspicion.¡± He passed by me and took a seat at the table. ¡°Sit¡­¡± He waved his hand to the chair across from him.


    Walking around the table would have taken a good 15 minutes so I hoisted my backside onto the elegant rose finish and awkwardly slid across.


    ¡°Well, we have been running the delivery company,¡± I said. Malikus seemed to wait for something, an excuse perhaps? ¡°We were ready for Vizer¡¯s arrival¡­¡± I searched his ghoulish features for approval. His cheeks lined with spines that puffed out in synchronization with his breathing, those were new.


    ¡°You look filthy.¡±


    ¡°I fell.¡±


    ¡°Clumsy. You needn¡¯t bother yourself with that silly pantomime. You should be focused on Mother, and escaping, no?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t run, but I¡¯ll say goodbye to my crew.¡±


    Malikus smiled with a closed mouth. ¡°Oddly sentimental of you.¡±


    I looked around the open room once more and then back to Malikus. ¡°Is there a reason you brought me here?¡± I wanted to get this over with.


    ¡°I feel as if you¡¯re hiding something from me¡­Mother won¡¯t say.¡± Malikus tilted his head playfully.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Footsteps clacked from behind me.  I turned myself on the chair to find the source.


    ¡°Look at me.¡± Malkius¡¯ voice tore into my ears. It was calm but still made me wince. I did as he asked without deliberating.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re smart.¡± His ribbed skull shook gently. ¡°Smarter than me.¡± Nothing offended Malikus more than him believing someone thought they were smarter. I was smarter than him though.


    My shoulders had two great clamps placed on them. I sucked in a steely breath, my lungs heaved as the air scraped against them.


    ¡°Vizer¡ªplace Corvas here in the half- maiden.¡± At that moment, Malikus stood and walked away. ¡°Feed him to a Glory Seeker in a couple of days. You won¡¯t ruin Mother¡¯s feast by breaking tradition boy¡­¡±


    I reached out to him. I wanted to reason with him. ¡°No!¡± My voice rippled through the great hall and taunted me several times. I squirmed weakly as I was pulled out of my chair. Vizer¡¯s arm came around my chest to hold me still. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s my right to give myself to Mother!¡±


    Vizer wrenched me away. My feet kicked out wildly, sending my chair skittering across the glass and away. I tried to wriggle free but my body had given up on me an hour ago. My arms felt as if they were pushing through molten steel.


    ¡°I have been waiting to shut you up.¡± Vizer¡¯s cruel mockery and the sound of the rattling iron wheels from behind sent a surge of fevered fight through my limbs. I wrenched away and fell onto my knees. I stared into the abyss below until I saw my reflection in the glass.


    I was hauled up with ease and shoved back into the standing dolly held by two assistants. The spikes in the plate needled at my spine. A spiteful contraption. Vizer placed his hand on my chest to help the spikes hold my flesh. His assistants clamped the vices around my wrists, ankles, neck and stomach.


    ¡°Let me go ¡ª I¡¯ll do better,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring our pilot to see you, she¡¯ll be entertained,¡± said Malikus.


    I arched my back as the dolly that I stood in angled backwards. I looked up at the colossal ceiling through a hazy, tear-filled mask.


    As we made our way down the hallways, acolytes would look at me scornfully; shaking their heads and even spitting on me. They knew for whom this contraption was made: For the navigators who broke tradition. Perhaps Malikus was smarter than me.


    I watched the tiles of the curved roof fly past me until I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open. The whizzing pattern hypnotized me and lulled my senses.


    My body jerked and battered inside the half maiden as we halted. I was spun to face a small door. It opened into a blank box of a room, I recognised these¡­lobotomite storage units. I felt the metal mask clamp over my mouth to muffle any attempts of screaming or calling out.


    ¡°Sleep tight, Den the delivery boy.¡± Vizer laughed as I was shoved into the room. The decals of the wall faded into a distant memory as the door behind me closed and the light was banished.


    Tears streamed down my cheeks. My eyes felt like pools of lava. I had failed miserably. I never really had a chance. I dug my heels into the back of the footplate and leaned forward with what room I had behind the clamp.


    My back peeled away from the irksome nodules ever so slightly. With defeat compounded and exhaustion conquering. I faded out of this nightmare and into another.

 Chapter 4 - Good girl

    ¡°The Navigator always runs. That is tradition,¡± said Malikus.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why do you pine for my acceptance?¡± Malikus smiled and leaned back in his chair.


    I looked around his office. Malikus draped the finest works of art over his walls like a hunter showing off his kills. He never created or painted anything though. Nobody did. It was all just here. I tried to create, but I always failed, there wasn¡¯t a lech in this place that could teach me. I was a pupil without a teacher. ¡°Why can¡¯t the High Priest just fetch her then?¡±


    Malikus shook his head mournfully as he poured himself a glass of red wine. He brought the bottle over another empty glass but thought better of it and instead set the bottle back down. ¡°Mother has enjoyed the splendour of man¡¯s flesh for an eternity of ages.¡±


    I walked before a large painting of a woman, she was bare-skinned, fair-faced and sprawled before a forest that seemed to draw me in. I half wanted to climb into the picture, not to enjoy the pleasures of the woman, but to instead discover what lay in that unpainted void behind her. To explore a thought that is brought to life in a world that doesn¡¯t exist. Now there¡¯s an adventure.


    Malikus continued, I half-listened as he tutored me between healthy quaffs of claret.


    ¡°She has more than a taste for our blood, but now our desires.¡±


    ¡°Does she wish to create?¡± I turned to Malikus and caught his eyes as he finished his glass.


    He set his glass down and wiped his mouth. ¡°Mother creates our desires through us.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± I said.


    ¡°The High Priest could catch and reel the Navigator in.¡± He poured himself another glass, watching me. ¡°But her child must rebel. And he must be hunted by those who seek redemption.¡±


    ¡°Tradition is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tradition it is¡­¡± Malikus waved his hand. ¡°Off you go now, you have a job to do.¡±


    Argyle II was a bleak planet. It was built by Simeone; he was to go through the choosing and become the Pilot or Navigator. How he managed such mediocrity was beyond me. Perhaps a greater challenge to forge a masterpiece.


    I walked the streets with a swagger, compared to the Below it was embarrassing. The people that walked through its streets were vermin. They just survived.


    My duty was simple: collect technology. It was for their own good. A lot of the technology was too dangerous for these people. They could threaten Mother with it, I couldn¡¯t have that. My master, my adoptive father, Malikus¡­ was ambitious. He wanted to become a high priest, but that was only done by being offered as a gift each cycle. To be sent to another planet and continue services meant we showed promise.


    I was joined by three Royalist enforcers. We scaled an apartment block. The steps were on the outside, like an unfinished scaffolding. I ran my hand across the handrail and shook my head. No vision. I knocked on the door of my target and waited.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The outside radio speaker buzzed.


    I tried to look through the spy hole but it was only one way. Simeone''s designs lacked thought, why give them the ability to speak to me and see me with no need for them to open the bloody door? ¡°Inspection,¡± I spoke back into the speaker.


    ¡°No thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an option, Kyle¡­is it?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to inspect.¡±


    ¡°Open the door, Kyle, don¡¯t make us.¡±


    Half a minute passed before the door unlocked and creaked open. I glanced back at my team and the city. It was a sea of rust. The deep mauve paint that dashed the sprawling planet city peeled away in blooded clouds, dancing dustily in the mango skyline.


    We barged in quickly, a guard pinning Kyle to the wall.


    ¡°What the fuck! You can¡¯t just do this!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can.¡± My voice was flat as I walked through the apartment. I restrained a yawn, this had all become so repetitive. Malikus wanted results. He was working hard to be moved along, and he¡¯d take me and his other lackeys with him. I was surgical. I knew all the hiding places, Simeone was predictable, and that made the citizens predictable.


    ¡°Please, no!¡±


    I had found them; behind the wall panel in the dining room. Communicators. Dangerous things, they allowed citizens to talk at great distances, closing the gap between their relations. They could plan and coordinate so much with these. ¡°Illegal tech.¡± I sighed and held them in front of his face.


    He was held fast against the wall. His sweat-covered face looked between me and the Royalist. ¡°Wake up!¡± he said.


    I tilted my head.


    ¡°Wake up! They are trying to control us.¡±


    ¡°Who are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Them¡­the Royals.¡±


    I laughed and raised a small blade to his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll wake up if you go to sleep.¡± I pushed the blade into his throat and watched him gag. His blood gushed over my hand. He tried to struggle. I stared into his eyes as they dilated. He couldn¡¯t believe it. I always enjoyed that, watching them die and know it.


    My casket shook and my vision filled with the enraged Vizer. ¡°Where is she?!¡±


    My mouth guard had been removed. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. My voice was a salty croak.  I tried to take in my surroundings. I¡¯d been wheeled out into a hallway. The red globular lights hummed. I hadn¡¯t noticed their sound before.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± Vizer was almost frantic in his panic for answers. Pacing left and right only to stop before me each time and try to intimidate me into giving him what he sought. Malikus must be furious, he hadn¡¯t won yet.


    ¡°I can find her,¡± I said.


    Vizer shoved the dolly backwards. My world tipped and then shook with a metallic rattle. My head bounced in the contraption as I looked up at Vizer¡¯s face.


    ¡°Festering liar!¡± He stepped over me like he was my better. I could hear him talking but I couldn¡¯t make the words out. He was using a comms device.


    My fingers twitched anxiously. ¡°Mother wants you to free me doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    That slow, calculated response was designed to make me cave in. ¡°You won¡¯t last long,¡± Vizer said.


    ¡°I¡¯d much like to try.¡± I tried to straighten my back to lift it free from the cruel spikes digging into me.


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing really, the Glory Seekers will make short work of you. If you have hurt Leena¡­then Mother will show you no mercy,¡± said Vizer.


    My restraints were retired and Vizer heaved me up by my collar. My mattress hadn¡¯t been kind. I stumbled drunkenly forwards and pressed my face to the wall. Agony danced over my spine. My back must look like a butcher''s block.


    Vizer dragged me through the corridor and after a trip on the bullet cart, I was where it began. The basin at the bottom of the sewer tunnel that had led me down here. Vizer gritted his teeth at me.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re smart.¡± His desperation was showing, his eyes twitched downwards. ¡°Up then!¡ªdon¡¯t dally either.¡± Vizer pushed my comms device into my chest. ¡°Yours,¡± he said.


    Vizer left the round basin and slammed the door behind him. The turning of steel groaned out from the door soon after. Malikus must have bruised him for not fetching Leena.


    The I.D snap!


    I shoved my hands into both pockets furiously. Fingers probing at the folds of the fabric within. I felt it. I took it out and kissed it. How ridiculous I was. Prolonging my inevitable downfall. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. Perhaps I was being ridiculous, why not just let them win? Why should I give Mother what she wants?


    I looked up at the blackened tunnel then down at the snap in my hand. Can¡¯t win if you don¡¯t roll the dice. If I wanted to have any chance of escaping this planet I¡¯d need to switch the snaps. Let¡¯s see how smart I am.


    I pushed and pulled at the door meekly. Locked. I couldn¡¯t hope to be that lucky¡ªI didn¡¯t believe in luck anyway. That mechanical groan returned with a gurgle. The sound of rushing water hissed at me from above. A cascade of icy water struck my face while I stared upwards.


    This rain wouldn¡¯t stop until it filled the hole. I contemplated for a moment, perhaps I could let this tube fill up and be done with it. Within thirty seconds, I was waist-deep. Upwards I''d go. Upwards to the surface, then upwards to Yunar.


    I pulled myself onto the rungs. I heard the pool below me following. Water from the spouts above crashed down. My hands slipped and I frantically clawed at the wall for purchase. I howled as my fingernail attempted to save my slipping hand, peeling it upwards. I bit it down and continued.


    I reached inside the first drainage hole; however, the closing plate had come down from a slot. I felt the groove of a handle and squeezed it. The ice-cold water scratched and flecked at my ankles-creeping up my leg holes. My bicep burned fiercely until the plate finally gave way. I pushed it up and heard a satisfying mechanical click call back from the darkness.


    The water held my waist as I threw myself into the tight passage. This had to lead out and down into the reservoirs in the Below. I began to crawl through the rocky birth canal. If I moved my head an inch in any direction I would be greeted with a corner of a stone. Blackness led the way and I frantically searched for its end. Agonisingly, I wrenched my broken body through the tightening passage.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I couldn¡¯t stop now but in the back of my mind I knew this would be a horrific way to go. The water had followed me inside now. It pooled about my stomach and tickled my chin mockingly. My chin dipped in and out of the chilled death, it pulled at my lower lip as I gasped for breath.


    The water sloshed and slapped my face. I couldn¡¯t angle my head up due to the tightness of the passage. I sucked before I sealed my mouth. The sound of the cavern muted when my ears were submerged.


    Bubbles tickled my nose as they escaped. A parting gesture from my depleting oxygen. My body wrenched as it begged for air. I kept my mouth tightly shut. My fingers found the lip of a stone.  I heaved my body forward and plunged into a body of water. I swam to the top of the pocket and pierced the water''s surface and gasped for air. The space filled and severed my air supply once more.


    I swam downwards and felt around for any sign. My chest lurched as I became more panicked. Exploration turned to thrashes. I twisted in the water, all sense of direction gone. I felt myself sink downwards. My eyes fluttered, trying to remain open.


    There she was. The most beautiful creature I¡¯ve seen. It clicked at me. Nuzzled my neck. The whale swam about my body and caressed me. She was taking me home. I felt a pull on my legs. Something was swallowing me.


    Then I fell. Sucked into the abyss and spat out like a rotten tooth. The air hit my lips and I gasped. I twisted frantically as I crashed into another body of water. My fingers clasped the steel rim of the cistern tank. I heaved myself halfway over the edge and coughed my guts up.


    The draining flap had opened and swallowed me. I climbed free of the tank and fell to my knees. Hacking violently as I enjoyed the pleasures of life once more.


    My body felt like wet cardboard that had been folded up and straightened out several times. Every crease I made gnawed at my nerves. I had to find the Beluga and swap the I.D. snap. I knew where they kept it, I knew where they kept everything.


    My shoes squelched and overalls pulled at my aching frame as they left a trail of blood and water behind me. I headed to the door and reached to pull it aside, however, it quickly reminded me how archaic I had become, it slid open automatically.


    ¡°Hello!¡± said the man on the other side of the door. He was plain, human in appearance. He was lobotomised.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said calmly.


    ¡°What are you doing in this wing''s reservoir?¡±


    I pulled him and closed the door behind us. ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±


    ¡°I require these¡­¡±


    ¡°Take them off.¡± I said. ¡°I am the Navigator and you will obey.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He smiled and stripped.


    I changed into the overalls, making sure not to forget the I.D snap. ¡°Ok, now get in the storage unit over there, and never move again.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡± He bowed a little and proceeded to do as he was asked.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± I said.


    I washed the blood from my forehead and slid into the main hallway. The low buzz of the underworld was sharp. My senses were heightened. I could smell their rotten flesh. I walked at a deliberate pace. Two acolytes approached from the opposite direction and I just looked down as I walked. ¡°Hello!¡± I said as brightly as I could as they got into ear range. They glided past me.


    I took a seat at the back of the bullet cart. I had recalled the name of the platform: Mergunt. I retraced my steps to the bay door where the Beluga was stored.


    I pressed my hand to the door. It didn¡¯t respond to me. I cursed, I thrashed and I banged my fist on the door, something I instantly regretted. I backed away and looked down the hallway and back to the door. It jerked, hissed and then drew itself apart. Waiting on the other side was a particularly ghoulish changed one.


    ¡°What do you want, you simpleton?¡± Her voice was soft, it was attractive...especially coupled with that accent which I was sure I knew.  Her face was sunken and skeletal, her eyes had a dim yellow hue and those large black pupils gave her a nocturnal predatory gaze.


    ¡°Corvas?¡± She knew me and now I was going to be thrown back into that spiked trolley. I clenched my fist in my pocket, ready to strike her. However, her gifts would leave me at her mercy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, what are you doing here?¡± Her voice was touched with a kindness that put me at ease...


    I licked my lower lip and thought fast. ¡°Eh, ah¡­here to inspect the Beluga, Malikus¡¯ orders.¡± I hadn¡¯t a clue who she was. I¡¯d seemingly disappointed her. She placed her hand on the frame of the door.


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognise me, do you?¡± Her mouth crooked into a dry smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    She dragged her claw under my chin and winked at me. ¡°All that time in my dorm and you forget me so easily?¡±


    My old squeeze. ¡°Gina?¡± I said.


    She shook her head. ¡°Not anymore, I have been given the gift¡ªmy chosen name is Zarintha.¡± She looked like the back end of a dead rat. I had forgotten everything about this woman. Mother made them look different to me when I was a resident of the Below. Although she was a putrid sight, I felt more horrified that I once looked upon these creatures as handsome and beautiful.


    ¡°Right, hardly recognised you¡ªdidn¡¯t think you could get any more beautiful¡­¡± Hardest white lie I had ever told, but I was getting good at lying, years of practise.


    Zarintha tugged me into the docking bay and the doors closed behind us. ¡°Missed you,¡± she said emphatically.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± I said, quietly.


    Zarintha pressed her greasy lips to mine, instinctively I took her by the shoulders and feebly pushed. Her physicality was frightening, her feet were nailed to the floor. I kept my lips sealed and grunted.


    ¡°Zarintha¡­¡± I managed to eke out her name around that thrashing tongue. She pulled off me so I could see her face once more. I wish I had drowned.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want to fuck me?¡±


    Her uncouth offering was risible given her fiendish appearance. I was no catch, but I had standards.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I need to get back to Malikus quickly.¡±


    ¡°Oh like he¡¯d notice a few minutes.¡± I watched her step back, a bashful look smeared on her barbaric hawk face. She danced playfully and encouraged her red robe to drop and pool by her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have some fun before you, you know?¡± she said.


    I had to look if not for my morbid interest. Her body was a pale violet. Thin skin draped around a wireframe. Her pulse rippled up her arms and through her chest. I knew I had to be careful here, I didn¡¯t want to offend lest she lashed out at me and banished me from the docking bay. ¡°I¡¯ll return right after, you look¡­incredible.¡±


    She backpedalled and slammed herself against the Beluga. ¡°Take me!¡± I looked over the ship I most desperately desired to enter. It was a deep grey, flattened at the top with a bulbous cockpit, it was the only thing in this bay I wanted to enter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back I promise, I just need to get inside the ship and do these checks. Once I report back to Malikus I am free.¡±


    She sneered at me and pulled her robes back up over her. ¡°It would have been exciting you fucking prude!¡±


    I closed my eyes and took in a laboured breath.


    ¡°Well? What are you checking?¡± She pulled her arms around herself to comfort herself from the rejection.


    I looked over the ship. ¡°Just a few startup things in the cockpit...the I.D Snap¡­¡± I held Omerdertha¡¯s snap in my pocket. ¡°I need to make sure it¡¯s correct when inserted.¡±


    Zarintha narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°Do you think I am stupid?¡± She looked ready to pounce.


    I held my hands out in front of me, palms upward... ¡°No? W-why?¡± I closed my eyes.


    ¡°You do. Malikus wants to check on my work, doesn¡¯t he? He doesn¡¯t trust me!¡±


    I opened an eye and peered at her, those chicken wings flapping against her sides as she held her hips indignantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re too smart, yeah, Malikus doesn¡¯t trust anyone though¡­¡±


    Zarintha opened the ship''s hatch and marched inside. I followed her into the cockpit and sat down on the large white chair. Everything was brand new in here, it even smelt nice. Zarintha sat on the chair beside mine and took out Beluga''s snap. I salivated at the thought of just snatching it and running.


    Zarintha pushed the I.D snap into the Beluga and waved her hand in front of the small boot-up screen. ¡°Happy?¡± She fanned her hands out in front of the screen to present the authentication details. Sarcasm meant she was mad. At this point I should avoid women outright, I seemed to be doing everything right to offend them.


    I looked over the screen, I didn¡¯t know what I was looking at. ¡°Yes...all good.¡± I reached for the snap quickly and pulled it out, dropping it to the floor. ¡°Ah sorry!¡± I said moving down to my knees.


    ¡°I got a job for you while you¡¯re down there.¡± Zarintha placed her talons over my skull. If she wanted she could pull my head off like a doll''s head. I fumbled theatrically, pretending to be enticed by such an offer while I switched the snaps around.


    I strained my neck to force myself upright against her pressing palm. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon¡­¡± I handed her the Omerdetha¡¯s snap. Sorry sweetheart, you were always a cheap lay to pass the time, even when you were half decent looking.


    I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed. I regretted it when I got a nose full of her sour milk scent. ¡°I will see you soon, Gina.¡± She squeezed me back when I used her old name. I detached myself from her and offered a final farewell.


    I had returned unhindered back to the original cavern I had descended from. I swerved around the bending tube of the undercity¡¯s guts and came before the door that held my exit.


    The acolyte standing by the door approached me. ¡°What are you doing here, simple head?¡±


    ¡°What did you call me?¡± I sneered at him.


    He raised his chin, clearly caught off guard by my response.


    ¡°I am the Navigator, I was sent out of this hatch but some dick didn¡¯t unlock the centre hatch and I had to crawl through a drainage spout!¡± The acolyte went to speak again, I held up my hand defiantly. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, if Malikus finds out he¡¯ll butcher everyone on this ring for nearly killing his Navigator, now drain the tube and let me out.¡±


    His nose crinkled and he looked past me for a moment. ¡°Alright, let me go turn the valve, I¡¯ll call you when you can go.¡± I almost collapsed as he went out of sight. I heard the grates on the floor churn open to clear away the water. After he called me I opened the hatch and scurried up and out of that hell hole.


    I peeked out of the sewer hatch like a periscope before hauling myself out onto the paving stone of the alley. The sweet smell of the early morning air cleansed my pallet of the rotten grog that had nestled in the back of my throat. I coughed and spat on the floor while on all fours.


    Carefully I replaced the hatch and the slab, I looked up at the wall where the man had been pinned. His blood had coagulated and marked the concrete. A drop in the ocean that would be lost forever.


    I scrambled to my feet and charged up the steps to our apartment, opening the door and barging into the empty living quarters. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knelt in the centre of our sleeping quarters and pushed my fingers into two unassuming holes to pull back a plate of steel flooring. A secret of this city only I knew. A unique part of my blueprint.


    Looking up at me, from the dimly lit space I had created, was Leena. Her face was teary but still dressed in that forgiving, ever-loving smile. I wiped a tear from my cheek and sniffed,  hopping down and wrapping my arms around her tightly.


    ¡°I did like you said, big brother.¡±


    I sighed deeply, breathing her in as I nuzzled into her slender shoulder. ¡°Good girl Leena...good girl.¡±


    Ruefully I replaced the lid of Leena''s living tomb, leaving her with food, a light, a book and a promise to return shortly. I sat atop Leena¡¯s hiding hole crossed-legged. In my determination to break tradition, I had followed it unwillingly.


    This was the sum of my entire life¡¯s work. Everything else was cast aside for a chance to spit in the face of my duty. I still needed a medical officer, that fact made this small victory feel worthless.


    I considered suicide. I knew it was no option though, Mother would make me dance for her either way. I considered offing Leena too, Mother would just make her dance too. We were bound to her tightly.


    I opted for a shower. It felt like hailstone dashing my back, I leaned my hand against the wall and watched blood whirl-pool around the plug and suck down to the depths below, through those narrow pipes into the abyss.


    I sat down in the corner until my daily ration of water came to an end. It didn¡¯t take long. I lay on my side and pressed my cheek to the cooling, stained ceramic basin.


    Swirling whispers called to me like a siren on the waves, up from the plug hole. I edged closer to listen.


    ¡°I forgive you.¡± The voice sounded like a thousand people whispering out of sync. It was hypnotic.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± I said.


    ¡°You hurt me deeply. But I still love you.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°A mother knows when to tell the truth, and when to lie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no mother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll dance for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll die first.¡± I closed my eyes as I lay defiant in the cool air.


    ¡°I know.¡± Her chilling voice receded along with my grip on the waking world.

 Chapter 5 - Sacrifices

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t!¡± cried his girlfriend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± I said as I wafted the gun smoothly in his face.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Gina was clapping and laughing as she took the front seat to my play of torment.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­you were right I...I was wrong¡­y-you should be Pilot, you¡¯re made for it.¡± He was grovelling on his knees with his hands up. If I was him I¡¯d fight back, damned be the consequences. A man who begs for mercy deserves none at all.


    He had decided to run his mouth and spoke about how Andrana would be the Pilot because I was too soft in the head for it. He doesn¡¯t look so confident now. Watching him quiver made me detest him more.


    The sound of clicking consecrated from down the hallway, we all looked to see who it might be, I knew though, her polyrhythmic heel-toe clacks created that undeniable piece of music. My wife-to-be. Andrana.


    Her outline fizzled and the resolution of her uninvited appearance was made apparent by her husky tone of disdain. ¡°Showing off your authority again?¡± Her rebuke was frothing with contempt, why wouldn¡¯t it be? She was to be the Navigator and me, the Pilot. I couldn¡¯t resist stirring her glass of seething jealousy.


    ¡°Teaching the subordinates respect, it¡¯s my right.¡± I smiled as the worm struggled to catch his breath through light sobs. His girlfriend was holding back her wails the best she could, sucking in her half-howls.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t decided what our roles are to be yet,¡± said Andrana. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s right.¡±


    Gina folded her arms, she wasn¡¯t impressed that my ¡°fianc¨¦¡± was openly questioning me, and she¡¯d certainly be turned off if I backed down now.


    Ironically, in her righteous attempt to prevent the trigger pull, she had pulled it for me. Something I wasn¡¯t planning on doing. I held the gun to his head and watched Andrana¡¯s face. I wanted to see every crack break in her features as I imposed my authority, as she did at the dinner table when I first met her.


    The gun let out a shriek as if a hole pierced a vacuum.


    His girlfriend screamed. ¡°Why?!¡± She sobbed on her boyfriend''s lap. I stepped back to take account, looking at his body and then at Andrana, she had turned her back on me and walked down the hall. Nothing would impress her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± His girlfriend''s words didn¡¯t affect me, but she quickly covered her mouth.


    He sat up slowly, looking at us all and smiling blissfully. ¡°Hello,¡± he said.


    His girlfriend ran away with her hands cupped over her face to catch the tears.


    ¡°Hello, your name is Craig,¡± I said.


    Craig smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Report to the janitor bay for assignment,¡± I said.


    Craig stood up and walked away silently.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good boy now, eh?¡± Gina hugged my arm and kissed my cheek while I studied the gun.


    ¡°Yeah¡­real good.¡±


    My eyes shuttered before locking open. I awoke not in a fit of fear but in a pool of guilt. Which one was worse and which one I deserved was up for debate.


    Sitting up I was reminded of the melee my body had been pressed through. Every arch and twist made my skin feel two sizes too small for my body. My sheet was pulled up with me, the dried blood from my back had bonded to the fabric. I reached back to tear the leech from my spine as I stood achingly. I wanted to coil back up in my pit. Looking at the floor reminded me I had a duty to more than just my comfort. Yesterday was just the beginning.


    My feet slapped as I wandered into the dining area, it was a tip, I hadn¡¯t noticed last night. Those freaks had been through every empty packet and box in the place in search of Leena. It made my God-given freedom all the sweeter. They had underestimated me.


    Sunlight daggered through the blotchy yellowed panes of glass, stabbing at my eyes as I prepared a meal. They hated the sunlight, they wouldn¡¯t reveal themselves during the day, but they¡¯d still shine a light on me through other means. I had to remain subtle. I was safe, but my assets¡­my crew¡­weren¡¯t.


    I ate my paltry breakfast with one hand, the other played with the stolen I.D snap. I had made the switch against all odds. I needed to visit Jovik to finish up the changeover.


    Then all I needed was a medical officer, reunite with my best friend whom I betrayed, and convince Skars to let me drag her to Yunar. My time was running low and my to-do list had become a tyrant of its own.


    My device demanded my attention. I knew who it was.


    ¡°D Four Delivery¡ªDen speaking.¡± Old habit.


    ¡°Where is Leena?¡± I could taste Vizers'' anxiety.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just woken up.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping on the job? You slept in the maiden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get acquainted with it soon enough.¡± I let him hear my smile, even if winding him up might come back to haunt me.


    ¡°Bring her back or I¡¯ll make you pay first.¡±


    ¡°Doubtful. Not by a stepchild like you.¡± My freedom was no mistake or chance. It had been granted to me against Malikus¡¯ wishes. Vizer could go fuck himself.


    ¡°Soon they will release the Glory Seekers.¡± Vizer was chuckling now.


    Another loophole to defy Mother¡¯s will. It worked though. They would use every dirty trick in the book. Lost in thought, I hadn¡¯t realised I was keeping Vizer waiting for a response. I closed the line.


    I lowered a day¡¯s worth of food into Leena¡¯s bunker, I told her I loved her. She replied in snores but that was good enough for me, she only snored like that when she was comfortable. I placed my palm against the cold steel door. The idea of the outside world was suffocating, the sky was falling and only I could see it. I slid the door open and that sweet air embraced me, drawing me onto the warmed pavement outside.


    My first port of call would be Jovik¡¯s, I wanted to tie a bow around the I.D snap. A job done, complete, ticked off, a foundation laid, something to jump from.


    The public monitor was surrounded by the usual rabble. I joined them, only to feel like a person for a brief moment. Maybe a denizen of Delph, going about his regular day.


    The news was on. Doctor Tolvuld was speaking candidly and sharply about his son on Yunar. He was pleading with authorities to re-establish connections. Poor fool. Poor, pathetic¡­ fool. An old doctor from old times.


    I walked towards the gate, first looking behind me for that block hopper, then I remembered about his accident. I sighed in relief, he wasn¡¯t waiting to bash my head in. I looked behind me again, this time for those who¡¯d be assigned to me and my movements.


    A guard was stationed at the gate¡ªnot a coincidence. I pressed my access card to the door plate, holding the rusty bar inside my fist to push, but it did not yield. I tried my card again and still my attempts to dislodge the prison gate failed.


    The guard approached me, wrapped up in his trench coat. I imagined a tiny weasel face under that mask of his. I gave him my best working-class shrug and shake of my head. ¡°Bloody pass not working.¡± I nodded to the door as if he didn¡¯t know what I was trying to use it on.


    ¡°Then go to your block¡¯s council office to query it.¡± His modulated voice was emotionless, pre-programmed responses for an imbecile with no initiative, these guys had an answer for everything.


    ¡°C¡¯mon pal.¡± I pushed my arm between the bars, fingers pinching my I.D to show it off. ¡°I¡¯m a delivery flyer, I need access through these, check it with your peers, my company reference is well known.¡±


    The guard took my wrist and bent my arm around the bar, forcing it up against my shoulder. My pass tumbled through the air as my fingers tried pathetically to catch it by wiggling.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I groaned and tried to pull away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cross into other blocks.¡±


    ¡°My council office is closed.¡±A pointless protest¡­might score me a broken arm.


    ¡°Take the tram, like everyone else.¡±


    The guard released my arm from its entanglement and thrust me back. I caught myself with my hands behind me as I landed on my arse. The guard flicked the card onto my lap and returned to his post. I inspected the pass for a moment. ¡°Well played Vizer,¡± I muttered. To the tram, like everybody else then I suppose.


    I needed to make space and time; if they saw who I spoke to they¡¯d kill them. I stepped onto the sky tram and looked down the bleak corridors, left then right. Three guards, more than usual but as much as I expected.


    My idea was shit.


    I¡¯d been pushing myself to do things I wasn¡¯t happy about and with little to lose my choice seemed appropriate. The guards had situated themselves down each end of my carriage. An oldish chap with a ragged hat sat a few seats down from me. Perhaps it was paranoia or I was the smartest man on the tram, but I didn¡¯t trust him.


    I watched each of the men as I sat frozen. This was going to be my stop. It wasn¡¯t my usual destination. I felt the tram slow. I made no indication of leaving, timing was going to be everything.


    My knee bounced up and down erratically, the older gentleman had taken note of it with a glance at my leg and a kind smile. I kept focused and took deep breaths. I was going to do this.


    The doors opened with a juddering slap. Before they had opened fully, I heaved myself upright using one of the bars. I whipped myself ninety degrees and dashed towards the exit. I practically flung myself onto the platform. I didn¡¯t look back, I was certain at least one of the guards would have followed me out.


    I went flat and rolled back towards the tram. The gap was just big enough to squeeze down into. I gripped the plasticated trunking that ran down the edge of the tram to prevent myself from plummeting sixty-foot onto a children¡¯s playground situated below. I shouldn¡¯t have looked down.


    My arm shook from the strain. I looked up at the undercarriage of the tram, searching for anything to hold onto. I swung my arm up to hook a blackened pipe. I gripped the equivalent of a cattle brand. I let out a muted gasp and released it quickly. My body weight hanging from one hand. I swallowed a scream of agony and spat up instead, drool ran down my chin as I dangled frantically and gracelessly.


    I could hear the engine exploding into motion, the tram was about to dash down the rails with me hanging underneath it. Sweet release kissed my neck. If I just let go, all the pain would go, and that to-do list would haunt me no longer. Vizer wasn¡¯t having it that easy though.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I saw an inviting, steel-bevelled box. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was for or if it¡¯d take what little skin I had left on my hand away, but I had no choice. I launched myself at it and caught hold. The weight from my aching arm died down. I rocked my body up to wedge my boot under the pipe, they¡¯d weather the heat. I found my other foot a home in the series of pipes and caught my breath.


    To my left were boots and shoes, they hadn¡¯t seen me roll under. If they were looking for me, that is. I smiled widely. I hated taking the tram, like everybody else. The tram shot down the rails. I felt like I¡¯d been fired from a gun. I longed for those soulless bracketed chairs inside the carriage now. Pure luxury in comparison.


    My cheek was pressed to the warm plate of the carriage¡¯s underbelly, from the corner of my eye I could watch the city repeat itself under me. I relaxed a bit once I had climatised to the speed and the fresh air whizzing under me, however, the passing of a particularly close support beam underneath me caused a great puckering.


    The tram stopped at several platforms before it reached Jovik¡¯s. Each sudden stop jolted my body. My foot had come loose several times through the fragile journey, it caused me to panic until I found a foothold once again.


    I worked myself towards the platform, avoiding the hot pipes. I didn¡¯t have long and the manoeuvre back onto the ground was somewhat trickier than I had anticipated. My elbow kissed the burning pipe which caused me to audibly hiss in anger. I took it personally that time.


    I worked my leg up and over the edge of the platform from beneath the tram. If anyone could see this, they¡¯d reconsider their sanity I was sure. I brought my arm around from under and wormed my body between the tram and the platform. The engine of the tram vibrated my skeleton as if my parasitic latching had caused it to shudder.


    The tram moved off quicker than I was expecting, it pulled my right leg away from my torso, threatening to tear me in half or simply letting me drop away like dandruff. I heaved and rolled free onto the platform face down with a sigh.


    I rose to my knees and scanned over the two women whose faces were agape with fascination. ¡°Dropped my key card,¡± I said as I stood. They looked at each other muttering as I limped away towards the platform''s exit. My hand screamed, the adrenalin had seeped away and I was left with the aftermath of my decisions. I didn¡¯t want to look at it so I kept it in my pocket, gently caressing my palm against the fabric to soothe it.


    I moved quickly through Jovik¡¯s block, twisting and turning to avoid my usual route. How long had they been tracking my movements? I bet they knew me by heart now, subtlety had already abominated into brute force. I don¡¯t know how much more my body and my mind could take, I¡¯d flirted with death too many times and we were beginning to have chemistry.


    I approached Jovik¡¯s door, making a note to look at the grate beside the steps, there was no movement inside. I retrieved my hand from its pocket and instinctively hammered at the anvil. My wince of pain from using the burnt hand retreated behind a moment of dull confusion. No slit opened, no crazy eyes, just a slow submission as the slab of steel parted ways with the frame for me.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t think it abnormal for that door to be unlocked, was Jovik going senile? I peeked around the door to see if Jovik had opened it¡ªperhaps he was expecting me today and just opened it when he saw me coming on one of his cameras.


    ¡°Jovik!¡± I walked through the living room and bedroom. One of the hanging bulbs flickered pathetically as it tried to stay awake. The place was a wreck, books were strewn about the place, and a table was pushed over. ¡°Jovik!¡±


    A response beckoned me towards the bathroom, it didn¡¯t sound like Jovik, it didn¡¯t sound healthy. A sort of scratched garble. ¡°Here, Den¡­¡±


    I edged closer to the bathroom door. The mouldy wooden plank wobbled on its hinges as I eased it open. ¡°Jovik, you in here?¡± Sitting on the sickly olive toilet bowl was Jovik, he was hurt. ¡°Jovik, what happened?¡± He looked at me, his head was slumped back against the wall.


    His face and chest were stained with claret. His lower lip trembled as he ebbed into sorrowful weeping and flowed back into fear.


    ¡°It was a monster, I don¡¯t know¡­he hurt me Den, I think am dying, I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    I knew what was here. ¡°Did you tell it anything?¡±


    He just shook his head at me. ¡°Didn¡¯t ask me anything, Den.¡± Must have been a feral swelling from the pits, it was a relief to know he hadn¡¯t told anyone important about my snap switch.


    I swooped in and moved to his side, his help was the only way I knew I could get this snap working with Remsher¡¯s ship, I wasn¡¯t about to lose him. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re going to be fine.¡±


    He shook his head at my words. ¡°I need you to take me to a doctor,¡± he pleaded. His complexion was reaped of any colour, he wasn¡¯t wrong about needing a doctor, he needed me to save him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine, Jovik, I can patch this¡­¡± I shot up and fumbled through his cabinets aimlessly.


    ¡°I need help Den, help me, get a doctor.¡± I ignored him, we didn¡¯t have time for that.


    I found the medical adhesive gel and amateurishly applied it to the wound on his throat and chin. As I sealed up the gash I noticed his ear was hanging off and he had a missing finger on his right hand. He coughed and spluttered up some of the paste before it dried up.


    ¡°There you go Jovik, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°I need a doctor, Den,¡± he spattered at me, speckling my face with his blood.  I almost got annoyed before I considered his predicament.


    ¡°I need you to do the I.D snap for me Jovik, then I¡¯ll take you to a Doctor.¡± Jovik looked at me blankly, he must have been processing my selfishness. I felt as if I¡¯d broken some unwritten rule with this, but I was bound by no instructions. We all had to make sacrifices.


    I didn¡¯t wait for his blessing. I tossed his arm over my shoulder and dragged him to his computer desk. He was limp and cold, moaning like a whore as he held onto the last strand of his mortal coil.


    I positioned myself awkwardly and dropped him to his chair, he slunk down into it. ¡°C¡¯mon Jovik, get this sorted and I¡¯ll get you sorted.¡± I waved the snap in front of his mangled face, he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth closed to stop the drool and blood oozing down onto his stomach.


    ¡°Den¡­,¡± his wispy voice was desperate and decorated with disappointment. Dutifully, and for what his life was worth, Jovik meandered through the task, lurched over, coughing over his keyboard as he programmed the snap.


    He spent the next twenty-five minutes working through the transfer. I perched on his shoulder, watching like a pet parrot. I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what he was doing, I just needed to make sure he remained awake to do it. I had to shake him a couple of times as he slipped in and out of eternity.


    His head nodded forward. ¡°Done it.¡± He managed to croak those words out.


    I snatched the snap from the machine and stuffed it away in my pocket. Jovik looked at me and waited for my help.


    It wasn¡¯t going to come, there was no way a doctor could save him, no way I could reasonably get him to one now. ¡°Thank you, Jovik.¡±


    He just stared at me, he knew I¡¯d let him die, for that brief moment I wish I had the time to explain why. Silently he dozed off into blackness.


    I looked at myself in the mirror as I cleaned my face with the remaining water in Jovik''s daily allowance tank. I was liberal with the application. I had lost weight, lost face, I was rotting away it seemed. Was that due to my recent batterings or my moral choices, who knew?


    My gaze was dragged away from itself when the sound of the front door wheezed open. Had it returned, had it smelt fresh meat? I pressed my back to the door of the bathroom to hold it closed from the inside, my eyes shut as I focused on the sounds. Light rustles, something plastic skittered across the floor, perhaps it was kicked?


    I waited for what must have been half an hour, the sound of the door opening and closing repeated itself. For the last five minutes, I stood in silence but for my breath. It had marched up and down the hallway, tried the door I stood before. It was strong and sounded big.


    It was time to leave, I couldn¡¯t cower in this bathroom all day, it must have pissed off by now. Carefully I opened the wonky bathroom door and I peered out into the hallway that led towards the main room that Jovik¡¯s corpse inhabited. Knowing he was down there was enough to raise the hairs on my body.


    I moved slowly down the hall after a good minute of watching. Toe first as I lowered the rest of my foot down, wincing in frustration at each creak and groan from the random filler boards that had been slotted between the stonework under the sodden carpet.


    Jovik¡¯s chair was facing away from the computer and angled to the exit, he¡¯d moved. The exit was just there, all I had to do was walk through it and I was out, no ghoul would follow me into the blazing rays outside. It was clear.


    ¡°Hello.¡± The voice came from behind. I felt cold metal press to the back of my neck. I raised my hands.


    ¡°Hello, mate,¡± I replied in kind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your fuckin¡¯ mate.¡± I opened my mouth to respond but was halted. ¡°Sit down¡­¡±


    I obeyed and took residence on Jovik¡¯s armchair, turning to face Remsher and his pistol. Jovik¡¯s gaunt corpse sprawled on that chair behind him. ¡°Weren¡¯t all those confiscated?¡± I asked, trying to make small talk.


    ¡°Not mine.¡± Remsher wasn¡¯t in the mood for our usual discourse, his brusque responses offering not a single ounce of sympathy, even if I did look like I had crawled through a bed of razor blades.


    ¡°Found Jovik¡¯s place then.¡± I tried to break the silence, Remsher¡¯s ginger mass was simply heaving over me, he was like a bear that was about to let me know if it was hungry or not.


    ¡°Observant, looks like you found the little prick first, and mutilated him, eh? Some sort of weird pleasure of yours, is it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that.¡± I took an indignant tone, I was no monster.


    ¡°Right. So he did it to himself then did he?¡±


    I leaned forward to bow in submission. As I lowered my arms, I matched my tone to my demeanour. ¡°A feral feaster did it.¡±


    Remsher wasn¡¯t impressed with my finger-pointing. ¡°A feral feaster? He jabbed the gun at me, I was sure he considered letting off a round and switching me off for good.


    ¡°They live under us, a whole society, and soon they¡¯ll be up here, eating the lot of us.¡±


    Remsher let out a worrying guffaw. ¡°You¡¯re a fuckin¡¯ crack pot, pal, you¡¯ve gone off the end, eh.¡±


    I shook my head as he mocked me. ¡°Remsher, I haven¡¯t, why do you think I want to get us all of this rock?¡±


    Remsher took a moment to process. ¡°Who knows? You haven¡¯t told the truth for a long time, our whole business is a lie, you¡¯re a fuckin¡¯ lie, now I suddenly have to believe this?¡±


    I drummed my fingers on my knees, nodding in agreement with everything. ¡°If you let me explain, give me time, I can save us.¡± I had nothing, there was no ace I could pull from my sleeve, no rabbit I could pull out of my arse. Remsher was resourceful for sure, I¡¯d underestimated him, I thought I could approach him on my terms.


    Remsher lowered his weapon and backed off slowly. Had he believed me? He stuck out his bottom lip. ¡°I ain¡¯t gunna melt you Den, I¡¯m gunna turn you into the officers and they can deal with you.¡±


    I went to stand. ¡°Shoot me now then!¡± I slapped my chest to dare his will, I¡¯d rather eat a bullet here than be handed back to Malikus, which is what would happen.


    Those big ginger eyebrows raised in what I could only describe as perplexed pity. I didn¡¯t even resemble anything of my former self to him now. ¡°It¡¯s over Den, com¡­¡±


    We were interrupted by a flurry of noises from the kitchen, the room across from the bathroom.


    Remsher stood back and raised his gun. ¡°Who else is with you?¡± He held the gun to the hallway entrance, glancing at me for any potential attempts at mutiny.


    ¡°I think you woke him up.¡± I closed my eyes. ¡°I hope you¡¯re a good shot, Ray.¡± I clenched the arms of the chair, knuckles white, as I waited for the wretch''s grand appearance. The tension gripped my throat, Remsher was uneasy.


    I watched his hand tremble lightly. It was creeping, we could hear the light presses on the floorboards, it thought it would perhaps have the jump on us.


    ¡°Show yourself, I¡¯m armed.¡± I closed my eyes in disappointment, big-mouthed bastard. The squawk of the boards silenced. It had stopped to wait. I opened my eyes up at Remsher, he looked back with that fear slapped face.


    The room was hushed as if it too was watching, only the breath of humming machines could be heard. It was stalking around the corner, out of our sight. Remsher and I were crystallized in its aura of terror, not daring to move an inch. Remsher hadn¡¯t even seen it yet.


    Stilled footsteps became violent thuds, a guttural roar accompanying them. The feral creature raced around the corner. It was naked with a deep royal purple hue to its skin. Its eyes would have been yellow and beady had it not been for them filling with blood, two red orbs locked onto Remsher. He hesitated, always a mistake.


    The feral hurled itself at Ray, knocking his larger mass back into the wall. The room shook and the rendering between the bricks rained on us from the impact.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?!¡± I watched Ray struggle with the ghoul''s wrists as it snapped at his chubby face, the animal''s mouth watered for a fill of his ripe cheeks, now flush with blood ready to be burst between its gnashing splinters. The gun had skittered to the floor between their feet.


    Should I leave him to his fate? I could make a run for it now, that gun did look tempting. ¡°C¡¯mon Den! Get it off!¡± There is a time and a place when to let an asset go. I dived between the pair and slapped my palm down on the gun. I rolled onto my back and pointed the weapon up between them both, their heads nodding and jutting erratically.


    I aimed the gun, my eyes narrowed as I focused, squeezing that trigger to release the bullet. The supersonic crack of the escaping round forced my eyes shut and pulled my mouth back into a grimace. My face was gifted a warm shower as a body landed on my legs in a still flop, like a puppet that had its strings cut.


    I blinked my eyes open to flick away the blood, the liquid had travelled through the deltas from the corners of my eyes, rounded my cheek and kissed my lips. It tasted like off milk. I spat at it and wiped my face with my free hand.


    Ray looked down at me, heaving as he leaned against the wall, silent for once. I kicked my way out from under the rancid cadaver and sat up against the wall, my gun hand resting on my knee.


    ¡°You were supposed to shoot it, Ray, not kiss it,¡± I said with a half-smile. Ray laughed as he made his way to the armchair, crashing down into the soft cushion and staring me down.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in charge now,¡± Ray said as he nodded to my gun. ¡°Are you going to shoot me?¡±


    I inspected the weapon a moment and then pushed myself off the wall. I walked toward him and held the gun out. Remsher¡¯s face was painted with an unknowing timidity which soon morphed into that frown of his usual sceptical self.


    ¡°You¡¯re trusting with me that?¡± said Ray. he looked over the hilt of the gun which I¡¯d offered up to him.


    I nodded solemnly. ¡°Take it, Ray, I have to trust you, if you want to live you have to trust me. If only this once.¡± Ray¡¯s eyes bounced between mine and the gun before he grabbed it. I stepped back and waited patiently.


    ¡°What next?¡± asked Ray.

 Chapter 6 - Middle man

    I watched them fold into the great hall in an orderly fashion, scanning their meek faces as they worriedly shuffled and glanced around for comfort or affirmation. Their meandering hesitance made me scowl down at them from the balcony position I shared with Malikus and my wife, Andrana. Malikus had gone through the change, the lucky bastard, his new form was beautiful.


    ¡°Be patient Corvas,¡± Malikus said, he must have read my face. ¡°Your time will come.¡±


    Andrana shook her head and looked away.


    ¡°Look at them, about to receive this gift and not a shred of excitement. They don¡¯t deserve it.¡± I said with arms folded tightly over my chest.


    ¡°That is why you are standing up here.¡± Malikus smiled at Andranaand as he said that, he ran his hand down her back comfortingly. I suppose his words were not meant for her. She hated me and I knew it, I was Malikus¡¯ golden boy. I was to rise into the position of High priest after successful piloting. She was to be the sacrifice, the trail of blood through blackness, for Mother to follow.


    With my ego re-invigorated and jealousy satiated, for now, I turned my attention back to the acolytes on the ground floor. My hands had taken up positions wide apart on the bannister in front of me, peacocking through my importance. Some of them looked up at me, some had the nerve to make eye contact.


    The acolytes followed their instructions cleanly, taking a seat at the far-reaching tables that scored through the centre of the hall. Those who had gone through the change entered, powerful beasts with untamed yellow eyes, their rancid flesh changed to meet the image of our God. Strength of five men. That was power. I looked at my own hands. I was a weakling and everyone around me was getting stronger.


    I found Gina and gave her a rare smile. I thought about how gorgeous her new form would be, and I wondered what new name she¡¯d be blessed with. While I gawked at Gina, the changed ones had set a brass drinking goblet beside each seated acolyte.


    Next, as it was written, they opened up a small metal floor hatch situated behind each chair, pulling forth a thick metal band attached to a chain that was coiled inside the floor box. They clamped the throats of the acolytes so they were bound to the floor. The tension caused Gina and a few others to fall backwards on their seats. Yelps and yells could be heard. A peal of rising laughter bubbled up from the audience looking down.


    Once the acolytes had found their balance, they awaited the call. It was humorous to watch how they struggled to stay at the table, the choking rings around their necks tugging at them, the tension in the coil unyielding.


    The changed ones drew their blades and took position directly between two acolytes before them, ready to carry out what must be done. The horn bellowed, and all but the standing changed ones looked to the entrance of the hall. Lines of lobotomites wheeled in trolleys with huge brass serving platters. The lids were locked down with thick catches. The platters screamed and cried in their muffled voices. The audience applauded and I joined in, I was enthralled now, I couldn¡¯t wait to watch.


    For every four acolytes, one serving platter was placed, as it should be. The catches were flicked open by the thralls and the lids prised away to present the exhibits: Men and women from the surface, gagged and bound to the brass plates. Their bondages forced them into a fetal position. They represented the forbidden fruit, and those who succumbed to its temptation would be dispatched by the changed ones. I hoped they all gave into flesh, even Gina.


    The meals squirmed with terror, a shock to their system that charged down their spine. The horn¡¯s blast rolled through the hall. Tentatively the acolytes looked at each other, who¡¯d be the first to imbibe? None dare bring it to their lips, my patience emptied through my body and puddled around my feet.


    ¡°Drink, cowards!¡± My voice raced around the hall. I twisted my head to absorb the warming approval of Malikus¡¯ nods. I had pushed the dominoes and soon few turned to many, taking up the goblets and quaffing viscous black liquid. Some gagged, others vomited. Acolytes would lose their balance and come crashing backwards as they choked on the bind around their neck. The changed ones watched them as they staggered back to their seats.


    After much moaning and wretched oral hacking, the hall steadied to an ominous chattering. The acolytes were shaking, drooling as they held back the bile.


    I reached out to take Andrana¡¯s hand, looking over her elegant beauty, wondering how she¡¯d grow into her change. My fingers found her timid digits that retreated immediately.


    Minutes turned to hours as we watched the acolytes writhe with great hunger, that flesh before them becoming unbearable. A gurgled roar that twisted upwards in a savage spiral drew our eyes to the middle table. An acolyte had given in. He reached out to grip the leg of a bound person and dragged her towards him. We all watched as the beastly acolyte tore the flesh from her inner thigh. Her scream couldn¡¯t escape as he nuzzled into the gushing wound.


    The changed one''s blade came down like a guillotine, splaying the failed ferals skull in two. A simple kill. A kill that emitted a tidal wave of excess. They submitted to the flesh, hundreds of them falling into a savage orgy of a glutton.


    Limbs were juggled between the revellers, organs dashed against the floor with curdling slaps. The long tables resembled rivers of blood, the ferals swam in them. Changed ones carved through them, erasing them dutifully.


    I awoke on Jovik¡¯s armchair. My body wasn¡¯t willing anymore, I didn¡¯t even remember deciding to take a nap. Every crack on my form felt like a burning poker. I leaned forward to break from my sleep¡¯s irresistible embrace, fighting every urge to collapse backwards and sink back into her lap, her bosom only held nightmares.


    Remsher took some reasoning with. He knows we must leave this planet and I was the one to make that happen. I sent him on a mission I wished I could complete myself. Leena needed to be retrieved and brought to the underground hangar where the Omedetha was waiting for us patiently. He wasn¡¯t pleased I had tried to trick him with a job offer, but he understood. I hoped.


    It was a risk. Remsher wouldn¡¯t harm Leena. He was armed, strong, and in better condition than me. He could move freely. For the first time, I put our future in another person''s hands. It made me feel sick.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you.¡±


    Who was that? I looked around the room, the feral¡¯s festering corpse lay motionless in a pool of its puss coloured blood. I looked to the door, the window. My eyes found Jovik¡¯s body, his chair was facing me from his computer desk. Draped over it. Eyes wide open.


    Fixed on me.


    ¡°Jovik?¡± I leaned forward from the armchair. I must have beeen losing it, Jovik looked like ice.


    ¡°Who?¡± Jovik''s lips moved. His eyes searched my face.


    ¡°Fuck me!¡± Like a demon my body sprang backwards, standing on the back of the armchair with my spine fused to the wall. My body had been drained of warmth, frigid fingers dug into the plaster. At least the terror numbed me from the pain of being awake.


    ¡°Can you wait to see me?¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± This can¡¯t be her, another dream, I¡¯d wake up.


    ¡°Yes, child?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, Mother.¡± I wanted to appease her, I¡¯d say anything. Why wasn¡¯t I waking up?


    ¡°Can you wait?¡± Jovik¡¯s voice was shredded as the sound crawled from his pale lips. ¡°I have been watching you while you sleep.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± I said.


    Jovik¡¯s head tilted forward and his body slumped down. Mother was waking. Rousing from a deep sleep, murmuring unintelligibly from the darkness. Time was running out. The snap was secured, and if Remsher remained on board I¡¯d have a pilot who¡¯ll be bringing Leena to the ship safely.


    The missing puzzle pieces gnawed at innards. I needed Skarlet, getting her was possible. I needed a medical officer, a doctor who could run pre-jump injections, who was willing to climb aboard the Omedetha and take a trip to Yunar¡­that was improbable.


    Now more relaxed, I sat and stared at Jovik''s corpse while I considered my options. It didn¡¯t take me long as there weren¡¯t many. What was that doctor''s name I saw on the news this morning? Toovool? Torvald? I looked through Jovik at his system. He had access to census information. Might not be up to date, worth a shot.


    I had something, a little nibble, a place I could put my piece. It might end in checkmate but at least I played till the end. All things considered, I hadn¡¯t expected my one-man rebellion to last as long as this. Surely the closing of that iron maiden door was the end for me and this was all a dream. My body shuddered as if to shake itself dry of that thought.


    Pulling myself up I carefully made my way toward Jovik. I looked over him, he was in the way. Ever so slowly I took his stiff wrist in my fingers. I didn¡¯t take my eyes from his face. My heartbeat drummed at my rib cage. I yanked hard on that arm and Jovik lurched at me like a zombie, collapsing on the floor as I stumbled back.


    Not having used the older computer interfaces for such a time made the effort clumsy as I clicked through folders and executables. The keyboard was caked in food and dried blood. Disgusting, as was everything in this basement. I found the system I was looking for, after much bumbling.


    I filtered out medical practitioners by name beginning with T.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Talbot, Teller, Thornton¡­Tolvuld, that¡¯s the bastard.¡± I checked his block number and information. He was eight blocks west. I wasn¡¯t about to hang from a rickety tram, the walk would be a good day. I didn¡¯t have time to bring him back. Looks like I was taking the interface layer, they had rollers.


    The interface layer was a faux maintenance zone for the citizens. I helped design many of them. Situated between the above and the below, it gave maintenance workers simple access to power and water routing. Gives them the impression they are in control. There were of course a couple of problems. One might be solved, accessing this zone was difficult, but that feral must have gotten in somehow. If a feral got in, then there could be more. It was my best chance though, I could open the manhole from the inside with no problem.


    The rollers running beneath would still work I bet, although all the maintenance work would be conducted by the below now, soon they¡¯ll be shut down to prevent any escape.


    I made my way into the kitchen where the Feral had come from. Dirty pots and pans were strewn about the floor. The walls were grime laden and it stunk of mould. I was surprised Jovik survived as long as he did. The cabinet below the sink was teased open. I had a feeling this was the feral''s entry point.


    I took a breath and marched towards the cabinet door, pulling it open. Empty. A hole in the back wall confirmed my suspicion; this would lead to the underground system. Jovik had done well to score this basement, most of them were blocked up to deal with a rat infestation that had never happened. Nothing ever happened on this planet.


    I ducked down to step into the cabinet, it was tight. Finding the hole with my feet I began to slide down the burrowed tunnel into the darkness. I dangled before dropping about four feet, crouching down to absorb the drop. It wasn¡¯t a long fall but it still felt like hell.


    In the darkness I placed my hand along the wall, tracing my fingers until they brushed over steel. I found the latch and wrenched open the box, activating the low-level light source. A strip of flickering light cast itself down the middle of the squared run. The tunnel flirted with the dim violet, giving me glimpses of its form.


    I knew the way. The light raced as far as I could see. A guttural roar returned, I¡¯d woken one up. They were blind and simple; as long as I was quiet and quick, I¡¯d be safe. Longingly I looked back from where I had come from, perhaps I should go back. I crouched in place to stop myself from retreating, gripped by an intense terror that ordered me to curl up and let the ferals have their fill.


    Just ten minutes, just a quick walk, there would be a runner in the transport box, I could skate down, they¡¯d never catch me. I shivered as I rose to my aching feet, starting my slow pilgrimage down the lonely halls of the forgotten maintenance runs.


    Limping down the seemingly infinite passageway while I waited for the door to come into sight, I kept my eyes fixated on the blackness where the weak light had been swallowed. The maintenance room wasn¡¯t too far away. I pressed into the warm rusty door with my shoulder, it didn¡¯t budge.


    My body was crying sweat, the humidity down here was almost unbearable, I hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, frog in water or something like that. I gave the door another shunt with my shoulder, it creaked but refused to yield. In a spit of silent rage and shook my middle finger at the door.


    I plodded away from the door to the other side of the tunnel, almost tripping on one of the trenches that house the runner wheels. I charged towards the rusty plate. My body collided with it and I groaned in pain, but it gave way. I stumbled through the frame and tumbled into the darkness. The sensor lights awoke with a flicker to brighten the drab space.


    I had landed on a pile of jackets which was a bit of fortune, the comfort that it offered me was wrenched away by the howl of a feral. I¡¯d alerted it. I scurried to my feet and closed the door, bolting it shut and turning to inspect my quarry. The walls were decorated with treasures. Helmets, torches, a pneumatic hammer.


    My main score was waiting for me in the corner, standing up against the wall. The runner. A slender metal plate with wheels that ran down the centre of its underbelly, at the front was a pedal and a small, but dense battery motor. It was made from some sort of alloy. I pulled the dust-covered runner from the wall and lay it down gently.


    No belts to strap in, handles were on fast though. I held down my greasy thumb against the start-up button, it flashed red and fell away. That was machine talk for ¡°go fuck yourself.¡± I ran my hand through my slicked hair with a grimace.


    I¡¯d need a charge point, this thing hadn¡¯t been used in years by the looks of it. Capacitor boxes allowed for charging of these things, they connected to the mains and were found all along the walls of the tunnel. This didn¡¯t please me, why I¡¯d thought it¡¯d work just like that, I don¡¯t know.


    Gear, that¡¯s what I wanted now, I grabbed a torch. The pile of overalls and jackets on the floor were not the cleanest but they were cleaner than my putrid rags. I changed into the green and orange maintenance overalls. Too hot for the jacket.


    As I walked to the door I paused. Yeah, I¡¯d take that too. I grabbed the pneumatic hammer, giving it a wobble in my palm to feel the weight. I pushed the power button, well, look at that, it works. That green light winked at me. I had a new friend. The yellow rubber-clad hammer felt good in my hand. I set it to long barrel single strike and pushed the trigger button in to observe the steel pillar shoot out of the muzzle viciously before retracting. It wasn¡¯t the best but it¡¯d shatter a skull maybe.


    The door groaned angrily as I pulled it slowly towards me. I leaned my head out and looked both ways. The lights hummed blissfully alongside a continuous water drip further down. My breath echoed as I exhaled. I dragged the courage out of my pits and stepped back into the tunnel, easing the lightweight runner through the door behind me, careful not to clang it against it.


    The runner was a slender board with four wheels running down the centre, enough room for a man to sit on it and strap himself in to be shot down the rail. Usually, they were used to move small equipment and tools from block to block, technological gear was being siphoned in great quantities over the years so they had to share.


    I worked the runner out of the door and laid it on the ground for a moment to catch my breath.


    I could see rays of tangerine light stabbing through the stained glass grates in the ceiling. It created a deep orange pastel tinge to the dust floating through it as it married the dim violet light. I tucked the runner under my arm, it was heavy enough to make it more than an inconvenience, a cumbersome front-heavy thing as well, due to the battery pack.


    With a runner under one arm, a pneumatic hammer in my other hand and a torch hanging out of my back pocket I trundled down into the known unknown. The skittering of small creatures and the rattles of larger ones pulled my head about frantically, I¡¯d become sensitive to everything. All I could smell was my sweat and the tang of that dead feral¡¯s blood.


    I was revolting.


    Something was sticking out of the wall but I couldn¡¯t make it out. I set down the runner and took out my torch, scanning it and confirming it was the charging box I¡¯d need. My head span left to right as I fumbled with the cable that unfurled from the runner¡¯s battery. The capacitor hatch opened easily, a miracle, the light on the runner flashed to tell me it was charging. Time to wait.


    I sat with my back against the wall beside my runner, playing with the hammer a little, falling in and out of consciousness. The moment I sat down my body demanded sleep, it was becoming irksome and right now, dangerous. I turned the torch on to have a look around.


    Illuminated not five meters away in front of me was everything I had feared. A feral on all fours, it hadn¡¯t seen me in the low light. My clammy hands clutched the hammer tightly. How the hell did it get so close without me seeing or hearing it? I kept the light on it but didn¡¯t make a sound, it wasn¡¯t moving, and I needed it to go away.


    It growled low and moved forward. All I¡¯d need to do is wait¡­never mind. I snapped to look at the runner. It was beeping with this most ridiculous noise, advising me that it had charged and let the feral know its meal was ready.


    The wretch''s eyes flared with infrared when they were captured by the light from my torch. It bore its teeth. I leaned over and dragged the runner between us. Its howl rang through the tunnel. I felt the weight of the abomination crash down onto the runner and then on me.


    The feral bit and clawed at me as I grunted from behind the runner, its stench overpowering. The rancid low tide odour wriggled up my nose like a rotten eel. Its skeletal facial frame threatened to pierce from its almost translucent flesh, veins yellowed by its revolting blood struck down its cheeks from its temples, like arched lightning.


    It wouldn¡¯t stop until I was torn to shreds, and these things loved to savour their meals. The runner was pushed and jabbed into my face, it dug its claws into my thigh, I felt it rend the flesh, a cold prang of fear followed by burning pain.


    I raised my hand and twisted it; unable to get it up high enough I screamed as I let the piston go. It struck somewhere at the feral''s abdomen. The wretch recoiled and eased the pressure on my body. I shoved the runner towards the monster and leaned forward, punching the steel into its forehead. I felt its blood speckle my face as it flopped backwards, still writhing, it hadn¡¯t quite done the job.


    I stood up, edging towards the pathetic beast. I inspected its ghoulish features as it spasmed frantically on its back. I placed the hammer to its head, those eyes had dimmed to a reassured calmness as if it was thanking me. ¡°Sleep tight.¡± I clicked the trigger. Nothing. The red light of regret flashed at me. The hammer had let me down. The feral lashed out at me with those sickles and I fell backwards. It was regaining composure and I hadn¡¯t a thing to stop it. My kingdom for a sword.


    The feral was on its belly now, and I was planning to get on mine. I dragged the runner to the middle of the tunnel and lined up the wheels. The feral¡¯s howls spurred me on. I lay flat on my stomach. I couldn¡¯t remember how fast these went and I didn¡¯t want to be hurled backwards if I sat up. Here goes.


    I pushed the small pedal with my palm. It blinked at me in orange, then green, but didn¡¯t move. You have to be kidding me, first it lets the feral know I was here, then the bastard doesn¡¯t have the decency to go.


    I felt the feral''s hand coil around my ankle. ¡°C¡¯mon you worthless, fucking, junk!¡± I shook my foot to get it off as I lay on my belly, more vulnerable than ever. In a fit of rage, I mashed my fist down onto the pedal, ¡°Cunt!¡± The runner zipped forward about two meters. ¡°Yes!¡± I slapped my palm down on the pedal and shot down the rail. The feral hitched a ride using my ankle, dragging itself behind me. ¡°Piss!¡± I planted my heel into its face. ¡°Off!¡± I repeated the process until it detached and tumbled away into the abyss.


    In an odd moment of relief, I stroked the runner as if it was a good dog. ¡°Sorry I called you a cunt.¡± Perhaps madness had finally set in, I was still waiting to wake up. This journey had already pushed me to my limit, I was on borrowed time and luck, which of course doesn¡¯t exist.


    Finding the block I needed was trivial, the overhead signs told me exactly what grid I was in and they all ran in order. At least something down here was reliable. I¡¯d have to push my way out of a grate on a side street, the access boxes would be guarded, locked, and more comfortable.


    I broke into another storage room, same thing, piles of overalls, hammers, torches, few sets of ladders. I found a hammer that worked and decided against testing it, thinking best to save every shot I had. I positioned the ladder beneath a grate and clambered up, keeping my left leg straight which had been dug into by that animal. The hammer made short work of the grate and I clambered onto the world above.


    I felt the breeze caress my glossy face. The replicated apartments and grey-faced folks that mulled about made it seem as if I hadn¡¯t moved an inch. An eternal mirror world of grim mundanity, sitting atop a mountain of festering scum, both were as evil as the other.


    I approached the first man I saw.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    He turned to face me. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Torvuld, does he operate in this block?¡± He better, I didn¡¯t exactly travel first class to see him. The man, who seemed less alive than the dreary concrete that entrapped him, just pointed into the distance.


    ¡°Thanks, pal,¡± I said.


    I approached the short box that was the surgeon''s office. Before I got there a woman burst out with her head in her hands, sobbing violently, quite disturbing, I hope this wasn¡¯t anything to do with the Doctor¡¯s bedside manner. I had slowed to a hobble by now, my eyes rolled back a few times before I caught them in their sockets, juggling them to stay awake and away from Mother.


    The door opened again, and a blurry figure said something, sounded panicked, I couldn¡¯t make it out. I couldn¡¯t make anything out. ¡°Doctor?¡± I said. I felt my arm gripped sharply, I wanted to struggle, but I gave in.


    ¡°Come¡­¡± I heard his voice. Then I heard hers.