by Steve Stred
Returning to the cement roadway, Lizzie was glad to continue walking.
Up the hill, into the trees, the view started to change. At first all Lizzie could see were more trees and the cement line that cut through the middle. Further along, it adjusted, the hills further apart, the trees moving away from the edges.
Lizzie couldn’t believe it. When they’d lived on the revolving ship the Earth had looked like such a distant thing, as though its textures and intricacies were flat and one dimensional.
Now, standing at the crest of the hill, looking down over the valley before them, Lizzie was stunned. The shapes and sizes of what could be seen was momentous. A painting come to life. School lessons leaping from the class to stand right before them.
A body of water connected to a white sand beach. A small village beyond and the mountains acted as a picturesque backdrop.
This was everything Lizzie had ever believed the Earth would truly look like.
A sudden primal urge to strip nude and sprint into the water overcame Lizzie. To feel the sand beneath the feet, the body slicing through the water and the sky as the only thing looking down was an intoxicating idea.
But Lizzie pushed it away.
Lizzie walked into the town.
The streets were empty.
No movement ahead or on either side. Lizzie approached with hesitance, looking for anything, still unsure of their place in this world.
The town had been abandoned and discarded, long forgotten by those who might’ve once cared or resided here.
As Lizzie came to its main street, the intersection filled them with sadness over what had become.
Was Eldridge and Empyrean responsible for all of this?
Was this what became of the world when the bombs exploded and those living on the ship ignored the place below them? The people left behind?
Every teacher, every piece of information had stated that the Earth was no more, that the remnants of the former human civilization had been reclaimed by the land. Even during debriefing that had been what Lizzie was told. But it wasn’t true.
Doors and windows were boarded up. Any window that had been left exposed had been shattered and broken, some of the remnants still laying on the sidewalk. Behind the dark opening, Lizzie could see shelves with products, a thick layer of dust covering those cans or knick-knacks closest to the street. They knew that any memories that might still float in the space beyond the black had long since packed their bags and moved on, hoping to find greener pastures.
Lizzie could see the inviting beach and water ahead, appearing and disappearing between each building. The town skyline, minor as it was, made for an animated puzzle that had scattered pieces missing throughout.
These had been people’s livelihoods. Their jobs. Their hopes and dreams, created from and within these places.
A bitter taste formed in Lizzie’s mouth.
While residents lived aboard the ship, the Earth’s survivors down here had struggled, been discarded, and practically starved to death. Mr. Eldridge didn’t care. All he cared about was his survival, his prosperity.
Hell, Eldridge had fled the Earth when the world’s grid had collapsed, and while Lizzie had long been told that he was a savior of the people by creating and taking in people on his revolving ship, the truth was he was a coward. The Returners knew about how things were down here. This fact made Lizzie incredibly angry.
More hunks of metal appeared as Lizzie came to a four-way stop. The red octagon faded and dented, left to rot on the metal stem that held it in place. Something caught Lizzie’s eye. They walked over to the shape, kneeling to inspect what turned out to be the skeleton of a deceased animal. Tiny tufts of hair still held firm on a few of the bleached white bones, the long tail suggesting this had been a cat. Tears welled up in Lizzie’s eyes, a mixture of emotions surging forth with each grim new discovery. Part of the emotion, Lizzie realized, was that the cat hadn’t died all that long ago. The Empyrean lie was beginning to cause stabbing pains where Lizzie felt them the most – the soul.
Leaving the remains behind, a noise was the next thing to get Lizzie’s attention. Looking around, they found the source was a black wire that hung lax between two wooden poles. The purpose of the wire was unknown, but as Lizzie looked further, they could see that the wires travelled off in all directions between more and more of the tall poles. Some were standing straight up and down, while others had dangerous leans to them.
As Lizzie continued on, they found the street was beginning to slope. Making their way down the decline, a complete despondency overcame them. Here were overgrown yards, rusted tricycles and shuttered houses. All life that had called these dwellings home had ended, all color and joy sucked out in an instance, left to rot abandoned and in ruin until the Earth itself reclaimed the space.
Lizzie’s presence was that of a ghost without a home. A feeling they’d experienced their entire life now became the reality. Something shared with Dr. Light, now right before them in the here and now. Each footstep that carried them forward was another step of a being walking through a world that had long ago left them behind. Maybe, I did catch my orb, Lizzie thought. Maybe I’m meant to be alone and to feel meaningless and inconsequential forever?
Scorch marks and ash were the only signs of what had created the town’s pain. A series of familiar-shaped silhouettes along a broken and partially crumbled cement wall forced Lizzie to stop, a hand going to their mouth to halt a cry. The final farewell. A blackened photo of the outline of people, snuffed out in an instant.
A change of surface alerted Lizzie to just where they’d ended up. They were now standing at the beginning of the sandy beach. The sun beat down, the water lapped at the shore. The moment was perfect, clear, and such a difference in scenery and atmosphere from what lay just behind Lizzie that they struggled to connect what was before them.
They walked over to the dock that led to water that travelled to the edge of the horizon. Sitting on the dock cross-legged, Lizzie looked down into the clear, calm water.
How deep was it? Did any animals still live below the surface?
Lizzie turned their gaze skyward. Searching for any sign of the ship.
Was Savannah ok? Had she moved to the Royal Level?
The fact so many people had lied to Lizzie, to the students, and had done for so many years, stung.
Lizzie missed the old view, the one that looked down on the Earth, back when things had been simpler. Back before they knew the truth.
Now, sitting here, looking at the heavens, Lizzie felt discarded, as though their existence alone was an inconvenience worthy of forcing them out, forcing them to jump. Eldridge had said their selection was chosen, not random. That made the deception even more frustrating.
Lizzie had always asked what would happen if they missed their orb, didn’t catch it. But Lizzie should’ve asked what life was like on Earth. Were there survivors down here? It didn’t look like there were. But this was only one small place on a massive spinning globe.
Once again, Lizzie was living but feeling nothing. The emotions that should be waging a battle beneath the surface were being pushed further away as they walked through the exact situation Lizzie found themselves in.
The life up there was over.
The life down here was Lizzie’s reality.
They’d jumped and not been absorbed.
Lizzie’s mom had been right. Lizzie was special.
The thought of their mom’s constant encouragement was the kick they needed. Lizzie wouldn’t allow themselves to become a Ward of this planet.
They had lived. Survived.
Standing, Lizzie took one last look at the water that stretched further away than space ever had.
While they may have initially found themselves lost, Lizzie had now found their way.
Turning, they were surprised to see a blast of orbs fire off into the sky, from far up the hillside in the town. Why hadn’t they seen orbs while walking through the town? Was there a cloakin
g or camouflaging device in place to shield them?
From here, they could see a cylindrical shaped building. It reminded them of the old news stories about Nuclear energy. As Lizzie walked, a noise similar to that of someone strumming a harp sounded, and each time it did, an orb burst from the top of the building and accelerated far up into the stratosphere.
Lizzie had found their destination.
Hurrying, they wanted to get there while the orbs were still launching.
Arriving at the building, Lizzie searched for an entry. It wasn’t until the far side of the structure that one was located. Fumbling with the unfamiliar knob, Lizzie got it turned and pulled the door open. Stepping through, a blast of heat greeted Lizzie, making them take a step back. Blinking a few times, they regained their bearings and stepped into the structure.
A device that looked like a massive microscope filled up the center of the space. Beside it, Lizzie spotted two figures frantically scooping material into an opening with shovels. It was bubbling up from a nearby pit, the red glowing bright against the darkness of whatever was within. It spit and hissed with each shovelful, the figures squealing from each splatter. As they scooped, the tube above blazed bright, before the material slithered up the sides. Once it reached the top of the tube, the material was pushed through an opening. Lizzie’s eyes went wide, as the material formed into a perfectly shaped orb. The tune of the harp sounded again, someone yelled ‘launch!’ and the newly created orb was shot from the structure.
It was then that Lizzie noticed a hunched figure sitting in a chair near the base of the large object that occupied the building. They were intently looking into a viewfinder, tracking the trajectory of each sphere.
Approaching slowly, knowing that when they spoke Lizzie would most likely scare the figures, they took in the outfit the figure was wearing.
White lab coat. Glasses. Bandages criss-crossing their face.
“Excuse me?” Lizzie said, watching as they jumped at the unexpected, intruding voice.
“Who the hell are you?” the figure at the microscope asked, whirling around in their chair.
“I’m Lizzie. Who are you?”
The figure shuffled off the chair, coming towards Lizzie. They were about the same height as Lizzie, but otherwise they were far from what humans looked like on the ship. Male. Emaciated, hairless and eyes bulging behind the lenses, Lizzie was unsure where to look.
“I’m Dr. Harkins. Where did you come from? You are new to me. To here.” His head bobbed around, inspecting Lizzie up and down, side to side.
“I’m from the ship. I jumped, caught my orb, but instead of being absorbed I landed on Earth.”
A shocked gasp came from the three figures as Lizzie shared what had happened.
“The revolving ship? You’re a star person?”
“I guess.”
“Are you Empyrean scum?”
“Pardon?”
“If you’re from where you claim you are, you must be Empyrean scum, yes? Mr. Eldridge work his claws into why you’re up there and we’re down here? Scraping and fighting for morsels of uncontaminated food that he sends when the occasion suits him.”
“I was a student. Our class was selected to jump for our future.”
“Ahh, haha. Yes. The orbs. The future. Nothing but rubbish. Each orb is filled with my concoction, you see. Molten-acid, I’m afraid. Our way of giving back to the vengeful God that lords above us in his ship. In your case, we simply failed. Sadly you lived.”
Lizzie’s eyes went wide. If that was true, that would mean Eric was gone-gone. That absorption was actually eradication.
“But Jack told me he’d jumped before?”
“Ha! Jack Eldridge?” Dr. Harkins spit a dark-green gob to the floor, where it sizzled upon impact. Wiping some sweat from his forehead, he continued. “He’ll say whatever needs to be said to keep his spot on that ship. Such a grotesque thing he is. He delivers our food from time to time. He’ll even give us more if we find his addictions for him. Real piece of work, that man.”
Lizzie’s head spun. Was this all for real? The orbs were supposed to be the answer for them. Their future. The ship was their bastion until selected. From there, everything was preparation for the jump.
Anger grew.
“I can see you’re realizing what I’ve said is true. How you survived, beats me. But you did. You wanted a future. Maybe I can offer one for you?”
Lizzie’s eyes flashed with rage at the figure. Whatever was happening here on the surface was taking its toll on the residents.
He stepped towards Lizzie, one of the bandages coming loose, fluttered, exposing the open sores beneath, the charred skin surrounding it. The work they did here was killing them, the random splashes and spills eating them away.
“This can’t be true,” was all Lizzie could manage.
“My dear, I’m afraid it is. Look around. Look at what man did to this planet. To this town. We fight and we battle for every day of our existence.”
“And you would offer me a future?”
“Absolutely.”
“Why?”
“Because, you’re from up there. You know things.”
Lizzie thought of the town and what had become of the place. The Earth, in all its beauty, reduced to a wasteland from Eldridge’s greed. Lizzie thought of the dreams, the memories, the hope that seemed to dance when this strange little figure spoke of them remaining here and helping them.
“Where do we begin?”
The man smiled, disfigured face sharing happiness in Lizzie’s decision.
“I’m so pleased, Lizzie. Come, my new friend. Let’s make a place for you. One that will give you everything you always wanted.”
Lizzie smiled and followed the doctor, feeling happier than they’d had in some time. The tune of the harp sounded again, another orb rocketing into space.
Heading towards the ship above them, towards an unsuspecting jumper believing that everything they ever wanted was contained in that acid filled sphere.
For some their future was before them when they looked down.
For others, the future was above.
Afterword
I always love to read about where authors get their story inspirations and how that idea becomes a short story, novella or novel.
Inspirations can come from so many odd, random occurrences, but for The Future In the Sky, I believe this is the very first story of mine that has come directly from a dream.
This was an incredibly vivid dream I had one night and when I woke I remembered it all. That is very rare for me and I was immediately inspired.
In this dream, the main person was standing on the edge of a platform looking down from space at the Earth below. It was me in the dream, but it wasn’t, if that makes sense, which was the main reason I decided to make Lizzie non-binary. There’s another reason which I’ll discuss shortly.
A countdown started and I/they jumped. I hurtled through the atmosphere until below me these balls of light or orbs approached. I realized I was supposed to catch them, but in my shock, I missed. Now what? I thought.
In the dream, I landed in a jungle on Earth and discovered that those who didn’t catch their orbs were left to battle hellish beasts and mutated creatures to survive. I immediately messaged Duncan Ralston and David Sodergren about my dream and wondered if either wanted to collaborate in writing this. Both declined. Both loved the idea but both said that while they believed the idea was really cool, for them it wasn’t something that was in their wheelhouse of wanting to write.
I let the idea sit for a day or two and realized the ending of my dream was what didn’t work for me. It felt too ‘Maze Runner’/’Hunger Games-ish.’ A young character who needs to survive in an unknown world with creatures and beasts.
It really struck me odd that I’d had this vision of the orbs. Why?
A week later, it clicked. I was walking from my car into work past the park near the clinic building when I looked over and saw the Christmas li
ghts were on. The orbs that hang from the tree were illuminated and I took a photo, sending it to some people to say “A-HA!” That was where those pesky orbs had come from.
Once I started to write this novella, I realized that it wasn’t going to be a one-and-done and that it was leaning further and further into the sci-fi realm. A departure to an extent from my ‘horror’ themes, but the psychological aspects were definitely dark and in tune with ‘Jane: the 816 Chronicles’ and ‘Wound Upon Wound,’ both sci-fi novellas.
As for the second reason I made Lizzie non-binary, was I wanted to remove any pretense of how the character would react or how they’d make decisions. To take the male and female stereotypes out of the character gave me a bit more freedom in how their feelings would be shaped by what was happening and by different revelations. To not have the aggressive male reactions or the rational approach many females will take. Sometimes Lizzie needs to have a split-second response. Sometimes an aggressive response. But I didn’t want any reader to think “pssh, a guy wouldn’t do that.” It’s antiquated and limiting.
I’ve purposefully let some things hang without clear endings here. Those will be discussed in the next four novellas, the second of which is entitled ‘The Bandaged Man’ and will fill in some of the story.
Music always plays a role when I’m writing. For this one, I wanted a specific feel and atmosphere to my writing. For that I turned to Arcade Fire, Gunship, Chris Amott, The Strumbellas, Above & Beyond and The Trews. Other singles came and went, but the majority of this novella was shaped by those bands and their music.
I’m eternally grateful to Ross Jeffery for the cover and the blurb. Three folks who read this for possible blurb all messaged to say that they were inspired to create a cover off of something that triggered a response. Truly humbled.
Big thanks to Sam Brunke-Kervin for her Beta and feedback on this. I wasn’t sure how I did and was grateful for her responses. I initially had two fairly graphic sex scenes in here and Sam said to completely remove them. She was right.