by John Carrick
Ashley waited for Geoff. She'd heard the toilet flush, but that was at least a couple of minutes ago. It was too long ago.
Ash turned around and looked at the structure. The bathrooms were attached to a much larger building, a Parks' Services building. The back half of the structure was arched and curved downward into the hovering facility. Ashley recognized it as a train access tunnel, leading into the city.
"Geoff?" she said.
"In here," he answered.
Confused by the waiting game with the boys, Ashley decided to call their bluff and went into the boy's bathroom.
In addition to the sinks, stall and urinals, there was a half-open door to the structure beyond. The massive garage was filled with landscaping equipment, two more golf carts, as well as a locker area and a couple of desks.
Geoff waved to her from the back of the hall. He stood beside an open panel in the huge hatch, sealing the maglev tube. Although there were no train cars present, it was obvious enough that the garage had been built to repair the hover trains that ferried people throughout Angel City.
"Come on," he yelled, ducking back behind the panel. "Whoooo!" Geoff's voice slid away from her far quicker than his ability to run.
Ash sprinted across the hall, jumping down into the tunnel after her brother. Like Geoff, she slid with one leg stretched out and the other curled beneath her, flying down the terillium-laced tube.
When Ashley reached the place where the pipe flattened out again, she found herself standing. Geoff was ahead of her, making his way past a couple of gates leading into a hub of maintenance corridors. Ashley followed silently.
"Ha!" A barred gate slammed shut behind Geoff. "We got another one!" a young truant officer shouted.
A group of boys materialized from deeper in the tunnels.
"Hey, there sewer rat.”
“Looks like we got us one more for the stew!"
Geoff spun.
Older boys, their uniforms identifying them as members of the civil services, had surrounded him. Several of them held long electric prongs. Geoff saw handcuffs in several hands, as well.
"Our job is locking up stray dogs, and you are about as homeless as I've ever seen," one boy taunted.
Another leapt and pinned Geoff's arms behind his back.
"No orphans in our tunnels," one yelled.
Handcuffs were snapped over the struggling Geoff’s wrists.
Ashley charged the gates, kicking the iron cross bars. "Let him go!!"
"Oh, hey, we got us another one! Someone trip the lock."
The boy jabbed his electric staff through the bars, grazing Ash.
Ashley grabbed the staff, jerking it away from him.
The boy reached through the grate and grabbed Ashley by her shirt.
She grabbed the offending hand and twisted it back on itself, using the bars of the grate as leverage. He fought her, but she had an unbeatable position, he was already over extended.
Ashley heard the ligaments of his shoulder begin to rip and tear.
The older boy screamed.
"Let him go!" Ashley yelled.
The other dogcatchers looked up from their struggle with Geoff.
Ashley twisted the boy's wrist, he howled in agony.
She released the tension just enough for him to catch his breath and stop screaming.
"I said LET HIM GO!" she yelled.
One of the boys stepped forward to say something.
Ashley gave her captive's wrist a quarter turn and his screams drown out the words of his comrade.
Ashley released the tension and let the pain subside. He became quiet again. In the silence, Ashley spoke, "Let him go or I will cut his arm off."
For emphasis, she held up the Micronix and pressed the button. Six inches of razor-sharp steel jumped into her hand.
Geoff struggled with his captors, “You heard her, let me go!”
The forward soldier spoke, "We... We uh... We don't have a key for that gate. We couldn't even take you with us if we wanted to."
Ashley wrenched the boy's shoulder from its socket, the screaming and ripping sounds magnified by the tunnel walls. A moment later his screams ceased as he had passed out from the pain.
“Did you kill him?” one of the teens asked.
Geoffrey broke loose and ran. “Ashley!”
Acting on instinct, one of the kids pulled his stun gun and fired.
Geoffrey went down, out cold.
The teens rushed over to him and checked his vitals.
Ashley watched and listened, helpless.
“He’s still breathing.”
“Pick him up. Let’s get him in the cart.”
“I’ll get his legs, okay, yeah.”
The older boys carried Geoff back of their segmented cart.
“If you’re not orphans, just have your guardian come down to the pound and pick up the little mongrel,” one of the boys said.
Ashley’s reply caught in her throat.
Lights approached from the distance. Three men appeared; feds, in suits, carrying guns and flashlights.
Ashley turned and ran from the gate, leaving her prisoner hanging, unconscious and broken.
Reid was standing his post, the invisible over-watch, his tank tethered above, a hundred feet overhead. After the children failed to exit the restroom, he began to panic and called Ross.
“Major Ross, I think we’ve got a problem here,” he said.
“What’s going on?” Captain Snow cut in.
“Ma’am, Good to hear you up and about.”
“What’s going on, Chief?”
“They got away from me ma’am. They went down inside this terra-formed structure, and I’m picking up radio chatter. There was some kind of incident. The Feds are here and there’s like thirty of them all of a sudden.”
“Armored Feds?” Ross asked.
“No, sir. Suits. They’re everywhere. What do you want me to do?”
Captain Snow answered, “Stay put, I’ll be there in five.”
Chapter 65 – Deeper and Deeper Still
Sunday, August 2, 2308
Ash didn't want to try going back for the car. The teens at the top of the tunnel had been too interested in her and Geoff. She suspected the lot of them had been working together and turned down one of the branching tunnels.
At first she just walked into the inky black. There was nothing to see, even if she could see. The trains no longer ran through these tunnels, the lines had been cancelled long ago.
At one time, this had been a commercial hub; busy enough to warrant several local lines. Its cavernous malls had been gutted for distribution chains where faceless packages were sorted between more upscale and current destinations.
Drifters, parolees, laborers, all drawn to the low-stress employment offered by the shipping outfits made up the clientele of the local shops, restaurants and the scattered urban living structures. Wandering through the tunnel, Ashley doubted she'd find much assistance, wherever it led. She slowly became able to make out the tunnel wall, there was light coming in from somewhere.
Suddenly the earth around the girl began to shake and rumble. A train roared as it passed by, unseen, beyond the walls of her dark enclosure. Shocked from her complacency, Ashley ran down the tunnel, sprinting toward whatever it was that lie ahead of her. Ashley ran until her thighs burned and her feet ached, until her lungs stretched to their limit.
Ashley had almost reached the light source. As she approached it, Ashley noticed the light source was wavering, wobbling. That was when she heard the voices. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but these voices were adult.
Light spilled from around a corner at an intersection up ahead.
Ash crept closer to the edge. Peeking around, Ashley saw figures in the distance. Several adults held flashlights, grilling a group of juveniles - the dogcatchers. Ashley saw one of their vehicles in the background; it was empty. It took her a couple of minutes, but Ashley was able to work her way closer to the heated conversation.
She got close enough to make out some of their words, only when only one person happened to be speaking at a time.
"Well we haven't seen her!"
"Then where is she?"
"She has to come this way."
"Fuck you!"
"We're just doing our job!"
"And the other one?"
"They took a full load back to the center."
"He's in custody."
"We should split up."
Ashley didn't wait for the flashlights to turn in her direction. She retraced her steps back down the darkened tunnel. She continued on, into the darkness, jogging smoothly, trying hard not to panic.
The lights were behind her now; she was cornered. Then she reached the cave in. The tunnel that snaked its way through the superstructure had cracked open, spilling filler earth into one side of the tunnel and exposing a wicked gash in the other, leading into the man-made facility.
Ashley knew it wouldn't take her pursuers long to reach her. She was cornered, trapped, unless she crawled into the fissure. She saw the flashlights then heard the staccato stomps of their footfalls. Ash didn't wait to make out their voices. The dirt that filled in the gaps of the structure had hardened a bit, upon exposure to the air. She pushed herself into it.
Ashley tried to grip the wall of the superstructure but slid downward, deeper into the crevice. She wondered how such a thing could happen to such a large facility. The section was almost large enough to be a city by itself. She could see the crack. She wasn't too deep, yet.
She pushed deeper and screamed as the dirt beneath her feet gave out. Ashley slid through the earth, riding the soft edge of the broken section.
She dodged struts rushing toward her from odd angles, threatening to take an eye or rip an internal organ into the external world. The ride seemed to have no end.
She was terrified that the crack would vent her into the open sky, ten thousand feet above the earth, far from any potential safety nets.
Finally, the sliding earth spilled Ashley into a vaulted room, onto the top of a ten-foot mountain of dirt. Ash tumbled down the mound into the midst of a construction crew, engaged in repairing the rip. A cloud of dust and debris billowed from the girl as she stood and brushed herself off.
Aside from a few scratches, Ash seemed okay. As soon as she was assured of this fact, she bolted from the vault, the workers calling after her.
Sprinting down the new, well-lit tunnel, sprinting for her life, Ashley out distanced them immediately. She ran into the curve, all the tunnels seemed curved, and Ashley ran right into the heart of it.
Suddenly, as if she’d been splashed with cold water, Ashley realized why her pursuers gave up so quickly. Then she heard it, the rumble.
Ashley increased her speed. It was her only option. Overhead, the magnetic cable was mounted to the ceiling.
When the train came, there would be no room for her small body, but Ashley continued running. She managed her breathing and launched ahead with a speed she didn't even know she was capable of. Ashley gave it everything she had.
There, up ahead, was the platform. Just as Ashley's eyes and brain recognized the promise of safety, her mind also recognized the increased illumination coming from behind her. Then the train rounded the corner, and she grew a shadow.
The train operator jerked the horn in reflex, telling Ashley something she already knew, but waking up the sleepy passengers waiting on the platform. Everyone leaned out to watch the approaching train. They pointed and watched the sprinting girl, who was sure to be crushed.
Ash redoubled her efforts.
Ahead, to the left, she spotted the small offshoot, a walkway and stairwell. There was a short gate at the top of the stairwell. She pushed hard at the ground.
The train screamed again, desperate not to run her over.
Ash made the walkway just one step before the train would have killed her. The wind in its passing carried her up the stairs. Ashley's foot found the top of the gate two steps earlier than she'd anticipated.
Now she was hurtling into the crowded platform, trying to keep her balance and control the accelerated momentum. She stepped out, planting her right foot on the window of a passenger car, as the train slowed for its scheduled stop. The step was all she needed. It was enough.
Ashley landed, sliding across the tiled floor, the waiting passengers making space for her.
They applauded her, as she and the train both came to a complete stop. The engineer dashed out, he ran up and hugged the filthy girl.
Ashley smiled, was polite, even posed for a few photos pointing to her footprint, high on the train's glass window-sidewall.
Then the appearance of a uniformed driver snapped the young girl back to reality. She said her goodbyes and abandoned the platform for a nearby restroom.
Ash had no change of clothes and no way to disguise herself. She simply washed her face and arms, and dried them as best she could.
After encountering the mercenaries, Ashley was glad that Geoff had been taken by innocent truant officers. The young officers, only eighteen or nineteen, were doing their two years of public service. From the conversation she overheard, it was clear that they weren’t working with the Federal Agents pursuing her.
If Geoff was with other kids, he was probably safe. Even though she knew that couldn't possibly last long. If she didn't do something smart, something different and mighty soon, they would find him. And if she didn't do something right now, they were going to find her.
Ash spotted the nearby shopping center and headed for it. She watched the people she passed without looking at them. None of them were watching her, which was a good thing, from every possible angle.
A small park ran alongside the shopping center. Ash was hungry, but didn't want to go into any of the stores. She headed toward the park. That was when she spotted him.
The Chinese man was sitting on a bench. He wasn't looking at her, but turned to meet her gaze. He patted the bench next to her, gesturing for her to take a seat.
She did.
"Ashley. I knew your father," he said. "My name is Dr. Lao Te. It's been a long time since I've seen you."
"Not that long," Ashley replied. "I saw you in the park the other day, and at the library. I even saw you in the transit terminal."
"Yes. You really took that boy apart. Don’t you think you may have over done it?"
"I didn’t kick him. He deserved what he got."
"Did he? Very much your father's daughter," Lao smiled.
"How did you know him?"
"We worked together, when we were younger."
Ash said nothing. Dr. Te spoke crystal clear English; only the pacing of his words was unique. He took his time with each thought, as if fixing it in his mind before actually vocalizing it.
Looking at Dr. Te, Ashley realized he must be older than seventy, maybe over eighty. His skin looked thin and brittle. Every hair on his head was white, even his eyebrows were without pigment. His eyes were bright and clear, almost luminescent. His clothes were from China, or at least Chinatown, an authentic silk shirt, canvas pants and thin cloth shoes.
"How much do you know about your father's work?" he asked.
"I know this is important," Ashley showed him the prototype. "I think it's what they want."
“Indeed.”
"Geoff says it can think."
"Your father wasn't so sure."
"Geoff's not guessing. He said there are two of them. He says there’s another one, that someone has it and that they’re looking for us."
"And so, what will you do?"
"Well this, it was my dad's, and now it's mine. No one is ever taking it from me."
Lao was silent.
"How do I know you really worked with my dad?" Ashley asked.
Lao smiled.
"It's just that I don't know you," Ashley explained.
"True. You have no r
eason to trust me." He looked at the sky.
Together they sat quietly for a moment.
"You aren't trying to kill me," Ash observed.
Lao smiled, "That would be quite problematic for us both."
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked.
Lao composed his thoughts. "It seems anyone who has tried to kill you, has been unsuccessful."
They watched pedestrians and shoppers drift past the small park.
After a long moment of silence, Lao asked, "What will you do next?"
"I don't know. They caught Geoff. They killed my parents, right out in front of our house, for the whole world to see. My dad sent us out into the forest. He told us to go to Mexico."
"They say David was about your age, when he fought Goliath. Youth is no reason to give up on the path to enlightenment."
"The path to what?"
"The path is the reason you get out of bed in the morning. If you were not on the path to enlightenment, you would be dead."
"So then, what happens when you find enlightenment? You die?"
"Some people die. Some people just start over, but the second time, it's easier."
"Did you find your enlightenment?" she asked.
Lao smiled at her. "I like to think I did."
"So then, what do you think I should do?" Ashley asked.
"A popular saying today is, ‘if you drop your car keys in the garage, do not look for them under the streetlamp, just because the light is better."
Ashley stared at the cobblestones under her feet. The rocks resembled the stones used for their backyard patio, only glossier. Here, they had been polished and washed regularly. The absurdity of the entire structure made her laugh. Here they were, sitting in a fake park on a fake street, on a manufactured anti-gravity hub, floating six thousand feet above the ground.
At home, Ashley had always been impressed with the way the forest asserted itself. The way Mother Nature threatened to cover the patio with moss growing along the mortar grooves. The way the forest climbed over the grass, and the grass crowded the stones. Here, there was none of that.
Here, the earth had been tamed. Man had moved off her surface, to pollute the skyline with his floating cities and flying vehicles. Ashley was struck with the idea that mankind had gone from being a maggot on in the earth's skin, to a swarm of flies above its surface.