Greenhaus:Storm

by Reckelhoff, Bryan

“Cole Sutter, the man who was working the desk last night,” answered Jacob.

  “Are you sure you have the right name? Or are you mixing things up?”

  “No, it was Cole Sutter, I am sure of it,” replied Jacob.

  “Well, if you are certain it was Cole, I can check the rolls, but that name doesn’t ring a bell. I’ll be back in a sec.” The man then stepped back into the pod and a loud sucking sound pulled it down through the floor.

  Jacob fidgeted.

  The man returned alone and said, “There seems to be a problem with our system. I’m sorry, but we will get it sorted out. In the meantime is there anything I can help you with? Or maybe a message you would like to leave?”

  “No, I will just wait for Cole if it’s all the same to you,” Jacob replied.

  “Suit yourself. I will go back under and check to see if we are online yet, hang tight.” And the man disappeared again, leaving Jacob scratching his head.

  When the pod resurfaced, Cole stepped out and offered congratulations of a sort, in the new manner of speaking Jacob would have to learn to employ. “Hello Jacob,” he said as he moved his hand to his mouth and whispered, protocol for any information deemed sensitive by the Whisperers. The reasons for doing so were twofold and explained thoroughly in the Charter: it muffled the vibrating sound waves and kept a moving mouth hidden from the lip readers. “I see that you have passed your first test,” he said. “That man was being deceptive, to see if you would lose your cool or blow your cover. We were watching, as we always are, and we hope we can continue to count on your discretion.”

  Jacob started to whisper something, but forgot to cover his mouth at first. “I have a question,” he started, before fixing his faux pas and finishing, “About the list of members?”

  “Sure, I can help you with that.” Cole spoke in that high frequency fake voice. Part of the expected behavior of the Whisperers was to know what to say out loud and what to keep quiet, an important skill Jacob would have to learn. Whispering everything all the time would draw the attention of those watching. Speaking the wrong thing aloud could have a more disastrous consequence.

  “Harvard Niles is not on this list, but I was sure he would be. At least, I hoped he would be,” explained Jacob in a whispery tone from behind his hand.

  “Yes, I was expecting that question. That might take some lengthy explaining,” he whispered back. “So you would like a guided tour of Newer Orleans?” asked Cole in his hospitality voice. “That can certainly be arranged,” he said, confusing Jacob to no end as he pulled a piece of paper up in front of him, pretending to read it. Then he whispered, “Karl said you’d want the deluxe tour, of both the Inside and the Outside.”

  Jacob was lost with the sudden switch in topics, but played along with the game. “Yes, yes, I would like a guided tour.” In New St. Louis, there was no tour offered, and Jacob was sure this was some sort of cover. Surely they don’t let people wander around the wasteland?

  “Ok, that will be fifty-five gredits and includes a guide,” he added, before whispering, “And transportation, a safe suit, and all the time in Decon that you will need to freshen up upon your return.” Cole held the EPC reader and slid the wand up Jacob’s arm. “A guide will come along shortly and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the tour. It’s best to save any inquiries for her.”

  Her? Nervousness set in and his palms began to sweat.

  Cole motioned like he was coughing, even pushed out a few fake ones before whispering through a covered mouth, “The Outside can be dangerous, but it is also a place to ‘stay safe’ and a speakfreely. We have no enemies there. None that we know of, anyway.”

  Confused by that statement, Jacob nonetheless nodded in agreement.

  A woman appeared through the floor, walked to the greeting counter, and introduced herself. “Hello, I am Sylvia Watts, and I will be your personal guide today.”

  Jacob’s heart pounded. The most attractive woman he had ever seen stood a few feet in front of him and all he could do was stare. Good looks were not unusual in hospitality, for men or women, but her beauty was striking. He wanted to introduce himself, but the words wouldn’t leave his tongue.

  A red Nu-Skin with a tapered black stripe up each side traced the curves of her body and drew his eyes. Flowing waves of sandy blonde tresses lay on her shoulders and bounced as she walked around the desk. Her green eyes and long lashes enticed him to stare, but with so many other things to see, Jacob resisted the temptation. Flawless porcelain skin tinged blush at cheeks that were framed perfectly by high bones and dimples from an ever-present smile. Leggy and tall, Sylvia’s physique was better developed than most women in the ‘Haus. Her slender waist and thick hips swayed as she strutted by him to the desk, where she whispered something in Cole’s ear.

  An attempt to introduce himself proved pathetic. “I am Jacob Niles, and it’s…” He stopped, tried to start again, and stuttered to a stop again.

  Sylvia turned to face Jacob. A partially zipped Nu-Skin revealed her ample bust. She leaned forward, revealing more of herself, and gently whispered in his ear, “I know who you are. We have been waiting for you for a long time. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jacob Niles.” She stuck out her hand, which he grasped firmly and shook. She pulled him close and whispered again with a hint of flirtation in her tone. “And if I might say, it was well worth the wait.” The smile across her face widened and her dimples deepened. Sylvia bit her pinky fingernail as she eyed him back.

  Jacob blushed. Little social interaction with the opposite sex, standard for a worker in Engineering, was the primary cause for his shy nature. Jacob hadn’t ever courted anyone, and had never felt the urge to do so until he laid eyes on Sylvia. Being in hospitality, it was part of her job to make him feel welcome and at ease, but in spite of this he hoped her ‘well worth the wait’ comment was genuine.

  “So let’s begin, shall we?” she asked.

  Sylvia’s long strides, rippling muscles, and switching hips provided a welcome distraction from the recent chaos. Jacob was so entranced that he forgot to follow at first, until she glanced back over her shoulder and caught him staring hard. She flashed a sly, playful smile and said, “There will be plenty of time to stare later in the tour Jacob. Let’s try to keep up.”

  He continued to blush, totally caught off guard by her easy nature, beauty, and willingness to be admired. He followed her, catching up only to have his embarrassment continue. “Like what you see, did ya?” she asked before reminding him, “Rule number one, try to not get distracted, because here in the ‘Haus, beauty has its way of causing us to lose focus,” she explained. She used her index finger to scratch her nose, hiding her mouth as she whispered, “Which, as we all know, can be the death of us.”

  “I’m sorry, it’s just…” Jacob was flustered, so he paused and looked down at the ground as he searched for words that were not forthcoming. “I couldn’t help myself,” he blurted out.

  She giggled, and said, “It’s ok, look all you want. Just remember why you are here, Jacob Niles.”

  Jacob knew why he had come here, but suddenly he had more reasons to want to stay. The red Nu-Skin was so tight it revealed everything about Sylvia, leaving little to the imagination. Leg muscles rippled with every step, and her arms swung sweetly as she strode forward. Everything seemed to bounce and swish about…..so perfectly. He could not keep his eyes off of her, nor did he want to.

  The walk continued, though Jacob did not say much. Sylvia kept her head forward for most of the walk and continued explaining the upcoming tour, but the words she spoke went in one ear and out the other.

  They hopped a walking tread, which led them into a long, narrow corridor, identical to almost every other corridor he had ever walked. The tread exited the ‘Haus, into a thin glass tube, which was suspended 150 feet above the ground, connecting the main building to an annex. Though it was not any higher than a Bullet or Beebe, and probably safer, Jacob tensed up as they passed above the ground
. Nothing separated them from open air but the tube connecting the two glass structures.

  Sylvia felt his tension. “First time on a SkyBridge there, rook? A lil’ scared?” Sylvia chided Jacob.

  “N-n-n-o,” Jacob stuttered, “I-I…”

  “It’s ok, Jacob,” she cut him off in a laughing-talking variation of speech, trying to make him feel at ease. His trembling legs and knocking knees betrayed his verbal denial. “Really, it’s adorable. It happens to us all the first time,” she sympathized. The sympathy lasted only a brief moment before she started back in on him. “Just try to forget how far up we are. How if the glass cracked we would plummet to a gruesome death, flapping our arms as the ground rushed up to meet us,” she said while acting the scene out in front of him in dramatic fashion. “Try to forget that if you fell just right, you might survive the fall. As painful as it might be, surely the downpour of glass would finish you off. You might bleed out, but that shouldn’t take long.”

  The graphic description scared him enough to almost make him piss his pants. Jacob turned a chalky white as the blood drained from his face. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud burst of laughter from Sylvia, followed with the quip, “You should see your face.”

  Her laughter was uncontrollable and there was a long awkward pause while she got it all out of her system. After what seemed like an eternity to Jacob, Sylvia composed herself and said, “Seriously though, Jacob, the SkyBridge is safe, and I’m sorry for pokin’ fun atcha.” She held out her hand and said, “Relax and enjoy the view.”

  Jacob grabbed her hand and she wrapped his arm across her stomach. His other arm was pulled across the first.

  “Is that better?” she softly whispered in his ear, craning her neck around to do so.

  Jacob froze. He was no longer scared of heights, but was terrified of Sylvia. He was unsure if she was just being nice, doing her job, coming on to him, or what. So he tested the waters, and flexed his arms, pulling her in tight against his body and gently spoke, “I’m still scared, but the fall wouldn’t be so bad now.”

  Sylvia seemed to enjoy the gesture; her body convulsed slightly. The soft shiver was a sign of approval and she nuzzled back into him deeper, wiggling her hips. “Oh, Jacob Niles. Oh what, oh what are we gonna do with you?”

  His pulse raced and he thought of a thousand clever replies, but the walking tread was nearing its end. The SkyBridge entered a tall cylindrical glass building, the likes of which Jacob had never seen before.

  When the tread ended, they stepped off and Sylvia jokingly asked, “You wanna take the stairs?”

  A spiraling staircase circled the shaft that contained the elevator, but Jacob opted for ease over exercise, and they took the elevator to Zone 1 for a single gredit. Jacob could see that traveling around Newer Orleans would either be expensive or tiring. Sylvia continued to talk, but he was in a trance and only gave a token head nod, the minimum necessary to appear to be paying attention.

  The elevator was small, and they stood close, bodies just inches from each other, but he wanted to be pressed close to her. Jacob didn’t want to wear out his welcome though, so he kept the distance she set. He found her alluring and though he tried to stop it, his eyes started wandering again. Starting with her face, which was without flaw. Her neck, perfect and straight, her collarbones subtly poked from her neckline.

  Jacob forgot there was a person behind all that beauty, gazing at her like some flower. He was quickly reminded when she spoke. “They don’t have many women where you are from?”

  “No, its… well, I’m sorry….” Jacob was once again at a loss for words. He could hardly speak. He knew that his eyeballing her was rude and he had no defense for himself.

  She giggled again. “It’s okay. Cute actually. I get much worse than a good stare around here. You can’t imagine some of the stuff the guys say.”

  That is where you are wrong, I can imagine it, and I’m forcing myself not to go there. She was good-natured about it all, but that did not excuse Jacob’s behavior in the least. He thought he was over it when she began speaking again. He noticed something he had missed before, something that drew his eyes in. Her lips, plump and full, red as her Nu-Skin suit, continued to move but he no longer understood the words, like she was speaking a foreign language.

  He continued staring at them as she spoke, no longer caring if Sylvia caught him looking. Shaken from his hypnosis when the elevator reached the ground floor, he found he did not want to leave the small space. Being so close to her stirred a fire in him that he had never felt before.

  After the door opened, she stepped out into a small round room. A large ‘DECONTAMINATION’ sign hung above the doorway on the far side of the room. Four other whooshing doors, two on each side of the room, provided the only exits out into the rest of the annex.

  Not much was happening besides a couple of Wipers cleaning the glass. “Pretty dead in here, huh?” Jacob noticed.

  “Yeah, it’s a restricted zone, workers only,” she replied. Several people in Engineering orange waited in a line under the sign, which they joined. “So Mr. Niles, how do you like Newer Orleans so far?” she asked.

  “It’s just okay so far. I can’t wait for the tour. I’ve been told there are many beautiful things to see, if one only knows where to look.”

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Niles, you are gonna get the full tour, and you will be able to explore anything you like,” she answered back.

  Jacob’s body tingled. He wanted to laugh at the innuendo, but felt he should show restraint in front of others. He enjoyed her company and could not wait to see what the tour was about. She had explained it fully, but he had not listened very well, catching only bits and pieces of her speech.

  The line moved quickly, and emptied through the whooshing door into a room with the solid walls of Decon. They were led through the first chamber, into a cleansing chamber, where the guide left them with just a wink. The door shut. A man was waiting and handed each of them a white safe suit and face mask. “Quick, put these on,” he instructed.

  It was similar to the outfit the Rangers wore when they went on scrap runs or long recruiting trips. He struggled to get it on, but finally managed the task. He liked the feel. It was not as tight as a Nu-Skin. Thicker and more cumbersome, the material wasn’t flexible, and was much heavier than his everyday wardrobe. It zipped up with ease and covered his generic white Nu-Skin. Jacob flexed his limbs to test it out.

  As much as he liked the feel, he hated the look on Sylvia. Not that anything she could wear would look terrible, but the toned body and rippling muscles were hidden in the puffy suit, her round curves dulled by its slight bagginess.

  “Fit okay?” she asked.

  “Perfect,” he replied.

  “Alright, well let’s begin the tour.”

  The chairs of the Decon chamber were moved and a hatch was opened in the floor. The white walls hid the movement from any eyes that would be watching outside of Decon. Sylvia was the first to descend, carefully stepping down the rungs of the ladder one by one.

  Chills ran up Jacob’s spine as he followed her underground. The long tunnel, formed of concrete walls and slightly arched ceilings, had minimal lighting. A single exit, sealed by an airtight door, waited at the end. The hatch above them closed, and the sound of chairs being moved back into place echoed past them as the duo walked the dimly lit tunnel.

  We really are going Outside. This is strange.

  The prospect of leaving the ‘Haus made his skin crawl, and his guts bubble up. Despite the fact that his biggest dream was to become a Ranger, actually leaving the protective walls for the first time was a bit frightening, especially given the unconstitutionality of it all. A whole world existed outside of the glass, a world of which he knew little. All he knew was what he had learned in his childhood education, and he was beginning to realize how much of his education had been a farce.

  The airlock door opened and revealed another short tunnel. A light at the end led them toward a room, wher
e Sylvia was greeted and issued a traveling backpack by a gentleman who asked, “Will that be one or two ATVs today?”

  Sylvia turned to Jacob and asked, “You ever driven one of these?” as she pointed to the row of odd-looking vehicles lined up against the wall.

  “Well, actually I have never driven anything, so no,” he responded

  “Just one for today; the noob is gonna have to ride with me,” she cracked wise yet again on Jacob. He now felt what Jasper had felt, being the constant punchline of someone’s jokes.

  Jacob studied the machines. The exposed metal gleamed and the tires looked too big for the vehicle, but he couldn’t even begin to understand how they worked. He didn’t think there was room for two on the seat, but then thought to himself, That is not such a bad thing.

  “Hey Mitch, guess who this is?” Sylvia asked the man assisting her.

  He looked at Jacob, but shrugged his shoulders and returned to his task.

  “Niles’ kid. He’s finally come aboard.”

  His dark brown eyes lit up with excitement. “It’s good to have you on the team. Sorry Jasper had to fall…”

  Sylvia hushed Mitch. “Don’t be so insensitive, it’s still fresh.”

  She was covering something with her interruption, but Jacob kept quiet and filed the question for later.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean offense,” Mitch replied.

  Sylvia spoke over him again, “You ready to go Jacob?”

  Though he couldn’t see how they were both going to fit on the small seat, he couldn’t wait to try. Sylvia hopped on one of the four-wheeled vehicles and grabbed the two rubber grips at the end of the thin metal bars, pulling herself as far forward as possible. She reached around and removed two batteries from her backpack, inserting them on both sides of her seat in the appropriate slots until they clicked.

  “Hop on,” she said, “And hang on tight, cuz you are in for the ride of your life.”

  Jacob did as she asked. After all, she hadn’t misled him with any of her instructions thus far. He wrapped his arms around her and held tight.