Vallar

by Cindy Borgne

  I liked the idea of being ruined as a seer.

  “This isn’t a request, doctor. Call the dean, cancel the exams and tell him to find a job.”

  I peeked around the corner. Admiral Beacon’s image went out with a flicker. He handed me a possible escape - a way out among the workers. I held back a smile and stepped into the study.

  Clare spun around startled with wide eyes. “Did you hear?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “The only way I can get you out of this is if you have a vision, so would you just have one?”

  “Who says I want to get out of it?” I grinned and stared past Clare as I tried to imagine what it was like in a Marscorp factory.

  “What?” Clare’s eyes flared. “You’re happy about this?”

  “Yeah, because after a while you can tell Beacon my stress increased so much that I’m ruined as a seer.”

  “But you don’t know what it’s like in a Marscorp factory. Why don’t you cooperate and get going with the visions?”

  “No! I won’t be used for his war machine anymore.”

  Clare squirmed in her chair. “Beacon didn’t become an admiral by accident. He was selected and trained from the age of two in one of the toughest programs. He was raised to fight for whatever he wants and not care about what he might have to do to get it. But you? You’ve had it easy all your life.”

  “I know.”

  “Uh huh,” she mused. “A few days of the factory and you’ll be back. Then we’ll get back to normal.”

  “Normal?” I snapped. Heat rose into my face, but I stopped. She said these things because she was afraid of Beacon. I wanted to leave her out of it.

  “Yes, normal.” Clare kept her eyes on the screen.

  Things would never be normal. I went back to my room, over to the holo and searched for a job in the factories. First, I checked for anything involving hovercraft repair, but didn’t find anything. I continued to look for something involving repair. Then I found a need for a mechanic in an elevator repair shop. Maybe I have a chance to get it.

  ****

  The next day, after a long elevator ride, I came to a stop before the factory and stepped out in a small lobby. A clear tube-like hall was before me. I followed it along as my shoes clicked on the floor.

  Never mention anything about your visions, Clare said several times before I left. Outside wind blew rusty powder over the dunes. It pelted on the tube, creating a soft vibration. Drafty air made me cold and red grit scraped the bottom of my black dress shoes.

  I pulled the edge of my black elite uniform down and straightened my tie. It didn’t seem like a good idea to wear it, but Clare thought the workers wouldn’t respect me without it. I gave in to stop her nagging.

  Beyond the clear tube, large cargo hovercrafts traveled in two rows - one going west and the other east. Behind the vessels, about five kilometers away, white steam flowed from a smoke stack of a hydrogen power plant. On the other side of the tube, hovercrafts drifted into a small hangar.

  One day I would repay Kayla in some way, even though nothing I could offer would ever be enough. All I had were my visions, which led to enough trouble. Nate was right. I had to get away from Marscorp and learn something useful.

  After another short trip in an elevator, I entered the repair shop. The scent of oil drifted through the air. Busy workers in greasy, tan overalls worked in rows of elevator repair stations. They moved quickly with their sparking arc welders, glowing laser saws and buzzing drills.

  I looked forward to using those tools and could see myself at one of the stations. No more need for visions. A digital chart hung to the left of the manager’s office listing names and a record amount of elevators repaired in one day. Someone by the name of Hector was in the first place slot with fifty-five followed by Dieter with fifty-one.

  The manager opened the office door. He wore greasy brown overalls over a t-shirt and had muscular arms. I guessed him to be in his mid-forties. Messy blondish-white hair hung over his eyes. For an older guy he had a lot of curly hair. He pushed it back and his eyes stopped on me. His eyebrows rose when he spotted the elite insignia.

  “I’m Sonny Nelson, the manager.” He wiped his dirty hands on his sides. “Are you the elite my overseer told me about?”

  “Yes, I’m Ian Connors and I’m interested in the opening you have for a mechanic.”

  “I already know, but I was expecting someone older. I mean what are you? Fourteen?” He motioned inside to a plastic couch before his desk with tears in the cushions.

  “No, I’m sixteen.” I straightened and tried to make my shoulders appear broader.

  “Dang, I never heard of a sixteen year old elite.”

  Data chips cluttered the desk and furniture. Parts were scattered everywhere. Dirty laundry was rumpled in the back corner. The door to his bedroom in the back was open, revealing an unmade bed. The black couch squeaked as I sat down.

  Sonny went behind his desk and plopped into the chair. “I have to ask, why would an elite want to work in this shit hole?”

  “Because I don’t want to be an elite anymore.”

  Sonny stared at me while smoothing the stubble on his face. “No kidding.” He glanced at the monitor on his desk and grimaced. “Only thing is, I was hoping for someone with experience in fixing elevators and not just temporary.”

  “I’m good at fixing hovercrafts and I’m sure I could learn how to repair elevators in no time.”

  “Just so you know we work twelve hours a day.”

  “That won’t be a problem.”

  Sonny smiled with a hint of sarcasm. He glanced at the monitor again, his face reddened and he grabbed the microphone. “C’mon people.” His voice boomed over the intercom. “We’re at least two hundred elevators behind schedule. If we don’t make the quota, you can all forget having Sunday off.” A blast of feedback squealed through the speakers.

  He set the microphone down. “I was about to say that I got a call saying I have no choice because Admiral Beacon wants you to work here for only a month. Do you know how irritating it is to train someone and then they leave?” He fiddled with the datachips on his desk, rolling one of them in his fingers. “I mean, I have quotas to meet and then I get this weird demand.”

  I tried not to fidget because it made me slide on the slippery plastic. “This was my first choice, but if it’s going to cause you problems, I’ll convince them to find me something else.”

  Sonny laughed once with a huff. “You don’t make sense. Look, I’ll consider you if you tell me why they want you to come here for a month?”

  I had anticipated the manager might ask this question and thought out an answer this morning. “I can’t go into a lot of details, but I used to do a type of strategic work related to battles, and I don’t want to do it anymore. They think coming here will change my mind.”

  Sonny gave me a bewildered look. “So this is a punishment?” His eyes narrowed. “And you do classified work?”

  His intense gaze made me look away. “Yes, sir.”

  “Hard to believe just looking at you.” Sonny narrowed his brow and rested his chin on his hand thoughtfully. “So you’re against the wars?”

  I squirmed, wanting to say yes, but I didn’t know this manager well enough.

  Sonny tilted back in his chair and folded his arms with a slight smile. He squinted at me, looked around and slowly held out his hand. “I guess I’ll keep the overseer happy and give you a try.”

  I leaned forward, smiling and eagerly shook his hand.

  Sonny walked over to a metal cabinet and opened it. He took a pair of tan overalls out the closet. “Change into this. You wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty dress uniform.”

  “Thanks.” I went in the bathroom and changed.

  When I came out, Sonny sat at his desk with a curious look in his eyes. “Ah, I hope you don’t mind me asking so soon, but you have me curious. Why don’t you want to be involved in the battles?”

  I glanced away, feeling hot
with a twinge of anxiety. “My friend died in a recent battle.”

  “Sorry.” Sonny glanced away for a moment, got up and led the way into the shop.

  I followed him out to an empty station. It had a place to park the elevator, cabinets for tools, a panel filled with buttons and drawers for parts. A monitor was on a stand near the workbench. In the stations next to us, I caught the workers glancing over several times.

  “Elevators that need repair come down on this track.” Sonny pointed to a long track about ten meters behind the station.

  The elevators moved through a large opening in the wall at the left end of the shop.

  “When you’re ready to fix one, you press the button on the panel here.” Sonny pressed it. An elevator came off the main track, went onto a sidetrack, and into the station. “When you’re done fixing it, you press the yellow button. It’ll go to a quality control station.”

  As Sonny talked, more and more workers gathered around.

  I hoped to remember everything. “Why are there so many elevators needing repair?”

  “Dust gets into them and they break down a lot.” He turned to the cabinets. “All your tools are kept in these cabinets and drawers by this bench. They have to be cleaned up, put back, and locked up at the end of the day.” Sonny handed me a card key.

  I slid the key into its slot, unlocking the cabinets and drawers. A few more workers joined the growing group of curious onlookers.

  “We have a help database.” Sonny turned on a monitor next to the button panel, glanced up and sneered at the group of about a dozen workers. “Did I say you could take a break?”

  “We’re wondering why an elite is working here, boss?” asked one dark skinned man. His eyes shifted from Sonny to me.

  “Does it matter?” Sonny’s face reddened a shade.

  “Is he really an elite?”

  “He’s too young.”

  “Maybe they have baby elites now.”

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  “Enough!” Sonny snapped.

  “It’s okay.” I tried not to take the baby elite comment personally. “I’m not an elite anymore.”

  “Did they fire you?” one asked.

  One worker slapped the other in the shoulder. “They don’t fire elites, you idiot.”

  Everyone turned and talked to each other quickly.

  Sonny's blue eyes bulged, and he bellowed, "Get your asses back to work!"

  They all hurried back to their stations.

  ****

  Throughout the day, I enjoyed working with Sonny even though the hours were long. At least the work took my mind off things. After dinner, I went back to the house and returned with a small suitcase. Sonny led me down a narrow hall lined with doors to the workers’ rooms.

  In the middle of the hall, two of the workers talked. Their voices echoed, making them easy to hear.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do, man.” Hector, the assistant manager, spoke softly with a frown.

  Dieter towered over him and his deep voice echoed. “People always want to be first. We just have to work harder.”

  Sonny stopped in front of them and folded his arms with a smirk. They were so busy in their conversation they didn’t notice and kept the hall blocked.

  “Would you guys get out of our way?”

  “Sure boss.” They pressed up against the wall and let us through.

  “Maybe you two wouldn’t have to worry about your production rates if you got more sleep.” Sonny teased.

  “Right.” Dieter led the way as they both hurried down the hall.

  Sonny opened the door to a small room with cement block walls, a tiny porthole and a metal-framed twin sized bed. A holo sat on a beat up wooden dresser near a door to a small bathroom. I pulled my suitcase inside.

  Sonny snapped his fingers. “We start early every day six am. Breakfast is at five. Be there or you’ll go hungry till noon.”

  I nodded. “Thanks for giving me the chance.”

  Sonny pointed at me and raised his eyebrows in a warning manner as if to say don’t leave on me. He turned and left with a clink of the metal door.

  Something rumbled outside. Beyond the tiny porthole above the small bed, a ship flew into a hangar attached to a branch of buildings, which made up the factory area. It had to be a repair or assembly factory for vessels. Stealing a vessel might be a way to escape, but it needed looking into.

  My muscles ached as I rested on the bed. If Nate could’ve seen me, he would’ve laughed. I thought of calling Clare, but my eyes drifted shut. Wearing the elite uniform was a mistake. The workers were wary of me.

  At dinner in the workers’ cafeteria, I’d eaten the bland food alone. I wanted them to see me as one of them, not a greenhorn or baby elite. I tried to be patient, keeping in mind an elite being here was highly unusual.

  Their competition over production rates made me chuckle. Sonny explained that the ones with the best rates earned extra days off in a workers’ vacation bio-dome. Everyone looked up to the leaders, Hector and Dieter. Even I wanted to beat them someday. What am I thinking? I won’t be able to stay here long enough.

  I didn’t want to sleep sweaty and dirty, so I forced myself to get up and take off the grubby tan overalls. I turned on the water in the shower. A small stream of lukewarm water sprayed out of it. Turning the knobs didn’t help get the water any hotter. I shivered and finished quickly.

  Chilled to the bone, I huddled under the sheet and pulled up one thin blanket. I curled up, trying to get some heat going. My eyes drifted shut. I’d sneak back home and get another blanket soon.

  Find a target and discover secrets. My eyes flew open. No, don’t think that. The phrase had become such a habit. I wanted to slap my own face just to get those words out of my mind. Maybe if I find some other words to replace it?

  I tried to think of something. Kayla came to mind for a few seconds before I fell asleep. I thought back to my first vision of her and wondered how our meeting could’ve ever happened - even if I hadn’t gone out in the battle. Someday I would become a ship engineer and give her a fine vessel – anonymously, of course.

  Chapter 12

  All week long Sonny taught me how to build and repair elevators. He amazed me by how fast he could fix them. He stood by as I leaned over the open back panel of an elevator at my station.

  “I’m going to stay here until you find it.”

  I checked through all the gears and wires for the third time. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it, yet whenever I ran the elevator in test mode, its control panel continued to flash the same diagnostic code, which meant the internal computer would not activate. It wasn’t enough of a clue for me.

  Sonny looked over my shoulder at the screen and chuckled. “I know you can do this.”

  I went back to studying the schematic on the monitor. Two wires didn’t look right. Why didn’t I see it before?

  I followed them to their connections. “Wait a sec,” I said. “These wires are crossed. How the heck . . . .” I turned around.

  Sonny looked up and off to the side. He held back a grin while his fair cheeks turned a suspicious pink.

  “That didn’t happen by itself.”

  “Oh yes, yes it does. Sometimes these elevators bounce and wires come loose.” He grinned deviously. “Then they reattach themselves.”

  “Sure, they do.” I smirked at him with narrowed eyes.

  Sonny burst out laughing. “What? It’s good experience for you.” He tapped me on the shoulder. “But seriously, you do good work. None of my other greenhorns figured that one out so soon.”

  “It’s because you’re a great teacher.”

  “Yeah sure, you were probably taught by all those fine and fancy elites.” Sonny nudged his head toward the worker rooms. “Get some sleep. You've got skill, but you're never gonna make quota unless you put your back into it.”

  I made my way down the narrow hall and into my room. The tiny holo’s light was off, indicating n
o messages. Clare hadn’t contacted me, so it was easy to pretend I could stay here.

  After shaving off the usual fuzzy mustache, I ran my fingers across my cheeks and grimaced at the smoothness. Some stubble would help with the baby elite comments. Thoughts of Kayla still crept into my mind, but the idea of being with her was impossible.

  You have to leave Marscorp.

  Nate’s simple message made sense. I wouldn’t forget his last words.

  Outside the small porthole above my bed, two more hovercrafts approached the entrance and slowly drifted inside that hangar. I needed a closer look, but the twelve hour shifts left little time or energy.

  I went under the covers and thought over everything I’d learned, but as I fell asleep I drifted into a vision.

  One by one, people in the shop came into view working at their stations while I floated in the center of the shop. I drifted over to my station to get a better look. A scream blasted over the low rumble of the machines. Sparks flashed as Hector tried to pull back from the front of the elevator.

  “Hector, get out of there!” I blurted out despite knowing I couldn’t be heard.

  A wave of electricity crisscrossed through the metal frame. Hector screamed and his entire body shook. He collapsed, stuck to the side of the elevator.

  Nobody noticed. The roar of the machines drowned out the screams. Everyone was too busy with their production rates, except one person watched. A middle-aged paunchy man with almost no hair took a long glance at Hector with a small smile. A florescent light flickered above his station like it was about to go out.

  When is this? I strained to see a time, a date, anything. I couldn’t help Hector if I didn’t know and scanned around the office. On the production board, my completion rate matched what I remembered from yesterday. The numbers and names blurred and blended in a smear of colors.

  I sat up with my pulse pounding in my ears. It was almost time for breakfast, yet it seemed like only a few minutes had passed. Should I act on this vision? Hector was Sonny’s supervisor and top ranked in production. How can I help Hector without telling anyone about my visions? The production rates on the board indicated that it would happen today.