by Kir Lukovkin
“But he is not here,” Rick noted with regret, “which is why we mus decide what to do. What does it say on the signs?”
“One elevator only works in this sector, the other is for transportation through the aeon, and that wide one,” Maya pointed ahead, “moves between aeons.”
“Excellent. I'll go and lay my hand on it.”
Rick wanted to get up, but Maya pulled him back.
“Wait! You're hurrying too much again, instead of thinking properly.”
Rick sniffed with impatience.
“If they control the technology, they are sure to notice that someone has used the elevator,” Maya continued her argument. “Someone that they don't know.”
Tommo nodded quickly.
“You're right,” Rick admitted. “I never thought of that.”
“Apologies accepted. Let's consider this me saving your life.” She winked at him happily. “Even now, there's a risk that they can see us, I just don't know how.”
Those words made everyone uneasy. But there was nothing they could do.
“What now, then? Why don't we go to the center and then go up the stairs to the top of aeon?” Rick offered.
“I don't like this idea. There could be traps there.”
“And also your pals from Kappa.” Rick scratched his head quizzically. “They have probably decided that your unit has died and sent out another.”
“That, too.” Maya agreed.
Time passed while they decided what to do. And then, a panel lit up with messages on one of the elevators and the countdown began. Tommo jumped up with amazing agility to a great height, sticking to the ceiling and hiding there like a huge spider. Rick quickly thought of what to do, whispered his plan to Maya and moved behind the projecting part of the wall by the elevator door panels. When everything was ready and the panels slid open, the unknown new arrival was met by Maya with her hands raised. Their plan hung by a hair. All Rick could see from his hiding place was the face of his female companion.
“Who are you?” a scared voice rang out from the cabin.
“I'm lost,” Maya replied, almost in tears. “Please take me with you.”
“What are you doing here? How did you get here?” the questioning continued.
“It's hard to tell...” she let a tear drop naturally down her face and started to sob. “Please, I beg you...”
A man in white came out of the elevator and Rick smashed the massive stock of the weapon that Drachus gave him onto his head. In a moment, all three of them were bent over the body, examining the stranger curiously—he wore a jumpsuit of thick white cloth which looked like it was inflated as well as a breathing mask and goggles that were a lot like a prole's ocular lenses on his head.
“So what do we do now?” Maya asked. “Should we throw him into the chasm?”
“We could wait for him to come to and interrogate him properly,” Rick stood up straight, “but we don't have much time. Look!”
He pointed at the elevator—the panels would definitely have slid shut, but Tommo stepped into the opening and managed to hold them. Maya and Rick slid into the cabin and rushed to examine the control panel.
“That's that!” Rick said. “The way back has been cut off. As soon as that white one wakes up, he will raise the alarm. Hurry and press the button!”
“Which floor?” Maya looked up at him in confusion. “I can dial anything I want here!”
The big screen flashed a message offering a trip to floors from one to one thousand two hundred and fifty. The companions stood still for a moment, realizing all the possibilities open to them. They could go to the very first floor or go on a trip to the roof of the world. They could see the floors of any aeon of Thermopolis. Which one should they choose?
“We could go straight to the Control Center,” Maya said at last.
“No,” Rick shook his head. “Delta sector. Dial it in!”
And Maya pressed the required combination of buttons.
15
THE FLOORS FLASHED BY behind the glass so quickly that it was impossible to count them. Pushed down by the gravitational force of their velocity, the companions sped upwards, holding on tight to the railings. Dozens of floors were below them but none of that mattered. Rick and Maya were only concerned with one question: how would they overcome the defenses of the first aeon?
It took them but a minute to fly past the sectors of the third aeon and arrive in an uninhabited section, which glowed green for some reason. Rick tried to make out any special detail they could find, but the cabin had already crossed another border between segments and the Kappa sector surrounded them with a sea of lights that blazed past them like a single, incandescently hot gas cloud. And then, the light was instantly replaced by darkness—the Iota sector displayed its cold, lifeless space before their eyes.
Rick and Maya exchanged worried looks and stared back out of the window, where the segments of the Theta sector rushed on by. Impenetrable darkness surrounded them again. Even the perpetually calm Tommo moved his head around tensely. Rick was about to say something when the light suddenly appeared outside—the Eta sector met them with cavernous halls filled with people and unusual machines. Then the cabin crossed the Zeta sector, where the only signs of life were on the last few floors. Only Rick could not understand who it was that lived there—humans, or a pale imitation of sentient humanoids. Anyway, a vicious battle between the denizens of the sector flashed by behind the glass. Dozens of people were mercilessly slaughtering each other...
Maya turned away. Rick followed her example, and both froze as they tensely watched the huge gap on the other side of the cabin. The levels of the new, faraway section were practically dead. There were lights shining or blinking here and there, like lighthouses in the night of the Expanse, lighting a long and steep overhang.
Rick stepped forward when the cabin rose over the overhang. It looked like a man was standing on the edge. Rick never had the chance to figure out what he was planning—the cabin careered away from him.
They sped upwards, piercing space like a blaster charge. The elevator was already sliding between the first and second aeons, with the white hot rod of the Chorda in the distance. The ceiling of the first aeon was falling towards them like the hammer of a huge press falling upon an anvil. Rick forced himself to stand up straight with an effort of will. The ceiling kept approaching and bulging metallic segments as well as wide ventilation grilles and manholes could now be made out. When the cabin flew into a dark opening that continued into a shaft, Rick's head cleared of all conscious thought.
He shut his eyes. Then he opened them.
The elevator kept moving. The security system had let them through!
The Expanse bathed in streams of light that seemed to be pouring in from all sides.
“Epsilon sector!” Maya exclaimed excitedly.
They passed the thousandth floor and flew upwards past levels that were swimming with people. And this was when the cabin started to noticeably slow down. Floors glittering with multicolored lights slid on by. Rick and Maya were stuck to the glass—the hall through which they were passing was full of people. Brightly clothed men and women danced, ate and drunk to the sounds of groovy beats that came through the thick glass of the cabin. Rick had never seen faces so full of joy. The eyes of every resident, young and old radiated satisfaction, comfort and fulfillment, their cheeks had a healthy glow and everyone without exception looked strong, robust and healthy! People were sitting or lying down on soft and comfortable looking chairs and sofas, the tables were heavy with delicious foods and long shelves full of various objects lined the walls...
After the hall, there was another level where around twenty residents were carousing around a long table and moving tall glasses full of a golden liquid around in front of themselves. One man was rapturously saying something while they did that...
The cabin kept smoothly moving on. On another level, a heavy-set old man in a colorful jacket was delivering a speech from a raised pulpit to a
hall of listeners. The audience sat behind separate tables of four or five people each. They were eating and drinking well here, the same as in previous halls. Many happily applauded the old man and raised their glasses in greeting...
On the third level, small, separate groups of people were obviously having fun with various games, laughing and arguing amongst themselves.
The next level was full of those who danced in a dark space that was suddenly lit by flashes of multicolored light.
The following hall was full of blue light and people swimming around in a big aquarium and lying under bright lamps. Their bodies, weary from the heat and pleasure were occasionally making slight, lazy movements in the steamy mist.
Further on, there was a hall where people sat behind tables lit by the soft light of spherical lamps and attentively studied something, some of them conversing among themselves, writing things down and making drawings.
There was a room where a little boy was assembling a tower from different colored cubes. The boy got distracted and curiously glanced in the direction of the elevator cabin.
There were rooms where some men and women got washed, clothed and had their hair dressed by other men and women and other rooms where they battled humanoid machines, shooting them with blasters, probably so that they could train their reactions and stamina. And yet more rooms where they watched moving pictures and entire shows...
All of these levels and rooms glided by Rick and Maya, making their hearts beat at a breakneck speed, promising an encounter with something even more unusual and undiscovered. The young travelers were so entranced by what they had seen that they did not immediately understand that the elevator had stopped. A soulless metallic voice declared, “You are about to be disinfected.” The cabin was filled with steam that had a caustic and unpleasant smell, but Rick and Maya did not have the time to get scared as the gas was quickly pumped away and the panels of the elevator slid apart.
Rick waited, looking at Maya. They both turned around—Tommo had completely disappeared. They did not try to find out where the prole had gone, but hurried to exit onto a spacious balcony. Rick could not resist and glanced at the cabin, noticing how the hatch in the roof of the cabin moved and then got closed tight. It seemed that Tommo decided to leave their company for some sort of reasons of his own. But why?
“Rick, come on, where are you?” Maya was waving him over while standing by the barrier.
Entrances to circular corridors could be seen on both sides and an enormous hall filled with several hundred people lay ahead. Some were conversing, lolling around in large armchairs, others were strolling around, drinks in hand and others were looking at stone idols on podiums or pictures on the walls. Music was playing, its subtle melodic patterns like nothing that Rick had heard before. It was warm here, but not hot, with the touch of gentle currents of air which were cool but never cold. This was the kingdom of beauty, harmony and peacefulness.
Rick and Maya stood completely still with inane smiles plastered across their faces until their attention was attracted with the sound of footsteps coming from one side. A group of people dressed in white and gold clothing appeared in one of the circular corridors. The group was accompanied by armed guards dressed in red. When they came out onto the balcony, a tall, bald man with a long face and large gray eyes stepped forward.
“Welcome,” he said.
Everything looked like they had been waiting for Rick and Maya and knew about their arrival in advance. Maybe Drachus was right and had kept quiet about something? Rick swallowed nervously. He was worried by Tommo's disappearance, he did not like the armed guards dressed in red and he did not know what to expect from these strangers, how they would welcome them or what he should say...
Recovering a little from the unexpected greeting, he suddenly understood what he looked like in the eyes of these people at that moment: wearing a dirty jumpsuit permeated with the smell of slime and sewage, uncombed and unshaven, his eyes looking wild and trapped, like those of an animal. And of course, he had that terrifying blaster at the ready...
“We...” Rick started and then stopped, pretending to cough.
“You have been on a hard journey,” the bald man said respectfully. “Which is why you need to rest and get yourselves in order.” Then, in a tone that brooked no objections, he added, “Please, follow me.”
They were taken straight into the hall. They walked along, looking around while all of these shining people in their golden clothing were curiously examining them. Rick felt uncomfortable. It was not because these people looked at them like they were uncouth savages or barbarians, the problem was that he could see that the compassion in their eyes. They genuinely felt sorry for them, which angered and irritated him for some reason.
They left the hall and walked on through a gallery decorated with frescoes of beautiful everyday scenes until they reached a room filled with round tables covered in pristine white tablecloths, occupied by other people with compassionate eyes.
“Have a seat,” the bald man said and signaled the waiters that immediately brought bowls full of steaming, delicious smelling soup.
To add to this, unfamiliar but appetizing looking fruit was placed on plates in front of them. Rick was looking at it and barely stopping himself from attacking the food. Judging by Maya's face, she had the same feelings.
“What are you waiting for?” the bald man asked in confusion. “Please, help yourself. We are not going to interrupt you.”
And everyone quietly left, leaving them along in the large room.
“By the Great Axis,” Maya exclaimed as her hands darted out towards a juicy red fruit and her teeth pierced its sweet flesh, releasing the juice.
Rick did not waste time and attacked the soup, also trying every single fruit that was on the side plate. They drank and ate, smiling at each other and forgetting about everything. The soup and the fruit were simply exquisite. Finally, once they had cleaned out all of the plates, they blissfully sat back in the chairs and laughed.
“I can't get up,” Maya groaned, rolling her eyes with pleasure. “And I don't want to...”
They began to feel sleepy. The serving staff quietly appeared nearby to replace the empty plates on the table with hot drinks and sweets. Without pause, Rick and Maya both consumed their portions, after which they were invited into neighboring rooms that had soft and clean beds laid out for them. They were informed that these were now their personal apartments. Rick thanked the serving staff and started by looking around the room. He found a clean towel and a piece of soap on the bedside table, as well as a curtained alcove containing a basin and a shower cabin. New clothing hung on a chair nearby.
A pleasant looking woman came into the room, after knocking and asking for permission to enter. She asked Rick to give her his filthy jumpsuit so she could wash it. A short man came in next and asked him to try on the clothing, taking Rick's measures and promising him to adjust the clothes to his size.
“This is only temporary,” the man said. “We will tailor you a decent suit later.”
Rick looked at himself in the mirror. His new, white suit was comprised of a pair of trousers, a shirt and a cloak which was cleverly held by a pin at the shoulder. Noticing the reflection of the blaster he had left by the bed, Rick glanced back at it. The blaster seemed to be an ugly black piece of wreckage, a savage's club which had no place withing these walls. He did not want to part with the weapon and no one seemed to ask him to, so Rick moved the blaster under the bed.
Then, a man with a pair of scissors and a comb came in, introduced himself as a hairdresser and cut Rick's hair exactly the way he wanted. Afterwards, the hairdresser beautifully and neatly combed it and sprayed it with some pleasant smelling liquid.
Rick could not resist and decided to visit Maya in the neighboring room. She did not waste her time either—it turned out that the servants looked after her as well. Rick did not recognize his companion when he entered Maya's room—a white dress outlined her figure, her golden red hair
was gathered in a bunch, a golden necklace glittered around her neck and her wrists bore bracelets decorated with smoky blue stones.
The pair were looking at each other in surprise, unable to say anything.
“You look... Very beautiful,” Rick managed to squeeze out.
And then he blushed in embarrassment.
“Thank you. You too.” Maya looked at him with interest. Her eyes shone with happiness and delight. “It suits you.”
“Is everything all right?”
“I think so.”
They went quiet. The serving man that Rick had already met appeared in the doorway and asked, “Are you ready?”
They both nodded, and the man continued, “Then follow me to meet the Chairman.”
Rick tried to ask their escort about the Chairman and what he would talk to them about, but always received a standard answer: “In time, everything will be explained to you.”
Their escort brought them to a balcony over the sector segment gap, where they were awaited by the bald man with a long face who had met them by the elevator. This time he was alone and unguarded.
“So there you are, my friends,” he began. “I am happy to see you again. My name is Paris.”
Rick and Maya introduced themselves in turn.
“Pleased to meet you,” Paris replied. “I immediately took a liking to you at first sight. I can feel the power in you. Although, only people of that kind could ever get here.”
“We didn't just go for a walk,” Rick replied. “And you know that very well. Thank you for the food and rest and for all this beauty,” he flicked the cuff of his shirt, “but we really need to solve an important problem.”
“You are right, of course, Rick from Omicron. Or, perhaps, Rick Omicron? It would be more convenient for me to address you in that fashion. And you, my dear girl, would be Maya Kappa, of course.”
Rick nodded.
“As you like,” Maya shrugged. “I don't mind.”
“Excellent,” Paris continued. “I am prepared to offer you any assistance you require.”