by Gavin Magson
Ajax heard, “Everything seems to be in order here, carry on guys.” and then they were left alone, stood on a platform of the space dock Aurora.
Ajax looked to his left and right, the platform stretched so far in both directions that he could not see an end to it. Behind and in front of him were space ships, all varying shapes and sizes, docked up and either loading or unloading passengers, crew and cargo. The roar of thousands of voices was such a polar opposite to the relative tranquillity aboard Duke's ship, his eardrums started to ache with the cacophony of noise.
“Stop looking like such a tourist, Ajax, if you want us all dead you're doing a good job of making us noticeable.” said Ilya, a bite to her tone.
He forced himself to stop looking at each one of these new sights, he had to concentrate every second to fight the urge. They were walking him towards a large curved desk set in the middle of the platform, behind it was a tall dome with “SECTOR FOUR” inscribed in large letters across the top.
“What is that?” asked Ajax.
“That is our ride down to Sector Four, home of the finest citizens in Konar's flagship city. Now leave the talking to me, we're almost home.” said the captain.
The crew and Ajax hung back and milled around as Duke approached the low desk. There were two women sat behind the desk, furtively tapping away at unseen keys and did not look up to greet the captain.
“Dock ID, please?” asked the woman on his right, not even slowing her erratic typing.
“Zero zero nine A.” replied Duke.
The typing came to an abrupt stop as the receptionist looked up at an unseen screen. “The Illicit Jane? My records shows you only boarded four crew members when you left the docks, and yet you have five now.”
The receptionist beckoned one of the guards stood close by; Ajax hadn't even noticed him in an effort to focus on keeping his eyes from wandering. It was one of the guards who had met them whilst they disembarked.
The receptionist held a hushed conversation with the guard before he loudly exclaimed, “It's another one of those record glitches we've been having, don't worry about it. I know the crew well.”
“Okay, everything seems to be in order here. If you place your chip on the scanner, the price is fifteen hundred credits per passenger.”
“Shit!” whispered Lev, his voice barely reaching Ajax.
The captain rolled up his jackets right sleeve and set his forearm down on a raised circular pad on the counter. Ajax could not see the display set into the counter, nor the paltry figure it showed once the crews transport cost had been deducted from Duke's chip. He did not understand what had gone on, but knew it was best to ask his questions later.
“If you would all step through the doors behind me the next transport is scheduled to leave within five minutes. Thank you for using the Aurora Space Dock and we look forward to seeing you again.” the receptionist’s monotonous, dull tone could not have made her sound more bored if she tried.
The dome turned out to be a simple housing to an elevator, the crew piled in after the receptionists instructions and dragged a stunned Ajax with them. Ilya, being closest to the controls, pressed the button and they watched as polished doors closed.
The elevator lumbered into life and they started moving. Ajax was confused, he thought it was moving sideways when he expected down. It was a few minutes until the elevator ground to a sudden halt and rocked him on the spot.
When the doors opened everyone stepped out onto a platform where a small shuttle transporter awaited them. Ajax couldn't help himself this time, he had to give in to his urges and look around.
The platform was just one of many inside a large hanger, and was unsurprisingly bustling with activity. The elevator was attached to rails that criss-crossed and spun an intricate network above their heads, other metal elevators slid past constantly, their heading unknown. Ajax was unable to trace the route they had taken, it was such a complicated mess his eyes lost track.
Along the platforms wide walkway several docked shuttles lined up to form a queue to meet passengers from dozens of elevators. Through yet more transparent walls he could see more platforms, each with two tracks where transporters were either arriving or leaving the docks. A gull wing door opened from their transport as the group approached, adding yet another strange sight to intrigue Ajax. The crew walked inside the ship and sat on beaten, worn seats and pulled down restraints that came over their heads and cut into their chests.
Ajax paused in the doorway, he turned to stare at the bustling space dock one last time; he was captivated by its immense size and intricacy. He tore himself away from the scene and sat down on the seat next to Duke, closest to the front of the transporter, leaving three empty seats.
The ship was cramped and cheaply made, eight uncomfortable seats took up the majority of the room and left only a thin walkway for its passengers. It was only now that he noticed there was no pilot at the controls.
“Erm...is it normal for these things not to have a pilot? Don't they need someone to fly them?” asked Ajax.
“No need, they are all on autopilot. They fly a continuous loop between here and Konar City, it's cheaper to replace man with machine. I heard of some guy trying to hack the system so that he could pilot it himself; it self-destructed, the explosion could be heard for miles. Kind of wish I had been on planet to see that.” said Greg.
Only Ajax was shocked by this statement, he didn't know that it was common knowledge among the population that crimes, both small and big, were dealt with in a severe manner. A quick death was a kind punishment on Konar.
A sharp tone sounded through unseen speakers, which sent Ajax jumping in his seat, and was followed by a garbled pre-recording that announced to the passengers that their transport was about to depart. The gull wing door slowly closed and the transport sluggishly started to move, reverberating gently as its twin engines powered up.
Where Ajax thought the pilot should be was a thick ceiling high window, now that there were no guards to think his behaviour was suspicious he allowed himself to gawk at the sights on offer.
He watched as the shuttle moved along the rails, passing through two doors before emerging into the bleakness of space. They started to accelerate as the ship dropped from the space dock, the only way Ajax could tell was by the view of an enormous continent taking up more and more of the window. The shuttle began to shake vigorously as they entered Konar's atmosphere and Ajax felt motion sickness begin to set in.
“Looking real peachy there, ice man. Ready to throw up yet?” sneered Ilya, a malicious grin smeared across her face when she saw the pale sheen on Ajax's.
He didn't want to give her the pleasure and fought the overwhelming urge to vomit, he had to constantly concentrate to try and keep a hold of what little he had managed to eat. The shaking seemed to be getting worse by the second, and he knew that he could not fight the urge forever.
Ajax tried to push at the restraint that came over his head and pressed down on his chest; he needed more air. It was a miracle when the violent shaking finally stopped; Ajax sucked in deep lungful’s of air and thanked his luck that the feeling of nausea was subsiding.
When he recovered his composure Ajax looked up again through the window and saw for the first time the enormous city they were fast approaching. It looked almost to be in a perfect circle, with an arid desert all the way up to the high city walls. The shuttle was coming in at such an angle that Ajax could now no longer see the furthest side of the city, not that he would be looking there.
At first he thought the extravagant sight was a large raised dais in the middle of the city; only when they closed in on it did he realise it was a floating metropolis. A city above a city, Ajax thought. The raised city was a wonderful vista and a stark contrast to the city below; when the ship dropped past it he was disappointed that they weren't destined for paradise, its wonderful sight lost to him.
The shuttle flew closer still to the lower city, but Ajax could not take his mind off what flo
ated above, the glistening buildings, the luscious parks and the lake set in its centre, water of clearest, sparkling blue.
It was because of his fixation on the floating city that Ajax failed to notice how Konar City was ordered. It was built on a wide, low mountain, its sectors had been erected in circles that encompassed from the desert floor all the way to its peak. Above the city was the object of his attention, floating free from the planet’s surface.
Ajax had little time to take in the lower city; all he saw were towering grey skyscrapers, as their transport finally came in for its landing. When the shuttle started to slow down it took a few seconds before Ajax realised they were now hovering in the air, slowly descending towards an open building below.
The shuttle shook as it touched down and Ajax felt instant relief on his chest as the restraint unlocked; he finally pushed it off him and stood free from the weathered seat. With the excitement now over Ajax realised that his muscles had cramped during the flight, a low groan escaped his lips as his leg buckled under his weight.
Ilya could not resist laughing at his pain, chuckling until she turned red in the face as Ajax limped for the doorway. The crew followed suit once the gull wing opened, they all exited quickly, glad to be free from the transporters foul smell and ragged appearance.
They stepped out onto another long and crowded platform. On the opposite side of the transport hub Ajax could see a long queue of people. He turned to see that the shuttles twin thrusters were now pointed upwards, allowing for a vertical take-off; the lack of a runway now made sense to him.
“Follow us, ice man. We need to find you some ID before your time, and ours, on Konar is cut short.” said Duke.
The transport hub was a lot smaller than the space dock, a single open roofed building that allowed the shuttles to come in and out, and side by side entrance and exit for the passengers. The shuttles formed up in a U shape, landing on flat conveyors that then moved them in front of the queue on the opposite platform after the passengers had disembarked.
The crew walked along the wide platform, Ajax trailed behind them as they headed for the exit and the slow moving queue on the hubs far side. The shuttle they had arrived in was already being moved along, joining the rear of a queue of transporters.
There were no guards on the exit, which was a small relief to Duke; he could not afford to bribe any more officials. They joined a small throng of people filtering into the streets beyond and were soon clear of the transport hub.
The sunlight outside was bright, causing tears to stream down Ajax's face; it had been a long time since he had last seen natural light. When he finally managed to blink the tears away Ajax was greeted with the sight of a bustling cross junction, houses and shops lined the streets in every direction he looked.
“Where are the skyscrapers? I saw them when our shuttle was approaching but all I can see are double or triple storeys around here.” said Ajax as he surveyed his new surroundings, searching for the impossibly high buildings.
“You're talking about the slums. If you want to see skyscrapers then catch a ride on the sector train and go visit Sector Six or Seven. The city was not always this large, but when the refugees came it had to expand, and fast. Sectors Six and Seven were built on the lower ground, a wall went up to keep out the horrors of the Outerlands.
“I was only a child back then, dragged to the city for refuge, but I still remember the machines that were assembled. They were leviathans that tore up the ground, working constantly around the clock to lay the foundations. Buildings went up in days that were only supposed to last a handful of years; that was fifty years ago. Both sectors hold millions of lives, and only a lucky few ever make it out of the slums.” said the captain.
Ajax remained silent as they walked along connecting streets, the group stuck to the pavements as several vehicles hovered past. He was lost in thought about what Duke's past life might have been like, and what the horrors he spoke of in this Outerlands could possibly be.
A hand gripped his shirt and yanked Ajax back as he tried to cross the street, a split second before a vehicle tore past. He turned around, eyes flared and heart pounding; yet the biggest shock was that Ilya had saved his life.
“I...I..Thanks, Ilya,” stammered Ajax as he struggled to catch his breath. “I just did not-”
“Oh, spare me. I only saved you because we've risked so much that for you to die within an hour of arrival would just be shitty karma. Just watch where you are going next time.” said Ilya.
She was gone before he could explain himself. Ajax paid closer attention to the vehicles that zipped past as he waited for a gap in the traffic. Most of them were a uniform black with a small “Taxi” sign on the top, though every once in a while a sleek personal vehicle would pass by, usually with tinted windows and an air of wealth not found on the populace he had seen so far. He crossed the street when a gap opened up and found the crew already in conversation.
“We're off home now, cap. See you in the Haven tomorrow? If we are done catching up on sleep by then of course.” said Greg. It was the first time Ajax noticed that Lev and Greg were holdings hands, the effect was almost comical with the staggering height difference.
“Yeah, come by in the afternoon when you wake up; lazy bastards. I should have set Ajax up by then, if luck is on our side.” said Duke.
Greg and Lev turned down a side street and were lost in the crowds within moments; even Lev's enormous frame was swallowed by the bustling city. The captain, Ilya and Ajax continued along the same street, which stretched off into the distance and was intersected every few hundred meters, a constant ebb and flow of people at each junction.
Ajax tried to visualise the layout, forming the image of a large grid in his mind that somehow fitted into a rough circle. It made sense if he really concentrated; it had to be the more efficient way for navigating such a large city.
Ajax allowed himself to get so distracted by the sights and sounds that when he turned back to talk to Duke the man was not there anymore, neither was Ilya. Fear rose up within him, what if this was their way of protecting themselves for smuggling him into the city? He didn't know this place, or this time; how was he going to survive in an alien city?
“Hey, ice man! Are you coming or what?” came the voice of Ilya behind him.
Ajax spun and found her in the entrance to a small alleyway, that wicked grin she wore so often mocking him. His relief was instantaneous, Ajax realised that he relied on these strangers more so than he would happily admit.
He followed Ilya's retreating figure, which lead him down the shadowy alley and past ominous figures that his eyes struggled to focus on. The buildings that the alley was wedged between did not seem to him tall enough to block out the light, but when Ajax looked up he could see that there were planks connecting the roofs of both buildings. A few gaps between them allowed the smallest amount of light to filter in, only enough to stop him tripping over his own feet.
“Where are we going?” asked Ajax, struggling to keep up with Ilya's confident pace.
“We need to get you some ID, now hurry up and stop asking questions!” snapped Ilya.
He took her harsh tone as a stark warning and decided it best to follow her advice. They passed yet more people, most of which were stood behind makeshift stalls and selling all sorts of wares, most of which he could not identify. Several times he saw the glint of metal tucked under clothing, more than a suggestion that weapons were openly carried by the shopkeepers.
They finally caught up to the captain, who was having a hushed conversation at the alleys end; a solid wall prevented them from going any further. Ajax could not see the person Duke was talking to, the light did not penetrate this far in.
“So we have a deal?” asked Duke, it was the only part of the conversation that Ilya and Ajax heard.
When Ajax's eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting he could see the outline of a small man, who by the repulsive smell had not seen soap for a long time. He could not make out the man'
s face, he was wearing a hooded cloak that hid his features from prying eyes, just a cruelly hooked nose was exposed from the man's hood.
The shopkeeper reached under the table he stood behind and pulled out two devices. One looked similar to the pad Duke had used to make the payment for their travel from the space dock, whilst the other looked more like an instrument of torture.
The stranger pressed down on an unseen screen on the instrument and it illuminated, its light showing his face for the first time. He had a jagged scar running from his left temple, it went through a ruined eye and across his nose; perhaps the hood was more to keep his customers from reeling in disgust. He tapped on the screen for a while, then slid a minute cylinder into an arm attached to the device.
“So you are happy with his name, sector and date of birth?” asked the scarred man.
“Yes, they are all believable. There are enough orphans running around this city, no one is keeping track on all of them.” said the captain.
“Fine, I've programmed the chip. If Ajax Frost would please place his right arm on the table I can implant his new ID.”
Ajax mouthed the word “Frost” to the captain, but he couldn't tell if the man saw him through the gloom. He rolled up the sleeve of his second hand shirt and extended a bony arm to the man, who took it with a calloused grip that set Ajax's nerves on edge.
Ajax barely had time to close his eyes, the shopkeeper moved that fast. The device had a screen that the man could program an ID chip through, and a curved, hollow needle attached to a clamp that came down hard on Ajax's forearm. The pain was gone almost as quickly as it came and he was surprised that there was only a thin trickle of blood coming from the wound. A quick spray from a bottle the shopkeeper produced saw the blood instantly clot, as Ajax watched he could see scar tissue form around the wound.
“That ID implant should fool most machines, only the very best will be able to tell it's a fake. You were also sprayed with a fast acting coagulant, a fresh scar would only lead to suspicion. It should also stop any tell-tale bruising, just to be on the safe side. I've preloaded it with a thousand credits, like you asked,” said the man, looking at Duke. “Now there is just the small matter of my payment, captain.”