She finished dressing in her new clothing, admiring the bright colors and shiny boot, and then she hung the official metal job badge around her neck, and finally braided her long auburn hair, in a hurry because her mother was calling that breakfast was ready and she had to report for her new job in thirty minutes. Luckily, the entrance to the underground steam machine works was only several blocks over from her home. When she’d picked up her uniform, the committee member only said to report to the door at the end of the alley near the town clock, and that everything would be explained to her on her first day of work.
Eve was a little tired after the previous day and night. She and Dirk had spent the day at the festival, and then the previous night, they had broken into the archives to see if they could find anything related to Robin Lightfighter. But nothing new came of it. They knew they would not be able to get inside that building in the decay zone without the three all-important things…the password, numerical codes, and most impossible of all…a biosample of their long-dead founder, Robin Lightfighter. Well, or maybe one of those things Miggly had called a ΩD stone. But finding that, in particular, seemed unlikely.
As she left, she turned to examine her childhood room one more time. She was now a worker, so her mother had cleaned out the separate and larger private room for her and Dirk on the bottom floor near the looms. In two more days, once they went through the ceremony, she would share the room with Dirk. It had its own entrance, making it easier for them to come and go as they pleased. Plus, even though they would pay a small rental to her mother, the cost would not be prohibitive given their entry level worker salaries.
Eve’s mother had cleaned the small room and moved Eve’s things the previous afternoon, right after the festival. So last night was the last time she would share her old room with her mother. She was now an adult city worker. Eve said goodbye to her old room, walked into the common room, and smelled the aroma of fresh morning rolls.
“You’re splurging today, Ma. We haven’t had morning rolls in a month,” she commented as she sat down to her breakfast of mint leaf tea, two morning rolls, a tiny piece of goat cheese, and a hard-boiled egg. James had already gobbled his own breakfast and was eyeing hers while licking his tiny pink lips. He still had some egg on his cheek.
“Here, take this, and the butter,” Eve said, laughing, as she handed her ration of goat butter and one morning roll to her ever-hungry little brother. He reminded her so much of her father. And once again, Eve wondered at the fact that she looked so different from her family. “But then, so is Dirk,” she thought. “His family is all blond-haired. Well, I guess it’s not that strange. Rene doesn’t look like anyone in her family either. Genes are so weird.” Her thoughts were interrupted by James comment.
“Thanks! Oh, and thanks for the jumping rope. I’ve got a whole group of friends in line to use it,” he said, his mouth full of food. “Don’t talk while you’re eating, James. And slow down. Have you got your school work done?” Eve’s mother asked. She seemed preoccupied. Eve thought her mother appeared unusually busy. She could tell her mother was sentimental about her only daughter growing up to become a worker.
“Thanks for cleaning out the room below, Ma. It’s perfect for me and Dirk. I’ll show it to him after work.” “You’re not supposed to be in that room with him until after the ceremony, Eve,” her mother replied, smiling. Eve could tell her mother was not serious. “Oh, right…not until two more days,” Eve answered, rolling her eyes. She sipped her mint tea, her eyes squinting at James, who was unconcerned with their discourse. James finished his breakfast in one long slurp, grabbed his school bag, and ran out the door and down the steps. Once he was gone, Eve’s mother turned to her with a serious expression and asked,
“Eve, you will be married in two days. Do you know what things will happen on your wedding night? Do I need to tell you anything?” Eve’s mother looked rather embarrassed and hesitant. They’d never discussed sex before, and she had to report to work in fifteen minutes. Eve choked on her tea, tried not to roll her eyes, put her cup down, and lowered her head and eyes so her mother would not see her laugh. “Ma, I don’t have time for that talk now. And, Dirk and I have been close for some time. You don’t have to explain anything to me.” “Oh,” was all her mother replied.
They finished breakfast in an embarrassed silence, Eve noting the wind-up clock on the wall, every so often, so she would not be late for her first day of work. She was excited but a bit apprehensive. She finally set her dishes on the counter, kissed her mother on the cheek, and walked down the stairs and out the front door. She left her house, at first turning the wrong way, towards the school.
“Not this time. Your way is right.” Eve looked up to see Dirk leaning against the candle post across the road, wearing his own worker uniform for a Lower Level Supply Assessor…it was also overalls with a short-sleeved shirt. But the color was dark green, and he was wearing some strange soft-soled, black hide boots. She had never seen anything like them, but instantly wished she had a pair.
“What are those boots for? They look like something you would use to climb or run in. Do they plan on having you run up and down stairs to the lower supply rooms?” she asked, walking beside Dirk. He glanced around, and then gave her a kiss on the mouth. They were both silent for several seconds, remembering what Miggly and Blakeley had said about what Dirk would be doing. To Eve, his job sounded too dangerous for a Lower Level Supply Assessor. Dirk only mumbled, “Let’s hope it’s not too dangerous.”
Eve remembered what had happened when they had found the key and door to the Boardroom Building. After the two committee members tried to gain entry but failed and left, she and Dirk had crept out of the tunnel, taking a wide and different route around back to the city. They hadn’t had time to fully discuss what they had seen or heard, but promised each other to keep everything secret. But the next day had been filled with Atonement Day Festivities, with dancing, music, gift giving, and more food than usual. It only came once a year, so Eve forgot about the events for the time being, or rather, she shoved them to the back of her mind until they had a chance to go to the archives again.
As they walked on Dirk finally spoke. “I’m going to check the book archives again after work today. I want to see if I can find any information on passwords or codes. Maybe Robin Lightfighter kept a diary…maybe there is some information about a stone, or a list of passwords and codes,” Dirk said in a low voice. He spoke without really saying too much, a sort of code language, and Eve thought that was good so no one would understand if they overheard them talking.
“Good, I’ll go with you. Maybe there is a copy someplace with a proper code calendar. But we have to work fast. The current code and password will only last for this month. Those individuals said that,” Eve whispered, meaning another copy of Robin Lightfighter’s notes with the entry passwords and code numbers for other months, and with information on that mysterious stone. Miggly and Blakeley wanted to get more light bulbs and some medicines from that storage bunker her parents had said was a fairy tale. Now Eve was not so sure it was only a fairy tale.
“We could check things out after work…together,” she finished, glancing over her shoulder to be sure no one was listening. But all she saw were lines of workers, heading to their city jobs, all wearing overalls of differing colors. The dome was turning blue, and she noticed the street cleaners had begun their work. “Meet me after work in front of the school. We can take that walk again if we find anything of importance in the archives,” Dirk said. He talked in a normal tone now because they were in Lightfighter Square, and whispering might cause suspicion. Several steps later, Eve had to turn into the alley towards her own work assignment, and Dirk would turn in the other direction. He reached over and squeezed her hand to say goodbye. He then turned and walked off in the opposite direction.
“Good luck on your first workday, Eve,” he said, waving as he left her. “You too…don’t fall into any holes,” she replied. Eve then walked up to the Steam
Works entry door. The Steam Machine Works Headquarters was on Parrot Street, not far from Lightfighter Square. Eve found the door with no problem because it was the only one on that street. It was an ordinary and unmarked door; but she knew it was the correct one because other workers wearing red overalls were entering in a line.
When it was her turn, she walked through the door and was greeted by a mousy little man in a faded, brown men’s suit, who was sitting behind a black metal desk examining a piece of cloth with ink writing on it. The cloth list contained only a single name…hers. Eve supposed he had a job to do, checking her in for her first day of work. But still, to her it did seem like overkill, having one individual assigned to check in only one new worker.
“You are Eve Overhearder, are you not…your badge says so,” he squeaked out, his voice causing her teeth to grind; it sounded like fingernails on one of the school chalkboards. Eve replied she was, and the man simply moved his hand to indicate she should move along the hallway to the next door…that he was extremely busy and had to deal with the long invisible line of phantom workers behind her. Eve wondered what the man would do for the rest of the day.
She walked to the end of the hallway in the direction he’d pointed. There was only the single door, so she reached out, turned the knob, and entered a tiny, colorless and box-like room. Once the door closed the entire room started to move downward, clanking on cogs and chains, and causing her to jump. At first Eve was terrified until she remembered her readings about lifts. This lift was ancient and creaky, and moved slowly down into the ground, to the bee-low. She could see the stone walls of the lift’s shaft through the grates as she descended further down. Eve counted ten levels. The lift door creaked open to face a single individual.
“Well, here you are and right on time, Miss Overhearder,” a bony, pale woman with milky blue eyes and very short hair the color of straw spoke as Eve walked out of the lift. She also wore a faded brown suit. “Have you been briefed? No? I thought not. Harry always passes on that part, now doesn’t he?” she went on, though Eve had no idea who Harry was or what that part was all about, or even if she was supposed to answer the woman’s questions. The woman continued her speech.
“My name is Floor Manager Alice Spoon…you may call me Alice. I will call you Eve. It’s shorter that way…more efficient, don’t you think? Your background is in mechanicals…correct? Have you reached level five in steam engines yet?”
“I…” Eve began to tell her she had no experience at all with steam engines, when Miggly walked down the hallway toward them, causing Alice to stand straighter, like she had been called to attention. Evidently a member of The Committee had some standing in Steam, as Eve would later come to call her department. Miggly approached them both in a huff; he removed a blue handkerchief from his vest pocket and blew his nose, flicked a speck of lint from his shoulder, and said,
“Ah, here she is…our new girl. Oh, I forgot, here is your safety hat,” Miggly said, smiling yellowed teeth. He handed Eve a hard, rounded hat that fit rather loosely on her head and had a strap for under her chin. Alice adjusted the chin strap for Eve, while Miggly watched. Then, once the chin strap was clipped tight he continued,
“I will take over from here, Alice. You may continue with your duties. Miss Overhearder, please follow me.” He turned and marched down the hall. They passed by six other workers on the way, who smiled, tipped their own hats, and said, “Welcome to Steam.”
Then, from the clock on the wall came a deep reverberating bong, causing Eve’s heart to pound. “Eight o’clock,” shrilled Alice. “It’s time to start work, everyone.” As the clock sounded seven more gongs, everyone got serious, scattered into various doors and lifts, and Eve was left alone following Miggly to the end of a hallway and through a door marked, Manager’s Office.
She’d had no idea it was what Miggly did for his day job…in addition to trying to break into the Boardroom Building at night, and to his being the current Head of the Committee, of course. But his job as Head would only last five more days, as Miggly had lost the election that had been held during the Atonement Festival. Henry Darpen would take over as the new Head in five days. Eve wondered if that fact would put her boss in a bad mood.
“Before you start, I must tell you the rules,” Miggly began, after he and Eve had entered what she thought must be his office, and he’d shut the door with a shaking bang. “You are to work with our Head of Steam Engines. As you know, Miss Overhearder, this is a new job assignment. It is necessary because we have found something…rather extraordinary. Don’t be concerned…it is not dangerous. At least we hope not,” Miggly droned on, smiling, with what Eve thought was feigned enthusiasm. She sat up straighter in her chair.
“Now first of all, you have no need of concern,” he continued. “Stanley Woodworm will be your superintendent. He’s been in the steam machine business for what seems like centuries…though that would not be possible given our life span, now would it?” he went on, leaving Eve wondering if everyone in Steam Machine Works ended their sentences with questions.
“Stanley will start your training as soon as I have debriefed you, and of course, you have signed all the necessary forms. We must sign the forms, correct?” he finished, forcing a sad imitation of a chuckle from his pursed lips. Miggly then shoved three cloth forms toward her, handing her a freshly ink-filled quill. He fidgeted, with his left hand tapping the desk, as if he had a million things to do and places to be. Eve remembered her father once describing this as Managerial Mode Behavior.
“What am I signing, Sir?” Eve asked. It was the first time she had spoken, and this time she had asked her own question. Because her father would have also reminded her never to sign a form without knowing what she was signing.
“Forms, of course…we have to know you will not hold Steam responsible should there be some unfortunate accident. It’s really a formality. Everyone has to sign off corporate legal responsibility before we can take them onto the floor,” Miggly answered, shoving the first form across the desk. He opened his desk drawer, removed another inked pen, and began to write some notes, as if he were far too busy to answer her questions.
“And the second form…?” Eve started to ask. She made a mental note to look up what corporate legal responsibility meant in the archives after work. “The second form concerns confidentiality” Miggly interrupted. “We always require confidentiality concerning the workings of the steam engines. This is for the safety of our city, should someone wish to compromise our safety or undertake industrial espionage, of course,” Miggly finished, now looking impatient.
Eve signed the first two forms, wondering what sort of accident could occur, and which suicidal person would sabotage a steam engine and for what reason. She would later ask Dirk what industrial espionage meant. “And the third form…? Eve started to ask, but was interrupted again by Miggly.
“That is unique to your assignment, Miss Overhearder. It’s a general sign off that states you take all responsibility for anything that happens to you while on the job or off, and that any and all findings become the property of The Committee. Please sign on the line,” Miggly insisted, and he now looked vexed at her hesitation. Eve thought he might be thinking she was not the one for the job, and should have been sent to clothing repair as per her mother’s request. She signed quickly, put the pen down, and awaited her next instruction, while trying to look determined.
“Excellent, come with me then. You’ll want to start with Superintendent Wormwood as soon as possible. He’s waiting for you on level 77. You look surprised. Did you think we were on the bottom level? No, no…this is only the administration level. The worker levels go much deeper. Don’t you know that?” Miggly finished, got up, opened the door, and strode out quickly toward his own personal lift, leaving Eve having to jog to catch up with him.
Once arriving at his lift door, Miggly punched in his code so fast Eve only caught the last three numbers. The lift door opened, they stepped inside, and Miggly passed his ID badge o
ver a pulsating red light, turning it green. “Level 77, please,” he instructed an invisible, disembodied voice that replied, “Yes, Mr. Miggly.” Eve watched as the lever turned itself, and the chains and cogs attached to the lift took them both down…too fast! Miggly spoke nonstop during their entire short trip.
“The lifts are security controlled at all times. Once you have passed your first instruction level exams, you will be given the passcodes to match your badge ID. Then the lift, the worker lift of course, will ID you. You will then have individual access to the permitted lower levels,” Miggly spoke loudly, as if he were reciting a memorized speech. “Yes, Sir,” Eve managed to insert, before Miggly began his next monologue.
“It goes without saying, you will never give steam works data to anyone, nor will you ever give them your ID badge. Do you understand, Miss Overhearder?” Miggly said, sternly looking over at Eve as the lift rapidly descended so fast she lost count of the levels. “Yes, Sir…how far does this go down?” Eve asked. She noted it was already getting warmer and more humid, and she wanted to ask him what ID meant, but decided she would wait and ask Dirk that too, when she met him after work.
“Ah, here we are…Level 77,” Miggly replied, leaving Eve’s question unanswered. They both stepped out, the lift door slid shut, and they stood facing a huge, hairy, swarthy man, with a patch over one eye, and strange geometric drawings on his arms and a part of his face. Eve wondered if they were permanent or if he drew them each morning before he came to work.
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