And here we go…
Archer resisted the urge to massage his temples. He didn’t try to explain, figuring that Leigh’s advice from before, when they’d been harassed in the street was still applicable.
“Everyone I’ve talked to in the coal district about that interview knows what they did,” said Emily. “We don’t take their narrative at face value. People knew you here, Archer. We know that they set you up to be a monster.”
The people in the room cheered and shouted in agreement. Archer felt uncomfortable, but also incredibly flattered by their support.
“You can go back to the citizens and the tower elites and play your part as their monster, Archer,” said Emily. “Or you can be a champion of the people here in the coal district. Your people.”
She smiled and made direct eye contact with him. There was power and confidence in her expression, looped around a beautiful face with stunning eyes. Archer immediately understood why she was the one in the center of the room, working up the people who’d come to listen to her. He felt a sudden, powerful attraction toward her, especially as the moment dragged on, and they continued to stare at each other.
“We will keep our meeting short for today,” said Emily. “I just wanted to make you aware of the fact that you do have people cheering you on, Archer Clark. Leigh, I will be in touch to let you know when we’ll be meeting next.”
She nodded to the two of them on their bench. Kenneth stood up from his seat, his face brimming with enthusiasm and hope, and led them out of the room. Nobody else left, however.
The meeting is only over for me and Leigh, apparently. I guess the rest of them have more to talk about.
He wasn’t offended, and if anything, it only made him want to know more about Emily and her philosophy in more detail. He stepped out onto the street of the coal district and suddenly felt like he was seeing the poverty of the vast majority of Tempus’s population with new eyes.
“Thanks,” he said to Leigh.
“For what?”
He reached over and squeezed her hand.
“For trusting me with that,” he said.
CHAPTER 25
Archer was thinking the entire walk back into the inner city. What little he’d heard from Emily on the realist philosophy made sense, but he’d already gotten a taste of how the game of politics was played from Ada, the Overseer, and his interview.
I haven’t committed to anything, yet. I’m still figuring all of this out.
“You’ve been awfully quiet,” said Leigh, as they entered the Prime Complex. Archer looked over at her and couldn’t stop himself from smiling a little. She looked radiant, and more than that, there was tenderness and concern for him in her eyes.
“Just thinking about all of this,” he said. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“You already knew most of it, didn’t you?” asked Leigh. “The government is corrupt. We don’t have a perfect system.”
They stepped into the elevator, and Archer frowned.
“The part about the promised land,” said Archer. “I just… I don’t know. It’s hard to know what to think about that.”
The elevator started rising toward the seventh floor.
“It’s almost as though we live on a different planet now,” said Leigh. “Or at least, we have since the first purge, and the beginning of the stagnation. I think there might be something to it. We have to explore the world all over again, Archer.”
“I mean, who says that the Overseer isn’t already trying to?” he asked.
Leigh frowned at him slightly.
“The only people who could conceivably do it are the members of the Metal Squad,” she said. “And right now, you’re all either protecting Tempus or the trade routes between here and Syprus. There’s no political will to commit the Metal Squad to exploration.”
The elevator doors open. Archer was about to agree with Leigh when he had a sudden thought.
They never explained to me what Trevor was doing when he was killed. Or why he died in such a way that it left his armor skin perfectly intact.
Leigh immediately started on dinner as soon as they were back in his apartment. Archer turned on his TV, still a little taken aback by the fact that he owned such a thing. He watched a rerun of one of a weekly drama called “Anomaly” that starred a ridiculously attractive blonde woman who investigated supernatural incidents at night in the citizen’s district.
He was just beginning to get comfortable when someone knocked on his door. Archer got up and answered it. One of the most attractive women he’d ever seen was standing on the other side, and it took him the better part of five seconds to recognize that it was Captain Ada, done up for a night out on the town.
“Archer,” she said. “You’re coming out with me tonight.”
“Uh…” Archer was still in a state of shock, reeling from the sight of her. Ada wore a tight red dress, cut low in front to demonstrate that even with her lean figure, she could catch attention with her cleavage. Her hair was woven into a long, singular braid, and she had on a silver choker with a red stone that hung tight against her neck.
For the sake of modesty, she also carried a fine black sweater shawl, but it was currently open in front, as though she wanted Archer to see the impressive lengths she’d gone to. She pushed passed him into the apartment, smiling as his eyes flickered over her stunning figure.
“Leigh, can you prepare some fashionable clothes for Archer?” asked Ada. “I’m afraid I’ll be stealing him from you, tonight.”
Archer frowned at her phrasing, but if it had offended Leigh, she didn’t let it show. She already had dinner in the oven, and she gave Ada a quick nod as she ran off to rummage through Archer’s wardrobe.
“Hold on,” said Archer. “I’m tired. I’m not really interested in going out, or whatever. I just want to rest.”
Ada sighed and shook her head.
“If you were in a better position, I’d have no problem with that,” she said. “But as things stand, you have no choice. You need to socialize and improve your public image. This is a publicity stunt, Archer. Not for fun.”
“What?” Archer’s frown deepened. “Look, I don’t see how this has anything to do with my job, or how it’s going to help me.”
“Archer, you clearly were not clued into this side of the world as a smog,” said Ada. “If you go out tonight, have fun, maybe mingle with a celebrity or two, the way people see you will vastly improve. Vastly.”
“How the hell do you expect me to mingle with a celebrity?” he asked.
Ada looked at him as though he was a complete idiot.
“You are a celebrity,” she said, in an insultingly slow voice. “Why do you think Rachel Madison, of all people, requested an interview with you? Now that you’re training with the Metal Squad, everyone in Tempus knows your name.”
Archer scowled and bit his lower lip. He really was tired, and the last thing he wanted to do was spend the night bumbling through a series of new, high stakes social situations.
Leigh appeared at his side and took his arm, trying to gently lead him over to the bathroom so that he could start getting washed up. Archer stared at her, unable to believe that she was also going along with it.
“Hey, come on,” he said. “Do you really think that this is a good idea?”
I’d so much rather stay home, cuddle up with Leigh on the couch. Maybe do more than just cuddle.
“It’s an excellent idea,” said Leigh. She was smiling, but it seemed forced. “Ada is completely right.”
She stepped into the bathroom with him and started pulling off his clothes.
“Leigh…” Archer sighed. “I don’t think Ada wants you to come with us, though.”
“I know for a fact that she doesn’t, and I don’t plan to,” said Leigh. “It would be counterproductive. Archer, you’re young, new on the celebrity scene, and… you’re an eligible bachelor.”
“What?”
“I said, you’re an eligible bachelor.” Leigh
kept her eyes on his as she spoke, reinforcing the words. “What you need to do tonight is to flaunt that fact for as much advantage as you can get out of it.”
Archer stared at her, hearing her words but not fully taking them in.
“I don’t… want to be an eligible bachelor,” he said. “I mean, really! Do I even look like an eligible bachelor?”
He pulled her in closer and kissed her on the lips. Leigh didn’t kiss back, but she gave herself into the hug, letting her forehead rest against his shoulder.
“This isn’t just about you, Archer,” she whispered. “I know how this probably feels, for you. But you have to do this. And if you get a chance to be with another woman tonight, someone who would reflect positively on your public image to associate with, promise me you won’t sabotage things.”
“Leigh…”
She tightened her hands into fists in his shirt and pulled back, glaring at him. It made her look cute, rather than threatening.
“Promise me, Archer,” she whispered. “I don’t want to see you limit yourself because of some silly idea you’ve gotten into your head about things… between us.”
Is she… saying what I think she’s saying?
He tried to put his hand over hers, but she took a step back from him.
“Promise me,” she repeated.
Archer sighed.
“I promise.”
“Good.” She smiled her smile again, still lacking any emotion to back it up with. “Take a shower. I’ll finish picking out your clothes.”
She left, and Archer started the shower, trying to think of a way out while adjusting the knobs to get the water temperature right. He felt more trapped than he had in a very long time, since his mother first fell ill, and he had to survive on his own.
The shower helped him think a bit more rationally about the situation. It wouldn’t do him any good to ignore what Ada and Leigh had to say. He would go out to wherever Ada was planning on taking him. He’d smile, pretend to enjoy himself, mingle with the people he needed to. There were worse things to be forced into for a night.
The outfit Leigh had picked out for him was simple, but fashionable. Nice jeans, a black t-shirt with an interesting graphic of flowing bubbles printed on the front of it. A blazer that he guessed that she intended him to leave unbuttoned, along with expensive looking leather boots. He pulled the clothes on, made sure his hair looked okay in the mirror, and headed out into the living room.
“Finally,” said Ada. “No time to waste. Let’s get going.”
Archer glanced over at Leigh. She smiled at him and nodded.
“Think you’ll still be up when I get home?” he asked.
“Are you asking me to wait up for you?”
“Don’t,” said Ada. “There’s a good chance he won’t be sleeping here tonight.”
Archer gritted his teeth and glared at her. She was already heading out the door. He turned to look back at Leigh, but she’d disappeared into the kitchen, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation if it meant feeding his doubts. He walked out into the hallway and caught up with Ada at the elevator.
She called a rail car for them once they were outside, which seemed excessive, given that they weren’t very far from the night life of the tower district. Ada sat with one leg crossed over the other, looking so very unlike the demanding captain that had first recruited him for the Metal Squad.
“We’re heading to the XYZ Lounge,” said Ada. “Have you heard of it?”
Archer shook his head.
“It’s where all of the celebrities hang out at night,” said Ada. “Usually there are a half dozen or so streamcasters waiting outside, taking photos and videos so they can report on the latest fashions and relationship gossip.”
“Are we going to be able to get in?” asked Archer.
Ada burst into laughter, holding one hand over her mouth as though it was the funniest thing she’d heard all night.
“You’re oblivious,” she said. “I’m just going to have to keep explaining this to you, aren’t I?”
CHAPTER 26
Archer only made it a step or two out of the rail car before camera flashes erupted against his face, sharp and bright against the black of the night. He scowled and held a hand up to shield his eyes, neon patches of contrast shock blotching into his field of vision.
“Come on,” said Ada. “We get to skip the line.”
The line she was referring to went back to the edge of the block and looped around the corner. The XYZ lounge was a midsized building on the edge of the tower district, close enough to be within walking distance for the elites, but outside of the sections of the inner city’s downtown where serious business took place. The sign over the entrance spelled out the lounge’s name with bright red LED cursive lettering.
“Ada.” The bouncer out front was a muscular, handsome black man. “It’s so good to see you tonight.”
“Likewise, Michael.” She returned the man’s greeting with a flirtatious smile. “Are you working all night?”
“Only the first half,” he said.
“Come see me after.” Ada winked at him, and gestured for Archer to follow as she walked inside.
A friend of hers? Probably more than a friend…
The lounge wasn’t what Archer was expecting, though all he had to go off for reference was what he’d seen on TV. The space was dimly lit by gentle blue light. A live band played soft jazz music on a small stage in the corner of the room.
The walls were lined with small booths that appeared to be reserved in advance. A circular bar took up the very center of the room, with several scantily dressed women inside of it, making drinks for interested male patrons.
Archer felt physically stiff and nervous, outside of his comfort zone. Ada seemed to pick up on his tension, and gently pulled him by the shoulder toward a nearby booth. It was empty, and nobody stopped them from slipping into it.
“Just take a deep breath, Archer,” she said. “This place is designed to be a bit overwhelming. It’s a way of shocking people into opening themselves up.”
“I just feel really out of place,” he said. “They already took photos of me entering. Isn’t that enough?”
Ada sighed and shook her head. She planted a hand on his shoulder and stood up.
“I’m going to get you a drink and a vaporizer,” she said. “Trust me, it will help you calm down.”
She walked away from him and back over to the bar. Being alone in the booth was even worse than having Ada sitting across from him. Everybody in the lounge seemed to be having a blast, except for him. Attractive men and women, some that he recognized from TV shows and news channels, chatted with each other as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Am I loser? I’ve never really thought about it before. In this context, all signs point to… yes.
Ada was standing at the bar, waiting for the drinks, being hit on by three men at once. She handled it in stride, enjoying their attention. She seemed so different from the no nonsense Metal Squad captain who had recruited Archer originally. She was unleashed, beautiful, and feminine.
One of the pretty bartenders set a tray in front of her with two drinks on it and an odd looking metal box with a long, coiling tube protruding from one side. She brushed off the men hitting on her and carried it back to the booth.
“Here,” she said. “This is a gin and tonic.” She handed him a drink. “The vaporizer is filled with shisha, tobacco, with a bit of cannabis mixed in.”
“That’s your plan?” asked Archer. “Dose me up with drugs and hope for the best?”
Ada locked eyes with him. She was still standing, and she leaned forward, putting a hand on either side of Archer in the booth and bringing her body dangerously close to his.
“This is just to relax you, Archer,” said Ada. “Do I seem like the kind of woman that would bring you into a situation without a plan?”
It took every ounce of self-control that Archer had to keep from glancing down
at her cleavage. Her lips were inches away from his, and his entire body tingled with excitement and suspense.
“No,” he finally said. “I guess not.”
He thought she was going to kiss him, for the briefest instant, but Ada just patted his chest and then slid back into her spot across from him.
“Just sip on that drink,” she said. “It’s not too strong, but I still don’t want to take the risk of you getting too drunk. The vaporizer will take a minute or two to heat up.”
She turned her attention back to the room, her eyes doing a double take at something. Ada tapped her hand twice on the table and then gestured to somebody in the crowd, beckoning them over.
“I want you to meet a friend of mine,” she said. “Please, try to relax. I’ll take care of everything.”
Archer sighed. A woman materialized from the crowd, and his jaw dropped open as she came close enough for him to make out the details of her appearance.
“She’s… the girl from Anomaly,” he said. “I was literally just watching her on TV, before I came out here.”
“Priscilla Favereau,” said Ada. “We’ve known each other for years.”
Priscilla wore a black cocktail dress, low cut in the front with slits running down both sides. Her blonde hair was straight and shiny. Her face was gorgeous, with big eyes, luscious lips, and a perfectly flirtatious smile.
“Ada,” she said, smiling as she approached. “It’s so good to see you. And you brought the city’s newest fascination along with you.”
“Likewise,” said Ada, grinning back at her. “Archer, meet Priscilla. Priscilla, this is Archer.”
Priscilla extended her hand. Archer looked over at Ada, who was already getting up, and then back to Priscilla, only then gingerly shaking, and blushing as he did.
“Why don’t I give the two of you some time to get acquainted?” asked Ada. “Archer is still very new to Tempus high society. I think you’re the first real celebrity he’s even met, Priscilla.”
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