by Amy DuBoff
“Shall we?” Cris hopped out from the car.
Amid the buildings, the breeze was much less pronounced and Ryan found he was able to walk without feeling chilled like up at the port. Few people were strolling down the streets at the mid-morning hour, but those who were varied in their reactions—some barely seeing the three of them and others watching with great interest. Ryan was pretty sure he heard at least one person whisper something about Cris Sietinen to their companion. I hope he’s right about those rumors being helpful.
When they reached the location Cris had identified on the map, there was only a plain gray three-story structure that appeared to be more recent construction than the surrounding blocks.
“Hmm,” Cris mused aloud. “I can’t say this looks promising.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Raena agreed.
“This building is new,” Ryan observed. “Maybe something happened to the original and they moved the workshop?”
“Possibly.” Cris crossed his arms.
One of the passersby noticed the group’s consternation and stopped two paces from them. “Are you looking for something?”
Cris turned to address the middle-aged woman. “Yes, we—”
“Stars! My lord.” The woman dropped to a deep curtsy.
“No, please,” Cris insisted in a low voice. “We’re not here on official business.”
The woman hesitantly rose, adjusting her shawl around her shoulders. “If it’s Elren you want, his shop is three blocks to the south and one east.”
“How did you know that’s who we were looking for?” Cris asked her.
She gave him a knowing smile. “When strangers come, it’s often for him. He’s something of a collector.”
“Our thanks.” Cris bowed his head.
“The honor is mine, my lord,” she replied, then cast an evaluating look in Raena and Ryan’s direction. “It’s surprising to see you here.”
“It was past time I visit the lands beyond Sieten,” Cris replied with a smile. “Now, we should be on our way.”
“Of course, my lord.” The woman glanced again at Ryan, then inclined her head and continued down the sidewalk.
“Any bets on how long it is before the entire town knows we’re here?” Raena said when the woman was beyond earshot.
Cris chuckled. “Twenty minutes tops.”
Raena smiled. “So Elren, huh? I wonder if that’s our sculptor.”
“One way to find out.” Cris strode ahead in the direction the woman had indicated.
After two minutes of walking, he stopped outside a nondescript beige building, marked only by a carved wooden door.
“Much more promising,” Raena commented.
“This must be it.” Cris knocked.
A minute passed before a man spoke over an intercom, “Yes?”
“Hello, Elren? We’re here regarding an old relief map created in this studio. We were hoping you could tell us some more about it,” Cris replied.
“Where is the map?” the man asked, making no indication of his identity.
“In Sieten. We brought pictures,” explained Cris. “This should only take a few minutes of your time.”
The door bolt slid open and an elderly man with bushy brows peered outward. “Where in Sieten?” He looked Cris over.
“Within the Sietinen estate,” Cris stated levelly. “I would appreciate your assistance.”
The man’s eyes widened and he took a step back, allowing the door to swing open. “My lord, I—” He noticed Ryan and Raena and he sucked in a startled breath. “Stars!”
Cris tilted his head expectantly.
“Come in, come in,” the man urged.
Cris led the way, followed by Raena and Ryan. Once they were inside, the man closed and re-bolted the door.
The interior was cramped and chaotic, somewhere between a living room and a workshop. Though what little of the walls Ryan could see appeared newly renovated, the furnishings were well-worn. A couch had been overtaken by crates containing paints and decorative stones, and bookshelves along the walls were lined with an assortment of knickknacks. At the back of the room, where a dining room should have been, a work table supported a half-carved wooden mural nearly three meters on its longest edge. Wooden shavings littered the ground and the air bore an oaken mustiness.
Ryan inspected the artifacts on the bookshelves with interest, noting a bizarre mixture of electrical components and stone sculptures that looked like they could have been from another era. He was so engrossed in his study that it took him a minute to realize the old man was staring at him.
“What?” Ryan asked him.
“You look just like them,” the man breathed.
“Who?” Cris prompted.
“The paintings in the Underground,” the man replied like the answer was obvious.
“Does that sound familiar?” Cris telepathically asked Raena and Ryan.
“That’s sometimes what we’d call the servant living area beneath the estate, but otherwise no,” Ryan told him.
“Right,” Cris said aloud. “But I think we skipped introductions.”
The man’s face flushed. “Of course, my apologies. I don’t get many visitors.” He clasped his hands and made a small bow. “I am Elren, yes. I inherited this studio from my master, Ulrich—he never had any children of his own.”
Cris nodded. “I see. And do you happen to have any records of the art produced by the studio from before you were involved?”
“No, I’m afraid those were lost in a collapse,” Elren said.
There goes that lead. Then Ryan caught himself. “Wait, what do you mean by a ‘collapse’?”
“A cave-in,” Elren said again like he was having to repeat the obvious.
Cris’ brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, Elren, I understand the words but not the meaning. Can you explain the Underground and these collapses?”
Elren’s bushy eyebrows rose. “You mean you don’t know?”
“About what?” Cris asked.
“The original city,” the old man stated.
Raena’s jaw dropped. “That’s what happened!” she exclaimed in Ryan’s and Cris’ minds. “The Priesthood didn’t remove the city of Dain—they buried it.”
Stars! Ryan’s breath caught in his throat. “Can you access this Underground?” he stammered.
“Parts of it,” Elren said with a nod. “It’s dangerous, though, because of cave-ins.”
“Do you have a map?” Raena asked tentatively.
Elren ignored her question, continuing the stare at Ryan. “Are you one of them?” he asked.
“I…” Ryan looked to Cris for help.
Cris took a step closer to him and addressed Elren, “We’re here to seek the truth regarding what happened to this city.”
The old man considered the response. “How did you find me?”
“A friend of ours researched the map at the estate. It was some lucky extrapolation,” Cris replied.
“And who’s he?” Elren nodded in Ryan’s direction, not taking his gaze off him.
“Someone invested in Tararia’s future,” Cris said.
Elren nodded with understanding. “Some truths cannot be spoken aloud.” He briefly turned his attention to Raena, shaking his head. “I never dreamed I’d live to witness such times.”
“So, about the Underground,” Ryan said, bringing the conversation back to their objective.
“Right.” The old man shuffled across the room to one of his many bookshelves. He selected a chrome device the size of his palm and brought it to Cris. “This contains a map, but it must be charged.”
Cris inspected the device. “I should be able to tether it to my handheld,” he told Ryan and Raena. “You pick up a thing or two being married to a VComm heiress.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Raena jested back.
“Thank you, Elren,” Cris said to the man. “Do you have a suggestion for where we should start?”
“That depends on what you’re after,” he repl
ied.
“Evidence of unpopular truths that have been silenced for too long.”
The old man smiled. “Then use the entrance on Mandelay Street. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
“How did you learn about all this?” Cris asked him after a pause.
Elren chuckled. “They think all of us have forgotten, but we haven’t. We just know when to keep quiet.”
“Does everyone here know?” Cris pressed.
Elren shook his head. “Just a few of us, but we preserve what we can. We take apprentices to the Underground so that they might gain necessary perspective.”
“Well, we’re indebted to you,” Cris told him.
The old man brushed off the statement with a wave of his hand. “Truths can only be buried for so long. It’s just a matter of finding the right people to listen.”
“Why reveal this information to us now?” Raena questioned.
“Because if you have found your way here, you are ready to hear that truth. I have lived a long life and it does not take much to see who you are. I believe you can do what must be done—perhaps the first and only ones who would ever be in a position to do so.”
Cris nodded. “We’ll try.”
Elren showed them to the door. “Be safe, and I hope you find what you need.”
“Thank you,” Cris said as the door unbolted and cracked open. He froze in the doorway.
“What is it?” Ryan questioned, taking a step sideways so he could get a better view.
Gathered around the shop door were at least six dozen city residents. They took a collective gasp when they saw Cris.
“You just had to go around announcing yourself,” Raena muttered.
Cris hastily stepped back inside and closed the door. “Well, that backfired.”
Elren peeked out the window. “They mustn’t see you enter the Underground.”
“Is there another way in?” Ryan asked him.
The old man nodded. “I didn’t want to suggest it because it’s blocked, but with the abilities they say you have, you should be able to make a way through.”
“Show us,” Cris requested.
Ryan exchanged a worried glance with Raena as they followed Elren toward a downward staircase. Whatever truth we find in this Underground, I don’t think I’ll be able to see things the same way again.
CHAPTER 10
Descending a musty staircase while being led by a stranger into an unknown situation went against most of Cris’ training, but curiosity kept him moving forward down the dimly lit corridor.
“So, where are we going, exactly?” Cris asked the elderly guide, whose glacial pace only heightened Cris’ anxiousness.
“I believe she’s already put the pieces together,” Elren replied with a quick look back to Raena.
“When they covered up the city, several of the buildings were too tall to hide,” Raena stated. “So, some of structures we see on the surface now are actually the tops of those tall skyscrapers.”
Elren nodded. “The floors below what’s now surface-level were sealed, but construction projects here and there over the last century have opened up passageways to the Underground.”
Cris’ heart leaped. “There’s an entire, intact city beneath us?”
“Much of it is now in ruins due to lack of maintenance and time, but many of the structures are there, yes,” the old man replied.
How is that possible? The city spans at least two kilometers. That’s a huge structure to erect over the top. And where did all the residents go? “Elren, you said earlier that some of you haven’t forgotten. Do you have any record—written or oral—regarding how the city got to be the way it is today?”
The old man shook his head. “I don’t know the details, but there was an event a century or two ago when Dainetris was condemned. The people loved our leaders. Anyone unwilling to denounce their loyalties met a swift end at the hand of the Priesthood, and those few remaining were sent away. When they were allowed to return a month later, the city was no longer at sea level.” Elren’s shoulders slumped further. “From what I saw in the Underground as a youth, Dain was beautiful. What you see now of Shorlaen is our punishment for disobeying.”
Cris hurriedly dismissed dark thoughts about what the Priesthood would do to the four of them if they discovered this new quest to expose the truth. “Is it one continuous platform over the city below, or…?”
“It appears the structure was erected in modules,” Elren explained. “I am far from an architect, but I know enough of design to see the seams between pieces.”
“But you can get between the different sections of the Underground?” Ryan asked.
Elren nodded. “Most places, yes. I suspect your question is specifically about the Dainetris Estate, and most of that is intact. However, there is a cave-in between here and there—but I believe a former Agent would have the means to find a way through.”
If I have to use telekinesis on Tararia, at least it will be somewhere hidden. “We’ll figure out a way.”
They reached the bottom of the staircase three stories down, which terminated in a metal door. A cursory inspection of the area revealed a broken weld around the door, and chips along the walls and floor suggested a layer of concrete filling in the room had been jackhammered away.
“Exit at Mandelay Street after you complete your task,” Elren instructed. “That’s closest to your destination. The map will show you the possible routes.”
“Not all the cave-ins are noted on the map, correct?” Cris clarified.
Elren inclined his head. “It was current as of five years ago. I’ve heard there have been new collapses since then, but I no longer journey into the Underground.”
“Thank you again for your assistance,” Cris told him.
“A worthy cause. Good luck.” Elren began a slow climb back up the stairs.
Raena and Ryan descended the remaining steps to stand next to Cris after Elren had passed by them.
“Lost city adventure time?” Raena asked.
“Oh yeah.” Cris tested the handle on the door and it pulled toward him with a metal screech.
The space was black beyond the reach of the faint light shining through the open door. Cris evaluated the dark depths with a telekinetic assessment, sensing walls and a ceiling similar to the stairwell. However, there appeared to be another door on the far wall and a double door that he suspected led to an elevator shaft on the right side wall. He took a step into the room and found the floor was covered in a layer of dust. The stale air assaulted his senses and he fought the urge to cough.
“Not the least bit creepy,” Raena said with heavy sarcasm behind him.
Cris pulled out the storage device from Elren and activated his handheld. “We should probably figure out where we’re going.”
It took three attempts to wirelessly charge the storage unit enough to extract the data, but within five minutes Cris had transferred the necessary information to his handheld. He transmitted the map to Raena’s and Ryan’s devices, as well.
“Oh, we’re in a parking garage,” Raena commented when she examined the map. She pointed to the door in the far wall. “Once we go out here, we should be able to follow the ramps to the surface level.”
Ryan activated the flashlight mode on his handheld and approached the door. He yanked on the handle and it swung inward with a groan, releasing a shower of dust. Waving the cloud away from his face, he shined the light into the dark space. “All clear.”
Cris held out his hand for Raena to go first and then followed her through the doorway.
The open area beyond was the size of a city block with a gently sloping floor, up on one side and down on the other. Charging ports for vehicles lined each wall. The ground was covered in a layer of dust like in the elevator lobby, which masked all but a few of the painted lines between parking stalls.
They walked three abreast down the ramp, shining their lights ahead and to the sides as they descended. Though there were no other s
igns of life, Cris occasionally checked over his shoulder behind for good measure.
After fifteen stories, the switch-backing ramp finally leveled out and led toward a broad opening into the enclosed city beyond.
Cris scouted ahead of Raena and Ryan. Outside the garage, a four-lane boulevard stretched as far as his light reached in either direction, sloping down a hill to the left. An eight-story building across the street blocked his view straight ahead, but the other structures along the boulevard began to answer the mystery regarding the city’s fate.
The ceiling consisted of a series of interlocking panels right out of a cargo ship manufacturing yard. Structural support columns had been erected alongside the tallest buildings to provide anchor points for the panels. The curved nature of the panels created the appearance of hills they had witnessed from the surface. Cris spotted a distinctive brand on some of the sections; with the aid of the camera zoom on his handheld, he was able to make out the identifier—DGE, Dainetris Galactic Enterprises.
They raided the Dynasty’s own foking shipyard to bury the city. He shook his head with disgusted awe.
Ryan grimaced as he stepped into the street next to Cris. “This is a city built for a population ten times what it is today.”
“I don’t want to think about it.” Cris’ stomach turned over.
Raena walked up next to Ryan and took his hand. “We need to focus on making sure this never happens again.”
Ryan gave a weak nod in response as the group headed down the boulevard toward the location of the Dainetris compound indicated on Elren’s map.
The city reminded Cris of the commercial district in Sieten, with a variety of storefronts on the bottom levels of buildings and premium residential space above. After a century and a half, the glass no longer gleamed and foliage had long since died off, but nothing about the environment spoke to why Dainetris had met its sudden end.
Unlike the Sietinen manor that was positioned well outside the city, the Dainetris estate was within the city limits to the south. As they traversed the abandoned streets, though, it became clear why Elren had suggested an alternate entry point. Up ahead, one of the massive support beams had fallen over, taking out several buildings and scattering debris for blocks in either direction. The remaining support beams at three corners of the ceiling segments were enough to support the city above, but if another gave way in the same area, they might be facing a disaster.