by Alexia Purdy
If it could get Hamm off our backs, faking pleasantries with him were not a big deal. I didn’t need to get on his bad side; I borrowed tons of equipment all the time. He’d been known to ban people for small infractions if he felt so inclined.
He grunted a reply which I couldn’t decipher, but I held my breath as he looked over my signature and the equipment I was returning. He waved me away, and I left the ladder in front of his desk. For me, he usually put things away himself, always refusing my help to return it. I didn’t think he did much “helping” for the other engineers when they returned things. I took advantage of the situation and had no shame.
“Thanks, Hamm! Have a good one!”
He didn’t even bother with a reply as he waved us away. Such a crabby old fella.
“Ugh, why are you so nice to him? He’s such a prick and hates everyone.” Gigi rolled her eyes as we walked down the ramp heading toward the greenhouse gardens. I always loved going there after work, but I was usually alone. It looked like Fran and Gigi were not going to leave me alone any time soon, so I just kept on going, hoping they’d get the picture sooner or later.
“Because he controls the supply depot. If he wants to ban me for something, it better be a whopper of a reason. I need that equipment to repair stuff around here. Unfortunately, he’s in charge of it all. I’m not going to risk losing my privileges when I need those tools to work.”
“I don’t think that’ll ever happen,” Gigi said. She snickered, which made me throw her an icy glare.
“How would you know?”
“It’s obvious… he must really like you, Star. He doesn’t talk to anyone. Around you, he uses actual words.” She giggled, but I ignored her, rolling my eyes.
“How old do you think he is?” Fran asked.
“Too old. Star, old enough to be your father! He’s a bit rough in the looks department too.” Gigi feigned gagging.
I shook my head at the ridiculousness of their comments.
“That’s not very nice,” I grumbled. “So what if he’s older? I’m not interested in him, but maybe he’s nicer than you think. He’s always been helpful to me. Plus, age gaps are not uncommon. My father is at least ten years older than my mother.”
“Very true. It’s also good to know the people you must place your trust in. It makes them feel important and makes them trust you as well,” Fran stated, bobbing her head in agreement.
“Well, I just thought you should know he’s got it bad for you, Star,” Gigi said. She giggled again, and this time I hated to admit that she was probably right, but I didn’t like Hamm in that way. He was a co-worker and way too old for me. I kept to myself as one of the only female engineers. I wasn’t trying to attract any lecherous men. So far, everyone has been exceptionally nice to me. Even Hamm, in his own unrefined way. That didn’t mean he wanted to date me. I sighed.
It was more than I could say about Clyde. I groaned internally. Every conversation always led to thoughts of Clyde. It was too hard to scrub him completely from my mind, so I tried to distract myself with something else to busy my thoughts. Luckily, we were now near the greenhouses.
We entered, and I chose the first bench to sit on. There, I crossed my legs, leaning back and closing my eyes to listen to the birds chirping above us in the trees. The plants were maintained with artificial light and warmth, and it was the only place where I could feel normal. The greenhouse felt more like a real, living place, like I was sitting under the heat of the sun and not in some dark, echoing cavern. It made me forget about Clyde with its serenity and variety of scents and sounds.
Fran and Gigi sat quietly next to me, not daring to disturb my meditation. I didn’t care what they thought about me, my actions, who I fraternized with, or what I did in my free time. I was there for peace and sanity, and no one was going to steal that from me ever again.
Chapter Eleven
Star
“I hate to admit it, but I miss my father,” Gigi lamented. “I thought leaving and coming to the rebellion would solve all my problems, but….”
Fran and I stared at Gigi, wondering what exactly she was getting at.
“But what, Gigi?” I leaned forward, waiting for her to continue. I reached down to snatch up a rogue dandelion breaking through a crack in the concrete, its lovely yellow face reminding me of the sun that never shone underground.
“I don’t know. I don’t belong down here. I didn’t think things through when I decided to run away. And I miss Clyde.” She hugged her arms around her thin figure, looking far more vulnerable than I’d ever seen her.
I slumped back into the chair and closed my eyes. Of course, there it was. She missed her fiancé. So she had real feelings for Clyde, something I couldn’t talk about if I wanted to. She didn’t belong down with the common folk. She was a society girl through and through. I couldn’t believe she didn’t know that and was now regretting her spontaneous and self-destructive decisions.
“I’m sure he’s worried sick about you,” Fran empathized. For a robot, she sounded so sincere. How did she do it? “We can go topside and see if we can get any news. Maybe I can see if I can sneak a message to him, if that’s what you want,” she offered. She always knew what to say to put anyone at ease. I used to be that way. Now I felt awkward and inept. What had happened to the old me?
I frowned, glaring at the concrete beneath our shoes as I tried my best to ignore the bubble of rage growing inside me. Fran knew what had happened between her brother and me. Why would she help Gigi contact him?
“I’d like that. Thank you Fran.” Gigi sniffed, rubbing at her nose with a tissue. “What if I see him and want to stay with him again? Would the rebellion let me go back?”
“I don’t see why not,” I said, my voice stiff. “You don’t really have any information to offer the Insurgents. You probably couldn’t find your way back here if you tried, right?” I asked, still staring at the ground and chewing on my lower lip until it felt bruised.
“Yeah. I don’t even know how to get to the surface on my own. I know nothing that would threaten the rebellion.” Gigi sighed, looking worried as she stared at a wheat field nearby, swaying in a slight underground breeze.
“It shouldn’t be an issue then, but you’ll probably have to be escorted out with a blindfold on.” I hopped to my feet and turned to look at Gigi. Getting rid of her would make my life quieter, but knowing she would be back in Clyde’s arms made it all bittersweet.
“Will you guys go with me? I don’t want to get caught and dragged back to the mansion if I change my mind. It’s like a prison in there. If not for Clyde, I’d never go back. I just don’t want to go up there alone.”
“Wait….” I narrowed my eyes at Gigi. “How can we be sure you won’t turn us in when we’re topside? You could if you want to,” I snapped.
Gigi’s mouth fell open as tears welled up in her eyes. “What? I would never!”
“Star! That’s absurd,” Fran responded.
“No, it’s not.” I crossed my arms and looked away, shaking my head. “I’m just stating my concerns. How can we trust her? I’m just being a realist.”
“You need to be nicer.” Fran’s face reddened. I’d never seen her furious. “She’s been here long enough. We can trust her.” She frowned, looking disturbed at my outburst. She was learning emotional expressions quickly now that she studied Gigi and me fulltime. For some reason, her taking Gigi’s side made my blood boil.
“Fine,” I groaned, sitting on the bench once more. I wasn’t going to win, so why did I even try? “I’m sorry, Gigi. Really, I am. Being chased by your father’s hooligans has me on edge and paranoid. Can you see why I would be so jumpy?”
Gigi nodded. “Yes, of course, Star. I’m so sorry he treated you the way he did. It disgusted me. If I could have, I would’ve helped you escape with me, but you were already gone. I should have been more vocal to my father about how wrong it was to imprison you. I’d never put you in harm’s way again.”
I nodded. “Tha
nks, Gigi.” Her apology felt sincere, but my hardened heart barely softened at her words. She was the last person in the world who needed to apologize to me. I was so bitter, so filled with loathing, I barely recognized myself.
“So would you both accompany me to back to Petra? My father has many rallies the public can attend to listen to his speeches. Clyde should be at them too. We should find out when the next one is and sneak in.”
“That sounds plausible.” I rubbed my chin, wondering if we could get permission by claiming it as a reconnaissance mission. As three young girls, we might be under far less scrutiny than one of the rebellion’s soldiers. “Does your father bring any of his other advisors to these rallies?”
Gigi wrinkled her nose as she racked her memory. “Yes, but only a few. I believe there are two that stay in the audience to keep the crowd excited. The others are up on the stage to the sides to help the guards keep my father safe.”
“I’ll pull some strings with some of the superiors to see if I can get a safe house to use while we’re topside,” Fran said. “I think it’d be easier to have a home base that’s secure.” She grinned at feeling useful as we both nodded at her idea.
In a complete turnaround from a few minutes earlier, they looked elated at our new upcoming adventure. I smiled faintly, feeling oddly warm inside where cold stones had replaced my heart. I watched as Fran offered a handkerchief to Gigi, who blew her nose and wiped her face all over it. She was incredibly supportive even though she only had a mechanical heart. Mine was so broken and cold. I couldn’t let my hatred for Farlan or Clyde poison my life anymore. I would end up utterly and bitterly alone if I stayed on this course.
Who knew, maybe this mission would help the rebellion get one step closer to taking Farlan down. A part of me felt elated, but the other part was convinced it would end in catastrophe. Either way, it was time to go back to Petra.
Chapter Twelve
Star
I cracked open the door and sniffed the air. The sweet scent of morning rain and ozone hung over the cobblestone roads and steamed against the metal of the manhole covers. Clouds peppered the sky, with only small specks of blue showing between them. People rushed by, never noticing me peeking through the doorway of one of the rebellion’s many safe houses.
“Shut the door! You’re going to let the cold in.” Gigi’s hand pushed on the door until it clicked shut. I straightened, crossing my arms, and jutting out my bottom lip, but she paid me no mind. Twirling away, she grabbed an umbrella and smoothed down the skirt beneath her jacket. Her lovely blonde curls were tucked away under a brunette wig that could fool even the most meticulous of inspectors. “Well?”
I looked up, already lost in my thoughts. “Well, what?”
“How do I look?”
“Not like you, so fine, I guess. You look fine.” I turned to stare out the window. “It’s going to rain some more this afternoon.”
“Best take an umbrella as well and wear some rain boots.” She frowned at her black shoes, which paired well with her outfit.
“I already got mine on.” I lifted my loose slacks to show them off. We were lucky that this safe house had been stocked with a wide assortment of clothing.
Fran entered from the kitchen with a couple of thermoses and handed one to each of us. “It may be warm and humid right now, but once the breeze comes up, you’ll both catch your death and freeze. Wear a thicker coat, Star, for goodness’ sake. Here.” She turned, yanked a coat from the rack by the door and held it out to me. “This will repel the rain and keep you warm.”
“What about you?” I shrugged it on and fastened the buttons. She was right, it was warm, but not overwhelmingly so. I smoothed out the bottom of the coat. It went well with rain boots and my dark slacks yet remained feminine.
“I’m not going. They only allow humans into the public rallies unless you’re disabled and need a caretaker, which you don’t. There are scanners at all the entrances. No cogs allowed.”
“Cogs?” I asked.
“It’s what the locals call androids. You know, like gears and cogs. Like our insides.” She tapped her temple and smiled. Her acceptance of the slur was unnerving.
“News that many of the city’s women are androids is just starting to come out,” she continued, “and not everyone is reacting positively.”
I pressed my lips tightly together and shook my head. “I don’t like this. What if they discover Gigi is the president’s daughter? We’ll have some real problems then.”
“Star, we have to do this.” Gigi pressed a hand to my shoulder and squeezed gently, a quick affirmation I hadn’t known I’d needed. “I can’t sleep and can’t eat without feeling sick with worry. I need to know how my father is holding up. If I get caught, I’ll give in and return to my father, but not before giving you time to get away.”
I scrutinized her pretty face but found no malice dancing in her eyes, only sincerity, concern, and reassurance. I sighed. She was right. If she were discovered, there would be so much confusion going on, I’d be able to slip away unnoticed.
I hoped.
“All right. Let’s go. We’re going to be late.” I inhaled deeply, hoping my nerves would settle. Something wasn’t sitting right with me, but it could just be that I hadn’t been topside in town since running away to Clyde’s family cottage. I didn’t want to be there, but sitting still in the Glass Sky City was not where I wanted to be either.
Gigi slipped her thermos into her messenger bag, as did I. I’d sorely miscalculated how apprehensive I’d feel. There was a dense tension hanging in the air as we left the house. Stepping out into the wet streets humming with life reminding me that not everyone was locked in battle or conflict. Life went on no matter what. Shops were open and selling goods; people browsed the aisles and bought things they needed. The smell of food permeated the air from the nearby pizza shop and hotdog stand. My mouth watered in response.
Clearing my throat, I pressed on, moving more swiftly out of the neighborhood in case anyone noticed two girls walking alone in the rain. I held my umbrella close so most of my face could not be seen.
“How far away is this place?” I asked to Gigi, who was huddled under her own umbrella but as close as she could get to me.
“Just five minutes’ walk. Come on.” She quickened her steps, avoiding people with a grace I had to admire. If I had not had my rubber boots on, I’d have been slipping all over the cobblestones. I hated to admit that I was less than graceful compared to Gigi. It made me wonder if we would’ve been friends had we met in some other time and place. Some other life. Maybe she’d been at the ball where this all started. I scanned my memories for her face in the crowd. President Farlan had certainly been there, but I doubted he would’ve allowed his daughter to attend a doomed event.
He’d known he was going to bomb the ball back then. The very one I had met Clyde at. He’d have had Gigi stay away from it for that reason alone and yet had the balls to attend for the first part of it to gloat and see who would be taken out.
My fists curled up tightly, clenching around the umbrella. I felt the plastic creak from the pressure. I breathed out slowly, mentally talking myself down to hide my rage.
I watched Gigi turn to head toward an ornate building surrounded by barriers and guards. I could see that beyond the crowd in front of the steps of the building sat a podium with a microphone. Propaganda banners hung from the building behind the podium, rippling slightly from the breeze. They were brightly colored and emblazoned with the Insurgent’s insignia. I cringed at how Farlan’s regime had taken over the city with such ease. This was no longer the same city I’d grown up in, and I’d never felt more like a stranger than I did then.
Gigi glanced my way and threw me a tiny nod before we made our way to the queues to enter the rally. I got into a separate line so we wouldn’t be noticed together. I kept my hood on, which wasn’t unusual due to the sprinkle of rain still trickling down on the city. I pressed my lips together, relieved I’d tucked my red-brown
locks into the hood. They made me stand out like a thorn.
Gigi stood at the guard’s station, nodding and answer his questions as another guard scanned her for weapons and mechanical enhancements. It amazed me how much tech had reappeared with Farlan’s takeover. We’d been lied to for so long, led to believe that all the old technology had been lost in the wars.
Gigi provided a fake ID card we’d had made in the underground. It was meticulously constructed to pass any scrutinization. The guard studied it closely, flicking his eyes back and forth from it to Gigi. Luckily, this place wasn’t as secure as Farlan’s mansion. Here, they used the archaic method of plastic ID cards. It would have been way harder to get in if they had been scanning our faces. I imagined that it would take some time for everything to be updated with the re-emerging tech, and I was grateful for that.
Gigi waited until the guard handed the ID back to her and waved her forward. I blew out a breath of relief but tensed up as the line crawled closer to the guard tending the line I was in. It was then that my eyes widened as a man who was being interrogated by the guard was suddenly grabbed and dragged away screaming.
I watched them take him into a nearby tent, and then a single gunshot rang out. The crowd gasped; a few women screamed, but no one dared run away. It would put them under suspicion, and a line of guards had formed behind the crowd. My heart hammered in my head as I concentrated on breathing in and out slowly and deeply. I couldn’t lose my nerve. Not now. Gigi was depending on me.
Suddenly, I wondered what I was doing. Reconnaissance or not, I didn’t need to be there. Groaning internally, I straightened, for I was next in line to be checked. As the guard let the woman in front of me pass, I stepped forward and held out my ID. I was relieved when he nonchalantly took it and glanced at it, looking absolutely bored with the monotony of it all. Maybe he was tired of checking everyone over. He looked at the dark-haired version of me on the picture and then up to my face. His eyes widened just a bit as the corners of his mouth upturned slightly, and his pupils dilated while taking in my face, filling with something akin to desire.