Floor 21- Dark Angel

by Jason Luthor

  My eyes are still stinging when she says it. “Thanks, Yazzie.”

  Tommy’s Recording 11

  Walking through the city’s a completely different experience from riding around in a military transport or flying over it in a Vertwing. You kind of get a sense of the history of the place when you’re on the ground. Just, pounding the pavement with these huge skyscrapers on all sides . . . it impresses me every time, and I lived in the biggest Tower of them all. It’s more than the skyscrapers though. When the city builders built the place, they left a lot of the old architecture around. So, yeah, you do see towers rising to the clouds on all sides, but you’ve also got all these older buildings around. They’re made of brick and concrete, with steps leading into the doorways or dropping beneath street level to what used to be restaurants or bars.

  My favorite part about walking the city’s imagining what it was like when it was really alive. Standing at the crosswalks, you can see for miles into the distance, with buildings framing the street on both sides. I always think, when I’m there, that it would’ve been an incredible place to live before the Creep. In my head, I imagine all the cars that would’ve been driving by while huge crowds of people walked to work. Or, headed to the subway. Even though all the subway tunnels are sealed up these days, once upon a time, people used them to get all around town.

  Branagh looks at me and smiles. “It sure would have been something, wouldn’t it?”

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  “No formalities, Tommy. You’re not on duty, and I’m not acting as the president right now.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry, I just get so caught up in—”

  “In all the political and military garbage. I know. We all do.” He takes a deep breath as he looks around. “Even in her heyday, the people who lived in this city got rid of most of nature. Sure, they kept rows of trees, small parks . . .” He smiles. “And of course, the Green Zone. Almost everything else was paved over though. The older buildings, like the one you were assigned to, were originally built of brick and mortar. Later, they built over most of those original structure. Made them stronger and taller, with steel and concrete.”

  “I’ve noticed that. I’m guessing the city didn’t want to make the investment in tearing the buildings down altogether.”

  “They didn’t have to. The new frameworks they built around the old buildings held up all the new floors they built on top of them.”

  “They built onto the old skyscrapers too though, right? Made them even taller?”

  “Where they could. Buildings that tall, sometimes they were only designed to carry so much weight. The thing is, the wealthy get what they want. When push came to shove, those towers came down so newer, bigger ones could replace them. We still have photos of the place from before the renovations.”

  As we’re crossing the street, my eyes go to tops of the towers. A lot of them rise so far up into the sky, it’s almost impossible to see where they end. “I can’t even image how much it must’ve taken to get that done. You’re talking about manpower, engineering . . .”

  “And power. But most of all, money,” he says with a smile. “The sort of money Apeiron was bringing into the city. Enough to make a city that was already gigantic in size even larger than it once was.” His finger goes to the sky, to one of the skybridges crisscrossing between the buildings. “Those didn’t exist once, not before the renovations. Only after Apeiron came out with, I don’t know, some sort of energy field that kept people from tumbling over the sides did they build those.”

  “The old pictures have cars flying in the air.”

  “The birth of repulsor technology. I suppose the city thought it would be a good way of relieving street congestion, with as many cars there were on the road. That just made more congestion in the sky, but it’s one hell of a sight to see in photos. Lines of cars flowing through the sky in rows over rows, rising up into the air. Amazing.”

  We start to pass underneath trees that are growing out of the concrete, from penned in areas where their ancestors were originally planted centuries ago. It makes me smile. “Central Freedom in the Fall, am I right?”

  “I love this city, Tommy, more than I could describe. I was born on the riverside, Port District, in a row of homes that obviously weren’t much of a priority for the city government. Maybe that’s why so much of what I do is about the everyday person. Not the district representatives or the generals on the War Council. They’ve got it as good as anyone can have it in the world we’ve inherited. But the thing is, from everything we read in the history books we’ve managed to preserve, it’s obvious that there are always people who get left behind. Looks like the Bible was more than a little accurate when it said, ‘The poor will always be among you.’ They existed five hundred years ago, and we still have them, even today.”

  “That wasn’t any different in the Tower. On Floor One, nobody had to worry about the Creep. They basically did their jobs, tripped out on drugs at the end of the day, and never had to worry if something would kill them overnight. Everyone living on the lower floors . . . Well, if the Creep didn’t kill you, then Security might kidnap you for what was basically a brainwashing.”

  He shakes his head as we keep walking beneath the boughs of the trees, a cool wind sweeping down between the buildings. “We’ve never had it that bad here. The Creep has never been able to make it over the bridges. Although, when people started disappearing, under Dravic’s presidency . . .”

  “Yeah, what exactly was going on there? Nobody seems to know anything about it.”

  “Dravic’s got twenty years on me. He’s a wily old goat, but he’s not stupid. If he was involved with those disappearances, we’ve never found any evidence of it. Personally . . .” Branagh cocks his head and sighs. “It’s the world we live in. The simplest explanation is that it was the Creep. We’ve never found anyone who went missing, and we’ve never found so much as a trace of evidence to put us on their trail.”

  “So, you think that they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time? That they might have gone out past the bridges and gotten swallowed alive?”

  “Best I can figure. I heard about that sort of thing happening growing up. Now, the disappearances got out of control under Dravic. That’s why he was pushed out of power and I was elected, so the first thing I had to do was get security tightened up. It’s the same reason it’s harder to get on and off the island these days. We just take more precautions.”

  I take a deep breath as I enjoy the breeze brushing on my face. “But you still don’t trust Dravic.”

  “I don’t. His ties to the old general at Fort Silence, and to the current general, Yousef Suliman, have always bothered me. It’s hard to manage his personality in the Advisory Council, and it’s difficult stay on top of all their complaints. So, lately, I’ve been thinking I might need some help in the job.”

  “Help? Like a personal assistant or something?”

  “No, not quite. More like someone who could manage the council for me. From time to time, I mean. Someone who could take their questions and make things happen for them. They’re always asking for help in their districts, and the people deserve it. It just gets tough staying on top of all their requests as just one man.”

  “I’m guessing you’ve already got someone lined up for the job. You never seemed like the kind of person to just let these ideas slide.”

  He looks at me from the corner of his eye and grins. “That’s just the thing, Tommy. You’ve already helped me out with the council before. I thought you might want the job.”

  My eyes shoot to him when he says it. “What? You want me to go into politics?”

  “Why not? You’re popular with the militia. I’m not going to lie, but that would be a big help in keeping the support of the War Council on our side. You managed to climb down a Creep infested Tower, so you’re obviously a leader. You can think on your feet, and you’ve already shown you can field questions from the council.”

  “You’re exaggerati
ng, Mr. President.” I stop and shake my head. “Gabriel. I don’t have the experience, and I . . . I’m not nearly prepared for that kind of responsibility.”

  He stops and reaches a hand out to me, his fingers wrapping on my shoulders as we stand there on the pavement. “Neither was I when I was asked to be president. I was chosen because I was a war hero with civil work experience. They wanted a puppet, and instead they got, well, me.” He smiles as he shakes my shoulder a little. “And you and all your friends had some real mind games played on you while you were growing up. Almost feels like all of you are constantly underestimating how talented you actually are. If I’m going to be honest with you, though?”

  “Absolutely. Please. What’s the real reason you want me aboard?”

  “I need a friend in this role, Tommy. Someone I can trust. I never intended to work with you as often as we’ve ended up doing over the last year, but it happened. And, here’s the thing. You believe in the importance of protecting people against tyranny, and you know how important every person in this city is. From the weakest to the most powerful, everyone living here deserves a chance to pursue their own happiness. I could really use a person with your moral fiber down in the trenches with me.”

  I don’t know how to react. I’m just standing there, probably looking like an idiot in the middle of the sidewalk, with the president of Central Freedom clutching my shoulder and staring at me with, I don’t know, hope in his eyes. To my left and right, I can hear people talking as they walk by, going to their homes or heading to work while I stand there under a canopy of orange leaves. The problem is, I know it’s important to him, but I just don’t know if I can actually do it. Then again . . . I also think that he’s right. That I do want to take care of the people in Central. Every person in Central, and especially the little guys.

  His hand drops from my shoulder, and he reaches his hand out to me. “What do you say, Tommy? Are you ready to make this world a better place to live in?”

  I look him dead in the eyes as I reach my hand to grab his, the two of us shaking on it as I finally let a huge smile across my face. “I’d be honored. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this a better place to live.”

  “I know you will, son. That’s why I asked for your help. I believe in your ability to do this, Tommy.”

  Dodger’s Recording 07

  It’s the waiting that kills me, I think, when I’m standing in front of the apartment where Linda’s parents live. I’m just there, waiting, for them to answer the door. I’ve never felt comfortable in my dress uniform, with the suit jacket and formal pants. Not to mention the military hat. I’ve never liked wearing it, and every second that passes when I’m waiting out there, I can almost feel the material crawling along my skin.

  When they do open the door, it’s a couple of shorter people, maybe in their late forties. She’s light skinned with brown hair. He’s dark skinned with black hair. You’d never pick them out on the street as anything special. When they see me, both of their faces tense up.

  I get why.

  “Mr. Hernando Gomez, Mrs. Audrey Gomez,” I say with a nod of my head. “My name is Lieutenant Tiffany Anne.”

  She gestures inside. “We know who you are. Please, come in.”

  I take a quiet step inside, my eyes going around the small apartment. It’s one long kitchen, dining room, and living room. Just your average apartment. The dining table is crammed together near the couches and chairs in the living room, a dull drone from the daily news coming from the flat screen display on the wall. It’s coverage of the fight that happened in the Deadlands. The news plays almost constantly when they’re not showing old movie from centuries ago, and the news is always about war.

  So, that’s already got my stomach in knots before I even look to the shelf on my right, which is covered in digitally displayed pictures. Of Linda, of course. In one picture, she’s wearing this elaborate white dress with a sequined top. Some boy in a tuxedo is standing next to her, but the whole scene reminds me of a story she told me once, about something called a quinceanera. Basically, it’s a celebration that some girls have for their 15th birthday. It looks . . . cute, and she looks happy. I recognize where it’s being held. It’s at a park I’ve been to, over in the Battery District. You can tell because of the castle in the background. People say it’s been there for a thousand years, longer than the city’s even existed. That’s not what I really care about though. It’s really just nice to see a picture of her looking like she’s having such a good time.

  “Ms. Anne?” I hear her mother call to me, and my head snaps over to see them already on the couch. I smile and head over, dropping into the chair across from them. The second I do, she motions to the coffee table, where a tablet is displaying the letter I sent them. My heart drops right into my stomach when I see it, but her mother smiles. “We’re happy you took the time to write this.”

  “It’s my duty,” I tell her, and I immediately regret my choice of words. “What I mean’s that, I owe it to her and everyone else who died to get in touch with their families. All those who died . . .”

  Her father interrupts. “Yes. You were clear how it all happened in the letter. We’re happy that at least she was able to help her friends. She didn’t die in vain.”

  “No. Not at all. Linda was . . .” I’m staring at them, and I just know they want me to say something important. They want me to say something that means something, something about how special she was and how her life impacted everyone. I know what I’m supposed to say, but I can’t, at least not at first. I just fold my hands together and shake my head for a second. “Linda was the best. She always wanted to be there for other people. It didn’t matter if it was her friends or me, she was always trying to make sure everyone was okay. I haven’t met many people who cared about others like she did. She was always asking if everyone was alright, and she never hesitated when it came to putting herself in danger to help. That’s . . . that’s special.”

  “You talk about her as if she wasn’t your friend.”

  “I was her L-T. We were friendly, but I wasn’t ever sure how Linda saw me. I was more like her boss, I think.”

  “That’s not how Linda saw it.”

  I can feel my brow tighten up as I look at him, and I stutter a little when I try to ask, “It . . . it wasn’t?”

  Mr. Gomez leans back in his chair, his hands sliding down his legs as he smiles. It’s pained, but it’s real. “She talked about you all the time. Oh, yes. She called you ‘the girl from the Tower.’ Actually,” he motions over his shoulder, to the dining table. “We always had family dinner. Linda used to come over every day if she wasn’t on duty. I think we spent half our time talking about how much she admired you.”

  I honestly feel like his words are just burning into my chest at that point. “That means a lot. The last time I said anything to her, she said everyone was a little intimidated by me.” Remembering that gets a little laugh from all of us. “I honestly thought she was scared of me.”

  Her mom leans forward and smiles. “She thought you were really smart. That’s what she liked most about you. Linda always knew you would make the right decisions.”

  “People have been telling me that lately. Honestly, since it all happened, I’ve kept thinking about it. A lot, actually. I just . . . I don’t know.”

  “How old are you?”

  My eyes go over to her. “Um, I’m 21.”

  “It’s a dangerous world out there. My brother . . .” She shakes her head as she takes a deep breath. “He tried to live his life out in the colonies, but it’s hard out there. It’s hard everywhere. People your age shouldn’t have to make decisions about these things, and . . .” Her hand waves to the tablet. “You shouldn’t have to write those letters. Linda shouldn’t have had to fight out there. That’s the way the world is though.” For a moment, she stops, her chest rising and falling as she breathes hard. “I didn’t want Linda to go out there. Me and Hernando argued with her, right in this living room, about
her joining the militia. It’s like you said, though. She always wanted to help people, because that was more important to her than anything else. So, I know she died doing what she loved. Linda died helping the people she cared about. And if you don’t believe she cared about you, you’re wrong. Actually, I think she would have liked to know you even better.”

  I nod at her and pat at my eyes a little to make sure I’m not going to tear up. For a second, I can’t say anything. When I finally get the words out, I can barely manage to say, “Thanks, Mrs. Gomez. That means the world to me.”

  Personal Recording of the President, Gabriel Branagh 04

  I’m not going to say that bringing Tommy onboard has been my best decision in months, but it feels like it. Just in the last few days since I brought him on as my adviser, he’s helped give me some breathing room with the Advisory Council. Having someone else to field all their questions has been a load off my shoulders, and it’s been nice to stay out of the council room and focus on other things. Which, frankly, I’ve needed to do, especially considering the intelligence we’ve been getting since we partnered with the raiders.

  Just a day ago, we got another folder full of reports from Erin out in the Deadlands. Whatever this Dark Angel is, it’s been picking up its activity. From what I’ve been told, the raiders lost a handful of Furies on the road between Central and their territory to the south of us. There’s at least a dozen men that went missing, all in the early morning. There’s not much I can do about that, but I scheduled some supply runs with Erin’s people during the early morning hours, when I’d hope this Dark Angel would be sleeping. If she sleeps. To that end, I shifted some men that Tommy trusted over to bridge duty, so they could handle the exchanges of food. I’d hoped we’d be able to pass along the food without any trouble.

  Of course, the raider convoy never made it. All the reports say the same thing. Wings of fire in the sky. No pictures, the raiders don’t carry helmets with recording gear, but the eyewitness statements were all pretty much identical After that, whatever this thing was beat the raider crew half to death. They had to hightail it back to their homes after the Angel sucked a quarter of them into the darkness. That’s another thing that’s consistent. How she moves. She just appears out of nowhere, and she seems to be intent on kidnapping these people. Where do they get taken? I’d be a genius if I could figure that one out. Someone asked me if I thought the Angel was draining their blood or eating them alive. I laughed, but then again, none of us know what these Angels actually are.