To say that Maple was thrilled to have a house guest would be a lie, to say the least. Now, she wasn’t outwardly hostile, but she was upset, and rightfully so. Harboring a stranger who doesn’t even have an I.D. card is already a dangerous idea, but to also bring a third mouth to feed is downright suicidal. The only thing that convinced her not to go nuclear was the extra ration cards that I had gotten earlier and the fact that I gave up my bed. This is why I have some severe back pain. Turns out sleeping on the kitchen floor is not great for your posture, let alone your health. Neither is the slash across my chest from last night, but thankfully, I heal fast. The only things left to remind me from last night are the aches and a new scar. It’ll fit in well with the rest.
After the back pain, I’m also greeted by the ever oppressive and blaring heat. Even with last night's adventures, I somehow fell asleep faster than normal. It probably had something to do with the near-death experience, but I’m trying not to dwell on it. I look around and realize that I am the first one up, based on Maples snoring in the next room. My body groans as I clean up my bedding. Four hours isn’t enough time for even a mediocre night's sleep, but I have to get to the center today. I wouldn’t want to show up late, especially when the Overseers are just waiting for any small slip-up. I grab the same old graying clothes that double as my work clothes. The only distinct thing about them is the mustard colored symbol of Last Bastion. My owners.
I grab some of the dry rations and start to make my way out of the house. As I make it to the door, I spot our house guest leaning up against it. Her hair is braided up into a crown on the top of her head. She gives me a look like she’s been waiting for me to shamble my way out of the house. “Couldn’t get any sleep? You have to use every bit of night as best as you can.” I give a nod at the bags under her eyes.
She rubs away the sleep in her eyes. “The heat doesn’t bother me much. I wanted to catch you before you left. Where do I go to find electronic parts?” She speaks in a hushed tone so as to not wake Maple.
I think for a quick second before answering. “The Market. That’s the only place where you can trade and find electronic parts. The people there keep to their own and don’t ask questions other than how you’re paying. I’ll take you when I get back home. In the meantime, stay here and ask Maple for some clothes when she wakes up.” I gesture to the red camo that she’s wearing. She’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
She thinks about the information before she moves out of the way of the door. “Alright. I’ll be waiting.” I give her a nod and walk out into the scorching heat. The door swings to a close, and the stagnant heat greets me.
The walk to the center is not an easy walk. The Sun glares down at you for the majority of the journey, and every step gets harder with your shoes literally sticking to the road. Not to mention the mass of bodies that I wade through certainly doesn’t help the heat. The streets are filled with people getting off the late shift and those getting ready for the early shift. Everyone here sports the same graying clothes with some patchwork for the wear and tear. Like sardines, I move with the flow of the meat stew that is the street.
My body tenses, as I can feel surges of electricity whenever I bump into someone. Which is often. It feels like someone is trying to rip out my nerves. Now, it usually isn’t this bad, but last night's activities made me just a bit sensitive. I’m not used to calling on this power, but every now and then, I have to let loose. If I don't, it'll choose when to show itself. Which isn’t ideal. I’ve had a couple of close calls. Once, when I was working on a generator, an electrical arc shot out and threw me halfway across the room. I was untouched other than a couple of scrapes and bruises. Luckily, I was alone at the time, and the cameras were down from the power surge that the arc caused, but I sure was sensitive to even the smallest electrical charge for a month after that incident. This one will probably last me the whole week. I let out a long sigh as another person bumps into me; this is going to be a headache and a half.
I glance around as I pass into the factory district and notice something a bit weird. There's more Overseers around than usual. Most of them are your regular grunts, with a sergeant mixed in for good measure, but I haven’t seen this many Overseers since the last water riots. They give a quick scan over the crowd but don’t seem to be bothering anyone yet. I keep my eyes forward and move past the towering black metal factories that checker the factory district. The only thing worse than the bleak sight is the smell of smoke that chokes out the rest of your senses. Even after I’ve passed the factory district into the inner residential district, I can still feel the smoke on me. The inner residential district is where the majority of the Overseers live. It’s also where The Administrator and Clerks live. The difference in living conditions between the outer and inner residential districts is like night and day. The houses here are made of white stone and are also intact. Like the outer district, these houses don’t have any windows and look more like coffins than anything else. These coffins are just two stories high and have a basement. They also have temperature regulators that keep the houses relatively cool, and to top it off, these fancy coffins also have a limited supply of running water for their individual bathrooms. No shared bathrooms- now that would be a dream.
In the inner district, the street is covered with a canopy that reduces the glare from the sun. So, it would usually be a nicer walk from here to the center, but today is my lucky day. I’m not entirely sure if it's because I’m feeling sensitive, but it feels like the inner district is abuzz with more power than usual. It feels like my mind is splitting and bouncing all over the district. It takes me a minute to adjust to the sudden surge in energy, but I manage to keep my balance. It’s a mixture of both pain and ecstasy. In the brief moment before I push out the noise, I hear something. “.... Four …… Canary …… Fall …..” The three words are barely audible amongst the deafening static. I choose not to dwell on it. Knowledge is death. Some things are better left ignored for your own good.
The streets are less crowded. The majority of the crowd stopped in the factory district, and the rest of the crowd won’t follow me this deep into the city. I, like most people in the city, avoid the center with every fiber of my being. It’s where the majority of the government buildings reside and is naturally next to the Well. So, with these two factors combined, the Overseer presence here could suffocate you. It’s also the only place in the city where the trains stop, which means it’s also where you get sent down the line. As I get closer to the center, I can feel the eyes of the cameras and Overseers on me. Cameras are ever-present in most workplaces and sparse among the streets. They do cover the outer perimeter relatively well, but if you want to know where the most cameras are, you don’t have to look far. The center is the most heavily fortified and surveilled district in any Well city. The majority of the cameras are either pointed at the wall of the district or the Well itself.
As I come into view of the walls of the center, I am greeted by the pristine black stone walls that tower over the inner district. The black stone is meant to deter anyone from trying to climb the wall; You’d be lucky to get away with second-degree burns. Another security measure they enacted is the sixty feet of clearance between the wall and the nearest building. Last but not least is the ever-present eyes of the guards at the top of the wall with their large guns at the ready; There are no warning shots.
The first person to greet me at the gate is a young Overseer. His skin is deep brown, his hair is buzzed down almost to the scalp, and his brown eyes roll as I approach. “I.D. and reason for visitation.” The other five young Overseers behind him yawn and rub away the sleep from their eyes. None of them even bother to look my way. As far as I can tell, they’re all buzzcuts, fresh recruits from the Academy Well. By my guess, this is probably their first rotation around the different posts in and out of town.
I look down at the young Overseer and hand him my I.D. “Overseer North notified me that I was needed at the Center today.” The words are rehearsed. I’m not lying, but any sign of weakness could be taken as an invitation. The young Overseer scans my I.D. and then stabs a needle into my left shoulder. The tinge of pain from the stab is covered up instead by the searing shock of the liquid now coursing through my body. I barely manage to keep a straight face.
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The young Overseer lets out a slight chuckle at the sight of my pain. “Do not attempt to nullify the tracking fluid. Any attempt to do so will be punishable with a ration fine, or you could be sent down the line. Before you leave for the day, come back to this gate so that we can nullify the tracking fluid. Go to the large building with a gold rising phoenix on it. Overseer North is waiting.” I take a deep breath and try to get used to the constant sting that is now coursing through my blood. I walk past the gate and into the center.
The center looks like what you would expect. Clean, white stone streets. Clean white buildings that are teeming with Clerks and Overseers. Then there's the beautiful white Well. A mountain-sized feat of genius. A machine so powerful that I can still feel the residual energy off of it, even hours after it's powered off. I can also see the various repairs that have been made over the centuries. The brand new white panels stand out against the sea of sun-faded panels. Then, of course, there's the number “10” written in black on the side of the Well. A constant reminder that we are not alone in the struggle to live. After a minute of staring at the machine, I eventually diverted my gaze over to the large gray building with a golden phoenix on it.
I walk towards the buildings, passing people with white triangle badges, and enter the cool building. The constant drone of cool air being pumped into the building barely combats the harsh heat bearing down on it, but it feels cooler, if only by a bit. Before I can enjoy the slightly cooler air, I am greeted by the same face I saw last night. Overseer North. His bald head glistens in the natural light that is funneled through the building. He sports the same fake smile that doesn’t seem to reach his eyes. He wipes at his head before putting his cap back on. “Mr. Brooks, we have been expecting you. Follow me.” He gestures over at the elevator doors. I follow close behind. I have no idea why I’ve been called here. Actually, there are too many reasons why I could be called here. The headless body, Thales, Jane, or maybe they found out what I am. I need to play this interaction carefully. Calm, collected, but most importantly outwardly terrified. That part should be easy. The more scared I act, the more Overseer North will underestimate me.
The pristine white elevator doors open. The both of us enter the offensively white and cramped elevator. Overseer North takes out his I.D. and scans it at the console. He then presses the highest floor. Floor Number Six. As we ride in silence up to the top floor, I can sense this gnawing feeling at the back of my head. Like I’ve forgotten something important. I’m lost in thought for some time because when I look back up, the doors to the elevator have opened. “Is something the matter, Mr. Brooks?” His gray eyes search me out of what seems to be a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
I quickly compose myself and give a quick response. “No. I just got lost in thought there for a second.” Overseer North grimaces and continues out of the elevator. I give a quick glance around the elevator. I don’t see anything other than the white walls and the elevator console. I shake off the weird feeling and eventually follow behind him.
The hallway is long. It’s hard to describe it as anything other than long. It’s bland, with no furniture to adorn it. Its walls are clear of any paintings, and the only breaks in this hallway are the occasional door. I don’t really know what I expected. Maybe some elegant paintings or furniture made of authentic animal skin, but this is somehow worse. I had a semblance of false hope. False hope that things weren’t as bad as I imagined, that maybe a change in leadership would fix the direction we are heading for. This empty hallway confirms our grim reality and represents our future. Empty.
At the end of the hallway lay two large gray doors that are guarded by two Overseers. These Overseers are a pair of identical sisters. They look like some of the old storytellers that I would listen to when I was young. They were too old to work and had turned to storytelling for rations. They were usually sweet old people, and sadly, they didn’t last long. These sisters have grayed long hair that is pulled back into a wispy ponytail. Their skin is tanned and is caked with freckles. Their light blue eyes pierce your soul the moment you meet them. Their tags show the same name, “A. Brahm” and more importantly, they have a cloudy grey strip above their tags. Galewinds, because of their fine control of the wind they are also called Silent Killers. With a flick of their finger, they could cut your head off or suffocate you to death without a single noise. Out of all of the clans, they are the most common in The Edge. Although those of us in the outer district would never be graced with their presence. Nor would we want to.
They both salute at Overseer North and move to the side of the door. We walk into what feels like a foreman's office. This once large room is now cramped with clutter. Stacks of papers fill the room, and filing cabinets, which seem to be overflowing, create an almost maze-like structure. This room paints a stark contrast to the clean and tidy hallway we just came from. The only thing that impresses me are the windows that go from floor to ceiling, but even they only bring light to the catastrophe of a mess that this room resembles. Lost in the view, I am surprised by the man that sits in the middle of the room amongst the paperwork. His desk is rickety, and it too is covered in a sprawl of paperwork that only a madman could sort through. He is an older man. His full hair and beard sport a salt-and-pepper look. His tanned skin is wrinkled but not like that of Leon’s, more from age than from time in the sun. His clothes also match the chaos of this room and seem more for comfort than to show off. He is the first to greet me with his dark purple eyes. “Ah. Mr. Brooks, please have a seat. We have much to talk about.” He then turns to Overseer North. “You can wait for Mr. Brooks outside.” With a hand wave, Overseer North is shooed out of the room. His face, as he leaves the room, doesn’t betray his emotions, but his hands certainly do as they quietly squeeze into his palms. Any harder and he might draw blood.
The moment Overseer North leaves the room, I try to speak up to ask this man what he has called me for, but I’m cut off before I have a chance to open my mouth. “You must be wondering why I’ve called you here. I’m not a wasteful man. An eccentric man, yes. But never wasteful. I can’t afford to be wasteful. Which is why I’ve called you here today for your talents.” I feel my heartbeat rise out of a mixture of fear and absolute terror. What does this man know? He can’t know. He wouldn’t be alone with me if he knew.
The man continues the one-sided conversation, ignoring or unaware of my fear. “Your skills as a high-class technician have not gone unnoticed. And sadly we have just lost a head technician recently in the Well development department. A tragic accident; he didn’t follow proper procedure and was sadly crushed to death.” The silence that follows his statement rings throughout the room. My tension slightly releases, but not entirely. Not when I still don’t know where this conversation could lead. He doesn’t wait for me to comment on his grim statement and continues. “So, I want you to take over an important project that he was working on. Effective immediately, you will report to the Center each day to work on this project. You’ll be given credentials when you leave that will allow you to come in and out of the building freely. With this new offer, you will also have your ration allowance increased, and if you produce remarkable results on this project, we could see about moving you to the Inner District.”
His words are like honeyed poison. This could be great for both me and Maple, but this also puts me under greater scrutiny. The way he’s talking makes it seem like I don’t have a choice in the matter. Well, actually, I’m sure I do have a choice. The choice between accepting or joining the previous head technician. I take a moment and tell him what he wants to hear. “What project will I be working on, sir?” He smiles a toothy grin and passes me a folder with the words “Project Flare” written in bold. It also has a giant red stamp that says “Confidential. Last Bastion Property.” I start to flip through the folder and see schematics for a high-altitude balloon, transmitter, and convertor. I can barely understand it all, but it’s not difficult to see what the intention is. He wants to harness the energy from solar flares and use it to power the Wells. If everything in this folder is true, it would be possible. There’s just one problem. “Sir, I understand the idea behind the project, but won’t the captured energy lead to a possible power surge if we run it directly to the Well? We just don’t have the storage capabilities to handle this much energy.”
He gives a hearty laugh that bellows throughout the room. “I knew I recognized wasted talent. Yes, as is, the current Project Flare has a higher chance of causing a total system shutdown of the Well rather than powering it. That’s why I’ve brought you here. I need you to figure out a way to store the amount of energy that we will be harnessing from the solar flares. The first dry run will be in one week. If you need anything, let Overseer North know; he will be your go-to for matters in acquisition. I expect great things, and if you need any inspiration, your predecessors' notes are also in the file.” As he ends his sentence, the phone buried under paperwork starts to ring. “It seems that our time is up. Overseer North will lead you to your new workspace. Good day, Mr. Brooks.” I nod in acknowledgment and make my way out of his office. Before I make it to the door, he calls out to me a final time. “Wait, Mr. Brooks. I almost forgot to introduce myself.”
As he starts to speak, I let a simple smile cross my face. Flattering him in this situation wouldn’t be the worst thing to do. It’s the one thing people in power want: someone to stroke their ego. “There is no need, Administrator Kaufman. There is only one man in this Well who wields the kind of authority that you’ve shown.” He gives a small smile of acknowledgement and goes back to his call.
