 
# Beyond the Crystal City

### Dust Storm Book One

## Logan Brookfield
Copyright © 2017 by Logan Brookfield

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover design by Ebooklaunch.com

Proofreading by Perfectproseservices.com

Formatting by Idealbookformatting.com

### Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Dust Storm Series

About the Author

Books by Logan Brookfield

# Prologue

In the year 2417 Earth is a desolate wasteland. Large areas of the planet have been reduced to desert, akin to a Martian landscape. The Continental Wars that started in 2167, and only ended when the entire population of Earth was nearly wiped out, were shortly followed by an increase in temperature and the melting of the ice caps. This created global flooding and devastation until the waters receded and the oceans all but dried up in the boiling heat. Global warming and toxic fallout created an environment not fit for humans. The ancients had created a double death blow to humanity with wars, overpopulation and mass industrialisation, raping and pillaging the planet of its natural resources along the way.

One city survived, albeit barely. It holds what's left of Earth's population and is considered an outpost and the saviour of humanity. Millions of people crammed into a few square miles resulting in overcrowding, starvation, pollution and a daily fight for survival in a crime- and disease-ridden city. The poor scratch a living and take refuge from the baking sun during the day under their cardboard shelters and ragged tents.

But it's not hell for everyone. Huge glass skyscrapers are occupied by the elite. The Cloud people live in their lofty havens and look out onto the catastrophe unfolding below. Their tight control of law and order brings more misery for those, known as Wretches, who live outside the towers.

Centuries of wars and disasters didn't change everything. A class system still exists where the rich prosper and the poor perish.

# Chapter One

The sky burned red like a fiery pit as the dying sun dipped behind the towering glass structures. The Cloud people looked out onto the blood-red sunset from their air-conditioned and air-filtered apartments which reached for the stars like giant crystal stalagmites. The poor below coughed and spluttered in the late afternoon pollution. The lucky few had top-notch air filtration masks, but they were pricey and only enjoyed by traders and drug dealers. Everyone else breathed the pollution and coughed up a never-ending stream of fluid from their lungs. Melancholy and stupor hung over everyone's head like a heavy grey veil.

Carl was average in height with messy dark hair and a willowy figure. His rough skin and swollen eyes made him look older than his 22 years. A lifetime of breathing contaminated air and eating red biscuit rations and rotten food had affected him. But he was one of the lucky ones; he'd been raised in the projects, a large sprawling sea of temporary shelters that made the ancient South American favelas look like luxury housing. Everywhere else interlinked corrugated roofs created a rusting sea of metal as far as the eye could see. Walls were made from anything to hand, such as cardboard, old doors, twisted scraps of metal and even mud.

Carl pushed at the lump of wood used as a front door and adjusted his eyes to the fading light. The glass towers in the distance created a shimmering mountain range for the sun to disappear behind, much earlier than it should set. Carl coughed and cleared his throat as the pollution irritated his chest and eyes. Inside the house he'd rigged up a makeshift air filter. Although not perfect it did help keep the worst of the air pollution outside. But out in the open it was very different. He'd fashioned a retro gas mask into a portable air filter and placed it over his nose and mouth for as long as he could stand it. But it was cumbersome and made him sweat a lot, so more often than not he wouldn't wear it.

He made his way down the main street; people were everywhere. The whole place was so crowded these days with thousands of people wandering around looking for food, and that was just in his part of town. People lay in the doorways of long-derelict buildings; humanity was everywhere, so many people that Carl had to step over them. Most congregated around the corner of the street where a food bank had been set up. Food was so scarce that you either ate what you could find or relied on the small handouts from the authorities: small reddish-coloured biscuits that looked like and tasted like rotting cardboard dispensed from pop-up food banks.

The siren shrieked and wailed as the shutter of the ration kiosk slammed down shut. Carl looked to the skies. It was now dark and the swarm was coming. From the direction of the Crystal Towers hundreds of flying drones swooped low across the city. Each drone was black and about the size of a basketball. One large frontal light lit up its path so it could target larger groups of people and suspended below its belly were cylinder-shaped canisters. Almost in harmony the drones started to spray the area with green gas. They released their canisters strategically so that they would roll into doorways and down alleyways to maximise their effect. Everywhere was engulfed in a green cloud of hazy mist.

Carl placed his gas mask over his mouth and nose and ran down the nearest alleyway. He crouched in a corner and tried to take shallow breaths as his heart pounded in his chest and the green haze engulfed him. The gas was developed by the Cloud people; nobody knew quite what it was made up of or what it did. Nobody outside the glass towers had the equipment to analyse it, particularly the Wretches. But information had been passed down over time and generations and the best guess was that it was a toxic substance devised to subdue the population. Weakness and nausea would be the main symptoms after inhalation and most people would collapse, right where they were, and sleep for hours. There had been no recent pregnancies in the city and very few people were under the age of 15. The gas probably contained a contraceptive that affected males, females or both. With a drowsy, sick and starving population that wasn't multiplying, the Cloud people could ensure that rebellion was unlikely and their place as gods in the sky was assured.

The toxic substance was difficult to filter out. Even with a gas mask or makeshift filter in the home, low levels of the toxins would still be inhaled every day. It took all of Carl's strength to keep moving after the attack. His legs felt like lead and his arms as if they were made of concrete. The haze was starting to clear and he removed his gas mask and stowed it on his belt.

'You OK, Carl, that was close tonight,' the voice said behind him.

It was Peter, a friend from the projects who Carl had known all his life. Perhaps his best and most trusted friend. Peter was smaller than Carl, weaker looking with mousy brown thinning hair. His skin was ashen, pockmarked, ravaged by the years of toxins and pollution.

'Hey, Peter, every single night now, it used to be every other night. But every single night they're trying to poison us.'

Peter nodded. 'It's getting worse. Wish I had one of them machine gun things. I'd swat them out the sky like flies. Where are you off to?'

'I was going to get some supplies from a guy I know near the cathedral ruins, but that gas attack was early and he's probably scarpered into the nearest hole like everyone else,' Carl said.

Peter coughed and rubbed his eyes. 'Don't like it round here when it's dark. Half the people asleep in the street and the other half wandering around like drugged-up crazies. Can I come with you?'

'OK, but let's make it quick. If he's not there then we're coming straight back.'

Bodies lay in the street as those without protection had fallen right where they were standing. Hundreds lay twisted and convulsing from the effects of the attack. It was impossible to get down the street without stepping over a sea of starving sick people.

'How's your mum doing these days?' Peter asked.

Carl shook his head. 'She's still frail to be honest. She's too old and too tired to fend for herself so I'm trying to get some decent food from various sources. Trouble is I have to use up most of my stash of electronics to barter with and it's running low.'

'You still trying to build a computer or radio?'

'That's more difficult than I first thought. I can get the main board but the screen and battery power is nigh on impossible to get hold of,' Carl said as they approached the rendezvous point. 'Plus I think the Cloud people are still using electromagnetic pulses to kill all electronics outside of their walls.'

'They really don't want us building stuff, do they?'

'Nope, they make it as hard as they can.'

The cathedral lay in ruins, a monument to when men looked to the skies for comfort and guidance, its ornate stonework and carving mostly pilfered to build structures in the city or projects. Rubble and rusting steel rods was all that was left now. The place had become a meeting place for those dealing drugs and promising fertility treatments and gas-countering pills. It was all available here for a price. But with no form of standard currency everything was bartered for and exchanged. Batteries and mechanical spare parts were prized things. You could sometimes come across a fallen gas drone, its parts quickly cannibalised by any Wretch with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. But other difficult to obtain items were always in demand, such as weapons, fruit, tea and coffee.

Carl looked around for Cody, a 30-year-old former resident of the projects, but nobody knew where he lived now. He was a secretive figure who never gave his real name and always had weird and wonderful things to exchange. Bigger than most, he was capable of looking after himself and always wore a cowboy hat, neckerchief and long trench coat. He stood out like a sore thumb but tended to move around at night, which kept him anonymous.

'Hey, dumbass,' the voice called out.

Carl spun round to the familiar voice. 'Cody, thought you weren't going to show.'

Cody stepped out of the shadows and placed his heavy bag on the floor. 'Who is this and what do you losers need?'

Carl stepped forward and Peter hung back. 'It's my friend Pete, he's cool, what you got? I could do with some tea and something to eat. Really can't stomach much more of that biscuit crap.'

Cody took his hat off revealing his blistered, balding head and mopped the sweat from his brow. 'You know they poison them, don't you? Them red biscuits are full of so much toxic shit I wouldn't feed them to my enemies. Just like the gas it's all one big conspiracy to keep you lowlifes manageable.'

Carl nodded. 'If there was something else to eat we'd eat that. But it's either biscuits or dirt and I've been eating dirt all my life.'

Cody squatted down and unzipped his bag. He pulled out a plastic pouch and placed it on the ground. 'Five portions of tea and two portions of coffee. Coffee's just impossible to get these days. Three potatoes and look at this,' he said, holding something in the air.

'Oh wow, is that an apple?' Peter said.

'Yes, numbskull, it is and you probably can't afford it.' Cody smirked.

Carl removed his shoulder bag and placed it on the ground. 'I've got a drone battery, unused filters for the new model gas mask and this,' he said, holding the circuit board in the air.

'Oh nice,' Cody said. 'It's a deal. Let's make it snappy as I've got to get back and get more supplies.

Carl and Cody swapped their items and Cody ran back into the shadows without saying another word.

'Quick, let's go,' Carl said, running in the same direction.

Peter tried to keep up. 'What are you doing?'

'I'm going to try and follow him and see where he gets his goodies from. If I can find the source then maybe I can get stuff myself and cut out the middleman.'

They could see Cody in the distance. He was running towards the glass towers while looking over his shoulder every few steps.

Carl followed him as far as he could then stopped running and bent over gasping for air. His damaged lungs and the thick pollution made running any further almost impossible. He looked at Peter who was throwing up. 'Go back home, Pete, I'll follow him for a bit longer and try and see where he goes. I'll tell you tomorrow if I find anything.'

'OK, I'm sorry, I just can't run any more. Just got no energy these days and I throw up with any kind of exercise.'

Carl put a thumb up and spat onto the floor. He took a deep breath and ran a steady pace in the last known direction of Cody. As he got closer to the glass towers he saw sentry drones buzzing around. These were different to the gas drones; they were larger and armed with twin-mounted rapid fire machine guns. He ducked behind the rusting shell of an old school bus as the drone buzzed overhead looking for a target. His heart thumped in his chest as the low-quality air and adrenalin forced his heart and lungs to work harder.

He glanced up towards the sky where the tips of the towers disappeared into a swirling mass of dark clouds and mist. Something glinted and then there was a bright flash as an object shot up and through the clouds with a stream of flames behind it. It looked like a rocket or perhaps a missile. Whatever it was it was travelling fast and the boom of the shock wave could be heard throughout the city as it passed through the sound barrier. Carl followed its path with his eyes through the haze as it left the city in a hurry.

He heard a distant burst of automatic gunfire. Machine guns were rare within the Wretch community but the sentry drones packed them as standard. He ran from behind the bus and towards the sound, ducking again as another sentry drone whizzed overhead. He noticed a figure lying face down in the dirt near the city perimeter fence. As he got closer he saw it was Cody. It looked like he'd been shot to death by a drone and collapsed near an outlet pipe. Blood seeped out of his nose and ears and there was no sign of life.

Carl carefully removed Cody's bag and placed it over his own shoulder. Whatever Cody had been up to he wouldn't be needing it now. He looked at the strange hex-shaped screwdriver in Cody's right hand and looked at the six hex head screws that sealed a metal plate over the pipe. Maybe Cody was getting through the city perimeter in this outlet pipe, he thought. He took the screwdriver and placed it into the head of screw number one. Two drones approached and he ducked behind an old oil drum. They hovered over Cody's body. One beeped and whistled as it transmitted data back to base while the other one sprayed blue liquid over Cody. His body dissolved together with his clothes and within a few minutes there was nothing left of him.

Carl spotted more drone activity nearby and decided it was too risky to open the pipe tonight. He took the bag of contraband goods, slung it over his shoulder and tucked the screwdriver in his waistband, leaving the pipe for another day.

# Chapter Two

The sprawling masses heaved and pushed their way into the market square. The sun beat down on top of their heads and soaked their ragged dirty clothes with sweat. It seemed like thousands had turned up for the event. Any Wretch who could walk had made their way to the gathering to hear him speak, and his presence was now as rare as a piece of fresh fruit and equally as invigorating.

Humanity needed a spokesman, someone to speak out publicly about the city and the injustice created by those in power who suppressed the masses, and Benjamin Ford was it. At 50 he was considered an old man with his gaunt features and tall figure framed by his long, flowing white hair, making him look like some crazy old wizard. The book in his hand didn't contain spells and potion recipes though, but a mandate for rebellion.

Carl couldn't get to the other side of the city without passing through the market square. His new contact had some rare electronic parts for sale and he really wanted them. He tried to skirt around the edges of the crowd but found himself getting sucked deeper into the melee. His brain started to feel like it was boiling in the midday heat as sweat cascaded down his face and stung his eyes. He rubbed his dirty hands into them to try to restore his vision but this seemed to make it worse as he was now being pushed along by a wave of people like a leaf through a storm drain.

The roar of the masses increased as Benjamin appeared on the makeshift stage. Carl was being crushed and was finding it more and more difficult to take a deep breath and expand his lungs.

'Brothers, sisters and those of you less than savoury who crawl around these ruins not fitting into any particular category,' Benjamin said as the crowd roared with laughter. 'This is the Age of Aquarius and the time for action and reaction is fast approaching. For decades they have tried to subdue us and destroy any chance we have of flourishing in these times. All we asked for was freedom and a chance to grow and prosper. But they send out their gas drones and starve us with their paltry rations,' he said, pointing a finger into the sky.

The crowd swelled and surged as a woman screamed from near the front. She was pinned against the stage then fell to the ground overwhelmed by the heat and lack of air. Those nearby lifted her up above their shoulders and passed her along above their heads as her arms flopped down lifelessly.

Carl used his elbows and pushed against those near him to try to gain some breathing space. The market square had not been designed to hold so many people and pushing and shoving rippled through the crowd. The strongest, mostly the men, managed to stay on their feet but many women and the youngsters were now on the floor trying to find a gap in the mob to aid their escape. What had started as a peaceful protest and a rallying cry for rebellion had turned into a dangerous situation and Carl was starting to feel worried.

Benjamin held out his hands palm down in an attempt to settle the crowd. 'Please, brothers and sisters, remain calm and don't push. Our sister over there is receiving medical attention and there are many more that are getting lost beneath your feet. We must remain calm and united. Please, please, settle down and save your energy for the devils in the tower.'

The shouting and screaming increased and more pushing led to more casualties. Petty thieves took their chances and pickpocketed the meagre possessions of any Wretch who was too engrossed in the stage show.

Benjamin held both hands up, palms facing the crowd. 'Keep your strength for the fight to come. Soon we will destroy the Cloud devils and take our rightful place in their palace. Our ancestors foresaw the wars and the famine that fell upon us, and told us through scripture that a great fight would be fought between good and evil. That day has come and we will prevail. We will destroy the evil Cloud people and their brutal regime.'

'Kill them, kill them all. Kill them, kill them all,' the crowd shouted as they grew angrier.

The rumble of trucks vibrated the ground beneath their feet as six heavily armoured vehicles surrounded the market square. Soldiers, known locally as the Black Hats, wearing black clothing and helmets, poured out of the trucks and pointed their machine guns at the crowd. Two from each vehicle clambered onto the roof to untether the water cannons. The people were silent for a few moments until the first water cannon unleashed its ferocious spray. People ran screaming in all directions as the women, youngsters and weaker men were crushed underfoot. Carl pushed his back into the crowd and tried to work his way to the edge but was knocked to the floor in the process. He managed to crawl on all fours closer to the perimeter where the crowd was thinner and fell onto his back gasping for air. Water rained down on him like a tidal wave and it pushed him further out towards the edge flopping him over from his back to his front then vice versa. The cold blast was a welcome break from the intense heat. Bodies crashed down on top of him as he rolled along the floor knocking them over like skittles.

Two Black Hats mounted the stage and grabbed Benjamin. The front row gasped and lurched forward grabbing the soldiers by their ankles and pulling them off the stage and into the mob. Kicks and punches rained down as their protective gear was stripped from their bodies. A young man stepped forward and grabbed a machine gun, raising it above his head. A short burst of automatic gunfire felled him and several people standing nearby.

'Kill them, kill them all,' Benjamin shouted jabbing his finger in the direction of the soldiers. A single shot rang out and Benjamin stood rigid, and then fell backwards. He lay star-shaped on the stage with blood trickling out of a small hole in the middle of his forehead.

Two women rushed to Benjamin's aid but it was too late, he'd been killed instantly. The sniper disappeared back into a truck as the mob grew angry and started to rock one of the vehicles back and forth.

'They've shot Benjamin,' one Wretch shouted. 'Kill them, kill them all!'

The soldiers tried to angle their water cannon down onto those attacking their vehicle but it wouldn't reach.

'Kill them, kill them all,' the crowd screamed.

Carl had managed to get out of the melee and stood bent over, hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. Short bursts of automatic gunfire erupted as one of the trucks crashed onto its side, spilling the Black Hats who were in it out onto the dirt. They were quickly jumped on, stripped naked and beaten to death by the bloodthirsty mob.

Drones began to swoop in and sprayed gas over the crowd in an attempt to subdue them. Carl ran down a nearby alleyway and ducked into a doorway as more trucks rumbled past. He was late for his meeting and his contact would have gone by now.

He reached the rendezvous point but it was deserted. The violence in the market square and the Black Hat and drone activity had scared most Wretches off the streets. He sat down on a nearby rock with his head in his hands. The baking sun had dried him in no time at all and now he felt like he was cooking in his own sweat. Nearly every day there seemed to be trouble and it was making the business of bartering almost impossible. He gripped his stomach in an attempt to lessen the hunger pains and tried to swallow, but his dry, swollen throat hurt too much. It was another wasted day with nothing good to show for it; he'd have to try again another day.

# Chapter Three

Carl undid the last screw and pulled at the hatch. It creaked and groaned then swung open like a rusting iron gate. He looked to the east as a flashing light caught his attention. It was a pair of sentry drones heading his way. He clambered into the pipe and pulled the hatch shut using the tips of his fingers around the edge of the metal door. It wouldn't shut all the way and he peeked through the gap to see the drones stop, shine their lights at the pile of ashes where Cody's body once was and speed off. He sat with his back to the pipe and exhaled slowly, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the dim interior.

The pipe was wide enough for Carl to move along or crouch down but no way would he be able to stand up. It was made of some kind of shiny metal and there was a shallow trickle of water running along the bottom of it. He edged his way along trying to navigate by the dimly lit service lights that hung from the highest point every so often. After a few minutes of crawling along he came to a juncture. He could go left, right or straight on. Straight on seemed to be the best idea as that would be in the same direction as the towers.

A strong rush of air carrying with it a foul smell swept past and ruffled his matted hair. This must be some kind of exhaust or vent to carry stale air away from the city, he thought. He continued on down the long metallic tube and the rush of air continued intermittently. Then he spotted something lying in his path. It looked like a crumpled pile of old clothes but when he got closer he realised it was the decomposing body of another Wretch. Three precise gunshot wounds in the chest had stopped whoever it was dead in his tracks. It was too dark and the body was too decomposed to recognise the face.

A light flickered up ahead and caught his attention. Something was heading down one of the junctures into the pipe where he was, and it was moving at speed. Carl swallowed as his heart rate quickened. He looked behind him in the direction of the entry door, but there was no way he was going to make it back out in time. The lights grew stronger and a loud buzzing noise filled his ears as the sentry drone turned in to the same part of the vent he was in. It picked up speed and rushed towards his location. Lights flickered and a long probe arm extended and tugged at the corpse. Carl lay as still as he could underneath the pile of rotting flesh. The drone made a sharp whooshing sound as it sucked in the nearby air for analysis. It beeped and whistled as it transmitted the data back to the control centre then turned around and continued back up the pipe and around the corner where it came from.

Carl pushed off the corpse and dusted himself down. He rubbed his face and squatted there for a few minutes thinking just how close he had been to being killed by that machine. Wherever Cody got his stuff from it was risky. He thought for a moment of his mother and if he should go back, maybe attempting this another day when he was better equipped. But he was partway there now, and the risks would be the same on any day, so it was now or never.

He picked up the pace and had been travelling for about twenty minutes deeper down the pipe when he saw a metal grill up ahead. It was made of thick steel and he could just about get his arm through it. He leaned further in, reaching for a latch or hinge or anything he could feel the other side. As his knee pressed against the grill a small section fell through, so he examined it more closely. Somebody had cut a piece out of it. It was done with such precision that it could be slid in and out effortlessly. The hole was just big enough to get his body through.

Carl placed the cut-out piece back in place so the drones wouldn't notice anything and continued along the pipe for what seemed like ages. Then he came to the end of the section which terminated in a sheer drop into a huge cavern. It was the size of a football field and well lit. He could see the holes in the side of the immense space where other pipes opened up. He guessed he was probably underneath the glass towers now, and this looked like its refuse dump. Large conveyor belts spat more garbage into the vast pile and small worker drones used their eyes and robotic arms to pick through it all.

He leaned over the edge looking down the sheer drop and noticed a thin steel ladder bolted to the side of the cavern. Cody must have climbed down here and sifted through the crap to find the good stuff. The climb down seemed to go on forever but with each step the rotting mountain of waste got closer. Finally he reached a platform, nearly as high as the top of the pile, and it was somewhere to walk around the entire perimeter of the cavern. He crouched down and kept close to the walls for fear of alerting a sentry drone. But they seemed busy in the pipes and the drones here seemed to ignore him. They must be worker drones and tasked with one thing, sifting through trash, he thought.

Carl noticed some unopened packets of food, which he quickly stuffed into his bag. Then there it was, like a diamond sticking out of a pile of crap: a small packet of tea. He picked it up and examined the perfectly printed box. It was still sealed so he ran his thumb across the perforated strip and opened it. The smell of fresh tea hit him like waves of pleasure. He'd only drunk about twenty cups in his entire life and loved the taste. But the tea plantations of old had died out a long time ago with the rest of the world. The city must be growing it inside somehow. Either way he didn't care and pushed it into his now overfull bag. After scavenging as much as he could he made his way back up the ladder and into the pipe. He glanced over his shoulder. It was like looking into a gold mine. Whoever lived in the glass towers must live a very extravagant life to be able to treat all this good stuff as trash.

He ran as fast as his bent-over body would carry him towards the metal grill. After squeezing through he carefully placed the cut-out section back in place. Then he ran towards the first juncture. There was no sign of any sentry drones so he continued at pace until he reached the exit. He pushed the metal hatch open slightly and looked out onto the murky, dark street. He couldn't see or hear any more drones so he clambered out, pushed the hatch shut and resealed it with the six screws. Anything relating to Cody was gone. The flesh and bones had been dissolved with some kind of acid and anything that was left would have been hurried away by scavengers. The ground now had a dark patch where his body once was.

It was now the dead of night and no place to be outside with a bag full of valuable goodies. He made his way back towards the cathedral and home, looking over his shoulder at every opportunity. Turning a corner he was confronted by a group of Wretches standing in the middle of the street, groaning and swaying. Saliva dripped from their mouths as they looked up, locking their red swollen eyes on Carl and his loot. The gas affected people in different ways, but if they had taken illegal drugs beforehand then the cocktail of chemicals could turn them into spaced-out crazies.

'Damn it,' Carl said as another two druggies slowly walked behind him, cutting off his escape. His heart started to thump in his chest as adrenalin surged through his arteries. He reached for the gun in his waistband but it wasn't there, then looked in his bag but it wasn't there either. He must have dropped it in the pipe somewhere. He placed the bag down on the floor and picked up a piece of wood lying nearby and held it like a baseball bat.

One Wretch walked forward and lunged at him, almost falling over in the process. Carl swung the wood and hit him across the back of the head. The Wretch collapsed on the floor with blood pouring from a head wound. A hand grabbed Carl's shoulder and he swung the wood behind him breaking it in two across the face of another, who fell backwards and then lay motionless, star-shaped on the floor. The other druggies backed off for a moment and Carl took his opportunity, grabbing his bag and running for his life.

He ran as far as his legs would carry him but had to stop just short of home as his oxygen-depleted lungs started to cry out and cause him pain. Some traces of the gas still hung in the air and he wasn't wearing his mask. He bent over and spat out blood and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He survived this time but it brought home to him just how risky it could be, and next time he'd try to be more careful.

# Chapter Four

The small group of Wretches, consisting of four boys, carefully worked their way along the edge of the ruins, taking care not to step out into the bright sunlight where they could be spotted by drones. Each time a patrol of drones or vehicles came close they hid behind piles of rubble. It was common for any group of more than two or three to be challenged and asked questions about what they were doing and where they were going.

The oldest boy was called Sticky, a nickname because of his thin frame and talent for stealing things. Nobody was quite sure what his real name was, but that was a good thing. If any of the group were caught they could only reveal each other's nicknames, which would mean nothing to the authorities.

Sticky carried a heavy bag, which he laid on the ground now and again to give his shoulder a rest. Each time they stopped, the group would squat down out of sight while keeping an eye on every direction.

Mouse was the youngest and smallest of the group and fitted his nickname well. With his tiny frame he looked like he'd blow over with the slightest breeze, but he was willing to learn and committed to the cause. 'How far to the target?' he said.

Sticky craned his neck to look up the street. 'Not far now, just got to be careful of them drones as they come out of nowhere.'

'I want to help this time,' Mouse said.

Sticky nodded. 'Yes, I know, and you can but just do as you're told and follow what we do. I can't sort out the target while watching out for you.'

'I want to make a difference,' Mouse said leaning forward.

'You will.' Sticky smiled. 'But I've also got to make sure you're back home in bed soon or your mum will kill me.'

The other boys sniggered at the remark and Mouse looked down at the floor feeling embarrassed.

Sticky grabbed his bag. 'Right, let's go, it's just up ahead, and be careful everyone.'

The group made their way to the end of the street and pushed their backs into a doorway. Mouse lay on the floor and looked around the corner. It was all clear and he gave a thumbs up to the others.

All four boys rounded the corner and ran towards the foot of the structure, crouching low to avoid detection.

Mouse looked up with his mouth gaping open. 'Wow, it's huge.'

The large billboard sat on two thick steel legs and dominated the landscape in this area. The poster was meant as encouragement to the Wretches but also as a warning. In the middle of the display was a prominent city official wearing a smart white shirt with black trousers. He also had thick, dark hair which was neatly greased back, and a pair of large horn-rimmed glasses completed the official look. His wide smile beamed as he pointed out across the city next to a slogan. "Compliance Keeps the Peace. Peace Means Survival."

The cryptic message was neither understood nor read by most of the illiterate locals. It was probably dreamt up by some city official who didn't understand or didn't care about the people scratching for a living in the surrounding neighbourhoods. But its size and prominence was a constant annoyance and reminder of how good life was in the towers and how bad it was outside.

Sticky climbed up the service ladder until he was on a gantry that ran the length of the billboard, right across the middle of it. He knelt down and undid his shoulder bag and beckoned Mouse to follow him. As Mouse arrived on the gantry he handed him two aerosol cans of paint. Paint was rare but near empty discarded and dented tins could be found thrown away in the city dumps.

Mouse started to spray his blue paint over the poster's wording as Sticky drew devil horns and a pointy beard in red paint on the smiling man. The two boys below walked around keeping a lookout and also disposed of the empty cans as they were tossed down.

'Hurry up, you're taking too long,' one boy shouted up.

Sticky put a hand up to acknowledge the warning. 'Last can, come on, Mouse, empty that one and let's get out of here.'

Two armoured trucks skidded around the corner in a cloud of dust and gravel. The two boys on the ground bolted in different directions and quickly lost themselves in the maze of side streets and ruined buildings.

Sticky threw his bag over the side and ran the length of the gantry. 'Quickly, Mouse, follow me.'

Mouse froze to the spot, still holding his can of paint. A single shot rang out, hitting the billboard. Mouse dropped his can in panic. Wide-eyed and petrified he clambered over the gantry railings.

'No, Mouse, not that way, follow me!' Sticky shouted as he jumped off the gantry onto the wall of a nearby derelict building.

Another shot ricocheted off the gantry railing as Mouse clung on for dear life and looked in horror at Sticky. He tried to climb back onto the gantry but lost his footing and fell to the ground screaming. He hit the dirt with a thud and lay there crumpled and motionless. The Black Hats surrounded him and one kicked his legs to see if he was still alive.

'He's dead, send a drone to clean it up.'

'No!' Sticky shouted burying his head in his hands.

'There's one,' a Black Hat pointed as another opened fire. The bullets hit the wall just below Sticky as he disappeared into the backstreets.

# Chapter Five

The dust storm raged outside the shack, shaking and clattering it like some tin can in the wind. Carl lay in bed under the covers where he felt safe and opened up one eye to survey the room.

'Do you want some warm water with one of those potatoes you brought back?' his mother said.

Carl rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. One room was all he and his mother shared now after the projects had been shut down, but it was a haven from the boiling sun and acid rain. He smiled and gave her a hug. Rose was frail and elderly, about 48 years old and nearing the end of her life. Not many people lived beyond 50 in the city, and any who did were so sick and disabled by the pollution and radiation that they wished for a quick, painless death.

'I think I'll pass and have this,' Carl said retrieving the piece of fruit from his bag.

Rose stood there wide-eyed. 'My God, it must be three years since I saw an apple. It looks so green, can I smell it?'

Carl reached into his bag and pulled out a knife. With one smooth action he sliced the apple in two. 'Better than that, why don't you taste it?' he said handing one half to his mother.

Rose closed her eyes and took a small bite. As she tried to swallow, a tear rolled down her ashen face. 'I can't swallow it. My throat's too sore.'

Carl took the remainder of the apple and pulped it in a dish. Then with a small spoon he fed his mother tiny amounts. Rose chewed every morsel over and over to savour the taste.

'It's wonderful, it's like tasting heaven. Where did you get it?' she asked.

Carl smiled. 'Don't worry about that, Mum. There's plenty more where that came from and I don't want you to ever feel hungry again.'

Someone banged on the front door and Carl and his mother jumped with fright. Carl pulled it open a crack to see Peter standing outside engulfed in dust. He opened the door wider and dragged him inside. Peter coughed heavily and removed the scarf protecting his face and wiped the dust from his shoulders.

'Sorry, I know this isn't a good day for visiting but I wanted to know how you got on,' he said, still coughing.

They both looked at Rose who got the message and moved over to the other side of the shack to give them some privacy.

'Cody's dead,' Carl whispered.

Peter's mouth dropped open. 'What? How?'

'Looks like he was gunned down by a sentry drone near a secret entrance to the city.'

'What secret entrance? I thought the whole place was protected by electric fences and drones,' Peter said.

Carl nodded. 'It is, but I followed Cody as far as I could until he was killed. I noticed he was near some sort of waste pipe. It had a heavy metal hatch held in place with six screws. Cody had a screwdriver that fitted, so I used it to gain access.'

'And then what?' Peter asked in anticipation.

Carl exhaled heavily. 'Pete, it was like nothing you've ever seen. A huge pile of garbage, a mountain of good stuff thrown away by people who clearly have a lot more than we do. I mean, you won't believe it. What they call trash, we spend our whole lives trying to get through bartering.'

'Do you want a drink, Peter?' Rose asked.

'No, thank you, I've got to get back soon.'

'Yes, I know,' Rose said. 'But stay a while if you need to. That dust storm doesn't look like it's getting any better.'

'Thank you, I will.' Peter smiled. He then took a step closer to Carl. 'So when are we going in?'

Carl rubbed his eyes. 'It's not safe, Pete. I think I'll be quicker on my own, but if you want to keep guard near the entrance I'll split some of the goods with you.'

Peter shook his head. 'No way. Come on, man, you've found the gold at the end of the rainbow and all I can do is watch it glisten? No can do, compadre, let me in please. I'll be careful, I promise, and with me there you can carry twice as much. Carrying twice as much also means going half as much, so it works out best all round, don't you agree?'

'No, actually I don't agree,' Carl said. 'Taking you means I've got twice as much to worry about. But I guess now that I've told you how I get in you're not going to rest until you see it, are you?'

Peter smiled while coughing up more dust. 'I need to get some more fruit but I really need some batteries and some gas mask filters. Do you think anyone else knows how to get in?'

'I've no idea.' Carl shrugged. 'No saying that's the only way in either. I've got a couple of contacts for contraband and it must all be coming from the same place one way or the other.'

Rose started wheezing. 'You two boys carry on, don't mind me. I need to lie down for a bit,' she said.

'Are you OK, Mum?' Carl said, holding his hand out.

'Just a bit of a sugar rush from the fruit. I'm not used to it. It's making me a little light-headed plus this dust storm is getting on my chest,' she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

'OK, Mum, just rest please. You need to get used to that fruit as there is plenty more where that came from.'

She looked up. 'I hope you aren't getting yourself into another pickle, Carl. My ticker can't stand any more trouble or visits from the authorities. Can't you just help out down at the market and earn some rations? You're all I've got and I don't know what I'd do without you.'

'It's OK, Mum, I promise, and I'm not doing anything illegal. I'm just helping the Cloud people with their garbage problem. It's not stealing if they've already thrown it out.'

Rose lay down on the bed. 'So you say, but try telling that to the next Black Hat search team that kicks the door down.'

Carl took a small rag and dipped it into a nearby bowl of cool water. He wiped it gently across his mum's forehead and dabbed her cheeks with it. He then stroked her thin, brittle hair as she drifted off to sleep. He placed the rag back into the bowl and walked over to Peter. 'Are you sure this is what you want? It's risky and not just a walk in the park. There are bodies in that pipe and Cody already lost his life. Trust me, please, stay outside and I'll get you what you need.'

'Nope, I'm coming with you. If you say no I'll just make my own way in,' Peter said.

'Oh boy, OK,' Carl said, shaking his head. 'Meet me at sunset by the cathedral ruins and we'll take it from there. Slowly and carefully, got it?'

'Yes, boss, slowly and carefully,' Peter said grinning.

# Chapter Six

The dim grey daylight faded into blackness as the sun disappeared below the horizon for another night. The moon was a blurry disk behind the thick low-hanging smog. He was late and Carl was becoming restless.

Peter came into view, out of breath from running. 'I'm here. Sorry for the delay.'

'Where have you been? We can't be hanging around here too long. The drones will be here soon and the crazies will be out later. Follow me.'

'There's some crooks hanging around near my house and they're robbing people and causing a lot of trouble, so I had to take a longer route and avoid them,' Peter said.

'Did they bother you?' Carl asked.

'I didn't give them a chance. Ran straight past them and didn't stop running until I got here.'

'That's the right thing to do, you never know what they're carrying,' Carl said.

'If I can get myself one of them pistols I'll be more able to defend myself,' Peter said.

'No way, Pete, you'd be hopeless with a gun and you'd just end up shooting yourself in the foot, or worse, shooting me.'

Carl walked as quick as his oxygen-starved lungs would allow him to and Peter tried to keep up. They both stopped on a corner, bending over to spit blood out and to try to clear their lungs. The air was still and the area they were in was fairly quiet.

Carl grabbed Peter by the arm. 'Quickly, hide, follow me.'

They both ran behind a pile of rubble, ducking for cover. The sentry drone sped past scanning the area with its lights.

'Wait, another,' Carl said.

A second drone slowed down, near to the pile of rubble. It hovered about head height and lit the area up with its search beams. It beeped and whistled as it transmitted a report back to base.

Peter coughed and Carl looked at him in horror as the drone rushed to their position. Carl quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a gun, a spare one he'd been hiding at home. He stood up, closed one eye and levelled his arm then pulled the trigger. The weapon clicked but didn't fire. A lack of maintenance and the dusty surroundings had rendered the weapon useless. The drone froze for a second, trying to comprehend the situation before it opened its weapons hatch and extended its machine gun. Peter screamed, picked up a large rock and ran at the mechanical sentry smashing the boulder into the lens on the front of the drone. It let out a short burst of machine gun fire as Carl threw himself onto the floor, his heart pounding as his fight or flight hormones kicked in.

The machine turned to face Peter. He froze on the spot expecting to be cut down any second. Carl stood up and ran, hurling himself at the drone and grabbing its gun barrel. Peter picked up the boulder again and smashed it into its metal side. The drone's flight controls were now damaged and it hit the floor with a loud metallic thud. Peter continued to smash the drone with the boulder while Carl kicked and stamped on it.

Carl stepped back and held up one hand. 'OK, enough, we've disabled it.'

Peter continued to smash the machine. Each time the rock came crashing down more wires and circuit boards were exposed as the drone split open.

Carl grabbed Peter's arm stopping him in mid flow. Peter looked at him wide-eyed and ready to fight.

'Enough, please. Help me hide it behind the rubble and we'll collect it later, OK?' Carl said.

Peter nodded and they both grabbed the heavy drone and dragged it behind a pile of concrete blocks.

Carl looked towards the city. 'Let's go, quick. The gunfire will probably bring more of them and we can't beat them all.'

They both started to run slowly, hugging the ruins at the edge of the street.

'Where did you get the gun?' Peter asked between breaths.

'I've kept it hidden at home for ages but never checked it. I just assumed it would work.'

'I don't think that pea-shooter would have damaged it anyway. I'm sure they have some kind of armour plating.'

Carl stopped near the corner. 'Well, that big rock killed it so they aren't that well protected. I can't run and talk. Let's walk the rest of the way. It's just over there.'

They reached the entrance to the pipe and Carl undid the six screws, looking left and right to see if any sentries were heading their way. If they were caught here in the open without the hatch being open they would be as dead as Cody.

The last screw was removed and the hatch swung open. 'OK, we're in, follow me and don't lag behind,' Carl said.

They clambered through the long stretch of pipe and towards the first juncture. Carl stopped and peered around both corners to see if it was all clear; it was so they carried on. The dead body had been removed; probably one of the maintenance drones picked it up and placed it with all the other garbage for sorting. The rush of air signalled that they weren't far away now as they approached the metal grill. Carl kicked it out and they both clambered through.

'Don't stop. Let's keep going. Not too far now,' Carl said.

They continued down the dimly lit pipe, stopping every now and again to look behind and make sure they hadn't been spotted. After some time they came to the end and the immense cavern of waste.

Peter peered over the edge. 'Oh my God, I've never seen anything like it.'

Carl looked down too. 'Impressive, isn't it? So much good stuff going to waste, while we're all starving to death. A real monument to human stupidity. Oh by the way, don't fall in.'

Carl went first and clambered down the steel ladder while Peter followed behind until they found themselves level with the top of the garbage mountain.

'If I could carry it all I'd take it all back,' Peter said.

'And hide it where? Under your bed, muttonhead?'

'No, numbskull, I'd sell it and maybe make enough to get me a nice apartment in the clouds,' Peter said.

'Oh and like they'd have you. They love accommodating Wretches who bring dirt and disease into their city, I'm sure.' Carl laughed.

'Look out, Carl, hide!' Peter said ducking down as a drone flew past.

Carl stayed standing. 'It's OK, Pete, don't worry. They're refuse drones and their only job seems to be sifting through all this stuff. The ones in the pipes are sentries but these seem to ignore me each time I come. Let's grab what we can and get out of here.'

Peter removed his shoulder bag and started pulling at the pile. 'This stuff looks like it's never been opened. Why do they throw so much stuff away?'

Carl started filling his bag with fruit and tea. 'Because they have too much and because they are selfish, evil and greedy. They don't care if we live or die, so it's up to us to use our noggins and survive any way we can.'

'Bingo!' Peter said as he pulled out a pack of gas mask filters from beneath a pile of boxes. 'These will get me some good trades.'

'OK, that's enough, let's go.'

Peter continued to search through the pile. 'Are you kidding? There's too much stuff here to leave.'

Carl grabbed his shoulder. 'Seriously, Pete, let's go. We're going to struggle to carry all this as it is and we've still got to get up this ladder, through the pipe and home without being spotted.'

Peter slung the bag over his shoulder. 'OK, boss, but we're coming back here tomorrow, right?'

Carl held up a hand. 'We just take a little but often, OK? If we get greedy and start overdoing it we'll end up like Cody and all the fruit and batteries in the world won't help you if you end up as drone target practice. I'm meeting a contact soon who can help us shift this stuff. If we can get him on board we'll be coming here much more often.'

'OK,' Peter said, starting to climb the ladder. 'But we might need to bring more people with us. If you want to set up some kind of production line for contraband we need more help.'

'OK, but please don't mention it to anyone else unless we both agree. We can't afford for every Wretch in the city to descend on this place.'

# Chapter Seven

The Wretched Hive drink stop and meeting place stood at a crossroads between the old cathedral ruins and the perimeter fence. It was an illegal establishment tucked into the ruins of a long-disused building. Large corrugated sheets protected those inside from the harsh sun and the acid rain storms, while the inside was made out as comfortable as possible. The dimly lit interior was welcoming with the seating areas made from wood scraps and separated into benches or booths for those needing more privacy. A pale gin-type drink called Grog was the only one on offer and its taste and strength changed depending upon the available ingredients. Whatever the taste it was always strong and guaranteed to make you forget about your hunger after a few glasses.

On the walls hung various interesting items and oddities collected over the years by Nancy the owner, including basketwork, hats and musical instruments. All worth a pretty penny on the black market and therefore nailed to the walls to stop opportunist thieves.

Nancy was in her early thirties but her craggy face and thin dark hair, which she always fixed up in a bun, made her look much older. Long days serving drinks and long nights distilling illegal alcohol had taken its toll.

The Cloud people could easily spot these types of illegal bars with their drone patrols, although they tended to turn a blind eye. It kept many out of trouble, and while Wretches were busy chatting and drinking they weren't rioting or trying to breach the perimeter.

Carl sat down and Peter sat opposite. 'I don't know how you drink that stuff,' Peter said.

Carl sipped his Grog. 'It's an acquired taste. You should try it.'

'I don't think so,' Peter said, shaking his head. 'It tastes just as bad as anything I've ever tasted and I just can't see the point of stripping the lining from your throat, feeling dizzy and spending the next day with a headache.'

'Well, I can see your point, but it's a man's drink and not for little boys like yourself,' he said, taking another sip.

'Go boil your head,' Peter replied, looking around. 'What are we here for anyway?'

Carl pushed the drink to one side. 'I told you we're meeting someone who wants to trade. They got stuff I need and I got stuff they need. I need you here to watch my back as I don't trust him.'

Nancy came over to wipe the table, pulling a damp rag from her apron pocket. 'Now, you know the rules, boys, no trading and no deals inside the Hive. If you're waiting for some kind of deal, do it outside, please, as I don't want the Black Hats turning this place over again.'

Carl shook his head. 'Don't worry, Nancy, we're just two old buddies reminiscing about the good old days.'

'Good old days?' she said, hands on hips. 'There were never any good old days, trust me, and if you are here for a chat then tell this one to order a drink and stop looking over his shoulder. He looks nervous and his eyes are too close together. I don't trust him.'

Carl burst out with laughter as Peter frowned and wondered what he'd done to be given such a hard time.

'I'm nervous because this place can be dangerous and I'm not drinking because I don't like the stuff,' Peter said leaning back in his chair.

Nancy smiled. 'I'm just pulling your leg, kid, but seriously, if you just want to sit around then go and sit outside, you're making everyone else jumpy.'

'It's OK, Nancy, here's our other friend, I'll get some more drinks in,' Carl said.

Nancy nodded, tucked her cleaning rag into her apron and returned to the bar to serve some other customers.

Carl looked towards the door and waved. Alex was standing just inside the doorway squinting and trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light. He was a heavily built guy from another sector who had a lot of contacts for contraband all over the city. His waist-length brown leather jacket and tight dark trousers made him stand out from the usual ragged Wretch. He had a patch over one eye and a heavily scarred face and always wore a baseball cap.

He walked over and sat down, placing his hat on the table. Nancy brought over three glasses of Grog.

'So what's up?' Alex asked.

'Alex, thanks for coming, this is Pete. It's OK, he's cool. I need your help with something,' Carl said leaning forward.

Alex nodded to Peter who nodded back. 'Fire away, if I can help and there's plenty of profit in it I'll try and help. But don't mess me about, Carl. I deal with the big boys not small fry like you and your friend here.'

'Small fry?' Peter mumbled. 'Insults are coming thick and fast today.'

Carl took a sip. 'Just hear me out, Alex, you're going to like what I have and you're going to want more.'

Alex cupped his hand behind his ear. 'I'm listening but if you don't spit it out soon I'm going. Too much Black Hat activity in this area and there's a sandstorm brewing.'

Carl nodded. 'I've got a route into the city and access to a lot of contraband. Tea, coffee, fruit, filters, batteries, you name it, I can get it. Maybe even drugs and medical supplies too. I can get it, I just can't shift the quantities I'm getting.'

'Right, now you've got my attention. I won't ask you how or where because you're not going to tell me, but why don't you let me send my people in? Hell, I'll even go in myself. I can carry twice as much as you can. I'll be fair and split the goods with you.'

Carl shook his head. 'No can do, my friend, I'm sorry. It's too risky and if Wretches from different sectors start piling into the city it'll soon get spotted and shut down. All I need is a way to shift this stuff once I've got it out and a fair trade for what I have.'

Alex leaned forward. 'So you have a way into the city? This is more than interesting, I know some people that would be very interested in knowing about that.'

'Let's just keep it simple. We can all benefit from this new outlet but if you get greedy it's going to dry up real quick. I'm offering you endless supplies of almost anything you want. I've even brought you a bagful of samples so you can see for yourself,' Carl said, looking under the table. 'I'll need to give it to you outside as Nancy keeps giving me the evils and I don't want to be barred from here.'

'So, if your supply route is as good as you say it is, I'll be able to shift anything and everything you bring me, no problem,' Alex said.

Carl ducked down as two Black Hats walked through the door. 'We've got company, I'll catch you outside,' he said crawling along the floor to the rear exit.

Alex looked over his shoulder as the Black Hats started asking people questions and looking around. 'Damn it, I better not get busted today over this meet. Drink your drink and act normal.'

Peter sipped his drink and pulled a face. 'Yuck, tastes like something that tastes horrible.'

One soldier approached their table. 'Where is your friend? I saw him ducking down and acting suspicious as we walked in. What's he got to hide?'

Alex looked at the machine gun and back at the heavily armed man. Everything he had rehearsed for a time like this seemed to evaporate. He opened his mouth but the words just wouldn't come out and he felt his heart sink into his boots at the thought of being arrested and interrogated. He slowly moved his hand from his knee to the handle of the knife in his waistband and checked the position of the other Black Hat.

'I'm sorry, Officer,' Peter said. 'That guy panicked and left in a hurry because he was trying to sell us his food rations, but we weren't interested.'

'Well, who is he and where does he live?'

Peter shook his head. 'We've never seen him in here before and I doubt he'll be back. Think he was just some drug addict trying to get a quick fix but we told him to beat it then you guys walked in.'

'And what about you?' the Black Hat said jabbing Alex in the arm with his gun. 'Are you the wise one keeping quiet or have you something to hide? You ever been in trouble before?'

Alex shook his head. 'No, sir, just enjoying a quiet drink when that guy approached us. Never seen him before and we told him to get lost; we don't want any trouble.'

The Black Hat lowered his gun. 'I'm not convinced but since he's gone I can't question him either. If any of you see him again notify the authorities and we'll come and pick him up, OK?'

Peter and Alex both nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as the two heavily armed men walked away and out of the main door.

Alex placed his head in his hands. 'That was close, I thought this was supposed to be a safe place. I only agreed to come because Carl guaranteed there would be no complications and plenty of contraband. Now he's gone and so has the bag of stuff he brought.'

'Sorry, but I've never known them to come in and question people like that. Something must have spooked them,' Peter said. 'I'm sure Carl will honour his promises and I'll tell him you're still interested.'

Alex leaned back in his chair and shook his head. 'I need to get out of here, it's too risky in this sector. There's too much activity. I'm sorry but tell Carl the deal's off. I'm not losing my freedom for a bagful of batteries and air filters.'

# Chapter Eight

Carl approached the queue for the ration kiosk. Two heavily armed Black Hats wearing black jumpsuits and chest armour stared at him. The gas masks on their faces and the machine guns cocked and ready to fire were a menacing sight, but protecting the food kiosk was a full-time job and this sector was a dangerous place to have a stock of rations. Although he'd rarely eaten the toxic biscuits, they were always good for bartering.

At the end of the line was Amy. A little younger at 21 and shorter at around five feet four, Amy's long, flowing mousy blonde hair and fresh face was a welcome sight for Carl. 'Hi, Amy, how goes it?'

'Hi, Carl, I'm OK thanks but Mum's not too good these days.'

'Oh no, what's up?'

Amy shook her head as they edged closer to the kiosk. 'Not sure really, the old doc reckons some kind of serious chest infection that only antibiotics will cure, but we don't have the resources to get them and they are as rare as fruit these days.'

'I'm really sorry to hear that,' Carl said looking over his shoulder. He then leaned closer towards Amy. 'Look, after we've got our rations I really need to talk to you about something, but it's top secret and I need you to promise not to tell anyone,' he said putting his finger to his mouth.

Amy nodded and smiled. Carl looked into her electric blue eyes and his heart danced in his chest. His expression melted as their eyes locked together for a few seconds. He felt rooted to the spot and completely at her mercy, such was his deep love for her. She took him to the highest mountain every time she looked at him and uttered his name. But then he'd plunge into the darkest valley each time he had to let her go.

'My turn. I'll meet you over there when you get yours,' she said.

Amy collected her small bag of biscuits and placed them in her backpack. Carl stepped up to the kiosk window and collected his. The ration vendor was a large middle-aged man. Only the Cloud people would be cruel enough to send a fat man out to give rations to poor starving people. His healthy complexion and full thick hair signified only one thing: he was a resident of the Crystal City. Probably living in a luxury apartment in the clouds and spending every evening bathing in clean hot water while eating fresh food and drinking fine wine.

Carl handed over his meal tickets, one for him and one for his mother. Children were allowed to collect the rations of their parents as most people over the age of 35 were too sick to walk or leave their dwellings. The young could cope with the harsh environment but the older you got the more it wore you down, like a never-ending virus that wreaked havoc with your body and mind.

As the man bagged up two portions of biscuits Carl looked to the right of the counter. The guy had left some kind of security pass within reach. It contained a barcode, a photo and his job title.

_JARVIS BRAUN_

_City Ration Supervisor and Caterer_

_Level 2 access including Code 5 and Code 7_

As he passed Carl both bags Carl let one drop and its contents scattered over the kiosk floor.

The ration vendor rolled his eyes. 'That's going to cost you one bag of rations.'

'Oh no, please, I'm really sorry about that.' Carl said. 'Please could you pick them off the floor for me? My mum's really ill and we need them.'

The ration vendor thought about it for a few seconds and exhaled loudly. He bent down revealing the crack of his fat ass bulging over his chequered catering trousers.

Carl looked at both guards, who were preoccupied sharing a joke. He then quickly grabbed the security pass off the counter and pushed it into his pocket. He smiled and stepped forward just as the vendor rose to his feet.

'Thank you so much. That's very kind of you,' Carl said.

The vendor let out another loud sigh. This seemed to be his only method of communication but Carl didn't care. He had got what he needed and hurried away from the kiosk. He walked over to where Amy was waiting. 'Let's keep walking because he's going to notice something is missing real soon,' he said.

'Why, what did you take?'

Carl looked over his shoulder and started to walk faster. 'His security pass and I'm going to try and use it to get your mum some medicine.'

'No way, you can't do that. You'd never move around the Crystal City unnoticed and that's if you even got inside. Everyone I know who has tried has been killed before they got past the second fence,' Amy said.

The biscuit vendor looked around on the counter and patted his pockets. He got down on his hands and knees and searched the floor. 'Thieving little Wretch,' he shouted as he stood up. 'Soldier, stop him, he's stolen my pass.'

The Black Hat stepped forward, took the safety catch off and levelled his weapon. 'Hey, stop right there,' he shouted.

Carl and Amy picked up the pace and walked as fast as they could without looking like they were trying to get away. 'Just keep moving and don't look round,' Carl said.

'Shoot him!' the vendor shouted. 'Put one in his back and do us all a favour. I'm sick and tired of these lowlife thieving scumbags infecting this place.'

The Black Hat aimed at Carl's back. He lined up a red dot laser sight between his shoulder blades and started to squeeze the trigger, then stopped and replaced the safety catch, lowering his weapon.

'What are you doing? He's getting away,' the vendor said jabbing his finger. 'What's the point in having security if you don't keep us secure? Today he thieves from us, next week he'll be making bombs. He's a criminal and you're supposed to deal with criminals!'

'I'm not putting in the paperwork for the expenditure on ammunition, that's what I'm doing. Why don't you get back to tending your biscuit collection and I'll decide who gets shot and who doesn't.'

The vendor slapped his hands on his thighs in frustration. 'Waste of time, I'll put in a report when I get back and ask for a security detail that has some balls next time.'

The Black Hat raised his weapon and pointed it at the kiosk. 'You do that. I dare say you've not seen your balls in a long time.'

The vendor shook his head and served the next person.

The soldier stepped back and continued to watch over the ever-growing queue of hungry people. Everything in the city had a price because everything had to be manufactured; nothing was imported so things were expensive, particularly military equipment and ammunition. Bullets and weapons had to be signed in and out and any firing of rounds had to be explained and often involved a lengthy form-filling process and an interview. It was much easier to get hold of a person and beat them with the butt of a weapon or baton.

They rounded the corner and Carl glanced back to check that they weren't being followed then continued to walk towards where Amy lived. It was further away from the Crystal Towers than Carl lived and conditions were even worse. Amy's house was a collection of ragged plastic sheeting shredded by the winds, and bits of rotten timber. Her beautiful face and angel-like hair hid the misery and desperation of her home life.

Amy stopped on the corner near the old war memorial ruins. 'Don't come any further, please. You know I'm embarrassed about where I live.'

'You don't have to worry about what I think. You and your mum have made it as good as you can. It's not your fault, it's the Cloud people and their grip on everything we do. They live in peace and harmony with plenty of food while we live like this,' he said.

Amy coughed and her eyes filled with water. A trickle of red blood ran out of her nose and over her top lip. Carl gently wiped it away with his thumb.

'You're not too good either by the looks of you,' he said. 'Meet me by the cathedral ruins tomorrow night as the sun disappears and I'll show you something like you've never seen before.'

Amy giggled as a tear streaked down her face. 'Is that a promise or a threat?'

Carl smiled. 'Both if you like. There's a place I'd like to show you, I go there sometimes and it kind of put things into perspective.'

Amy nodded and kissed Carl on the cheek. She then ran down the rubble-filled dusty street and disappeared round a corner to where she lived. Carl touched his face and closed his eyes. Amy had never kissed him before and it felt magical. The chemistry between them had built over the years and the next time she kissed him he was going to hold her tight and kiss her forever.

# Chapter Nine

The truck screeched to a halt at the end of the street near the market area, sending a cloud of dust into the air. The rear double doors swung open and six heavily armed Black Hats jumped out. The driver and one guard stayed behind and secured the rear of the vehicle while keeping watch on the surroundings.

The six men formed two lines of three and walked down the street keeping some distance between each man in case of attack or booby traps. They cocked their weapons and checked the doorways of the various ruins as they walked by.

A whistle echoed through the market. The pre-agreed warning signal gave a few moments for the stallholders to hide any contraband and disappear into the afternoon haze and dust if needed. The old lady on the first stall covered her basket of stolen food scraps and used batteries by placing a circular piece of wood on top with a ragged tablecloth over it, making it like any other Wretch stall.

The soldiers split up to cover as much area as they could in the allotted time. The first one took out a pile of paper and handed the old lady a sheet, which she examined closely with her failing eyes.

The paper was split into four boxes and within each box was the face of one of the people they were looking for. Thieves, drug dealers and murderers were on the list this week and in the bottom right-hand corner was Carl. The ration kiosk he took the pass from had a low-quality security camera that took a snapshot every few seconds and captured every Wretch that it served. Carl's face was now on Wanted posters and everyone in the area had to receive one or be questioned over why they refused.

'Have you seen any of these men?' he asked.

'Son, I'm struggling to see the piece of paper let alone what's on it,' the old lady said squinting. 'Let me get my eye glass.' She pulled out a monocle with the lens missing. 'Now let me see, nope, nope, nope and nope, does that help?'

'Stupid old crow, stop wasting my time or I'll examine your licence to trade and the goods in that basket more closely.'

One Black Hat had a larger poster which he stuck to the side of a building in a prominent position. The reward was clearly displayed in the text at the foot of the photos. Extra rations, medicine, clothing and clemency for minor crimes were on offer to those who had the right information and proved themselves useful to the local authorities. All information would be treated in confidence and any rewards given out covertly.

Another Black Hat thrust the paper under the nose of a man at another stall dealing in recycled clothing. 'Have you seen any of these men?'

The man shook his head. 'Nope, can't say I have.'

The soldier pressed the paper into his face. 'You didn't even look. Don't you people want law and order? Are you happy with criminals running around your neighbourhood?'

The man pushed the paper away with his hand. 'There's no bigger criminals than the ones I see standing in front of me right now,' he said, slowly moving his hand under the table and wrapping it around the grip of a crossbow.

The Black Hat's expression changed and he took a step forward raising the butt of the rifle above the man's head.

'Stop that now!' the other Black Hat shouted walking over. 'We need information, which is why we need them on our side. They're not going to talk if you beat them to death.'

His colleague lowered his weapon and walked away to another stallholder.

'I wish you'd keep your animals on a shorter leash, Commander. They come here throwing their weight around and it just gets people angry,' the man said.

'We have a job to do and we'll do it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Can't I tempt you with some fresh rations to help me out with these faces?'

The man shook his head and spat on the floor. 'I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than help the devils in the towers.'

The Black Hat leaned forward. 'You won't need eyes if you're withholding information. Just give me a name and location and treat you and your family to some nice things for a change.'

The man spat on the floor again and relaxed his grip on the hidden crossbow.

The soldier shook his head and stepped back. 'You're a waste of time. Carry on eating dirt and starving to death. Don't come crying to us. We gave you the opportunity to make things better for yourselves and you threw it back in our faces.'

The man shrugged. 'Suits me, I'd rather be a dead Wretch than a snitch for the Cloud people.'

'Be careful as that can very easily be arranged.'

The Black Hat signalled for the others to regroup and vacate the area and they walked back down the street, leaving without any useful information.

# Chapter Ten

The sun had gone for the night and only a hazy dark sky remained. Carl started to climb the broken concrete steps inside the deserted tower as Amy followed closely behind. The building was now a twisted frame of metal and cement. Partly destroyed by the Cloud people, it was one of the early settlements, now abandoned and left to decay. The Wretches were forbidden to make a home there and regular drone patrols rooted out any makeshift camps. However, at dusk the drones were busy preparing for their gas patrols and they never seemed too bothered about Carl's frequent trips up to the top to see the view.

The building was now in such a poor state it was becoming more and more dangerous to navigate the staircase. Ropes and planks of wood became makeshift bridges connecting the gaps where the concrete steps had crumbled away. They paused halfway up, coughing heavily as their lungs fought for air.

'How often do you come up here?' Amy asked.

Carl bent over placing his hands on his thighs. 'Not so often these days. The drone patrols make it risky but it's still a good spot to relax and think while watching the world below.'

'Do you usually come alone or do you bring all your women here?' Amy said raising her eyebrows.

'I don't have any women unless you mean Mum and she's too sick to leave the house these days.'

'Yes, I know, I'm sorry,' she said. 'I just wondered if you ever brought anyone else here.'

Carl shook his head. 'Nope, not even Pete. To be honest there's nothing here but a view of the city that you can't get anywhere else.'

They continued upwards stopping every now and again to look through the vacant rooms where people once lived. Large square windows onto the city now became wind tunnels for the harsh environment to batter the interior, the protective glass long gone along with the residents. Every dwelling had been looted of anything worthwhile and all that was left was dust and rubble.

Amy looked at a picture of a sunflower still hanging on the wall. 'Mum would love that. Can we take it?' she said lifting it off a nail.

'We need to be really careful taking stuff from here as it's all classed as the property of the Cloud people. But if you really want it we'll collect it on the way back down, as I don't want us weighed down with stuff on the way up.'

Amy placed the picture on the floor, leaning it against the wall. A clean square area revealing brightly coloured wallpaper now showed where the picture used to hang. The rest of the walls were covered in a thick layer of grime blown in from the outside world.

'I wonder who lived here,' Amy said brushing her hand across the back of a sofa frame. 'It might have been a young married couple or maybe one of the Black Hats. I presume they're human and have families once they take their masks and guns off.'

'I doubt it,' Carl said. 'I hear that they aren't human. They're created by devils and have black blood and feast on young children they catch in their traps.'

The staircase ended as they reached the twenty-fourth floor and they stepped through a broken doorway and onto the roof. To the left a large gaping hole hid in the shadows and offered a quick but fatal route back down to the ground. Carl was aware of it from his many visits and steered Amy away. They clambered over rubble and the rusted frames of furniture and beds discarded by the previous occupants until they reached the edge of the roof.

Amy's mouth dropped open. 'Wow, that's incredible.'

The sky was now ink black. The Crystal City was lit like multi-coloured jewels rising high in the sky until the towers disappeared into the mist and clouds. Below, the lights of the drones could be seen as they darted in and out of alleyways at low level hunting for their prey. To the right was the sprawling mass of the old projects and the shanty towns. A scattering of tiny, dim lights could be seen radiating from those dwellings lucky enough to be able to produce some electricity.

Carl sat down with his feet dangling over the edge. 'Quite a sight if you've never been this high before.'

Amy sat down next to him. 'I've never seen anything like it. It all looks beautiful and peaceful from up here.'

A drone approached from the direction of the towers. It flew past at the same height as the roof then stopped and came back.

Carl held Amy's hand. 'Stay very still, don't move a muscle,' he said.

The machine beeped and whistled as it surveyed the rooftop and transmitted data back to the city.

'Has it seen us?' Amy whispered.

'They have really poor vision at night and rely on movement. Just stay still and we should be OK.'

The drone sped off in the direction of the projects.

'That was close.' Amy sighed.

Carl rubbed his eyes. 'It's the first time one has taken an interest while I've been up here. We might not be so lucky next time. Maybe we should stay on one of the lower floors if we come again.'

Amy nodded and looked at her hand which was still holding Carl's. 'It's nice up here. We've got the whole building to ourselves and we're away from all the problems down below,' she said.

Carl reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a small extendable telescope. Its brown leather covering kept it low-key and stopped light glinting off it, and the brass edges added to the quality feel. 'Here, take a look through this.'

Amy took the scope and held it in her hands, feeling the weight of it. 'It's beautiful. Where did you get it? Is it one of Cody's big ticket items?'

'No way.' Carl shook his head. 'I found it somewhere else, a secret place that nobody knows of.'

Amy closed her left eye and placed the scope to her right. 'Where?'

'Not sure what it was or why it's there but I think the ancients called it "Ondo".'

'Ondo? What the hell's that?' Amy said scanning the glass towers with the scope.

'I'll take you there soon. It's top secret though and not even Pete knows about it.'

'OK, can't wait,' Amy said adjusting the scope's focus ring. 'The Crystal City really is beautiful to look at, isn't it? You can almost see people moving around on different floors with this thing.'

'It's quite a view but also a little bittersweet, I think. It looks great but then reminds you of how much you don't have.'

'It must be wonderful to have all those riches. To have everything you need,' Amy said.

Carl shrugged. 'All wealth does is give you more choice, like the clothes you wear and the food you eat. It doesn't make you happy or give you friends or keep you company. It's an empty currency and they're still not free to leave this place or do as they please. A rich slave or a poor slave is still a slave.'

Amy gave the scope back and Carl placed it back in his bag. 'So how often do you come up here? I love it.'

Carl smiled. 'It really is special and one of the few safe places left. If I can get up here once a week it's good, maybe a bit longer when the storms are raging. But I've heard rumours that they'll be demolishing this sector soon so we need to enjoy it while we can.'

Amy took a deep breath. 'There doesn't seem to be much pollution up here. The air seems a bit cooler and easier on the lungs too.'

'Yeah, it's weird, isn't it?' Carl said. 'It's almost like the air is kept bad on purpose near ground level where the rest of us have to live.'

Sirens wailed and swarms of drones began to leave the city. Swooping down at low level they began to spray their noxious gases as the humans below ran for cover. A cloud of green mist now hung over the streets and makeshift shelters below.

Amy placed her head on Carl's shoulder. 'I wish we could stay here forever. There's nothing good for us down there. What do you think is beyond the wall?'

Carl looked over his shoulder in the direction of the perimeter fence. 'It's impossible to say. Cody always thought there were other cities like ours. No idea what made him think that. He always thought everything was a conspiracy of some kind. Smoke and mirrors to stop any ambition of leaving this place, he used to say.'

'Do you know if anyone has ever left the city?'

'No idea.' Carl shrugged. 'If they have they never made it back to tell anyone, or maybe they didn't want to come back. I'd take my chances out there if I could get out. There's nothing but hunger and death here for us. We're the dead, just ghosts living short, unimportant lives.'

Carl turned back to Amy. Her long blonde hair moved in waves in the breeze and her beautiful face was gently lit by the distant searchlights that scoured the towers and nearby land for intruders. He leaned forward slowly, giving her the chance to move back but she didn't. As their lips met she gasped and gripped his hand tighter. He felt his neck tingle and everything around them just melted away as they were lost in their love and affection for each other.

'You've no idea how long I've wanted to do that,' Carl said.

'And I've wanted you to.' Amy laughed. 'I kept giving you enough eye contact and making excuses to visit your house but you never seemed interested.'

Carl gently kissed her neck and cheek. 'Oh boy I was interested, but just frozen with fear every time you came near me. I wish I was more confident like Cody used to be and some of the others.'

Amy squeezed his hand tight. 'I don't want you to be like Cody. He's dead and his confidence doesn't do any good now, does it? I want you to be you, I like you just as you are.'

Carl felt so tall he could almost touch the hazy moon; he'd never been so happy. He savoured this moment and only wished he could package it up, keep it and replay it whenever needed. He was the happiest Wretch in the city and quickly forgot his hunger pains; everything else seemed unimportant.

# Chapter Eleven

Benjamin Ford's body lay on a stone slab in the dwelling of the Spiritual Guide. The room was peaceful with candles illuminating the interior of the shack and incense burning to disguise the smell of decay. Lita was older than most people she knew. Her long, flowing white hair contrasted against the black robes she wore, and her necklaces and bracelets glistened in the flickering light.

Anyone who passed on in this part of the city would be looked after by Lita. It was her job to ensure the body was disposed of quickly and that the necessary spiritual passage rites were performed to guarantee transition into the next world. Depending on your beliefs that could be reincarnation, another dimension or heaven. Either way, Lita would perform the correct ritual and offerings according to your wishes, and she enjoyed the small amount of goods you gave her as payment for the pleasure before you died.

Two assistants who were also dressed in black robes wrapped the last visible parts of the body in a thin cotton shroud. Only the head was left exposed. Two highly polished flat stones were then placed on the eyes. In ancient times these would have been coins to pay the ferryman for the journey to the afterlife, but in a world without banks or money this was now purely symbolic but still widely practised. The body was now ready and Benjamin's final journey would begin.

Outside the crowd swelled in size. Some were angry, some crying and some thankful for the life he had, but all shared the dismay over the nature of his death. They looked on him as a de facto leader of sorts. A rebel with a cause and the inspiration for growing resentment of the ruling elite. His frequent preaching and fire-in-the-belly speeches had brought the Wretches to the brink of revolt. The feeling had swept through the city and had taken on a life of its own. It was like a spirit, drifting through the neighbourhoods and permeating every pore until it became something you could see and touch. Like a lightning storm it had physical properties and the clouds of dissent were now building. Years ago the community was split into those who wanted change and those who didn't want any trouble, but now every man and woman seemed to share the same goal. Even if they couldn't participate directly they would give their support and help in any way they could.

Lita walked out of her shack with head bowed and hands clasped in front of her body. Benjamin followed behind, his body laid on top of a wooden rack and held on the shoulders of four Wretches. The crowd clapped as they caught a glimpse of their hero. The funeral procession walked slowly through the dusty, rubble-filled streets and the mass of people parted to make way. At the end of the road, in a ready-made clearing and in sight of the old cathedral ruins, the funeral pyre sat waiting. A high stack of just about anything combustible reached into the air and waited for ignition. Garbage, bits of rare timber and rags made up the pile and as the procession drew closer the locals threw more onto the heap.

The baying crowd formed a circle around the pyre as the Wretches placed Benjamin high up on top, securing the rack and the body to make sure it stayed in place.

'Steady, steady,' John Rikard said stepping out from the shadows. 'All will see and what will be will be, but you've got to stay back. Those too close may find themselves reaching the afterlife sooner than they thought. Keep your distance and respect our fallen hero.'

John was a muscular man in his thirties whose job in the community revolved around fire and therefore his nickname was the Fire Striker. He took on this role as a volunteer as did his father and his father before him. His tasks included creating flames when needed and putting them out when it wasn't. His torso and the left side of his face showed severe scars from burning and half of his hair was also replaced with lesions and melted skin, such were the dangers of dealing with and tackling the various blazes that broke out in this area. Everything was combustible during the dry season and the intense heat and strong winds created the ideal environment for ignition.

Lita stood in front of the pyre showing her palms to the crowd. 'Thank you, thank you, citizens, for coming here today to witness the passage of our great brother, Benjamin. Never before have we seen such a large gathering, and this I'm sure reflects the feelings of love and admiration for our fallen friend. But our friend was cut down and murdered by those who choose to rule over us,' she said pointing at the glass towers in the distance. 'The evil cloak of totalitarianism and division has poisoned this land for so long. The evil devils that live in the Crystal City have blood dripping from their hands. Not just Benjamin's but the countless missing ones who have been taken, never to be seen again. The Cloud people have built their glass towers on the shoulders of our ancestors and buried them in the foundations below them. But this is the last straw, my friends, no more, no more can we take this and the time for change is upon us.'

The crowd roared with approval and surged forward while the few tasked with marshalling the event pushed their backs into the melee in a vain attempt to stop them moving too close.

Lita nodded to John who walked to the edge of the pile and raised a small piece of iron in one hand. In the other he held a small shard of flint and struck it hard against the metal. It took several attempts but the sparks created a small flame at the base of the stack. This quickly grew into a tall column of flames that engulfed the pyre.

Two drones arrived overhead. Alerted by the noise and the large gathering they transmitted video and information back to base so the situation could be evaluated. The crowd booed and jeered at the arrival of the metal machines. A youth picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of one drone. It narrowly missed causing it to correct its course and altitude. Others followed suit and threw anything they could get their hands on.

'Even in our time of grief, the bringers of doom won't leave us in peace,' Lita said pointing to the sky. 'They bully and harass and remind us of our pitiful life of servitude. This has to stop and only we can stop it. Kill them, kill them all.'

The crowd surged forward and roared more approval. A large group of them broke away and headed towards the Crystal City. 'Kill them, kill them all, kill them, kill them all,' they chanted punching the air with their fists with their faces contorted and needing revenge.

More drones gathered overhead and the city security was alerted. Wave after wave of heavily armed soldiers took up positions inside the main gate and on top of walls and sentry towers.

A handful of the younger men darted up a side street and uncovered a two-wheeled cart which was hidden under a pile of rags and cloth. It had been modified with two metal plates welded to the front offering some cover from the potential hail of bullets to come. They pulled at the handles until it broke free from the rocky ground where it had stood, and they slowly made their way up the side street.

Lita now joined the bulging mass. Anger and revenge overflowed as they continued to chant, 'Kill them, kill them all.'

The men with the cart rounded the corner and started a slow trot which turned into a run. The explosives strapped to the cart held firm in their bindings as the wooden wheels bumped along the uneven ground. As they neared, the Fire Striker started to run alongside the cart, lighting a fuse.

'Move, make way,' one man shouted as the crowd parted, making a path allowing the wooden cart to pass through.

Lita waved them on as they passed. 'May the spirit grant you success delivering medicine to the sick devils of the tower. Cleanse their filth from the earth and rid their tyranny from this city.'

The men picked up the pace; they were now only a short distance from the main gates as they exited the crowd. This was a suicide mission which had been practised over and over and had to succeed.

Two Black Hats high in a guard tower spotted the threat and opened fire. The frontal armour plating of the cart deflected the bullets, which ricocheted with sparks and pings. Several drones swooped over the gates; two broke away and made their way towards the crowd. They opened fire with their high-calibre weapons as bodies fell all around, trampled on by those who tried to run. A hardcore group including Lita still moved towards the gates; it was now or never.

Three drones flanked the men pushing the bomb; they opened fire with short bursts to the head which cut them down. The cart toppled over spilling its contents. Another drone opened fire; the payload exploded sending a plume of fire and dirt high into the sky, engulfing and destroying two drones which fell back to Earth in flames. The blast radiated outwards in all directions killing the nearby protestors.

Lita found herself face down in the dirt; her ears rang with a high-pitched noise and blood trickled into her eyes obscuring her vision. Black charred bodies were everywhere and she wiped her dirt-and blood-filled eyes in an effort to see the gate. It was bent and buckled but not destroyed. A single drone mopped up and machine-gunned the dead and dying. Lita felt the thud and burning pain as the bullets ripped through her back as her vision faded into blackness.

# Chapter Twelve

The hot sun blazed down on the shanty town as Carl and Amy walked along the dusty tracks near the edge of their world. The outer areas were quieter and less busy than the centre as there was nothing near the fences but dirt and the odd skeleton. Mini whirlwinds blew the loose ground around their feet as they both breathed deeply trying to suck the last bits of oxygen out of the polluted air.

'I hate this place,' Amy said.

'Do you hate everything about it?'

Amy looked at Carl and smiled. 'Not everything. I'm glad that I have you in my life or it would be very dull.'

'Same here, you certainly brighten things up for me.'

A drone flew overhead and Carl stopped dead in his tracks. 'Let's be careful not to get too close to the fence. These bleached bones sticking out of the dirt are the remainder of the poor folk that did.'

'What happened to them? Killed by drones?' Amy asked.

'Maybe or maybe the land mines that pepper the ground around this area, so best not to get too close. I want to show you something, it's just over there.'

Amy followed close behind Carl as he navigated his way around the rubble and dirt mounds of no man's land. The buffer zone between the Wretches' shacks and the fence, no man's land was the second last line of defence against escape. It was patrolled by drones night and day and heavily booby-trapped. Anyone who had made it through also had to deal with an impenetrable wall guarded by machine gun towers.

Carl stopped at a mound of rubble covered with a rusting corrugated iron sheet. He held two corners and pulled it to one side exposing a small hole in the ground.

'What is it?' Amy asked.

Carl knelt down. 'It's Ondo. Somewhere the drones can't see and a good hiding place for my stash. Come on, I'll show you,' he said disappearing down into the hole.

Amy looked around and went down the hole close behind Carl. The tunnel had a slight downward incline and was only as wide as her shoulders. After crawling along on all fours for a few minutes they came to another hole and a steel ladder.

'Come on, stay close, it's not much further,' Carl said climbing down.

Amy followed behind and found herself stepping off the last rung onto a concrete floor. 'What is this place?' she said looking all around.

They stood on a smooth platform with tunnels at each end. These appeared to be blocked with rubble and were impassable. The place was dimly bathed in natural light flooding in through various small cracks and holes in the ceiling. The walls were covered in green tiles and the stench of rotting water filled their nose.

Amy stood at the edge of the platform and peered down. 'This is amazing.'

'I think it belonged to the ancients. Those rusted iron tracks must have been used by some kind of transport travelling through the tunnels,' Carl said nodding towards one of the blocked entrances. 'They probably go to other parts of the city. I only found it recently. Maybe it travels from one side of the world to the other but the city dwellers either don't know about it or have ignored it, probably thinking it was buried and nobody would find it.'

'It's cool down here. The air seems fresher even if it does smell like crap,' Amy said looking at a metal sign on the wall which said "Welcome to ondo".

Carl looked up to the ceiling. 'It doesn't get baked by the sun for a start and there seems to be a trickle of water coming from somewhere.'

'That's a curious name for a place. Do you think that's what the ancients called their city?'

'Maybe, I don't know. I've never heard the term before and it doesn't make much sense,' Carl said looking around.

Amy approached the sign and started to rub it with her fingers. 'There are more letters here, hidden under the dirt and rust.' She picked up a rag from the floor and rubbed more vigorously until more letters revealed themselves. 'Welcome to London,' she said.

'London?' Carl said. 'Maybe that was the name of the ancients' world.'

'Could be, yes. I wonder if Pete would know. Didn't he once have a map of the ancient world?'

'Yes he did but I think he traded it for some batteries, but I can ask him.' Carl nodded.

A small shape scurried past and into a dark corner of the platform.

'What the hell was that?' Amy said.

'Some rodent-type thing by the looks of it,' Carl replied.

Amy widened her eyes to try to adjust to the dim light. 'I've never seen anything like that before. I didn't think anything else lived in the city.'

Carl stepped closer to where the creature had run to. 'The air seems different down here and each time I come down I see something new. There used to be animals up top before the scorching sun killed them all. Every shape you can imagine from tiny critters to huge beasts that could flatten ten men.'

Amy squatted down and sifted through some of the dust on the platform. 'It's hard to believe there was ever a time when things were cooler and the air cleaner. I wonder what it was like sharing the world with animals.'

Carl squatted down. 'People probably abused them and took advantage. Destroyed the places they lived and poisoned their water. That's what people seem to do, they ruin everything.'

'So what do you do down here usually?' Amy asked.

'It's somewhere to come and hide from the heat of the day. The pollution doesn't seem to reach this far either and I can also keep this stuff down here,' Carl said getting up and walking over to a pile covered with a cloth.

Amy got up. 'What is it?'

Carl pulled the cloth back revealing a small pile of contraband. 'It's enough good stuff to get me shot is what it is.'

Amy's mouth dropped open. 'That's some nice illegal stuff. You got fruit. You have tea and coffee too. That's a lot of good gear.'

Carl picked up an apple and a small packet of tea. 'Here, take this for your mum. She's not well and the fruit will do her good. How is she these days anyway?'

'Not good,' Amy said shaking her head. 'She gets weaker every day and now hardly drinks anything.'

'Whatever happened to your dad, if I may ask?'

Amy's head dropped. 'It's hard to talk about.'

'Then don't, it's OK. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.'

'I don't mind telling you,' she said. 'Dad was a friend of Benjamin's. He'd known him from the early days and they hung out as kids together. But then Benjamin became more radical with his ideas and got involved with others who wanted to overthrow the Cloud people. Problem with Dad was that he was easily led. He'd spend time with his friends and forget about me and Mum. I don't think he meant to be mean to us, it's just that he wanted a break from the hunger and the pain and really wanted to get involved with changing the world.'

Carl sat down and folded his legs. 'I don't think I ever met him or I don't remember him anyway.'

Amy sat down next to him. 'During the last few years he was around, he'd never be at home. Mum always worried that he'd found someone else but the reality is that his friends and silly ideas were more important than us. Then one morning we heard a truck outside; the screeching brakes woke me up. They smashed their way into our place and dragged him outside. I stood there frozen to the spot while they hit him with their guns and kicked him unconscious.'

Carl shook his head. 'I can't believe they did that to him. Things have to change soon. We can't go on like this. We'll make them pay one day, I promise you. Have you seen or heard anything since?'

'Mum had a letter from someone in the city saying that dad had been executed for terrorism. His clothes and any items he had on him were burnt and that was that. We heard no more,' she said wiping her eyes with her fingers. 'So now he's just one of hundreds of missing people, snatched out of the poor lives they have to be beaten and murdered.'

Carl nodded. 'So many people have been taken now it's hard to keep track. All they do is keep us down and if we stand up we disappear into the clouds never to be seen again.'

'All I've got now is Mum so I'd really like to get something to help her. If I lose her I just wouldn't know what to do.'

Carl leaned forward and kissed Amy on the lips while wiping a tear away from her cheek with his thumb. 'We'll go in soon. Your mum needs medication and we're going to get her some.'

# Chapter Thirteen

Carl and Peter climbed into the pipe and then grabbed one of Amy's hands to pull her in. They slowly made their way along the safest route, avoiding drones along the way until they eventually got to the waste disposal area where the smell was overwhelming and never-ending. They all peered down into the mass of garbage and watched the drones busily carry out their disposal duties.

'I feel sick, I've never smelt anything so bad,' Amy said.

Carl sniffed the air. 'You kind of get used to it if you come here often enough. It's just rotting rubbish. Anything fresh like fruit rots quite quickly down here so you have to grab the good stuff while you can.'

Amy's mouth turned down. 'I don't care how good the stuff is, I can't stand this much longer, it's making my stomach turn.'

'I'm so hungry I'll eat anything,' Peter said. 'I'd rather have a belly of rotten fruit than eat any more of them rotten biscuits.'

Amy's eyes started to water as she tried to stop herself from being sick. 'I'd rather starve to death than eat either of those. Nothing in here smells good enough to eat.'

'Wait until we get down there and start sifting through it. A lot of it's still packaged and fresh,' Carl said. He pointed to a door in the wall a little further around the edge of the dump. 'That's where we need to go for the medicine. Come on and keep your eyes peeled.'

Carl looked through the small window in the middle of the door. Inside was a clinically white area with a single computer sitting on a desk and a chair alongside it. Over in the corner was a tall medicine cabinet. He turned the handle and pushed the door with his shoulder but it was electronically locked.

Amy and Peter scanned the waste dump for any unusual drone behaviour but their presence was still being ignored. He swiped the security pass across the keypad; it clicked and a red light turned to green unlocking the door with an electronic clunk.

'Bingo,' Carl said pushing the heavy wooden door open. He ushered in the others while looking around to make sure they hadn't been spotted. Amy and Peter walked in and Carl shut the door behind them.

'Wow, I've never seen anywhere so clean and perfect as this, it even smells clean. What is this place?' Amy said looking around.

'Must be some kind of maintenance area,' Carl said. 'Maybe they control the drones that clean the place up from here.'

Amy pulled open the medicine cabinet. On the bottom shelf were bottles of pills and the middle shelf contained bandages. The top shelf was full of syringes and tubes. 'This stuff's worth a fortune,' she said as she scooped the bottles and bandages into the bag slung over her shoulder.

'Make sure you get antibiotics for your mum. The bandages might come in useful too,' Carl said.

'I'm taking the lot. What Mum doesn't use we'll sell and get her some decent food for a change.'

Carl pointed to the window. 'Pete, keep a lookout and make sure nobody else is around and that those drones aren't taking an interest.'

Carl tapped the keyboard and the computer screen lit up.

'Do you know what you're doing, brainbox? I thought we were just coming here for medicine and other good stuff,' Peter said.

Carl glanced up. 'We are but I want to see if I can find out more information about what makes this place tick. Good stuff is what we need but information is valuable too.'

'What information? Peter said. 'We're in the middle of the Crystal City stealing stuff. The only information we need is the quickest way out of here before we're caught and mushed into food tablets.'

'Calm down, ladies. I just need another five minutes and we'll be out of here,' Carl said.

He started to look through the folders on the computer and noticed that each one was logically named and in alphabetical order. Most of the information related to the regular garbage disposal tasks, such as collection, compacting or incineration. He navigated to a higher folder level which gave more general information about the city. 'This looks much more interesting.'

Amy looked out of the window. 'Please hurry, I'm getting a bad feeling about this.'

Carl noticed a folder called 'The Cleansing' and opened it up. Inside were spreadsheets and diagrams relating to some future event. He opened up one spreadsheet which was a population prediction graph. It started high at several million and quickly dropped to zero. 'Oh no,' Carl said.

Peter looked around. 'What's up?'

Carl then opened up another document that gave details about a weapon that would cleanse the city. 'This isn't making much sense but there are some figures and predictions here about the city population when the cleansing happens.'

'What cleansing?' Amy said.

Carl stepped back and shook his head. 'The cleansing of the Wretches. This isn't the last city on Earth where all the survivors live like they keep telling us, it's a death camp. We're all going to be killed, wiped out.'

'What?' Amy said. 'What's the point in that? Why would the Cloud people want to kill everyone including themselves?'

Carl shook his head. 'They're not going to kill themselves, they're building some kind of ark for the rich.'

Pete ducked down. 'Quick, someone's coming!'

Carl turned the computer screen off and went underneath the table. Peter and Amy pressed themselves against the door to try to stay out of view of the window.

'Who is it? Carl mouthed.

Peter looked up as the figure in black peered through the window. The door handle turned and all three looked at each other wide-eyed. Carl's heart thumped in his chest as the door beeped, the lock disengaged and the door opened.

Peter pulled the door open and pushed past the Black Hat guard.

'Hey stop,' he shouted as he raised his weapon.

Amy pushed past, following Peter, and Carl was close behind and threw a punch on his way out, hitting the guard flush on the jaw. The soldier staggered backwards from the blow.

A deafening short burst of gunfire rang out as more Black Hats entered the refuse area. Peter stopped and gripped his thigh. The pain seared through his leg from the bullet that had torn through the flesh, and blood started to spurt through his fingers. He staggered as another round hit him in the shoulder, spinning him round and throwing him onto the floor.

'Pete, no!' Amy screamed.

Peter staggered to his feet. The pain and weakness from the blood loss was overwhelming as he stepped backwards towards the edge. His vision turned into a narrowing black tunnel as he fell backwards. Carl grabbed his hand to stop him falling into the waste dump below. He lay on his front, holding Peter by the wrist to stop him falling down.

'Hold on, Pete, stay awake,' Carl shouted.

Amy stood nearby with her hands over her mouth as a Black Hat approached. Carl grimaced as he tried to pull Peter back up but he was too heavy. He turned round as the shadow of the guard crossed over him, and watched the butt of the gun descending and crashing into the side of his head, and it all went black.

# Chapter Fourteen

Carl became aware of his surroundings, opened his eyes and blinked rapidly to try to clear his blurred vision. The bed felt soft beneath him and the sheets smelt clean and fresh. The odour of disinfectant filled his nostrils as he tried to lift his head off the pillow but he couldn't; it was too heavy and wasn't responding. All he could do was move his eyes and his head from side to side.

'It's OK, it's just the anaesthetic wearing off,' a soothing female voice said.

The room was bright and clinical. He squinted to try to clear his vision and make sense of the world around him, but his eyes were still too foggy to focus.

'Who is that? Where am I?' he asked.

The woman's outline came into view as she placed a hand on his shoulder. 'You're in hospital. You had a nasty fall and hurt yourself, so we've patched you up and you'll be as good as new. All you need to do is be a good boy, allow us to do our job and you'll be on top form once more. In fact you'll be in better condition than when you first arrived.'

'Hospital, which hospital? You're not the local medicine woman, are you? The last I remember I was trying to stop Pete falling. How is Pete? Is he here? I couldn't keep hold of him, he was too heavy and then something hit me.'

'Now don't you worry about anyone else for now. Everybody is doing just fine and we need you to rest a little longer. The doctor will be along shortly and I'm sure he'll be able to answer all your questions. You had a lucky escape, nobody has survived a fall like that before, as far as we know anyway. We need to get you better so we can deal with the issues at hand and eventually send you back. You shouldn't be here and I mean that in a nice way.'

Carl rubbed his eyes. 'I can't see. What's happened to my eyes? Will I ever see again? It's all blurry and I feel like they're full of grit, they're stinging.'

'You had a nasty fall and bump to the head. Just relax, young man, and it'll all be OK. Your vision will return. It'll take a few hours maybe, so don't rub them or you'll make them worse. You've been unconscious for a while and suffered a lot of bruising. Your throat might feel a bit sore too as we had to use a tube to help you breathe, thought we were going to lose you at one point.'

'I didn't fall, I was trying to stop Pete from falling and one of your Black Hat thugs hit me with his gun. All we were trying to do was get some food and survive. You people throw more stuff away in a day than we could ever wish for.'

The door handle turned and Carl looked over at the doorway as the figure of a man entered the room.

Carl couldn't make out the facial features but could see a white coat. 'Who's this now, another one of your thugs come to give me a beating?'

'Hello, Carl, I'm the doctor and it's very nice to meet you. Most people call me Edmond and it just so happens that I'm also the head of this facility. I'm the chief engineer, president, peacekeeper and saviour you could say. The architect of what we call the Crystal City and our attempt to ensure mankind's survival into the future.'

'I guess that makes you the head thug too. I don't see any survival where I live, just death and suffering,' Carl said coughing. 'Where am I? What happened?'

Edmond leaned closer. 'You're in the Crystal City, floor fifty-seven, section three of the Accident and Emergency department to be exact. Somehow you found your way into the refuse control room and accessed our mainframe computers. Clever boy you are but you may have seen more than you should have. From what security tells me they tried to apprehend you and you fell into the refuse cavern hitting several drones on the way down. I think they broke your fall and that's why you ended up with bruised ribs and concussion.'

'I didn't fall, I already said, your Black Hat heavy mob hit me with something, the butt of a rifle I think. What about Pete and Amy? Where are they, and are they OK?'

Edmond sighed. 'Your friends are being looked after. They have received the best medical attention we can give them. Amy is down on level twenty having a scan and she'll be fine, she has no injuries and we are trying to get her strength up as she was a little undernourished and dehydrated.'

A tear streaked down Carl's face as he turned towards Edmond. 'Will she be alright? It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought them here. What's Amy having scanned if she isn't injured? Is she hurt? Will she be OK?'

Edmond nodded. 'Amy is doing really well, in fact you could say she's blooming and radiant. She's very hungry and has done nothing but eat since we detained her, maybe because she's eating for two. You see Carl, Amy is pregnant and we have no idea how that happened considering the efforts we go to, to make sure the Wretch population is, well, let's just say...kept subdued.'

'Pregnant, that can't be. There hasn't been a baby born in our sector for years. I thought the youngest person was about twelve or thirteen.'

'You're quite right, they are and I'd like to know who the father is. Can you help me with that little bit of information? Somehow Amy or the father has immunity that we will be very interested to find out more about, considering the journey we will be undertaking. Fertility isn't just a problem outside of the Crystal Towers, it's a problem inside too and something we are working hard to overcome. So to find a young woman who can become naturally pregnant and overcome the toxins and pollution to be carrying a healthy child is quite something.'

'I can't believe it, I want to talk to her.'

'I'm sure you'll meet back up one day,' Edmond said while looking at a folder of medical notes. 'Your blood pressure is a little high and your blood sugars are worrying. Please rest for now and get yourself better. The more you rest the quicker you'll recover and the sooner you'll find out more about this place and our exciting plans.'

'You said something about a journey? I didn't think anyone could survive outside, so where are you going?'

Edmond leaned closer and pushed the needle into the cannula. 'Now don't worry too much about that right now, we need to get you well. So many questions and thousands of years to answer them.'

'Thousands of...' Carl's vision faded near the edges, then narrowed as he slowly lost consciousness and slipped into a deep drug-induced sleep.

# Chapter Fifteen

Carl left his hospital gown on the stone floor and stepped into the elongated shower cubicle. He looked around the stark white interior and felt the cold tiles. The floor was a dirty grey, as if many Wretches had been showered on this spot. As he looked around he noticed there wasn't any button or knob to turn the water on and he wondered whether to stay where he was or step back out.

The sound of pipes knocking filled his ears and a whooshing sound swept through the room. Red hot water started to cascade down onto his head and he winced. The hot liquid felt like acid, cleansing his cuts and bruises. Jets of water spurted out of the walls all around and ensured every inch of his thin body was sanitized. Then the water stopped abruptly, almost as quickly as it had started and the knocking pipes fell silent.

'Move three paces to your right, please,' the electronic voice said.

Carl looked around and couldn't see anybody else in the room.

'Move three paces, please, or you will be moved,' the voice repeated.

Carl looked around again and noticed that further along there was a thin red light shining from the ceiling onto the cubicle floor. A visual indication of where he should stand maybe. He stepped forward a few paces, putting his right foot on the red dot. The light vanished and a hissing sound filled the room. A cloud of white powder drifted down like tiny snowflakes and covered his hair and skin. Some of it entered his eyes and it began to burn. He rubbed both eyes with the tips of his fingers and tried to use bits of his arm where the powder hadn't yet fallen to wipe the stuff away.

'Keep your eyes closed and please do not rub. The disinfectant will be removed shortly.'

The hissing stopped and more red hot water poured down onto his head. He pushed his head back and opened his eyes allowing the liquid to remove the irritant. More jets of water erupted from the wall and within a few minutes all of the powder was gone.

Another red dot appeared on the floor further along and Carl slowly moved onto it. An intense blue light filled the cubicle. It flashed and flickered as if there was an electrical short circuit and a smell of burning hair filled his nose. He checked his skin to make sure he wasn't on fire.

'Exit the cubicle.'

He stepped out and felt the cool air around his body. His skin felt invigorated and the usual smell of body odour and decay was gone. Looking around he noticed his hospital gown was missing and in its place on a small table was a white boiler suit folded neatly. He unfolded the suit and put one leg inside then the other and zipped it up. He then put on the rubber-soled slippers, which were a perfect fit.

As he adjusted the sleeves the door opened and in walked a tall young man in a grey suit with neatly combed blonde hair. 'Hello, I'm Hugh, it's nice to meet you,' he said with his hand outstretched.

Carl looked at the hand and took it. 'Hello, I'm Carl, who are you exactly?'

'Like I said I'm Hugh. I'm also the prefect of the facility.'

'What's a prefect?' Carl asked.

Hugh shrugged. 'Head boy, enforcer of discipline, manager, supervisor and well, many things really. But primarily my job is to keep our small but efficient workforce ticking over.'

'Which workforce?'

'Most of this facility is automated and you've probably seen our drone workforce carrying out various jobs,' he said folding his arms. 'But we also have a small workforce of around a hundred former Wretches who carry out those jobs that robots just can't do. Mainly computer operators and runners who carry information and goods from one part of the city to the other. I'd like you to join our team, Carl. We've lost a couple of boys recently due to illness. Can I count on your support?'

'Do I have a choice?'

Hugh shook his head. 'Not really and we normally recruit via press gangs. That is we snatch those we want. You on the other hand found your own way to us and you should be commended for that. I can only see it as a sign of your willingness to join our happy crew, unless you wanted to be sent to prison for trespassing, illegal accessing of computer records, hacking and espionage to name but a few?'

Carl rubbed his face. He was being given impossible choices when all he wanted to do was get out of this place. 'Will I ever leave here?' he said.

'Work hard and gain trust and you'll be given privileges. Maybe even see your mum again and quietly slip her some tasty food rations,' Hugh said raising his eyebrows.

'What about my friends?'

'They are guilty of illegal activity just as you are. They'll be given similar choices,' Hugh said turning towards the door. 'Anyway, less chatter, follow me and I'll show you what we do.'

Hugh walked out of the door and Carl followed closely behind. His slippers squeaked with each step as the rubber soles gripped the highly polished marble floor. They walked down a brightly lit corridor which ended at a set of double sliding doors which were closed. Either side of the doors were two large-built Black Hats who nodded to Hugh.

'Don't let them frighten you,' Hugh said swiping his identity card across the door reader. 'They're here for security and nothing more.'

The double doors slid open revealing a square room full of desks laid out in rows with computer terminals on top of them. At each table were young Wretches like Carl, wearing white long-sleeved shirts. One desk at the front right was empty. Hugh held his hand out to encourage Carl to sit down.

'This is your new workstation, Carl. From now on you work for us. Everything you do and everything you see and say will be monitored. Do as we say, help the group do their work and be a productive busy bee and you'll do well here. Cross the line and I'll have no choice but to bring your illegal activity to the attention of higher authority and you could end up in a dark hole. Make myself clear?'

'Yes, you do,' Carl said sitting down. 'But what do I do?'

'In front of you are your login details, use them and access this terminal. Click on the work icon on the desktop and you'll be taken through a short training video. Once you've done that you just follow the scripts for the work we have for you. It might be checking a list of names, entering details or updating records, got it?'

Carl nodded. 'Yes, I think so.'

'Have you ever used a computer before? Apart from your illegal accessing of our refuse terminal?'

'Not really,' Carl said. We built some simple calculators when I was at school but nothing like this.'

Hugh sat on the corner of the desk. 'Well, computers are sort of like calculators, it's just a lot of number crunching done in a nice user-friendly environment. You're young and smart, Carl, you'll get the hang of it. You were also lucky enough to get some education in the projects so you have a head start over some other boys.'

'If I get stuck can I ask for help?' he said looking around.

'As you'll notice your colleagues aren't looking at you, they're busy working and that's how you need to be. Follow the training and the scripts and don't disturb the others, OK?'

I'll do my best,' Carl said lowering his head.

Hugh smiled. 'Good man, I knew I could count on you. You're part of our team now, part of the bright future we're trying to create for everyone. Great things start with small steps so don't underestimate how important your input is Carl, OK? I was once like you, a Wretch and a lost soul kicking around in the dirt with no purpose, but here I am and now I've a real chance to change things, to change the world even, understand?'

Carl nodded and tapped in his security login details. A fairly intuitive interface burst into life on the screen with a big green arrow pointing at the training videos. Carl took the headphones and placed them on then started the first video.

# Chapter Sixteen

Amy stared at the white ceiling. The bright lights hurt the back of her eyes so she looked around the room to try to find something not so painful to look at. The bindings holding her wrists and ankles on the bed were too tight and were starting to hurt.

In the corner a nurse wearing a surgical mask and scrubs fiddled with a pile of clinical instruments on a metal table. Every surface of the room was brilliant white only interrupted by several compartments with metal doors that went from the floor to the ceiling on one wall, resembling mortuary storage drawers for dead bodies.

Amy lifted her head off the pillow. 'Hello, can you loosen these bindings, please? They're really hurting my wrists and ankles.'

But there was no reply or acknowledgment from the nurse, who continued to pick up and examine medical instruments. Then the nurse turned to face Amy, pulled the handle of a scanning machine and wheeled it over to where she lay.

'Please can you tell me where I am and what's going on? I'm really scared. Where's Carl and Pete?'

The tall, dark-haired nurse pulled her mask down to reveal a sharp pointed nose and small beady eyes. Amy couldn't help but look at the wart that sat on the edge of the beak like a second head growing.

'Did you know?' the nurse asked.

Amy frowned and shook her head. 'Know what?'

The nurse repeated the words but more slowly. 'Did you know?'

'I'm sorry but unless you tell me what you're on about I can't help you.'

The nurse pulled Amy's gown up and squeezed a jelly-like substance from a tube. It was cold on her skin as she rubbed it into Amy's abdomen.

'Who helped you with this?' she asked as she rubbed the sticky gel in a circular motion.

'What are you doing? I've no idea what you're talking about, now let me out of here, please.'

The nurse pressed the scanning device on Amy's tummy and moved it around. The machine whistled and beeped several times before a faint heartbeat could be heard.

'Nice thick walls, good heartbeat. Oxygen levels seem good too and the baby is growing nicely. Well done, quite a result all things considered. Don't worry, honey, you're not special, just an oddity that we need to stick under a microscope and find out how and why it happened. Oh, don't get me wrong, we know how it happens, but it really shouldn't have, if you know what I mean.'

The nurse removed the scanner and pushed it over to the other side of the room. 'So who is the father? When did you know?'

'If you're talking about me being pregnant then I didn't know. I guessed it might be happening as my body was changing but I kept quiet about it as I didn't think anyone had babies any more.'

The nurse nodded. 'Quite right. We go to great lengths to ensure the Wretches don't multiply. Even without our help the air quality usually means it's impossible, but somehow you've slipped through the net. You or the father may have a natural immunity to certain toxins and it's a situation we don't want repeated by the masses. However if you do have a natural immunity we'd need to sample your DNA and replicate it for ourselves.'

'I'd much rather you didn't sample or replicate anything.'

The nurse wrapped a blood pressure monitor around Amy's arm and took a reading. 'It's high, you need to relax or you'll make yourself ill.'

'Relax? How the hell do I relax when I'm strapped to a table and can't move? Where's Carl and Pete?'

'Your friends are being taken care of,' she said as she removed the blood pressure monitor.

Amy frowned. 'What does that mean? Are they safe? Can I speak to them?'

The nurse wheeled the scanner back over into the corner. 'Don't worry about them, they're being cared for. So who is the father? How do you know him?'

'I'm not telling you any more until you untie me and let me out of here.'

'Well, that's not going to happen just yet, is it? We can't have a crazy pregnant Wretch running around the facility half-naked can we, honey?' she said leaning over the bed. 'But if you tell me who the father is and how you know him I might cut you some slack and untie your feet, how does that sound?'

Amy turned her head away. 'Leave me alone. I'm not talking to you any more.'

# Chapter Seventeen

Carl walked across the concourse area towards the workroom. His boiler suit had now been replaced with clean white cotton clothing and his noisy slippers were swapped for suede moccasins. The few days of training he'd received had prepped him adequately for his new career, although he didn't see this as a new job, just a means to an end, something he had to do to stay alive until he could find his friends and escape.

He showed his pass which gave him limited access to certain areas within the facility, but only those needed for work and rest. The patrolling Black Hats had started to get used to him over the last few days and tended to ignore him each time he showed his ID card.

Carl entered the room and walked over to his workstation. Some of the other boys had already started work but he was by no means the last to arrive. He logged into the computer and looked at the schedule of tasks that had been drawn up for him. He was to produce a report on solar flare activity and all the data for the last few weeks was available, but mixed together. It needed to be separated into date order then by order of severity.

'Hey, Carl, how's it going?' Hugh said as he entered the room.

'Think I'm finally understanding this system,' Carl said tapping away at the keyboard.

Hugh nodded. 'Good, seems like you're picking things up quite quickly. Must be that basic education they tried to give you in the projects.'

'Or maybe I'm just smart to begin with.' Carl smiled.

'I've no doubt about that. OK, I'll leave you to it, just ask if you need anything.'

Hugh left the room and Carl continued to organise the data in front of him. The quicker he completed the task, the quicker he'd get a break and a chance to snoop around a bit.

'I'm smart to begin with,' said a mocking voice behind.

Carl turned around but all heads were down and concentrating on work.

'Smartass dickhead.'

Carl spun around and only one boy was looking back at him. The large freckled face ginger kid at the back of the room.

'Do you have a problem? the big kid said.

Carl turned around and carried on with his work. He resisted the urge to beat the freckles from the fat kid's face. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, but instead work hard and find a way out of here for him, Amy and Pete. He continued with solar flare data crunching until he felt something sharp hit the back of his head. As he turned round he saw the ginger kid walking past towards the door. He could feel the anger starting to boil deep in his core. Carl wasn't a violent person, but he'd been pushed from zero to near boiling in the space of a few minutes. He could feel his pulse beating either side of his neck, which was slowly turning purple. He placed his head in his hands, wondering what he could do.

'Watch where you're going, stupid,' the ginger kid said walking past.

Carl flinched expecting another elbow in the head but thankfully it never came. He didn't turn round and heard the chair creak as the boy sat back down in it.

A warning message popped up on the computer screen advising him that there had been a lack of activity detected and that he needed to work faster and his manager had been notified.

Carl started entering data as fast as his fingers could type. His head felt full of cotton wool as the stress hormones raced around his body. He certainly wasn't going to run anywhere but he had an overwhelming urge to pick up his computer and slam it on the boy's head, but again the repercussions would be too great. He glanced over his shoulder and the ginger boy sat there smiling, giving him the middle finger. Carl turned back and tried to ignore him.

Carl became aware that someone was standing close behind him but he didn't turn around and continued to work.

'You want to watch yourself, stupid. There's no place here for ass-lickers and pussies like yourself,' the boy whispered into Carl's ear.

Carl turned around. 'Do me a favour you big idiot and sit down and take the stress off your fat knees.'

Sniggering rippled through the workplace.

'These fat knees will slam into your head if you use your smart mouth again. Go on, please say something else so I can pick you up and dump you on your thick skull,' the boy said.

Carl turned back around and attempted to ignore the goading.

'That's it, you weak little pussy, get on with your spreadsheets while the real men do the real work.'

Carl tried to ignore the comments and placed his head in his hands. If it wasn't bad enough being held prisoner in this work camp he'd now got a bully to deal with every day. It wasn't even the end of the first week and all he could do was pray that the day ended quickly so he could shut himself away in his pod. He didn't feel stressed when he slept although he always woke early with a feeling of dread about the forthcoming day.

Hugh entered the room. 'Is there a problem here? Why are you standing up?'

'Sorry, Hugh, I'm just going back to my desk,' the ginger kid said.

Hugh leaned against the wall with his arms folded. 'I've received a couple of violation warnings. Some of you don't seem to be working to the level we expect. You're not producing results when we need them. You boys that have been here longer know that if you collect more than two violations you'll receive punishment and maybe lose your place on the team. Please be sure to remind our new start of this during your break time. Is everyone clear?'

The room slowly nodded in unison.

# Chapter Eighteen

The hot food market happened once a week in the shanty town and was the place to meet and eat if you lived in or were passing through this sector. Boiling pots of home-made food bubbled away on several stalls as the cooks stirred them and offered out small samples. The aroma travelled many blocks and even the odd Black Hat would drop by and see if there were any spicy noodles going. It was a relaxed and safe place to be and a source of some rare delights that came about from contraband dealing that the local authorities had turned a blind eye to in the interests of keeping law and order.

An 18 years old Wretch made his way through the market with its hustle and bustle and the smell of strange and exotic food. It was a chance to get out, on a night when the drones rarely patrolled, and meet new people and maybe a local girl. It was also one of the few places to have electric street lighting, crude arrays rigged up high on buildings and stealing the power from nearby city power cables.

He walked slowly down the street past those who sold their bodies for food and supplies. They looked ragged and thin, but there again so did everyone else. The bad diet and constant exposure to poisonous air and gas took its toll. But lonely men could find someone to talk to and have fun with here. Nobody cared who you were or what you did as long as you had something to pay for your pleasures.

A live band played their broken instruments in the doorway of a ruin. The mixture of popular and rebel songs hurt the man's ears as he walked past. It was out of tune and painfully loud and he blocked the din out with his fingers until he was further down the road. His contact would be in the agreed place but he was running a little late so broke into a trot to make up time.

'What took you? the voice said from within the shadows.

The Wretch tried to speak but was out of breath and coughing. 'Sorry, got here as quick as I could. Have you got it?'

'Yes I've got it, I didn't just come here for a night-time stroll. Are you sure you weren't followed?'

The Wretch looked over his shoulder. 'Nobody followed me, trust me nobody cares. This is one place people don't ask questions so stop worrying.'

The man in the shadows handed over the bag. 'You know what you're doing, right? They're rare and expensive so don't mess it up.'

He slung the heavy bag over his shoulder and nodded. 'Yes, I know, I've practised this many times, I won't let you down.'

'OK, good, concentrate and be aware of your surroundings. We want a minimum of four, OK? Don't waste it on one, four or more would be ideal.'

'I'll do my best, now leave me to it, you're making me more nervous,' the Wretch said.

'I'm going, don't forget the sequence. It won't work unless you do things in the right order,' the man said as he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

The bag was heavy on his shoulder and he reseated the strap to stop it cutting into his neck. He stopped at the first stall, where a huge cauldron of noodles was bubbling away. The smell was like heaven but he didn't have anything to barter with so he had to carry on and pass it by. On the next stall some kind of vegetation had been made into a giant stew. It boiled away while the stall owner used a ladle to scoop portions into the tin cup of an old lady.

Further down the road he noticed a riot truck parked and a group of Black Hats talking to a stallholder. The heavily armed men had their weapons slung over their shoulders and they were being served some kind of hot soup. The Wretch approached from the other side of the road and pretended to take an interest in another stall.

'What you got there?' a voice said.

He turned around to see an old man from the stall opposite.

'I said what you got there? Anything good, anything worth my time? You come to barter or just look around?'

'Oh no, sorry, it's nothing. I'm just looking for now, thank you.'

The Black Hats were busy eating and laughing. He walked closer while pretending to take an interest in a nearby stall, knelt down and opened his shoulder bag, reaching in to flick the switch that armed the modified land mine. His heart thumped in his chest and his knees started to buckle as he moved closer to the men. He looked around and removed the bag from his shoulder and still nobody was paying much attention. They were too busy eating and drinking while making small talk with the stall owner. He swung the bag behind him, then threw it as high and as hard as he could forwards and turned round to run in the opposite direction. The Black Hats turned round, noticing him running away. The bag landed right in the middle of them and exploded, ripping through the men and the stallholder. The explosion was deafening and the Wretch threw himself to the floor as the shock wave hit him. He looked back and saw that the five Black Hats had been blown to bits, there was little left and no survivors.

He jumped up, ears still ringing and dusted the dirt off. People were running towards the area where the bomb had gone off as he ran the other way and slipped into the shadows of the night.

# Chapter Nineteen

Outside of work hours and the night-time curfews, few places were as welcoming and serene as the library. Not everyone was a reader and not all the Wretches had the luxury of a projects education as Carl had. As basic as it was, it gave those lucky enough to have had access to it a simple grasp of reading, writing and maths.

Carl walked down the hallway and stopped at the highly polished white marble steps of the library. At the top of the six steps was a double gate made of iron, one of which was slightly ajar. He pushed it very slowly and it made a loud creak. He stepped inside the dimly lit room and looked up. A white high vaulted ceiling was decorated with what looked like ancient gods seated in ornate arches, and it was all held together with thick wooden beams. More ancient statues were dotted around and the only thing these monuments had in common was that they were all made of white marble and wearing robes.

Rows and rows of dark wooden bookshelves filled the floor area, each one crammed with literature of all shapes and sizes. The centre was left clear and had six desks with bright reading lamps on each one.

At one desk sat a bearded man. He had white hair and was much older than anyone Carl had seen before. He wore robes similar to those on the statues. He looked up from a thick book. 'Can I help you?' he said.

Carl stepped forward slowly. 'Sorry to bother you but I was told I could use the library.'

The man sat back in his chair. 'Use the library, what on earth for?'

Carl looked around and tried to find the words.

'You can read a book here if you wish, young man, but the library is the domain of the book curator, so you won't be using it for anything else and it's certainly not a place to come and sleep or play games. But if you wish to learn and study it'll be ideal for you and you are welcome here,' he said standing up and outstretching his hand. 'I'm Joshua and I'm the current book curator and guardian of the ancient books.'

Carl shook the hand. 'Thank you, I'm Carl and I'm fairly new here so just trying to settle in.'

'Or find out as much as you can about this facility so you can formulate a plan to escape?' Joshua said laughing.

'It's...well...'

'It's OK, son. I know you didn't get into the city voluntarily and it's only human nature to want to get out. But you should stick with it a while longer, we don't get many Wretches in the library, probably because most of them can't read. It's nice to have someone with reading skills. Plus big things are afoot and everything will change for the better soon. There's nothing out there for you, everything you need is here.'

Carl nodded. 'So what kind of books do you have here? Where do they all come from?'

Joshua walked over to one of the bookcases. 'These are all that's left of humanity's attempt to put their thoughts and feelings down on paper. The collection is priceless and irreplaceable and it's my job to preserve it and ensure that it survives for future generations. What kind of stuff do you like to read?'

Carl looked at some of the titles on the shelves. 'I've never heard of any of these but when I went to school in the projects we had simple books to read, mainly learning books to increase our basic skills. But there were some ancient classics that we were allowed to browse, but never read in full. I think they were worried that if we read too much we'd gain too much knowledge and start rebelling.'

'Rebellion is certainly in the air.' Joshua nodded. 'It's kind of understandable maybe, we'd all do the same if given the same set of circumstances. But I'd urge you to think carefully now you're here, do you really want to suffer outside, scratching a living with the other Wretches? Isn't it more comfortable here in the clouds with us, surrounded by these beautiful crystal walls?'

Carl looked at the floor then back up. 'What's behind that?' he said pointing to a single iron gate at the end of the room.

'Those are our most valuable possessions from a literary perspective. Ancient religious books of many faiths. The original plans for this facility and many more documents, only for the eyes of those in power.'

'So I can't go in there?'

Joshua shook his head. 'Not if you want to keep your eyes and your tongue. Theft isn't tolerated well around here and I'd advise you to keep your nose clean and not snoop around too much. Unless you want to end up in the prison block or mulched into Wretch food.'

'I'd rather just stay alive for now, thank you very much.'

Joshua smiled and walked over to a bookcase. He took out a large dusty book and handed it to Carl. 'Here, take a look at this, it may interest you.'

Carl placed it down on a table and ran his fingers over the leather-bound cover. 'What is it?'

'It's a book written by the ancients, the only copy we have. It describes the many battles between gods and mythological beasts. It has some handsome illustrations too, you might find it interesting.'

'I've never seen anything like it,' Carl said.

Joshua stretched his back; the years of sitting down hunched over books made his back hurt when he stood up. 'That's because outside of the city a leather-bound book many years old would have been destroyed. Perhaps bartered for or even used on a fire. Only those that run this facility and the book curator can fully appreciate the text of our ancient ancestors.'

Carl turned over the first few pages. 'It's beautiful,' he said sitting down and placing his head in his hands. 'But I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.'

'Perhaps this is one for another day, young Carl,' Joshua said closing the book and putting it back on the shelf. 'The fresh air takes some getting used to, doesn't it? You've been breathing pollution all your life and this rich oxygen mix acts like a drug. Go and get some rest and come back another day.'

Carl sat back in the chair. 'I really would like to spend more time here. It's so peaceful and you seem quite normal compared to everyone else.'

Joshua's laugh rumbled and echoed throughout the library. 'I'm not sure what normal is, to be honest, perhaps these people know,' he said pointing at a statue. 'These are our ancient ancestors but their names and roles in society have been long lost, more's the pity. They silently watch over us and I'm sure they know exactly what's going on.'

# Chapter Twenty

Carl walked down the corridor towards the rest pods. Eighteen silver cylindrical habitats in three rows stacked on top of each other, one for each boy in this sector.

He climbed up the steel ladder to the middle row to access one pod from the left which was his allocated place of rest. He swiped his card and the door beeped, swinging open to reveal a small but comfortable space. It wasn't big enough to stand up in but had a simple bed, refreshments, a toilet and a small monitor that played endless loops of Cloud people propaganda crap. It could be turned off after a certain amount of time but it was mandatory to watch an hour of it in the evening. Cameras tracked where his eyes were looking and would warn him if he didn't watch for the specified amount of time.

The pod's orange ambient lighting radiated a relaxing glow which seemed to touch everything. It was a good place to relax and the only place to get away from the noise and other people. Most of the time was taken up with sleeping, eating rations or reading instruction manuals for forthcoming work modules.

Edmond was on the screen talking about environmental issues. It was always the same person, always the same boring trash. Carl took a small screwdriver he had taken from a maintenance class and started to undo the four screws holding the front cover on the monitor. He glanced at the door; nobody was knocking and no warning messages were flashing on the screen so he guessed that he was safe. The cameras were probably just for checking that you watched the daily TV show and to ensure you were tucked up in your pod at night and not wandering around the facility. They didn't seem to record stuff that humans would watch as they'd be getting a lot of toilet video if they did.

The last screw came out and the cover popped off. Carl could see where the speaker was wired to the circuit board and he tugged one wire a few times until it broke away from its solder mounting. He had to watch this crap but he didn't have to listen to it. He placed the cover back on and slowly replaced and tightened the screws. The fourth one was very tight and the corner of the cover didn't seem to fit right. He removed the other screws, swapped them round and tried again but the fourth one wouldn't fit. He was now starting to feel very warm as the comfortable temperature to aid sleep and relaxation was starting to feel like a cooking pot where he was basting in his own sweat.

The last screw wobbled as Carl tried to insert it. In frustration he banged its head with the handle end of the screwdriver but it flew across the room and hit something metallic.

'Damn it,' Carl said as he pulled back the bedcovers and piles of clothing to try to find it. He got on his hands and knees and tried looking under everything but it was nowhere to be found. The corner of the case was visibly raised without the screw to fix it down and it would be spotted during the regular pod cleaning and inspection visits. Maybe he could get another screw from somewhere or maybe some kind of tape to fix it down but he needed to be quick as the inspections were every other day.

He sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the sweat from his face with the tips of his fingers. The cool air dried his skin as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the floor. The stress and pressure was starting to get to him and the comfort pod was feeling more like a prison. He had no idea how Amy and Pete were and his mum would be worried too and be thinking the worst. She also wasn't the best at getting supplies so unless a neighbour picked up her rations she'd slowly starve to death or die of thirst more likely. He was more alone than ever and wished he'd never stepped foot anywhere near the Crystal City.

He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

'Carl, Carl wake up,' the softly spoken voice said.

Carl sat bolt upright and wiped his bleary eyes. Standing in front of him was Amy.

'Come on, sleepyhead, it's time to go,' she said.

'How did you get in here?' Carl asked leaving his mouth wide open.

'Does it matter? They've opened up the city to all the Wretches and we are free to go and do what we want.'

Carl shook his head. 'Since when? Has the rebellion been successful? How did you escape?'

'Stop worrying, it's time to leave and end this nightmare,' she said stroking her blonde hair and giggling.

'What happened to your hair? It looks much more blonde. Did you colour it?'

The grin on Amy's face was huge. 'We've got to leave.'

Carl's heart was now racing. 'Leave to go where? Is your mum OK? Where's Peter?'

'No silly, not leave that way, leave this way,' she said pulling a gun from behind her back and placing it to her temple. 'It's the quickest way out.'

'No!' Carl shouted as he lunged out of bed crashing into a heap against the pod door. Sweat cascaded down his face and his heart felt like it would explode as he looked around frantically. The pod was empty, he was alone once again as the night terrors continued.

# Chapter Twenty-One

Carl's absence was felt by many in the neighbourhood, not least his mother Rose. She'd eaten the last of her rations and hadn't felt well enough to venture out to get more, and the small amount of water she had stored was also diminishing. She wouldn't last long once that ran out and without her son there was nobody to replenish the supplies.

The queue snaked its way around the corner and the blazing sun seemed merciless and relentless as she stood there, waiting to be called. Rose had managed to muster all her strength to make it to the City Liaison Office located near the main fence on the East side: a small but heavily guarded makeshift building where residents could go and talk about their complaints or ask about missing loved ones. It was an attempt by the authorities to lessen the chance of revolt, but often added to people's sense of hopelessness.

Rose was almost at the front after two hours of waiting but it was becoming too much. Her knees were buckling as she leaned against a nearby ruin to stop herself collapsing.

A hand lightly touched her on the shoulder. 'Would you like some water?'

Rose turned her head and tried to focus her swollen eyes which had almost dried out in the heat. 'Thank you, my dear, that's so kind of you,' she said taking small sips from the cup of water.

The fresh-faced girl smiled. Her short but thick brown hair and wide bright blue eyes gave away her young age. 'You really need to find yourself some shade, it's so hot out here today. Please take my place at the front of the queue, you'll be seen quicker.'

'Oh, that's so sweet of you. Are you sure? Are you here looking for someone too?'

The girl nodded. 'Yes, my father was taken a few weeks ago and I'm trying to find out where he is. How about you?'

'My son went missing and I've no idea where he is. He wouldn't leave me by choice so I'm hoping they know and can help.'

'I hope so too.' The girl smiled. 'There you go, it's my turn but you carry on. I hope they can help you.'

'Thank you, dear, good luck to you too,' Rose said gripping the girl's hand as she walked past.

She entered the small building though a double doorway passing two armed Black Hats. The cool air inside, aided by electric fans and air filtration units, hit her straight away. The right side and back of the office were actually the walls of a long-derelict building while the other walls and roof were metal corrugated sheets. The interior was brightly lit with electric strip lights and Rose looked longingly at the water dispenser and the coffee machine over the back. Two female Crystal City representatives sat behind desks with small computer terminals in front of them. Both wore city issue dark suits and had their hair tied up in a bun. Their smooth powdered faces and red lips sat behind black thick-rimmed glasses. More Black Hats were inside and ensured security for the reps as well as the continuation of law and order.

'Over here,' one of the girls said while signalling with her hand.

Rose walked over to the desk and perched on the edge of the chair. She noticed the rep's clean clothes and healthy complexion. She was clearly someone who wasn't used to scratching a living or eating contaminated biscuits.

The rep peered over her thick glasses. 'Yes?'

Rose cleared her throat. 'I wondered if you could...'

'Wait,' the rep said showing the palm of her hand. 'I've not logged in to my computer yet.'

Rose waited and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright artificial light.

'OK, what's the problem?'

'My son is missing and I think he might be in your towers. Can you check for me, please?' Rose asked.

'Name?'

'His name is Carl Parkhill.'

The woman tapped her keyboard then turned the computer screen round to show a photograph. 'Is this him?'

Rose leaned forward. 'Yes, that's him. What have you done to him? Why is his face bruised? Why did you take him? He's not a bad person. Can I see him, please?'

The rep turned the screen back. 'No, you can't. He's in a lot of trouble.'

'What's he done? He's just a boy. Can you please let me at least see him?'

The woman shook her head. 'He's guilty of trespassing, theft, breaking and entering, illegal accessing of computer files and much more. He's being held for questioning and won't be coming home for a while.'

'No, please,' Rose begged. 'He's a rascal, I know, but he's still a youngster and he's all I've got. I'll make sure he doesn't come anywhere near the towers again if you can just see it in your heart to be lenient, for the sake of the boy and his future.'

The woman looked on expressionless. 'It's out of my hands. He'll be dealt with by the appropriate authorities and punished accordingly,' she said holding out a piece of paper. 'Complete this and bring it back tomorrow and we'll update you with any significant developments. Now you need to leave, we're busy.'

Rose dropped to her knees and put her head in her hands. 'I can't read well and I can't write well either. I can't go without him. Please, he's my only child and I'm lost without him. Is there anyone else I can speak to?'

The rep nodded to a Black Hat who came over with another and grabbed Rose by an arm each. She felt empty and overwhelmed with grief and the tears cascaded down her face. She couldn't put up any resistance with her weak, thin body as the guards dragged her out and placed her on the dirt, lying on her side. The feelings of loss were too much and she cried into the dust and clawed at the ground in a vain attempt to grasp onto something.

'Come on, you can't stay here. Let me help you up,' the voice said.

Rose turned over and looked up, shielding her eyes from the burning hot sun. The girl who had given her the water was leaning over her. 'I heard you say your name was Rose. I'm Leah, let's get you off the ground.'

Rose managed to get to her feet. 'Thank you once again, you're my guardian angel. Did you manage to get any answers yourself?'

'No, it's hopeless. No information and no help from anyone and they want us to keep the peace and not cause any problems. How about you?'

Rose looked down at the floor. 'No, they've had my boy a while now and I get more worried with each day that passes. He's not one for confined spaces or being told what to do.'

Leah linked arms with Rose. 'I live just round the corner. Come back to ours and meet my mum. Rest a little and have some water before heading back. I'll help you look at that piece of paper they gave you too if you wish.'

'You're so kind to me, thank you.'

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Carl opened the pod door and looked out onto the facility. The noise hit him instantly, men and women scurrying here and there, trying to avoid bumping into one another, all dressed in their white city issue cotton workwear looking like clones, wandering around in some brainwashed nightmare.

He yawned and stretched then made his way down the steel ladder onto the main corridor area. He could barely hide his lack of enthusiasm as he breezed past the guards, or tried to.

'Is there a problem with you, boy?' the Black Hat said stepping forward.

Carl stopped dead in his tracks and looked the burly man in the eyes. 'I'm going to work. Can you let me past, please?'

The soldier pointed to Carl's chest. 'Didn't I see you at the market? Aren't you that little beggar thief who stole stuff from the ration kiosk?'

Carl's heart sank into his shoes as tiny beads of sweat instantly formed on his top lip. 'No, sir, not me, I've never been a thief. May I pass, please?' he said stepping forward.

The guard stopped him with a hand on the chest. 'You're not going anywhere until I sort out who you are and what you've been up to.'

'Is there a problem here?' a familiar voice said from behind.

Carl looked round to see Hugh standing there.

'This little wretch stole stuff from the ration cart and ran off before I could apprehend him. I'm taking him in for interrogation,' the Black Hat said.

Hugh stepped forward. 'Just one second, he's an essential worker and he's been with us some time. I don't know who you've seen taking stuff but it's not him, OK? We've got bigger issues at hand than a few red biscuits.'

The guard took a step closer and leaned forward. 'My concern isn't your spreadsheets and pretty pie charts,' he said jabbing a finger in Hugh's chest. 'My concern is security and he needs to go in for questioning.'

Hugh pushed the finger out of the way. 'He is doing some critical work that goes directly to Edmond. If you take him in then you can go and explain yourself why the data wasn't supplied on time. Better still, let me get hold of him for you.' Hugh removed a communication device from his belt and pressed a few buttons before putting it to his ear. 'Hello, Edmond, I'm sorry to bother you, we seem to have an issue down by the pods in my sector.'

The soldier looked at his colleague then back at Hugh. He swallowed and took a step back waving a hand in the air. He then turned around and walked away.

Hugh put the device back on his belt. 'Sometimes they get in the way of the bigger picture but they mean well.'

'Did you really ring the big boss?' Carl asked.

'No,' Hugh said shaking his head. 'He'd be annoyed with me for bothering him over such a trivial matter. Come, let's get you to your workstation before you miss too much time.'

'Thank you for helping me out there.'

'No problem, you're an essential worker. You'll understand the bigger picture one day I hope,' Hugh said.

Carl stopped just before the door. 'Can I ask you something, Hugh?'

'Ask me anything. Whether I can answer it or not is another thing.'

'I've been here a while now, can you give me any update on my friends Amy and Pete?'

'All I can tell you is that they are both being looked after,' Hugh said stroking his chin.

'So they're still here? In the city?'

'I believe so, yes, but I really can't say any more so let's get you doing some work. We need those reports finishing.'

'Am I ever going to...?'

'Really, Carl, we must proceed.' Hugh sighed. 'All will be revealed soon and you can go on your merry way when we've completed our critical work. It's so important that the ultimate goal is accomplished. So many people rely on the outcome, it can't fail.'

Carl nodded and took a deep breath to try to hold himself together. He could feel the tears welling up and he exhaled heavily in an attempt to stem the flow, but it was too late. As he sat down at his desk he wiped the tears away, hoping that nobody noticed but they dripped all over the desk and keyboard like raindrops.

'Had a sleep in, princess?' the voice from the rear said.

Carl ignored it and logged in to his workstation to see what the work for today was. More solar flare data needed crunching and merging with data already sorted from a previous day. He rested his chin on his hand as he tried to concentrate and began sorting the new data in order of severity.

'Feeling fragile, dickhead?'

Carl shook his head as once again the emotion and rage started to build in him.

'Just ignore Thomas,' the nearest boy whispered. 'He has issues and the more you let him get under your skin, the more he'll do it.'

'I thought we weren't supposed to talk?' Carl said.

The boy nodded. 'We're not talking, I'm just advising you to let it go. Now leave it or you'll get us all in trouble.'

Carl looked round and once again the big ginger bully was sitting there smiling, giving him the middle finger. His computer beeped to notify him that he was falling behind with the expected rate of data input.

'Damn it,' Carl said as he started to speed type.

The door opened and Hugh walked in. 'Gentlemen, stop typing for a moment. We have a serious issue that needs addressing. For a short while now I've noticed a certain person not performing to their potential,' he said walking over to Carl's desk.

Carl gulped and looked up without moving his head. His heart now thudded in his chest and his knees trembled.

Hugh leaned over Carl and looked him in the eye. 'Some of us seem to think that lack of output, arriving late and causing upset and disturbance to the group is acceptable. Actually, it's a serious offence.'

Carl nodded slowly and now his heart felt like it would burst out of his neck.

'Do you know what a fifth column is, Carl?'

Carl paused, looked down at the desk then back at Hugh. 'Is it the one after column four?'

Laughter erupted around the room.

'Quiet boys...no, Carl, in this case it's someone who undermines the group from within. Someone who no matter what he does, he only causes disruption and chaos wherever he goes.'

Carl looked at the door then back at Hugh and wondered if he could get up and dart across the room before anyone else could stop him. His fight or flight hormones were now pumping around his body and his legs felt like coiled springs.

Hugh once again looked at Carl. 'The charges are as follows. Sedition, treason, damaging city property, theft and acting to undermine and destroy the principles and ethics we have so long strived for. These charges are punishable by death. How do you plead?' Hugh said as he looked up towards the back of the room. 'Thomas?'

Thomas looked around and pointed to himself. 'Me?'

Hugh turned to the door and nodded. Two Black Hats walked in and stood either side of Thomas. Hugh nodded once more and they dragged him out of his seat. His oversized body became wedged between the seat and the desk so the Black Hats pulled him harder until he came free, crashing onto the floor. He looked up as blood poured from his nose and smashed teeth as both guards grabbed his arms and dragged him out leaving a trail of broken teeth and blood.

Thomas grabbed the door frame. 'No, please, somebody help me!' he cried.

Both soldiers punched and kicked him until he screamed in agony and let go.

The remaining boys looked at each other as Thomas's screams slowly faded as he was dragged away down the hallway.

'Carl, come with me, please. Edmond wants to thank you for your recent work and talk about your progress in the future.'

'Have I done something wrong?' Carl asked.

'Not at all, quite the opposite. We're really pleased and the big boss wants to meet you.'

# Chapter Twenty-Three

Leah placed a cup of water on the table. 'Here you go, Rose; this should quench your thirst.'

Leah's dwelling was smaller than Rose's but kept as neat as could be expected with such limited resources. A table sat in the middle of the shack with a handful of chairs made out of scraps of wood and metal. From the ceiling hung old rusted pots and the walls were adorned with multicoloured bits of torn fabric, in an attempt to hide the broken timber, corrugated sheets and shredded plastic behind it.

'Oh thank you, my dear,' she said picking it up with a shaky hand.

'You're trembling, Rose, are you OK?' Leah asked.

'Everything seems to hurt and shake, but it's got worse over the last couple of years. I'm getting old now and try not to worry about it. I just try to stick around for my kids,' Rose said sipping her drink. 'This is so refreshing, is it lemon?'

Leah nodded. 'Sure is. I managed to get a couple of lemons from a friend and I've been squeezing them within an inch of their life. It makes a nice cool drink and I just wish I could get many more. Did you say kids? You have more than one, Rose?'

Rose placed the cup back on the table. 'I only have one now, that's why I'm so desperate to get him back. I couldn't cope with losing another.'

'Oh, I'm so sorry, I really shouldn't have asked.'

'No, it's fine, I don't mind talking about it,' Rose said. 'What's happened has happened and nothing can change it now. Carl was my firstborn, you see, then not long after him I had a beautiful little girl. We called her Joy, because she really was a joy in every way. She had blonde hair in ringlets and the bluest eyes you ever did see. Carl was always a rascal, always getting into mischief but Joy was so well behaved. She was like a little angel with the most infectious laugh. She would chuckle, making the little curls on her forehead bounce up and down. We laughed so much we cried.'

Leah sat down next to Rose and held her hand. 'It's OK, you really don't need to drag it all back up again.'

Rose wiped under her eyes. 'I'm fine, it's just been a long time since I've spoken about it,' she said looking down at the floor. 'One day I had to get over to my sister's place across town and I took Joy out with me. There was trouble near the marketplace as always and a large crowd was pushing and shoving. I held her hand tight as we made our way through and then, for some reason, she let go just for a second. I turned round and she was gone, lost in the crowd and I couldn't find her...I never saw her alive again. She was only six years old.'

Leah squeezed Rose's hand tighter. 'What happened?'

'After the crowd dispersed I found the teddy bear she was holding, and then nearby I saw her lying face down on the ground. She'd been crushed, probably by one of the Black Hats' vehicles,' Rose said putting her head in her hands. 'I never forgave myself for going out that day and I wish to the high heavens that I'd held her hand tighter; she'd be here today if I had. It ripped my heart out and I've never felt the same since.'

Leah put her arm around Rose. 'I'm so sorry to hear that. You did your best, Rose. I can tell by how you speak of your kids, you're a caring and loving mother. Nobody could have done any more; it really wasn't your fault. You still have your boy Carl and you must stay brave and strong for him. I know they've taken him but he sounds like a smart boy and I'm sure he'll get through it and come home to you one day.'

Rose looked up and smiled. 'It's so kind of you to invite me back here. I really don't think I could have walked home without a rest. It's been such a stressful, emotional day. Where's your mother?'

Leah drank her cup of water in one go then wiped her mouth. 'You're welcome, I couldn't watch you suffer like that any more, and the way they treated you today was terrible. I swear they do it on purpose. They open up a help and information office which can't help or give you any useful information,' she said topping up her cup. 'Mum had to go out and get some supplies. I would have gone myself but I had that appointment. She'll be back soon.'

'Looks like neither of us will get any answers from them people,' Rose said.

Leah nodded. 'The only thing that's certain is that as each day passes the queue of people grows longer and the answers grow shorter. It's just another way of keeping us down and in our place.'

'One day everything they've built will come tumbling down around their ears, and I just hope I live long enough to see it,' Rose said taking another sip.

Leah rubbed her eyes. 'The rebellion seems to be growing in strength, have you noticed? There seems to be protests every day now and the casualties are increasing too.'

'Yes indeed,' Rose said. 'In my younger days we were too afraid to do more than throw a few stones, but now the younger ones get brave and create a lot more trouble. It's good to see and I hope they get braver.'

'Dad always said you can only change the minds of those oppressing you with violence. Maybe he was right, but it's a high price to pay on both sides,' Leah said.

'What happened to your father?' Rose asked.

'Dad tried to keep himself to himself, but on more than one occasion he ran into Black Hat trouble. Usually after a few too many Grogs he would get rowdy. He was harmless really but couldn't keep his mouth closed when he'd had a drink. This led to a couple of run-ins with soldiers and I think they just got fed up of him and took him in.'

'I'm so sorry,' Rose said. 'Any news at all? It doesn't sound like he did more than ruffle someone's feathers so maybe they'll release him soon.'

Leah folded her arms and leaned back in the chair. 'I hope so too but you know what it's like. Once they take them they like to keep them as a warning to others. I hope they release your son soon but I just have a bad feeling about Dad. They won't tell me anything and it's been a while now. I don't know if he was injured in a fight or if he's getting the right medical attention. It's just hopeless.'

Rose smiled and placed a hand on Leah's shoulder. 'I hope they release him soon, sweetie, I can see how much you miss him.'

Leah placed her hand on Rose's. 'Things seem to have changed since they killed Benjamin the preacher. There are more demonstrations but they're not as well organised. It just needs something or someone to light the touch paper and energize the youth to rise up and take the city back. I know it's treason to talk about such things, even in private, but I'm not loyal to them and I don't agree with their political absolutism.'

'Yes, my dear,' Rose said. 'It's too late for me but I hope you younger ones get to see a better world. Everything changes eventually. It just takes time and the will of the people. I'm so tired I can barely talk, I'm sorry. Today has really taken it out of me and I'll need to make my way back before we lose the light. I've got to find some food too as I've not eaten for a day or so.'

'A day or so? How long has it really been, Rose?'

'I'm not sure, maybe four days when I last ate some biscuits, I don't remember. I can't hold stuff down now like I used to so it's back up as soon as I eat it. I can barely stay awake,' Rose said closing her eyes and letting her chin touch her chest.

Leah placed her elbows on the table. 'I'm not surprised you're so tired. Four days without food is enough to make anyone weary. Why don't you stay here tonight, Rose? You can have some food with us when Mum comes back. We have a spare bed so you can stay here as long as you like. Get your strength back up before you leave.'

'That's so generous of you, but what about Carl? If he comes home I won't be there and he'll be worried.'

'Don't you worry about that now,' Leah said. 'You stay here and rest for as long as you need and build your strength back up, and I'll drop by your place in the morning. Or if you prefer we'll both walk there and see if there's any news.'

Rose didn't respond. The journey she'd taken today had all but exhausted her and she'd fallen into a deep sleep, a place where her bones no longer hurt and she could be with her children again.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

Carl waited in Edmond's office, pressed his forehead against the window, which stretched from the ceiling to the floor, and looked out onto the world below. He'd never seen the town from so high up and the desolation and despair was clear to see as the hordes of Wretches moved about below.

'Quite a sight to see your home from such an elevated position, isn't it, Carl?' Edmond said softly as he entered the room. 'You can leave us now, Hugh, thank you. I wanted to personally thank you for the excellent work you've done for me on the solar flares. It's really been invaluable.'

Carl nodded but didn't turn round. He narrowed his eyes and looked towards the projects where he thought he could pick out his old house. But it was near impossible to pinpoint as it was lost amongst a sea of ragged tents and rusting corrugated sheets. Drones were whizzing around and plumes of green gas rose up as they delivered their controlling substances. Every now and again small but bright flashes signalled machine gun fire where residents were being cut down by sentry drones as they approached the city, starving and delirious, looking for food and salvation.

Carl looked at Edmond. 'This is mass murder.'

Edmond sat on the corner of the desk and removed his glasses. His balding head was framed by white wispy hair just above his ears and his white doctor's coat made him look important. 'It's actually population control on a grand scale for the sake of saving humanity.'

'Bullcrap,' Carl said turning towards him. 'It's mass murder at the hands of an unseen elite for the sake of their own gain and profit.'

Edmond sighed. 'I don't expect you to understand and I fully respect your concerns. But this planet is dying and our resources are running low. We barely have enough food to feed ourselves let alone provide rations for everyone else. Unless we take drastic action soon we're all dead, and we've developed a solution to solve the problem.'

'You mean your weapon?' Carl asked.

'A simple bomb is all it will take, and the resulting chain reaction of course.'

'Is one bomb enough?' Carl asked.

'Good question,' Edmond said adjusting his glasses. 'One is enough if it's a hundred times bigger than anything seen before. It'll destroy everything in a several hundred mile radius, and throw up enough dirt and debris into the atmosphere that the sun will be blocked out for many years to come. Any trees and vegetation left on the planet will start to die fairly quickly. Once the vegetation has gone, the animals left, including humans, will find it hard to survive the eternal winter that is upon them with little or no food.'

Carl looked at the floor and shook his head. 'It's madness, you're playing God, and you get to choose who lives and dies.'

Edmond shrugged his shoulders. 'Madness or genius depending which side of the fence you're on. The slate will be wiped clean and the human species that has infected this planet and brought it to near destruction will finally be cleansed from the earth. Over a period of several thousand years the natural balance of this planet will return. Then we'll come back and build our Eden, and life will flourish in our ordered society in balance and at one with nature.'

'Until someone doesn't like what you do, splits away and creates their own faction and soon you'll have more wars and destruction,' Carl said.

'You're a bright boy, Carl, you should come with us. We're taking your girlfriend either way and with the proper medical care you can both live a healthy and fulfilling life.'

Carl looked at Edmond. 'And my mother? My friends?'

Edmond shook his head. 'We only have room for the two of you. Your mother is ill and probably wouldn't survive the journey anyway. Plus our medical resources are scarce and we can't treat everyone.'

'Playing God like any other evil dictator,' Carl said.

Edmond replaced his glasses and walked over to where Carl stood. 'Over two hundred years ago the earth was so overcrowded. The internet, social media and the mass unregulated movement of people created a melting pot that led to the Third World War. Whole continents were devastated and so much soil and radioactive material was thrown into the atmosphere that most of the planet's population perished along with nearly every animal. Crops died out and so did the food chain. Trees and plants became anaemic due to the lack of sunlight and acid rain, and the rainforests, so important for our planet's oxygen balance, were wiped out within a few short months.'

Carl shook his head. 'But down there are people just like me struggling to survive. What kind of world are you trying to create?'

'All good questions, but please step this way, I'd like to show you something.'

Carl looked but didn't move.

Edmond held out a hand palm up. 'Please, Carl, I beg you, this way.'

Carl walked through the doorway and into a room. He blinked several times to allow his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit space. The room was set out like an office with tall filing cabinets against one wall and a wooden desk in the far corner. The walls were dark and covered with foam-like material. Against the other wall were four black leather seats, each one sitting on top of a hydraulic stand which allowed it to swivel 360 degrees and rise up and down as well as back and forth. Jutting out of the arms were joystick-like controls and in front were flat screen high-resolution computer monitors.

'That's some nice tech. What are those?' Carl said pointing to the chairs.

'Well they're not massage chairs.' Edmond chuckled while scratching his chin. 'These are my virtual reality rigs. Somewhere we can sit and experience other places without leaving the city. Come, I'll show you,' he said beckoning with his hand.

Carl walked over to the first chair and placed a hand on the leather headrest. 'It feels expensive and quality made. I can smell the leather.'

Edmond nodded. 'Leather certainly is a rare commodity and we've been lucky to preserve these from the ancients. They're not used as much as they were designed to be, but they are invaluable for inspecting the progress of my work.'

'Your work?'

'It'll be easier to show you. Take a seat,' Edmond said pointing to the chair.

Carl sat down and felt himself sink into the luxurious hide. He gripped the joysticks and moved them back and forth. 'What do these do?'

'So many questions. Under the seat is a drawer, pull it out and remove the gloves and virtual reality headset, then put them on, please,' Edmond said.

Carl reached for the drawer and removed the items as requested. He placed the grey fingerless gloves on his hands and the VR headset and visor on his head. 'I can't see a thing.'

Edmond moved to a nearby computer terminal and punched in a few digits. 'Patience, young man, and all will be revealed.'

Carl looked around the pitch blackness inside the headset. In the middle of the screen the word "Loading..." appeared. Then the high-resolution screen in front of his eyes burst into life and the chair and haptic gloves buzzed and vibrated. He was floating in space above the earth and alongside a huge spacecraft. He looked around and noticed he was inside some kind of smaller craft with a window. Below was the murky brown atmosphere of Earth and in front was a long spacecraft, about the length of two football fields and just as wide. At the rear were four massive cone-shaped exhausts. 'My God, where am I? And what is that?'

Edmond walked over to the chair. 'I'm glad it booted up. The virtual reality program has been crashing lately, a sign perhaps of our fluctuating power and resources. That, young Carl, is the _Lasell_. It was built by our forefathers with the specific aim of leaving Earth and returning sometime in the future. The simulation you are viewing places you in one of our maintenance pods. Use the left control stick to move around 360 degrees. The right stick will move you forwards and backwards.'

'OK, got it,' Carl said as he slowly moved around the rear of the craft.

'Those four exhaust ports are attached to the heart of the machine but the engine under the hood is top secret,' Edmond said. 'Let's just say that our ancestors started to develop a gravity drive to propel this craft as close to the speed of light as possible. In recent tests we've achieved over fifty per cent the speed of light, and we believe we can go much faster.'

Carl continued to look around the rear of the craft, which was also covered in flashing lights and pipes. 'But where are you going to travel to? I assume at that speed you can cover vast distances. Are you going to colonise a nearby planet?'

Edmond smiled. 'If only it were that simple. We would love nothing more than to travel to another earth-like planet and build our cities there. However there isn't anything close enough and those planets that are nearby would take so much work and too many rare resources to survive on. We have a far more simple and beautiful plan. If we achieve the speed we think we can and assuming we have no malfunctions or catastrophes then we are going to take advantage of time dilation. To put it quite simply, for every day that passes on our ship, many years will have passed on Earth. Our journey will take us roughly six months, but thousands of years will have elapsed back on this planet. More than enough time for Earth to repair itself and return to its old life-supporting stable self.'

'And what if you don't achieve the speeds you need?' Carl said.

'Good question and I'm glad you're still paying attention,' Edmond said. 'Falling below our desired speed gives us a few choices. We could travel for longer or accept a shorter elapsed time on Earth. We think that even after two thousand years the earth will be greatly improved. Our main concern is collision and engine failure. Travelling so fast propels us so far from our planet that we'd never make it back if our engines failed, and small objects that cause little damage at lower speeds can produce enough energy to destroy the ship at greater speeds.'

'The _Lasell_ isn't the first ship. It's actually the third such mission, the other two left many years ago. One returned but the other is yet to. We have no idea how successful it will be or when it will return, although I kind of hope it fails. Imagine how disappointing it would be to return to our beautiful blue planet only to find a civilisation has already developed. Our third mission has more chance of success. We have a more powerful and reliable engine, better life support systems and better collision avoidance systems.'

'Couldn't you reduce the risk and travel more slowly? I've read about suspended animation and freezing people for long periods of time,' Carl said.

'Well, that education in the projects didn't go to waste did it, Carl? The risk is greatly reduced if we travel much slower, but there is no way yet to successfully freeze humans for the time required. In our tests freezing humans is near fatal. Severe brain damage resulting in mental and physical impairment is the result, a hundred per cent of the time. There's no point returning to paradise if you can't run along the beach and swim in the crystal clear sea, now is there?'

'What about the mission that returned?' Carl asked.

Edmond walked over to a locked door. 'Follow me, and I'll show you.'

Carl removed the VR headset and the haptic gloves and walked over to the silver door off the Virtual Reality room.

Edmond used his security pass to unlock the outer door of the secure laboratory. Carl and two armed guards followed him in. They were now in a small area which had another door leading to an air lock where the inner door would only open when the outer door was shut and locked. Carl jumped as jets of sweet-smelling gas filled the small space.

'Don't worry,' Edmond said. 'Merely a precaution, a harmless gas that will ensure we don't take any unwanted bacteria in with us or bring any out.'

'What's in here?' Carl asked.

'It's probably easier to show you,' Edmond said swiping his access card.

The heavy metallic door gave a clunk as the locking mechanism disengaged and it slid open to reveal the interior. As they stepped inside Carl felt the cool filtered air rush past him and just a few deep breaths made him feel light-headed. The two guards took up position either side of the door, just inside. This looked like a clinical laboratory with large silver vats of liquid sitting against the walls which were interconnected with pipes and wires. Against one wall was a long white countertop with stools arranged neatly underneath. On the countertop were microscopes, boxes of syringes, rubber glove dispensers and an arrangement of test tubes and glass vials.

In the middle of the room were six large oblong-shaped boxes, like metal coffins sitting on pedestals, about waist-height. Each coffin had tubes and wires connected to it and each had a glass top. Carl couldn't see what was inside from where he stood and he took a hesitant step back, wary of what might be within them.

Edmond approached the first box and leaned on the glass. 'I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine,' he said, beckoning Carl over with one hand.

Carl took a few steps and stopped as Edmond punched in some digits on a keypad located on the side of the box and bright interior lights illuminated the contents. Carl took another couple of steps and leaned forward. Inside each box was a human shape. Naked and without any discernible features they were pale in colour without eyes or a nose or mouth. Their skin was smooth and thin, showing blue and red veins just under the surface.

'What are they?'

Edmond sighed heavily and raised his eyebrows. 'Say hello to our anthropoid friends, otherwise known as the remains of the _Frobisher_ , the ship used for the first mission. Their craft returned a few years back. We picked up a distress call and found her drifting and heavily damaged. Most of the crew of 2000 were missing and the bulkheads and engines were all but destroyed. We salvaged what we could and found these six barely alive in the bridge area.'

'Are they part of the original crew?'

'We believe so, yes.' Edmond nodded. 'Although we can't tell who they are, not even if they're male or female. The location in which we found them would suggest they are part of the command crew but we've no idea who exactly.'

'What happened to them? Why do they look like that?'

'Our best guess is that they travelled through a black hole or some kind of wormhole. This damaged the ship and most of the crew were lost. The remaining crew members appear to be undergoing some kind of change. When we rescued them they were barely alive and they were covered in cuts and sores. Those have now healed and we've detected some brain function too. In the few years we've looked after them they've not only healed themselves but they are slowly changing shape, growing in size and losing most of their human features, turning into what I really don't know hence the security detail each time we visit here.'

'So this outcome is what is waiting for you and your crew?'

'I hope not. We've analysed their course as much as we can from the damaged computers and we're planning a different and somewhat less hazardous journey. We know they encountered a pulsar much the same as we will on our course. They took evasive action and then encountered an unknown anomaly. We think it's from that point onwards that things went wrong for them.'

Carl shook his head. 'This is madness. You'll destroy everything on Earth and then yourselves. There'll be nothing left and the human race will be just a memory.'

'Not so,' Edmond said, lightly thumping the top of the box. 'Quite the opposite. Our plan will ensure that mankind thrives for many more thousands of years. At last we have a real chance to start again and to bury the mistakes and hatred of our ancestors and create our own Eden. It's up to us now and the survival of the entire human race is our responsibility. It's a challenge for sure but one we have grasped with both hands and we refuse to fail.'

Carl looked at the floor. 'No, you're just another crazy person who wants to play God at the expense of everyone else. You're planning mass murder out there and growing monsters in here. It doesn't sound like a recipe for survival to me.'

Edmond removed his glasses. 'Our monsters as you call them are actually humans undergoing a yet unknown change. Just because they look different it doesn't mean they are any less worthy. They were brave enough to try and it's our duty now to look after them on their journey towards whatever it is they'll change into. If we avoid that pulsar we'll avoid the anomaly and hopefully won't succumb to the same fate. It's a gamble I'm willing to take and one that will hopefully restore humans to their former glory.'

# Chapter Twenty-Five

The acid rain stopped, leaving pools and puddles of toxic corrosive water everywhere. As the clouds started to clear the unbearable heat started to descend. People ventured outside once again, trying to dodge the lakes and get some shade from the sun. It wasn't advisable to be outside when it was raining. Skin would itch and blister and hair would start to come out in clumps, but it was drying up once more and the masses of people were on the move.

Groups of Wretches, male and female, young and old, gathered on corners and in the doorways of the ruins to plan today's event. Placards had been painted and the protest march would begin as soon as the organisers thought enough people had turned up. Protesting was strictly illegal but when it did happen the Black Hats would often turn a blind eye for the sake of keeping order. Small-scale gatherings usually passed without incident and the paperwork would be more trouble than it was worth, but this one was different. Thousands of people had turned out, many more than for previous meetups and it was becoming more difficult to move. It was a huge sea of people carrying signs and banners and they were slowly moving throughout the city.

The Black Hats kept a low profile with their riot vans and armoured cars parked down side streets. They kept an eye on things and were always ready to wade in and break up any trouble, but with so many streets blocked it was becoming harder to put their tactics into play, and the more people joined the march, the more the soldiers were noticed and stood out.

The crowd stretched halfway across the city and was as long as the eye could see. The chanting could be heard from within the Crystal City and started to cause concern to some of its residents.

Edmond and Hugh looked out onto the old ruined city from their high vantage point.

'That's a lot of people,' Hugh said.

Edmond removed his glasses. 'It certainly is. I've never seen so many Wretches together in one place.'

'Does it create any risk?'

'Well, if they all made a move on one part of the fence it would be very difficult to keep them out,' Edmond said. 'We've got eyes on the ground and we'll break it all up if they start getting too close.'

Hugh folded his arms. 'There seems to be more unrest as we get closer to our goal. On another matter, one of the boys working for me did well on that solar flare activity report, don't you think?'

Edmond nodded. 'He really did. That piece of data was crucial and could have affected the launch date drastically. He's worth hanging onto but I'm more interested in his companion.'

'The pregnant girl, you mean?'

'Yes.' Edmond nodded. 'She could hold the key to a lot of the issues our own community are experiencing. It's important we store her blood and take her with us so we have a good supply.'

The swelling masses now started to move towards the perimeter fence and eight trucks pulled up to form a makeshift barrier to stop them getting too close. The escape hatch opened on the roof of one of the vehicles and a soldier climbed out so his head and shoulders were in view. He held a small microphone to his mouth. 'By the authority of the Cloud people and the Crystal City I declare this gathering illegal. Please disperse now and return to your dwellings or we will take action to disperse you. Anyone who leaves this illegal demonstration immediately will be allowed safe passage and will not be questioned. Anyone still in this area in five minutes will be arrested, taken into the towers and held for questioning.'

Some of the crowd began to make their way home but the vast majority stayed where they were and started to drown out the official announcement, shouting insults and waving their placards. A man wearing a long coat and a hood, covering his face with a gas mask, stepped forward, lit a petrol bomb and threw it over the heads of the crowd. The glass bottle full of fuel smashed into a truck and a large explosion and flames engulfed the vehicle.

A Black Hat inside flicked a switch then pressed a button to shut off the vehicle's ventilation fans which were sucking in smoke. They now relied on air being pumped around the interior, scrubbed by filters then recirculated. He pressed the button on the small radio fixed to his shoulder. 'Base, this is 528, we're in sector four coming under heavy attack. The mob won't disperse and our vehicle is on fire and is severely damaged. We are unable to move, requesting urgent backup.'

A small group of people broke away from the main mass and jumped onto the bonnet and then the roof of another truck. One Wretch pulled at the hatch to try to open it. The soldiers inside couldn't risk opening the lid and using their water cannons because of the risk of more fire bombs.

'This is 528, we need urgent help, our vehicles are under attack.'

'Roger that,' base replied, crackling over the radio. 'Hang on, help is on the way and incoming, sixty seconds and closing.'

The Wretches on the truck looked to the sky as twenty drones did a high-speed low-level fly-past to survey the target. Two broke away and fired at the top of the truck instantly killing those trying to open the hatch. Another group of drones flew the length of the mob spraying gas while at the same time releasing toxic canisters that rolled into doorways and down alleyways to spread the disabling cloud. The mass of people started to panic and scream. The weak were pushed over and trampled on while the strong used them like a path, running in all directions.

The soldiers in the vehicles placed their gas masks on and started their engines. One truck was still on fire and the Black Hats inside kicked the back doors open and poured out onto the dirt as the internal temperature became unbearable. They ran towards another truck and piled in through the back doors, which were then bolted shut as it sped away.

The drones now worked a pincer movement, attacking both flanks of the melee. Increasing levels of gas was sprayed and the cloud was now so thick people couldn't see where to run or how to escape. Many dropped right where they were, falling to their knees in a semiconscious state while being knocked flat by others falling on top of them. The demonstration had been subdued and the drones returned to their base to replenish their toxic substance and return for a second run to mop up the stragglers.

# Chapter Twenty-Six

Carl pushed the gate open and walked into the library. The quiet area and smell of old books was becoming a welcome distraction from the busy work environment and mind-numbing boredom of the habitat pods. As always the air was cool, the light was at a pleasant level and it was empty, apart from the curator.

'Young Carl, good to see you again. How have you been?' Joshua asked, stroking his beard.

'I'm good, thanks. Thought I'd drop by and maybe look at that book again.'

'Of course, you're welcome. It's just here,' Joshua said pointing to the bookshelf. 'Whenever you're ready, just help yourself.'

Carl smiled and sat down at a desk. 'Thanks.'

'You seem more relaxed today, Carl. Are you beginning to settle in and find your feet? Is it all beginning to make more sense?'

'I'm not sure it makes much sense if I'm honest. I miss my family and friends and everything seems OK until I start asking questions,' Carl said looking down at the desk.

Joshua sat back in his chair. 'Yes, I understand how hard it must be for you. Everything has changed and nothing makes sense, does it? But like I said to you before, I really think you should stick with it. There's nothing for you outside now, and you have a real chance of surviving and making something of your life here, with us. I know they don't give you many choices but you need to learn how to make the situation work in your favour. What I mean by that is, rather than seeing this as an obstacle in your life, look on it as an opportunity to live.'

Carl nodded. 'Thanks Joshua, you make me feel better. You're so easy to talk to, and this place feels safe and far away from the craziness.'

'You're always welcome here, son. We've a long journey ahead of us and I don't see anything wrong with making things as comfortable as possible, and if spending a few hours each week reading the ancient books in my library helps with that, then so be it...now you'll have to excuse me for a few moments. I sent one of our rare books to the lab to help determine its age and I need to bring it back. I really can't rest at night if one of my babies is out on loan.'

'No problem. I'll just look through that book while you're gone if that's OK,' Carl said fetching the heavy leather-bound book off the shelf and placing it on the desk.

'That's fine. Somewhere in the middle is the story of the Minotaur. A fascinating creature and the illustrations are wonderful, I hope you enjoy it,' Joshua said as he closed the main gate behind him and disappeared down the marble steps.

Carl turned the pages until he came to the picture of the Minotaur. A large muscular beast with the body of a man and the head of a bull, he'd never seen anything like it. He wasn't sure if this was something that used to roam the earth or whether it was another of the ancient mythological creatures passed down through folklore. Perhaps it represented evil, something their many gods could fight against, or simply a demon conjured up by weary parents to frighten their children into being good.

The library was now empty and deadly quiet. Only the low hum of electricity could be heard as it surged through the wiring that powered the dim bulbs.

Carl looked over at the iron gate that kept the valuable and confidential stuff secure, then back at the main gate. There was still no sign of the curator or anyone else. He walked over and gently tugged at the round metal handle, and was surprised when the gate opened with a heavy creak. He looked over his shoulder then stepped inside.

The confidential area was a small room compared to the rest of the library. It had one large bookcase which went from the floor to the ceiling and was full of books of all shapes and sizes, all of which were covered in a thick layer of dust. In the middle of the floor was a large round wooden table covered in books, scrolls and pictures. The smell of old leather and paper was overwhelming. He looked towards the main gate, which was still closed, and knew he didn't have much time. The punishment for getting caught would be severe but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Carl dusted off one book that sat on the table, and read the title out loud. ' _Population Control for the Masses. Extermination through the Ages. Volume One_.' He started to turn the pages and looked at the pictures inside. This was some kind of record from history, a compilation of methods and results from the ancients' attempts to kill each other over the centuries. The more pages he turned the more gruesome the pictures became so he closed the book and pushed it to one side.

He opened a nearby scroll, using both hands to flatten it on the table. It was a map of the ancients' world. There were large expanses of land divided up into continents, and blue oceans that surrounded everything. In an area called Europe there were small red shapes that looked like missiles drawn in pen. Near each one was a handwritten number, giving the population of the nearest city or town. It was either a plan for attack or a defensive map showing missile launch sites. Everything inside this room seemed to be a record of mankind's attempt to destroy itself, with detailed books on techniques and maps showing how and where it all started...and ended.

Carl jumped at the sound of footsteps walking across the marble floor outside. He let go of the map and let it roll back up, then darted out of the secure area, just managing to close the gate as Joshua pushed the main gate open.

'Still here, young Carl, I hope you've found something interesting,' Joshua said, placing the book he had brought back with him on the shelf. 'You seem out of breath, are you OK?'

Carl walked back to the desk and closed the book he'd been reading and placed it back on the shelf. His heart was beating fast and he couldn't be sure if Joshua had spotted him closing the gate. 'I was just having a look around at some of the other book categories,' he said wiping the dust from his hands onto his shirt.

The curator looked at the gate of the secure area, then back at the dust on Carl's clothing. 'Just be careful where your inquisitive mind takes you. It's OK to be interested in things, but sometimes it's better not to know too much, if that makes sense. Knowledge is power and ignorance is bliss as they say.'

Carl nodded and walked towards the main gate. 'Thanks for the advice; I've got to get back now.'

He closed the gate behind him and walked quickly down the hallway without looking back. That was a close call and getting caught would have had severe consequences. Even though he felt a connection with Joshua, he still didn't trust him fully. Although he was a very easy person to talk to, everyone from within the city seemed blind to what was going on outside. But Carl couldn't deny that life was easier now that he was in the Crystal City. There was no daily search for food or water, no need to barter and no chance of being killed by the druggies. He slept in a clean bed every night in a private pod with air conditioning and was always offered more food than he could eat. Life was comfortable and less dangerous than it had been before.

It was easy to forget where he came from and natural to want to maintain a comfortable existence. Maybe if he worked hard, kept his nose clean and let time pass he could one day become part of the city dwellers' grand plan. But each time he daydreamed about life in the city he was yanked back to reality with thoughts of his mother and friends. If only he could be sure that they were OK, that they were being taken care of. It played on his mind like a recurring bad dream and it tainted everything that was good about his new life.

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

Edmond pushed open the oak double doors that led into the Sanctuary, a room with a large vaulted ceiling adorned with statues of men and women who had helped build the city. Black and grey marble was everywhere and oak-timbered beams lined the roof like some kind of medieval banqueting suite. Each wall was filled with paintings and tapestries salvaged from the chaos and now displayed for the viewing of a select few. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave a panoramic view onto the dying world outside. In the middle of the room was a long oak table with eleven high back chairs. In ten of the chairs were seated members of the Council of Eleven, men and women over the age of 50 who ruled over and controlled everything that happened inside the city and out. They wore black clothing to signify their position in the hierarchy and all the men had short hair or balding heads while the women had their hair tied up to give a businesslike appearance.

Edmond closed the double doors behind him and the ten chairs scraped along the marble floor as the occupants stood up. Their leader commanded the respect of everyone and his small professor-like demeanour and ordinary doctor's white coat belied the power and influence he had. Today was different; it was an important meeting and he wore his black uniform and knee-length boots.

'Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats,' he said as the chairs scraped again across the marble floor.

Edmond sat in the eleventh seat, a much larger and grander chair, which was Jacobean in style and made from a dark oak with red and gold padding. He leaned on his elbows with his hands clasped together and peered over his spectacles. 'My friends, we will very soon be embarking on our new adventure, one that will see us leave this planet and return home in the distant future when the earth has once again become the Garden of Eden. It's imperative that during these last few days your subordinates and their departments are clear about the roles they play. We can have no mistakes or delays. The _Lasell_ will begin its journey on time and the cleansing weapon will find its home at the agreed time.'

Edmond sat back in his chair and poured himself a glass of water. 'We have come so very far, my friends. Look at what we've done,' he said looking around the room. 'We've created a utopia, a sanctuary for humanity. We've created a place where the very best of what's left of the planet's inhabitants have been brought together to form a community to absolutely ensure the survival of the human race.'

The occupant of chair number four, Councillor Bennet, a slim man around sixty years old with a thin face and thick grey swept-back hair leaned forward. 'May I ask, Edmond, we still have many prisoners to process, are we going to leave them where they are or let them go?'

'Thank you for your question, Councillor,' Edmond said. 'I've given this a lot of thought and I feel the kindest thing we can do is terminate them in the most humane way. Therefore the night before we leave we will fill their cells with gas and they'll slip away peacefully. They certainly don't deserve a place with us and it would be too risky to take a large group of criminals on our journey.'

Councillor Gordon in chair two leaned forward and hit the desk with her hand. 'But that's murder. We should let them go and they can take their chances outside.' The grey bun on her head almost unravelled as her head shook in anger.

Edmond frowned. 'Don't let your warped sense of morality affect your judgement, Councillor. You seem happy to wipe out millions of underprivileged souls and escape this hell with us but the fate of a few prisoners seems to disturb you? Our job is to save the human race not all of humanity. I've made my decision and the plan is in place. But if you really are so concerned, feel free to remain here with them.'

Councillor Gordon sat back in her seat and exhaled heavily.

Edmond jabbed a finger onto the table. 'We have to be united, we have to be in full agreement. We cannot have confusion and disagreement at this late stage. Do I make myself clear?'

The seated 10 nodded in agreement, some more enthusiastically than others.

Edmond got up and walked over towards the window. 'Please follow me,' he said as he pushed a button on the wall. The large glass windows slowly slid to the left like a giant door on rollers. Outside was a balcony with a small wall and silver-coloured waist-high rail. He stepped onto the balcony as the councillors followed him one by one.

The strong winds whipped across destroying their neat hairstyles and ruffling their clothes. Sand and dust swirled around as they squinted and rubbed their eyes. Everyone started to cough as the pollution started to affect their delicate lungs which had only ever breathed the freshest of air.

'Look at it with your own eyes for one last time,' Edmond said pointing out towards the masses of tents and cardboard dwellings nestled amongst the old city ruins and just visible through the thick haze. 'One day we will return here and make a new life. We'll rebuild everything our ancestors worked so hard to destroy and put a new civilisation on track, one that will thrive on order and harmony. Councillor Gordon, please step forward,' he said beckoning with his hand.

She hesitated while trying to cover her mouth with her hand, then stepped forward.

Edmond placed a hand on her shoulder while pointing out towards the horizon with the other. 'You see why we need unity, Councillor? Why we need to leave this place and create a situation where the Wretches die out so that we can return and recolonise the planet in the future? We either save ourselves, and in doing so the human race, or we all die here soon. Does that make sense?'

The councillor choked as the dust began to take its toll and she could barely see through her eyes which now streamed water.

Edmond took out a syringe from his pocket and removed the protective cap then plunged it into her neck, holding her still as the liquid entered her arteries. The councillor's knees buckled as the incapacitating liquid surged through her veins. She held onto the rail as he withdrew the syringe and placed it back into his pocket. 'I'm sorry, Councillor, but at every opportunity you try and block our progress and it ends here,' he said while supporting her weight.

Councillor Gordon tried to speak as Edmond lifted her back to her feet, bent her torso over the railing and threw her over the side. She disappeared into the cloud of dust forever.

He turned to the remaining nine who stood there silent, mouths gaping open. 'Please, ladies and gentlemen, shall we go back inside. It's rather inhospitable out here,' he said holding his hand out.

Edmond was the last one in and hit the button to close the window onto the harsh world outside. The cleansed air and cooler temperature was immediately refreshing for everyone as they coughed and tried to clear their lungs.

He looked at the thin layer of red particles on the floor. 'And now I've filled our wonderful meeting place with sand and dust,' he said moving the grains of sand around with his shoe. 'Did anyone else want to express any concerns?'

The group looked at each other and slowly shook their heads in unison.

'Good, now Councillor Bennet, please arrange for a ballot to choose someone to fill our vacant chair. The Council of Eleven must be up and running and fully operational by the time we leave.'

Bennet nodded. 'Do you have a preference, Edmond?'

'My only preference is that we choose someone loyal, someone who fully understands and appreciates the task at hand. It's not for me to influence a democratic vote but I think Jacob Rees would be an excellent candidate.'

'Yes I understand, I'll ensure that the democratic vote results in the most suitable appointment of Rees,' Bennet said.

'Excellent,' Edmond said locking his hands together. 'Now, I don't know about you but clearing out the old and bringing in the new makes me hungry. We have an eighteen-course banquet waiting for us in the banqueting suite and I hope you'll all join me there in thirty minutes.'

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

Edmond buckled himself into the flight seat of his personal shuttle. The small one-man spherical craft glistened on the launch pad. Its glass-domed front gave a wide 180-degree viewing angle and made the craft look more like a one-man deep-sea exploration vessel. He scanned the screens and dials in front of him and checked the fuel level, engine temperature and coolant tanks, then punched in a six-digit code that instructed the craft to plot a course for the _Lasell_ , currently in orbit around Earth.

'Atmosphere and weather check, please,' Edmond requested.

The on-board computer calculated the route and conditions. _Lower atmosphere dense and dusty, upper atmosphere fairly clear with a 65 per cent chance of rain within the next two hours._

The single engine of the ship ignited, bursting into life as the ship slowly lifted and left the launch pad. Edmond flicked open the protective cover of the secondary booster ignition switch and turned it clockwise. Smaller support thrusters ignited and propelled the craft to its maximum velocity in order to break away from the earth's gravity. He gripped the arms of his seat and kept his eyes on the instrument panel as violent shaking and vibration gave way to calm and peace. The craft broke through the atmosphere and into a low orbit where it drifted gently towards the mother ship.

Edmond adjusted the position of the microphone attached to his headset. 'This is _Eagle One_ to the _Lasell_ , please respond.'

The loudspeaker crackled into life. 'Good day, Eagle One, this is Captain O'Connor. We are very much looking forward to your visit today and we are ready for your inspection and engine test.'

'Thank you, Captain, I shall be docking very shortly,' Edmond said as the shuttle craft continued on its course.

'We are ready, sir, and I hope you will be impressed by a handful of minor improvements we have instigated.'

Edmond slowed the shuttle down and entered the codes into the computer to prepare for docking. A graphical representation of the docking ring on the _Lasell_ presented itself on screen, and the shuttle slowly tilted backwards to reveal its own hatch on its underbelly.

The on-board computer counted down the distance. _100 meters...75 meters...50 meters_.

Edmond checked that the docking crosshairs were perfectly overlapped signalling the correct angle. As both crafts joined, three locking clamps engaged and locked the shuttle into place as the main engines and secondary boosters were automatically shut down.

Edmond stepped into the airlock and Captain O'Connor opened the inner doors to allow entry to the ship. O'Connor was a tall well-built man with grey hair and a grey beard. He resembled an old maritime sea captain with his peak cap and officer's insignia on his blue overalls.

'Sir, it's a pleasure as always,' he said holding out a hand and giving a firm handshake. 'May I get you a cup of tea?'

Edmond shook his hand. 'Thank you, Captain, a pot of tea would be most agreeable. I take it we are on schedule and the previous problems have been resolved?'

'Everything is working as it should. We still have some minor coolant loss when the engines run over fifty per cent. This is within agreed tolerances so it's not an issue for us.'

Edmond and O'Connor walked down the corridor towards the bridge.

'Good, and hydroponics? How's that coming along?' Edmond asked.

'Hydroponics is fully stocked and everything is growing very well,' O'Connor said. 'We're using a new root solution and the vegetation seems to thrive on it. We just need to balance our water reserves depending on how long we'll be away.'

'Sounds good, Captain, you and your men must be commended for getting the ship in such a good place, but everything from this point forward is time-critical,' Edmond said. 'If we are to launch the _Lasell_ and put the cleansing into place, there can be no misunderstandings or mistakes. The ship must be fully loaded and ready to go as soon as detonation occurs. Once that happens there will be nothing down there for us to return to for a very long time.'

They entered the bridge which was the ship's nerve centre and control room. A small crew of eight manned their stations, viewing large flat screens embedded into the walls, keeping an eye on the million bits of data that the ship's computers were calculating and reporting on.

O'Connor poured some tea and handed a cup to Edmond. 'I understand we may have extra cargo,' the captain said sipping from a china cup.

Edmond placed his cup down. 'One girl, a Wretch from the projects. She's very special as she's naturally pregnant, the first for many years and we need to take her with us. We'll study and learn from her so we can try and reverse our own reproduction problems. Her DNA sequence will be most useful. We'll also be bringing along the father. Her fertility could have been kick-started by his genes so it's important that we use them wisely.'

O'Connor nodded. 'But is there much point? Will two Wretches really make a difference? We have our own females who are in good health and once they leave the toxic earth behind we may find their reproductive skills return naturally.'

Edmond nodded. 'It's true that the recent studies on the young girls look promising, but it's too great a risk. If we can't reproduce we will very quickly die out so it's imperative that we find the key to her immunity.'

'OK, Edmond, as captain of the ship all I ask is that they are quarantined for a period of time. I can't risk any more sick Wretches infecting the crew.'

'I appreciate your concerns, Captain, and assure you they have been checked and inoculated and will pose no risk.'

'Thank you,' the captain said. 'Now, would you follow me to the engine room, please, I'd like to show you a test.'

O'Connor and Edmond walked down the corridor and entered the lift that travelled down to the lower decks. 'I'm impressed with what you've done with the old girl, she really is looking like new,' Edmond said.

O'Connor smiled. 'Thank you, it's been many months of hard work by everyone, but I really do feel she's ready for the challenge ahead. She won't let us down.'

As they entered the viewing area for the engine room, O'Connor walked over to a large display screen. 'As you'll see, the gravity drive is stable and is currently idling at five per cent. Increase the thrust to twenty-five per cent,' he said nodding to a nearby operative.

The bulkheads creaked and a gentle vibration passed through the ship. 'Fifty per cent, please, keep a holding position,' O'Connor said.

Edmond glared at the many bits of data on the display screen. 'Good, good,' he whispered.

The small number of technicians inside the engine area itself wore white overalls, hats and surgical masks. The powerful gravity drive was also a delicate mechanism and as such kept in a dust-free secure area.

'Seventy-five per cent please, coolant levels and temperature holding,' O'Connor said.

The ship lurched, wanting to break free from its holding area. The sound of creaking bulkheads increased and the vibration was more noticeable.

O'Connor wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. 'Thank you, gentlemen, engines down to idle, five per cent, please.'

Edmond walked over to him and shook his hand as the rest of the crew and those inside the engine compartment applauded. 'Excellent work, Captain, please pass my thanks and best wishes to your entire crew. We will be leaving soon.'

O'Connor opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle and two small glasses. 'I think this calls for a tipple, if you'll allow me to share one with you while I'm on duty.'

'Excellent idea,' Edmond said picking up a glass. 'You and your men should celebrate and relax today. We have a great journey ahead of us and I think you all deserve a break. I want you and your men fired up and ready to go as soon as I give the word.'

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

The years of planning were finally coming to a conclusion as the last day approached. Every resident of the Crystal City had rehearsed this day and prepared for it. Regular drills ensured that people were where they were supposed to be at the correct time. If thousands of people were to leave the city, it had to run like clockwork and nobody could be left behind. The task was made easier because many of the towers' elite and those who provided security and were involved in the service industry had already left. Most of the supplies were now on board the _Lasell_ and the city was slowly shutting down, bit by bit.

Carl was amongst the workforce under Hugh who would be taken on a mid-morning shuttle. His movements were being watched more closely than most because of his connection to Amy and his valuable DNA sequence. All the boys in the same sector were told to report to the office in the early morning for further instructions and Carl and the rest of the team waited patiently at their desks.

Hugh entered the room flanked by two Black Hats. 'Morning, boys.'

'Morning, Hugh,' everyone replied in unison.

'As you are aware, today is the day we leave the Crystal City and join our friends on the spaceship _Lasell._ I hope you are as excited as I am,' he said wringing his hands. 'This is truly the dawn of mankind and the start of something wonderful. The earth is dying and we must leave it for a time and return when it's healed itself, as we well know. We've discussed this before and you are clear about your duties, but any questions?' he said looking around the room. 'Speak now or wait until you're aboard the ship when we can relax a little, unwind and see what interesting work awaits us.'

Carl raised a hand. 'Forgive me, but do we just wait here?'

Hugh smiled. 'Thank you, Carl, for leading me on to the next bit. You boys return to your pods and retrieve the bag you packed as instructed. These gentlemen here will escort you there, then onto the shuttle bay. From there you'll be taken to the _Lasell_ and I'll see you on board either later this evening or sometime in the morning after you've had some rest. That all clear?'

Everyone nodded together and Hugh left the room.

'OK, people, follow me and get your bags quick time. This place will be empty real soon and you don't want to be left behind,' one Black Hat said.

Carl made sure he was the last one out and as they walked down the corridor towards the habitat area he looked around trying to think of a way to escape. As they walked past a recessed doorway he ducked out of sight and hit the door entry button, disappearing inside. He had to work fast because as soon as they noticed he was gone they would search the entire facility for him.

He now found himself in a storage room. Racks and shelves filled the small space and he slid the bolt across the door to lock himself inside. Looking around he noticed that the ceiling had some kind of vent, probably for air conditioning, and he climbed his way up the racks until he could reach it. He balanced one foot on the top of a rack while he reached up and carefully removed the grill. Reaching up inside he was able to pull himself up into a small square shaft, too small to stand up in but big enough to squat inside and crawl about. He carefully placed the grill back in place and started to move along the metallic tunnel.

He peered through another grill that was over the corridor and he saw one Black Hat running back down towards the offices. He stopped just near the grill where Carl was.

'Hugh, we've lost Carl, he disappeared on the way to the pods,' he said, talking into a radio on his shoulder.

'How did that happen? Don't put too much effort into looking for him. There are more important things at stake and we need to be on time,' Hugh said, crackling over the radio.

'I'll have a quick look around but he could be anywhere by now,' the Black Hat replied trying the door to the storeroom.

Carl continued along the shaft peering through each grill along the way. He knew Edmond's office was nearby and he needed to gain access and try to figure out where Amy was. After crawling for what seemed like forever, he came across a grill directly above Edmond's desk. He carefully removed the covering and lay on his front so he could push his head through the gap and look around. The office was empty so he dropped down onto the desk.

Carl was now alone in Edmond's office and he looked around for any clue as to the whereabouts of Amy and details about the weapon. He pulled out the drawers of the desk and turned them upside down, emptying their contents, then pushed over the tall filing cabinets, which spilled their papers onto the floor. There was nothing but stationery and useless paperwork.

He walked over to the computer terminal and tapped the space bar. It required a four-digit password for access. Carl looked closer at the numerical keypad and noticed that four of the number keys were a little shinier than the rest. The numbers had also slightly worn away meaning that they were used more than the others. Carl tapped in the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 4.

The computer screen flashed with a message denying access.

He then tried a different combination 8 9 4 7. But again, and for several more attempts after that the machine denied access. He stepped away and rubbed his chin. There could only be so many combinations of four fixed numbers. He tried again and punched into the keypad 4 7 8 9 and the system beeped, the screen unlocked and a welcome message appeared. Carl's heart skipped a beat; he was in and needed to act quickly to gain as much information as he could. He was now presented with a very simple operating system. He'd played with some basic computer systems years ago and also had his recent experience to rely on. He'd built basic systems using circuit boards and old screens salvaged from the city dumps and powered by discarded vehicle batteries. But as time went on it became much harder to get the parts and even more difficult to obtain batteries.

He navigated around the screen. There was a collection of folders in a logical order containing a ton of information about the city and its occupants, too much data to be digested and understood in such a short time. He opened a folder containing plans and schematics. The first document was a blueprint of the city. With a bird's eye and side-on view it gave a very basic description of each city level. Opening up several more documents he noticed that the central part of the city was in fact designated as a military area. But no matter how hard he searched he couldn't find any mention of the weapon that would be launched and hit the city today. As far as he knew there was nothing outside of the city perimeter but no launch sites within either. He zoomed in on the military area of the central part of the city and examined the levels in more detail.

He looked at the diagram on level two, which had some kind of engine or machine with fuel cells, radioactive raw materials and a detonator attached to it. Carl realised there was no rocket to deliver the bomb; the city was the bomb. His mouth gaped open; he was frozen for a few moments at the realisation of what Edmond had built. According to the scribbled notes on the diagram, everything within a hundred miles would be vaporised. If anything else was out there within the blast radius it wouldn't survive. Beyond that everything else would suffer radioactive fallout, which would make most of the area a deadly place to be for many years to come and the resulting dust cloud would darken the rest of the planet bringing a fatal nuclear winter. Any trees and plants that were left would quickly die and any animals too would quickly succumb to radiation poisoning and the rapid drop in temperature.

Carl found the medical level on the plans. If Amy and Pete were receiving treatment they most likely would be found there. It was also en route to the area where the bomb was kept and he had to try to make it there to see if he could do anything to stop the complete destruction of the city and everyone in it.

The Cloud people were rapidly evacuating the city with their well-rehearsed plan. Shuttles were now taking off every few minutes taking the Crystal City inhabitants to the _Lasell_. The sky became full of vapour trails as the ships engaged their full power to break free of Earth's gravity.

Carl hit the button to open the door and quickly glanced left and right to check if all was clear. He walked as fast as he could to the stairwell and started to descend. The lifts would be too risky as they could stop on any floor and there would be no escape, but at least with the stairs he had the option of going back up if he encountered any Black Hats.

# Chapter Thirty

Hydroponics was located within a vast, clear dome that sat on top of the ship, which allowed natural sunlight to reach the large and diverse collection of fruit and vegetables inside. It was an ever-changing environment where areas could be shaded to mimic darkness and give the plants a natural 24-hour cycle of day and night. There could never be enough provisions brought on board for such a journey, so a sustainable solution was found in the green of the growing areas. Every conceivable vegetable and fruit flourished in large banks of nutrient-rich solution. This wasn't just a garden to admire, it was the life-sustaining food of humanity.

Edmond and Captain O'Connor stood on a raised platform looking down onto the forest.

'Quite a sight to see so much greenery in one place; it almost doesn't look real,' Edmond said.

'It does take some getting used to, particularly if your eyes have only ever seen the clinical interior of the city,' O'Connor replied.

Edmond leaned against the rail. 'It's the cool fresh air and smell, it's hard to describe, but it's like being outside, walking on freshly mown grass with all the borders full of exotic flowers.'

'I do know what you mean,' O'Connor said. 'A lifetime of breathing recirculated air, passing through filters, makes us forget just how nice the outside used to be. All before our time obviously, but it was a lush green planet full of life with huge oceans at one time.'

Edmond removed his glasses. 'I really do look forward to a time when I can walk in green fields and take a deep breath of fresh air. We've been surviving, not living. We're not designed to be cooped up in glass structures; it's made us frail and more prone to illness. Our lungs are becoming weak and feeble and everyone seems to have coughs and colds that seem to linger forever. The only things that keep us from being like the Wretches are our better diet and clean water supply.'

O'Connor moved closer. 'I'll let you into a little secret. I used to spend my spare time in here, tucked up in that corner over there with a cup of tea and a good book. It's the only place on the ship where I feel relaxed and can get some peace and quiet. The only sound you hear is the gentle hum of the water pumps and filtration units.'

'Well, you might need a bigger pot of tea because I might join you,' Edmond said rubbing his eyes. 'Although I'd probably fall asleep the way I'm feeling today.'

'Still not sleeping?'

'Not really, how can I sleep when I have so much on my mind? Everyone on this ship is my responsibility.'

The captain nodded. 'I know, but if you don't rest you'll feel fatigued, and you can't make good decisions while suffering from sleep deprivation. Once we get under way you need to loosen your grip a little, Edmond, if you don't mind me saying. We have a slick operation here and a highly trained, handpicked crew. You can trust them to keep things running smoothly.'

'Yes, I know you're right.' Edmond sighed. 'I'll take your comments on board and see if I can relax a little. There'll be a lot of work to do when we return and we all need to be fit and rested for the rebuild phase. If the planet does repair itself as we expect, we can plant our seeds outside. We'll be sending a scouting party down first to locate a good base and to plant crops before we decide to leave the safety of the ship. Once the crops are flourishing and a base camp has been established the plan is to leave the ship in stages. We don't want to overwhelm our resources, but I'm telling you things you already know, Captain. You've been party to most of our forward planning meetings.'

'It's a good plan and I look forward to helping you instigate it,' O'Connor said.

Edmond adjusted his glasses and looked out onto the sea of green. 'So how does this setup differ from the one we had back in the city? I mean, I know the basics, it gets more sun obviously for a start.'

O'Connor pointed to the glass dome. 'Well, like you say, we have this transparent dome structure which allows any natural sunlight to flood in. Once we leave orbit the sun's light will diminish and eventually it'll be too weak to make a difference, so we'll use the artificial light which is very efficient. The new liquid formula full of plant food is very good too and produces stronger, hardier roots.'

'Any major risk factors that we haven't already covered?' Edmond asked. 'I've checked the risk register this morning and haven't spotted anything.'

'Not that I can think of,' the captain said shaking his head. 'You'll notice that hydroponics is split into four areas. Although there are different species in each one, the same core items are in every quadrant, such as potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, oranges and bananas. The main risk is disease and the main reason we split them up is to stop it spreading in the unlikely event of an outbreak. Even if one section is decimated, we lose twenty-five per cent of our food stores, not all of it.'

'That makes a lot of sense. Some might call us spacemen or time travellers, but we're actually farmers if you think about it,' Edmond said smiling. 'Throughout the ages the crop has been the hub of the community. When the people move the crop moves too. It's essential for survival and we need to keep on top of it and make sure we cultivate endless quantities of quality food. How is our seed bank doing?'

O'Connor pointed to a large metal door to the left. 'Five hundred different varieties of seeds all cooled below zero. The seed chambers are so heavily insulated that in theory, if there was no power, it would take several months for them to thaw out.'

'It's a very impressive system, Captain. A testament to the work of the men and women who have sacrificed so much, and in some cases even their lives, to give mankind a second chance. Let's also hope we come back to a protein source. It would be good if some of the animal population re-established itself.'

'Do you think that's likely within our time frames?' the captain asked.

'Difficult question,' Edmond said shrugging his shoulders. 'The longer we're away the more chance there is of that happening. Mother Nature always finds a way, she just needs the right environment and a long time to make the magic happen... and how are you holding up, Captain, honestly?'

O'Connor looked at the floor. 'Much like you, I could do with more sleep and less worry. It's been a very busy few months and I'm hoping that there will be more relaxation time on the journey. However, I'm not so worried about me; the crew could do with a break though. They've been working double shifts for a few weeks now and I can see that their stress levels are rising. They just need some rest, Edmond, like we all do.'

'Of course. I totally understand,' Edmond said nodding. 'Once we reach our intended velocity, we'll ensure the crew get rotated and spend time recuperating. I appreciate everyone can't continue to operate like they have been. Let's not forget this ship does have a recreation level. Perhaps we should make it mandatory for everyone to visit it once in a while, as part of their physical and mental health assessments. How does that sound?'

'Excellent idea and the crew will be very happy with that arrangement,' O'Connor said.

Edmond placed a hand on the captain's shoulder. 'Good, I'm glad to hear it. Now let's take a few more deep breaths and enjoy the view of this Garden of Eden a little longer, before we get back to our duties.'

# Chapter Thirty-One

Amy woke from her sleep and tried to focus her bleary eyes. She hadn't left the bed or the room she was in for longer than she could remember, and all of her body ached and caused pain whenever she moved due to the lack of activity.

'How are we today, Amy?' the nurse said.

'Go away.'

'Well, that's not very nice, is it, when we saved your life and helped you back to health. Today is a big day and we're going to move you somewhere else.'

Amy looked away. 'You haven't helped me at all, just kept me prisoner and separated me from my family and friends. Where are you taking me now?'

The nurse wrapped the blood pressure monitor around Amy's arm. 'That sounds to me like a spoilt little ungrateful brat. You'd rather eat dirt and starve to death out there while breathing in poison, would you? Well, you just might get your wish if you don't hush that sharp tongue of yours. You're coming with us, to a new world and a new life and you're just the kind of people we need, so please be grateful for once and understand your role in all this. You're important but not so much so that we'll let you jeopardise our plans.'

'What's the point in anything any more?' Amy said. 'We're all dead sooner or later. You're just killing the Wretches early for some sick reason.'

'I see you've been trying to pull your drip out again. You won't have a healthy baby unless you relax and let us do our job.'

'What job?' Amy said. 'Keeping me prisoner and stopping me from seeing anyone from the outside, you mean? You seem to get some sick pleasure out of it as well, which makes it worse.'

'Look, hon, I'll warn you once more, watch that smart mouth of yours. I'm doing this because I've been told to. I've no desire to keep wasting my precious time on spoilt children. If you keep your nose clean then the powers that be will take you with us. Do you want your baby to grow up in a brave new world or the garbage dump you were born in? Now, come on and do as you're told. I've got to get you ready for your trip.'

Amy's heart sank. She'd never felt so alone and isolated. The daily tests and questions were now getting her down and she was plunging into a deep depression. Her right wrist was still free. The nurse had forgotten to buckle it back up after the blood test. She reached under the covers and slowly undid the left wrist buckle.

'Take these, here, you need to swallow them. Have some water too,' the nurse said holding out a small plastic cup of pills and some water.

Amy ignored her and faced the other way.

'The problem with you, young lady, is that you were born ungrateful. Edmond has great plans for us all. He's not only our leader but our saviour too and he'll deliver us to Eden and we'll live in harmony and peace once again,' the nurse said wide-eyed her eyebrows raised. 'If you make me go to the trouble of grinding these up again, I'm going to make sure you're held still by a Black Hat while I force it down you. So either way you're going to take them, so which will it be, the easy way or the hard way?'

'I've always had it the harder way,' Amy mumbled.

'What did you say?' the nurse said leaning closer.

'You're an evil bitch,' Amy said yanking back the bedclothes and grabbing the nurse's hair.

'What are you doing? Let me go... guards!' the nurse shouted.

Amy slammed her fist into the nurse's face while pushing her with her other hand. She reeled backwards and hit a trolley, turning it over and spilling its contents all over the floor. The nurse slammed her head on the floor as she fell, rendering her unconscious.

Amy quickly undid the straps binding her ankles as the nurse began to come round. Once free she leapt out of the bed and looked around. The room went black and she fell back onto the bed. Her head was spinning as it was the first time she had stood up in days plus the constant intake of drugs was affecting her. Shaking her head to try to clear her senses, she got back up, grabbed the blood pressure monitor and ran over to the nurse, leaping on top of her. They both now struggled on the floor sending surgical instruments and medicine spinning off in all directions. As the nurse tried to stand up, still dazed from the punch and fall, Amy managed to get on her back and wrap the tube from the monitor around her neck. The rubber hose stretched so she pulled it tighter, as hard as she could, trying to tie it in a knot. The nurse gasped for air and pulled and scratched at Amy's hands.

'I'm not going to any Eden, bitch,' Amy said as she gripped the nurse's waist with her legs and pulled the hose tighter. The medic's body stopped struggling and she went limp, falling to the floor.

Amy dragged her to the opposite side of the bed and used bandages and medical tape to bind her to the leg of a heavy metal cabinet. She felt the nurse's pulse. She was still alive but her breathing was very shallow. She looked in a nearby cupboard and found some medical wadding and stuffed that into her mouth and wrapped more medical tape around her head to hold the wadding in. She didn't want to kill her, just keep her quiet long enough to escape.

She removed the nurse's uniform and pulled off her own hospital gown. The uniform was a little on the big side but would hopefully buy her some time.

The red and orange lights flashed in the ceiling and the sirens wailed as Amy looked out of the door and down the hall; it was all clear. She worked her way slowly down the corridor. The nurse's uniform and security badge might fool the drone sentries but once her absence was noticed, every guard left in the city would be searching for her.

She peered round a corner and two Black Hats stood chit-chatting. There didn't seem any way out if she went back so she had to get past them somehow. She straightened her uniform, cleared her throat and walked round the corner.

One guard looked up. 'Excuse me, miss.'

Amy sped up and her walk turned into a jog.

'Hey you, stop,' the guard shouted.

Amy could hear the thud of army issue boots behind her as the heavy leather-gloved hand grabbed her shoulder. She stopped dead in her tracks, and her heart thudded in her chest as she turned round and looked at the floor. She could feel the sweat beading on her top lip and temples.

'I'm sorry, miss, but you dropped this,' the guard said handing her the security pass. 'Oh, and one more thing, do you really want to travel through space wearing your fluffy slippers?'

Amy looked down and sighed in relief. 'Thank you, it's been such a rush to get ready. I'll change them before boarding,' she said.

'No problem, miss. Security is heightened right now as you'll appreciate and you need to get on the next shuttle, you don't have long,' he said looking at his watch. 'The last non-military shuttle leaves in under one hour so please don't miss it.'

'Oh, OK I thought there was one after that. I'll make sure I catch it. I'll pack these away and ensure I'm ready on time,' she said lifting one foot up and waggling it about.

'I bet they're more comfy than these damn boots.' The guard smiled before turning around and walking back to his post.

Amy sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from her lip. She hurried along the corridor and glanced back a few times to make sure she wasn't being followed. She needed to try to find Carl and get out of the city and as far away as possible.

She tried the door handle of the first room she came across but it was locked. The next door was heavier, made of metal but opened easily. Inside the floors and walls were tiled white and on one wall were diagrams of the human body, and on the next were several cold storage drawers. In the middle of the room was a metal trolley with what appeared to be a body on it, covered in a white sheet. This looked and felt like a mortuary and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up.

She slowly walked towards the trolley and gripped the corner of the sheet between her thumb and forefinger. Peeling it back she could see the top of the head of an adult male of similar age to herself. She looked closer and saw marking and bruising around the forehead and temples then she dropped the sheet, reeling back in horror. She backed into a trolley of surgical instruments, pushing it over as she fell onto the floor, scattering them everywhere. It was Pete and he was barely recognisable through the swelling and bruising.

'Oh Pete,' she said as she got back to her feet.

The sound of heavy boots drew nearer. Amy opened the door just a crack and peered out. Six heavily armed guards jogged past. When the sound of their boots faded she stepped out into the corridor, looking left and right to check it was all clear.

The city loudspeaker system now started its countdown announcements. 'All civilian personnel should report to their designated shuttle bay. The last civilian shuttle will leave in forty minutes.'

Amy heard more footsteps and ducked inside another room, peering out through a tiny window. Carl appeared from around the corner frantically checking each door. 'Carl!' she shouted running out of the room. 'I can't believe it's you.'

'Amy!' Carl ran towards her and hugged her as tight as he could, then stepped away and put a hand on her tummy. 'Are you OK? Have they looked after you? Where's Pete?'

'Oh Carl, it's terrible, Pete's dead. He's on the mortuary trolley back there. They didn't even bother to bury him.'

Carl's heart sank and he looked at the floor. 'I feared the worst. Poor Pete, it's my fault, I should never have brought you both here.'

Amy shook her head. 'It's not your fault, Carl, once we learnt about this place there was no way we wouldn't come. Pete must have died shortly after we were captured. I hope he didn't suffer, he didn't deserve that.'

Carl walked down the corridor and slowly pushed open the door to the mortuary. Amy followed behind. He walked over to the trolley and carefully lifted the sheet back. 'Oh no, poor Pete,' he said gently stroking Pete's hair.

Peter's face and upper body were covered in cuts and bruises. His nose had been broken and many of his teeth were missing. His hands had also been heavily damaged. 'My God, I think they tortured him,' Carl said shaking his head.

Amy covered her mouth with her hands. 'We need to tell his mum that he's gone.'

'We don't have time now,' he said covering Pete's body with the sheet. 'I've got to get to the lower levels. The Cloud people want to destroy the city and everyone in it, that's why they're evacuating. If I can get access to the weapon I might be able to disable it.'

# Chapter Thirty-Two

Edmond sat in his quarters aboard the _Lasell_ , staring at his computer. The room was a good size and comfortable. It contained a foldaway bed, study desk, seating area and a dining table for informal dinners and meetings. A large rectangular window looked out onto the black void of space. He scanned the various communication messages for any major issues and compared the plan for the day with how things were happening in real time. All the provisions were on board and most of the citizens. The plan that had taken many months of development was working as intended.

The radio burst into life. 'Edmond, are you there, please?'

'Yes, I am, go ahead.'

'This is Doctor Russell, Consultant Physician in the medical lab. We have a situation with our subjects.'

'I'll be right there,' Edmond replied.

The medical level was on a lower deck and was easily reached using one of several elevators placed around the craft.

Edmond used his pass to open the outer door, then the inner door of the airlock leading into the lab. 'Status report,' he said.

Doctor Russell was slim and in her early thirties with red hair tied back into a ponytail. She adjusted her glasses as she leaned over the first anthropoid container, where the lid was now open. 'We've lost one, Edmond; it died about fifteen minutes ago.'

Edmond removed his glasses and looked into the pod. The former crew member lay there with its head tilted to one side. The colour of the skin had turned grey and the various monitors attached to its body showed no sign of a heartbeat or brain activity.

'How did this happen?' Edmond asked.

'It showed signs of illness as soon as we boarded the ship,' the doctor said. 'We tried to keep it stable and attempted to introduce fluids intravenously. It started crashing rapidly, but it was no good. We tried everything but we're not sure what we're dealing with here.'

Edmond sighed. 'Right, looks like you did everything you could. They shouldn't be alive anyway considering the things they've experienced. It was fascinating watching them heal and develop, and I've noticed that they've changed more since I saw them last.'

'There is something else,' the doctor said pointing. 'The other subjects are beginning to wake up.'

'How is this possible?' he said looking into the containers of the others.

The doctor looked at the clipboard she was carrying. 'We've noticed a rapid increase in brain activity since that one died, plus some subtle body movements. If you look at number three, it's opening and closing its hand to make a fist. It does this several times each minute.'

'Why would it do that?'

Doctor Russell shook her head. 'We don't know. It could be a sign of aggression, some kind of self-defence mechanism kicking in, or maybe it's trying to communicate.'

Edmond folded his arms and stroked his chin. 'Whatever's happening we have to put the security of this ship first. Arrange disposal of the dead one. Don't incinerate it; jettison it from the ship in a regulation coffin. Get the pastor to say a few words too, out of respect for the person it once was, and the sacrifice they made.'

'Yes, Edmond I'll get right on it.'

'Don't be in here alone either. I want two guards posted inside this room and two outside. Whenever you enter the lab, do so with another physician.'

'Even if they do become conscious they won't get out of those metal boxes. They're armour plated with quarter-inch-thick glass,' the doctor said.

'I'm aware of how strong the boxes are, Doctor, but imagine waking up after this mission in a coffin with doctors looking in at you. I'm sure you'd be pretty upset if you couldn't get out. The last thing we need is naked ape-like creatures with the strength of ten men running around the ship creating havoc.'

'Agreed. I'm sure we can handle whatever they bring our way,' the doctor said.

Edmond nodded. 'I'm sure we can but I don't want to take any risks. If we have to lose them then so be it. I won't jeopardise the ship and everyone on it for the sake of our curiosity,' he said pointing to a large door at the far end of the lab. 'That's the door for the airlock leading to the loading bay, isn't it?'

The physician nodded. 'It is, we can load and unload from that point without subjecting the rest of the ship to any potential toxins or bacteria.'

'Right, good,' Edmond said walking over and placing a hand on the airlock door. 'If they do wake up and we can't contain them then this is your last resort. Clear the lab and lock the other doors leading to the rest of the ship, then remotely open their container doors, if needed. At the same time open both of these airlock doors and vent them into space, understand?'

The doctor walked over to the doors. 'Will that work? Aren't they designed to open one at a time?'

'Quite right they are, but if the doors leading to the ship are sealed, they can be opened for maintenance reasons, I believe. I'll have to double-check with Captain O'Connor but I'm sure it can be done. It may mean overriding the door security from the bridge.'

Captain O'Connor entered the lab. 'What's going on? I heard your call to Edmond, Doctor.'

'Good timing, Captain,' Edmond said. 'There appears to be some development with our anthropoids. We've lost one for reasons yet to be established, but the others may be waking up.'

O'Connor walked over to the oblong boxes. 'I don't understand. Their development can't be complete yet; they still don't have fully formed eyes or any obvious ways to breathe.'

'Whatever's happening, it's greatly accelerated their brain activity and caused them to become aware,' the doctor said. 'It seems to be linked to their arrival on the ship and your recent engine tests.'

O'Connor frowned. 'You think the gravity drive is waking them up?'

The doctor checked the charts attached to her clipboard. 'We can't be sure but it's possible. We still don't fully understand what effects the gravity drive has on humans. It may have a subtle effect on us but a more dramatic one on them. Either way they're showing signs that they're aware of their surroundings.'

The captain shook his head. 'Edmond, I'm sorry but I think it's a mistake having these on board. I know you're keen to see how they develop and I have to agree it's a fascinating thing to watch, however the risk is too great to the ship. I can't allow them to stay on board if there is even a slight chance that our safety will be compromised.'

Edmond held a hand up. 'I totally agree, safety and security have to be our main priority. I was going to speak to you about a new security protocol, Captain. I've asked the doctor to take emergency measures if there is any sign that our friends here could escape. Is it possible to seal the main doors of the lab and open both airlocks, venting them to the outside?'

'It's possible yes,' O'Connor said walking around the lab. 'It requires the authorisation from us both to counter a bunch of security protocols, and we could only do it from the bridge. But opening both airlocks while the ship is travelling close to the speed of light is not only reckless, it's downright dangerous. This lab is on the starboard side of the ship, facing forward. Opening the doors will suck anything out that isn't nailed down. Once the pressure of this room is removed then anything on the outside could be forced in and the walls of the lab don't have the shielding of the outer hull. The internal structure could be compromised and I won't allow it.'

'And that's why we have a knowledgeable captain,' Edmond said rubbing his eyes. 'But what do you suggest?'

O'Connor folded his arms. 'There's really no choice but to get rid of them before we start our journey. The doctor should put them to sleep humanely and painlessly and we should give them a burial in space. We'll also give them the proper ceremony, of course, in recognition of their great sacrifice.'

Edmond looked at the floor. 'No I can't order that, any more than I could do it to you or any of our crew. It goes against everything we work for. They took a huge risk and I want to give them a fighting chance.'

The captain nodded. 'OK, Edmond, have it your way, but all I ask is that you double the guards and terminate them by any available means if they start to pose a risk.'

'Agreed,' Edmond said looking at the doctor.

'I'll make sure we post a security team outside at all times and we'll terminate them humanely if possible,' Doctor Russell said.

'Thank you, Doctor, and thank you Captain, now if you'll excuse me I have many things to attend to as I'm sure both of you do too,' Edmond said.

# Chapter Thirty-Three

Carl pushed open the door to the stairwell and leaned over the railings, looking up and down. There were no Black Hats in sight so he grabbed Amy's hand and started to descend the stairs. It would take longer to get to the weapon level this way but using the elevator was too risky as there were still patrols in the city.

'Wait,' Amy said after a short while, holding the side railing and gripping her abdomen. 'I can't go any further, I'm in pain.'

'OK, let's rest for a moment,' Carl said. 'We're nearly there anyway.'

Amy walked much slower down the remaining stairs as Carl walked in front of her, holding her hand. As they approached the weapons level, the fresh cool air they'd been breathing was replaced with hot polluted air, pumped into this level from outside to cool the reactor and fuel cells of the device. They both coughed and wiped their watering eyes.

At the bottom of the stairs was a large metal door with a small electronic numerical keypad on the right-hand side. It had a radiation warning sign hanging above it and one small window gave a view into the area within. It was a large hangar-type space with high ceilings. Pipes of all shapes and sizes ran around the walls and huge metallic storage tanks sat in each corner. In the middle of this area was another small room. It was made of glass or plastic and was completely see-through on all sides. Sitting in the middle of the floor was the device, a round hunk of metal covered in lights and wires about the size of an oil drum. Standing outside of the room were two heavily armed soldiers.

'We'll never get past them,' Amy said as she sat down on the last step.

'We've got to,' Carl said. 'If we don't do something now everything will be gone, including us. We need to create a diversion and get one of the guards to open this door.'

Carl looked around. In the corner of the stairwell was a fire hose and within a glass case an axe. Using his elbow he smashed the glass and unfastened the axe from its holding straps. 'I'll bang the door and attract their attention. You look through the window and call them over. Hopefully just one will come as they won't want to leave the bomb unattended. When he approaches the door run up the stairs and call for help. He'll hopefully open the door and follow you. I'll do the rest.'

Amy nodded and stood on her tiptoes to peer through the glass. Carl took the blunt end of the axe and hit the metal door hard three times. The metallic thuds echoed up the stairwell and seemed to resonate through the whole city. The two guards looked at each other as Amy beckoned them over with her hand.

'One of them is coming,' she said.

'OK, start making your way up the stairs and keep calling him,' Carl said hiding himself beneath the stairs.

The door control beeped twice as the electronic lock disengaged with a heavy clunk. Carl's heart pounded in his chest and sweat dripped onto the blade of the fire axe. He had one chance to take the guard by surprise, one chance to swing the axe as hard and as accurately as he could. If he missed, it would be all over for everyone.

The guard stepped through the doorway. 'Who is that? What are you still doing here? The last civilian shuttle is about to leave,' he said as he placed a foot on the first step. He gripped the stock of his weapon and craned his neck to see up the stairs.

'Please come quick, please help,' Amy shouted.

Carl flexed his fingers and gripped the axe handle tight. He took a deep breath then rushed out from under the stairs, took four steps and swung the heavy weapon high and hard with all the strength he could muster. The sharp silver blade crashed into the Black Hat's right shoulder sending him reeling as he crumpled onto the floor screaming in agony. Carl raised the axe again and brought it down with all his might as it smashed through the guard's helmet and silenced his cries. Carl stepped back and released the handle of the axe, which was still buried in the guard's skull.

Amy stood at the top of the stairs with her hand covering her mouth then frantically pointed towards the door. The second guard had been alerted by the screams and was now running in their direction.

Carl pulled the machine gun off the dead body and aimed it at the doorway. He gripped the stock with one hand and held the short barrel with the other. Adrenalin surged through his arteries and he could feel his knees and arms shaking.

The guard ran into the stairwell as Carl pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. The trigger was stiff and there was no click. Carl stared at the gun then back at the guard as time seemed to slow down. There was nothing he could do but wait for the shot as the guard raised his weapon. He pulled the trigger and there was a loud clunk, but no shot. The guard's gun had jammed and he frantically pulled at the bolt action trying to free the stuck round. Carl looked at the gun he was holding and noticed that the safety lever was still engaged. He flicked the lever and pulled at the trigger. A short and deafening burst of three shots rang out hitting the guard in his mid-section. His body stiffened as he fell backwards, dead before he hit the floor.

'Oh my God,' Amy said, her ears ringing from the noise.

Carl took the extra magazines from the body. 'Let's be quick, I don't think there's much time,' he said.

Amy ran down the stairs and stepped over the two bodies. She tried to avoid the growing pool of scarlet-coloured blood but one foot stepped in it. Carl took her hand and helped her into the weapon room. He slung the machine gun over his shoulder and walked towards the square glass box holding the bomb. It appeared to be made from one huge thick piece of laminated glass. He rapped his knuckles against it and felt the solid mass. The only place that the glass did not seem to be in one piece was a door. To the right of it was a keypad and he punched in various combinations of four-digit codes but the door remained firmly locked.

Suddenly an automated computerised countdown message blared out over a loudspeaker, together with a loud siren. _All military personnel to the final shuttle. The final shuttle will leave in 15 minutes. The city will be destroyed in 60 minutes. The option to override the detonation will expire in 15 minutes._

Carl took the machine gun off his shoulder. 'Step back, I need to try and get through this thing.'

Amy closed her eyes and shielded her ears as Carl raised the weapon and fired a short burst at the glass. The bullets ricocheted off and left no impact. He then hit the control keypad with the butt of the weapon but the keypad was undamaged and the door remained firmly shut.

'We can't get to it, can we?' she said.

Carl looked around. 'I don't think we can. This chamber is designed to keep everyone out when the bomb's armed.'

He ran back to where he'd killed the Black Hats and grabbed the axe, then ran back into the bomb room and looked at the mass of pipes running around the walls and disappearing into shiny metal tanks.

'These have got to be something to do with the weapon,' he said gripping the axe with both hands.

He took a swing at one of the storage tanks and made a dent in it. He took another swing and ruptured the outer shell. Water started to gush out and spread rapidly across the floor.

'If we can't damage it, we'll drown it,' Carl said.

He took more swings at the other tanks and the pipes that ran around the walls, causing more coolant to gush out. They were now ankle-deep in water and Carl noticed that water was beginning to seep through into the bomb chamber and pool around the foot of the device.

'Will that be enough?' she said.

'No idea, but it's the best we can do. We can't do much more, let's get out of here. We need to get as far away as we can. If we can't beat them then we'll try and make sure they don't win,' he said grabbing Amy by the hand.

# Chapter Thirty-Four

Carl pushed open a heavy iron door that led into the detention area, a long dimly lit corridor with prison cells on either side. Riot control gear, such as helmets, shields and batons hung on the wall just inside, and small black and white CCTV monitors built into the wall gave grainy views of the area from different angles. A small table and chair was where the guard sat and on the table was a newspaper, mug of coffee and a half-eaten sandwich. The smell of humans who were kept like animals was overwhelming. Someone had left the area in a hurry.

'This must be the detention area,' Carl said.

Moaning and crying came from the first cell as they slowly walked towards it. There was no choice but to go through the prison block to get out of the building. As they passed cell number one they could see someone chained to the wall in the shadows. Carl stepped closer and looked through the bars. A large figure was chained star-shaped to rings on the wall by his wrists and ankles. His face was so swollen and covered in blood it was hard to tell if he was alive or dead.

'Carl, help me,' the man mumbled as blood-red saliva dribbled and hung from his mouth.

Carl looked closer and pulled at the bars but the door was locked. 'Thomas?'

The man nodded slowly. 'I'm sorry, Carl.'

Amy looked around for the door release but couldn't see it. She could hear the sound of Black Hat boots outside and shut the main door, sliding the large metal bolt across. The Black Hats started hitting the metallic door with the butt of their rifles, creating a deafening clanging noise.

'We need to get out of here,' she said.

Carl looked around frantically for the door release control as other prisoners were now pushing their arms through the bars and becoming more vocal.

'Amy?' the voice said from further down. 'Amy, is that you?'

Amy slowly walked down the corridor towards the voice, avoiding the outreached arms of the other inmates. She looked into the cell and saw a thin man with a long beard sitting on the floor, covered in blood. He dragged himself along the cell floor and into a pool of light and gripped the bars with both hands as he looked up.

'Dad?' she said.

'Amy,' he whispered. 'It is you, what are you doing here?'

'I can't believe it, I thought you were dead,' she said squatting down and holding his hand through the bars.

'They've as good as killed me. What's left is just an empty shell, but I'm glad I lived long enough to see your beautiful face again. You know you'll always be my baby.'

Tears flowed down Amy's cheeks and dripped onto the floor. 'Come with us, I'll get you out of here.'

'It's too late for me now, save yourself.'

Carl found the door release. Each cell was controlled by a button beneath a light. There was also a master button to open all cells at the same time.

'Open cell forty-two,' Amy shouted.

Carl searched the array of lights and buttons. 'OK, I'll try and find it.'

Sparks began to appear on the inside of the metal door as the Black Hats outside started to cut their way through the bolt. Carl hit the button underneath number forty-two, then ran down the corridor as the cell door gave a clunk then slid open.

'Carl, this is my dad,' Amy said.

Carl knelt down and extended his hand. 'I'm pleased to meet you, sir. Please come with us, we don't have much time.'

A frail bloody hand accepted the handshake. 'Nice to meet you, son, you can call me Bernard.'

The other inmates now started to shout and scream, begging to be released.

'We've not got much time, they're almost through the bolt,' Carl said helping Bernard to stand up.

'Give me that, son,' Bernard said pointing to the machine gun slung over Carl's shoulder. 'You get her out of here and look after her and I'll delay them for as long as I can.'

Amy threw her arms around her dad. 'I want you to come with us, I want to save you.'

Bernard squeezed her tight. 'You already have.'

Carl handed the machine gun to Bernard and took Amy's hand. 'Let's go, quick, they're coming through.'

The cutting tools had turned the inside of the metal door white-hot as the Black Hats were almost through the main bolt.

'Dad, I can't leave you,' she said crying as Carl pulled her away.

Bernard readied the machine gun and limped to the top end of the detention level. The regular beatings and cramped cell had taken their toll on him. He located the main button to open all of the cell doors and pressed it. 'Go now, please,' he shouted as each cell door slowly slid open, one after the other.

Carl pulled Amy through the fire escape doorway at the other end of the room as the Black Hats burst through the main door. Amy looked back as the other inmates poured out of their cells and ran for the main door shrieking and screaming.

Bernard opened fire, felling the first two Black Hats. The crowd of inmates behind him surged past and into a hail of bullets.

Amy gripped the door frame as Carl tried to pull her through. She couldn't take her eyes off her father. Bernard glanced back and signalled for them to keep moving as more Black Hats poured through the door and cut him down with machine gun fire.

'No!' Amy screamed as Carl pulled her arm away from the door. They continued to make their way through the lower levels of the city towards the exit. Amy sobbed uncontrollably but continued forward knowing it was their only chance of escape.

The computerised voice blared out over the speaker. _The option to override detonation has now expired. The city will be destroyed in 45 minutes._

Carl led Amy by the hand lower down the city levels until they came to a long corridor which appeared to be a dead end apart from the doors to an elevator. 'We'll need to take a risk and take this as it looks like the only way out. We won't have time to go back,' he said.

_The city will be destroyed in 30 minutes_ , the loudspeaker shrieked.

'We'll never make it,' Amy said. 'We'll never get far enough away from the city.'

Carl hit the basement level button and the elevator descended. 'We're going to try, that's all we can do,' he said as they exited into the basement.

Rows and rows of military vehicles were parked in an underground storage garage for the Black Hats' water cannon and riot control trucks. Carl yanked open the door of a small two-man patrol car but the keys were missing. He moved onto the next, which was a larger armour-plated riot control vehicle complete with green and black camouflage paintwork, rugged terrain tyres and roof-mounted machine gun. The keys were still in the ignition.

'Do you know how to drive these things?' Amy asked.

'Jump in,' Carl said. 'Do you remember when Cody stole that vehicle about a year back? He showed me how easy they are to drive. It's just getting used to the steering.'

He turned the ignition on but nothing happened. He tried again but it was dead and wasn't going anywhere. 'Damn it, I wonder if they disabled all their vehicles.'

Amy looked in the mirror to see if they had been followed. 'Hurry up, we haven't got time for this.'

Carl tried again, the engine turned over and burst into life as a cloud of black smoke filled the rear-view mirror.

_The city will explode in 20 minutes_ , the electronic voice said as the sirens continued to wail.

Carl tried to move the gearstick into the drive position. As he did the vehicle lunged backwards and hit a concrete pillar sending masonry and dust crashing down onto the roof.

'Damn it, I'm sorry,' he said.

Amy looked at him in horror. 'You need to work that out really quick or we're dead.'

Carl pushed the stick into the correct drive position and pushed his foot to the floor. The large chunky tyres screeched and produced a cloud of white smoke as they gained traction and propelled the riot truck forward. He gripped the steering wheel as the vehicle lurched right then left throwing them both sideways. The steering was heavy and unfamiliar but he managed to keep it straight and followed the painted lines on the floor leading to the exit.

'The door's closed,' Amy said noticing the heavy metal security shutters were still down.

'It's now or never, hold on,' Carl said as he pressed the accelerator to the floor.

Amy gripped the edge of her seat with both hands. 'Oh no!'

The riot truck hit the metal security door with a loud crash and broke through it sending shards of metal corrugated sheeting in all directions. The bright light of the outside temporarily dazzled both of them as the truck sped up the ramp leading to the dirt road. Carl swung a hard left and headed for the projects.

Amy looked over her shoulder. 'You're going the wrong way, we'll never make it.'

Hundreds of Wretches filled the streets and it seemed like the whole town was on fire. Rocks bounced off the truck as it tried to pick its way through the crowds as the mob turned its anger towards the truck.

'They're going to lynch us if they get hold of us. They think we're Black Hats,' Carl said as he turned into the street near his house. Every shack and makeshift shelter was ablaze and he could no longer pick out his own house. His attempt to rescue his mum had failed so he hit the accelerator and headed towards Amy's area. As they rounded the corner the situation was much the same with every shack burning in one big street-sized furnace with no hope of anyone being left alive.

Amy put her head in her hands as she now knew she'd lost her mum and dad today. 'Let's get out of here, please.'

A Wretch leapt onto the bonnet of the truck and started to smash a metal pipe into the windscreen. Amy screamed as Carl accelerated then braked hard to throw the attacker off. He pushed his foot to the floor and headed for the perimeter fence, building as much speed as he could while avoiding the mass of bodies. He maintained a steady course as the perimeter gate approached. Nobody that they knew had ever ventured outside of the city and depending on which folklore you believed, the outside was toxic and full of two-headed monsters. Any attempt to explore the outer reaches was met with instant death. Nobody had ever left and returned and even the tower dwellers had stopped their outside reconnaissance missions many decades ago.

The tall steel double gates approached. The guard towers either side, from which so many citizens had been cut down during their hopeless escape attempts, were now empty. 'Hold on, this is the last gate,' Carl said as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Amy covered her head with both hands.

The truck smashed through the gate shattering the remainder of the windscreen. Twisted metal fragments littered the road behind as the truck thundered into the unknown. The headlights were broken and the front of the vehicle was bent and twisted from the impact.

Amy lowered her hands and glanced at the road in front of them. 'Where does this lead to?'

'No idea but anywhere away from that place has got to be good.'

Carl continued to drive and kept looking in the rear-view mirror for signs of the explosion. He could see smoke rising but wasn't sure if that was the bomb or a fire that had broken out.

# Chapter Thirty-Five

Captain O'Connor checked his watch and made his way along the ship's main corridor to the observation deck. The cleansing had started and the ship's scanners had already detected a large explosion and elevated atmospheric radiation readings. However, this situation needed eyes on before he could report a successful detonation to Edmond, and the only way to do that was by looking to see the scale of the damage and how the cloud of dust and debris was spreading. If successful the city and everyone within a hundred miles should have been vaporised in a fiery explosion. Beyond that for another hundred miles, most things on the surface would be destroyed in the blast or ignite from the intense heat. The weapon would throw enough radioactive dirt and dust into the atmosphere that a deadly cloud would drift around the globe, blocking the sun and creating a toxic cocktail drifting in the air and falling in the rain.

The observation deck was a large area with a complement of six. On three sides of the room large floor-to-ceiling windows looked out onto Earth and the void beyond. On the fourth wall banks of screens showed a constant stream of data that the ship's navigation computers would digest and use to stay on course. It was also where the calculations for collision avoidance were made. The _Lasell_ had a database of every planet and moon on its intended course, also known asteroids and pieces of space debris. The ship could make tiny adjustments early in its journey to avoid objects many billions of miles away. The vast expanse of space became a smaller overcrowded place with many obstacles the faster you travelled.

'Status report,' O'Connor barked.

'Sir, you need to see this for yourself,' Midshipman Cline said.

Cline was a tall, skinny, willowy figure with thinning blonde hair and a pale complexion. His light blue overalls denoted his senior rank and area of expertise.

'Is that good news or bad news?' O'Connor asked.

Cline slowly shook his head. 'I'm not quite sure it's the effect we required, sir.'

O'Connor approached the array of high-powered optical telescopes and chose the medium-sized one. The light bucket with its large mirror gave a crisp, clear image that couldn't be affected by digital screens or computer programs. It was like looking through a clear magnified window. He closed his left eye and pressed the right one to the telescope's eyepiece. Using his right hand he caressed the focuser to bring the city into sharp detail.

'Damn it,' O'Connor said stepping back from the optics. 'Detonation occurred right on time but it doesn't look like it was fully successful. There's no chain reaction and the cloud is too small, nothing is reaching the upper atmosphere.'

Cline stepped closer. 'Does that mean it hasn't worked? Can't we leave as scheduled?'

'It means Edmond won't be happy and we won't be going anywhere unless we fix this,' O'Connor said shaking his head. 'I told him this carried too many risks. Leaving the city unguarded and risking the Wretches overrunning it while we're stuck up here. There were better ways to achieve our goals but he never listens.'

'How else could we have done it?' Cline asked.

'A weapon launched from space was my preference. Nobody could tamper with it and we could have targeted the city within five miles or so which was close enough. But Edmond insisted that the city should be the weapon, a throwback maybe to the way the ancients used to defend their outposts. Once you're overrun you can destroy the place and take all your enemies with it. Too much sickly sentimentality for the way it was rather than looking forward and the way it could be.'

Cline nodded. His understanding of the ship's navigation systems didn't help him understand how the weapon worked. He was a data guy and presented accurate information for those higher in power to use.

They both walked over to the wall screens and Cline pulled up a zoomed-in digital image of the towers and the surrounding area. 'Only half of the buildings have been destroyed in the blast and there are other issues. Look at this,' he said switching the camera to infrared. 'The Wretches are on the move. Thousands of them are leaving the camps and heading for the city.'

O'Connor shook his head and stared at the view in front of him. The remainder of humanity was on the move, leaving the camps and heading for the Crystal Towers, and there was nothing they could do from up here. 'This is unfortunate but not unexpected,' he said leaning on a table with both hands. 'With the city empty and nothing to stop them they'll take advantage for sure, but they'll just act like savages and loot and burn the place, then turn on each other.'

'Do you think the Wretches damaged the bomb?' Cline asked.

'It's possible but the device is well protected within an impregnable strongroom and once it's sealed nobody can enter. It's also guarded by Black Hats who won't leave the city until the last minute. Problem is the weapon relies on outside resources, such as power and coolant to fully function. Not a great design but the best we could do with our ever-diminishing resources. I come back to my original statement. A weapon launched from above the atmosphere was always the best option.'

'Yes, sir, but how else will we complete our mission?'

O'Connor walked towards the doorway, paused for a moment and looked back towards Cline. 'Plan B. When Plan A fails we use Plan B.'

Cline nodded slowly. 'I'll keep the data flowing and wait for your orders, sir.'

# Chapter Thirty-Six

The central area of the Crystal Towers smouldered in the blazing afternoon sun. Thick plumes of black, acrid smoke billowed from the pile of steel, concrete and melted glass. Only the few towers on the edge of the complex were now standing although most of them had had the windows blown out from the force of the bomb. Fires broke out randomly from the intense heat and everything near the core of the weapon melted creating a stream of molten material that meandered through the ruins like a flow of radioactive lava. Burning paper and material drifted down creating a fiery rain, igniting anything it fell on.

A large group of ragged hungry people slowly made their way down the rubble-filled street towards the perimeter fencing. Two young men picked up the pace and started to jog, leaving the large mass behind them. They looked in all directions for incoming sentry drones but none were about. They both started to run as fast as they could and then jumped onto the chain-link fence, climbing frantically. A machine gun turret placed in a guard tower nearby spun round and pointed at the intruders then spun away. The damage had wrecked the central computers and without the correct instructions the turrets were just dumb chunks of metal.

The remainder of the large crowd arrived and pushed and pulled at the fencing. It held firm for a while until its concrete posts were significantly loosened and gave way, causing the barrier to fall forward crashing to the ground as thousands of people started to run across it. They were screaming and shouting and looking for two things: food and revenge.

Higher up in one of the remaining towers the surviving drones sat in their docking stations overlooking the city. They beeped and whistled as they waited for the command to attack but it never came. All communication within the city seemed lost and everything electrical was losing power and malfunctioning. The drones followed their last known instruction, which was to return to their lofty positions and wait.

Smaller groups of people broke away and clambered into and over the channels and ditches designed to slow down unauthorised vehicles. Several explosions showered people with dirt and shrapnel as the unlucky ones ran across randomly placed land mines. Dismembered body parts were now strewn across the landscape but each land mine that exploded created a safe way through for the person behind.

Felix hit the dirt as another hidden trap cut down a person near to him. The boom was deafening and he felt disorientated as his hearing shut down only to be replaced by a loud ringing noise. Dirt and blood fell on top of him like rain. At 18 years of age he was relatively young and fit and nothing was going to stop his chance of gathering food and supplies from the abandoned city. He wiped his matted and bloody long brown hair from his face and got back up, running in the direction of yet another fence. This fence was smaller and he knelt down beside it and pulled out his wire cutters. He made quick work of cutting a hole, which he clambered through, and could feel others behind him also trying to claw their way through. He was stuck halfway with the weight of a larger man on his legs so he kicked out several times, hitting the guy square in the face, which gave him the leverage to get all the way through. It was becoming a desperate race to try to grab the good stuff, if anything was left.

Felix got back up and dusted off the dirt then started running towards the remaining towers on the right-hand side. He stopped running when he reached a patio area where ornate fountains trickled water and marble statues adorned the walkways. Compared to where he lived it looked like paradise, even if much of it was now being covered with a slowly descending fall of ash and soot. He wiped the black sludge from his face and walked through a set of open double doors, finding himself in a huge concourse. The white marble floor and strategically placed palm trees were like nothing he'd ever seen. The air was much cooler and he could feel his sweat-soaked brow beginning to dry. He looked up to view the broken glass ceiling several floors up. The burning sun created kaleidoscope patterns on the walls and strange mythical beasts were painted on the walls below. Perhaps they were creatures that roamed the earth before the wars or just a figment of some artist's overactive imagination.

The sound behind him grew louder as hundreds of people now headed his way. He closed his eyes and took a long deep breath, enjoying the beauty and tranquillity one last time. As the mob burst through the open doorway he picked up a metal pole from the floor and smashed it into a nearby sculpture of an old bearded man. The head came off in one piece and rolled across the floor as he continued to swing at the base of the ornament. His hatred for the Cloud people was overspilling and if he couldn't take his revenge out on them, he would destroy everything they created.

He got knocked over in the melee as people frantically searched for food. Some were drinking water from the fountains but then being violently sick afterwards. A smaller group noticed a store that sold food and they ran towards it, fighting each other with iron bars and knives. One man made it inside but had killed three to get there first. Another group piled into the store and stabbed the man to death while they pulled items off the shelves and into their bags. It was becoming a bloodbath and a dangerous place to be.

Felix got up and decided to leave the madness behind. He made his way deeper into the city to look for food and to wreak his own havoc.

# Chapter Thirty-Seven

O'Connor opened the outer door to Edmond's private quarters without knocking.

Edmond sat at his desk and stopped in mid flow, staring wide-eyed. 'This had better be important.'

'It's failed, Edmond. Primary detonation occurred but secondary detonation and chain reaction failed. We've got a partially destroyed city, no mass destruction and the Wretches are on the move.'

Edmond rubbed his face as his neck slowly turned purple. 'What the hell went wrong?' he said thumping the desk.

'We're not sure, technical malfunction possibly, but all systems were online when we checked. It's also possible that the Wretches made it into the city and caused some damage to the electrical and cooling systems. That was always a risk as I've previously pointed out.'

'Maybe some of our friends from within? I gave specific instructions for the inmates to be terminated and the city should have been completely cleared before detonation.'

O'Connor stood with his hands behind his back. 'As far as we know we have a full complement of people. All shuttles docked as planned and there wasn't anyone left. Several Black Hats were killed during the termination of the prison level, which I believe you were notified about, but the rest made it on board.'

'What termination of the prison level? Edmond said frowning. 'I gave strict instructions for the gas to be used. It was the safest and most humane way to do it.'

O'Connor stepped closer. 'From what I understand there was a breakout which had to be dealt with by force. We lost some Black Hats but everyone was terminated as requested. The remaining guards made it back on the last shuttle. Maybe you weren't told because it wasn't deemed important enough.'

'More likely my orders to gas them weren't carried out and someone tried to cover it up. I'll get to the bottom of this in time and if this caused the weapon's malfunction, heads will roll. We've come a long way and put in a lot of time and effort to get where we are, for it to be derailed by someone's insubordination.'

O'Connor leaned on the desk. 'Do you think we have a traitor?'

Edmond shook his head. 'I don't know but I hope not. I've been very careful who we bring into our world but it's always possible we have a bad apple.'

'We know the boy and the pregnant girl made it to the detention level but as far as we can tell they got caught up in the rioting down there and were subdued.'

Edmond removed his glasses. 'That's one real regret I have. We needed her if we were going to ensure our population grew in the future. We have samples of her blood which will help a great deal but I needed a live subject that could give us a constant supply of blood. We were so close to understanding her natural immunity.'

'Well, they perished as far as we know along with all the other prisoners,' O'Connor said.

Edmond replaced his glasses. 'What about Icarus?'

O'Connor nodded. 'It appears to be still online but you know as well as I do it relies on old-fashioned cooling methods. If the mob breached the catacombs then who knows what will happen.'

Edmond adjusted his glasses on his nose and turned round in his chair. 'Our ancestors built Icarus for one reason and one reason only. In a moment when all was lost and the city and everything around it needed destroying, several bombs hidden deep underground would vaporise all above. They are ancient and crude weapons but they do work and they will cleanse the Wretches. Unfortunately they won't bring the nuclear winter we hoped for but they are better than nothing.'

'But, Edmond, what's the point? If we return here in thousands of years only to find others have developed a highly organised society, they'll swat us like flies or look upon us like ancient explorers of no real importance.'

'Trust me, there are no others outside,' Edmond said. 'There's now only a population of Wretches who will die of hunger or disease, that's if they don't kill each other first.'

O'Connor turned his palms up. 'But how can we really be sure? Just because we've not heard any radio traffic doesn't mean there aren't pockets of people somewhere. You know as well as I do, a small number of humans will multiply rapidly over a few hundred or even thousands of years. We are going to return to our Eden only to find well-ordered societies with superior weapons and we won't be able to defeat them.'

'The only thing that defeats us is your glass half full attitude,' Edmond said getting up from his chair. 'I'm sick and tired of your complaining and your lack of belief in what we are trying to achieve. We have a date with destiny and we are going to keep it with or without your blessing. Eden is out there, somewhere in the future. We only have to travel forward and grasp it with both hands.'

'O'Connor stepped back, realising he had angered Edmond. 'Yes, I fully understand.'

'But do you? Do you still want to be part of our great plan or would you prefer me to send you back down to our friends? I'm sure they'd be pleased to see you, or you could take your chances outside the walls?'

'No, Edmond I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm fully behind your plans. I was just airing some concerns but I'm happy now that you've corrected me.'

'Good, now let's not have any more wavering. Prepare Icarus.'

# Chapter Thirty-Eight

Felix made his way down the dimly lit corridor as the noise of the melee behind him tailed off into the distance. The strip lights on the ceiling flickered as the city's damaged power supply struggled to generate enough electricity, and dust hung in the air from the rubble that lay scattered over the floor from the damaged building.

He tried the handle of each door as he neared the end of the hallway. All were either locked or blocked with debris from fallen ceilings and items disturbed during the blast. At the end of the corridor was a locked door with a small window. Felix looked through and saw it led to another corridor, in much better shape than the one he was in. He tried the handle but the door was locked. At the side was a keypad so he punched in random numbers, but the door remained firmly shut.

Looking around on the floor he found a short but heavy metal bar that must have broken away from something structural, as it still had a bracket and two twisted bolts attached to it. He held it in both hands and smashed it into the keypad, which shattered in a shower of sparks. But the door still didn't open. He took one end of the bar, which was slightly tapered, and rammed it between the door frame and the door itself in an attempt to jemmy it open. The wooden door surround cracked and splintered and eventually gave way allowing the door to swing open.

Felix walked through the doorway and into a relatively untouched corridor. He tried the first door on the right and it opened with ease. Inside were racks with neat piles of linen on them and hanging on a rail were military-style jackets, and boots of various sizes sat on the floor. He pulled off his old footwear and tossed it into a corner. After trying a few pairs on he finally found a pair of black leather boots that fitted, so he threaded the laces through the eyelets and did them up in a knot. These would make the journey over building material and rough ground much easier. He then pulled over all of the racks, which crashed down onto the floor spilling their contents. He was determined to destroy as much as he could before the others found their way deeper into the city.

Felix tried the handle of the next door but it was locked. He took a step back, raised his boot and kicked at the lock, but it didn't budge. He tried again, kicking harder and the lock snapped sending the door flying open and banging into the wall behind it.

His mouth dropped open as he stood in the doorway looking into the large room. A huge arsenal of weapons filled the walls, including assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles and rocket launchers. At the end of the room was a waist-high metal cabinet with double doors. He walked in and turned around full circle. Every inch of space was taken up with military hardware and only a walkway in the middle of the floor could be accessed. He'd never seen such a large collection of weapons and everything seemed new and unused. The Cloud people must have taken all the resources they could carry and left behind those that they couldn't, even if they were expensive and rare like these were.

On the wall was a sheet of paper asking for anyone who took a weapon to make sure they signed it in and out. This looked like an armoury for the Black Hats. It was a well-ordered stockroom for their lethal weapons.

Felix walked over to the metal cabinet and picked up one of several boxes piled up on top. He opened the lid and inside was a brand new automatic pistol. It smelt of gun metal and oil and looked like it had been precision engineered. He'd never seen anything quite like it. The only weapon he'd ever held was an old model revolver that his father used to own, which fired home-made bullets that were neither accurate nor reliable. He took the weapon out of the box and held it. He levelled his arm and pointed the gun at the wall, closing one eye as he looked down the sight. It felt heavy but comfortable and was perfectly weighted and balanced. He found boxes of bullets in the metal cabinet and loaded the magazine with a full eight rounds, then tried the mechanism and safety catch.

'Nice stash you've got here, bro,' the voice said.

Felix spun round and pointed the gun at the Wretch standing in the doorway. He was about 30, bald with a spilt lip, bruised eye and a torn, blood-soaked shirt.

'Easy, cowboy,' the Wretch said holding his hands up. 'I'm just here for the same reason as you are, and you sure can't carry all this good stuff yourself, now can you?'

Felix's heart began to race. He'd no idea if the weapon would fire or how to use it correctly.

The Wretch stepped into the room. 'I'm not here to hurt anyone who doesn't want to hurt me. I'm just trying to survive like everyone else. All I want is a couple of them assault rifles and I'll be on my merry way,' he said looking down at a loaded revolver on a nearby table.

Felix gripped the gun tighter. 'Step away from the table and get out.'

The man took another step forward. 'Really, son, do you know what you're doing with that? Any idea what it's like to put lead into another person, to take a life just because you can? Like it or not, there are two hundred angry Wretches coming this way and they'll do whatever it takes to get their hands on this kind of hardware. Help me block that main door out there to buy us some time and I'll help you carry this stuff out. I'm sure we can find another exit somewhere.'

'I won't tell you again,' Felix said breathing rapidly.

The man sighed. 'Now that's not good manners, is it? And I was being so polite. Also, how are you going to shoot me with the safety catch on?'

Felix looked at the weapon, tilting it to one side.

The man darted towards the table, reaching for the gun. Felix pulled the trigger, firing off one shot which missed and hit the wall behind. The Wretch grabbed the revolver and fired two shots back in quick succession as Felix ducked and tried to take cover. He pulled the trigger three more times, hitting the Wretch in the chest and shoulder, sending him reeling as he dropped the gun and collapsed on the floor.

Felix stood up and felt warm liquid seeping through his shirt; he placed his hand on his stomach and looked at the blood now starting to pour through his fingers. The pain was intense and overwhelming and his knees buckled as he staggered forwards and fell to the floor. His ears were still ringing from the gunshots as the distant sound of people grew louder. He could no longer see anything but blackness as the sound faded and he succumbed to his mortal wounds.

# Chapter Thirty-Nine

O'Connor punched the codes into the main computer to prepare the Icarus weapon. The system beeped three times and displayed a confirmation message to acknowledge the command. He took a small silver key from a leather pouch on the belt around his waist and placed it in the lock of the safe. Turning it halfway, the interior lock gave a heavy clunk. This partly unlocked the strongbox holding the two firing triggers, but the door would not yet open fully without a second key.

_Second key required_ , the computer said.

Edmond entered the room and tapped another series of codes into the computer. The beeps confirmed Icarus was preparing itself. He then took his key and placed it into the vacant keyhole. A short twist moved the locking bolt out of the way and the safe door swung open. Inside were the two firing triggers. These were small and black and made of metal, sitting comfortably in the hand like the handle of a gun, with one big red trigger near the top.

Edmond took one and O'Connor took the other. Each trigger was voice-activated and wouldn't work without the correct speech imprint.

Edmond pressed a small black button on top of the trigger as he placed it near his mouth. 'Edmond, Delta, Echo, Zulu, 651.'

_Thank you, Edmond, your codes are correct and have been accepted_ , the computer replied.

O'Connor raised his trigger. 'O'Connor, Bravo, Foxtrot, Yankee, 716.'

_Thank you, O'Connor. Your codes are correct and have been accepted. Icarus is being prepared and will be ready to fire in five minutes_ , the computer said.

A bead of sweat trickled down O'Connor's temple.

'You seem nervous,' Edmond said.

'I just want it to work. I'm as eager as you to reach Eden.'

Edmond looked at his watch and sighed. 'About three minutes left.'

O'Connor nodded. He placed the trigger in his other hand then back again in an attempt to dry his wet palms. 'Minutes seem like hours when you're waiting for something.'

'I guess a watched pot never boils,' Edmond replied.

The computer crackled into life. _Thank you, gentlemen, Icarus is online and ready. The weapon will detonate when both triggers are pressed simultaneously. The operation cannot be reversed once both triggers are pressed._

Edmond nodded to O'Connor as they both squeezed their triggers in unison. Edmond stared at his handheld device and again nodded to O'Connor. They squeezed the firing mechanism again and looked at the screen with a zoomed-in live feed of the city, but nothing happened.

Edmond banged the trigger onto the desk and repeatedly squeezed the trigger. 'Does nothing work in this place!' he said smashing the device one last time into the corner of the desk as it broke into several pieces.

_Weapon failure. Coolant levels exhausted. Icarus has been powered down until coolant levels return to normal_ , the computer said.

'What the hell does that mean?' O'Connor said staring wide-eyed at Edmond.

'It means the wretches below have managed to breach the catacombs and somehow disable or damage Icarus. We haven't got time for this, we need to get under way.'

O'Connor pointed at the display screen. 'I can fix this, Edmond. I'll lead a team and take them down in a shuttle. We just need to restore the coolant levels and bring Icarus online.'

'No you won't. It would be a suicide mission with no guarantee of success. I need you here. Without your skills we won't be going anywhere.'

O'Connor placed the trigger back in the safe. 'But without the cleansing, how can we be sure the planet will be uninhabited when we return?'

'We need to travel for longer and let more time pass,' Edmond said rubbing his face with his hands. 'There are greater risks of course, but there is a chance that the earth's natural decline over time will eradicate any last pockets of humans.'

'And if it doesn't?'

Edmond sat down in a chair. 'We have the capability, with enough time and work, to develop more weapons and we'll deal with anything we have to on our return.'

'So we find paradise and start nuking it?'

'Not quite. We find Eden and see off the savages who might inhabit it. Just like every ancient explorer before us who has found a new world. But if we travel far enough we can maybe return after the next ice age. It's ambitious and much further than we've planned. There are options, O'Connor, let's just leave it at that. You make sure that the ship sails through space without a hitch and I'll decide when we return and after how long.'

'The next ice age is a very long way off and it'll bring with it many added risks,' O'Connor said stroking his chin. 'But it is possible as we've discussed in previous meetings.'

'Good, we've come this far and I don't intend to fall at the final hurdle.'

'So what now?' O'Connor said.

'Prepare the gravity drive. We're leaving today.'

# Chapter Forty

Carl kept the pedal to the floor as the vehicle now cruised along the wide road. 'I can't believe how smooth this road is. It's like it was used recently by people, and also the air seems to be clearer the further we get from the city.'

Amy looked over her shoulder. 'Maybe they pollute it on purpose to keep us under control. There's probably trees and animals out here somewhere. They lie about everything else so why not that. I think it's all one big lie.'

'You're not the first person to say that. This isn't a rough track underused for centuries, it's a highway leading from the Crystal City to somewhere else. You can see the tyre imprints of other vehicles so somebody's been driving through here. These tracks can't be more than a few weeks old, they'd have been removed by the rains otherwise.'

'How far are we now?' Amy asked.

'Difficult to say, maybe fifty miles out from the city or maybe a bit more. The bomb should have exploded by now. It doesn't make any sense. I'm surprised we're still here. Unless we managed to damage the device, that is.'

Carl slowed down then pulled over at the side of the road.

'What are you doing?' Amy asked.

'I'm going to have a better look,' Carl said pulling a pair of field binoculars out from the glovebox.

'Wait, I'm coming with you.'

Carl jumped out and stepped onto the wheel of the truck. He clambered onto the bonnet and then onto the roof. He leaned against the top-mounted machine gun turret and brought the binoculars to his eyes, scanning the distant horizon. With the clearer air and flat landscape he could see a plume of thick smoke billowing into the sky from the direction of the city. 'Yep, there's definitely some smoke rising up. The bomb must have malfunctioned or been damaged. The blast radius would be well beyond our location otherwise. Hopefully the poor souls left there have survived.'

Amy looked up using her hand as a shield from the blazing sun. 'Do you think the people have overrun the city by now?'

Carl squinted as he strained to see into the distance. 'Maybe but I can't say for sure. Depends what the defences were like around the perimeter. We got past the main gate easier than I thought we would,' he said scanning the rest of the horizon and road ahead. 'I don't think the drones and the automatic gun turrets operate on their own, they need to be programmed and told what to do. Plus if the city lost its power then all the communication would be down.'

'Can you see anything else?'

Carl shook his head. 'It's all a bit hazy in this heat but the area ahead looks pretty flat to me. I can't see anything unusual,' he said climbing back down and walking around to Amy.

'There's a lot of rubble and trash on the side of the road, somebody must have put it there,' she said kneeling down and sifting through the mounds. 'There are tin cans, paper, batteries and a lot more. Maybe they brought the compacted trash out this way and buried it or something.'

Carl nodded. 'Maybe, yeah, it must have all gone somewhere after they processed it in the refuse area. But this isn't the monster-filled toxic danger zone we were all told about. It's just a huge empty space with no people. Let's carry on and get over this hill and see where it leads. We need to find food and water from somewhere. Fuel too if we're going to keep driving, or at least some shelter.'

'There doesn't look like much of that out here,' Amy said looking around.

They both climbed back into the truck and continued to follow the road ahead, which was filled with more obstacles the further they went. After a short distance they came across a line of rusted abandoned cars and they slowly drove past them.

Amy wound the side window down. 'Doesn't look like anyone has used those for a while.'

'There must have been another community out here somewhere. I've never seen vehicles that looked like that before. They look more like personal transports than military issue. Imagine that, a community full of people living their lives without any interference from soldiers or drones,' he said.

'Look, up ahead,' Amy said pointing.

As they passed the line of decaying metal and rounded a corner, a small collection of ruined buildings came into view. They were single- and double-storey dwellings and each one had the roof and windows missing and some damage to the walls but were in better condition than most of the buildings within the walls of the city. Carl parked up at the edge of the road and they both got out.

'What was this place?' Amy said.

Carl looked around. 'Looks like a small collection of houses. Not in too bad a condition either and probably lived in by whoever owned them cars back there. They look too recent to be used by the ancients.'

'I wonder where they all went to,' she said.

Carl shrugged. 'Who knows,' he said pushing open a stiff wooden door and walking inside. He looked up at the sky through the open roof of the two-storey house.

The upper floor had collapsed and filled the middle of the lower floor with rotten wood beams, tiles and corrugated sheets of metal. A table and chairs were half-buried underneath the pile and over in the corner was a sofa, the covering of which had been eaten away by the harsh elements and acid rain leaving just the frame and rusted springs.

'It reminds me of the abandoned tower block back in the city. Looks like people were here not so long ago and left in a hurry,' Carl said walking through a doorway into another room. He took two steps in and stopped, mouth open, staring at the bed. 'Or maybe they didn't go anywhere.'

'What do you mean?' Amy asked as she followed him in. 'Oh my God,' she said putting her hand to her mouth.

# Chapter Forty-One

O'Connor sat in the captain's chair on the bridge and started to run the primary ignition sequence to prepare the gravity drive. Millions of pieces of data streamed through the computers as everything was analysed, from the engine temperature to the coolant levels, structural stability to the course ahead looking for potential collisions. Near the navigation console there was an array of monitors showing images from within the engine compartment. The gravity drive looked good and the white boiler-suited technicians scurried around in the secure area checking for leaks and monitoring the core temperature.

'Evacuation is complete and our supplies are on board and locked down. Rationing will commence as soon as we leave to ensure we've enough to last the journey,' O'Connor said.

Edmond sat nearby, stroking his chin and watching the monitors closely while occasionally looking out of the windows. 'At last, so many years of planning and it all comes down to this. You know, there were times I never thought we'd get this far. Not everything has gone to plan but it doesn't matter now. Maybe it's our destiny to do it this way. Maybe we would have returned too early and had a greater struggle, who knows. Everything happens for a reason.'

'We've come a long way, Edmond. We are mankind's last hope and it's our duty and destiny to repopulate the planet and create a better world.'

Edmond smiled. 'I couldn't have put it better myself, well said. Now...shall we get under way?'

'Engine idling at five per cent,' O'Connor said.

The bridge crew of eight men and women repeated back a series of checks that O'Connor listened carefully to. Each check needed to be successful or the trip could be delayed. There was no room for error and the predetermined checklist was extensive.

'Bring engine to fifteen per cent,' O'Connor said. Droplets of sweat formed on his forehead as the ship gave a gentle vibration. 'Thank you, now thirty-five per cent, please.'

The bulkheads creaked and the ship started to move slightly as if it had a mind of its own. It was still tethered in orbit and couldn't break free from its hold until it was commanded to do so. The exhaust port area around the rear of the ship was now shimmering, and the fabric of space itself appeared to be twisting and bending.

O'Connor pressed a button and leaned towards a microphone so he could address the ship. 'Would all technical areas please check in and confirm you are good to go.'

The voices signalled their agreement one by one over a loudspeaker. 'Engineering check, navigation check, flight controls check, collision control check, life support check.'

'Go for auto sequence start. Fuel cells are good and holding,' O'Connor said. 'She's looking fine and we're ready when you give your order.'

'Take us to our future, Captain.'

O'Connor smiled. 'OK, ladies and gentlemen, let's break our bonds and head off on our prearranged course. Engines up to fifty per cent, please, and let's leave orbit. Keep monitoring your data and report any anomalies.'

The _Lasell_ creaked and groaned as she slowly moved out of the low orbit she had held for many months. It was a gradual acceleration that would gather pace and eventually take the ship close to the speed of light.

'All systems looking good, handing over flight controls to the on-board computer,' the captain said.

Edmond scanned the engine room monitors once more. 'Who is that?'

O'Connor took a closer look. 'Those are the four designated engine room technicians. They are the same guys you saw when we conducted the test.'

'Are you sure? The one on the left doesn't seem to fit in.'

'I can assure you, Edmond, that is a controlled area and only the engine techs themselves are allowed in. There are several layers of security protocol you have to get through to even get into the engine viewing room.'

'Look closely, three are wearing white boiler suits, masks and a hat. They also have white boots on. He's wearing a different kind of white overall and you can see his dark footwear,' Edmond said.

'You're right,' O'Connor said reaching for his radio. 'Possible security breach in the engine room, all security teams hurry!'

Six Black Hats were despatched from their barracks and made their way towards Engineering.

'I think you've found your traitor. Security is on the way,' O'Connor said.

'There's no time, can you get a message to the other three?'

O'Connor asked his communications officer to patch him into the engine room supervisor. 'This is O'Connor, can you hear me?'

The engine room supervisor placed a finger to his earpiece but the gravity drive was affecting communication. The six Black Hats arrived in the engine observation room and attempted to gain access but the door had been locked from the inside.

'Sir, the door is sealed and we can't override it at the control panel,' one of the security team said.

'We'll try and override the lock from here,' O'Connor said looking at his second in command. 'Use the computer to release the engine door lock, hurry!'

Inside the engine room Hugh removed his hat and mask and looked straight into the camera. He took out a small black object connected to wires that disappeared into his overalls. On the top of the object was a red button which his thumb hovered over.

Edmond's mouth dropped open. 'No!' he shouted.

Hugh pressed the button triggering the explosives strapped to his body. A massive fireball tore through the inside of the engine room and a searing white inferno raged as the gravity drive collapsed under its own weight. The explosion ripped through the lower decks destroying everything in its path as the bulkheads melted and the ship started to break apart and collapse in on itself. The engine exhaust ports disintegrated and drifted away as people from every deck were sucked out into the vacuum of space. The _Lasell_ could no longer maintain its orbit and started to fall back to Earth in a thousand pieces.

# Chapter Forty-Two

On the double bed were the mummified remains of a man and woman. Their skin had shrunk around their bones and looked like dry leather. The female had long white hair and each was holding the other. There was a small neat hole in the side of their heads and near the man was an old revolver.

'Looks like it all got too much and they decided to end it all,' Carl said.

Amy covered her mouth with both hands. 'That's so sad. Look, they're wearing wedding bands too.'

Carl stepped forward and carefully removed the gun from the skeletal hands of the man. It was a very old model gun but still in good condition, the kind of item that was a highly prized antique back in the city. He opened the cylinder and checked it, then emptied the four bullets into his hand. He pulled the trigger several times to check it was working and still in good order. On a bedside table there was a box of ammunition. Carl took it, reloaded the weapon and placed the gun in his waistband. The remaining bullets he placed in the small shoulder bag he carried. 'This ammunition is quality and mass-produced, not the home-made variety we tend to see back in the city. You never know when we might need a gun out here,' he said.

'You mean when we might want to end up like them?'

'No, I hope not. Whatever drove them to this was something terrible that they felt they couldn't escape from,' he said.

Amy nodded. 'Maybe they just lost all hope and took the easy way out rather than starving to death or dying of some illness. I bet they were in love and had been together most of their lives.'

Carl looked more closely. 'They've been here a very long time, their skin has turned to leather. I wonder where they came from. Maybe they escaped the city and set up home with others here. There doesn't seem to be any food or provisions so they were either taken by others or they ran out of supplies and were starving. I bet this place was nice when it was lived in, somebody took pride in its appearance.'

Amy looked towards the door. 'Can we get out of here, please, and leave these people in peace. I don't want to be stopping any longer, the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up.'

'I love your hairy neck,' Carl said smiling.

Amy pulled a face. 'Shut up, you know what I mean.'

A loud boom shook the building and they both looked at each other as dust drifted through the air. 'What the hell was that?' Carl said.

They walked back outside into the burning heat and looked up. Hundreds of objects were streaking across the sky leaving fiery trails behind them as they burnt up in the atmosphere. Larger objects crashed to Earth still intact creating huge flashes and explosions in the distance.

'What is it?' Amy said.

'No idea,' Carl said shielding the sun from his eyes. 'It's either a meteor shower or something breaking up as it hits the atmosphere. Maybe something went wrong with their ship.'

'That's a lot of debris, it must have been very big,' Amy said.

'It was big enough to take all the Cloud people and enough food and water for a long trip.'

Amy leaned against the truck. 'How do you know? Did you see it?'

'Edmond showed me a virtual model and it was massive, very impressive. Just a pity they didn't use all those resources and the technology they possessed to build a better city for us all.'

'The gods in the sky got greedy and selfish. They turned into devils and ruined everything,' Amy said.

'The devils ruined everything that was left after the ancients ruined everything before them. It's going to take a long time to rebuild things.'

Amy looked in the direction of the Crystal City. 'Do you think we should head back, see what the situation is?'

Carl shook his head. 'It's too dangerous, there's nothing for us back there now. We might as well press on and see what else we can find.'

'But what if there's nothing more out here but more death and ruins? We might run out of fuel and supplies and we'll be too far to get back. We'll end up like those poor people in there.'

Carl wiped the sweat from his face. 'We've come this far and we're still alive. I don't intend to go back there or die out here. We've found one settlement, there must be more.'

Amy got back into the truck as Carl walked up the road a little way, peering into the other buildings and looking through doorways. The remaining dwellings were too badly damaged to enter. It wasn't even possible to step in through the front doors because of the mounds of rubble blocking the way. He walked back to the truck and climbed back in. 'I don't have a good feeling about this place, let's get out of here. Whatever happened was a bad thing and the further we are away the better,' he said pushing the stick into the drive position and pressing the accelerator.

Amy rubbed her eyes. 'I'm tired and thirsty. I still can't believe they kept Dad locked up for all those years. We seem to have lost everything in just one day. What will we do? How will we survive?'

'Just stay alive, whatever happens,' Carl said looking at her. 'Our folks would have wanted us to have a chance to live, I'm sure of that. Mum always said that she'd had her time and I shouldn't worry about her, she wanted me to have a good quality of life, not be looking after her forever. I would have cared for her until the end either way, that's what you do for your mum. She looked after me when I was small and I couldn't fend for myself and all I wanted to do was return her love and show that I cared.'

'She'd have known you loved her, Carl. I hope my mum did too. I tried to tell her every day, even when her sight and hearing was failing. I'll never forgive them for what they did and I hope that was them burning up in the sky,' Amy said looking up through the side window. 'It's going to get dark soon, I hope it's safe round here when night falls. There's still stuff raining down over there, the horizon looks like it's on fire.'

'Well, we've not seen anyone else alive outside the city walls, and the dead won't hurt us, that's for sure. We just keep going until the end, whenever and whatever that turns out to be.'

'We've probably got a few days before we start to starve and can use the truck as shelter, I guess,' Amy said.

'We've got some small rations in the back of the truck, I checked when we stopped. It'll keep us going for a while. Maybe there are other people looking to survive too.'

Amy took a sip of water from a canteen. 'As long as I don't have to eat them red biscuits again. I'd rather eat my own foot than have to eat another one of them, they made me so sick.'

Carl turned the radio on and scanned the frequencies. 'If there are others out here they might be broadcasting. I'll keep it on a low volume in case we pick anything up.'

'Half of me hopes we do find others, but then I worry what they will be like and if they'll be friendly or not. What's that in the distance?' Amy asked pointing.

Carl leaned forward. 'Not sure, looks like something or somebody in the road up ahead.'

As they approached the object Carl slowed down. The road split into two forks, one going straight ahead and one heading west. 'That's a road sign, looks like someone's been painting stuff on it,' he said.

'What does it say?' Amy asked. 'You know I'm not very good with letters and stuff.'

Carl leaned forward for a better view. Next to the arrow heading west was a painted skull and cross bones. Next to the arrow heading north was a painted message which Carl read out loud. 'Sanctuary - Keep Going To Live.'

'I wonder what that means. It doesn't look like there's much out west, that's for sure,' Amy said. 'Unless it's another trick to make us think there's nothing out there.'

Carl looked at Amy and she looked at him. She placed a hand on her small bump as he looked down at her hands and smiled. He moved the stick slowly into the drive position and pressed the accelerator, leaving the sign in a cloud of dust as they headed north.

# Dust Storm Series

### The Battle for Survival Continues...

Into the Dust Storm (Book Two)

# About the Author

Logan Brookfield was born in Birmingham, England and still lives there today with his wife and dogs. When he's not writing you can often find Logan cycling around the local country lanes or walking the beautiful coastal paths of Devon and Cornwall.

If you enjoyed the book please consider leaving a review. Thank you!

Loganbrookfield.com

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# Books by Logan Brookfield

The Girl in Time (Free eBook)

Dust Storm Series:

Beyond the Crystal City (Book One - Free eBook)

Into the Dust Storm (Book Two)

