by Drew Cordell
When the work was done and a marvelous aroma radiated from the kitchen, I was almost as excited to eat the soup as I was to give Mary the sketchbook.
“Mary,” I said, looking in her eyes. “I picked up something for you the other day. I saw it and couldn’t pass it up. I knew it would make a perfect gift for you.” She looked excited and nervous at the same time, shifting slightly from foot to foot. She probably felt the same way I had when she gave me the amazing drawing.
“Jake! You know you don’t have to buy me anything,” she said, appraising me with a flirtatious look in her eyes.
I reached into my pocket and cupped the small sketchbook with both hands, concealing it from her as I brought it out. I opened my fingers and handed her the sketchbook. Her face went pale for a second, and I heard her take in a sharp breath and hold it as she looked over the gift. She fingered the stitched leather surface and flipped through the pristine white paper pages.
“Jake … this is too much; it must have cost a fortune.”
“It didn’t, and I knew that it was meant for you. You need something where you can put your treasured ideas and store them to last.”
“Thank you, Jake. This is the best gift anyone has ever given me. It’s perfect.” She was elated and lunged forward to scoop me up in a hug. I felt my barrier start to waver as I was pulled into the close embrace, but it held firm.
She pulled back slightly then kissed me on the cheek, and I could feel myself starting to blush when we heard a knock on the door. Edgar was back. Mary turned to the door and started toward it, then turned back to me and gave me a kiss on the lips. Her soft mouth radiated heat as it came into contact with mine. It was perfect and I was stunned, but before I could say anything she had already let Edgar back inside the flat. When she kissed me, the barrier protecting a portion of my mind shattered, but the nervous thoughts behind it had already been replaced with a mixture of joy and disbelief.
Edgar walked into the kitchen and gave me a questioning look, and I responded with a wide grin. He nodded in subtle approval. After he passed, Mary gave me a sincere smile and another hug before returning to check on the soup. It felt like the best day of my life. Mary, the girl of my dreams, had kissed me, we were about to eat a meal that would rival the luxury breakfast Edgar had prepared for me, and I was about to join a secret organization of treasonous criminals—in a good way. Things were moving fast and for the first time in my life, I felt like I had a greater calling. I felt like I could be something incredible.
The three of us sat down and ate a perfect meal, enjoying each other’s company and sharing a great bond of friendship. No amount of layering could keep me from looping the kiss over and over in my mind, recalling the way her lips felt on mine, the soft, comforting sensation. After dinner, I walked Mary back to her flat and went inside knowing I couldn’t stay long as it was approaching curfew.
Mary was blushing hard when we were inside the entrance of her flat. “Jake, I’m sorry for kissing you. I was just really excited about the gift and I …”
I cut her off. “Don’t be. It was perfect.” I didn’t know where the words were coming from, I only hoped I wouldn’t mess things up now. “I really like you, Mary. More than as a friend. I …” This time she cut me off with a kiss.
After, we both stood there in perfect silence, each of us contemplating just how much we meant to each other. “I should get going, curfew is approaching.”
She nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jake.”
I left and started back, grinning like an idiot under my bandana facemask. As I was approaching my flat, I saw a hooded figure walking toward me rapidly. I increased my speed and noticed the figure had done the same and was now gaining on me. I broke into a run toward my flat and attempted to use the retina scanner on my door when I was grabbed by powerful arms. I tried to scream, but my mouth was already covered with frigid metal.
12 INITIATE
∆∆∆
I continued to attempt to peel the hand off my face, but the grip was solid and immovable.
“Shhhhh!” a metallic voice hissed. “I’m a friend.”
I relaxed slightly as the hand retreated from my face. I had no idea who it was—the identity of the person was hidden by the voice modulator of a thick respirator mask. “I’ve put something in your pocket for you to consider. Have a nice evening.”
I saw a brief jolt of motion on the figure as pieces of something shifted shape and location; it looked like Nanotech. As quickly as they had appeared, the person walked casually away from me. I decided it best not to pursue them. Anyone who was that size and could lift me with such ease shouldn’t be messed with, especially since I had no clue how to fight and my wrist was still healing in the cast.
Still trembling, I made my way inside my flat and locked the door behind me, my fingers fumbling on the lock. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a folded block of pulp paper. There were two pieces. The first was some sort of receipt for claiming Asset 47CZ-K8b, and the other was a note from the mystery assailant:
Take the requisition scrip to the Guild Quartermaster once you’re admitted.
—Your Guardian
It was such a strange encounter; I was glad I hadn’t been injured. Had someone in the Guild given this to me? Was it a trap? I knew it wasn’t Edgar or Caeldra; the figure who grabbed me was huge, much taller and bigger than either of them. Aside from a brief glance as I was leaving Mary’s flat, I hadn’t seen the person at all. He was wearing what looked to be a dark gray jacket with a large hood and metal respirator mask. I felt metal when the person wrapped their hand over my face, but it could have been a glove.
I decided I would take the scrip to the Quartermaster after I was admitted, as the note directed me. I would have to ask Caeldra where they were located. I also decided it would be best to keep the encounter secret from Edgar, as I didn’t want to do anything that would keep me from being admitted into the Champions of Liberty. If things got more serious, or I perceived I was in danger, I would seek help from Edgar, but not tonight. I tucked the scrip into my backpack in a secure place then got ready to sleep. It would be another early morning.
Unfortunately, my sleep was filled with nightmares of my parents—terrible dreams that kept continuing from where they had left off after each time I had woken up. Needless to say, I was in a foul mood when it was time to get up in the morning, and I desperately hoped there would be coffee.
After a simple breakfast, I pulled on my clothes and zipped up my jacket. My watch read six AM. I groaned and pulled on my backpack and face mask before exiting my flat. It was starting to get colder now, and I would have to break out my heavy jacket and gloves soon to stay warm. I had no idea how winter would affect the temperatures of the Undercity; it seemed to have countless micro-climates with an endless variety of humidity and temperature.
I walked over to Edgar’s flat, taking a long glance over at Mary’s. It looked like she was still asleep, and all the lights were out. I knocked on the door and Edgar walked out, fully geared.
“We’ve got to get going right away,” he said.
I had really been hoping for some morning coffee to wake me up and give me some energy, and my disappointment was probably clear to Edgar. But I was thankful I had decided to eat some breakfast before heading over. I followed him back to the same building where the same suspicious looking man let us inside. After putting on the respirators, we descended the hatch and entered into the tunneling of the Undercity.
“You lead,” Edgar told me.
“What? How am I supposed to know where to go?” I demanded.
“Do your best. As a Runner, you’ll need to learn quickly. Caeldra isn’t going to put up with you if you don’t learn fast.”
I frowned and continued down the tunnel. It was such a long way to the Guild Hall I knew I’d never make it. I relaxed slightly as I was walking and felt my mind sharpen. It felt like a projection, but I was completely conscious. The memory of the previous day play
ed in my mind. I held the concentration and knew which turns to take, which ladders to descend, and before I knew it, we had arrived at the lift that would carry us down several hundred feet to the gates of the Guild Hall. Edgar smiled.
“Nice job, Jake. Now, when we enter the Council Hall, you will be asked a few questions by the Council. Each member will introduce themselves to you, and you will call them Justicar or Councilor, followed by their names.”
I nodded, and Edgar flipped the lever on the lift, shooting us down through darkness at gut-wrenching speed.
We slowed to a stop outside of the gates and were once again admitted. As we walked in, Caeldra emerged from the side and walked next to me.
“Try not to mess this up. I was starting to like you,” she said with a smirk.
“I don’t plan on messing it up,” I responded.
“Good, because I really don’t want to kill you.”
I felt the color drain from my face. Was I going to be killed if I failed? Would I be allowed to leave?
“Caeldra,” Edgar said, his voice flat.
“Sorry. I’m just messing with you, Jake. You’ll be fine. Besides, we don’t kill people who aren’t admitted,” Caeldra said with a smile.
It calmed me, but the butterflies in my stomach continued. I was nervous about this, more nervous than I had been when I was about to give the sketchbook to Mary. I feared that if I sealed my nerves behind a barrier, then I would be at risk of appearing bored or uninterested in joining. Would my nerves make me too jittery or nervous to be admitted? Unlike the Government test, nerves could make a difference here.
“We’re here. Remember what I told you, Jake. Since I’ve already given you my support, you will meet with the other five Council members.”
We were outside a dark wooden door. There weren’t any windows so I couldn’t see what waited inside.
“You’ll do great,” Caeldra said as she leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before whispering in my ear. “Don’t mind Alex.”
I stood there shocked for a moment, unsure why she kissed me. My face felt hot. Composing myself, I took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping inside.
There was a small desk in front of me with an empty chair. In front of the desk was a large half circle desk where six people in loose black robes sat. The room was bigger than it appeared from the outside with a high arching ceiling and a floor that was lower than the entrance. A short series of stairs led down from the doorway where I was standing. There were three men and two women who sat before me, eyeing me with ranged emotion as I walked in.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Ashton. My name is Chloe Schaff,” one of the women who looked to be in her forties said to me. Her bright blonde hair contrasted the darkness of the robe.
“Thank you, Justicar,” I responded as I took the seat. My hands had grown clammy, and I was doing my best to hide my nerves. I scooted the chair up closer to the desk on the carpet and folded my hands on top of the desk surface to keep them from fidgeting.
“I’m going to ask you a few questions myself, and then any of the other Council members will be able to do the same. When we have concluded, we will meet briefly and make our decision. Now, onto my first question. Was there a Great Flood of 2039?”
“No,” I responded. Justicar Chloe’s expression didn’t change, and she proceeded to the next question.
“Have you ever directly defied the Government in a treasonous way?”
“Yes. I read a book I wasn’t supposed to read.”
“The title by John Locke?”
“Yes.”
“Master Aarlen informed us the full book had been recovered. I’m guessing from you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What do The Champions of Liberty stand for?”
I hesitated. “Freedom of the people and preservation of truth throughout the ages.”
“What do you wish to do if you are admitted into the Guild?”
“Train as a Runner, then seek apprenticeship under Master Aarlen to become an Unbound.”
“That’s all the questions I have for you, Mr. Ashton,” Justicar Chloe concluded.
“Mr. Ashton. My name is Alex Price. I question if you are ready for admittance into our organization. It seems you have only recently learned some bit of truth,” said one of the men in front of me. He had dark brown hair which was combed over and plastered with gel, his eyes dark and fierce. I waited for him to continue and he didn’t. What he said wasn’t a question, but I decided to address it anyway.
“I’m confident in my ability to quickly learn and become a valuable asset to the Champions of Liberty,” I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.
“I’m not sure I believe that,” Alex said in a flat tone, boredom clear in his expression.
“Master Aarlen believes I have potential to bec—”
“Master Aarlen doesn’t have any say in this matter,” he responded, cutting me off.
I didn’t know what to say.
“What skills other than your mind games would you bring to this organization?” Alex asked, impatience creeping into his tone as if he had much better things to do than speak to me.
“As I stated earlier, I wish to train to become a Runner.”
I saw him eye my cast. “Is your arm expected to heal soon? You won’t be much use to us if you can’t use your arm.”
“Justicar Barton thinks it will be fully healed in a couple of weeks.”
“That’s all from me,” he said in an annoyed tone as he waved his hand dismissively.
I breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and hoped none of the others would be so harsh.
“Mr. Ashton, my name is Clark Mohr,” said the man on the end. He looked much friendlier than Alex and appeared to be in his thirties. He wore a look of amused bewilderment. “My only question is: what happened to your arm?”
“I got into an encounter with some Enforcers. I didn’t do anything wrong; I was trying to catch a thief.”
He nodded, satisfied with the answer.
After answering a few questions from Rachel Hensley and Tomas Escobar, I was free to leave. I thanked them for their consideration and exited the room to where Edgar and Caeldra were waiting. Caeldra had taken off her jacket and was wearing a dark gray tank top.
“Sorry about the kiss,” Caeldra said. “It’s best to not think too much when talking to them, as pre-planning your answers can hurt you. I didn’t mean anything by it other than to give you a mild distraction.”
I nodded unsure of what to say.
“How did it go?” Edgar asked.
“I honestly don’t know. Alex seems to hate me.”
“He’s always in a foul mood. Don’t take it personally,” Caeldra responded. Edgar gave a brief smile. I supposed it wouldn’t be proper for him to say negative things about fellow Council members.
“I’ve got to go discuss with the Council. I’ll leave you two together.”
Caeldra looked at me again with her sharp blue eyes. “Just you and me again. Edgar told me you want to be a Runner. If that’s the case, then I’d be happy to be your sponsor. It’s not easy, though, so you have to commit if you want me to teach you. I value my time and don’t want it wasted.”
“I understand. I want to learn and will do whatever it takes.”
“Good.” She ran a hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair and pulled it back under the headband she was wearing, once again revealing the thin scar on her cheek. She was beautiful. Had I not been crushing over Mary for such a long time, I would have no doubt been more awkward around her. Caeldra had a lean, toned frame. She looked very fast and agile, no doubt the result of her occupation. I knew she could teach me a lot about the Undercity and about knowledge that was unknown to me. I wanted to be admitted into the Guild more than ever to become something more and work toward a greater purpose.
“You honestly sound like the perfect sponsor for me, and I'm very thankful for your time,” I said.
“
Yeah, we’ll see how you feel when we start your training. We will discuss your financial situation after you are admitted. We will need to get you geared and you’re going to need a loan.”
“I’ve got almost ten units right now, and Edgar is going to pay me two a week for the next ten weeks.”
“That’ll help, but it won’t get you everything.”
I remembered the scrip in my pocket and wanted to know what it could be redeemed for. “Caeldra … someone approached me on the streets last night. They gave me a scrip to use at the Quartermaster.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “Were they wearing a guild jacket?”
“No, some sort of heavy gray coat and a full metal face respirator. Sound like someone you know?”
She frowned. “No, it doesn’t. Let’s go see what it is. The Council might take a couple of hours to decide anyway.”
I followed Caeldra through the Guild Hall to one of the back corners where we descended several stories deeper into the Undercity toward a large opening that was very different from the main floor. This level was entirely made of dark metal and was illuminated by white LED lights; it was much more similar to that of a building on the surface of New York. There were people dressed in armored camouflage uniforms walking around and eyeing my street clothes with suspicion. This must’ve been where all the weapons and military operations were staged. People were working down here as well, smelting metal in large forges, operating printers that were manufacturing gun parts. It was a bustle of illegal activity.
Caeldra led me to the far side of the huge open room, and we approached a man wearing a brown apron who sat behind a desk with a large computer console. He looked up at us as we walked over.
