Forged in the Dawn

by Gavin Zanker

  ‘You should watch yourself around Dion,’ Luke said, looking back down the corridor. ‘I hear the guy choked his last cell mate for snoring too loudly.’

  ‘Is this concern I’m seeing?’ Aiden asked. ‘Are you about to give me a ring?’

  ‘I just don’t want to have to get used to a new cell mate if you get beaten to death. Hey, you heading back to site after food?’

  ‘Yeah, Sherman wants us to double check the pipes for pressure drops. I swear the guy has trouble counting.’

  ‘All right. I’m on my way back now so I’ll see you there later. We’re laying another fresh foundation. How many of these bloody trains are they slinging down here anyway?’

  ‘Guess we’ll find out soon enough. See you back there.’

  ‘Enjoy your slop,’ Luke called as he headed off down the corridor.

  Aiden entered the canteen, now half empty, and made for the serving area. His stomach rumbled and he wanted to fill it with something other than a screwdriver.

  A FEW DAYS LATER, Aiden was lying on his bunk reading an old newspaper he had found blowing through the yard, when a prisoner rushed by the cell.

  ‘Shakedown,’ he hissed as he sprinted past.

  Snoring drifted down from the top bunk where Luke slept. Aiden dropped the newspaper on his bed and stood up, stretching out his back.

  ‘Luke, wake up.’

  The snoring stopped and Luke opened his eyes slightly. ‘Ugh, what? I was having a nice dream.’

  ‘Shakedown.’

  ‘Nah, that’s not for another few hours yet.’ Luke’s eyes flared open. ‘Probably. I mean, it’s not usually until the evening, is it?’

  Aiden frowned at his cell mate’s reaction. ‘Right. Well, is there anything in here that’s going to get us in trouble?’

  Luke sat up and yawned. ‘Not unless you’re hiding some of Hulio’s toilet hooch in the bog.’

  ‘At this point, I’m so bored I could probably drink that.’

  ‘Hey if you can keep it down, I can have a word with him. It really does a number on you and he sells it cheap, you know.’

  Aiden shook his head. ‘On second thought, I think I’d rather keep my eyesight.’

  A baton clanged along the metal bars of the cell, and a guard appeared in the open doorway. ‘Outside your cell, inmates. Inspection time.’

  Aiden stepped out into the corridor as Luke climbed down off his bunk and followed. Other prisoners were loitering around in the corridor as their cells were also searched.

  ‘Any idea what this is about?’ Luke asked, keeping his voice low.

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Dion?’

  Aiden ignored the question. There were too many people around to have a private conversation. After a moment the guard reappeared.

  ‘All right, you’re all clear,’ the guard said. ‘Back inside. You can come out again when the wing has been searched.’

  Raised voices came from along the corridor, and Aiden saw a prisoner lashing out at a couple of guards. He was quickly pinned to the ground with a knee in his back.

  ‘Now, inmates,’ the guard said as he hurried towards the scuffle.

  Aiden headed back in and flopped down on his bunk. Luke climbed back up into his own bunk, the frame bending under his weight, and was snoring again in seconds.

  Aiden idly picked up the newspaper and glanced over the yellowed page. The main article described a protest which had been shut down at a nuclear power plant. The article was clearly slanted in favour of the protesters, calling out the dangers of an explosion at the plant and claiming the police had been too heavy handed with their arrests. Scanning further down the page, he saw an article about a surveillance bill being passed by the government, and the impact it would have on the privacy of citizens.

  Privacy. Aiden had almost forgotten what that meant. He closed his eyes and his mind drifted to thoughts of Kate as it often did. He pictured her back in their home, hidden away from the rest of the world. Curled up under a blanket on the sofa in her favourite spot by the fireplace. Memories from another life now.

  Someone was slammed up against the bars of a nearby cell, wrenching Aiden out of his thoughts. He rolled over, trying to tune out the violence.

  Kate could still be out there somewhere, and he refused to give up the search while there was hope. He had to get out of this cesspit, find her, and take her back home safe. And if he ever found the ones responsible for taking her, he would make them regret ever having drawn breath.

  CHAPTER 5

  AIDEN WATCHED AS the locomotive was gradually lowered towards the generator site. It hung on a thick steel cable, which split at the bottom to wrap around each end of the engine. Three of the engines had been set up on site now, though none were functional yet.

  ‘Should be done inside the hour,’ Sherman said, consulting his clipboard.

  ‘Did you build the crane?’ Aiden asked.

  ‘I oversaw the crane’s construction, yes. It was quite the engineering feat actually, building something that could hold the weight of a train with the only available materials being rusty scrap.’

  ‘Yeah, must’ve been,’ Aiden said, still watching the locomotive above. ‘Did you set up it up on the surface then?’

  ‘That’s right. The old railway bridge across the canyon is too unstable to support any real weight.’

  Aiden scratched the itch on his bearded chin. If he could only find a razor that would not give him tetanus. He turned back to Sherman who still had his head buried in his clipboard.

  ‘Any idea when we’ll get the site up and running?’

  ‘Everything is corroded and rusty and full of holes around here. It’d be a miracle if anyone could get any of this junk running again.’ Sherman rubbed his forehead as he glanced around the site. ‘I suppose that’s why Reinhold hired the best.’

  ‘Reinhold?’

  ‘David Reinhold? The Mayor? How can you not know the name of the most powerful man in the Rim?’

  ‘I don’t get out in the city much.’

  The heavy metal cables suspending the locomotive creaked as a gust blew through the canyon. Sherman looked up at the noise, and Aiden thought he detected the engineer holding his breath. The wind passed though and the load stabilised.

  ‘Wouldn’t be good if those cables snapped,’ Aiden said. ‘Maybe we should clear out the area while it’s coming down.’

  ‘I double checked everything personally. There’s nothing to worry-’

  The cables creaked again, louder this time, culminating in a crack as one of the cables snapped under the strain. With its load released, the cable whipped into a nearby building, punching a hole in the corrugated metal roof.

  All eyes turned upwards as the locomotive hung precariously. Panicked shouting spread as the locomotive slipped vertically. sideways.

  ‘That’s coming down,’ Aiden said under his breath.

  Prisoners streamed away from the generator site, dropping tools as they sprinted for safety. Sherman stood frozen, staring up as the weight of the locomotive gradually slid it out of the grasp of the cable. Seeing the engineer not moving, Aiden grabbed his shirt and yanked him.

  ‘Come on, move!’ he yelled.

  With Aiden shouting, Sherman found his legs and they both cleared the generator site, diving for cover behind a nearby boulder. Another crack echoed around the canyon as the remaining cable snapped, lashing against the canyon wall and sending a shower of rocks and debris down on to the fleeing people.

  The locomotive dropped in to a free fall, spinning in the air as it crashed through a walkway. It impacted the ground with a thunderous crash that reverberated around the canyon. Aiden crouched low, his arms protecting his head as debris rained down from the impact.

  Everything fell eerily silent as a cloud of dust drifted down. Aiden pulled himself upright and looked out over the generator site. The locomotive had exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions. The tank had ripped open and pieces of metal plating lay everywhere. He coul
d not make out the condition of the other engines through the settling dust, but no doubt they would be heavily damaged.

  Prisoners and guards alike slowly crawled out from cover, their roles forgotten as they gazed at the catastrophic failure with slack jaws. Sherman who was still cowering on the ground, trembling in the fetal position. Aiden nudged him with his worn boot.

  ‘You can get up now, Sherman. It’s over.’

  The engineer rolled on to his back, eyes still closed as he drew deep, shuddering breaths. Aiden knelt to check he was all right when he noticed the damp patch on the man’s trousers.

  ‘You’d best go clean yourself up. You probably don’t want anyone around here seeing that.’

  Sherman raised his head to look at himself, then dropped it back with a thud. ‘I’m finished,’ he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘If the brute of a Captain doesn’t toss me over the side of the canyon, then the Mayor is going to have my throat cut while I sleep.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Aiden said. ‘Ellington doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. Maybe there was an accident up on the surface.’

  ‘You mean, someone else messed up?’ Sherman’s eyes lit up. ‘Yes, that could work! That’s probably what it was. Some oaf up there made a mistake and caused the accident. Nothing to do with me at all!’

  Aiden watched as the man performed the mental gymnastics to shift the blame from himself. He looked at Aiden excitedly, as if just seeing him there for the first time.

  ‘Convict, give me a hand here. You can help me take notes while I survey the damage.’ Aiden grasped Sherman’s hand and hauled him to his feet. ‘We can salvage this situation yet.’

  Sherman strode off towards the generator site, still talking aloud to himself as he went. Aiden shook his head and started after him, when he noticed something glinting on the ground. He shifted the dust aside with his boot to find Sherman’s key chain. Aiden had seen him use the keys to unlock the cable lift that led back up to the city each night. He probably did not even realise he had dropped them during the chaos.

  Glancing around to check that no one was watching, Aiden pretended to tie his laces and swiftly pocketed the keys in his jumpsuit.

  He felt a surge of excitement as he walked back to the site. Finally, something was going his way. Now he just needed to keep calm and figure out a plan. With a bit of luck, he might be able to escape this place and walk out of the city a free man again.

  CHAPTER 6

  DAVID REINHOLD STUDIED the Kiln Boy leader sat on the other side of his mahogany desk. It was clear how the man had earned the nickname Trent ‘Pretty Boy’ Reid before acquiring the ugly scar on his face. With his strong jawline and athletic build, he would never have to cover up an unsightly frame with loose fitting clothes and expensive trinkets. The facial scar was the only thing that stopped Reinhold from truly hating the man. He relished that one imperfection, the sight of it never failing to make him smile.

  ‘Let’s get straight down to business then, shall we?’ Reinhold said.

  ‘I figure this must be good since you wanted to do it in person,’ Trent said, idly scratching at his eye.

  Reinhold was about to continue when Trent rose from his seat and began strolling around the shadowy room. Reinhold was proud of his office, having filled it with tasteful antiques, dark wood furniture, exotic artwork, and walls hung with sweeping fabrics a deep shade of red.

  ‘Nice digs you have here,’ Trent said, picking up a carved bone ornament from a shelf and turning it over in his hands. ‘Clearly doing well for yourself.’

  ‘My role as Mayor is a demanding one. A few extra comforts go a long way to helping keep up with the pressures of the job. I’m sure you understand the need, holding a similar position yourself.’

  Reinhold extended a hand towards the chair opposite his desk. Trent tossed the ornament back on the shelf with a clatter and returned to his seat.

  ‘The Rim is one of the last glowing beacons of civilisation,’ Reinhold said, suppressing his irritation at the man’s behaviour. ‘So naturally people flock here to find a better life. Every day more refugees enter the city. Most looking to escape the savagery in the east.’

  ‘Ah the Ravagers, a nasty business,’ Trent said. ‘I hear whispers that they’re pushing west in this direction. Seems they don’t like the cold weather up north though.’

  ‘I’ve heard rumours,’ Reinhold said, ‘but it’s all talk. A more pressing concern is the strain that the growing population is placing on my city.’

  ‘You seem to be providing for yourself well enough,’ Trent eyed the Mayor’s large bulk. ‘But since you asked me here, I can only assume this is something you can’t fix yourself.’

  Reinhold continued, ignoring the interruption. ‘More people means more demand on the city’s resources, namely the power supply. The whole city infrastructure is powered by burning whatever people can get their hands on. It’s time to start thinking more long term. I’ve already begun construction of steam generators at the bottom of the canyon.’

  ‘Ah the trains? I heard about that little accident. Caused quite a stir in the city didn’t it?’

  ‘Quite. Ignoring a few of the… setbacks, things are nearing completion. The problem is-’

  ‘You need fuel to run them,’ Trent said, a grin forming on his smug face.

  ‘Correct. Once the generators are complete, we are going to need a steady supply of coal to power them.’

  ‘And this is where I come in, I take it. The shipments I already sell you aren’t enough? This city already gets most of what I pull out of the mines.’

  ‘The shipments are sold to the people for personal use. Heating, cooking, and the like.’

  ‘You know coal doesn’t mine itself, right?’ Trent leaned forward, tapping on the desk. ‘If you want more fuel, you’re going to need to supply bodies to work the mines. Not to mention carry the stuff down here. Those wagons don’t haul themselves.’

  ‘Can’t you employ men from Kiln Commons? Or use some of your horses? I hear you keep quite an impressive stable.’

  Trent laughed. ‘Employ? Let’s not play games here. No one is paid for their work in this arrangement. Besides, my mother always taught me not to dump where I eat, so raiding my own town just isn’t on the cards. And as for my horses, they’re far too valuable to waste on grunt work when there are so many bodies around to do the job. No, if you want more coal you’re going to need to fork over some manpower.’

  ‘I expected as much,’ Reinhold said, trying to keep his rising irritation hidden. ‘Work is still progressing on restoring the railway which would help the transport issue, but it could take months yet just to clear the tracks. So I came up with an alternative. A proposal I think you will like, if you have the stomach for it.’

  ‘I didn’t get to run an entire town by being spineless.’

  Reinhold leaned forward, licking his lips. ‘You could raid the farms surrounding the Rim.’

  ‘Your own farms?’ Trent fingered the scar on his cheek. ‘Seems a bit… self-destructive? Between the bandits, Ravagers, and dust storms, food isn’t exactly plentiful these days is it? Besides, once people start disappearing, questions are going to be asked.’

  ‘Here’s the interesting part. As long as it looks like Ravager attacks then it won’t draw any unwanted suspicion. There would be no reason for the city police to investigate if the incidents were just a bunch of savages passing through on a raid.’

  ‘Scooping up free labour.’ Trent nodded as he rubbed his chin. ‘It’s interesting, I’ll give you that. Plus, fear can be a very powerful weapon if you know how to use it.’

  ‘Of course, if we come to this agreement then I expect fair compensation will be made in regards to the price.’

  ‘It’s simple supply and demand, my southern friend. You want more coal, it’s going to cost you.’ Reinhold held up a hand but Trent carried on before he could protest. ‘Take your food prices, for example. If farms are raided then there will be fewer farmers working t
he land. That means less production, and less food flowing into the city.’

  ‘Yes but-’

  ‘An unfortunate consequence for the already starving people in the city, but an easily exploitable situation for the people who control the flow of supplies. Like say, the man in charge of the city who has been busy stockpiling food and is looking to name his price on the open market.’

  Reinhold leaned back in his chair and considered his position. He had not expected the cut-throat to catch on so quickly. Still, the plan was solid and he would still have deniability if Trent ever tried to go public with the information. He looked at the rippling scar on Trent’s face and smiled.

  ‘Very well, the price will increase for the extra supply. I’m sure we can arrange a fair compromise.’

  Trent nodded. ‘I’m nothing if I’m not fair.’

  ‘Good. While I would never do anything to risk the well-being of the people of my city-’

  ‘Of course not,’ Trent said, feigning concern.

  ‘We can both agree that this will be a mutually profitable situation all around. So, we are in agreement?’

  ‘Sounds like a deal to me. How about some drinks and we can hammer out the details?’

  Reinhold pushed a button on his desk and his demure secretary appeared at the door. ‘Susie, some refreshments for me and my guest.’ She nodded and disappeared out of the doorway.

  ‘So how are the Syndicate treating you these days?’ Trent asked.

  ‘A thorn in my side, as always.’

  ‘You should be more ruthless. We have no trouble with the Syndicate up in Kiln Commons. A few beatings here, a few hangings there, and the problem just goes away.’

  ‘Unfortunately I am only in power as long as I hold sway over public opinion. If I start hanging people in the streets then I’m sure the people will quickly decide that a new, less blood thirsty Mayor will serve them better. Then the gates would open for the criminals and the fanatics to get their foot in the door in the running of the city. Something any civilised person would rather avoid.’