“We should at least see if there’s anything on the shuttle we can use,” Ralla said. Thom nodded. They checked around for any other people in the bay, and then moved quickly up the ramp. The inside was similar to the one they had left that morning, though this was a larger model meant to transport 18 people. They sat in the seats, ate a few of the emergency rations, and drank packets of water. Otherwise, there was nothing of value.
Voices. They were headed towards the shuttle. There was definitely an accent, but it was at least the same language. Thom jumped up and sat down next to Ralla and started kissing her. Her eyes went wide, but seeing the terror in his, she went along. The voices stopped as the group of three men stood in the doorway of the sub.
“You really need to do that here?” one of the men said. He was rather lanky and gaunt, but stood tall in a way that implied authority. The dialect had vowels that sounded longer than Thom was used to hearing, so he tried to mimic it the best he could.
“Sorry, sorry,” Thom said as he pulled away from Ralla. She was doing her best to smile and play along. The man eyed them suspiciously. Thom stood, and helped Ralla to her feet. “Sorry, sorry,” he said again, this time with a smile. He started moving towards the three men, holding Ralla’s hand as he moved. The men said nothing, and parted as they approached. Thom and Ralla stepped down from the sub, and walked quickly, hand-in-hand, toward the exit. They waited for the lock in front of them cycle, and by extension, the one they had come in to close. Thom kissed Ralla on the cheek, and out of the corner of his eye, he looked back at the sub. The lanky man still stood in the doorway, watching them, but the others had moved further into the sub.
Thom and Ralla stepped out into a long corridor, almost a twin for the one of the same purpose on the Uni. As the lock slid shut, they released each other’s hand, and moved quickly down the corridor.
There was a track for a tram, but no tram was in sight. The lights were set low, and it was difficult to see.
“I think we may have lucked out. It seems to be really late or really early.”
“Or they’re calling security.”
“Nothing we can do about that now. We need to find a change of clothes.” They kept walking at a fast pace, but soon slowed as they came across no one else.
“Is there anything even down here?”
“Well, on our ship I worked down here. So did my father and just about everyone I know.” Thom said it without malice, but Ralla didn’t say another word for some time. “There should be an elevator up into the ship up ahead, as long as they followed roughly the same design as our ship.” They soon arrived at a bank of elevators. One arrived with a disconcerting bang, and the doors scraped open.
When they opened again, both Thom and Ralla stood in shock for a moment. Unlike the Uni, whose interior was broken up into three sections, with substantial cross bracing and bulkheads in between, the Pop was an open tube, bow to stern. From their vantage point near the bow, they could see almost all the way to the other end of the ship. Fog obscured the far end, and along the roof there seemed to be tiny clouds. There were gardens everywhere, different levels, angles, and sizes. Walkways crisscrossed the open spaces. Instead of picosuns, a single lighted strip ran the length of the ship, dead-center along the roof. It wasn’t very bright, further evidence it was night local time. The walls were ships, just like on the Uni, but in addition, there were ships placed in the open areas as well, sailing in a sea of gardens and walkways. Even the area near the elevators was impressive, an enormous open amphitheater that gently sloped towards the forward-most bulkhead. Thom closed his mouth.
“This is only the third place I’ve ever been,” he said quietly.
“Me too,” Ralla replied, equally impressed.
They found some uniforms in a bin near some kind of store a few minutes’ walk from the elevators. They were all the same orange color, and a similar design as the uniforms the men down in the docks wore.
Thom and Ralla, now clothed in local attire, found a secluded corner behind another shop, and passed out.
The next morning, what felt like only a few hours later, Thom and Ralla woke to the din of people streaming past their hiding spot. Most wore uniforms similar to those they had borrowed the night before, but of a variety of different colors. Others wore clothes that wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the Uni. Simpler, perhaps. Everyone was headed in the same direction, and all were talkative, even jovial. After checking themselves for wrinkles or anything else that would seem out of place, Thom and Ralla joined hands, and stepped into the flow of pedestrians. The few who saw their exit gave them a good looking over, but soon went back to their conversations. The crowd was headed towards the amphitheater.
All the seats were filled by the time Thom and Ralla got there, and as the crowd continued to build everyone moved as far forward as they could and just stood there. There was a genuine friendliness to the greetings, the waves, the exchanges that perplexed Thom and Ralla.
Applause started near the stage and spread quickly to the back of the standing crowed. Thom and Ralla joined in. The clapping was more salutation than excitement, though there were some in the crowd that had noticeable enthusiasm.
A man stepped out onto the stage from a space in the front wall. Many in the crowd immediately clapped louder, though most remained rather neutral. He waved out at the audience. His hair was a wavy light brown, and as much as Ralla and Thom could make out, he had a sharp jaw and a defined chin. While older than either of them, he didn’t seem to be into the age where either of them would really call someone an “adult.” Maybe old enough to have a young family. His first words, though amplified, were drowned out by the applause. He paused as it died down.
“Good morning, Population,” he greeted with a smile.
“Good morning, Governor Oppai,” the crowd replied in unison. Thom and Ralla mumbled along, but still got a few odd looks from the people near them. Oppai looked amused.
“You know, that really makes me laugh when you do that. All right, let’s get down to it. A few morning announcements before we get to the good stuff. Food production shipwide is up 4.6% over last month. Let’s hear it for the farmers,” he said, motioning with both hands out into the audience. There was heavy applause. “Tram 2 is going to be down for maintenance. When I asked them when it would be ready, the crew said ‘when it’s done’.” There was some mild laughter. “We also had 87 births last month. Let’s hear it for the new moms and dads!” The applause was much louder this time. He waited for it to fade, then started again. “OK, now on to the good stuff. And this is real news: I just found this out a few hours ago. We have fully reclaimed our stolen mining facility!”
The applause was immediate and thunderous. Shock hit Thom and Ralla as if the clapping had brought it.
“Did he just say...”
Ralla grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. The citizens all across the amphitheater seemed thrilled. It took several minutes for the applause to die down.
“We did lose a few of our people, but you all know that we couldn’t let this attack on our solidarity stand. We offered free passage or asylum to the miners who had taken over. It pains me to say they chose to seal themselves in the mine and flood it. Sadly, such is their way, I suppose.”
The color drained from Ralla’s face. Thom wrapped his arm around her, pulling them close like a couple would and supporting her as her knees began to wobble.
“We expect to resume mining operations within a few weeks. Tomorrow, we head for New Unstalla, and liberate our people there. We will not let them take our fair share anymore! We will not let them take our mines and our farms anymore!” The applause nearly drowned him out. His face beamed out onto the crowd. He waved them quiet.
“OK, that’s it for today. Now I have to get back to work...”
“And so should you!” the crowd and he said together.
He waved at them all again as they applauded. He left the stage the same way he came in, and almost immediatel
y the crowd started to disperse. Thom and Ralla went with the flow. Passing the series of shops where they had slept, they were able to break off and sit on a bench. Ralla’s hazel eyes were moist, and her nose was running. Thom took her hand in his, and she squeezed it tight.
The shops had started to open, and some from the crowd stopped and took seats. Thom watched them as casually as he could, both to see how they interacted, and to give Ralla as much privacy as he could without leaving the bench, or her hand. People passed them without a second glance. They all seemed jovial, and most seemed in a hurry. A few of the shops nearby started to spawn lines of patrons.
The closest shop, a cafe not unlike Eerre’s back in the Garden, opened its doors, and there was a semi-organized rush for seats. As he thought of Eerre’s cafe, he suddenly felt very alone, very small, and very far away from home. He watched the customers for a few more moments, and then turned back to Ralla. Her eyes were clearing. She pulled her hand from his to wipe her eyes.
“There’s no money,” he said quietly.
“Huh?”
“I’ve been watching these shops. People walk up, ask for something, they get it, and then they walk away. There’s no hard credits, there doesn’t even seem to be a scan to charge an account.”
“Maybe they tell them their name or their cabin or something.”
“I guess so, but I can kind of make out what some of the people are saying and it doesn’t sound like they’re even saying that.”
“You know what this means?”
“I know what you think it means, but I think it means we’re going to be able to eat,” Thom said with his eye on the cafe. Ralla made like she was going to object, but was too hungry.
The meal was uneventful, and though they were ravished, they came away unimpressed. At the end, the waiter thanked them in the same accent the whole ship seemed to have and they went on their way. An older couple at the table behind them was finishing up at the same time, and caught up to Ralla and Thom as they headed back towards their bench.
“Your water out?” the gentleman asked politely. Ralla turned and smiled at him.
“Sorry?” she asked, doing a far better job mimicking the accent than Thom. For a moment, the man seemed uncomfortable, but his wife took over.
“My husband was just asking if the water was out in your house, because, you know...” she said, bringing her hand discretely up to her nose.
“Ohhhh,” Ralla said with a laugh that Thom mimicked. “As a matter of fact it is. I’d wish I could say ‘how’d you know’, ” Ralla’s eyes flicked between the two.
“We had the same problem last year. If you’d like, you can use the shower at our place,” the woman said, her smile never wavering. Thom squeezed Ralla’s hand, but Ralla squeezed back.
“Well I’ll tell you, we’d love to. If it wouldn’t be a bother,” she replied. The older couple looked very pleased. As a group they headed up into the superstructure.
The “house” was just a small cabin a few decks up and away from the main central area. Thom was tense the whole walk, but followed Ralla’s confident lead. He did his best to look calm by taking in the sights as they went. The corridors were smaller than on the Uni, and almost uniformly wetter and rustier. Many lights were out, creating areas that were in deep shadow. Paneling was missing or broken in places. The moisture pooled in places, causing the threadbare carpet to squish beneath their feet.
The cabin itself was clean, but only about twice the size of Thom’s cabin single. The bathroom was larger, though, and the older couple made it rather obvious that they expected the two of them to shower together. Not wanting to engage in potentially dangerous small talk, this suited them both. They turned on the water, a low pressure trickle, and then awkwardly undressed back to back. They stepped into the shower in the same unspoken arrangement. While washing off several days of grime, they spoke as quietly as they could.
“Before you say anything, we needed this and you know it. How long before some less-polite people would start to take notice?” Ralla said over her shoulder.
“OK, fair point.”
“Any ideas what to do next?”
“We should get the lay of the ship, and wait till tonight to see if we can steal a sub from somewhere.”
“You think they’ll just let one of their subs leave on its own?”
“No, probably not. Let me think about that.”
“Do you think they killed everyone in the dome?” Ralla asked, even more quietly. After a moment’s pause, Thom replied.
“Yes.”
They finished showering and wrapped themselves in towels that hung nearby. They redressed—no small feat in the cramped quarters. Thom didn’t feel bad sneaking a glance at Ralla, as he didn’t miss her do the same. When they exited the bathroom, the cabin was empty.
After a cursory look around the cabin and finding nothing of interest, Thom and Ralla wandered out into the ship. The layout and overall build wasn’t radically different from the Universalis, alluding to their common ancestry. The Population, though, was in visibly worse shape. Ralla pointed out key structural members that had noticeable decay, while they both marveled at the rust apparent on all surfaces. They came to a park area with monitors set up on tables. There were a handful of people, but several of the tables were empty. They sat next to each other at two adjacent computers and tapped the screens.
After a few moments, Ralla said to Thom, “Do you want to find the ship layout and I’ll go over the news?”
Thom nodded, and turned back to the public terminal. They sat in silence, searching through whatever information they could find. After a few more minutes of searching, they started talking.
“I think I have an idea how we can get out of here. We’ll have to wait till we’re underway though.”
“So, the guy we saw yesterday is Herridki Oppai. He won the governorship about six months ago. From the articles at the time it doesn’t look like he had much opposition; he won in a landslide. This talk about the mining dome only started a month or so ago, and man is it vicious. They blame us for their lack of resources. For... well, for just about everything. That was going on for a while before Oppai took office and it has really intensified since then.” She looked up from the terminal and at Thom. “How can they do this? They're just lying to these people. We're not the bad guys. They're the ones that attacked us.”
“Let’s not call it ‘us,’ OK?” he said quietly. She nodded.
“We've always tried to help,” she mouthed “them” and motioned with her head vaguely to the rest of the ship.
“Have we?”
“Are you serious?” Ralla said, looking shocked. “Why... how? Why would we do any of this?”
Thom shrugged.
“I'm just saying, I drove you to that dome. I have a feeling I have a different perspective on the ship than you do.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It’s a big ship, Ralla.”
“Not that big.”
“I'm just saying I've seen some, well, optimistic stories in the Daily.”
“That's not the same thing.”
"Maybe. Maybe not. How would I know? But we can worry about that later. Keep going.”
Ralla, visibly riled, was unsure what annoyed her more: his flippant insinuation about her father and the Council's honesty, or that he had moved on so casually. Or that he was right. They could deal with it later. She finally turned back to her console.
“There’s a lot more. I wish I could just send it to my storage on the Uni.”
“Remember what you can. There’s not a lot of technical info I can dig up, mostly just maps and stuff, but enough for us to find our way around.” Thom leaned over and put the palm of his hand on the deck. “I think the engines are starting up. We may be moving already, which is good. We should keep wandering around, seeing what we can see. We’ll get some dinner later and then hide out when everyone goes to bed. Sound good?”
“What’s your plan?”
“Well, it’s a little complicated.
VIII
They explored the ship, taking mental notes on anything that was remotely interesting. They listened to nearby conversations. The food, being free, kept them eating throughout the day. Each time they ate, they stored what extra they could in their clothing. No one paid them any attention. They were careful not to loiter too long in any one place, and always made it look like they had some place to be. They had a late dinner at the same cafe where they had breakfast, then wandered arm in arm through the nearby park as the area slowly emptied. The shops closed up, and Thom and Ralla took temporary refuge where they had started the day so many hours before. Ralla fell asleep leaning against the back of a restaurant.
Thom woke her several hours later, and in silence they retraced their steps back to the elevator, back down into the long corridor that connected the bays on this side of the ship. Thom checked the identification panels on the doors. Finally, he stopped at one and pressed the adjacent button to open the lock.
The bay was longer than the one they had entered from. Instead of a pool at one end with a gantry crane to remove the subs, this one had a gentle ramp into the water which got progressively deeper until it met a vertical, fully submerged lock on the far side.
There were small craft shaped like arrowheads lined along all the walls and in cradles hung from the ceiling. Those on the floor sat on wheels extended from flush mounts integrated into their hulls.
“I thought we were going to take one of transports?” Ralla asked as the lock sealed itself shut.
“This will be better. They’re missing some of these already because of the attack, so when they go down to clean up the mess we’re about to make, they won’t know one is missing.”
“A little cramped, don’t you think?”
“I do think that, yes.”
“It looks like there’s barely room for the two of us in there.”
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