Revolution

by Shawn Davis

  Broderick entered a numeric code into a small panel on the side of the cabinet and pulled open the door. Running his fingers along a row of keys, he stopped when he reached a set of keys labeled “LEVEL FOUR.” Taking the keys down from the cabinet, he handed them to Rayne.

  “This ring includes the key to your company issued air-car. Its number is engraved on the key. Simply take it to the Executive Parking Garage and match it with the right numbered vehicle. The ring also contains the key to your office on the twenty-fourth floor. It is labeled 24-18.”

  “Thank you very much, Mr. Broderick,” Peter said.

  He reached out and clenched onto the keys like a vise. He knew it was irrational, but he thought if he didn’t hold on tightly, the air-car key might disappear.

  “Hold on. I’m not done yet,” Broderick said, reaching into the opposite side of the cabinet.

  “Here are the keys to your new apartment. It should be ready by tomorrow. If you want any furniture moved from your old apartment, you must call the Personnel Office and give them your former address. Do you understand?”

  My old furniture? He must be kidding, Peter thought. That stuff is crap.

  “Yes, sir,” Rayne said, placing the apartment key in his right jumpsuit pocket.

  He kept the air-car key clamped in his sweaty grip out of the superstitious fear it might disappear.

  “Now there’s just the issue of your green pass,” Broderick said, re-securing the cabinet. “I can take care of that here too.”

  Broderick turned away from the cabinet and took long strides toward his desk. He took a seat at the desk and gestured for Rayne to sit down. He opened a drawer, grabbed something out of it, and placed it on the desk in front of him. Rayne thought it must be the green pass until he saw Broderick remove his ivory pipe from his jacket pocket and fill it with tobacco.

  “Stop looking so anxious to get out of here, Rayne,” Broderick said, leaning back in his plush leather office chair and blowing a small cloud of smoke across the desk. “By law, I need to explain the benefits and restrictions of your green pass. The green pass will allow you and your family access to the Virtual-world Executive Entertainment Center. The green pass does not allow access to New Washington. A ticket holder must meet government requirements as stated on the back of the document. This ticket must be used by February 13, 2059. Expired tickets will not be honored. Do you understand these conditions?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then you may receive your green pass,” Broderick said as he reached into another drawer and pulled out a rectangular green piece of paper slightly larger than a dollar bill. He handed it to Rayne.

  Peter quickly scanned the small green document. Gold-scripted lettering on the ticket explained all the benefits and restrictions.

  “I’ll bet you never thought you’d be able to get over to that place. Am I right?” Broderick asked.

  “No, sir,” Rayne replied. He leaned forward anxiously in his chair. The faster he could get out of the meeting, the faster he could check out his new company air-car. “Thanks for all your help, Mr. Broderick.”

  “Mr. Rayne, it was my pleasure,” Broderick replied with obvious sarcasm.

  Rayne stood from his chair and waited for Broderick to do the same so they could shake hands. Soon, he realized that Broderick had no intention of moving from his comfortable position. The Personnel Manager continued to lean back in his plush leather chair, staring at him through a haze of pipe smoke waiting for him to leave. Peter nodded at him before turning and leaving the area.

  Well, that was interesting, Rayne thought as he took long strides down the tiled pathway intersecting the miniature tropical forest. Instead of being terminated, I get promoted. Imagine that.”

  Rayne left the tropical path and cut across the lounge area. Exiting the office, he strode down the hall like a schoolboy on his way to an ice cream shop. He held the keys to his company air-car in a jealous grip as he entered the elevator.

  Chapter 14

  Sky Highway

  Rayne didn’t relax his vice-grip on the air-car key as he punched in the number of the Executive Parking Garage: G4. He rode the elevator down and stepped out as soon as the doors opened. Peter expected to find an ordinary concrete parking garage similar to the crumbling remains of the old ground vehicle garages left over in Inner City. Instead, he walked into a bright sunlit dome the size of a football stadium.

  The dome reminded him of a giant honeycomb with thousands of individual, octagon-shaped glass sections, which allowed the filtered sunlight to shine in from all angles. It was hard to believe how warm it was in the dome. The outside temperature couldn’t have been more than thirty degrees, but it was at least seventy in the dome.

  The layout was extraordinary. Rayne was standing on a walkway at mid-level next to a line of air-cars parked on an upwardly sloping ramp. Looking up, he saw a maze of ramps spiraling upwards. Each ramp contained endless lines of parked anti-grav cars. The ramps also had an adjacent catwalk for pedestrians to reach their vehicles.

  The curving ramp started at the top of the dome and swirled downward along the outside edge until it eventually reached the bottom. That way, all the cars had access to the necessary sunlight to charge their anti-grav batteries.

  Rayne leaned over the catwalk railing and looked down. He had expected to find cars parked on the floor of the dome, so he was surprised when he saw trees and grass. The lower ramp ended in a small tropical garden similar to the one in Broderick’s office.

  This place is unbelievable. I should have gotten myself promoted sooner.

  Rayne saw that each parking space was marked with a number in sequence. Contrary to logic, the numbers were higher on the lower part of the ramp and became lower as the immeasurable car ramp ascended. The number on his key was four-hundred twenty-four. The car in the space in front of him was 220, so he assumed his car was somewhere on the lower ramp levels. He followed the gently sloping path of the pedestrian catwalk downward.

  As Rayne reached the bottom level of the dome, he saw the cars on the lower ramp were parked next to the small tropical garden area he had seen earlier from above. He found air-car number four twenty-four and was about to turn the key in the door, when he stopped to admire the gorgeous work of art.

  Rayne shivered with excitement as his eyes scanned the sleek curves of the aerodynamic machine. The streamlined body form reminded him of an antique Corvette, but gull wing doors had replaced traditional horizontal doors. He opened the driver’s side door with a trembling hand and sat on the plush leather driver’s seat.

  Rayne scanned the seemingly endless rows of lights and levers on the dashboard. He was surprised to see the interior of the craft was similar to an automobile. There was a directional switch, a headlight switch, a cigarette lighter, a music disc deck, and even a drink holder. However, the steering wheel was “U” shaped like an airplane. A small computer screen in the center of the dashboard panel appeared to be the nexus of all the car’s operations. A small menu, listing the various functions of the computer, appeared on the screen. He quickly scanned the menu: ROAD MAP, DIRECTIONS, AUTOPILOT,” and “EMERGENCY.

  Now, I have to figure out how to work this thing. The last thing I want to do is crash it on the first day.

  Peter found an Owner’s Manual in the glove compartment that described the details of the car’s operation. He skimmed through it and discovered that the car’s forward thrust was powered by standard gasoline, while the anti-gravitational force operated on electromagnetic power. The more powerful the magnetic force, the higher the vehicle was able to rise. The anti-grav source gave the vehicle its vertical movement while combustion fuel gave it horizontal motion.

  According to the manual, black solar panels were built into the vehicle’s roof, hood, and trunk surfaces to absorb and store radiated energy from the sun. Sunlight provided the necessary energy to get the car off the ground.

  That explains why they’re parked in a transparent dome.

 
Located in front of the passenger seat next to the glove box was a five-pronged electrical outlet. A small sign below it read: THIS OUTLET IS COMPATIBLE WITH MOST ANTIGRAVITATIONAL RECHARGING MACHINES. Below that, in smaller letters, he saw “this outlet should only be used if the vehicle is depleted of electromagnetic power or there is a lack of natural sunlight during daylight hours.”

  Wow, this thing works like an electric forklift at Breechlere. If there’s no sunlight, you just plug it into a charger.

  Between the black polished leather seats was what looked like an emergency brake. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was actually landing gear. The owner’s manual indicated that if the vehicle lost power while air-bound, two sets of wheels could be lowered by use of the lever. The vehicle’s interior alarm would sound and the craft would slowly descend to earth where it could be used as a ground vehicle.

  These controls are easy. If I step on the gas pedal, the dual rocket tubes in the rear ignite and propel the car forward, and if I step on the brake, the retro tubes in the front will force it to stop.

  Feeling a rush of exhilaration, Rayne decided to abandon the instruction booklet for the sky. Slamming the gull wing door, he turned the key in the ignition. He lifted the anti-grav lever and felt the vehicle rise into the air. He scanned for an exit door. Looking up, Rayne saw a large panel opening in the top of the dome.

  Wow, turning my key in the ignition must have activated the panel.

  Rayne pulled upwards on the anti-grav shift and felt another rush of exhilaration as the vehicle ascended. It was as smooth as riding an elevator. The air-car shot out of the opening into the clear blue sky. Feeling a sense of awe, Peter gazed out at the massive skyscrapers and buildings of the New York cityscape. Looking down, he saw the gleaming transparent roof of the Central City’s Mile Mall spread out below next to the parking dome.

  Rayne turned the wheel hard and the vehicle spun 180 degrees until the nose of the car faced the glittering steel and glass Breechlere Corporate Tower. He figured he was level with the tower’s twentieth floor. Looking up, he saw the building disappearing far above in a linear perspective.

  He tried to estimate where Broderick’s office was on the fiftieth floor and thought about crashing into it. Turning the wheel, he felt the car do another smooth 180-degree turn until he was facing the city.

  Let’s see what this thing can do.

  His foot came down hard on the gas pedal. A thundering roar blasted out as the rear rocket tubes ignited and the air-car shot forward like a missile. Glancing at the speedometer, he saw he had gone from 0 to 80 in a second. He eased up on the gas pedal and lifted the anti-grav shift, causing the vehicle to ascend as it raced forward.

  The air-car was faster than he had anticipated. Glancing down at the speedometer, he saw he was traveling at 150 miles per hour. He found himself rocketing toward a skyscraper, closing the distance fast. Taking his foot off the gas pedal, he made a sharp turn and the air-car shot by the building. He saw that he was headed toward a cluster of smaller buildings beyond the skyscraper. Pulling up hard on the anti-grav shift, his stomach fluttered as the air-car ascended above the buildings.

  That was close. I’m going to need some practice.

  Pulling up again on the anti-grav shift, Rayne reached the air-car’s maximum altitude; five hundred feet. At this altitude, he was higher than most of the buildings.

  Now, I can increase speed.

  Rayne hit the gas pedal again, feeling euphoric as the buildings raced below him in a gray and black blur. Glancing down at the speedometer, he saw it now read 180 mph.

  I need to calm down a little.

  He reduced his speed to 125mph, but found himself heading toward another cluster of buildings high enough to reach him. His right hand pulled up hard on the anti-grav shift again, but to no avail. The air-car had reached maximum altitude. Taking his foot off the gas pedal, he slammed on the air brakes. The air-car rapidly decelerated, but it wasn’t slowing down fast enough to miss striking the closest building.

  Turning the wheel sharply to the left, he felt G-forces pressing against his body as the car veered toward the left side of the building.

  Come on, baby. You can do it.

  Rayne held the wheel tight in an extreme turn. Suddenly, the building disappeared in front of him and he realized he had made it past the left edge. Glancing right, he saw the wall of the building about twenty feet away.

  I almost would have made it with the brakes. But almost isn’t good enough. I have to calm down.

  Rayne tapped the gas pedal cautiously, accelerating to a more reasonable 80mph.

  I have to be careful from now on. This thing has even more power than I thought.

  Glancing down, he saw a long line of anti-grav vehicles far below moving slowly with the flow of ground traffic. This was the first time he realized there were probably rules of the sky.

  Pushing down on the anti-grav shift, he slowed and descended toward the ground roadway. His car leveled out and he saw the line of anti-grav vehicles traveling approximately one hundred feet above the ground traffic. He descended into a gap in the air traffic until he was following the other air-cars. The air-car in front of him put on its left blinker and turned onto a side street.

  I don’t even know where the blinkers are in this vehicle.

  He scanned the instrument panel’s multiple rows of buttons and switches, but he had no idea what most of them did.

  I need to read the owner’s manual more carefully.

  Rayne looked up from the instrument panel and concentrated on keeping himself at least two car lengths behind the car in front of him. Arriving at a large intersection, he saw a red traffic light hovering above the roofs of the anti-gravs ahead of him.

  They even have anti-grav traffic lights up here.

  He came to a stop behind a long line of air-cars.

  I never even thought about having to follow the rules of the road. Or more accurately, the rules of the sky.

  The anti-grav light quickly blinked to green and he found himself moving forward in the line of traffic at a modest forty miles per hour.

  This is almost as bad as being in ground traffic.

  Rayne finally located the right blinker and turned onto a side street. Sighing with relief, he realized he was the only air-car on the road. Looking down, he watched sporadic ground traffic moving like tiny snails far below.

  I’m glad I’m not down there. I’m lucky that most people still can’t afford to buy anti-grav vehicles. If they could, the sky would be as congested as the roads.

  Accelerating to 65 mph, he began to enjoy himself again.

  The traffic is not as bad if I stay off the main avenues.

  Rayne cruised some of the back streets of Central City. His sleek vehicle glided past numerous apartment complexes and parking garages. Occasionally, he would pass another air-car. Most of the time, he had the sky to himself.

  It’s so peaceful when you are high above the hustle and bustle of the city. I don’t know how I ever made it without an air-car.

  Rayne steered back into traffic. He hated to leave the tranquility of the side streets, but the main avenue was the most efficient route to the nearest exit ramp taking him directly to Inner City.

  Broderick told me my new apartment will be ready tomorrow. Then, I can move out of the slums and live like a real human being.

  Tapping impatiently on the dashboard, he followed a long line of air traffic toward the nearest ramp leading to the sky highway. Glowing anti-grav markers indicated the lanes.

  When he came off the ramp, it was a whole new ball game. Stomping on the gas pedal, he joined the fast-moving flow of air-traffic on the skyway. The sleek anti-gravs raced above the ground vehicle highway far below, leaving their crawling counterparts in the dust. Rayne followed the lead of the other air-cars in the lanes around him.

  Approaching his exit, he tapped on his right blinker and curved around the exit ramp until he reached an all-too-familiar street in Inner City. H
e recognized the long, wide street where he had run into the protest march two days ago.

  Horrific images from the past two days flooded his mind like a poison river. Closing his eyes, he tried to push them away. The air-car slowed to a near stop. Horns beeped behind him. After several tense seconds, he recovered enough to accelerate into the decaying Inner City.

  I only have to survive one more night in my old digs and I’m out of here.

  Rayne steered onto familiar side streets and navigated his way through a complex road network that sliced through the decrepit tenement apartments and abandoned buildings like an urban labyrinth. He ignored the incredulous stares of the legions of homeless people camped out on the sidewalks and alleyways. As he drove by, the homeless stopped whatever they were doing and stared, mesmerized, at the air-car hovering high above the unplowed streets.

  Eventually, Rayne maneuvered his airborne machine into his old neighborhood. He glanced to his left at the abandoned, half-demolished apartment building located directly adjacent to his home. His eyes focused on a pair of tattered white curtains blowing outward from a shattered window like angry ghosts. Reaching the front steps of his apartment building, he lowered the anti-grav lever and drifted his new car gently onto the snow-covered sidewalk.

  Ahh, good to be home.

  Peter turned off the engine, reached over to the glove compartment, and pulled out the owner’s manual. He skimmed through it until he found the material concerning the car’s security system. He would need it in this neighborhood. After reading a few paragraphs, he punched a code into the dashboard computer. According to the manual, the code would render the car useless to anyone else.

  Over the years, Rayne had watched many entertaining television commercials advertising anti-grav cars. He had learned that this simple feature was not the car’s only security system. Scanning the manual, he found the method for activating the car’s primary anti-theft system. He found a succession of five switches with tiny lightning bolts engraved over each one. It turned out that all he had to do was flip these switches to activate the primary system.