The Outsiders

by L. J. LaBarthe

  Matty glanced at Nisha and Arkady. Both of them looked somber. He sighed and turned to Tony. "That's pretty much what we heard, too."

  "Yeah, even the folk who live underground don't change the history much. Mind, I heard tell that they don't teach history now."

  "They're big on control, though," Nisha said.

  "Heard that, too." Tony took a sip of tea and swallowed before he went on. "I've heard about how they run things down there. That it's pretty dictatorial and people obey or are banished. That they're told that life out here, above ground, is a death sentence."

  "It isn't, though," Matty said.

  "It might have been when the war ended," Tony said. "The guy I told you about, the cryo guy. He said that he read on the old computer that it took a while for things to get back to normal out here."

  "Can we meet this man?" Arkady asked.

  Matty had been about to ask the same question. He watched Tony carefully, curious to see how the man would react to the question.

  "Sure. It'll have to be tomorrow, though. He's out fishing and won't be back until late."

  "Okay." Matty sat back. Tony had reacted as if it was a normal question, and he felt more at ease. If there'd been any prevaricating or excuses, Matty would have found the situation far more worrisome and suggested to Arkady and Nisha that they leave again as soon as they could.

  "Tony, can I ask… can people leave here? What I mean is, can they get on a ship and go to another country or city?" Nisha had leaned forward.

  Tony laughed. "Gosh no, Nisha. I mean, maybe in another part of the country or the world, sure, perhaps. Not here. We don't have any boats that could travel that far or even manage the open sea. We had to pull down a lot of buildings to stop the rivers from flooding a lot of the city—well, my ancestors did anyway. The sea wall that's been built isn't too far from here. We maintain it and we do what we need to survive. It's hard sometimes, though it's a good life."

  "What about planes?" Nisha asked.

  "A plane?" Tony quirked an eyebrow at her. "I've heard stories about them. Seen a few pictures too. There aren't any around here."

  Matty felt his stomach drop down to his shoes. He had hoped that the answers Tony would give would be what they needed. Yet to hear it said that, no, there were no ships that could travel where they wanted to go and certainly no planes felt like a bitter pill to swallow.

  Tony stood up. "You can stay for the night. You're very welcome here. I'll just go and get something to cook for dinner. You guys like fish, right?"

  "Fish is excellent, thank you. Thank you too for your kindness and hospitality," Arkady said.

  Tony smiled at him. "Nothing to thank me for, Arkady. I'm happy to help. I'll be right back." He turned and left the area, and the dog and cat trotted after him.

  Once he was sure that Tony was out of earshot, Matty groaned. "I was so hoping that we'd be able to get a ship or a plane. Or a helicopter."

  "So did I," Nisha said. "Though, fuck, Vikings were able to sail a boat long distances."

  "I think the Vikings had more than three people on their long ships," Matty said.

  "They understood the ocean, currents and weather far better than we do," Arkady said.

  "I know, I know. I just… I feel helpless and I hate it."

  Matty sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I do too, Nish."

  "We're alive," Arkady said. "We're together and trust each other. Tomorrow is a new day and we'll meet this other man who has come from similar circumstances as we have. Let us not think about the negatives and instead focus on what we can do."

  They were all silent for a little while, lost in their own thoughts, although Matty assumed that of Nisha and Arkady. He knew that he was, his mind ticking over, pondering, considering, planning. If New York wasn't for them, why couldn't they hike to another city?

  "We all were trained how to survive and live off the land," Matty began, speaking slowly. "We know how to hunt and how to fish, how to find fresh water. We know how to use a compass and to navigate using the sun. Okay, we can't really see the sun here, though that might be because we're in a city. Outside the city, there might be fewer clouds."

  "What are you thinking?" Nisha asked.

  "We don't have to stay here. We can move on. Tony's a great bloke, sure; he's been good to us, but we all want to leave. We want to see the rest of the world for ourselves. Let's get out of here, maybe we can get some supplies before we leave and we can hike toward Canada."

  Arkady hummed. "It is a good plan. We have enough equipment to survive in extreme temperatures as well, the supplies that Nisha took when we left the clinic are excellent. We have a compass, we have maps."

  Nisha moved to sit on the floor. She crossed her legs beneath her, the long braid she wore swinging over her left shoulder. "That's a great idea. It'll be interesting to take a survey too, see how the landscape has changed. We should stay as close to the coast as we can though. Maybe we can find a ship or plane in Boston."

  Arkady burst out laughing. "Do you know how long that would take?"

  "Did you have anything better to do?"

  "No. It will be a very long trip. It will not be a Sunday walk."

  "Neither will hiking to Canada. We'll need warm clothes for one thing. Think big, Arkady. Let's take it one city at a time and just keep going."

  Arkady was quiet and then he nodded. "All right. That is what we shall do."

  "Good."

  Tony returned, with the animals, and he was holding three large fish. Nisha leapt to her feet. "Do you need some help?" she asked.

  Tony shook his head. "No thanks, Nisha. I've got it, it's all good. Though if you want to go for a walk and check out what's left of the financial district, Anna and Jordy can show you the way back here. They're really smart, those two. Just say you want to go home to Tony's, they'll bring you back."

  "Won't the other people who live here want to interrogate us?" Arkady asked.

  "Nah. Tobias will have told them that you're with me. That's enough for everyone else."

  Matty shot a quick look at his friends and got to his feet. He picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulder. "Thanks, Tony, I think we will take a little walk."

  "No worries. Dinner will be in an hour. Anna, Jordy," Tony looked down at the cat and dog, "go with these good folks and bring them home in an hour, okay?"

  The dog let out a bark and the cat a meow, as one, they trotted to the door, where they stopped and looked over their shoulders at Matty and his friends.

  "That's our cue, guys," Matty said.

  *~*~*

  Fifteen minutes later, they had reached the sea wall that Tony had spoken of. Matty gazed at it in awe, wondering how high it was. He couldn't see over it; it was too tall. It was made of hard-packed stone, mismatched and uneven, held together with what looked like rammed earth and sand. However it had been done, it was an impressive sight. The sides of the wall weren't straight, they were sloped, and he saw immediately that they could be climbed.

  Not waiting for his friends, Matty moved forward and began to make his way to the top. He went slowly, not wanting to fall over or slide down the structure. Soon, huffing and puffing with his exertions, he was at the top. The view was amazing, he thought, as he gazed around him. The water lapped gently at the other side of the wall, soft breakers tapping against the rock. He imagined that in storms, that would be far more violent and wondered if the people who lived and depended on the wall worried about it holding.

  "Impressive." It was Arkady. "I can see that there is not much of New York left beyond this. Was there not more of the city?"

  "Yeah. I think what isn't underwater now is part of the wall. Though I'm not sure why this part survived and other parts didn't." Matty turned in place and gazed along it, following the line of the broken city of New York. "I can understand why they did this, it all makes me a bit sad too. All this destruction, and for what? An idea. Paul's idea, it turns out, which pissed off Kieran so he went and played Machiavelli
with North Korea, and here we are."

  "Yes, that is… well, it does not make me sad. It makes me very angry." Arkady's voice was low.

  Matty looked at him, taking in his handsome profile, the windswept dark blond hair and dark eyes, Arkady's pale skin dotted with spray from the water. The set of Arkady's shoulders was tense. Matty felt a pang for him. He said nothing as he pulled Arkady into a hug. For a moment, Arkady was unresponsive. Eventually, the hug was returned and the two of them stood, clinging to each other on top of the sea wall that was the only barrier between the water and New York City.

  "Nisha is with Anna and Jordy," Arkady said as he pulled back a little. "She didn't want to see. I understand why, now."

  "I just remember New York as so… so alive," Matty said. He hadn't let go of Arkady. "There was always someone awake, the lights were always on, always so much noise and life. Now… this."

  "Yes." Arkady took a deep breath; it sounded a little shaky to Matty's ears.

  Matty pulled him back into the hug and breathed deep, smelling the water, gun oil, and soap. Arkady was warm and strong in his arms and Matty sighed softly into the embrace. "I'm glad you're here, Arkady."

  "I'm glad you're here too, Matty." Arkady's voice was muffled. "The sun is starting to go down, I think. We should head back."

  "Okay." Matty let go of him and began to make his way down the side of the wall. He hadn't really wanted to let go of Arkady, but he knew he was right. It wouldn't be wise to be out in the open at night, especially when they were strangers here and at least one person in this community who didn't want them there.

  When they reached the ground, they found Nisha sitting with the animals, the cat in her lap and the dog at her side. She looked peaceful, smiling as she patted them, unlike what they had just seen, the damage and destruction of it.

  "I think you were the smart one not to climb up," Matty said.

  "I just didn't want to see how much it'd all changed," she said.

  "Wise," Arkady said.

  "Let's head back," Nisha said. "I'm getting hungry. Tomorrow we'll meet mystery cryo guy, then we can head out towards Boston and then Canada."

  They went back the way they'd come, following Anna and Jordy, none of them spoke as they walked. It was nearly full dark when they reached Tony's home, and they followed the animals into the space—although, Matty thought, it was more like a den than a house or apartment—where they were welcomed with a cheery greeting and the mouth-watering smell of cooking fish.

  "Have a seat at the table," Tony called out as they entered. "Food's ready."

  They did so, Matty watching with amusement as the animals trotted back to their places near the fire and lay down and got comfortable. For these creatures and Tony himself, life was good. They had no desire to leave or to learn more, to see the world and meet others who had survived. Here was home and home was perfect. Matty only wished that he could feel the same way.

  Dinner was wonderful; Tony served them fried fish, which he said was sea bass. Vegetables, too: greens which tasted like arugula to Matty, roasted apples with handmade butter and fresh baked bread. It was a meal fit for a king and much better than the rations they'd been living on.

  "You're an excellent cook," Nisha said as she pushed back her empty plate. "That was delicious, thank you."

  "You're welcome. Now, I hate to leave you, I've got a meeting to go to. It's a weekly thing," Tony said quickly as Matty raised his eyebrows. "It's not a 'discuss the newcomers' type thing. Just we talk about what we have on hand and what we need for the next week. It usually runs quite late, so get some sleep. I made up an area for you, Nisha, you can take my bed. No, I insist," he held up a hand as she opened her mouth to protest, "and I'll take the sofa. Arkady and Matty, I hope you don't mind sharing the pallet I made up for you guys."

  "No, that's fine," Arkady said. "And thank you again."

  "It's my pleasure." Tony stood up. "I'll be going. I'll see you all in the morning."

  "We'll do the dishes for you," Nisha promised.

  Tony smiled at her. "Thanks, Nisha."

  Once he'd left—the animals did not go with him—Matty sat back in his chair and toyed with the glass of water he had in front of him. "Do we stay until morning?"

  "I think we should," Nisha said. She got up and began to clear the table. "We need to talk to the mystery cryo guy if nothing else."

  Matty had momentarily forgotten about that. He wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, good point."

  "I wonder who he is," Arkady said. "Perhaps it is Louis?"

  Matty sat up straight. "That'd be good. It's been a while since we spoke to him. Though weird that Paul didn't mention that he'd come out of cryo."

  "Maybe he woke up before Paul did and decided to leave rather than stay down in the subway city?" Nisha suggested.

  "Louis would not want to stay down there," Arkady said. "He would rather be out in the fresh air."

  "He's not the only one. There's Paul, down in that city underneath us, part of what I can only describe as the ruling class, running a really important part of the show. It's better than what he thought he'd be doing, that whole retired-spook-now-at-a-desk-thing."

  Arkady got up to help Nisha with the dishes, and Matty watched them for a minute before he too stood up. He wandered around Tony's home, orienting himself and finding everything he thought they'd need—the rudimentary bathroom had a toilet, shower and basin; the main bedroom with a large bed; and in a far corner of the living room, a pallet made up for him and Arkady. It looked to be a thin mattress covered with blankets and a sheet, which was covered with several more blankets. There were also two pillows, one for each of them.

  It was, all things considered, quite well-appointed. Matty puzzled at that and shook his head. Living in an abandoned city—any city, not just New York—there would be plenty of things to scavenge and recycle or reuse. Grabbing his pack, he went back to the pallet and set it down. He sat on the makeshift bed and leaned against the wall, stretching his legs out. He was tired, he realized, more than he'd thought. With a grunt, he leaned forward and took his boots off, then he shucked his flak jacket and the few things he wore beneath it and set them aside, close at hand. Yawning a huge yawn, Matty climbed into the bed and lay down on his back, closing his eyes as he listened to the conversation between Nisha and Arkady and the soft pop and crackle of the fire.

  He came awake with a start, and blinked, wondering for a moment where he was. The light was a dim orange color, and he remembered that he was in Tony's home, in the former business district and sharing a bed with Arkady. He couldn't hear any sounds apart from breathing, and he could make out a shape on the sofa that he guessed was Tony. He could feel Arkady lying beside him, pressed close, a solid, warm body. Arkady's breath tickled Matty's shoulder and he shifted a little. Arkady only pressed closer and slid an arm over his chest. Matty stayed put, shifting only a little to get comfortable. His eyes fell closed again, and he took a deep breath as he felt sleep pull him down once more.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "I've spoken with the others."

  Matty quirked an eyebrow at Tony's pronouncement. They were sitting in a loose circle in the middle of Tony's living room, his pets curled up by the fire. "What others? What did they say?"

  Tony took a deep breath. "Firstly, the cryo guy will be back this morning. Should be any moment, actually, if you want to talk to him, I'll take you to the spot where we have large meetings. You can all talk with some privacy there. Secondly, if you want to stay here with us, you're welcome to."

  Matty felt his eyebrows shoot up. "That's a generous offer," he said, not sure what to say next. It was tempting, too, the idea of not having to leave or find anything or anyone to answer any questions, to have some peace, was tantalizing.

  "I can only speak for myself," Arkady said. "I agree, it is a very generous offer. However, I must know what happened to my country and my family. I could not find peace if I didn't make an effort to learn their fates."

  Nisha n
odded. "I agree. I think… no, I know, that for me, having lived the life I have, I'll have more sense of purpose and place once I have answers to my questions."

  Tony nodded. "I understand. Please remember the offer will always be open. We know you left the underground city. From the way you walk and the weapons you carry, that parting wasn't a good one, heck, you inferred it yourselves. Don't think all of us here are like the people down there."

  Matty leaned over and gripped Tony's arm. "I don't think for a minute we'd ever think of you as being like the people in the underground city."

  Tony smiled. "Good. Well, if you guys are ready?"

  Matty, Nisha, and Arkady got to their feet. "We are," Arkady said.

  "Great. Let's go." Tony stood as well and led the way out of his home. Matty noted that the animals didn't move, and he wondered for a fleeting moment if they were perhaps the wisest beings present, to stay where it was warm, comfortable and safe.

  Tony led them through the empty streets towards the river wall, over piles of rubble and past trees and weeds that pushed their way through the concrete and pavement, seeking the sunlight. Matty wondered if they were going to some sort of special area, but they rounded a corner and came up against the remains of a bridge. There wasn't much left of the bridge, and if he hadn't known what a bridge was, Matty thought he could easily have confused it as some sort of arch, a flat top held up between two sturdy, high piles of concrete and metal.

  A man stood in front of the bridge. His hair was long, past his shoulders and touched with gray. His face was weathered and he wore boots, thick trousers and a sweater. His eyes were blue and he wore a close-cut beard.

  Matty knew him.

  "You!" It was Nisha and before anyone could react, she was running. As soon as she was close to the other man, she launched herself, kicking him solidly in the chest. He stumbled and fell with a loud grunt as she leapt on him and proceeded to pummel him with her fists, cursing the whole time.