Tempus Regit

by Edmund Hughes

  “Fair enough,” said Archer. “I’m glad you decided to stop by. I’m starving.”

  He also missed her a little bit, having not seen her that morning, though he didn’t say as much.

  “Here.” Leigh reached into the bag and pulled out a sandwich, sliding it over to him. “Roast beef, lettuce, and provolone.”

  Archer took the seat across from her, smiling as he opened the sandwich. It felt good to be out of the armor suit. The feeling of having Trevor pressing his way into his reality made him feel as though his own identity was under attack. He could relax now and be himself.

  “There you are.” Ada walked over to their table, her high heels clacking against the metal floor of the armory. “Archer, I need to speak with you about something.”

  He nodded, mouth full with food. Ada glanced over at Leigh.

  “It’s okay,” he mumbled. “I don’t mind her overhearing.”

  Ada took a deep breath.

  “Your mother is at the Lanchester Facility, on the west side of the inner city,” said Ada. “I’m giving you the afternoon off go visit her like you asked.”

  Archer felt a dull ache in his heart, which contrasted against the massive wave of appreciation he suddenly felt for Ada.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if… you were actually going to do it.”

  Ada smiled and crossed her arms. She looked very pleased with herself. Archer was surprised at how much softer she appeared.

  “Oh, I keep my promises, Archer,” she said. “I might be stopping by to check in on you later tonight. And be careful in the city while you’re out and about. The situation is going to be a little… tense, for you.”

  Archer nodded, and watched Ada as she walked off, his eyes flickering over the way her tight skirt showed off her butt. Leigh was looking at him, and he glanced away with a guilty expression on his face. She didn’t seem to care, though.

  “I should have told you this immediately,” said Leigh. “But, I set up a meeting for later this afternoon with the friends that I was telling you about last night.”

  “Alright,” he said. “Do you mind coming with me? I need to visit my mom first, make sure she’s comfortable.”

  “Of course.” Leigh smiled at him. She moved one of her hands forward, as though to put it on top of Archer’s, and then stopped.

  We’re both still figuring out how we fit together.

  He reached his hand forward and gave hers a quick squeeze. It was a small gesture, but Archer felt as though it brought them a step closer together. They finished eating in companionable silence.

  CHAPTER 23

  Archer and Leigh headed into the elevator. He was in the middle of operating the lift controls when Vivian, dressed in sweatpants and a tight t-shirt, stepped in behind them.

  “Heading up?” she asked, with a small smile.

  “Yeah.” Archer pressed the button and moved to stand between her and Leigh.

  An unexpectedly awkward silence hung on the air as the elevator creaked across the metal struts and into motion. Archer chewed his lip and tried to think of something suitable to say.

  “You’re a smog, aren’t you?” asked Vivian.

  Archer opened his mouth to answer before realizing that the question had been directed at Leigh.

  “Yes,” she said, simply.

  “I remember you,” she said. “You used to work in the Prime Complex. Doing laundry, right?”

  “Uh… yes,” said Leigh. She didn’t seem comfortable addressing Vivian, but whether it was due to the other woman’s confidence or high status, Archer couldn’t guess.

  “Well, you’re certainly moving up in the world, aren’t you?” asked Vivian. “Trevor had a number of attendants. I’m surprised Archer hasn’t seen fit to bring in a few more.”

  Leigh didn’t say anything.

  “Uh, Vivian,” he said. “Do you have a point to make?”

  “She’s very pretty, that’s all,” said Vivian. “It’s probably a better life for a smog, serving a single man rather than everyone that steps in through the door, like in one of the brothels.

  Archer felt a flash of rage, and it reached his lips before logic could subdue it.

  “Fuck off,” he said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Mind your own fucking business,” said Archer. “If you still have hang ups about my brother fucking other women, or whatever, deal with them on your own.”

  Vivian made a noise and turned, pulling her hand back to slap him. Leigh was there in an instant, catching her hand and holding it.

  “Don’t,” whispered Leigh. “I know how to do more than just please a man.”

  “I would wreck you, smog girl,” hissed Vivian. “Just try it.”

  Jesus Christ, why is everyone so on edge all the time?

  Archer pushed himself in between the two of them, shooting each of them a look and saying nothing. The elevator reached ground level, and the doors slid open with a metallic screech. Vivian took off without another word, walking at a pace fast enough to give herself some distance from the situation.

  “Sorry about that,” said Archer.

  “It’s okay,” said Leigh. “I wasn’t offended. I just wasn’t going to let her slap you. You don’t have to stick up for me, you know.”

  Archer reached over and took her hand into his.

  “No, I do,” he said. “You’re my friend, Leigh.”

  She smiled, but there was something distinctly sad about the expression.

  “You should try to keep it that way, Archer,” she said. “Me… as your friend.”

  “Weren’t you the one who-”

  “It would be better for you, I mean,” she said, cutting him off. “Vivian was right about one thing. I’m just a smog. Not somebody for you to sacrifice yourself over.”

  Archer frowned. Her tone was matter of fact and unemotional, like she honestly didn’t see herself as someone worth extra effort on his part.

  She must be hiding the way she really feels. Or maybe I’m just projecting my own emotions onto her…

  He sighed and let the subject drop. Instead of loading into the rail car, as he usually did with Ada, he led Leigh around it and toward the compound’s pedestrian entrance. The guards standing on either side of it saluted with such enthusiasm that Archer almost laughed.

  The North Compound was in one of the less populated sections of the inner city, but as the two of them walked southwest along the clean streets and concrete buildings, more people began to pass by them. Archer got an odd sense from the way they looked at him, their eyes flickering with recognition, locking onto him with more focus than he’d experienced back when he’d been a smog.

  A tall, muscular man in casual clothing shouldered Archer as he passed by, knocking him into Leigh. He scowled and was about to say something when a young preteen girl, probably no older than twelve or thirteen, spat on the ground next to his feet. He blinked and stopped walking, turning in a circle and seeing the hate on people’s faces.

  “The interview,” he said, quietly. “They all think I’m an asshole, rejoicing in the fact that Trevor’s dead, and I get to take his place.”

  From down the street, Archer saw a group of similarly aged men jeering at him and flipping him off. He gritted his teeth and took a step in their direction, intent on giving them either a piece of his mind or his knuckles. Leigh grabbed his arm and pulled back.

  “No,” she whispered. “Think about your position, Archer. Getting into fights with people is only going to make it worse.”

  He took a slow breath and nodded.

  “Sorry,” he said. “You’re right.”

  He ignored the reactions of the passersby as they continued on, making a note to buy a hat or hooded sweatshirt that he could wear to obscure his appearance the next time he needed to go out. It only took a couple of minutes for them to reach the Lanchester Facility, a three story medical center designed for patients that needed long term care.

  The front doors were auto
matic, something unheard of in the outer city. The inside was well lit, warm, and smelled faintly of antiseptic. A smiling man at the front desk greeted Archer with a nod, apparently above the childish reactions of the crowd.

  “Hello,” he said. “You’re Archer Clark. Captain Ada called ahead to tell me you’d be stopping by.”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Your mother is on the second floor,” said the man. “First room on the left from the elevator.”

  Archer smiled and thanked him. He and Leigh went up to the second floor and found the room easily enough. Beatrix was lying in a comfortable looking bed, watching the news on a small color TV hanging in the corner of the room, next to the door.

  “Hey, mom,” he said, in quiet voice. She smiled, and a flash of recognition passed across her face.

  That’s a good sign. At least, I hope it’s a good sign.

  “…Archer,” whispered Beatrix. Archer smiled, feeling a sudden swell of joy over the fact that she’d remembered his name on her own. He moved to her side, and then remembered Leigh.

  “Oh, mom, this is my friend Leigh,” he said. “Leigh, this is my mother, Beatrix Clark.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Clark,” said Leigh.

  Archer leaned in to Leigh, close enough for only her to hear.

  “She has Chaucer’s Disease,” he whispered. “Don’t take it personally if she says, or does, anything weird.”

  Leigh nodded.

  “Is Trevor with you, too?” asked Beatrix. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him. I’m so proud of Trevor…”

  Archer kept the smile on his face, nodding to her.

  “Trevor… isn’t here,” he said. He couldn’t bear to tell her the truth, and knew that she wouldn’t remember even if he did. “It’s just me today, mom. I just wanted to see how you were enjoying the new facility.”

  Beatrix blinked, her expression blanking out for an instant.

  “New… facility?” she asked.

  “The new room, mom,” he said. “You’re in the inner city, now. Really moving up in the world now, huh?”

  He flashed a grin at her. She smiled back, but it was muted and confused.

  “Are you the new doctor?” she asked.

  “No, mom,” said Archer. “It’s me. Archer. Your son.”

  Beatrix just stared at him, her face one of a woman trying to be polite to a long forgotten acquaintance.

  “Archer,” she said, as though testing the name out. She shook her head. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

  It was harder for him to endure than he’d expected. His last visit had been a complete disaster, but the emotional impact of having her still not remember him, even if she was staying calm, was still too much for him.

  “I’ll come back soon,” he said. “I should let you… relax, I guess.”

  His mother nodded, but it was clear from her empty eyes that she wasn’t really following along with the conversation. Archer waved as he reached the door, not daring to try to give her a hug or kiss goodbye.

  Once they were in the elevator, Leigh reached over and gave his hand a squeeze.

  “You could have stayed for longer,” she said. “I don’t mind waiting.”

  “No,” he replied. “I couldn’t have.”

  CHAPTER 24

  The two of them left the medical facility. Archer started to walk aimlessly down the street, feeling emotionally stunned by the visit. Leigh grabbed him by the back of his arm.

  “The friends that I was telling you about wanted us to stop by around four,” she said. “If you’re still up for it.”

  “Yeah, of course,” said Archer.

  Honestly, I could use a distraction right now.

  “We’ll have to head into the coal district,” said Leigh. “If you’re alright with that?”

  “I used to live there, up until a few days ago,” said Archer. “It’s totally fine.”

  The guards at the gate between the inner and outer city recognized Archer on sight, which given that he still hadn’t gotten new citizen credentials from Ada, he was glad for. Leigh walked close beside him, her arm looped through his, leading him through streets that he knew like the back of his hand.

  She stopped in front of a large building that Archer remembered as a warehouse that stored grains and other nonperishable food. The door was shut, though they’d seen someone enter on their way down the street. Leigh knocked a couple of times on the door, and a burly man with streaks of soot on his face opened it.

  “Leigh,” he said. “Good timing. We were just about to…”

  He trailed off when he saw Archer, his mouth literally falling open in surprise.

  “Kenneth, this is Archer,” she said. “A new friend of mine. Emily is expecting him.”

  Kenneth nodded dumbly and beckoned for both of them to follow. He led them into a wide open room filled with a large circle of chairs and benches. A woman in a long, white gown stood in the center. She was pretty, with light brown hair, expressive green eyes, and a modest figure. She smiled when she saw Leigh and Archer, and then started clapping.

  There were around fifty people in the room, and every single one of them began applauding and cheering, some of them stomping their feet on the wood floor. Everybody was looking at Archer, and he felt awkward under their eyes, unsure of the appropriate response. Leigh pulled him toward an empty, two-person bench on the side of the circle, and they both sat down as the group began to quiet.

  “My apologies,” said the woman. “It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable, Archer Clark. We just wish to express how joyous we feel to have you among us, this afternoon. My name is Emily.”

  Archer wasn’t sure if he was supposed to, or even allowed to respond to her directly. There was a faintly religious ambience about the meeting. He smiled, nodded, and raised a hand to greet the rest of the people in the room.

  “In lieu of our special guest, I’d like to do some introductions,” said Emily. “We won’t have time for everybody, but it would be nice if a few of our regulars could explain the reason why we’ve all gathered here.”

  She nodded to Kenneth, the burly man from before. He stood up and scratched his head, and Archer relaxed a bit.

  It’s nice to see someone else put on the spot, for once.

  “My name is Kenneth,” he said. “I… uh, grew up in the coal district, like everyone else here. My son was named Jacob, and… I lost him. During the famine a few years back, when the hospitals were overcrowded and there wasn’t enough food to go around.”

  He spoke with the neutral, detached tone of voice of someone who has suffered enough to transcend most of their emotions. He took a deep breath before continuing.

  “I’m here because I think the way the government is doing things doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “They argue over politics as though we, all of us smogs, don’t even exist. Like we don’t even matter.”

  Kenneth sat down. Emily thanked him, and then gestured to another woman across the room.

  “I’m Kris,” she said, in a nervous voice. “Most of you know me. Hi, to all of those who don’t. I’m here because I know… that they’re lying to us. I’ve read history books before. I’ve seen maps of the planet. Just cause the land around Tempus is dead and grey doesn’t mean all of the land is. We only know what we see around us, and that’s all they want us to know.”

  Several people in the room muttered words of agreement. Emily nodded to Kris and she sat down.

  “We all know the situation we’re in, and can see the trap,” said Emily. “We’re smogs. We don’t get to vote, but the government always points out that if we work hard, and stay civil, eventually we might have a chance at a job in the inner city, and citizenship.”

  From beside him, Leigh shifted slightly, shoulders stiffening. Archer resisted the urge to put his arm around her, instead just reaching over and squeezing her hand.

  “And it isn’t just us,” said Emily. “Even the citizens are starved of real choices. T
hey can vote for the recyclists, the rich tower elite who are content to live within the walls and watch everyone else starve. Or they can vote for the expansionists, whose idea of change is building a farm within easy sight of the city, and reaping the profits from the smogs who will work it and risk their lives.”

  All around the room, people nodded, or clenched their fists, or at least, fidgeted in their seats. Archer could see the logic behind what she was saying. He didn’t have a problem with it. Her tone of voice, however, reminded him of some of the old, grainy, recorded religious sermons occasionally broadcast over the public TVs.

  “They call Tempus one of the havens,” said Emily. “But the walls don’t protect us from danger. They protect us from new ideas, from new ways of thinking. From reality.”

  The entire room exploded into applause. Archer got the feeling that it wasn’t the first time Emily had given this particular speech.

  “We aren’t smogs,” said Emily. “And we aren’t revolutionaries. We are realists. We recognize the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves. There is somewhere out there better than Tempus, better than Syprus. A promised land. Somewhere that’s still green, where the fabricants can’t reach. Or maybe, where we will live in harmony with them. We won’t know until we find it, but we will find it.”

  More applause. Archer kept his face neutral, not smiling, not frowning.

  “Archer,” said Emily. “The last thing I want to do is put you on the spot. Leigh asked me if she could bring you here today, and I honestly wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not.”

  The room went deathly silent.

  “I thought that if I brought you in, it might expose our ideas, our supposedly radical ideas, to people who might want to extinguish them.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “I was worried, when she first told me, that it would mean betting our future on a coin flip, on whether you turn out to be reasonable or not.”

  Archer held up his hands and shook his head.

  “Look, I’m still new to being someone that people even notice,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “I do worry about you, Archer,” said Emily. “But not because of what you might do to hurt us. I saw the interview this morning. I’m sure that most of the people here in this room did, as well.”