by Chris Yee
“What are the Crowns?”
“We are the Crowns. We stand for freedom and fight against Greene. We strive to rescue every prisoner in his hold and provide them with the freedom they deserve. Live. Free. Forever.”
Alan stepped forward. “I guess our goals align. We’re here to stop Greene as well. We want to stop his tests and free all the test subjects.” He stuck out his hand. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. We should be working together, not against each other.”
Simon nodded. “If that’s the case, I completely agree.” He signaled for the others to lower their guns. “I apologize if Jonah frightened you. He can be a bit aggressive, but it’s a good quality to have for an operation like this.”
Jonah stood in the corner and watched them, leaning against the wall and sipping tea from his turtle mug.
“What’s going on up there?” Ella asked. “The dust was crazy. I couldn’t see anything. All I heard were explosions.”
“Yes. We’re charging the Spire. That’s where Greene hides. The tall tower you probably saw when you came in. It’s protected by three walls, each equipped with cannons.
“Cannons?” Rupert asked.
“You don’t know what a cannon is?” He chuckled. “Wow, you guys really are outsiders.” He pulled out his gun and held it up to show them. “Do you know what this is?”
“Yes,” Vince said. “We encountered one earlier. It shoots thunder.”
“Thunder? Ha! That’s priceless. No, my friend. It shoots bullets.” He opened the barrel and pulled one out. “These little metal balls. A cannon is a bigger version of this. About ten times as big.”
“Holy crap!” Alan said. “I’d hate to run into one of those.”
“Yes, they are very dangerous, but we counter them with our homemade bombs. That’s how we took down the first wall.”
“So you’re just going in with brute force.”
“That’s really our only option. There’s no way for us to sneak in.” He paused for a moment, then pointed his finger towards Vince. “If you’re from the outside, how do you know about Greene? How do you know about test subjects?”
Saul answered without thinking. “We are test subjects.”
Vince glared at him. That was not information he wanted to share, not yet.
Simon stumbled back. “What? You’re saying we have a group of escaped subjects?”
“Just Vince and I. The others are friends. And we didn’t escape. They tested us outside of the City, without our knowledge.”
“Fascinating. They have subjects in the outer world. What did they test?”
“We have the power to drain life from the living. Plants, animals, that kind of thing. It extends our life expectancy.”
“Perfect!” Simon exclaimed. “You embody our motto. Live free forever. Two of Greene’s prisoners defy his orders and live a free life. You represent everything the Crowns stand for. We need to spread the word. Make you the face of the Crowns.” He turned to Jonah. “Make an announcement. We’ll throw a rally tomorrow morning. That’s where we’ll introduce them to the people.”
Jonah put down his empty turtle mug and left through the back door.
“Wait,” Ella said. “We don’t want to go around broadcasting our presence. We want to stay quiet. Catch Greene by surprise.”
Simon shook his head. “There’s no catching Greene by surprise. He has eyes everywhere. He already knows you’re here, and I’m sure he knows we found you. We need to take advantage of the situation before he has time to react.”
“How do you think he will react?” Rupert asked.
“I don’t know, but there’s no point in waiting to find out. What are your names?”
“Vince Vigo.”
“Saul Shepherd.”
“Rupert Howlett, and my falcon, Fred.”
“Ella Weaver.”
“Alan Trotter.”
Simon glanced at them from a distance. “And you two are Greene’s subjects.” Vince and Saul nodded. “We need to get your names out there. Vince and Saul, the two who escaped Greene’s hold and now live as free men. We’ll have your faces on posters and television. Hell, I’ll shout your names from the rooftops. By the end of tomorrow, everyone in the City will know who you are.”
“This is a bit much,” Saul said, “isn’t it?” He was still clenching the pain in his stomach.
“Not at all. We must not squander this opportunity.” Simon’s eyes wandered down to Saul’s stomach. “Are you hurt, friend? I see a lot of blood.”
“I’m okay. I was shot earlier, but I’m healing up pretty well. I should be good to go in a couple of days.”
“We’ll get someone to look at it, just in case. We can’t have the new face of the Crowns keeling over in pain. We need to show your strength. Your ability to overcome hardships and oppression.”
“Believe me, I’m no role model. I’m not someone people should look up to. I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”
“But you’ve changed,” Vince said. “You’ve done so much good. You stopped Barnabus.”
“Barnabus Carbul?” Simon asked. “You stopped him?”
Vince nodded. “Yes. He was the one watching us. I guess you could call him our contact agent. He went on a killing spree, but Saul put his life at risk to stop him. Barnabus is dead now.”
Simon’s surprised expression turned to joy. “I can’t believe it. Carbul was on our top list of targets. You guys really are on our side. Fighting for the Crowns before you even know they exist.”
“Barnabus was a monster. No one’s going to miss him.”
“Greene will certainly miss him. He was basically Greene’s right-hand man.”
“Really?” Ella asked. “He almost seemed scared of Greene.”
“Everyone’s scared of Greene, but some are closer to him than others. Barnabus was one of the guys that had been around forever. Many have come and gone, but he stuck by Greene’s side. He was as loyal as anyone could be.”
“A leader who rules with fear always fails,” Rupert said. “Lead with love, that’s what I always say.”
“And you’re one hell of a leader,” Alan said. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Simon continued with his original thought. “Regardless, we need to push you boys out into the public. Everyone in the City will know your names. Vince and Saul. The ones who live free forever.”
A panicked Jonah entered the room. “Simon, we’re losing too many men up there.”
“Have we breached the second wall?”
“No, sir. They have too much firepower and our bomb supply is running low.”
“Goddamn it! It took forever to make those bombs. I was certain it was enough to get through all three.”
“I’m afraid not. We’ve barely even scratched the second wall. They’re shooting us down like flies. It’s a bloody mess out there.”
Simon turned his back and mumbled to himself. He stomped the ground and punched the air, gritting his teeth and screaming obscenities. They all watched his tantrum build. His face grew red as he yelled even louder. His muscles clenched. His veins bulged from his neck.
After a few seconds, he gathered himself, regained his composure, and turned to face the others again. “I apologize. A lot of planning went into this operation. It is disheartening to learn that it was all for nothing.”
Jonah tipped his hat. “Not for nothing, sir. We took down the first wall. They’re more vulnerable than ever now.”
“That is true. The first wall is down, but we have to move fast. Greene is sure to repair it quickly. If we sit around, we will lose our progress. We need to make more bombs. Jonah, tell the others to scavenge for materials.”
Jonah began to leave.
“Wait. Is the rally ready to go?”
“We’ve announced a rally for tomorrow morning.”
“Good. Now get moving.”
Jonah left.
Simon turned back to Vince and Saul. “In the meantime, let me show you and yo
ur friends around.”
Alan observed the room they were in. “No offense, but it doesn’t look like there’s much to show.”
Simon chuckled. “Please. You haven’t seen anything yet. Come, follow me.” He clicked off the television and led them to the back. There was an empty hallway with a curtain at the far end. “When my grandfather founded the Crowns, it was just him and a few other people. His closest friends.”
As they walked, they heard a rumble of people, growing louder from behind the curtain.
“He built a strong foundation with those people. They formed principles that made sense, that attracted others.” They reached the curtain, and Simon grabbed the end. “He would smile if he saw how far we’ve come. How much we’ve grown.” He pulled back the curtain to reveal a massive underground network of people.
They marveled at the sight. A series of tunnels holding hundreds of men, women, and children. People shuffled along, crowding the passageways. Salesmen stood at their booths, calling out prices as crowds passed by. Children pranced around a statue at the center of the square, chasing each other with innocent joy.
“Wow,” Ella said. “There’s a whole society down here. All of these people are against Greene?”
“Yes,” Simon said proudly. “And this is only one of our bases. There are many more just like it, hidden throughout the City. Greene knows they exist, but he doesn’t know we do business down here.”
“There are so many people,” she said. “How is Greene still in power if they all oppose him?”
“We are a large group, but we are still the minority. By quite a margin, actually. You’ve only seen a sliver of the City.”
“That’s amazing. It’s so much bigger than Snow Peak.”
“Snow Peak? Is that where you’re from? Sounds cold.”
They strolled along the path, weaving through the crowds of people. The tunnels were lit with the same magic Jonah had used, encapsulated in tall metal rods.
“What are those?” Alan asked.
“That, my friend, is a lamppost. I take it you’ve never seen electricity before? It powers the whole City. Greene has a generator in the Spire. He sends electricity all across the City. We may hate the guy, but it’s damn hard to live with no lights.”
Vince walked past the magic that had entranced the others. He was more interested in the statue that stood in front of them. The plaque underneath read:
Harry Hedcrown
Leader. Hero. Friend.
The statue itself was smeared with dirt and dust. Its bronze tint was hidden with black soot. The figure stood tall, displaying Harry in a triumphant pose.
Simon smiled with pride. “That’s Grandpa. He was a hero.”
Vince studied the features on his metal face. “I can’t believe he made it out. He survived the flatlands.”
“Barely,” Simon said. “If the stories are true, he was on the heels of death when Greene’s guy picked him up. I don’t think he would have made it on his own.”
“It was definitely rough,” Saul said. “We wouldn’t have made it without our powers.”
Simon admired the sight of Vince and Saul standing together. “This is perfect. Our two new heroes, both from Rodin, following in Harry’s footsteps. Surviving the flatlands and coming to the City to challenge Greene. I couldn’t ask for a better setup. People are going to eat this up.”
“We can’t stay here for long,” Vince said. “We need to focus on Greene.”
Simon jumped with excitement. “Of course that’s the goal, but your presence is important as well. What you represent is more damaging to Greene than anything you could do on your own. With the troops rallied, we’ll form another attack. Take down the second and third wall. Then you can have Greene. But right now you need to motivate people. Men and women will die fighting for us. It’s your job to inspire them. Give them something to fight for. Show them that freedom for their loved ones is possible. And once that third wall is down, we’ll charge in and take control.”
“There must be a better way,” Ella said. “Brute force will only get people killed.”
“It’s a necessary sacrifice. The lives of our people are valuable, but the things Greene and his labbies do in the Spire are unforgivable. Cruel. Inhumane. All of those people in his lab were kidnapped. Some from the outside, but many from right here in the City. People disappear at night. He blames the growing criminal world, but we know it’s really him. He sends people out at night and snatches us out of bed. Men. Women. Children.” He took a moment to calm himself. Just thinking about it got him worked up. “The people sacrificing themselves to take down that wall? They choose to fight. They have a choice. They’re fighting for their loved ones, a reward that’s worth the risk.”
“No, it isn’t,” Ella said. “It’s not worth it if there’s another way.”
“There is no other way.”
“There has to be.” Her voice carried further as she grew agitated. “You can’t just throw people at that wall like pawns. They’re not disposable. Don’t you care about them?”
“Of course I care.” His voice also grew louder. “What do you think I’m fighting for? Without these people, the Crowns don’t exist. I give them the freedom of choice, and they choose to fight by my side. I owe everything to them.”
“Then don’t throw their lives away like they’re nothing!”
“Listen!” Simon yelled. “This is my operation. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t need some girl coming in and telling me how to run things around here.”
Ella stepped forward, hot blood filling her cheeks. “What you need is—”
Rupert held her back and whispered in her ear. “This is neither the time nor the place. We can discuss this later amongst ourselves.” He let her go, and she stepped back, pouting.
Simon could tell she was restraining herself. “Things have gotten a bit heated. Let’s take some time to cool off. I am your host after all. Follow me. I’ll provide you with beds.”
SIX
SIMON SHOWED THEM their beds and left to plan for the rally in the morning. The beds were nothing special, but it beat sleeping in the snow plains. They unpacked their things and settled in.
Rupert approached Vince and Saul. “What do you think of this place? Can we trust them?”
Vince shrugged. “He speaks with passion. There’s no doubt he wants to stop Greene. It’s his approach that concerns me.”
“Clearly Ella felt the same way,” Saul said. “That was quite the little outburst you had back there.”
She sneered. “The way he talks about people, like they’re expendable. His brute force methods are careless. I don’t like him.”
Alan nodded. “Me neither.”
Rupert nodded as well. “I feel the same way, but we must be careful how we act around here. Simon leads a strong group. A passionate group. In the right hands, they could be very useful, but with Simon in charge, they’re dangerous. We should wait a bit longer. Think carefully about this. Maybe we can gain his trust. Get on his good side and steer the Crowns in the right direction.”
“He already loves the two of you,” Alan said, patting Vince and Saul on the back. “Two heroes born and raised in Rodin. Journeying across the flatlands and following in Harry Hedcrown’s footsteps.” He put his hands on his hips, stood in a triumphant pose, and spoke in a jovial voice. “A symbol of freedom!”
Ella laughed. “He was very enthusiastic about the two of you. We can use that to our advantage.”
Vince nodded. “We can. We will make Simon happy and go to the rally tomorrow. Become the symbol he wants and gain his trust. Greene will surely see us if we go, but there is no getting around that. I suspect he already knows we’re here anyway.”
“There’s no doubt he knows we’re here,” Saul said. “He’s been watching us since day one. We killed one of his men and stole his boats. He’s not dumb. He’s been keeping a very close eye on us.”
“We’re not dumb either,” Rupert said. “We�
�ll be patient and make our moves carefully.”
Alan struck down his fist. “And when the opportunity comes, we’ll hit him where it hurts. For Patrick!”
They all repeated, “For Patrick.”
SEVEN
CHARLOTTE WATCHED THE seconds on the clock tick away, waiting for the alert to end so she could get back to work. “How much longer do you think we’ll be stuck in here?”
Trevor stuffed his mouth with food. “Who knows? Eat up. It could be a while.”
She pushed her tray aside. “I’m not hungry.”
“Suit yourself. More for me.” He grabbed her tray and poured it onto his.
“You’re such a pig.”
“And I’m proud of it.”
“This must be your dream. No work and enough food to last weeks.”
“Add some television and I’d be in heaven.”
“There is a television.” She pointed over Trevor’s shoulder.
He shook his head. “I mean real television. This is just the news.”
“It’s important that we know what’s going on. Especially when the Crowns attack.”
“Yeah, well, they’re not attacking anymore. Greene could at least let us change the channel if nothing interesting is happening.”
“Why are we still even in here? The Crowns backed off. We’re not in danger anymore. We can get back to work.”
Trevor’s mouth was full of chicken. “They’re just being cautious. We’ll probably be in here until they secure that gap in the first wall. Why are you so anxious to get out of here? This isn’t a punishment. It’s not like they’re going to lock us in here and suck out all of the air. Relax a little. Take advantage of this break.”
“Vince and Saul are interesting to watch. I want to see where they are.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. When this is all done, you get to go back and watch two of the most interesting people in the world. I have to watch people put on makeup.”
Charlotte opened her journal to review Vince and Saul’s recent activity.
