Rigel

by Eli Ingle

  After another ten minutes another tram arrived, this time bearing a bright blue square on its dashboard.

  “Here we go,” said Rigel.

  The tram stopped, allowing them to clamber on. They sat on one of the wooden benches. A bell rattled somewhere near the front before it set off with a jerk, rattling along the rails before swinging around a corner and carrying on along another street.

  “Any fares please. Any fares? Any fares please? Ah, you two. Any fares?” asked the conductor, walking up the aisle. Rigel nervously handed him the pass. He took it and read it before handing it back to Rigel with a smile. “Okay, thanks.” He pressed several buttons on the machine by his waist before spinning a handle which caused a ticket to be printed off. “There you go. Any fares? Any fares pleases?” he said, walking off again and swaying with the motion of the moving tram.

  They sat in silence for most of the journey, looking out of the window and watching the city go by. In the sunlight and with the time to really look at the city without rushing from one place to another, Rigel noticed more about the city. Wires were suspended high above the streets with cable cars gliding slowly along them. Robots in white uniforms were cleaning the streets whilst occasionally being hassled by dogs or small children. Posters advertising new music on stereophonic cartridges and brands of drinks or places to visit were suspended from the sides of buildings. And there were people everywhere, all dressed in the same fashion as Laurie and his crew – goggles, hats, corsets, long duster coats and heavy boots. Rigel smiled: it was still hard to believe after all this time that he was really here.

  After the tram had rattled along for another ten minutes, Rigel realised he did not really know which stop they were getting off at. “I’m not sure how to tell if we’re there,” said Rigel, looking out of the window for any clues.

  “Me either,” commented Rona, biting her lip.

  “I guess it might be a bit more obvious when we get near it,” he said. “We should start to recognise some of the buildings by then.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Anything wrong, dears?” asked an old lady with frosty pink curls.

  “Do you know when we’ll get to the Ministry?”

  “Oh yes. In about ten minutes. I’m getting off after that so I’ll tell you when you need to get off.”

  “Oh, thank you very much!” said Rona, smiling.

  “That’s okay,” she replied, smiling.

  Feeling happier, they watched the odd mismatch of buildings roll past their window until the lady spoke to them again.

  “You’ll need to press the bell now, dears,” said the lady.

  “Okay,” said Rigel. “Thank you.”

  Pulling the thread above their heads, Rigel heard the bell ring at the front of the vehicle. Rounding a final corner, the tram came to a stop at the station. Waving to the old lady, they clambered off onto the platform, watching as the tram rattled away along the rails. The platform was much grander than the one they had set off from. There was a ticket station and waiting room with marble floors and shiny glass windows. The floor of the platform was made of smooth, polished grey stone.

  “Which way?” asked Rona.

  “That way,” pointed Rigel. He could see the dome of the Ministry just above the rooftops of the other houses.

  Walking along the station and onto the street, they made their way to the Ministry. It was as they neared the door, however, that a problem became apparent to them. They had always been let in through the large mahogany doors by someone who worked there. Now they were trying to get in, they realised that they did not know how to get in that way or whether they could even manage it. Looking around, they spotted random clusters of visitors making their way towards an entrance. Mingling into the crowd, they tried to make themselves inconspicuous as they walked into the building.

  They were filtered into an entrance hall where several security guards in emerald green military outfits were keeping watch over the room. As visitors reached the other end of the hall they were scanned and then let through. Rigel and Rona were still trying to keep out of sight. Although they were allowed to be there, they did not know where they were supposed to be going and did not want to be stopped.

  This plan failed, however, when they reached the scanners. A guard spotted them trying to get through.

  “Hey! No kids in here! Go on, off you go.”

  “No,” protested Rona. “We’re supposed to be here. We need to see Captain Laurie.”

  “Captain Laurie, ay? Hey Bill! These kids want to see Captain Laurie,” he called over.

  “Oh yeah, them and about half the other kids in the city,” replied the guard, laughing.

  “He’s very popular now he’s a big hero,” confided the guard, “but he doesn’t have time for you lot running around asking questions. So off you go. You’re holding the queue up.”

  “No,” said Rigel, feeling desperate. “Please listen. We do need to see him – we’re Rona and Rigel.”

  “Oh very good,” laughed the guard. “I’ve heard that one about four times this morning already.”

  “No, we actually are!”

  “Go on, move off.”

  “Please!”

  Several shouts were coming from the queue behind them, telling them to get out of the way and stop wasting people’s time.

  “But –”

  “Get out!”

  Hanging their heads, they moved away from the scanners and out towards the other end of the entrance hall.

  Re-emerging into the sunlit street outside, they sighed, unsure what they were supposed to do now.

  “Now what?” asked Rigel.

  “Let’s see if there’s a back door or something,” suggested Rona.

  “Alright then.”

  Moving around the side of the building, they looked for any possible way into the Ministry whilst trying not to look suspicious. It is an unfortunate fact that you always look more suspicious when you are trying not to be.

  Walking around the towers and the angles of more extensions onto the building, Rigel and Rona were beginning to think that they would never get around the whole building. Then they spotted a figure sitting on a box by what appeared to be a door. Hurrying over, they were even more surprised – and pleased – to see that it was Tink. He was sitting on a packing box and blowing bubbles from a tub out of a little plastic bubble wand. He looked up as he saw them approaching.

  “Oh hello, you two,” he said, cheerfully. “Where have you been? Laurie’s been looking everywhere for you.”

  “Sorry,” said Rigel, “we couldn’t get in.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  They explained what had happened to them at the entrance hall earlier. Tink listened whilst frowning.

  “Well, that’s stupid,” he commented when they had finished. “Out of all the people they should recognise, it should be you two! Well anyway, there have been mix ups before so maybe it’s a result of that. Never mind, anyway. The main thing is that I can get you in to see Laurie. Come on.”

  Opening the back door for them, he followed them inside, allowing the door to swing shut behind them.

  The corridor was dull but they could see faint light up ahead and carried on walking.

  Emerging into a brightly lit service corridor, they waited for Tink to draw ahead so they could follow him. Walking along the hallway, Rigel was interested to look around as there was still so much about the area that he did not know.

  Metal pipes lined the roof, presumably carrying things like water and gas. Alongside them was a clear glass pipe that was fixed to the wall by shiny brass fittings. Occasionally a little container would whizz through the tube, heading to a different area. Rigel commented on it to Tink, who told him it was for carrying messages to other parts of the building.

  “Saves having to walk there, at any rate,” he said. “It’s a long way from these service areas to some of the larger official areas.”


  Continuing walking, they stood against the wall whilst a porter wheeling a trolley along passed them. Rigel found that he was starting to get bored – it was taking ages.

  “How much further?” he asked, rubbing his sore legs.

  “About another five minutes,” replied Tink, looking at his pocket watch. “These corridors go right the way under the whole building, but at least when we get there all we have to do is go up and then we’re there.”

  “What were you doing out back anyway?” asked Rona.

  “Huh?”

  “You were out the back just blowing bubbles. Why?”

  “Well I had some time off. It’s a nice day. Why not? I, er … went to visit a friend and then sat back there. It helps me think, blowing bubbles. I enjoy watching them.”

  They had arrived at a line of service lifts, about five in all with little arrows above them indicating which floor they were on. Tink pressed the button and hummed slightly as he waited for it to rattle down. When the doors finally opened they could step in and go up. Tink pressed the button inside marked “5” and waited for the doors to shut.

  The inside of the lift was very wide, presumably to allow enough room for trolleys and other things to be wheeled in. The life was poorly maintained. The walls were made of a dull metal that was scratched through with the names of employees who had become bored enough to write on it. The whole thing seemed slow and cumbersome, as was proven when the doors finally shut themselves with a slow groan. With a bump the lift began the slow climb up the levels of the Ministry. Another thought caught Rona.

  “But why were you in the service area?” she asked. “Surely you could have been in one of the other rooms with a balcony or something? You did a good enough job. It’s not as if they’re treating you like hired help.”

  “I like the service areas,” he replied. When he did not elaborate, Rona was forced to nod.

  “Fair enough then,” she said.

  Finally the lift whirred to a halt, the doors opening as slowly as they had closed. The three stepped out and into what must have been another service area as there were metal trolleys and trays strewn around on the floor. It was a tight space, however, that only allowed them to walk in single file at any time. Occasionally it was blocked and they had to push a trolley out of their way.

  “Why is it so small?” asked Rigel, grunting as he stepped over a box.

  “Well they’re expected to do everything on the lower floor and just bring it up to the level they need,” explained Tink. “So on each level there’s just a small corridor where the lifts are and then there’s a doorway into the main building … I guess it was just designed that way.”

  Walking along the corridor, they arrived at the end, where there was a piece of wall with a handle on it. Tink turned it and the door swung open, revealing the plush carpet beyond.

  Stepping out, they blinked at the change in light levels. Here the natural sunlight shone brightly through the windows, whereas previously their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness of the corridor. Tink shut the door behind them. When Rigel turned around to look at it he gasped in surprise.

  “Where has it gone?” he asked. The door that had been shut was obviously disguised as a wall. The seal was impossible to detect, rendering it invisible. The only ornament on it was a picture of a man sitting in a maroon chair.

  “Clever, isn’t it?” Tink said. “The door is in the wall so you can’t see it. Therefore the servants are less easy to spot going in and out of their service areas.”

  “It’s like no-one wants to see them,” commented Rona, looking unhappy.

  “You’re not altogether wrong there, Rona,” replied Tink. “But that’s just the way it is.”

  “So how do they get back in?” asked Rigel. “Surely they can’t see where the door is or open it at all?”

  “Well that’s the clever bit,” smiled Tink. “Watch this.”

  Moving back over to the wall, Tink grabbed hold of either side of the picture and twisted it to the left. The picture stuck at the angle and there was a slight click. A moment later the door, fully visible again, swung open.

  “That’s clever,” said Rigel whilst Rona nodded.

  “Yes, it is quite, isn’t it?” replied Tink, looking pleased. “That’s one of the other reasons I enjoy going there – you find out quite a lot about the building.”

  “So are there doors like that on every level?” asked Rigel, feeling excited.

  “That’s right. The servants always need a way to get into the main building so that’s how it’s done.”

  “Where are they all?” he asked.

  “Ah, now that would be telling,” replied Tink, wagging a finger. “Now you know that the doors exist and how they sometimes work, I’ll let you figure it out. There are enough of them but they don’t all look the same. You’ll have to use your initiative.”

  “Alright,” Rigel replied, feeling sulky. He wanted to go and find them all now.

  “Come on, let’s get you to Laurie. He’ll probably be crawling the walls and wanting to rip me to pieces by now. You’ve taken long enough as it is.”

  Walking along the corridor, they followed Tink, who led them to a large room. Knocking on the door, he entered immediately and ushered them inside.

  The room appeared to be a boardroom where meetings would usually take place but all the tables and chairs had been pushed to one side. At the other end was a desk that had been stacked with a variety of books and papers. In the middle of the room Laurie was huddled around with the other crew members, apparently examining something. As the door shut behind them, Laurie looked up.

  “Ah. You took your time, didn’t you?” the captain commented, looking up from the object in the middle of the room.

  “Sorry,” said Rona. “We didn’t know what tram to get and then they wouldn’t let us through reception.”

  “What?” said Laurie, standing up straight. “Why not?”

  “They didn’t recognise us,” replied Rigel, “and then when we told them who we were, they didn’t listen and thought we were someone else pretending to be us.”

  “Well, that’s helpful,” frowned Laurie. “I’ll have to have words with them all. So, how did you get in here in the end?”

  “We walked around looking for a back door and then bumped into Tink. He showed us the way through the service corridors.”

  “Did he?” asked Laurie, looking suspiciously at Tink. “And shouldn’t Tink have been working at the time?”

  “Er, no, sir,” replied Tink, blushing a brilliant red. “I was on my break.”

  “On your break?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “This is the break you started an hour ago?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Sure you weren’t procrastinating?”

  “No sir.”

  “Not meeting a certain wife of yours in a certain service corridor of yours you know no-one knows about?”

  “No sir.”

  Laurie was staring at him. Tink remained steadfastly looking straight ahead.

  “So what were you doing?”

  “I was running some ideas through my head.”

  “Oh really? Don’t lie to me, Tink. I have witnesses. Is he telling the truth? Was he working or was he shirking?” Laurie asked Rona and Rigel. Behind his back, Tink was making several gestures that were supposed to mean that they should lie for him.

  “Well, he did look like he was thinking,” said Rigel.

  “He was blowing bubbles,” added Rona helpfully. “He says that helps him think.”

  “Hmmm,” replied Laurie, scratching his chin. Suddenly he spun around and pointed at Tink. “You win this time, Tink.”

  The little mechanic grinned at the children.

  “Well anyway,” said Laurie, brightening up. “You’re probably wondering why I brought you back all this way when you had the rest of the morning and the afternoon off.”

  �
�Yes, we are,” replied Rona.

  “Well good, because it’s interesting,” Laurie said. “Ta-da!” He pulled off the cloth that had been covering the thing in the middle of the room. It flapped away to reveal a metal man, about the size of Rigel, standing still. Rigel was reminded of the tin man in the Wizard of Oz, except this man had a face moulded on the shape of a real person’s and looked far more articulate, with working joints and hands. The eyelids were closed but Laurie lifted one up to show a glass eye fixed motionless within the socket, looking straight ahead.

  “What on earth is that?” asked Rigel, horrified.

  “Outlawed in several sectors, illegal in seven others. I give you Rust Bucket! The most friendly companion that man can have whilst also being equipped with the armoury of a small infantry legion!”

  “But what is it for?” asked Rona, also giving it a wide berth.

  “He’s to look after both of you,” replied Laurie. “These are dangerous times and I don’t completely trust anyone out and about and equally I don’t trust your judgement. This way I’ll know that you’re safe. I mean, I can’t stop you from going out, so this seems like the next best option.”

  “Why can’t you come out with us?” asked Rigel.

  “Because I’m too busy!” replied Laurie, starting to look annoyed. “Look, I can’t see why you aren’t happy with him. Most children would be delighted to have a robot companion with them.”

  “You just said it was outlawed in several sectors and illegal in seven others. It doesn’t sound like the most delightful companion.”

  “Okay, I admit that he has his faults – but who doesn’t? There’s no telling how much safer you’re going to be with this little guy wandering around after you.”

  “Well how does it work?” asked Rigel, still unsure of whether this was a wise choice at all.

  “It’s really easy,” said Laurie. “Look. You just open this flap on his chest here – that’s it. And grab some water. Pour it in. Carefully! We don’t want any spilling on him and making him rusty.”