Butterflies gripped my lungs so tightly I could barely speak. I choked down water between sips of wine. I had to make the glass last. I had never paid so much for a drink, and given my pittance of a salary as a freshly minted ensign, I barely had enough for the cab ride over. Still, those emerald eyes locked on mine could’ve taken me for everything I had that night.
Her lips smacked and swayed. I was entranced. It was only when I caught the inflection of her voice that I knew to snap to and reply. And each time I did, my face burned with embarrassment. She giggled and went on.
The restaurant lights were dim. The San Diego fall was as pristine as her supple white sweater.
I paid the check while she used the restroom, sweating that the card wouldn’t go through. I thought of every possible excuse as to why it didn’t, and she had to pick up the bill. I let out a gulp of relief when my card came back with two candies placed on top.
We walked out into the night, and she grabbed my hand.
My eyes peeled open, revealing a snickering face hovering above. Startled, I jumped up, catching the crown of my skull on the padded headboard. I swung my legs out of the covers and leaped to my feet, ready to defend myself from the intruder. The lights flashed, revealing a short, slender figure heaving with laughter.
“You make strange noises while you sleep. Trauma, no doubt.”
“Claudius. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Exactly what I told you yesterday. I’m escorting you down to the lower city.”
“What time is it? If I overslept—-”
“No need to fret, Jack. It’s early, and that’s the point.”
“The point of what?”
“The lower city can be a precarious place. Best to go when the populace is asleep.”
“You didn’t mention that yesterday. I was under the impression we would go down in the morning,” I stated, fumbling around the bed to locate my tunic and trousers.
“Yes, also by design, Jack. I figured my father would be waiting for you in the library again. This way, you can see the lower depths and keep his appointment. Now hurry. We don’t have a lot of time to slip out unnoticed. It’s a short window between when the drunks stumble to bed and the righteous wake.”
I found my clothes lying on a small bench beside the bed, dawned them, and started for the door before Claudius stuck out a raised palm.
“Forgetting something?” He asked, gesturing toward the book Augustus lent.
“I read the first chapter,” I brushed off, but Claudius persisted.
“It would be a shame not to keep a promise to your new friend, Jack.”
At first, I was puzzled by his insistence, but then I recalled the black slate given to me the afternoon before.
How did he know about that?
Catching the side of Claudius’s eye, I removed the tablet from inside the book cover, securing it in the inner breast pocket of the tunic. Ready, I gestured toward the door. Claudius bowed his head, about-faced, and walked into the hall. I followed close behind, checking over my shoulder before I left, looking to see if there was something new in the room he could’ve used to spy on me.
The young man was nearly at the other end of the hall when I finally caught up to him.
He stuck out his hand to stop me. “Do you see that there?” He pointed toward the ceiling.
“I don’t…” I strained my still sleepy eyes. Tiles lining the roof were identical, not a difference in sight.
“There,” he said as he gripped my hand and pointed it.
Hidden among the tiles was a small bulge, dropping only a few centimeters from the roofline.
“Yeah, I think I see it. But why–”
“It’s a security mechanism. If you get caught in this hall while its activated, you’ll be shred to pieces.”
“Have you ever had to use it?”
Claudius grinned as he lightly touched a panel inlaid into a painting. The wall opened, and he descended a non-distinct matte Grey tiled corridor. I’ll take that as a no.
He led me to another narrow room flanked by rows of chairs. At the far end of the room sat a familiar face, Julius. I hadn’t seen him since the day I woke. Claudius hung back, allowing me to take my seat before he entered. Julius stood to attention when he did, dropping his torso in a low bow.
“Ah, Julius. You received my message?”
“Yes, Master Claudius. I am always at your service.”
“I’m glad to hear. Your insolence was noticed the last we spoke.”
“And for that, I am deeply apologetic. I meant no disrespect.”
“Come now, rise Julius. I believe and appreciate your remorse. I trust your family is remorseful as well.” Julius flinched but did not answer, so Claudius continued, “A week of half allotment will bring remorse to even the most insolent among us. Tell me, Julius, did they cry when they went to bed hungry?”
“Who, Master Claudius?” Julius replied between clenched teeth.
“Your children.” Julius nodded, but Claudius wasn’t satisfied with his response. “Did your children cry? Did you watch them go hungry?”
“Yes, Master Claudius.”
The young man’s demeanor changed as he clapped his hands and cheered, “Good! Now that this ugly business is behind us. I summoned you to serve as an escort for Master Jack and myself down below. I trust that shouldn’t be an issue. You came from those depths, did you not?”
“Yes, Master Claudius.”
“Splendid!” Claudius replied, taking his seat next to me. I felt a slight nudge. Looking over, I met the young man’s gaze before he gave a quick wink.
The room shifted, and like last time, I was nearly removed from my seat as we catapulted forward. I was no more prepared for the sudden acceleration than the previous time. Claudius laughed, maintaining his composure like a marble statue fastened to the ground. Once the acceleration eased, I lifted in my seat, feeling the floor drop out from beneath. My stomach climbed into my chest, releasing a horde of butterflies. The young man widened the stance of his feet on the floor. I followed suit, thankful that I did, when the room rapidly decelerated, draining all blood from my head.
“It would be nice to have a warning,” I said.
“Suggestion noted,” Claudius chuckled.
Julius fared better in the corner but was still wobbly standing up. The wall opened, revealing a short, arched room in the same gilded fashion as those above. Claudius insisted Julius lead us out the door. Unlike those opening matte tiles, this door stood tall of oak with swirling inlaid designs. Julius depressed a golden plate to the left of the knob, cracking open our entry to the lower city. I followed behind Julius at Claudius’s request, stepping out into an expansive, pristine white terminal. Rows of chairs sprouted from the floor, integrated at their base into a seamless fixture. Gates, all lit up by towering holographic signs, lined the room’s edges.
“Is this an airport?” I asked.
“Of sorts. Only intercontinental travel, though. The transcontinental station is located further south,” Julius answered.
Claudius slapped me on the back, having just walked through the door. Four men dressed in military attire stood guard at the entrance. What they carried looked foreign, but upon closer examination, I could see design cues from assault rifles of my time. A stubbed barrel poked from a black platform, sporting what appeared to be a magazine. Without a word, Claudius slipped away, walking briskly into the heart of the terminal.
Does he want us to follow him?
Julius pushed past me and raced to catch up. The young man led us to another grand door closely guarded by two burly men. Each bowed before opening the door, allowing us to pass. The room appeared to be a security post, with monitors lining the walls and spare uniforms and weapons hanging from lockers toward the back.
“Find a uniform that fits,” Claudius instructed.
Julius started rummaging through the lockers almost immediately, but I paused, unsure why. Having noticed my hesitation, Claudius said, “We can’t walk around the lower city in our tunics. We’ll present too much of a target.”
“Target for who?”
“There are those that would rebel against prosperity, believe it or not. And we are the symbols of their oppressively comfortable lives— Julius, you can stay in your attire. No need for you to change. Just Master Jack and I.”
Julius was slow to hang the uniform he’d just found. Already, the first three buttons of his tunic were undone. His eyes shifted between Claudius and the monitors where crowds filtered through the entrance.
“Button yourself, Julius,” Claudius said, rolling his shoulders to dawn a dark grey uniform.
Once changed, Claudius took our clothes and handed them to one of the guards waiting outside, instructing him to bring our tunics to the hall before the transit room. Clad in our new uniforms, Claudius led us through a series of connecting terminals to an exit point.
“Ready?” Claudius asked me. I nodded in agreement, unsure what we were stepping into. “Julius, why don’t you stand between us? It’ll look like we’re your escort.”
“Won’t that draw attention, Master Claudius?”
The young man stepped forward, towering over the meek bureaucrat. Julius got in line, squeezed between us, and stepped out into the city without a word. Bodies flooded the ground, milling about like ants swarming their nest. High concrete walls loomed over us, blotting out the night sky. Only pockets of the night were visible among the spire roofs. Even so, a dim glow radiated up, obscuring the stars.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Gone was the vibrant assault on the senses that was New York. The low drone of fans adorning high rises, cut by shrill blasts from car-logged streets, was replaced by hushed murmurs and near-unison clomps—like an army on the march. Where bodega and salon awnings once hung from painted brick buildings nestled between skyscrapers, there was only the garish glow from hollow projections.
The towers make sense now.
Even if the sun was up, which may have been given the number of people out, I didn’t think it would reach the ground. Like foliage fighting for light in the Amazon, the most adapted of our species built great spires to bask in the sun’s light. The rest were resigned to whither in darkness.
The structure in front of us, carved from stone of concentric circles, rose into the heavens, broken only by statues of golden eagles taking flight. In contrast, a building not a block down the street stood stout and square compared to its spire counterparts. It wore a green-hued hologram of intricate yet synthetic designs. The facade would flicker every few seconds, revealing the dull concrete behind it.
“Dammed Cassius,” Claudius said, pulling my gaze back to earth.
“What is…” I tried to ask but couldn’t find the words to describe the strange sight.
“Bad programming. Cassius was supposed to see that this was resolved weeks ago.”
“Programming?”
“Yes. The lower levels use a false facade. A projection of the upper level’s designs. To keep consistent.”
“Why not decorate the base like—”
“For them?” Claudius asked, gesturing toward the buzzing crowd. The people were drab but clean, sporting near identical earth-brown blouses. “We should’ve torn that building down a century ago. Look around,” Claudius said with raised arms. “Testaments of mankind, forced to endure the presense of… that.” He pointed to the squat complex just as the hologram flickered again.
The sights and sounds became disorienting, and soon, I found myself standing alone in a swell of bodies. A hand grasped my forearm. I spun to find an elderly woman clenching my arm, pointing down an alley. She didn’t speak. Her mouth clenched shut as she tugged harder.
“Unhand that officer,” Julius bellowed.
The woman released her grip. Eyes darting between me and the alley, she disappeared into the crowd.
“What was that about?” I tried to ask, but the ambient roar drowned out my voice. Claudius tilted his head, and I weaved through the meandering bodies to pull up alongside Julius. The mob didn’t let up but seemed to intensify the farther we walked from the terminal. The city was more dense, and the buildings were less ordered. Blocks of concrete stacked upon one another, accentuated by limitless arrays of windows. The projections grew less crisp and sometimes missing altogether. Sharp angles protruded over the street, creating overhangs where other industrious dwellers built their homes. Gone were the brownstones and high-rises I remembered from my times in the city, replaced by utilitarian apartment blocks hidden by facades latticed the horizon.
We walked for some time. Given his pace, Claudius was on a mission, but he chose not to share what that was. Our surroundings gradually shifted, and the structures appeared more haphazardly constructed as we went. Makeshift stalls and carts lined the streets, their attendants bolting at our sight.
“Why do they run?” I asked down to Julius.
“Any commerce not conducted on behalf of the state is strictly prohibited.”
“Why?”
“Uncontrolled commerce is inefficient. Leads to inequities,” Julius answered.
Claudius grinned before peeling away from our group down an alley. I turned to trail him, but he raised his hand and said, “Wait here. I won’t be long. Besides, there’s a favor you owe someone.” The young man walked down the alleyway and disappeared around a bend.
“What favor is he referring to, Master Jack?”
“I need to find a blue chute. I need something delivered.”
“There’s one just behind you, Master Jack. They’re on nearly every corner.”
I turned to find a dull, weathered blue tube hanging from a building.
“What did you need to deliver, Master Jack? If you should ever need something sent in the future, I would be more than happy to accommodate it so you don’t need to come all this way again.”
“Thanks, Julius. I appreciate that. To be honest I don’t know what it was. My maid asked that I deliver it.”
“Your maid? Did she say what for?”
“No. I didn’t ask.”
“That is a grave security risk, Master Jack. I must insist we track the parcel and inspect its contents.”
“I haven’t a clue where it was sent.”
Julius was beside himself. He banged on about risks to the capital and vague security protocols, but I paid him little mind as I became fixated on Claudius. He stood face to face with another man with animated flailing arms. Claudius retained his collected posture, speaking between spurts of outcry.
“Julius,” I interrupted. “Who is that man Claudius is speaking to?”
“I don’t know, Master Jack. I can’t see him.”
Julius stood too short to see past the mass of people between us.
“Don’t worry about it. He’s coming back this way.”
Claudius disappeared and then reemerged directly in front of us.
“Shall we return? I hope you’ve done your business.”
“All set.”
Why did he bring me down here?
We spent the next hour retracing our steps back to the terminal. An orange and red glow descended between the sky-scraping buildings surrounding us. We still walked in shadow, but the air began to warm as the sun drowned out the night. The terminal came into sight. I recognized the thick glass window that spanned the outer wall. Claudius stopped just short of the street before the building.
“Julius, you go on ahead. Master Jack and I still have some business to attend to.”
Julius opened his mouth as if to protest but bowed and set off across the road.
“Why are we down here? Is there more you want to show me?” I asked.
“Yes, Jack. Much more.”
Before I could respond, a group wearing white tunics and onyx black buttons pushed past us, racing toward the same entrance Julius just disappeared through.
I thought only the General Secretary wore those colors.
A guard stepped forward to halt the congregation. One of the figures stepped forward, plunging a metallic object into the guard’s neck. Blood fanned out from his throat, painting the white garbs in brilliant crimson. They pushed into the building. Four reemerged, dragging a hooded figure out with them wearing a familiar blue tunic.
“They have Julius,” I blurted out. I tried to run after them. Claudius caught my arm and dragged me back, kicking my legs out from beneath me. I lost balance and tumbled to the concrete. A flash briefly whited out the glass pane before shattering it with a rib-breaking concussive force. I was blown onto my back and rolled up. The air was sucked from my lungs as a shock wave of heat rifled out of the terminal. Ringing drowned out the chaos unfolding before us. A thick black plume of smoke billowed out of the entrance, masking disfigured bodies stumbling out of the terminal until they were on the street. A congregation of victims, soaked in blood and clutching the nubs where an arm or leg once was, pooled out in front of the building. An overwhelming aroma of ammonia filled the air, trailed by belching flames.
I tried lifting myself off the ground but lost footing and crumpled back down. The world was spinning. What was left of my eardrums leaked out and traced my jawline before dripping onto my uniform. I felt a set of hoisting hands cradle under my armpits. I looked back, meeting Claudius’s stoic face staring through me. His mouth moved, but no words came out.
“What?” I yelled.
His mouth moved again without a sound.
“I can’t hear,” I tried to explain.
The young man didn’t waste another breath. Supporting my weight, he walked us down the packed street, meandering through huddles of grief-stricken residents. Over time, I could bear more weight on my wobbly legs. The ringing started to subside, replaced by shrill cries, waning in the distance as we traveled further down the road.
“What the fuck was that?” I managed to cough.
“Terrorist attack.”
“How’d you know?”
“Blowing buildings is a common tactic they employ.”
“No, how’d you know that was going to happen?” I asked, slumped over with my hands on my knees.
“I didn’t. Why would you ask that?”
“Because you stopped us. But why did you send Julius in?”
“I sent Julius ahead in case something like that could happen. Someone had to have seen us come out, and I wanted to take extra precautions.”
“But Julius. They dragged him out.”
“They did. And we’ll probably never see him again,” Claudius began, then paused momentarily before resuming, “If you ever accuse me, in person or in private, again, you’ll pay in flesh for every word.”
I met Claudius’s gaze and nodded.
I believe you. You fucking psycho.
He grabbed me by the arm and dragged us forward. Up ahead, a group of uniformed officers were sprinting full clip down the road. Claudius stepped out into the middle and held his hand, halting the leader.
“If you’re not injured, you’re heading the wrong way,” the lead officer stated.
“I am Claudius, son of the General Secretary Augustus. Give me four of your men as escort back to the capital tower.”
The officer’s demeanor shifted as he straightened his posture and dipped his torso.
“Yes, Master Claudius. Right away.”
The leader turned back, picked four squad members randomly, and then set off toward the terminal.
“Follow us, Master Claudius,” the new leader instructed.
“After you. One of you help this man. He’s unable to walk unassisted.”
One of the four slung my arm over his shoulder and supported me as we hurried through the street. After a few blocks, we came to a towering, windowless building. The entrance buzzed with activity, like a thousand black bees swarming to protect their hive. We were led toward the back, passing room after room of monitors. The officer assisting me said, “Surveillance. We can see the whole province at any given time from those.”
A surveillance state. I expected nothing less.
We stopped at a tall wooden door, inlaid with the same designs as the one we exited through in the terminal. Claudius grabbed me from the officer and walked us in. My consciousness drifted, fading in and out as the acceleration forces flung me to the ground. I came to, being dragged through the gilded hall and into my room. I was dropped onto my bed and left to wallow in the fog shrouding my brain.
I woke up sometime later. It was difficult to tell if it was the same day or the next, but the sun was setting, and the last rays of its dying light fluttered through the drapes.
“Finally awake, Jack?” a muffled voice drifted in from the side of my bed. I rolled over to find Claudius standing beside a man I didn’t recognize, garbed in a pale blue tunic.
“I don’t know what happened. Things just started going black on me,” I stuttered.
“I’m not surprised. You have a serious concussion,” the unknown man stated.
“We must’ve been…” My mind went blank. A sour, metallic taste overtook my mouth.
“The doctor here will give you some medication to restore neuroplasticity while you sleep. Rest. We’ll check on you later.”
My eyes grew heavy, and I traced the last glimpses of their outlines as they left the room before I fell back asleep.
The neurons in my brain fired, spurred on by a sudden jab in the arm. My eyes opened to a dark room. A frigid string wormed its way up my left bicep. I turned to find the doctor and Claudius again standing at my side. The world faded and slumped back into darkness.
Another jab. When I opened my eyes this time, the sun blared through the windows, and the doctor administered another dose.
“What is this?” I slurred.
“Something to help.”
My mind shut off again. An imprint of the man’s pale blue tunic burned into the back of my lids.
Time faded into the peripheries of my consciousness. I woke to darkness again. I hadn’t an idea how many days I’d been trapped in that bed. A new doctor stood beside me, Claudius watching his every move closely.
“Please, no,” I pleaded.
“This is a different concoction, Jack. Don’t try and fight it,” Claudius assured.
I watched as the doctor finished, bowed before Claudius, and left. When the doctor was out of earshot, the young man remained. “We have a gift for you, Jack. I didn’t think you’d take it willingly, though.”
“What gift?” I labored to say. Lightning shot through my limbs, electrifying every nerve ending in my body. I couldn’t lift a finger, but a surge of sensation overcame me.
“Ancillae,” Claudius called.
Where do I know that name?
Through the door stepped the young woman who had been attending me. She walked to the edge of the bed, never taking her eyes off her feet. I tried to speak. Words fell from my brain and slid off my tongue. No matter how hard I tried, my voice was locked.
“Our gift, Jack. Like I said, I didn’t think you’d take it willingly. I know in my heart it’s what you want, though. She told me as much anyways.”
The young man wrapped his lips around his teeth in a wide grin. Ancillae bowed before dropping her dress, exposing her quivering bare body.
You fucking animal.
“Well, I’ll be sitting just over there in the corner. Speak up if you need anything.”
With both hands, Claudius grasped my cheeks, turning my head to face where he would sit. He snapped his fingers, and Ancillae climbed over me. I couldn’t see her as my head faced away, but every glance of flesh sent fire through my brain. Claudius took his seat, partially obscured by the dark room and half lit by the light filtering through the open door. The ordeal didn’t last long. It couldn’t, not with whatever drug they pumped me with. Ancillae did her duty, and Claudius’s upturned grin stained my mind as he watched. The young man basked in the sight for a moment longer before standing. He snapped his fingers, and the young woman ran out of the room.
“I envy you, Jack. How I wish I had someone looking out for me like she does for you. You are a lucky man,” Claudius said, gently placing his palm on my chest.
Claudius slipped out the door and down the hall. I was left pantsless on the top covers when the doctor reentered the room. He administered another shot, and I drifted back to sleep.
Again, I woke to the doctor injecting me.
Please be the sleeping drugs.
The same cacophony of sensations washed over me. The man left, replaced by Claudius and Ancillae. He took his seat, ensuring my eyes would be squarely fixed upon his before giving the order. Ancillae climbed atop me and did as the young man instructed again.
Memories meshed with dreams, stealing away reality. Once the doctor stopped coming, and I could finally wake undisturbed, I counted at least seven encounters. Before that place, I’d lost everything. The only fuel that kept me going was the desire to be back with those I loved. Nothing else mattered. Before that moment, my life had been drained of emotion, but Claudius’s gift wasn’t Ancillae. His gift was hate.
I will kill that man.