Adam could only stare at the ceiling as he tried to sleep, taking in ever inch of empty detail as he thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow would be his eighteenth birthday, the day he would be recognized as a man, requiring the whole village to throw a party for him. He glanced at the clock beside his bed, watching each minute pass closer to midnight. No matter what he tried, drank or read, sleep continued to slip away. Frustrated he got out of bed and went to the window overlooking the front street. It was dark outside, with only a handful of lights that worked in the village. Nevertheless, he could still see a faint outline of small buildings made from stone and dust, which allowed for an unobstructed view of the night sky.
When he was younger, Adam would often climb onto the roof to watch the stars and the small flashes of light as starships passed through the planet's atmosphere. Even now, the childish dream of leaving the dead planet behind lingered in his mind. A wish he knew he could never fulfil.
He heard a whisper coming from outside the bedroom door and assumed it was his grandparents, trying to be quiet so as not to wake him. He was about to go back to bed, but the voices seemed to be directed towards him. Carefully, he crept to the door, his heart racing as he anticipated an intruder, and picked up a large bat that sat beside the door. He pressed the door control, bat ready to swing, and opened the door. However, there was no one there, and the voices abruptly ceased as soon as the door opened.
After a quick look around, he saw that his grandparents were still asleep in their room, and there was no sign of anyone outside. But then, the voices started again, whispers so tender and close that they felt like someone whispering in his ear. The voices led him to the stairs, and one by one, he followed them towards the front door. It was a strange sensation, an undeniable force that compelled him to stand before the front door. He reached for the door controls and opened it.
Adam did not find the dust-covered street in front of the house as he expected. But instead, he found a scene that felt as though it belonged to another world. Before him stood massive, ruined doorway, ancient stone walls trapped by thick vines and vibrant greenery. The sound of running water caught his attention, to find himself stood in a stream of water that came from inside. He turned around expecting to see his front door, his breath caught in his throat as he witnessed an endless expanse of giant trees. He turned back to face the entrance, and a flicker of light caught his attention from inside the ruin, like a moth to a flame, he followed it inside.
Carefully, he walked through a long corridor, water trickled down the sides of the walls, each side lined with towering statues carved from smooth, cold stone, their surfaces cool and damp to the touch. Intricate artwork adorned the walls, their colours vibrant yet softened by the scent of moss and aged wood that permeated the air. A faint hum seemed to reverberate through the space, as though the corridor itself was alive, breathing alongside him. It was like nothing Adam had seen before. Halatia contained no structure like it, and he would be surprised if anyone could create such beauty. He approached a smaller statue beside the door at the end of the corridor, which caught his eye. The figure, dressed in a long robe and wearing a strange crown, belonged to a species he did not recognize. The eerie face seemed to capture the very emotions of the person it was based on. He was about to touch it when the glowing light seemed to pull his focus back again, beckoning him inside the giant chamber on the other side of the door.
Beyond the doorway was a large chamber, perfectly preserved, with an opening in the ceiling that allowed sunlight inside and water to fall into a deep pool, which appeared to be the source of the stream. An opening in the ceiling allowed sunlight to rest inside, revealing the many carved frescos and paintings that covered the walls, ceilings and archways that ran around the chamber. But what caught his attention was on the other side, a large platform with a throne and bay window, glowing with light that drew him closer. The golden, yellow light bathed his face with rays of pure energy which filled him with warmth and a sense of belonging that had always escaped him. It was as though the orb was calling to a part of him he did not know excited, stirring his curiosity and a need to touch it, to connect to this radiant light. The pull was so profound that he felt himself move closer, the closer her got the more the light pulled, like a planets gravity until he was stood at the base of the small staircase. Step by step, he approached reaching out a hand.
Just before he could touch the source of the light, darkness surrounded him, thick and suffocating, as thought the very air had been pulled away. He felt himself teetering on the edge of a vast void, the sensation of falling pulling at every fibre of his being. The light of the chamber above receded rapidly, leaving only the oppressive blackness. Time seemed to stretch as a deep chill seeped into his bones, and the silence was broken by a faint, otherworldly hum that grew louder with every second. It was as if the darkness was alive, wrapping itself around him, dragging him deeper into the abyss. The chamber slowly disappeared above him as the darkness wrapped itself around him. The last thing he saw before he fell into oblivion was a woman's face and her outstretched hand, and then, nothing.
Adam woke with such a start that he lurched forward and threw aside his bed covers. His chest heaved as he gasped for air, the lingering sensation of falling still gripping his body. His heart pounded violently, and his hands trembled as though they were clinging to the edge of the void he had just left. Beads of sweat ran down his face, and his sweat-soaked shirt clung to his back. The faint hum from his dream seemed to echo in his ears, fading into the rhythmic ticking of the clock beside his bed. Adam tried to calm himself, pressing a hand to his chest, his mind a whirl of confusion. Was it just a dream? The vividness of the sensations left him uncertain. He scanned the dimly lit room, the familiar surroundings slowly grounding him back to reality. Still shaken, he fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, letting the sounds of the house settle around him.
After he cleaned himself up, he went downstairs for breakfast. Even though he was fully awake, he could not shake the feeling that he was still dreaming. Every shadow he passed made him anxious. He stepped into the kitchen where his grandmother, a sweet old lady with white hair, stood cooking breakfast, and his grandfather, a balding man with a hard, worn face, watched the morning news on a small monitor.
"Can you believe this?" his grandfather pointed out, speaking to no one in particular.
“Happy birthday, honey,” his grandmother said to him, ignoring his grandfather's latest complaint. Just like his grandmother, Adam paid little attention to the news. He gave her a hug and picked up a small bowl of stew that had been left for him.
"Don't forget your egg," she said, scooping up a small egg for him. "Mr. Foyaz had some left over, so he let me have a few," she added. Adam could feel his stomach grumble with anticipation as he took his seat and began to eat.
His grandfather was so heavily invested in the current news story that his tea had been left to go cold. Adam watched some of the news as the camera panned over the view of protestors outside the senate building. Several thousand people had gathered with signs and banners to express their frustration at the newly appointed governor. Adam didn't really care about what was happening; he had more important things to be concerned about, especially with the continuing drop in wages that made even getting food difficult. He continued to half-listen to what was being said while he finished his breakfast. From the look of the screen, the police had finally had enough and began to break up the crowd. The police fired dozens of blue stun blasts, dropping people to the floor as everyone ran in panic. To Adam's complete disbelief, a stampede began, and the last image shown was crowds of people crushed together.
After he finished his breakfast, he headed to work wearing his long coat and scarf to cover his face from the dust blowing through the streets. Images of the protest kept surfacing in his mind as he walked towards the train station. His grandparents, like most people, sided with the protestors, as it was the general rule that everyone disliked the empire. Adam wasn't sure how he felt about it. It didn't take long for him to arrive at the train station, along with a few dozen others on their way to the city for work. His village was small, with few jobs and prospects, which meant all the money he made from working in the capital went towards supporting his family. The few regular security officers and Officer Nylin in their tan uniforms, whom he had known most of his life, appeared to be in an agitated mood, more so than usual. A moment later, he noticed an officer—a stern-looking man with grey skin and a black uniform, clean pressed with very little dust—who must have been from the city. The officer poked him in the chest and seemed to be arguing about something. Nylin gave in to the officer and took two of the other officers, and they began checking each passenger in the queue. Adam assumed this had something to do with the protest and the obvious increase in security. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his identification card, waiting his turn.
The city officer made him feel nervous the longer he waited. Each time the officer's glance passed his own, it made Adam feel guilty of some unknown crime he had not committed. Nylin eventually reached a somewhat nervous-looking woman with long blond hair. Just like everyone else, Nylin asked to see her identification card, but she did not move and refused to meet his eyes.
"Just show me the card," Nylin sighed with frustration. But she did not move.
"You heard the officer," the city officer snapped at her. The queue, including Adam, noticeably tensed up, avoiding eye contact with the city officer. Adam couldn't help but watch. The train soon pulled up to the platform, the doors opened, but no one boarded. She eventually relented; her eyes full of anger. Adam let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and gladly showed his own identification card.
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Along with everyone else, he soon boarded the train and found himself a seat. To his annoyance, the city officer also boarded with one of the security officers and stood outside the driver's cabin door like two intimidating sentries. Adam looked away and watched outside as the train began to move and head towards the capital. They soon picked up speed, and the small village disappeared, replaced by vast wastelands of dust and rock that accounted for most of the planet. There was a time in the distant past when the planet was green, full of lush vegetation. But due to a century of heavy mining and factories leaving irreversible damage to the planet, now the only place with clean air was the upper levels of the capital—the home of the rich and famous—while the lower levels were left for workers like Adam to keep the system running.
They soon arrived at the city limits, passing through the great wall that surrounded it on all sides, and entered the endless forest of giant skyscrapers and lines of traffic. From where they were, he couldn't see the upper levels. They were so low down that the sun was smothered by the cityscape, and the remaining light was hidden by the smog-filled air they breathed. They soon reached the train station, where neon signs and streetlights did their best to shine in what felt like a giant, manmade cave.
Adam left the train and joined the crowds of people outside, threading their way through the dark streets. Cameras and drones watched their every move, with officers patrolling the streets. He didn't have to walk far before he arrived at the workshop, and the sign above the door glowed green with the word "Dustin's." Adam went inside.
Dustin's was one of the smaller workshops in the undercity, with only a handful of people working alongside Adam in the limited space. He walked past old Sunni, a humanoid machine created by Dustin to watch the shop. Sunni was seated behind the counter, covered in dust, possessed giant lamp-like eyes, and didn't seem terribly interested in Adam as he walked by.
The main workshop was a large, open space with several vehicles and flyers in place to be repaired or awaiting their turn. Adam went to the row of lockers in the corner, the only space they had, and placed his valuables inside. He locked the locker and made his way between the vehicles until he found the VH-21 land crawler that he and his friend Mara had spent the last several days trying to fix. Mara was already beneath one of the tracks, hard at work. She was covered in grease, with a pair of goggles protecting her brown eyes and a hat doing its best to keep her thick hair out of the way.
"Good morning," Adam announced himself as he knelt beside her.
"Morning, Sparky," she replied, a nickname he had acquired several years ago due to the number of times he had been electrocuted. It happened so often that they would even take bets.
"How are you?" Adam asked as he climbed up the track to enter the driver's compartment.
"Good," Mara replied. "Did you hear about Jonko?" she asked.
"No, haven't seen him in a few weeks," he replied.
"He's finally opened up his little restaurant in the market district. I told him we would go and buy something today," she replied.
"Sounds good. Do you think he will give us a discount?" Adam asked, although he already knew the answer. He took out a small computer and plugged its cable into the dashboard. The machine started up the onboard computer.
"You know Jonko. He wouldn't give you a cup of water to put a fire out unless you paid first," Mara laughed as red sparks splashed across the floor from her welder.
As the morning progressed in the usual way, more and more workers arrived, and Adam could feel a growing headache that made it hard to focus. It started off as a gentle but persistent pain, which he simply attributed to stress and fumes in the workshop. The filters were badly in need of replacing, but it was unlikely Dustin would pay for it. He took some medication from Leeta, a short red-headed woman who always seemed to be carrying medicine. However, as the hours went by, the pain became more intense, to the point where he didn't even notice Mara climbing up beside him. The moment she asked if he was ready to leave, he jumped so high that he crashed into the ceiling of the compartment.
"Careful there, tiger. We're ready for Jonko's," Mara laughed, but Adam felt like he was going to be sick as his head felt as though it had been shaken around in a barrel.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"Just a headache. Be just a moment," he responded. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm his stomach. Then he unplugged the computer from the dashboard and shut the system down. He would continue the repairs once he got back from lunch.
It was midday by now, and the streets were filled with workers from around the city who, like Adam, had taken some time for their lunches. Adam and Mara were joined by Leeta and Nirim, who also worked at the workshop, as they made their way through the bustling streets toward the market district. Jonko used to work with them in the shop until fairly recently, and Adam was naturally sceptical about where all the money came from for him to open his own business. But he had to admit he was curious why Jonko would want to venture into the food business. The last time Adam ate something Jonko made, he was sick for a week.
"I hope Jonko isn't the chef," Adam remarked.
"Me too. I can't afford to be sick again," Mara responded.
"I hope he sells Mindan rice," Leeta said dreamily. "Sedwa's has been closed down," she added.
"Really?" Mara asked in surprise. "Why?"
"It seems old Sedwa was mouthing off again about the governor, so they shut him down," Leeta answered resentfully. Adam had known Sedwa for most of his life and couldn't imagine a nicer person, nor could he understand why Sedwa would risk saying anything against the government. Everyone knew the risks involved.
They soon arrived at the market district, a bustling collection of shops, restaurants, food stalls, and other vendors catering to the thousands of people in their sector of the city. The area was crammed together like sardines in a disused hangar. It was one of the few places in the undercity where sunlight managed to penetrate the smog above.
"Do you know where he is?" Leeta asked.
"He never said specifically," Mara answered, but it was assumed he would be somewhere near the other restaurants and food vendors. They followed the central path toward the food vendors and passed many intriguing shops selling products from around the galaxy. Adam was glad he didn't have the money to buy anything, or he would have spent the entire day exploring the new goods. The advantage for vendors selling in this area was the lack of oversight and taxes, which were usually handled with a few bribes and backhanders here and there.
After passing several more shops, which required pulling Nirim away a few times, as he couldn't speak due to an accident in the shop a few years ago, but that never stopped him from getting into trouble or spending all his money, they finally found Jonko's place. Even though it was stationed in the middle of a row of stalls and a couple of restaurants, it was easily recognizable with a bright sign that looked somewhat similar to the workshops. It was then that Adam realized what happened to the sign that once stood in front of the workshop but mysteriously disappeared when Jonko left.
Not particularly patient and with the medication failing to alleviate his headache, Adam forced his way through the crowd, much to the annoyance of several people he pushed past. They finally arrived at Jonko's small restaurant, which featured a large bar at the front where several people were seated and appeared delighted with their meals. Adam spotted Jonko standing behind the bar, happier than he had ever seen him before. Jonko was a large Gian male with green skin, black eyes, and a protruding belly. It wasn't until Adam noticed the woman standing behind him that everything made sense—she must be the miracle chef preventing Jonko from causing a health crisis.
"Jonko!" Mara greeted as they took seats at the bar.
"Looks great," Adam remarked as he looked around.
"I'm glad you could come," Jonko beamed at them. "What do you think?" he asked proudly.
"I love it," Leeta smiled.
"I could never have done it without Mrs. Jonko," he said, indicating the woman behind him. She belonged to the same species as Jonko but appeared leaner with a kind face.
"You never told me about getting married," Mara said, annoyed. Her eyes looked fiery, and Adam expected he might have to restrain her, but her annoyance quickly dissipated.
"Well, we had to keep it quiet due to her parents," Jonko explained. "Her family wasn't happy about her marrying me," he added.
"Congratulations!" they all said in unison, shaking Jonko's giant hand.
"Thank you. So, what can I get for all of you?" Jonko asked. However, before they could place their orders, a disturbance caught their attention.
A group of soldiers had arrived in the market, with at least three dozen marching down the main path dressed in heavy, white armour that made them look like machines. They pushed aside the crowd with their rifles to clear a path for the officer. It was clear they were searching for something as a few security officers followed behind, knocking over stalls, kicking aside boxes, and intimidating people.
"What do you think they are looking for?" Adam asked.
"They've been trying to shut down the market for weeks," Jonko answered. It didn't take them long to reach Jonko's stall. Everyone fell silent, avoiding eye contact with the soldiers, hoping to avoid any involvement. The officer examined a device in his hand and waved it around the shop. He seemed particularly interested in the back of the stall, which made Jonko's wife visibly nervous.
"What is it this time, Captain?" Jonko asked. "You were here only a few days ago and found nothing," he added.
"We have received reports of terrorists and traitors using this market to sell illegal items," he responded calmly.
"That's ridiculous! There's no one here like that. We're just trying to make a few credits," Jonko insisted. Suddenly, one of the soldiers emerged from the back of the shop carrying several bags. Everyone, including Jonko, stared at the contents in confusion and disbelief. The soldier emptied the bags onto the floor, revealing paraphernalia and several weapons. Adam was in shock; his mouth hung open at the sight. He glanced at Mara, who looked equally bewildered. Their eyes then turned to Jonko, who was furious with the captain.
"You planted that!" Jonko insisted, but before he could finish, the soldiers grabbed his wife and dragged her to the front of the shop. Jonko tried to intervene, attempting to pull them away from his wife, but the captain drew his pistol and fired a stunning shot of blue light, causing Jonko to collapse to the floor. Adam had to exert all his strength to restrain Mara, who was seething with anger. The captain looked at them both, his twisted smile reflecting their fury.
Jonko remained unconscious as he and his wife were dragged to the front of the shop and surrounded by soldiers.
"May I have your attention!" the officer called out, his voice booming from the microphone on his head.
"Due to the increase in terrorist activity in the market district, the area will be closed down. Any similar gathering will be considered a criminal offense with severe consequences," he commanded, his voice echoing throughout the hangar. People began to shout in protest at the captain, but more soldiers and heavily armoured walkers appeared, driving everyone out. The market descended into chaos as Adam, Mara, Leeta, and Nirim tried to make their way back to the workshop to avoid arrest or worse. There was nothing they could do for Jonko when Mara suddenly stopped and pulled out her phone.
"Wait," she called out.
"What is it?" Leeta asked.
"Tobias left me a message. They're all going to the protest," she replied.
"Mara," Adam warned, knowing what she was contemplating and disliking it. "You know what will happen if they arrest us," he added.
"What about Jonko?" she fired back. "What about everyone else who has disappeared? We can't keep pretending nothing is happening. How long until one of us vanishes?" Her words struck Adam hard, and guilt overwhelmed him.
"I'm with you," Leeta said, while Nirim placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. They looked at Adam, who knew he had no choice.
"Fine," he relented, and together they headed toward the square. He just hoped his grandparents would not hear about this, or the empire would be the least of his problems.