A loud, long yawn stretched from Larox as he sat with his feet on the table while leaning back on his chair. Lauren and Horst bickered in the background over repairs to the airship. They were loud enough to be heard too but not loud enough to be understood. A hatch slid open and Tray entered the garage, he looked over towards Larox and grunted, then received a sigh in return.
"So, the new girl's getting reassigned, I can finally have my room back?" Larox asked.
"Isn't that just like you, always worrying about yourself," Tray grumbled.
Larox straightened his chair and stood up, "I had enough of this abuse, I'm out of here."
"What, going to gamble away all your credits again."
"A man's gotta breathe Tray, a man's gotta breathe."
"What you're doing has noth-"
But Larox was already gone.
It required a citizen's security card to pass into general services sector C. Faded pink and old red love seats of various designs were lined against every wall. Vending machines offered cigarette packs and alcohol, though prices rivaled the average weekly salary for most. The stairway led to a veranda overlooking the south side of Mandaree base. Tar covered stone hills assaulted the eye. A patch of rocky outcropping escaped the blanket of asphalt slime in few places. Smoking was permitted on the veranda, so Larox lit one and decided to take his time. He could think here, at least enjoy the view.
He couldn't help but wonder where Lavinia was assigned, his guess was in the greenhouses. For some reason she seemed like the type who would like growing things, and he thought she seemed not too bright. It was hard not to picture her planting flowers, lots and lots of colorful flowers.
"Maybe I'm assuming a bit much," he mumbled to himself as he flicked a cigarette stub over the railing. He put his hand to his forehead.
Back in the lounge, Larox pulled his card case out of the loose pocket of his work pants. He ran his card through a slot; credits were deducted. He could enter a private booth with either pachinko or slots or play card games versus an AI. There were some small roomswith real tables for blackjack, poker, and roullette. Though they had pricey upfront entrance fees that didn't even cover the initial bets. He casually scrolled through the options, room by room. He almost squeezed his pack of cigarettes, if he damaged them, they'd be no good for trading.
His pager beeped. Larox coughed and checked it. An urgent request from Horace, what could he possibly want?
It could wait. Then he thought better out of it, Horst wouldn't page him out of the blue over nothing. Larox stuffed his card in his pocket and left the lounge.
-----
Horst sat at the desk in his office, hunched over a computer with his head in his hands.
"What's wrong, you look like someone shot you puppy."
Hands went on his lap as he forced himself to sit up straight, but he didn't look at Larox, "That new girl we picked up. Well, I just so happened to be browsing the assignment files. Recorders are off right now by the way. They sent her to scrubbing."
"Scrubbing."
"Yes, scrubbing."
"She'll die the first week, what are they thinking?"
Larox left the office, door slamming behind him. Several minutes later he returned with a box that contained a flask of rum, five packs of cigarettes, and a silver quarter. It was everything Larox had of barter value. Larox slapped his hands on the wood surface. While fetching these items, Tray and Lauren had joined Horst and were briefed on the new assignment of their rescue.
"So, you honestly want Horst to risk his life hacking doors so you can take her from her assignment?" Tray said, his arms folded, "You honestly expect this work. As soon as she's missing from her department, they'll go looking for her and we don't exactly have hiding spots."
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"It doesn't make sense, why would they transfer her there if they weren't planning to dump all of us?"
Tray grabbed the cuff of Larox's shirt and pushed him up against the wall, "Are you suggesting that we're gonna get dumped. Because I don't take that kind of thing lightly."
Lauren and Horst simultaneously gulped.
"Look, I just want to get her out of there. I'm serious, I've never been more serious about anything. I'll split everything I own with you guys for the rest of the time, all my savings... then I'll pay back more... whatever you guys want I'll pay just help me. I won't be able to afford it ever again. Just please, are you guys going to let her just die down there? If you don't want to help, her death is on you as much as it's on them!"
Tray folded his arms around his chest, "All of you need to calm down and get back to work. What's done is done. We're not changing the system. Accept it and get on with your life. Not everyone sent down their dies or gets black lung. She might even be back here within the year. We're not going to commit treason, and that's final."
Larox growled, "That attitude of yours pisses me off!"
"You always accepted it before," Tray repeated, "What exactly changed now?"
Horst frowned, shook his head, he looked toward the table and then towards Larox.
"I made a code card that'll open any hatch here. Use it more than twice and the system might close the loophole. Don't do anything stupid, just tell her what's going on, tell her not to resist, take her some meds, and get the hell out of there. I don't want to have to spend more than a few hours looping camera footage."
Larox sprung from the floor and began gathering everything on the table in a small satchel, "You're putting yourself on the line for me, thanks."
He picked himself up and left the hanger.
Tray glared at Horst, who stuck his hands up, "What, I owe him. I know Larox, he's not stupid enough to try and run with her."
A welding mask went over Lauren's face as she turned away with a shrug. A bright blue fire flew from the welding tool with a hiss.
-----
A steaming chemical dampness that burned the lungs clung to the edges of the narrow halls of the lower levels. Sticky gunk oozed from cracks in the walls and bubbled from corners of the floor. A gray-haired old woman knelt with a scrubber, rubbing the edges of a tar stain with an electrified brush as she coughed. As Larox continued past a door, a hand slapped against window with a tar-stained splat. Steel bars extending from the sill to bar the door as a yellow light flickered, followed by the sound sizzling from inside.
Lavinia wrapped a thin sheet wrapped around her body. Her new uniform consisted of gray ragged shorts, gray ragged shirt, and well-worn boots possibly pulled from the tar. The sparse room provided a single metal frame bed with a worn mattress and a bucket. A silver-gray tile covered the floor. The walls were stained with tarry gunk in the corners. Rust stains made horror markings. The air smelt of stale cigarette smoke. A tray with a bowl of red soup that smelt of burnt tomatoes, long gone cold, sat on the floor. A bowl filled with wilting stalks of celery sat next to it.
The bruises on her wrists from being forced here had already visibly faded. The base of her foot pressed the tile as she stood. She slammed her shoulder against the metal door and forced the handle as far as it would turn. Lavinia shivered as the cold of the metal door bled through the thin sheet. Next to the bed were the scrubbers, hand held brushes that released a variety of electrical currents. The bristles were stuffed with gunk.
Her thoughts raced. She did not like this place. Would it have been better if she had not been rescued? Would it be better if she left? Her eyes turned to the bed. How much longer would she have to wait? How much more could she shut her eyes and pretend to sleep? She didn't want to sleep here. This was no place to relax!
The hatch opened again, this time a man entered, a thin man with wild brown hair and matching eyes. A tote bag hung over his shoulder. It was Larox! Lavinia's eyes lit up. She dropped the sheet and stood.
"You came!" she said.
"This sector is in worse condition than I thought, let's get you out of here."
There was one camera in the room, as well as listening devices. Employees were monitored at all times, but as he thought, she hadn't recieved a wristband yet. Horst could access any spying device on base from his work station and edit the footage, so they were probably safe for now so long as he looped her room's video feed with a degree of credibility.
It would be locked until he used the card to leave, but the staff could open it. He motioned to Lavinia to come and stand by him.
"Here's the plan, I'm going to use this card to get us out of here. Once I get you back to the hanger, the team will have no choice but to defect. We'll escape on the airship to the Laredo base and deal with the consequences later. I just hope Lauren finished installing those batteries."
The door was locked, but there was a card slide to get out from the inside as well. The hatch opened without a problem, Horst was a genius.
Too late to turn back now, he couldn't believe he was doing this. Still, it could work. Horst was backing him up, if he could just get Lavinia to the hangar. Larox reached for her hand, though she was hesitant to take it.
"Look, we've got to do something about this anyway. Trust me, it'll work out for the best. I'm sure management will listen to reason if there is a threat of a general strike."
For a moment she hesitated. There was nothing. Then he felt the warmth of slender fingers slip around his hand. Lavinia shook her head as she bit her lower lip.
"Are you sure you want to do this now? I can survive down her for a little while. It's not a problem."
Larox nodded.