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A flash of light flared on the horizon and my lips parted as I fixed my gaze on it. I stared at the spot as we turned away and was certain I saw something glinting in the sunlight. The view was almost out of my range of sight but as I peered back, craning my neck, I swear I saw a hint of green.
Is the rest of the world still out there thriving without humans to interfere with it?
I soon forgot about the hint of the unknown as my eyes swept over the place I’d spent my entire life. The city was beautiful in its own way. I took in the dramatic buildings with metal and glass shining and glimmering in every direction. The top of The Wall was lined with countless spinning turbines which helped to generate power and cast flickering shadows over the buildings nearest to its edge.
The skyscrapers themselves were topped with solar panels. The city was entirely self sufficient and self contained. The perfect system for the preservation and continuation of human life after the end of the world.
The flight lasted about fifteen minutes. We travelled half way around The Wall then took a direct path through a gap between the towers to the biggest skyscraper in the heart of the city.
Safe Harbour was the tallest building in the city. It served as our capital building and the residence of the Guardians who ran our government. It was built out of gleaming blue glass that twisted in diamond shaped patterns running back and forth all the way around its outer edge. They reflected the light of the sky all day and night in changing shades of blue. Another landing platform awaited us, protruding from one of the upper floors and we were transported inside once we landed.
Straight away it was clear that Safe Harbour was an entirely different kind of tower than the ones I was accustomed to. Beyond the landing chamber, the hallways were carpeted and lit with soft lighting which subtly accentuated delicate wallpapers and paintings. Music played softly, welcoming us inside.
Everything screamed of luxury. I was used to grey corridors designed with practicality in mind. These corridors were obviously used to having a lot less footfall.
A girl dressed in a cleaning uniform and carrying a tray with a silver tea service on it entered a room to my right as we passed and I caught a glimpse of the apartment beyond the door.
The room was huge, three or four times bigger than my entire apartment and inside, a family sat lounging in comfortable chairs around an electric wall fire. A wave of heat washed over me. There was a TV screen the size of an entire wall playing in the background. They had a window which actually let in light from the outside. The blue glass cast a sparkling sapphire sheen across the space that illuminated everything beautifully.
The serving girl set about handing tea to the residents
inside as I watched, my mouth hanging open at the sight before me.
"Move it," Unibrow growled, shoving me roughly as I fell still in awe and I stumbled ahead.
I knew that people ahead had a higher standard of living depending on how much they contributed to society, but I never imagined that kind of extravagance even existed. The Uppers didn't mix with the rest of us much; even when I’d lived with my parents I’d been far enough beneath them that I barely warranted politeness. Now they didn't even acknowledge me.
We moved quietly to the elevator in the centre of the tower which was made entirely of the same blue glass as the building's exterior. It was waiting open for us and we marched straight into the hollow space.
We rode up several floors in silence as the seriousness of my situation pressed in on me again. The wall of the elevator shaft was filled with water and little fish swam back and forth happily. It was as unbelievable as it was ridiculous.
We slid to a stop and Laurie smiled encouragingly as the doors opened, revealing a huge room. I tried not to gape as I stared at it.
It was the size of an entire floor. The blue, glass walls let in a shimmering light all around us and gave an impressive view over the roofs of many of the surrounding skyscrapers.
Seats filled with a jury ringed one quarter of the room. In front of them, a platform was raised with three people sat on it behind a table with their backs to us. Professor Delo, President Rivers, and a huge brick of a man I recognised as the leader of the Wardens, though I couldn't remember his name. My throat felt dry and I tried to swallow past a lump in it as I took in the sight of the three Guardians.
I’d been downplaying this whole thing in my head for the duration of my incarceration but maybe that had been naïve. The signs had been there. They’d locked me up for days and days in solitary confinement. And now I was being put before honest to god Guardians to decide my fate.
Fucking hell.
Laurie gave me a nudge to remind me to move and I made it out of the elevator without falling over my feet. I was ushered to a seat at the side of the jury and surrounded by the Wardens who had escorted me here. Needs-a-wash stood close behind me and I wrinkled my nose in an attempt to block him out.
Lucretia Scorin moved up onto the platform and filled the final seat at the table. She fixed a look of impatience on her face and drummed her fingernails along the table top. There were two more empty seats to my right. Before I could ask why, the elevator doors opened again and Taylor and Artie were escorted in by their own platoon of Wardens.
I looked at them as they sat down and Artie gave me a reassuring smile.
“We’ve considered the evidence presented to us already." Lucretia stood to address everyone assembled in the room. "The statements taken from the three accused all give the same account of the incident and we have no other evidence to suggest there is any more to the story. Foolish actions were followed by irresponsible decisions that were made without proper thought and resulted in a failure to keep to protocol. We now need to vote based on the evidence as to the guilt of the accused." She strolled to the far end of the table and a screen rose in front of her.
“In the case of Dr Jackson, do you find him guilty of a failure to respond in the correct manner in the case of an emergency?" she asked the room.
A flickering of hands from the audience made me notice that they all held small tablet computers which they must have been using to register their votes.
“Not guilty," Lucretia read from her own screen and a flash of relief went through me.
“Do you find him guilty of endangering the population?" Another flicker of hands from the audience. "Not guilty," she repeated with a small scowl and a sigh escaped me.
I could see now that this was all a show, a way to teach us a lesson, but we were going to be found innocent and this nightmare would all be over.
