AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cave life was hard, and at times, when I stared too long overhead, I got the impression the ceiling pressed down, crushing me, the most terrifying thing to happen. I’d never experienced a cave-in, but I’d heard of them. One survivor had risen from her seat at a meal and cried out about the experience. “I couldn’t breathe! Don’t you understand? I was being crushed. We could all die if the rock collapses.” The Reds took her away.
The approaching hum ended my brief respite. The transport arrived, a cylindrical metal tube that had doors that slid open along its length. I entered with the remaining Grays, still unsure if I headed in the correct direction. Then again, what other choice did I have to get to the Consulate? The transport provided the only method to move from our habitat to other areas.
With everyone on board, the doors sealed, and we began moving. I held firmly to the long bar running the length of the car. The hum as it traveled muffled the few conversations happening. Usually, I’d be one of the people trying to converse. But not today.
Today, I felt self-conscious and paid attention for once to the screens lining the ceiling. A newer video was running, with a smiling person in blue repeating the same old message.
Everyone has their part.
Everyone has their place.
Don’t break the laws.
Keep the faith.
Faith in what? I had many questions, but no one to ask. They taught us at a young age to obey. Because not obeying was a crime.
At times, though, I wondered about some of the laws that appeared to apply to Grays only. Why the strict rules for us and not the others? I knew the Blues didn’t have the same restrictions.
My supervisor on the job, for instance, ate her second meal apart from the Grays with another person who wore the same shade of light blue. Their meals, which could be chewed and looked better than our mugs of thin, drinkable gruel.
The supervisor also didn’t take the transport with us. Where did she live? Could there be habitats for just those in the blue? Which led to me wondering—a dangerous thing if discovered—just how many habitat areas actually existed? I’d lived in Sub13 since I’d progressed to working without my mentor. Could be my habitat was only one of many. After all, the number of worksites varied. I’d counted one hundred and four, with a new one added a few days ago.
The transport slowed, and the doors slid open, disgorging a portion of Grays. My hand, clamped to the bar, didn’t receive a jolt, meaning this wasn’t my stop.
A single Gray joined us, sweating as he grabbed the bar. Odd. Usually, people only exited and didn't board. Then again, he didn’t look well. Perhaps he’d been ordered to the clinic for medical analysis. I didn’t speak to him. The rules clearly prohibited talking between males and females. Another restriction that made no sense.
The doors closed, and we left. I swayed with the motion and wondered what the Consulate would look like. No one knew for sure, but rumor claimed it existed in the grandest cave of all, so big you couldn’t see the ceiling or walls. Obviously an exaggeration.
The transport slowed again. The doors opened, disgorging more Grays. Oddly, three boarded, male again. Very unusual.
The next slowdown took the rest of the Grays, except for the four who had boarded earlier and one new man, who entered the transport, holding a satchel. Taller than most, he glanced around with sharp observation.
He eyed me. “Why are you still here?”
I stared at my hand on the bar. It seemed obvious, but apparently, he wasn’t too intelligent. A male trait perhaps?
“I asked you a question,” he snapped.
“And?” my sassy reply. Only to add at his glare, “I haven’t reached my departure point yet.”
His brows rose. “You’re a Marked.”
“How did you know?”
“Next stop is the Consulate.”
Relief filled me at the knowledge. “Oh good. I wondered how to get there.”
He snorted. “You should be trying to do anything but go there.”
I frowned. “You know what will happen to me?”
He didn’t answer as the doors closed and instead turned to the other remaining Grays. He held up the bag. “Come on and grab your stuff. We can’t waste time. They’re sure to notice the cameras were disabled on this transport.”
The Grays all took a turn reaching into the bag, removing objects that I’d only ever seen in the possession of Enforcers. Weapons that could harm. Not that I’d ever done anything to merit their use on me.
Two of the Grays moved to the opposite end of the tube from me and began doing something to the wall that involved mashing lumps of some substance to the surface and embedding a string into them.
The last man to reach into the bag eyed me while not too quietly saying, “What should we do with her, boss?”
The fifth, with the satchel and eyes of a most vivid blue, glanced at me. “Nothing. Her presence doesn’t change the plan.”
What plan? What were they going to do?
“Brace!” someone yelled.
The explosion wasn’t what wrenched my grip free, but the sudden halting of the transport.
