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“Under the city in the sewer system. The commander has no idea we’ve been so close this entire time. Little do they know that the schematics on file show only a fraction of the tunnels down here.”
“You live in the sewer?” The smell alone made it unpalatable.
“Not in the active sections. Come on. I’m going to show you the only free place in Banff.”
I would admit I’d expected more than the motley collection of tents and lean-tos inhabited by scruffy-looking men and a few worn women.
I stuck close to Silas, mostly because I feared the leer of a man who was missing teeth. The tongue he wiggled through the gap made my skin crawl.
“Who are these people?” I whispered.
“Revolutionaries, like me. They, too, have flung off the shackles of color and chosen freedom.”
If this was freedom, I might choose living in a cave. The signs of hunger showed in the gauntness of their cheeks. The lack of laws became apparent when a pair of men started to fight because one claimed the other had stolen his knife.
My lack of admiration must have shown, because Silas became defensive. “This might not look like much, but it’s only a small part of the whole rebellion. I have people working for me in high places.”
“What are you hoping to accomplish?”
“Freedom.”
“That’s a rather broad answer.”
“I want to get rid of the Cabal and its Enforcers. With them gone, we’ll make our own laws. The first one being that everyone can live on the surface.”
“What of the resources?”
“They’ll be split fairly.”
“Who decides what’s fair?”
“Everyone.”
Even I knew that wasn’t feasible.
“What if people don’t want to give up the color system?” I asked, because I had no doubt some didn’t mind it. I’d seen the complacency when living in the Caves.
“They won’t have a choice. We’ll make an example of those who stand in our way.”
“How is killing those who don’t agree freedom?”
He scowled. “I can see they’ve already poisoned your mind.”
No, more like I’d studied some of the history and seen what didn’t work. The truth was the world couldn’t support a lot of people. The color system worked to try to ensure everyone played their part to the best of their abilities. It had worked well for a time, until issues evolved in the birthing process.
Despite being careful with the breeding, undesirable traits had begun to emerge. Some cities had chosen to kill those who couldn’t be put to use. Banff instead put them in the Caves as Grays. A mercy, depending on how you perceived it.
Unless you were a Gray or someone cast in a lesser role, of course.
Having experienced the surface, I didn’t think I could return to the underground habitat and not resent my position. At the same time, the Grays were needed to keep the surface functioning.
“If you abolish the colors, who will do the work?” I asked.
“People who want to.”
“What if they don’t?”
His expression creased with annoyance. “They will.”
