Lynna ran through the street dodging the crowds as she went. As it was only just past the first bell, only a few people were out and about, but in crowded Desolation City (charming name, she knew, but it was better than the neighboring city of Last Chanceton) even the quiet times were crowded with folks bustling to and fro. The gears, whistles, and rumbles of the machines that purified the air and water and ran the generators that powered the lights never stopped. The city never slept, so why should its citizens?
The red-head paused to catch her breath at the edge of the city, staring at the rock walls that rose up into darkness to dense to see through. She craned her neck back, staring up into the darkness. Somewhere up there was the cavern ceiling with stalactites pointing down at them like teeth. Somewhere above that, through miles of stone, was the Surface World!! She'd never seen it. No one had outside of the Trade Crew, but she knew it was up there. Somewhere. And today... Today she would finally see it!
Grinning, she bounded forward once more and headed to a ladder nearly hidden amongst the craggy rocks. The rungs creaked slightly as she climbed up at top speed and reached the tiny shed built into the stone a hundred feet above the cavern floor. She threw open the door and sang, "Grey! Grey, today's the day!"
A small man looked up from his seat before a booth of blinking lights and weird switches and buttons. He smiled but held up a finger to his lips, his violet eyes twinkling as his other hand held one half of a headset to his ear. He used his foot to turn his back on Lynna and started writing something on the massive pad of paper next to the radio, his hand moving unnaturally fast as he wrote out the message with practiced ease.
Lynna grimaced and pulled up the only other seat in the tiny place, an old, rickety stool that threatened to snap out from under her. One foot rested on the iron floor, the other on the lowest rung. She should have known he'd be listening. He was always listening. She used her foot to nudge the door open a little farther to let in more light. The place was darker than her bedroom during designated Sleep Cycle. The only light came from the lights from the screens and indicators. She had no idea how Grey could see anything in this tomb.
Speaking of Grey, he set aside his headset and turned to look at Lynna with a raised brow.
The grin returned to Lynna's painted lips. "Today's the day! In one bell, I'll be heading up with the Trade Crew! I'll finally get to see the surface world!"
Grey shook his head with a smile and started flicking his hands through a complex sequence. "I do not know what you are so excited about. The world outside of the caves sounds like it is pretty torn up."
Lynna waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the stories. Dust storms that can take the meat from your bones in seconds followed by water dumped from the skies somehow. I want to see it for myself! I want to see what's real! I want to see what a craptastic mess humans made of the world."
Grey shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "I think humans are arrogant and try to take too much credit for things, so whatever you see, I doubt it is entirely humanity's fault."
"You say that every time," Lynna said, rolling her eyes. "But, I mean, come on! It's the only scenario that makes sense. Pollution, factories, cows... whatever cows were... deforestation..."
"It's the only scenario presented to you," he pointed out. "There were other factors, but even so, the world is a big place and complex. I don't think any answer is going to be as simple as that one. I wouldn't be surprised if humans were a part of it, but I think many of the possible ideas have merit." He paused a moment. "Well, any answer except for the one that the desolation is all a hoax and the government is keeping us trapped down here for their own nefarious reasons."
Lynna giggled. "You mean the Purites? The ones who like to preach that this part of the world is the sin-filled Hell and up top is some kind of paradise? Or something like that, I never could understand what they were talking about."
"Those are the ones," Grey smirked.
"Yeah, those dudes are totally cracked. Anyway, I have to go report to my group soon, and in a couple of bells, I'll get to see for myself what the fuss is all about!"
"Just try not to run off like some kind of hero."
Lynna shot her friend a huge grin. "Me? Go rogue? As if! I've outgrown that stage of my life."
"In less than a week? As I recall, that instance with the-"
Lynna grabbed Grey's hands. "There's no need to bring that up!" she said with a nervous laugh. "No need at all!"
Grey shot her an amused look and pulled back his hands so he could shoo her to the door.
"I'll tell you all about it when I get back!" she promised. She would have skipped out the door if she'd had more space. Instead, she walked out, closed the door, and slid down the ladder like a pirate on a holomovie.
