Jake's Fortune Ch. 16

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Oceania.
2.7k words
4.69
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Part 16 of the 17 part series

Updated 10/30/2022
Created 05/17/2014
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vWrath
vWrath
158 Followers

"Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise"


– Phil Collins,
"Another Day in Paradise",
"...But Seriously",
October 1989


***

They had been walking for what seemed like ages through kilometres of wasteland and deserts, and it was getting dark when an abandoned city appeared on the horizon.

So they set out towards it.

"SY-NEY" a long faded sign splayed across the shattered remains of a road said.

They moved into the city, or what used to be a city. The radiation from the nuclear impact craters was faint, but it was there. Their jumpsuits protected them from the hazardous environment, but they lacked their helmets. So they steered clear from areas that Jake pointed out.

They found some abandoned apartments and looted some faded clothes. They looked like a gang of hoodlums from the slums in the surrounding areas. They muddied their packs and clothes a little to reinforce that impression. They looked imposing and dangerous with their new appearance. They decided to spend the night there and wait for dawn to break.

As they navigated through the wrecked city they found groups of country folk moving towards a terminal. They followed them through the cracked roadways and shattered concrete pavements.

Michael told them to stash their weapons somewhere nearby. They were about to be searched and he wanted to take no chances. They did so and they got in line at the terminal and tried to blend in.

The terminals for Oceania were a busy place. Neatly dressed guards went about herding the masses requesting entry to work. They rooted out troublemakers and anyone who looked too weak to work. They didn't give them a second glance.

The life of a labourer on modern Earth was one of daily pain and suffering. Jake thought of his childhood and the tragedy he'd been through and still couldn't imagine what it would have been like being born as a labourer. Even those living in the slums on Luna counted themselves lucky compared to living in conditions like this.

He wished he could help them, but nothing he could do would make their lives any better. He still admired their strength and determination, they managed to survive where many could not.

"Maybe some day."Siren whispered.

The line moved very slowly, and they spent most of their morning and afternoon slugging it out with others waiting in the long line.

When they reached the terminal's admission booth, a fat officer looked down on them with disgust.

"You four, you look strong enough for hauling. Move it."

The guards searched them for weapons and ushered them inside. They didn't question the fact that they had their now ancient-looking data-pads, labourers were known to smuggle those and use them for 'recreational purposes' from time to time.

They passed through and into the tunnel that lay beyond. They followed the long line of miserable entrants for four kilometres under the ocean. The tunnels angled down and gradually they went deeper, until they reached the monorail station.

The odours were unbearable as they were dumped unceremoniously into the cargo carts and the train took off. They felt it going even deeper under the ocean, it took them thirty minutes until they reached Oceania. The great aquatic dome greeted them, and the smell of phosphorous assaulted their senses.

The smell was caused by the rocks at the bottom of the ocean. Deeply saturated by biological contaminants for millennia, and under insurmountable pressure, the rocks fused with corpses and other maritime biomass that made it to the depths. When first exposed by the massive dome of the city, the smell was unbearable. The ventilation system cleared out most of it near the city, but at the extremities where the labourers toiled, that wasn't so. It was one more miserable aspect of the life of a labourer.

"Stay quiet and do as you are told." Michael warned in a low voice.

Another officer greeted them. This one looked in better shape and was nicer to them, he didn't look down on them at least. He looked like a good person thrust into a position he never asked for. Although looks could be deceiving,Jake thought.

They marched forward as the officer took their names, and one by one, he stamped their palms with one-day work permits. They all gave him fake names, of course. The officer recognised them as a group and did his best to divide and separate them. They were assigned to work at different locations.

The labourers worked all day for meagre scraps. If you hadn't managed to secure a daily slot you'd most assuredly sleep on an empty stomach. Unless you saved enough for a rainy day.

As they entered the city, they all agreed to meet again at a predetermined location by the end of the day, then they went about their business casually.

The dome was massive and adorned with a massive source of illumination to emulate sunlight, he couldn't see any of the gigantic deep sea creatures that roamed the waters beyond but knew they were there. He wondered what they thought of the giant blob of bright light below them. He didn't get much time to think before the taskmaster appeared and shouted her instructions at them.

Jake worked all day moving crates from one pile to another. It was mundane work and he appreciated the chance to appreciate the life of a labourer. He vowed to change this, one day, if he could. He observed the security cameras and noted their pattern of emplacement.

When a fellow labourer collapsed from exhaustion, Jake tried to help him, but the guards shouted at him to get back to work and hauled the unfortunate soul away. No food for you tonight, Jake thought.

The work day went by quickly, and they were finally done. Everybody lined up in an orderly line awaiting the guards, who escorted them back to the terminal and left them there.

On his way back to the terminal, Jake made sure to check the walls for wires. He swiped his hand along a wall. A guard noticed and struck him for dirtying up the walls, so he moved back in line.

By the end of the day they slipped unnoticed and met again, and they looked beat and rugged like real labourers. Their clothes were filthier and they even started to smell the same.

Jake started by touching a part of the wall. Siren infiltrated the security systems and masked their presence completely.

They were essentially invisible to the security cameras.

"Okay, it's safe to talk now." he said in a hushed voice.

"We need to change out of these clothes. Preferably into something that doesn't attract attention, like servant clothes." Michael whispered.

"And how do we go about that?" one of his soldiers asked him.

"We'll have to sneak into the dormitories. They'll have the clothing there."

"Do you know your way around here?" Jake asked him.

"Yes. I lived here for the better part of ten years."

"Let's go."

***

Michael dropped the guard with a punch to the face. He didn't make a sound.

They found their way into the low security area, and looked around for the lockers. They found what they sought near the common showers.

They rummaged through the dirty laundry, looking for suitable clothes. Instead of servant clothes they found security uniforms.Jackpot,Jake though.

"This will be more dangerous, but we have no other choice." Michael commented as he tried to find the right fit for his frame.

After finding the right fits, they moved on. They tried to wash off the work stamps from their palms but it didn't work. Michael told them they would disappear in a day or two on their own.

Thankfully, the security guards wore flexible gloves that concealed their worker stamps. They found no weapons though.

"If you get into trouble, pretend that you're drunk." Michael told them.

"What if someone asks us for our identity cards?" Jake wondered.

"Pretend that you're drunk." Michael quipped.

***

Their imposing frames and military background helped them blend in nicely. Jake imitated their stance and they moved along. His uniform was one size too small and didn't fit perfectly, but it outlined his muscular body, which made him fit in.

As they moved on towards the middle class residence blocks, they got weary looks from the citizens. The security guards weren't highly regarded amongst the middle class either.

The middle class consisted of skilled workers, scientists, teachers, and engineers, as well as other various professions that fit the bill. They lived in better conditions than the labourers but had no rights to speak of. The political class had all the power and the system was a true oligarchy. They had the right to vote in the senate elections, but the candidates were always from the political class. That's just how the system worked.

They saluted a couple of officers on the way, the officers ignored them completely and waved them off as they hurriedly went about their tasks. Jake's salutes were dangerously sloppy and Michael shot him a warning look afterwards. He shrugged and moved on.

They approached the monorail station, and their target was the core.

Jake nonchalantly brushed his data-pad against a slot to pay for entry, he was undeniably rich now. After he got his share from selling all the ore at Luna his bank account there was full, and it had garnered so much interest on their relativistic journey to Tansa, he couldn't believe his eyes. He was practically a billionaire. Unfortunately, he didn't think of the consequences of that one trivial action at the time.

"Jake, no!"Siren whispered.

"What?"he asked her.

"You just alerted everybody to our presence here."she told him.

"Oh shit."

It was too late to act, they were already aboard and the monorail was moving. So he sighed and told Michael about what happened.

"We'll figure something out. It's not like we were going to proceed into the core undetected anyway." Michael said in a hushed voice.

The core was where the political class lived. Towering spires, lush greenery, wide streets, and extravagant glider craft greeted them as the monorail closed in.

When they reached their destination, they found the station's security at the ready, they started searching the passengers as they disembarked. Jake and his group pretended to be a bunch of drunk guards on their way back from a day at a brothel.

"You! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" an officer shouted at them as they disembarked.

"We just got back from the outer ring sir, what's going on?" Michael asked him.

"Fall in line, I want everyone on that monorail identified and searched. We just got a security alert, priority three." he ordered with a knowing look and a scowl.

"Yes sir!" they all saluted. Jake couldn't resist a smirk.

"What are you smiling at, soldier? Something funny?" the officer asked Jake.

"No sir!" said Jake as he straightened his face and posture.

"He's just a little buzzed, sir." Michael said as he shot him a warning look.

"Who asked you? Shut the hell up and fall in line." the officer ordered with disgust.

After they searched everyone, they searched the monorail itself. When they found nothing, the officer radioed in and got a response telling him to search the other end of the line. He pointed at the four of them.

"You four, go back to the station and put on some clean uniforms. You're a disgrace. Report to lieutenant Jamieson once you're clean."

"Yes sir!" they said in unison.

After the monorail left, they sighed in relief.

***

Jake was wondering about the lax security when they reached the first security checkpoint. Citizens were lining up for security checks when they arrived.

One didn't enter the core without proper authorisation. The upper class were very careful about who they let into the core, and to get in there you had to have the right connections with the right crowd. If you were caught trying to sneak in without authorisation, you'd probably end up serving time in a cell somewhere.

As Jake and his group approached the checkpoint, they met an uptight officer with a mean look. He asked them what they were doing here, and they told him that they were here to report to lieutenant Jamieson. When he probed them for identity cards they continued to pretend to be drunk and told him they must have lost them. He radioed it in and let them through with a sigh. He murmured something about an ass whipping to come.

Things were going well, until they met lieutenant Jamieson. They couldn't dodge her when she approached them briskly from a distance.

She looked upon them with smart and suspicious eyes.

"Are you the four who lost their identity cards?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Follow me."

She led them to the security station, where she asked them to use a retinal scanner. Jake's heart rate rose as he touched the scanner and put his eye against it. It beeped and a green light flashed. Siren was busy, it seemed.

She had immediately set out to falsify their new identities in the system's memory. They exchanged puzzled looks as they used the scanner, and one by one and it beeped green. Four shiny identity cards popped out and the lieutenant distributed them amongst them.

"Don't do that again. Now get to the barracks and get some new uniforms after you shower. You reek of sweat and whores."

"Yes, ma'am."

"There will be hell to reckon after this." she said as she moved away, she eyed Jake suspiciously as she left.

They followed her instructions, and when they were finally alone in the showers, they asked Jake how he'd done that.

"Magic." he told them with a snicker.

They all laughed and patted him on the back.

They went to the armoury and armed themselves after changing into fresh uniforms. Now they looked completely normal and blended in perfectly.

Michael told them to follow him and they exited the barracks and went deeper into the core. Fast glider craft passed by at high speeds, and they had to be careful crossing the roads.

The view was vastly different in the core, brightly lit shops greeted them, selling their overpriced luxurious wares. Classy cafeterias, clubs, and restaurants lined the streets, and lush parks adorned every corner.

What they failed to notice was the dark shapes stalking them in the distance.

***

They reached the senate building, and the place was heavily fortified. Being the largest building in the entire core, the spire that greeted them almost brushed the centre of the dome.

It was colossal, and it was beautiful.

They took in the mesmerising sight in silence, then they took a step towards it, and suddenly they were surrounded by soldiers in military uniform.

"Mr. Evans, General Cromwell. It is bad etiquette to come unannounced." lieutenant Jamieson said with a stern look.

"You didn't think I'd fall for the drunk guard act, did you?"

"Now, drop your weapons and come with us."

"Or what?" Jake asked as his fists sparked.

"Or we drop you and your companions where you stand." she said.

"How did you know it was us?"

"You didn't show up on the cameras when I scanned you, and I thought you looked familiar. You were sloppy." she said.

"I've seen what you did at Tansa, and we might be unable to kill you personally, Mr. Evans, but your friends are a different story. I suspect that you don't want us to bring them harm. Am I correct?"

He nodded.

"Now lose the sparks and come with me." she said with a feral look.

***

They were restrained and escorted to the Senate building, where they were kept in separate cells at a secure level below the surface.

"You know what's funny?" he asked Michael in the cell next to his.

"What?"

"We actually got into the Senate."

They laughed.

"Well, what do we do now?" Michael asked.

"We wait. It won't be long now." Jake answered.

They waited for an hour and a military officer entered. He kept his distance from Jake's cell and greeted them politely.

"You have a visitor." he said as he opened the door and a man in an expensive suite stepped in.

vWrath
vWrath
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AnonymousAnonymousalmost 10 years ago
unbeievably good

the title says it all

vWrathvWrathalmost 10 years agoAuthor
@Anonymous

The story is already available on Amazon and Smashwords. Jake's Fortune by Abdullah Ali.

AnonymousAnonymousalmost 10 years ago
TOO DAMN SHORT !!!!!!!!!!!!

IT WAS JUST GETTIN GOOD ... WHEN YOUR DONE WITH THIS STORY YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT PUTTING INTO A BOOK OR SOMETHING IT'S GREAT

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