litranaut

“You’re shitting me!”

“Hey – don’t let mum hear you talking like that!”

Damien blushed. “Well, you won’t tell her.”

His older brother smiled. “No, I won’t. And no, I’m not. Back in the old days it was.”

“How do you know? You weren’t here in the old days.”

“I read books, don’t I?”

“Books?”

“Yeah. Ones with paper pages and everything.”

Damien’s eyes widened. He’d heard of paper, but he’d never seen any. He squinted at his brother. Damien didn’t know whether to trust him, as the younger of the two he was used to being teased mercilessly.

“So…?”

“So?” Aaron looked down from the hill at the lights. “Oh! The lights. Right. Well…years ago, they had these flying machines and-”

“We have them still, Aaron. We call them Zeps.”

Aaron jumped his brother, tickling him until he gasped for breath.

“So, as I was saying until I was rudely interrupted,” he glanced at his brother who flinched and grinned back. “These machines circled the planet, out in space. And then, once every so often, they’d came back down at set places, and,” he nodded at the lights. “Those were the things that guided them in.”

“But…what did they do?”

“Lots of different things. Some were mining ships, some were communication ships. Some even took people up with them so they could go further out into The Night.”

“Wow” Damien didn’t care if he was being lied to now. Just the thought of traveling in The Night – where it was truly dark, not neon dark. If only it were possible. The Collapse didn’t even give them the power to push metal boxes around.

“So,” Aaron continued – either on a roll, or enjoying the chance to tell his story. “This one was the most special. They had sets of these lights all over the world to guide a fleet of ships in. They came from a distant galaxy, no one knew how far-”

“How could they not know? No! No!” Damien squealed, as his brother moved towards him, fingers poised for another attack. “But…how?”

“They didn’t want to know. Some things were better kept secret. I mean, sure they knew. It’s not like we used to let anything land here, but they didn’t tell the people. Instead they gave it some joke number -Galaxy 54N74.”

“Is that funny?”

“I think it was science humour. It didn’t make me laugh and there was no notes about it anywhere else.”

Damien nodded and, for a moment, both looked at the lights.

“See the orange one?” Aaron pointed to the top of the structure, at a single light that blinked forlornly. “That light told when the fleet was coming.

“See, somehow, the 54N74 system could monitor our galaxy and could determine how many people had been good. If more had been, a shipment would be sent here and, at a certain time, the lights would flick from orange to red and guide the ships in. The RU Fleet. Planet wide ships would land and gifts would be given out.”

“Gifts? They’d come and bring presents? RLY?”

“Ya, RLY. Sometimes for people, sometimes for the whole world. And people would come out to see the biggest ship me the fleet. D01F. The books say it was massive, and lit up so much it makes the Mall look like a personal lamp.”

They sat in silence. Damien let the name ring round his head. The Nightship RU-D01F. He was pretty sure he was being wound up but the dream was too beautiful to break.

“They must have stopped a long time ago if the 54N74’s checked who was good,” he whispered.

“They did. I think these lights go on now because whoever’s in charge isn’t sure what to do with them. Still,” Aaron’s voice strained as he stood up. “They look nice.”

Small white clumps started to fall from the sky, and settled on the ground.

“Come on, Day. It’s an ash storm. These things’ll kill you if you’re not careful.”

The two kids fitted their filtration masks and Aaron made sure his kid brother was sealed securely in his environment coat.

“I’m going to be good, Aar.”

Aaron smiled behind his mask. “You do that, Day. You do that.” He turned away from the lights. “Come on. Let’s get home.”

As they trudged into the night, Damien stole one last glance at the guidance system and the lonely orange light before hurrying to catch up with his brother.

Jefe saw The Elevator start its journey, and lifted his voice with it.

“You bastard, Sammy. You fucking, cheating bastard. I will destroy every last little thing you did here. Everything. Do you hear me? The drugs are coming back, Sammy. I’ll put them in your fucking schools. You’ll look down at HELL, you bas-”

His words faltered as Sam walked out from behind The Elevator and crossed the plaza towards him, checking the bullets in his revolver. But this wasn’t the Sam who walked to The Elevator some 30 seconds ago. This Sam walked with a purpose, with a confidence not seen before.

He stood next to Jefe, but kept his eyes on the horizon. “I always knew you were too weak and too stupid to see this work though.” Sam looked at his watch. “In about 2 minutes, give or take, a whole lot of things are going to change around here. When they do, we need to work out what your position is, Jefe.”

Sam walked to his guest, crouched down and took hold his chin and turning his face up. Sam stared at him. “I was going to kill you. But I think you should see this first.”

He stood again. “Ok boys. Let’s pull them back a bit. Just to be on the safe side.”

Eddie and Allan shimmered into view again and man-handled the others back. After a while, Sam looked back in time to see The Elevator disappear into the smog cloud.

He motioned them all to stop.

“You know what happens when you mistreat an animal enough?” He was staring at his guest.

“Do you?”

There was a flash in the cloud, closely followed by the sound of an explosion. The smog briefly cleared around the lift shaft as a shockwave reverberated out. Within the shaft there was a whirring, whining sound. The Elevator was descending now, smoking and flaming, clattering down in freefall, buckling the shaft as it fell, destroying any chance of repair, before crashing to the bottom, wrecking the plaza.

“They bite.”

Finally Sam’s guest spoke. “You stupid bastard. You have no idea what you’ve done.” He started laughing “Oh yes, animals bite. And you know what we do to them when we do? We have them destroyed and start on a new one.”

“I can’t wait to meet your vet,” Sam raised his gun and pointed it at the bleeding outsider.
He held it there for what felt like an eternity before pulling the trigger and putting the man from Up Top out of his misery.

“Gentlemen. Tonight we put all our men on full alert. If that guy got down here without anyone noticing, others can, too. Though, I suspect our little gift will give them pause. Oh – and we all need new places to stay.” Sam shook his head. “Jefe. You are such a disappointment. You could have fucked it all up. And for what? You’ve have sold everyone out at the chance of getting up there – even after that bullshit pep talk on the roof.” Sam reached into his jacket, pulling out an envelope.

He threw it at Jefe’s feet.

“That will get you out of The Tow, across The Wilds to… any-the-fuck-where else. I don’t care.” He sighed. “You have a choice. Stay, step down, do as I say. Or get out and don’t come back.”

Sam walked away. “Eddie, Allan, we need a car.”

Allan nodded, and ran ahead.

“What about Jefe’s men?” Eddie asked.

Sam stopped, hearing the credit music in his head already. He smiled his best smile. “You know the rules. The help gets murdered, the boss gets beaten.” He paused for effect. “Gentlemen. Put your guns down and work for me. We don’t have to spill any blood.”

Allan pulled up. “Your ride, mate.”

“You know, Eddie?” Sam said, jumping in the back. “This is the modern way.”

“Very impressive, Samuel. You were going to blow them up! So much less blood on your hands.”

Sam, Jefe and the stranger from Above stood, guns trained on each other.

Jefe’s men were sprawled on the floor, Sam’s had disappeared, and their car was engulfed in flames having just been blown up.

“And yet, that’s not exactly what happened, was it.”

“We are born to improvise. Now, put a bullet in this loser and let’s get going.”

“Going how. Exactly?”

“The Elevator.”

Sam thought for a second. “Knees,” he announced. “Both of them.”

His guest went down, screaming, his knees shot out.

Sam walked over. “See. That Elevator? Only one can ride it, you sack of shit.” He turne and walked to the Elevator. “Cover him.” Stopped. “Actually, cover them both. I’m now sure I trust Jefe yet.”

***

“This is it, Sammy-boy. Only one can ride this.” He fitted the last of his cases into The Elevator.

The coppery tang of blood made Sam’s nose tingle. He looked at the bodies. The death that he had wrought.

“It was the only way,” he repeated the mantra. Keeping the basics, changing the tactics.

He stared at his new face, reflected back at him.

This is everything he had worked for. All the death; all the pain; all the money. All the Sacrifice.

It was all for this. This moment.

This triumph.

He brought his hand to his cheek, remembering the start of this journey.

His face hit the ground , this nose crumbling on impact.

All that was behind him. He was free.

“Sorry, boys.”

There were two buttons. 1 and 0. Sam smiled, and pressed the button, turning away as the doors closed and The Elevator started its long journey up.

Through the glass wall, reinforced naturally, the whole of The Tow was visible.

His house. The site of his first deal; his first, and subsequent, beatings. The hovels of his friends. Friends…gang members…bodyguards.

Everything, in fact, except the final price of that journey. The sacrifice of his friends.

Only one person could ride The Elevator.

He remembered how they’d sit and watch the elevator shaft. Everyone did it. Watching to see if one of them was escaping to the High Life beyond the Cloud. Or if pain and misery was coming the other way.

It was only one way out of The Tow – beating everyone else. Rising to the top by any means necessary.

The elevator hit The Cloud. The layer of filth that enclosed The Tow. Shrouded it. Kept the gaze of the masses away from the land of milk and honey. Everybody wanted it – but no one knew what it was they were getting. All they knew was that it meant living like an animal – either predator, or prey. That was the modern way.

The Elevator started to slow. Sam straightened his suit. Now was the time to see if it all paid off.

The Elevator juddered to a halt, the floor alarm pinged. Which covered the sound of guns cocking.

And as the lift doors opened, so did the guns.

Above Cloud didn’t want any filthy upstarts muscling in on their turf. Keep them fighting each other. Kill those which threaten the status quo.

THAT was the modern way.

That was the only way.

“Those look like cases, Sammy.”

Jefe excelled at stating the obvious. But it was the way he’d spice it up with added menace that too it from “dumb” to “dangerous.

Things were spiraling out of control. Jefe had taken the precaution of pointing a gun at Sam’s head. Sam’s boys had their weapons trained on him. Jefe’s men had their guns aiming for Eddie and Allan.

“Those look like you’re going to be leaving. You thinking of going up, Sammy?”

Sam was doing every conciliatory move he could remember. “Jefe, this really isn’t how it looks. Just put the guns down and we can talk about this.”

“You think you’re good enough to go up there?” Jefe screamed as he came advanced on Sam, who retreated the same distance. The others moved around, keeping a close aim. “This is MY ELEVATOR! You’re not going up there!”

“Jefe. Please. This is all a mistake. You need to listen to-”

“I need to put you down like the stinking dog you are. You would be NOTHING without me. NOTHING. I made you.”

Sam fought his anger and memories of being the punching bag for people he now owned.

“Jefe.” He stopped, took a breath and tried again. “You do not understand what is happening here because you are not a part of it. Go home, Jefe.”

Jefe spat out a mirthless laugh. Looked away for a fraction of a second. “Fuck this, you’re a dead man.”

“Jefe, Jefe, Jefe. Why do you think we’d take you. You were a failure the first time round; You have let this young man run rings around you. Really. You’re not worth setting on fire so I wouldn’t have to piss on you to put you out.”

All eyes shot round to the figure approaching. The man who recruited Sam.

“Not helping,” said Sam.

“But all I need to do is put a bullet in this piece of shit and your plans are fucked.” Jefe laughed.

“Not really. That still take Samuel out of circulation. The Tow goes back to being useless, and you go back to being a failed criminal, constantly in fear of your crown being taken. The normal order returns.”

Jefe turned his gun on the newcomer.

“Well, Samuel. This is exciting, isn’t it. Don’t forget, now. Only one can ride The Elevator, so let’s hurry this along, shall we?”

Eddie turned to his friend, “What did he say?”

“Nothing.”

“No – fuck you. What did he say?”

“I said only one-”

A shot rang out. The ground at the newcomer’s feet exploded. “I wasn’t talking to you,” growled Eddie. “What, Sam, did that piece of shit mean about only one person being able to ride The Elevator.”

“That you’d be staying behind. I’d be the only one going up.”

Sam lowered his hands, slipping one into his pocket.

“So, what, Sam? You were just going to leave us?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

In his pocket, Sam found the small transmitter.

“A manner of speaking?” Eddie was screaming now.

Sam nodded, flicking off the safety catch. Eddie winked and Sam pressed the button.

Eddie’s car exploded, lifting into the air. The shock wave pushed Jefe’s the the floor, their weapons tumbling away from them. Eddie and Allan shimmered out of sight.
Sam pulled his revolver and swung round.

Sam’s guest had a compact gun pointing at Jefe. Jefe had two guns, one pointing at Sam, the other at his guest. Sam had his gun out, but he wasn’t about to announce which side he was on.

“It looks like you were right. You know, I never did get your name.”

His guest shrugged.

“This is very exciting.”

Sam put the last of the cases in the lift and sent it down to his waiting men.

There was something bothering him.

He ran back to his apartment and threw some weapons in a bag for his team, taking a quick glance as the Elevator as it made its long descent.

“Only one can ride The Elevator.”

On the desk sat an open oak box. Inside was a revolver. Sam paused. Could he really go through with it?

Could he –

It was something with the elevator that bothered him. What the fuck was it?

He grabbed the revolver, slipped it into the back of his trousers and headed down.

***

Once in the car, he opened the bag of weapons, signaling for silence, one last time, in case the car was bugged.

Allan and Eddie reached in, grabbing pistols, automatics and ammo clips.

Finally Sam coughed. “Right. It’s not everyday that thing comes down. Let’s go see what’s going on.”

***

It seemed that Sam wasn’t the only one wanting to see “what’s going on,” and so the roads to The Elevator were quite busy.

“Look at them. They clearly forget the only thing connected with The Elevator is death.”

Sam shook his head.

It would appear that Sam’s final act of betrayal would be his gift to the people of The Tow. How kindly would they think on him then?

Christ. It was going to be ugly.

***

Eddie swung the car into the final approach. Already a small crowd had gathered, but they were keeping a respectful distance.

“What’s… going on here?” Sam muttered.

The base of the Elevator was surrounded by armed guards. They clearly weren’t going to let anyone on rr, for that matter, off it.

Which was a bad thing. The Elevator was nearly at the bottom and Sam wanted to be on his way.

Christ. The Elevator. It was something about The Elevator.

A thought grew in Sam’s mind.

“Stop the car.”

It was huge.

Eddie looked back. “What?”

The small crowd stopped talking amongst themselves and watched.

Only one can ride The Elevator.

“Stop the fucking car!” Sam yelled.

They screeched to a halt.

“It’s a set up.”

The Elevator stopped. Pinged. A muffled voice said “Ground Floor.”

It grew clearer as the doors opened. “Have a nice day.”

She stood, encased in black. It absorbed the muted sunlight, giving her an edged outline. In the time it took the guards to react, two were dead.

As one, the crowd screamed. You could see the wave of panic spread through them.

The weapon was perfect. Silent, no recoil. She stepped from The Elevator.

The crowd fled.

Sam heard his breath catch. She was beautiful. No movement was wasted. A third guard dropped.

A ballet of death. She spun, avoiding the clumsy attack from a fourth guard – letting the bullets fired rip into his team mate – before firing and taking the attacker out.

Sam stepped from the car, revolver in his hand. He aimed over the door, watching her dance. Counting her steps, waiting for the moment until –

He squeezed the trigger.

The revolver roared. The assassin danced to the left, her body weight committed, pulling her into the path of the incoming bullet. He head snapped backwards and she crumpled to the floor.

Sam stuck his head in the car. “Bring the cases. I’ve been fucked.”

His crew looked at him, clearly confused. “If The Elevator coming down causes all this madness. The guards, the rubber neckers. How the hell did my visitor get here? We need to keep our eyes open.”

***

Sam tried to kick the guns from the figures hands, only to discover they were grafted on. He crouched and checked them out. The seams were flawless, as if she had been born with guns for hands. Jefe’s words echoed in his head – “If that’s how they let us live; how they choose to whittle us down; what place do we have up there?”

None of the guards had survived her attack. Sam approached the elevator. Empty, the doors kept open by the slumped body of a guard.

Eddie arrived with the cases, which Sam slid into place. “We good?”

A car screeched to a halt, doors slammed. Sam stuck his head out and had a look.

It was Jefe.

Sam looked up at Eddie and shook his head.

“No, my friend. We are not. Not good at all.”