“So… Do you enjoy living in Ciores?” I cautiously asked the Uber driver. He had been stoically silent for the entire drive, and I had tried to distract myself by observing the sprawling land outside of Las Angeles, sometimes miles of wasteland desert, sometimes dense shrubbery reclaiming the ground, but mostly stretches of buildings lining the highway, partially demolished, and totally abandoned. It seemed that with the absence of the upper-class, people had gravitated towards the large cities, in search of the vacated jobs, left by the ALSE occupants. Now, the massive cities had grown huger, and the abandoned suburbs were slowly reclaimed by the earth.
The driver shot an annoyed glance in my direction. “I live in LA.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded awkwardly. “Good to know. Thanks for driving us.”
“It’s my job.”
C’mon now, thats a little much. He could have just said ‘you’re welcome’ and been done with it. “Awesome. How do you like LA?”
“It’s a tough person’s life. Y’all probably wouldn’t be able to stand it.”
I nodded again. So that’s what this all was about. He hated us because we were from the ALSEs. I wondered if I should retort, but then decided against it because he could just like pull the car off the road and kill us all. “Good to know, good to know.” I bit the inside of my mouth and looked around awkwardly, not knowing how to continue the conversation, and knowing blatantly that the driver didn’t want to hear another word from me anyways.
The nature decreased and the concrete increased as we approached Ciores. Night was falling, and color leaked into the sky creating the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. Light filtered through the smog, highlighting its shades of vibrant pinks and oranges, painting the sky a pastel assortment I had only ever seen in art before. The ALSE skies were always stark clear, unaffected by the pollution that made the sunset so breathtaking here. Sarah was rapidly snapping pictures on her holophone, and I made sure to pose for a few. They were definitely ending up on her Instagram.
The city was not nearly as pretty as the sky was as the Uber driver pulled up to our apartment building. I had spent a lot of time investigating the safest part of the city and nicest apartment in Ciores–and money wasn’t even a constraint–but I still wasn’t impressed. The pale gray concrete was stained with various materials, the alleys between the buildings were dark and foreboding, and the streetlight flickered as Sarah and I unloaded the Uber vehicle.
With a rev of the engine, the Uber driver sped off the moment we unloaded the car, narrowly clipping one of the other vehicles that lined the roads. The maneuver wouldn’t have been possible with the anti-collision technology in the hovercars in the ALSEs, which I hadn’t seen at all so far in the Grounder cities.
Lights off the glistening chandelier momentarily blinded me as Sarah and I pushed through the smooth revolving door into the expansive lobby. I blinked the shock away, a small feather of delight dancing within me. The opulent styles were not something you would find on an ALSE. Cascading chandeliers adorned with thousands of drip-shaped crystals illuminated the entire area; and the light filtered through the modern glass art pieces that decorated the lobby. Rich colored armchairs rested on a large impossibly fluffy rectangular rugs on both sides of the entrance, beside huge floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a stellar view onto the street. The street wasn’t much to look at right now, but I was sure that in the day this would be a dream spot to chill.
I avoided the stairs as I led the drowsy Sarah to the opposite end of the lobby, where elevators stood. I hadn’t seen an ancient model like those in ages. A pleasant ding sounded as the solid metal doors of one slid open, revealing a carpeted metal box. At least it had mirrors perched above the handrails to diminish the claustrophobic effect. I wish I could see the rest of the building, I thought to myself, studying my exhausted appearance in the mirror as the elevator smoothly propelled us upwards. In the ALSE, the elevator chamber would be transparent, giving view to the rest of the building. But these old elevators didn’t provide the opportunity. Another feather of delight fluttered through my gut. I would have all the time in the world.
***
“Wake up girly!”
I groaned pitfully, keeping my eyes shut. Sunlight glowed through my eyelids, making it difficult to go back to sleep. I rubbed away the crust in my waterline as I slowly blinked awake, trying not to feel like a greasy potato. My clothes were wrinkled from a night of restless sleep on the couch and my back aching from the awkward pose. My fingers scrambled over the cool class of the coffee table to close around my holophone, pressing the button to activate the display of the time.
“Its already–” I yawned. “Noon?”
Sarah nodded. She was sitting on the other couch, looking to be in a similar state of dishevelment as me.
I slid off the couch, stretching, before pushing myself up. “Did you pick out a room yet?”
She shook her head. “Nah, they’re pretty much identical.” She smirked. “I’ll take the second one though. Its more secluded for my nefarious freedom acts.”
I huffed humorously, too weary for a proper laugh, then shrugged, grabbing my suitcase and walking past the TV to the other room. It was a pretty nice apartment, super big with a full kitchen and island one one side, then a large dining table sandwiched between it and the huge windows. The room was rectangular, lined with windows on the long side, and the other half of the apartment was home to the living area, complete with two couches and two armchairs surrounding a smooth glass coffee table. The TV was mounted over the fireplace, and was bordered by empty bookshelves, sparsely populated with a little statue somewhere.
Behind the stone bricks that constructed the fireplace-TV-bookshelf area, was a narrow hallway with a long decorative table on one side and three doors on the other. I pushed open the first door to reveal a large bedroom, with a queen bed centered against the left side. I sank into the silken covers with a sigh. I stared up at the flush bowl light on the ceiling, unnecessary with the large windows that lined the entirety of the wall opposite to the bed, and the other window that stood floor-to-ceiling next to the smooth metal-mahogany hybrid desk on the left of the bed. Even the door that lead to the balcony connecting Sarah and my rooms was a french door, glowing with the noon light.
I pushed myself up off the bed, digging my socked toes into the fuzzy carpet underneath the bed. I just wanted to collapse and sleep for eternity. But instead I stood wearily and stepped to the bathroom, undressing and letting the instantly hot water drip over my skin in the large shower that doubled as a bathtub in the far end of the bathroom.
The bathroom was just as nice as the rest of the apartment, lined with smooth porcelain tile that stretched the length of the narrow room. Two sinks reduced the space further, and half the room was occupied by the toilet room, which Sarah was currently using.
It was an odd experience. I had never needed to share a bathroom with anyone. But at least it was designed for privacy, with the toilet room lockable and a shower curtain draped over the fiberglass tub.
“I found a place for lunch!” Sarah called from the toilet.
I cringed. “Awesome!” I called back, feeling exposed, even though the door and the shower curtain separated us. I guess I wouldn’t ever get my ideal ‘independence utopia’.
***
“Girl move over, you’re blocking the restaurant sign.”
I sighed sarcastically. “Screenagers these days,” I muttered with mock harshness, while obeying Sarah’s command with a good-natured grin. Sarah was a full 22-year-old.
My grin persisted as I glanced around the street at the Ciores citizens. I tried not to bob my head in greeting in an extremely touristy manner. I needed to blend in; to look like every other Grounder.
Suddenly, the immense joy I was feeling was tainted with a faint sense of loss. Almost intangible, it lingered on my senses, a childhood memory just out of reach from my mind. It was a faint ringing frequency, like the ping of a bell, a bitter taste of gold rings when I would nibble on my moms fingers in childhood.
I glanced around hastily, my eyes locking on an average looking guy wearing a puffy cargo jacket and dull beanie hurrying on his way. “Hey! Stop! Dude!” I yelled out, chasing after him. He cast a surprised glance behind his shoulder that quickly morphed into a shocked and guilty one. He began to sprint away, shoving through people. Huh?? I quickly ran after him, taking advantage of my shorter stature to duck through people. “Stop!” I leapt forward, crashing into him as I threw my arms around him, like I would, playing kabaddi, back home.
“You’re crazy!” the man shouted, struggling to get free. I was a kabaddi god. He wasn’t escaping. But still, the crowd was gathering nearby, casting suspicious glances and murmuring darkly. I’m not the guilty one here!
I let the man get up. “Give me back what you stole, dude!”
He raised his hands in surrender, trying to back up into the crowd that had gathered around us. “I didn’t take anything, crazy bitch!”
My eyes narrowed. “Oh yeah?” I pulled out my holophone and opened the bank app, pressing the alarm button. The agreeable banker at the agency had suggested the small metal tracking chip to locate the plastic card. It had seemed like a good idea because I definitely thought I’d lose it, and it was becoming a better idea now when a pleasant buzzing noise sounded from the man’s pocket. “Now, mind handing my card over?”
“Bitch,” The man muttered angrily, rummaging through his pocket before tossing the card in my direction and melting away into the crowd. The crowd began to disperse as the drama ceased.
I caught it, luckily, it would be pretty humiliating if I needed to bend down and scrape it off the ground. “I’m calling the police!” I shouted furiously back.
“Ria! What was that!” Sarah shouted, sounding frustrated.
“What…are you mad at me?” I glanced, surprised at Sarah’s reaction.
“Of course I am! We’re supposed to blend in! Now you’re drawing attention to us.” Sarah grabbed my shoulders her sharp acrylics digging into my skin. She kept her other hand clasped tightly over the ALSE ID scar on her arm. “They hate us! It could have ended badly if he had seen it.”
Heat gathered behind my eyes, threatening to form as tears. Oh… I see. Sarah was right, and I knew it. I couldn’t just go chasing after criminals. I was just human, and my former ALSE status, or money, or sheltered upbringing wouldn’t save me from harm. I was just like the many other fleshy shells that determinedly strolled the Ciores street, but at the same time I was different, if only because of a scar on my wrist.. “Ok…ok… I’m sorry.”
“Good.” Sarah still sounded angry, but it seemed like she was cooling off. “Now go on, call the police.”
I gulped away the choked feeling in my throat that preluded tears, usually, as I dialed 911 into my holophone. I had been prepared enough to at least research the crisis line in America.
“911, whats your emergency?”
“I just got pickpocketed at the intersection of 8th street and Monroe Boulevard. The man was wearing a dull green cargo jacket and dull red beanie.”
The 911 operator sighed. “And what do you want us to do about it?”
I paused, glancing at Sarah. “Well… arrest him of course!”
“You can’t be serious…” The 911 operator sounded exasperated, for what reason, I didn’t know why. It’s your job to arrest criminals! I shouted internally.
“I am very serious! What do you mean?”
“I mean, we can’t arrest someone for something so menial.” He paused. “You must be new to Ciores then. You need to be careful here. We aren’t responsible for Acts of Carelessness. Its under Institution 4 of the newly established guide of legal intervention with the establishment of the Decreased Government Bill…” The operator rattled off more history as i shared an incredulous stare with Sarah. The operator sighed again, noting my sudden silence. “Basically,” he said dramatically. “The people don’t want us interfering with their livelihoods, so we’re not going to interfere with their livelihoods.”
“Livelihoods?” I shrieked. “That’s what stealing is called now?”
“I don’t know what perfect fantasy country you’ve been living in, but not everyone has cushy jobs.” said the operator sarcastically. He’s not wrong about the fantasy country part… “It’s a jungle here. And the top predator survives. You scavenge, steal, and hunt to survive.” He paused and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You didn’t hear this from me, but it’s working out. The trash on the street has no one to blame but themselves.”
I didn’t think he was talking about the literal garbage that littered every corner. “Alright sir, thank you for your time.” I hung up, shocked. Sarah had been watching intensely, her lips pressed tightly together, brows furrowed. “I can’t believe it…” I muttered.
“UGH! That asshole!” Sarah shouted. No one looked over. I suppose it’s a normal occurrence in this city. Just like every other messed up thing that happens here. I was more shocked than anything else.
“I can’t believe it…” I muttered. I had known things would be different down here, but not so unhinged as to let broad daylight crimes pass. But at the same time, I understood. People were desperate. Leadership was minimal. They did what needed to do to survive. But it was still wrong.
How could anyone condone achieving something by stealing it away from someone else?
