their lives to these terrorists? We have to do something to stop them. It’s people like you who wouldn’t lift a finger to stop the krauts and Japs during the war.”
“I’m not sure we should have,” Graham said.
“At some point you have to stand up to bullies,” Jeremiah said. “No matter who they are or where they’re from.”
“This from a man who has given up living life,” Graham said.
“I haven’t given up,” Jeremiah said. “I just didn’t know what to do with my life. But now I know. I helped build these damn diggers and I’m not going to let them misuse them like this. Technology is meant to free people, to make the world a better place. Not this.”
“Then we’ll need a distraction,” Carlos said.
“Someone needs to threaten Leader,” Jeremiah said. “He’s up in the castle all by himself. The guards are all busy. They’re protecting the diggers and tunnels.”
“I’ll go,” Graham said. “I’m the fastest. I’ll get there sooner.”
“You’re also the strongest,” Jeremiah said. “We’ll need you to hack at the cables. You’ll be more valuable down here. I’ll go. I’ll distract him and the guards.”
“You’ll need an escape plan,” Graham said. “For when the guards catch you.”
“They won’t kill me,” Jeremiah said. “I’m too valuable as an engineer.”
Jeremiah got up and ambled – ambled, because to call it running was to insult the sport – toward the castle.
“Jeremiah,” Graham said.
“Yeah?” Jeremiah said.
“You take care of yourself,” Graham said.
“It’ll be him I take care of,” Jeremiah said, nodding to the figure on the balcony. “Misusing my tech.”
He turned and hustled toward the castle.
“What should we do now?” Chief Digger 138 said.
“Now, we get ourselves armed,” Graham said.
There was a crack from one of the tunnels, like a cannon going off. Chief Digger 138 was the first to react, turning to look in its direction. The town folk slowed their peddling, a sense of wariness coming over them.
“What is it?” Graham said.
“A breach,” Chief Digger 138 said.
“What kind of breach?” Graham said.
“Water,” Chief Digger 138 said.
His tone was dead, hollow, like a child looking under the bed for the boogie monster.
A loud roaring rush surged through the tunnel. But the guards reacted fast, and turned a wheel that brought a heavy metal door across, blocking it off. A feather of water splashed over them at the last second, the rest of the torrent thumping the heavy door. It held. The guards were out of breath, eyes wide and fearful.
“Move to the next tunnel,” Leader said. “And keep peddling.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jeremiah thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He leaned against the hard stone wall, the breath sawing out of his lungs. He stumbled back, on the very edge of a wide stone step that, if he were to fall down, would mean a broken hip and probably a lot worse.
Whose dumb idea was it for the eldest of the group to climb the Everest of steps to distract Leader? He knew it was his own, but he didn’t want to admit it. He felt dizzy. Any moment he was going to collapse. He gritted his teeth. With one hand clamped tight to his chest, the other on the stone wall, he continued on up the stairs.
His feet came to a thick red carpet. He could feel the quality through the soles of his shoes. He unclenched his eyes and saw an opulent richness enjoyed only by the superrich over the peasant masses. There were items behind delicate glass cases that should have belonged in the museum for everyone to enjoy, and a modern kitchen like in a house on the surface. It made Jeremiah sick to think Leader lived like this when so many struggled to survive in the town.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He approached the heinous excuse for a man before him. Leader had his hands clasped behind his back, looking down on the town below.
Jeremiah tried to approach silently. It was
“I’m not sure we should have,” Graham said.
“At some point you have to stand up to bullies,” Jeremiah said. “No matter who they are or where they’re from.”
“This from a man who has given up living life,” Graham said.
“I haven’t given up,” Jeremiah said. “I just didn’t know what to do with my life. But now I know. I helped build these damn diggers and I’m not going to let them misuse them like this. Technology is meant to free people, to make the world a better place. Not this.”
“Then we’ll need a distraction,” Carlos said.
“Someone needs to threaten Leader,” Jeremiah said. “He’s up in the castle all by himself. The guards are all busy. They’re protecting the diggers and tunnels.”
“I’ll go,” Graham said. “I’m the fastest. I’ll get there sooner.”
“You’re also the strongest,” Jeremiah said. “We’ll need you to hack at the cables. You’ll be more valuable down here. I’ll go. I’ll distract him and the guards.”
“You’ll need an escape plan,” Graham said. “For when the guards catch you.”
“They won’t kill me,” Jeremiah said. “I’m too valuable as an engineer.”
Jeremiah got up and ambled – ambled, because to call it running was to insult the sport – toward the castle.
“Jeremiah,” Graham said.
“Yeah?” Jeremiah said.
“You take care of yourself,” Graham said.
“It’ll be him I take care of,” Jeremiah said, nodding to the figure on the balcony. “Misusing my tech.”
He turned and hustled toward the castle.
“What should we do now?” Chief Digger 138 said.
“Now, we get ourselves armed,” Graham said.
There was a crack from one of the tunnels, like a cannon going off. Chief Digger 138 was the first to react, turning to look in its direction. The town folk slowed their peddling, a sense of wariness coming over them.
“What is it?” Graham said.
“A breach,” Chief Digger 138 said.
“What kind of breach?” Graham said.
“Water,” Chief Digger 138 said.
His tone was dead, hollow, like a child looking under the bed for the boogie monster.
A loud roaring rush surged through the tunnel. But the guards reacted fast, and turned a wheel that brought a heavy metal door across, blocking it off. A feather of water splashed over them at the last second, the rest of the torrent thumping the heavy door. It held. The guards were out of breath, eyes wide and fearful.
“Move to the next tunnel,” Leader said. “And keep peddling.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jeremiah thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He leaned against the hard stone wall, the breath sawing out of his lungs. He stumbled back, on the very edge of a wide stone step that, if he were to fall down, would mean a broken hip and probably a lot worse.
Whose dumb idea was it for the eldest of the group to climb the Everest of steps to distract Leader? He knew it was his own, but he didn’t want to admit it. He felt dizzy. Any moment he was going to collapse. He gritted his teeth. With one hand clamped tight to his chest, the other on the stone wall, he continued on up the stairs.
His feet came to a thick red carpet. He could feel the quality through the soles of his shoes. He unclenched his eyes and saw an opulent richness enjoyed only by the superrich over the peasant masses. There were items behind delicate glass cases that should have belonged in the museum for everyone to enjoy, and a modern kitchen like in a house on the surface. It made Jeremiah sick to think Leader lived like this when so many struggled to survive in the town.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He approached the heinous excuse for a man before him. Leader had his hands clasped behind his back, looking down on the town below.
Jeremiah tried to approach silently. It was
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