Jaxon said, nodding his head over his shoulder. “Not sure what we’ll encounter on the tube, though.”
“We’re not taking the tube. At least not on the way there. Once you’re off, I’m almost certain things will cool off for the rest of us innocent inhabitants of the moon,” Gillette said, his comments full of mockery.
“Oh, nice. Way to make a hunted assassin feel good about himself,” Jaxon scoffed. “If we’re not taking the tube, how are we going to pass through six sectors and not be late?”
“Long before the subway tubes were built, access to all sectors was by underground thoroughfares. Even though everything is already sub-terrestrial, the depressed, or lowered platforms, stretched from sector to sector. They were large enough to handle full-sized vehicles and were actually used for the initial build-out as each new sector came online.”
“And you think using an enclosed pedestrian tunnel is better than taking the speed of the train?” Jaxon asked, confused by his friend’s logic.
“For starters, they’re not as confined as you might think. I use them almost exclusively when I’m heading out to 45. It’s actually much faster than taking the train. Especially at this hour. We’re at the end of rush hour, and taking the tube just six short stops could take more than an hour. Besides, I want to arrive at the town center on our terms, and not be thrust right into the middle of an unknown situation, unprepared.”
“You’re the boss,” Jaxon said, standing to the side. “Lead the way.”
Gillette did so, leading Jaxon through the maze of residential corridors until they came to a wide open stairway. A little puzzled, Jaxon wasn’t sure how he’d missed it when he first arrived in Sector 39 the day before. He’d circled around most of the sector before arriving at Gillette’s doorstep.
“What do you know about Sector 45?” Gillette asked, descending several flights of stairs.
“Not much more than what you’ve already told me. The last time I was in Luna City was with you, and we never made it out past Sector 11, if I recall.”
“Not only is the surface access there, Sector 45 is really just a smaller-scaled city center. It was established so that those living in these distant sectors didn’t have to travel into Luna City for everyday living essentials.”
Jaxon followed Gillette into the surprisingly well-lit underpass. The ceiling was nearly four meters high, and the channel was almost twice as wide. Despite the welcoming conditions, the thoroughfare was practically deserted.
The journey through the underworld passed in relative silence. Gillette led the way and kept an earnest pace, while Jaxon continued to dwell on what, or who, they might encounter in the end. Visions of Taloo Station continued to dominate his mind.
As they approached Sector 45, their pace slowed. “For the most part, Sector 45 has only ever been partially occupied. Its remote location makes it far less desirable for those that work in the city. By tube, it’s more than a ninety-minute ride, taking all the stops along the way into consideration,” Gillette explained.
“Sounds like a great location for someone to lay low,” Jaxon said, contemplating his decision to get to the outer ring.
“You’d think, but those that do live out here are usually government officials and security personnel. Most of them use the surface access and then fly in short-range air shuttles to get to the city center in a fraction of the time.”
“What prevents civilians from doing the same?” Jaxon asked.
“Cost, mostly. The short-range flyers are typically priced out of the normal person’s budget. Plus, there’s the cost of dock space, both here as well as in Luna City. It really is just for the elite, who can afford it, or the city workers, who get it for free,” Gillette said.
“Then I hope this is a brief visit to Sector 45,” Jaxon said, fighting back his uneasiness over the situation.
“I think
“We’re not taking the tube. At least not on the way there. Once you’re off, I’m almost certain things will cool off for the rest of us innocent inhabitants of the moon,” Gillette said, his comments full of mockery.
“Oh, nice. Way to make a hunted assassin feel good about himself,” Jaxon scoffed. “If we’re not taking the tube, how are we going to pass through six sectors and not be late?”
“Long before the subway tubes were built, access to all sectors was by underground thoroughfares. Even though everything is already sub-terrestrial, the depressed, or lowered platforms, stretched from sector to sector. They were large enough to handle full-sized vehicles and were actually used for the initial build-out as each new sector came online.”
“And you think using an enclosed pedestrian tunnel is better than taking the speed of the train?” Jaxon asked, confused by his friend’s logic.
“For starters, they’re not as confined as you might think. I use them almost exclusively when I’m heading out to 45. It’s actually much faster than taking the train. Especially at this hour. We’re at the end of rush hour, and taking the tube just six short stops could take more than an hour. Besides, I want to arrive at the town center on our terms, and not be thrust right into the middle of an unknown situation, unprepared.”
“You’re the boss,” Jaxon said, standing to the side. “Lead the way.”
Gillette did so, leading Jaxon through the maze of residential corridors until they came to a wide open stairway. A little puzzled, Jaxon wasn’t sure how he’d missed it when he first arrived in Sector 39 the day before. He’d circled around most of the sector before arriving at Gillette’s doorstep.
“What do you know about Sector 45?” Gillette asked, descending several flights of stairs.
“Not much more than what you’ve already told me. The last time I was in Luna City was with you, and we never made it out past Sector 11, if I recall.”
“Not only is the surface access there, Sector 45 is really just a smaller-scaled city center. It was established so that those living in these distant sectors didn’t have to travel into Luna City for everyday living essentials.”
Jaxon followed Gillette into the surprisingly well-lit underpass. The ceiling was nearly four meters high, and the channel was almost twice as wide. Despite the welcoming conditions, the thoroughfare was practically deserted.
The journey through the underworld passed in relative silence. Gillette led the way and kept an earnest pace, while Jaxon continued to dwell on what, or who, they might encounter in the end. Visions of Taloo Station continued to dominate his mind.
As they approached Sector 45, their pace slowed. “For the most part, Sector 45 has only ever been partially occupied. Its remote location makes it far less desirable for those that work in the city. By tube, it’s more than a ninety-minute ride, taking all the stops along the way into consideration,” Gillette explained.
“Sounds like a great location for someone to lay low,” Jaxon said, contemplating his decision to get to the outer ring.
“You’d think, but those that do live out here are usually government officials and security personnel. Most of them use the surface access and then fly in short-range air shuttles to get to the city center in a fraction of the time.”
“What prevents civilians from doing the same?” Jaxon asked.
“Cost, mostly. The short-range flyers are typically priced out of the normal person’s budget. Plus, there’s the cost of dock space, both here as well as in Luna City. It really is just for the elite, who can afford it, or the city workers, who get it for free,” Gillette said.
“Then I hope this is a brief visit to Sector 45,” Jaxon said, fighting back his uneasiness over the situation.
“I think
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