In The Hole

Some unknown amount of time later, while roaming through the tunnels, Carter announces, “When we see the mesh we’ll almost be home free.”

It’s a statement which while Ace understands the individual words of, makes no sense to him as a single sentence. The red haired man isn’t about to admit that to Carter. He fears doing so might raise questions. That is why instead Ace keeps his focus ahead and continues to walk alongside Carter.

“You’re a man of few words, aren’t you Ace?” Carter queries after a brief period of silence has hung in the air between them. During the silence all that either of the men could hear were the sounds of their booted feet taking one step after another.

“Not that there’s a thing wrong with it, by the way.” Carter adds moments before they round the bend in the tunnel and both lay their eyes on a blue mass.

Ace is dumbstruck by the sight. It’s unlike anything he has ever seen before in his life. In fact, Carter’s characterisation of it being a mesh seems both true and false. Yet, Ace cannot find a better word to slot in to replace it. Though, he does have to admit that the light given off by the blue mesh is impressive.

Carter chuckles at seeing the look on Ace’s face. He is sure he had a similar sort of look the first few dozen times he’d seen the mesh as well. Now however, he isn’t impressed by it at all. That’s why he turns and steps through it, leaving just its rippling surface in his wake.

Ace however, makes no attempt to move. He doesn’t know what this ‘mesh’ as Carter calls it is and that worries him. He never conceived that the blue mesh Carter had spoken of was a literal rectangular mass that Ace would need to step through. Had such an idea even been on his radar he would have queried its purpose. Though, he realises that asking such a question would probably be foolish seeing as being so open would almost certainly result in questions being raised by Carter. So perhaps Ace concludes, he wouldn’t have queried any further and should instead he thankful it was a surprise. Still, none of that changes the fact that the meshes presence brings forth serious concerns he has in regards to his own safety.

Ace has no basis for these doubts. Plus, at no point has the red haired man had any reason to mistrust what Carter has told him. But with his anxiety levels through the roof, Ace feels he has to look around for any other option that might be available to him.

It doesn’t take long for him to discover, without much surprise, that there aren’t any other avenues of progress. The realisation brings him no comfort. Then suddenly Carter’s shaven head appears, having been poked back through the mesh. The heavy set man’s head looks disembodied and Ace almost jumps out of his skin at the sight.

Carter simply chuckles in the moments before he promises, “It’s safe. I promise there is nothing to worry about Ace. It’s just a silk spectrum. You get used to them.”

Silk spectrums are used by the Protectorate to ensure no contraband items such as weapons or explosives are being transported into the vast network of city spanning tunnels. Carter doesn’t know if such things have ever been attempted, but it wouldn’t surprise him if they had.

“I used to feel the same. Hell, every tunnel rat has at some point. You will get used to it though, I swear.” Carter adds after a short pause during which it became clear that Ace needed more convincing.

From what the heavy set man has seen of Ace it doesn’t surprise him. The pale skinned man is definitely quiet and jumpy. Still, he can prove it and so disappears for a second time from Ace’s view. But Ace doesn’t move. He really doesn’t want to pass through the mesh, though he is grateful for Carter’s reassurances.

After a good thirty seconds of repeatedly reciting Carter’s words to give him encouragement, Ace decides he will dare to attempt to tackle the blue mesh and so without another thought steps forward toward the mesh.

It takes Ace two and a half strides to reach the mesh, which offers no resistance to his body as the film slips over his body eliciting no response from his body. However, the lack of sensation of the mesh passing over his skin seems to make the idea of passing through it worse for Ace as surges of panic race through his heart. In response, the red haired man bolts his eyes shut and wills himself to complete his third stride.

As soon as his foot lands Ace hears Carter say, “And you’re through. It’s as easy as that.”

Ace’s eyelids peel open slowly and then he turns to look over his shoulder and find that the mesh is behind him. Ace breathes a deep sigh of relief and feels his racing heart rate begin to relent from the noisy rapid throbbing that had almost filled his ears entirely with their rhythmic beats.

The mesh, Ace realises, no longer looks a thing like the name Carter has given it. Instead, for this side it more closely resembles a pool of vertical rectangular shaped deep blue water.

Carter slaps Ace on the shoulder, which immediately pulls Ace’s attention away from the silk spectrum and back to the heavy set man who with a broad beaming smile says, “You did good Ace. And I swear it does get easier.”

“Anyway, think we’ve delayed enough. Time to see the surface again and oh, how I’ve missed it.” Carter continues before erupting into a hearty laugh moments before he begins to work his way up the incline ahead of him.

Ace, not wanting to be left behind even though he is now in a much brighter but also narrower rock walled cylinder, hurries after Carter who is a few metres ahead of him.

It doesn’t take long for Ace to catch up to within half a metre of the heavy set man. In fact he manages it just as the pair crest the top of the incline. Immediately, Ace catches sight of part of the view the surface has to offer to him.

Ace comes to a sudden halt. His jaw drops so that his mouth agape, while his eyes stare transfixed with wonder at the sight of shimmering glass and several rainbows worth of colour that dazzle and illuminate the still darkening sky.

Ace has to admit that he had started to wonder, since he’d awoken, if he was ever going to get out of those tunnels and back to the surface. Now that he has he feels it necessary to consider why he ever saw it fit to go down beneath the surface to that filthy warren of passages that lie somewhere beneath his feet.

Colours dance across the shimmering glass of each of the unique structures that help to form the skyline of the city. And even though the sun has long since fallen below the horizon it strikes Ace that there may not even be a need for a sun because of the illumination given off by the countless neon signs and advertisement screen which are plastered across and between the buildings.

Then Ace inhales deeply and tastes the smells of the city, which mix with the sights and sounds of a bustling night life. However, his nostrils are met with a mixture of sweetness and filth.

Now that he is surface side he can smell and taste the filth and has to resist screwing up his face in response to it.

It’s a smell that assails his nostrils and makes him want to gag, yet the sweetness of whatever smells are wafting on the soft breeze from somewhere deeper in the city are enough to convince him not to.

“You just going to stand there lollygagging all night?” Carter calls back to Ace who still hasn’t moved a single step from where he came to a halt. Carter cackles playfully as Ace, who is now out of his astonished trance like state, rushes over to Carter. Other maintenance workers, thousands upon thousands of them, shuffle forward heading toward something. Ace cannot say what, but as he feels no fear nipping at him he decides it can’t be anything dangerous or terrifying. Though, it does strike him for a moment that he hopes it isn’t another silk spectrum. One is more than enough for him to have faced for one day.

Ace, having joined the throngs of other tunnel rats, realises that the sweetness in the air has been replaced entirely by the scent of filth. It is at this point that Ace realises that the disgusting smells are coming from the tunnel rats themselves, him included.

Ace wrinkles up his nose in response to the odours that attack his nostrils and quickly come to claw at the back of his throat, uncomfortably. Yet, Ace keeps moving forward so that he can stay with Carter. The red haired man hopes that if he gets through whatever this is then he’ll be free of the smells. If he’s wrong, well he doesn’t know what he’ll do, so he doesn’t dwell on it further. He just hopes.

“What’re your plans for the night?” Carter asks a short time later, while they are still shuffling forward through what appears to be an even tightening mass. For some reason it reminds Ace of sardines and what he imagines is how they are packed into cans.

Before Ace gets a chance to answer another worker butts in and declares, “It’s the perfect hour to drink until you can’t stand up, I’d say.”

Carter simply chuckles and then with a shake of his head comments, “Wish I could but I’ve got a restart in six hours.”

The new man with his thick head of dark hair reveals a grim expression before adding, “I feel for you brother, I really do.”

Then the man with the thick head of dark hair turns his attention to Ace and queries, “Will you join us, brother?”

Ace doesn’t know what to say. He can’t say whether he’s ever been invited to anything before in his life. If only I had by memories, Ace thinks with irritation. His delay gives Carter the chance to chime, which he does, and say, “He will. He needs it. Been down in the tunnels way past his shift. Another newbie duped by the Pros.”

Carter is annoyed and the new man shares his dissatisfaction by giving a roll of his dark eyes and then assures, “Happens to us all brother. Fear not. We stand by our own.”

Ace simply smiles back in response. He doesn’t know what else to say and even if he did the truth is that he can’t really say anything. That’s probably why Carter advises, “Ace here is a man of few words.”

In a single line Carter has revealed Ace’s name, a strange sort of introduction Ace thinks, but also a detail that Ace can’t really be sure is true. He isn’t about to refute it though, but that’s only because it provides a reason for his otherwise long periods of silence and wordless replies. Not that it seems to be a problem for this new character who replies, “That’s good cause that leaves more time for drinking.”The dark haired man then bellows with laughter.

The three men, almost squeezed to bursting point say little else to one another as they file through a set of wide open gates, which unbeknownst to Ace, had always been their goal.

Once they are through the bottleneck created by the gates and the courtyard from which all the entrance tunnels start, Ace finds himself in a huge open pedestrianised square.

In this square there is little other than masses of people. However, they are no longer crushed together. Instead, they have fanned out to form much smaller groups of varying sizes that are spread across the entire area.

It is at this point that the man with the thick dark hair decides to introduce himself. “I’m Bren by the way.” The man who is even larger than Carter declares with an offering of his hand.

Ace hesitantly takes the offered hand, only for it to be shook with such ferocity that Ace is surprised his arm doesn’t pop right out of his shoulder as a result.

Then Bren urges, “Ace, you should come with us for a good night out on the town. We’ll show you rat hospitality brother.”

“You should indulge Ace.” Carter encourages before adding, “While I need to turn in. So with that I best be on my way. See you both around and good luck Ace. You’ll do good as a rat. I can tell.”

At that point Carter departs, but not before giving a nod of encouragement to Ace. It is clear the heavy set man thinks Ace should go with Bren. Ace doesn’t know why, but feels Carter has left more abruptly than was necessary.

After a brief period of consideration, during which Ace concludes there is little choice than to go with Bren unless he wants to wander lost around the city, accepts the invitation that has been extended to him. The huge man smiles a wide toothy grin and then turns to lead the way with Ace following close behind. However, they are not alone as Bren is accompanied by a whole host of other tunnel rats. Each chant and cheer with merriment as they head for what they make clear is an oft frequented watering hole of theirs.