Within the Tunnels by Julie Steimle (read 50 shades of grey TXT) đ
- Author: Julie Steimle
Book online «Within the Tunnels by Julie Steimle (read 50 shades of grey TXT) đ». Author Julie Steimle
âYou can close your eyes to reality but not to memories.ââAnon
Little children ran around the dugout cavern filled with reinforced machinery and air vents, laughing without fear that their voices would echo into the caverns below. They were far and safe from the P.M.sâ watching eyes. Jafarr grinned at the little boys, rubbing the head of the one that hid behind a set of chairs that were set in front of their empty makeshift computer screens and hairline radio transmitters.
âHey, Kem,â he said, passing by. âIs your dad here?â
The little boy nodded and pointed down the corridor to a smaller room. He dashed away, laughing as his friend spotted him. Jafarr shook his head and continued on his way. Passing boxes of machinery they were using to build weapons then cots that lay about the floor for the evacuees, Jafarr walked with a little more care, as several were sleeping and some were pretending to sleep while hiding tears. He pretended not to notice, going on his way.
For them it was too late. Just like with him, it was hide in the cleared spaces between city levels or get thrown into ISIC for unspeakable torture. Jafarr had been living in the tunnels for a half a Parthan a year now. He had not gone back to his undercity neighborhood since his father was killed. He could not afford to see his school friends except for Alzdar who was right in the thick of the rebellion. Alzdar was the lucky one. The Peopleâs Military had not pegged him as a rebellion member yet.
Squeezing past the unloaded weaponry, he walked to a back room they had made for private work. Pushing open the door, Jafarr noticed two figures in the dark room that he knew wellâone a middle aged man, the other a young woman near Jafarrâs age. Jafarr pulled the door closed then crept in closer to peer at the screen that both individuals were staring at. The man was holding up a thin synthetic paper like screen that had glowing pinpricks of light forming a diagram while the young woman was massaging his shoulders and neck to comfort him. She smiled when Jafarr entered the room, gesturing for him to come closer with her head. Jafarr smiled back, still analyzing the screen though he scooted just a bit closer.
âThere are over five million Arrassians in the undercity,â the man said aloud. âDid you know that, Jafarr?â
âI had an idea, sir,â he said.
The man cut him off. âAn idea is not the same as knowing, my boy. Five million. And there are around three million in the middlecityâgood honest citizens.â
âYes, sir,â Jafarr said, waiting for his point.
The man returned to stare at the screen. âOf the uppercity, I bet, not one citizen is honest.â
Jafarr shook his head. âIâll take that bet, Kaârren.â
The man laughed, turning around to look at him in the dim light. âSo would your father.â He stood up and gave the girl a pat. âBut where did that lead him?â
Frowning, Jafarr shook his head again as he took a step back. âThe uppercity doesnât just consist of High Class and P.M.s.â
âYes, my boy, yes. Iâve heard your preaching before. There are Labor Class men and good Guard and Servant Class citizens. You sound like your father more each day.â Kaârren said. The man handed the glowing diagram over to Jafarr. âWhat do you make of this?â
Jafarr viewed the screen making out the words etched in the light sensitive paper. âLooks like a hit map. Where did you dig it up?â
âBut whose hit map, Jafarr?â Kaârren asked, ignoring the question and poking the screen.
Jafarr gazed at the screen again then held it up to the small desk light. The marks vanished with the light. He held it again, this time turning towards the dark. The words lit up. Jafarr nodded. âThis looks like a metro map. Itâs on glow paper made for the dark tunnels.â
But as Jafarr analyzed the drawing, he squinted at the writing.
âItâs in Ancient though.â He started to read some of the words. âTaârenâz manâne zarr wachethânarrâŠ. Peopleâs homes are locatedââ
âThat word is Tarrn, Jafarr, not Taâren,â the old man corrected.
Jafarr glared back at him. âIt says Taâren. The mark is distinctly not a mark for Orr. It is an Er.â
The man looked over his shoulder. âLook again. Scratch it if you have to.â
Jafarr did and found that the word did change to Tarrn. He frowned and looked up at his leader. âSo it is Tarrn. Who read this for you?â
Kaârren laughed. âI studied some Ancient too my boy. Donât think youâre the only one educated in the language.â
âYeah, but my mom was Seer Class, and she taughtââ
Kaârren hushed him. âJafarr, this is a P.M. hit list.â
Jafarr nodded. âIt appears so.â
His leader ignored his skepticism. âBendii found it in the undercity re-comp factory, discarded but still intact.â
Gazing at him, Jafarr waited for the conclusion Kaârren was drawing, knowing the man liked to feel like he was on top of things. He knew what the man was getting at.
âThey burn these, Jafarr. The re-comp factory was on the map, so was the Astrov Tarrn familyâs home that was killed last week.â The man sat down and shook his head. âThe seers are helping the P.M.s, Jafarr.â
âThatâs nonsense, Kaârren.â Jafarr shook his head with a glance at the glowing marks. âWhat is your proof, the use of Ancient? You yourself can read some, you said so.â
The man laughed.
âSharp.â Shaking his head Kaârren said, âOk, I lied. I got one of our Seer Class fellows to read it for me.â
Jafarr peered over the sheet. âHigh Class have their resources. Seers wouldnât have a hand in the murdering of Tarrns.â
Taking a grasp of the paper and shaking it in Jafarrâs hands, Kaârren said, âThey would if they were inbred with the High Class, and there was family pressure.â
Right away Jafarr dropped the screen with a loud exhale. âNo, they wouldnât. They donât mix breed. My mother was disowned for marring my father. Iâve never even met my grandfather or my cousins. I wouldnât even know who they were if I bumped into them on the street.â
âThatâs just because your dadâs undercity, boy. Such breeding would be below them.â Kaârren insisted. âThere are seers in the High Class.â
Groaning louder, Jafarr shook his hear more sharply. âThereâre arenât. I am the only half blood seer in Arras right now. Trust me.â
The girl leaned over to Kaârren and wrapped her arm around his shoulder to calm him. âEnough of this, Dad. You know this is a sore subject for him.â
Jafarr looked up to the ceiling. âItâs ok, Malay. Iâm not hurt.â Turning to Kaârren, he said, âI donât believe the seers are helping them because I have seen the P.M.s at work. They can manage to get anything, including a thorough learning of Ancient. They could just go to the University and get a professor to interpret.â
Kaârren was about to object but Jafarr beat him to it.
âAnd I think digging up reasons to attack the uppercity really should be abandoned,â Jafarr said. âYouâll hit innocentsâand I know youâll regret that.â
The middle-aged man plucked up the paper, shaking his head back and forth with a sigh. âJust like your father. I never could convince him either, though I really do think it is the only thing we can do. The uppercity contains the core of our enemies.â
Jafarr slumped his shoulders. âSir, letâs discuss the other options, please.â
Chuckling, Kaârren said, âYou mean Mr. Demmonâs suggestion?â
Jafarr nodded in earnest. âIâm all for evacuating the refugees.â
Kaârren just started to shake his head.
âIt has worked before, from what I hear,â Jafarr said. âAlzdar said that my dad helped nearly a hundred people get to Partha, and I really think we should try that again.â
Kaârren glanced at Malay dryly then headed toward the door.
Jafarr followed him to the door. âOr we could simply do what I think is the best alternative, find the Tarrns and protect them ourselves.â
Emitting a moan, Kaârren looked back to his daughter, still shaking his head. âDo you want to explain it to him, Malay? Heâs your boyfriend.â
He walked out.
What He Does
Jafarrâs face fell. He turned his glance onto the girl whose fair skin now shone in the hall light, her red-black hair framing her face to her shoulders in waves. She gave an apologetic shrug.
âYou know Dad, Jafarr.â She walked over to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders with a gentle squeeze. âHe wants to just run in there and get it over with.â
With a smile, he blushed, turned and wrapped his arms about her waist. âI just think there are better ways to help the rebellion. Your dad is getting desperate, and that leads to mistakes.â
Malay shook her head. She laid it on his shoulder as she said, âI think youâre thinking about your dad and what happened to him.â
Pulling back, he made a face. âDural Korad shot my father.â Pausing, he added, âBut yes, I do think that weapons raids are too risky. There are other ways of fighting back.â
âMy guy, the idealist,â Malay said, kissing him on the cheek.
Jafarr returned the kiss, smiling and walking them to the nearest thick pipe where he sat down with her. âI just think weâre going about it all wrong. We have to think of a better way to beat the P.M.s. We canât play it their way. We have got to get better organized.â
âOrganized?â Malay leaned next to him with a gentle smile. âJafarr, the rebellion has been going on like this for centuries. You have no idea what effect your crazy âteamâ schemes could do to us. One of the virtues of having the rebellion the way it is, is that they canât take out large groups of our people. We just scatter then regroup.â
âLike rats?â Jafarr looked wryly at her.
She nodded briskly. âLike rats, if necessary.â
âPerhaps that is why the rebellion hasnât succeeded for ten thousand years,â he said with a cringe, his eyes taking in the squalor of their hiding space. âThey have been doing it all wrong.â
His girlfriend lifted her eyebrows at him. âAnd perhaps it is just the opposite. Thatâs why weâve survived for ten thousand years.â
He rolled his eyes.
âJafarr,â she set a hand to the side of his face, âquit with the dreams and deal with reality. We have to fight to survive. We have to attack when they least expect it, just like Kerzan Zeldar did. My dad has the right idea.â
âI canât agree,â Jafarr said, pulling from her to look at her more squarely. He held her arms down even as she struggled with a smirk to wrap them flirtatiously around him again. âI think your dad is making a terrible mistake. It is too soon. To attack the uppercity without even the last Tarrn to support us is like asking for failure. The rebellion will suffer if he moves too early.â
Malay rolled her eyes as she stood up. âWell, rebel boy, you just make sure you donât cross Daddy when he needs you.
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