Just an Undercity Rat - Julie Steimle (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📗

to the acoustics in the room as the Alea spoke without the aid of a microphone.

“This hall is where the Kevin briefs all the cadets and Alpha district officers,” Alea Arden said with an official air. “The Alpha district controls all recruiting and training, which is the largest responsibility of the Surface Patrol, dealing with orphans and educating them. Each district has a specific job. Our districts are named after an old Parthan language that was spoken when the Surface Patrol was created. We did this to remind us to keep in touch with our daughter planet, as this universe does not just contain our world. The Beta district runs all technical duties within the inner world zone. They engineer ships design and are in charge of quality control. The Omega district…”

Jafarr’s eyes scanned the long hall as the Alea listed each of the duties of every district in the Patrol. The hall had a well-kept shine to it from proper upkeep, and even the machine consoles on the walls remained free of rust and surface dust, different from the undercity in all respects. Envy seeped in his thoughts.

“…We work together, but live in our separate districts, and have several special compounds for each district. The district you have probably heard the most about is the Zeta district. It is the most elite district. It is led by Alea Tenngar. Alea Tenngar is the best pilot in the Surface Patrol, at the moment. However, the Zeta district is also the fastest shifting group as it is reserved for only the finest. If Alea Tenngar ever fails to be the best, someone else will take his place….”

The students listened as Alea Arden lectured on the greatness of the purpose of the Surface Patrol, something about maintaining the borders to keep peace and other such nonsense. Jafarr only listened to parts of the speech as he stared in awe at the modern workmanship. Even the High Class did not have such technology in the uppercity. He knew this because he had been there with his father on a few occasions during one of their repair jobs.

“And now I will take you to the sleeping quarters of the cadet training center.” The Alea led the class back into the hall then through a series of corridors to a different section of the compound where everyone was wearing the same matching rich purple uniform with white chevrons on the arms, legs and torso. Jafarr trailed along slowly, staring at each technological wonder along the way. Alea Arden showed them the cadet dorms that efficiently housed six per room with small workstations for study, as well as the washroom for the men, which was remarkably private in its showers. Someone even asked about that, knowing their gym showers were not so private.

“Privacy is a valuable asset in the Patrol,” Alea Arden said. “Because there are so many orphans from all different castes in our compound as a result of caste conflict, we have a firmly established set of rules to restrict any kind of discrimination because of caste. Privacy in the showers gives the cadets and our officers control over their identity, allowing him or her to hide their body marks or lack thereof.”

Several of them murmured, understanding exactly what that meant. Most of them were of the class without marks and were highly discriminated against by many from the highest castes.

The head of the Alpha district took them next to flight halls where he showed them the classes a cadet would take. He even took them to one of their martial arts rooms where there was a class in session. These were children as young as six, also dressed in the same purple uniform. Then he took them to one of their flight training halls where an Alea in white was instructing a collection of recruits how to handle a flight pad, the first stage in flight training. The undercity class spent three hours observing and listening to Alea Arden. And though most of the students were absolutely enthralled as he explained everything from the ranking system of the Patrol, from cadets, Avers, Anzers, and Aleas to which pods, dens and districts did what to the purpose of the entire organization (which was to keep their world of Arras hidden from any outside forces and to contain any criminal elements within the planet so the did not wreak havoc somewhere else), most of their heads were spinning when he finished.

Seeing a young Aver in a green uniform passing in the hall, Alea Arden grabbed a chance to demonstrate the concept of rank. “Aver Tanor, list your name, rank and position to these students.”

The young man, no more than eighteen[2] years of age, stood erect and spouted from memory, “Aver Tanor Aflov, Alpha District, Cohan den, Mede pod, sir.”

Another officer dressed in a silvery gray with stripes passed by glancing curiously at him and the class with a listening look, followed by two middle-grade cadets, a boy and a girl that had just finished with their training in the flight hall.

“And you, Anzer?” Alea Arden quickly ordered.

She stopped like the other officer and thrust her proud head upward. “Anzer Hopei Lynne. Alpha Londor Mella sir.”

But as she spoke, the two cadets stood by rolling their eyes, causing several students in Jafarr’s class to smother laughs.

First casting the eleven-year-olds a look, Alea Arden smiled to the two officers, dismissing them. He turned to the class of undercity students to lead them on. “This way please.”

Everyone followed, including the two cadets who suddenly looked like they were planning something mischievous to do. Jafarr walked with his pals though he glanced back at the two kids. One was a smug-looking blonde girl with frighteningly green eyes. Perhaps when she got older she would be considered pretty, even beautiful, but at the moment she was awkward and childish. The other was a boy with bright red hair and freckles, perhaps older than the girl. He was not so smug, and he glanced at the girl occasionally as if he was following her lead. Peering at them both, Jafarr could see that the girl certainly was an orphan. The boy was not. Her mourning strands ran appropriately along the sides of her face, twisting right in front of her ears. The rest of her curly hair was chopped to her chin by regulation. The girl had a smirk on her face, like she was holding back some wisecrack she knew was rude to say but still crossed her mind anyway. After a minute of staring at her he realized the girl’s green eyes were staring back at him, blinking, and he quickly returned his attention to the Alea.

 For the finale the head Alea of the Alpha district took them to one of the docking bays of the Alpha district. He led the students first into the observation control room where he explained the importance of flight for the Surface Patrol, emphasizing the need for excellent pilots, a fact none of the students ever doubted as they stared though the transparent shielding into the mammoth cavern filled with numerous ships and flying scooters. This hall was higher than any room they had seen in the undercity. Scores of ships hung in storage from the higher space, held with clamps ready to be lowered for use if necessary. On the ground there was parking space for the most frequently used ships, but it was obvious that most of the ground space was for landing and taking off. Set into the center of the hall floor they saw a huge red circle large enough to hold a freighter-sized ship, with a yellow and black line about the length of a man’s arm set in the absolute center. All the parked ships were outside the circle.

As Alea Arden spoke to them, the bay doors parted in to three sections, pulling three ways into the thick outside walls. Small spinning clouds of orange-red dust blew in from the outside as the dusty reddish sky opened to view, though most of the dust remained outdoors, kept from coming in by a shield of air. A good majority of those people inside the bay wore air masks, but they saw a few merely holding their breaths with their eyes turned toward the piercing sun that shone through the sky over the canyon in the frozen desert outside. In a snap, a sleek white ship shaped somewhat like a cone, though its sides looked blown back from the wind, zipped right in then halted just above the circle. Several flight scooters followed it landing just off to the side in the docking bay, each rider covered in red dust with their facemasks touched with frost. As they settled inside the large red landing surface, the suction for the sand swirled the dust back into the canyon outside. Right away they dismounted, guiding their vehicles off the landing space into the parking slots along the walls, the dust shaking off them to the ground.

As the soldiers departed the hall and the white space craft opened up, Jafarr’s class watched the huge metal doors close, all their eyes intent on the first view of the barren outside they had heard so much about. It would also probably be the only one they would have unless they joined the Patrol themselves. Feeling his own heart pound as the doors shut out the real sun in a real sky, Jafarr sighed. The heavy weight of the locks slid into place, and as they did, for the first time he understood what it meant to be underground. Looking up he noticed the head Alea holding a small, pleased grin on his lips, examining their faces.

However the girl cadet that had followed them tugged on the Alea’s uniform sleeve. He glanced down at her then shook his head telling her to wait, turning his attention back to the class, keenly watching them. It made Jafarr uncomfortable to think the man had brought them there on purpose to make them discontent with their lives.

The pilots in the bay started to remove their helmets and face masks.

“Would you like to have a look around in our docking bay?” Alea Arden asked the class.

They all nodded at once, answering the inviting call eagerly.

The girl cadet continued to tug on the Alea’s uniform, but he ignored her like one would a younger sister.

Jafarr’s class exited the observation room with bouncy haste, rushing out into the docking hall. Even Jafarr hurried to follow them, glancing back only a few times at the cadets who had at last gained the attention of their superior who was giving them both chastening looks to tell them he was busy. The redheaded boy stood back as the girl spoke with a hopeful grin, perhaps asking for permission to do something. But it was none of his business, and Jafarr did not stick around to see what it was. He caught Alea Arden’s eye as he left. There was an exchange of looks that made him uneasy.

Upon entering the Alpha district docking bay, the class scattered to ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ at the ships in the bay. Some went and examined the bay doors as if to pry them apart to get outside. As soon as Dzhon was inside the open cavern, Dzhon rushed to a flight scooter and fingered the glass, smiling like a man who had found love for the first time. Jafarr wandered in, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets, peering around at the large vaulted ceiling, the wide observation booths and computer access panels. Though remains of surface sand touched each artifact, every piece was in good condition, and that envy filled him again awakening a longing to have such things himself.

Stepping up to a flight scooter for a closer look, Jafarr crouched down to peer at the engine. He ran his fingers inside the casing then along the fuel tank. It was damp. Glancing