BEYOND THE PALE: ( The Outlander ) Page 20
“It is awe inspiring” remarked River. “What are these marked lines that pass between the metropolis and under the seas?”
“These are the tunnels which connect us. It is an amazing construction feat which predates the earth changes and the inundations of the sea. The metropolises were usually built above the connecting tunnel nodes. That is why New Denver was moved 60km east of old Denver.” Will Johnson smiled at River, he recognised in him a fellow fan of cartography. “Please feel free to study the maps at your leisure. But I really have to get back to my desk and start doing some work. It was nice talking with you.”
River found Will Johnson to be one of the most interesting and engaging people he had talked to in New Denver. He hoped they would get another opportunity to talk again. He felt an overpowering sense of wonder looking at these maps. He would have loved to have made copies but he realised that this would have been unacceptable. Maps were restricted access for most citizens. They were deemed to be politically and culturally sensitive. The accepted policy in New Denver which was much the same for any metropolis was that the public did not need to know. Travel was not an option for any citizen except for some political delegates. Most citizens knew the name of some of their neighbouring metropolis but not where they were geographically situated. Here in this office, you had all of the 250 named metropolis plus their locations. Not only that but some maps marked the routes of the underground interconnecting high speed automated rail links which connected each to the other. Sergeant Scott had explained to him that the connectivity and the operating speed of these links had negated the need for freight transport by air or sea. Likewise most delegates to other metropolis would choose to travel by these underground rail networks for reasons of safety and reduced travelling times.
Once alone again, River missed began to tire of his own company and went to seek out Anton. He found him as before still working at his desk which was located in a separate small office which was dedicated to transport, tunnel and rail construction. River told Anton about Will Johnson and the fascinating lecture about the different maps. Anton looked up from the project that he was engrossed in to look at his friend. For a minute, Anton seemed to be demonstrating some geek jealousy as he unfairly dismissed Will as a one trick pony with a one track mind. However not to be out done he got off his stool and came over to the broad flat draughtsman table that dominated the room and cleared some space. Then he started rummaging in his draws and brought out three small holo-projectors. He placed them at different parts of table and flicked a switch which turned on a ceiling mounted projector which illuminated the ground plan of new Denver clearly on the table. The circular walls of the citadel fitted perfectly within the large square table, and the basic outlines of the different districts were also shown. Anton adjusted the position of the three project holo projectors and turned the first one on. It flickered into life, and was soon clearly showing a three dimensional model of New Denver’s transport routes which seemed perfectly aligned to the basic projected map underneath. Anton switched on the second holo-projector which also flickered into clarity. This project projector showed the metropolis’s complete rail links, showing the elevated monorail, the trams and the goods railway. The combined models were fantastic and River tried to touch the realistic display and saw his hand immerse into the model.
Anton wasn’t finished and he switched off those two holo-projectors shutting down their projections of the transport systems, and flipped another switch which reversed the map of the citadel in reverse. Upside down was a better description because he carefully positioned the third project holo-projector in District 16 and switched it on. Now a 3D map of the New Denver’s complete underground complex built up clarity and virtual solidity high above the surface of the table. You could see gargantuan underground constructions, some went very deep. Closer to the table surface, and hence to ground level was the extensive underground rail networks that ran outwards from New Denver like the spokes on a wheel. Each was numbered, with holographic labelling that gave the directions and distances to the next metropolis on that line. It showed the areas currently under construction in a different hue. Anton pointed out to River which parts of the model were in use, and which lay vacant. The fate of much of the deeper parts of the underground bases was unknown. There were some things that Anton just didn’t have access to.
Chapter Twenty Two
Major Nathan Carlson was the officer in charge of one of the three teams who reported to Colonel Paul Richards who commanded the Security Operations and Organised Crime [SOOC] division. The Colonel and three Majors each had their own private offices at opposite corners in their divisional office situated on the 2nd floor of the CPS HQ. He wasn’t in the building at the moment, but Sgt. Scott was right now and he was insisting that The Internal Security investigations officer and the two I.S. guards with him did not enter his boss’s office. The I.S. officer took the initiative of phoning Colonel Richards and after a brief conversation passed his communicator to Sgt. Scott.
“I know they do not have a search warrant Sergeant, but that is because Major Carlson is not under suspension, or under arrest. He is under investigation though, and I have agreed to their search and seizure action. Please let them proceed with their duty. I am sure that they will find nothing at all incriminating against Nathan. He has my full confidence.”
Sgt. Scott handed the communicator back to the I.S. Officer and gestured for him to proceed. When he heard the phrase ‘he has my full confidence’, he realised that Nathan was in deep trouble.
The two I.S. guards under direction from their officer searched for any removable data storage device, and communicators and written notes or paperwork that they deemed might be relevant. The Major’s computer accounts, and any uploaded storage on the servers had already been marked for audit, and his accounts and profile had been temporarily suspended. The unofficial remit signed by Naighal and counter signed by one of the 9th floor Commanders stated that a case for complicity of criminal intent and conspiracy was being pursued against the Major.
One of the I.S. guards picked up a small metal cylinder from stationery tray in Nathan’s desk. –”What’s this. Is it just stationery?”
“No, that’s a holo-messenger; throw it in the evidence sack.”
Chapter Twenty Three
When Nathan got home, Valerie had only just arrived before him. Without delay he took her out on to the roof terrace and revealed the truth about Audrina’s unauthorised pregnancy. He had brought home Naighal’s folder and he sat with his wife and went through it with her. Without any embellishment, he recounted the full conversations with Naighal to her. This also included Naighal’s own recommendations and summarisation of the options facing them. He told Valerie that he was presently under scrutiny and she fully understood the context that this implied. She knew that her husband was being careful in what he said, and in what actions he took. She on the other hand would be free to express herself as long as she did not incriminate herself, Audrina, or her husband through any misunderstanding and careless comment.
“I can’t believe the disrespect,” Valerie was speaking calmly initially, “I liked the boy. I thought he was good for my family, but he was a snake in the grass all that time; so dishonest and so deceiving. He talks to you spouting virtue and higher values, while at the same time he has been having sex with my daughter under our roof since he came here. No wonder Audrina has been acting so strange recently. Ah, Ah! No Sir! I am not going to let him get away with that.” Valerie’s tone was rising and she was getting louder as she vented her anger, “And he gets her pregnant. How is that even possible?”
Nathan offered a possible explanation, “Maybe it was because his body rejected his initial birth control vaccination. But Audrina’s too, that I don’t understand.”
Valerie had already gone beyond the pale of mitigation. “He found a way; he must have talked her in to it or engineered it himself. That boy was always asking about the birth control laws. This must have b
een his intention all along. How do we know he wasn’t raping her or intimidating her?”
“Valerie, I think you are getting carried away.”
“You think!” she was nearly shouting, “You didn’t see him the other night bullying Audrina. I saw her body language, she was scared of him. He was grabbing hold of her. He was aggressive.”
Nathan could not believe the new facts that continued to come to light about River today, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to,” Valerie was calming down a little, but her expression was still full of consternation and fears, “Do you realise how this is going to affect our daughter. You know she could lose her job. She could even get expelled from her Red Shield Order. She may have to be sterilized; we may not even get to be grandparents. This may affect our careers; certainly yours. We will be seen as bad parents, bad role models, unless we can prove her innocence and clear her name.” Valerie paused to take hold of her husband’s hand as she leaned forward to sympathetically advice him, “That boy has got to go. You have to sign those papers.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Anton saw the bag first, as he stepped out of the lift on the landing adjacent their apartment. It was a large grey holdall that was sitting outside the door of their home. River felt overcome with a sense of foreboding. With an almost fight or flight inspired reticence, he fell behind Anton and let him squat down to ease the zipper open.
“What the hell?” Anton exclaimed. “This is all your stuff,” and he dramatically swiped entry of the front door and called out to his mum, “What is this bag of River’s stuff doing out here?”
The response was almost immediate. Nathan came running out the doorway and almost knocked Anton over accidentally. He lurched at River grabbing him firmly by the neck with his right hand, and pushed him with some force back against the landing wall. He then pinned River there by holding his left forearm forcefully against his neck.
“Get inside, Now!” he shouted at Anton who initially turned to go, but then turned once again and stood his ground. By now Valerie had come to the door. She looked venomously at River as if she wanted him hurt, but her main concern was pulling Anton inside by his arm. Anton did not fight his mother, which left River alone facing his father. Nathan spoke when he saw that his son was out of ear shot.
“All this time you have been sleeping with my daughter, in my home, as my guest. Do you know that you may have messed up my girl’s life? You are dead to me River. Go! Take this bag. It’s got your shit in it. Don’t ever come back here again, or try to contact any member of my family… I’m warning you!” Nathan released his throat hold on River who stared at him in near bewilderment. Then Nathan yelled at him “Go! Go before I deck you.”
And with this final message River picked up the bag and walked to the lift. He glanced back only once to look at the man that had been his great friend, and the apartment that to all intent and purpose had become his home. He was so confused and upset right now. Once the lift arrived, he was soon out of the building and heading for the nearest Metro station. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do. He also had no idea what Nathan had meant, by saying that he had messed Audrina’s life up. He wanted to speak to her badly and also to Anton, but he decided out of respect to honour Nathan’s petition not to contact either of them again.
Chapter Twenty Five
Audrina opted to go for drinks after work. She wasn’t really in a socializing mood but staying out was preferable to going home. She didn’t want to see River any time soon and she didn’t want to deal with her family. She had joined a party of colleagues who had visited the same bar close to her workplace, which she had visited with River. For this reason it wasn’t the best choice of venue for her. That evening when she had gone clubbing with him had turned out to be a disaster. She wished that he had never come along to meet her that day. She was still angry with him. He had said some unpleasant things to her. He had called her ‘sick in the head’, just after he had rejected her. And who was he to reject her. He had no employment, no profession or guild, and no prospects. She had to continually pay for his ass. She had treated him as special. She had allowed him to get closer than anyone, and he had repaid her trust by spurning her and by sexually rejecting her. Okay she realised now that she had probably been a little too intoxicated, but she was only trying to have some fun. His whole attitude to not drinking or taking drugs was boring, and no fun. Even her friends who had met him, implied that he was boring and had nothing to say. She was so better off without him. And yet she missed him. He made her feel special and loved and she missed that. However this was an example of how he made her feel like she was losing control. The feeling of losing control was terrible. She needed to be in control and she needed to control him because if she didn’t, she might fall in love with him. This is why she wanted to dominate him so badly; this guy who was no fun, who had no prospects and didn’t even belong here. The guy who had rejected her and thought that SHE was sick in the head; she hated him.
She acted attentive to the conversations going on between her work friends, but those thoughts kept running through her mind. Her Mum had called her communicator a number of times but she had declined to pick up. Following the third call, she checked her messages and found one from her mother telling saying that she knew all about her relationship with River. Audrina’s first instinct was to panic. She assumed that River had probably opened up and spilled the beans to her parents. What an idiot; she hated him even more now. She made her excuses to leave knowing that she had to get home and smooth things out.
When she did reach home, everything was in turmoil. Her mum was badgering her as soon as she got in the door and making no sense whatsoever. Her brother and her father were arguing intently, and thankfully River was no where to be seen. She ignored her mum’s ranting and pleas, and slammed the door shut to her bedroom, locking the door. When her mum continued to bang on the door and demand entry, she placed her headphones on and listened to loud music.
It was a shock to see her door opening a short while later and both her mother and father gaining entry.
Valerie spoke first, “You stupid girl, why did you go along with it, he may have ruined your career and ruined your life. We have to terminate this baby as soon as possible.”
“What are you talking about Mum? You are not making sense. What has River been saying to you?”
“You are pregnant, you do realise?”
“I’m pregnant? No I am not. I mean how can I be?”
“See I knew it wasn’t intentional on her behalf.” Valerie was addressing Nathan, but then turned to address her daughter, “Honey, we have to prove that you did not intend to get pregnant. If there is any doubt, they will convict you for a misdemeanour at least, or even a felony if they think you conspired. You will lose your job, probably your career too. They might sterilize you. You may never be allowed another pregnancy. We have to terminate his cursed child as soon as possible and ask for leniency.”
Audrina looked dumb struck. She was still smarting from her parents overriding her locks and her privacy. It was a lot to be taken in. It was crazy. How could she be pregnant and how could they be talking about losing her job and right to have a child.
“Why did you sleep with him?” demanded Nathan. Audrina didn’t answer.
“When did you sleep with him?” Nathan followed up his unanswered question.
“Did he force you honey? I saw him bullying you yesterday,” Valerie surprised her daughter with this confession. “He seemed to be hurting you. Did he rape you?”
In Audrina’s mind, she recalled River pushing her to the floor and gripping her throat. She remembered his menacing stare and how she had told him to rape her, “Yes Mum. He raped me.”
“When?” demanded Nathan.
“The first time was on my custodial day when I was chaperoning him. I went into his room to collect something and he raped me,” Audrina had thought of a real event to hide her lie within.
“Did it happen again, Hun?” Valerie delicately pursued the line of questioning.
“Yes mum, he took me to a box hotel and tried to rape me again the night we were meant to go to the all night party.”
Audrina could not really believe what she was saying but it was partly true; everything that was, except the rape. She couldn’t stand the accusations and all the threats. She had to clear herself of blame.
Nathan had got up in utter dismay and gone to sit out on the terrace. Valerie joined him in a short while. She put her hands on her husband’s slumped shoulders and spoke quietly to him.
“Revoke your custodial rights and sign that warrant for his arrest. Make sure to update it to include the charges of sex without consent and attempted rape. That boy should get what he deserves, but you can remove the charge for intentional conception. We do not want Audrina’s name besmirched by that allegation,” Valerie was finding it difficult not to lose it. Sex without consent was despicable and rare in the sexually liberated world of the metropolis. Attempted Rape was just as deplorable particularly where a man was using his strength to overpower a woman. It was sick reminder of non-civilised behaviour from an outlander whom had shown his animalistic streak when he couldn’t get what he wanted. Valerie wanted to destroy River, or at least make sure he got everything he deserved. She watched her husband on his CPS communicator authorising Naighal’s revised warrants.