Sink: Old Man's Tale (9 page)

“And when they saw a map of the world, how big it was, and how small our part of it was, our Leader developed a hunger for more. But he knew we could not achieve this with just one tribe. They would need all the tribes united to create a force great enough to take on another, foreign nation. And so they sent envoys, spies, to get information on these other nations, their technological level, their friendship with other nations, everything they could discover.

“Meanwhile, our Leader met the other tribe leaders. He convinced some to join. Those who did not were later forced to join us. They were given a choice: become warriors, or be killed. Their wives would be given to great warriors, and they would breed a mighty army.

“But our Leader was still not happy. With so many leaders, who was the supreme leader? Who would lead our army? And so they created army games, ways to test and educate and learn. They bred a supreme general, who would lead us into war.

“We became a warrior race. But our weakness was technology. Advancement took time, and great minds. We had some who were gifted with technology, and they were given pride of place. The same with the ship builders, who crafted stronger and faster ships, and our greatest miners who were capable of discovering valuable materials for our ships and weapons. They were all treated with the utmost respect and given practically anything they wanted. Theirs was a life of servitude. It was a good life.

“During this time the white men were still trading with us. They saw our tribe grow in strength and power, but if they were alarmed, they didn’t show it. One trader gave our leaders a gold medallion as a sign of respect of our rapid development. Our leader still wears one today.

“The research reports came back, and the weak cities and nations were sifted from the strong, until they came up with a shortlist of three nations. But they were not hasty. The impatient spider does not get the fly, and they knew the importance of a first-strike. None knew of us, this growing power, for we were hidden amongst the long grass and trees. And we were little people. Many would not have believed us dangerous. When we struck, it would be swift and hard.

“Then disaster struck. To build all the machines for war we dug deep into the earth beneath our feet, deeper and deeper. And it was this greed for power that swallowed our islands. We were consumed. All our great warriors, and all our powerful ships, were lost, pulled into the earth as if they had never existed at all.

“The old factions came through. Blood was spilled, each blaming the other for our current situation. We fought hard against one another. If it was not for our leader, we would have destroyed ourselves within those first few days.

“He said we must forget all that happened to us, all that we were. That we must become something more. And he used the warlord spirit we had fostered to create the culture you see now. Our Leaders never forgot their purpose. They still believe they are destined to return to the surface and rule, to become what they always had the potential to be: warlords.”

“What’s all this got to do with me?” Graham said.

“You can’t finish building the digging machine,” Digger 138 said. “If you do, it will not end well for those on the surface.”

“Our governments have powerful armies and weapons,” Graham said. “I’m sure they can control a few little men.”

“Leader has a warped mind, twisted by anger and foul blood over centuries of inbreeding,” Digger 138 said. “He has a plan to achieve what we failed to do all those years ago.”

“What plan?” Graham said.

“We don’t know,” Digger 138 said. “No one is allowed to get close to him. The guards keep everyone away, and any attempts to discover his plan have resulted in failure. They are too powerful and we too weak. The good news is the technology that keeps them from attacking the surface is the same that keeps us down here. So long as we stay down here, the Surfacers are safe. It is a sacrifice we willingly pay.

“Another Surfacer, many years ago, came to us, and he began to build the machine. We managed to kidnap him and tell him everything we have told you. Luckily, he hadn’t finished building the machine. There was still one part of the digger left to make. He ran.”

“Fat lot of good it did him,” Graham said. “There’s no way out of here.”

“Oh, but there is,” Digger 138 said. “We already found a tunnel to the surface. My great great great great great grandfather found it one day while digging. But we can’t use it for fear the guards will notice those missing and question where we went. We keep the tunnel open for when we do emerge onto the surface. After we overthrow Leader and take charge of our own destiny. We just want somewhere safe to live out our days like anyone else. Leader is the one who wants revenge. Not us.”

“Where does the tunnel open onto?” Graham said.

“We don’t know,” Digger 138 said. “We daren’t look. Any evidence that one of us has been to the surface could spell disaster.”

“Why are you telling me this if I can’t use it?” Graham said.

“Because maybe you can,” Digger 138 said. “A few years ago we came across a pair of Surfacer bodies, buried deep. If you make your escape, we can pretend these bodies are you and your friend. We’ll stay down here until we overthrow Leader and emerge as free men and no danger to the Surfacers.”

“Can you give me a map or directions to this exit?” Graham said.

“No,” Digger 138 said. “We did that before, and it was only the man’s sweat that saved us. His sweat smudged the map we drew on his palm. The guards thought it was just oil. We were lucky. We might not get so lucky next time. If they find the map and follow it to the exit…”

He shook his head.

“But you must leave,” he said. “Right now. Which of the two of you has the greatest knowledge of mechanics?”

It took Graham just a moment to compose his response.

“I do,” he said. “The old man is just dead weight. I’m the engineer. We should leave him here.”

“Are you sure?” Digger 138 said. “He’ll be trapped down here until we can emerge up on the surface.”

“He would want it this way,” Graham said.

He was surprised he managed to keep his voice and gaze level. He would escape and tell someone about his adventure, for sure. Whether they decided to take action or not was entirely out of his control.

Jeremiah’s knees
were sore from bending down, and his back ached. The doors at the end of the hall opened and Leader came in. His cape flapped around him like a full set of billowing sails. He peered at the remaining pieces on the floor. If he was concerned he didn’t show it.

“How’s it going?” Leader said.

“It’s going fine,” Jeremiah said. “It shouldn’t take any more than a few hours now.”

“Excellent,” Leader said. “Where’s your friend?”

“He went to join in the festivities,” Jeremiah said.

“You’re not interested?” Leader said.

“I’d prefer to get the job done and go home,” Jeremiah said.

“A man after my own heart,” Leader said. “It is better to have a goal and strive for it than to let yourself wallow in mediocrity, don’t you find?”

“Sure…” Jeremiah said. “Or something like that.”

“What’ll you do when you get home?” Leader said. “Do you have a family?”

“I used to,” Jeremiah said. “Now it’s just me.”

“The greatest men always do things themselves,” Leader said. “They might work with others, might listen to their counsel, but it is that one person’s vision that counts.”

“You’ll be giving up a lot,” Jeremiah said. “In letting your people go up onto the surface. You’ll no longer be their leader.”

“I will always be their leader,” Leader said. “But it is our destiny to rise. I must thank you for making all this possible. Without you, it would likely take us hundreds more years.”

“I’m glad I could do my part,” Jeremiah said. “If you don’t mind, I should get back to work.”

“Of course,” Leader said, floating back to the door.

Jeremiah felt a shiver run through him. Why did he feel like he and Leader had been talking at cross purposes?

The party
was still in full swing when Graham and Digger 138 headed into a tunnel on the western side. Everyone was having too much fun to notice. They turned a corner in the tunnel and the music of the party faded. They made left and right turns, so many Graham couldn’t keep track. The little man knew the tunnels like the back of his hand which, coming to think of it, wasn’t so difficult considering how small they were.

“Do you have a family on the surface?” Digger 138 said.

“No,” Graham said. “I have parents and cousins, but I’m not married with kids.”

“Still, it must be good to be heading back,” Digger 138 said.

The initial excitement Graham felt had given way to a nagging pinching sensation in his stomach. He ignored it, but the farther into the tunnel he went, the sharper the sting in his belly.

“I hope to live on the surface one day,” Digger 138 said. “But for all my dreams, I have little idea what the surface even looks like. Can you describe it to me?”

“That’s a hard thing to do,” Graham said. “I’m not a poet, so words fail me.”

“Is it like magic?” Digger 138 said. “I imagine it’s like magic. To see a big ball of light in the sky every day without having to turn it on.”

“You mean the sun?” Graham said. “You never really think about it. It’s always there.”

“What about the stars?” Digger 138 said. “My father used to say the sky at night is bright because of all the candles in the sky, like the town during a celebration.”

“It’s not quite like that,” Graham said. “The stars are far away and the light they emit is tiny.”

“Oh,” Digger 138 said, disappointed.

“But the moon is bright,” Graham said.

“The moon?” Digger 138 said.

“It’s a big ball in the sky, a silver-white color,” Graham said. “Sometimes it’s red.”

“Wow,” Digger 138 said. “I’d love to see that one day.”

“I’m sure you will,” Graham said. “Can we take a break for a minute? I need a rest.”

It was a lie, of course. He could have kept going for days if he knew he was going to be able to get out of there. But he needed to organize his thoughts. They were beginning to bother him. They took a seat on a pair of large rounded stones. Digger 138 took some food out of his bag and offered it to Graham, who waved it away.

“I’ll miss here too, of course,” Digger 138 said. “The silence, mostly. The calm.”

“Why does it have to be one or the other?” Graham said. “You could travel between the two. The surface and underground.”

“I suppose,” Digger 138 said. “But that would mean living near an entrance to a tunnel. And what happens if I get trapped underground again? It’s not worth the risk.”

“Why are you helping me?” Graham said. “You didn’t have to. You don’t know the people on the surface. You could just leave us all to it.”

“Because we are all of us brothers and sisters,” Digger 138 said. “If we don’t look out for each other, who will?”

Graham nodded. He leaned forward and let out a sigh. Now he knew what the twisting pain in his stomach was. It was guilt. The sense he was letting Jeremiah down. Why he should think like that, when the old fart didn’t have a kind bone in his body, he wasn’t sure.

For all he’d done in the past he’d never really thrown someone under the bus before, not intentionally and with his own hand. It’d always been indirect, or in a way so he could lie to himself about his innocence, that the situation had been unavoidable, like missing a deadline or ‘forgetting’ to make the necessary phone call. But now he was intentionally leaving an old man to his doom. It was on another level, and it was one he wasn’t altogether comfortable with.

“Right,” Graham said. “And I wish you weren’t.”

He got up and began walking back down the tunnel.

“Where are you going?” Digger 138 said. “The exit’s this way.”

“Yes, but my friend is this way,” Graham said.

The twisting sensation remained in his stomach all the way back to town, only now it was of concern. For himself and what he was letting himself in for.

A pair of
guards stood outside the bathroom.

“Do you think he’s all right in there?” Guard 668 said. “He’s been in there an awfully long time.”

“Maybe Surfacers do it differently to us,” Guard 896 said.

“How differently could they do it?” Guard 668 said.

“I don’t know, do I?” Guard 896 said. “I do it the regular way.”

They were silent a moment.

“I sometimes stand on one leg when I go,” Guard 668 said.

“What for?” Guard 896 said.

“I don’t know,” Guard 668 said. “It just seems to flow a lot easier.”

“Huh,” Guard 896 said. “I’ll have to try that one of these days.”