Fifteen
Tooth’s shanty was a landfill in its own right. Weapons, working and not, piles of junk and items he had brought back from the Fringe were piled in every corner. The floor was covered with pieces of electronics and machinery leaving a maze of narrow walkways around the rooms.
Tear’s ran down Puck’s face, reflecting light from the red Freetown sign that blinked just outside the window. He looked at the white glow of Nucrea, wishing he were there, but that was there. The crack of a belt, followed by excruciating pain along his back, was Puck’s world right now.
The silhouette of a livid, frothing Tooth pulled the belt back and brought it down again on his son.
“You thure it wath Ripp’th Lilly?”
Puck reluctantly nodded that it was Lilly. He braced, expecting the next lash, but nothing came. He let out a sigh of relief and relaxed just as the belt flew through the air.
Sixteen
“We all have agreed that this place is where we will make our home. There are dangers in what we have been calling the Fringe, but there are many more dangers in the city; collapsing buildings, fires, explosions, and above all, desperation. Tonight, we have seen a mother pull away from her crying child and disappear into the dark. It truly is every man, woman, and child for themselves. We are a small group. We know we need each other and we need the wall built. Mostly to keep dangers out, but some of us feel we also need it to keep so many things in.”
Just after the Fissure, the original wall, built by the first survivors from scrap metal and anything close by, barely enclosed a single block. Now a thirty-foot wall of metal and cement secured twenty square miles of Nucrea. Although miniature in comparison, securing that original five hundred by three hundred foot area was the costliest construction project in the history of man.
At the only opening of the original wall, there was an old rusted light pole with two street signs, faded and worn, but still legible. One read Hayden BR and the other Marcola.
Before the Fissure, this area was a quiet suburb. It later became the first stronghold of the survivors, and now, over a century later, it was the center of controlled chaos, Nun’s chaos. This was Nucrea’s East Port.
If you were a Runner, and were heading into the Fringe, no matter who your boss was, you used the East Port. Between the East Market that was just around the corner and the runner specific merchants, everything you could possible need or want for a journey into the Fringe was for sale or barter.
Runners mingled, filling the air with over-exaggerated stories of their adventures, auctioneers babbled, and Nun’s supervisor, Marcella, barked orders that echoed throughout the port. Workers unloaded piles of building materials, and stacked plants and animals into de-radiation containers. Weapons and every form of technology were handed over to Nun. The other commerce barons didn’t like this, but the Council required a report of what was coming in and Nun was appointed to oversee all operations.
Lilly sulked in the middle seat of a heavy four-door transport, while a sweat-covered Gus loaded it with bags and gear.
“I can’t believe you guys are going without me.” Lilly shook her head while she yanked violently on a Chinese finger trap toy.
“Sorry, kid. Bean’ll keep you entertained at least. Maybe she’ll take you to the pits tomorrow.”
Gus stopped loading the gear to wipe sweat from his forehead.
“Yay, the pits. Just what I wanted. A bunch of disgusting people yelling and puking and grabbing at me.”
“Oh hell, always so morbid,” Gus said, impressed with himself for using the word.
Lilly looked sideways at him. “I don’t think that’s what that means.”
“Whatever, we’ll be back in two days if we don’t die.”
Lilly gave up on the finger toy and shoved it in her shirt pocket.
Gus leaned in and handed her a credit drive. “Here.”
“I have my own money. Thanks though.”
Gus laughed. “Honey, I know. It ain’t for you. If you do end up at the pits just put all of that on Scratches. Good odds and he don’t ever let down for nothin’.”
Lilly took the credit drive with more attitude than necessary.
“Scratches, remember!”
“Got it.”
Gus finished loading the last two bags. He took another deep breath and looked at Lilly, who was scrolling through her Pigeon’s feed.
“Look, Ripp just cares about you. I care about you, and he’s just worried that you aren’t ready. If you aren’t ready out there, you die. Can’t blame him for not wanting you to die, you know?”
Lilly kept scrolling but could feel Gus still looking at her.
“I made a mistake, Gus. It won’t happen again. I’m ready and you know that.”
“I know that Lil’, but Ripp doesn’t, and that’s what matters. Just enjoy a break for a couple of days. Hell, I would!”
“Yeah, thanks Gus,” Lilly said looking up at him.
“Everything will be back to normal. He just needs to go shoot some Fringers.”
“Yeah. Seriously, though? Bean? Why couldn’t I just stay with Johnny?”
“Pretty sure you know the answer to that yourself,” Gus said, as he thought about Johnny.
“She’s crazy, Gus, and not in a funny way, and the smell…that awful smell, I can’t take it.” Lilly said as she made a sour face and cowered into the corner.
Gus made a sour face of his own. “Like Fringer hole. I know.”
They both laughed and Gus gagged a little after really thinking about what he said.
“Bean’s been good to all of us. Just keep a stunner handy if she tries to start a fire, and don’t talk about the rebels,” Gus added, thinking about the last time all of that happened.
Lilly laughed.
Gus hit the seat with a friendly slap. “Gonna miss ya Lil!”
“I’ll miss you too, Gus. Until the morning.”
Gus leaned in and gave her a big sweaty hug that she didn’t seem to mind. “Until the morning,” Gus whispered back knowing that she didn’t understand the weight of what that phrase really meant.
Ripp came out of Nun’s main office with the coveted contract box, and leaned in the transport doorway.
“We need to get outta here,” he said.
“Ready,” Gus said as he headed around the back of the transport to make his final inspection.
“We’ll be back in two days.”
Ripp stood there thinking of what else he could say as Lilly chewed her bottom lip.
“Maybe we…” he started.
“How do, Ripp?” Bean bellowed startling Ripp.
“She’s so loud,” Lilly added, Ripp sharing the same irritation.
Bean was heavy set in a freakishly strong way. Her dark hair was thick and matted. Her shirt was too big for her, but matched her baggy pants.
“Alright,” Lilly said as she grabbed her bag and slid off the seat and out of the transport. “Hi, Bean.”
Bean pushed past Ripp to the door and grabbed one of the bags that Gus had just loaded.
“That one stays,” Ripp said patiently.
“Kay,” Bean said as she tossed the bag in and grabbed the other one.
“That one stays too. Every…Everything stays. Lilly has what she needs in her bag. Everything else just, stays.”
“Alrighty, stuff stays, okay, you,” she sung poking Ripp in the chest. “You ready Lil Lilly?” Bean turned back around, leaned in and grabbed a small bag off the seat where Lilly had been.
Ripp grabbed the handle at the same time. He wasn’t sure if she was doing it on purpose or if she was having one of her moments. They both pulled back and forth a few times, but Ripp was able to get it free.