The sun was low in the western sky, the shades of purple
and red framing the great city in a pastel framework. They had
arrived. 35 km of trudging across the unchanging plain and they
had made it. The great city stood before them. There was
exhaustion deep in their bones. They heaved weary packs as the
stood in rapt awe of the structure. The walls shot straight up
from the ground like some great man made mountain. They rose 400
feet straight up, and their sheer gray mass gave the two intrepid
adventurers reason to pause. Selvane Vladiva, VRDET R&D and
Aristalarus Merquoni, Company Commander of Explorations Division
Two stood awed in the great shadow of the walls. The surface
reflected the sunset, giving a slight glow off the finely
polished surface. Neither of the two could spot an imperfection.
Their jaws dropped not at the great battlements, but the
buildings that rose thousands of feet above them.
"Damn," was the only thing Aristalis managed to mutter.
*We're in the middle of God knows what dimension at the
doors of a possibly hostile city that has buildings bigger than
mountains and all she can say is "damn"? Well, she's the talker,
not me,* Selvane thought.
The two proceeded along the walls until they met a road
and the massive gate the road led through. The road was equivalent
to a 6 lane highway and seemed to be the main thoroughfare. The
arched maw gave entrance to one of the grandest cities the two
had ever seen. Glittering spires and glowing towers, surrounded
with the constant buzz and glitter of flitting hovercars, like a
swarm of so many mosquitos. Around the gate were several
floating... billboards? Traffic flowed in and out of the city,
everything from hovercars to immense beetles with crops of grain
strapped to their backs and farmers pushing the insects along. At
the gates were several soldiers who appeared to be checking ID's.
They were clad in black and orange uniforms, and looked relatively
human. Selv and Aris stood and watched the endless procession for
a while, observing the process. For most it was simple. Show the
soldiers a badge, have it scanned by a small handheld device, and
get waved through. There were an unfortunate few, who were
escorted off to the side, and disappeared into a heavy metal door
flanked by armed guards. These poor people had a scared
expression that told the story.
Selvane gazed through the gates and took in the great
bustling boulevard that greeted him. All sorts of creatures and
vehicles swarmed the streets. Shops and a busy bazaar swarmed
with activity. Everywhere there was the bustle of a great city.
Women in shimmering low cuts sampling perfumes, guards wandering
the crowd keeping the peace, traders haggling loudly, magicians,
artisans and smiths showed off their wares and skills, mimes,
jugglers, clowns, and thieves hustled the crowd. Everywhere there
was the buzz of electronic gadgetry. Lights blinked, and little
boxes clicked. On every table and display was some little techno
odd or end, next to the finest melange spice in the dimension, or
a curious Th-varian dagger.
Aris turned to Selvane, "I don't see an easy way in,
short of scaling 400 feet of steel, or fighting through a
garrison of guards. Any bright ideas?" Selvane opened his mouth
to reply, but something caught his attention. He looked past
Aris, "Selvane?" she turned and looked his way. He was watching 3
figures at the far end of the gate talking to a guard. One was
motioning aggressively, while the other two stood back and watched.
Selvane took off at a run, "Wait!" was all Aris managed to yell.
After a slight pause, she took off after him.
Selvane dove into the traffic, eyes switching between the
path in front of him and the 3 figures. A motorcar screeched to a
halt and jammed on it's horn. Selvane sped past. He rolled under
a low hovercar, and came up into a leap, launching himself over
someone on a bicycle of sorts. Now the entire street was alive
with curses, horns, and yelling in a hundred different tongues.
All Aris could do was follow in the path Selvane had cleared,
making apologetic motions the whole way. Meanwhile, Selvane was
dodging through a crowd of hairy, bipedal tourists. All the tall,
completely furry people could do was laugh and snap pictures of
the fleeing Ranger.
After Selvane cleared the crowd of yeti, he spun around
yet another car, and made a break across an open lane. He looked
over his shoulder. Aris was nowhere in sight, but the hairies
were still snapping pictures, "She's a big girl," he muttered,
and headed off toward the gate. There ahead was the guard, but
the 3 people standing around him were gone. *Damn!* he thought.
He approached the soldier, "Where did those 3," he held up 3
fingers and spoke in very rapid Russian, "people go?" he pointed
all around. The soldier gave him a confused look and shrugged.
Selvane looked down the boulevard. There they were. The back of
Nexxus Kline, and two others he didn't properly recognize. One
was wearing mostly black. "Nexxus!" he called. No response.
"Nexxus!" he yelled, hoping to be heard above the din of the
bazzar and the road. Nothing. He took a step into the city, and
his right wrist was caught behind him, a barrel at his back.
"Zealth defran! Geauette Ofpack!" barked the officer.
*I am not in the mood for this,* he thought, his only
hope of a connection with VRDET quickly disappearing into the
bazzar. The guard began to hustle him toward the door in the
wall. The people around him give the Ranger a pitiful look, *He
gets his now!* the frustrated Ranger was losing patience. He
relaxed slightly, loosening the soldiers grip on his wrist.
Quickly, he spun to his left, catching the gun with his left
elbow, sending it skittering out of the surprised soldiers hands,
and liberating Selvane's right hand. The gun discharged into the
wall with a loud squeal. Cries went up everywhere. His right hand
quickly came up into the soldier's jaw, stunning him. A hip-toss
and he was on the ground. Selvane vaulted over the fallen guard,
and headed into the city. All eyes were on him, including the
police. Aris stood at the gate, jaw slack with disbelief.
"Selvane!?! What in the name of techno?!" someone ahead
yelled. Aris looked up. She finally recognized the 3 people
Selvane had been chasing. Nexxus, Phoenix and Shadur. They were
turned at the onrushing Russian, jaws slack in disbelief, much
like everyone else's.
"Nexxus?" Selvane pulled up, and glanced over his
shoulder at the platoon of guards on his tail, "Could you get me
out of here?"
"What!" Nexxus stammered and looked over Selvane's
shoulder at his pursuers, "Dammit! Not again!" Nexxus frowned,
"Put your hands over your head and don't move," she ordered.
It was Selvane's turn to go slack jawed, "What?"
"Stand still!" she shouted, a little aggravated, "Unless
you'd like to be shot. I can't do anything for you until you've
been taken into custody, so you'll just have to play the good
little prisoner until they haul you to the keaetoonk" she
ordered. Selvane sighed. The cavalry had just arrived behind him,
and buzz of orders and other cries were uttered in his direction.
Of course he understood none of it.
"Aris is back at the gate," Selvane replied in a resigned
tone. He turned to a semi-circle of muzzles, and gave the guards
a menacing look. He slowly took out his Gloc and laid it on the
ground, and then did the same with his knife. "I want these
back," he muttered. The tall Ranger was grabbed and cuffed by the
slightly smaller guards, who gave him wary looks and kept a close
eye on his hands. They began to hustle the large man back towards
the gate, but he would not be strong armed. The tall man
resolutely and slowly paced toward the door, a defiant look on
his face. Some of the crowd burst into light smattering of
applause. Most hissed. Some booed. A few through vegetables.
As he neared the gate, Selvane spotted Aris. She was
doubled over laughing at the whole situation. Selvane was not
amused. *Lord, doesn't she know who those 3 were?* he thought.
She saw. Her attention turned from Selvane to slightly behind
him, and her CO.
The door was flung open, the black portal ready to
swallow him up. Nothing was seen beyond the black. With great
effort, Selvane was forced into the doorway and the hatch closed.
The crowd outside dispersed, and life outside resumed.
Continued in "The Big House"
Dropped my anchor in the dead of night;
Packed my suitcase and threw it away;
Fell asleep in the funeral pyre;
Gave my clothes to the police man;
Blowblack, derilect.