Deliver Us Huis

I pulled my purple cape close to me as I walked briskly through the street. Drunken laughter floated out of the pubs lining the walkways. The dismal rain poured steadily onto the dirty grey scene.

I ducked into the overhang of a nearby shop and checked my pocket screen once again, making sure of my way to the supply shop. The detailed directions confused me; I could only hope I was going the right way. Looking through the rain I finally saw a battered old sign reading “Kirnon St”, alerting me of my location.

Double checking my directions, I plunged back into the busy street. My cloak and hood did little to keep me dry, in fact they were retaining more water than they were deflecting, effectively turning me into a wet shivering mess.

Ignoring the discomfort my useless cloak brought I resolutely pushed through the crowds. I didn’t want to linger here any longer than I had too. I really had never been this far out of town central, and the rundown shops and shady huisics were enough to quicken my step.

I refused to attribute the quickening of my pulse to fear, but I found it hard to quell my nerves. My purple cape stood out in stark contrast to the pale faces and grey clothing of my fellow huisics. I was sure my very demeanor declared to the world that I had no idea what to do in the lower levels of the city... I was easy bait.

I tried to shake the disturbing thoughts from my head. Surely these people were used to wealthy huisics coming to pick up supplies in the outer districts?

As I watched the crowd ahead I realized how many of the moving figures were androids sent to pick up supplies… not even the servants of the wealthy made the trek it seemed.

I felt my heart pounding as I tried to stay in the center of the street, mixing with the crowd. Why did my droid chose today to break down? The one day I couldn’t send O’Malley to get supplies the droid broke. I knew O’Malley needed his day off, but I needed him to remind me I couldn’t go running off into dangerous parts of town.

Seeing more than one lingering glance tossed in my direction my pace quickened. I pulled my soaking wet hood a bit farther over my face. The sooner this was over, the better.

After a moment my pocket screen dinged, alerting me to turn to the right. Looking there I saw nothing but a dark alley. I stopped at the entrance and peered in, but I could see very little in the dim light. I checked my pocket screen again, but this was the way it told me to go.

Cautiously I stepped into the alley. It was dark, but dry. Looking up I could see it was covered by the overhanging roof of the building to the right.

“Pocket screen, light.” I commanded. The small device in my hand glowed brightly, and I shone it into the alley ahead of me.

I started walking briskly forward, sidestepping the piles of garbage and filth that filled the space between the buildings on either side.

Mud squelched around my thin shoes with every step. If I had known I was going to be walking through mud I might have put on my boots.

Suddenly a door ahead of me swung open, and drunken laughter filled the air. Out stumbled three shadowy figures, joking in such coarse language it turned my stomach.

I pressed to the wall, and shoved the glowing screen in my pocket, hoping to avoid their glances. I felt my eyes glowing green with fear. I half closed them and stood motionless against the wall. Perhaps they would move on without noticing me.

To my chagrin, they started stumbling towards me. My heartbeat quickened, and my hand slowly went to my pocket. My stomach plunged as I realized it was empty, I must have left my knife at home.

I wouldn’t wait for them to find me. I stepped boldly into the middle of the alley and started marching towards them. They stared at me in surprise, as I pushed my way through them. But I had barely gone three paces away from them when I felt a hand grab my wrist, and I was yanked back toward the drunken trio.

Laughter surrounded me as I was pulled into the middle of the three. Fear shot through me, as they circled me.

“Get back.” I yelled, whirling around, so as not to let my back face them for too long.

The tallest one started pulling at my cape.

“Awfully fine cape,” He laughed, pulling at it. It tore and landed in his hands, “You’re not from these parts. What else have you got?”

“Nothing for you.” I snarled.

Suddenly arms grabbed me from behind, and a voice erupted in my ear, “I don’t think that’s quite true, Todd, search her.”

I threw my head backward into the man holding me, then stomped with all my might on his foot. In surprise his arms loosened, and I charged forward. Making my dash for freedom, I once again felt a grip on my wrist.

I turned and brought my fist down on the thug’s forearm, and ripped my wrist out of his grasp. Freed, I turned and made my dash for the other end of the alley.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins and my heart hammered. I could hear the drunken thugs stumbling through the muck behind me. I gasped for breath, and pushed forward, jumping over the last piles of trash and out into the grim daylight.

Leaping forward I dissolved into the crowd. Glancing back, I saw the drunken men stumble out of the alley. Turning my face away I pushed on, and when I looked back a second time they were gone.

I slowed to walk, letting myself be pushed along by the crowd as I tried to catch my breath. Now I could see the reason behind the self-defense lessons O’Malley had me take. I shuddered to think what could have happened to me if I had frozen in fright, as I used to when faced with danger.

Having caught my breath I checked my pocket screen and realized that my haphazard dash through the streets had taken me close to the supply store. Looking ahead I could see its fading sign swinging in the wind.

Pushing my way forward through the crowd I stepped into the store.

I walked across the dirty floor to a cracked window, and pressed the service button. After a moment a figure walked up to the window.

“Supplies for Telyina Venderbare please.” I asked.

The man behind the window grunted and turned, disappearing out of the window. After a moment he returned, carrying a large box. He turned to look at the screen displayed on the wall next to him.

“Telyina Venderbare, supplies prepaid.” He looked back to me, “Order verification number?”

Pulling out my pocket screen I read aloud, “Order number 1221121513.”

Nodding in satisfaction he pushed the package through a flap on his side of the desk. Bending down I reached through and pulled out the package. I stood to thank the man, but he had disappeared back into the room from which he had come.

I reached to pull up my hood to protect me from the rain, but realized the hoodlums had torn it off, along with my cape. I looked at my reflection in the smudged dirty glass of the supply shop.

My pale hair was plastered against my head, and my clothing was covered in mud. I looked very small and helpless as my eyes reflected a gentle purple in the glass.

I opened the door of the shop and stood out in the pouring rain, trying to get up the courage to join the jostling crowds again and make my way home. As I was looking around the street, the door of the unkempt apartment building across the street swept open. From within a family was pushed out into the street, falling into the mud.

The little children shivered in the cold as the father banged on the door, trying to get back in. I heard his desperate shouts, “Levin, you can’t throw us out! We’ve met our payments!”

A window of the upstairs opened and a head popped out, yelling, “I can’t let anyone stay who is wanted by the Kilyen! They’ll come for me next!”

The father shouted up to the figure, “At least take my wife and children back in! Kilyens’ want me, not them. If you don’t they’ll be sold into the slave trade, you can’t do that to them…”

But the window had already been slammed shut, and his cries fell on deaf ears. The father’s eyes sparked green with fear.

He had every right to be fearful. The Kilyen was a dreadful street gang. Few who displeased them were ever seen again. Sold into the slave trade, or taken as prisoner. I couldn’t let that happen. Surely no one would let that happen!

But the crowd surged on around the family, taking no notice of their plight.

The children wept and clung to their mother, who held onto them tightly. The family stood up, ready to move on. I started across the street. Maybe they could come with me, I couldn’t leave them out in the rain.

I would take them to the inner parts of the city, there was plenty of room in my apartments, and even the treacherous Kilyen would be unable to find them.

As I pushed my way through the crowd I heard a high-pitched motor in the distance. The father pushed his family forward, frantically yelling at them to get to safety.

They hadn’t gone more than a few paces before a large sleek black speeder came racing around the corner. The family froze as a large group of figures in black stepped out.

“Cadin, your time is up.” growled one of the figures, stepping out with a large blaster in hand, “Are you ready to pay for your mistakes?”

The father stepped in front of his family. “I’ll come, no struggle, just leave my family alone.”

The figure laughed, “You’re in no place to be giving orders, Cadin.” He turned to the other figures in black and growled, “Take ’em all.”

The figures started grabbing the crying children, while others subdued the screaming mother. I pushed forward against the watching crowd. This was unfair! They had to be stopped!

A blaster shot boomed through the air and I arrived in front of the apartment seconds after the speeder left with the mother and children.

The father lay dead, his blood still pouring onto the street mingling with the rain.

I stumbled back, hand clapped to my mouth, tears springing to my eyes. What kind of monsters were these people?

I looked out across the street and the bustle of the crowd... carried on.

I stood in disbelief. An entire family had been taken, their lives destroyed, and the crowd had looked on. Five lives had been taken from amongst them, and they had done nothing.

I stood in the rain, tears of rage and anger pouring down my face. Anger at the manager who had shown no mercy to the children. Anger at the men who had taken them, as if their lives mattered no more than the trouble they caused. Anger at the crowd who had looked on, doing nothing, feeling no grief.

But most of all, an anger at myself, at my helplessness. For all I tried, it had made not a bit of difference. Nothing I had done changed their fate, and nothing I did now could save them.

Leaning against the wall, I sank down to the cold muddy pavement, clutching my packages in the rain. The anger gave way to sadness, and sobs wracked my body as my mind replayed the scene in my head. The terrified children, the desperate father, the cold crowd. And me, able to do anything about it.

I looked to the sky, still sending down the dismal, cold, hateful rain.

My head sank and I cried. I was surrounded by a crowd, an uncaring heartless crowd, and I had never felt so alone.

I knew I should head home before I got mugged and so I rose, wiping the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. Refusing to look at the body of the poor husic man, I melted back into the crowd. But as I walked among my fellow Huisics, a strange resolve built in my heart.

I would not be like them.

Today I was not strong enough. Today the world was filled with horrible things.

But I would find a way to stop it. I would find a way to fix it.

Because if no one else was going to pull against all the wrong things in this world, I would have to. I wouldn’t be like the crowd. I wouldn’t accept what was. I would change this world.

Whatever it took.