Down Deep

Chapter Five - Grant

The fifth level turned out to close to fifty feet up on the wall of Main street. The ramp leading up to it was only around four feet wide and there was no rail to keep people from falling. Grant glanced up to the upper levels thinking the people up there must be insane.

'In you get boy.' Grady chuckled amused. 'It's not all that bad now.' Turning from the drop, he looked back to the entry of the cave. There was a wide access before the flap that led into the living section. Taking a deep breath and expecting the worst, Grant moved forward and entered his new home.

It had not been as bad as he thought it would be. However, it was not great either. The cave was longer than it was wide. A large bed was pushed against the back wall with a small stand beside it. A standing screen separated the sleeping area from the front of the cave. He recognized the frame from one of the high end stores in the city. The original screens had been broken out however and replaced with the same cloth as everyone cloths.

In the sitting area were two small but comfortable looking chairs placed before a small fire place. The shelves on the walls were all empty and the former owners had left a large trunk sitting against the wall by the fireplace. Someone had covered the floor from back to entrance with thick gray furs. The air smelled like stale smoke.

'Mole hides.' Grady said looking down at the furs. 'If you don't be want'n them, you can fetch a fair bit of trade for um. Can't believe that old fool be leave'n them behind.'

'What happened to him?' Grant asked weary of the answer.

'Moved.' Grady said putting the box of supplies down beside the fireplace. He sat in one of the chairs making himself comfortable. 'He be have'n too much stuff and be need'n more room. Took up a cave in the east mines. Bet with the fog coming in yesterday he be regretting the move now.' Grady motioned to the door. 'They be stop'n it from coming into Main Street. Can't be always stop'n it. This level up be the only way to get above it. Takes heavy hides to stop it from getting into the homes on the lower floors.'

The news had Grant frowning. He was in good shape with no health problems, but the climb up here had winded him and he had to stop several times. Those on the lower floors from what he had seen so far were older and had heath issues. Zdana was not the only cripple living down there either. The thought of the woman sent his mind reeling in a whole other direction.

He sat beside Grady thinking of the events the day before. When Marcell dropped him off, Zdana had been looking over her terminal. Grant immediately recognized the map he had found on the display. Before he could ask about it, she shut down the terminal and led him out of her home without a word. Her workshop had been a sight to behold. She put him to work on a terminal there and with little more than a basic list of instructions, she left him to monitor the reactor's venting, and told him to watch for any alerts. Without another word, she went to another bench and went to work on something he did not recognize. The hours of silence were only broken by a few people popping in to drop off items for repair, or picking up something she had fixed.

'What happened to Zdana's leg?' Grant asked and was surprised to see the pain and sadness fill Grady's eyes.

'Council is what be happen'n.' The man grumbled pulling what looked like a pipe from inside his coat. 'Mind if I be smoke'n?' Grant shook his head not sure what the old man meant. He watched fascinated as Grady packed the large end of the pipe with shredded brown leaves. He sucked on the other end as he used a match to light the leaves. 'Happened bout eleven years ago.' Grady continued puffing on the pipe. He blew a cloud of white smoke toward the door. 'Less you be thick, you know Zdana be smart by now.' Grady nodded thinking smart was an understatement. He had seen her do things with electronics yesterday that he had not thought possible. 'She be born that way. Momma and poppa started read'n to her before she was even born. Was read'n on her own by the time she turned two. By nine, she done read everything in the Fens and be already hack'n the Citynet.'