The long line of guildsmen made their way north between red and blue box cabins, making sure that the residents noticed them as they passed. The men wore loose grey jackets, and trousers that were tied in place with a web of thin ropes. They strode with confidence, their heads held high while their open-toed sandals left footprints on the sand-covered road. The guildswomen wore long loose gowns, tied about the waist with strands of multicoloured silk. Their loose tops had been folded repeatedly around the neck to form a rough, thick collar. All the guildswomen wore wooden bracelets that were decorated with intricate carvings, depicting their hopes and dreams.
'No tax without service!' Guildsman Toby Redard said in a high pitched voice. He was too old to be a boy but he had a long way to go before he could call himself a man.
A large woman thrust her head out of a small round window on the side of a nearby box cabin. She had at least three chins. She scowled at him from a face that was scrunched up like a lettuce. 'Take your bloody protesting elsewhere! My boy is trying to sleep.'
Toby flinched and took a step backwards. Once he had placed enough distance between himself and the woman's pointing finger, he pursed his lips and walked on with his head held high. He reached down, tapping a button on his belt and a red holocube appeared just above his head. A banner message scrolled around it in a continuous loop, spelling out the words that he'd just said. The fat woman shook her head and disappeared inside.
The other guildsmen followed Toby onto a wide street that was lined with wooden market stalls on both sides. The stalls looked old, as though they had been passed down through the generations.
At one of the stalls, two men were standing behind neat piles of oranges. They grinned at Toby and pumped their fists in the air. 'Tell Central Command we want clean soil, not dirty taxes.'
Toby turned and nodded wisely. 'I hear your call, brother.'
A hard shove to his shoulder knocked him off balance. He turned and glared at Guildswoman Emma Maven, who was walking behind him.
'Listen to yourself,' she said. 'Even my own brother is less of a fool.'
Toby raised his chin. 'Can't you see that the people support me?'
Emma shook her head. 'No, Toby. The people support the guilds. This is not about you and me. This is about the people and the guilds and the Council of Lords.'
Toby's eyes stared blankly through her. He looked as though he hadn't heard a single word she'd said. Before she could continue, he turned and marched double quick to the front of the protesters. 'We demand free elections,' he said, the words repeating in the scrolling banner above his head.
A group of men cheered from across the road. They nudged each other and gestured towards Toby before hurrying to join the guildsmen in their protest. Emma gave the newcomers an appraising look. One of them was tall and thin with a gap between his front teeth. The other looked as though he hadn't washed in weeks. They nodded in her direction when they saw her watching them, and the tall man winked. Emma huffed and turned away.
As the group progressed through the Old Quarter, a dozen more young men joined their ranks, but an equal number of people turned away with concern upon their faces. Some called out warnings that their protests would bring trouble upon them all. Emma wondered if they might be right. She walked in silence, hoping that Toby wouldn't get them into trouble again.
The streets were less cluttered as they approached the Grand Plaza from the South with a mixture of trepidation and wonder. Densely packed box cabins gave way to open spaces and wide dust free streets. At one time, only the White Spear and the Black Towers had stood upon the Grand Plaza. There had been nothing between them but empty space. Over the years, small buildings had encroached upon the space. Military tech factories now sat between some of the towers, looking like tiny insects caught between giants. Merchants were not allowed to set up stalls on the Grand Plaza. Any that tried would have their stalls impounded. A feeling of unease swept through the group, but they continued onto the Plaza, heading towards the tallest building of them all.
Toby was the first to step onto the clean white stone of the Grand Plaza. 'We demand the right to self government,' he said.
Emma gave him a scalding look. 'Give it a rest, Toby. There's nobody here to hear your nonsense. Leave the talking to those who know what they are saying.'
Toby didn't acknowledge her. He marched forwards with his arms swinging by his sides.
Emma followed him with slow, deliberate steps. 'At least wait until we reach the White Spear,' she said. 'Save your breath until it matters.'
Toby glanced back over his shoulder. 'Do not concern yourself about my breath, Guildswoman Maven. I have plenty.'
Emma didn't doubt it. She was relieved when she saw Guildmaster Terence Baker coming up behind her. He had been delayed by the questions of concerned merchants in the Old Quarter. Now that he had addressed their concerns, he came rushing past Emma and caught up with Toby in a dozen long strides.
'Remember why we're here,' he said in a deep calm voice. 'We each represent our guilds. The other guildmasters may not be with us today, but that doesn't mean they should go unrepresented. Make sure you give a good impression of yourself and your guild.'
Toby opened his mouth, but Baker didn't wait to hear his response. He walked ahead, taking long strides as he spoke to the others. Emma wondered how many years it would be before she could be a Guildmaster. She was still second rank in the Bioengineering Guild, but she knew that she would have to work hard and be patient to progress much further. Toby was only fourth rank in the Stone Guild. He had barely begun his training, even though he claimed to be ahead of all the others in his studies. She had never heard anyone else confirm his astounding abilities. She doubted that she ever would.
As the protesters marched onwards, they walked past a wide flat building that was constructed from black metal panels. Emma had seen it once before. It was a tech factory. Its roof was made from closely packed vertical fins. Air passed between the fins, carrying away excess heat. Wide pipes jutted out from the factory's walls and disappeared through deep vents in the ground. Some of the pipes looped back over the building's small flat roof, while others twisted around each other in apparently random knots. Emma had heard that the factory was the source of most of the roaches that roamed through the city. She didn't know if that was true. Others said that tech factories could produce any type of droid on demand. Something about the building gave her the impression that it was full of power. She could feel a vibration in the ground beneath her feet.
Once they had passed the tech factory, the Grand Plaza continued for a hundred metres without interruption before embracing the thick base of the nearest black tower. Tower Four loomed over the protesters, casting enormous shadows across the ground. Reinforced black glass wrapped the tower's core as its imposing black armour rose high above them. Emma looked up at the proton cannons that nested quietly on the tower walls. Her gaze followed the building's weapons until her neck couldn't bend any further. She felt sure she would never be able to see the top of the tower, but as she stepped back, she saw the lip of the flat platform that formed the top of the building, eight hundred metres above her head. Why did men make buildings so tall? She much preferred the safe, familiar surroundings of the small box cabins that she had grown up in.
Toby was staring at the tower beside her. His gaze rose higher and higher as the confident smile dissolved from his face. 'Look!' he said, pointing up at the sky. 'A Wasp Drone!'
A small black shape shot out from the top of Tower Four, silhouetted against a hazy blue sky. A pale green light shone from its round front pod.
'What if it crashes into the Dome Shield?' Toby said.
Guildmaster Baker stood a few metres away. He turned to face Toby with a shake of his head. 'Do you really think that Central Command would not have considered such things, Toby? The Dome Shield has stood above our heads for more than seven centuries. It is hardly a new construction. Nobody should be surprised by its presence, least of all those who live and work in such proximity to it.'
'How do they do it?' Toby said.
'How do they do what?' Baker said, inclining his head.
'How do they miss the shield?'
'They fly beneath it, Toby. Remember that at its centre, the Dome Shield is a kilometre above our heads. The Black Towers are not as tall as the White Spear. They have almost two hundred metres of clear air above them. I would imagine that is plenty of room for what they need to do. Only the White Spear touches the Dome Shield with its tip. Can you see it there?' Baker pointed up at the distant apex of a vast white building that stood a hundred metres beyond the nearest black tower.
From where Emma was standing, the White Spear dwarfed the black towers around it.
Toby's eyes looked blank, but they followed Baker's finger until he finally saw what he was pointing at. 'I knew that,' he said, his voice trailing off in wonder.
'Come on,' Baker said. He lead the group forwards, aiming for the wide open space between Tower Five to their left and Tower Four to their right. As they passed between the first black towers, small cameras mounted on the sides of the buildings twisted to follow their progress.
'They're watching us,' Emma said.
Baker nodded. 'Of course. We're entering the territory of Central Command now. We must be careful to show respect as well as our concerns.'
The protesters walked onwards, huddling so close together that they almost stepped on each other's feet. As they passed between the first black towers, the other towers came into view. The White Spear dominated the sky between them. Emma closed her open mouth. She reminded herself that she had come to represent her guild in the protests. She hadn't come to stand and stare like a child.
The protesters continued onwards, shuffling their feet in ever smaller steps. As they approached the White Spear, its tapering tip seemed to reach beyond the sky itself. Opaque white windows reflected the morning sun, forming vertical glistening stripes across the sides of the building. The tip was high enough to touch the Dome Shield, sending hazy white lines flowing out across the pale blue sky. Emma had heard that the White Spear was the source of the Dome Shield's power, but nobody knew for sure. How much power could one building provide?
The guildsmen clustered together in the building's long shadow, exchanging uncomfortable glances with one another. There had been no order for them to stop, but their feet had come to a natural halt.
'It's time to put forward our concerns,' Guildmaster Baker said, turning to face them all. 'Remember why we are here, and remember who you represent. Let each man and woman be proud of their actions this day. Any who are not proud will have to answer to me.' Nodding to the gathered protesters, he looked at each of them in turn to make sure they had understood his words. With a final nod, he turned and strode towards the vast white building in front of them.
The others quickly snapped out of their trance and followed him with short tentative steps. Emma's apprehension was only compounded when she noticed Central Command's welcoming committee. Two rows of armed security forces stood between her and the front entrance of the White Spear. The soldiers wore black armoured jackets with matching combat trousers and polished black boots. Two hundred expressionless faces stared out from beneath dome-shaped helmets that were held on by thick chin straps. Emma swallowed hard and walked slowly behind the others.
'We demand free elections,' Toby said.
'Will you be quiet!' Guildmaster Baker gave Toby a stern look and waved one thick finger in his direction. 'Not one word out of you, Toby. This is not a game. This is guild business. Leave the talking to me.' He shot one more admonishing look at the young guildsman before turning to face the assembled soldiers. 'Who is in command here?' he said in a loud clear voice.
A ripple moved through the line of security forces and one man stepped forwards with long confident strides. He wasn't the tallest of the soldiers, but his eyes were small brown dots in a hard expressionless face. A thin blonde moustache perched upon his upper lip as though it had just landed there, and his nose looked as though it had been flattened more times than Emma could imagine. She squeezed her fingers together behind her back. Maybe this had been a bad idea?
'I'm in charge here,' the man said. 'You can call me Major Young.' He stopped short of extending his hand in greeting, but offered a nod instead.
Baker examined the line of security forces blocking his path. 'This is quite a display of strength, Major.'
Young stared back, unblinking. 'This is a restricted area, sir.'
'We are guildsmen, here to protest. This is a peaceful demonstration. Why are there so many soldiers gathered before us? You must know that we come to you with peaceful grievances and offer no threat to you or your men.'
'That may be so,' Young said, 'but a couple of my men still have busted noses from the last peaceful demonstration that they were called to.'
'That wasn't guildsmen, Major. There were other civilians involved. We cannot be responsible for any aggrieved citizens of Cinnamon City that may have joined their voices with ours. We did not invite them to join us and we didn't expect them to behave in such an aggressive manner. It was an oversight on our part perhaps, but you should know that the guilds would never condone such violence.'
'Are there any aggrieved citizens among your numbers today, Guildmaster?'
'I would hope not, but this...' Baker gestured at the lines of security forces. 'Surely this is unnecessary.'
Major Young placed his hands on his hips. 'We are standing at the base of the White Spear, Guildmaster. This is the core of Central Command. The security here is not only for your benefit. There are many enemies that would approach if they felt the path was clear. Understand that the White Spear must be protected at all times. These men are mostly here as a visible deterrent. It's not them that our enemies need to worry about. I'm sure you're aware that Central Command has formidable defences that it can call upon, should the need arise.' Young pointed over his shoulder towards several proton cannons that were mounted on the sides of the White Spear. 'And there's Bordox, of course.'
Baker crossed his hands behind his back. 'Bordox?'
At the mention of the name, a whole section of wall above the front entrance of the White Spear sprang open. Armoured segmented plates folded back to reveal a large nest of tangled cables and tubes inside. At the centre of the nest, a huge ball of armour sat with four thick limbs like an abandoned, disfigured child. The droid's dangling silver tail was clamped to a thin vertical rail that ran up the front of the building.
'Bordox,' the droid said in a booming voice that sounded like thunder.
Baker stepped backwards, staring up at the droid's bulbous head with alarm.
'I'm not afraid of that,' Toby said, his eyes growing wide.
Bordox lunged forward, his tail yanking against the rail behind him with a loud metallic clang. He hung from his thick tail, unable to detach himself from the wall that was his permanent home. Every one of his four thick limbs terminated in a railgun. As he adjusted his position in the tangled mess of tubes, he pointed them all at Toby's head. The munitions cylinders spun faster and faster until they gave off a high-pitched whine.
'Bordox!' the droid bellowed again, loud enough to scatter the neat lines of security forces that had been standing beneath it. Bordox struggled against his tether, yanking his tail back and forth in a frenzy. His outbursts produced an endless series of loud metallic clangs.
Toby turned and ran. Several of the men from the Old Quarter followed in his footsteps, loping away with their arms swinging as they gasped for breath.
Baker staggered backwards, raising his arms in front of his face but his expression was one of determination rather than fear. 'We are guildsmen,' he said in a loud voice. 'Show some respect!'
Major Young held up one arm, thrusting his fist in the air before opening his fingers like a fan. Bordox let out a deep groan, thrashing his head from side to side in frustration. He sped up the front of the White Spear with his tail sliding smoothly up a vertical rail, and then spun around, rushing back down towards his nest. As Bordox leapt amongst the tangled cables and tubes above the White Spear's entrance, he folded his thick limbs back into the core of his powerful armoured body. The segmented armour stacks on each side of his nest folded back into place, restoring the front of the White Spear to its previous smooth white surface. The wall was solid once more and there was no sign that Bordox had ever been there.
'Sorry about that,' Young said. 'He gets a little over excited at times. That kid must have pissed him off.'
Baker folded his arms in front of his chest. He gave Young a long stern look. 'I shall be raising this matter with your superiors, Major Young. There was no need for such actions on your part.'
Young smiled and turned to face the disordered bunch of security forces behind him. 'Get back in line,' he shouted.
The security forces reassembled themselves with a degree of chagrin. More than a few of them glanced nervously over their shoulders, towards the armoured plates that covered Bordox's nest.
Emma turned to see where everyone had gone. Several of the younger members of the party had run all the way to the edge of the Grand Plaza. Some had already disappeared among the buildings of the Old Quarter. Toby was standing halfway across the Grand Plaza, looking as though he didn't know which way to run next.
'Get back here,' Baker said. 'Is this how you represent your guild? Have you no shame?'
Toby lowered his head and began trudging back towards the others. Eight guildsmen remained in the group. They all looked a little shaken up by what had just happened. Emma was proud that she had been able to show more self restraint than Toby. She had only backed away a few paces, even if she was now standing so close to Guildmaster Baker that she was practically cowering in his shadow.
Baker frowned when he noticed her standing so close. 'Are you okay, Emma?' he said.
Emma blushed and took a couple of steps backwards, entwining her fingers behind her back. 'Yes, Guildmaster. I'm good, thank you.'