Henry walked into Tower Two, nodding at the soldier who was standing near the front desk. He had been thinking things over for a long time. Rachel had left the Dome Shield, and maybe Lisa was out there too. Nobody would provide him with any more details, despite his new elevated social position. He was the Chancellor of the Council of Cinnamon City now. He had a legitimate reason to know what key people were doing - or at least if they had left the city.
He'd already spoken to General Parker about it. Parker had been helpful in his own way, but it was impossible to know what secrets lurked behind those mysterious pink eyes of his. Henry still hadn't got used to him yet.
With Markov, he had always known where he stood, but Parker was a very different kind of General. He lacked Markov's hardened combat experience but he was undoubtedly smart, master of the technology around him. He was often pensive. He was an Implant. That was the most confusing thing about him.
Implants were always somewhere else - mentally if not physically. Their minds were always connected to countless different interfaces. Henry never felt like a person when he talked to Parker. He felt like just another interface, unable to get more than one percent of the General's attention. Henry sighed. He would have to think about it some other time.
Stepping towards the Air Route, he felt a tightness in his chest, a spasm of panic that he had to force down before he could subject himself to use it one more time. He had used it to get to his quarters in Tower Four many times, but he had never become comfortable with it. Now he had to trust in his new wrist console to provide the right credentials to allow him access to the restricted levels. Parker had told him that if his credentials were not accepted, the Air Route would jettison him from the tower. Henry still wasn't sure whether he had been joking about it, but it made his heart beat a little faster as he stepped into the booth and the doors slid shut in front of him.
He had come to Tower Two for a reason. Lisa's quarters were on level 249. She wouldn't be there, of course. She hadn't been there for a long time. But one of the cooks in the canteen had told Henry something rather interesting about them. There was a middle-aged woman staying in Lisa's quarters. She ordered food through her console because she didn't want to visit the canteen in person. She always ate the same thing - synthetic peas with a pasta substitute - and she often sounded depressed or bored.
Henry had a fair idea who that might be. He had been more than a little busy lately, but he had never forgotten about the lovely brown-eyed lady who had served him tea when he had visited Rachel's old house in the suburbs, pretending to be her friend. With everything that had happened since, he had neglected to find time to create an excuse to contact her.
Small coloured lights blinked in front of his face as the Air Route launched his ample frame up through the tower in total darkness. The acceleration webbing did it's best to control the movement of his various body parts, but he still felt like his belly was somewhere down near his feet and his eyes might pop out of his head.
As the booth slowed, his internal organs rearranged themselves into an entirely different configuration. He felt sure his knees would crash through his chin at any moment, but somehow he found himself still in one piece as the doors finally slid open, tipping him out onto level 249. Thankfully he hadn't been jettisoned from the tower so his credentials must be in working order.
Henry collected himself, straightening his pale red robe with the backs of his hands. Pulling a tissue from his pocket, he dabbed at small drops of sweat that had formed on his forehead as he ambled along the corridor, waiting for his heart rate to slow down. He had left his cane at home today, hoping to make a better impression without it, but his knee still stiffened with every second step.
He paused outside a plain black door while he adjusted the crimson belt that wrapped around his new robe. It was a little bright on the eye but its' fabric was smooth to the touch and the gold trim that trailed just above the floor had an intricate design. It had been difficult to source from the Old Quarter, and the price still brought tears to his eyes, but it was a fine robe, worthy of a man of standing, and that was what counted.
Presenting his wrist console to the door, he listened to the high-pitched beep and waited in the corridor outside. It would notify the occupant of his presence. Taking a deep breath, he tapped his foot and twiddled his fingers behind his back, trying not to look even more nervous than he was.
He remained that way for almost a minute, counting the seconds in his head to distract himself. Finally his bright smile started to falter. Wasn't she going to answer the door? Maybe she had seen him coming? Maybe she didn't want to talk to him at all.
Henry held out his hand, holding his wrist console over the small pad beside the door once more. It didn't beep this time. It had been deactivated from the inside. His heart sank.
'Annie,' he said through the closed door. 'It's Henry. I just wanted to speak to you for a moment if I may. I hope it's not too much of an imposition?'
When he received no answer, he gazed down the long, empty corridor beside him, wondering whether he should have come at all. 'I have some good news,' he said.
Footsteps approached from inside. 'What news?' a muffled voice called out.
'Open the door and I'll share it with you.'
A moment later the door rose up into the ceiling. The woman before him was barely recognisable from the one he had seen at Rachel's house. Her hair was a mass of tangled curls, lacking its previous shine. Her face was pale, and her deep brown eyes had grown dull in a few short weeks. Her cheeks hung slack as though they had never been able to smile.
'Oh, Annie,' he said, unable to conceal his concern. 'What happened to you?'
Annie frowned, deep lines forming above her brow. 'You said you had good news?'
'Good news, yes. I've been made Chancellor of the Council of Cinnamon City.'
Annie's face sagged. 'I know that,' she said, turning to stumble back into the room behind her.
Henry thought she might be going to wash her face or to prepare some light refreshments, but she headed straight for the bunk room and disappeared inside. A moment later he heard her collapse onto the bunk. Whatever was she doing?
Chewing his lip, he considered what to do next. It wasn't polite to visit a lady in her bunk room. Perhaps he should leave and come back later? Something about the forlorn look in her eyes made it difficult for him to step back into the corridor outside.
'Annie?' he said in a quiet voice. After a moment's hesitation he stepped a little closer so he could see through the open door.
Annie was lying face down on her bunk with her arms spread out to each side as though she had fallen from a great height.
'Are you okay?'
'Hummnnnn,' she said with a muffled voice, her face embedded in the folds of her pillow. Henry had no idea what she had said.
Stepping closer, he lingered just outside the bunk room's door. 'I have an idea,' he said.
'Umghhh.'
'What's that?'
'Umghhh hmmmm.'
'Okay. It's just... I have some errands to perform in the Old Quarter. I was wondering if you would care to accompany me. I thought you might like to get some fresh air and take a walk outside?'
'Umph um umph umgh.'
'I can't tell what you're saying. We could get something to eat in one of the nice cafes too if you like. I'm sure they'll have something more tasty than the tower canteens can provide.'
Annie lifted her head from her pillow. 'Okay.'
Henry frowned. Had she just accepted his invitation?
'Come back in an hour.'
'But I was going to go now.'
'Come back in an hour!'
'Of course, yes. I shall return then.'
Henry scurried towards the outer door, heading into the corridor outside with a puzzled frown. He had no idea what had just happened. He guessed he could do some of his errands in Tower Two and return when Annie was ready for him. He hoped she was going to be okay.