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THEIR FOOTSTEPS ECHOED LOUDLY on the wooden dock in the early pre-dawn, silence reigning on the shore while the city slept. The waves crashing against the coastline seemed louder, more aggressive.
Reaching the far end of the dock, Evalene could make out the top of the submarine more clearly now, though the black metal merged seamlessly into the deep, black shadows of the water. It had appeared small from shore, but the way it rounded on both sides before disappearing into the water hinted at a huge mass under the surface.
Jeremiah had stopped to talk to the only man left on the dock. This stranger had dark skin and wore dark blue clothing as well, made of such deep hues, that between them and his ebony skin, he almost completely blended into the darkness of the night.
Turning toward Evalene, Jeremiah beckoned her forward to join them, nodding his head towards the other gentleman. “Evie, this is my first mate, Luc.” He made the introductions quickly.
This second high-Numbered fellow flashed her an easy going smile with perfect white teeth, ignoring Jeremiah’s hurry and reaching in front of him to hold out a hand towards Evalene. “Welcome aboard.”
Evalene hesitantly took the hand he held out and let him shake hers for a brief second before she pulled it back. She lowered her eyes to a button in the middle of his blue coat and mumbled, “Hello.”
“Come with me,” Luc said with a smile, waving his hand toward the tower. He stepped onto the gangplank. Evalene reminded herself this was her best shot to get out of Eden. Possibly her only shot. She followed him.
Luc crossed the couple feet to the small dome that Jeremiah had called a conning tower. “Let me get the hatch for you.” As he spoke, he spun a wheel connected to the door, and it opened smoothly.
He held it wide so Evalene could enter first. She moved towards the door, glancing back at Jeremiah. She caught him doing a quick scan of the harbor before he stepped up behind her.
The tower immediately forced her to descend a circular metal staircase with a cold, metal railing. Dim orange lights glowed all along the staircase, illuminating the steps, which were metal grates filled with holes. The lapping of the waves faded in her ears as she went lower and Luc entered last, letting the door slam shut behind them.
What had she been thinking, trusting a man she’d just met hours ago? What kind of captain piloted a submarine instead of a regular ship? And needed to leave before dawn? The kind that has something to hide, she thought, feeling her heart beat faster and faster, blood rushing to her head.
Halfway down the stairs, she turned sharply without thinking, to go back up. But she immediately ran into Jeremiah’s torso, unable to step even one stair higher, with Luc just two steps behind him and the hatch tightly closed at the top, all blocking her escape.
Jeremiah caught her by the shoulders to steady her, forehead creasing, and peered into her face. “You alright?”
Evalene gave a jerky nod, whipping back around in the tight space, tripping slightly. She felt her face growing red.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
Evalene waved a hand at him. “I’m fine, really.” She began to descend again, more carefully this time, gripping the slender railings on both sides. She was not fine. Her head spun and she was terrified she’d made the wrong decision, but she couldn’t tell him that.
It was dizzying to circle so many times in such a small space, and by the time she reached the bottom, she felt disoriented. The other men from the docks a few minutes prior all stood here in the small compartment.
Her eyes registered the size of the room first, barely larger than her attic room back home, before her attention came back to the men. She took in their brown clothing in confusion. The other passengers were low Numbers? But low Numbers weren’t allowed to travel. What kind of trade ship was this?
Jeremiah and Luc stepped down after her, and Evalene backed up until she was against the metal wall, not wanting anyone behind her. The back of her head throbbed at the thought. When Luc and Jeremiah faced the group in the dim orange light of the ship, Evalene was able to get a good look at them for the first time.
Both men wore blue clothes made of fine silk and cut to fit them, meaning they were well made and expensive. Jeremiah’s golden tan seemed paler now next to Luc’s dark brown skin, and her rescuer’s solemn expression and hint of a beard was a stark contrast to Luc’s wide smile and clean-shaven face.
Jeremiah leaned in to speak quietly so only she and Luc could hear. “Luc will take care of your fare and give you a tour with the others.” Stepping back, he raised his voice to speak to the whole group as he moved away. “We’ll hold a meeting in the mess deck in fifteen minutes.”
Evalene started to follow Jeremiah without thinking, but stopped when he didn’t wait for her. The hatch door swung shut behind him with a clang of metal hitting metal. She wished the ache in her head would go away.
She thought back to what he’d said. Mess deck? Tour? There was more to the ship? Luc was staring at her expectantly. Fare. Yes, that’s right. She needed to pay. Digging into her jacket pocket, she tried to be discreet in front of the group of men as she counted out the number of coins a voyage cost that Kevra had told her what felt like weeks ago now instead of mere hours.
Handing the chunk of change to Luc, she was surprised he didn’t bother to count it. The men were staring her down. One in particular eyed her blue clothing and sneered at it, turning away to his friend. Though her passage was bought and paid for, Evalene’s worries only increased.
Luc moved towards the door on the opposite side of the little room, pulling off his blue jacket to reveal a gray shirt underneath. That, along with the black and gray bandana tied around his neck to hide his tattoo, left Evalene confused as to whether he was actually a high Number or not.
“This way, everyone.” Luc opened the hatch with another friendly smile, revealing a second compartment. “That was our captain, Jeremiah. We’ll let him do his job while we take a little jaunt around the ship and get all of you settled.”
The men followed Luc, stepping through the hatch over the threshold, which was nearly a foot tall. They also looked a little uncertain, although Evalene might’ve just imagined it. She tagged along at the back of the group, the last one through.
This compartment was still tube shaped and confining like the last, but it was twice as wide and better lit. The air was musty. Bright bulbs all along the ceiling cast a white fluorescent light that filled the room. The black metal walls of the submarine had been painted white, which also helped lift a bit of the gloom.
The room was extremely full. Cluttered even. Jam-packed with at least a dozen tables with checkered tablecloths and chairs all around them, as well as various items all bolted down along the walls, including a radio, a couple refrigerators, and even a television hanging on the far wall, although it was so old fashioned Evalene wondered if it even worked. About two dozen people sat throughout the room at the tables, which were also bolted down. Mostly men, but also a few women, which made Evalene relax a little. There were even a couple teenagers. Every single person wore brown.
Luc waved a hand expressively at the room and spoke to the whole group. “This is where we will meet in a short while, like the captain said,” he began the tour, moving through the room slowly towards the other side, gesturing to those already seated. “And you’ll have time to get to know your fellow passengers.” He waved at them as he said this, adding, “As you can see, it’s not just for meals. There’s not a ton of common areas on a sub so we tend to hang out here in the mess deck or downstairs, but I’ll get to that.”
On the far side of the room was another door, and Luc strode towards it, Evalene and the others in the group following automatically. The same man who’d stared at her before cut in front of her rudely. He was easily six feet tall. Evalene stared at the back of his balding head. Had she done something to upset him or was he just ill-mannered?
As Luc pulled the round hatch open to the next section of the ship, he smiled and spoke in the cadence of a tour guide as he explained, “Everything is separated into compartments on a sub, in case of a leak. That way the captain can seal them off if need be and avoid flooding the whole ship. But don’t worry,” he swung back around to soothe their fears before they even had time to form, “Big V has been fully operational since 1993, and she’s never had a problem yet.”
Evalene’s eyes grew huge at the date. It was nearly two centuries old? Questions rose up in her, but she was too shy to speak. The bald man entered the next compartment first, and Evalene gave him as much distance as possible, waiting until everyone had gone before she crossed into the next room. Luc nodded to each of them as they passed. “Remind me to show you the ship’s manifest and captain’s log from when she first became active. Her first voyage was years before World War III was even a threat.”
The excitement in his eyes was contagious. He smiled at Evalene, the last to go through the door, and followed her into the compartment. It held rows of bunk beds on both sides of the long hallway. The beds stretched the length of the compartment. Each bunk was made out of a beautiful stained wood, instead of the metal ship walls, making this room feel more cozy. Every bunk had a little red curtain that could slide across the front of it to block out the light. The curtain was pulled back on the nearest one, and Evalene peeked in out of curiosity to find the sleeping unit had a thick mattress, a cozy blanket, and a pillow.
“These are the racks,” Luc said, pointing at the sleeping compartments. “If we were at capacity, some people would end up having to share bunks and take turns sleeping while the others in the crew were on duty, but as it is, we’re sailing light, so you all get your own bunks. Go ahead and stash your belongings now while we’re here.”
Evalene didn’t have anything to leave behind. Everything she possessed she was either wearing or carried in her pockets. She waited while the others chose their bunks, staring at the backs of their brown shirts as they stored their bags, and then the group moved on. Luc angled his body to talk to them as he walked down the narrow passageway. “Next I’ll show you the Head – that’s the sub name for our showers and toilets – so you can find it later if things get urgent.”
As Luc reached the other end of the hallway, he raised his voice to reach everyone in the compartment. “We’ll do introductions once we get back. You’ll meet everyone else on board soon enough, and we’ll all get to know each other real well by the end of the trip.” Evalene cringed and averted her eyes as the group of men looked around at each other, and at her. Maybe she could sneak away and hide in a bunk when they weren’t paying attention.
Luc didn’t take them into the next compartment, though. He just opened the hatch so they could peer into it. The black metal ceilings, floors, and walls of the initial compartment were here again, with a door on the left and on the right. The left door had a stick figure man painted onto it, a universal symbol that Evalene recognized right away for a restroom, and the door on the right just like it but with the stick figure wearing a skirt.
Evalene breathed in and her nose wrinkled at the smell. It wasn’t strong, but it was clear what this section was even if she hadn’t seen the symbols. Luc plugged his nose, miming a stomachache.
“Women didn’t used to be allowed on subs back when V was first built,” Luc continued, clearly enjoying his tour guide role as he waved expressively to the right side with the stick figure in a skirt. “So maybe 10-20 years or so after she was commissioned, they had to dry dock her and do a bit of maintenance to overhaul this one Head into two separate Heads. One for the gentleman and one for the ladies.”
Closing the door on the smell, Luc pointed to the door. “Past the Head is the Auxiliary Machinery Room. It takes care of Atmosphere Control, has an emergency generator, and so on.”
Luc paused to point back the way they’d come. “And in the opposite direction, where our captain went, is Operations. The control room, sonar – you name it. All the instruments we need to keep us going are in that room.”
Smiling easily at the group, Luc leaned back comfortably against a bunk. The men stood in a semi-circle around him, but Evalene hung back, trying to be invisible.
“The battery compartment, missile room, reactor room, engine room, and maneuvering room are all off limits. Just keep an eye out for the signs. But if we have time before the meeting, I’ll take you to the lower level of the sub, where we have a few more compartments you’re free to use.”
Just how big was this ship? The huge, bald man voiced the same thoughts in his deep voice. “It didn’t look that big from the docks.” Evalene stared at the rolls on his neck. She studied the other men with him, trying to figure out if they knew each other. They were all different ages, and most of them stood apart from each other, but one smaller man stood next to the bald man, nodding at his observation.
Luc threw his head back and belly laughed. “You can say that again!” Chuckling, he gestured generally at both sides of the sub. “She’s narrow, but she’s long. From the bottom of the hull to the top fin, she’s roughly 60 feet. Ol’ Victorious is definitely one of the larger subs they built, although very few are built anymore.”
Evalene felt a shift in the floor and her stomach started to feel queasy. She put her hand against one of the top bunks to steady herself, fighting the sudden urge to throw up. The smaller man bumped into the bald man, also clutching his stomach, looking dizzy and a little green. “The sea sickness will pass,” Luc told them. “After we get to a certain depth, you’ll barely feel the movement of the sea at all.”
But Evalene found that hard to believe as she continued to feel off-balance, and her already throbbing head started to spin. She sat abruptly in the nearest lower bunk, feeling faint. The smaller man sat too, making Evalene feel a little better that she wasn’t alone. The others widened their stance a bit, but otherwise seemed fine.
“You all are lucky,” Luc encouraged them, putting on his tour guide voice again. “We have Officer Welder with us for this voyage. A sub is naturally smoother sailing, especially underwater, but when he’s at the helm, you often won’t even feel the turns.”
As Luc moved back down the hallway, he waved for them to follow. “Let’s head back towards the mess deck. I’ll wrap up our tour with some comforting facts that should help you all relax. Let’s see...” As he ambled past Evalene, she worried she might empty her stomach on his shoes.
“Everyone on the crew knows how to drive a sub, work the sonar, contact tracking, damage control, you name it.” As the other men in the group shuffled past, they gave Evalene a wide berth. Staring down at her blue skirt and leggings, it was easy to figure out why. They thought she was a high Number. Luc, with his good-natured attitude and multi-colored clothes, didn’t bother them nearly as much as her presence.
Luc was nearing the other end of the hallway. Forcing herself to stand, Evalene leaned heavily on the bunks, trailing after the group. “Everyone on board is trained to fight flooding,” Luc continued. “And we’re all trained on the basics of every system on board. Even the cook knows a bit about navigation.” Evalene lifted her eyes from her feet briefly to peek at him and found he was grinning widely at his own joke as he paused by the hatch back to the mess deck.
“How fast is it going?” The bald man spoke up again, near the front of the group. He was by far the most vocal, though he wore brown like everyone else. Evalene’s focus had been on the floor and avoiding their gazes, but she guessed if she glimpsed their tattoos, his Number would be the highest.
“We typically travel at about 25 knots once we’re on the ocean floor, which means it’ll take us about two days to get to the island. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll let the captain tell you all about our destination. Don’t worry,” he added, directing his words to Evalene and the smaller man, “in just a few minutes, it’ll smooth out a lot more. You’ll be ready for breakfast and introductions.”
Nodding to each man as they passed through the hatch into the mess deck, Luc told them, “Looks like it’s time for the meeting, so we’ll pick up the rest of the tour afterwards. Go ahead and get comfortable.”
At the back of the group, Evalene’s heart sped up again at the mention of meeting the other passengers. This small group was bad enough, and now he reminded her of just how many people on board could find out her true Number. She was not going to let that happen, no matter what. Her new status and the clothes on her back were all she would have in her new life outside of Eden. If someone found out she was inferior to them, there was no telling what they might do. And she would be lower than all of them. She always was.
Mind racing, Evalene tried to decline as she reached the door, the last one to go through. “If it’s alright with you, I... was thinking of taking a nap.” That was true. She’d only slept a few hours the night before, and combined with the emotions of the past couple days, she was exhausted.
“Oh absolutely,” he said with a nod as he ushered her through the hatch door into the mess deck, “as soon as the meeting is over, you can go sleep in the racks or relax in the mess hall, you name it. You’re a paying customer, so this is your chance to put your feet up and take it easy. We even put on a movie every night after dinner.” He said this proudly as she stepped over the threshold and into the mess deck.
At his words, the full magnitude of her escape began to sink in. It felt oddly distressing.
Now, instead of knowing what her days would look like for the rest of her life, the future was a big blank nothingness. She felt almost a twinge of regret realizing she could never go back. That was stupid. Yet, she found herself missing her old life – the bed in the attic suddenly seemed safe and comforting. What would she do when she got to this island they talked about? What if she couldn’t afford to go on to the FreeLands? What had looked like opportunity from inside Eden had swiftly transformed into an enormous risk.
Luc moved forward to greet a group of what Evalene assumed were crew members, since they all wore similar blue, black, and gray uniforms, and seemed to know each other. The room was loud, filled with their conversation and laughter, and the quieter tones of the passengers getting to know each other. The bald man and the rest of her tour group all moved into the room to sit.
Evalene bit her lip, feeling out of place. The room was filled with people in brown. She didn’t want to irk anyone else the way she had the little tour group. Spotting a chair in the corner where she could fade into the background, she crept over to it and sat.
Someone at the table in front of her elbowed his friend and pointed to the glass of water in front of him. It was slanted in the cup. The ship was turning. It took a few more seconds before Evalene even felt it. Her stomach was calming as well. Luc had been right, it was smoothing out after all.
Surveying the room filled with people, it struck Evalene as odd once again, that the passengers were all low Numbers. Jeremiah had said this was a trade ship. Maybe high Numbers avoided traveling on those? The women she’d spotted earlier sat at some tables on the far side. Most wore brown, but there was a blonde girl at the table on the far side who wore a shocking flower print dress that didn’t fit anywhere within the color laws. Not only was it covered with all kinds of blue, purple, pink, and white flowers, but the dress itself was yellow!
The girl met her eyes. She gave Evalene a friendly smile, and waved for her to come join them. Ducking her head, Evalene acted like she didn’t see. She didn’t want to sit with anyone. They would want to know her story. Where she came from, where she was going, and why.
She directed her gaze to Jeremiah as he entered the compartment from the other side, the only person in this room she knew even remotely. What had she gotten herself into?