Subterra Heart

Chapter 36: Connor Rocha

The transport ride to Heart Central was a long one, and it was made longer by the stops along the way. They passed through Renmark, Iron Thames, Stonehall, and a few other sub-cities that Connor wasn't familiar with. Each new sub-city came with a half-hour wait while passengers got on and off.

They were just leaving a place called Merl's Hollow, and one of their compartment companions – the elderly woman who had joined back at Stonehall – was asking Marina what she and Connor planned to do in Heart Central.

"Oh, every sort of sight-seeing imaginable!" said Marina excitedly. "I hear that there's a marvelous history museum run by the University Library, and the Parliament Gardens are supposed to be a sight to behold! Those two have got to be on our list, don't you agree, sweetie?"

Connor, for his part, smiled and nodded. This felt very strange.

Marina had woven their story deftly so far – she and Connor, or "Tim," had kept their relationship private for years before eloping. Her parents didn't approve, you see. They had higher expectations for her, and "Tim" had been unable to complete university.

That last part, about Connor not finishing his schooling, was true. And it stung. He'd suppressed a wince when Marina had mentioned it. She was a good liar, and she didn't forget a single detail of their story. Maybe using bits of truth helped with that.

The elderly woman nodded, apparently satisfied with Marina's answer. She leaned forward to offer Marina a few more suggestions, and the two of them chatted amicably for the remainder of the trip. Connor excused himself and got up to pace the length of the transport. Their compartment had gotten stuffy, and he was itching to get out of there.

It was evening by the time the transport pulled into Heart Central Station. They'd spent nearly six hours traveling, and Connor breathed a sigh of relief when they finally stepped out onto the platform. It looked just like the one back in Flores Greens, except much, much larger. He didn't have the time or interest to gawk though – they'd stepped out into a flood of people moving every which way. It took some focus not to get swept away by them.

Marina took his hand and tugged him straight towards the exit.

"Are you doing ok?" she asked. It was hard to hear her over the noise of chatter and rumbling transports in the station. She was eyeing him with a slight frown. "You were very quiet, and then you were gone for quite a while."

Connor shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "You could have nixed that dropout bit though."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a good story. That whole thing just felt weird though. Don't ask me to do that again."

"Do what?"

"Strangers and small talk."

They paused to let a couple heaped with luggage trundle past. There was a musty scent in the air from too many bodies packed into a small space. Marina led him towards a wide staircase. The frown on her forehead deepened.

"Yes, well, you are the one who decided to tag along as my husband," she said. "Strangers and small talk just so happen to be part of the ruse."

"Just get me a quiet room. I'll be able to deal better in the morning."

Marina hitched up her skirt and trotted up the staircase, seeming to ride the wave of travelers that went up with her. Connor joined her and only just managed to keep pace with her. Too many people tried weaving between them. The crowd was starting to give him a headache. He'd probably need another dose of parlin soon too.

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible," said Marina. "I cannot get you a room without having you use Tess's shae band. We will need to stay with my Auntie Lena for now. And she is anything but quiet." The staircase let out on a wide hallway, and Marina steered Connor to the left.

Connor said nothing. He resigned himself to a loud, possibly uncomfortable evening.

The crowd thinned out once they left the staircase, but only barely. Connor did a double-take as neon lights – so rare in Flores Greens – lit up the canyon of a street with the full color spectrum. Curling letters and symbols that advertised bars, shops, and restaurants crawled up closely packed buildings that dripped from the cavern ceiling like stalactites. The air was heavy with loud music and chatter, and Connor felt suddenly more claustrophobic than he'd ever been back home.

They passed below a sign that painted Marina's dark hair with a blue sheen, and Connor tugged at her hand to stop. They pressed close together against the building to their left to be able to hear each other over the din.

"Fine," he said. "We'll stay with your aunt. It's late anyways. But I need to find Lenny first thing tomorrow before we try looking for Tess. I have no idea how long it'll take for her to make it here – if she even does manage to make it."

Marina opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped and pulled away to lean her back directly against the building. The blue light from above cast dark hollows against her cheeks. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, almost too quietly for Connor to hear. "Tess can't make it here. There's no way. I'm never going to see..." Her shoulders slumped, and she almost looked to be collapsing in on herself. Connor didn't answer immediately. He looked up at the blue sign above them. It should have read "McCann's Pub," but the "n's" and the "p" had been burnt out.

"You're doing what you can," he muttered.

Marina stirred next to him, and Connor glanced back down to see her straighten back up.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing his elbow. She steered Connor back into the crowd, muttering something about illogical decisions and not thinking straight. Connor, wisely, said nothing.

They arrived at Auntie Lena's apartment nearly an hour later. Marina had coached him on the way there.

"We shall maintain our story, even here," she'd told him. Lena's work involved legal affairs – it wouldn't do for her to find out that Connor was illegally using a hacked shae band. Nor would it be likely for her to believe any part of the strange story of what had happened to Connor and Tess. No, they would keep to the lie that they were both already familiar with. Marina would need to find out if her aunt had heard about Tess's disappearance yet too. If she had, then Marina would need to adjust the way that she presented things, and this would be far easier to do if she alone controlled the narrative.

As they stood at the entrance to the apartment, Connor rubbed his temples wearily. Both he and Marina were exhausted. And Connor was starting to realize just how involved he was becoming with Marina's family.

Marina paused before knocking and glanced back at Connor. There was something almost apologetic in her eyes, but she blinked it away quickly.

"I should also warn you," she said, "Auntie Lena can be a bit...much."

Connor opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but it was too late. Marina had already knocked.