Quarter City

Chapter 19: Here

“Weever’s in Quarter City!”

There was static over Judy’s mobile, and a lot of noise in the background.

“What?  Judy where are you?  I can hardly hear you.”

“I said, Gareth, President Weever is here!  I just saw him!”

Though muffled, he could tell she was quite excited.

“There’s a big fucking convoy of black Hummers, police cars, military Jeeps and, in the middle of it all, a limo with our man Daniel inside.  I can’t believe he’s here.  Something must be up.”

Gareth never much liked politics, and really couldn’t care too much about who was President or what nation wanted sovereignty from the Planetary Federation this week.  The President is in town, so what?  Does it make any difference that he’s here?  Does he have the power to stop what’s going on?

Gareth held his cynicism back from Judy, and thought that maybe he should get a little more political, for her. 

“What do you think it is?” he asked instead.

“Don’t know, could be any number of things really.  I’m going to follow this, see where it all ends up... Though I have no idea how.  No cabs, no transit.”

“Where are you?”

There was a pause.  The noise in the background began to fade.

“Corner of Evans and Pacheco, approximately.”

Gareth searched his memory, but couldn’t place either street.

“Where the heck’s that?”

“Just off Harris, near the skirts of the residential sector.”

“How on Earth did you get all the way out there?”

“Walked, with my own two feet,” she said with mock pride

Concern came over Gareth.  How long has she been walking alone?  It’s not safe out there.  How will she get back?  He checked the clock on the kitchenette wall.  4:20?  It’s going to be dark in a couple hours, and it looks cold out.

“When did you leave the hotel?  Yesterday?”

“Nah, silly.  This morning around six.”

SIX?

“Dear god, why?”

“Just want to get a feel for what’s going on around here.  Walking parallel with Harris, you pass through everything, every sector, except the industrial.  I actually meant to go out the east side, see the damage over at the Oxec plant, but I kinda got turned around when I set off.  So I’m on lower west side continuing on.  I’ve run into some people, some friendly, some not-so-friendly.  Most have been really good about the interviewing, though.”

She’s been walking out there all day?  Alone. 

“Aren’t you tired.  You’ve been walking all day.”

“I’m a little sore, but I rest here and there when I’m talking with people.  Stretch a little.  It’s crazy, though, how scared the people are, Gareth.  Some are concerned about their jobs with the factory burning to the ground, but most are really frightened.  I mean, the kids I’ve come across don’t really know what’s going on, except that they’re out of school for some reason.  They like it.  And some people that think this is all bullshit, that it’s just the governments’ knee-jerk, ‘blow-it-up-cause-we-can’t-control-it’ reaction.  But most think that this is not going to turn out very good.  They’re scared for their lives, their family, their homes, their jobs, their security, their city... hell, everything.  I asked a lot of them why they didn’t leave like so many others, and it’s the same response:  this is their home, their life, their city.  Some weird sense of loyalty keeping them here, huh?”

Gareth pondered Judy’s words and thought about himself.  He was a native of Quarter City, a first generation citizen, and he’s still here.  Why? 

He answered in his head, as if he was answering a question from Judy.

First, he thought, I have nowhere to go, and no way to get there.  I don’t have a lot of money, and really, I can’t think of anywhere else to be.  Second, I’m not really scared.  I’m not that afraid of Geo.  He makes me angry, more than scared.  And third, well, you’re here Judy, and I don’t want to leave you here all alone.

He began to daydream of romantic visions, of wooing Judy with words of affection, but they were interrupted by reality when a violent noise erupted in the background of the phone call.

“Ohmygod, whatwasthat? Judy?Judy?Judy?”

“Gareth, shut up, I’m fine.  One of the soldiers up the road set his rifle off.  There were a group of skateboarders doing… whatever.  He wanted to get their attention and, well, he got it.  A little unorthodox, but effective.”  Judy let out a snicker, as static fizzled in and out over the line.

Gareth’s heart was racing.  For a second he felt the greatest sense of loss he’d felt since... well, ever.  Even when his mother had died he was more relieved than upset she was gone. And when his car was totalled by Geo... you can’t compare a car to someone like Judy.

Odd sounds came from over the phone, when Judy spoke, he could tell by the vibrations in her breath that she was running.

“I’ll call you back soon, Gar.  I’m gonna see what’s up down there with the soldier and the kids.”

“But…” Gareth responded.  The line had already disconnected.

Be careful, he thought.  He began to run the conversation around in his head again.  Why didn’t I ask her to come here?  Why can’t I say I care?  Why do I feel so helpless? 

Thinking about where she was, Gareth wondered if there was a way for him to get out there quickly.  So he could be with her.  Protect her.  Help her.

But he came up with nothing.  Judy told him the other day that all the cab companies had been instructed to close, and the army was keeping all unauthorized vehicles off the road.  Public transit has been shut down, and most of the business and retail sectors were deserted save for the hotels and few well guarded grocery stores and convenient stores.  He couldn’t walk there in time, and he wasn’t in the best of shape.

Helpless.

Worry befell his face.  He fantasised of all the things that could happen to Judy while she’s out there, of all the many things that could go wrong, all the terrible things terrible people could do to her.  And he hurt.  Stabbing pains hit his heart as he thought such awful thoughts.

He realized he was crying, and wiped the tears from his face.

Helpless.

He heard from Judy later, close to midnight.  She had received a strange call from a boy whom she met in a south end park late in the afternoon.  She didn’t tell Gareth what happened, she just wanted to let him know she was home safe, before she fell asleep.

Gareth pondered the call for a minute – happy, despite its brevity - before falling asleep himself.