PROLOGUE: THE ADLINGTON SPY

Sunday, 1 March 2099, 6:05 AM

The pine trees blocked the sun; it was hard for Tyler to run when there was no light. He tripped over a root, got back up; stumbled over a rock, regained his balance; bumped into a branch, brushed it off.

But the Viking was gaining on him; Tyler was tiring out. His amber hair was darkening from perspiration. His tall body was weak against the low-strung branches.

"Get back here, Anzalone!" a low voice echoed through the Pines.

"No, no, no!" Tyler shrieked, hopping over roots and small craters.

He did not see the small creek in front of him. Tyler's entire leg plunged into the water. His ankle shoveled the pebbled floor and twisted.

"Ow!" Tyler yelled as he crumbled to the floor.

He tried to get back up but the pain in his ankle was excruciating. It did not matter; the Viking had already caught up.

The stranger was young, with a lumberjack beard and messy, brown hair. His skin and fabrics were covered in a thick layer of soot. The man wore armor over his shoulders and around his waist; his boots were covered in mud. He was gripping a silver sword in his left hand.

"Rise!" the man said, pointing his sword.

"I can't, my leg!" Tyler yelled.

"Fine." the man went to swing his sword.

"STOP!" someone shouted.

The man turned around and immediately bowed his head. "Sir Adlington, I━"

"Enough, Ake," Sir Adlington said. "Go back to the City at once."

"But━"

"At once!"

"Yessir," Ake said, running off.

Tyler grunted as he stood. He rested on a nearby tree trunk. That was his first, silly, mistake.

Sir Adlington pinned Tyler by his neck to the tree trunk. Tyler gasped for air, choked by the elder's forearm.

"I ought to kill you! Fleeing Adlington for your own safety!" Sir Adlington shouted.

"I━I...s-sorry..." Tyler gasped.

Sir Adlington released his grip. Tyler fell to the ground, coughing and heaving. His neck was a bright red.

"I'll spare you your life," Sir Adlington started, "if you do me one favor."

Tyler looked up at the elder. The man had soot all over his face, beard, and fabrics. The fabrics were silver in color and ragged, like an old bathrobe. Sir Adlington's beard was black with many white strands. A metal helmet rested on his balding head.

"What...favor?" Tyler coughed.

"You're sneaking into Espington and killing my brother."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, 1 March 2099, 8:00 AM

Rich was on the carriage to Espington. There were dozens of other boys and girls in the cart, all looking down at their shoes. Many of them were dirty, covered in soot or dust. Rich was one of the many that couldn't take a shower before the move.

He did not want to move to Espington; Rich liked Adlington. The Mining job was rough but he loved working with his friends, Amaury and Mickey. They were not on the carriage to Espington. Rich recognized just a few Miners in the cart.

"It'll be better in Espington," the driver of the carriage said, slapping the horses with the whip.

"You okay?" a boy nudged Rich.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he mumbled.

"Name's Tim," the dirty guy said. "Espington is gonna be a new life for us."

"Guess so," Rich said. "Unless we mine here, too."

Tim laughed, something that seemed bizarre in a quiet place like the carriage. The teenage Miners looked up with blank expressions on their faces.

"Adlington is known for Mining," Tim reassured. "Espington is known for Marketing."

"So we're gonna be marketers?" Rich asked.

"Possibly."

The carriage continued to shudder on the bumpy road; it was a dirt trail in the middle of the forest. The cabin was silent, so was the forest.

"We'll be there in five minutes," the driver said.

"It's better in Espington," the Viking next to the driver said. "Less crowded than Adlington, too. I love━"

There was a loud bang and the carriage shot in the air. The Miners shouted, flew out of the cabin. Rich grabbed onto the seating as did Tim. The carriage hit the ground with a prominent crunch. Dirt and gravel landed on the fallen Miners soon after the carriage crashed. Rich got up, his ears ringing from the unknown blast. Some Miners had already gotten up, bloody and even dirtier than before. The two horses bolted through the Pines, out of sight. Tim struggled to rise; the whole left side of his face was covered in dark, maroon blood.

Rich's eyes adjusted; he saw two figures sprinting away in the distance. They wore hi-tech uniforms with crimson helmets.

Islington, Rich thought.

Tim walked over to Rich. "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Better than you."

Tim turned and pointed to the driver. He was lying motionless near the front of the carriage. His head was twisted at an unbelievable angle and his right arm was bent backwards. The Adlington Viking was trying to wake his friend but to no avail.

Rich turned his head. The air was still filled with thick dust and smoke. Small wisps of fire had sprinkled the crater, carriage, and trees. Luckily, more Miners were alive than dead. Rich noticed one boy who was lying on the ground. He looked completely fine, just dirty. The boy was tall and pale-skinned. Rich did not remember him being on the carriage.

"You!" someone shouted.

Rich turned around to see the hysterical Viking pointing right at him. "Me?"

"Yes!" he yelled. "Gather the survivors. We're walking from here!"

"What happened?" Tim asked.

"We were attacked by━"

"Islington," Rich interrupted. "Right?"

"Yes," the Viking said. "Islington, the Business City, hates Espington and Adlington, and Belington."

"What's Belington?" a Miner asked.

"One of the other Four Cities; the Farming City," the Viking said frustratingly. "Not important! We need to get to Espington now!"

Rich, along with Tim, gathered all the Miners that were fit to walk the last few miles. The first driver and two male Miners did not survive.

The Viking, whose name was Espen, led the group of injured and dirty Miners. The forest seemed scarier now and Rich felt as if he was being watched by the Islington Officers.

"Yo, maybe we can dorm together at Espington," Tim said.

"Why are you thinking about that?" Rich wondered. "We were just attacked! You have a cut on your head that definitely needs stitches and my wrist hurts a lot."

"Sorry," he said. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

Rich just kept staring at the strange, amber-haired boy in the front of the group. His outfit was the same as Rich's so he definitely was a Miner.

"Tim, was that guy in the carriage?" Rich pointed.

"Uh, I don't remember," he answered. "Think so."

Rich brushed the stranger off for now, but he was going to keep his eye out on him for sure. Rich definitely knew he was not in the carriage from Adlington to Espington.

🚃

Everyone walked over a hill and Rich could see the buildings now. Every single structure was rectangular and made of some sort of grey stone. The edifices were built in one gigantic square. The corners were four black watchtowers. Rich could see small figures at the tops of them: the Espington Guard.

The city looked modern, cleaner and wealthier than Adlington. Since Espington was just buildings built in a square, the entire center was open to the residents. Rich and Tim's hometown, Adlington, had structures built pretty much anywhere. They had dirt trails so the Builders just knew not to build a store or diner on or near them. Adlington was the second poorest of the Four Cities (first Belington, then Adlington, Espington, then Islington).

Espen the Viking led everyone right up to the Gate, which wrapped around Espington's square perimeter. The buildings were much larger up close. Rich noticed how two buildings towards the southern end of Espington were much taller than the other structures and that they were identical.

There were two, buff-looking, Espington Guard at the gate holding long, obsidian sticks. Rich thought they were just batons, but the one Guard clicked the side of his stick and the tip let out a string of blue electricity: a taser-baton, and Rich hated those stupid things.

"What seems to be the problem?" the one Guard asked. "You were supposed to come by carriage."

"Yes, I know," Espen said. "We believe the Islington Guard ambushed us in the Pines. We lost our driver and two Miners."

"I'll call in some men and you'll go back to the Pines with them," the other Guard said directly to Espen. "We are not, er, the friendliest with Adlington."

"Yes, yes, I'll go back," Espen said. "This is all Islington's fault!"

Four more Espington Guard appeared holding slender, black handguns, not the taser-batons. They ran with Espen back over the hill and into the Pines.

"All of you Miners, come with me," the Guard who had pressed his taser-baton said.

Rich and Tim walked with the group into Espington. All of them were still dirty and bruised and cut from the Islington attack.

"Um, can I get a doctor?" Tim asked the Guard. "My head hurts."

The blood had dried on Tim's face, but his head gash still looked wet and severe. Luckily, the pain in Rich's wrist subsided and all that was left was a quarter-sized bruise.

"Nurses will treat you in Espington Square," the Guard said.

The Miners walked past the Gate and through an alleyway. They emerged in the center of Espington and there were dozens of people walking all around, in and out of what appeared to be little markets. The residents wore beautiful fabrics, nicely ironed and tailored. Most of the men wore khakis and button-down shirts, some with bow-ties. The women wore nice dresses or outfits that included jeans and a blouse.

Rich noticed this one girl sitting on a bench with a little boy. She wore a turquoise sundress, with a cyan ribbon in her bright, blonde hair. Her blue eyes matched remarkably with her outfit. The girl was eating an ice cream cone with the little boy. Rich stopped to get a look of the gorgeous stranger, but then a Miner bumped into him.

"Yo, keep movin'!" he yelled.

"Sorry," Rich mumbled and walked alongside Tim again.

The Miners finally stopped at what one of the Guard said was "the Heart of Espington." It was a grassy area with small oaklings, benches, and people sitting on blankets probably having a picnic.

An older man stood in the middle of the grassy area. He wore a steel-grey suit with a bright blue tie. His black hair was slicked back and tied in a small bun. There was one strand of hair, however, that was a snow white. The man's skin was tanned, his eyes an olive green. Rich could not tell his age: the man looked old but he had a healthy, slender body type.

"Thank you, Jago and Sayer," the older man said. "You may go back to the Gate."

The two Espington Guard stared at the Miners one last time before jogging back through the alleyway and to the Gate. Rich watched them go. As they left, two women jogged out of a grey and blue building with little lunchboxes. It took Rich a second to realize that the two women were Nurses and that they were carrying first aid kits.

"Me, please!" Tim raised his hand.

A blonde-haired girl walked over to Tim. She had light skin and a wide smile. She looked about Rich and Tim's age, probably a volunteer Nurse.

"You'll need stitches," she said. "Come with me."

"But the man is about to speak," Tim said.

And the old man did. He coughed first and spoke out of a microphone that was attached to his necktie.

"Attention, Adlington Miners," he said. "My name is Sir Espington and I am the President of Espington, one of the Four Cities of Togluagoa! I am so glad that you are joining us in the Marketing City. We specialize in Marketing, selling fabrics, jewels, furniture, and food. We are known to trade with the other three Cities. Togluagoa would not survive without the Four Cities working as one..."

Rich did not understand what the President was talking about. The country, Togluagoa, obviously needed to survive. But it was definitely not surviving from the teamwork of the Four Cities. Islington just attacked Adlington and the Guard, Jago and Sayer, had said that Espington wasn't necessarily close with Adlington. Rich knew that what Sir Espington was saying was scripted and inaccurate; there was surely tension between the Four Cities and soon Togluagoa would come to know that.

"...Adlington is too crowded, which is why you all are here with me today. I am sorry about the losses you had to witness in the Pines. We are figuring out the cause of such a tragedy━"

"It was Islington!" Rich shouted. "I saw two of the Officers fleeing the scene after the explosion!"

Sir Espington walked through the crowd of Miners and right up to Rich. Tim was being treated by the blonde Nurse; she stitched him right in the Heart of Espington. Rich could see more of the President's features up close. His eyes were more seaweed green than olive and he had a scar on his bottom lip that travelled down his neck. There were miniature crystals on his cyan necktie.

"What's your name?" Sir Espington asked.

"Rich Bruno."

"In Espington the male residents are known by their last name," the President said. "Your name is Bruno."

"Okay?"

"So, Bruno," he started. "How do you know it was Islington that attacked?"

"The two Officers wore a future-y uniform, you know, like a thick, black material with red helmets. Only Espington and Islington can afford that," Rich explained.

"I see," the President said. "Well, that is for me and the Espington Guard to worry about. All of you Miners━er, I mean━residents, will be given a new Occupation and a room in one of our Inns."

"A what?" Tim asked, the Nurse finishing up on his stitches. "Ow!"

"An Inn," Sir Espington repeated. "That is where all of our residents live. Women live in Inns One and men live in Inns Two."

"What if you're married or have a family," a Miner asked.

"Families and couple live on the first two floors of either buildings and a Room Change Form must be filled out, but are any of you married or have a family here?" Sir Espington asked.

The crowd was silent, Rich and Tim included.

"Very well," he grinned. "Let me give you a quick view of Espington. You all entered through the Western Gate and Alley. There we have our Fabrics and Inns Markets as well as our Armory and Espington Eatery. The Northern entrance has our Espington Factory and Guard House. The Eastern entrance has our Jewels and Food Markets as well as the Clinic and Espington Schoolhouse. Finally, the southern part of Espington has our Inns. Simple, right?"

Immediately, the Miners called out questions━most of which were on their new Occupation or who they wanted to live with."

"Yo, let's ask to room together!" Tim shouted to Rich, the Nurse bandaging his head.

Rich did not even listen to Tim. He was too busy looking around the crowd of dirty, desperate-for-answers Miners. The amber-haired boy was missing, nowhere to be found.

"Tim, that dude, he's━he's gone," Rich said.

"The one with the reddish hair?" the blonde Nurse asked.

"Yeah," both Tim and Rich said in unison.

"Oh, my partner Caroline brought him into the Clinic," the Nurse said. "Turned out he broke his pinky in the carriage accident."

"What's your name?" Tim asked.

"Madigan," she said as she stood up. "Your head is stitched and bandaged. Come to the Clinic in a week and I'll take them out for you."

"Wait, a week?" Tim repeated. "What about showering?"

"Oh, yeah, well, you cannot have warm water or soap in your hair until the stitches are out." Madigan said. "Don't worry: the bandages will hide your hair when it gets greasy."

"Great," Tim mumbled. Madigan packed her stuff and walked back to the Clinic.

The Miners stopped asking questions; Sir Espington must have answered them all. Rich looked to the front and noticed how the blonde girl in the cyan dress was standing next to Sir Espington and the little boy.

"Everyone," the President said. "These are my kids, Rina and Colton. Rina is eighteen and Colton, here, just turned ten. Rina will be giving out your OA's, your Occupation Assignments as well as your Room Numbers"

The crowd of Ex-Miners lined up in front of Rina. She handed them a slip of paper and an ID Card. Rich and Tim were towards the front of the line.

"Can't believe we left Adlington in a day and almost died," Tim said.

"Yeah."

"Miss my family already," he added.

"Yeah."

Rich was too busy waiting to see Rina's face again. She was gorgeous and now Rich knew that she was his age. There was only one more Miner in front of Rich. He finally took his papers and turned away. Rich took a step forward.

"Good afternoon," Rina said. "Your OA is in the Factory and you are in Inns Two, Floor Four, Room Nine. Here is your Information Slip and ID Card to enter your dormitory."

"Thanks," Rich said. "By the way, there's a sprinkle on your lip."

Quickly, Rina wiped the sprinkle off her face and grinned. Her cheeks immediately contrasted her dress. All Rich did was smile and turn from the line. He waited for Tim.

"Yo, what room and job did ya get?" Tim finally asked, walking over to Rich.

"Floor Four, Room Nine and Factory Worker."

"Holy shit, me too!" Tim cheered. "Probably because we stood next to each other on line."

"Probably, Tim," Rich chuckled.

"Nuh-uh-uh," Tim said in Sir Espington's formal accent. "Here at Espington, you will call me by my last name: Valinoti."

Rich laughed and so did Tim, breaking character. They started walking to Inns Two but not before Rich looked back at Rina one last time.

Sunday, 1 March 2099

Bruno and Valinoti entered Inns Two and they both gasped at the same time. The lobby was gigantic, with marble flooring and crystal chandeliers. The couches and love-seats were made out of fine silk; the fireplace crackled, giving off a nice glow; the Attendants walked around with a mandatory smile on their faces.

"If Espington in this rich, I don't wanna know what Islington looks like," Valinoti gawked.

A smiley Attendant walked up to Bruno and Valinoti. The woman wore a button down, steel grey shirt that was tucked into a pencil skirt of the same color and material. Her high heels were bright blue as were her eyes. The Attendant's brown hair was wrapped into a stylish bun with a cyan hair clip pressed in the middle.

"Hello," she smiled her fake smile. "My name is Katrina. Are you two from Adlington?"

Bruno and Valinoti nodded.

"I expected that," she giggled. "All the Miners have been coming in. May I see your ID Cards?"

Bruno and Valinoti handed Katrina the Cards and, once again, she giggled. "Oh! You're both roommates, how convenient! Right this way."

Katrina led the boys to where the elevators were located. She handed them back their ID Cards.

"Just push your floor number and, when you get to the fourth floor just walk straight down the hallway," she said.

Bruno and Valinoti entered the elevator and pressed the button that had the number 4 on it. Katrina waved to them.

"Bye-bye! If you need anything, don't hesitate to call! Our hotline is━"

But the elevator door slammed shut.

"Wow, she was annoying," Bruno said.

"But sexy," Valinoti admitted.

"Yeah."

Valinoti laughed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know...You had your eyes on that Rina girl, didn't ya?"

"Huh, what? Me? No. No, no, no," Bruno was blushing now.

"Sure, Bruno, sure."

The elevator door opened up and the boys walked down the hall. The hallway floor was carpeted with patterns of grey triangles and blue rhombi. Frames of aerial views of Espington and the President himself covered the walls. At the end of the hallway was a window, but Bruno and Valinoti did not make it there. They stopped at Room Nine, their room, in the middle of the hallway.

"Swipe your card, dude!" Valinoti grinned.

Bruno did and there was a click. He turned the knob and walked inside, Valinoti standing right behind him.

The dormitory was gigantic just like the Inns' lobby. The boys walked right into the common area. There were two four-cushioned, steel grey sofas; two grey loveseats; cyan carpeting, a flat-screen TV, and a balcony. Behind the one sofa was a counter with barstools. And behind the counter was the kitchenette that included a sink, fridge, oven, stove and microwave. Next to the balcony was a cyan table with six grey chairs. Frames of landscapes covered the grey wallpapers. There was a deluxe coffee machine on the table next to the television.

"This place is unbelievable!" Valinoti shouted.

"Who's there?" someone called out.

"Um, Bruno and Valinoti?" Bruno answered. "We were assigned to this dorm."

Two boys appeared from around the wall. One boy was Kuslaumican-Togluagoan, the other was White-Togluagoan. The eye-catching feature with the Caucasian was that he wore a grey onesie with a bulletproof vest. A blue helmet rested in his one hand, a walkie-talkie in the other.

"'Bout time we had more roommates!" the Kuslaumican boy said. "The name's Lee and this, here, is my roomy, Cariddi."

Everyone exchanged handshakes; Bruno and Valinoti repeated their names. Then there was a thirty-second awkward silence.

"Well, this, here, is the common area," Lee said. "Down the right hall is Room A, where Cariddi and I live as well as one of the bathrooms and a mudroom."

"One of the bathrooms?" Valinoti repeated.

"Yeah," Cariddi said, putting his helmet on the sofa. "Down the left hall is Room B and another bathroom. But, Room C has it's own bathroom because it is much larger."

"So, there's three bathrooms in this suite?" Bruno asked.

"Indeed!" Lee chuckled.

"Then, why didn't you two choose Room C?" Valinoti asked. "You just said it's the biggest."

"We thought about it," Lee said. "But we would rather have our own hallway then our own room. The only time you guys would come down our hallway is to use the mudroom for laundry."

"Ahh," Bruno and Valinoti said.

There was another thirty second awkward silence. Cariddi finally broke it.

"You two look really dirty," he said. "Wash up in the showers and get changed. We can all go out to the Eatery for dinner. Lucky you all came on a Sunday because there isn't any work."

"'Cept for you, Cariddi!" Lee laughed.

"What's your job?" Valinoti asked.

"It's the Guard, isn't it?" Bruno guessed.

"Yup, and I love it! I work from eight to midnight today."

"How'd ya know, Bruno?" Valinoti asked.

"Jago and Sayer wore the same uniforms."

"Oh, stay away from those two," Cariddi said. "Those sticklers love getting residents in trouble for no damn reason!"

"I had to work a Sunday at the Factory when Sayer caught me 'loitering' in the Heart past curfew," Lee said putting air quotes around loitering with his fingers.

Bruno turned his head. "Did you just say 'Factory'?"

"Yes," Lee said. "That's my job."

Bruno and Valinoti laughed. "Us, too!"

"Aw, c'mon!" Cariddi groaned. "Ya'll work together, and I don't?"

"Oh, be quiet!" Lee said. "I'd rather be a Guard holding a taser-baton, getting paid ten an hour than be a Factory Worker."

"What's bad about the Factory?" Bruno asked.

"Shower up," Lee said. "I'll explain at dinner."

Bruno and Valinoti decided to take Room B. It was big enough where nothing was crammed and the light came in through the window perfectly. Valinoti did not want Room C because of the bunk beds and how the bathroom inside the room would only make it smell bad.

"Espington even gave us our own clothing!" Bruno gasped.

"What did you expect?" Valinoti wondered. "We all came here with only the clothes and dirt on our backs."

"True."

Valinoti walked to Room C to take a shower (he had told Bruno that he'd make sure his head wouldn't touch the water); Bruno grabbed a towel and walked into the hallway bathroom.

Bruno noticed how immaculate the bathroom was. The quartz sink was without a stain as was the porcelain toilet. The shower had a glass door and a spot to sit inside. The walls were stone grey and the floor was blue. Bruno did not even notice how the toilet paper was also dyed turquoise.

When Bruno turned the knob, he was surprised to feel the immediate, warm water. And, on top of that, the shower head disconnected into a body hose. Bruno washed all the dirt off his skin and hair. There was soil stuck under his nails and behind his ears. It was a good sight to see for Bruno when the water going down the drain went from brown back to transparent.

There was a knock on the door.

"How hot do ya have the water?" Lee called out, laughing. "The friggin' steam is comin' in the hall!"

"Sorry, I'm just not used to this warm of water!" Bruno smiled and that was when he knew he was going to be good friends with Valinoti, Lee, and Cariddi.

Bruno walked back into Room B with Espington apparel on now; he threw his Miner uniform in the kitchenette disposal chute. Valinoti claimed the bed on the right so Bruno just jumped on the other bed.

"Comfy, right?" Valinoti smiled.

"Is this memory foam?" Bruno asked. "In Adlington, I shared a thirty-Shilling mattress with my sisters."

"That's suck," Valinoti said. "I miss my family, 'specially my mom."

"Yeah."

There was a knock on the boy's door. "Yo, it's Cariddi. Come on out!"

Bruno looked at the clock on the nightstand; it was only four o'clock in the afternoon, way too early for supper. But they still walked out of their room and into the common room.

Cariddi and Lee were looking at something, in the same spot where Valinoti and Bruno were standing when they first arrived in Room Nine. The wall blocked Bruno's view so he did not see what his roommates were looking at.

Cariddi turned. "What's taking you two so long? Come say hi!"

Bruno and Valinoti walked past the wall and froze when they saw what Lee and Cariddi were smiling about.

Standing at the open door was the amber-haired boy. His left pinky was wrapped in a cast that connected to his gauzed wrist. Other than that he was still in his Mining uniform with no other visible injuries.

"Bruno, Valinoti," Lee said. "Meet our new roommate, Anzalone!"

And the amber-haired boy waved hello.

Sunday, 1 March 2099

It took about three and a half seconds for Bruno to wave back. Valinoti waved right away, which only made it even more awkward for Bruno. Anzalone just grinned.

"Bruno, why don't ya show Anzalone to his new room!" Lee smiled.

"O-Okay," Bruno stuttered.

He walked down the hall, Anzalone right behind him. Bruno opened Room C's door and stood inside.

"This is your room," Bruno said. "All to yourself."

"Thank you, I━"

"Save it!" Bruno interrupted. "I know you weren't in that carriage! You showed up afterwards...although I have no idea how you managed to break your pinky."

Anzalone just blinked; he was speechless. The amber-haired boy swallowed before responding.

"Bruno, I assure you I was on that carriage. I was sitting next to Alec, the really fat Miner," Anzalone explained. "You probably didn't see me because I was sitting in the far right corner with Alec's wide body blocking me."

Bruno did remember Alec, although he didn't know his name at the time. He also remembered now that Alec was one of the Miners that did not survive the explosion.

"Trust me, Bruno," Anzalone continued. "I'm just an Adlington Miner like you who didn't want to leave home. But, to be honest, it's a lot better here."

"Ha-ha!" Lee laughed from the common area. "Not when you gotta pay your MB's!"

Bruno left Room C, Anzalone behind him again.

"My MB's?" Bruno repeated.

"Oh, right," Lee said. "There's so much ya'll don't know yet...Anyway, an MB is our Monthly Bill. We gotta pay it in order to stay in Room Nine."

"But now that you three came here," Cariddi added. "We can all pitch in. Anzalone, where do you work?"

Anzalone looked at his Information Slip. "Says I'm a Cook at Espington Eatery."

"Ha, no shit!" Cariddi laughed. "That's where we're eatin' tonight. Looks like we'll be seein' you a lot in a chefs hat!"

Anzalone and Lee laughed. Valinoti stared at Bruno; he knew that Bruno had just had a serious conversation with Anzalone back in Room C.

"Well, Anzalone," Lee said. "Why don't ya shower up and then we'll all head to dinner!"

"Okay."

Anzalone walked into Room C, shutting the door behind him.

"He's nice," Lee said; Cariddi nodded in agreement.

Yeah, a little too nice, Rich thought.

And he walked back into his bedroom.

Bruno shut his door; Valinoti was already sitting on his bed watching a show from the TV that was hooked up to the wall.

"We have a television?" Bruno asked even though he saw the screen right in front of him.

"Yeah, bro, how sick?"

Bruno shook his head and waved his hands. "Shit, you're making me lose thought... Anzalone! I talked to him in his room and he assured me that he was on that carriage. He even talked about Alec."

"Alec?"

"The overweight Miner who died in the crash?" Bruno reiterated. "Anyway, Anzalone said he was sitting next to him."

"Maybe," Valinoti said. "Hey, I told you I thought he was on the carriage. He probably was and you're just overthinking things because of the whole Islington attack."

"Yeah...yeah, maybe you're right."

"Yes, I am right," Valinoti said. "Now watch some cartoons. I know you've never had a TV before in Adlington."

Bruno sighed and jumped into bed. He let himself watch the cartoons because, yes, he never really had a TV in his hometown.

Anzalone finished showering fairly quickly. He exited his room with a towel to his head, drying his hair.

"I'll be done in a minute," he said.

"Take your time," Lee said. "It's not even six yet. Cariddi doesn't have work until eight."

"I'm at Watchtower One tonight," Cariddi said.

"What?" Bruno said, Valinoti having the same expression on his face.

"Once again," Lee grinned. "I'll explain the Occupations at dinner."

"Good," Anzalone appeared. "'cause I am ready."

Lee clapped his hands together. "Awesome, let's go!"

The five boys went down the elevator and into the lobby. Katrina the Attendant was dusting the lobby fireplace with her usual, fake smile. She noticed the boys immediately and darted right to them.

"Bruno, Valinoti, Anzaloney," Katrina said. "How do you like Room Nine with Lee and Cariddi?"

"It's Anzalone," Anzalone corrected.

"Right, of course," she giggled.

"The suite is great," Bruno answered. "Thanks for asking. We're getting dinner now."

"Oh, where to?" Katrina asked, her eyes widening. "The Inns One Buffet, here at the Inns Two Diner or Espington Eatery?"

"Third one," Cariddi groaned. "G'bye, Katrina."

"Bye-bye now!" she waved, with her smile from ear to ear. "Try the shrimp scampi at Espington Eatery, I heard it is to die for! Remember to wash your hands and try to━"

But Bruno had slammed the lobby door shut after all the boys had passed through. He could see how Katrina was still speaking even though the glass doors had already closed.

"Man, she's insane," Bruno said.

"Still sexy," Valinoti snorted.

"Katrina has been working here ever since Cariddi and I moved to Room Nine," Lee said. "She's only twenty-two."

"And she's dating one of the Guard," Cariddi said. "He's just as annoying."

Bruno was too busy looking around Espington Square and the Heart of Espington. People were still roaming around, enjoying the fresh air and light evening breeze. Two kids were sharing a kite that resembled a dragon. The little boys wore grey shirts tucked into grey khaki shorts. Both boys had cerulean bow ties to complement their grey outfits. Other residents either sat on benches, had picnics, or ordered ice cream from the various vendors.

Espington was very grey. Every single building was made out of some sort of grey stone. They all looked newly renovated; however, the windows, doors, and gutters were a lovely cyan. Bruno came to realize that grey and blue were Espington's City Colors. All the Guard, like Cariddi, wore grey uniforms with grey bulletproof vests and grey boots. The only blue on the Guard were their helmets, sunglasses, and utility belts. Cariddi's walkie-talkie, taser-baton, and cuffs were luckily different colors other than grey and blue. Bruno enjoyed the colors; it wasn't too much and the grey really made the shades of blue pop!

"Who you lookin' for, Bruno?" Valinoti grinned. "Rina?"

"Rina?" Lee and Cariddi both gasped.

"What?" Bruno and Valinoti said together.

"That's Sir Espington's daughter," Lee said. "Nobody can have her."

"Why?" Bruno asked.

"Sir Espington protects her constantly after her first━and last━boyfriend, Hermes," Lee answered.

"Like the Greek god?" Valinoti chuckled.

"Yes, that was his last name," Cariddi said.

"Was?" Bruno repeated.

"Sir Espington Exiled Hermes for trying to kidnap Rina and take her away to the Pines," Cariddi explained.

"Why was he kidnapping her?" Anzalone asked; Bruno forgot he was even there.

"Hermes fell in love with her," Lee said. "Wanted her all to himself. This all happened last year. He gagged her in the middle of the night and escaped through the sewers."

"Holy shit!" Valinoti shouted.

"Exactly," Lee said. "Luckily, a Plumber was working the graveyard shift in the sewer, you know, cleanin' shit and all. He caught Hermes and called the Guard."

"I was there to see him get Exiled," Cariddi said. "All other residents had to stay indoors."

"Wow," Bruno said. "So, is Rina, like, you know, off limits?"

"More like safeguarded," Lee clarified. "Everything goes by Sir Espington before it goes by Rina."

Bruno shook his head. He really thought he could have some sort of chance with Rina Espington. She was, by far, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. Bruno didn't know if he should still try with Rina or just call quits.

Valinoti took Bruno's mind off of Rina when he nudged him on his side. "Dude, look at this place!"

The group of boys were standing in front of a gigantic, grey-stone building with blue shillings and windowpanes. Residents were constantly walking in and out of the place with either to-go boxes or little baggies. Bruno saw one little boy walk outside with a half-eaten breadstick.

"Welcome to Espington Eatery," Lee chuckled. "Wait 'til you see inside."

Anzalone held the door open, the first kind gesture Bruno had ever seen since meeting the amber-haired stranger. The five boys entered Espington Eatery and froze almost immediately. There was a giant, crystalline chandelier dangling right above the front desk. A gorgeous lady stood behind the desk with a grey/blue outfit and a wide smile (she reminded Bruno of Katrina). But Bruno was staring around the hostess and desk. There were dozens of tables and booths, all with a fine, cerulean tablecloth and grey dinnerware. All the waiters and waitresses wore the same grey/cyan outfit with a white rag over their shoulders. The windows took up majority of the walls, letting all the sunlight in. There was a violinist at every corner playing songs Bruno had never heard of.

"Five, please," Cariddi said.

"Yes, may I see your ID Cards," the hostess asked.

Lee and Cariddi gave their Cards to the lady without hesitating. Lee looked at his confused roommates.

"Oh! They just came from Adlington. It's different there," he said to the hostess. "Guys, there's no paper money in Espington. We pay with the ID Cards. All money is transferred electronically here with eDollars."

"That's friggin' awesome," Valinoti said, and then when he saw the hostess wince at the swearing: "Shit, sorry."

Bruno, Valinoti, and Anzalone gave their ID Cards to the hostess. She smiled after scanning all three of them.

"Oh, you three have never been to Espington Eatery yet?" she asked.

"Yeah. They just got here earlier today," Lee said.

"It wasn't easy," Valinoti said, pointing to his bandaged head.

The hostess just chuckled. "Right this way. Since this is your first time, your meal is completely free of charge, guests included!"

"Holy crow!" Lee laughed aloud. "I totally forgot about that! And don't we get Rooftop Dining?"

"Correct!" the hostess giggled like Katrina.

She led the five boys past the tables and booths and violinists. There was a wide, marble staircase with another gorgeous lady standing nearby.

"Rooftop?" she asked with a glistening smile.

"Indeed!" the hostess smirked.

The lady spoke something into her bowtie microphone and smiled soon after. "Okay, I'll take you five up to the Rooftop. Follow me."

The hostess walked away from the staircase as Bruno and the guys ascended to the roof with the other lady. Bruno saw two large, indigo doors with silver doorknobs. They opened automatically when the lady reached the top. The boys' jaws dropped when they saw the Rooftop Dining. Again, there were dozens of tables but no booths. Plants covered the edges of the roof as well as blue eagle statues. There was a DJ stand, bar, and more violinists.

"This brings back memories!" Lee shouted.

"Your table is right over here," the lady motioned over to a long table near the bar.

Bruno and the guys sat down; Lee and Cariddi immediately put the napkins on their laps, making the other boys follow suit.

"Here are your menus," the lady said. "Otis will be your server!"

All of the guys got settled into their seats. Bruno noticed Anzalone fixing his pinky cast; Valinoti adjusted his head bandage soon after. Lee and Cariddi opened their menus; Bruno, again, followed suit.

There were hundreds of different options: breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, desserts, so much to choose from. The menu was heavy for a menu; it was grey with blue text. There were no such things as Rooftop Dining, hostesses, or menus in Adlington.

A man walked by with a smile on his face. He wore the same grey/blue outfit, but he also wore an indigo baseball cap. Two pens were in his chest pocket, a black apron around his waist.

"Good evening," the man said. "My name is Otis and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you men off with something to drink?"

Bruno, Valinoti, and Anzalone ordered the most insane fruit smoothies. Otis wrote it all down on his notepad.

"What? It's free," Valinoti said to Lee.

"Y'know, in Espington, the legal drinking age is eighteen," Cariddi said.

"And that's free today, too," Lee added.

The three boys turned back to Otis.

"I'll have a rum and cola━"

"━four beers please━"

"━and a margarita!"

Otis laughed aloud as he wrote all the alcoholic drinks on his notepad. Lee and Cariddi just ordered water with lemon. The waiter left and walked directly to the bar.

"So, Lee," Bruno started. "Explain what the job of a Factory Worker entails."

"Right," Lee said. "Here in Espington, we sell food, fabrics, furniture, and finery; I call it the Fab Four."

"That's dumb," Cariddi chimed in.

"Shh! Anyway," Lee began again. "the food is sent in by Belington, the Farming City. The Espington Factory workers make all the Espington fabrics, Inns furniture, and finery for the Jewelry Market."

"Hm, seems simple," Bruno said.

"I mean, once you get the hang of it, yes," Lee said. "But the hours are just...ugh!"

"What are the shifts like?" Valinoti asked.

"Lemme see your Information Slips," Lee said as Otis came back with the tray of beer bottles, margarita glasses, and two cups of lemon water.

Luckily, Bruno and Valinoti had their Information Slips; they handed them to Lee.

"Give you men another few minutes?" Otis asked.

"Please," Cariddi said and Otis was off again.

"Okay, awesome!" Lee cheered. "You both work with me Mondays and Tuesdays from six to six!"

"What?" Bruno and Valinoti both said.

"I know, I know," Lee calmed. "It's twelve-hour shifts, but for only two days!"

"Wednesday to Friday, you two go to ESH," Cariddi said.

"What?" Bruno and Valinoti both said again.

"Espington Schoolhouse," Cariddi clarified. "All residents must go the Schoolhouse until they turn nineteen."

"That's a weird age and rule," Anzalone said.

"Yeah, it is," Lee admitted. "It's only from eight in the morn 'til around two thirty. The teachers just teach ya the basics, nothin' major."

"What will Valinoti and I be making tomorrow?" Bruno asked.

"Nothin'," Lee laughed. "Our boss, Mavers, will be teachin' y'all the rooms, rules, procedures, and equipment. Think of tomorrow like a trainin' day. Hey, you get out early and they still pay ya."

"This is bullshit," Cariddi said. "Ya'll work together and I'm with Jago and Sayer!"

"Well, I'm a Cook downstairs," Anzalone said.

"Cooks work every evening, including Sundays," Lee said. "Only the best of the best get that job. You should be proud!"

"I mean, I am grateful," Anzalone said. "But I'm highly allergic to spices like cinnamon, cumin, tarragon, even garlic powder."

"Shit," Cariddi said.

"Yeah, you might wanna go to the front desk in Inns Two," Lee said. "They have all the information on ya. You can request an Occupation Change Form. They'll let ya switch if you got serious allergies."

Bruno didn't like the sound of that. Anzalone was going to be a harmless chef, but now he had the opportunity to switch jobs. What if he got a Guard like Cariddi and decided to shoot up Espington. Bruno knew Anzalone was bad news, but he didn't know what the badness was yet.

Otis came back and all the boys ordered. Bruno, Valinoti, and Anzalone got the most expensive entrees, while Lee and Cariddi just ordered rounds of appetizers. The violinists ceased playing and the DJ started to spin his records; techno music echoed the air.

"Residents like this type of music when they eat?" Bruno asked.

"Indeed," Lee said. "It makes us forget about all things stressful!"

"Cariddi, you said something about Watchtower One. What's that?" Valinoti asked.

"You probably saw them when you three arrived," Cariddi said. "There's a Watchtower at every corner of Espington, so there's four. The Guard stand at the tops of them with their rifles in case there are any threats such as Islington or Piners."

"Piners?" Anzalone repeated.

"Yeah," Lee said. "Remember I told you about Hermes? He was originally a Piner, someone who lives in the Pines, before moving to Espington. Piners are very dangerous and clever. None of the Four Cities know how many Piners there are, but there could be up to a couple thousand."

"Thousand?" Valinoti gasped.

"Yep," Cariddi said. "We are anticipating an ambush, but we're ready with all our artillery."

"That's insane," Bruno said. "Maybe the Piners attacked us and somehow they got a hold of Islington fabrics."

"That's a good theory, but I believe Islington was behind the carriage attack," Cariddi said. "They don't want anything to do with the other Cities. They want to rule Togluagoa."

"But doesn't Belington give them food?" Valinoti questioned.

"Islington has enough food to last them centuries, that's how wealthy they are. They have their own factories, greenhouses, gardens, and structures to keep them stable," Lee explained. "And even though Belington doesn't want to trade with Islington because of how dangerous they are, they still do because they get merchandise in return. And Belington needs all the stuff they can get."

"That's a shame," Valinoti said. "Why doesn't Espington give some money or food to Belington?"

"Cause decades ago, Belington attacked Espington because they thought we attacked their Sir Belington," Lee said. "It was really Islington. Espington never forgave Belington because they had killed thirty innocent residents."

"Have they asked for forgiveness?" Anzalone asked.

"Yes, and they got it," Cariddi said. "And they won't get anything more."

"This attack occurred when Cariddi and I were two, when we lived in different Rooms with our families," Lee said. "Belington, um, they uh━"

"They killed my father," Cariddi said. "He was part of the Guard, too."

"I'm so sorry," Bruno, Valinoti, and Anzalone said around the same time.

"It's okay," Cariddi said. "Luckily, I don't remember him much and I know he died protecting Espington."

Cariddi smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. Bruno was shocked that he learned so much about Espington and his roommates that he didn't even realize Otis was there with a tray of different entrees. He handed Valinoti a nice full-rack of ribs, Anzalone a jumbo bacon burger with extra cheddar cheese, and Bruno a chicken parmesan entree.

"I'll be right back with your appetizer meal," Otis grinned. "Not enough room on the tray!"

Otis speed walked back into a room that probably connected to the floor below and all the kitchens within. The DJ switched to a song that remixed Togluagoa's National Anthem.

Valinoti was loving his ribs, as was Anzalone with his burger. Bruno grabbed his knife and fork and proceeded to cut the cheesy chicken breast. He took and bite and almost choked.

"Quick, Cariddi, do the Heimlich!" Lee shouted.

"No, no, no!" Bruno laughed. "I've never tasted anything like this good before."

"Well, next time, don't make it seem like you're chokin' to death, jeez," Lee said, patting his forehead with his napkin.

Otis came back with a platter of potato skins, fried calamari, potstickers, mozzarella sticks, and cheese fries.

"Well, that's fattening," Bruno laughed.

"That's why I ordered the Vegetarian Appetizer Meal, the VAM," Cariddi said, Otis handing him a plate of grilled greens, potatoes, and balsamic tomatoes. "What? I gotta stay healthy if I wanna stay a Guard!

The boys kept eating, not really speaking. Every so often, Valinoti or Bruno would ask questions about the Schoolhouse or Katrina; Anzalone asked no questions.

"By the way, your ID Card has around two hundred eDollars," Lee mentioned. "Just to keep you on your feet before you start work!"

"So if you wanted to hit up the Markets for yourselves, that'd be a good idea," Cariddi added.

"Sweet! Maybe Bruno and I will check it out later tonight?" Valinoti suggested.

"Yeah," Lee said. "All the Markets in Espington don't close until midnight."

Bruno was almost done with his chicken parmesan. He looked around and saw a few other ex Miners that were taking advantage of their free Rooftop Dining. Lee and Cariddi had already finished their appetizers; Valinoti was almost done with his ribs. Anzalone barely finished his burger and sweet potato fries.

"Well, I gotta go!" Cariddi said. "It's almost eight. I'll see ya back at R Nine."

"R Nine?" Bruno repeated.

"Room Nine," Cariddi laughed. "So much for you to still learn."

The Guard got up from the table, took one last sip of his lemon water, and disappeared through the double, blue doors.

"Dessert?" Lee asked.

"Yes!" Bruno and Valinoti cheered.

"Actually," Anzalone said, "I'm gonna head out, too. I wanna look around Espington, see if any place sparks an idea for a new job."

"Good idea!" Lee smiled. "We'll see ya back at R Nine!"

Anzalone waved goodbye and exited through the same double, blue doors; Otis appeared soon afterwards. Bruno felt Anzalone's sudden departure was highly suspicious.

"Can I get you men any dessert?" he asked.

"May we please have the Brownie Explosion, a platter of chocolate strawberries, and three pilsner glasses of whole milk?" Lee asked.

"Surely!" and Otis was off again.

"Yum!" Valinoti smiled.

The double doors opened and Bruno noticed a small group of girls. The one girl was very familiar, but the night sky made it hard for Bruno to make out all her features. Finally, she walked past a lantern and Bruno knew exactly who it was.

"Valinoti," he said. "isn't that the Nurse that bandaged your head?"

"Oh, yeah." Valinoti smiled. "Hey, hey, Madigan!"

The Nurse turned her head, smiled her pearly whites, and made her way to the table along with the other three girls.

"Hey, Valinoti," she said. "How's your head doing?"

"Good," he smiled. "I had to shower with my head to the side."

"It'll be frustrating this week, but you'll get used to it," Madigan assured. Then, "Guys, these are my partners and roommates: Caroline, Samantha, and Nicole."

The three Nurses waved. Bruno remembered Madigan mentioning Caroline; she had been the Nurse that put a cast on Anzalone's "broken" pinky. She had long, straightened dirty-blonde hair; her skin was a nice shade of beige. Her ID Card rested on a necklace. The Nurse named Samantha was standing behind Caroline. She was even more blonde than Madigan, with bright, blue eyes. Her lips were pink but her smile was her best feature. Next to Samantha was who Nurse Madigan introduced as Nicole. She had wavy, brown hair and cinderwood eyes. The Nurse had a nose ring as well as redder-than-pink lips. Nicole held a jar of peanut butter.

"Can I ask why you're holding━"

"I hate the Eatery's peanut butter," Nicole said, cutting Bruno off, "so I brought my own for our dessert."

"Lee, I didn't know you lived with Valinoti and Bruno," Madigan chuckled.

"Yup, they're sick roommates!" Lee smiled.

"Isn't Anzalone with you guys, too?" Caroline asked.

Bruno nodded.

"Is Otis here?" Samantha asked.

"Yeah, why?" Lee wondered.

"He's gorgeous."

"Oh, shh, Sam!" Nicole chuckled.

"Well, it was nice seeing you guys," Madigan said. "Valinoti, remember: no water on your head until next Sunday when I see you again!"

Valinoti gave Madigan a thumbs up.

The Nurses walked away and were led by the same gorgeous lady to a table near the edge of the building. Lucky for Sam, Otis was making his way to their table. Another waiter handed Bruno and the boys their dessert. The Brownie Explosion consisted of a giant, steaming brownie topped with ice-cold vanilla bean ice cream and wet walnuts. The boys devoured the platter before the waiter even placed the plate of chocolate strawberries on the table.

"Um, enjoy," he mumbled and then hobbled away.

Five minutes later, the strawberries were eaten and the glasses of milk were empty. The three boys were clutching their stomachs.

"Ready to leave?" Lee asked.

"Yeah. We've been here for almost three hours," Bruno realized.

"Even though our meal was free, we should still give Otis a tip," Lee said. He took out his ID Card and waved it over the center of the table where an engraved symbol that looked like two uppercase E's was located.

Suddenly, a small screen appeared in the center of the table and Bruno and Valinoti gasped.

"Oh, relax," Lee laughed. "It's just where you pay for the meals."

It looked as if a tablet was embedded into the table. Lee typed in the amount he wanted to give as a tip and then pressed the ACCEPT button.

"Let's bounce," he then said.

The three boys got up, waved the Nurses goodbye, and headed to the double doors. Bruno opened the door and bumped right into Rina Espington.

"Oh, shit, sorry," Bruno said, moving to his side.

"No big deal, Bruno," Rina smiled, walking to a sectioned off table with her little brother, Colton.