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first 4k words of NaNo fic!
Title: Children of Tomorrow
Fandom: My Chemical Romance – fusion with Logan's Run (film)
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Ray/Mikey, others implied
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: minor character deaths, the ripping off of sci-fi plots from the 60s and 70s
Summary: In the 24th century, humankind has survived overpopulation, pollution, famine, financial collapse, and war. The Children of Tomorrow live in a domed City, cut off from the forgotten world Outside. Everyone lives a life of pleasure and leisure, freed from work by the auto-mechanisms programmed by the Thinker, a supercomputer in charge of running the City. Everything is perfect except for one tiny catch...
Notes: Written for NaNoWriMo 2010
“There you are.”
Gerard turned away from the glass and smiled. “Ray. Come look.”
“What are you doing in Nursery? No one comes here,” Ray said.
There wasn't anything to do in Nursery but look at the babies, and no one really cared about babies. But Gerard found himself fascinated by the newest arrival. “Look at that one. A new Sandman.”
Sure enough, the baby girl was draped with a black blanket instead of the usual white. She matched Ray and Gerard, who wore the black of their station as well.
Ray was staring hard at Gerard. “Is she yours?”
The baby opened her tiny hand to show off a white lifeclock. Gerard wondered if he'd known her in a past life.
Gerard's own lifeclock was red, as was Ray's.
“Gerard. Is she yours?” Ray asked again. Gerard nodded. “I don't understand you at all.”
“Did you find out what I asked you about?” Gerard asked, not looking at Ray and touching the glass that separated him from the babies. A 'bot came into the sterile Nursery room and began checking on the babies.
“If I can drag you away long enough to get you to a console...” Ray said teasingly.
Gerard smiled and followed Ray to the nearest computer console. There was one outside Nursery, and Ray did something to it to make it do what he wanted. He was so good with computers, the way Gerard was good with art. And, in the same way, they both had to hide their talents from people who wouldn't understand.
“I found someone,” Ray said. “A Green. You have the same seed mother.” Ray typed in a few more things on the console and then a picture opened up on the screen.
Gerard's breath came faster. The Green's hair was blond and the picture was too far away to tell the color of his eyes, but Gerard thought he saw a few similarities in their features. A name scrolled under the picture. Michael 3.
“Thank you,” Gerard said.
“I don't know why you care about biology, but you're my friend and I guess that means I should humor you,” Ray said. “Just don't tell anyone else about this. They won't be as understanding.”
Gerard and Ray had a good, close friendship. They'd been raised together as Sandmen, had fought side by side since their training ended. Gerard knew Ray's secrets, the ones about his computer knowledge and knack for changing pre-programmed music into something more.
A chime rang throughout the hall, indicating it was time to gather for Carrousel. It was Matthew 8's Lastday, and Gerard was excited for him. Matthew 8 was one of the few non-Sandmen Gerard and Ray were friends with. They'd gotten together the night before, inhaling Dust and celebrating. Matt was looking forward to his Renewal.
“C'mon, we don't want to be late,” Ray said.
Gerard nodded. He also wanted to search the crowd for Michael 3. He didn't understand his curiosity, why even after knowing he had a sibling he felt the need to see him, or – if possible – get to know him.
They walked past the glass of Nursery again as they exited, and Gerard looked at the baby girl in black one last time. He wished, rather foolishly, that there wasn't a glass. That he could put his finger in the baby's hand an feel the tiny fingers curl around and hold on.
Ray looked at him worriedly. “Do you know who her seed mother was?”
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I'm just curious, not out of my mind.”
“Good,” Ray said. “You already ask too many questions for a Sandman. For anyone, actually.”
“Think there'll be a Runner today?” Gerard asked, touching the gun at his side.
Ray laughed. “There's always at least one.”
*
The Great Hall was milling with people dressed in yellow, green, and red. Everyone was on their way into the amphitheater to witness Carrousel. Gerard scanned the crowd, eyes pausing on every Green, looking hard for Michael 3. He had no idea what he would do once he found him, just that he wanted to see him. Needed to see him. Would he be as tall as Gerard? What was his smile like? How did his voice sound? Was he interested in the unorthodox like Gerard was? Or were they not similar at all?
Ray bumped square into a Red and frowned. “Watch where you're going,” he said.
“Do you have to be so rude?” Gerard chided him.
“He's going to Run,” Ray said. “I can always tell who's going to Run.”
Gerard laughed and pushed him playfully. “There's no way to tell. Come on, we want a good seat.”
Inside the amphitheater, Gerard and Ray found a spot with a good view of the staging area. It was loud and boisterous as people found seats and chatted happily with their friends.
”Five minutes to Carrousel,” the computer's voice reminded them.
Two blonde Greens were giggling and looking at Ray and Gerard. Ray smiled and ducked his head a little. His shyness always got him the best sex partners, Gerard thought. It was that and the uniform.
Gerard didn't do too badly either when it came to hooking up. He looked good in black, and he'd been complimented time and time again on his eyes. Mostly, though, he used the Circuit for sex. It was even more anonymous, which made it thrilling, and it was nearly instantaneous.
Ray nudged Gerard. “I think I see him.”
“Who?” Gerard asked, and followed Ray's line of sight.
Michael 3 was sitting by himself in Section six. His tunic was a shimmery green and cut low. His trousers were tight on his legs. He wore black boots on his feet and a bored expression on his face. His hair was blonder than the computer image.
He must have felt his sibling's eyes on him, because he looked up curiously and met Gerard's gaze. Gerard's breath caught.
“You're staring. That's rude,” Ray murmured in Gerard's ear.
Gerard wanted to get up and introduce himself, but the computer's voice rang out again, “One minute to Carrousel.”
The lights were going down and the giant crystal lifeclock in the center of the stage was glowing. Hooded figures were walking into place around it, dressed in the traditional white and red to symbolize Renewal, the beginning and end. Gerard looked around the circle, wondering which one was their friend Matt.
The overhead apparatus slowly came down until it was only about ten feet over the red crystal. The technology of Renewal was unfathomable, but everyone understood the basics. On Lastday, in the ritual of Carrousel, you were reborn in the fire. At thirty years old, your old life ended and your new life began as you were Renewed – born again as a White. At least, that was the hope. There were different theories. The most pleasant tale was that everyone who participated in Carrousel was Renewed.
But there were other opinions, of course. The insane believed Carrousel was permanent death, and that was why there were Runners and Sandmen in the first place.
“Carrousel begins,” the overhead voice said. “Capricorn 8s, prepare to be Renewed.”
The circle of Reds slowly took off their white robes and revealed themselves. Matt's familiar features came into view and Gerard smiled, genuinely happy for him.
The Renewal technology began to hum as a white beam of light came down to surround the circle and lift them from their feet. The people in the crowd came to their feet and began to shout joyously at the sight.
“Renew!” came the call of the crowd.
One by one, the floating figures broke apart into shimmering, kaleidoscopic pieces. With each blast, the crowd grew more and more excited.
Matt floated upwards, and Gerard found himself on his feet. Carrousel was always exciting, but seeing someone he knew in the circle was an awesome experience. Gerard raised his fist in the air and shouted, “Renew!” at the top of his lungs. His voice wasn't lost in the crowd but was added to it, as thousands of people chanted and cheered.
Then Matt exploded into sparkling dust, and Gerard clapped wildly. Beside him, Ray wore a wide smile and cheered along with him until the last of the circle was gone.
It was the best Carrousel Gerard could remember.
Gerard felt the buzz of his comm at his side before he heard the persistent beeping alarm. Beside him, Ray's comm went off as well. They both looked at their screens at the same time. Gerard sighed. He'd wanted to introduce himself to Michael 3 before they left the amphitheater, but duty called.
“Looks like we've got a Runner in the Great Hall,” Ray said. He looked excited for it. He loved being a Sandman, enjoyed the chase and the fight more than Gerard did.
Gerard smiled at him affectionately. “Let's go, then.”
They both pulled their guns and started moving towards the Hall. Up the stairs, through the milling crowd, calling out, “Sandmen here, clear the way.”
Some people were frightened of Sandmen. Maybe it was that they wore black, or that they were raised differently and taught to fight. That they were allowed to be violent without having to live in Cathedral with the Cubs. Maybe it was the guns. In any case, people respected the uniform, and when a couple of Sandmen brandishing their weapons called out for them to move aside, they did.
By the time they reached the Great Hall, the Runner had moved on. Gerard checked his comm. “Location?” he asked.
A Sandman tracking the Runner from one of the stations replied back, “Heading towards the Shops.”
Ray laughed. “They always think we don't know this place like we know ourselves.”
“Want the back way?” Gerard asked.
A voice came out over the comm again, “Wait, there's two. I repeat, there are two Runners.”
“One for me and one for you,” Gerard said to Ray.
“You go around the back,” Ray said. “I'll take them head-on.”
Gerard grinned and nodded, then checked the settings on his gun, making sure the blast would Terminate. Then he went through a door that would lead him to a back passage normally only used by 'bots.
Runners were odd. Gerard didn't understand them, but he didn't need to in order to hunt them down and Terminate them. His own lifeclock was red and had been for awhile. He knew it would start flashing April 8th, the day before his Lastday. But he'd be taking his chances for Renewal in Carrousel, not Running away into sure, final death. Everyone knew you couldn't Renew if you didn't go through the ritual.
Looking down at the small screen on his comm, Gerard tracked the Runners into a head shop. He didn't have to walk far to get to the back of the store. He pressed his thumb against the lock-pad and the door opened silently. He muted his comm and put it away.
Gerard had been taught stealth from the time his lifeclock was white. It was part of his training as a Sandman, just like learning the martial art of Omnite.
He slipped into the shop easily, ignoring the attractive displays of drugs and paraphernalia. He kept his gun at the ready. The floor beneath his feet was well-polished, but his boots didn't make a sound.
He kept himself low so that the Runners wouldn't see him over the shelves. He got closer; he could hear ragged breathing. Just on the other side...
Gerard heard a blast and a scream before he could get into a good position. Ray had gotten to them first, but Gerard would finish them when they went running from Ray.
The first Runner came around the corner, straight into Gerard's blast. Gerard hit her dead in the chest, Terminating her instantly. The Runner fell, lifeless, and Gerard waited for the second Runner.
Ray got him first, though, right in the back. Gerard came around the corner with a big grin and said, “Good shot.”
“I was hoping to get them both,” Ray said.
“Don't be greedy,” Gerard said, holstering his gun.
“But it's fun,” Ray said. “Target practice is never as good as the real thing.”
“You should reprogram the simulations, then,” Gerard suggested. He walked back to the first Runner and started checking her pockets. He found stims, some Sublime, and a curiously shaped metal object. He bagged it all and took out his comm. “Runners Terminated,” he reported. “Need cleanup at Joe's Head Shop.”
“Cleanup being sent,” the reply said. “You're off duty now, boys.”
Gerard sighed. He hadn't realized it was so late in the day. “Got plans?” he asked Ray.
“I think I'm going to find those Greens we saw at Carrousel,” Ray answered with a smile. “You?”
“Quiet night in,” Gerard said. “'I'm in the mood for the Circuit.”
Ray laughed and clapped him on the back. “Have fun.”
*
Gerard's quarters weren't very colorful. Everything was black and chrome. He hid his colors, the painted canvases and marked papers, either under his bed or in the spare room, what was supposed to be his office. Tonight he wasn't in the mood for art, though. He was horny, period.
He adjusted the black robe he wore and went over to the seemingly blank space on the far wall. The console asked for Gerard's input. He pressed the button marked 'Circuit' and waited for someone to materialize.
It only took a few seconds, the Red woman who soon stood in the blank space smiled at him. She was skinny and had an orange cast to her skin – too much time in the body shop, Gerard thought. He shook his head and waved goodbye, then pressed the Circuit button again.
The next person who showed up was just Gerard's type: short, dark hair, tattooed. He was a Green, so he was a few years younger than Gerard. His eyes were an intriguing hazel color.
Gerard held out his hand to welcome him into his quarters. “I'm Gerard 5.”
“Frank 2,” the Green said, looking around the room warily. He took Gerard's hand and let him lead him to the circular sofa.
They sat close together on the sofa and Gerard immediately leaned over to kiss him. Frank had the most intriguing jewelry, especially the silver ring in his lip.
But Frank leaned back and shook his head. “Can we talk first or something?”
Gerard laughed at the joke, but stopped when he realized Frank was serious. “You want to talk?”
Frank shrugged. Gerard's eyes slid down to his neck to the twin tattoos there on either side. One was a scorpion and the other was a familiar looking symbol.
“What's that? I've seen that before,” Gerard said, touching the inked skin.
Frank stiffened. “It's an ankh.”
“What does it mean?” Gerard asked. He wanted to kiss Frank's neck and then take him straight to bed.
“I think it's an ancient symbol. I don't know what it means,” Frank said. He looked from the lifeclock in Gerard's palm to his robe. “Why are you wearing black?”
“I like black,” Gerard said defensively.
“Aren't you a Red?” Frank asked. “Are you a Sandman?”
Gerard smiled. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Are you one of those who fear Sandmen?”
Frank snorted and pulled away. “No.”
“You're awfully cold,” Gerard said. “Why did you put yourself on the Circuit if you don't want-?”
Frank swallowed and looked at Gerard squarely. “I was feeling sad. Lonely. One of my friends died today.”
Gerard blinked. “Died?”
“Shot to death,” Frank said. “She was afraid of Carrousel, so she ran. And you're probably the one who killed her.”
“I've never killed anyone in my life,” Gerard said. “But I do Terminate Runners.”
Frank set his jaw and got up from the couch. There was a fire in him that was attractive, and Gerard liked that.
Gerard took Frank's hand again and tried to lead him into the bedroom. “Have we talked enough yet?”
“No. I mean. I don't want to have sex. I've decided not to. I just want to go,” Frank said.
Gerard was going to cajole him, but there was a bell at the door and then Ray walked right in, flanked by two blonde women on either side of him. They were laughing and spraying Sublime vapor at each other. Ray's pupils were huge; he'd obviously had a lot already.
“Oh, so it'll be the … five of us?” Ray asked, counting everyone in the room. “I misjudged you, Gerard. I thought you'd be alone.”
“I was just leaving,” Frank said, slipping his hand out of Gerard's and heading towards the door.
“Oh, c'mon, stay,” Gerard said, but Frank was already leaving. Gerard looked after him for a moment, before a cloud of Sublime engulfed his head and he smelled the sweet fumes. It went to his mind immediately, and he turned back to Ray and the friends he'd brought.
“This is Jessica 6 and … oh, shit. What was your name again?” Ray asked one of the women.
The tall Red answered, “Lorna 5,” and pressed against his side.
Gerard laughed and took two hands in his, not caring who he was touching. Touch of any kind was good. Together, they stumbled back to his bedroom and onto the bed. It had been awhile since he and Ray had shared partners or had sex together, and Gerard found he missed it.
It was hours before the drug wore off and the four of them fell asleep, exhausted.
*
Stims were the only way to wake up after a night like that, stims and coffee.
Ray greeted Gerard on the way to the Thinker and they walked the rest of the way together.
“Have fun last night?” Ray asked knowingly.
Gerard huffed a laugh. “You were there; you should know.”
“I'm in first,” Ray said, checking in with the console in front of the huge doors. Gerard got his bag out and ready to turn in.
“I'll wait right here,” Gerard said.
He watched as Ray walked down to the white light-table in the center of the room. Ray emptied his bag onto the table and the computer analyzed everything. It didn't take long. The Runner's effects were dematerialized, to go into storage or redistributed as the Thinker saw fit.
Ray walked back to Gerard and said, “Your turn. I'm going into the station to see what's going on. See you there.”
Gerard nodded. “Right behind you.”
Once Ray was out the door, Gerard pulled out his bag and walked up to the light-table. He unceremoniously dumped his Runner's possessions onto the table. He tried not to think of what Frank had said, that the Runner had been his friend, or that Gerard had 'killed' her. He shook his head and waited for the Thinker to identify and complete the protocol.
“Sandman, please proceed to the far console.”
Gerard blinked. This wasn't part of the usual procedure. He did as he was told, though, and made his way past a long wall of blinking lights to the console at the far end of the room.
“Sit down and identify yourself,” the Thinker said, and a chair moved away from the desk.
Gerard sat. “Gerard 5,” he said, placing his thumb on a pad in order for the computer to scan it.
The computer screen flashed and then a single symbol showed up in plain black and white. “Identify Runner's object. Do you know this symbol, Sandman?”
“It was in the Runner's pocket. It's … it's an ankh.” Wasn't that what Frank had called it?
“Define symbol: Ankh,” the Thinker said.
Gerard shook his head. “I can't. I don't know what it means.”
“Define place: Sanctuary,” the voice commanded, and the word came up on the screen under the ankh.
“There's no place called Sanctuary in the City,” Gerard said. He knew every nook and cranny.
The computer was silent for a moment, as if it were thinking. Gerard knew that was ridiculous, that even with an artificial intelligence, the Thinker computed at much faster rates than humans.
“Your mission is to find Runners.”
“I do that. I Terminate Runners. It's my designation as a Sandman,” Gerard said, confused.
“There are one thousand, six hundred and twenty-five unaccounted Runners,” the Thinker told him.
Gerard shook his head. “I don't understand.”
“Runners seek the place called Sanctuary. Your mission is to find Sanctuary.”
“But... I've never heard of this place. Where is it?” Gerard asked.
“Sanctuary is located Outside the City.”
Gerard straightened in his chair, looking at the screen in bewilderment. “What do you mean Outside? There's no Outside, only the City.”
But the Thinker went on as though he hadn't spoken. “Your mission is to pose as a Runner, travel Outside the City, and find Sanctuary.”
“Is that all?” Gerard asked weakly.
“You will report back here and the Sandmen will destroy Sanctuary en force,” the Thinker said.
Gerard shook his head. “I don't want to leave the city. I don't want this mission. The unaccounted Runners, what if they just all Renewed?”
Silence. Then, “Gerard 5, you will pose as a Runner, travel Outside, and infiltrate Sanctuary.”
“No one will believe a Sandman would Run. Plus my Lastday isn't until April,” Gerard said, trying not to get hysterical. Panic boiled up inside him.
“Hold your hand close to the panel. Palm up.”
Gerard did as he was told. And watched in horror as his lifeclock began to blink. “Fuck, no, no...”
“You have your mission, Gerard 5. Leave and begin. Take the Runner's symbol with you on your way out.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to breathe his way through the panic. He didn't have a choice, now. His lifeclock said his time was up, whether he was actually thirty or not. As soon as someone saw, he would be caught out. He couldn't stay in the City. He would have to go Outside, or be Terminated by a Sandman.
He'd be dubbed a Runner either way.
He picked up the silver ankh from the light-table on the way out.
Gerard closed his hand so that no one could see the flashing lifeclock. He walked to the station, poked his head in the door, and motioned Ray over. “I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm gonna spend the rest of the day in bed.”
Ray grinned at him. “Were we too rough with you last night?”
Gerard shook his head and managed a wobbly smile. “No, I think I'm coming down with something.”
“Now that you mention it, you're not looking so good,” Ray said. He put his hand on Gerard's forehead. “You're clammy. You should visit a medbot.”
Gerard nodded and pulled away. “See you later.” He left before Ray could say anything more.
Fandom: My Chemical Romance – fusion with Logan's Run (film)
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Ray/Mikey, others implied
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: minor character deaths, the ripping off of sci-fi plots from the 60s and 70s
Summary: In the 24th century, humankind has survived overpopulation, pollution, famine, financial collapse, and war. The Children of Tomorrow live in a domed City, cut off from the forgotten world Outside. Everyone lives a life of pleasure and leisure, freed from work by the auto-mechanisms programmed by the Thinker, a supercomputer in charge of running the City. Everything is perfect except for one tiny catch...
Notes: Written for NaNoWriMo 2010
“There you are.”
Gerard turned away from the glass and smiled. “Ray. Come look.”
“What are you doing in Nursery? No one comes here,” Ray said.
There wasn't anything to do in Nursery but look at the babies, and no one really cared about babies. But Gerard found himself fascinated by the newest arrival. “Look at that one. A new Sandman.”
Sure enough, the baby girl was draped with a black blanket instead of the usual white. She matched Ray and Gerard, who wore the black of their station as well.
Ray was staring hard at Gerard. “Is she yours?”
The baby opened her tiny hand to show off a white lifeclock. Gerard wondered if he'd known her in a past life.
Gerard's own lifeclock was red, as was Ray's.
“Gerard. Is she yours?” Ray asked again. Gerard nodded. “I don't understand you at all.”
“Did you find out what I asked you about?” Gerard asked, not looking at Ray and touching the glass that separated him from the babies. A 'bot came into the sterile Nursery room and began checking on the babies.
“If I can drag you away long enough to get you to a console...” Ray said teasingly.
Gerard smiled and followed Ray to the nearest computer console. There was one outside Nursery, and Ray did something to it to make it do what he wanted. He was so good with computers, the way Gerard was good with art. And, in the same way, they both had to hide their talents from people who wouldn't understand.
“I found someone,” Ray said. “A Green. You have the same seed mother.” Ray typed in a few more things on the console and then a picture opened up on the screen.
Gerard's breath came faster. The Green's hair was blond and the picture was too far away to tell the color of his eyes, but Gerard thought he saw a few similarities in their features. A name scrolled under the picture. Michael 3.
“Thank you,” Gerard said.
“I don't know why you care about biology, but you're my friend and I guess that means I should humor you,” Ray said. “Just don't tell anyone else about this. They won't be as understanding.”
Gerard and Ray had a good, close friendship. They'd been raised together as Sandmen, had fought side by side since their training ended. Gerard knew Ray's secrets, the ones about his computer knowledge and knack for changing pre-programmed music into something more.
A chime rang throughout the hall, indicating it was time to gather for Carrousel. It was Matthew 8's Lastday, and Gerard was excited for him. Matthew 8 was one of the few non-Sandmen Gerard and Ray were friends with. They'd gotten together the night before, inhaling Dust and celebrating. Matt was looking forward to his Renewal.
“C'mon, we don't want to be late,” Ray said.
Gerard nodded. He also wanted to search the crowd for Michael 3. He didn't understand his curiosity, why even after knowing he had a sibling he felt the need to see him, or – if possible – get to know him.
They walked past the glass of Nursery again as they exited, and Gerard looked at the baby girl in black one last time. He wished, rather foolishly, that there wasn't a glass. That he could put his finger in the baby's hand an feel the tiny fingers curl around and hold on.
Ray looked at him worriedly. “Do you know who her seed mother was?”
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I'm just curious, not out of my mind.”
“Good,” Ray said. “You already ask too many questions for a Sandman. For anyone, actually.”
“Think there'll be a Runner today?” Gerard asked, touching the gun at his side.
Ray laughed. “There's always at least one.”
*
The Great Hall was milling with people dressed in yellow, green, and red. Everyone was on their way into the amphitheater to witness Carrousel. Gerard scanned the crowd, eyes pausing on every Green, looking hard for Michael 3. He had no idea what he would do once he found him, just that he wanted to see him. Needed to see him. Would he be as tall as Gerard? What was his smile like? How did his voice sound? Was he interested in the unorthodox like Gerard was? Or were they not similar at all?
Ray bumped square into a Red and frowned. “Watch where you're going,” he said.
“Do you have to be so rude?” Gerard chided him.
“He's going to Run,” Ray said. “I can always tell who's going to Run.”
Gerard laughed and pushed him playfully. “There's no way to tell. Come on, we want a good seat.”
Inside the amphitheater, Gerard and Ray found a spot with a good view of the staging area. It was loud and boisterous as people found seats and chatted happily with their friends.
”Five minutes to Carrousel,” the computer's voice reminded them.
Two blonde Greens were giggling and looking at Ray and Gerard. Ray smiled and ducked his head a little. His shyness always got him the best sex partners, Gerard thought. It was that and the uniform.
Gerard didn't do too badly either when it came to hooking up. He looked good in black, and he'd been complimented time and time again on his eyes. Mostly, though, he used the Circuit for sex. It was even more anonymous, which made it thrilling, and it was nearly instantaneous.
Ray nudged Gerard. “I think I see him.”
“Who?” Gerard asked, and followed Ray's line of sight.
Michael 3 was sitting by himself in Section six. His tunic was a shimmery green and cut low. His trousers were tight on his legs. He wore black boots on his feet and a bored expression on his face. His hair was blonder than the computer image.
He must have felt his sibling's eyes on him, because he looked up curiously and met Gerard's gaze. Gerard's breath caught.
“You're staring. That's rude,” Ray murmured in Gerard's ear.
Gerard wanted to get up and introduce himself, but the computer's voice rang out again, “One minute to Carrousel.”
The lights were going down and the giant crystal lifeclock in the center of the stage was glowing. Hooded figures were walking into place around it, dressed in the traditional white and red to symbolize Renewal, the beginning and end. Gerard looked around the circle, wondering which one was their friend Matt.
The overhead apparatus slowly came down until it was only about ten feet over the red crystal. The technology of Renewal was unfathomable, but everyone understood the basics. On Lastday, in the ritual of Carrousel, you were reborn in the fire. At thirty years old, your old life ended and your new life began as you were Renewed – born again as a White. At least, that was the hope. There were different theories. The most pleasant tale was that everyone who participated in Carrousel was Renewed.
But there were other opinions, of course. The insane believed Carrousel was permanent death, and that was why there were Runners and Sandmen in the first place.
“Carrousel begins,” the overhead voice said. “Capricorn 8s, prepare to be Renewed.”
The circle of Reds slowly took off their white robes and revealed themselves. Matt's familiar features came into view and Gerard smiled, genuinely happy for him.
The Renewal technology began to hum as a white beam of light came down to surround the circle and lift them from their feet. The people in the crowd came to their feet and began to shout joyously at the sight.
“Renew!” came the call of the crowd.
One by one, the floating figures broke apart into shimmering, kaleidoscopic pieces. With each blast, the crowd grew more and more excited.
Matt floated upwards, and Gerard found himself on his feet. Carrousel was always exciting, but seeing someone he knew in the circle was an awesome experience. Gerard raised his fist in the air and shouted, “Renew!” at the top of his lungs. His voice wasn't lost in the crowd but was added to it, as thousands of people chanted and cheered.
Then Matt exploded into sparkling dust, and Gerard clapped wildly. Beside him, Ray wore a wide smile and cheered along with him until the last of the circle was gone.
It was the best Carrousel Gerard could remember.
Gerard felt the buzz of his comm at his side before he heard the persistent beeping alarm. Beside him, Ray's comm went off as well. They both looked at their screens at the same time. Gerard sighed. He'd wanted to introduce himself to Michael 3 before they left the amphitheater, but duty called.
“Looks like we've got a Runner in the Great Hall,” Ray said. He looked excited for it. He loved being a Sandman, enjoyed the chase and the fight more than Gerard did.
Gerard smiled at him affectionately. “Let's go, then.”
They both pulled their guns and started moving towards the Hall. Up the stairs, through the milling crowd, calling out, “Sandmen here, clear the way.”
Some people were frightened of Sandmen. Maybe it was that they wore black, or that they were raised differently and taught to fight. That they were allowed to be violent without having to live in Cathedral with the Cubs. Maybe it was the guns. In any case, people respected the uniform, and when a couple of Sandmen brandishing their weapons called out for them to move aside, they did.
By the time they reached the Great Hall, the Runner had moved on. Gerard checked his comm. “Location?” he asked.
A Sandman tracking the Runner from one of the stations replied back, “Heading towards the Shops.”
Ray laughed. “They always think we don't know this place like we know ourselves.”
“Want the back way?” Gerard asked.
A voice came out over the comm again, “Wait, there's two. I repeat, there are two Runners.”
“One for me and one for you,” Gerard said to Ray.
“You go around the back,” Ray said. “I'll take them head-on.”
Gerard grinned and nodded, then checked the settings on his gun, making sure the blast would Terminate. Then he went through a door that would lead him to a back passage normally only used by 'bots.
Runners were odd. Gerard didn't understand them, but he didn't need to in order to hunt them down and Terminate them. His own lifeclock was red and had been for awhile. He knew it would start flashing April 8th, the day before his Lastday. But he'd be taking his chances for Renewal in Carrousel, not Running away into sure, final death. Everyone knew you couldn't Renew if you didn't go through the ritual.
Looking down at the small screen on his comm, Gerard tracked the Runners into a head shop. He didn't have to walk far to get to the back of the store. He pressed his thumb against the lock-pad and the door opened silently. He muted his comm and put it away.
Gerard had been taught stealth from the time his lifeclock was white. It was part of his training as a Sandman, just like learning the martial art of Omnite.
He slipped into the shop easily, ignoring the attractive displays of drugs and paraphernalia. He kept his gun at the ready. The floor beneath his feet was well-polished, but his boots didn't make a sound.
He kept himself low so that the Runners wouldn't see him over the shelves. He got closer; he could hear ragged breathing. Just on the other side...
Gerard heard a blast and a scream before he could get into a good position. Ray had gotten to them first, but Gerard would finish them when they went running from Ray.
The first Runner came around the corner, straight into Gerard's blast. Gerard hit her dead in the chest, Terminating her instantly. The Runner fell, lifeless, and Gerard waited for the second Runner.
Ray got him first, though, right in the back. Gerard came around the corner with a big grin and said, “Good shot.”
“I was hoping to get them both,” Ray said.
“Don't be greedy,” Gerard said, holstering his gun.
“But it's fun,” Ray said. “Target practice is never as good as the real thing.”
“You should reprogram the simulations, then,” Gerard suggested. He walked back to the first Runner and started checking her pockets. He found stims, some Sublime, and a curiously shaped metal object. He bagged it all and took out his comm. “Runners Terminated,” he reported. “Need cleanup at Joe's Head Shop.”
“Cleanup being sent,” the reply said. “You're off duty now, boys.”
Gerard sighed. He hadn't realized it was so late in the day. “Got plans?” he asked Ray.
“I think I'm going to find those Greens we saw at Carrousel,” Ray answered with a smile. “You?”
“Quiet night in,” Gerard said. “'I'm in the mood for the Circuit.”
Ray laughed and clapped him on the back. “Have fun.”
*
Gerard's quarters weren't very colorful. Everything was black and chrome. He hid his colors, the painted canvases and marked papers, either under his bed or in the spare room, what was supposed to be his office. Tonight he wasn't in the mood for art, though. He was horny, period.
He adjusted the black robe he wore and went over to the seemingly blank space on the far wall. The console asked for Gerard's input. He pressed the button marked 'Circuit' and waited for someone to materialize.
It only took a few seconds, the Red woman who soon stood in the blank space smiled at him. She was skinny and had an orange cast to her skin – too much time in the body shop, Gerard thought. He shook his head and waved goodbye, then pressed the Circuit button again.
The next person who showed up was just Gerard's type: short, dark hair, tattooed. He was a Green, so he was a few years younger than Gerard. His eyes were an intriguing hazel color.
Gerard held out his hand to welcome him into his quarters. “I'm Gerard 5.”
“Frank 2,” the Green said, looking around the room warily. He took Gerard's hand and let him lead him to the circular sofa.
They sat close together on the sofa and Gerard immediately leaned over to kiss him. Frank had the most intriguing jewelry, especially the silver ring in his lip.
But Frank leaned back and shook his head. “Can we talk first or something?”
Gerard laughed at the joke, but stopped when he realized Frank was serious. “You want to talk?”
Frank shrugged. Gerard's eyes slid down to his neck to the twin tattoos there on either side. One was a scorpion and the other was a familiar looking symbol.
“What's that? I've seen that before,” Gerard said, touching the inked skin.
Frank stiffened. “It's an ankh.”
“What does it mean?” Gerard asked. He wanted to kiss Frank's neck and then take him straight to bed.
“I think it's an ancient symbol. I don't know what it means,” Frank said. He looked from the lifeclock in Gerard's palm to his robe. “Why are you wearing black?”
“I like black,” Gerard said defensively.
“Aren't you a Red?” Frank asked. “Are you a Sandman?”
Gerard smiled. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Are you one of those who fear Sandmen?”
Frank snorted and pulled away. “No.”
“You're awfully cold,” Gerard said. “Why did you put yourself on the Circuit if you don't want-?”
Frank swallowed and looked at Gerard squarely. “I was feeling sad. Lonely. One of my friends died today.”
Gerard blinked. “Died?”
“Shot to death,” Frank said. “She was afraid of Carrousel, so she ran. And you're probably the one who killed her.”
“I've never killed anyone in my life,” Gerard said. “But I do Terminate Runners.”
Frank set his jaw and got up from the couch. There was a fire in him that was attractive, and Gerard liked that.
Gerard took Frank's hand again and tried to lead him into the bedroom. “Have we talked enough yet?”
“No. I mean. I don't want to have sex. I've decided not to. I just want to go,” Frank said.
Gerard was going to cajole him, but there was a bell at the door and then Ray walked right in, flanked by two blonde women on either side of him. They were laughing and spraying Sublime vapor at each other. Ray's pupils were huge; he'd obviously had a lot already.
“Oh, so it'll be the … five of us?” Ray asked, counting everyone in the room. “I misjudged you, Gerard. I thought you'd be alone.”
“I was just leaving,” Frank said, slipping his hand out of Gerard's and heading towards the door.
“Oh, c'mon, stay,” Gerard said, but Frank was already leaving. Gerard looked after him for a moment, before a cloud of Sublime engulfed his head and he smelled the sweet fumes. It went to his mind immediately, and he turned back to Ray and the friends he'd brought.
“This is Jessica 6 and … oh, shit. What was your name again?” Ray asked one of the women.
The tall Red answered, “Lorna 5,” and pressed against his side.
Gerard laughed and took two hands in his, not caring who he was touching. Touch of any kind was good. Together, they stumbled back to his bedroom and onto the bed. It had been awhile since he and Ray had shared partners or had sex together, and Gerard found he missed it.
It was hours before the drug wore off and the four of them fell asleep, exhausted.
*
Stims were the only way to wake up after a night like that, stims and coffee.
Ray greeted Gerard on the way to the Thinker and they walked the rest of the way together.
“Have fun last night?” Ray asked knowingly.
Gerard huffed a laugh. “You were there; you should know.”
“I'm in first,” Ray said, checking in with the console in front of the huge doors. Gerard got his bag out and ready to turn in.
“I'll wait right here,” Gerard said.
He watched as Ray walked down to the white light-table in the center of the room. Ray emptied his bag onto the table and the computer analyzed everything. It didn't take long. The Runner's effects were dematerialized, to go into storage or redistributed as the Thinker saw fit.
Ray walked back to Gerard and said, “Your turn. I'm going into the station to see what's going on. See you there.”
Gerard nodded. “Right behind you.”
Once Ray was out the door, Gerard pulled out his bag and walked up to the light-table. He unceremoniously dumped his Runner's possessions onto the table. He tried not to think of what Frank had said, that the Runner had been his friend, or that Gerard had 'killed' her. He shook his head and waited for the Thinker to identify and complete the protocol.
“Sandman, please proceed to the far console.”
Gerard blinked. This wasn't part of the usual procedure. He did as he was told, though, and made his way past a long wall of blinking lights to the console at the far end of the room.
“Sit down and identify yourself,” the Thinker said, and a chair moved away from the desk.
Gerard sat. “Gerard 5,” he said, placing his thumb on a pad in order for the computer to scan it.
The computer screen flashed and then a single symbol showed up in plain black and white. “Identify Runner's object. Do you know this symbol, Sandman?”
“It was in the Runner's pocket. It's … it's an ankh.” Wasn't that what Frank had called it?
“Define symbol: Ankh,” the Thinker said.
Gerard shook his head. “I can't. I don't know what it means.”
“Define place: Sanctuary,” the voice commanded, and the word came up on the screen under the ankh.
“There's no place called Sanctuary in the City,” Gerard said. He knew every nook and cranny.
The computer was silent for a moment, as if it were thinking. Gerard knew that was ridiculous, that even with an artificial intelligence, the Thinker computed at much faster rates than humans.
“Your mission is to find Runners.”
“I do that. I Terminate Runners. It's my designation as a Sandman,” Gerard said, confused.
“There are one thousand, six hundred and twenty-five unaccounted Runners,” the Thinker told him.
Gerard shook his head. “I don't understand.”
“Runners seek the place called Sanctuary. Your mission is to find Sanctuary.”
“But... I've never heard of this place. Where is it?” Gerard asked.
“Sanctuary is located Outside the City.”
Gerard straightened in his chair, looking at the screen in bewilderment. “What do you mean Outside? There's no Outside, only the City.”
But the Thinker went on as though he hadn't spoken. “Your mission is to pose as a Runner, travel Outside the City, and find Sanctuary.”
“Is that all?” Gerard asked weakly.
“You will report back here and the Sandmen will destroy Sanctuary en force,” the Thinker said.
Gerard shook his head. “I don't want to leave the city. I don't want this mission. The unaccounted Runners, what if they just all Renewed?”
Silence. Then, “Gerard 5, you will pose as a Runner, travel Outside, and infiltrate Sanctuary.”
“No one will believe a Sandman would Run. Plus my Lastday isn't until April,” Gerard said, trying not to get hysterical. Panic boiled up inside him.
“Hold your hand close to the panel. Palm up.”
Gerard did as he was told. And watched in horror as his lifeclock began to blink. “Fuck, no, no...”
“You have your mission, Gerard 5. Leave and begin. Take the Runner's symbol with you on your way out.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to breathe his way through the panic. He didn't have a choice, now. His lifeclock said his time was up, whether he was actually thirty or not. As soon as someone saw, he would be caught out. He couldn't stay in the City. He would have to go Outside, or be Terminated by a Sandman.
He'd be dubbed a Runner either way.
He picked up the silver ankh from the light-table on the way out.
Gerard closed his hand so that no one could see the flashing lifeclock. He walked to the station, poked his head in the door, and motioned Ray over. “I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm gonna spend the rest of the day in bed.”
Ray grinned at him. “Were we too rough with you last night?”
Gerard shook his head and managed a wobbly smile. “No, I think I'm coming down with something.”
“Now that you mention it, you're not looking so good,” Ray said. He put his hand on Gerard's forehead. “You're clammy. You should visit a medbot.”
Gerard nodded and pulled away. “See you later.” He left before Ray could say anything more.
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pssh Logan's Run is a movie I wanted to see for a while and your bottom half of your post is all in italics.
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