Destiny Sorrow by Rod Galves (recommended ebook reader .txt) 📕

“I don't know if it helps, but thank you,” replied the man. “Find a window to get out of the car.”

“But the car already has several windows.” Joked Dijo.

Sorom took a long time to understand it was a joke.

“I'll shoot you next time.” Threatened Sorom, but his companions knew he wasn't serious.

The leader got out of the car trusting his partners and followed the woman to a passage into the city.

“Is this your first time in the Ziggurat-City?” Asked the woman.

“No, but I was too small the last time I came,” Sorom said.

Treadmills took him through the environment, showing the huge space inside. There was indeed an entire city with buildings within the Ziggurat structure. On the ceiling were light projectors that made the environment reflect the time outside, now showing a starry night.

“This place is a technological marvel,” said the woman. “Don't you think about moving here? Most of the guests already live in the Ziggurat.”

“This place is rubbish,” Sorom said unceremoniously. “People are trapped in these walls without seeing the real world out there. Did you know there are people who have never really seen the sky?”

The woman was quiet and Sorom noticed that she was uncomfortable.

“Have you… never seen the sky?” Asked Sorom.

“I was born here in a very lucky family to work in this beautiful city.”

“Right. I advise you to come out sometime to see the outside. Today seems like a good day to get out of this place.”

The woman was silent and led Sorom towards a structure made of the same purple metal outside the Ziggurat. It was huge and it went from the ground to the top of the Ziggurat.

“That is the Heart, where the Pharaoh's chambers and his closest team are,” the woman continued timidly. “The ball will take place in a hall inside it.”

She was quiet the rest of the way and Sorom made no point in talking.

The Heart was much less broad than the city outside, but it was still impressive. The metal corridors were very polished, and the lighting of the environment gave an air of superiority.

The route took several minutes to walk through the corridors. Along the way he saw other people very well dressed and the Royal Guard: men and women in blue armor almost two meters high carrying spears.

Sorom did his best to memorize the ways of the Heart and identify points of interest.

“And where are Pharaoh's chambers?” Asked Sorom. “It must be a very fantastic place; I imagine they're higher up.”

The woman looked insecure at him.

“On top it is as dangerous as below if there is some kind of attack, but I cannot talk about that sort of thing.”

In the middle then concluded Sorom with the woman's comment.

After more five minutes, they finally reached the party venue. At the doors two Royal Guards were positioned together by a man in a suit inspecting the guests.

“Name?” Asked the man.

“Last name Sorom.”

The man looked suspiciously at him.

“Are you related to that general?”

Immediately Sorom's face turned into a frown.

“Very distant.”

The man smiled and, after looking at his name on the list, let him in. The woman accompanied Sorom at the entrance to the hall.

“Would you like Mr. Garreth to be contacted to find you? He must want to know that his guest has arrived.”

“You don't have to; I know we're going to meet here. Thank you for everything.”

Sorom moved on to the party. The hall was even bigger than he imagined, noting three floors connected with guests in all of them. People dressed in the flashiest ways possible. Some had neon lights in their suits and dresses. In a way, Sorom stood out for being dressed in a simple suit.

He took his sleeve close to his mouth and spoke on his communicator.

“Willys and Dijo, how are you?”

As Sorom walked to the hall, Dijo and Willys waited for the perfect moment to get out of the car. In that time, Dijo managed to hack into the camera system and made them loopmomentarily.

Even without the danger of the cameras there were several people there and two Royal Guards who seemed to inspect that part of the hangar.

“Willys,” Dijo said, “we're going to need a distraction.”

The man smiled sadistic and picked up an explosive from his bag, rolling it out of the car toward a more distant ship. When he was at the ideal distance, Willys pressed a button and instead of exploding, a black smoke began to be expelled.

He saw one of the guards heading in the direction and the other was also focusing on the event. The two agents got out of the car and began to walk discreetly to one of the doors.

“Will you be able to hack the doors?” Asked Willys.

“How can you still ask me a question like that?” Answered Dijo offended.

“So, you can do it?”

“I have no idea.”

He passed his tablet in front of a scanner at the door and saw the guard looking in their direction. The door opened and they did not wait to see if there would be consequence; just moved on.

They walked through the city and, despite Dijo's green hair and Willys' mechanical limbs, did not draw much attention. The other people who crossed the artificial night also had colorful hair and prostheses of the most varied.

“What now?” Asked Willys.

“I'm not sure. I know the coordinate where the opening is, but I don't know how best to get there. It would be nice to find a manhole for a sewer and move on from there.”

Willys looked around.

“I don't see any manhole.”

They walked following the tablet's coordinates and trying to deviate to the maximum of any authority.

At this point you heard Sorom's message.

“Willys and Dijo, how are you?”

“We have already left the hangar, but we do not know the best way to get to the meeting point.”

“You will find. And then come to the big purple structure in the middle of town, that's where the rooms we want to find are.”

Sorom heard an affirmative answer from his companions and proceeded to the