In Service of the Queen
by Davina Lee
An alternative future of women and their adventures
*
Author's Note
In the last chapter, Friend Vivienne had invited Adelaide to stop by the café for an afternoon cream puff. Adelaide's would be paramour was there, in her usual seat at the bar. But being there with a girl on her arm made her somehow less aggressive, and Adelaide was able to enjoy a peaceful afternoon with Tiara's mutual friends.
But as always happens in a dystopia, when your girl's been deported by a despotic queen, the gathering ended on a melancholy note. And the roar of dirigibles flying overhead to friend knows where didn't do anything to lighten the mood.
This chapter picks up a few days later.
* * *
Chapter 15: La Resistance
Empyrea City Rail Hub, Downtown Empyrea City
Adelaide stood at the rail depot, on the side for trolley service, and peered down the track. She shifted her lunch pail from her right hand to her left as she turned to look the other direction. When a pair of women in the bright uniform and blue cap of Safety Services looked her way, Adelaide dropped her gaze to study her shoes.
She could hear their footsteps on the hard concrete. They were moving toward her.
"ID, friend?" said one of the pair.
"Um..." Adelaide patted her pocket on one side, shifted her lunch pail to her other hand, and patted the other side. "I guess I left it at home?"
"Where are you headed?" asked the other safety officer.
"My apartment," said Adelaide. "Trolley stop thirty-one."
"No trolleys running that way today," said the officer.
Adelaide blew out a sigh.
"Check the board next time," continued the officer. "And make sure you have your ID. Starting next week, it's mandatory for all citizens."
"Right," said Adelaide. "I'll remember, friend."
The two Safety Services officers swaggered off, and Adelaide turned her attention to the schedule board. She spotted the notice about revised track maintenance. It was half covered by a news bulletin that had been taped up.
Adelaide yanked the bulletin down and wadded it up. She tossed it in the trash as she began walking toward the platform's exit.
On her way down the ramp, Adelaide spied another news bulletin, taped to a post. She stopped to look at it. Not more than a meter away, there was another, and another. All taped to support posts or other signage at the station. They were all identical. Adelaide yanked down the one in front of her and held it in her hand as she walked on.
She read the words, looking up occasionally so as not to run into anyone.
Sisterly Love in Salzburg
Detachments of Empyrean Self-Defense Forces were welcomed with open arms by the people of Salzburg this past week.
After enduring years of hardship at the hands of a corrupt and illegitimate government, the people of Salzburg were finally able to catch a breath of fresh air, as Empyrea's Self-Defense Force troops marched in to root out those pulling the puppet strings of this oppressive regime.
Meanwhile, the women and children of Salzburg were seen dancing in the streets, celebrating their newfound freedoms, guaranteed by word of Empyrea's Queen and the continued presence of Her Majesty's Self-Defence Forces in the area.
"They've even got a cute picture of of smiling mothers with their children," Adelaide muttered under her breath. "I wonder if they're smiling because their trolleys actually run."
She folded the bulletin and stuffed it in her pocket.
* * *
Adelaide and Vivienne's apartment
After thirty minutes of trudging against the flow of people shuffling under gray skies, Adelaide arrived home. She dropped lunch pail on the kitchen table and her clothes in a pile on her bedroom floor.
Adelaide flopped onto her mattress, closed her eyes, and began snoring.
* * *
Seven hours later
Adelaide opened her eyes to the image of Vivienne's smiling face. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut again, grabbing the blankets and pulling them up over her head.
"Addie," floated Vivienne's sing-song voice from above. Vivienne tugged at the bed covers.
Adelaide opened one eye, and closed it again just as quickly. She rolled over onto her side so that her back was toward where Vivienne was sitting on the side of her bed.
"Addie."
Adelaide pulled the covers up again, like a hood over her head. "Go away."
"Addie, hon--"
Adelaide rolled over suddenly, pushing the covers aside as she opened her eyes to stare at Vivienne's face. "Wait!" said Adelaide. "Have you been baking?"
Adelaide sniffed at the air. "Did you make something delicious? Is that why you came in here?"
Vivienne shook her head. "No."
Adelaide groaned as she pulled the covers back over her head and rolled over to face away from Vivienne, all in one motion.
"Addie."
"I work nights, Viv," mumbled Adelaide. "I need my sleep."
"Addie, it's fifteen-thirty."
Adelaide pulled the covers up tighter around her head.
"And it's Saturday. You don't have to work."
"I like to sleep," mumbled Adelaide. "It's the only time I don't have to think about how messed up my life is right now."
Vivienne reached out to lay a hand on Adelaide's blanket covered shoulder. "Addie," she said.
"I know," said Adelaide. "I sleep too much. I keep telling myself it's because of my third-shift job, but in reality, it's probably seasonal depression setting in. The daylight hours are shorter. Not that it matters, because I always have to sleep during the day. And I miss Tiara like I can't even describe. And..."
Adelaide pulled her knees up to her chest, taking the blanket with her and causing it to come loose from the end of the bed.
"Addie, honey," said Vivienne, as she rubbed the flat of her hand over Adelaide's blanket covered arm. "Let's go for a walk. Just you and me. It's been a while, and I miss you."
"We share an apartment, Viv."
Vivienne stood up, tugging at the bed covers, exposing the top of Adelaide's head. "Come on, Addie. The sun's shining. Let's go while it's still light out."
"Fine." Adelaide threw off the covers and sat up swinging her feet over the edge of her bed. She dragged herself upright and wandered toward the door.
"Addie, aren't you getting dressed? It's cold out."
"I'm going to run through the shower."
"We're not going anywhere fancy."
Adelaide turned and stared.
"And it's getting dark," continued Vivienne.
"Fine," said Adelaide. She bent forward to dig through a pile of clothes on the floor. Adelaide pulled out a sweater, sniffed at it, and tugged it over her head. She picked up her trousers and stepped into them. "Let's go."
* * *
"This is nice," said Vivienne, swinging her hand that was wrapped up with Adelaide's, as they marched down the sidewalk together.
"And I'll get to enjoy it everyday next week," muttered Adelaide. "Trolley track maintenance got extended."
"Sorry, Addie. At least it's not snowing."
"Easy for you to say, Viv. You work at the café. What's that, like three blocks? I work downtown."
"I promise I won't drag you very far, then," said Vivienne, taking a corner into an alleyway.
"Viv, what are you--?"
Vivienne stopped short as soon as they were around the corner and threw her finger up over her lips. She looked skyward and turned her head this way and that as she listened. Without a word, Vivienne pulled Adelaide by the hand as she walked to a pile of discarded shipping palettes.
"Viv?" whispered Adelaide.
Vivienne didn't respond. She knelt on the ground and dug around behind the palettes with her hand. She came back holding a pry bar.
"Help me with the grate," said Vivienne, shoving the end of the pry bar in the seam between a storm sewer grate and the pavement.
Adelaide held the grate up while Vivienne stashed the pry bar back behind the palettes.
"Come on," said Vivienne, sitting on the edge of the opening and sticking her toe out toward the rung of the ladder embedded in the concrete wall.
* * *
Below ground
Standing among the puddles of water and patches of moss, Adelaide watched Vivienne feeling along the edge of the wall. Vivienne stopped when she found a nook and came back holding an old-fashioned lantern. Vivienne turned the knob and a click echoed in the underground chamber.
She turned it again. Another click, but nothing else happened.
"You have to prime it," said Adelaide, reaching out.
With the next click, the lamp lit.
"Hey," said Adelaide. "How did you know where to find the lamp? And the sewer grate? And the pry bar?"
Vivienne answered by once again pressing her finger up over her lips.
"Viv are we going to--?"
"Shh!"
"Viv," hissed Adelaide. "I'm whispering, okay?"
Vivienne stopped walking and held the lantern high overhead. She turned to Adelaide.
"Are we going to the Girls' Cave?" asked Adelaide.
"The what?"
"Friend Beatrice's hideout. Her Girls' Cave. That's what she calls it."
Vivienne nodded.
"You missed the turn," said Adelaide. "Keep going this way and you're heading for the river."
"How do you remember these things, Addie?"
Adelaide blew out a sigh and turned on her heel. "Follow me," she said.
* * *
Friend Beatrice's Girls' Cave
The first thing Adelaide did when she saw Beatrice was to raise her right hand, palm out, and bring it to her cheek. She smiled and brought her hand down in an arc. The second thing she did was walk over to the second sofa that was sitting beside the other one in a sort of rough semi-circle with the coffee table at its focal point.
"Nice," said Adelaide, pushing on the cushions with her hand.
"Next time you want to crash here," said Beatrice, smirking. "You can have your own couch."
Beatrice turned to Vivienne, "Hello, friend Vivienne," she said.
Vivienne smiled. She stepped forward with her arms open. Beatrice closed the distance with her own arms wide, scooping Adelaide into the embrace along the way.
"Good to see you again," mumbled Beatrice from where she was smooshed between Vivienne and Adelaide.
