![]() ![]() "I've a list of repairs for levels one to four, but maintenance won't assign anyone. Holding a wipe board in one hand, he tapped the board with a marker. He had buzzed his gray hair to a stubble on his head. I waited for him to join me and smiled in recognition of the burly man. But before I reached them, the construction foreman called my name. It was so nice not to squeeze between levels. Next time, I would need a longer rope.īy then, level six would probably be finished. Climbing down two meters to the roof of level ten, I glanced up. I transferred my weight back onto the wall and unclipped the rope from my safety harness. They insisted it would be a wasted effort since the new levels would be ready soon. Except the uppers wouldn't consider any plans for the scrubs to move into their levels. Overcrowding in the bottom two levels had been insufferable, but now the uppers and lowers were united, there should be more room. We've lived in those four levels for the last 147, 019 weeks I think we can stand a few more." It's a mess, but they're too busy with level six. "I can't get a work crew to fix the faulty wiring in level five. While understandable, his sarcasm was too harsh for someone as even-tempered as Riley. "They need you when they quibble over the insignificant details, the worthless details and the waste-of-everyone's time details." ![]() They don't need me there to quibble over every minor detail." Pressing the top button on my shirt, I said to Riley, "Tell the Committee I'll be there in an hour. I agreed, yet my curiosity would not be satisfied until I knew the height of the Expanse. But the Committee insisted they first finish the six new levels for the citizens of Inside to spread out. The construction workers wanted to build a ladder up the side of the Expanse, install daylights and find the ceiling. Resigning myself to yet another delay, I stopped my swing by dragging my hand along the wall. I had hoped to reach the ceiling of the Expanse, but the effort needed to re-scale the wall would be too much for my tired muscles. This time, I had been determined to ignore everyone only to forget about the receiver. All my previous forays had lasted about an hour before I'd been summoned to another important meeting. For the last twelve weeks, I'd been promised time to go exploring the Expanse. That had been the highest point I'd or anyone else had attained. I swung, tasting blood and lamenting the slip. After what felt like a thousand weeks, I reached the end of the rope and jerked hard, biting my tongue. Getting one hell of a rope burn, I grabbed my safety line and squeezed to slow my fall. "I know you can hear me," he said with an annoyed tone. Falling, I cursed my own stupidity for not switching my earring/receiver off. Logan had designed a special helmet equipped with a light to keep my hands were free. ![]() I cocked my head, sweeping the flashlight's beam across the wall in search of another pipe to grab. Distant voices floated on the stale dusty air. Then I repeated the motion with my left, climbing another meter higher.įar below, spots of daylight illuminated the half completed construction on level ten. When my heart slowed to a more normal rhythm, I relaxed my right hand's grip and stretched for the next hand hold-a short piece of pipe. I clung to the almost sheer metal wall and breathed in deep. Beads of sweat snaked down the skin on my back, leaving an itchy trail. My fingers ached as my leg muscles trembled. ![]()
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