Drowning Utopia

Chapter 18: The City of Tomorrow

Night came on fast as the steamer finally pulled into the last stretch before Utopia's docks. The passengers crowded to the bow of the ship as the glow from the lights drew their attention. Tessa noted with some annoyance as the crowd gawked at the fast-approaching docks that there was an unnecessary amount of electric lighting on the wood structures. A series of fireworks exploded above the dockyard, as in the distance above the cityscape, the Grand Spire lit up like a Christmas tree. Several airships were docked or in the process of docking on its heights. The onlookers applauded and cheered as the spectacle ensued. Tessa crossed her arms, begrudgingly amused by the display.

"There you are, Miss Copperfield!" Miss Briggs sidestepped a gaggle of girls.

"Miss Briggs," Tessa greeted her with a smile, "are you feeling better?"

"Just chipper." She raised her voice to be heard over the clamor of the excited crowd, "Sir Cornwall wished that you would accompany us in the gondola to the tower."

Tessa raised a brow. "Gondola?"

The secretary withdrew a pamphlet. "It is suggested to use the gondola in the tour guide. It allows you to see the city from above and to 'take in all of its splendor.' It also has the added benefit of being the quickest way to get to the Grand Spire where the event will be taking place," she said, eyeing the young women that giggled in their gaggle beside them with disdain.

Tessa agreed, "I suppose that would be for the best."

One of the girls from the throng, a round thing with an unflattering pink frock, pointed out, "Look, Isabella. Is that small boat trying to assist in docking our ship?"

Another one in the gaggle disagreed, "I should hope not."

As a third observed, "Certainly! The crew looks homeless."

Looking over the side, Tessa saw a small craft in their way in front of the docks. The boat was a piece of junk, the crew looking tawny and malnourished. One was wearing nothing but a pair of ratty old overalls; the other topped off with a straw hat, wore a stained and threadbare shirt and a pair of knickerbockers.

The young boy in the straw hat cupped his hands and called out in a loud voice at the people on the docks, "We needin' to speak to Mr. Higgins! It's urgent!"

People both on the docks and on the ship watched the spectacle as several dockhands and what appeared to be security dressed in black dusters tried to ward off the two boys in the makeshift craft. But the boys kept their raft just out of range as the first kept shouting, "I'm telling ya, I got to talk to Mr. Higgins! We have an important message for 'im!"

A man from the bridge of the steamer shouted using a megaphone, "You there! Move out of the way! You are impeding the docking process!"

The young men looked anxious. "It's really important that we speak to 'im! We need to warn—"

The steam whistle sounded from the bridge of the steamer, drowning out his voice.

"Move, boy, or were going to run you over!" the man from the bridge shouted.

The other boy said something to the one with the straw hat that Tessa didn't quite catch before they started up their own engine and pulled away. But before they entirely withdrew, the one with the straw hat called back, "Don't say we didn't try to warn you!"

Miss Briggs watched with a concerned expression. Adjusting her spectacles, she inquired of Tessa, "What do you suppose all of that was about?"

Tessa shook her head. "I don't know." She frowned in thought. "They seemed distraught about something, though."