Downworld

Chapter 29

The library was one of my pet projects. I'd started it not long after Daud died in an attempt to bring a little of the above to the down. And Malik had let me, even encouraged me, because he wanted to make me happy.

Take one big building -- this one in modern design to clash uncomfortably with the middle-agey style of the Glen -- add books, a few classrooms and something of a semi-formal education system. Kids like to learn, and parents are always happy to delegate some responsibility. It didn't take long, with Malik's endorsement, to transition the Glen's children from entirely homeschooled to at least partly schooled in my library by teachers chosen from mine and Malik's households. Add even more books, more than they could ever read themselves on just about every topic, and you have the most educated generation of kids in the history of Glen. And the first generation to know more than rumors and hearsay about what it was like to live above.

Not that it was just the kids that were taking advantage, plenty of adults quickly stopped looking at me sidelong in suspicion and came to enjoy the place. But I wasn't counting on them to be brave enough to take the big step that I needed.

A place like my library is a draw for immigration, so soon enough other territories caught onto the idea rather than lose out. I was happy enough to help them out, because their libraries would never be as good as mine. They didn't have the Glen's resources and location.

We could have electricity and internet cabled down from Gateway. We could afford computer labs so the kids could have true unlimited access to learning resources. And contact with humans unmediated by their parents. The lies about humans being nothing but stupid pests who infested the above kind of drained away once they could interact with human kids who weren't so different from them. Sure, no human kid could do some of the things a freak kid could, but how was that important when they could bond over their overly strict parents?

As time went on, the library got bigger. More class rooms. More books. More computers. Bathrooms with showers -- hot showers, fuck yes -- which were almost always being used. Bunk rooms for kids that felt they weren't safe at home. The kitchen and cafe.

The cafe had been added recently, and was mostly run by teenaged freaks who used the library. They pitched in, taking a shift a week as their contribution to the place. Because of that, the coffee and food tended to be a little hit and miss. But it was all good, because those kids were learning skills they could use to get a job above, while also secretly -- though not as secretly as they thought -- dreaming of one day taking my solution and running off.

Exactly like I wanted them too.

Fiona sat in a corner, picking at her eggs. She had a pile of books with her that seemed like her usual fare: politics, psychology, sexuality -- all college level stuff that would go way over my head -- and a little book of poetry. No doubt her next contribution to her little study group/book club that she had going on with a bunch of other library rats.

She was smart. University scholarship smart. Too smart for downworld. As was all of her little study group. They taught themselves, taught each other and taught the younger kids, because they all liked to learn.

'Morning,' I said, dumping my suitcase and slipping into the seat across from her. She looked nervous. The waiter of the day brought me a plate of eggs that was only slightly burned and a cup of coffee that turned out to be not that bad. I nodded to the waiter, before I turned my attention to Fiona and whatever was on her mind. 'What's wrong, Fi?'

'Nothing. I just... wanted to tell... you something.'

'Fiona, whatever it is, it'll be fine. Okay?'