Atlantech: The Early Days Volume One

Chapter 3: A city of Crime

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Justin Church was standing in line waiting to board the subway train, when all of a sudden he heard the sound of gun shots in the distance. Dressed in his hat and coat he turned his head to see what all the commotion was about.

There was a blood curdling scream as a woman held a dying man in her arms. He had been shot and the perpetrators had gotten away just as a police officer arrived on the scene. Justin could see that the victim was well dressed and had been carrying some kind of suit case. Usually that kind of attire was worn by those from Morane's part of the city, and so Justin had to wonder what that man was even doing down here in the slums. But he wasn't left with much time to think about it once the train suddenly came to a stop in front of him. He climbed on board and took a seat near the window. An older couple sat across from him dressed in rags.

The old woman had a cross around her neck and curled her fingers around it as if she were praying. It seemed everyone was silent now, as though they were mourning the loss of that man in the street.

Justin couldn't help but feel bad as well, even more so when he realized that man was on his way to board the train with them. Then he remembered that's what life in Atlantis City was like now. More people could get away with murder more than they used to since Julius Morane and the city council had taken over. It was as if the moment they took power the floodgates of hell had opened and unleashed a plague of death and chaos. It was for this reason that Justin actually felt safer in the military. He had his own home and he and his friends were safe behind the fences, even with the former alien warriors who made the planet earth uninhabitable.

Justin sighed with boredom and looked out the window as the train began to move. He could see the tall art deco buildings and skyscrapers in the far distance along with the many colorful lights coming from casinos and other fine establishments. Gambler's Strip awaited him.

He slouched in his seat resting his hand underneath his chin. For the first time in a while, he actually felt regret for not tagging along with William instead. If only he had gone with him, he never would've had to witness that murder and would probably be having a much better time than he is now. He even wondered if this poker game was even worth the trouble, but the addict in him convinced him otherwise.

The train made a few stops along the way before it got to Justin's destination. He stood up as soon as the train suddenly came to a halt. The old couple that sat across from him got up as well and walked slowly in front of him. Justin was beginning to grow impatient.

"Hey, do you mind speeding it up a little?" He quipped angrily.

The old woman turned around and apologized. Her voice was hoarse and sounded weary. "I'm sorry, young man. It's my hip that causes me to walk so slow these days."

Justin felt like a jerk now. "I'm sorry, I just have somewhere I need to be is all," he replied sheepishly.

The old woman smiled at him and pat him on the shoulder. "You're a good kid," she said before stepping off the train with her husband.

Justin didn't mind the affection but he sure didn't feel like a good kid at all, and neither could he forget the sight of that man who lay dying in that woman's arms. Usually Justin read about such crimes in the paper, and never dreamed he'd ever bear witness to one himself someday. But life as it was had it's twists and turns, and so he should have expected the unexpected. The only problem was he couldn't seem to get the echo of that gunshot out of his head. How could it be that this way the normal way of life in this city? He was sure the visionary behind the creation of Atlantis never would have of approved of this. He envisioned a paradise for people in the future, not this hell it had become. And it was all Morane's doing.