BEYOND THE PALE: ( The Outlander ) (13 page)

On the journey home by
taxi, Audrina became cold and remote towards River. She put on her earpiece and
optical communication interface and began playing music privately. Her manner
was distant and aloof and River definitely felt ignored. She switched from
playing music to phoning a friend. This particular friend was a guy with whom
she talked intimately. River considered drowning out her conversation with him
by playing his own optical media player, but chose instead to stare out the
window feeling a little jealous, a bit rejected and totally sorry for himself.
However yet again Audrina took him by surprise, by affectionately reaching over
to find his hand and interlinking her fingers with his. She held his hand for a
long time only breaking to run her fingers through his hair and all the while
she was talking on her communicator to this other guy.

When they reached home,
River still did not get a chance to talk with Audrina. Instead he was
buttonholed by Nathan who requested him to join him on the rooftop terrace
where he was working out. He watched with admiration as his friend worked out.
Nathan used no weights or resistance machines which seemed so popular amongst
the other body toned men of the metropolis. He would just use his own body’s
resistance. Pull ups, press ups and sit ups in a fast aerobic style coupled
with balance and suppleness training. He tended to exercise a lot whenever he
had some free time because strength to weight ratio was crucial to maintain his
core ability in the free running which he so enjoyed. On this occasion, River
took off his shirt and shoes and joined him. It was a warm early evening and
the Sun was getting lower in the sky. They both enjoyed this session together
as they kept pace with each other demonstrating mutual stamina, fitness and
natural strength. It was really a bonding session which helped them recognise a
joint interest which they shared. This made River feel all the worse for
holding his affection for this man’s daughter. Nathan was his friend and not
his father in law. Also River appreciated from his own culture and upbringing,
the disrespect he was showing his host by the immoral behaviour with his
daughter. Almost on call, as if he was reading his mind, Nathan started talking
about Audrina, “I hope my daughter has been treating you nicely. She can be a
bit snappy at times but she is very special to me. I have noticed she seems
quite enamoured with you. Make sure you protect her River. I trust you to take
care of her.” Nathan’s words lingered in the night air; River was still
searching them for hidden meanings. He could only answer by nodding in
agreement, but other than that he could find no words. Thankfully Nathan
changed the subject, “We are still working on a non custodial identity bracelet
for you…” he paused for emphasis “...But it may not be ready before I take you
free running with me this weekend Outside.” There was no mistaking the emphasis
placed on the word ‘outside’. Nathan was still very cautious about his words
and actions being able to incriminate him. He was trying to tell River that he
intended to get him back to his people this weekend.

“That will be good,”
replied River implying a double meaning. “I don’t want to burden everyone with
having to baby sit me all the time.” Although he could not express it out loud,
River was shocked by the realisation that he would be going back home in a few
days time. He didn’t feel ready.

“Well I didn’t find you
a burden today!” - Both men turned around in surprise as Audrina spoke. They
both wondered how long she had been standing and listening at the veranda door.
“You only got under my feet a little, but after that you were very
accommodating and helpful to me. Who knows, I may be able to find you a
position there.” -She laughed; and River smiled, but it was more like a grin of
embarrassment. However her blatant double meaning seemed thankfully lost on her
father, as did his on her. -“Anyway Daddy, Mother says that dinner is ready and
you need to come to the table.”

Major Carlson immediately
took heed of his daughters warning. Valerie prepared all the family’s meals.
She was old fashioned and wouldn’t have it any other way. She reigned in the
kitchen, and ruled over the dining table. It was not in your interest to miss
or be late for dinner without giving her fair warning. In fact etiquette said
that you didn’t even leave the table without her permission.

After dinner, it was
Audrina who asked first to be excused, and she apologised for being tired and
retired to her room. Both Valerie and Nathan found it strange that it was
Audrina heading off to her room rather than Anton. After dinner, he always
retired to his room for the rest of the evening. Tonight however, he seemed
keen enough to stay with River and his parents to watch some family
entertainment together. Both parents were happy at these changes being induced
in Anton’s character through the influence of River.

Soon enough, River
retired to his room to sleep. Nathan who would be chaperoning him tomorrow had
warned him that they had an early start. After he left, both Valerie and Anton
also retired to their rooms leaving only Nathan up.

River was used to
sleeping communally at home, so he was not practiced at spending time in his
room for purposes other than changing clothes or sleeping. He had soon turned
off his light and was wresting once again with trying to sleep on these soft
furnishings. His light had been off for less than 10 minutes before the door to
his room opened and Audrina admitted herself. River wondered if she was looking
for her charging device once again. This time however she was wearing a modest
dressing gown and she turned his bedroom light on. 

She put a finger to her
lips suggesting absolute quiet so as not to alert her father's attention. River
acknowledged this but when she pulled his quilt off the bed revealing him to be
naked. He attempted to sit up and cover himself, and was about to ask her to
leave. Audrina climbed forward on to the bed, on all fours. She gently pushed
him back so that he was now lying down face up. Then she firmly parted his legs
so that he was spread-eagled whilst once again suggesting total silence as she
exaggeratedly put her finger to her mouth. She knelt between his legs at the
bottom of the bed and she gestured for him to raise his bum as she pushed a
pillow underneath him to prop him up. Then she leaned forward and propped
another pillow firmly under his head whilst gently grabbing each hand in her
own and manoeuvring him into a full spread eagled position. She was still
wrapped tightly in her fluffy towelling dressing gown as she mirrored a similar
position above him. Perhaps it was because she was now covering his nakedness,
or perhaps because he liked the warm soft feeling of her dressing gown pressing
against him that River still did nothing to stop her or raise any alarm. In
doing so, he realised that he had made a mistake when she leaned back and
tapped on her own custodial bracelet. River did not realise at first what she
had done until he tried to move. The simplest movement caused him a terrible
electric shock to his nervous system. Yet if he remained still and motionless,
he felt no pain. He tried to move again and again but each time the electro
shock forced him to just lie there and accept his fate. When he tried to talk,
he could not utter a word as if he had been struck dumb. His head remained
propped forward and he stared in near panic at her wondering what she had done
to him and what her intentions were. Audrina stepped off, but made sure to
remain fully in his vision at the foot of his bed. She had his undivided
attention and so she slowly and sexily peeled off her dressing gown to reveal
what she was wearing underneath. That was very sexy black underwear and a half
Basque with stockings and black patent stiletto boots. She climbed on to the
bed and brushed his semi erection with her hand which soon became full. Leaning
forward she whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry lover, it won’t hurt if you stay
still and give me some time to figure out how to work this toy. Anton is such a
sweet brother to juice up this controller for me. I think I might play with it
a while. I don’t want you to get bored though. So I will give you something
interesting to look at,” As promised Audrina turned around in an opposite
direction to him and resting her boots across his arms, she sat on her haunches
and slowly pushed her bottom backwards. She was inches from his face and still
wearing her black lace knickers. Next she began to rub and grind his face until
he was familiar with every inch of her underwear. After a while she turned
around and started to dry hump his face and then his crotch. She pulled off her
knickers and repeated both of these actions again until she could no longer
contain her excitement. Then grabbing a hold of his manhood, she inserted it
inside her and pushed down on him to the hilt. Once she had mounted him, she
was careful to stop all movement of hers. She just held him there and did
nothing for a while but allowed herself to reach orgasm, which allowed River to
feel every small micro movement and shudder. She was very experienced at what
she was doing and soon began to stimulate herself some more. At all times she
would not allow him enough movement to stimulate himself to climax. And after
many orgasms, she slowly pulled herself off him. As a parting gift, she gently
licked him once and watched his manhood throbbing and trying miserably to reach
its own climax.

Leaning forward to
whisper in his ear again she told him that she would release him if he promised
to be a bad boy. His eyes screamed yes, and so she tapped out the command on
her controlling bracelet to release him full control of his body. River wasted
no time, he grabbed her and threw her to the bed and then proceeded to make
love to her in the missionary position.

During Intercourse this
first time with Audrina, he felt an overwhelming force rip through his body. It
was like earth energy finding its way through his lowest chakra energy point
and surging through and igniting the pent up sexual energy of his sacral chakra
like a firestorm. Equally he felt another surge which was equally vibrant and
potent passing through the crown of his head and down the line of his other
chakras till it met and infused with the upcoming surge. This he knew to be the
rare gift of kundalini opening up a spiritual path for the holy spirit of God
to saturate and imbue the earth and sexual energy. He reached this highest
state of spiritual ecstasy as he simultaneously reached sexual ecstasy. A fire
burned within him and he grabbed a tight hold of Audrina in a real and loving
embrace and stared deeply into her eyes as if searching for her soul. Audrina
felt very different than when she had had sex before; something was different,
something bigger than her and something which she was unable to control or
dominate. She stared back into River’s eyes and felt something almost
mysterious that she did not comprehend or could explain. She felt an
overwhelming sexual satisfaction as she climaxed and reached an all consuming
orgasm simultaneously with River. This was a kama-sutra experience which had
overwhelmed them both. This was the point of conception.

He continued to hold
her and kiss her. The eroticism and pure lust was replaced by affection, desire
and love. River who has been dying to do this all day did not want to
relinquish his conquest too soon. He has been dying to talk to her for the last
many hours but now he only wanted to talk to her purely with his eyes. As he
stared into her eyes, he held her attention firmly for the next hour until she
decided that it was time to return to her own room. 

River sat in the back
of the CPS enforcement vehicle which Sgt. Scott was driving and had collected
them in. He was definitely feeling uniform envy, even though he had dressed in
black to fit in with his two chaperones today. Major Carlson hadn’t even bothered
to sign in River under some dubiously fake pretext. Sgt. Scott pointed out that
as he would be wearing a custodial bracelet all the time and sitting in the
back, so he would just look like some arrested suspect being driven downtown.
This was their destination anyway. Carlson had asked River which part of the
city he would like to be shown, and with no hesitation he had asked to be shown
the areas where most of the other Natives lived and worked in the metropolis.
Downtown was the colloquial name for a sector of the metropolis which comprised
the four highest District numbers. Districts 17 to 20 inclusive were without
doubt the poorest and least controlled districts in the metropolis of New
Denver. They were located near the radial point of the high walled hexagon
which was New Denver. Downtown was actually quite close in proximity to the
uptown gaiety and exuberance of the central zone comprising districts 1 to 3.
However neither was really accessible to each other. Most of the central zone
was built on raised construction platforms. All the main transport routes to
the central zone were constructed at a higher level and so most actually passed
directly over downtown. Other wealthier and more salubrious districts which
bordered downtown were also raised higher and more prominent. This gave the
impression that Downtown seemed to occupy a pit underneath its wealthier
neighbours. As a result Sunlight was often obscured from these high numbered
districts, and was often supplemented by artificial lighting. It was this
lacking in natural light as well as the feeling of over bearing constructions
and transport infrastructure which gave the oppressive feeling to you when you
were downtown. Another oppressing reality was the feeling of being bound in
with limited access outside of the sector. So the only real access to the
central zone was to the basement service levels under it. It was literally like
the workman’s entrance because most of the unskilled service and retail jobs in
central were staffed by the residents of downtown. Downtown residents had to
take the crowded and less salubrious transport routes into the central zone
which did not cross paths with those other transport links from the nicer
residential districts. This represented a transport planning anomaly which
created a convenient apartheid between the wealthier and poorer citizens. The
other routes in and out of downtown were through the industrial zones which
conveniently provided another source of lower paid employment but which also
shielded downtown from direct access to other wealthier residential and
business districts. 

It was on such a route
through an adjacent industrial zone, that River was now being driven. “Where
are we now,” he inquired to anyone who felt willing to offer an explanation.

“This was District 16.
It is not technically part of downtown, but a lot of downtown citizens work
here. There are also a lot of ex-natives that work here underground,” said Ray
Scott.

“Underground?” enquired
River.

Carlson added, “This
district is situated directly over many of the main access points to the
underground tunnel networks, and there is a whole underground complex down
there. This is where most of New Denver’s goods are either imported or
exported. They are transported underground on automated rail systems to other
metropolis. The extensive underground complex and tunnel systems pre-date this
citadel. They were built when the original airport was constructed.”

 “What did they use
them for?” River asked.

“Your guess is as good
as mine. Maybe military bases, maybe for civil evacuation, but they went deep;
Up to two miles down. We use the rail network and the upper levels now for the
transit port. If they have any other use, Sgt. Scott and I are not aware.”

As they got closer to
the border of District 19, the factories, container ports and heavy industry of
the previous district slowly gave way to smaller factories and warehouses.
River noticed the transport route that they were travelling on had started to
merge with many other transport routes. There were many different lanes of
traffic stacked above each other. This system of interlinking routes seemed
quite complex and there were elevated public monorails and separate goods rail
tracks too.

Sergeant Scott observed
River’s keen interest in his rear view mirror, “All this you see outside, we
call it spaghetti junction. It is a massive transport hub for the industrial
zone. You can find a route here that goes direct to anywhere in the city.”

“Anywhere other than
the central zone that is,” said the Major sardonically.

 “It is like the hub of
a wheel,” continued Sgt. Scott, “We are going to step off at this next junction
and take a ride around the Maysfield housing project. It is that large sorry
looking housing estate down underneath us on your right side.”

The CPS enforcement
vehicle ran the wide circular descent to the ground level side streets and Sgt.
Scott switched to manual over-ride. River watched out of his rear window and
could see a bleak urban environment. The housing units were stacked close
together and the distinct absence of greenery was striking. There were sporadic
people walking about the neighbour hood but they did not have the hustle and
bustle of the citizens he had seen up to now. There was a lack of large
retailers; instead there were just the odd mini market shops and many off
licences and betting shops. They pulled over and parked at a busier inter
section.

“Let’s take a walk,” the
Major offered as a predetermined suggestion. “Maybe let’s visit that betting
shop over there and spread some luck around these sorry fucks.”

River discovered that
the overhead transport hub was much more prominent and oppressive outside of
the vehicle. Although there was not much noise from the huge number of vehicles
passing overhead, there was an unpleasant background droning sound. Three was
also an initial slight feeling of nausea which seemed to be a side effect of
the large electro flux fields which ran above them too. As the three of them
walked across to the small plaza, River observed how most people were giving
them a wide berth.

“Where is the love?
That is what I want to know,” quipped Sgt. Scott.

“They don’t like the
CPS much here,” the Major offered as an explanation.

They entered a betting
and gambling arcade called Lucky Strikes. The place was dank and dirty but its
clientele didn’t seem that bothered. They just stood or sat along rows of touch
screen units playing games of chance, straight gambling, or competitive virtual
shoot’em up
gaming. River recognized that a number of the punters were
full or mixed blood natives like himself. He approached one such guy and tried
to catch his attention. The best he got was a once look-over. The native
discerned the custodial bracelet that River was wearing, and then turned to
look over his shoulder to observe the two CPS security officers. He then sucked
his teeth and returned his attention to his gambling.

River had seen enough
all ready. He could not stand to see these men of native blood behaving like
soul-less automatons. He walked back out the door and went to stand by the car.

“Please don’t do that
again,” remarked the Major when he returned to the enforcement vehicle with his
sergeant. “Those custodial bracelets are not meant to allow you to walk around
by yourself. You are going to get noticed.”

They got back in the
vehicle and set off to drive through District 18.

“Why are they like
that?” River asked Sgt. Scott.

“I ask my wife the same
thing. She doesn’t really know. As I said before, I think that there is
something in the makeup of ex-natives and their children which doesn’t fit in
well here in this metropolis.”

“Why don’t they leave?”
suggested River.

“Well for a start. They
cannot leave,” the Major interjected. “The ‘Georgia Principles’ require all
populations to be concentrated in designated metropolis like New Denver. The
treaty states that the environment outside of the two hundred and fifty designated
metropolises must remain free from civilian encroachment so that it can
replenish and restore its balance. This is why they live here.”

“But why should people
living outside destroy the balance of the environment?” River asked perplexed.

“Well it did before,” the
Major explained. “Populations grew out of control. They brought famine,
pestilence, and continual war over resources. Its human nature to pollute,
plunder and pillage its environment. Things are different now. There is control.”

River sighed and asked
a rhetorical question, “Why does it always seem to come down to a matter of
control here?”

“He wants us two
security officers of the Office of Interior to back up his argument for anarchy,”
stated Sgt. Scott sarcastically to Major Carlson. “Your boy is not thinking
straight.”

District 18 had a lot
more going on than the previous downtown districts which they had passed
through. It was a busy hub of social activity and a sea of neon even during the
day time. The retail departments were still missing, their place taken by smaller
stores and markets. There were also a lot more gambling arcades, sex shops, off
licence, public bars and clubs.

Sgt. Scott assumed the
responsibility of acting as tour guide whilst he drove. “This is sin city. This
is where a lot of our criminal investigations hit a stone wall. The criminals
are well entrenched in these parts. I mean not just criminal enterprises, but
they control the operation of legal enterprises like prostitution, gambling and
recreational drugs too. Things are run by fear down here; it is another kind of
control. Sure we monitor them, do a lot of surveillance, we even bust a few of
them. It never dents their operation; new guys always spring up and take their
place,”

They didn’t stop in
District 18 but followed the exit signs to head out of the downtown area for
the sunnier climes of District 11. Nathan Carlson had delivered on his promise
to show him the downtown areas and the haunts of other ex-natives. River was
grateful for that but he was left with a decidedly bad taste about the whole
experience. 

The rest of his day
riding along in a CPS enforcement vehicle varied between interesting and
boring. The whole experience was an eye opener for him though, and River was
now appreciating a different understanding of living in the metropolis.

He was happy to return
home at a decent hour and even happier to see Anton and especially Audrina when
they got home. She appeared genuinely glad to see him and exhibited an even and
relaxed temperament. Seemingly, there were no strange mind games on the menu
today, just a few furtive glances. When she retired to her room early, River
wondered if this was a precursor to another night time visit. He hoped so, and
thus he set off to retire to his room. On route he observed that Audrina’s door
was ajar. That was unusual in this household and he ventured sheepishly inside
to say good night. She was already in bed, but she had been waiting for him.
She threw off her covers to reveal yet another sexy ensemble, and asked him to
close the door and come to bed.

These were some
glorious days for River. Even though she kicked him out of her bedroom in the
early hours of the morning, she did this with affection; and not without
extending him the invitation to join her again the following night. Her
demeanour towards him had completely changed. Her cold, demanding and aloof
personality had disappeared. It was replaced instead by a nature that was warm
and affectionate. She did not hide the fact that she cared for him, which made
him more comfortable exhibiting his true feelings for her.

River had elected to
stay at home the day after his ride along with Nathan. Some of the day he spent
relaxing on their roof terrace and some in the company of Valerie when she
finished work early as usual. The only strife in his life was the impatience of
having to wait till the evening to be alone in the company of Audrina once
again.

The following day was
Friday, which was the day before Nathan planned to take him outside the city.
Nathan worked the first half of the day and then came home to collect River to
take him shopping for sports equipment. He was apparently serious about
introducing him to his favourite sport of free running. He spent a serious
amount on running shoes and protective padded sports wear. He took a long time
choosing the right gloves for River. He exhibited the shopping nature of
someone who was willing to spend any amount of money on his purchases as long
as they related to his interests. He wanted to buy another optical interface
which was a sports edition. He said it was to enable River to run the same
free-running app that he used to calculate jumps. River insisted that he didn’t
want them. He hardly wore the previous optical communicator glasses that the
Major bought him during their first shopping expedition; he found that it gave
him incessant headaches. There were a few more accessories like rope, crampons,
belt bags and camping equipment to pick up and then they were all set to head
off early tomorrow.