A story.... for all.... of.... You

This world is the most crowded in the universe. People flock here (to the 3rd level mainly) for vacations and relaxation from their homeworlds. The planet is comprised of three main levels (or classes).

Class 1 is the peasants; poorest in the galaxy. These are the people who are the founders of the planet. Colonists came here to get away from whatever it is colonists come to get away from : no one is exactly sure why they came, they just arrived suddenly arrived from many different places all at once. But that's not what this story is about, it's about a young man whose head is full of adventure and prosperity: this we will talk about about soon: hold on a minutre or so. The colonists soon built a huge city that even sooner spread out so much that it met itself on the other side of the planet: hence, the plante's surface was one huge active city. Wow! Anyway, the "colonists" as they had always called themselves, because they didn't know exactly what to call each other since everyone was from a different planet, soon found their planet in a population space problem. So what they needed was more space to put the new arrivals (which were later rejected and not allowed to live on the planet) and the steadily and quickly growing population. The final decision, after a short 15 minute Untima-Council meeting of the High Mayor (as he was called: every good city needs a mayor!) it was decided to go into the planet itself and therefore construct a more three dimensional way to live. So the laborous construction began. Almost as soon as they had begun, it became evident that all the soil brought up was not going to be able to be put anywhere less it bury the whole city on the surface. Now, they had to cease construction and again a shorter meeting with the High Mayor took place. They decided to chuck the dirt up into the sky far enough for it to take orbit. This, they (the Ultima-Council of the High Mayor; He's the President and his Ultima-Council are elected members of "Congress.") said, would be a most perfect and maneagable option. So they did it. They constructed huge mechanical slings that would hurl the rock and dirt (on one occasion, even a worker, by accident of course) up and out of sight; for the time being. This worked very well, and soon, the planet was livable again: not so many crowded in one place. People literally flooded into their new "under houses" that were far below the surface in Underground (as they now called their city under the surface). Now, the planet's core was even closer to people than before, and the ones closest (at the bottom levels) were the warmest. They liked it at first.

The people had forgotten the stuff that had been lobbed up into the sky because they couldn't see it now that they were snug as a bug in a rug under the surface of the planet. What they didn't realise was that as more and more dirt and rock had been accumulating, it had also become thick and heavy. The heavier it became, the closer it would come to the planet (but still out in orbit). Then one day (to everyone's surprise and shock) the rocks, dirt and the dead worker came suddenly falling to the planet. But (also to everyone's amazement) as it all came crashing down at once, it also had to compress together (being spread out all over the whole orbit of the planet, it was loose and was able to move.) which; as it compressed more and more, suddenly could compress no more and it created, with a terrible crash and boom, a solid rock, dirt, and one worker Shell around the whole planet. This day was recorded in History as the "Big Bang."

The High Mayor and the Ultim-Council sent up a scout ship to investigate the shell to see if it was sturdy (a few rocks and a worker's shoe came crashing down to the "city": one lady died of a heart attack while working in her garden because the shoe kicked the bucket she was throwing weeds into, also a young school boy was bumped on the head by a pebble (nothing too serious), everything else that fell just hit the street. The ship came back to report that the Shell was good as new and nothing else would "probably" fall and that they could even live up there if they wanted. To the people, this sounded interesting. One thing that was kind of uncomfortable was that the sunlight was cut off, which would result in life being cut off also, unless something was done quickly. This was taken care of by cutting strategically spaced holes in the Shell. Now, sunlight would shine on sectors of the planet one at a time, as the Shell rotated on its orbit which it had begun after coming together during the Big Bang.

Once again, the population problem came up. So people moved to the Sunside (as they now named it) of the Shell which was easy to build on, and now very fertile since it came from the planet itself. After some time (enough time for it to happen) the top-side of Sunside became full; another City all around the surface of it. So they went to the bottom-side of the Shell; the side facing the planet's surface. This was called Planetside. Buildings were constructed normally: sort of. Since they were to live on the Planetside, this meant that they couldn't stand on the surface of the shell or they'd fall off it because of the planet's gravity pulling them down. The buildings "top" was actually the bottom floor (the one closest to the Shell) and the "bottom" was the floor closest to the planet. There was no basement because you just can't have a basement at the top of a building! The roads were constructed to "hang" from the bottom of the Shell. Actually, everything was hanging. This became known as the "Great Hanging Metropolis of Krau Ded."

Life went on.

By this time, the wonderful Underground had become somewhat of a crowded place where people went to get rich. Because of the nearness of the people to the active (and quite hot) core of the planet, companies popped up which began to store and sell "heat" to the surface and also to Planetside. These two places were in dire ned of head and energy since the Shell all but blocked the sun's life giving energy. So people could (and did) become heat storers working for the big companies. Heat was collected fairly rapidly and stored, by commoners, to be given to the companies in turn for cash. The companies would ship the heat to the top for "pure air." Since air was used so quickly in Underground they needed regular shipments of fresh air. So each had something the other needed.

Things went well.

After another amount of time, the whole place became too crowded again. Since the first Shell worked so well, it was decided, by the High Mayor and the Ultima-Council, that they construct another Shell above the first one. So they did. Now, even more of the population needed "piped" energy and heat. This was taken care of from both the real McCoy (the sun) and the core's heat. The planet was now really intricate and confusing (like this story). Soon, the heat from the core began to cool considerably. It seemed as though it would completely stop producing heat because of so muich of it being taken away so quickly for so long. In a panic, the High Mayor and the Untima-Council banned all "heat tapping." This greatly affected the populace of Underground since that was one of their main industries. Now they had not much of an economic stabilizer. How would they be able to pay for their air? At least the core still produced a little heat enough for them not to freeze. Underground became poor and very dirty. People began scrounging for things such as food, heat and air (three most essential items for life).

The food plantations would often get raided and broken into. People (some) became "heat runners"; they would secretly tap heat and sell it to the top for either air or food (sometimes cash). Crime in Underground and also on the Surface (the original surface of Krau Ded) ran rampant. It is at this time a certain young boy named Manabu will enter our story.

Manabu lives very close to the "Kor." This is how they refer to Krau Ded's core in Underground because of so much illiteracy. Manabu has lived here since his birth. HIs parents were once Tappers before the Ban. Now they do menial jobs at a yeast production plant. Yeast is very useful if trained and grown correctly. This is what most Undergrounders eat. Manabu doesn't go to school because of the cost. Most schools are closing because of very low attendance. Some teachers have become volunteers for fear of the new generations not being able to read or write or even able to cohabitate: which wouldn't be very easy unless they get a good education.

Manabu once in a while goes with his parents to learn how to culture and train the yeast they work with.

"Mother, why does the yeast always taste good even though it smells so bad while it grows?" asked the youngster one day.

"You shouldn't ask such questions or the farmer will hear you and get angry 'cause he'll think you're putting down his yeast and fire us!" his mother scolded.

Manabu usually got a response similar to this. His parents are always weary to bring him out becuase of all his questions that probe into their own weaknesses of Underground society and life.

One day:

"Manabu!" his father boomed, "Stay here today. We're goin' to work thru the next two shifts. The mech-maid will get your food ready. Don't go out for any reason, you hear?!" The door slammed and electronically locked.

His parents weren't going to work. They were going to help in a major uprising due to the High Mayor and Ultima-Council's decision to cut even more of their needed air and water. Little did Manabu know, but they wouldn't be coming back at all.

Manabu slid off his bed and touched a metal plate, with a finger, that was on his computer terminal. The screen came alive. He turned on the cartoon channel. His favorite was "Akira" and "Mech-bots." As he watched, he could hear the mech-maid in the kitchen preparing breakfast for him. Manabu always enjoyed watching the maid; he was in love with mechs. He wanted to get a chance to ride in one of the Mechs that worked at the yeast plant which his parents worked at. Someday, he knew! His ultimate dream was to afford (or be lucky enough