The Pilgrims of Rayne Read Online Free

knew exactly what she wanted to see.
    On the far side, opposite the tracks, was a railing. Below that railing was a vast, multitiered underground mall that stretched fifty stories beneath us. Some levels were full of shops and offices. Other levels had apartments. All were busy with people, either hurrying about or riding two-wheeled vehicles that sped them silently on their way. Far down below was an indoor lake where people paddled boats and swam. It was a city built entirely underground. This is what Earth had become. Overcrowding and overpopulation had forced citiesto expand underground. It was actually a good thing. The surface of the planet was allowed to heal. Pollution was a thing of the past. People learned to respect our natural resources, while utilizing the planet as best they could.
    Courtney looked down at this impossible city of the future. I watched her silently as she saw the words in my journal come to life.
    â€œIt’s just awesome,” she gasped.
    I scanned the station, trying to collect my thoughts. It looked as if everything had progressed the way it was supposed to. Things didn’t look any different from when I had been there before. It was a total relief….
    Until something odd caught my eye. It wasn’t obvious at first, but after taking it all in for a few minutes, I noticed something that at first seemed impossible. I looked more closely, thinking I had to be wrong. What I saw made no sense. Besides the various passengers in the station, there were dozens of people who worked there. A guy sold newspapers. Another guy sold snacks. There was a subway conductor waiting for the next train and a transit cop walking his beat. A quick look down to the first few levels of the mall below showed me people working in stores, cleaning floors, and polishing shiny railings. There were mail carriers, ticket takers, window cleaners, and a hundred other people doing the various jobs it took to run a subway station and all the retail stores of the elaborate complex.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” Courtney asked, sensing my tension.
    â€œLook at the workers.”
    Courtney scanned the subway platform. At first it didn’t click for her. Then I saw her react. She gave me a quick, nervous glance, and frowned.
    â€œAm I crazy?” I asked.
    â€œIf you are, I am too,” she answered. “Everybody looks exactly alike. I mean exactly ! Was it like that when you were here before?”
    â€œNo, which means I know how it can be. You do too.”
    Courtney nodded and said the word I didn’t want to say myself. “Dados.”
    â€œYeah,” I replied. “Third Earth has dados now. Lots’ of ’em.”
    â€œWhich means the future isn’t what it used to be,” Courtney said softly.
    â€œLet’s find Patrick.” I gently took Courtney’s arm and led her to the up escalator. We needed to see the rest of Third Earth.
    The new Third Earth.

JOURNAL #28
    FIRST EARTH
    T he last time I was on Third Earth I was a few years younger and way more naive. I still remember the excitement I felt while riding the escalator up and out of that subway city to get my first glimpse of the future. I was pretty excited this time too. Or maybe excited isn’t the right word. It was more like a burning knot of fear was twisting in my gut. Yeah, that’s a better description. The future had been changed. The robot dados in the subway were proof of that. Question was, would the new future be better, or worse? My aching stomach feared the worst.
    Courtney was just plain excited. She had read my journals describing Third Earth, but reading about something and seeing it for yourself are two different animals. The last thing she said to me before the flume took us from Second Earth was, “I want to see the future.” She was about to.
    When we arrived at the top and stepped out from under the green kiosk that marked the entrance to the subway, Courtney did a