Streetlights hung and provided a cozy light that wasn’t much different from the street above ground.
“I want to go deeper.” Freya was already moving to the escalator.
“All right. Level two and three are similar, so let’s go to level three where I live.” Belle waved a hand for the rest of us to go ahead.
The thing that hit me the most emphatically as we stood on the escalator descending further underground was the change in air quality. There was a breeze, but it was coming from large ventilators on the walls, and the air down here felt heavy and smelled weird.
Once on the third level we walked through a neighborhood with colorful doors.
“I’m surprised that the buildings are still in two levels and that the street has an outdoor feel to it.” I looked up at the arched ceiling above us and saw stars blinking and clouds moving. “Are those screens?”
“Yes, level two and three have ceiling screens to show the weather outside. Problem is that many of the screens are old and malfunctioning or broken.”
She was right. For every ten that worked, at least one was blacked out, which destroyed the illusion that we were looking at the outdoor sky.
“It’s still crazy to think that people survived down here for generations.”
“In the beginning it was different. Remember the first year you came here for a summit and we showed you one of the original survival bunkers that is now a museum?”
We all nodded and smiled at two men who were passing us and calling out to us.
“What did they say?” Indiana asked.
“That you’re so tall that you need to watch your head down here.” Belle hurried on and we followed her down streets that turned and twisted until I was lost. The next neighborhood had a different feel to it, and she explained that it was the old agricultural area that had been converted into living space after the animals were moved upstairs.
“Wow, so the animals are treated better than the humans here?” Indiana looked at Freya. “I’ll bet you love that as a vegan.”
Belle continued, “Actually, of the underground areas, this is one of the most popular. It has an industrial feel to it but larger rooms than some of the apartments above ground.”
After about twenty minutes of walking underground, we arrived at Belle’s quarters on level three.
“What’s that sound?” I asked.
“It’s an underground river.”
Spotlights lit up the running water and there was a small bridge leading us over to the other side.
“Is the water polluted?” Aubri asked.
“No, this is the newest part of the underground dwellings and everything is clean. Remember I told you that there are four underground levels? I should have specified that it’s not true for the entire country. In this part, we have three levels so we are now as far down as we can get. Are you ready to see where I live?”
“Yes!” we all answered in unison.
Belle smiled and stopped in front of a red façade with a blue door. On each side of the door was a window with grids like in an old-fashioned farmhouse.
“This is where I live. Rome, S-3-12076.”
“Is S for south?’
“No, S is for subterranean and 3 indicates that my house is at the lowest level. 12076 is my house number.”
Freya took a step back to the railing that kept people safe from falling into the river and looked up and down the street. “I think it’s pretty genius how you’ve given every house a different color to give the impression of an old city. The old farmhouse windows and the artificial plants and flowers are a nice touch too.
“It was designed to imitate the original Rome.” Belle explained.
“How does it work? I mean, did you choose this apartment or was it given to you?” Indiana asked and was instantly reprimanded by Freya.
“Honestly, haven’t you paid attention during the summits here? The French system was explained to us several times.”
“Sorry, Miss Sticky Brain, but some of us don’t store every bit of information we hear. I remember that the French system is somewhere between the Motlanders’ fairness principle and our market economy, but I can’t remember every fucking detail.”
“It’s okay, Indiana, I don’t mind answering your question,” Belle said with a smile. “Where we live depends on our work situation. As children we live in dorms connected to our schools. When we graduate, we apply for jobs that fit our skill set. Everyone starts at level one and moves up from there. The higher the level you reach, the more privilege you achieve. If you lose your job, you have three months to find a new one or you lose your home.”
“Then what?” I asked.
“Maybe a friend will let you stay with them, or you go to the homeless place.”
“You have homeless people?” Freya asked with a look of surprise. “I specifically asked your delegation about this and they said everyone was taken care of.”
“Oh, right. Ehm…” Belle shifted her balance and looked away.
“Let me guess; we got the polished version, didn’t we?” Freya touched Belle’s elbow. “Don’t worry. You can tell us everything. We’re friends.”
“All right. I’m not sure how many homeless people we have, but they’re removed every time we have a summit here in Old Europe. The government wants our country to look its best. That’s why they arranged for a massive community event to clean our streets and plant flowers before each summit we’ve hosted. On the news the anchors would encourage all citizens to dress their finest and smile at you outsiders to leave you with a good impression.”
“It’s all bloody staged!” Aubri shook her head and exchanged a glance with me. “Can you believe that shit?”
“But what happens to the homeless? Where are they taken?” Freya wanted to know.
“There’s a shelter down at the utility level. It’s next to the sewer station so the smell is awful, but it’s warm and dry. In the summer months the homeless don’t want to sleep down there so they spread out in parks and streets.”
“You said everyone starts at level one when you begin to work, so what level are you on now?” Aubri asked Belle.
“Level four. I’ve worked for six years. When I reach level five, I can apply for a home one level up.” Belle pointed upward. “But there’s such a lack of housing that it can take years for anything to be available.” Opening the door to her house, she called out a greeting in French. I assumed it was to give her roommate a heads up before we all walked in. Despite the warning, we still walked in on her roommate in the living room half naked with a man scrambling to get up from the floor and pulling a blanket from the sofa to hide his private parts. The two people had messy hair and stared at us like we were aliens.
“Lucy…” That was all I understood from the gabble of French words that came out of Belle.
Belle’s roommate disappeared up a steep staircase with her lover behind her.
“Sorry about that.” Belle bit her lower lip. “We have a rule of no lovers in the living room, but she must have thought I wasn’t coming home anytime soon.”
The place was tiny compared to what we were used to back home and I didn’t see a kitchen.