The Fallen City

|Chapter XX You'll Never be Forgiven

Their drive was in relative silence. The roads were silent, even the hum of the Mercedes' engine seemed quieter. A few short conversations bounced between the two of them, the question wasn't asked until Gale armed another cigarette.

"You got a spare?" Carola asked as he brought the lit lighter up. Gale didn't respond until he was puffing out smoke.

"Yeah." He practically grunted, opening the arm rest. Gale's eyes were locked on the road and he didn't even notice the minutes go by while she waited for the lighter. "Abit keen to get in a car with a stranger aren't you?"

"You're not a stranger Gale." She stated with confidence, nodding as he tossed the lighter into her lap. "We might have only just met in person, but we've been in the City for awhile now... that has to count for something right?"

She only got a grunt in return, he was focusing on the road. Leading them out of town. "Don't really care what happens to be honest..."

"Bit of a grim outlook at what was it, twenty two?" He asked, finally looking at her. She was sad. The wound was still fresh.

"Got nothing else have I?" She took a long drag on her cigarette, she cradled the smoke. Seemingly taking a fascination in it drifting through her fingers. "She took everything when she left."

"Hard to save your world when there's nothing left to save." He wanted to see how far this bitterness ran, not too far he hoped. One of them had to have a reason for this.

"The phrase is saving the world. Not saving your world."

"No that's wrong." He earned a glare from that. "Why go out of your way to save someone you don't know about? Why go and donate money to someone you've never met. Save your world Carola, the people who love you.. Because there are always people who love you. That is your world, and it is all that's worth saving."

They were silent. A thoughtful silence no doubt. It all made sense to him now. He nodded, understanding entirely. He reached back behind his seat, scrambling for something he swore he'd taken from the ferry. She gave him a curious look, a look which got answered when he passed her a folded newspaper.

"Give that cover a read." He hoped the distraction would work. She seemed to frown at him, like his sudden change of topic wasn't what she had expected. Carola huffed quitely, and scanned the title. She donned a look of surprise, followed by awe.

"What did you do?" She asked, reading the simple phrase upon it. One that Gale himself had frowned at: 'Do you remember it?'

"My Son announced its existence to the world."

"That's good right? The City might come back to life?" She sounded hopeful. She cursed lightly as they hit a pothole a little too firmly.

"The damage is already done. The City can't exist in that world anymore." He said simply, he drew on confidence with no evidence.

"So what's the plan, gov?" She asked, throwing the paper onto the dashboard. She snuck another cigarette. "And why did you need to cross several hundred miles to do it?

"If we can sever that last connection, then bring the City into the real world. People seeing it, and actually being able to go to it without having to grow a spine might just give it the life needed to live again." His confidence had faded. He was clutching at straws. "I have no idea if it'll work, or if it will just kill it for good. It's hard to explain, I think we have to try... But trust me, if it fails... It'll be a helluva show."

Gale gave her a look of hurt as she clicked the lighter. He snatched it from her mouth, claiming it as his own. Carola shot him a cocky smile, twirling another stolen white cylinder in her fingers.