Devin looked up at the grand clock at the pinnacle of Justice Tower. He had six minutes to catch the eight o’clock airship to Cartwright city and judging by the traffic jam on the main street he would not be able to reach the docking tower on foot. Devin sighed as the elesto concrete of the road shifted up causing the cars and people to trudge with increased determination. There was nothing to be done but spend the last two dollars he had in his pocket on the tower tram and hope that the small breakfast he had that morning would carry him for the rest of the day.
Grunting with anger at himself he reached into his pocket. Tucked beneath the small package he was to deliver where the two small coins, with some reluctance he pulled them out and pushed the red pickup button on the corner electric pole. A few seconds later the dull grey tower tram descended down to ground level. The door by the front peeled back and Devin stepped on. He dropped his fare into the driver’s collection tin with only a small regretful pause. Devin lumbered into one of the single seats at the back of the cabin and sat down with a grunt of relief. He was two years into his fifties and his body lost the battle with arthritis years ago. Devin hardly took any exercise and as a result gained a considerable amount of weight but despite that his muscles stood out on his arms and his shoulders where broad.
Devin's hair was short; he kept the crew cut ever since his army days and now the last remnants of its auburn color where fading away as the grey of age spread. It was not past rush hour but the tram was heading downtown and there were only a handful of other passengers in the cabin. Devin heard the chime that accompanied the doors closing and watched the ground slip away and become obscured by the clouds as the tram shot up on the rapidly tightening support cable that it traveled on. Only the tallest skyscrapers reached this high and every few minutes he would see a gap between them long enough to catch a glimpse of the endless clouds drifting between this fragment and the three others visible to the naked eye.
The sun was setting when the tram arrived at the docking tower, thankfully the tram arrived at the towers apex saving Devin a long journey up the stairs or a cramped one in the elevator. He crossed the checkered tile of the terminal hub across to his airship. Handing the young attractive girl in the navy flight attendent’s uniform his ticket he headed into the cabin and towards the back where the second class seats where located. He had not had time to sit before he felt the airship rise. As his ears poped from the changing pressure Devin patted his grey overcoat pockets. He made sure the package was still tucked neatly away and then located his ComSat. The little square of grey slate was no more than three inches on each side and the clasp holding it shit opened when he ran his nail over it. The lit poped up revealing a speaker and a number pad. Carefully he used his pinky to enter the twelve digit number and hit the call button.
After a moment of static a female voice said, “Ahoy?”
“This is Devin” said Devin, “ Im on the boat and I’ll be arriving by tomorrow morning. Probably 5:45AM is the Jetstream cooperates.”
“I’ll let Charlie know to meet you” The voice said and the line went dead.