A New Track in the Tangled City
As surprised as Mar was to see Kelii step out from the Five Ways track gate, it hadn’t been the first time this cycle they’d come face to face with their past.
Five days before seeing Kelli, Mar had stood at the threshold between the grounds of the Hotel and the lower levels of The Tangled City. It was an odd place that felt like a border between two worlds, where the mellow quiet of the Hotel struggled to stave off the early morning assault of the great market beyond. Mar took it all in for a moment, as they always did. They didn’t like to rush things, much to the chagrin of some others, but it was Mar’s only real defense against the relentless march of life in the Bazaar.
A warm breeze blew from some unknown source, brushing over the top of Mar’s dark hair. Hair that was, as usual, worn in a short, tight bun just above their occiput. It was a style influenced more by practicality than anything else. The fresh appearance of Mar’s white sneakers and ankle length white socks alluded to some semblance of effort but they were in odd contrast to the rest of Mar’s outfit. The truth was, Mar had never really been a fan of wearing clothes for appearances sake, and so usually opted for the workable over fashionable. This, and the tropical climate of the Bazaar, had brought Mar into a familiar routine of faded shorts and oversized t-shirts, both often covered in paint splotches and grease stains from long nights spent in the workshop.
Mar had risen early this morning and put on their ‘workshop best’ to make it in time for the reopening ceremony of an old track, called Ortguard. This particular reopening was significant to the patrons of the lower Tangled City, who had been waiting for the track to Ortguard to open since it had suddenly closed during the Collapse. Situated along the main drag of the lower Tangled City, the track gate to Ortguard had been a major economic link during the pre-Collapse era of the Bazaar. Famed for its spiced fruits, its convenient location to one of the great markets of the Bazaar had turned its exports into an epicurean sensation throughout the multiverse. Now, after more than 20 years, the track was reopening once more. News had quickly spread throughout the Bazaar, and Mar had reluctantly promised the Nanas to be there for the reopening, in the hopes of securing some of the famed fruit.
In truth, the track had opened some days prior to the ceremony. The Harmony kept close tabs on the known track gates in and around the Junction of Worlds, monitoring energy levels for any fluctuations that could indicate activity. This was to ensure the tracks were safe, and the inhabitants were still amenable after decades of isolation. It was also, Mar thought, a reason for the Harmony to secure the track, and, at the very least, place the Junction side of the gate under their jurisdiction. To this day, no one knew entirely how the tracks worked or who, or what, had made them in the first place. They behaved more like living things than machines. Like dormant volcanoes under a planet’s crust. They could be monitored and predicted, but only nature itself truly knew when they’d come alive again. This unpredictability was a concern to the Harmony, whose power thrived on certainty. It was why the Harmony was always there, at every track they could find, in order to ensure some semblance of predictability.
Mar spent a little longer looking out to the Tangled City, watching the ships move through the knotted structures above, and the crowds of people ahead of them, scurrying along the lower streets. With their plans laid and their objective ahead of them, Mar declared to no one but themself that it was time to go. They mounted their skateboard and set off along the smooth pale concrete of the Hotel’s outer grounds. It was only a few short moments until Mar was rumbling along the rocky streets of the lower Tangled City and towards the track to Ortguard.
The Tangled City had not always been a vast web of overstuffed buildings and congested sky-lanes. The Bazaar hummed with history, but its truest song was one of myth… and myth had it that the Tangled City was as ancient as the Bazaar itself. As Mar skated along the blackened pavement, they tried to imagine what this place must have looked like, at the beginning of all things. It was definitely old, and it certainly felt old, as Mar’s deck rocked and shook over each small fracture and concrete cavity. It felt as old as the rock that lay below the five ways hotel, and as worn out as the carved wood that bound its walls. Mar always wished this road could tell it’s story, for it might just tell Mar of its more quiet and humble beginnings.
Today though, the road was everything but gentle, as it swarmed with the throngs of early shoppers and the sellers that wooed them. These keen-eyed denizens scoured the dried seafood stalls that spilled out onto the footpaths, searching the plastic lined baskets for paper-thin sleeves of fish skins and hollowed out mollusk shells. Some of the more spirited patrons perused steaming chunks of meat that hung from metal hooks, inspecting their cut and colour, as the chunks dripped sticky red marinade into dirty metal trays. Mar had travelled this road for as long as they could remember. The sights and sounds and smells of this theatre of activity were all so familiar and yet no less enveloping than the first time they walked along these streets as a child. Skating along the road now, as Mar often did, the experience to their senses was rapid. New smells filled Mar’s nose before old ones could leave, and the colours of neon lights merged into flurries of rainbow.
The road itself was bent in a large circle, with the Five Ways Hotel at its center. Scores of smaller streets and alleys shot off from the concourse to other parts of the Tangled City and eventually onward, to other parts of the Bazaar. The ring road was an endless loop of fascination, and even after 20 years of exploring, Mar still felt that so much of it remained unseen.
While thousands of people spread out across either side of this road everyday, its center was the domain of the Tram. The Tram didn’t go by any other name. It was known only as the Tram, and always had been. Mar had always liked this, it suggested a sense of preeminence but also a lack of care on the part of some long forgotten inhabitants of the Tangled City. The thought brought Mar’s imagination to a simpler time, long before the falsettos of history, and firmly into the realm of myth. A time when so little existed that everything was the first of something. Mar liked to think about the Tram like this. That it wasn’t just the victim of lazy naming, but the first of its kind, and therefore named as such.
Regardless of its true history, The Tram did live up to the quiet power of its name. It moved the entire length of the road in the lower Tangled City, without a single gap. It had no front or back, no beginning or end, just 3 levels, on top of one another, each about 2 meters wide. The inside was lined with unpainted dark wood, not too dissimilar from the Five Ways Hotel, but much more worn down from the unending hands and shoulders that rubbed against its sides. The first level, or “through” level as it was known, was devoid of any features except for a speckled grey floor and basic bench seating along the interior walls. This was intentional, or rather, necessary, as moving through the Tram was a requirement if you wished to cross the old ring road. Sure, if you were higher up in the Tangled City, you could move freely, but on street level, the only way from one side to the other was through the Tram.
Mar approached the snaking vehicle now, preparing to embark and disembark as quickly as possible. The speed of the Tram was not a concern, as it always moved slow enough for people to jump on and off at any time. It was the congestion Mar feared. As much as it was suggested to keep the through level doorways free, there were almost always too many people on board to make that a possibility. The Tram split the crowds of the road in two, but it also fed it, as people flowed in and out of the frequent doorways like smoke from a staggered chimney
Mar picked their spot, an entrance not far up from where they were right now, with an unusually clear run to it. Mar kicked faster against the pavement and built up speed until they were traveling at least twice as fast as the Tram. Mar reached their target quickly, bouncing off their skateboard and kicking it up into their arm before jumping onboard. It was always going to be faster on the road, so as soon as Mar boarded the tram, they were fighting their way through the pack to reach the opposing throughway.
Within 15 seconds. Mar had elbowed their way out of the Tram and onto the other side of the road, right in front of an entrance to a small alleyway. Between the crowds of passers by, Mar spotted three dodgy-looking silhouettes shaking hands and exchanging some indistinguishable item between them. Mar was nosey. This was their home. They liked to know what was going on. But, they had little time to eavesdrop on shady folk today, Mar was already running late for the ceremony and knew they had to get a good spot if they hoped to get any of the spiced fruit from the first batch. So, with no hesitation, Mar mounted their skateboard again and kicked off along the bumpy road once more.
Unfortunately Mar’s curiosity was too strong, and their gaze had lingered on the alley for just a little too long after the skateboard had picked up speed. It was because of this that when Mar turned back to look straight ahead, they were immediately face to face with a store owner’s trolley. Mar managed to quickly dodge a full-on collision, but they still clipped the edge of the towering trolley, which had been stacked stories high with cardboard boxes and small crates full of food. Mar quickly balanced themself on the rusted edge of the cart, to slow all their momentum, before pushing themself off and readjusting their foot grip. The small creature that pushed the cart, peeled back its ragged brown hood to reveal a small nose-less face of fur and leathered skin. It snarled and shouted in a language unknown to Mar, as they began to skate off. It wasn’t clear whether the hooded creature was angry at Mar’s near miss collision or because the creature had noticed Mar swipe a few of the orange berries from inside one of the creature's crates, but Mar would never know, as they were already long gone by the time the creature had finished its exclaiming.
About 20 minutes, and a few more near misses later, Mar had finally reached the crowded spot where the once deactivated gate to Ortguard stood, active now and swirling in bright auroral hues. The track gate was fairly small, like most that were located directly in the Bazaar. It occupied a snug eight meter wide gap, between two 5 story high buildings. The wide shallow ramp that led from the pavement up to the track entrance had been covered over with a makeshift stage that hosted a coral-coloured carpet and two rows of chairs on either side, facing each other. A series of bunting hung above the stage, featuring flags of the three ringed emblems of the exchange, punctuated by the unmistakable outline of Ortguard’s most famous export.
The colours of the track, and the green, tree lined fields that lay beyond it, reflected off the tiled buildings that held the track gate in place. It looked like the sun’s reflection off calm waters, and Mar found it to be a very pleasant distraction from the familiar mess of buildings that surrounded it.
While Mar waited in the growing crowd, about 15 meters away from the stage, they mused on how they usually hated these “song-and-dance” re-opening ceremonies that the Harmony put on. They were always such a showcase of performative diversity. Everyone knew the Harmony had the biggest, most wide reaching fleet in the Junction of Worlds and no single world could contend with its reach. If a certain world preferred not to participate in the Harmony, or send representatives to the Exchange, It was respected of course, but Mar wondered just how tolerant the Harmony would be if more than a handful of worlds rejected their law.
In fact, Mar didn’t believe that there really could be such a thing as peaceful empire-building. Someone, or something, always stood to suffer. Thinking about politics like this often got Mar wondering about what the multiverse must have been like before the Harmony, before the Collapse changed everything. From what the Nanas had told them, It sounded loud, and messy, and a constant bureaucratic and diplomatic headache, but it also sounded fair and equal. The pre-Collapse Exchange was a melting pot of multiversal proportions and a place where every sentient creature with a track to the Junction of Worlds, could make a difference.
The exchange was still around now of course, and everyone who wanted a voice there still had one, it just meant a lot less now that those in power no longer needed to hear them.
Before Mar could get themself too fired up from these thoughts, they were awakened by the sudden silence of the crowd. Four Harmony officials had stepped up to the stage. There was an older man, With a slightly more elaborate uniform, and three younger officers, all dressed in identical liveries. It took Mar a while for their brain to catch up with their eyes, but it soon became obvious. One of the younger officers, the one sitting next to the senior fellow, was Mar’s old friend, Tykon. Tykon had come from a long line of galactic elite, who had accrued much wealth and influence in the Junction of Worlds prior to the Collapse. During the wars that followed, Tykon’s family had been one of the thousands of influential groups who had put their support behind the formation of the Harmony. Mar always knew that this meant Tykon would do his time on a Harmony rotation at some point, but Mar hadn’t imagined he’d be in such a boring role, especially one that brought him to a small little track opening like this.
Mar was happy to see Tykon, but also nervous. They hadn’t left their friendship in the best position when they had last seen each other, even if it had been almost ten years ago now. It was true, they weren’t teenagers anymore, the galaxy had changed and I’m sure they had along with it. Yet still, the happiness that emerged from this surprise, was affected somewhat by the residual guilt Mar had for their shared past.
Distracting themself from those thoughts, Mar turned their attention to the Harmony uniforms. Mar had never seen them this close before. They were fleet uniforms, no doubt about that. The white and accented blue was their tell. It was an incredibly underwhelming outfit really, a white, double breasted shirt, and pale blue pants sat beneath a waist-high jacket of matching colours. As expressive as Mar was, they actually found it difficult to describe it in any great detail beyond that. In addition to these standard outfits, the senior official also wore a stiff-looking cape. The cape’s blue underside rested in the darkness behind the Harmony official, creating a border around the white uniform that further accentuated its blinding blandness. Even though Mar’s wardrobe was mostly ill-fitting t-shirts and threadbare cargo shorts, even they knew that these uniforms were objectively awful. If the purpose of them was to be as inoffensive as possible, as Mar assumed, then they had certainly failed. The blandness of the perfectly tailored double breasted shirts, and the sharp, ironed angles of the cape were so severe, and so uncomfortable looking, that Mar almost felt embarrassed for Tykon and his colleagues, who were all visibly struggling to maintain decorum now, as the heat of the Bazaar set in. It was cooler in the upper levels of the Tangled City, and cooler even still in space, of course, but down here on the lower ring road, it was positively tropical. Mar shook their head as they thought about this. For people who prided themselves on unifying the multiverse, and reminding others of such at every opportunity, The Harmony’s traditions constantly outwitted basic practicalities. Just because these stiff fleet uniforms worked well in the cold of space, it didn’t mean they’d work in the Bazaar… but etiquette had to triumph against comfort, Mar supposed.
Mar’s cynicism was short lived, for only a few moments after the Harmony officials took their seats, did Two Ortguardian envoys step out from the track, into the Bazaar, and stood in front of the chairs on the right side of the stage. Where the Harmony sat inflexible in their white and blue liveries, the Ortguardians wore their traditional dress. These were made from long flowing strands of jade silk, that had likely been woven in the giant Mulberry forests found deep in the mountains of Ortguard. The jade luster was matched only by the brilliant gold stitching that highlighted the ornate sky creatures that swam between leafed branches along the full length of the dress. The beauty of it all was so truly captivating, it almost made Mar wish for one themself. Though Mar’s thoughts quickly moved to the logistics involved with skating home, through the Tangled City streets, in a fine flowing dress that was probably twice as long as Mar was tall.
Now that both parties were present, the ceremony itself started to unfold quickly. The senior Harmony official was the first to move. He stood up and walked toward the envoys, handing them the usual ceremonial invitation to rejoin the Exchange. It was a large gold pendant, pressed with the logo of the Three Rings of the Exchange. It was presented in a black lacquer box on top of a red velvet inner and had a fine gold chain connecting to it. One of the Ortguardian envoys received this, over their neck, and gave a short but graceful bow. The other Ortguardian, took their place, and presented the Harmony Official with a light green wreath laden with glistening bronze fruits in return. The official accepted this and passed it to Tykon, who received it proudly, but nervously.
The same Harmony official, who Mar guessed must have been Tykon’s superior officer, now stepped towards the crowd. In a stilted yet oddly charismatic voice, he spoke. “The Harmony is most pleased to welcome Ortguard back to the Junction of Worlds, and for their voice to be heard once more in the halls of The Exchange. We look forward to their contributions as we help guide our worlds toward a safer future.” Mar rolled their eyes. Like he believes any of that they thought. As if to prove Mar’s unspoken accusation, the official drew out a small notebook and began to recite a line, eyes down, in what might have been the worst Ortguardian Mar had ever heard. The sentiment was appreciated but it was clear that no effort had been made to do a good job of it.
It wasn’t until the official turned his back to the crowd and walked back to his peers, that Mar realised. Mar hadn't noticed the colours in the dark of the alley earlier, but the shape was unmistakable. Mar had seen this man barely a half hour ago, conspiring out of earshot with two other shaded figures. What was a straight-laced Harmony Official doing skulking around the back alleys of the lower Tangled City?
Should they approach Tykon? Tell him what they saw earlier? But then what would Mar say? “Hey I saw your boss slinking around a back alley doing who knows what”? That was useless information on its own. It might speak to the man’s character but there was nothing inherently sinister about it.
Mar continued to eye the man as he sat down and made way for one of the Ortguardian envoys to address the crowd. The jade and gold dress was even more impressive now, as the envoy stood under the lights of the Tangled City with a delicate disposition. They spoke in an accented but perfectly intonated common tongue, addressing both the crowd and the Harmony officials in equal measure. “We have waited upon the crest and fall of many moons to return to the Bazaar and we are so very pleased to be here once again.” Their voice was deep and deliberate. The envoy raised their slim, elongated hands from underneath their dress, and angled them toward the crowd. A gesture like this was a considerable sign of respect in Ortguardian custom and its unexpected appearance seemed to captivate the crowd. “While you were gone” the envoy continued, “we spent much time refining our craft. We have grafted new fruit varieties and developed new spices, combining them to create the finest spiced fruit in all the multiverse. We look forward to you trying these new innovations”
The envoy moved their hand to the side, as slow and graceful as if it were moving through water, and gestured toward the track gate. Seconds later, row upon row of wooden, open-top boxes, emerged from the track, each brimming with the bronze sheen of spiced fruit. The boxes were not carried by anyone but instead floated in mid-air, bobbing slightly against the backdrop of swaying mulberry trees. The crowd surrounding Mar clapped and cheered at the sight, before funneling into a queue that narrowed at the stairs to the make-shift stage. One by one, the queue moved forwards, and people took the boxes as they emerged from the track gate and into the Bazaar. The Ortguardian envoys stood by the queue, bowing slightly to everyone who came to pay for and collect a box of the much longed for delicacy. After about 5 minutes, Mar found themself walking up the stage and intercepting a box of their own. The Ortguardian envoys were much taller up close. At least 2 meters high Mar reckoned, or perhaps even more if their horned crowns were taken into account. Mar couldn’t tell if these crowns were part of their body, or their dress, but they added at least another 20 centimeters to the elegant envoys’ heights.
Even as they approached the Harmony side of the stage, Mar remained undecided about whether they should talk to Tykon or not. It wasn’t that they were nervous per se, they were just unsure on whether an awkward, walk-by “hello” would be the best way to greet someone after so many years. It required little further thought though, as fate made Mar’s decision for them. Just as Mar gazed above the box of spiced fruit they were now carrying in their arms, they locked eyes with Tykon, who had been surveying the queue. Mar quickly averted their gaze. It was a knee-jerk reaction but it meant they’d have to pretend to not have noticed Tykon if they approached. Sure enough, Mar heard distant shouts, creeping closer.
“Mar!”
“Hey Mar!”
“Mar is that you!”
Damn. Mar thought. Here we go then!
Tykon leapt off the stage and approached Mar, slightly out of breath.
“Huh! Mar it’s so great to see you! It’s me, it’s Tykon. I didn’t know you were still living on the Bazaar. What are the odds!”
Quite high, actually. Mar considered speaking their mind out loud but decided against it.
Tykon was certainly enthusiastic, Mar would give him that. Though It was a controlled enthusiasm that respected his position but disregarded any of the history between them. It didn’t really feel all that authentic to Mar, but the effort was made at least.
“Wow, Tykon, look at you in your flash Harmony Uniform!” Tykon straightened at this, proudly, apparently missing the slight, patronising tone in Mar’s voice.
“Look, I’ve got to get back up there.” Tykon said, hiking his thumb back toward the stage. “But lets catch up properly. I’m here for two cycles so i’m sure we can find the time”.
Mar’s eyes narrowed. Two cycles? What the heck were a reopening delegation doing on the Bazaar for two whole cycles? Mar’s suspicion flared when they thought back to Tykon’s boss, lurking in the shadows earlier. But this was neither the time, nor place, to start acting on suspicions or leveling accusations.
“Sure Tykon, that sounds good. You remember the Five Ways right? Come down when you’re next free and we’ll catch up.”
Tykon nodded, and smiled, before being called back onto the stage. “Sorry Mar, gotta go! But see you soon, yeah?”
Mar nodded in return but said nothing. Soon Tykon was back in the fray of the busy stage, helping his colleagues triage the ever-growing queue of spiced fruit patrons.
Two cycles? Harmony officials never stayed on the Heavens Bazaar for that long. Something weird was going on. Mar didn’t really want to know what, if they were being honest to themself, even if they knew they would be fighting the itch to learn more in the days to follow. It was unfortunate for Mar, that more often than not their curiosity got the better of them, especially when there was something as curious as this. To distract themself, Mar turned to something they’d been curious about for many years more. Mar finally had the chance to find out what these spiced fruits tasted like, especially now that Mar was old enough to hold on to their memories. After the minor hesitation that came with trying any new food, Mar took a large bite out of one of the shimmering bronze fruits. It was shaped like an apple but lacked any core. The inside was light and crunchy and yet, somehow, simultaneously melt-in-your-mouth smooth. It tasted like a hot, buttery pastry with a complex yet soft combination of spices that Mar couldn’t single out. Standing on the pavement of the lower Tangled City, Mar forgot about their concerns for just a moment as the fruit transported them to a place of total calm.
