This could not be right. Who tried to escape in broad daylight? Work had finished and Kungawo was true to his word, meeting Johanna in the beauty of Stanley Park. She felt unsure coming to the large wrought-iron gates, confused as she rounded the huge boating lake, and like an imposter crossing the beautifully maintained grass toward the fountain and bandstand. This was not where she should be, for one thing they had flowers and trees. She did not know whether to be awed by the beauty or annoyed that they took natural resources from her home to fund a play area for the rich. At the moment, her thoughts centered on being thankful Kungawo was here.

A few steps from the intricate iron bandstand he said, "beautiful, isn't it?"

Johanna just nodded.

"How does it make you feel that this was built by you suffering?"

"Annoyed."

Kungawo laughed, he seemed to find so much of this world funny. "An understatement, I expect. How it would be lovely to stay here all day, hear the birds sing and feel the sun on our faces as we laze on the soft grass. But we need to go, I just wanted you to see what all the goodness was pumped in for, because you are going to have to travel where all the crap is pumped out."

"Oh great, I need to walk through a ditch of sewage!"

"No, no." Kungawo laughed once more, "this is the great city of Johnsonville, you need to walk through a pipe of sewage! Although, I hear that in Germainville, the glorious capital of all Princips controlled land, over in Sector 1, the sewage pipes are made of pure gold, you'll have to put up with crappy metal here though." With a chuckle, he added, "though that's not the crap that should worry you!"

Nerves or bravery, Johanna knew not which, made her say, "I am getting tired of your jokes."

"Well, the sooner we get going, the sooner you won't have to hear them."

"Are we not waiting for night fall or something?"

"No, everyone expects slav...the hired help, to try and escape at night, so there are more patrols then. Only a fool would try and get out during the day."

"So we are fools?"

"They are fools, people don't look for things you aren't expected to do, so that is what we do. You are not the first out of the city, you will, hopefully, not be the last."

"Let's stop blabbering on then and get going."

Kungawo's laugh appeared again, "I am going to miss your directness,"

"You've only known me for half a day."

"How I wish it could be more."

~

"I didn't realise the city could smell that bad," Johanna exclaimed, holding her nose.

Kungawo laughed. As her fists clenched, Johanna swore that if he had not been saving her, she would swing for him. "Even the rich use the loo," Kungawo said.

"I spose I should be thankful."

They walked the last few metres in silence, heading toward the looming structure of the eastern outer wall. Buildings had died away long ago, leaving a tarmacked area with weeds growing from cracks. No-one came here other than night patrols, so why bother wasting resources? At the base of the wall sat a metal grate, big enough for a person to squeeze down if removed. What lurked beneath was unknown in the gloom below. Johanna looked down, confusion written on her face. Despite holding her nose, the stench of urine and faeces assaulted her nostrils.

"This is going to be fun," she said sarcastically.

That laugh again. "Right, let's get that wrist tag off you. My friend could only give you city wide access, we've got to get rid of it or you'll be zapped as soon as you get past the wall." Kungawo pulled a small tablet out of his inside jacket pocket, best not to have illegal software on your watch in case the powers that be caught you. Like a magic wand, he placed the device over Johanna's wrist and, with a satisfying click, the tag unlocked. "Best to take it with you and leave it down there, just drop it before you get past the wall."

Johanna looked at the chucky bracelet in her hand, then to Kungawo's tablet, "if that thing can unlock the tag, why don't we just use the front gate?"

"Because you have also been chipped as a slave, if they see a slave walking out the front door, they tend to arrest you."

"Doesn't that machine do chips too?"

"How I wish it did."

"Then get me a different chip or change the data on mine."

"Only two ways to do that, either you know someone inside the factory, or you kill someone and take their chip."

A thought crossed her mind, the chip she had got from Solomon, did he really have someone inside Princips, or had they killed someone? This was not the time for such a thought.

"But isn't there a scanner through here?"

"In a poo pipe?"

"Yeah, couldn't people cut up a body and put it down here, then the chip would register on the way down?"

"I suppose so, never had a problem with it before. Come to think of it, if they think a slave has been killed and placed down that pipe, I doubt they would care."

"My life means so little!"

"To them maybe, but some of us care."

Johanna stared at the tiny grate, "so how do I get down there?"

"Watch and learn." Kungawo said, placing his hand on a pad next to the grate. A beep followed bolts sliding across. As he lifted the iron he said, "I have a friend who works in sanitation. He has put the scan of my hand in the system. He also created an algorithm, so it does not register when I unlock one of these grates."

"You don't have to keep explaining how everything works. I get it, you have contacts."

Johanna shuddered at the laugh, "girl, you do make me laugh."

"So I suppose this is it. Thank you for your help," she tried sincerity, but it would not turn on.

Kungawo stood and said, "I hope you get back to your daughter." He held arms wide, waiting for the last hug. Johanna's face told him that would not happen. She took a deep breath, wished she had not, and went to climb down the ladder. "Oh," Kungawo stopped her, "you will need this."

She nodded her thanks, taking the torch, this time descending into the sewer. The smell got stronger as the darkness enveloped her, it was all she could do to keep her lunch in her stomach. About halfway down she heard the grate swing shut and the bolts lock tight. That was it then, she was stuck down here, it was forward or nowhere. Dampness seeping through her cheap shoes made her aware she had come to the end of the ladder. Best not to think about what the liquid was. In the twilight, Johanna fumbled for the button on the torch. The light flicked on. "Ugh," she exclaimed, "that's disgusting."