River followed the lady in blue out of the building and the sun seemed to burst and warm her skin and it felt magnificent. She stood still with her ear covers on and held her face up to the heavens, just for a moment. Karen watched River and a small smile flickered in the corner of her mouth, she gave her a moment and then they got into an electric car. The car journey didn't take too long but as they drove River's eyes were glued to amazing buildings that were all shapes and sizes and spaces that were green with clean streets, it was another world completely. Blue sky! All around her, bright and inviting making her feel like she was some kind of drug because it felt so good to see the sky again.

They came to a large building so much longer than the one River had just left and it looked important, heavily guarded.

"This way, we are nearly there"

River saw the green grass and pink and purple flowers that were in summer blossom, she could smell them all. The gorgeous fluffy clouds hung like cartoons in the sky. Her eyes watered again and her heart pulled tightly in her chest, how could she ever return to darkness after this?

"Come on River, we have work to do" Karen walked quickly into the large building introducing River to the security team. She handed River a blue uniform that she was to wear every day until the job was done. She quickly put the uniform on and the visitor badge was hung around her neck.

"I'm ready"

"Your tools are all here in the workshop and the door to the right has a large machine that needs repairing. This building is of the utmost importance and the machines here are vital for the city to run. We have had five engineers look at this machine but it's old and complex, they just don't understand what the problem is. 

If you can do this River there will be a reward for you at the end. The canteen is on the second floor and you know where the toilets are, help yourself to a coffee any time you like in the canteen. I will be back at 6 PM to pick you up"

Karen walked out giving a small wave and then it was just River on her own in this mammoth building. She looked down the hall and over to the door with the machine.

What is this thing I'm supposed to fix?

The room was so much bigger than any room she had ever seen and the machine was just as big. There was a long rectangular control panel on the front with chairs and desks like some kind of control room. Paper was spread out over the desks, some kind of blueprints that the engineers must have tried to understand and given up.

"Coffee, this is going to require lots of coffee" She giggled to herself, as she spoke out loud to the empty room. Running up to the canteen the smell of coffee was like a map to where she had to go. The canteen was also big and had four coffee machines, which you could just help yourself to. River poured a large cup full, taking it back downstairs and then sat at the control desk putting her feet up as she tried to decipher these blueprints.

She gently removed her ear protectors as the building was pretty much empty. The coffee was the best she had ever tasted. She held her nose against the cup breathing in the amazing coffee aroma.

"Are you lost" A deeper voice came from behind her and she quickly took her feet off the table and swung her body around to meet his gaze.

" Lost? No! " Her face was confused as she looked up at the young man with a mop of dark brown hair, who gave her a grin.

He walked over with his hands behind his back looking at the blueprints "Ah, you are an engineer trying to fix this machine. It makes sense now. You must be what? the 6th one now and no one can even figure out what the machine does?"

River found him quite annoying, distracting and mostly entitled, it oozed from him. She still had memories of when she grew up in the Upper City and how other children were spoilt and entitled, they grew up with lies about the Under. 

"Yes, That's my job and it would be nice if I could get on with it" She put her feet back onto the table, sipped her coffee and continued reading the blueprint. The corner of his mouth creased as he watched her. Max liked this girl instantly, he liked her - who cares attitude-.

"The name is Max" Max scanned the young girl's face and he had never seen her before, he wondered why because he knew everyone. She didn't reply and just sat there, feet up ignoring him.

She clearly doesn't know who I am.

"Ok, I will leave you to your work if you tell me your name at least" River let out a tut as she took another sip of coffee,

This guy is really starting to annoy me.

"The name is River" Max smiled to himself, as she copied his exact words.

"Nice to meet you River, I hope you have better luck than the last guys" Max walked out of the room leaving the new girl in peace. He had to go and find his father, who was in this gigantic building somewhere, he loved getting lost in this place as it took the boredom out of his meetings with his father.

River looked back to make sure he was gone and then went to check the large machine out. She ran her hands across the smooth metal walking around all the parts and studying them closely. She left the room and entered the workshop to grab a few tools.

I need to open this thing up. Is this some kind of test? Surely they know what this thing does? I mean this place is all about the high tech.

Opening the machine was pretty simple and didn't take long. Taking parts out one by one River laid them all out as many as she could take out. Her stomach growled loudly reminding her she was starving and needed some lunch. She wiped her oily hands on her uniform and then made her way up to the canteen again. The smell was delicious and made her mouth water. A long line of bright foods she had never even seen before were spread out and you could just help yourself again. She couldn't believe how good these people had it here, no fighting over food or just the same thing to eat every day.

River took a tray and piled her plate up and then sat down in the empty canteen, this time there were one or two other people there also eating. The food was as good as it smelt, vegetables, potatoes, beans and warm gravy. She sat for a while listening to the small noises that the kitchen made in the distance, the hiss of the dishwasher or the clang of a plate. Someone picking up a tray and scraping it across the metal edge.

River could hear his voice again before she even spotted him, stood just close by getting himself a plate of food with an older-looking man.

"Apparently, the city is getting so desperate to fix all of its technology that they will be using those Under freaks. I mean they can't even speak, can they?" The man who stood with Max just ignored him and grabbed his food.

River found herself growing with anger.

Under freaks!

She quickly finished up her plate of food and left to get back to work trying not to think about what Max had been saying, if anything she wanted to fix this thing even more now to prove she was intelligent and maybe find a way out of the Under.

Karen showed up at 6 PM looking at all the parts River had removed from the machine and displayed across the floor, she seemed nervous as she scanned the room " Will you be able to build this all back together River?" Her voice was shaky

River let out a small laugh "Of course, I have documented each part and numbered them. I need to study all of the parts and blueprints first and then fix the whole thing back together and hopefully find out why it wasn't working"

Karen nodded her head "Ok that sounds good, you can take the prints with you if needed to study them closer. I shall take you back now"

River stood in her oily blue uniform in the middle of the elevator as it descended back down into the Under. She couldn't believe she was going back down after seeing the City from above and being able to hear again.

She knew it was coming any second now but she wouldn't be ready for it, how could she? She had experienced the gift of sound today, something that had been stolen from her. Her voice had been silenced for so long now. Now they wanted her, needed her; the people that put her down here. Tears bounced down her cheeks and she let out a small sob that she could no longer hear.