Sky snake city

I'm a canvasser, I spend all day hauling canvas scraps and a repair kit around looking for rips or tears in the canvas.

I'm stationed at the head of the sky snake, a monumental project spanning decades, a flying city in the sky. Behind me countless kilometers of city, of wings, and of engines. In fact it goes so far that in the last major build program the tail came into view of the head. Almost around the entire world. Sometimes at night I'll go to the very head, sit on the long decommissioned cockpit, and watch the rear of the city dancing up and down. The rear is made out Science... Some material that I can't sew through made out of metal... Mostly.

Immediately behind the head is the first wing but, that's a misnomer because it's really a stack of wings projecting above and below the head. Ten wings made of bamboo and stretched and doped canvas providing a pretty hefty amount of lift. For the technology used I mean. This part of the Sky Snake is the oldest, this section even has the original landing skids back when landing was a concern.

I looked back at the tail. At the next build the tail and head will connect and the city voted to rename ourselves from Sky Snake City to Ouroboros City - the snake eating it's own tail. And when that happens I'll be unemployed and homeless.

The next big build will go right past the city of canvas and right into the city of wood and glue. I've never been that far down tail. But apparently that's the only place strong enough to really connect. The upgrades will continue until it wraps around again. And again. And will keep upgrading until we're certain we'll never fall.

My watch beeped end of shift and I watched as my colleagues walked home while the next shift arrived promptly. Canvassers are important to the entire city. But like I said before. Important for now.

I live in wing 3 rib 7 of the second wing. Like every canvasser my quarters are tough and quiet. Tough enough that I have a small heater inside to cook with and to keep warm on the really cold nights.

Despite having the heater I stopped at a food stall for my favourite: roast seagull wings. I can't wait, I've been craving them all day and I swear this batch is juicier than usual.

I spend my day looking down for rips or warning signs of danger so like most canvassers I spend the rest of my day looking up. I'll watch the clouds roll by, the birds flying around, the strange aircraft off the... What?

I ran to the railing just as the aircraft dipped below the clouds and out of sight. I looked around to see if anyone else saw it but no one seemed to have.

I looked down, straining my eyes to spot anything but it was gone. Was it my imagination? Was it... Well I am a bit hungry. I guess.

I ran to the nearest ops center located at the base of vertical stabilizer 1. VS1 is where the first rudder was installed but it was removed when the city of steel was added to the back of the city of wood and aluminum. The rudder was massive, easily as big as the wings, and it was simply moving too much air whenever it moved. The head felt smooth but the residents in the tail felt battered.

I waved at the security guard and he smirked at me, "Back again eh Dong?" He opened the door for me so that was nice.

The head ops chief saw me walk in and sighed, "Dong. What now? Aliens?" His name is Alan.

"Wellll..." I hesitated.

"Seriously?" Alan looked up.

"No no Alan, I saw an unregistered airplane buzz the courtyard this morning."

"Great propellers ghost, my name is Sam. Why can't you remember that?" His name is Sam.

"Sorry sorry Sam. Anyways it was black, it sounded supercharged, it was fiberglass or something equivalent. Huge propeller, I think maybe....5 blades? Sam you're not writing anything down."

"I've been watching radar all day, nothing. Not even a bird. Dong look, I know your job is on the line, sooner than later, and I know the City Councilors voted down canvasser retraining so you must be feeling tight."

I nodded despite myself, this sucks.

"You're night shift right? It's 9 in the morning, go home, sleep, and if you still want me to write up a report come back and see me."

I nodded again, and Sam asked one of the guards to escort me home because I was starting to get jittery from lack of sleep.

Once home I collapsed into my bed and fell asleep.