“Thanks.” she said as he passed her the now sticky glass and she took a small sip. The drink was yeasty, fizzy and warm. She was glad she had taken just a small sip, and placed the drink back down on the table, from where it vanished almost instantly.
“Where are we?” she asked the tall man as people pushing past forced them together.
“Party.” he smiled, draining the glass. ‘Not quite sure who’s though.”
***
“I am afraid that I have lead you a little astray.” smile Prentice.
“Oh really?” smiled Victoria, raising an eyebrow, the oculus over her other eye rotating and narrowing as it focused in on him.
“Yes. Randolph didn’t disappear as such. I am afraid that was just a ploy. He was involved on a experiment with which he seemed to be having second thoughts about so we had to, shall we say, remove him from his current employment.”
“I see. So what is this experiment?”
“Micronics we call it. It is the examination of the basic building blocks of energy they say. The symbol you retrieved from the artificer's society is but a road map to the examination and distortion at a micronic level.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” she smiled. The computational engine tells me nothing either.
“It is quite simple, Victoria. The subversion or dissection at a micronic level creates a flood of similar reactions. The resulting escalation is quite spectacular. Uranium is involved I believe.”
“You are making a bomb?” she said and he laughed lightly as if he had been caught out somehow.
“Very quick! Indeed, we are. Tell me Victoria, have you heard of Saint Aspen’s Island?”
“No.” she said.
“Well I wouldn’t bother searching the computational engine if I were you. It was a small island a good few miles north of the furthest Scottish isles. It is however not there now.”
“You tested the bomb on the island I take it?”
‘Of course. It was the smallest of devices we tested. The results Victoria… Oh my… the results are to say the least, spectacular. The island simply sank beneath the waves.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“You are familiar with our current standing with the German Confederation and Franz Joseph, the Austrian Emperor in particular?”
‘I would say that our accord with the German Confederation is at best sorely tested.” she said.
“Of course.” said Prentice, “It is the view of her majesty’s government, if not necessarily her majesty herself that the Germanic states are quite simply a war waiting to happen. We wish therefore to resolve the problem once and for all.”
“You will declare war on them?” she laughed. “You would do that for no reason at all and without provocation?”
“There has been provocation aplenty!” shouted Prentice, standing suddenly and beginning to pace the room. “The science of Micronics will solve the problem once and for all.”
“You are going to bomb them.” gasped Victoria, standing to face him and seeing the glint in his eye she instantly knew she was right.
“Such a weapon.” he smiled, grabbing her by the wrist. “It is perfect. The scale of destruction that the device is capable of is huge. The Germanic states will disappear in a tide of fire and death the world has never seen before. After this no country will brook argument with her majesty’s empire. They will cower as we pass, and hide from the footsteps of the giants that we are.”
“You are insane.” said Victoria, feeling his grip tighten on her wrist, “You will not be able to deliver such a weapon into the heart of the Germanic states without them discovering what your plans are, even if they are not aware of the technology that you use. How do you plan to deliver such a bomb?”
“We have built a zeppelin for just this purpose.” he smiled. The ship is the bomb.”
“I see.” she laughed, “And so you fly the bomb into the Germanic states and detonate it, killing all of the crew in the resulting destruction. Who would sign up for such a mission?”
“We have no need of a crew.” he smiled and Victoria found her head suddenly reeling, “The systems are all automated. We just need one loyal crew member to be our man - or woman of course - on the spot to make minor course adjustments should they be required.
‘Me.” she said, pulling his wrist from her. He was powerless to stop her doing that at least, she thought as she sat down.
“Of course. You will be issued the appropriate commands thus ensuring your complete obedience and the success of the mission. Germany will be no more. Austria a waste of ash and flame. Saxony, Brandenburg and Prussia burning like beacons to warn the Russians of our attention will be on them next if they do not kneel before us.”
“When?” she gasped, holding her head in her hands.
“Now.” he said, and he pulled her up and took her through the door of the office in which they were sitting. The cabin of the zeppelin was all around them, the wheel of the craft ahead.
“We are already aboard.” she said as Prentice led her to the ship's shell and placed her hands upon it.
“COMMAND: Pegasus.” said Prentice, and Victoria felt the flight plan being released into her mind, her hands tightening on the wheel that steered the zeppelin. Panicking, she found that she was completely unable to let go.
***
“Who are you?” asked Victoria as the tall handsome man from the punt led her across the crowded room and onto the balcony which was more or less empty of people.
“Billlyyyyyy Sheeeeeeeers!” Victoria heard the musicians singing from inside the room.
“Call me Sebastian.” he said.
‘Why? Is it your name?” she laughed and the man gave his perfect tooth smile again.
“It is today.” he said.
“Where are we?”
“Don’t you remember boss?” he asked.
Victoria paused for a second. she really couldn’t remember anything. The last thing she could recall was she had been shot, but that they had fixed her somehow. Yet she wasn’t happy. She knew that was true, but could not remember why. Then she was in a boat, and after that she was in this party. The music was not too bad. Different certainly; but the drink was awful. The skirt seemed rather short too.
“I think I was in pain. Then there was the necklace. Them… “she paused, certain she had missed something.
“You said boss.” she said, looking at the man who smiled back at her broadly.
“I did.” he said.
“Oh no.” she began to giggle. “Romney. Is that you?”
“Sebastian.” he hissed. “Romney is who I used to be.”
“Oh my…” Began Victoria, but Sebastian quickly cupped his hand over her mouth. She blinked and then nodded as if to ask him to remove his hand. Whether that was her intention or not she did so anyway.
“Not here.” he hissed, “Do you have any idea where you are?”
“I think I am in the third circle.” she said and Sebastian nodded.
“Do you really look like that?” she asked, “After all. I have never seen you before. You were always somewhat… disembodied.”
“Of course not.” he hissed. “I am a demon of the third circle. It’s all horns and scales mostly. Fangs are quite popular right now fashion wise too.”
“So why do you look like that and call yourself Sebastian?”
“Because it’s a party!” sighed Sebastian in exasperation.
“I am calling you Romney from now on.” she tutted, leaning back on the balcony. “Okay. I give in. What exactly is it you are up to?”
‘Well now.” said Romney, tapping his nose, a conspiratorial look on his face, “I am going to raise a complaint, and believe you me, I am going to cause one hell of a stink around here.”
Romney smiled, and with a wink took her by the hand, helped her over the railings and they both jumped from the balcony.
***
The Pegasus moved away from its triple linked do
cking arms and then began to rise, the zeppelin catching the last rays of the sun as it set over the Thames, and as it began to climb the ship’s perimeter lamps came on and the it rose above London heading east towards the channel. The cabin was deserted now, for Victoria was the only person on the ship, and she was standing at the wheel, her hands clasping it tightly, watching the read outs and dials on the small computational displays in front of her. She found that she was quite unable to release the wheel, and watched in growing horror as she queried her own computational engine and found the plans for the Pegasus upon which she was now stood, although they were of course not public. She had been granted access however, and saw the size of the Micronics payload that was attached to the ship as it slid slowly through the air towards the channel and from there across the fields of France heading towards the German Territories and its detonation point.
“You should be there just as dawn breaks.” said a voice from the brass display in front of her and Victoria recognised it as belonging to Prentice instantly. As if on cue a small display lit up showing Prentice looking at her from the brass panel as if he was standing right in front of her. “Quite appropriate I think. A new dawn on a new Europe that will be governed by the British Empire.
“I thought you would have to maintain radio silence,” snarled Victoria, trying to release her hands from the lifeless ships wheel to no avail.
“Oh we will shortly.” said Prentice, “Wouldn’t want to ruin things by letting them know we were coming now, would we?” he said. He watched her struggling to move and smiled again. “Victoria you need to understand that your computational engine will not allow you to release the wheel. Also you will find yourself maneuvering the ship if the weather changes to make course corrections, as well as ensuring that the detonation spot is accurate. It is such a delicate operation after all. Come now Victoria, we wouldn’t want to mess it all up now, would we?”
“You still have time to stop this!” she shouted and she heard him chuckle over the radio link, his face tightening as he laughed.
“Goodbye Victoria.” he said, “Your programming has proven to her majesty’s government that the process that we put you through is completely viable, you will be pleased to hear that you are but the first of many, but sadly you are entirely expendable, though you can take assurance from the fact that this mission is probably the most important in all of the days of the British empire. Godspeed Victoria, God’s speed. We await to see the clouds of a new dawn for the world gather and blow their reign of fire across the Germanic peoples. We watch and wait and wish you well.”
“Go to hell.” said Victoria and the sound of Prentice’s laughter faded to nothing and the brass plated screen turned black once again as the huge zeppelin that was the world’s first micronic bomb crossed the channel and began to make its way across France in the darkness.
***
“Where are we now?” gasped Victoria as Romney pulled her to him, spun her around and then flung her away again. She felt dizzy; disorientated and then as he took her hand again and pulled her towards him the realisation hit her. They were dancing! She looked down at herself, a long ball gown falling to just below her ankles, and it billowed and spun as he turned her again, the chamber music fading quickly and they came to a halt, looking at each other.
“Second circle.” smiled Romney, taking her hand and leading her towards the balcony. As she left the ballroom behind she thought the balcony looked familiar somehow, but the candelabra's were new and polished, but reminded her of something else altogether, though she could not quite place what.
“We need to be careful here. Third circle is home turf for me, boss. The second isn’t and they may resent my presence here.”
“Well let’s leave then.” she said, “I am at a complete loss as to what we are doing here anyway. In fact, I get the distinct impression that I am not actually here at all.”
“Sort of.” smiled Romney. “Let me explain.”
“Please do.” said Victoria, sniffing haughtily and giving him her very best doubtful stare.
“The necklace in which I was bound as your personal assistant was blood bound so only you could use it.”
“Correct.” she said primly.
“It cannot be destroyed. Yet Prentice and his scientists drained you of blood. That of course not sufficient to change your blood type; after all, your cells, if permitted would regenerate new blood which would be of the same group as before.”
“I am with you so far.”
“Okay. The difference here is that they did that and then somehow they make a body wide cellular change that did change your blood group. Thus the necklace in which I was bound was able to be destroyed, sending me back to the third circle of Hell where I am from.” Victoria frowned.
“I suppose the question is how they managed to do that so we can reverse it?” she asked, half question, half statement.
“No Victoria.” He smiled. “The real question is why they did that. Why go to all of that trouble when the computational engine that they can now command you with could be given instruction just to ignore me for example?”
“I have no idea.” said Victoria, her frown deepening. Inside the music struck up again and another dance commenced, men and women throwing themselves about the dance floor with abandon.
“Well nobody seems to have objected to me being here.” he said, looking around. As if on cue they looked across the dance floor and one of the main double doors was flung open and in walked a man flanked by a dozen guards who strode into the room after him, heading directly towards them.
“Ah.” said Romney. “Looks like I spoke too soon.”
“What now?” asked Victoria.
“Over the balcony.” he said, helping her over the this time concrete parapet. Below them she saw stars and darkness but nothing else. “Victoria.” he said, taking her by the hand as they prepared to leap, the man and guards already breaking into a run as they saw what they were doing.
“What?” she asked, hearing with disappointment a tremble in her voice.
“The last place we go is the first circle. The demons there are… well… not quite like normal demons. Or people.” he stopped, rubbing his chin with his free hand nervously, “Or anything really. I think it best to let me do the talking.”
“Certainly.” she said.
“And whatever it is you see there try not to be too afraid.
“As if I would be.” she smiled and he looked at her, clenching her hand tightly.
“Well I am.” he said, his mouth a straight line, his eyes flickering from her to the approaching guards and then the stars again. “Quite frankly I am shitting a brick.”
“Oh Romney!” she said with disappointment and then he pulled on her hand and they fell from the balcony down into darkness.
***
She searched her computational engine for a loophole. Anything. She could access the plans of the Pegasus, could examine the huge airship in minute detail, but whatever the commands that had been embedded within her with regards to the mission were locked carefully away, as were her general command codes. She stood examining the internal core of the computational engine for any flaws or logic traps for quite some time, but the scientists seemed to have covered everything, for if there were any such loopholes she could not find them,
As she searched the Zeppelin bucked under her feet a little and she found herself reaching forward and pushing a number of buttons and dials and then turning the ship’s wheel slightly anticlockwise. She did not know what it was she was doing, but obviously she had an interface with the ship controls somehow and the programming was making one of the course corrections that Prentice had talked about.
She sighed as she returned to looking blankly at the panel before her, outside the cabin windows all she could see was the dark night and the occasional star twinkling down from above.
“Romney.” she sighed, “Where are you? I need you!” But there was nothing; just an escalating feeling of distractio
n almost as well as a real fear of defeat.
***
There was just whiteness all around. No ground, no sense of dimensions of anything or signs of anyone or anything at all.
“Romney!” she hissed in a whisper?”
‘Yes?” he whispered back.
“I can’t see anything.”
“Good job too.” he said, fear in his voice.
“Why “good job”?”
“It gives us one less thing to worry about.” he said. “Stay close though. A manifestation of the first circle is near.”
“How do you know?” she said and there was a slight silence.
“Can’t you feel it?” he asked and she concentrated and yes, there was something in the whiteness; a shape moving through the void, and it was enormous; maybe an eye or a glimpse of a scale. She gasped. Nothing could be that big! Still something moved and a wind blew through them as it drew near, and then silence fell. Still there was nothing. No shape, no sign; nothing.
“You have violated the first circle of Hell with your presence.” said a voice that seemed to reach through her, defile the very air she breathed, its volume loud and shrill as if borne on an air that was more accustomed to silence or growls of defiance. “Explain.”
“My lord I beg forgiveness.” said Romney who was obviously somewhere near, so close was his voice, but she could not see him. Everything here was white and absent of life or indeed anything at all. “But a great crime has been perpetrated on the circles of Hell by those who think they know better.”
“How so?” roared the voice, the words screaming liking banshee’s into Victoria’s brain. She felt herself resisting the urge to vomit.
“A blood bound amulet has been broken, a science of blood changing corrupting its power.”
“I see. This amulet belongs to the woman with you, and you are her blood bound I take it.”
“Yes my lord.” said Romney.
“It is with this that you dare to enter the second and then first circles of hell? To rave against those who are you betters and superiors. You dare threaten to tear limbo apart once and for all?”:
The Complete Adventures of Victoria Neaves & Romney Page 5
