by Gin Hollan
“You’re lying. The generator is there, in your hand.”
“Not that I care,” he laughed, shrugging as he squared up, facing her.
// Chapter 15 //
“YOU CANNOT BE allowed to possess those formulae. You have no sense of stewardship,” Howard stated, matter-of-factly.
“At least my instincts are protective,” Arabeth frowned. “Reactive or not, at least I mean no harm.”
“And look where that's gotten you. Look what it's done to your friends. One is the King's dog, the other his messenger. Both are trapped in a foreign land among strangers and people they really shouldn't trust.”
“They chose to stay.”
“Guilt and obligation bind them, nothing more.”
She didn't want to hear this from him, from anyone. He was trying to mentally disarm her, or coerce her surrender. That wasn't going to happen.
“Let me show you what you are now, Miss Barnes.”
He turned and motioned at the wooden door with one hand while pushing a couple buttons on a wide wrist strap on the other forearm. The door swung open wildly, banging against the exterior. Heat swirled in and he motioned for her to step outside.
When she didn't move, he huffed and walked out. She followed seconds later, but stopped at the threshold and peered out. The wide open expanse of dirt and tumbleweed drew her out. Desert? She stepped outside, watching Howard closely.
She was far from calm, far from her comfort zone, and that was good. She knew she needed to understand this. She needed to see the truth of what the world was really about. Blastborn was easy to understand, with predictable standards of manner and deportment, zero tolerance for magic or witchcraft, and barely accepting gadgeteering. This side of the mountains, though, was beyond foreign, and it was 99 percent of the planet.
“Tell me why you care if the mountains exist or not. What is it to you?” she demanded.
“Blastborn is protected at too high a cost.”
“We're not the ones being protected - you are. From what I've been told, people here want that mountain range between them and us.”
“You don't deserve to be protected - not while the world you caused is withering. No one knew this side would wither and die. Do you know how many people died because of that mountain? Drought, starvation, disease all came about because of that one poor decision.”
He was clearly not listening, trapped in his own version of history.
“You're not that altruistic,” she guessed. “The drought in Vensay was not caused by the mountain range. To its detriment, those in power were blind to a simple fact - the people who were deemed dangerous criminals and executed could have prevented it, fixed it.”
“People have died, Miss Barnes. That is the way of things.” Scowling, he raised his hands and motioned into the air to one side of them. “Watch and see the monster that's been locked away. I’ll show you why Blastborn must be wiped out, before more of you wake-up. The mountain must come down.”
A swirling shape began to take form and soon a plain white window frame hovered three feet above the ground. “I've been watching you, watching the other people in Blastborn.” A life-like image of the main police precinct appeared in the middle. It was a clear evening there, with no real activity. A pair of constables walked out and went separate ways, starting their patrol shift. All was quiet, calm. It made her momentarily homesick.
Howard took a strong stance, feet wide, arms up and he held a grey crystal in the hand closest to Blastborn. He struck his other hand with the point of it, growling as he drew blood. Four gold symbols hovered for a moment then turned into a small flame hovering over the wound. He blew into it and the fire lept forward into the gateway.
The jackets of the two constables he'd been watching suddenly caught fire. They were quick to realize, pulling off the jackets and stomping the fire out, as one of them looked around for the cause.
“You're the monster! Why would you do that?” she reached out to grab his arm, to interrupt him.
“Maybe. Doing the world a favour could hardly be called a bad thing, even if they don't see it that way at the start.” Howard tapped his wrist device. The image changed to the interior of a workshop, dark, and dusty. “For example, there are no secret places. Not for me,” he said.
Arabeth squinted, thinking the room's layout looked familiar. She noticed a scowl flash across Howard's face and the image snapped shut.
He waved a hand again and the window reopened, this time showing her parent's home.
“You seem to know a lot about me,” she said. “How is that, and why?” If she were honest, the dark workshop looked like her grandfather's old locked one.
“Secrets never come willingly into the light.”
“You don't just spy. You lit those men on fire.”
“That was just for show. I could have done much worse, but you needed to see the reality of your power. You need to understand why Blastborn cannot be allowed to exist. Your thinking is too small, too narrow,” he said.
He held his forearm lengthwise toward the window and pushed a button on the leather vambrace. The window expanded, becoming taller and wider, but still three feet above the ground. It filled with a grey mist that rolled out, onto the ground before dissipating. Through the window she saw a bird's eye view of a large settlement. Probably a city, she thought.
“People come and go, live and die, and what happens? Every time things start to get sorted out, new people show up and we have to convince them all over again. It's endless,” he said.
“That is life,” she frowned. “What is your point? You can't make their choices for them.”
“Forget everything I’ve said so far. Think about this - we're locked in chaos. Misunderstanding leads to conflict, which leads to oppression and rebellion. It's futile, really. Why bother with all that? Why can't they all just get along?”
“Difference of opinion is a basic human right. You can't force people to agree with you, no matter how correct you believe your view.”
“Yes, I can.”
“What do you mean?”
He raised one hand to the window and tapped a button on the vambrace. The window disappeared.
“Not that long ago, people in your fair city started to attack each other, didn't they? It was random, you thought, until the automaton was discovered. You found a way to block it and subdue it, but what if there were hundreds and you couldn't predict their location? How long would your humanity last then?”
“How can you know that? You were in stasis when that happened.”
“Stay on topic, would you? Have you noticed your friends are different in Vensay?”
She nodded. “We’re all adjusting to the truth. Naturally we’re going to seem different.”
“There are transmitters embedded in your side of the mountains. They turn you all into sheep. The automaton disrupted that signal.”
“Now you’ve lost me. How does that mesh with the simple fact that ambition is a thing? Creativity is alive and well. Gadgeteers and tinkers prove that.”
“You will see. When the mountain goes, the transmitters go. Blastborn will be shook to the ground, and without the transmitters keeping you all sheep, you’ll destroy yourselves. But as a test city, it did brilliantly.”
The truth was finally coming out, she realized. Somehow, this wasn’t nearly as diabolical as she’d given him credit for.
“Once I’ve relocated the transmitters, you’ll see. Activating them is easy, as is changing the signal direction. I am going to help this messed up world filled with irrational humans. Kings and borders will disappear. You'll like this part - commerce will flow unbound by politics. But I need them out of the mountain, relocated to somewhere useful. I’ll make sure wars never happen.”
She was starting to get sick of his voice. He wanted to be the leader of a new world, but it was complete hypocrisy. He couldn't stop himself from fighting any more than he could unite the world in peace.
“If I told you how your p
lan won't work,” she said, poking at his apparent sore spot. “Blastborn isn't the only place with radio and the strongest signal wins. Your signal will never impact from that far away.”
He rose up, seeming a bit taller as his face went beet red. “Blastborn must end. It's not right that you are all living a near-perfect life when everyone else suffers,” he yelled.
Suddenly it hit Arabeth - this was pure and simple jealousy, and a slightly twisted form of justice. He didn't care about peace, equity, or fairness. He was a spoiled child who was sent to his corner, and now that he was out, he wanted to kick everyone. He didn't accept the judgement of the tribunal that put him and his cohorts in prison.
“As smart as you seem, you are at least self-defeating. I suppose I can go home in peace knowing that. The trouble is, you'll disrupt my friends and their lives if I leave you alone,” she said, shaking her head. “You're too determined.”
He looked startled, then his face flushed red. “I have no problem going up against a lady, if you think that's going to protect you.”
“It didn't even cross my mind. You’re not the danger I thought you were. You need professional help - the kind that wears white jackets and hides sharp objects. Or maybe a solid blow to the head will straighten your thinking.” She had a few wrist restraints packed, and maybe even an ankle one.
“The mountains didn't appear out of nowhere. That dirt was moved, you know. This …” he tapped his vambrace, “sage technology is a system of energy, matter, time, and space. I work with energy. It would seem that you work at the molecular level, with matter. When someone figures out time and space, what happens then? I have to be able to subdue them.”
His voice was starting to bother her again. Why was that? Why did the irritation come and go? She shook her head. Was he trying to manipulate her with radio waves? It felt like that, but weak. She wanted a look at that vambrace.
“Hey, snap out of it,” he said. “You're going to move that stupid mountain, and you're going to do it nicely.”
She continued to stare at him. Maybe she could make him think it was broken. She shook her head, putting her hands up to her ears then rubbing her eyes.
“I don't feel well,” she whispered, hoping he thought her too uninformed or backyards to suspect he was using a device.
“Considering what you've just learnt, it’s only reasonable that you should feel disoriented. I'm going to take the formula's you've stolen now. Hold out your arm. Since the crystal fields are active again, I'll find someone else, someone who is willing to do the right thing.”
“No one will help you, least of all me. Even if what you’re saying is true, you’re more than a bubble off of plumb – you’re flat out crazy.”
His face flared red again and he lurched out to grab her arm but she dodged. Turning on one heel, she whipped out one of her wrist restraints then swung her satchel out, forcing him off balance. Surprised by her attack, he staggered back and fell. In a flash, she had him turned on to his stomach, arms secured at the wrist.
He kicked and fought back, but he clearly had no experience at it. Arabeth pushed a knee into his back and he relented.
“What are you doing?” he growled.
“I'm arresting you for murder and assault. I have a few options. Personally, I'd love to stuff you back into the mountain, where you came from. Too many people know of your existence now though, and many of them have questions, so I'm taking you to jail.”
She helped him to a standing position, but he struggled to go any direction but that. Did she still have a tranquilizer dart in her satchel? She must have one tucked away. Yes, that meant she'd be dragging him several yards to get him out of the sun, but it was better than fighting his resistance.
“Stop trying to get away,” she growled.
He didn't listen, twisting to escape, nearly pulling them both over onto the ground.
She tripped him onto his knees, ignoring his yelp of pain. When he cursed at her, she smacked the back of his head with the back of her hand. “What your mouth, Howard.”
“I won't mistake you for a lady again, Miss Barnes. I'll speak how I like.”
“I suppose you missed the part of my history where I worked in Bail Enforcement.” She sighed wistfully, hoping to irritate him further. “Times like this, I miss the work.”
“Bail enforcement? What do you mean?”
“You don't know what a bounty hunter is?”
“Bounty hunter I know, but … you?”
“You sound like my mother,” she chuckled. “It's a necessary profession. Would you like to walk to the building in a reasonable manner, or should I sedate you and drag you there myself?”
He paused. “I'll walk, thank you.”
She pulled him to standing, taking a moment to look at the leather vambrace. How could she make sure he couldn't trigger any of the buttons while restrained? There was a small light flashing red, but she couldn't tell why. The rest looked inactive. Opening her satchel, she pulled out a length of cloth and wrapped it around the vambrace twice before tying it in place.
“Not yet, Miss Barnes.” He said twisting away. “You'll see it soon enough.”
“How does it work?”
“You believe you're clever - take a guess.”
“When we reach the castle, I'm sure it's the first thing they'll take from you. I'll see it then,” she shrugged, feigning nonchalance.
“Look, let's strike a deal.” He bit his lip. “You use words like bet and bargain a lot. You have a business background, I'm thinking. Let's say I give you this controller right now, and you let me go now. How's that for a deal?”
Arabeth laughed. “They'll give it to me anyway.”
“Sure, but I'm sure I'll find a way to break it as they remove it. You don't know how to repair or calibrate it safely. This plugs in to your veins, and if you do it wrong, you'll die. There is no 'test mode', child.”
“Intuition tells me you believe too strongly in your goal to deal with me in good faith.”
“I need your ability, remember?”
“To move the mountain.” She shook her head. “Even if these formulae make it possible, it still doesn't add up. In my doubt, I see a desperate man trying to bluff his way to his real goal.”
“I don't have to explain myself.”
“I should bring Sam here,” she said. “With fewer eyes watching, he may get the truth out of you.” Once Sam understood her situation, he'd come right? Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the crystal that was tuned to send a message to a matching crystal that Melanie had. Hopefully she had it handy and could pass Sam a message quickly.
“How do we set up one of your portals to bring someone here?” she asked.
“Samuel Hicks? I'm sure he's too busy.”
“What choice do you have?”
He grumbled something under his breath. “Fine, but if he does anything stupid, I'll destroy the controller and refuse to cooperate.”
“If you're willing to destroy this, it means you have other ones. I'll track down Tamden and find your workshop. I'm sure I'll figure out how they work, with or without you.” She stepped in front of him and pulled the building door open.
She saw colour rise up his face and his eyes went a little wide.
“Look, you're a bounty hunter. I presume you chose that profession out of a desire to ensure no one escaped justice. All I want is what's fair. What's right. The prisoners being held where I was are suffering. In stasis, I was blind and alone, with momentary flashes of consciousness. Thankfully I woke rarely, but when I did, it was in terror.”
She pushed him inside the storage building.
“If you are so benevolent, tell me why you killed the two scientists.”
“He didn't,” a new voice said.
She turned and saw Tamden. He was looking younger now, by at least ten - maybe twenty years. How was that possible? The glint in his eyes was the last thing she noted as he lifted a crystal-based pistol and fired.
Her legs went w
eak, bringing her to the ground. As her vision faded, she saw a ball of energy and a dark center form. It grew until it resembled the gap Sebastian had opened in her workshop. A portal.
// Chapter 16 //
ARABETH GROANED as she sat up on the cold dirt floor. Squinting in the low light, she recognized it as the building Melanie and Gregor had been locked in months ago. Tamden shot her? What relationship did those two share? Suddenly she wondered if he was the one who sent the automaton to the university.
Her head hammered at the temples but gradually eased as she sat. The room was dead silent. Her wrists and ankles were bound by a pair of thin but effective chains that were bolted to the wall behind her.
'Typical,' she smirked. No one expected her to be able to pick locks. Reaching up into her hair, she felt around for one of three hair pins she had hidden away in different spots. All the pins were gone. Had they fallen loose or been removed? She checked the floor around her, looking for them.
Her satchel sat on its side in a corner, carelessly tossed as though it were nothing more than an ordinary purse. Too far to reach, she sighed.
Whoever pulled out her hair pins would have checked her pockets, but likely not searched her shirt's bottom seam or pant cuffs.
A motion to her left drew her attention. A shimmer flashed and disappeared, then returned, pulsing and shimmering in place.
A small, round shape shot out in a slow arc, rolling to stop near her feet. She recognized it as one of Graham's grenades and she dropped low and swung her legs out to knock it away, making a mental note to rebuke him later.
To her surprise, the device stopped and popped open. A voice came out.
“So, we're going to assume that you've been kidnapped,” Sam's voice started. “Turn on your fox collar, if you have it. We can use that to find you. We can't get anything bigger than a tennis ball through the opening you just saw, so we’ll use this for messages, for now.” The small gateway closed and the ball sat silent.
That was hopeful, she smiled. She felt her shirt seam for a hairpin and found nothing. Maybe her pant cuffs. She fumbled a bit as she checked, accidentally dropping one out onto the dirt floor.
