by Kate Sander
"Ay, I suppose that's fair," the driver said.
"I didn't catch your name?" Cass said politely as he led her to the front door.
"My name is Sam O'Neil," he said lightly. "First generation Irish man, at your service."
The door opened to a landing on a set of stairs.
"Mr. Tesla is in the basement," Sam said. "I'll meet you down there."
Cass nodded and ventured alone into the dark, unlit stairs. A loud WHIIRRRR was emitting from the basement. BANG. The whole building shook. Dust fell off the walls and Cass coughed. Another loud BANG and electric lights lining the staircase flickered on, blinding Cass. Stumbling, coughing and with stars in her eyes, she barely made it down the stairs in one piece.
Raising her hand to knock, she paused for a moment to wipe her eyes.
The door flew open and Cass jumped back, astounded at the man in front of her.
"Cass Crumpler!" he yelled in a heavy Eastern European accent. "You look just like your mother. I met her last year at a gala in Boston. My name is Nikola Tesla." He showed her through the door.
The room was filled with machinery that was absolutely amazing. Massive coils lined the walls, floor to ceiling and easily ten feet across. Large glass balls filled with electricity shocked and danced as they walked by. Paper was scattered all over the floor showing half-drawn machines and mathematics.
Cass was ecstatic. Pride filled her. She couldn’t wait to learn about all of it.
Tesla, after his outburst, now remained silent, skipping through the basement. Cass wanted to ask him about everything, but it was overwhelming and she didn’t want to seem annoying.
Tesla led her to the back of the basement. A single wooden chair was placed carefully on a large X painted on the floor. Four large metal coils were on each corner and were wired together by copper at the top. Inside each coil was a large tube of silver liquid that floated and danced.
“You, Madam, came just in time,” Tesla said.
Cass jumped. The sound of his voice scared her.
As did the single chair.
“You will sit there,” he said, grabbing her hand. “We are trying to send matter to a different place. I have succeeded with radio waves. Now it’s time to try matter. I have a similar station set up across the street in the basement. I need you to hold this,” he brandished a large red ruby the size of her head. “And to hold your breath, dear. If I’m right, the stone will be sent to the basement across the street and you will stay here.”
“Ummmm,” Cass said. “Why can’t you just put the stone on the chair? Why do I have to be there too?”
“Such a question!” Tesla smiled. “I did well to pick you as my assistant. See we need your brain energy. An odd concept, but one I can explain better at a later date. However, I can tell you now that I theorize that brains have waves, much like what we use in radios. The math says that we need something to stabilize the stone once I destabilize it with the power. Now, these brain waves I told you about should do the trick.”
Pulling nervously at the side of her dress, Cass looked at the lonely wooden chair.
“And… And you’re sure it’s safe?” she muttered.
“Very much so, yes!”
“And… I just have to think about the stone?”
“Indeed!”
Breathing deep to steady herself, “Okay. Let’s do this.” The need to prove herself ran deeper than fear. Plus, her mother knew this man. She trusted him. She couldn’t let her mother down.
Tesla smiled and handed her the giant ruby.
“I will give you that when we go and get it from across the street!”
A weak smile was all she could muster.
Sitting in the chair, she noticed it creak under her weight. She was a small woman, and that small moan made this entirely more nerve wracking.
The man couldn’t even build a chair. And she was going to let him… do what exactly?
“Ummm, Mr. Tesla?” She said weakly, clutching the ruby to her chest.
“Yes, dear?” he said from halfway across the basement. The loud WHIIIIRRRR started again, this time from the coils around her.
“I…I don’t want to do this.”
“Pardon, dear? I can’t hear you over the noise!”
His eyes were manic, crazy.
The WHIIIIIRRRR got louder.
“I SAID I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS!”
Blue electricity fired up the coils and joined at the cables. Cass clutched the ruby to her chest. The sound was so loud she couldn’t think straight.
A loud BANG.
A blinding flash of light.
Cass felt pain all over her body.
And then nothing.
“Hold on,” Tory muttered to herself, staring at the Remiel, trying desperately to hold on to the vision. She needed to see what happened to Cass after the blinding flash of light. Narrowing her eyes, she stared deeper into the stone. She cleared her mind, and saw it.
Tesla and Sam O’Neil were standing over the dead girl’s body. The ruby had turned jet black and was lying beside her.
“What happened to her?” Sam asked. “I liked her. I was gone five minutes and you fried her?”
Tesla looked shocked. “But… The calculations…”
“Obviously were wrong. What are we going to do about this?”
Sam went to lift her up, then jumped back, swearing.
“Shit. She’s still alive? She’s breathing. We have to get a physician.”
“No,” said Tesla. “I need her here. I need to do research…”
One of the coils sparked, lighting some paper on fire that had blown towards it in the blast of energy.
“Pick her up and get her out of here,” Tesla snapped. “Take her to our house. No one is to know of this.”
Sam did as he was told. Scooping up the young woman, he ran for the door.
Tesla picked up the stone and chased after Sam, the fire spreading fast behind him.
They made the street, where Sam had thankfully kept the horses. Sam tossed the girl in the carriage and Tesla hopped in as well.
Fire licked the inside of the windows, a soft orange glow illuminating the glass.
“Drive them hard, Sam.” Tesla said softly, completely ignoring the girl barely breathing beside him, so wrapped up in staring at the beautiful jet black stone. “We must never have been here.”
Sam snapped the reins and the two horses ran hard, slipping slightly on the icy streets.
“What do we do about the girl?” Sam called. “Her family knew she was coming.”
“We will wipe her from the history books,” Tesla said. “From now on Cass Crumpler never existed.”
Tory gently removed herself from the vision.
She’d just witnessed the start of the Zoya. Breathing hard, she tried to make sense of that city with lights and buildings. It was such a foreign concept, so she’d have to talk to Senka about it.
Exhausted from the effort, she went back below deck. After much convincing, they’d finally gotten Senka aboard a ship to go to Langundo. They would be there any day. Then the war against the Ampulex would start for real.
They needed as much information as they could get.
Climbing into her bed, she called out with her mind, "Black Eyes, I need to speak with you.”
Exhaustion took over and she fell into a deep and much needed sleep.
3
Tory
Tory woke with a start and nailed her head against the low beam over her bed.
"Ugh, not again," she muttered as she rolled out of her bed onto her knees, trying to gather herself and figure out where she was. Sometimes, sleep could be too deep.
The sound of retching reached her and brought her back to reality. She was on a boat with Senka, Ujarak and Eris. They were headed to Langundo. Headed for war.
"Sorry," Senka said from the corner of the small room. "Boats, man. I fucking hate boats. Being pregnant doesn't help, either."
Tory crawled over and sat b
eside her. Senka looked at her apprehensively then, pale, returned to puking in the bucket. Tory rubbed her back.
"I'll tell you what I saw, if you can focus on two things at once."
A thumbs up was her answer.
"There was a city. A beautiful city. It was a cold evening in March. I was Cass. It's hard to explain, but I felt what she felt and saw what she saw." Tory ignored a new bout of retching from the pail. "I think it was called... Maidhatten?"
"Manhattan," Senka said, removing her head from the pail and wiping her mouth. "Ugh." She sat heavily beside Tory and they both leaned against the wall. "It's a part of New York. A city from my time."
"Someone picked her up from the train station in a horse drawn carriage," Tory continued.
"Okay, so before my time. Sorry," head back into the bucket.
Tory smiled and continued the story. Senka was a good listener, all things considered. Tory recapped everything from her vision, while rubbing the puking woman's back.
It was a peaceful moment.
"Tesla," Senka said when Tory got to the end. "Are you sure."
"Positive," Tory said.
"Whelp, I'm guess that's the start of the Zoya, then. Who would have thought that Tesla started it?"
"Who is that?"
"A scientist, an inventor. He invented AC electricity. Changed the world. Apparently changed it more than once. I guess that confirms we're in the future. Wonder what happened to the buildings?"
That whole concept was foreign to Tory. They didn't speak about the past or the future. The Melanthios were just... alive. They breathed, lived, fought, fucked, then they died and went to the spirit world. A pretty uncomplicated existence.
"How much in the future, I don't know. I'm thinking a long time if you take into account the lack of ruins from my time mixed with the crazy ass monsters I've been fighting."
"There's another thing," Tory said. "The woman, Cass. She had a stone. It turned black when she was near dead after the experiment."
Senka was starting to fall asleep. "Hmm, and you have the Remiel, 'cause it was brought over here?"
"I do."
"’Betcha they are linked," Senka said sleepily, resting her head on Tory's shoulder. "I need to talk to Carter. He's in my world. Sorry. He's in my time. Guess it's all one world." She let out a massive yawn.
"Yes," Tory said, smiling with her eyes closed. "My ghost, Black Eyes, is with him."
"Oh... Good. It won't be too much trouble then."
Senka drifted to sleep. Tory enjoyed the weight of Senka’s head on her shoulder. Black Eyes hadn't responded to any of Tory's requests to speak. Tory had been so entirely ignored she wasn't even sure if Black Eyes could hear her.
And Senka needed to talk to Carter.
Not too much trouble, indeed.
The door blew open, completely shattering the moment of peace. Eris, the teenager, burst in, khopesh drawn, breathing heavily. She was no match for Senka, who went from a dead sleep to upright and holding her tantos, ready.
"Tory, step over to me. I have her covered," Eris said, glaring at Senka. "You," she barked at Senka. "Keep your swords where I can see them. Nice and easy, Tory. She won't hurt you."
Senka dropped her sword tips and burst into laughter.
"Where'd you find this clown?" Senka said through giggles.
Eris blushed, the redness rising to her forehead, but she didn't lower her curved sword.
Tory smacked Senka in the side. "Be nice. She's young and she doesn't know you."
"No, she doesn't," Senka smiled wickedly. "But I bet you I know her. You were high up, weren't you? A Princess maybe?"
When Eris' blush deepened, Senka laughed. "See. You're used to talking down to people. To yelling and whining and getting exactly what you want." She lowered the tantos and walked closer to Eris. "Well, little girl, I hate to break it to you, but you're not the only Zoya in this room. And you may be used to getting what you want, but you cannot threaten me."
"I heard a fight. I'm protecting my friend," Eris snapped. "You should try it sometime."
Senka laughed and Tory rubbed her forehead.
"You care to tell her, dear Tory? Or should I fill her in about what sacrifice truly means." She looked Eris up and down. "Trust me little girl, it's more than just running away from mommy and daddy for a week and having to fend for yourself." She leaned in. "I know real pain. In ways you couldn't even imagine. The kind that would make you puke. You have nothing on me, little girl."
"Senka, stop," Tory snapped. "Lower your weapon, Eris. Senka is of no danger to us. She's just sea sick and I hit my head getting out of bed."
"But... in the forest..."
"I seek revenge," Senka said. "If you hurt me, or one of my friends, you die. Easy concept."
Senka brushed past Eris out of the room and disappeared somewhere on the boat. "Make sure you don't hurt someone I love, little girl." she called on her way out. "I'd hate for us to test how good a Zoya you really are."
"She's... interesting." Eris said, returning her khopesh to her back. "Where did you find her?"
"I've known her a long time," Tory replied. "And she's right, you know. Though respect is earned, Senka has gone through more in her life than you could possibly imagine. Try not to piss her off."
"Look, I'm just trying to watch out for you, like I did in the forest."
"I don't need your protection," Tory snapped. "I used to be a General. Even though I'm not a Zoya, I can handle myself."
"You couldn't the day I met you," Eris fired back. "If I wouldn't have been there-"
Tory was doing everything not to yell. "I appreciate what you did for me in the forest. You're right, those assholes had the drop on me. But a little humility would go a long way."
"I am a Princess, I don't need humility," Eris snapped.
"NOT ANYMORE!" Tory yelled. She'd had it with this teenager's attitude. "You fled from the Ampulex. You chose to come with us. You decided that the Ampulex were doing things that were fundamentally wrong, did you not?"
Eris hung her head, "Yes. I did."
"Then you do not want to be a princess, if that's what it costs."
Eris raised her head. Anger fired through her eyes.
"You need to take a walk. A long walk. I heard Senka go down below, so if I were you, I'd stick to the deck."
Without another word, Eris strode from the room. She let out a yell halfway down the hall, about the same time that Tory was kicking the wall.
"Fucking teenagers."
4
Jules
"SENKA!" Jules yelled, firing awake from a dead sleep.
It took him a moment to shake the dream and figure out where he was.
He was back in Shamrock, a coastal village in Langundo, a week’s ride from the capital city of Solias.
The sun was shining through the window of his room. He lay back in bed and rubbed his eyes, trying to hold on to the memories of his one true love. They faded, as they always did, and Jules was left with a longing in his heart.
"Yo, Jules!" Titus yelled from down the hall. "You okay?"
"Yeah, Titus, I'm good."
"Good!" Titus said, bounding into his room. Jules clutched the covers up to his chin.
"Don't you ever knock?" he asked the broad chested, blond teenager.
"I'm the prince of Solias," Titus said with a laugh. "I don't have to knock."
"Big Mamma sent you?"
A quirky grin was a response. "Of course! I'm terrified of her. Prince or not, I listen to Big Mamma. She wants to see you downstairs. Didn't seem happy."
Jules looked at the sun shining on the wall.
"I'm late for breakfast..."
Titus bounded out of the room, calling, "Better you than me!"
Groaning, Jules got out of bed, still sore from the mad dash from Solias to get Titus back to safety. The war that ended so suddenly and unexpectedly with the arrival of the stoic and non-aggressive Ampulex army, left the people of Langundo shaken and confused.
They'd gone to war against the Black King, to put Sol or Titus back on the throne and restore order to the country. Instead, they found the Ampulex army, who was already in Solias and had killed the entirety of the Black King's army. Titus and Jules had fled when they saw the King hang himself.
With no idea if Sol, the true heir to the throne of Solias, was dead or alive, Jules fell back on his only job before the war; keep Titus, the next in line for the throne, alive. Until when, Jules didn't know. He wasn't even the right person for the job. Jules couldn't fight well, not like Senka or Ujarak or Tory. But he had to try.
Jules headed downstairs. Shamrock was in disarray. The last battle against the Sun Gods had left many of the adults dead or wounded. Children were running amok, houses had been burned down, and they'd finally finished burying the bodies of the dead Sun Gods.
Jules jumped the last stair to the kitchen, wincing on the landing when his knee cracked. Definitely not as young as he used to be. Blessedly, the room was empty. A steaming plate of eggs, fish and oats was waiting for him.
"Oh Big Mamma," Jules muttered sitting at the table and pulling the meal close to him to dig in. "You sure know how to treat a man-"
"THAT is not for you," her voice squawked from the door.
Disappointment made his shoulders slump. The delicious smell of scrambled eggs reached him and made his stomach grumble.
Big Mamma, the three-hundred-pound matriarch of Shamrock, stormed into the kitchen, wooden spoon raised threateningly above her head.
"You're late for breakfast! Had to go send the Prince to fetch you. Tell me, Jules, how do you do any protecting from behind your eyelids."
Eyes downcast. "Sorry Big Mamma," he said dutifully.
"Sorry, pshaw," Big Mamma said, hiding her smile. "I shouldn't let you eat at all, making your charge come and get yah. You should be on the boats with Hans."
"Yes, ma'am."
Titus let out a laugh from the back yard.
"You're enjoying this entirely too much!" Big Mamma yelled over her shoulder. Titus and Big Mamma's son, Stillman, fell into fits of laughter. Looking back at Jules and noticing him trying to hide a smile, Big Mamma couldn't keep up the charade.
