Socrates stepped into the cab. “Hang on,” he said as he released the brake and throttled up the engine. With this unceremonious announcement, they made their departure.
The locomotive leapt forward with surprising speed. The reduced weight made it seem like they weren’t pulling anything at all. They cleared the ridge in just a few seconds, and just that fast, they were plummeting down the mountain. Socrates leaned out of the cab and said, “We have about five minutes. When we get close, find something to hang on to and be ready for anything.”
River secured her firearm in its holster. She shouldered her bag and gazed down at where the tracks wormed their way across the terraced lava flows. The hot, rancid wind blew in her face and whipped her hair out behind her. She squinted, trying to keep the ash out of her eyes. River reached into the cab, borrowing the commander’s scope from the shelf beside him, and then climbed the ladder onto the roof.
She settled into a sitting position with her legs propped up in front of her, resting her elbows on her knees to support the weight of the spyglass. In this manner, she could minimize the shaking caused by the movement of the train and get a clear view ahead. River saw the ghoul encampment, and though it was distant and dark, she could make out the shapes of individual creatures moving about.
The ghouls were busy doing whatever it was that an army of ghouls did all day. Not an army really, just a detachment. Judging from the stories she’d heard, River believed there were many more out there, somewhere. For now, they seemed content just to test the defenses of their neighbors and bring back new recruits, but it was only a matter of time. The Legion was getting ready to invade, if it hadn’t already begun.
River felt the pit of her stomach drop as the train reached the bottom of the slope and went swooping out onto the plains. She steadied herself on the handrail. Down below, Socrates pushed the throttle wide open, ramping up their speed. River put the scope back to her eye. A few miles distant, she could see the ghouls scrambling in the camp. She closed the scope and dropped down onto the platform.
“They’ve seen us,” she said. The wind was howling around them now, and it snatched the words right out of her mouth. Socrates didn’t even hear her. She stepped into the cab and pulled the door shut behind her. The room became eerily silent, except for the deep drumming of the engine and the whistling sounds of the air outside the cab. A stifling heat radiated out of the fuel box, and the door had begun to glow with a dim orange light.
“How much starfall did you put in there?” she said.
Socrates shot her a grim look. “You don’t want to know.”
“Is it going to explode?”
“That is unlikely, but possible. I suggest we go to the rear passenger car for the rest of our journey. I’ve calculated our best odds of survival there.”
Her eyes were wide.
“There is only one way to stop this train now,” the ape said. “Look.” He gestured out the window. River leaned over, peering through the hazy glass. The ghouls had moved several tanks to the front of their encampment, and one sat parked sideways across the tracks. Almost instantly, she heard a thunderous kaboom! and saw a puff of smoke rise from a cannon barrel.
The cannonball made a whistling noise as it arced through the air towards them. An explosion erupted fifty yards ahead and off to the right. Socrates rose from the engineer’s seat and stood facing her. “Shall we?” he said. He didn’t have to ask twice.
The two hurried through the tender car and the first passenger car, making their way to the end of the train. Socrates led River to the very rear seats. He gestured for her to take the one on the right. He lifted two coils of rope about six feet in length from another bench, and handed one to River.
“Tie yourself in,” he said. “When that locomotive crashes, the rest of the cars will drive forward, plowing into it.”
“We’re going to crash,” she said. “You knew all along.”
“It was never a question of whether we would crash, it was a question of how we would survive and make it to the city. Now tie yourself in, we don’t have long!”
Another cannonball hit the ground and exploded, this time just a few yards from the tracks alongside the train. River fumbled with the rope, getting it secured to the seat frame and across her waist. In the seat across from her, Socrates did the same. The moment they finished, a cannonball tore through the roof of the tender car ahead of them. There was a shriek of tearing metal and a violent detonation that shook the whole train.
A piece of metal torn free of the train flapped in the wind. It made horrible screeching sounds for a few seconds and then tore loose. It hurtled passed them, smacking the passenger car as it flew by and then clattered as it hit the ground alongside the tracks.
Leaning to one side, River could see the encampment through the side windows. The cannons were lined up to take another shot. While she was watching, two of them fired simultaneously. One shot went wide. The second hit the first passenger car with a massive explosion. The roof split open and the glass windows exploded. The blast opened the second car, and Socrates and River both ducked as shrapnel and a fiery wave engulfed them. When they raised their heads, the front of the car was gone. The wind howled around them, flames leaping into the air, thick black smoke churning up into the sky.
There was a horrendous crashing noise as the locomotive struck something. It twisted on the rails, and River caught a glimpse of the ghouls’ tank flying through the air. The moment passed as the tender car swept across her vision. The train twisted, each car moving in a different direction. They went off the rails, the engine moving to the left as it plowed through the line of tanks and into the enemy’s camp. It rolled, twisting the tender car until the couplers snapped.
The train separated at the middle, the locomotive and tender car rolling like toys through the enemy tents while the passenger cars lurched from side to side. The crashing locomotive cleared a path as the passenger cars abandoned the rails. They turned sideways, toppling over. Their momentum carried them through the debris. River heard faint screams between the sound of explosions and twisting metal. She couldn’t see anything but dust. Spots swam before her eyes, and a great weight seemed to press down on her chest. River found it impossible to breathe. She blacked out.
A minute later, River’s eyes fluttered open. Socrates had her over his shoulder, and they were moving through a dusty, smoky haze. They slipped between the sections of torn sheet metal, and River caught a glimpse of the city gates just twenty yards away. A ghoul appeared before them. Socrates slowed enough to deliver a powerful kick to the creature’s midsection. The ghoul flew backwards. It crashed into the wall with a snapping of bones and rattling armor.
Socrates sprang into the air. The ground vanished in a swirling haze. The ape caught a framing member in the wall with his fingertips. He boosted himself upward, and almost instantaneously, they were up and perched at the top of the wall. Behind them, spears clattered into the wall, and the ghouls’ weapons sizzled with arcing electricity.
Socrates lowered River to her feet. She turned, staring at the Legion camp. The locomotive rested on one side, steam gushing out of the cracks in the massive boiler, flames licking high into the sky. The tender car rested behind it at an almost ninety-degree angle, one end twisting awkwardly off the ground. The troops were in disarray, some soldiers fleeing while others fought the flames to enter the train.
She heard voices: the cries of wounded ghouls, the raised shouts of their commanders trying to regain control, the furious roar of a thirty-foot giant manacled at the edge of camp.
“There!” shouted a voice down below her. River lowered her gaze to see a ghoul dressed in chainmail at the base of the wall. He raised a spear and hurled it at them. Socrates caught the weapon in midair, gave it a deft twist, and sent it hurtling back at him. The spear drove through the monster’s midsection, pinning it to the earth. The ghouls in the area took a few steps back.
River turned and got her first glimpse of Ironhold.
Tall multi-storied buildings rose up in front of her, the walls dull and black, the sharp spires and steep gables frowning down. Straight, almost perfectly oriented streets crisscrossed the city. Pedestrians moved about, seemingly unaware of the foreigners standing on their wall. They gathered in small crowds around shops and meeting places, oblivious to the chaos outside the gates.
A castle stood in the center of it all, tall and black, sharp angles flat against the horizon, spear-tip spires piercing the sky. River stared at the scene in awe, letting it soak in, her mind working to explain exactly what it was she saw. “We were right,” she mumbled. “No ghouls.”
“Fascinating,” said Socrates. “They seem completely unconcerned with anything beyond the city walls.”
River took a deep breath as she drew her gaze back and forth, zeroing in on the architectural features. “Black,” she mumbled.
Socrates glanced at her. “What?”
“Everything is black, even the paving stones...” she turned to face him. “I think the entire city is made of iron.”
Socrates shifted, the gears inside his body clicking and whirring. “I’m beginning to understand why the ghouls avoid this place.”
They exchanged a glance, neither speaking what was on both of their minds. It was well known that iron had a leaching effect on starfall. It was dangerous, possibly even deadly for the Tal’mar. How much more so would it be for the ghouls, who were only kept alive by the presence of the dangerous element in their bodies?
The next obvious step in this chain of reasoning was even more important: If the iron architecture kept the ghouls out, that might mean there was no weapon here to use against the Legion. Socrates and River might possibly have destroyed the Horse, disbanded the crew, and risked their lives for nothing. River’s chest tightened at the thought.
“Come,” said Socrates. “Let’s find out where we are.”
Chapter 9
Afew yards to the north, a staircase led down the inside wall. Socrates and River hurried down and found themselves in an alley at the edge of town. River knelt, touching the paving stones, confirming what she had already suspected.
“Cast iron,” she muttered. “Hammered to look like stone.”
Socrates snorted. “A city made of iron. Only humans would come up with such a thing.”
“Maybe they did it out of necessity,” River said. “The people of Ironhold may have been dealing with these ghouls for a long time.”
“Perhaps,” Socrates said. “Though it would be rather difficult to build a city while fending off the attacks of ghouls. I find it more likely that this was the only resource locally available to them.”
“If that’s the case, then it was a lucky accident.”
“Indeed. The starfall-leeching iron protected them from ghouls and possibly even prevented them from becoming ghouls after death.”
River narrowed her eyes. “Socrates, this whole city might be the same as Blackrock steel.”
“It’s quite possible,” said the ape. “I won’t know how much starfall these structures have absorbed until I can run some tests.”
They made their way up the alley towards the main street. When they reached the end of the alley, the sounds of laughter and clapping came from around the corner.
“They don’t seem too worried about the ghouls camped on their doorstep,” River observed. They rounded the corner and saw a group of citizens gathered in the street up ahead. The pedestrians wore fine suits and dresses that reminded River of the fancy clothing worn by the citizens of New Boston. They surrounded a street performer who was doing acrobatics while juggling swords. He wore the garb of a court jester, and every thirty seconds or so, the crowd broke out in applause as the performer finished a trick.
Socrates and River stopped to watch the show. The jester performed an impressive feat of juggling six different swords at once. He caught them all, finishing by catching the last one in his teeth, and then bowed for the audience. They applauded. He dropped the swords, leapt into a handstand, and began walking around on his hands. The applause died down. River frowned. She glanced at Socrates. In a whisper, she said:
“Didn’t he just do that trick a minute ago?”
“Indeed. He appears to be working on some sort of cycle.”
“A cycle?”
“Look closely, River.”
She pushed between the other onlookers for a better look. As the jester came into view, River suddenly realized something that hadn’t been noticeable from a distance: the performer wasn’t human. He was a machine -an android of some sort, she decided. A robot.
The device had humanlike features, including hair and smooth textured skin. Its movements were articulate and perfectly-choreographed, but there was no mistaking the thing for an actual human up close.
The crowd broke out in applause. River glanced at the man next to her, and took a sudden step back. The man, she realized, was also a machine. To her horror, she drew her gaze across the crowd and realized they were all machines. The entire group was made up of robots! There wasn’t a real human in the bunch. Nor, as far as she could tell, were there any humans nearby.
None of the androids seemed to take any notice of her as she studied them. It seemed that they had been designed for the sole purpose of watching the juggler. River extricated herself from the crowd and hurried back to Socrates.
“Why?” she said. “Who would create machines just to stand and watch another machine perform tricks?”
Socrates gave no response, other than a slight narrowing of his eyes. He started up the street, and River fell in beside him.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!” A voice shouted from the corner. River looked, and saw a tall android in a black suit and a stovepipe hat. He stood in front of a theater with a sign that said, “World’s Greatest Show!”
“Step inside,” the android continued. “Prepare for the show of a lifetime! Enjoy the magic of moving pictures and the accompaniment of a full orchestra. You’ve never seen something like this, folks!”
River kept a wary eye on him as they hurried past the robotic barker. Beyond the next intersection, they encountered a saloon. It was a raucous place, filled with howling laughter and wild harpsichord music that shook the windows. As the two approached, they heard a shout. Two men came brawling out into the street. They were dressed like laborers, with coarsely-woven pants and shirtsleeves rolled up to their elbows. Their appearance reminded River of the dock workers she had known as a child, with a few exceptions: the two fighters were androids, and they had no skin left on their faces, or fists.
The machines took turns swinging at each other while they exchanged insults. “Yer mother is a swine!” “Yer wife is a hound!” “Take back what ye said, ya dirt-bagger!”
They took turns hitting each other in the face, their skulls ringing like bells with each blow. Finally, one knocked the other down and said, “Don’t ever come back here!”
The second robot collected his hat, which had fallen to the pavestones during the brawl, and then crawled to his feet. He began to walk away, but only took three steps and then froze. After a brief pause, he placed his hat on his head, turned around, and started walking back towards the saloon. His companion lit up:
“Malachi, is that you?”
“Jeshum! I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Come inside, let’s have a drink.” And the two went inside, arms draped over one another’s shoulders. River turned to face Socrates, rubbing the goose pimples on her arms.
“There’s something wrong with this place,” she said.
“Normally, I would suggest that your human emotions are getting the best of you. This time, I’m inclined to agree. I too, feel uneasy about this city. I know there must be some logical reason for all of this, but I can’t seem to sort it out of all the nonsense.”
“What should we do?”
Socrates turned his head, gazing up and down the street. The actuators in his neck made a quiet whish sound. “We could search a fe
w of these stores, but I suspect we would only find more of these machines. I suggest we proceed to the castle. If any humans live here, perhaps that is where we will find them.”
River agreed. Along the way, they encountered shop merchants, day laborers, wealthy shoppers, and so on. They saw children playing tag, young couples in love, elderly citizens walking with canes or riding on mechanical wagons. None of it was real. Everything and everyone they came across, even stray dogs and pigeons, were mechanical. River also saw that -much like Sanctuary- some machines had been designed specifically to maintain everything else. If a robot broke down, another came along to enact the repairs, or to load it onto a steamwagon for further examination elsewhere. Machines cleaned and repaired the iron tread stones, washed the windows, and did everything else a human might. The entire city was self-sufficient.
“It’s so much like Sanctuary,” River said. “But with more. More machines, more complexity. I just don’t understand what it’s all for-”
A horse-drawn carriage appeared on the street up ahead, racing in their direction. The horses were mechanical, but their bodies, hooves, even their mechanical eyes looked eerily similar to the real thing. Colorful ribbons decorated their harnesses, and long streamers blended in with the hair of their manes and tails. River studied them as they came close, wondering exactly what sort of technology had been used to design creatures so convincingly. The horses’ hooves and the carriage wheels had some sort of rubber-like treading that allowed them to operate quietly on the iron streets.
The carriage pulled to a halt alongside them, and the driver leapt down. He was an android of course: a male of short stature with a thin mustache and a top hat. River stood back as the driver made a formal bow and then turned to open the carriage door. She leaned close as the door swung open, and saw that the carriage inside was empty.
“I think he wants us to get in,” she said. The driver gave her a tip of his hat.
Starfall Page 5
