Mechanical Hearts (Skeleton Key)

by Nicole Blanchard

  “Smells good,” Ezra said.

  “What are they talking about, Daddy?”

  Ezra set the girl down on a chair and ruffled her hair. “I’ve got another job to take, sweetheart.”

  “But you just got home. You said you’d stay home for a while this time.” Her lower lip trembled.

  “I know I did, Lina. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He kissed her cheek as he sat down. “Now, let’s see what your grandmother’s made.”

  The older woman opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but Ezra sent her a quick glare, and she shut it again. Looks like I wasn’t the only one intimidated by his fierce scowls.

  I didn’t like that I felt a connection to him on any level, and I was patently ignoring how being close to him had made me feel. He’d been callous, cold, and uncaring. The only reason I was back to beg for his help was because I needed to get home.

  “Will you bring me back something pretty?” the little girl asked.

  Ezra leaned over to brush a kiss across her cheek. “I’ll bring you anything you like, princess.”

  She giggled. “Something from topside,” she said wistfully. “I’ve never seen it.”

  Ezra’s face fell slightly, and I wondered why, yet again. Why do these people live under the ocean? Why was he so worried about me?

  “I’ll try,” he said, and then directed her to finish eating her dinner.

  After the little girl left to go to bed for the night, the older couple cleaned up the kitchen and then retired to their room. When I was certain they weren’t coming back, I crept around to the back door and knocked quietly.

  The worst thing he could do was say no.

  Then he opened the door, and the twinge of nerves in my stomach made me second guess my decision to come to him.

  Because maybe the worst thing he could do … was say yes.

  He didn’t seem all that surprised to find me on his doorstep.

  “You’re a resourceful little thing, aren’t you?” he said as he leaned a shoulder on the door frame and crossed his arms over his thickly-muscled chest.

  “When I have a reason to be,” I replied, mirroring his movement and crossing my arms over my own chest.

  “Do you expect me to invite you in?” he said as he studied me with those unreadable eyes.

  “Yes,” I said.

  For the first time, I could read his reaction. His eyes widened, and if I wasn’t imagining things, a small smile pulled at his lips. “Is that so?” he said.

  I nodded.

  “And why’s that?”

  “Well, the way I figure it, your Mr. Fletcher isn’t going to want any trouble, not with the job he hired you to set out for tomorrow. If you don’t let me in, I can always cause a scene, find someone who would be interested in … the mechanical heart, was it? According to the man I talked to, they’re quite valuabl— “

  Then he jerked me inside by the arm, nearly tearing it out of the socket, and slammed the door shut behind me. He crowded me against the door.

  “What is it with you and violating my personal space?”

  He ignored me. “You think it’s smart to blackmail me in my own home, with my family in the next room? I’ve killed people for less.”

  I didn’t flinch, couldn’t risk the show of weakness. “I’ve got nothing to lose. Even if you kill me, I would imagine hiding a body in a place like this is damn near impossible.”

  His lips curled. “You’d be surprised.”

  “Then do it,” I taunted. “You brought me here, so the way I see it, you have to help me find a way back.”

  He took a step back and shook his head in amusement. “What makes you think I can send you back to the Otherworld? I’m just a captain, and a miserable one at that without my ship.”

  “It’s not you I need,” I said as I followed him through the dark hallway and into the kitchen where I’d watched him eat with his family. That wasn’t a memory I needed to recall.

  He went to a machine like the one Tink had used. “Then by all means, what is it?”

  “The mechanical heart,” I said.

  He barked out a laugh. “What about it? If you think I’m giving it to you, you’re sorely mistaken, princess.”

  “I don’t want you to give it to me. I just want to use it to go home. According to the man in the market, they’re extremely powerful. He said if you put it into any reactor, it will give you enough power to go anywhere, including the Otherworld.”

  “How do you know the man’s not a lunatic or a thief?”

  “I don’t. But I do know a man like the one you met wouldn’t be looking for one if it weren’t valuable, so there must be some merit to his claim. It’s worth a try.”

  “And what use would it be for me to give you what you want?” He leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand. “I’m the one taking all of the risk with none of the reward. What do I get in return?”

  Even though he didn’t offer, I took a seat at the table. It felt like I’d been up for days, and if I had to stand for another minute, I may have crumpled into a heap right at his feet.

  I chanced a look at him and wondered again what he saw with his prosthetic eyes. I didn’t have a chance to ask the man at the market if those with prosthesis were also gifted with some sort of enhanced abilities.

  The thought had crossed my mind that he had x-ray vision or something.

  I cleared my throat. “You’d get the satisfaction from knowing you helped someone.” My voice tilted up at the end like it was a question.

  “Nice try,” he said, “but things don’t work like that down here, princess. If you want something, you have to give something in return.”

  The room shimmered around me, but I forced myself to focus on his imposing presence. “I know next to nothing about running a ship.”

  “Can you cook?” he asked.

  “Not very well,” I admitted.

  He sighed and turned to put his cup in the sink. “If it were up to me, I’d let you come, but it’s not worth the trouble. Citizens, even unregistered ones like you, aren’t just allowed to leave Port without a reason, and I can’t afford to be detained because of a woman.”

  It was my turn to sigh. “No, I do understand. I just don’t know what else to do. I can’t—”

  Then the stress and the shock and fear all coalesced at the most inopportune moment and my voice broke. Unwilling to let him bear witness to my emotional breakdown, I got to my feet and lurched toward to the doorway.

  He stopped me with a hand around my wrist. I swung around and blinked back the tears. “What are you doing?” I asked when I was sure I could say it without my voice quavering.

  “You can’t go out there at night. It’s not safe.”

  “Oh, so you care now?”

  “I didn’t say that. The last thing I need is for a constable to come questioning why someone saw an outsider leaving my house. I can’t afford any delays before we leave tomorrow.” He tugged at my wrist, and though I was curious about his metal arm, there was no way I was going to test its strength.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “You can stay the night here, and I’ll figure out what to do with you in the morning.”

  He led me down the hallway and into a living area of sorts. From the small window, I could see the silver glow of the capsule wall just outside and the deep, dark-green beyond. I shivered and hugged my arms around my waist. I’d never felt so alone in my life.

  Ezra took my reaction in with pinched brows, then left and returned with a small blanket. “Here,” he said. “This is about all I can do. We don’t get many visitors.”

  I took the thin, threadbare blanket gratefully. “You don’t have to—” I sucked in a breath. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. I don’t mean to be a burden, and I understand that your hands are tied. I appreciate your generosity.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, albeit awkwardly.

  When he paused in the living room
doorway, my fingers tightened on the blanket. A heavy silence descended. Then he turned with a shrug of his shoulder and left.

  A loud bang nearly shook the house. I woke with a start, automatically flailing in the blanket like I was being attacked. When I managed to untangled myself from the material, I found myself on the floor, staring up at Ezra who had a smile tugging at his full lips.

  I frowned in return.

  He offered his mechanical hand, and I took it after a moment’s hesitation. The cool, unyielding metal was softer than I remembered, almost pliant like skin. I was so close that I could hear the gentle whir and click of the machinery inside.

  Curiosity assailed me as it always did when it came to the inner workings of things. It was what inspired me to pursue medicine. The melding of biological and mechanical intrigued me so much that I forgot to let go of his hand.

  We both came to our senses a moment later when the banging took up again at the front door. Ezra visibly shook himself and tucked me behind him as he went to the door.

  “Keep quiet,” was all he said before he opened it a crack.

  There must have been something in the air inside the capsule. Something that affected my brain chemistry differently than it did in my world. That was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with that made sense. That or the adrenaline that was rushing through my body had stolen the breath straight from my lungs.

  His normal hand gripped mine almost as tightly as his synthetic one had. The only difference was it was significantly warmer. In the moment between the rush to the door and his opening it, all I could process was the touch of his hand and that I was close enough to feel his heartbeat racing against my chest.

  “Dragen,” Ezra said, and he didn’t sound happy about it.

  “End of the month,” Dragen said in a gravelly voice. His words were distorted around what I imagined was a pipe of some sort.

  “I know what day it is,” Ezra replied. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell from his body language that I wouldn’t want to be the recipient of his glare.

  “Then I expect you also know that if I don’t get my payment for this month’s rent by next week, then I’ll be forced to kick your thievin’ ass out on the street.”

  “You’ll get your money.”

  “See that I do. I’d hate to see your pretty little girl out on the streets because of her no-good father.”

  At that, I found myself fighting with Ezra’s hold to get at the man, but I was no match for his grip.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll have it for you next week,” Ezra said, then he shut the door in the man’s face.”

  He waited, watching through a small slit of glass, until the man had gone, then he turned to face me. “What did you think you were going to do?” he asked. “Take him out by yourself?” The question caused him to chuckle.

  “I don’t like bullies,” I said.

  He let go of my hand, almost surprised to find that he was still holding it. “I can take care of myself,” he said as he brushed passed me.

  “Of course,” I said. Then I shook off the memory of his scent, the strength of his body against mine. “May I use your bathroom? Then I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “Down the hall on your right.”

  I made my way blindly as my mind raced with plans, all of which I discarded. I made use of the facilities and washed up as best I could. If I had to stay down there much longer, I was going to need a change of clothes before I started to stink.

  The scent of coffee wafted in the room, and I clung to it. I’d have a cup and then figure out how to find the mechanical heart without Ezra’s help. If he could do it, then so could I.

  I found him in the kitchen with the older couple, his daughter, and Tink sitting a table. Tink had another cup of his coffee sitting in front of him.

  “And who’s this?” the older man asked as he sipped from a dented cup.

  “No one,” Ezra replied. “She’s leaving.”

  “What’s your name?” Lina asked as she bounded up to me.

  “Caroline,” I answered.

  Tink shuffled up to me with a mug, and I accepted, barely managing to stifle the groan of pleasure.

  “You can’t just kick the girl out first thing in the morning,” the older woman said.

  “No, it’s okay,” I said after a few gulps. “I should be going. I’ve imposed long enough.

  “She won’t be going with us, Sir?” Tink asked.

  “No,” Ezra said shortly. “She’s leaving.”

  I chugged the rest of the coffee and rinsed out my glass in the sink. “Thank you for the coffee and the bed. It was nice to meet you all.”

  “I thought we needed another medical officer?” I heard Tink say behind me, and I stopped in my tracks, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I didn’t dare turn around to see the response on Ezra’s face.

  “Yes,” I heard him say hesitantly. “But what does one have to do with the other.”

  “She’s going to school to be a healer,” Tink replied.

  Then I turned. “How did you know that?”

  Ezra sighed in resignation. “He always knows everything.” He took a deep pull from his own cup. “It’s damned irritating.”

  Evasive Measures

  “Do exactly as I say, when I say it,” Ezra instructed as we hurried down the busy cobbled streets to the airlock where his submarine was anchored.

  I nodded, but he couldn’t see me because he was too busy swiveling his head from side to side to make sure we weren’t attracting any attention.

  “If it turns out you aren’t of any help, don’t think I won’t throw you back where you came from the first chance I get.”

  “I was just accepted to med school, I’ve been interning with a physician the past three years, and I’ve got common sense. I’ll do my part as long as you do yours.”

  “We’ll see,” was all I got in response.

  We really needed to work on his verbal skills.

  We rounded a corner, and he tucked me into his side. “Don’t say a word until we get onboard, keep your head down and keep up with me.”

  I took that to mean that I should be quiet and didn’t respond.

  I felt lighter than I had in ages. If he was going to help me get home to Phoebe, I’d pretty much do anything he wanted. If they needed a medical officer, I’d work myself to the bone. Every single person on his ship was going to be in the best shape of their lives when I got done with them.

  He tugged at my waist and we were off again, his strides so long, I nearly had to jog to keep up with his pace.

  The streets and sidewalks weren’t crowded, but I kept my head down anyway, and we made it to the airlock without being stopped by one of the constables in thick black overcoats and top hats. Tink followed closely behind, his mechanized steps echoing against the gangplank.

  I didn’t relax until the airlock door closed behind us and the submarine door opened.

  Finally, I was going to go home.

  I stepped into the ship with Ezra and Tink following close behind.

  “Tink will show you to your quarters,” Ezra said.

  “Hopefully not the dungeons this time,” I replied with a grin.

  “If you behave,” Ezra said, and I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.

  “This way,” Tink said.

  The interior of the ship was tomb-silent, and I realized that the engines were probably off since the crew hadn’t yet made it back.

  Tink explained the layout of the sub as we navigated through the passageways. The first level was the captain’s deck or bridge with the navigation and communication systems and the control room where Ezra piloted the craft. The second level was the housing quarters and living space complete with kitchen and showers. The third level was the engine room and weapons system.

  The rooms he directed me to were only slightly an upgrade from the dungeons I’d stayed in before.

  “Not much, miss, but this is our only empty room.”
He glanced at me, and I could have sworn I saw humor in the quirk of his eyes. “Unless you’d like to bunk with the captain himself.”

  I took a few rapid steps inside the bunkroom to dispel that notion. “No,” I said hurriedly, “that’s okay. So, what exactly is a mechanical heart, anyway?” I asked as I sat on what would become my bed.

  Tink rolled into the room and came to a stop in front of me. “In your world, you had sea creatures, yes?”

  I nodded, my eyebrows raised.

  “Well,” he continued, “in this world, there was a catastrophic war. Countries fought tirelessly for years, each inventing new and more destructive ways to kill each other. When the dust settled, the world as we knew it was gone. It had changed. Either from the bombs and new tech themselves or from vengeance on the part of the Earth they destroyed. Whatever the cause, humans and animals alike were forever changed.”

  I eyed the sea in the place beyond the thick glass window. “Is that why everyone lives down here?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “You may have noticed the smell when we rescued you.”

  I recalled the stench vividly. “How long has it been that way?”

  “Ever since the end of the war. The land was necrotic. It couldn’t sustain crops, couldn’t support the needs of those who had destroyed it. But the land wasn’t the only thing affected. The war nearly destroyed everything. The oceans. The animals. The people. Each new generation born from the remaining population was also affected, or afflicted, with synthetic parts.”

  “The prosthetics,” I said, my voice a higher pitch as I connected the dots.

  “Correct. All of the animals are the same way,” Tink said. “Except, they are much stronger and much more predatory as a result of that strength. It’s damn hard to fight off a shark with metal armor.”

  I shivered just thinking about it. “So, how did you wind up down here?”

  “The Tycoon, James Fletcher,” he said.

  “No,” I replied.

  “Indeed. Before the war, he was the number one supplier of weapons.”