by Mark Lingane
“What? We didn’t do this,” squeaked Isaac.
“I suppose they fell dead of their own accord. Why did you not call for help?” Her indignant voice trilled with accusation.
The crowd murmured.
“We just got here,” Isaac said. “We were on our way home.”
“On your way home and you did this?”
“We didn’t do anything.”
“These are people’s pets. There will be punishment.”
The crowd murmured in agreement. Someone threw something, which landed on Sebastian’s arm. Then someone threw a brick, narrowly missing Isaac’s head. The two boys turned and ran. Another series of small objects rained down on them as they tore around the corner. They heard footsteps behind and pushed on as fast as they could.
They reached a T-junction.
“You go that way,” Sebastian said pointing to the right. “Hopefully splitting up will confuse them.”
Sebastian took off down the left-hand alley. The lane became narrow and the ancient buildings loomed over him. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder and saw a group after him. He hoped they were all new to the city. It was time to find out.
He ran past a grocer, took a quick left and ducked into a gas-storage chamber. He held his breath as the crowd ran past. He waited a few moments before sticking his head around the corner. The coast wasn’t clear. They had stopped when they lost him and were milling around the front of the lower brewery.
Someone shouted.
He charged out of the chamber, darting across the lane and jumping into a chute that took him into the service lane behind the brewery. He ducked around the large copper brewing chambers, bubbling noisily away. He burned his shoulder as he squeezed between two of them and became wedged in. The boiling temperature seared into his body. He focused his mind and the copper bent away from him, allowing him to squeeze the rest of the way through. He focused again, popping the copper cylinders back to their original shape.
The chasing men charged into the brewing chambers, but could not pass.
Sebastian stared back at them. Dirty, stupid faces full of hunger and hate. Working men, with no work, and egos to flatter riled up by the very thing that was currently blocking their way. He turned and ran in search of Isaac.
He found his friend, who had managed to find comfort in greater numbers, a greater number being anything but one. Gavin and Oliver were looking worriedly around the streets, listening out for the occasional shout. As Sebastian approached them he stopped in his tracks. Down a tiny alleyway, no bigger than a public convenience, he caught the image of a cyborg out of the corner of his eye.
He turned and blinked but there was nothing there except the shadows and putrid smell of urine. He shook his head, and tried to rein in his nerves.
The other two were giving him a quizzical look.
“Are you all right?” Oliver said. “It looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I think I just did. Sorry, my nerves are really on edge. They nearly got me.”
“Got you?”
“Yeah, the angry mob. Didn’t you get chased by a lynch mob baying for your blood?”
“No, but there were a couple of nasty remarks when we were walking to the cafe,” Gavin said, “and I think we were overcharged for a piece of carrot cake.”
“How come we were chased?” Isaac said.
Sebastian noticed another small alley behind them. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a brief and dim reflection in its depths. Moments later a cat walked out. He sighed with relief.
“A change comes in on a tsunami wave. Who will be the survivors?” said Oliver. “We need to make sure it is us.”
“I bet the cyborgs would sort them out. One burst of their light guns, no more complaints,” Gavin said.
“That’s really jumping from the frying pan into a raging bushfire,” Isaac said.
As the four friends walked away, Kerry stepped out of the shadows, notebook in hand. Her eyes flashed and she smiled.
Isaac and Sebastian walked cautiously through the narrow back alleys, vigilantly looking out for trouble. Isaac was in nervous hyperdrive, and was jumping at any shadows that looked vaguely ominous.
The image of all the dead animals haunted Sebastian’s memory. “Who would kill all those pets? And why?”
“Oh no, my owl.”
“Isaac, don’t be stupid. Your owl is an automaton, a machine. You can’t poison it.”
Isaac turned on him. “You wouldn’t say that about Rex.”
“That’s different,” Sebastian replied, with annoyance creeping into his tone.
“How?”
“Because Rex was big and helped us.”
“Just because something isn’t big, doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful. Sometimes small things are the most useful. My owl found us shelter when we needed it.”
“That’s hardly the same as saving a city,” Sebastian said. He had his hands on his hips and was nearly shouting at his friend.
“You’re always thinking about yourself. My owl means everything to me.” Isaac took off at a run toward their quarters.
Sebastian sagged as he watched Isaac run. He reflected on the day and considered that it had not been a good one.
25
THE COOLING NIGHT air had turned semi-solid, creating a mist that hung around the knees of the onlookers. Kerry was on the perimeter of the industrial zone, where men with minimal skills waited for work that would not come. The area wasn’t frequented by the patrol on an official basis. Unrest was at its greatest here, as depression and unemployment soared. Ugly men, dressed in dirty clothes and minds and a lack of willpower to do anything about either, scuffled together, stoked up on home-brewed brain-cell death.
“I’ve heard them state they want to collude with the enemy, brazenly, out in the streets, that they hold us in contempt. I have dates, times and quotes.” Kerry waved her notebook above her head. “They plan to betray us. And this Sebastian appears to be complicit in these actions against the state.”
“You can’t say that about Sebastian. He was pivotal in saving the city in many battles against the cyborgs,” came a voice out of the crowd.
A subtle shift in the surrounding people meant the speaker was suddenly in his own real-life Venn diagram showing those who were infected with the speaking one’s mind virus, and those who didn’t want to catch it for the sake of their own health and mental wellbeing.
“What did he do?” Kerry challenged the impertinent young man, who carried a guard’s helmet.
“Well, he … there was … I was told that he summoned a war machine …”
“He summoned a war machine? Out of thin air, was it?”
“I doubt it was out of thin air.” The young man shifted uneasily. “Sebastian’s a tesla. In the years I’ve been here, this is exactly what they’ve been trained for.”
“So you saw this … this summoning, did you?” She raised an eyebrow.
The speaker slipped a finger into his collar and freed his neck. Sweat was forming on his brow.
“Me? No, I didn’t see it. Not many did, and out of those who did a lot didn’t survive. There were heavy casualties. I was fighting on the other side of the city.”
“Who told you? Where is your evidence?” She placed her hands on her hips and stared at the man.
He stumbled over his words as recollection failed him. He hid his helmet behind his back and looked down at his feet.
“It was probably the boy himself, spreading lies,” Kerry said. “These teslas do nothing except spread lies and dissidence, planting falsehoods in your mind about controlling things like magic. This is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. There is only one true magician, one true conjurer who crafted mankind out of the very dirt.”
The crowd began to rally behind her. A greater number of cheers joined in the chorus and the future was changed.
“These men of ‘science,’ what are they doing up there in those towers? They pervert and denigrate t
he Lord’s work, pretending it can be understood by man’s simple mind.” Kerry looked down upon the assembly and smiled.
There was the occasional nodding of heads and murmurs of agreement. It was small, but dissent was growing.
Menacing groups roamed the streets looking for trouble until the cold bit deeply, piercing through the layers of protection supplied by cheap booze. The sun rose on quiet but troubled streets.
It was date night. Melanie and Gavin walked down the city’s main street.
“You’re in another dress.”
“So? This is all the fashion. Everyone’s wearing them.”
Her golden yellow dress shimmered in the evening light. Its velvety texture caught the light in deceptive ways, giving the material the appearance of liquid. She also wore another black corset with matching stitching. She wore a necklace made up of a series of large cogs. Her fascinator was also made up of cogs.
“I’m not,” Gavin said.
“You might, late at night when you think no one’s watching. Feel the material. The texture is wonderful. So soft. Oh look, a virginal.”
“A what?”
She disappeared into a shop. He followed to find her staring at a large and intricate box.
“I trained on one of these,” she said, “three times a week.”
“You learned to play the piano?”
“It’s more of a clavichord. You seemed amazed. Mother was very certain about some things. This was one that was easy to go along with, rather than fight against it. It got me out of the estate.”
She sat down, moved the small bench into position and started to play. The notes gently tinkled as her fingers caressed the keys. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and …
Outside, an army of formerly slumbering bats awoke from a dead tree and shot into the air. A homeless man swore. Back inside, Gavin had his hands clamped over his ears. Only when Melanie had stopped singing did he remove his hands.
“Nice piano playing. Let’s go out for dinner.”
“But I haven’t exultated,” she protested.
“I don’t even want to know what that means. It doesn’t sound like a real word.” He turned and left the shop.
She ran out after him and lunged after his hand. The two walked down the street with their fingers intertwined.
“Hey, let’s go on the train,” she said.
“But it smells.”
“But it also whooshes, like your hair.”
“Let’s just go to dinner.”
They made their way to the Caves, located on top of one of the city’s taller buildings. It gave majestic views out over the city and beyond to the east. The two sat as the waiter approached and they gave him their order. Melanie chose everything that was dead and cooked. Gavin idly flicked through his plate of grass and leaves.
“Are you going anywhere interesting?” he asked.
“Just off to the lakes. We’re backtracking to see if we missed something. Captain Farnham's got the good detail.”
“Where’s he going?”
“They’re putting together a plan to secure Camooweal.”
“The caves?”
“Probably. How are you doing with the advanced tesla program?”
“You know how it is. Two steps forward, one step back. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting results. We need to be careful.”
She shook her head. “It’s hard to believe Sebastian’s on the same program.”
“He definitely isn’t. The accelerated program is fraught with danger. We’re doing it properly in a controlled environment. As science should be done.”
She laughed. “His method seems way cooler, but I have to admit that he does come out with a lot more injuries and burns. In particular his hair seems to have suffered. It’s always standing on end when he comes out of class. It takes hours to go down. It makes him look like Nikola a bit. Like a dandelion.”
“Well, if he ends up killing himself, we know who can be blamed.”
“Well, the program sounds official. I’m sure everyone will be safe.”
“Oliver knows what he’s doing.” Gavin nodded to himself. “He’s the man. He studies the cyborgs, learning their secrets.”
She giggled. “Sounds like he’s in awe of them.”
“Oh no, no.” He shook his head. “We’re constantly reflecting that they’re the enemy.”
The waiter appeared with the desserts. Gavin had a small sorbet, with no apparent flavor, according to Melanie who demanded a taste, which took half of the serving. And Melanie had …
“What’s the matter?” she said, noting his expression. “Doctor’s orders. I’ve been told to enjoy myself.”
“When they asked what you wanted for dessert and you said ‘Yes’ I think they took it literally.”
“Oh well, their mistake. I felt like having one of everything.”
Halfway through the platter she let out a satisfied sigh and slid down in her chair. Her arms and legs relaxed. “I may have to loosen some of these laces. Maybe you can help me.”
Gavin took out his fob watch and opened it, then quickly snapped it shut. “I’ve got to go.”
Melanie sat up. “Go? Where to? It’s late.”
“I’m working with Oliver. My powers are growing and he wants to test various skills out in the real world.”
“It can’t wait until tomorrow?”
“Sorry.”
“Fine.” She gave him a smile. “It’s been fun.”
He got up and made his way out. She watched him leave, admired the view, and then turned her attention back to her dessert platter.
Could have been funner, she thought.
26
SEBASTIAN WAS DRIFTING off into a troubled sleep when he was jolted awake by an aggressive banging on his door. It could only be one person.
“About time,” Melanie spat. “I’ve been banging on the door for seconds.” She gave him a smile. He gave her a deflated look. “Let’s go watch the sunset.”
“It’s dark.”
“What is it with you guys? Where’s your imagination?”
He rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat, following her out and over to the old terrace above Melanie’s quarters.
The moonlight shone on their faces as they looked toward the west. Their feet dangled down over the edge of the building. Sebastian leaned forward, elbows on knees and head in hands. Melanie leaned back, resting on her hands.
“How many dresses do you actually have?” Sebastian said. “I seem to remember a girl who had certain views on dresses.”
“I’m making an effort to change.”
“Be careful, everything I’ve seen about change hasn’t been for the best.” He related the story of the day to her, when he and Isaac were chased through the streets by an angry mob. “It seems everywhere I go these days there’s someone with a nasty comment, someone with a foot extended ready to leave me face down in the dirt with an obnoxious laugh following, or a shove from behind from someone in a crowd. I turn and all I see are laughing faces.”
“That’s a bit crap.”
“Yeah, a bit. Isaac’s getting it, too. And the other teslas.”
“Just keep breathing. It’s tough at the moment, but it’ll pass. Everything does.” She idly kicked her feet and shifted her focus to Sebastian. “Do you know what stuff Gavin and Oliver are up to?”
Sebastian shook his head. “Why?”
“They’re out tonight doing some ‘real-world’ experiments. Gavin says his powers are growing.”
“I don’t know how that could happen. Your strength is your strength.”
“But Isaac’s improving. Is that because he’s hanging around you?”
“I guess so. Who knows how it works. Some people get sick. Some people get better. I wish I knew. It really hurts knowing that you’re the cause of making the ones you love sick.”
“I’ve been told to stay away from you.”
The comment startled him. “Why?”
“Apparently I�
�m no longer sick.” She raised her hands like an amateur magician.
“Except in the head.” He gave her a sly smile.
She gave him a light punch. “They’re afraid that now you might make me sick, after you’ve made me better.”
He sighed and his head sagged. “What are you going to do?”
“They were wrong before, so I’m taking it as more of an option, based on how annoying you are at any one time. Anyway, there are other ways I need you. Come here.” She leaned over and gave him a big hug. She ruffled his hair and looked back out to the west. “It’s me against the world, and without you, I’d lose.”
27
THE MORNING CAME, and Sebastian was roused from his bed by a ferocious knocking. He staggered over to the door and swung it open, expecting to see Melanie again.
“Good morning, sunshine,” said the guard. He wore a uniform Sebastian hadn’t seen before.
“Who are you?” Sebastian’s hair was sticking up on the left side of his head, and only one eye was open.
The guard pointed to the insignia emblazoned on his epaulettes. “Mayor’s office.”
“What does the mayor need a guard for?”
The guard ignored him and continued. “The mayor has requested your attendance.” He followed his words with a brittle smile.
“Why?”
“I’m not important enough to be told such things. Get your clothes on and come with me unless you want to be forcibly dragged. Free of charge.”
The guard pushed him through the doorway of the mayoral office and closed the door behind them. It shut with the authority of a solid five hundred years. Sebastian looked around the room. A thick red carpet, with embedded darker swirls, covered the floor. A strange scent hung in the air, a disturbing combination of a sickly perfume, something mechanical and oily, and the musky scent of a tropical forest and fermenting vegetation.
In the middle of the carpet stood a dejected-looking Isaac. His head was down, and he hadn’t looked up when Sebastian entered. Sebastian walked over and stood next to him.
Behind the large mayoral desk sat the portly lady Sebastian recognized from the rallies, this time without the hat. Paper was piled in heaps in front of her. She signed a sheet of paper and placed it in a small wire tray to her right. Her dark hair was piled up on top of her head, tied together with a plain piece of white ribbon.
