The Nautilus! Thomas’s mind raced. He had read two more volumes of The Adventures of Captain Nemo that had never been released to the general public but that were available in the Library Intranet. It had been his favorite book since he was a kid. He realized just how much Mrs. Pianova knew him.
“Yes!” he said. “Do you have the Nautilus?”
Mr. Pianova smiled. “I have twelve of them, but I’m guessing you want to see the original?”
“Captain Nemo was real?”
“Well, Prince Dakkar was. And he was quite angry with the East India Company.” he clapped three times loudly and the mechanical arms in the Engineering bay snapped at attention. “Item RC18CPDNautilus001-A!” he yelled. The large arms at the center of the Hall began to move toward the back of the vault.
“This is the one built by Prince Dakkar in the 1700s with some technical help from the Guardians and Fauns. The prince was an explorer, but he became a revolutionary and began using it to destroy the ships of the East India Company. He tried to stop the Company from controlling the Indian subcontinent, but the Mughal Empire was already in decline.”
Prince Dakkar. Thomas knew that Dakkar was the real last name of Captain Nemo from the books, Nemo being the adopted name of the Prince in his adventure years and which meant “no one” in Latin.
Thomas heard the robot arms picking up something in the distance, and then he saw the arms carrying a large rectangle platform that looked to be made of foam. “Is that a box?” he asked as the arms approached.
“It’s a composite foam material,” Mr. Pianova said. “We use it for preservation; it’s nonreactive, recyclable, biodegradable and seals in vacuum. Quite tidy, really.”
The large arms set the box in front of them. Thomas measured the box to be at least two hundred feet long by some thirty feet high. Once the large arms had retreated, smaller arms built like needles punctured the box and a whooshing sound began.
“They are pressurizing the inside,” Mr. Pianova told him. “The whole outside and inside surfaces were coated with a preserving agent.” The whooshing stopped and the arms retracted. Four more arms appeared from the top and sides, and orange lasers began to crosscut the box. “Now we cut the foam,” Mr. Pianova explained. “The laser frequency only reacts with the foam material.”
Once the foam was cut another set of arms grabbed the foam. “A little pull and voila!” The arms pulled in unison, taking the foam away and revealing the submarine inside.
The Nautilus was an impressive machine, but it wasn’t at all what Thomas had imagined or seen in any movie or drawing. He approached it, and then ran his fingers along the surface. It felt rubbery, but also firm, not like metal, more like a car tire. The main body was like a flattened cigar, wider than taller. The front of the submarine didn’t have a serrated edge on top, but a wide leaf-like prow aimed to the front, surely to be used as a ram. Below the main ramming weapon, the prow had large, tube-like forms that integrated into the main body at about the first third of the ship. The main viewing port was a wide ellipsoid window embedded into a spherical frame. The body of the Nautilus became sleek and more flat at the end, and Thomas couldn’t see a propeller, but he saw twin openings on the back, much like the turbines of a jet plane. There was no upper bridge like in present submarines, or periscope, and no flat planes to control the submarine depth. Instead, the elongated form became almost wing-like at the back of the submarine.
Thomas stepped away from the Nautilus to see it in its entirety. The more he walked away, the more he realized that the Nautilus resembled a giant squid. The ram at the top was formed by one of the two largest tentacles in a squid, and the tube-like structures in the bow resembled tentacles. The viewing port resembled the large eyes of the squid, while the structures he’d thought were wings were in fact the head and fins of the squid. Even the rubbery skin was painted in hues of red.
“What do you think?” Mr. Pianova asked.
“It’s amazing!” Thomas said, “But it’s really different from how Verne describes it.”
“Well, Verne saw the third version, which was much more of a scientific craft, more ‘whale-like’ and without the skin covering the metal frame. Prince Dakkar designed this one with help from whale fauns to be an attack craft and to inspire fear in sailors. Just Google ‘squid attacking ship’ or ‘Kraken’ and you’ll see how powerful that image was. Verne wrote more about the adventures of this one, but he described the one that Dakkar used for scientific purposes. Does that make sense?”
“Yes.” Thomas already knew that Verne had been a Guardians Inc. collaborator, and in addition to creating stories with his wondrous imagination, he had also been a historian and biographer of those that humanity at large couldn’t, or shouldn’t, know about.
“Can we go in?” Thomas asked; the Nautilus’s organic shape invited him in.
Mr. Pianova extended a thick book to him. “Of course we can,” he said. “And if you learn this by heart, we can take it for a little spin sometime.”
Thomas took the book; it was the manual and specs of the Nautilus. “Really?” he said excitedly.
“Of course!” Mr. Pianova said. “This is not a museum, Thomas. This is the counterpart of the library. The knowledge and ideas are stored over there, and over here we keep all the applications of that knowledge. I keep all machines humanity has ever created, a chain of unbroken human creation from the first bow and arrow to the Large Hadron Collider.”
That raised a flag for Thomas. “Even bombs?” he asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Pianova said. “Just like my wife keeps The Necronomicon and maybe even more evil texts. I keep machines made for war and even torture devices. And, like her, I keep them locked away in the darkest, most secure corner of the engineering bay, but they are part of humanity’s heritage. We can’t turn a blind eye to history, however painful or evil it is or we run the risk of repeating it.” Mr. Pianova winked at Thomas. “And why keep technology, or something like the Nautilus if we can’t use it? Of course we are going to need a Mage to turn on the engine, or change the engine to something more technological, but we’ll get there. Now go ahead and explore it, because in two hours you have to work.”
“Where?” Thomas asked.
“At the library with my wife; she’s been expecting you all week.”
Thomas sighed. “I don’t know if I can do that yet.”
“Yes, you can,” Mr. Pianova said.
Thomas wiggled the book Mr. Pianova had given him. “Is this something like a bribe?” he asked.
Mr. Pianova looked away, as if he was up to something.
“So it is a bribe!”
“Oh my...” Mr. Pianova said micheviously. “You need a better one?”
Thomas sighed again.
“Come on Thomas!” Mr. Pianova slapped him on the shoulder. “You two can’t stay mad at each other forever. You need to save the world, remember? She’s a bitch sometimes, but only because she loves you.”
“Okay,” Thomas gave in. “I’ll go.”
“Great!” Mr. Pianova said. “Now remember, no apologies needed. You’re an adult; you’re the Cypher, okay? In a very real sense, my wife, myself, and everyone at Guardians Inc. works for you, including Doctor Franco, but don’t let him know I told you that.”
Thomas had never thought about it that way. In a way it was true; he was the reason of Guardians Inc.’s existence, so he was the most important person in the company.
That brought a mischievous smile to his face.
Mr. Pianova smiled conspiratorially. “That’s my boy!” he said. “Now go check out your new toy.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said as he ran toward the Nautilus.
“By the way, Thomas!” Mr. Pianova yelled. “She didn't ask me to talk with you. I was just tired of hearing her…you know…about you being angry with her.”
Thomas only had a little more than two hours before his shift at the library, and two hours later, having just begun his discovery of the Nautilus, he left th
e Engineering Vault and entered his library station.
Mrs. Pianova was setting up some books on a shelf when she saw him. “So you've finally decided to return to work, Mr. Byrne,” she said icily and without looking at him.
“Yes, ma'am,” he said, logging into his computer. “I went to the Engineering Bay today.”
“You did?” Mrs. Pianova asked. “You were supposed to know about it only after the Crypto Zoo and Methopia. Which, by the way, you haven't visited because you're behind in your studies.”
Thomas kept typing. “I was invited by a certain Mr. Pianova...”
There was a longer pause. Thomas could swear that Mrs. Pianova sighed. “And?” she asked. “What do you think about Mr. Pianova?”
“He's a very nice man,” he said, “but...” He turned around to look at her. “He’s not my favorite Pianova.”
Thomas actually savored seeing Mrs. Pianova’s usual stern face become brightened by the softest smile, even if it just lasted a second. “It's good to hear that, Mr. Byrne,” she said.
“Have a good night, ma'am,” Thomas said, returning the smile.
“Good night, Thomas, and remember to log off from your station when you're done.”
Mrs. Pianova was still smiling as she opened the doors to the library, and Thomas shared that smile.
And just like that, things were back to normal between them.
A Measure of Last Resort
“Dammit!” Tony yelled after the Watchmen team on site confirmed that Morgan’s team had entered the vicinity of the Bulguksa Temple in South Korea. The Azure Guard had modified their methods. Instead of sending Morgan and his whole team after Thomas, they’d sent in a Mage, who like Elise could sense if the Magic present in the area was from the Oracle or not. The Mage would disappear into their portal if there was no Oracle Magic present.
That meant that the burden and exertion of traveling around the world fell squarely on Thomas's team. Morgan could rest until they entered a place holding a real sign.
They had visited six cities already, and it was clear that the vagabond plan had already been countered by the Azure Guards. It was all right, because they didn't have a true sign to find. Doctor Franco just wanted to find out more about how Morgan was tracking them, and they still had no clue.
“Let's go home,” Bolswaithe said as they drove away in the van. Tony wanted to take the L'invincibile, but the ATV looked more like a tank than a car, and the Doctor didn't want to attract undue attention. Plus, Babcor hadn't finished repairing Thomas's car, so they were stuck again with a minivan for transportation.
“How does he do it?” Tony bashed his head against Thomas's headrest. “It's driving me nuts! How are we going to get anything done?”
“We'll find a way,” Bolswaithe said.
“I'm sure it's some kind of Magic,” Elise said. “I just know it.”
“It's been more than a year of this. We can't go after the signs without Morgan popping up, and meanwhile he can do whatever he wants!” Tony continued. “The home team is losing.”
They kept quiet until they entered the Mansion grounds. “We are done, right?” Tony opened the door. “I'll be with my brainiac friends in engineering if you need me.”
“And I'll be in my column,” Henri said as he opened the backdoor, the van shaking as he stepped off.
“We will find a way,” Bolswaithe told them. “I'm sure.”
“We have an option,” Thomas told Elise and Bolswaithe. “The Man in the Trench Coat.” Thomas had thought about him and what he had said for a long time.
“The Dark Dealmaker?” Bolswaithe said. “That’s how he’s known by the Fauns. They also try to stay away from him.”
Dark Dealmaker. Thomas remembered the Man very well—his thin, tall body and bald head, his eyes rimmed in black and long, unkempt hands and nails. It was a fitting nickname.
“He's not a man, Thomas,” Elise said. “He's something else.”
Thomas had thought long about their first encounter in the library, and then about what he had told them in the League of Nations. His motivations were shrouded in mystery, but the Dealmaker was a creature imbued with powerful Magic. “Exactly,” Thomas said. “He's something more. If Gramps is using Magic, I bet he can tell us what kind it is.”
“I bet he already knows,” Bolswaithe said. “He knew that we would turn to him at some point. It's a trap, Thomas.”
“He's not Azure Guard,” Thomas said. “They wouldn't work with him.”
“Because he's Wraith-touched!” Elise said. “Have you forgotten the library? He worked for Tasha.”
“But he's also worked for the Guardians. In the Book of Beasts, he helped Ibn Battuta destroy a Wraith incursion.” Thomas had extensively searched for references of the Dealmaker with the help of Oscar. He was always a double agent, thriving on favors. “He's done it throughout history. You know this, Bolswaithe; I sent you all the files we found about him.”
“He's done as much good as he's done evil,” Bolswaithe said. “He's helped the Guardians as much as he has helped our enemies, but most of the time, even when he helped us the results might be considered touched by some evil design. The Doctor would never allow us to ask for his help.”
“Then we don't tell the Doctor until we've spoken with him,” Thomas said.
“I won't be part of that plan,” Bolswaithe said immediately.
“It's our only choice now, Bolswaithe.” Thomas turned to Elise for support.
“It might be, Thomas,” Elise said, “but we can't just go. We need to tell the Doctor about it.”
“Come on,” Thomas, pleaded. “The Doctor will say no.”
“Still, we have to tell him.” Bolswaithe was adamant. “I'm not going to just take off like that.”
“You said you were gonna help me, Bolswaithe!” Thomas yelled.
“And I will, but not like this.”
“I can order you to do it.” Thomas pulled out his big card. Everything Mr. Pianova said was true—everyone worked for him!
Bolswaithe locked his gaze. “Are you ordering me to help you, sir?” Bolswaithe asked. His face had become blank, devoid of emotion.
“Thomas!” Elise said. “Stop it! Bolswaithe is not just a robot! He's our friend; don't turn him into just a machine.”
Thomas bit his lip. He knew that if he ordered Bolswaithe directly, Bolswaithe would have to obey him, but then he would be betraying their friendship. Bolswaithe would no longer be his friend and companion, but his servant, and Thomas wasn't going to go there.
“No, I'm not,” Thomas said. “I'm sorry for saying that.”
Bolswaithe showed relief. “Don't worry, Thomas.”
“Okay, we'll tell him,” Thomas gave in, “but you know what the Doctor is going to say about this.”
“We'll find out right now,” Bolswaithe said. “I just sent all the files on the Man in the Trench Coat to him and what he told us in the League of Nations. He wants to review the information and then see us in his office in two hours.”
“Bolswaithe!” Thomas said. “I would've liked to go and tell him myself!”
“But then he would have felt trapped, Thomas,” Bolswaithe said, “and would have surely said no. This way he can review the findings, and it looks as if we had thought about this for a long time. Instead of...” Bolswaithe’s voice trailed off.
“It being a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Thomas finished the thought. “You're right. He wouldn't even have thought about it.”
“You're welcome,” Bolswaithe said with a smile.
***
“First off…” the Doctor said from behind his desk, “let me congratulate you on this very comprehensive investigation. It’s one of the best research projects I've seen in a long time.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Tony said. Thomas had brought Tony up to speed just ten minutes before their meeting with the Doctor, because he knew that Tony would call them crazy, exactly as he did just outside the Doctor's door. He also drilled him about keepin
g that the idea of visiting the Dealmaker was an old one. In case the Doctor read his mind.
“That said,” the Doctor continued, “I'd like to know why you kept this information from me until now.”
Tony elbowed Thomas, but Bolswaithe was the one who answered. “We didn't even consider it an option until after the Falls, sir.”
“I see,” the Doctor said. “And you see this as an option now, Bolswaithe?”
“I do, sir. Yes,” Bolswaithe answered without a pause.
“I did some research of my own.” The Doctor turned toward the screens at the back of his desk. There were many images of the Dark Dealmaker throughout the ages. “I'm sure that you know he had many dealings with Tasha,” he said. “And that he's not a full Wraith, but he's, let's say, Wraith-touched.”
“We know. It's a calculated risk. Let's say 50-50,” Thomas said, echoing what Oscar had told him.
“50-50?” the Doctor asked. “50-50 what?”
Thomas wasn't going to echo the “triumph or death” Oscar had told him, so he said, “Fifty percent chance that he helps us, and fifty percent chance that he doesn't.”
“I don't like those odds,” the Doctor said.
“It's better than the one hundred percent chance that Morgan beats us to the signs that we have right now, Doctor,” Tony said. “Perhaps with his help we can begin working again.”
“What makes you think Morgan won't follow you to him?” the Doctor asked.
“He won't, or rather, he can't,” Elise said. “He lives in a place scoured of Magic.”
“Really?” the Doctor asked. “Where? You didn't put that in your report.”
“Because it’s a hunch, Doctor,” Bolswaithe said. “He gave us a clue as he vanished.”
“26th of April, 1986,” Thomas took over the conversation. “Only one thing happened that day that shook the world.”
The Doctor punched in the information and the screens behind him showed pictures of an abandoned city, a monument to technological catastrophe. “Chernobyl,” he said.
“Pripyat,” Bolswaithe added, pointing to the abandoned city on the screen. “The newspaper was from Pripyat.”
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