Tempus Regit

by Edmund Hughes

  Just be silent. Like I’ve been for the past six years.

  The clerk from the front of the hospital joined the burly man, both of them heaving Archer toward the entrance even after he had stopped struggling. They pushed the door open and threw him out. Archer landed in a heap, only inches from an alleyway where chamber pots had obviously been emptied recently.

  CHAPTER 3

  Archer thought for a while about heading back into the hospital and trying again to get his mother to recognize him, but he knew that it would be a waste of time, even if it made his heart ache to accept it.

  It was starting to get dark outside. Lacking anything else to do, Archer started through the streets, heading back to the tiny shack that he’d shared first with his mother and now inhabited alone. It was almost on the other side of the outer city, meaning that Archer had to wind his way around the donut shaped coal district for close to an hour before he reached it.

  The streets of the outer city were made of dirt, unpaved and underdeveloped outside of the rail lines that ran down the center of the four main streets leading through the district. Archer’s shoes were caked in mud from the recent rains, and he was looking forward to taking them off as soon as he could.

  His shack was against the outer wall, which was officially known as the “Second Wall”, built long after the inner wall at the behest of the expansionist political faction a few decades earlier. Most of the outer city had existed before the wall had, just as a few undefended settlements existed just outside the wall, all of them at the mercy of the Fabricants, exposed to the open wasteland.

  The Second Wall was over five hundred feet high, rising over everything in Tempus other than the tower district in the heart of the city. It was made of steel and concrete, reinforced, regularly repaired, and patrolled by the Watchers.

  All of the buildings close to the Second Wall were makeshift, ramshackle affairs. Everyone knew that the people closest to the wall would be the first to die in the event of a breech, even if it was rarely spoken aloud. Archer knew, and found that he didn’t really care.

  If the wall ever falls, the entire city will fall with it. It’s happened to other havens before, and it will happen here eventually, regardless of what anyone says.

  He gave a group of vagrants standing at the top of his street a wide berth. They’d tried to shake him down before and given up once they’d realized that the only thing he had of value was his pride, and he wasn’t willing to relinquish that without a fight.

  Sunset always arrived early in Tempus, the walls casting long shadows over the city. Archer was planning on spending the rest of the afternoon reading by lamplight, if he still had enough oil left, and then heading out to find food once the rest of the city had gone to sleep.

  His shack came into view, and he was surprised to see someone standing directly outside the front door. It was a woman, and from the way she was dressed and the way she stood, she clearly wasn’t from the outer city.

  She wore a white coat over a tan blouse and tight black skirt, clothes that looked more expensive than anything even a middle class citizen might have access to. It was also an outfit that should have invited serious unwanted attention from the riffraff in the outer city, but the woman’s posture looked anything but afraid or unnerved.

  Archer walked toward her slowly, making out more detail as he drew in closer. She had dark brown hair, clean and glossy. Her eyes were a darker brown, sharp, intelligent, scanning over him and her surroundings actively. She was a little shorter than he was, and her figure was lean, not unattractive, but lacking much for interesting curves.

  “Can I help you with something?” he asked.

  The woman nodded.

  “You look just like him,” she said. “The resemblance is truly uncanny.”

  Archer frowned and looked away from her.

  Another reporter here because of Trevor. This is the last thing I need tonight.

  “I’m not interested in rehashing the past unless you’re willing to pay me,” said Archer. “Or at least buy me something to eat. It’s been a hard week.”

  “For more people than just you,” said the woman. She reached a white gloved hand out toward him. “Ada Masters. I’m the captain of the Metal Knights, under General Marcus and Overseer Tensmoth.”

  Archer stared at her. Coming from anyone else, he wouldn’t have believed it. He recognized her now, having seen her on the television in the public dining hall a few times before, when they gave out free meals on holidays and during special events. Between what he remembered of her face, and what he could see of her outfit, he knew that this was definitely her. Still, he hesitated.

  “What do you want?” he asked, not taking her hand.

  “You’re Archer Clark,” she said. “I’m sure you can at least take a guess at why I’m here.”

  Archer shook his head slowly.

  “I could guess,” he said. “But I don’t have to. If you’ll excuse me, I was looking forward to taking a rest. It’s been a long day.”

  He took a step forward, trying to get by her and into his shack. There wasn’t much inside. A stained, secondhand mattress. A currently empty lockbox that he kept his food and open coins in. A few books, all of them worn and torn and missing pages from hundreds of read-throughs.

  Ada grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed hard enough for it to hurt. She stepped in close, bringing her face within inches of his.

  “I could have gone about this in a dozen different ways, most of which would have been far more unpleasant for you than this friendly visit.” She smiled at him, the expression cold on her face. “You will hear what I have to say, Archer.”

  Archer resisted the urge to yank his arm back from her, instead looking up the street, toward where the vagrants had been. All of them were watching and waiting. A fight in the outer city usually ended in someone getting killed, or at least stabbed. Which was an opportunity for anyone looking to make a quick buck, either from looting the body, or stealing the corpse. Organs were good money. Even flesh and muscle could be sold to the right buyer, unscrupulous street merchants who didn’t ask questions as long as the raw meat looked fresh.

  “Start talking, then,” said Archer. “But don’t expect me to agree to anything. I don’t have much, but that doesn’t mean I’ll take your pity.”

  “Pity?” Ada let out a small, mocking laugh. “Do you really think I would come this deep into the coal district just to pity you, Archer? No… I’m here for another reason.”

  Archer waited, knowing that there was no point in objecting any further.

  “Your brother is gone,” she said. “He was sent out last week on a solo mission. We found his armor skin, but he wasn’t in it.”

  Archer blinked, feeling an odd mix of emotions. After everything he’d been through with Trevor, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would rejoice in his brother’s eventual downfall. Instead, he thought of his mother, of how Trevor had been the one she’d remembered. He thought of having to tell her that he was dead, and how painful it would be for the both of them, even with her memory limited as it was.

  “You didn’t find him?” asked Archer. “So there is still a chance that he could be…?”

  Alive?

  He couldn’t say the last word, and hated himself for it. Trevor had been a bastard. Archer had spent so much time hating him, for so many years. It wasn’t fair for Archer to feel remorse over the person that had ruined his life and slandered his name.

  “He’s dead, Archer,” said Ada. “And the Armor Skin we recovered is useless without him. Each one is bioengineered to its wearer, made to fit them on a genetic and neurological level.”

  Archer shook his head slowly, hating the fact that he was in shock over her revelation.

  “So you came to me, so I could… replace him?”

  Ada nodded generously, as though amused by how long it had taken him to make the connection.

  “It’s the mother of all long shots,” she said. “We’ve never ha
d this problem before. Every other Metal Knight that’s died in service went down with their Armor Skin. This could very likely be a waste of my time and yours, to be completely honest with you.”

  Archer stared at her.

  “I’m not my brother,” he said. “I’m not anything like him. I’m just… a smog.”

  I sound so pathetic. But it’s the truth. What could she expect of me, even if I could use the Armor Skin?

  “Do you think that this is all you’ll ever be?” asked Ada. “No room, whatsoever, for you to grow into anyone else?”

  Archer didn’t say anything.

  “I did some research on your recent activities,” continued Ada. “You were applying to join the Watchers.”

  “That’s different,” said Archer.

  “Why? Too much pressure for you to know that you’d actually be able to make a difference as a Metal Knight? You’d rather serve as an expendable, undertrained police officer?”

  Archer didn’t say anything.

  “Look, I’m not asking you to commit to anything right now,” said Ada. “But if you don’t come with me, this opportunity will vanish overnight. You’re going to have to trust me a little if you want to keep your chance open.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “We don’t have time for this,” said Ada. “Either come with me, or stay here.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Archer walked beside Ada as they passed through the outer city. It was pitch black, with the only light coming from slits through windows and the occasional barrel fire. Archer’s familiarity with the city caused him to be wary of their surroundings. He knew that the shadows hid real danger, muggers and criminals who operated primarily at night.

  Ada moved through the dark streets like a predator. She didn’t slow her stride or cross the street, even when they encountered gangs of hungry young men. She acted as though she was a predator, the one that would ultimately decide whether those she encountered lived and died. Archer couldn’t decide if it was delusional or terrifying.

  She marched straight to the inner wall, the First Wall, and then Ada led Archer along it until they came to the heavily fortified gate leading into the inner city. This was the citizen’s district. It was one of the most heavily guarded areas in all of Tempus.

  A battalion of Watchers stood at attention. Some were positioned at ground level, and others far above on top of the wall. There were crow’s nests as well, atop nearby buildings. Some were highly visible, and others Archer knew, were more covertly hidden, to keep the smogs in check.

  The two Watchers standing ceremoniously on either side of the gate stared forward impassively, their grey long coats left open to showcase the firearms they carried underneath.

  “Captain Masters!” said the nearest Watcher, saluting smartly.

  “Let me through,” said Ada.

  The Watchers didn’t say anything else, instead immediately moving to the controls for the gate. It was basically just a thick sheet of iron, with no holes for visibility, separating two worlds. The gate slowly rose as motors shifted in the mechanism, grinding up to create a passage through.

  Ada nodded to the men and walked through, Archer following a step behind her. The gate began closing as soon as they were on the other side. It was almost too much for him to take in, and he felt like he needed a minute or two just to process it all.

  “Have you ever been to the citizen’s district before, Archer?” asked Ada.

  She started walking down the clean, paved street as though the sight of it did nothing for her. Electric lights hung from tall posts on either side of the street. The buildings were made of concrete, or sometimes wood, which was so rare in Tempus that even ancient wood slats went for a premium. There was a gathering square ahead of them where a line of people stood queued outside a building beneath a neon sign. Loud synthetic music spilled out from within.

  “Yes,” said Archer. “I have.”

  He’d been ten during his last and only other visit into the inner city. His father had still been alive, and his mother had still been herself. He and Trevor had both been brought past the First Wall for testing. It wasn’t until later that he’d realized that the testing was to potentially vet them for the pool of candidates that would eventually go on to become Metal Knights.

  His father had been the one that’d brought them both through the gate. He’d told them ahead of time that if they saw a chance to run, they should take it. It was better to be an illegal immigrant in the citizen’s district than a poor smog in the coal district. Unfortunately, they’d been under armed guard from the moment they stepped inside the wall.

  “Oh.” said Ada, as though realizing something. “That’s right. I almost forgot about that. I was there, you know. At your testing.”

  Archer frowned and looked away from her. He didn’t trust her. He thought that she’d been straightforward with him about her intentions, but years spent in the coal district caused him to question everyone’s motives.

  She wants something from me. That’s just how the world works.

  She turned left, leading them down a small side street and stopping at the edge of it. She pulled out of her pocket that looked a bit like the device the Watcher recruiter had used to control his TV. A minute or so passed by, and then Archer heard the sound of metal against metal.

  “We’ll take a rail car,” said Ada. “Makes it easier it far easier to get to where we need to be.”

  A huge, rectangular vehicle lumbered into view from around the corner. Archer had only ever seen them a couple of times before, and never up close. It was connected to the rails, and moved without any apparent outside assistance. He took a few cautious steps back as it slid to a stop in front of them.

  “This one is a private car,” she said. “Most citizens don’t have access to them. You’re getting the full experience tonight, kid.”

  She climbed into the car. Archer hesitated for a moment before following after her. Ada tapped more buttons on the device, and then they started forward.

  The rail car was lined with seats on either side. Archer sat down in one, feeling cold, clean vinyl underneath him. He was expecting Ada to take her own seat, but there was room for two people, and she chose the spot next to him. Archer stared straight ahead, feeling Ada’s eyes on him and doing his best ignore her interest.

  “I wish I had more time to prepare you,” she said, with a sigh. “A shower and some fresh clothes would go a long way toward getting us where we need to be.”

  “Thanks,” said Archer, dryly.

  “I’m being serious,” she said. “I’m taking you to meet with the Overseer, Archer. You do realize what that means.”

  “I’m poor,” said Archer. “Not stupid.”

  Ada’s mouth turned up into a small half smile. She nodded.

  “He’s a recyclist,” said Ada. “Along with the rest of his government. He’s not an ideologue when it comes to the philosophy, but he does hold to it when it comes to major decisions.”

  Archer chewed his lip, thinking carefully about what that meant.

  Since the start of the stagnation, there had only been two serious political parties, the expansionists and the recyclists. The expansionists wanted to push outward, and had managed to a few times while they were in power, setting up settlements and mining operations in the wasteland. The recyclists believed in sticking to what worked, reusing what they could, and trying to exist under the radar of the Rogue AI and its fabricants.

  If I choose to do this, my life will exist only to fight against the Rogue.

  Archer thought back to what he’d been told about the history of the Rogue AI. Part of him took it for granted as another part of life, like the climate, or the elements, but of course, that wasn’t true. It hadn’t always existed, though it was almost impossible to picture.

  The world had been different once, prosperous, full of nation states that were constantly rubbing up against each other. Two of them, the United States and the People’s Republic
of China, had been locked in a war of influence over a tiny island off China’s coast called Taiwan.

  The Rogue AI, originally called the Strong AI, had been built on Taiwan with the help of the United States to serve as a deterrent against the PRC. China had invaded anyway, and just like that, the balance of power had shifted out of humanity’s hands as the Rogue AI took control of almost all of the 21st century technology in the country.

  There had been a stasis for a while, until the United States and its allies finally decided to attack. The Rogue AI had launched tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, destroying most of the world over night. The fabricants, hulking mechanical monsters, hunted down those who were lucky, or unlucky enough to have survived.

  Ten cities, picked seemingly at random in pairs of two, had been spared destruction. The people who lived in the cities had taken to calling them “havens” in the aftermath, but “zoo” or “preserve” would have been just as appropriate. The fabricants did not encroach into the havens, but anyone traveling through the wasteland outside, or trying to build too far from the city limits, was eliminated by bands of the roaming mechanical monsters.

  “If nothing else, just remember two things,” said Ada. “Either be honest, or stay silent. Don’t try to lie to the Overseer.”

  Archer turned to look at her, watching her more closely than he had up to that point.

  “What’s in this for you?” he asked. “You’re acting like you’re doing me this huge favor…”

  “I’m the captain of the Metal Knights,” said Ada. “And I knew your brother.”

  She said the words as though they explained everything. Archer frowned, wondering at her meaning. He turned and looked out the window again, watching as they approached the tower district.

  The center of Tempus was a relic from a previous century. The massive towers, “skyscrapers”, as he’d been told they’d once been called, rose up toward the heavens, higher even then the outer wall of the city. Only the richest of the elites could afford to live and work in them. They were status symbols, but the people who took advantage of them were rich enough to make it superfluous on top of the power they already held.