Grigory's Gadget

by E. A. Hennessy

  “Stop!” Demyan shouted, stepping out of the alley. “You would never let anyone hurt Lilia or any of us.” He walked slowly toward Zoya, lowering his gun. The soldiers moved toward him, forgetting Lilia. They stopped as Zoya raised her hand, her open palm aimed at Demyan.

  “Another rebel,” Zoya said.

  “Six years ago,” Demyan went on, still walking toward Zoya. “Lilia lost her mother after already having lost her father. The authorities were going to take her away, out of Lodninsk. They were going to send her to her aunt that we all knew was horrible.”

  “What are you talking about?” Zoya asked. Her hand was still aimed at Demyan.

  “No one ever challenged the authorities,” Demyan continued. “No one dared make a fuss. Except for you. You found the loophole in the law that would allow her to stay in Lodninsk with us.” Demyan smiled and laughed. “I remember you walked right up to a guard who was planning to take Lilia away. You recited the exception verbatim in his face. He was so mad, his face turned bright red. But the guards conceded and let Lilia stay.” Zoya's hand began to lower. Demyan was just a foot from her now, looking into her eyes.

  “Back away from her!” a soldier shouted.

  “You were so brave,” Demyan said. “That was the day I fell in love with you.”

  He moved toward Zoya, grabbing her and pulling her into a kiss. The soldiers began to rush toward him and Zoya, but stopped as Zoya raised her arms. A wide arc of energy knocked the soldiers away.

  Demyan stepped back, his eyes wide. Across his torso, red and black burns scorched his skin. He collapsed, struggling to breathe.

  “Demyan!”

  Zoya sank to her knees, reaching toward Demyan. She stopped an inch from his skin, afraid to touch him.

  “Demyan,” she said, her voice croaking. “What have I done? I'm so sorry.”

  Demyan closed his eyes and fell on to his back. Zoya let out a sob.

  “No,” Demyan said, his voice low and raspy. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was weak.”

  “No,” Zoya replied. “You were never weak. Never.”

  “Yes, I was.” Demyan opened his eyes, gazing up at Zoya through tears. “I've always been weak, but you've always been strong. Zoya, you need to—”

  Demyan's body writhed with pain, taking away his breath. He closed his eyes again, but his mouth continued to move.

  Fight, he mouthed. Fight it.

  “Zoya?”

  Zoya looked up, through a wall of tears fogging her goggles, to see Lilia sitting up. Lilia put her hands to her mouth, her own eyes swelling. “Is he…”

  Zoya looked at the ground. She dug her fingers into it; cobblestones crushed and turned to dust in her hands. With a scream, she threw an arc of energy toward a nearby building, and another into the sky. Then she turned back to Lilia.

  “Run,” she said through gritted teeth. Lilia didn't move.

  Zoya stood, her eyes fixed on her friend. Then she screamed.

  “Run!”

  “This is it,” Nikolai told Anya and Alexi, pointing to a hand-drawn figure in an old notebook. The drawing depicted a long, thin dagger. The words kill switch were scribbled in the upper corner of the page.

  “That just looks like the key they used on your arm,” Anya observed. Nikolai took the key out of his pocket and held it up to the drawing.

  “You’re right,” Nikolai said. “Is it really that simple?”

  “Grigory Orlov was an inventor,” Alexi noted. “It’s possible he invented those keys in the first place.”

  “Of course,” Anya added, “we have no idea where the lock for this key is located. Is it on her foot? Her shoulder? How are we going to get close enough to figure it out?”

  “I guess we’ll just have to hope that Demyan and Lilia snapped her back to herself,” Nikolai replied. “This is the best shot we’ve got.”

  “Then let’s go,” Anya said, turning to leave. As Alexi turned to follow, Nikolai grabbed his arm.

  “Alexi,” he said softly. “I’m sorry about your aunt, and your father. You know I didn’t like either of them, but I know they were your family.”

  Alexi grasped Nikolai’s non-mechanical arm and nodded.

  “I appreciate that,” he said, “but there’s no time for sentimentality now. Let’s go save Zoya.”

  As the three of them began to exit the lab, Lilia came sprinting down the hall. She ran straight to Nikolai, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing.

  “Lilia, what happened?” he asked. Lilia shook her head, burying her face into Nikolai’s shoulder.

  “She…” Lilia sobbed. “She…he’s…”

  Lilia stepped back, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath.

  “Demyan’s gone.”

  “Gone, like disappeared?” Anya asked.

  “Gone like dead!” Lilia shrieked. She covered her face and sunk to her knees.

  Nikolai clenched his fists.

  “Who killed him?”

  Lilia remained on the floor, face still covered by her hands.

  “Zoya.”

  “So Boris was right,” Alexi said, his tone solemn. “We were too late.”

  “No,” Lilia said. “It was an accident. She didn’t want to…”

  “We can stop her,” Anya said, anger burning through the tears running down her face. “Regardless, if we were too late or not, we can stop her. We found the key.”

  Lilia stood, nodding. With a deep, shaking breath, she said, “Let’s go.”

  Zoya staggered down the streets of Mirgorod, toward the line of soldiers sent to stop her. She raised her arms, shooting clouds of energy toward them. Her arms tingled when she did, a sensation that made her blood rush faster and faster. Zoya watched as the soldiers ran away from her.

  Looking around the city that should have been her new home, Zoya was filled with rage. That rage seemed to fuel the gadget: the more anger she felt, the greater the tingling sensation in her arms felt.

  You serve the Great Nation of Vernulaia, voices commanded in her head. You are our sword of justice.

  Zoya held her head, wracked by a pounding headache.

  You are our sword of justice. You will stop any and all rebellion.

  Zoya shot a cloud of energy at a nearby building, reducing its facade to rubble. The residents of the building screamed as they fled out the back door.

  The mine collapsed, Anya's voice said. They're trapped inside. Zoya looked up, seeing Anya's specter standing in the rubble of the building. Tears streamed down her face.

  I can't do anything, Anya sobbed. I can't help them.

  “It's ok,” Zoya said, reaching out her hand. Another cloud of energy came out of it, further devastating the building.

  More soldiers rounded the corner of the street, raining bullets down on Zoya. She hardly felt the impact.

  You are our sword of justice, the soldiers seemed to chant.

  “Leave me alone!” Zoya shouted, sending out more clouds of energy.

  Nikolai's coming to live with us, Zoya heard Demyan say. We'll only be in the orphanage another year. Then we'll find our own place. Zoya looked around, searching for him.

  “Demyan?” she called. She began running through the city. The stone roads were charred in her wake.

  I'm sorry, Zoya. Zoya saw her father sitting on the stoop of a building. Viscous black fluid flowed from his forearms and thighs. I didn't want you to see me like this.

  “Daddy,” Zoya cried. “Please don’t leave me, you can’t abandon me.” Zoya's father vanished, replaced by flock of black birds.

  You are our sword of justice.

  Please, I have nothing you want. Zoya looked down an alley, spotting her mother at the end.

  Yes you do, Edmund told her, holding a sword to her throat. You know you do.

  “Mom!” Zoya shouted. She heard her mother scream in response.

  But why? A young girl with frizzy purple hair stood next to Zoya, her face streaked with tears. Why would anyone kill Mom? She never hurt anyone.
<
br />   You are our sword of justice.

  “Get out!” Zoya screamed as loudly as she could. A pulse of energy emanated from her, spreading out in every direction. The buildings surrounding her were charred and ruined.

  “She's over here!” she heard Nikolai shout. “Hurry!”

  “No more,” Zoya muttered, collapsing to the ground. “Please, no more.”

  “Zoya!” Anya shouted, running up beside her. “It's alright, we found it.”

  “I said no more,” Zoya replied, refusing to look at her friend. Sparks of light tingled at her fingertips.

  “Nikolai, hurry,” Lilia urged.

  “I don't know where the lock is,” Nikolai replied.

  Zoya stood, turning toward her friends with her hand raised. She let out a scream, intending to send out another blast of energy. But then she stopped.

  In the center of the palm of her hand, a skinny dagger protruded from her armor. The metal began to glow red hot, burning Zoya's hand.

  “What did you do?” Zoya screamed. The pain in her palm spread, turning her armor bright red. The pain spread to her neck, and her vision grew dark as Zoya lost consciousness.

  You are our sword of justice.

  Zoya's eyes opened to blackness. She could feel the room she was in rocking steadily back and forth, accompanied by the sound of creaking wood. Her body was stiff, and her skin felt tight and raw.

  Zoya tried to move her arms only to realize they were bound tightly to the bed on which she lay. Her heart began to race.

  “Hello?” Her voice croaked. She swallowed then tried again. “Hello?”

  A door opened, letting in a stream of orange light. Lilia appeared above Zoya, smiling hesitantly.

  “Zoya? It's me. It's Lilia.” She stepped back, staying several feet from Zoya and fidgeting.

  Tears welled in Zoya's eyes. “Lilia,” she said. “You're alright.”

  Lilia's smile became more confident as she inched closer to her friend. “Yes, and so are you. At least, physically. We think.” Lilia's smile faded slightly, her hands fidgeting more intensely.

  “What happened?” Zoya asked. “And why can't I move?”

  “Nikolai found the kill switch for the gadget. When he used it…We thought at first it had killed you…”

  “It feels like it almost did,” Zoya replied.

  “But it didn't, you were still breathing,” Lilia continued. “But we weren't sure if, when you woke up, you'd be yourself.”

  You are our sword of justice.

  “Am I myself? I can't tell.”

  “The doctor says it will take time,” Lilia said. “But we're here for you.”

  “Doctor?” Zoya asked.

  “Yes, we have a doctor. He was one of the refugees who decided to come with us.”

  “Refugees?” Zoya's body tensed, her arms and legs pulling at their restraints. “They attacked! They're the rebels!”

  Lilia backed away, her eyes wide. Zoya took a deep breath, trying to relax her body. She closed her eyes and breathed, sorting through her thoughts. Was the rebellion just a dream? Was the rebellion good or bad? She couldn't remember.

  “I'm sorry. It's a lot to take in. You should be resting.” Lilia moved toward the door.

  “We're on a ship,” Zoya said, her eyes darting around the small room. She could smell salt in the air. Lilia turned back toward her.

  “Yes, we are,” Lilia replied. “There's some good news for you. We've got our very own ship, now.”

  “And a new Captain.” Anya walked into the room then, standing just behind Lilia and giving Zoya the same hesitant smile. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Terrible,” Zoya replied, trying to sound humorous. “Captain?”

  “By unanimous vote,” Lilia said. “Even Igor agreed. I would have thought he'd want to be captain himself, but it turns out he's not one for giving orders.”

  “Unlike you,” Zoya said, this time managing a chuckle.

  “That's right,” Anya said with a wink.

  “So where's Nikolai and—” Zoya's voice caught in her throat as she remembered. Demyan. Tears pooled in her eyes as her breath became labored and painful.

  “What have I done?”

  “It's not your fault, Zoya,” Anya said. “You weren't in control of yourself.” Though her words seemed sincere, she didn't move any closer to Zoya.

  They're afraid of me, Zoya realized. And why shouldn't they be?

  Anya and Lilia stood in silence, their heads bowed, as Zoya cried. Tears began streaming down their faces as well.

  “She's awake?” Nikolai entered the room, rotating his mechanical arm as if stretching a sore muscle. A bespectacled man followed him, regarding everyone with a solemn expression.

  “I told you to try not to upset her once she awoke,” the man said.

  “How could she not be upset?” Anya asked. “She remembers, Doctor.”

  “Ah,” Nikolai said, staring at Zoya.

  Unlike Anya and Lilia, Nikolai strolled right up to Zoya's bedside and sat next to her. He grabbed her hand, still bound to the bed, with his mechanical one.

  “Zoya, it is not your fault,” he said, looking her straight in the eyes. “Alright? No one blames you. What the Vernulaians did to you was horrible. This is their fault.”

  “But—” Zoya said.

  “No,” Nikolai said. “No buts. Demyan was killed by the Vernulaians. End of story.”

  Nikolai untied Zoya's bonds, releasing her arms and then her legs.

  “Are you sure about this?” the doctor objected.

  Nikolai glared at him. “She's our friend,” he said. “She just lost the man she loved because she was being controlled by some tyrannical psychopaths. She doesn't need to be tied up like some monster.”

  Anya rushed to Zoya's side as she sat up. “I'm not sure if she's ready, though,” Anya said, a worried expression on her face.

  Zoya brought a hand to her forehead. When she pulled the hand away she gasped. Zoya's hand and arm were covered in metal, the only bare skin she could see was at her joints. She examined her other arm to find the same condition. Then she checked her legs, her feet, and felt around her abdomen. All covered in metal.

  “I'm still…” she said. “I thought you said you found the kill switch?”

  “We did,” Nikolai explained. “Some of the gadget armor fell off. Most of what was on your head, elbows, knees…but a lot of the metal seemed to, sort of, melt into your skin.”

  “That's why we thought it had killed you at first,” Lilia explained, sitting on the bed next to Zoya. “The metal turned bright red, yellow in some places. It was burning so hot—”

  “You appear to be stable, though,” the doctor said, staying near the doorway. “Though I'll admit, I don't have much experience with this sort of situation.”

  “So, I'm stuck with this metal,” Zoya said, still examining her arms. “Forever?”

  “Welcome to the club,” Nikolai said, flexing his mechanical arm. “Personally, I like it.”

  Zoya smiled. “I suppose I'll get used to it.”

  Lilia shifted uncomfortably next to Zoya.

  “There's one more thing we need to tell you,” she said. “We found Demyan, after…when we were fleeing the city.”

  “We took him, his body, with us,” Anya said. “We're planning to give him a proper funeral tonight.”

  Zoya nodded. “Good.”

  Zoya grunted as she stood with help from Lilia and Anya. She looked out the nearby window to see the twilight-blue of the sky and ocean.

  “How long was I unconscious, anyway?” she asked.

  “About a day,” Anya replied. She glanced out the window then back at Zoya, biting her lip. “Do you want to see something that might make you feel…” She paused, looking for the right word. “Vindicated?”

  Curious, Zoya nodded. Her friends led her into the dimly lit hallway. Easing her up the stairs, they brought her to the main deck. A large crew bustled about, manning sails and scrubbing th
e floors. Upon seeing Zoya, each member of the crew froze, their faces either blushing or blanching. Zoya cast her eyes to the floor, heat rushing to her own cheeks.

  Zoya's friends, ignoring the awkward pause of the crew, brought her to the stern. A red-orange glow illuminated the horizon. Anya pointed to it.

  “What, the fading sunset?” Zoya asked.

  “No,” Anya replied. “That way is south not west. That's Mirgorod.”

  Zoya's mouth fell open. She could feel anger bubbling up inside of her, conflicted by a wave of relief.

  “Did…did I do that?”

  “You helped start it,” Nikolai replied. “But that's between the Vernulaian government and the rebels.”

  Zoya grabbed the railing of the ship, digging her nails into the wood. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

  “More and more war. She stared at the horizon for another moment. “So, where are we going?”

  “All over,” Anya replied. “Everyone on our crew had been in the refugee camp. Some weren't really refugees and have homes to return to. So, we're bringing them home.”

  “And then what?” Zoya asked.

  “Assuming the world is still at war? We live as pirates.”

  “Pirates?” Zoya shook her head.

  “Don't sound so surprised.” Alexi chuckled, leaning on the railing of the ship. Had he been there the entire time? “You've been pirates for the better part of a month now.”

  “Not by choice,” Zoya said. “Only because of your bastard of a father and your crazy aunt.”

  “Both dead,” Alexi said, his face solemn. “We don't have to worry about their games anymore.”

  Zoya fixed her gaze on the glowing horizon. “And when the war is over?”

  “We'll find a nice place to settle down,” Anya said. “We'll do more research next time.” She smiled despite herself.

  Zoya was silent for another moment, deep in thought. “I want to see Demyan,” she said at last. Her friends nodded and led her to the captain's cabin.

  Demyan's body lay upon the desk inside, a white sheet covering all but his face. Zoya's vision blurred with tears when she saw him, her mouth twitching into a pained frown. She covered her face with her hands then jerked them away again, disgusted by the smell of copper and burned flesh.