“Sunlight,” Micah cried. “We’re near the surface!”
“No,” said River. “Look at the rocks. They’re glowing, just like the eel we saw earlier.”
“They weren’t glowing before.”
“The moss must be reacting to our presence,” she said. “Perhaps it senses our movement.”
Vann burst out laughing. “Plants that can sense our movement?” he said. “Next, you’ll try to convince us they sing lullabies, like Thane here.”
River ignored the cook and stared at the glowing walls of the tunnel. The greenish light became brighter and more intense. It seemed to pulse, almost as if the cave itself had some sort of rhythmic heartbeat. This, she decided, must be the moss reacting to the movement and sound of the train. She wondered what would happen if she touched it. Would the moss glow even brighter? Then again, if the stuff contained starfall, that might not be wise. Starfall had a tendency to cause sickness and mutations.
The train broke into a steep climb so suddenly that half the people in the room fell out of their chairs. River latched onto the brass railing that ran the length of the counter and held on tight with both hands. Pirate leapt onto her shoulders, clinging desperately to her throat. Dishes and glasses crashed to the floor. Chairs and tables went sliding toward the back of the car. Of all the crew, only the Tal’mar easily adjusted to the sudden change. They shifted their balance instinctively as the chaos broke out around them.
A moment later, the railcar broke through the surface of the water with a great wallop. The Horse immediately leveled off, and River heard the squeal of the train’s brakes. Water poured down over the windows, blocking their view of the cavern outside, but the eerie green glow persisted.
As soon as the Horse came to a full stop, the passengers went racing for the exits. They gathered in a tight group outside the dining car. The Iron Horse had landed on a flat plane at the southern edge of a large cave. The entire place was aglow with the strange phosphorescent light. The stone floor was smooth and black, layered like molten iron that had been poured into a large puddle. The air was cold, dense with humidity and scented with a strange earthy sweetness. The railroad tracks continued eastward along the smooth, polished stone until they dived back down into the water at the far end of the cave.
“Is this what I think it is?” Micah said. River glanced at him and realized the halfling had moved forward, to the north end of the cave. She hurried to join him with Pirate following on her heels. The rest of the crew quickly followed.
“I don’t believe it,” River said breathlessly as she came to Micah’s side. Shayla gasped.
The crew of the Iron Horse stood in mute silence, staring out across a dimly lit expanse. They were looking down over the ruins of a massive city. A thousand buildings spread out before them: cottages, inns, taverns and bakeries… Some of the structures were dilapidated or destroyed, but many remained fully intact. The buildings were of brick and stone, supported by heavy timbers, their steep-pitched roofs thrusting up into the darkness. Here and there, stalagmites crawled up the walls and rose like obelisks from the narrow streets.
Miles of cobbled roads wove back and forth through the ruins, forming an erratic gridwork that failed to bring any sort of order to the scene. The city stretched into the distance, farther than the light could reach, but River noticed portions of buildings thrusting out of the limestone halfway up the cavern’s walls, as if they had been frozen in time, encased in solid stone. The sight was surreal. The city looked alive, as if the entire populace had suddenly vanished only moments before. The image of all those narrow streets and tall, silent structures sitting cold and abandoned sent an eerie chill down River’s spine.
“How is this possible?” said Shayla. “Who could build a city down here?”
“No one,” Socrates said in a booming voice. They all turned to stare as their mechanical leader emerged from the locomotive and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. “If I am not mistaken, I believe these are the ruins of that ancient city -the one that, according to legends, sank into the ocean.”
“Then the legends were true,” Micah said, his voice nearly a whisper. “The Forgotten City… My sketchbook!”
River smiled as the halfling dashed back into the train. Socrates came to her side and they stood looking out over the fantastic scene.
“This is unbelievable,” River murmured. “Some of these buildings are still complete. And look there, up on the wall. Those homes are built right into the walls of the cavern. And rope bridges too, though I can’t see where they lead.”
“Perhaps there were survivors who continued to build after the cataclysm,” said one of the Tal’mar, a man named Loren. He had close-cropped silver hair, deep amber eyes, and a few wrinkles that belied his age. The Tal’mar were well known for their long lives and youthful appearance. Tal’mar children mature quickly at first, in the way that a puppy or kitten does, but during adolescence, the aging process slows to a crawl. River guessed Loren was probably around one hundred and fifty years old. This was considered middle-aged for his race.
“There are many solid structures,” Socrates agreed. “If nothing else, the Forgotten were talented architects. Stone and brick masonry, heavy timbers… many of these buildings survived the cataclysm relatively intact. The streets as well. I suspect that somehow, the land this city was built upon fell quite suddenly, even as the rest of the islands rose up out of the sea.
“Nonetheless, these structures may not be safe. I don’t want anyone wandering off alone. We will organize a group of volunteers to search the ruins for fuel and supplies. River, may I charge you with this task?”
River’s eyes lit up. “I thought you’d never ask!”
“Excellent. Look for starfall, first and foremost. If we can’t find a pure supply, I will attempt to distill a small amount from the water. Other high-energy fuels may be of use: coal, oil, kerosene, and so on.”
“I understand.”
“In the meanwhile, I will repair the communications pipe on the locomotive. With any luck, the second half of our journey should be more pleasant.”
“What if we don’t find any fuel?” said Vann. “What then?”
Socrates looked him up and down. “We will do what we must.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” the cook said impatiently. “Don’t tell me we’re going to be trapped in here.”
“If you are so concerned, then make sure it is not so. I am certain River could use your assistance. If not, I can find work for you.”
Vann wandered off shaking his head. Socrates turned to face the rest of the crew. “You all know your jobs,” he said. “Let’s work together and make the best of this situation.”
They returned to the train, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. River found herself alone with Socrates. He glanced at her sideways.
“I seem to remember having one more crew member when we arrived at Port Haven. Has something happened to Kale?”
River winced at the sound of her friend’s name. In her mind’s eye, she saw the warrior bouncing along the rails, eyes wide, face and hands bleeding, his clothing torn to shreds. She bit her lower lip.
“He missed the train,” she said. “I don’t suppose there’s any way we can go back for him? If we get out of here, I mean?”
Socrates raised an eyebrow, an expression that seemed oddly human on his simian features. “River, are you honestly asking me that question?”
She sighed. “I suppose not. I mean, I know that we can’t take the train back. If we do get out of here and back on dry land, that is. But maybe we could hire a boat and go back for him? I know that Kale is irresponsible and stupid, and if he overslept and got left behind, it’s his own fault. And you have your responsibility to our quest, and to the crew… but he’s still my friend. If we leave him behind, I might never see him again.”
“I doubt that. I have a feeling that Kale is far more industrious than you give him credit for.”
“Then we’re just
going to go on without him?”
“I didn’t say that. Our immediate concern -as you said- is with our mission and the safety of our crew. First, we must get out of this cave alive. If we make it to shore, we can stop there and take stock of the situation.”
“I understand,” River said. “Thank you.”
Socrates let out a low, humanlike sigh. “I see now that I have failed you. We shouldn’t have come this way. I have led you all astray, and put your lives in grave danger. Before this is over, we may all come to wish we had been left behind with Kale.” He glanced at the train. “I’m sure some of us already do.”
River stared at Socrates, searching for the words to ease his worries, but found none. The truth was that they were lucky to have made it this far, and everyone knew it. Unless they could find some sort of fuel in that city, the Iron Horse’s journey might be ended permanently.
Socrates wandered off to one of the distant railcars and climbed inside. River wasted no time pulling together a group of volunteers. She chose three Tal’mar men, including the silver-haired Loren. Vann also volunteered, as did Thane and of course, Micah, who insisted on bringing along his satchel of sketchpads and pencils.
From her bunkroom, River collected the spring-powered revolver that she had inherited from her mother. As she checked the cylinder to see that it was properly oiled and wound, she couldn’t help thinking of their brief meeting months earlier. River’s mother, Breeze, had been a pilot when the Vangar warriors invaded their homeland. The Vangars were tall, vicious warriors with a fleet of airships armed with cannons and flamethrowers. They had conquered Astatia within a matter of hours. They had come seeking a new fuel to replace their dwindling supplies of crude oil, and this they found in Astatia’s Blackrock Steel, a prized ore naturally infused with the energy of starfall.
Shortly after River’s birth, Breeze had flown north into the Wastelands in search of the lost city of Sanctuary. She was hoping to find some technology there that might help her people win the war against the Vangars. Unfortunately, her plane crashed and it was assumed that Breeze had died. Little did they know that River’s mother actually had found Sanctuary, and that she would be waiting there years later when River arrived with her small band of rebels.
Their meeting however, had been bittersweet. River, a grown woman now, had never truly known her mother. Now that they had found each other, it would have been right to spend time together, rebuilding their relationship. Instead, they had been drawn separate ways. The Vangars had to be driven from Astatia, and during this process, Breeze was chosen to be a judge in their new legal system. And River… well, River had chosen to follow Socrates into the wild unknown in search of more starfall. She felt a responsibility to do this for her people, and especially for her mother, but something else drove her on as well. Something River didn’t quite understand yet. All she knew was that when she looked to the horizon, River felt something distant and unknown, something unknowable beckoning her to keep searching. One day perhaps, she would understand what that was.
Armed with her revolver, River returned to the cavern. The Tal’mar warriors arrived armed with bows and short swords, and Vann had chosen a pair of cleavers as his weapons. The others gave the chef some ribbing on this account, but Vann simply smiled. River didn’t say anything. She had seen Vann using those cleavers in the kitchen, and she had no doubt the man could apply them to deadly ends.
When they were ready, River handed a lantern to Thane, whose only weapon was a sling, and kept one for herself. For the moment, they didn’t even need the light, but she thought it best to have them handy just in case. They proceeded cautiously down the smooth, damp stone with Pirate scurrying along at River’s feet like a pet dog.
At the base of the hill, they came to the ruins of a tall stone building with crumbling walls. The ground leveled out as they circled round the building, and they discovered a cobblestone street lined by tall, multistoried buildings. Those on the left side of the street had sustained heavy damage in the collapse, but those on the opposite side of the street appeared to be fully intact. Even the stone-paved sidewalks remained. A row of brass streetlights lined the walkway, so perfectly straight that River half expected the lamps to come to life as they approached.
“Bizarre,” said Thane. “It’s almost as if the gods chose to save one side of the street and condemn the other.”
“There are no gods,” said Loren. “Only our ancestors, who watch over us in spirit.”
Vann raised an eyebrow. “Ancestors, eh? I guess it’s them that got us trapped in here, then. Be sure and thank them for me, will you?”
“I will if you survive,” Loren said with a grin. “Otherwise, you can thank them yourself.”
Vann snorted, and River had to grin.
“Gods or not, it’s spooky in here,” said Micah. Despite his statement, the halfling seemed less concerned with his fear than capturing the images around him. Micah had his sketchpad in one hand and a charcoal pencil in the other, and he was drawing everything in front of him just as fast as he could.
“Look, up there,” River said, pointing towards the ceiling. They followed her gaze and saw a rope bridge one hundred feet in the air. It spanned the edge of the city, appearing out of nowhere in the darkness to the east. It was connected to the ruins of a building high on the west wall. Above that, farther to the north, they saw another headed in a different direction.
“I was right,” said Loren. “Those bridges must have been built after the city collapsed. There were survivors.”
Thane turned in a slow circle. “Then where are they now?”
“They must have died out by now,” said River. “It has been two thousand years, according to the legend.”
“So where are the bodies?” said Thane. “This place is like a ghost town. It should be littered with corpses, or at least graves.”
River shook off a cold chill. “Never mind that. Let’s search these buildings. Remember what Socrates said. We need fuel. That is our first priority.”
They moved together towards the nearest solid structure. It was a tall three-story building made of brick. The front windows were dark and the wooden door hung askew in the doorframe. River tugged on it, and the rusted hinges moaned with resistance. She braced herself, trying to force it open, and the hinges gave way with a noisy screech. She lifted her lantern and stepped across the threshold into the darkened interior with Pirate at her side.
Spider webs dangled like strands of silk from the ceiling. Tables lay scattered about the room, piled high with folded garments. Shelves lined the walls. A thick layer of dust and cobwebs covered everything. River reached out to touch a coat hanging from a rack on the wall next to her, and as she grazed the material with her fingers, the decaying fabric crumbled under her light touch. The material hit the floor, throwing up a cloud of dust. Pirate sneezed, and pawed at his nose. The rest of the group filed into the building and spread out around them.
“This was a clothing store,” Thane observed in a slightly awed tone. “There is a dressing room in the back.”
“Check upstairs,” said River, nodding towards the far wall.
Vann was closest, so he proceeded up the stairs first. He tested the steps and found that the tired wooden structure creaked under his heavy frame, but appeared solid enough. He took five steps before one of the stairs gave way under his weight. He fell with a grunt and nearly gutted himself on the blade of one of his cleavers. He dropped it, and the weapon landed with a clang on the floor below.
“Devils,” Vann cursed under his breath as he struggled to free his leg. “Someone give me a hand.”
Loren laughed. He rushed to Vann’s side, caught the chef by the arm, and pulled him back onto his feet. Then he flew up the stairs three at a time and vanished into the loft. Vann hurried after him. A moment later, Loren’s face appeared out of the darkness.
“Nothing up here,” he called down. “Boxes of clothes, and some papers.”
“Let’s move on,”
River said, unable to conceal her disappointment.
The second building was similar to the first, but twice the size, both in height and breadth. It turned out to be a library or bookstore of some sort. Tall rows of shelves lined every floor, and here and there, the group found small tables and desks with cushioned chairs. Vann settled onto one of the chairs and the cushion immediately crumbled. A mass of tiny gray spiders came swarming out. The chef leapt back with a cry, knocking the chair over backwards in his panic. He frantically swiped at the arachnids while his companions enjoyed a hearty laugh at the chef’s expense.
“Har-har,” he said with a grimace. “Those things could’ve been poisonous.”
“It was very brave of you, testing them for us,” Loren said with a smirk.
“So many books,” Micah said, stepping up to one of the shelves. “What knowledge these must have contained.”
“Tragically, we’ll never know,” Thane said, crumbling one of them in his hands. “That knowledge is lost forever.”
“I’ve never seen paper pressed so thin,” Micah observed, delicately lifting a single leaf of paper between two fingers. “The technology must have been marvelous.”
“Ha! Marvelous,” Vann said with a snort. “So marvelous the dainty things rotted away without ever touching a drop of water.”
“Perhaps the people should have carved their literature on stone?” Micah snapped.
“If they had, it’d still be here,” Vann said.
“That’s enough,” said River. “Let’s keep moving.”
On they went. For the next two hours, the group worked their way through several more buildings along the street. They found very little of use, and nothing in the way of fuel. They eventually wandered into an ancient mercantile of some sort. Most of the inventory had rusted away over the centuries, but Vann found a box of quality sharpening stones, which he insisted on keeping, and River found an old tin of kerosene. Judging from the smell and the gel-like consistency of the liquid, she doubted it was any good, but she brought it just in case.
They were about to move on when a sudden crashing noise somewhere near the back of the store stopped them in their tracks. The warriors drew their weapons and moved into a tight group. River handed her lantern to Micah as she drew her revolver. Pirate flew up the shelves and perched himself on top, staring down at the others. River gestured for the Tal’mar to circle around the far aisles. As they vanished into the shadows, she stepped forward, making her way down the center aisle with Thane and Micah at her heels.
Killing the Machine (Aboard the Great Iron Horse Book 2) Page 5
