by J. Stone
The day was waning quickly, but Alice was determined to find this man before it was out. She had a name. What she needed now was the census data to locate him. When tracking a target, the practice was standard fare, and this would be no different. Alice left the center and walked the short distance over to the Sovereign Tower.
Along the way, she found that the streets were looking quite different than what she had been used to before her death. In the days of the Sweeper Bot Plague, it was all too common to see someone begging in the streets for coin. There was no one like that on her journey to the tower. The streets themselves actually seemed to have gotten cleaner, as well. She might have been willing to admit that Viola had been able to accomplish some good things within the city, if not for her realization that the empire was not going to have the source of income it did before. Also absent from the walkways were the vendors calling out whatever serum or tonics they had available. Had the people lost their respect for the power of science and advancement? Of god’s gift, and their struggle to become closer to him? There was no forgiveness for that, in Alice’s mind. Faith must be placed in both god and the science that he gave the people.
Disgruntled from the scene outside, Alice entered the Sovereign Tower. She took an elevator up to the records floor, one she visited frequently. There, she found a copy of the most recent census, and combed through the list of alphabetically sorted names. Arriving at the E’s, she was gratified when she found Cullen’s name. Only one Cullen Eckhart matched Viola’s age. The census listed nearly every detail about the man.
Thankfully, he still lived in the city, but he was a corpsman. That could’ve been bad news, indeed. Great numbers of corpsmen had died as a result of the Battle for Pendulum Falls as well as from the Carrier Plague. She would be incredibly lucky, if he’d managed to survive both incidents. The last census had been conducted prior to the chaos of the past several months, so she would have to travel to his home to find out for certain.
Leaving the records room and taking the elevator back down, Alice began to feel like she had been racing all over town since her rebirth. She felt like she did in the old days, before she had been assigned to track the heretic and everything had changed. Cullen lived a fair distance away, not something she was eager to traverse on foot, so it would be necessary to take the train there. Given her recent encounter with a train and her general disdain for all things mechanical, this was not something she greatly looked forward to, but if her mission required it, she would tolerate the vehicle.
When she arrived at the station, there were no trains being boarded, so she sat and waited at a bench near the tracks. Waiting gave her time to consider what she should do, once she was to acquire this man. She couldn’t simply tell him who he was or what he meant to the empire. Simultaneously, Alice had to do something with him. If Viola were to discover she had a brother, there would be no telling what she would try to do.
Sitting on the bench, she began to fidget, being rather impatient to find Cullen, but if nothing else, the train schedule was quite reliable. Checking the large clock attached to a nearby lamppost, Alice knew that it would only be a few more minutes before one of the citywide trains stopped for boarding. Given the lack of activity, she had time to realize that it had been too long since she had self-administered the Hart Serum, and whether real or phantom, she felt her body beginning to once again tear itself apart.
Removing a vial and the needle from the belt strapped around her midsection, Alice began to prepare another dose. She had begun to look forward to each injection, but with Crowley gone, she wasn’t sure where she would turn when her supply ran out. One problem at a time, she told herself. As the needle pressed into her skin and the liquid entered her veins, her eyes flittered with the slightest amount of pleasure. She felt better to have the serum inside her once again. The engine car arrived with a bellowing whistle just as she was putting away the needle and storing the empty vial back in the belt’s loop.
Standing from the bench, Alice stepped up on the small set of stairs leading into the passenger car and boarded. Examining a map of the car’s path, she determined that it would be two more stops before she arrived at the destination closest to Cullen’s home. The time would be late when she got there, but presumably that would mean he was home from whatever post the corps had him on. She didn’t relish the idea of having to track him down through official corps channels, as that always turned into a bureaucratic nightmare - one she wished to avoid, especially given she had no official reason to be tracking the corpsman down in the first place.
The train ride went by quickly enough, and though it brought back memories of her demise, she was able to push such things from her mind. Faster than she had expected, the train made its second stop near Cullen’s home, and Alice disembarked from the car. Those particular streets were not exactly known for being safe, but that was not a concern for someone of her skills. The way she carried herself seemed to ward off any potential trouble. Either that or her deathly appearance was disconcerting to any would be attackers.
Recalling the building number on Cullen’s census, Alice matched it up to a reasonably well maintained structure on the corner of a crossroads. Both the foot and road traffic were almost non-existent, as she crossed diagonally to the stoop. The glass door that barred entry to the building was rather moot, as it had been shattered some time ago. No shards rested on the floor beneath its frame. Though she felt rather silly doing so, she did swing open the door rather than simply stepping over the frame and through the window.
Cullen’s apartment was on the twelfth floor. Curious as to the effectiveness of her latest dose of the serum, Alice decided to sprint up the steps, taking two or three at a time. She was not winded in the slightest when she arrived at her destination. The serum was still proving quite effective. Entering the hallway, Alice’s eyes inspected each door number looking for her target’s address. Nearing the end of the hall, she found the number indicated on the census. The door was nothing special. No personal effects outside the home, nothing to indicate anyone even lived there really.
Ready to meet the man she hoped capable and worthy of replacing Viola, Alice knocked at the door and waited for a response. She could hear footsteps inside, as her anticipation built. Would he be the man she needed? Would this have been a fool’s errand? The door swung open and Alice found herself immediately pleased with the results.
Cullen was what she would have described as devilishly handsome, but he wasn’t simply a pretty face. He looked hardened by his job despite his young age. He had a rugged face with a thick growth of stubble over a strong, cleft chin. His hair was fairly long for a corpsman. They usually were forced to shave their head nearly completely, but his light brown hair was shaggy and fell over his ears. His eyes were a deep brown and looked to Alice as somehow both tough and kind. Out of his uniform, Cullen was dressed in an old gray, button up shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He neglected to have tucked the shirt into his black slacks, and he wore no shoes over his gray wool socks.
“Yes?” the man asked.
“Cullen Eckhart?” she confirmed.
“I am,” he answered.
“I’m here in regards to Dr. Hale,” Alice said.
“Ezra?” he asked. “Is he alright?”
“What was your relationship with Dr. Hale?” she pressed.
“He raised me,” he replied. “Tell me, is he alright?”
“The doctor is fine. I’m going to need you to come with me,” she explained.
“Where?” he asked. “Why? What’s this about.”
Take him to the Anointed Temple. The voice in her head suggested. The temple had recently been disinfected and renovated after the damage that Hazel had done while under Fiona’s control. Maybe it would be a good place to hide Cullen.
“The Anointed Temple,” Alice said. Raising the back of her fist to show him what she was, she continued, “You’re an integral part of an ongoing investigation. I’m afraid I can’t tel
l you more just yet.”
“Why?” Cullen asked. “What’s happening?”
“It will have to wait, corpsman,” she replied.
“Well, I’m sure you have your reasons,” he said after a brief pause. “I suppose I’ll just have to respect your rank and hope you fill in the details soon.”
Alice nodded in agreement. “Very good, corpsman. Gather your things. How soon can you be ready to go?”
“If it’s urgent, I suppose I’m ready now,” he informed her.
“Then we should move,” she said, backing up.
He grabbed his coat next to the door, slipped his shoes on, and obediently followed her, shutting the door and locking it with keys he retrieved from his pocket. She guided him back to the train station in the dusk, as the electrically powered bulbs of the street lights kicked on. Alice could tell that Cullen had more questions to ask but that he was holding them in check. His discipline was a trait that she appreciated. In the brief amount of time Alice had known him, Cullen had exhibited more respect than Viola had in all the years she’d been observing her. Perhaps things were looking up. When they arrived at the station and sat at a bench, awaiting the next train car, the operative decided to throw him a bone.
“You said Dr. Hale raised you. Does that mean you know he is not your birth father?” she asked.
“He told me that I was adopted, yes,” Cullen replied. “What does he have to do with this?”
“In truth, I suppose he doesn’t,” she informed him. “He’s simply the way in which I found you. Did he ever tell you of your true parentage?”
“Ezra always said that there were no records,” the corpsman answered.
“That’s probably true,” she said. “Your birth parents were of some significance, but we should wait until we are not exposed to discuss it further.”
When the train arrived, Cullen was still obviously mulling over the details, which Alice had provided. Boarding, she could tell by the expressions on his face that he was quite intelligent. She had a very good track record when it came to judging an individual’s worth and quality at face value. Despite his age, Cullen had risen quite quickly in the corps’ ranks. That could have had something to do with Ezra’s influence or just something in the genes. Despite her rebellious nature, Viola too was noticeably clever. The scientist must have done something well in his cloning process.
Cullen didn’t speak during the whole train ride, all the way up to the stop closest to the recently reopened Anointed Temple. As the car came to a stop, the corpsman followed Alice off the train. She was eager, knowing that it would only be a few minutes until they arrived at the temple. She knew that whatever troubles they had, she would be accepted there. They would offer her sanctuary.
In the distance, she could see the very top of the temple peaking over the other buildings. As it came into view, her heart filled with warmth. The sight was one that brought back fond memories. Seeing that it still stood despite all that had befallen the empire of late filled her with resolve. Though it had been tainted during the Carrier Plague outbreak, the horrors that Fiona had wrought inside its sacred walls were now cleansed. Pushing through its intricately chiseled doorways, Alice was immediately greeted by an impossible sight. There stood the supposedly late Councilor Desmond Crowley. Unharmed. Alive.
“Hello, Alice,” Crowley said.
“Councilor? I… I thought you were… dead?” she asked.
“Not just yet,” he replied.
“But… how, sir?” Alice inquired. “How did you survive?”
“Viola may have released the teleporting woman, Weaver, but she was smart enough to keep the other one caged,” he said.
“You mean Gretchen Reynolds?” Alice asked.
“Correct,” Crowley answered. “She was capable of projecting illusions into others’ minds. While I still had her available to me as a test subject, I was able to isolate the chemical that gave her this power and synthesize a sample for my own uses.”
“You made everyone think that you had died?” she asked, beginning to understand.
“Indeed,” he said. “I still had work to do.”
“Work? Why are you here, sir?” she asked. “It can’t be a coincidence that I found you here.”
“You are correct. God told me I would find you here,” he answered.
“He speaks to you as well?” Alice asked.
“God speaks to those willing to listen,” Crowley replied. “He’s told me of what you’ve accomplished. Thanks to you, we now know the truth about Viola’s relationship with the Chromework Confederacy. And then there is the other matter.” Looking to the corpsman at her side, Crowley continued, “This must be him. Eckhart.”
“Sir,” Cullen said. “Your operative has not yet told me what I’m doing here. Can you inform me?”
“I will, but first there is one more thing we need to take care of,” Crowley began. He looked back to Alice. “I’m sure you will enjoy this one, Operative Page.”
“What is it, sir?” she asked, her interest piqued.
“Erynn Clover and Pearl Hicks,” he replied. “My contacts inside the tower say that they have assisted the empress in some way. They met with her privately. I don’t have to tell you how unorthodox something like that is. God has tasked you with finding out what their connection is to her, and then neutralizing them.”
A smile crept across Alice’s face. “It would be my absolute pleasure, sir.”
Chapter 29. Viola’s Inspection
At her suggestion, the Cultwick Council had put together a special workforce. They had been told that it would be to give the unemployed of the city a means of earning a wage, and while this was certainly true, it had not been the only goal Viola had in mind. She had put them to work on a project of her and Kyra’s design. Their finished product would be a sorcerous portal to another world.
The injury that Viola sustained when she purged the empire of Fiona’s infectious strain was growing beyond Kyra’s healing. They both knew that the day would come, but there were simply no good solutions. There was only one thing that might be able to save Viola’s life - a deal. Others throughout history had turned to this source for aid in some way, and there were many accounts of success in their endeavors, but they usually came with harsh conditions.
It was not easy to communicate with beings from the other side, however. In days past, there were many powerful spells and rituals that could make such things a trivial matter, but with the advancement of science and the decline of magic, it had become more difficult to make contact. Since the injury, Viola had been using the might and reach of her empire to collect materials that she would need. She’d been sowing the seeds that would lead to this eventual accomplishment.
While she put the oblivious workforce to use, there was one other item she would need. To open the portal and maintain it, Viola would need a power source, something of nearly infinite energy, the likes of which were unheard of by Cultwick standards. Hekta, on the other hand, could prove to generate such an item. Neither Viola nor Kyra nor any of the magically inclined associates that she had employed were capable of this feat.
Kyra’s gift had always been foresight, and using this ability, Viola had her handmaiden look for an individual capable of providing her with a magical item of nearly infinite sustenance. One such person made themselves known to Kyra - Pearl Hicks. Viola’s heart nearly broke to realize that she must once again manipulate Erynn Clover and her friends’ lives, but she would not allow this fatal injury to simply return the empire to its former path. Viola would make the required sacrifices to ensure she lived on and could protect her citizens.
Erynn had been quite astute in their last conversation. There truly was no mere coincidence that she had given her the fusion chamber and Pearl the book. Viola needed the events to unfold in the way that they had. She did not enjoy having to lie to the pair of women, but it had turned out for the best. Neither had been harmed, and she had what she needed to open the portal.
&nbs
p; Charlie Black was one of the five members of Viola’s royal guard. The empress herself handpicked all five of the members. Each had come from a different background, and each was among the few capable of harnessing the power of hekta. Though born within the borders of the Cultwick Empire, Charlie was from a family of Ankalaran descent. She’d spent her time learning about chromesmithing devices and honing her skills as a pickpocket. The skill was one that Viola had recently put to use.
Under the empress’ orders, Charlie had stolen the bracelet that Pearl imbued with such raw power. Her mother, Viola told herself, would have simply tortured and killed to get what she wanted. She had taken the kinder approach. They would never have to know, and now that it was done, they could return to their lives unharmed.
Among the other members of Viola’s guard were Fynn and Conrad Dakari. The dark skinned brothers hailed from Targeaux, where a powerful Vaseevist priestess taught them hekta. Each of the brothers had a complementary focus. One was proficient in defensive-based rituals, while the other was fiercely aggressive in his spell work. They made for a perfect combination, and with them at her side, Viola had nothing to fear.
Another component to her personal protection was Dante Irving. The man himself was something of a mystery, and though she placed her life in his hands, she wasn’t entirely sure that she could trust him. Constantly garbed in outlandish bone armor, she found him to be incredibly visually imposing. His complexion identified him as a native-born Cultwickan, but she felt there was more to him than met the eye. She had met him in her youth, when he had sworn an oath of servitude to her. He had always seemed to take that oath seriously, but Viola worried that there was more to him than he let on. That he knew more than he said. Had seen more than he spoke. Was older than he looked.
