A Machine Called Earth

Milorad’s office was a pigsty to say the least. His desks, which seemed to be more like his filing cabinet, were full with huge piles of seemingly disorganized papers and documents. He did have filing cabinets though, they were on the opposing wall, but they were empty. ‘I hope this is an organized mess, or else we’re going to be here a while.’ Hector thought to himself.

Milorad was busily rummaging through the stack of papers, which was until he stopped for a second, and let out a mighty sneeze. He quickly grabbed a loose paper and wiped his nose. He then unwrinkled the paper, and said to himself, “Whoops, I’m going to need this.” He then placed it on the top of the pile of papers for safe keeping, and to dry. The Archives were quite old, and unkempt, meaning it was quite dusty. This was the reason of Milorad’s sneezing and such.

“Ah here we go.” Milorad shouted, as he pulled out the document he was searching for. It was the borrowing records of the library wing of the archives.

“Here, ‘All Things Regarding The World And Within’.... Seems to have been borrowed.”

“Borrowed!” Hector shouted.

“Yes. Seems to be quite overdue. The borrower, is in for quite the fine, should he come to return it.”

“When was it borrowed?” Hope asked. “Are there any other copies.”

“Hmm, let me see.... Seven years ago. And no. We have but one copy of this book. It was hardly mass produced.”

“Seven years ago!” Hector shouted.

“Hector, you don’t have to repeat him, I heard.” Hope snapped.

“Yes... Hmm that works out to be... Lets see... Four hundred and sixty-eight dollars.” Milorad said, as he continued examining the page, looking through the small glasses at the end of his nose. “Ah yes, and seventy-three cents.”

“Who borrowed it then?” Hector asked.

“Let me see. It says, one Mr Shamus Kohlrick.”

“Shamus! That might be the mayor of the underwater city.” Hector said, excitedly.

“Underwater city?” Milorad said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you find him, I’d appreciate it if you send him in to pay the fine. And return the book, obviously.”

“Milorad. I think overdue books, and library fines, are the least of our concerns. If you haven’t realized, Maple-Stone is quite the ghost town. There are bigger things at hand, at the moment.” Hector said, placing his hand over Milorad’s shoulder.

“Hector, don’t be mean. Let him be.” Hope said.

“Ok ok, we just need to go to the underwater city, then find Shamus. Easy... How on earth are we going to get into that city again?” Hector said, trying to work things out. Hector began to walk across the room, running his hands through his hair. The stress was getting to him. He walked to the doorway of the office, and looked around just outside of it. “Where is Jessy?” Hector asked.

Jessy had just put on the talisman, and hopped off the chair by the desk. This talisman was quite old, and possibly important, to have found its way in the archives. But these were not the qualities that drew Jessy to it. It was shinny. Even though it was quite old.

It was now time for Jessy to leave the platform, and return to Hector and Hope. As he walked over to the stairs leading down, he decided to slide down on the railing. This would result in saving much time and effort. But it was also fun. So Jessy climbed onto the railing, as if mounting a horse, and began his swift and spiraling descent.

When Jessy reached the bottom of the staircase, he flew off the end. This was because he was going much too fast, as he wasn’t looking where he was going, as he was traveling legs first, down the brass railing. He fell onto the ground, and slid on his back on the slick marble surface. The talisman, flinging right off from around his neck, skipping and flickering on the marble floor. Although Jessy was battered from the fall, he shot up in pursuit of the trinket.

The talisman skipped and slid along the floor, until it finally lost momentum. Resting a few yards from the Eastern wing of the archives. Jessy bent over and picked up the talisman, returning it to its place around his neck. Looking up, he witnessed the long, dark corridor of the eastern wing, which had suffered a fiery fate. The walls and ceiling were all black and charred from fire and smoke. All the books and shelves which once inhabited that wing, were turned to ashes, all scattered and piled all over the place.

An eerie scene to cause even the most seasoned adventurer to turn away. But Jessy did not. Jessy stood, staring into the corridor’s shadows, and when he heard a sound, one like the thump of a fallen object, his inquisitive nature, begged him further down the corridor. There he walked, slowly and quietly down the silent, dead corridor. That was until he stopped in his tracks. For something was approaching.

It wasn’t just one thing, there were multiple beings closing in slowly towards Jessy. It was dark all around Jessy, and as he became engulfed in the darkness, something happened to his trinket. It began emitting light. It was soft, gentle, calming light. White, with an orangey-pinkish tinge. Jessy grabbed onto the talisman and clutched it in his hand. It was warm.

The humanoid figures approached still. When they came in Jessy’s view, he saw what they looked like. They were but dark shadowy figures, as dark as the blackest of night. Like when you squeeze your eyes real shut. They were formless. Their eyes were the exception. Large and golden, and seemingly glowing.

Although their presents would fill any who see them, with fear, they were not hostile. They stood, staring at Jessy. As if examining him. They were as inquisitive as Jessy. But Jessy was no exception, he was frozen with fear. Staring at them, as if witnessing a hanging. A horrible scene, but nevertheless, many flock to see it, and cannot look away.

There were four figures towering over young Jessy, eyes locked on Jessy’s, locked on theirs. That was until Hector’s thundering voice was heard. “JESSY!” Hector shouted, as he ran towards him.

The creatures ran off, swiftly into the shadows. Becoming one with the darkness. Jessy turned and ran towards Hector. “I FOUND HIM!” Hector shouted.

“Are you alright?” Hector asked Jessy, his eyes still filled with fear. But he said nothing, he just clutched Hector’s leg.

Within moments, Hope and Milorad came to their position. Milorad out of breath, and breathing heavily. “What were those things?” Hector asked.

“The shadow men?” Milorad asked. “Not sure. But they’ve been around for a while. Their harmless... as far as I know. All they seem to do is stare. Mind you, waking up in the middle of the night, seeing one of them staring at you while you sleep, is enough to keep you up until morning. Believe you me.”

“I’ve never seen one of those before.” Hector stated.

“Well, they’ve seen you. They’ve probably been watching you for a while. You know that feeling you get, when you think you being watched? But you turn around only to notice that there is nothing there. That’s one of them.” Milorad then continued. “I’ve been studying them for some time. I have left out food for them, but they eat nothing, also they make no sound. They may have human-like appearances, but they are timid like an animal. They merely watch, and that is all.”

Milorad seemed confident in his words, and since his were the first Hector heard on them, he decided to take his words as truth. However, Milorad had no words on their origin. He knew not of the control room, or of Malachi and the five. However this stenched of their work.

Hector wondered what it would be like, to be at the wheel of the control room. All those machines, levers, knobs, switches and dials. All matter of life, bent to your will. Being surrounded by the shimmering walls of the room, the energy, the electricity, in the very air itself. If there were ever a place to leave your mark on the world, there it would be. Deep underground, presumably at the core of the planet.

What would it be like, to create? To design? Hector believed this was what the five did. Whether by accident or by iron will, they created these shadow men. They gave birth to this curse. They made the worlds sins glow. And with that, setting in motion, the actions and reactions of the people, as they have been turned inside-out. Where the deepest, darkest secrets that one is burdened with, sit at the top, for all the world to see. The question is, do you run and hide? Or do you embrace what you now cannot hide?

And like the animals they were, the shadowy figures scampered off into the dark corridor of the eastern wing. They then went back to Milorad’s office. However Jessy told not of his trinket, or of its activity. He knew that he shouldn’t have taken it, yet this was something that he was greatly urged to possess. Almost as if, it had called him to take it.

“Are there any more people in the town Milorad?” Hope asked. “Or have they all been taken.”

“Not sure. I haven’t left the archives for some time. But things certainly seem quieter, as of late. It was good that you left when you did. After you were gone, they came in larger numbers. But I am worried at your returning. I hope that your presents doesn't result in any, let’s say, noise. I actually thought that you left when they first came and took people. For there was a mass exodus, as the people left the city.”

“So there may be more who escaped?”

“Of course. We citizens of Maple-Stone aren't going to just sit around and be captured and taken away. But as of late, yes there doesn't seem to be many, if any, still in the city.”

The town was rather quiet. As they walked down the streets, there wasn’t a single soul. Apart from Milorad, you’d think this was a ghost town. If only it would stay quiet.