A Machine Called Earth

BOOM BOOM BOOM! Came a loud bashing at the north entry door. They were all shocked to hear such a sound, as it echoed down the silent corridors.

“YOUR TIMES UP MILORAD!” Came a loud, booming voice.

“Whats going on?” Hope asked, as she grabbed hold of Jessy.

“Damn-it, I thought he was done with this.” Milorad said to himself. “You must hide.”

“Who is that?” Hector asked.

“Never mind, you need to get out of here.” Milorad responded.

“What does he mean, that your time is up?” Asked Hector.

Annoyed that Hector hadn’t taken his advice, and continued asking questions, he decided to answer him. “That is Kaelin. He rounds up people and takes them away. He works for the ones down south, I believe.”

“What do you mean, he works for them? Is he a beast?” Hector asked.

“No. I believe he made a deal with them. He works for them, and he stays safe from them.... He’s practically taken the whole town.”

Hector turned to Hope, and she looked quite distressed. But Hector saw it strange, for it was a different sort of distressed.

“Just keep your hands off your weapons. Ok?” Said Milorad. “Otherwise we’ll have a bloodbath on our hands. If we stay calm, then we stay safe. Got that?” Milorad said, directing his words to Hector.

“I can’t promise anything.” Hector said.

Milorad then proceeded to the door. “Ok I’m coming out!” He shouted. He made his way through the same way Hector and Hope entered. Above the door, through the compartment in the ceiling, and down the ladder.

Hector then silently made his way to the door, listening through the barricaded wall. There he heard the deep, raspy, voice said to be Kaelin’s, say. “And where are your guests Milorad?”

Hector then looked through the small hole, (The one he reached through to ring the bell when first entering the Arccon Archives) Where he saw Milorad stumbling at his question, while squinting through the bright light of outside world. A place Milorad had not ventured for some time. “W-what Guests? I’m alone in here.”

“Don’t lie to me, old man.” Said Kaelin. “I have sources which tell me otherwise. They say that a man, a woman, and a child had entered the archives. Do you want to keep lying to me?”

“W-what are you doing? You can’t do this, I have much work to do still.” Said Milorad fearfully, as he looked back and forth from Kaelin’s men.

“Don’t worry Milo, there’ll be plenty of work where you’re going. Besides we’re going to let this place go out in a blaze of glory. Easier to say goodbye that way.... Now, if you don’t want your friends to burn up along with the archives, then they better come out.

OUT YOU ALL COME! DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE!” Kaelin shouted.

Hector didn’t like the idea of going outside and facing these men, but he felt there was no choice. ‘They knew that we were in here, and they intended burning this place to the ground. If there were another way out, then Milorad would have told us.’ Hector thought. So eventually they did what these men wanted. They came outside, down the ladder, the same way they entered.

Hector went out first, and as he reached the bottom of the ladder, he was grabbed and had his hands bound. Hope and Jessy then came following.

“Hello, pretty thing.” One man said as Hope made her way down the ladder.

The first thing Hector saw when he reached the ground, was obviously Kaelin. He had dark, unkempt hair, mostly covering his eyes. And an unshaven face. He also wore a leather collared vest, strapped with an array of weapons and tools. (Tools for his line of work that is.)

Behind him was his airship, docked at the top of the stairs. Instantly Hector recognized it, as the same style and markings, as the one at the train incident. Three years ago. These men were part of the same faction of bandits, mercenaries, bounty hunters, or whatever they were, which attacked the train.

“Alexia? Is that you, my sweet pea?” Came Kaelin’s words, as he approached Hope, who had just been bound along with Jessy.

Hope looked away from Kaelin.

“I thought you were dead.” He said. “And who is this?” He said, motioning towards Hector. “Is this your boyfriend? You do know that we are still married? My dear.”

“Hey boss. Do you thing this one will be of any use?” One man said to Kaelin, regarding Hector. As he looked at his bloodied shirt, and makeshift eye patch.

“Bring him along. We’ll make some use of him, I’m sure.” Kaelin replied.

“And the kid?”

“Listen Burkus. Children are the future. He is of most value. Now get them on board.”

Kaelin then climbed up onto the deck of his airship, and withdrew to his cabin. They were then ordered to climb up the roped ladder onto the airship as well. When they were aboard, they were taken below deck to a small room, where they were locked within. The room was small and empty. So they sat on the floor. ‘If we weren't locked in this room, and under different circumstances, I’d be quite excited to be riding in an airship. It was my first time.’ Thought Hector.

But they just sat silently for some time. Hope with her head laying on her knees, sobbing. However Milorad was taken elsewhere.

“So, Alexia. That’s your husband? I can see what drew you to him. His a charming fellow.” Hector said.

“Shut up Hector.” Hope responded. Her head still slumped in her knees.

This was a serious situation, it would have been ideal to drop the puny matters, and think of how they were going to get out of here. But Hector was disheartened, and a little jealous when finding out that Hope had a husband. And to see that he, although he has the appealing rugged, and chiseled features that would draw one such as Hope to him, he was a bad man. Hector was a little disappointed that Hope fell for such a man. But perhaps that’s just jealousy talking.

Eventually, a more sensible line of thought filled Hector’s mind. Although it was still another tangent. He finally connected the dots. And to confirm his thoughts, Hector asked. “So, people weren't turning into beasts in Maple-Stone? The curse hadn't affected your town?”

“No. No one was turning into beasts. But we were being captured and taken south.”

Hector then thought to when he was being held captive, at the table of Ichabod, Moab and Arnold. When their human servants brought in the wine and the food. He noticed how they were not mutated.

“So the curse only affected Tammerville?” Hector asked.

“I don’t know. I doubt it.” Hope said. “Everyone has been affected. Just in different ways.”

Footsteps were then heard, coming towards their room. Hope then came up to Hector, pulling a bobby-pin out of her hair, then handed it to Hector. As the source of the footsteps were fumbling at the door with the keys, Hope said.

“They’re probably going to take me. Take this and make a move when the time is right.”

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Hector asked, staring blankly at the lone bobby-pin in his hand.

Looking at his locked handcuffs, Hope drew her finger along his thigh. Her finger went clockwise in a half-circle pattern, then up, then across to the right, then around again. The door was then opened. It was Burkus.

“Out you come pretty lady.” He said. Now Burkus was no doubt the brawn of the group, and certainly not the brains. He was a large man, he was tall, and his shoulders wide. Hope then left the room with him.

In the room was now just Hector and Jessy. Hector looked at the bobby-pin in his hand, and remembered the pattern Hope made on his leg. “How am I supposed to do this?” He said under his breath.

Hector began attempting to pick the lock. But much time went past before the slightest movement came from within the bolt. ‘I finally must have hold of the inner pin in the lock.’ Thought Hector after some time. With the motion showed by Hope on his leg, Hector turned the lock, slowly and carefully. Until click. The handcuff fell from his wrist. “Would you look at that?” Hector said, smiling to Jessy, as he stared intently at what Hector was doing.