Science and Sorcery Box Set

by Ryan Tang

  He spat in disgust.

  "I just can't imagine the evil!"

  The high-pitched voice squealed again. Alex's hair stood up on her arms. There was something about that voice that bothered her very much.

  A placard beneath him said his name was Bret Cowen, and it labeled him one of Plenty's foremost economic experts.

  He was dressed in a different kind of suit, one identical to the fashions of Old Earth. Alex had only seen one like it a handful of times before. The lapels were spread out farther, and there were fewer buttons at the base. The shoulders were padded and strangely wide. It was an older style, one that Alex had only ever seen in history books. All his clothes – from suit to tie, from shirt to belt-buckle, gleamed in perfection. Alex had never seen such expensive material before, and the man was so tiny the suit had to be tailor-made.

  The rest of his appearance reflected the same wealth and diligent grooming. His hair was finally coiffed, and his large eyebrows were done in a strangely aggressive arc, but it was no use. Bret was very ugly. His frog-like face was contorted in perpetual anger. Furious eyes darted back and forth beneath his furrowed forehead.

  "Just look at what Southern Robotics has already done for us. Plenty has the best sky on all the colonies. It has the biggest business on all the colonies. We are the only colony where any citizen can buy a Paragon if they deserve one. And I'm certain that the next generation of Southern Robotics machines will solve all our problems. We will return to Old Earth! The Hands Paragon pilot is just jealous! He knows what a piece of shit his machine is. He doesn't want to see Director - no Captain - Stock succeed!"

  The tiny frog-faced man shook his head, leering angrily from his twisted seat at the altar.

  "Read the Director's note! There will be a humanity transforming announcement. Read it! Anyone dumb enough to believe the Hands Paragon and attack the tournament deserves what's coming to them."

  The man on the other side of the empty pillar in the center agreed as well. His graphic named him Joseph Anders - Thinker.

  Anders looked like a very bitter uncle. His hair was a mixture of grays, and he had a neatly trimmed beard that ran along the sides of his cheeks before forming into a sharp little goatee. His eyes were hard and callous.

  "What I want to talk about is the importance of hierarchy and knowing your place. The Hands Paragon pilot was fired from Southern Robotics for performance reasons. Anyone can see that his hideous machine isn't up to the company's immaculate standards. The manual labor of fixing the homes was all he's good for. Why is he looking above his station? Why is he telling Captain Stock what to do with his hard-earned money?"

  Bret hastily agreed.

  "Exactly! It's ridiculous! Rebuilding homes is such a niche interest. It only helps people whose homes have fallen. And again, if you are a student of my articles, you'll realize the truth. It's the loser Block's fault their homes collapsed! Nobody told them to live there! Nobody told them to buy a tiny cube home. If they'd worked hard, they could have lived in a big sturdy house in the higher Blocks!"

  Munch chuckled obnoxiously as he cut in.

  "He's just jealous of a truly great man. If he lived back in the days of Old Earth, he would have tried to get us to stay on the dying planet, so Captain Ray didn't get the credit!"

  Anders guffawed.

  "Yes! Exactly!"

  Bret, Munch, and Anders continued their passionate conversation. At times, they all spoke over each other in their rush to praise Stock and Southern Robotics.

  The fourth man on the stage stayed quiet throughout their conversation.

  He was shaggy and unkempt, a sharp contrast to the neat haircuts and pressed suits of his colleagues. He slumped awkwardly in his chair, diligently poking away at his tablet. His long straggly white hair went down to his waist. He was very thin. His black trench coat covered him so completely that it sort of looked like a cloak.

  Alex's anger built with every word.

  Nothing they said bothered to address Jared's main point – that there shouldn't be a simulator tournament if people were out sleeping on the streets.

  Bringing people together? They could do the same thing gathering to build homes! Alex looked out at the vast crowd Jared had gathered. Wasn't he bringing people together?

  Hating fun?

  Hating accomplishment?

  Jared being jealous?

  How was it fun to not have a home?

  What real accomplishments did Stock have?

  His machines were little more than awkward planes. Her toy Paragon models had more flexibility than they did!

  And of course, Jared was unhappy with how Stock spent his money, but it wasn't because he was jealous. He just wanted the dipshit to build useful machines that could help people!

  Up in the sky, Bret, Munch, and Anders almost started crying as they discussed how cruel Jared's video had been.

  "No matter how good of a person you are, people will just find a way to smear you."

  "Southern Robotics has done more good for humanity than any other company in human history. But there are still people looking to nitpick! Just look at the ads! A humanity transforming event - they don't want it to happen!"

  "Almost everyone on the colony works at Southern Robotics! Do you know how many people he's attacking with his cynical lies?"

  "It's a good thing we are here. Stock is far too noble and dedicated to waste time defending himself. But the sky gives us a chance to fight back!"

  The three men smiled and looked right at the screen. Munch pulled off his spectacles to wipe the tears from his eyes.

  "There's no need to wade through the filth on the Forums now that an unbiased source is right in front of you. Until the day of the tournament, we will continue our sudden broadcasts. Make sure you attend the simulator tournament! There will be a humanity transforming event!"

  The Scholars stopped speaking, and the sky returned to its new horrible normal.

  "Hey! Hey! Hey!"

  "Hey! Hey! Hey!"

  "Hey! Hey! Hey!"

  The crowd stumbled back into the Spire, muttering angrily under their breaths.

  They did their best to praise Jared and his machine.

  "Don't worry about them, Hands!"

  Mark cursed loudly.

  "Shit! They took our videos off the Forums!"

  "What?"

  Alice shouted angrily.

  "Fuck! They did the same thing to mine!"

  Jared's face sank, but Alex stepped forward.

  Her students cried out in delight. In spite of her anger, their happiness brought a smile to her face.

  "That's no problem. We'll reach them in person. Let's have a class at the Spire. We'll invite everyone on Plenty.

  She didn't know how to tell people to fix their homes. She hadn't discovered anything related to the Disasters. But she could do this.

  She could debunk the lies of the so-called Council of Scholars.

  She had something to teach again.

  ____

  The librarian smiled as she stepped into her reading room.

  The books on their shelves, stacked up to the skies, grinned back at her.

  Alex pulled out her tablet.

  She still had about two hours. She'd scheduled the class late at night, so even the people working late at Southern Robotics could attend.

  She called her parents.

  It was the first class since her fall, and part of her still wasn't ready.

  They picked up immediately.

  Her mom and dad were jammed together on the screen. Their tablet was tiny, and it was hard for them to fit on the camera.

  "How's it going?"

  Alex smiled nervously.

  "Good! Just about to teach my first class in a while."

  Her parents knew how she felt about public speaking.

  "That's wonderful! You can do it!"

  "Remember your kids love you. They don't care if you mess up!"

  "What a nice coincidence! We just finished ma
king this for you! Let me show you!"

  Her mom reached out and took the tablet. Alex's screen turned black.

  "What do you think?"

  "What?"

  "Look! Look at it! What do you think?"

  Alex laughed.

  "Mom. The screen is black. You turned the tablet over."

  Her parents were terrible at using technology.

  "Let me try."

  She could hear her parents jostling the tablet around but to no avail. The screen remained black.

  "What are you guys trying to do?"

  Her mom made an irritated noise.

  "I'm not telling you! I want to show you! It's supposed to be a surprise!"

  They continued pushing away at the tablet. Alex chuckled at her parents' gentle bickering.

  "I got it! I got it! This is how to do it."

  She heard her mom pushing her dad away from the screen.

  "Hey!"

  Alex's screen flashed, and a notification appeared on her screen.

  A new file is being delivered. Accept?

  She hit yes and then gasped.

  Her parents cheered when they heard her.

  "Yes! Yes! See? She got it!"

  She could hear her dad smiling through the screen.

  "Fine. You were right."

  Her parents had drawn a new copy of The Familiars for her. This time, several cartoon animals danced happily together on the cover, locking fins and tentacles in a merry little circle. The shellfish was now joined by a shark, a dolphin, a turtle, and a lionfish, all hand-drawn by her mom. She flipped the page and saw her dad's tidy little script.

  "Oh, man. Thank you! Thank you!"

  It was the most awesome thing she'd ever seen.

  "This way you'll always have it! It'll just be on your tablet!"

  They continued talking until her friends' footsteps resonated against the Eternium stairs. Alex couldn't stop smiling.

  When her friends reached her reading room, she bid her parents farewell, thanking them repeatedly and promising to call again soon.

  Alex shook her head in joyful disbelief, marveling at the beautiful cover one more time before turning to greet her co-workers.

  Emile brought up the front of the group. Her long hair flew behind her as she sprinted down the steps with a massive smile on her face. When she got to the bottom of the staircase, Alex hugged her back as hard as she could.

  "You can do it!"

  Margaret and Mrs. T were balancing trays stacked high with cupcakes.

  "We made these for you and your guests."

  Alex blushed and smiled. The cupcakes were covered in blue frosting. The sign that accompanied them boasted in big proud letters.

  "Our Ace Returns! Join Alex (Every Blue) for an in-depth discussion about the end of Old Earth and the current quake disaster."

  Mark brought up the very rear, carrying a tray in each hand. Alex laughed at the sight of him bending over backward as he precariously moved forwards.

  Alex stuffed one of the cupcakes into her mouth and began preparing for class.

  ____

  Her students were talked excitedly amongst each other. Some of them had seen Jared's strange Hands Paragon and were describing it to their friends. Jared wasn't here tonight. He'd immediately gone back to building more homes.

  "It's so ugly, but it put my house together in seconds!"

  "Yeah! He even let me ride in the cockpit and tell me where everything was supposed to go!"

  It was good to see them again, but Alex still frowned.

  She'd expected all of her students and most of their parents. But there were fewer kids than she expected. Almost everyone who came was a die-hard student.

  There were only four adults in the room.

  She'd been hoping to convince people. It was the only way to counter the lies that blared down from the sky. These people had already attended Jared's speech.

  Where had everyone gone?

  Laura's parents sat in the far corner of the room. They were unable to work. Her dad had broken his leg during the quakes, and it was set in a rough hand-made splint. Her mom had to take care of him.

  The other two adults were women Alex hadn't met before.

  The librarian didn't recognize the first. She had raven black hair, and fierce eyes set deep in her face. She was wearing an elegant dress lined with white stones. The gossamer fabric trailed down to the floor.

  She could tell who the other woman was at a glance. Nico's mom was almost the spitting image of her son. They were both very thin, with the same thick brown hair, keen eyes, and high cheekbones. They even wore the same wire-frame spectacles. She was wearing the same type of elegant clothes as her stern-looking companion. Her dress was a deep blue with a trim of white lace.

  Alex felt a sudden surge of jealousy. She wished she could afford a dress that beautiful.

  Alex wanted to greet them, but the two women were deeply engrossed in conversation.

  To her surprise, Alice had come alone. Alex remembered the message she got from Alice's dad the night of the quakes.

  "Hey, Alice!"

  Her student turned and smiled brightly.

  "Hey, Ms. Alex!"

  Alice looked very tired. She had deep dark bags underneath her eyes that looked very out of place on her youthful face. She looked thinner than before.

  "Where's your dad? I was looking forward to seeing him today. He sent me a very nice note the night of the quakes!"

  Alice suddenly sounded like she was going to cry.

  "I thought he'd come today, but he said he's stuck at work. He and mom have been stuck at work all the time lately. The last time I saw him, he ran away from me!"

  She shoved a battered tablet forward.

  "I think they did something to them! Look at these messages! They're so weird!"

  Alice's family chat was accompanied by a picture of her with her parents. The photo made Alex smile until she saw the messages.

  On the right-hand side, the message repeated itself over and over, never changing and never responding to any of Alice's constant replies.

  "Have to stay overnight. More quake troubles. Very busy, can't say more."

  "Have to stay overnight. More quake troubles Very busy, can't say more."

  "Have to stay overnight. More quake troubles. Very busy, can't say more."

  "Have to stay overnight. More quake troubles. Very busy, can't say more."

  The message repeated itself, sent precisely at the end of the workday at 7 by both her parents.

  Alice's responses went unanswered no matter what she said.

  "Please come back tonight! I'm so hungry!"

  "I miss you guys. Where have you been?"

  "Come on! Just leave for one day. It's Ms. Alex's first class in two weeks!"

  All went unanswered until 7 the next day.

  What the hell was happening?

  Alex gave Alice a reassuring hug and pointed out the cupcakes. They were incredibly delicious, one of Margaret's finest works, smooth vanilla seamlessly joined with the tangy taste of lemon and pistachio.

  "Go get some!"

  She'd talk to Margaret about cooking Alice another meal before she left. No wonder Alice was getting thin if she was left all alone by herself. Alex remembered Jared mentioning something about late hours, but she had no idea it was that bad.

  The messages were undoubtedly automated. Had Southern Robotics taken their workers tablets away? She just couldn't believe that Alice's parents would ignore her like that.

  Alex took a thoughtful look at the adults in the room. The two ladies appeared like they didn't need to work. Laura's parents worked on the assembly line, but neither of them could make it in due to her father's injury.

  None of her other adult regulars were here.

  Were they all just stuck at work?

  Mrs. T and Margaret stepped into the room, taking their places at the battered round table.

  "Alright, everyone, take your seats. There are cupcakes in t
he back – please take one at a time before going back for seconds!"

  Alex winked at Alice and mouthed at her to get another one. Alice grinned back with already blue teeth.

  Alex took her place behind the podium.

  She took a shaky breath.

  No matter how friendly the crowd, speaking was always hard for her.

  She had an introduction planned, but her curiosity got the better of her.

  "Where are everyone's parents?"

  Her students grumbled together about how they were stuck at work. A few of them yanked out tablets.

  "You too? Look at these messages! They're fake! They have to be fake!"

  "Me too! Look at this!"

  "Mine's the same! 7 PM! 7 PM every day!"

  It was like water bursting from a dam.

  Alex gaped.

  This had happened to all their parents?

  Then an angry voice cut through it all.

  "Parents? You want their parents here too? We need all hands on deck to fix the colony. Why are you trying to distract everyone with some story night?"

  Alex had seen Nico's excited face more times than she could count. He and his mom looked so alike. It was jarring to see her student's familiar features look so angry.

  Nico let out a horrified cry.

  "Mom!"

  His mom shushed him.

  "I should have known what crap you were teaching my son. It's ridiculous!"

  She turned back to the crying students. Although she was angry at Alex, her voice was patient and kind as she waved her own tablet back and forth.

  "Look! I have the same messages from my neighbors! Nothing's happened. They are just very busy! They're probably just sending these messages together! There's no need to worry!"

  She glared at Alex again. Her mouth was a thin white line.

  "The Council's coming. They'll keep you from scaring these kids. They'll -"

  There was a loud bang as the Spire's door was haphazardly flung open. The slab of Eternium clanged as it smacked against the shelves. Books tumbled to the floor as the Council of Scholars entered the room.

  They were still sitting on top of their strange altar. It was carried in by a long series of workers who bore the massive weight without even grunting. All their steps were sturdy and even.