Science and Sorcery Box Set

by Ryan Tang

  She sighed.

  "It sounds like they think Steel is worse than Macob!"

  She shook her head.

  "But of course Steel is better! Much better! I respect the Strangegods a lot, and I guess I can see why they are unhappy with their members who are working as Steel's councilors, but I think it'd be best for everyone if they got with the program. We need to do extra work if we want to revolutionize the colony!"

  Alex smiled.

  "You shouldn't have to worry about that stuff. We have a revolutionary colony already - and we're looking for people to come with us!"

  Emile was quick to agree.

  "Yeah! Come with us!"

  Her mom's face immediately lit up. There was no hesitation.

  "We can see each other every day! Yes! Yes! I'm in. I'll tell your dad when he gets back."

  Emile sneaked a look at her tablet.

  "It's almost time for the meeting. We need to get going."

  Alex's mom practically pushed them back onto the couch.

  "Wait! Wait! It's almost ready!"

  A few minutes later, the oven buzzed.

  "I'll be right back. I put these in as soon as I got back from work."

  "Back from work? I thought you moved your shift! Aren't you going after?"

  Her mom dismissively waved her hand.

  "Everyone's doing two shifts these days."

  Two shifts a day?

  Didn't that leave just 8 hours outside of work?

  But before Alex could ask for any more information, her mom skipped happily to the kitchen, waving off any offers to help.

  "I made you lemon bars!"

  Lemon bars were her favorite.

  Alex watched her mom hurry back into the room, and she was so happy it felt like her heart was going to burst. Her mom wouldn't have to worry about extra work for much longer. Alex couldn't wait for them to all be together.

  ____

  Alex walked outside, her backpack and pocket stuffed to the brim with lemon bars, and ran straight into a ghost from her childhood.

  Alex blurted out the name without thinking.

  "Hector?"

  The boy laughed.

  "Who are you? That's my dad."

  Of course it wasn't Hector. The boy was about five years old. But he looked just like his father did when he was a kid. Now that Alex thought about it, it wasn't a surprise that Hector already had a son. The Strangegods always got married very early.

  The boy stared at their jet, his eyes filled with wonder.

  "Is that your jet?"

  Alex took a look at her tablet. It was nearly 7.

  She and Emile looked at each other and shrugged.

  Steel could wait. The boy was so excited!

  He reminded Alex of her students back home. She thought Jon might get along with him. They had the same interest in how machines and how they worked. Emile headed inside to prepare for launch as Alex chatted with Hector's son. The boy asked question after question, most of which she couldn't answer. She thought he might groan, but he never got frustrated. He just politely plowed on to the next question. Alex wished someone like Jared or Duncan were here. They'd be able to help the boy out.

  And then she saw Hector himself trudging down the street. He still gripped the star in his hand, but he'd tucked the crescent underneath his elbow.

  Alex blinked.

  Green light flickered between his fingers.

  It wasn't enough to pierce the Eternium. It didn't look like a thought spear.

  But it was there.

  Alex frowned.

  There were people on Plenty who could strike up a few sparks after concentrating, but Hector wasn't paying the Eternium any attention.

  Could he summon a Paragon?

  When he saw her, his face burst into a smile.

  "Alex! What a pleasant surprise! Your mom said you were coming."

  He turned his head slightly to the side.

  "They pay you that much to be a librarian?"

  Alex laughed.

  It was the same thing her mom said. It was a much better question than asking if she'd married rich and started thinking she was too good for the colony.

  "It's a long story."

  He put the glowing star into his pocket and reached out his hand.

  As they shook, Alex took another glance at the crescent tucked under his elbow. The green shine on the Eternium relic was even hazier than the star, but it was there. She caught hints of another color too, so faint she had to squint to see it. It seemed like the colors of Hector's soul were green and gold.

  She was just about to say something when he hurried back into his house, sweeping up his little boy on his way inside.

  "I can't be late for work, but we should talk when I get back."

  He smiled confidently.

  "They're trying to prove this affects us, but we won't let them."

  He scoffed.

  "They think we can't walk and chew gum at the same time."

  She paused for a moment, then pushed forward. She hadn't talked to Hector in a long time, but they were still friends.

  "What's been going on with you guys and Steel? I saw the protest."

  The bald man sighed.

  "It's a long story. I'll explain later. Shoot me a message on my tablet. I'm still at the same number."

  She had one last question before he stepped inside.

  "What do you think about Macob?"

  The old Governor seemed vain and useless, but he'd claimed to be a voice of reason on the inside. She wanted to know what Hector thought.

  He laughed harshly.

  "I heard from some friends that he's still sniveling around the office acting like he's important. He even reached out to us. Says he's trying to help us from within. We told him to buzz off. Push comes to shove, we know he'll show his real colors."

  ____

  After carefully reading through both contracts, the two librarians signed them as soon as they entered their shuttle.

  The terms were simple. Steel wanted information on Plenty. Alex and Emile promised to give him honest counsel and swore to keep the details of their conversation private. The contracts threatened an enormous fine if they broke it, but it didn't matter. They had Stock's fortune at their disposal. Matthew had a saying about that - a fine means it's only legal for rich people.

  When they returned to the floating city in the sky, they were greeted by a very anxious Macob. He practically snarled at them when they stepped out of their machine.

  "You! You! You were almost a little late! Did you want to get me in trouble? Is that it? Do you want to get me in trouble? Come with me!"

  Emile smiled sweetly.

  "Do you know anything about this new Paragon order?"

  Macob leaped into the air. It was like she'd electrocuted him.

  "Classified! Classified!"

  He whirled around, furiously looking back and forth the empty hangar before whispering.

  "Sorry, I would love to tell you lovely ladies, but that is completely classified!"

  He jittered nervously.

  "How did you know about that? Stock wasn't supposed to mention the order to anybody!"

  Emile laughed.

  "You know Stock. He's always been a blabbermouth. He brags whenever he gets a big order."

  Macob sniffled.

  "In truth, I don't know Stock. Or rather, I don't know the current Stock. The accords I made with his father treated my friends and me very well, so I didn't see the need for an update. I spent most of my time dealing with our patrons on Generosity."

  He trailed off and started muttering to himself.

  "Of course, those friends haven't treated me well. None of my friends have! To send their son to steal my position! And even the factory owners! What are their children doing mistreating such a loyal friend of their parents! It's horrible!"

  The former Governor led them to the same rounded doors they'd seen that afternoon. As they walked back down the hall, the Macob snicker
ed and made catty remarks as he pointed out various pictures and ornaments.

  "A bit gauche, don't you think? A bit too on-the-nose, don't you think? Shouldn't a man be proud of what's in his heart rather than what he sticks on the wall?"

  They agreed with him on occasion, but only to be polite.

  Macob abruptly fell silent whenever they ran into one of the many workers still streaking up and done the halls. They were working very late tonight. Alex frowned when she remembered what her mom said about taking double shifts. The workmen looked very tired too. The building was already grander than it'd been this afternoon. The wooden walls were now decorated with subtle carvings of leaves and fruits. A man lay flat on the ground as he diligently worked on the lowest panels.

  When they finally arrived at the door, Alex blushed, remembering what they'd heard last time.

  Would there be any awkwardness?

  What would Steel say?

  Macob walked up and pounded the door. Despite what happened earlier that day, he sounded just as proud as he did in the afternoon.

  "Governor Steel! This is the former Governor – Governor Macob! I'm here with the foreign dignitaries!"

  This time, the voice on the other end was much better prepared.

  "Come in."

  The door swung open, and Alex gasped.

  They were in a bank vault. The splendor was incredible. Bars of gold and Eternium decorated the walls.

  There was no hint of the tasteful decorations outside. The vault was gaudy and ostentatious, nothing like the Diligence-referential paintings Macob had been angrily sneering at.

  Steel sat the head of the table, dressed in a fine white suit accented with a blood-red shirt and bowtie. A stylish rapier hung from his waist.

  A sumptuous meal lay in front of them on beautiful china plates. There were bloody steaks piled high with a knife stabbed through them. Fish cooked with almonds and doused in a rich sauce of maple syrup. A full rack of lamb chops accented with garlic. There were roasted potatoes and bowls filled with rice and pasta.

  Alex's mouth watered until Emile pinched her.

  Alex turned a little red and turned away from the food and toward Governor Steel instead. The beautiful man didn't apologize or even bother mentioning what'd happened earlier that day.

  He simply leaped into the conversation.

  "I need your signed contracts."

  Alex pulled them out of her bag and handed them over.

  He took a cursory glance at the papers before setting them aside.

  "Did you know that on Generosity, we sign these in blood? Of course, people on other colonies got freaked out by it, so we stopped. Stock even refused to sign! Was afraid of pricking himself!"

  He laughed and shook his head as Alex flinched. That sounded awfully close to Stock's Contracts. Her unease almost caused her to miss his revelation that he was from Generosity.

  He plowed on before he could say anything.

  "I hope you appreciate the splendor. I received a bit of seed money from my backers. I want all our foreign guests to know Diligence will now be a respected partner in colonial relations. Thanks for asking to meet with me. We'll get to your questions in a bit, but first, I'd like to pick your brain a little. We have a lot we want to learn about Plenty."

  He gestured for them to take a seat.

  "I trust you to honor your word and keep everything about this meeting confidential. The people are furious at the other colonies right now."

  There was a bit of a smirk to his voice, and it was hard to tell if he was joking.

  Her questions remained unspoken, but they were at the top of her mind.

  "Didn't you make them angry at them?"

  "Aren't you from another colony too?"

  When Macob tried taking a seat at the table, Steel laughed and shooed him outside.

  "Get out. Get out. What the hell are you thinking? Get out!"

  He shot Alex and Emile a jovial look, and a boyish smile played around his handsome face as he shook his head. Alex could feel the disdainful thought he beamed from his mind.

  "Can you believe this guy?"

  As Macob fled, Steel reached out and started cutting apart the food.

  He took only small portions. His plate contained a little bit of everything, and he took a bite of every course before gesturing at them to take some food for themselves.

  "A family tradition."

  He smirked again.

  Leanne had told them about that too. The twenty Families – both major and minor – had once relentlessly murdered each other in their pursuit of power. The distrust from those battles remained.

  Alex reached out for the pair of tongs. She took half a steak, two lamb chops, and a bit of fish. Then she chose the mashed potatoes as her side.

  Beside her, Emile took the food just as eagerly, but as the two librarians bit down, the same look of surprised disappointment flickered across their faces.

  The food was very good. If it hadn't been for the last month, it would have been the best meal Alex had ever eaten. But they had much better food on Plenty now.

  Between bites of steak, Alex noticed how effortlessly Steel's face and voice shifted from expression to expression.

  She'd heard him act angry, disdainful, impressive, and humble. She still couldn't tell if he'd been deliberately acting sarcastic when he mentioned the angry citizens of Diligence.

  Now he'd taken on a charming tone.

  "So here's a little bit about me before my associate gets here. I've been interested in politics – and particularly a Governor's position – for a long time. To be honest, I dreamed of it since I was a boy. The game! The decision-making! Nothing can be finer. I moved to this colony for that very reason. Most of these people think I'm from here, but on my blood, the truth is I'm the heir to one of Generosity's ten Major Families."

  Alex kept her face calm.

  She gripped her steak knife a little tighter so she wouldn't drop it.

  There it was again, out in the open, and this time he'd stated the truth directly.

  He was lying to all these people, including her parents, but he felt comfortable admitting the truth to them. She glanced at the gold and Eternium bars arranged around the room. She thought about the vaults on Plenty. Waters and Stock's homes were filled with riches. She remembered the cases of Old Earth artifacts in the Block 1 homes. If Alex and Emile really were heiresses, their home would be full of similar trinkets.

  It was like Steel said. People like Steel and Waters were all playing a game. Steel thought he was discussing strategies with a fellow player. The bars of precious metal and Old Earth artifacts were just different ways of keeping score.

  They'd signed his contract, and he thought he could let him in on a trade secret in exchange for a few playing tips of their own.

  "You're familiar with the ten Families, right?"

  Alex and Emile nodded.

  "So you'll know about the conflicts and gamesmanship between them. It's recently turned into shows of ostentatious wealth."

  He shrugged.

  His mouth gently drooped into a frown.

  "That's boring to me. I mean, everyone does it."

  He gestured loosely around the room. He waved his hand past the gold bars on the wall and the food on the table.

  He pointed at their expensive dresses.

  "You do it too, even though you aren't from Generosity! Everyone does it!"

  He shook his head.

  "It's boring. Ruling is so much more fun. But I was looking at Southern Robotics, and it got me thinking. I already have the factory and mine owners on my side. They know I'll help them far more than Macob ever did. What if we started building our own Paragons? What if we purchased the rights to a design from Southern Robotics and emulated their motivation techniques? The possibilities are endless! We would be the greatest industrial center in human history!"

  Emile leaned in and smiled.

  "How daring! Aren't you afraid of getting caught? What if they real
ize you're not from here?"

  Steel just laughed it off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  "If it comes to it, we'll pay people to let me escape. And besides, they're so dumb they'll never figure it out! Stock was copying us with his posts on the Forums and his talk of overpopulation. If you know how to flavor it, the idiots will never realize you're feeding them shit."

  Alex fought to keep her face still and calm.

  She made herself smile.

  That's what a fellow player would do.

  But her heart felt like it'd been shattered.

  ____

  "So what exactly is this design? Stock was bragging about it, but he didn't give any precise details."

  Steel shook his head apologetically.

  "I know you signed the contract, but that's just a bit too far for me. I would be happy to show you the machines when they arrive. It should be any day now. And there's a chance you could learn more. Depending on what you know about the industry, I would be happy to bring such lovely ladies on as consultants."

  Alex stared down at her plate, and she took another bite of fish.

  It'd be best to let Emile take the lead. She knew all about Southern Robotics' corruption. That was what Steel would want to emulate.

  Steel pulled out a notebook. His long fingers deftly turned the pages as he began proudly listing off his adjustments.

  "My first question has to do with the hours. Everyone knows more hours means more productivity. I'd heard Southern Robotics was implementing 16 hour days. We emulated Stock's techniques. Relaxing work regulations, raising prices, encouraging owners to fire people if they won't do two shifts."

  He waved his hand dismissively.

  "You know, all that good stuff. I told the idiots we needed to do it if they wanted to make Diligence a place their kids could grow up happy. The kids. The kids. It's all about the kids. That's how you reach these people."

  His smile grew wider, and Alex fought to keep from recoiling. He was the most beautiful person she'd ever seen before, but his words and actions were skin-crawlingly repulsive.

  "I even got some of the Strangegods’ priests to endorse me. I can't believe Macob hadn't thought of it earlier. I just bought them off, plain and simple. They told their worshipers to come by my side, and most of them have. There are only a few petty outliers still mad they can't pray every day. We'll deal with them though, once the Paragons come."