by Joseph Gatch
A commotion outside broke through his thoughts and, before he could see what the cause was, the doors flew open, admitting Khabekhnet, a fellow architect and rival. He was talented, but not a genius as Steamhotep was. The Pharaoh favored Steamhotep’s designs and quick building methods over Khabekhnet’s traditional use of slaves.
“What are you doing?” Khabekhnet yelled, his voice booming through the chamber. “Do you not have enough to do without taking all the projects away from the architects in the city? Is the price of your glory the starvation of the rest? Is this not enough for the ‘Great Steamhotep’?” Khabekhnet swept his arms over the model dramatically.
“Khabekhnet, you are too slow. It is not my fault that people come to me for my ideas. If you cannot compete then go to another city where they wish to be dead before they see their buildings complete.”
Khabekhnet flinched at the barb and raised his finger. “Mark my words…abomination…you will push too far and you will regret what you have done.” Having said his piece and having enough of Steamhotep’s smugness, Khabeknet turned and noisily stormed out as he had entered.
Steamhotep unconsciously rubbed the prosthetic left hand that was the butt of Khabekhnet’s insult. The man knew how to ruin a perfectly good day, and Steamhotep gloomily flicked over one of the tiny buildings with his good index finger.
It was true. Steamhotep was on the obsessive side when it came to projects, and he probably took on more than he could handle. However, he needed to see this through to fruition, and the smaller projects were just distractions for the downtime that he suffered when his main projects were in transitional phases. He needed the work…needed the occupation.
Steamhotep crossed the room and lifted the lid from an ornate ivory box. Inside, sitting on a cushion of silk, was his greatest invention: The Heart of Ra. With it, several systems within the kingdom could be controlled through a central point. Instead of having to wind mechanisms all over the city, this central control would regulate gear systems throughout the area, each branching off to different sections of the city…and it would run indefinitely. The size and placement of gears would create power for water flow, and provide power for mills and machines of all types, making the city autonomous.
Replacing the lid, Steamhotep left the room and hurried to one of the worksites. He received friendly greetings from his workers, something Khabekhnet would never get from his mistreated slaves. He looked up at one of the monuments flanking the entrance to the counting house. Pharaoh would be pleased with the likeness. As he studied the base for any flaws, some dust landed on his shoulder. Thinking that it came from a worker above, he paid it no mind. By the time he realized that there were no workers up on the scaffolding, it was too late.
A large section of the statue had broken off and was falling as Steamhotep looked up. Warnings were shouted too late as the massive stone fell on top of the architect and rolled off. His workers quickly tended to him, carrying him back to his office and bringing in a physician.
Steamhotep was conscious when given the bad news—half of his torso was crushed, and it was only a matter of time before his body failed him. The left side of his skull was also damaged by the stone, and he had lost his left eye. However, Steamhotep was not one to surrender so easily. He called in his greatest apprentices and instructed them on what to do.
“Everything you need is here,” he told them. “I have been perfecting artificial bones and limbs. You will assist the doctor in replacing what is destroyed.”
“But what about controlling multiple functions?” they asked. “An arm, yes; but legs as well?”
Steamhotep pointed towards the ivory box. “That will serve everything. The Heart of Ra will control it all.”
Surgery was performed, but the prognosis was dire. As was tradition, a high priest was called in to tend to his spirit. Rites were performed. However, as passages from the Coffin Texts were read and Anubis was called upon to guide their friend to the afterlife, one of Steamhotep’s assistants realized that they had not wound the Heart of Ra. He quickly grabbed the key from the box and inserted it into the heart. What happened next could only be described as a miracle…or curse.
The sky darkened and mystic forces took hold of the rebuilt body of Steamhotep. It is said that Anubis himself breathed life back into the architect, rejecting the hybrid entry into the beyond, and made him immortal instead. From the Heart of Ra, new gears began to spring forth, mending and fortifying the body. A new mechanical eye emerged from his skull. As the priest, doctor, and assistants watched, a new man emerged from the old.
When it was over, Steamhotep held his audience in awe as he stood up from his bed—a blend of machine and man.
“After my transformation, things began to change for me,” said Steamhotep.
“Such as?” asked Phineas as he sat down on a crate.
“My beloved Amisi shunned me as a monster. She turned to another man for comfort and I could only see her from a distance. No one wanted to do business with me, mainly due to Khabekhnet’s campaign to destroy my name, claiming that I was a demon from the underworld. My vision of Thebes was no longer realized, and its construction progressed slowly, though I saw it all. From isolation, I watched everyone I knew grow old. I saw Amisi have children that should have been mine and their children having children. Generations went by, and I slowly decayed as the glory of the kingdom decayed. I tried to stop the heart, but it would not be removed or smashed by conventional means. After a while, I accepted my fate and began teaching my trade. I took pupils who were willing to learn from an outcast. They did not, however, appreciate the knowledge that I imparted upon them, thinking that I was a charlatan and that my engineering was dark magic.
“Finally, the Heart of Ra began to wind down. Centuries had passed. My tomb, which I had built earlier in life, was barren—the engravings having been worn off through inclement weather and vandalism. When it came time and the heart stopped, I was mummified and was laid to rest in my sarcophagus with instructions for my assistants to seal the tomb. I had had enough of life and the pain that it caused. I was ready for eternal slumber.”
“If that were the case, why did you have the key to the heart placed in the tomb?” asked William.
“It was a mistake made by my assistant,” answered Steamhotep. “He thought it was valuable to me since I had kept it close all my years. I saw him place it in the tomb, but could do nothing. The heart had stopped.”
“But you could still see him? And you were mummified…alive?” Phineas was astounded.
“I often wonder if I am alive...or dead…or caught between worlds. I am forever conscious, though. The Heart of Ra contains my spirit. I was aware of everything for two thousand years. I soon went mad, then found contentment, then madness again…a never ending cycle.
“When the man you call Cavanaugh unearthed my tomb, I was angry for being disturbed. Then, after you began examining the Heart, I knew that you were a kindred spirit and that you could be the one who could end my curse.”
Phineas looked at the ancient builder and rubbed his chin. “The Heart is nothing that can’t be dismantled.”
“I have tried. The magic of Anubis is too powerful. It regenerates before I can remove it.”
“Then we have to remove it in a way that will be faster than magic.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?” asked William.
Phineas arched his right eyebrow. “Come now, old friend, who can destroy anything better than I can?”
EPISODE
11
Shadows began stretching across the city as both electric and gas lamps flickered on to combat the oncoming darkness. The setting sun cast its orange hue through the clock tower while Phineas and William intently watched the streets below.
In the distance, the Imperial zeppelin still hovered over the decimated Brownstone, and at regular intervals, soldiers could be seen rappelling to the ground below. They then moved outwards in their search for the missing mummy. Fortunately
for the trio, the soldiers had checked the clockwork’s doors, found them secure, and moved on. Unfortunately, other soldiers were still swarming the streets around the factory.
“William,” said Phineas, “go down and find the telephone and get hold of Abigail. Explain our situation and tell her to pick us up as soon as possible.”
“On my way,” William replied, quickly bounding down the stairs. Moments later, he shouted up, “She’s on her way! We’re to meet her in the courtyard.”
Phineas looked at Steamhotep. “Can you walk?”
“Of course,” he replied. “I am spry for my age.”
Phineas cracked a wry smile. “At least you have kept your sense of humor over the years. Let’s go.”
On the ground floor, they met William, who was watching out one of the windows facing the factory’s courtyard.
“Why must we go this way?” asked Steamhotep.
“There are some very bad people looking for you…who don’t want to end your curse, but to use your technology for their own purposes.”
Steamhotep touched his heart. “I used this once for the wrong purpose. I cannot let that happen again.”
The beating of a rotor made them look through the window. Quickly descending, a small copter came to rest in the courtyard. The trio hurried outside and boarded the craft.
“That was fast,” Phineas told Abigail as he took the seat beside her.
“Just be glad that I was at the airfield when William called.” She gave a quick gasp as Steamhotep climbed aboard and looked around at the aircraft, with Sweepio still attached to his hand. “Uh…who is that?”
“Abigail…meet my cousin…um, Vernon…from Jersey.”
“Why do I even bother? William! Get Vernon strapped in.”
William shot her a confused look, but did as he was told.
The steam rotor craft’s boiler chugged as the ship lifted off. Phineas watched the soldiers start to scramble back to their airship as they realized their quarry was escaping. He figured they would have at least an hour before the giant airship caught up with them. That was more than enough time to do what he had planned.
“This contraption has the handsomes beat when it comes to traffic,” William said when they touched down in Phineas’ backyard. “I could almost see these things catching on as regular transport.”
Steamhotep was still in awe of the modern marvel. “I think that seeing wonders such as these has made my curse worth all its sorrow.”
“Yes…yes, great advances. Time’s wasting, though. Come along, everyone.” Phineas hurried out of the copter while Abigail shut it down. Steam escaped from the valves as the boiler cooled, shrouding the machine in its own fog.
Phineas burst through the backdoor and shouted. “Mrs. Popkiss! Coffee, if you please…doubly strong. And where’s my mercurial ionizer? The one that set fire to the sofa last week?”
The housekeeper appeared holding a pot. “It’s in the umbrella stand…where it always is. Wipe your feet, all of you! I just got this house in order, thank you. Oh, my,” she said as the mummy entered behind them. Without missing a beat, she berated him without a second thought. “You, sir, mind your bits. I’ll have no body parts falling off and dirtying my clean rugs. Lord, have mercy on an old woman…” She continued her tirade unheard, disappearing into the kitchen.
“William, take him into the lab while I fetch some things. Mrs. Popkiss! We might be having guests shortly.”
“I’ll put on the tea!” she shouted back.
William showed Steamhotep into the freshly cleaned lab and offered him a seat. There was an awkward silence as Steamhotep stared at his host.
“So, how’s Cleopatra these days?” asked William, only to receive a blank stare. “All right, I guess that is a bit after your time.”
“You are cursed,” Steamhotep said suddenly.
“No, I’m not,” William answered just as quickly.
“Yes, you are. After being enclosed in a tomb for three thousand years, one’s mind becomes adept at seeing things not immediately apparent. You hold the burden of one who is cursed.”
“I guess that you would know, of all people,” resigned William. “It is getting worse and no one can help me.”
“Turn to your friend. He will help you as he is helping me.”
“With all due respect, he is going to blow you up…not the sort of help I am seeking. I also think that you have a little more faith in him than I do.”
“Faith is all you need. Do not lose it.”
At that moment, Phineas entered carrying tools and a cup of coffee. He sat down at his work table and began putting together a small coil with several leads and fashioned a tiny set of gears as well.
Abigail followed him in a short time later. Throwing her jacket on a shelf, she eyed the living mummy. “Is anyone going to tell me just what is going on?”
“Phineas is going to end the mummy’s curse before State Security can get a hold of him,” said William.
“Didn’t he kill Cavanaugh?”
“Not at all. You see, it was a cult that was after the mummy as well. They ended up being smeared into the sides of a building during a mystical storm that brought Steamhotep back to life,” William replied.
“I see. You boys just can’t have a simple weekend, can you? Should I even ask why he has a head stuck to his hand?”
“My interpreter,” answered Steamhotep/Sweepio.
“Of course.” She turned to Phineas. “How do you plan on ending the mummy’s curse?”
“With that,” Phineas replied, pointing at a small canister bolted down on a shelf.
Abigail examined the container and found that she couldn’t move it. “What’s in here?” she asked suspiciously.
“Cavorite.”
“WHAT?” William and Abigail asked in unison.
“Where did you get cavorite?” added William. “And do you know what the University would do to you if they found out that you have it?”
“It’s better that you don’t know, and they’d probably make me Chancellor.”
“Now, I know that cavorite floats on air, but just how is it going to help him?” asked William.
“Here’s a little known fact,” said Phineas, leaning back in his chair. “Cavorite, when stimulated by a continuous electrical charge, will lose its stability and explode.”
“How big of an explosion are we talking about?” asked Abigail warily.
Phineas picked up a small one-inch cog. “Say that this represents the normal blast radius of a stick of dynamite. Now imagine a cog twenty feet in diameter.”
“That should do it,” swallowed William. “But, where are we going to do this? The house, not to mention the neighborhood, would be leveled…and the neighbors don’t like you as it is.”
“The cavorite will take care of that, and the heart will do the rest. This mechanism will run off of the gears in the heart; it generates an electrical charge which will be fed directly to the cavorite, which, in turn, will be inside the heart. Steamhotep will float into the air to a safe distance and then explode, destroying the heart, and him, in one fell swoop.”
“Are you sure that this will work?” asked Abigail.
“Positive. The alternative is facing Mrs. Popkiss’ wrath for destroying her garden.”
“She is a formidable woman,” stated Steamhotep.
“You don’t know the half of it,” added William.
Phineas finished his work and stood up. “Let’s get ready,” he said. “William, I shall need your help attaching the cavorite. As soon as I turn the jar over, grab the metal before it goes through the ceiling.”
Phineas released the clamps holding the jar to the shelf, and William cupped his hands over the opening. His hands shot straight up, and his feet began to lift from the floor. Abigail ran over and pulled him down.
“Now, this is fun,” William said as Abigail pulled his hands down to the work table.
Phineas attached the leads to the metal then guided everyone t
o Steamhotep, who waited with an amused, yet curious look on his face.
The door to the lab opened, and Mrs. Popkiss entered, wearing a helmet with goggles and holding a large rifle. “Company is arriving, sir. They’re about half a mile south.”
“Very well, Mrs. Popkiss. We are almost ready here,” said Phineas.
As Mrs. Popkiss returned to her post outside, they heard her say, “If they land on my hibiscus, there will be war!”
“Is that another vomit gun?” asked Abigail.
“No, that one turns geese orange,” replied Phineas nonchalantly. “Abigail, I’ll need you to hold Steamhotep down when I place this in his heart. William, you too, as soon as you let go.”
Abigail placed her hands on the mummy’s shoulders, and she turned a slight shade of green as parts of him flaked off.
Phineas inserted the cavorite and connected the gear mechanism to the Heart of Ra. “Are you ready?” he asked Steamhotep.
“I have been ready for over three thousand years. Accept my gratitude and know that my journey ends well. I have been shunned for so long, it brings me peace to be with those who can understand my plight.”
“I wish that we had more time. I think that you would enjoy the nineteenth century.”
“Every saga must end. Yours is just beginning. Be sure that your story ends better than mine. Know what is truly important in your life and cherish it.” To emphasize his point, Steamhotep’s good eye flicked quickly towards Abigail.
“Abigail, open the skylight,” Phineas said softly.
As the portal opened, Phineas activated the gear setting, and a small electrical arc began bombarding the cavorite. Steamhotep looked up as Phineas and William let go of him. The ancient engineer floated gracefully, as if lifted by the gods themselves. When he cleared the roof, they heard a panicked voice shouting, “Help! I am flying away!”