Smoke silently let out a sigh of relief, “We should get going.”
“I’ll be right out,” Blue shouted through the door.
He only had to wait a few moments before Blue walked through the door. She looked Smoke up and down, taking in his new image. “Wow, I hardly recognized you,” she said with a grin.
They passed Cobble in the tavern again. “We reached the second above this morning. I let my people know to let you into the second above when you get there. I gave strict instructions to leave the Lang family alone so you can finish your job.”
“I appreciate that Cobble,” Smoke said with a smile before leaving the tavern.
Penelope had been up all night wandering the surface. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen the sun or the moon. The light warmed her face and kissed her skin. She had wandered away from everyone at one point and stripped naked to bask in the sun’s rays. Once she had finished she dressed herself and made her way back to the army of people by the tower.
The army was a rag-tag group of people in varying types of armour, some ranging from thick cloth armour to thick metal. All of whom seemed kind in passing though she had no doubt in her mind that many had a mean streak she had no intention of getting to know.
She could hear raised voices coming from inside a war tent. As she approached she could make out that the voices were the two men she had met the night before, Cobble and Homer. “No volunteers means it’s just the two of us,” Homer said impatiently.
“We’ll find some. I know we have to get this plan in motion as quickly as we can, but there is no way we can get this done with just the two of us.”
Penelope didn’t know what they were talking about. She leaned in close to the tent, she wanted to know and maybe help if possible. “Have you seen or heard from Blaze at all?” Homer asked.
“Not a word,” Cobble said. “I’m actually kind of pissed about that. The guy was supposed to help us. Shit, his Nagara were supposed to help in storming the tower. I think they’re relaying messages back and forth, at least that’s what a few of our messengers have said. I haven’t the resources or the time to check it out anyway. But still, we don’t need that many Nagara along the walls.”
“I agree, we could use whatever Nagara they can give us. I’ll send a messenger out to the walls. If we are lucky we will get some Nagara as help, maybe that will encourage some of our own men to come down to the underground and blow the place up.”
Penelope’s eyes widened with intrigue. Cobble had told them the boomers hadn’t gone off and Smoke explained why. Cobble didn’t seem to believe him at first until Smoke showed him the wounds caused by the needle chair. Cobble had listened more intensely after that point. Thankfully, during the story Smoke had said she had stayed behind and hadn’t taken part in their escape. She appreciated that greatly. She may be an immortal but she had intended to keep that sort of thing under wraps as long as she could.
“So why am I here?” Cobble asked angrily. “I should be going over battle plans with Smoke.”
“The alchemists brought us a boomer last night,” Homer said nervously.
“Why would the alchemists bring us a boomer?” Cobble asked. “It’s not like they have much in the way of stakes in this war. They do what they do and we do what we do. Nobody’s bothered them in a long time.”
“They didn’t tell me why they wanted us to have it, they just told me they’re not surprised the boomers didn’t go off and they know why. They gave us this new boomer to take out the culprit once and for all. I asked if they gave one of these to every area and they said just to ours… They said I’d find out why and that we would find the person to deliver it soon enough. What do you think that means?”
Cobble shrugged, “I don’t really know. What makes this boomer so powerful?”
“Something about splitting Adams.”
Penelope’s eyes grew wide with fear. She knew exactly what the alchemists had brought and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Immediately she burst into the tent. “I volunteer to do what needs to be done!” she said loud and too quickly to stop herself.
Cobble and Homer both turned to look at her, “You’re Smoke’s lift driver,” Homer said as he gazed at her. “What could you possibly do that we can’t?”
The look on Penelope’s face must have given them cause for concern since they stepped back a few steps. “I know that if you don’t take great care of that boomer then you may as well kiss this whole war goodbye. You’ll lose; the tower will lose, as will several of the areas around us. I know what you have in your possession. I know what it can do and I know what you have to do. I also know how to get this boomer to the proper place, the place where it can do the most damage; I can get it to the engine. After that, all you’ll have to do is close the lift to the first below.”
“How can we trust you?” Homer asked.
A fair question and one Penelope had been anticipating, “You can’t really know for sure, but Smoke trusted me so you will have to as well.”
“Alright,” Cobble began. “Let’s say we trust you. How do you plan to get the mega-boomer to… where it needs to go?”
Penelope stopped herself from chuckling at the name ‘mega-boomer’. “Just put it inside me,” Penelope said without thinking.
The two men gave her a strange look. “It’s umm… it’s a little big to fit in your…” Homer stammered.
Penelope rolled her eyes, “Fuck sake no, not there! Cut me open and put it in my body.”
“Have you seen the boomer? It’d kill you,” Homer said with a concerned voice.
Penelope looked around for a quick second, “Hand me a blade.”
Homer and Cobble looked to one another before looking back at Penelope. “Why do you need a blade?” Cobble asked confused.
“Holy shit,” Penelope said as she began to lose her patience, “I’m not going to use it on either of you; I’m going to show you something.”
Cobble reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blade. He handed the small blade to Penelope. She looked it over and tested the edge as well as the point. It wasn’t as sharp as she’d have preferred, but it would get her point across all the same. She removed her shirt and threw it at the men. “Hold on to that, I don’t want to get blood all over it.”
The two men gave her confused looks and grinned at her naked chest. She rolled her eyes again and plunged the knife into her stomach just below the rib cage. Pain flooded her mind as she pulled the blade down. She could feel her intestines begin to fall from the cavity. Tears of pain began to stream from her eyes as she pulled the blade away. She threw it to the side and began pulling her intestines back into her body. As soon as she had them all placed back inside the wound began to close. She then pulled her hands away revealing the lack of a wound or scar.
Cobble and Homer stared at her blankly, unsure as to what they should think or say. She grabbed her shirt from them and pulled it back over her body. “Do you see? I can’t die. The wound you make will heal as soon as you put the boomer inside me. Don’t worry about my organs either, they don’t need to be in any particular place, they’re really just for show at this point anyway.”
“Why would you want to do this? This could actually kill you,” Cobble said with a look of genuine concern.
Penelope nodded, “It won’t kill me. The last one didn’t and I was damn near standing on the drop zone. I’ve been vaporized before, it hurts like a bitch and it will take a long time to pull myself back together, but I’ll pull through. Since this one is inside me I probably won’t even feel it at all. You two, I only want you to seal the first below. I’ll find my way out in time, but I don’t want you to keep this open waiting for me. It could take a very long time to reassemble myself after that, could take years. So, seal it up enough that nobody can go down, but when I make it back to the first below, I am going to want to be able to get back. I’m sure as shit not digging my way to the surface for the next fucking century. You got that? Do we have a deal
?”
Cobble nodded, “We will board up the access to the first below, not that anybody would be able to get down with the lift at the bottom. I’ll give you a key to the lock we will use and when you come back up you can unlock the trap door and get back out. Put it in a place you will be able to find again, but in a place where someone won’t be able to find it if they are also on the first below. I don’t think I’ll let anyone live who comes back up if it’s not you.”
“I know where I’ll put it,” Penelope said feeling the gravity of the situation. What she had agreed to had just hit her and she wasn’t looking forward to it. She looked to the table beside the two men and the devices on display, “Put the boomer on a switch that I will have to arm manually in order to detonate it, that one there,” She said as if she were the one in command. “Also put a failsafe on my heart, if my heart stops for a certain amount of time it’ll detonate. That way if they take the detonator from me I’ll still be able to make it go boom.”
Homer grabbed her hands gently, “We will not forget this sacrifice Miss.”
“Penelope,” she said with a faint smile, “Also, it’s not a sacrifice. I’m not dying… well, not permanently anyway so you don’t have to worry about it. At worst I’ll be uncomfortable for a while, that’s it. As I said before, I don’t think the explosion will even hurt; I’d be gone too quickly for it to hurt.” She let out a quick sigh, “Anyway, let’s get going. I don’t have all day and neither do any of you. I’ll talk you through the whole thing.”
She’d hoped neither of the men present had been the engine’s informant. Even if Homer or Cobble were working for the other side it wouldn’t be possible to stop her and with a manual switch she’d be able to detonate it at will. Not that they’d be able to get any messages from the surface to the engine anyway. The signals wouldn’t go so far down and the lack of frequencies down in the engine would make it impossible for them to know anything about the atomic boomer that would be in her chest.
She scratched the back of her neck and followed Homer and Cobble towards another tent, the one she assumed housed the weapon that would change the world for everyone, the boomer that would end the oppression and set the world free. She didn’t want to be any part of it, but The Writer put her in that place for a reason, and she wasn’t going to ignore her calling when presented.
Smoke and Blue were greeted by soldiers from the underground as they approached the tower. Smoke had to look at the armoured men a few times to convince himself they were not the same men from the engine. One of the men removed his helmet and gave the two of them a grin. “Mister Callahan, Miss Lang, I am pleased to see the two of you. Cobble has already relayed our orders to allow the two of you into the second above,” the soldier said, “I can honestly say that what you’re doing is foolish considering you’ll be walking into a battlefield. But, that’s not my call to make. I’ll be sending four men to keep you safe as you go through the second above to the Lang residence.”
Smoke slapped the man in the shoulder. “I appreciate what you are doing for Blue and myself. Your men will be well compensated for their time.”
The soldier gave Smoke a grave look and nodded, “Very well then,” he said before turning to the rest of the soldiers, “Sanchez! Hardy! Politchuk! Leon! You four are to escort Mister Callahan here and Miss Lang to the Lang residence. These two know the way and will guide you. It is your job to be sure the two of them make it there and back safely. You got that?”
The soldiers stood straight and saluted, “Yes sir!” they all yelled in unison.
Four soldiers from the crowd stepped forward and guided the way to the steam-powered hydraulic lift. As the doors closed one of the soldiers pressed some buttons on the side of the lift and in a matter of moments the lift began to ascend. “Alright Mister Callahan,” one of the soldiers said, “Once we get to the second below the four of us will exit first to test the area. If there are any shots fired I want you two to get as low as you can. Once we are convinced it is safe we will motion for the two of you to move forward and you can give us directions. I know you have a little combat experience Mister Callahan, I’ve read your file, but it would be best to leave it to us.”
Smoke raised his hands, “No arguments form me. I have my revolving pistol, but I’m not wearing any protective gear. I agree with your plan.”
“Do any of you have a communicator?” Blue asked.
The soldiers nodded, “All suits of armour are outfitted with communicators as standard issue. It’s so we can stay in contact with each other.”
“Are your communicators capable of making outgoing calls to anyone outside your army?”
The soldier leaning on the wall spoke up, “Why do you ask?”
Blue shot the soldier an idiot’s glare, “If my parents see a squadron of soldiers approaching their home there is no way in hell they will answer the door. We will just get to stand outside and nobody will get anywhere. If I can call them and warn them in advance there is a better chance they will let us in.”
The soldiers all looked at one another before the one Smoke assumed to be Leon handed her a communicator. She pressed the code to contact her home and waited for an answer. “Do you think this will work?” Leon asked Smoke.
Smoke shrugged before Blue began talking, “Hello? Mom? It’s me Blue. Yes, Blue, I’m coming home. I’m a little sore from the trip, but I’ll be alright…. I’m in the lift right now on my way. I’ve even got my own military escorts…. Yes, Mister Callahan is right here with me. Would you like to talk to him?”
Blue then handed Smoke the communicator, “My mother would like to speak with you.”
Smoke took the communicator with a confused look before bringing the device to his ear, “Hello?”
“Mister Callahan,” I’m glad to hear you’re alright. And that you have my charming baby girl. I know what Marla offered you, but it’s not enough. When you get here we will discuss your reward.”
“That’s wonderful ma’am,” Smoke said hiding a grin. “Does this mean you will let us in when we get here? Despite the soldier escorts?”
“If they’re just escorts as you say then I don’t see a problem. I know there’s a lot of shooting going around out there, but it’s my child come home. I can’t not let you in. She may get hurt.”
“I’m glad you think that Mrs. Lang,” Smoke said, this time not hiding his grin at all. “We will be seeing you shortly.”
He pressed the button to end communication and handed it back to Leon. “We still are going forward with our plan?” Blue asked.
“Yes,” was all Smoke said as he continued to look forward.
As the lift approached the second above the only sounds to be heard were the sounds of steam in the hydraulics and the sounds of revolving pistols being cocked and loaded. Smoke could feel his heartbeat in his chest as he prepared to hit the ground as soon as the doors opened. He didn’t think he’d need to, but he’d prepared himself just in case. He looked to Blue whose face had been drained of all colour. The fear in her eyes told him she didn’t want to die, especially being so close to home after coming all this way. He wished the war had held off until after his task had finished and he’d been safely away from the tower and everything within it.
The doors opened and the four soldiers poured into the hallway. They pointed their revolving pistols around and when no signs of movement had presented themselves the soldiers waved Smoke and Blue forward. They quickly moved through the gap and Blue proceeded to give the soldiers directions to the Lang residence.
The white walls Smoke remembered so distinctly were spattered with blood and littered with the dead bodies of the underground and tower soldiers. As Smoke walked by each of them he found it more and more difficult to distinguish one from the other. Blue had been trying her best to keep her head pointed ahead and to not look at the bodies of the fallen men and women who fought for what they believed. Neither side was really right or really wrong.
Smoke exhaled out his nose as the
soldiers stopped in front of the quarter-moons in a circle. Blue pushed herself forward and pressed the ringer. The sound of the chime that rang through the home was prevalent in the hallway. After a minute of chiming the sound stopped and the door opened. The servant boy looked as if he had recently taken a beating. His eye had been blackened and several spots on his skin were bruised. His livery uniform had been speckled with blood from his nose.
Mulholland Lang soon walked from the side room to the front room to greet them. “Mister Callahan,” she said with obvious false sincerity. “I’m so glad you could make it. Please, come in. I’m afraid your escorts will have to wait outside. I hope you understand.”
“We assumed as such madam,” Leon said with a blank face.
The expression on Mulholland’s face was a cross between offence and amusement. “I’m sorry,” she said with a snarky tone, “Did I say you could speak?”
“Mother,” Blue snapped as she stepped forward, “these men are not your servants, or anyone’s servants. You are not to speak to them in such a manner.”
Mullholland blinked several times before smiling devilishly, “Of course, please forgive me.”
Smoke nodded to Leon and the door closed in front of the soldiers. Mulholland then crossed the room and took Blue in an embrace intended to seem loving. Smoke watched her movements with careful caution. “It’s always a great feeling to see family back together.”
Mulholland stood and gestured for Smoke and Blue to follow, “Come, your father and sister are waiting for you in the study.”
“Excellent,” Blue said with a smile more fake but less forced than her mother’s.
The home of the Lang’s was the exact same as Smoke remembered. Every bust and every book never seemed to have moved an inch in the time he was gone. “I’m glad to see you’re able to keep yourselves safe under all this fire,” Smoke said as he looked around.
“We left a gift and a note asking for the soldiers to leave us be,” Mulholland said with her chirpy voice.
The Engine What Runs the World Page 30