GUD Magazine Issue 3 :: Autumn 2008

by GUD Magazine Authors

  "I don't know! Father only told me so much! Please...."

  Katya stormed over to the still-sobbing Olga. “What happened between you and Andrei?"

  Olga shook her head. “Nothing! I swear, I don't know—"

  "You know something! She leveled her weapon at Olga's eyes. “Tell me!"

  Olga reached for her own weapon—then stopped herself. She moved her hand away from the holster and straightened. She took a deep breath. “I served in your husband's unit. He was a captain. I was a lieutenant. A few days ago, I transferred to another unit. We parted on friendly terms, Katya. There was no bad blood between us, nor anything wrong with him as far as I could tell. I haven't seen him since.” She pointed through the tablecloth. “Katya, I would never do that to—"

  Something plunged through the tablecloth to her right. Two Machinists, each as tall as Olga. With lights mounted on their arms, they scanned the semi-darkness. “Halt!” said a hydraulic voice.

  Katya trained her weapon on the newcomers. Olga unholstered hers. Mariya scurried behind them.

  "Ease up, Corporal,” said the other Machinist, stepping into the corporal's line of fire. “These people aren't the objective."

  Katya saw that he looked nothing like Andrei. He had light-grey eyes in a chiseled face. That had to mean something—but Katya had no idea what.

  "We can't just let them go, Sergeant!” said the corporal, who did look like Andrei.

  "These are not Engineer agents,” said the sergeant. “That's not their way. They do everything up front and by their own hand."

  The corporal hesitated. “Yes ... well.... Look at her!” He shone his light on Mariya. “That has to be General Ada's daughter!"

  Mariya paled. “What?” Katya sensed a freezing dread in Mariya's voice. “What was that name?"

  Then Katya heard a new voice speaking, issuing orders to the Engineers. A female voice, deep and authoritative.

  "See for yourself,” said the corporal.

  Mariya turned, but Katya stopped her. “We'll go together,” she said. “Olga ... watch them."

  Katya slipped her hand into her pocket, and grasped the coin, assigning heads to the sergeant, tails to the corporal. Then she and Mariya went to the tablecloth and looked under.

  The new Engineer killed Machinists with a level of dispassion that matched her comrades’ frenzy. Like the other Engineers, she had vast raven wings that almost spanned the dining car. But like the Machinists, parts of her body were mechanized. Her left arm and neck were snake-like conglomerations of rods and wires; her legs had been replaced by wide, studded wheels. Steel plates covered half her face. But Katya could see the resemblance to Ada's daughter.

  Mariya began to whimper. Katya pulled her back.

  The Machinists were still arguing. “You know our mission, Sergeant! Taking her will give us as much leverage as we could hope for!"

  "Our supervisors gave their word that we would protect her.” The sergeant's tone left no room for argument. “It was because they went back on it that General Ada defected."

  "You volunteered for this mission! This is a strange time for second thoughts!"

  "I won't bring innocents into this."

  "Well, if you won't.... “The corporal started toward Mariya. “I will."

  "Try it!” said Olga.

  The sergeant brought his weapon to bear. “Stop where you are, Corporal."

  The corporal hesitated for only an instant. Then, quick as thought, he whirled around, knocking the sergeant's weapon aside. They grappled across the floor.

  Olga watched them fight, hesitating. “Should I shoot?"

  "Wait.” Katya pulled out the coin and slammed it to the floor—heads up. “Now."

  Olga frowned incomprehension, but pulled the trigger. The corporal fell like a tower, oozing blood and oil from his wounds.

  Only then did Katya realize that the battle outside had stopped. A clicking metal hand lifted the tablecloth. By chance, the light fell solely on Mariya; everyone else remained in darkness.

  Mariya swiveled toward the light, feet rooted. “Mother?"

  A woman's hand reached forward, gently picked her up, and withdrew.

  "No!” Olga sprang out from under the table, weapon blazing. “Die, you murderers!"

  Katya made to follow, but the sergeant stopped her.

  "You can't help them,” he whispered.

  Olga's gunshots ceased. The Engineers’ chittering laughter had given way to shrieks, and it sounded for all the world like they were stampeding to get away. But General Ada chastised them. “Stop, all of you! Afraid of such a little thing! You ought to be ashamed!"

  Silence. Then: “Take these bodies to the baggage car."

  Katya heard rumbling wheels, a door shutting. The Engineers began their work. She stood there in the darkness, hands shaking. “What will she do to them?"

  "I don't know. Never thought she would defect.” He looked at the corporal's body. “What I want to know is why we're still here. She had to know there were more of us."

  Katya heaved a wet sigh. “What is your mission, Sergeant?"

  "The last war ended when General Ada killed the lead Engineer. That's my mission now."

  "To kill General Ada?"

  He shook his head. “The lead Engineer never leaves the engine. General Ada is just her right hand.” He looked at Katya. “What's your mission, miss?"

  "My only concern is my husband,” said Katya. “He is held prisoner aboard the engine."

  The sergeant bit his lip.

  Katya could see his unspoken thought. “I know the prisoner in the last war died,” she said. “Could you tell me how?"

  He hesitated. “I ... understand that his heart failed, miss.” He spoke matter-of-factly, but softly. Katya fell silent.

  "It seems we'll be on the same path.” The sergeant offered his hand. “I'm Sgt. Berk. Shall we go together, if only to keep from stepping on each other's toes?"

  Katya paused, looking at his thin face, his light-grey eyes. “Every Machinist I've seen looks like my husband. Except you. Why?"

  "I've wondered that myself, miss,” Sgt. Berk replied. “I don't know."

  Katya saw honesty in his face. She grasped his hand. “My name is Katya."

  "I'm sorry about your friends,” he said.

  Hearing this, Katya walked over and picked up the coin. “There is something I can do for one of them.” She assigned heads to Olga, tails to Mariya. She thought of choosing between them, but finally she just tossed it.

  Tails. So Mariya, at least, would survive.

  Katya picked up the coin. “We can hide on one of the bodies,” she said. “The Engineers will take us to the baggage car.” Sgt. Berk nodded his approval.

  They hid in the barrel of a Machinist's arm weapon. There they waited, Sgt. Berk inspecting his machinery, Katya fidgeting with the coin, while the Engineers worked. Then they felt a surge of movement, and they were on their way.

  They braced themselves against the sides of the barrel. When they left the dining car, the wind of the Train's passage became a shrill howl at the wide mouth of the weapon, like the wails of the damned. Katya, unable to cover her ears, clenched her teeth in pain.

  Then they were taken inside and dumped.

  IV: Baggage Car

  A dim light shone outside the barrel. Chill air wafted in to them, smelling of wood and dust and metal. They crept to the mouth and looked around.

  A lantern on the ceiling created a world of shadows, thrown by boxes and crates and bodies. The door opened and they ducked back.

  When the Engineers left again, Katya pointed to a space between a crate and the wall. “Let's make for that,” she whispered. Sgt. Berk agreed, and they dashed across the floor.

  By the time the Engineers returned, Sgt. Berk and Katya were well on their way down the car. The ample cover enabled them to take their time; at one point, they stopped to listen to the Engineers talking. But the creatures only spoke of the task at hand.

  As Katya
went along, she noticed names on the crates and boxes and chests, but she didn't really give the labels much thought until, when they had almost reached the far end, she saw, on an oblong box of polished wood: FOR ANDREI YERECHENKO. “Sergeant, stop!” She pointed. “That's my husband's name.” Her heart sank. The box was a coffin. “We ... have to get this open."

  Sgt. Berk had doubt on his face.

  "I need to know if he's in there!” Katya insisted.

  "Ma'am, this could be a trap. General Ada has your friends. They could have told her about your husband."

  "Do you really think she would?” Katya snapped. “You still respect her enough not to use her daughter against her! How much did you respect her before she defected?” She realized she was shouting and lowered her voice. “Respect like that doesn't come from nowhere."

  Sgt. Berk stared back at her.

  "Do you really think she would do that?” asked Katya again, trying not to cry.

  After a long pause, Sgt. Berk said, “I would like to think she wouldn't."

  Katya knew she was grasping at straws. She had been so suspicious of Olga, and Sgt. Berk had even more reason to doubt General Ada. “You're right, Sergeant,” she said. “This is probably a trap. But if I don't look in there, that nametag will haunt me forever.” She shrugged. “We can part ways here, if that's what you want."

  Sgt. Berk thought about it. Then he shook his head. “No. I hold myself to a higher standard than that. And if this is a trap, you might need my help."

  He turned at the sound of Engineers dragging more bodies into the car. “We'll wait until they're gone."

  Katya nodded. She counted the seconds until the Engineers left. Then, bracing himself against the wall, Sgt. Berk used his chainsaw mechanism to bore a hole in the coffin.

  Katya trembled, caught between caution and need. If Andrei was in there, did that mean he was dead? But that couldn't be what this was all about. He would hardly be the first man to die in combat. No, there had to be something—

  I am sorry, Katya.

  —something more.

  Sgt. Berk was through within seconds. Activating his light, he thrust his head through the aperture and looked around. Then he climbed inside and held his hand out for Katya.

  The padding made it difficult to maintain balance. As Katya had guessed, the coffin was occupied: a pair of shod feet protruded from the pants of a Soviet Army uniform. But the feet seemed proportionally smaller than she thought Andrei's would be.

  "Look there,” said Sgt. Berk. He focused his light on the body's hand. It was small, delicate, thin-fingered. A woman's hand.

  Katya said, “We need to see the face."

  Sgt. Berk led the way. It took time to sidle between the leg and the padding. When they reached the hand, Katya saw nothing to identify it, no rings, scars, or markings. So she couldn't put a name to her sense of unease.

  They crawled over the hand and along the arm. Katya craned her neck, trying to glimpse the face, but could see nothing. Then, when Sgt. Berk reached the shoulder, he froze and trained his light forward. “Ma'am?” He beckoned to Katya.

  She crawled up beside him. Sitting in the corner, head bowed between her knees, was Olga. She might have been sleeping.

  "Olga?"

  She looked up, and blinked. There was a bleakness to her expression that Katya didn't like.

  "Olga, are you all right?"

  Olga said, “You tell me,” and gestured to the corpse beside her.

  Sgt. Berk turned his light toward its face. It was Olga's.

  "I'm dead,” said Olga, still sitting in the corner. “I remember it all now. The Germans advanced, we engaged them, and I caught machine-gun fire full in the chest. I'm dead—” Her voice cracked and tears welled up in her eyes.

  Katya rushed forward. Olga wrapped her in a tight embrace. “I'm sorry,” Katya whispered as Olga rocked her. “I'm sorry."

  "None of this is your fault, Katya. I was dead before we even met. It was only after dying that I came here."

  Dead before they even met. Katya thought of the coin. What if it had fallen the other way?

  "I'm sorry I suspected you, Olga. I should have known better."

  Olga went ominously still. “No, Katya,” she said. “You were right."

  But before she could go on, a commotion arose outside the coffin. “Search this car!” General Ada's voice, no question. “Mariya says they're in here!"

  The companions scrambled to hide, but the coffin opened and General Ada looked down upon them.

  Everyone froze, staring up at Ada's human eye. Her mechanical arm shone silver. Gears whirred softly as her wide wheels adjusted to maintain her balance. The flesh of her face betrayed no expression, but, seeing it, Katya felt no fear.

  General Ada extended her human arm. The fingers opened and something came out. It was Mariya.

  As the dwarf ran to Katya, General Ada found Sgt. Berk with her gaze. She whispered,

  "Do not kill the lead Engineer."

  Then she looked at Mariya. Katya thought she saw love in that half-metal face, so much like her daughter's. The General kissed the index finger on her human hand. She reached down and touched Mariya's cheek.

  Then she closed the coffin. “Incompetent fools! You let them escape!"

  Weapons fire, bodies hitting the floor. The rumbling of studded wheels, a door closing.

  Sgt. Berk climbed to the lid and opened it a notch. “They're dead. She's gone."

  "Mariya?” Katya asked. “Your mother...?"

  "Is still my mother,” said Mariya, “whatever else she is. She's trying to help us, Katya."

  "By showing me that I'm dead?” Olga exclaimed.

  "It's a truth you needed to know. A truth we all needed to know in order to understand what's happening here.” She turned to Katya. “There are some things I should return to you."

  She produced Katya's locket, still broken at the hinge, and Andrei's letter. She opened her mouth to speak. But then she smiled. “I don't have to steal things anymore,” she finally murmured. “She touched me. Just a mother's touch was all I needed.” She looked up at Katya, and there were tears in her eyes, but she still smiled. “I don't have to...."

  "Yes, Mariya, I understand,” said Katya gently. “But you need to focus. Now, what were you going to say?"

  Mariya cleared her throat. “Mother examined these. It confirmed many of her suspicions.” She took Katya's hand. “Everything depends on you, Katya. Your husband, the war—everything. We must find both halves of Andrei's soul and make him one again."

  Katya stared. “How?"

  "First ... there's another truth you don't know yet.” She turned to Olga. “Isn't there?"

  Olga looked away. “Katya ... I—"

  "Wait.” Mariya touched Olga's knee. “I can help you show her. If you will take my hand?"

  Olga complied. Mariya offered her other hand to Katya. “Close your eyes."

  * * * *

  "Captain?"

  Katya found herself in a sparsely-furnished office. There, sitting at a utilitarian desk, was Andrei.

  He looked up and smiled. “Ah, Lieutenant, come in. You wish to speak with me?"

  "Yes, sir.” Katya heard Olga's voice, coming as if from her own lungs. “Could we speak privately?"

  Andrei's smile faded, but he gave a silent nod. Olga locked the door behind her. She carried papers in her left hand.

  They faced each other across the desk. The silence between them lasted just a little too long.

  "Sir ... I—"

  "Wait.... Before we say anything else, I think I should show you something.” He opened a drawer and took out a picture in a frame. “This is Katya, my wife. We've been married four years now."

  Olga looked at the wedding photograph. “She is beautiful."

  "Yes.” Andrei looked at Olga. “And I would never do anything to hurt her."

  Olga nodded. Then she said, “I have requested a transfer.” She dropped the papers onto the desk. “Everything is in o
rder, sir. It only requires your signature."

  Andrei looked at the papers as at a regrettable duty. “Of course.” He retrieved a pen and scribbled his name. “There you are."

  Olga took the papers. “Thank you.” After a pause, she added, “It has been an honor to serve with you, sir."

  "Good luck in your new unit."

  Olga stood to attention and saluted. Andrei rose and returned the salute.

  Then Olga turned, unlocked the door, and left the office.

  * * * *

  "You were falling in love,” Katya said after Mariya released their hands.

  "We agreed to end it before someone got hurt,” replied Olga. She looked pleadingly at Katya. “Your husband is a good man. I would never do what those ... things were—"

  "I know,” said Katya. “But we still don't know why the Engineers look like you.” She turned to Mariya. “What else did your mother say?"

  "She wouldn't answer all my questions. She said it isn't enough for us to know what's happening. We will have to understand it.” Mariya sighed. “There is one other thing.” She reached inside her sleeve and produced a key. “This unlocks a small door in the corner of the baggage car. She said it would take us where we need to go."

  Katya tried to think. “Olga,” she said at last, “the Engineers seem to fear you."

  Olga snorted. “They couldn't get away from me fast enough. It was almost funny."

  "Mother said most of the Engineers will be in the sleeping car, beating back the Machinists,” said Mariya.

  "Still, Olga, I think we'll need you. Will you join us?"

  "What else do I have left?"

  Katya nodded sadly. “Thank you. Sergeant?"

  Sgt. Berk raised the lid with his hydraulic strength and, one by one, they dropped to the floor. Mariya led them past corpses and wooden crates to a corner. There, visible only when Sgt. Berk shone his light on it, stood the door.

  Katya reached up and put the key in the lock. “Ready?"

  They nodded. She opened the door and they stepped through.

  V: Engine

  Before them was the engine. Its dimensions seemed normal to Katya. Olga and Berk no longer appeared to be giants, though Mariya was still no taller than a child.