Dreams and Legends

by Spadaro, Jason

  Bone Teeth hung its head. "Prophecy."

  "Yes, prophecy," said Gobble Dawn's first head; the second always remained mute, observing. He looked into the glass cover that encased the rose on the stone pedestal. The entire cavern could have grown from that one tiny pillar, wrapping over and encasing the rose. The torches on the wall flickered, causing light to dance across the dull gray walls.

  They sat in silence for a time. Bone Teeth stood up on his four stumpy legs, and started pacing back and forth. "We should move on. We should alert the Lady in Scarlet."

  Gobble Dawn stood up, and nodded both heads. "Yes. Soon the next phase of the prophecy will transpire. The Lady should be aware."

  They left the cavern, proceeding through a stone tunnel up into the underground city.

  ~ ~ ~

  The underground city was old, very old. It had been built hundreds of years ago from the earth and stone. Huge pillars supported an almost celestial ceiling high above the squat buildings and thoroughfares of the expansive space it resided in.

  Like great tendrils descending from high above, large pipes connected to the tops of the factories of the Lady in Scarlet. These produced the goods of the land, always working at peak efficiency. The goods would find their way to the market after they were made; the buildings there were much more modest. Finally, they would end up in the hands of the citizens of the city.

  The Lady in Scarlet made sure her citizens, her workers, were taken care of. They had homes, food. They had an ever present symbol. Her opulent tower rose in the center of the market, a symbol of power and wealth. There she lived, and held court. It was there Gobble Dawn and Bone Teeth made their way to.

  They emerged from a tunnel, and passed into the boxy carved stone of the factory district. Bone Teeth waddled along, focused on the tower in the distance. Gobble Dawn was interested in what may have changed, though. They had been at their post for quite some time.

  The most unusual part, Gobble Dawn noted, was how quiet it was. In this region there was always noise. People would be arguing with superintendents, a low hum of machinery vibrating through the stone, and the rumble of transports carrying the new products to the market. None of that seemed present.

  "It's eerie," half-mumbled Gobble Dawn.

  Plodding forward, Bone Teeth replied, "Another sign something is wrong. I bet this has happened within the last day, when the rose died and we made our way up the tunnels. We must go visit the queen."

  "Indeed," said Gobble Dawn, distant.

  They passed between the dormant factory buildings, their iron doors shut, their workers gone. In the archway in front of one of these doors sat a man. He was covered in fiber optic cable, passing down from the top of his head, and connecting to his arms, chest, and legs. He pinched at the end of one that had evidently become disconnected at some point. Carefully, he tried to push it into a connector in his arm. It wasn't working. "Damn," he whispered, focusing intently.

  Gobble Dawn walked over to the man. "Sir, can I trouble you?"

  The man ignored him, engrossed in his task. Bone Teeth stopped and scowled. They had more important things to do.

  "Sir."

  The man stopped. "Fidget. The name's Fidget, not sir. What do you want?" His left eye was a large metal ring with a lens, and it spun to better scrutinize Gobble Dawn.

  "I was hoping you could tell us what happened. This is the first time I've ever seen the factory district so quiet."

  "Where have you been? The last twenty four hours have been chaos!" The man gesture with his arms wildly. Another fiber optic cable released from his arm. Fidget twitched, and looked over at the cable. Sighing, he pinched its end and began to try to insert it into its connector.

  Bone Teeth couldn't hold back his impatience any longer. "Gobble Dawn! We have to keep moving. The prophecy is not waiting, and we must talk to the Lady."

  Fidget looked over at Bone Teeth.

  Gobble Dawn's mute head looked over at Bone Teeth, and nodded. They walked onward towards the market, leaving the man with fiber optic cables behind.

  Fidget tried to reconnect the cable he'd been working with. It slipped. "Damn."

  ~ ~ ~

  The market appeared incrementally. It started with a few tenements and shops, interspersed among the industrial buildings. As Gobble Dawn and Bone Teeth moved forward, the city around them slowly changed.

  Although not nearly as busy as either of them remembered, there were still people milling about going from shop to shop. Large sheets created tent-like storefronts, housing disinterested shop keepers smoking, talking, and eating meals they'd prepared the night before. What was normally a teeming bazaar seemed more subdued today.

  "Where are all the people today?" asked Gobble Dawn with a hint of resignation in its voice.

  "Prophecy. We must get to the queen." Bone Teeth was anxious when he said this; both of them knew the prophecy. The Burning Times.

  Gobble Dawn went to a stall selling Standardized Food Product. It looked at the selection, and said to the shopkeeper, May I get some of SFP-1101?"

  "Sure. Business has been slow. Here's my last in stock." He handed Gobble Dawn a bag filled with small, green triangles. Gobble Dawn placed its hand on a scanner to verify the purchase, and started snacking on the cracker like pieces.

  It walked over to Bone Teeth. "Would you like some? We've barely eaten, and we need to be ready to meet the Lady."

  Bone Teeth glared, and then said, "Alright."

  They sat and ate for a short while, then resumed their walking. The tower approached, high above them. Succumbing to a moment of rest, Bone Teeth looked at Gobble Dawn. "When we see her, how do you think she'll react?"

  Gobble Dawn hung its mute head, while the one that spoke looked off into the distance. "Not well, I suspect. Not well at all. No one likes change."

  ~ ~ ~

  The throne room was dark. This was unusual, as the large power unit behind the queen's chair normally filled it with blue light. The ornate murals were hidden in the shadows, and the officers of the court met with whispers. The Lady in Scarlet sat in her throne, eight feet tall and dressed in red. A crown of bone jutted up from her bald head, an extension of her skull.

  Rolling in front of her on a small metal and plastic cart, the court crier announced their entrance. "Bone Teeth and Gobble Dawn, the watchers of the rose m' lady."

  The whispers went silent as they approached the throne.

  "My queen," boomed Bone Teeth, bowing his head. Gobble Dawn also bowed, hanging its heads down low. "We come with news."

  She regarded them with piercing green eyes. "News of the rose, I presume?"

  "Yes, m'lady," said Gobble Dawn.

  She stood slowly, and raised her hand to the rest of the court. "Leave us. We have much to discuss. I will have an announcement tomorrow. Razor Slight, it would please me if you stayed."

  A pale, faceless man in a long purple robe bowed while the rest of the court filed out the doors at the front of the room. When she was sure they were alone, she sat down again.

  "I am to assume," she said, "that the rose is lost."

  "Yes, m'lady," replied Gobble Dawn, "We have watched it die, and it is now gone from us."

  "We, too, have seen the prophecy transpire here," she said. There was a sadness in her voice. "The power is almost gone. My factories are idle. There's been a restlessness amongst the workers, lawlessness, and cannibalism."

  Gobble Dawn hung its heads. "Am I to assume..."

  "Yes," she interrupted. "I have initiated the next phase of prophecy. As foretold by the Assistant Engineer centuries ago. I have sent word to the Foreman to do what is needed. The mines have faltered. We need more fuel to continue."

  Bone Teeth stared at the ground. "Prophecy."

  "Yes, prophecy. And either it will transpire, or we can return things to the way they once were. It is an iterative process."

  Gobble Dawn looked upon her. She had a savage, forbidden beauty. "How so?"

  "We can not stand
still; that would be failure and doom. We must produce, and then consume, producing more from the consumption. It must continue, or our whole way of life will end, and we with it." She looked over at Razor Slight. "What say you, adviser?"

  Razor Slight spoke through signs with his hands and fingers; he could not speak. He listened, though. Without eyes or a mouth to interrupt his thoughts, he understood much. This is why The Lady valued him.

  His hands shot out from his sleeves. He made a series of swift, intentioned gestures. She nodded, acknowledging understanding of the signs. "Come back tomorrow. There is much for me to discuss before a plan for you two can be set forth. Talk to the court crier; he will direct you to the staff who will attend to you while you stay here in the mean time."

  "Yes, m'lady," said Bone Teeth, and he bowed his head low again.

  With another set of final bows, both he and Gobble Dawn left the court to talk to the crier.

  ~ ~ ~

  The crier introduced them to the head of the domestic staff, who'd arranged for their rooms. They were directed through the labyrinthine maze of halls, antechambers, and ballrooms, until they finally arrived at where they would stay. They asked for a bottle of wine substitute and simple meal, and sat in Bone Teeth's room discussing what they'd seen so far.

  Spooning from a bowl of SFP-87, a pale, sweet mush, Gobble Dawn, alternated between its mouths. Bone Teeth ate on the floor; they'd worked together long enough that he knew Gobble Dawn wouldn't take offense, and understand that it was easier for him. He had SFP-45, a spongy, meaty substance. They both sipped their wine substitute, something neither had been able to enjoy for some time.

  "The great Lady was not pleased, but she respects us. You can tell; we aren't being cast aside now that our first role is done." Bone Teeth was pleased. He respected her, and trusted her without question.

  "Indeed," said Gobble Dawn, "but I get the feeling there is more going on here. There are more issues at play." It stopped eating and looked into the bowl. "And the prophecy has moved forward. More than just the power going dim around us. The Burning has begun." Bone Teeth began to protest, but Gobble Dawn just shook its head, "You know it's true. 'I have sent word to the Foreman.' That's what she told us."

  Bone Teeth stopped eating. "I know."

  "Things must continue. The Lady in Scarlet must have power to continue, and hopefully undo what has been done. Sitting and waiting is not her way."

  Bone Teeth slowly nodded, sadder still. "She knows what needs to be done."

  Gobble Dawn's mute head looked at Bone Teeth, still silent. Its other head spoke. "Change. Change and prophecy."

  "We shall see."

  They finished their meals in silence, and Gobble Dawn went to its room for the night.

  ~ ~ ~

  When they arrived together at the court the next day, despite being early there was already turmoil. The Lady in Scarlet sat upon her throne, while the rest of the court sat in shadows. In the center of the room there stood a great man, built for work. He was almost as tall as the queen herself, and muscular. His six arms and legs like pillars of flesh showed the years of heavy labor they'd grown to support on the factory floor. He sported a single eye in the center of his head and bush of dark beard.

  Gobble Dawn and Bone Teeth moved to the shadows as they spoke.

  "Ore Flesh, the court acknowledges your concerns," said the queen. "There is nothing to be done."

  "M'lady, I am not the only one who feels this. We have all been taken by lethargy, and the stories are not secret."

  The queen stood. "You all must return to the floor. You all must go back to work, even if there is no work to do."

  "M'lady, this is foolishness. When the power returns, we return. And turning us into fuel is not an option."

  "The Foreman and I will do what needs to be done. We all know that the Chief Engineer has his plans."

  "His plans be damned. I planned on moving four thousand units across the floor, to be converted to food product and transmission generators. That will not happen today."

  The queen scowled. "Leave this court."

  "Respectfully, no."

  The Lady in Scarlet snapped her fingers and motioned with her arm. A tall creature, wrapped in leather and standing on two cloven hooves, moved from the shadows. A massive pair of antlers rested on its long thin head. "Our queen has asked you to leave," it rumbled. It stood as tall as Ore Flesh.

  "Respectfully, I will not."

  The creature charged, its antlers bared towards the laborer. Ore Flesh grabbed hold of them in an effort to control the beast, but with a massive show of strength was flipped over the creature's head and onto his back.

  He landed with a dull thud on the floor of the court.

  With a preternaturally fast twist and side step, the monster spun around and put one cloven foot on the laborers chest, and began to pummel him in the chest and face. The room was silent except for the sound of the thing's club-like fists making dull contact over and over again.

  When the Lady in Scarlet was satisfied, she stood again. "Enough. Our point is made."

  The monster stopped, and bowed. "M'lady," it rumbled, then it withdrew back to the shadows.

  She gestured at Ore Flesh. "Remove him." Several servants emerged, and slowly dragged the bruised body from the court. Ore Flesh was still alive, but barely.

  When he was gone, the queen addressed the court. "See how bad things have become? This is not a moment to stand still. We must move forward. Inaction is death.

  "Bone Teeth. Gobble Dawn. Please approach."

  Cautiously, they moved before the throne and bowed.

  "You both are devout in your service, and I must ask you to serve again in this new task. You must contact the Foreman. He knows his tasks. He knows our needs. Retrieve from him the specifications, and bring them to the Assistant Engineer. The Foreman will know where he can be found."

  "Yes M'lady," said Bone Teeth.

  She had an unusual wariness about her. "Provision yourselves for the journey, and leave immediately. We depend on you."

  With a bow, they left to prepare.

  ~ ~ ~

  When they left the queen's palace, waiting by the exit gate was Fidget. "I've been wondering when I would see you two again."

  Bone Teeth grunted in dismissive affirmation that they were leaving.

  "Fidget. How are you?" asked Gobble Dawn, still moving. That had a lot of ground to cover, but would arrive at the Foreman in a day or so.

  Fidget followed. "So, as a reasoning person, I wondered to myself, 'How would these two not know what had been going on?' I thought about this, and asked around the market. When I discovered you had been seen entering the palace, I knew something was going on. Something big. And decided to sit out here, in the dirt, and wait."

  Gobble Dawn chuckled, "For what? A fiber optic technician?"

  Fidget scowled. "No, you two ignorant machines."

  "Why would you want anything to do with an ignorant machine?"

  "You must be important parts of a greater whole. And it's good to know what's going on when uncertainty is king."

  "We still have a queen," growled Bone Teeth.

  Fidget nervously laughed. "Yes, quite right. Ummm... Ore Flesh..."

  "What of him?" Gobble Dawn said dismissively. "He had to have known the risks, and the results of disrespect."

  "Yes, but he was just voicing what... uh... many others may feel."

  "Quite right, and they too will see what happens," stated Bone Teeth.

  Fidget was quiet for a moment, but continued to follow them through the market. "Quite right."

  They proceeded in silence till they reached the factory district ringing the city. "How far are you going?"

  "We're going to meet with the Foreman."

  Fidget stopped. "Chief Engineer's balls, you realize what has started, right? Buildings are being cleared out. The Foreman is a devil."

  Bone Teeth glared. "He's following orders. The queen has requested, and he h
as aquiesced."

  "I see." Gobble Dawn and Bone Teeth continued walking, while Fidget stood still. He knew there was a risk... he could become fuel for the fire. But... was he any safer here? At least as long as he stayed with Gobble Dawn and Bone Teeth he might assume some form of immunity.

  "Chief Engineer's balls."

  He ran to catch up to them.

  ~ ~ ~

  They made camp in a tunnel, past the factory district that ringed the outside of the city. They had to go up. Like the cave where they watched the rose had been below the city, the vast work rooms of the Foreman were above the city, feeding the pipes that stretched down into the factories of the Lady.