by Cam Baity
I do not want to believe. But I know it’s true.
They knew I was here. Must have been ordered to come to this place and kill me. Ordered by the man who sent me here.
Mr. Goodwin.
But he promised me.
Confusion is drowned by sorrow.
Feel it digging into me like the Greencoats’ needles. Drawing my life from me, replacing it with stinging ice.
Why? Why would he do this?
I am the Dyad. His creation. He gave birth to me. In return, I gave my life to him. He knows I am his to command. Knows I would carry out his every order without a second thought.
Like the directors, slaughtered them at his request.
Perhaps that is why…
I see it now.
Mr. Goodwin turned me into a monster. Used me to rid himself of his enemies. Now I am inconvenient. Needs to dispose of me.
So he has named me an enemy of the Foundry.
I pound at the ore, carve into it with my jutting bones.
Sorrow is burned away by rage.
I make a promise of my own.
Mr. Goodwin.
I promise I will taste your blood.
Evening had fallen, and the place was packed with Foundry.
Micah tried to yank his hands out of the digital manacles as a team of paper-suited men marched him around the edge of the blight. He knew it was pointless—even if he could slip out and split, he wouldn’t get far. Micah dragged his feet, figuring every second of delay improved Phoebe’s odds, but they were having none of it. The men shoved him forward, hurrying him toward a spot marked by red flares blazing on the ground.
A ton of Watchmen were standing sentry at the edge of the Furrows. Micah knew they were just stupid brainworm robots, but he wished they felt fear—he wanted them to be terrified that the Aegis might pop out any second and waste them.
He saw a bunch of footprints, irregular dents in the ash-gray ore, running from the lip of the crater into the winding maze. Micah instantly knew what it meant. Phoebe had made it out of the blight, and the Foundry had followed her.
Had she reached the Ona? Had she gotten away?
Then he saw the body bags.
Four, five, six of them. And blood. The Aegis must have taken down the men that were pursuing Phoebe.
A spark of hope.
A curtain of camouflage cloth was pulled aside, revealing a passage. Foundry workers examined the mehkan fabric, cutting samples and inspecting it. Micah was prodded through.
More Foundry workers and Watchmen lined the winding, flare-lit channels. Footprints twisted this way and that. He kept his eyes fixed on the smallest ones, recognizing the tread of his boots—the ones Phoebe was wearing.
Micah was led around corners winding into the Furrows.
He froze.
Even before the man turned around, Micah knew him. His broad back, impeccable suit, and bone-white hair were unmistakable. Goodwin filled the passage, a pin-striped mountain blocking the way. The crimson flares glittered in his eyes. Behind the Chairman, Micah could see a small alcove, a dead end.
“It is done,” Goodwin stated, his voice black and brittle as the CHAR. He towered over Micah, looking down his nose at him. The corners of the Chairman’s mouth were upturned, not in joy, but with some hint of self-satisfaction.
“Where’s Phoebe?” Micah said, his body hot with alarm.
Goodwin’s shadowy smile vanished. He considered the boy for a long moment, then stepped aside to reveal the alcove.
She was on the ground, crumpled like a discarded sack of laundry. One hand was flung out, as if reaching for Micah. The rest of the alcove was empty.
No.
Micah mouthed the word, but no sound came out. He stepped toward her, and no one stopped him.
Her eyes were half open, staring up, seeing nothing. Her lips were parted, tongue slightly protruding between her teeth, lips curled back in a blank expression of disbelief.
“No.” This time it came out as a feeble rasp.
There was a dark bruise wrapping her neck.
Micah fell to his knees and grabbed her shoulders to rouse her. Her skin was loose and cold. He tried to speak a third time.
All that came out was an incoherent howl.
She was not unconscious.
She was not breathing.
Phoebe Plumm was dead.
accord one of several sacred texts that form the scriptures of the Way.
Aegis, aka “Emberguard” the group of deadly and mysterious mehkans that serve as the Ona’s personal guard. It is said that they are silent and able to vanish into thin air.
Ahm’ral one of the oldest mehkan cities, considered sacred by the Waybound.
aio a secretive mehkan species with a sinister reputation as hired assassins. The aios are distinguished by the black, membranous folds of their bodies, which obscure their features.
Albright City capital of the nation of Meridian, Albright City is the wealthiest and most resplendent metropolis in the world.
Albright, Creighton (1597–1646) creator of the Foundry, and widely considered the father of the modern age. Centuries ago, he was the owner of a struggling mining company, when he stumbled upon the portal that leads to Mehk. He kept this discovery a secret and transformed his company into the Foundry, using it to reap tremendous profit and usher in a new era of technology.
Alloy War a global conflict that lasted from 1630 to 1646. Many nations united against Meridian, afraid that the Foundry’s technological advantage was becoming insurmountable. More than thirty million people died during the long and bloody war.
Amalgam, aka “the amalgami” an isolated, idyllic community of cave-dwelling mehkans.
arch-axial exclusive title for a mehkan high priestess of the Way.
The Arcs a vast mehkan geological formation of stair-step ravines and natural land bridges, carved by the elements over the millennia.
augurweed a mehkan grain that is fermented to produce viscollia.
axial a mehkan priestess of the Way.
balvoor (e.g. “Mr. Pynch”) a boisterous mehkan species with a highly developed sense of smell. Balvoors are known for their expressive emotions and colorful way of life. Their talent for languages makes them uniquely suited as diplomats and politicians.
Bearing holy mehkan vestments worn by the ancient Waybound.
Bhorquvaat a mehkan port city whose name roughly translates to “The Grand Mark,” the ancient landmark around which the city was built.
bleeder the mehkan term for a human.
blight one of a number of quarantined zones in Mehk that has been rendered useless due to the lingering effects of CHAR.
Bloodword mehkan term for human language.
The Board the ultimate authority within the Foundry, elite and anonymous overseers known only by their voices.
bonding round white chemical bullets designed by the Foundry to incapacitate and kill mehkans, striking their target in a semi-liquid state and hardening upon impact.
Callendon a wealthy southern state in Meridian, known for its luxury beach resorts.
CHAR, aka “Colloidal Hypo-Amaroid Retroacid” a Foundry-made chemical weapon that dissolves metal, invented specifically to assault Mehk. The Foundry has banned the use of CHAR due to its permanent and cumulative corrosive effects.
Children of Ore a term used by the Way to refer to all mehkans, who they believe were created by Makina.
Chokarai a dense mehkan forest of pipework trees that is home to the chraida.
chraida (e.g. “The Ascetic”) arboreal mehkan species with a fierce tribal culture. They are hostile toward humans due to the Foundry’s incursions on their land.
chusk knobby mehkan vegetation eaten by grundrulls and used by langyls to create metallic textiles.
Citadel an ancient mehkan palace, once home to the dreaded emperor Kallorax, now occupied by the Foundry. It is widely reviled for its façade, which is covered in melted mehkan corpses.
click a mehk
an unit of time, roughly equivalent to an hour.
Coiling Furrows a natural mehkan maze formed by tectonic pressure that forced rippled sheets of ore to the surface.
Com-Pak a small, versatile communications device made by the Foundry.
Control Core a massive tower in the Depot that serves as the new center of operations for the Foundry in Mehk.
Council of Nations an international cooperative organization to promote diplomacy, founded in response to the Alloy War.
Covenant secret rebel army of the Way, an underground network of mehkan freedom fighters sworn to defend their world from the Foundry.
Crest of Dawn the towering, sculpted arch in the shape of a sunburst that looms over the bridge leading to Foundry Central. A depiction of this landmark serves as the company’s logo.
cycle a mehkan unit of time, roughly equivalent to a day.
Cyclewynder sleek Foundry racing vehicle with a flexible body atop a row of sharp wheels, used in Mehk to navigate difficult terrain.
cyndrl tumorous growths that are cultivated on the backs of freylani. These organic weapons can be harvested and used as grenades.
The Depot the Foundry’s central transportation hub in Mehk, located at the mouth of the tunnel that leads back to Albright City.
Dervish rifle a silent Foundry-made firearm with four rapidly spinning barrels and an internal solenoid that heats bonding rounds to the melting point.
Dialset a Foundry-made telephone.
directors Foundry supervisors and representatives of the Board. They have immense power in overseeing day-to-day operations, especially in Mehk, but answer directly to the Board.
Divine Dynamo a holy name for Makina.
Durall a durable metallic fabric of many uses, derived by the Foundry from the mehkan textile known as chusk.
Dyad Project a top-secret Foundry project focused on creating a human-mehkan hybrid. Kaspar is the sole surviving experimental test subject.
dynamo symbol of the Way, a circle bisected by a jagged line like the teeth of a gear.
Dyrunya a mehkan river city of meticulous pipework architecture that extends both above and below the river surface. Home to the lumilow.
edict one of many verses in the sacred accords of the Way.
ember according to the traditions of the Way, embers are the sparks of life in every living thing. When a mehkan dies, its ember travels beyond the Shroud to be judged by Makina.
Emberguard a term for the revered Aegis.
Emberhome secret sanctuary of the Ona, thought to have been destroyed long ago.
ember-reaper a term for the feared Uaxtu.
Ephrian Mountains a massive range of living mountains on the eastern continent that disappears into the Shroud.
Ephrian plains a wild mehkan province on the eastern continent that remains undeveloped by the Foundry. It is said to be home to many species of mehkan that are otherwise considered extinct.
Erghan an ancient mehkan language.
ettik a brusque mehkan species that typically dwells in arctic regions, recognizable by their stout, tripod legs and their dense, bristle-haired carapaces.
Everseer a holy name for Makina.
The Expanse a term used by the Way to refer to the course of all time, as created by Makina.
ferro-crotic pertaining to the liquefaction and decomposition of metal, especially as resulting from exposure to CHAR.
Ferro-nomic Treaty the trade agreement that ended the Alloy War. It permitted, for the first time, international distribution of Foundry products. The terms were favorable to Meridian, imposing strict guidelines on the kind, quality, and price of materials that could be sold to other nations.
firkin pipework dwellings of the lumilow.
flux a toxic liquid metal that makes up mehkan oceans. In its solid state, flux falls from the clouds as bullet rain.
The Forge a celestial furnace in the afterlife, which Makina uses to judge the embers of the dead, according to the Way. They claim She douses the wicked, stirs the imperfect to be reborn, and blazes the righteous to live in harmony with Her for eternity.
The Foundry the world’s largest and most profitable corporation, established centuries ago by Creighton Albright. Due to its clandestine operations in Mehk, it is the foremost manufacturer of metal and technology.
Foundry Central an extensive complex located on an island in Albright Bay, home to the Foundry’s primary research, manufacturing, and distribution hubs.
freylani (e.g. “The Mercanteer”) a physically ponderous mehkan species that has a talent for commerce and trade. Their hunchbacks are fertile biomes used to grow a staggering variety of goods, from which they always seek to profit.
function mehkans who adhere to the Way believe this to be their spiritual purpose in life, a unique reason for every individual’s existence that, if discovered and pursued, will lead to enlightenment.
Fuselage a langyl settlement in the Chusk Bowl that has been destroyed by the Foundry.
fusion mehkan term for midday, when the ring of rising suns coalesces in a singular zenith.
gauge mehkan currency of metallic rings. The worth of individual units, or “tinklets,” is indicated by the size and color of the ring.
Gauge Pit a black market in the mehkan city of Sen Ta’rine, featuring an auction house that specializes in slave trade.
gears of fate a term used in the Way, referring to the aspect of Makina’s plan that influences the lives of all sentient beings and how they impact one another.
Ghalteiga a squalid mehkan settlement on the Inro Coast with a reputation for lawlessness.
gha-tullei a mehkan word for “sanctuary.”
gohr a physically imposing mehkan species with crane-claw hands that honors warriors above all else. Known for their brute strength.
The Grand Mark a prominent landmark in the mehkan city of Bhorquvaat, from which the city derives its name. It is a massive crater surrounded by concentric rings of white, petrified waves of ore. The Waybound claim this is an impact crater formed when Makina smote the wicked mehkans who once lived there.
The Great Decay an era that began with the appearance of humans in Mehk. The Waybound claim that the Great Decay is a result of mehkans losing faith in Makina, which led to the decline of the Way, widespread enmity among mehkan species, the dissolution of mehkan society, and the rise of the Foundry’s power.
The Great Engineer a holy name for Makina.
Greinadoren a human nation that is a prominent member of the Quorum with a sophisticated military and an agency known for espionage.
Haizor a prominent mehkan language.
The Heap a mehkan ghetto in the city of Sen Ta’rine, home to refugees displaced by the Foundry’s incursions.
Hearth a secretive method of communication used by the Covenant, in which remote individuals can speak and be seen through surfaces of specialized molten metal.
hiveling (e.g. “Tchiock”) a rare and reviled mehkan species that is said to have been bred as slaves for the ancient megalarchs. These amphibious monstrosities are cruel and fearsome, almost never seen outside the lagoons of dead lands.
hohksyk (e.g. “Korluth”) a gentle race of mehkans that can eject a self-propelled liquid metal, which acts as a remote sensory organ. This ability makes them experts of surveillance.
hoistvyne a sturdy mehkan ivy that functions like an organic block-and-tackle pulley system, used in lifts and elevators.
Housing a temple of the Way.
Housing of the Broken temple of the Way that serves as a sanctuary and hospital to mehkans with handicaps or deformities.
Hy’rekshi jungle a lush and expansive region of Mehk known for its staggering biodiversity.
ichor the viscous, dark brown life essence of many mehkans.
indruli a trained, nocturnal mehkan beast, known for its aggression if roused from sleep.
Inro Coast the craggy western shoreline of the Mirroring Sea in Mehk.
interval mehkan term for “seaso
n.”
jaislid (e.g. Axial Phy) members of a populous species of mehkan that commonly work as drones and laborers, often considered second-class citizens.
jelyp oceanic mehkan critters with tubular shells that emit jets of pressure for locomotion.
kailiak (e.g. Orei) a harsh and solitary mehkan species, whose bodies are precise instruments of measurement, allowing them near-psychic mathematical insight. They are averse to emotion, which can inhibit their ability to measure, thereby putting them at risk of physical harm.
Kallorax an ancient mehkan megalarch, notorious for his sadism and delusions of being a sun god.
Kappermane a northern state in the nation of Meridian, home to Albright City and famous for its natural beauty.
kav’o living mehkan weapons rumored to be bonded to and wielded by the Aegis.
Kholghit a mehkan city that has banned the consumption of viscollia, leading to a ruthless black market in illicit liquor.
Kijyo Republic a human nation in the Far East that is a founding member of the Quorum, openly hostile toward Meridian.
knurler a small oceanic mehkan scavenger known for its impervious grip when it clings to surfaces.
kulha a peaceful mehkan species with a nomadic tribal culture.
lacepetal frilly mehkan vegetation used for decoration and tribute.
langyl, aka “lang” an industrious mehkan species notable for their bizarre sheet-metal appearance. They tend grundrulls and harvest chusk fiber from their excrement to make textiles.
Lateral Provinces the larger, western mehkan continent and its various principalities.
liodim giant mehkan beasts with segmented shells and tank tread feet. They live in herds and are routinely hunted by the Foundry.
Loaii honorific term for a Waybound who is chosen to serve Makina for a specific purpose. Named for a mythical mehkan saint.
Lodestar XC-8 non-lethal Foundry weapon, a baton topped by a powerful magnetic coil that can repel and attract.
lumilow, aka “lumie” (e.g. The Marquis) an advanced race of mehkans who have bodies of prehensile tubing and communicate using a visual language of light. Their insular culture is renowned for discoveries in science and engineering and has a reputation for arrogance.