Fires of Invention

by J. Scott Savage

  “Oh, you’re a freak all right,” said a voice from outside the door. Angus stepped into the room, holding a thick metal rod. He stared at Trenton. “I heard everything you said. You’re sick. Retraining was invented for people with crazy ideas like yours.”

  Trenton raised his wrench, but Simoni stepped between the boys and faced Angus. “You followed me.”

  He nodded. “And you led me straight to them.” He cocked his head at Trenton’s wrench. “What are you going to do, tighten me to death?”

  “Try me.” Trenton cocked his arm, ready to swing.

  “Don’t bother.” Kallista slumped against the wall. It’s only a matter of time before the dragon breaks into the city. With nothing to stop it, it will kill us all.”

  Simoni’s eyes widened. “There isn’t really a dragon, is there? You only said that to get away, right?”

  “Of course there isn’t,” Angus said. “They’re both liars. I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to figure that out. There’s no such thing as dragons. They’re make-believe.”

  At that moment, a horrible, grinding sound came from the center of the city, followed by an echoing roar that brought goose bumps to Trenton’s scalp.

  “What was that?” Simoni asked.

  The four of them hurried outside the building to look. The creature roared again.

  “There’s your ‘make-believe’ dragon,” Kallista said. “It’s inside.”

  Angus opened his mouth, but no words came out.

  “It is real,” Simoni whispered. “It can’t get down here, can it?”

  Another metallic screech filled the air, and Trenton realized what must have happened. “It’s made it into the air-exchange pipe. It’s heading for the city.”

  Angus shook his head. “Whatever it is, it can’t get past the fans and grates.”

  Kallista grimaced. “It will rip those apart or melt them with its flames. I’m guessing it’ll follow the smell of humans until it reaches this level.”

  All of the blood drained from Angus’s face. It was the first time Trenton had seen him look scared of anything.

  “How do we stop it?” Simoni asked.

  “We don’t,” Trenton said with a shake of his head. “If we still had the mechanical dragon, we might have had a small chance. Now’s there nothing we can do.”

  Simoni clutched the front of his shirt. “You can’t give up. You’re always thinking. You always have ideas.”

  “Don’t you get it?” Kallista yelled, pulling Simoni’s hand away from Trenton. “We had ideas. We had a chance. We had a way to defend ourselves. But because of people like you, all of that is gone. My father tried to warn people. When they wouldn’t listen, even he ended up so depressed that he quit.”

  The roar sounded again, and Trenton was positive that he also heard screams. He turned to Kallista. “No, he didn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He never gave up. When no one listened, he started leaving clues for you. He didn’t quit; he made a plan.”

  “A plan,” Kallista whispered. Her eyes widened. Without any warning, she pulled Trenton to her and planted a smacking kiss on his lips. “You’re a genius.”

  Simoni’s mouth dropped open.

  Trenton was so shocked, he could barely speak. “Um, thanks. But what did I say?”

  “That my father didn’t give up,” Kallista said. “His plan was to leave me clues. Ours is to get to the mines before they melt Ladon. Then we put him back together and fight the dragon.”

  For a moment Trenton thought that Kallista had come up with a real plan, but what she was suggesting was impossible. “How are we supposed to stop them from melting Ladon?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, all of her energy back. “We’ll figure that part out when we get there.”

  Trenton shook his head. “They’ll have people watching all the vents.”

  Kallista shrugged. “Then we’ll find another way down.”

  “There are security officers looking for us everywhere. We’d never make it.”

  “We can help with that,” Simoni said. She turned to Angus. “Can you get them security uniforms?”

  He grunted. “Why would I do that?”

  Trenton couldn’t believe Angus was being so stubborn. “Maybe because you don’t want to get eaten by a huge flying reptile.” As if to emphasize his point, the dragon screeched again.

  Angus looked toward the center of the city and nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll do it. But if this is some kind of trick . . .”

  “It’s no trick,” Trenton said. He wished it was. Even with uniforms, their chances of getting to the mines in time were small. Still, a weak plan was better than none at all. “If we make it down to the mines, we’ll need someone to help us find our way. And I know just the person.”

  39

  Halfway back to Trenton’s apartment, they heard the elevator rumble to life. A few minutes later, a group of people ran out, screaming.

  One of the men clutched a security guard by the front of his uniform. “Something’s up there!”

  “It’s eating the animals and burning everything,” a woman cried. Her cheek was swollen, and part of her hair was burned away.

  “Come on,” Trenton said. “We have to hurry.”

  They ran to Trenton’s apartment building, passing more people who’d obviously come from working night shifts on the food-production level. Several of them had charred clothing and burned skin. Lights were coming on all over the city, and people rushed outside to see what was happening.

  Trenton wondered what the chancellor thought now, then realized he didn’t really care. If they came out of this alive somehow, things would undoubtedly change in major ways. But for now, they had to find a way to survive, and chances were good that a lot of people would get hurt or killed tonight.

  The lights of his apartment were on when he arrived, and when he opened the door, his mother and father were sitting in the living room.

  “Trenton!” his mother cried when she saw him. She tried to get off the couch and hobble across the floor to him, but Trenton’s father reached over and urged her to sit. She settled back down, then said, “We heard you were arrested.”

  “We heard screams, but I didn’t want to leave your mother alone,” his father said. “What’s happening out there?”

  “It’s a long story,” Trenton said. “I’ll tell you everything later, but right now, we need your help.” The others came into the apartment and crowded behind him.

  “Who’s that?” his mother asked.

  Trenton stepped aside to let them in. “You know Simoni. This is Angus Darrow, and she’s Kallista Babbage.”

  His mother’s face hardened, and her lips turned white. “I will not have that—that inventor’s daughter in my house.”

  Kallista turned and started toward the door.

  “No,” Trenton told Kallista. “Don’t leave.” He turned to his mother. “You don’t understand. She’s my friend. She’s helping me—”

  His mother pointed a shaking finger at Kallista, her eyes wide and glittering. “Don’t you dare call her a friend. Her father was a murderer and an inventor.” She spat the second accusation as though it were worse than the first. “I won’t have her in my house.”

  “I’ll go,” Kallista said. But Trenton’s father crossed to the door and shut it.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “Leo Babbage was one of the finest men I’ve ever known. His daughter is welcome under my roof anytime, day or night.”

  Trenton’s mother opened her mouth, but her husband stepped in front of her. “I haven’t said a word about the way you’ve badgered our son. I let you say things I didn’t agree with because I love you and know how much pain you’re in every day. But I won’t let you send this girl away. I won’t.”

  Trenton’s mother stared up at her husband, her mouth working but not saying a word. This was the first time Trenton had ever heard his father raise his voice to her. She put a hand o
ver her eyes, but she didn’t say another word.

  His father turned to face Trenton and the others. “What’s happening out there?”

  “A creature is attacking the city,” Trenton said. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what it is, but it’s on the first level, and it’ll be here soon. Kallista and I built something to fight it, but the chancellor had it disassembled, and he’s ordered the mechanics to send the parts into the smelter. We have to stop them, but we don’t know our way through the mines.”

  “I can get you there, but . . .” Trenton’s father looked at his wife and back to his son. Then he looked to Simoni. “Would you stay with her?”

  Simoni stepped forward. “Of course. You go.”

  He kissed his wife and whispered, “I’ll be back soon. I love you.” He hurriedly grabbed his coat and helmet. “Take care of her,” he told Simoni. “She means the world to me.”

  As Angus opened the door and the others began filing out, Kallista looked at Trenton and tilted her head toward his mother. Trenton paused.

  His father stopped at the door. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just need a minute,” Trenton said. He walked over to his mother and knelt at her side. He looked back, and Kallista nodded her encouragement before walking out the door. Trenton took his mother’s hand. “Mom, I know that you told the chancellor to keep me out of mechanic training.”

  She stared at him, her face tired but firm. “It was the right thing to do. I’d do it for you again.”

  “I know you would,” Trenton said. “And I want to tell you that if something happens to me, well . . . thank you.”

  His mother blinked. She opened her mouth to speak, but Trenton hurried on. He didn’t have time to say everything he wanted to, but he’d do the best he could. Kallista was right; no matter what his mother had done, his relationship with her was too important to lose. “Thank you for caring enough to try to protect me. I’m still a mechanic at heart. I always will be. And because I am, there’s a chance we can save the city. But you were right too, about the food-production level. It is beautiful. I learned a lot. If I don’t come back, know that I love you.”

  He had a lot more to say, to explain, but no time. So instead, he kissed her cheek, turned, and hurried out the door.

  “Thank you,” his father said, patting him on the back.

  They’d barely left the building when a ball of fire exploded in the center of the city. Metal screeched, and a huge, green creature clawed its way out of the air-exchange pipe, crushing the metal like sticks of chalk with its teeth.

  A ball of ice swelled in his chest. Even with Ladon, he didn’t think they could stop a monster that powerful.

  His father stared up at the beast as it spread its wings and roared. “What is that thing?”

  “A dragon,” Trenton said.

  The creature launched itself into the air and blew a stream of flame, lighting an apartment building on fire. Sirens went off, and suddenly lights came on all over the city, making it look like midday.

  Angus stared up at the beast, eyes wide. “I didn’t . . .”

  “No time to worry about that now,” Kallista said. “Let’s go.”

  They raced for the elevator, but security had it closed off as hundreds of people tried to escape to lower levels.

  “Why aren’t they letting them on? Trenton said. “They’ll get cooked here.”

  His father shook his head. “We’ll never get through.”

  “Leave it to me,” Angus said. He raised his badge in the air and bulled his way through the crowd, shouting, “Security! Move aside! Security! Out of the way!”

  Even in their panicked state, the people responded to the law as they’d been trained to. Trenton, his father, and Kallista followed in his wake.

  “Elevator’s off-limits,” an officer said as they approached. “Official orders.”

  “The orders have changed,” Angus said. “I have direct word from my father, Marshal Darrow. I’ve been ordered to escort these people to the mines. Take as many others as we can safely fit into the elevator. After that, get as many below as fast as you can. Send word to the elevators in the other quadrants to do the same.”

  The officer looked suspicious.

  “Do you want to be sent to retraining?” Angus bellowed.

  The officer turned to the others. “Get these people to line up. Women and children first.”

  Angus turned to Trenton and shrugged. “Looks like I learned something from my father.”

  The elevator filled quickly. Trenton tried to block out the screams coming from above as the car descended. He gripped Kallista’s hand. “If only I hadn’t shown Simoni.”

  “Don’t blame yourself,” she said, squeezing his hand until it hurt. “If we find a way out of this, it’ll be because you didn’t give up. And if we don’t . . .” She ran her fingers through her hair, making it looking even spikier than usual.

  “Let’s not think about that,” Trenton said.

  When the elevator stopped and people swarmed out, a couple of miners hurried over. “What’s going on up there?”

  “The city is under attack,” Trenton’s dad said. “A lot more people will be coming down. Take them to the steam pipes where there’s less dust and it’s warmer.” As the workers turned to guide the other people to safety, Trenton’s father pulled one of the workers aside. “We’ve got a problem,” he said under his breath. “We’ve got to stop some people from making a serious mistake. Round up every man and woman that you trust and meet me at the feeder to smelting plant three. It’s the only one running at this hour.”

  “Right away,” the man said, dashing into a nearby tunnel.

  Trenton’s father found helmets for the four of them, shouldered a pickaxe, and led them down a tunnel to the right. Trenton would have been lost in minutes in the maze, but his father led them unerringly to where a group of about a dozen miners stood around a pile of shimmering gold parts. One of them was about to place a wing strut onto the feeder belt when Trenton’s dad stepped forward.

  “Put that back,” he ordered. “This belongs to these kids.”

  Two security officers stepped out of the group and blocked his way. “They’re unauthorized, and they’re supposed to be destroyed. Chancellor’s orders.”

  “You don’t understand,” Angus said. “A dragon is attacking the city. Go look for yourselves if you want proof.”

  “Sorry. We have orders.” The man holding the strut put it on the belt and reached for the lever to start the feeder.

  Trenton’s father lifted the pickaxe from his shoulder. “I can’t let you do that. The machine those pieces are from may be our only chance to stop the attack.”

  The security officer in charge glanced at the men behind him and smirked. “You and the kids are going to stop us from carrying out orders?”

  Footsteps sounded from a nearby shaft, and at least two dozen men and women strode out of the darkness, each of them carrying a pickaxe or shovel. Their arms bulged from regular physical exertion, and their eyes gleamed white against their coal-darkened faces.

  “What’s happening?” one miner asked.

  “We’re carrying out direct orders from the chancellor,” the senior officer said. “If you don’t want to be arrested, you’ll stand back and let us do our job.”

  The workers looked at Trenton’s father.

  “Is that true?” a female miner asked.

  Trenton’s father took off his helmet and stepped up to the group of miners. “Two levels above us, men, women, and children are dying,” he said. “Your husbands, wives, and children are all in danger. The only chance to stop the danger is the machine these men are trying to destroy.”

  “What kind of danger?” a man asked. The miners began edging back toward the elevator.

  “My kids are up there,” another said. They all seemed to be on the verge of running back to the elevator.

  “Stop! Listen to me!” Trenton’s father shouted. “We don’t have time for that
. My wife is up there too. If you want to see your families again, then help these kids.”

  The miners whispered to one another.

  “Ray Coleman has never lied to us before,” the woman said. “I don’t see why he’d start now.”

  The men behind her nodded. One of them, a man with shoulders twice as broad as Trenton’s, raised his pickaxe. “I think you folks better let the kids through.”

  Trenton’s father reached forward and grabbed the strut from the astonished worker by the feeder. He turned to Trenton and Kallista. “How we can help you?”

  • • •

  Kallista slammed her hand against a piece of Ladon’s leg. “It’s no use.”

  They’d assembled as much of the dragon as they could with the tools the miners had rounded up, but they couldn’t figure out how to put several of them together without Leo Babbage’s tools. And even if they could make it up to where they’d built the dragon, they had no guarantee the tools were still there.

  Trenton wiped sweat from his face. Despite the cold, his shirt was soaked with perspiration. The miners had been a great help in putting Ladon back together, especially his father, who was surprisingly good with tools. But now they were at a standstill.

  “If only Leo were here,” Trenton’s father said with a shake of his head. “I’ve never seen a man better with machines.”

  “How did you know Kallista’s father?” Trenton asked.

  “He came down here to work all the time. Said the quiet helped him think. A few of the men complained at first, but after he repaired their equipment so well that it ran better than new, that stopped.