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Sprocket led Callen and Ania towards the long hallway that they had entered through as the assembly of religious gremlins and nobles headed out before them. Before leaving, Callen watched the Cogs drag the frightened children back into the depths of the dark castle. Sadie gave Callen one last sad glance as she disappeared behind the door. He hoped he would see her again. He gave Tende a nod of confidence as he disappeared after her.
"We'll get them back," Ania said as they reached the door. "You did the best you could."
Callen nodded. "But, it wasn't quite good enough...they're still in danger."
"But, so are we," Ania said. "So, what's the difference?"
They followed Sprocket through the doors and Niknak followed behind them, muttering to himself.
In the hall, next to one of the dark alcoves, Virette waited for them. "Impressive, Marked One." She grinned at Callen as they approached. "You as well, daughter dearest." She looked at Sprocket. "I always said I knew you would be pivotal in uniting our people."
"I don't know what your game is, Mother." Sprocket crossed her arms as she stopped.
"Same as yours, dear, same as yours," She grinned. "I want to see the goblins crushed, the plague cured, and our people united, just like everyone else."
"I don't get it mother." Sprocket sighed. "You have the most to lose from all of this...everything you built...gone if he returns victorious...yet you encouraged this and even accepted the Marked One prophecy as truth...why?"
"Our people are suffering...we need hope...civil war will do none of that..."
"That's not it, Mother. Your actions are what...well, were, leading us to civil war..."
"Still brainwashed by your father?" Virette sighed. "It was actually he that was the problem, I wish you'd see that...and I wish that you'd see that this old woman misses her children dearly." Virette sounded distant, and her voice was ripe with deep pain. "If we end this through the combination of both faiths, then we will reach a new era for our people...a golden age...I cannot deny that. You also forget that what I built was out of necessity. When the plague arrived, I had no choice but to spread the word of the Many and use my medical skills to heal as many as I could. The church grew around me...nothing more...your father sees me as usurper...while you seem to agree...when I only want our people cured...he brainwashed you...when our love died. I guess you've never stopped to consider my side..." She looked at Niknak, who had walked ahead, and stood waiting next to a dark hallway. "Or have you forgotten what he forced you to lose too?"
Sprocket looked at her mother and at Niknak. Pain crossed her face. "My duties are to my people, not sad affairs of broken hearts. But, mother...I will consider your words as I wait for all of this to be over."
"I thank you daughter, and hope your siblings will as well...hopefully we can discuss being a family again before you help The Marked One save us all?" She smiled with a mother’s warmth. “And maybe…somehow…after all this, your love will be who he once was…”
Sprocket shifted uncomfortably, but she obviously wanted both to come true. "I'll think about it...if I decide, I'll send you clearance to visit me in Tiremound."
"That is enough for your old mother. Until you decide, I will pray to the Many for victory." Virette looked at Callen and produced a flash-drive from her robes. "Marked One, take this." She pressed it into Callen's hand. "It will show you the pieces of the cure you must seek. Find them and bring them here." She gave him a sinister grin. "The Prophet will lead you to the Domain. We all await your revelations."
"Is this what you were talking about in your church?" Callen asked.
Virette only smiled, and with a twist, followed by a flutter of her tattered robes, she exited the palace.
"She has something up her sleeve, I know it." Sprocket murmured.
"What?" Callen asked.
"Don't worry about it." Sprocket said. "I'll deal with her. Now, come along."
Sprocket led them through the torch-lit hallways of the palace. They walked over chipped stone, floors of metal and wood, down rickety stairs, and under dripping pipes. They passed computer rooms and a variety of machines designed to keep the entire village running. There was a small electrical plant, filter systems for cleaning air and water. All were poorly maintained, but somehow still roared with mechanical life. Cogs were everywhere, and many were made just for keeping the castle functioning.
"Bunny-man?" Callen whispered to Niknak. Sprocket gave him a strange look.
He shook his head. "No that." He let out a low growl. "Bad, bad." He looked at the two armed cogs standing outside the door we looked like we were headed towards. "Stupid, stupid."
"You two know each other?" Sprocket asked.
"No," Niknak had stated coldly before Callen had a chance to answer.
The cog guards crossed their electric spears as they approached a vault door, but a few barks from Sprocket cleared it up. The guards uncrossed their spears, and one of the cogs spun the large tarnished metal dial. With the aid of the second cog, the heavy metal door was pulled open. Sprocket ignored the cogs as she stepped through.
Inside the vault, metal racks and shelves were bolted to the walls of an aged concert room. Stains and mold grew in the corners near a few workbenches and overflowing plastic creates chaotically stacked around the room. The parts in the crates varied across the spectrum of human technology as did the walls of weapons that hung on the walls. The room was a technological graveyard and the pieces were just waiting to be resurrected.
"Well, here we are...my father keeps all the best stuff here..." Sprocket sighed. "So, let's make this quick..."
"If you understand English, why don't you all just speak it?" Ania asked Sprocket.
Callen began looking at the equipment and scanning through the disassembled machinery, tools, and gear. He noted the cybernetic parts being built on one of the benches, and carefully scanned over the designs that rested near them. The gremlins understanding of technology was amazing. They were able to take chips, computers, parts from machines and build them into something that worked with their biology. He didn't exactly understand how and he found himself hoping for a chance.
"What is this English?" She asked.
"What we are speaking now."
"You mean the divine tongue?"
Ania nodded.
"It is only for the lips of the creators, the royal family, and those deemed worthy by my father." Sprocket said. "Now, get what you need."
Callen grinned as he spotted his wrist computer on the top of a crate that sat at the foot of one of the workbenches. He strapped the device on his wrist and it immediately began to sync with his goggles. He was relieved that it was in tacked. However, he realized that the EMP device was resting on the bench along with a few other items that Felix had developed. Luckily, there were just some confused writings in the notes and the device hadn't yet been tampered with. As he clipped it on his wrist and his computer immediately informed him that the device was active. All the software Felix was installing for him had been loaded. He knew that this little device might be something he could use if these creatures decide to betray them. How, he wasn't quite sure, but it did give him a slight bit of relief to have a device that he knew affected the gremlin's technology.
When his goggles finished their sync, he smiled when it alerted him to the cautionary levels of poisonous gases. It wasn't enough to hurt them, however if it increased slightly, they might need oxygen masks. Looking at Ania, she had already grabbed a portable respirator system and gas masks. She tossed him a set after loading hers into a back pack with an angry cartoon kitty on it.
"A Kitty of Suffering backpack?" Callen asked. "Wasn't that like one of your things when you like six?"
Ania nodded and stuffed a pair of flashlights, batteries, and some plastic water bott
les in the bag. "Yeah...but you liked it too...just admit it...it's a pissed off kitty that always wants to hurt people with her diabolical plots...but ends up hurting herself..." She picked up a first aid kit she found and continued searching.
"Garfield without the lasagna." Callen laughed as he opened one of the many boxes. Inside, he found loaded with military field rations. He gave Ania some and loaded his own backpack with survival gear. He grabbed a knife off one of the racks and a clipped it to his belt. He turned towards the door and looked at Sprocket. "Anything else you recommend?"
"You found our human food." She shrugged. "So..." She glanced at Niknak.
Angrily, he crossed his arms and muttered something about the children being stupid. With his chin, he motioned to the racks of weapons. "Knife not enough for you." He grumbled. "Need more weapons...tunnels very dangerous..." He pointed towards the guns near a few boxes that were loaded with a variety of ammo.
"What about you?" Callen pointed out. "You have no guns..."
Niknak glared at Sprocket. She shook her head. "I made sure I kept your shotgun in my locker." She stepped over to a locked box bolted to the wall and opened it with a key around her neck. She pulled out a pump-action pistol grip shotgun that had seen a lot of use, but it was well cared for and was decorated with personal designs. Some of the carvings looked like alchemical runes. She handed him the weapon and a box of shells.
Niknak nodded. "Firestorm's home." He muttered and loaded the weapon. He looked at Callen and gestured towards the firearm racks again. He loaded the rest of the shotgun shells into empty loops on the weapons shoulder strap.
“Ok, but those are assault rifles. Neither of us is trained to use them and they’re not exactly ideal for tunnels." Callen pointed out. "I need my gun." He looked at Sprocket.
"The commandos gave it to me earlier." Sprocket said, giving Callen a curious look. She pulled it out of her holster on her belt.
Callen took his hellbreaker pistol from her. The second the gun entered his hand he saw the goggles flash a small symbol that the synchronization had started. He grinned and felt as if he had a chance to get out of this mess.
"No be stupid. Crazy bad." Niknak growled as he rummaged around through one of the benches. He looked at the children and shook his head in disgust. He handed Ania a knife and gave her a small .22 rifle. He slid open a drawer of a bench and pulled out a tactical belt, much like the ones that he was wearing. He tossed Callen the belt. "No be stupid, boy." He glanced at the guards and at Sprocket. "Bad."
"You don't have to worry...I'm not..." Callen placed the pistol in the tactical holster and clipped it around his waist.
Niknak growled. "Dangerous surprises in dark..."
Ania picked up a fragmentation grenade from one of the racks and placed it in her bag. "What do you need that for?" Callen asked. "Aren't we going to be in tunnels? Grenades and tunnels with us in them might not be exactly a good idea..."
She shrugged and shouldered the .22. "Niknak's right...you never know."
Niknak shook his head in disgust at Ania and stared hard at Callen as he shouldered his shotgun. He shook his head and rummaged through the ammo crates. He plucked a pair of boxes of .22 and .38 ammunition and he handed them to the siblings. "Just, no be stupid."