069 Encounters · 4
Encounters · 4
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erhaps Finch and Maye had expected Chain and Drop to wander into one of the numerous tiered parks on the exterior of the Chapel, or even one of the numerous shops that filled the belly of the mobile fortress. They were prime locations for visitors to interact with the nuns and allowed the nuns to trade for goods to keep their roaming convent operational. Not everyone who visited stuck to the shops and parks though and would occasionally find their way to the classrooms and library within. Had Chain found the library she might have lost herself in it as she perused all the knowledge it held. But Chain ended up nowhere near the library or the parks, or the shops or classrooms.
Wandering the pipe lined bowels of the impressive vehicle, Chain
was surrounded by nuns as young as children and old as great grandparents,
comprised of members of all the races of mankind. They were all dressed in
habits, but those varied by the wearer’s age. The youngest of children wore a
habit that was little more than a white blouse that transitioned to a navy
A-line dress that left most of their legs exposed. Older girls who were not
quite maids yet had white collared dress of navy hue that varied in length
seemingly to the whims of the individual while adults all wore full length
dresses with white, cape-like collars and white cuffs. No matter the age,
nearly everyone wore a veil of varying lengths, though the presence of a
coif seemed optional with the venerable preferring a loose fit to the form fitting
fit the younger preferred. It was all fascinating to Chain who studied the nuns
as they went about their affairs with wide eyed wonderment.
The nuns themselves were not all that caught Chain’s
enthusiastic curiosity as the bowels of the Chapel elicited the echoes of
detached memories within her head. Every machine seemed to be connected to a
pipe or conduit that went somewhere else and as she traced them with her eyes,
images of a far more technologically advanced facility that seemed to serve a
similar purpose, save for locomotion, danced just out of reach of her
consciousness. The elusive memories soured Chain’s good mood and her beaming
face grew somber the longer she wandered the bowels.
“Snatching these distant memories of ours seems nearly impossible.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating…”
Swinging her feet as she watched the nuns below the pipe she
seated herself on, Chain wondered what she was doing.
“I was supposed to be finding the Head Mother and complaining
to her, so how did I end up wandering around down here?”
“Because the machinery called out to our memories and the
attachments within. We do seem more fractured than we seemed to believe though
as they are very difficult to grasp.”
“Yeah…”
With a heavy sigh, Chain jumped down and her and Drop drifted
along aimlessly. No matter the group of nuns she followed about the Chapel,
none seemed to pay her or Drop much heed, regardless of her sword slung over
her shoulder or Drop being a spirit. The indifference left Chain pouting, and
nothing seemed to distract her from her souring mood until a door opened and
she heard someone talking about picking up a long distance distress call.
Poking her head into what appeared to be a massive radio communication room,
Chain’s eyes lit up at the sight of the busy, multitiered, room. Her enthusiasm
was tempered by a feeling of dread and the fragments of a memory of a radio
cutting out. Shaking that memory away Chain slipped into the room to let the
radio chatter distract her.
The Chapel seemed to be in constant contact with outposts and
travelers all over the Athera Mountains and the chatter was incessant. It was a
nice distraction from her own thoughts and Chain leaned against a wall and
soaked in the blissful chaos. Then a voice overrode ever other in the radio communication
room and called up memories of a stocky nāti male who impressively did not
stand as tall as Chain. Though the slender maid was not short, she was
definitely not tall either, but her height comparison to the owner of the voice
that filled the room did not cross her mind.
- What do you mean don’t come⁈ Have you lost your mind⁈ If you can’t kill that thing then
someone has to‼ You aren’t the only ones trapped and dying in this foul hole you
idiots‼ -
“Squawk!”
The name burst out of Chain as fragmented memories linked
like lit up synapses and she sprang to her feet. Surprising everyone in the comm
room, most notably the nun in charge with long brown hair in a tight ponytail and
round glasses, Chain charged the radio console that the voice came across and snatched
up the microphone in both hands. Depressing the call switch, she desperately called
into it.
“Squawk! Squawk! Can you hear me⁈ It’s me! It’s me! You know… You know…
I’m sorry but I’m so excited to hear your voice that I can’t put the broken
parts inside my head back together again to remember my own name. But we grew
up together and… Never mind me, what’s wrong Squawk? You sound terrified. Tell
me what’s wrong and where you are, and I’ll come save you. It’ll be just like
old times, Squawk. Just tell me where you are…”
Releasing the call button Chain stared down the radio console
impatiently, but there was no response. Depressing the call switch, she called
out again.
“Squawk…?”
Again, no response came as she released the call switch and a
severe dread descended on her. Before she could depress the switch again a
sympathetic hand massaged her shoulder. Looking back at who had placed their
hand on her, Chain locked eyes with the glasses wearing nun who ran the comm
room. Sadly, the nun shook her head.
“I’m sorry dear, but that was a recording that’s been set to
loop. It’s a warning to keep away.”
“Eh–⁈”
Confronted with Chain’s confusion, the nun nodded to her
junior who had been working the console. Returning the nod, the nun in charge
of the console flipped a few switches and was rewarded with the sound of
static. After a moment, a beep followed by the words of a man none of them knew.
- To anyone who picks up this message, do not come to Deep
Root Colony. I repeat do not come to Deep Root Colony. Do not answer any
distress signals, just stay away. If you do, whatever horror it is that roams
the shadows here will kill you all. It’s only a mater of time before myself and
the surviving Pilgrims of Atheaeldre are all slaughtered. For your own good, do
not come. -
- What do you mean don’t come⁈ Have you lost your mind⁈ If you can’t kill that thing then
someone has to‼ You aren’t the only ones trapped and dying in this foul hole you
idiots‼ -
The light faded from Chain’s eyes as she heard Sqauwk’s voice
repeat the exact same line that had brought her to the console. Another beep
played as Chain sat in silence and the message repeated again and again. The
junior nuns grew uncomfortable in air that surrounded Chain, but the nun in
charge of comm room remained resolute for Chain’s sake. Eventually, Chain
returned the microphone to its stand and looked at the nun.
“Where’s Deep Root Colony?”
“Dear, I’m sorry–”
“I don’t want your apologies or warnings!”
Chain’s sudden outburst startled everyone in the comm room.
Though obviously rattled, Chain tried to calm herself down, but her emotions made
her unstable.
“That was my friend there. I haven’t seen him since before I
was infected by the Foreigners. I didn’t know what happened to him and to hear
that he’s in trouble… I can’t just ignore that no matter how dangerous. So
please, tell me where Deep Root Colony is.”
“I don’t know dear.”
“Eh–”
The lack of knowledge stunned Chain and she stared in shock
at the nun. As the nun provided no further words with which Chain could argue,
she slowly scanned the comm room, ignoring the worried stares of the other
nuns.
“No…”
Not seeing what she wanted, the word fell out of Chain almost
against her will. Then she seemed to remember something and bolted from the room.
The Chapel ~
Interior ~ Crow’s nest office
Early Autumn ~ Late afternoon
Scattered thunderstorms and cool outside
Early Autumn ~ Late afternoon
Scattered thunderstorms and cool outside
The sun hid
behind the clouds in respect
A gentle rain fell joined by distant thunder
The spectacular view of the panoramic window dulled by somber air
A spry and venerable nun in white watching the scene with hands held behind
A lifetime of caution and sympathy embroiled within
A gentle rain fell joined by distant thunder
The spectacular view of the panoramic window dulled by somber air
A spry and venerable nun in white watching the scene with hands held behind
A lifetime of caution and sympathy embroiled within
“That’s terrible, I can’t help but feel sorry for her.”
The girl with the short red hair and blue eyes who spoke had
only seen some ten springs and thus was dressed within the typical habit of girls
her age on the Chapel. She did not where the veil or coif however and her
legs were mostly covered by white stocking, and though they reached up to the
middle of her thigh, they did not quite reach the white trimmed hem of her
dress. Her boyish voice gave her away as the girl Finch, and Maye beside her,
dressed in coif and veil with a white cuffed and cape collared garment that
blended a habit with a horse blanket completed the pair. It was the voice of the
comm room nun that spoke next through a radio console in the circular office
that also served as the Chapel’s crow’s nest.
- Sympathetic as her plight is, I fear that she is not
entirely mentally stable. Her words and way that she describes her thoughts and
memories. I fear Mother Osprey that it would be a mistake to leave her to her
own devices. -
“But first we must know what her course of action is.”
The venerable nun in white, Mother Osprey, spoke in a calm
and dignified manner. There was sympathy in her voice, but also control and
wisdom. Her calm possessed the power to keep others calm and no one in the Crow’s
Nest Office said a thing, allowing her time to gather her thoughts. Turning
around from the window, Mother Osprey took a seat at her desk and looked up at Finch
and Maye as she spoke.
“We know that she desires to seek her friend, but we also
know that she is unfamiliar with the land and the world at large since the
appearance of the Lucifalz. She cannot act without knowledge and we must ask what
knowledge she needs first.”
- The source of the radio message. -
“The location of Deep Root Colony.”
“So a map and a way to track the signal. We should have maps
in the library and at the helm, but the only sensor equipment we have is to
respond to the Light of the Lucifalz and…”
Finch’s eyes widened and she trailed off as she contemplated
what Chain would need for the comm room and Maye’s suggestions. With the
realization that came to her she stated the last knowledge Chain would need.
“How to get there.”
“That is correct everyone.”
Smiling, Mother Osprey congratulated her nuns on their success
on deducing the first actions Chain would likely take. However, despite the urgency
possessed by Finch, she remained calm and at ease.
“Sister Pij, please feel free to relax. We know what she will
be doing now and have no reason to be alarmed by her actions.”
“But Mother Osprey! If Deep Root Colony can be reached by land,
Chain might be desperate enough to try and steal my Dolmen.”
“I sincerely doubt that Daughter Finch. From what I have been
told she is a very troubled and tortured girl whose good cheer is born of not
being able to either express or experience her full range of emotions. That she
describes it as being fractured and separated is why we need not worry.”
“I’m afraid I do not understand Mother Osprey. She is also a
heretic and there is little reason to believe she can be trusted. She may be a Child
of Her Light, but still.”
“You have so little faith Sister Maye. If she an individual
can experience being so fractured, then it affords her an insight into how a
group is not as singular as it appears. She is hurting and has already accepted
and asked us for help. We need only wait for her to explain how she wants us to
help. So, let us enjoy some tea and the weather while we wait for her to join
us.”
Maye trusted Mother Osprey with all of her being, but she was
always amazed by the calm and control the venerable nun exuded. Even when faced
with a situation as unusual as the one presented by Chain she remained calm and
sure of how things should be. She could not predict the future however and the
sun had dipped a great deal in the sky, affording Finch and Maye the time to
dine with her before Chain finally came sprinting up the spiral staircase that
led into the Crow’s Nest Office. Her explosion of energy drew the attention of the
nuns on lookout duty, but they didn’t matter to Chain who skidded to a halt as
she spotted Mother Osprey. She was about to dash towards her, but the sight of
Finch and Maye seemed to change her energy and she balled her hands into fists
and stormed up to the desk. Slamming her hands down on it she leaned forward
while rolling her shoulders forward and pouted at Mother Osprey.
“I told you to leave me alone and stop following me. But… but…
but”
Chain seemed to struggle with what she wanted to say and
before she could succeed, she seemed to blow steam from her ears and fell over
backwards sprawling out on the floor with her eyes spinning from the effort. Again,
she drew everyone’s attention, though this time they expressed concern along
with their surprise. The only one who showed no concern was Drop, who swam up
above the desk and attempted to speak on Chain’s behalf.
“Forgive us for being so unruly, but our desires are
conflicting and we are very stressed. Our friend needs our help, but we lack the
means to do it on our own without making things worse between us. If it’s too
much trouble what we are attempting to say, can we instead take the Dolmen?”
“If you take my Dolmen I just know that you’ll wreck it
again!”
“If you expect an answer from Mother Osprey heretical
creature–”
“Sister Maye, Daughter Finch. Please calm yourselves. This age
we find ourselves in after the appearance of the Lucifalz is one of trials for
all of us. It is our duty to reclaim the Light for Her Eminence and the good of
all mankind. Though this child has become one with a spirit who our forebearers
instructed us to turn from, she is still a child of mankind, touched by the evil
of the Foreigners, possessed of Her Light, and a Sa·B·er whose duty it is to
protect us all. We must not withdraw the good will of Her Eminence who unified the
Sister Goddess and Father Icarus against the evils that inflict the races mankind.”
Mother Osprey’s calm typically maintained an air of
peacefulness in her presence, but her words had a different effect on Drop.
Exhaling in excitement, Chain’s tiny mermaid double clasped her hands together as
her eyes shimmered with joy and hope.
.
Copyright © 2019 Joshua D Tarwater
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