Chapter Four – The Agglomeration of Scientists
They continued to descend over the forest and the open grassland as they flew high above the mighty wall and over the rooftops of the eloquent stone buildings that filled the city below. The people in the streets stopped whatever they were doing to wave up or to simply watch the mighty ship that had come to dock - for some, no doubt - the return of any Reaper vessel to their capital city meant the possibility of loved ones lost to them forever. William’s expression saddened as his thoughts drifted on to those people now left behind by the fallen twenty. As his mind wandered further, a large white tower suddenly caught his attention. It stretched high up over the other buildings around it and stood cylindrical in shape - like the tall turret of an old castle - with a thatched pointed roof of yellow straw.
“What’s that building?” He asked inquisitively.
“Ah …” Hannah replied as a little smirk came subtly into existence, “That’s the Agglomeration of Scientists!” She paused, “well worth a visit before we leave!”
“Leave?” William replied - slightly taken back, “leave for where?”
“I wish I knew,” she sighed as her smile faded away.
The Firefly gently wafted on as William and his comrades quietly watched the white tower as it slowly passed them by.
“Shall we go down then?” Zaybian bellowed as he proceeded toward the hatch. He pulled its mighty weight slowly open and waited as Hannah, William and then Thysis climbed slowly back down the ladder.
“What are the games like?” William asked quietly as Zaybian climbed down to join them.
“They’re … interesting,” Thysis replied after some thought.
“No point standing around!” Zaybian fiercely interrupted as he headed back to the thin metal staircase that would take them back down to the floor of the ship. The other’s followed in silence as their shoes clinked along the metal below their feet and filled the air with the sound.
They walked up to - and stood behind - the two crewmen that were still manned at their controls, before they watched with happy hearts as the small airfield - that they now descended toward – slowly approached. A small square of tarmac, surrounded by little yellow lights that blinked quickly in succession, was to be the Firefly’s new home for the next few days. Gradually, they manoeuvred her into position and landed without as much as a bump. All at once - and without any prompt – the soldiers flooded out of their cabins to stand smartly in formation in the belly of the ship. The second and third levels were instant flurries of activity, as all walkways and stairways clinked excitedly in the madness. Once all seventy-six of them were formed up, the double doors at the back opened up and allowed Ivor - with Arcadian and Heradex in toe - to join the rest of the crew in their eager anticipation.
Silence gripped the entire vessel as all of her crew stood and waited.
Hannah eventually stepped forward, “Loyal friends!” She shouted, “you have fought bravely for your ship, for your comrades and for your Kingdom!” A roar of cheer came from the body of excitable men before her, “today, we have landed in Galadria as tradition dictates. You will have your three days to relax and to be with those that you love,” rowdy cheer filled the patient vessel, “then will come the start of the Games!” A second roar - louder than the first - rose up and filled the air, “enjoy the next five days, and I’ll see you all back here - bright-eyed and bushy tailed, on the morning of the sixth!” A third and final cheer arose, before the door opened swiftly and allowed the happy crew to leave the ship - laughing and joking as they went.
When all of the soldiers had gone, Ivor approached the four remaining friends with the two unix trailing behind. He stopped just before Hannah;
“And what about you, dear friend?” She asked softly, “What will you do?”
Ivor thought for a while, “Oh,” he sighed, “I will go and see my family in Fairfield no doubt, I hear that they have a new theatre there, then … I’ll probably watch some of the games,” as he spoke, he gently released the reigns and allowed them to dangle freely behind him, “I’ll be seeing you miss,” he said happily as he headed for the invading sunlight that had already conquered the ship.
“Well!” Zaybian roared, “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you too!”
“That you will,” Hannah smiled warmly.
“William.” Zaybian firmly nodded as he headed for the tarmac.
“See you soon then!” exclaimed Thysis excitedly before he rushed to catch up.
Hannah smiled at her brother - being the only two left on board, “Five days,” she said, “what say we spend them with father?’
William smiled and gently nodded in agreement.
“After we visit the Agglomeration of course!” she beamed as they both mounted their unix and trotted off of the ship. Quietly, its ramp retracted and its door closed tightly behind them as though it knew that there was nobody left to leave.
The remnants of the crew could now be seen in the distance - spread all around and headed in their own directions - whilst the majority had already utilized the two chimes that sat at the far end of the airfield. The sun was still as bright as ever - with a slight drizzle of rain in the air - whilst a guard of six of the city’s armed soldiers kept a peaceful watch over the now-quietened ship as she peacefully slept.
“Come on William!” Hannah shouted as Arcadian began to gallop away. Heradex spread her majestic wings - just as Arcadian had - and they took off in near synchronization. High over the rooftops they flew and through the plumes of pure white smoke that had wafted up throughout the day. Furious winds now battered them as they raced over the many parks and waterways and the long narrow streets that wound tightly around them. Before long, the brilliant white tower was back in sight. Rapidly, they descended and as they approached, a man in a long white coat came quickly out of the building to welcome them;
“Welcome friends!” He bellowed as they cantered up to the entrance, “Welcome, to the Agglomeration of Scientists!”
The two riders excitedly dismounted as the odd man took a hold of the reigns, “Such, lovely creatures,” he whispered quietly in admiration as he stroked Arcadian’s neck. His gaze eventually turned to William, “Please, go on inside.”
William looked to Hannah for reassurance and she smiled gently, “Come on then!” She squealed, as she hurried toward the great double doors as they opened before her. As they did so, they revealed an old man - in a long white coat of his own - stood with wide open arms and a smile of immense proportions upon his face.
Behind him, stood a mass of machinery that seemed to operate itself in near silence, with yet more people - in yet more white coats - that rushed all around and tended to each mechanical need. He, himself; bore crazy white hair with a preposterous white moustache that darted way out passed either side of his funny little face. He clasped both of his hands tightly together as the inquisitive pair slowly approached.
“Oh my!” He blurted, “This is exciting,” he continued, rubbing his hands together furiously, “to actually see both of the children of Thyagreen - and together!” He shouted excitedly, “Come on then!” He asserted as he sped away.
“I ... am Professor Wentlock!” He eagerly announced as the two siblings raced madly behind him, “I head this Agglomeration!”
“What is all of this stuff?” William asked in amazement as he gathered breath and fleetingly glanced at the many curious machines that rushed by.
“Oh!” Shouted the Professor as he raced on, “Measuring devices, this and that, you know!”
“What are you measuring Professor?” Hannah asked, now even more intrigued than William was.
“Big things, small things, lots of things actually!” He exclaimed excitedly; “But what you absolutely must see, is in the roof … Come, come!”
He rushed up to - and stopped eagerly before - an elevator with shining golden doors. He pushed the big red button on the wall beside it and anxiously awaited. Hannah and William stood bre
athless behind him until the elevator pinged and the golden doors slowly parted - much to the Professor’s delight;
“All aboard that’s going aboard!” He squealed as he rushed inside, “Soon, you’ll see our greatest achievement!”
The elevator automatically began to ascend and time passed without another word uttered between them. The Professors electrical enthusiasm buzzed quietly behind William, as William himself, watched - with an almost nervousness inside of him - as his reflection in the shinny golden walls watched him in return. After a short while, they came to a gradual halt and the elevator pinged once again. William stepped quickly out once its doors had parted, followed by Hannah and then the Professor - who was still hyped up like a young child on Christmas morning.
They now stood within a relatively darkened room, with only the small amount of light that was thrown into it by a small window that was built into the thatched roof above them. Attached to the wall - directly before them - was a black, spherical object; with a thick, black cable that came out of it and that ran all of the way up the wall. The cable came to a sudden end inside a much smaller sphere that gazed longingly out of the tiny window.
“What … is it?” William asked with a slight feeling of deflation as he examined the strange object before him.
“Tell it who you are!” The Professor blurted as he rubbed his hands quickly together gleefully. For a few moments, William stayed silent and gazed at the sphere with a renewed intrigue.
He stepped closer to it as his eyes narrowed slightly, “William,” he whispered ever so quietly.
A small red light lit up brightly beside it, “One entry,” announced a strange, robotic voice that emanated from within it, “William Wyllie: born: August – first, twenty forty-three. Residential status: Battenburg, Region twenty-one, Thyagreen. Mother: Janet Wylie - Thyagreen. Father: King Giles, the first - Loucarta.” The small red light - that had shone so brightly as it spoke - went instantly out as silence filled the tiny room;
“Isn’t it marvellous?” The Professor beamed after a few moments, “But that’s not all that it does!” He eagerly added, “Show us Thyagreen!” He demanded.
All at once, the little room filled with brilliant stars as they raced passed the three of them at stupendous speed. After an awe-inspiring moment, the illuminated planet of Thyagreen floated effortlessly in the space before them as steady stars twinkled brightly around them. Both William and Hannah stood in complete awe at the wondrous spectacle that they were now within.
“Region twenty-one!” The Professor demanded as he glowed with pride at the reactions of his audience.
The planet spun quickly in mid-air before it instantly stopped and Region twenty-one flashed vividly in the dim light.
“What you are looking at is merely a map,” announced the Professor as he watched their astounded faces with delight, “but this machine can do so much more!” He whispered excitedly, “Battenburg!”
Immediately - and as quick as a flash - the planet grew tremendously until its atmosphere encased them and they found themselves immersed in thick white cloud that raced passed them at phenomenal speeds, “thirteenth of February, twenty fifty-seven!” He shouted wildly into the wind as William’s eyes lit up brightly, “one twenty-two A.M.!”
Faster and faster, the cloud raced passed them, until it thinned to a gentle mist and the ground rushed toward them ferociously. They found themselves, now stood upon the lightly mottled cobblestones of a quiet street that William recognised in only the pale light from the moon above them.
“This seems so real!” Squealed William with excitement.
“It is exactly real!” Replied the Professor - still with an extremely large smile upon his face.
“This is really remarkable Professor,” uttered Hannah in congratulations as she gazed around in amazement.
“Thank you Princess! But here is the truly remarkable part;” The Professor paused, as a slight glint floated in his eye, “Show us William!”
The scene - once again - began to fly quickly passed them - as their surroundings became a terrible blur and buildings raced toward them and then through them at warp speed. In no time at all, everything came to a sudden halt and they were stood inside William’s little bedroom with another William asleep in William’s bed. By now both William and Hannah were too awestricken to say anything at all.
“This is your actual past,” the professor whispered as he looked to William.
All of a sudden, there was an almighty boom from the street outside that almost knocked everyone clean off of their feet as devilish engines raged loudly away. The two siblings each held their breath in fear of being discovered as the figment of William arose from his bed.
The professor chuckled as he watched their almost frightened faces, “Don’t worry,” he said joyfully, “he can neither hear us nor see us. Now this is what I wanted you to see!” He added, as the figment of William slowly turned his door handle. The door flung itself wildly open and crashed with a terrible thud into the other side of the wall as William’s figment stared blankly into the dark abyss beyond before stepping slowly through the doorway. Hannah instantly stepped toward it in pursuit as the door slammed shut with utter conviction.
The professor chuckled as Hannah glared back at him, “Shall we see what is on the other side?” He asked playfully before the scene began to move slowly passed them. Both Hannah and William closed their eyes as the door approached, only to open them a few seconds later to take in the spectacular splendour of the cave now around them. Brilliant sunshine filled their being as William’s figment watched a small lizard-like creature scurry madly between small puddles before him. William stepped closer to Hannah in preparation of what he knew was next and sure enough, a green haze materialized and almost filled the cave as it sapped almost all of the light from around it. Quickly, it condensed to take the form of a ghoulish and frightful man.
“Who are you?” The man whispered.
“I … am William,” his figment replied, as William himself, mouthed the very words as he once spoke them.
“No! Not yet!” The figure rasped in surprise as it quickly disappeared. The little audience looked on, as William’s figment, stood in complete surprise.
“Freeze-frame!” The Professor quickly shouted with the faded remnant of his usual smile. For a few moments, silence reigned once again, “You must forgive me,” he suddenly flustered, “I … have to check something. Shut down!” He ordered as everything instantly vanished and the three of them were left – in pretty much the same spots – in the tiny room that they started in. The Professor pressed the big red button on the wall beside the elevator and the golden doors parted once again. Silently, he stepped into the lift. The confused siblings followed quickly as the shiny golden doors closed tightly behind them.