~
Another city. More buildings. These, however, were made of steel and concrete instead of the slender glass spires of Talion. A new escort relieved the first of his duties. This one was armed and, in fact, soon turned into a team of guards who facilitated their walk through the enormous complex.
They waited patiently in a conference room.
It wasn’t long before the doors burst open. A large man entered, accompanied by more guards, with arms raised speaking loudly, “Friends, get out of there,” he waved them towards the direction he had just come, “this is no place to entertain.”
They moved from the pale gray room into another that was decorated exquisitely. The walls were painted burgundy. Where they were not painted there was glass and there were images on the glass. Some were screens with moving icons that the man manipulated by touching them. The furniture was plush; no chrome or metal. While guards stood in attention there were fewer than before. On one of the couches sat a man sipping a drink watching them.
“Come in! Come in! I am General Cavalcade. Cassidy said that he sent you to me with important information.” He looked to the man on the couch. “But first, before we get to business, sit, sit, have a drink. Are any of you hungry?” He pulled out of his pocket a hand sized controller and fiddled with it. “Munix!” he yelled. A moment later a woman appeared in the doorway. Oversized headphones wrapped around her head. She was dressed in a red kimono with a tray of drinks in one hand and a stack of papers in the other.
“Would you like me to leave general?” the man on the couch asked.
“No, Trane, I would like for you to stay and listen to what these special guests have to say.” He lifted his recently filled glass to the group and swallowed an inappropriate amount of wine.
As Munix moved about the room serving drinks Tuck noticed something peculiar; a long cord, several of them actually, bundled together, dragging behind her. They came out from underneath her kimono along the floor and through the door. He watched as she delicately handled the decanter. Her fingers clinked like metal when she touched it. She knelt before him setting a glass on the table and filling it with sweet red wine. Then he noticed her face. It was white. Pale white and perfectly smooth. She really is metal. Underneath her right eye were three little blue tear drops.
“Another,” General Cavalcade held up his glass. When Munix approached he caressed her throat. Then he began to squeeze, “Don’t even think of trying anything,” he whispered through his teeth. She filled his drink then bowed to exit the room.
Curious, Tuck wondered what he had gotten himself into; trusting so many people he didn’t know, opening up himself and his fellow travelers to so much risk. And now this general’s emotions. Would he be greeted by hasty friendship or emotional ire? Why had he listened to Avers?
“Now then, seeing that we are all settled,” he plopped down in a cushy chair joining everyone else, “what is it you’re here to see me about?”
“Where to begin?” Hermenes said. “Your friend, Cassidy Stone sent us…”
“Yes, yes, I know all that. Tell me why you are here.”
“General,” Avers said, “we were told you could help us. Our people…their people,” she motioned to the three women, “the Amazonians, live across the sea. They are in great danger. We’ve wasted a lot of time trying to secure an ally to aid in the event of invasion. In trying to do this we‘ve discovered that the very invasion we feared was closer than we realized.”
The general raised his hand silencing the room. He held his wine in his lap with one hand. “I am aware of their situation.”
“Wha?” Hermenes and Postulis looked at each other. “What do you mean?”
“I have for some time wished to secure interest in what I call mustang vapors within Amazonia. These vapors, you see, are volatile. Highly volatile. They can be synthesized to produce a fuel that can power a ship into orbit around the Earth. I have been watching developments in that country over the course of several years. I could not risk intruding when the Martians attacked. They’re far superior to my forces. Nor could I allow the rebels from the north to overtake Amazonia. I know little about them, but from what I can tell they are careless and unpredictable. They’re the wild card. I must deal with Amazonians. I couldn’t risk losing such a great profit because I failed to act.”
He pulled the controller from his pocket tapping it several times. One of the walls displayed a video.
“This is the scene north of the Amazonian border from just yesterday morning.”
Tuck watched as a camera looked down on the Earth from above. A dark mass flowed in from the right; the north. He could not make out any familiar landmarks, not that he knew any, but he knew that was the same horde that had chased him away just a few days prior. Then fire rained down on the little black dots and their smoke machines.
The general touched the screen pausing the video.
“As you can see the situation has been taken care of. You may rest easy tonight knowing that your homes are safe. Your friends are alive and I will be a very rich man.” He stood up and for once he set his drink dwon. A giant grin formed on his face. “I’m certain you’re all shocked by the sudden turn of events. Even so, I have prepared quarters for each of you to allow time to think about what you wish to do next. You may come with me to Amazonia. I leave tomorrow ahead of the army and contractors. Contractors from my mining conglomerate of course. You may wish to stay in Ospita. You’ll find the country peaceful and safe. I am told her citizens are generally courteous once they get to know you.”
“General Cavalcade,” Postulis said, “you have no idea the burden you have lifted from our shoulders.”
“That’s good to hear.” He turned to the man on the couch, “As for you, Trane, what did you think of the video? Are you in or are you out?”
“Sir, Geo, you know wherever your mines are my financiers will follow. Once you have verified the area secured let me know. I’ll send my people to yours.”
“Good. I’m glad to see we’re all in agreement.”
Trane bowed and left the room. The general pulled out his controller again. In a minute Munix was at the door, but this time someone else was with her.
“Munix, clean up the mess in this room.” He pointed to the other one, “Show the guests to their rooms.”
“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.
The two robots glided across the floor. Munix picked up the half emptied glasses of wine and the other one led Pepla, the first one out the door, down the hall. This second robot also wore a kimono, white and black, and oversized headphones. Cords dangled underneath her along the floor just as with Munix. She walked steadily unyielding to even caution them about tripping on her cord which was a likely possibility in the dim hallway light.
“Excuse me, miss?” Pepla asked. “What’s your name?”
Slowing, she cocked her head to her side, “You may call me Catalpa.”
Catalpa promptly resumed her pace. Apparently, she was in a hurry. Pepla dashed ahead to keep up, but Tuck would not be rushed.
A crash of shattered glass sounded from the meeting room.
“What did I tell you about being careful!” the general yelled. Then Catalpa paused for a moment. The group stopped behind her. More glass broke. “Stupid slave!” Then the sound of metal striking metal. A breath escaped from Catalpa.
“Are you OK?” Pepla asked.
One electronic eye slowly articulated itself to look at Pepla.
“It is over now,” she said.