~
The general enjoyed his rest it seemed as no one found any sign of him by late morning. This allowed Tuck some time to explore his surroundings. The building was odd. Part of it was like a hotel. Part of it was like a top secret government headquarters with all of its confusing hallways. He tried to picture the floor plan in his head, but the layout was just too confusing. There had to be hidden rooms.
He stumbled into a large open room; a hangar. There he saw a craft, big and angular. Wires and cables were strung from wall to wall, floor to ceiling; support equipment, fork lifts, loaders, workspaces littered the room.
“Come now. A little more. Almost. Hah! There we go.”
“Professor Wiltkine, what are you doing here?”
“Ah, good morning my boy. I think I’ve figured it out. It’s not steam. Not steam at all. You see, there is a device, multiple devices actually, that produce some sort of spark energy. Hold this,” he handed Tuck a cable. The professor grabbed another and brought them close together. An arc of electric light popped between them.
“What’s so special about electricity?”
“Is that what it’s called then? This is amazing. Truly amazing. I haven’t gotten it all quite figured out just yet, but this is the most excitement this old fella has had in some time. Watch this.”
He stuck his hands into a mess of dissected equipment.
“Here it is.” He produced a switch that was connected by cable and wound its way to the aircraft. With a greasy finger he flipped the knob and the craft opened. A narrow set of stairs extended to the ground. “I’ve been in there all night. There is something else I want to show you.”
Inside, the ship was full of blinking lights and control panels. The professor stood at the captain’s helm flipping more switches and pressing buttons.
“I think there is something on this vessel, mecha may not be the right word-you tell me, that controls all the systems of the building. I don’t know where it is, but I think it oversees those two automatons that we saw last night. Watch this.” He pushed more buttons. At first Tuck did not notice anything. Then he heard it; a conversation between Postulis and Hermenes came through the air. “I think I will stay. Not forever. I’ll come back in time, but think about all the things we have seen,” Postulis said.
“Yeah, I don’t know. We’ve been gone for so long. I know Amazonia isn’t much, but it is home. That’s where…”
“You know, for an old fat man with one eye you’re pretty handy.”
The professor pushed a button changing rooms. Silence. He tried another. Faintly, it was the general speaking to someone; a visitor perhaps.
“What are you boys doing?” Avers’ voice came from the entrance of the ship surprising him.
“Shish, we’re spying,” Tuck said.
She walked up next to the professor pointing to a dial on the control panel. He nodded. Slowly, she turned it making the voices louder.
“The problem is in your design,” the general said. “You were created with inherent flaws. Because you cannot or choose not to rise above your condition I blame you.”
“Yes, sir,” Munix said in a monotone voice.
Avers kept her eye on the control panel. This time she reached over the professor for more buttons. As she messed with them the professor watched diligently. Then suddenly, an image displayed on a glass panel. The professor struggled to bridle his jubilant expression.
Now, watching from Munix’s eyes, the three of them saw everything as she saw. Tuck pulled up a chair next to the professor kicking back with his feet on the control panel. The general was walking around with the controller in his hand talking. He pressed a button which produced a shock to Munix. All Tuck heard was a scream and then the connection turned fuzzy for a minute.
“…because of this I am forced to trust you,” the audio returned before the video. The general continued, “That’s why when we are flying over the ocean you must dump them into the water.”
“Wait! What was that?” Avers asked. “He’s going to kill us?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t catch it all.”
“No, why would he do such a thing?” The professor asked. “We haven’t wronged him.”
Tuck put his feet down and leaned forward. “Maybe he thinks our presence will complicate his relationship with Amazonia.”
“Or,” Avers said, “he has no intention to treat them peacefully. He wants to kill them if they get in the way.”
“Yes,” the professor stroked his beard, “this seems most probable. But I highly doubt he would instigate an unnecessary war. If it is wealth he is after he is unlikely to engage in military exploits.” He turned to Avers, “Do the Amazonians hold dear to the land he claims?”
“I’m not sure where that land is.”
“I wonder,” he stroked his beard again. He pushed more buttons on the control panel. A video control screen turned on. “OK?” But he figured it out soon enough. He slid images across the screen until he got what he wanted. Munix was done speaking with the general and appeared to be walking back to her station. So, he shrunk the image coming from Munix’s eyes and replaced it with something else. “There we go.”
“Is that?” Avers asked.
The professor scrolled over an aerial image of Amazonia. He fumbled over it until Tuck touched the large display moving it around. He looked closely. Digitized notes were imbedded into the file.
“Here,” he tapped the screen. “This area is highlighted.”
“What does the comment say?” Avers asked.
“Something about underground pressure test results, possible size and shape of the site.”
“What does is say about the shape?”
“Let’s see,” he selected an option that outlined part of the map. Then he panned over and zoomed in.
“And what are we looking at young lady?” The professor asked.
“This is not good. That area is Athena’s Temple. The Amazonians won’t like this.”
“He must be preparing for battle. That is why he wants to get rid of us. Once we figure out what he is up to he knows we would try to stop him,” Tuck said.
“Do you think he would move the temple to extract the gases?” Avers asked.
“Would it matter? Look at the rest of the marked area.” Tuck zoomed out a bit. “It’s all city. Even if he doesn’t move the temple he’s going to disrupt a lot of women.”
“And they are going to want to know what he’s up too. Once they find out he is profiting at their expense I’m sure they’ll want blood,” Avers said.
“But would they even put up a fight now? They are so weak and reduced in number I doubt they would try.”
“You raise a good point,” Professor Wiltkine said, “and you are probably right considering the morale of the country is incredibly low. However, I doubt the general’s intentions are to be so kind as to leave them be. He said he has been watching them for some time. Most likely he is acutely aware of their plight and willing to capitalize on it.”
“What are you saying?” Avers asked.
“I fear that the general will not only fight the Amazonians, but that he’ll charge in and make a big show to impress them. Then he’ll capture them, maybe a queen or some other royalty and hold them hostage. This would allow him to enslave the rest of the population to handle the laborious work of mining.”
“That’s genius!” Tuck said.
Avers gave him a scowl.
“How did you come up with that?” Avers asked.
“If you want to try to figure out someone else’s motives you must first figure them out. We have already come to our conclusion that he is not the most trustworthy of men. Therefor his motives are selfish. Once you have that figured out simply place yourself in his
position. We know is ultimate goal. We know is motives. Now all we have to do is connect the pieces; what happens between now and the goal. This plan is what I would do if I was the general. Granted, there are some variables we are not aware of. Let’s hope that these are insignificant.”
“Hey what’s that?” Tuck pointed to the minimized screen then enlarged it.
“That’s the ship,” Avers said.
Tuck watched as the image moved closer. It approached the stairs. He turned waiting for it to appear in the doorway.
“Munix?” He said. “What are you doing here?”
She looked surprised. Catalpa followed closely behind.
“I should ask you the same. You’re all in violation of the law being here. I should alert the general.”
Tuck glanced at Avers. She eyed the two mechanical women. Remembering that Munix was ordered to kill them he looked too. Both of them had on their kimonos and headphones, but no cords. “So why haven’t you done it yet?”
“You should not be here,” Munix said sternly and walked on.
“Please,” Catalpa said with a smile, “would you mind leaving our quarters.”
“Your quarters?” Avers asked.
“Yes, when neither of us is working we must stay on The Buffalo. I’m sure you’ve noticed the rather encumbering electrical cords we drag behind us. They connect to the ship; our source of power. If you excuse me I must take some time to recharge.”
As she walked just out of sight she spoke loudly, “But you really should leave.”
“Humph,” the professor got up from his seat. “I think the nice one put it best.
“Just a moment,” a voice came through the ship’s speaker system. “I have something I must confess.” It was Munix. She must be able to communicate with the ship’s computer. “I have been ordered to kill you.”
“I knew it!” Avers said.
“But I don’t want to. General Cavalcade fears you. He’s seen the power of Martian technology. The technology the mecha pilots possess. I heard what you said earlier when you tapped into my ocular feeds. You are correct. The general will do anything for power.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Tuck asked.
“Run away before you lose the opportunity.”