Story Hub: [link]
\\~~~\\ 0 //~~~//
Previously on Maid in Fantasy: A simple scientific demonstration showcasing the newly invented Graviton Ray went horribly wrong. Thankfully, the subsequent violation of the laws of physics was all fixed up in the last part. Princess Irene was retrieved from her mischievous escapade, and the two rogue servants, Jace and Medy, were dealt with. Alas, not all issues have been solved, as Orion found evidence of sabotage on the Graviton Ray.
What could have happened? Was this whole incident planned by some malicious third party? Will Jace and Medy get their comeuppance?
\\~~~\\
I //~~~//
With gravity returning to normal, Lady Aphros and Princess Atlanta were dusting themselves off in the palace hallway. The two nobles ensured they suffered no ill effects from the intense gravity before checking on Herme to confirm she was okay. After a few more moments, Serena returned with Irene in tow. The youngest princess had fallen asleep in the maid’s arms.
“Oh, there you are, Serena,” Aphros commented. “Took a little longer than I expected, but good on you for coping with the weird gravity.”
“I’m about to throw up,” Serena admitted. The young maid was positively green around the gills, but whatever willpower allowed her to last this long still held firm. “If you’d excuse me,” the young woman plopped the princess into Aphros’s arms before dashing away.
“It can’t be that bad,” Aphros cradled Irene in her arms. However, a most terrible sound filled the halls and proved her wrong. Her stomach emptied, Serena returned a couple minutes later in proper form with no more signs of sickness.
“Apologies for my rudeness, Lady Aphros, but it simply couldn’t wait,” Serena curtsied before reclaiming Irene. “Also, I’d like to inform you that one of the Regas servants attacked me while I was chasing Irene. I think his name was Jace?”
“Oh yeah, he’s kind of a pompous dork. Just ignore him,” Aphros advised.
“That’s really hard when he’s attacking me,” Serena replied.
“Then hit him back. He’ll learn not to mess with you quickly,” Aphros explained.
“If you say so,” Serena rolled her eyes but argued no further. ‘I’m fine, by the way, thanks for asking.’
“Is everything alright out here?” Orion emerged from the entrance to the auditorium, Medy slung over his shoulder.
“A little dusty in some places, but not altogether unpleasant. What took you so long?” Atlanta said impatiently. However, her expression betrayed a tinge of concern.
“Apologies, Princess, I lost the communicator while dealing with this one,” Orion gestured to the unconscious maid he carried.
“I should have known. If Jace was acting up, she must have been behind it,” Aphros smirked.
“Hmm?” Serena raised an eyebrow. She vaguely recognized Medy.
“Oh yes, Serena, that’s Medy, Jace’s…brain. Yes, let’s go with that,” the blonde noble explained. “She’s feigning unconsciousness now to try and plead innocence later.”
“Eek,” Medy twitched before trying to resume her charade.
“Come on, attacking your fellow servants during a crisis? What’s wrong with you two?” Aphros shook her head as she grabbed Medy and forced her to the ground. “I’ll have to punish you way more than usual for this, you know?”
“This isn’t their first offense?” Serena exclaimed.
“Ha, if only,” Aphros wrapped Medy in her chains. “At this point, I’m waiting to see how long it’ll take before they do something truly terrible.”
“Assault isn’t truly terrible?” Serena inquired, her patience thinning.
“She did admit to wanting to maim me,” Orion commented.
“Well, I was thinking attempted murder or causing a city-wide power outage, but I guess that’s close enough,” Aphros shrugged.
“Right,” Serena sighed. ‘Seriously, where have I seen her before? It wasn’t just the other day. Wasn’t she…?’
“Retribution is all well and good, Lady Aphros,” Orion interjected, “but I’ve found a more pressing concern for the moment. I believe the Graviton Ray was sabotaged.”
“Ha…What?” Aphros’s tone became deathly serious.
“Orion, what did you see?” Princess Atlanta questioned.
“Impossible!” Lady Herme sprung from unconsciousness before looking around the room and realizing everyone was staring at her. “Oh, how embarrassing. I just had a horrible nightmare that the Graviton Ray was sabotaged.”
“Well…It was,” Orion confirmed.
“Impossible!” Lady Herme fainted.
“Oh Lord, is this going to be a thing,” Serena muttered.
“Not on my watch,” Aphros walked up to the prone scientist. “Herme, oh Herme…Chrona is splitting atoms again.”
“Anything but that,” Herme sprung back to life. “Oh, how embarrassing. I just…”
“Had a horrible nightmare, I know,” Aphros interrupted. “First things first, are you okay? You took a nasty blow to the head there.”
“Oh, how long was I out?” Herme asked.
“At least several minutes, probably more, I wasn’t really paying attention,” Aphros admitted. In actuality, it had been far longer than several minutes.
“Besides a concussion and other potentially traumatic brain injuries, I’m fine,” the scientist brushed it off. “What else is happening?”
“The Graviton Ray was sabotaged, apparently,” the blonde noble reminded.
“Impossi-!” Herme resumed her shtick.
“Shh,” Aphros clamped her hand over Herme’s mouth. “We’re not doing that again.”
“No, it really should be impossible. I double-checked right before the demonstration,” Herme explained.
“Then, what did I see?” Orion asked.
“Umm, let me have a look,” Herme stood up.
\\~~~\\ II //~~~//
The nobles and servants returned to the auditorium, which was in a fair bit of a mess after Orion and Medy’s clash. The blonde butler sheepishly looked down as Aphros scanned the room, assessing the damage. His fears were alleviated when the noble shrugged and ignored most of it.
As they arrived at the stage, Lady Herme hopped atop it and dashed to the Graviton Ray’s side. After flinching at the sight of the dents, her gaze traced the entire device, searching for the tampering.
“Where did you see the sabotage?” Herme turned to Orion.
“It was on the right side, lots of small nicks and scratches,” Orion answered.
“Odd, I think those were already there before I received the ray,” Herme revealed. “But I never paid them much mind until now.” The scientist twiddled her thumbs in embarrassment.
“So, it was sabotaged before you got it?” Princess Atlanta asked.
“Impossible!” Herme shouted before realizing her outburst and blushing. “Sorry, force of habit. Ahem...it really is impossible. There was no time for it to be meddled with. The device never left my or Chrona’s sight while we worked on it. And it was closely guarded during transport.”
“Now, Herme,” Aphros sighed, “don’t take offense to this, but was there a time when the device was only under Chrona’s watch?”
“Several times, including before she handed it off to me for transport,” Herme explained.
“So, you left it alone with Chrona,” Aphros repeated.
“Yes, why?” The navy-haired scientist’s expression turned to confusion.
“You left it alone…with CHRONA,” the blonde noble emphasized.
“Hmm…” Herme pondered her fellow’s words for a moment before it hit her. “Oh…oooh…oh dear,” the scientist shrank. She traced her hand over the right side of the device, discovering a hidden panel whose existence was hinted at by all the scratches. Inside was an oddly shaped device that clung to the interior wall, with a small note wedged beneath it. The device was spider-like and had a red blinking light on the top, indicating that it was doing…something.
“Ahem,” Herme pulled out the note and began to read it. “Dear Herme, you found my little joke. All those times the ray randomly readjusted itself must have driven you crazy. I wonder if you noticed it haphazardly scrolling through the different gravity types or how sensitive the controls have been. If it’s still giving you trouble, give it a few good whacks. I call it the ‘percussion maintenance system.’ I’m sure you’ll find it useful…maybe…”
As Herme continued to read the note, Serena and Atlanta’s expressions grew more exasperated. Orion became confused, and Aphros failed to suppress a giggle fit. Herme finished reading the note as the gathered group’s emotions became more disparate.
“It’s a good thing you found this before the demonstration. Who knows what kind of disaster would have resulted?” Herme read. “Do whatever you want with the spidery device thing…I didn’t give it a name…just keep it far from the ray. I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the demonstration with you, so I’ll make it up next month. Yours truly, General Chrona. P.S. Are you going to eat the sandwich you left at my lab, or can I have it? P.P.S. Never mind, I ate it anyway.”
“Well, that’s certainly a thing,” Lady Aphros made the understatement of the century.
“I…I was making last-minute adjustments,” Herme sweated. “I…I thought I fixed those problems, but it looks like Chrona got the last laugh…haha…oh.” The scientist slumped down.
“Lady Aphros, permission to scream to the heavens,” Serena asked.
“Hold it for ten more minutes. Let it fester a bit,” Aphros answered. “As for you, Herme, can you fix the Graviton Ray?”
“Yes, with this removed easily,” Herme nodded before she flicked the spidery device away and spun around to fiddle with the ray again. Within eleven seconds, the device was back at the proper settings it should have been.
“Well, good then, that’s all fixed, and we can write this whole day off as a little accident,” Aphros declared.
“Can you really?” Serena looked at her superior in disbelief.
“Of course not,” Aphros laughed. “Just let me live in denial a little longer.”
“Right,” Serena turned away, wondering if she should just take Irene back to her room. ‘Why is everyone in the palace just so…so…’ The maid searched for the right word to sum up all the day’s craziness, but none could quite capture the feeling she had. ‘Oh Lord, I can only imagine the Queen’s reaction to all this.’
Lady Ze burst into the throne room with armed guards in tow. When she heard something strange had afflicted the palace, she rushed back from her patrol as quickly as possible. However, by the time she returned, whatever was happening had already passed. Despite this, the Queen’s safety was her first priority, and Her Majesty’s health had yet to be confirmed. The captain of the guard was greeted by the most relieving sight: the Queen gingerly sipping a cup of tea on her throne.
“My Queen, it’s good to see you’re well,” Lady Ze breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, Ze, what brings you and the guards here so suddenly?” Queen Celene smiled softly.
“Some sort of calamity was afflicting the palace. It’s over now, but we needed to assure your safety,” Ze explained as she struggled to look the Queen in the eye.
“Something happened? It seems to have escaped my notice,” the Queen admitted. “Whatever occurred, I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Of course, my Queen,” Lady Ze bowed. Despite nothing being especially wrong, she couldn’t entirely ignore the elephant in the room. “Are you certain you’re completely fine?” Lady Ze asked once again.
“Your worries are flattering, but I assure you, I’m unharmed,” the Queen affirmed.
“If that is your belief, then I have no argument,” Lady Ze conceded. The captain of the guard didn’t have the heart to point out the Queen was currently sitting on the ceiling. How the entire throne got up there was another matter entirely.
“I wonder what Atlanta is doing right now?” The Queen idly wondered as she took another sip of tea.
\\~~~\\
IV //~~~//
Some days following the “Gravity Incident,” Serena and Orion found themselves in the palace warehouse again. Instead of retrieving items, they were storing the princesses’ winter clothes this time. It was almost a perfect mirror to that day, down to Jace and Medy standing off in the corner and giving the Diane servants dirty looks.
“Just ignore them, just ignore them,” Serena repeated to herself as she hefted the heavy crate through the warehouse.
“Serena,” Orion passed by his friend while struggling with a pair of heavy crates, “I thought you’d be more upset with those two. They did attack us after all.”
“I try to rise above such things. It is only proper of such a high-class maid,” Serena’s statement seemed earnest but was clearly rehearsed.
“That sounds like something Lady Aphros would say,” Orion pointed out.
“Yep, she helped put this whole thing in perspective,” Serena explained with a hint of bitterness as she glanced back at the two Regas servants. The duo was sweaty from their fifth emergency training drill with Lady Ze. Rumor has it they were forced to mop rain the previous day. But that was small potatoes compared to the pitying stares they received from every other servant.
Serena felt the tiniest pang of pity for the duo. Everyone regarded the pair with no end of contempt for their actions and sympathy for their stupidity. Then she remembered Jace tried to attack her for the most inane of reasons, and her pity vanished.
“We’ll have our revenge, you hear me!” Jace exclaimed.
“Ignore him, ignore him,” Serena advised Orion as the two speeded away.
“Don’t you ignore me!” Jace shouted. His raised voice drew a lot of attention, unnerving Medy.
“Jace shut up,” Medy urged.
“We’re not just going to let them walk away after the humiliation we’ve been through,” Jace increased his volume but didn’t even bother to look back at Medy.
“Seriously, keep it down,” Medy pleaded.
“Not until they acknowledge my-!” The words died in the young butler’s throat as he felt an armored hand wrap around his shoulder. Jace’s blood ran cold as he turned his head to see Lady Ze towering over himself and Medy. The captain of the guard’s visor was raised up just enough to see her mouth. Her smile was warm and friendly, yet it filled Jace with an unspeakable fear.
“Hello, maggots,” Lady Ze pulled the two servants closer to her as though she were palling around with close friends. “You sound energetic enough for another run. How about 10 kilometers?”
“I…um, we were just, uh,” Jace babbled until she felt Ze’s grip tighten. “Yes, ma’am, right away, ma’am.”
“Idiot,” Medy muttered as Lady Ze began to drag them away.
“Curse you, Orion, and…uh, whatshername, I’ll have my revenge, then you’ll be sorry,” Jace proclaimed.
“I like your spirit. We’re adding 2 more kilometers for the last remark,” Ze remarked, much to Jace and Medy’s continued anguish. Serena and Orion watched this display from afar before the former turned her head away and sighed.
“I’d like to say I feel sorry for them, but I don’t,” Serena resumed walking.
“I mean, it is a punishment, but that isn’t too different from what Lady Ze regularly puts us through,” Orion commented.
“Since when has Lady Ze ever called us maggots?” Serena pointed out.
“Oh,” Orion nodded and thought for a moment. “Oh…Oh my goodness,” his eyes went wide.
“Yeah, like I said, I’ll rise above their…transgression and find my own peace,” Serena stated. ‘And pray I never screw up as bad as them,’ the maid privately thought, ‘er…half as bad. No way I could screw the pooch that badly, even if I tried. Which is ironic since they basically did try to screw up and…oh forgot it.’ Serena discarded that line of thought and continued with her work.
May This Fantasy Continue A Little Longer…
Next Time: Chapter XIII, Homeward Rebound
>>>~~~~<<<
Disciplining employees is a difficult prospect, you want to be firm
enough to appease those harmed by misbehavior or incompetence, but you
also want to be fair to those you're punishing. It is best to approach
the situation with an even hand, only being truly harsh in extreme
situations.
Author's Note: And that's Engineered Insanity, a goofy group of four chapters that bring us kicking and screaming into the "2nd Volume" of Maid in Fantasy. Expect the following chapters to be similar to this one in tone. Goofy and fantastical incidents in this future world.
As for the current chapter, I enjoyed writing all of Engineered Insanity, but I recognize it's goofy tone is at complete odds with the dramatic political assassination plots it was coming off of. Believe me we're not done with dramatic plot lines in this series, but even the real world is equal parts silly and serious at times so I strive to keep some kind of balance.
This also isn't the last time we'll meet Jace or Medy either, so look forward to that.
We'll be taking a brief break from Maid in Fantasy for the next couple of weeks at least, but when we return we'll continue into volume 2 and when that's done, finally begin volume 3 (a certain silver-haired girl has an unresolved plot hook in dire need of resolution).
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
\\~~~\\
V //~~~//
Brando’s was the same as ever. The crappy little bar was tucked away in New Celene’s underground, right along a decrepit street in the ruins of the old city. It wasn’t quite seedy enough to be a dive bar. That implied an assortment of sketchy characters. Any such person of questionable intents had long since been scared away by the bar’s current and only patron. Who, at this point, kept the place in business by themselves.
“Caenia,” Serena entered the bar, as she had every other week for the past several months.
“What do you want, kid?” The former maid didn’t even look up from her drink. Her tangled and knotted black hair was in desperate need of a good wash. The numerous split ends and haphazard bangs indicated a recent and clumsy attempt to keep the hair short. Caenia’s white shirt was equally dirty, although only with fresh stains from whatever she dared to chug down her throat today. It also looked like her jeans had a couple new holes ripped in them, but that was probably deliberate.
‘You’re like two years older than me, at best,’ Serena rolled her eyes and sat beside her predecessor. “How do you deal with the other families?”
“Let me guess, some Regas punks tried to start shit?” Caenia laughed.
“In the middle of a crisis situation,” Serena sighed.
“Sounds about right,” Caenia finished off her drink. “That sad pack of wannabees and chumps are still malding over some shit their grandpappies screwed up almost a century ago. Nothing but sore losers if you ask me.”
“How did you deal with them?” Serena asked.
“Well, they didn’t mess around with me too much because I’m me,” Caenia chuckled, “but when they did, I kicked their asses until they remembered the pecking order.”
“Anything a bit more subtle?” Serena groaned.
“I tried the delicate approach before, and it doesn’t work with those idiots,” Caenia replied. “It’s hard to be diplomatic when they’re stuck so far up their own asses all they can hear is the sound of their own egos. And trying to pull sneaky shit against a whole family gets tedious after a while.”
“Of course,” Serena slumped, “why is everyone’s moral compass so twisted up there?”
“I’d say you get used to it, but then I’d be lying,” Caenia commented. “Regardless, I’d watch my back if I were you. They nurture grudges like crazy. It’s only a matter of time before they take another crack at you. But once you show them who’s boss enough times, they’ll leave you alone. If there is anything a Regas hates more than a Diane, it’s losing to a Diane. They’ll leave you alone if they know they can’t beat you.”
“Great, more fighting, that’s all I needed,” Serena felt a headache coming on. She also felt the bartender’s stare growing more annoyed as she had yet to order anything. “Yeah, yeah, I see you. Give me a milk.”
“That’s it? Live a little, kid,” Caenia laughed.
“Are you even old enough to drink?” Serena inquired.
“Shut up,” Caenia huffed and ordered another round for herself.
