Maid in Fantasy: Chapter +++ - Interruption

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Maia 20^th 758

            Lady Aphros hummed to herself as she went over her upcoming itinerary while she swirled her finger in her long blonde locks. A light scent of citrus and wine wafted through her bedroom, courtesy of a freshly sprayed perfume. The full moon hung high in the sky, a sign to Aphros that it would be a lovely night.

            “I think I should step up Orion’s training,” the noble mused, “at least before Aré’s slave-driving forces Serena to surpass him. I can’t have her holding that over me.” She recrossed her legs as she picked up the paper-thin holotablet she was working on.

            “Oh, the MPG station visit is next week. I almost forgot,” Aphros clicked her tongue. “I can just pawn that off onto the princesses. I’ll spin it as a family outing…Oh wait, we don’t have enough security to send all three on short notice. Most of our usual guards are busy that week. Stupid noble conference. It won’t even have the whole council there, but we have all experienced hands on deck, or Aré will pitch a fit. I guess I’ll only send Atlanta then…or maybe…” Aphros wracked her brain over her conundrum for a bit but soon decided it wasn’t worth the energy and moved on. “I’ll just let Aré figure it out.”

            “Let’s think about something more fun, like the Hyperion Games!” Aphros chirped. “It’ll be Orion and Serena’s break-out year. And that Penelo girl, too. I can’t wait for…” She paused as a horrible realization crept up on her. “Right…‘They’ll’ be returning to the palace right before the games, won’t they? I still haven’t figured out how to break the news to them that Caenia left, but I’m sure with a little more time, I can-.” The ringing of her communicator interrupted the noble’s thought. Aphros looked at the device on her wrist, and her blood ran cold as she saw the symbol on the little screen that acted as caller ID.

            “It’s her,” the blonde gulped. “I guess Serena has a point about conjuring your worst-case scenario by saying it out loud. Normally, I’d let it go to voicemail, but if I don’t answer, she’ll think something is wrong and call Aré, and that will only make things worse for me. No problem, I can do this, I’m me.” She answered the call.

            “Good evening, Lady Aphros. It’s been too long,” a soft voice emanated from the device. It was as cool and refreshing to listen to as the ocean on a peaceful summer night. Yet, Aphros’s heart rate continued to rise.

            “Good evening, err Morning, or whatever time it is. I don’t know how the time difference works for you,” Aphros joked nervously. “How are you doing Lady P-?”

            “No need for pleasantries, Lady Aphros, I’m calling about Caenia,” the voice interrupted. “I’ve been sensing something terrible in her future for months now, but I only just got the opportunity to call you about it.”

            “Whatever is happening, I’m sure you two can work it out,” Aphros deflected.

            “That’s the thing,” the voice replied, “I’ve been trying to call her communicator, but she never picks up.” Aphros glanced to her desk, where a silver communicator she retrieved from Caenia’s old room hung off an ornate jewelry stand. Upon further inspection, the device had 23 missed calls on its screen. “I thought she might be busy, but now I’m unsure. That’s why I decided to call you. I figured I left her in good hands under your supervision, so you’d have to know where she was.”

            “Well, you know how she can be sometimes,” Aphros sweated. “We’re so busy busy over here. But she’s still found time to bond with the new staff.”

            “New staff? I wasn’t aware of any Diane coming of age, or did you hire someone from another family outside the palace,” the voice asked.

            “Um,” Aphros realized she was in a catch-22. Technically, both answers were true, but revealing the details behind either would not be a good look for her. “It’s a long story…”

            “Lady Aphros, cease your nonsense. Where is Caenia?” The voice became firm. It was still mostly soft, but like the sea, you could feel the rising tension, as if a storm was coming.

            “It’s a very long story. I promise to catch you up, but it’d be best if I brought you to her first,” Aphros assured. ‘This should be fine. I know where Caenia usually hangs out at this hour. Besides, it’s not like anything has happened with her these past several months, so why now?’

            “You have ten minutes, or I’m calling everyone else to get the full story,” the voice warned.

            “Please give me thirty. It’s a bit of a trek,” Aphros pleaded.

            “Fifteen,” the call was cut off.

            “Better get moving,” Aphros rushed out the door. “This is bad. I’m never going to hear the end of this.” The noble darted down the halls, but the sound of shouting caught her attention. It sounded like Aré and Serena, which was not an abnormal occurrence. Still, the screaming match sounded far more intense than usual, even for them. Aphros could practically feel the hate and resentment flooding down the hall. “I better check on this.” She ducked into the side room the two were in.

            “What’s going on here?” Aphros entered. On one side of the room was Lady Aré, who looked like she was about to say something but stopped when she saw Aphros. On the other was Serena, who looked on the verge of tears. “Aré, what did you say to the poor girl this time?”

            “Fuck off!” Serena screamed at Aphros and stormed out of the room. Aphros was too stunned to reply and let the girl leave without argument.

            “Seriously, what did you say to her?” Aphros looked at Aré in shock. She had seen Serena angry before (mostly at herself), but that usually resulted in witticisms or self-deprecation from the maid. This anger came from somewhere far more personal.

            “I was only acting in the best interest of the palace. At least, I thought so,” Aré began. “What happened was…” The noble explained the situation and the more Aphros heard the less she liked of it.

            “You did what?” Aphros exclaimed.

May This Fantasy Continue A Little Longer…

Next Time: Chapter 25, Caenia’s Return Part 1

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It is best to never let problematic situations fester and develop. If you know you have an issue you should always discuss it with the relevant people right away, that leads to a healthy and productive workplace.

Author's Note: And that ends Volume 3. I hope you enjoyed this small preview of Volume 4, the story is going to heat up very soon. Like I said before, it'll be a while before Volume 4 starts, so look forward to the other things I have set to release in the meantime.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.

Strange Sci-fi Tales - Careful Danger [#204]

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            “Careful,” Dr. Maxis warned his assistant, “need I remind you how dangerous that is?” The two men stood close together in their shared lab space. Buried deep in the building’s 3rd basement, they were practically alone down there. If something were to go wrong, no one would be coming to assist anytime soon. It didn’t help that it was the middle of the night at the end of a long workday. The aging light fixtures that hung above them flickered every so often, threatening to bathe them both in darkness.

           “You worry too much, Dr. Maxis,” the assistant, Richards, assured. “I will handle this as if it were my own child.” The younger man gripped the pair of tongs in his hand for dear life. Held within them was a sealed test tube containing a strange, purple liquid. Despite Richards’s claims, his hands trembled, ever so slightly, as he moved the tube across the table.

           “You’re trying my patience with your hollow words, Richards,” Dr. Maxis seethed. The older man glared at his assistant, judging their every move. He maintained his stare until Richards gently set the tube into its new home, a small rack, at the center of the table.

           “See, nothing to-,” Richards began, before the lights cut off for a brief moment. They returned quickly enough, but now they flickered much more consistently. Neither man was an electrician, but even they could tell their time in the light was limited.

           “Damn faulty wiring,” Maxis growled. “I’ve been warning those idiots in management this would happen.”

           “It’s just the lights, I’ll pull out a flashlight, and we can finish this,” Richards brushed it off.

           “No, you fool, listen,” Maxis hushed the other man. Richards pricked up his ears but heard nothing. The room was dead quiet.

           “I don’t hear anything,” the assistant stated.

           “Exactly, the A/C, the coolers, everything shut off,” the older man pointed out.

           “Oh, no,” Richards’s heart dropped. “Does this need to be refrigerated?”

           “Of course it does. Have you not learned anything?” Maxis snapped. “If this is left out to expire, two weeks of hard work and $10,000 go down the drain. Now hurry, let’s take this upstairs and find a working refrigerator.”

           “Sure thing, Dr. Maxis,” the younger man gulped as he picked up the test tube with the tongs again. After grabbing a flashlight, the two men exited their lab into an equally poorly lit hallway. Thankfully, the lights did not flicker. Instead, half of them had burned out. Most importantly, the ones surrounding the stairs. “I don’t like this,” Richards admitted.

           “I don’t care, move,” Maxis forced his assistant along into the darkness. Some points were so absent of light the two men could barely see their own nose. “Blasted darkness, what’s with your flashlight?”

           “Is there a problem, Dr. Maxis?” Richards asked, still holding onto the tube for dear life.

           “Have you replaced the batteries recently?” Maxis inquired.

           “I thought I did yesterday,” the assistant claimed.

           “Of course you did,” the older man groaned. “Move, we’re on borrowed time.” The two men rushed through the hallway until they finally reached the stairs. They hoped that they’d get some light trickling down from above. But, to their horror, the entire stairwell was pitched black, all the way to the top. Thankfully, they only needed to scale three floors to reach the lobby, which would have some natural moonlight from the windows.

           “Dr. Maxis, are you sure about this? I can barely see,” Richards tried to hide his panic behind a question.

           “Just move and follow in my footsteps,” Maxis took the first step.

           “If you say so,” Richards followed.

           “Slow down, you’re shaking the tube too much!” Dr. Maxis yelled at his assistant.

           “Okay, okay,” Richards drastically slowed his pace.

           “What are you doing? Speed up, or we’ll never make it in time,” the older man continued his tirade.

           “How fast do you want me to go?” The younger man blurted out.

           “Is this so hard?” Maxis grew more hysterical. The two men had barely made it past the second basement.

           “Dr. Maxis, please, I’m holding our jobs, and maybe even lives right here,” Richards exclaimed. “I don’t need any more stress. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

           “I’ll tell you what,” Dr. Maxis spun around. “Why don’t you stop being such an incompetent screw up who needs his handheld through every experiment. If I had it my way, you’d never-!” The scientist never got a chance to finish his sentence. In his fury, he misplaced a step and tripped backward. He tried to right himself, but the older man overcorrected and tumbled forwards.

           “Dr. Maxis?” Richards shouted as they jumped out of the way on instinct. Then remembering his boss was about to fall down a flight of stairs, his brain told him to reach out and catch him. Alas, in that brief instant, he forgot the dangerous substance still held in his hand. Maxis collided with his arms, and Richards let the other man fall, taking the test tube with him.

           Dr. Maxis rolled down the stairs and crashed down onto a landing, the glass in the tube breaking on impact. A horrific sizzling sound and a smell akin to burning flesh filled the area. Richards stood parlayed for a moment, unable to see what occurred in the darkness.

           “Dr. Maxis?” Richards called out and received nothing but eerie silence. “I need to...Shit, that stuff is toxic. I need to leave, call for help,” the younger man scrambled up the stairs in search of a phone.

           “Fool, why did he leave?” Maxis coughed. He could feel blood all over his chest and hands. His entire front burned in enormous pain, both from the liquid and the glass shards lodged in his belly. The older man tried to stand up, but he realized his legs were numb. His brittle, aged bones could not withstand the impact. “It was toxic to the touch, the touch that fool, why would he...?” The scientist stated before he was hit by a moment of realization. “I didn’t tell him...” The older man’s voice trailed off as he felt the darkness consume him further.

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Details are important, they help prevent miscommunication.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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Night of One Hundred Horrors - Tram Accident [#194]

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           His head was spinning, his body was sore, the smell of burnt electronics filled his nostrils. His body didn't want to move, yet this tiny part of his brain screamed at him to start moving. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw the tram's interior, shattered windows, and mangled front.

           "That can't be right," Dr. Kenton muttered, "no wait, I remember." He recalled his morning commute to work from the dormitory. He boarded the facility's internal tram line, the same as always. However, at some point in the trip, there was a power surge, and Kenton's tram car fell from its railing into the abyss below. The scientist crawled out of the twisted metal vehicle, finally noticing his broken leg and the blood dripping down his forehead.

           "Phone, where's the damn phone," he searched his person for the device. Unfortunately, all he found was its caved in remains. "Lovely," he sighed as he reached back into the tram, searching for the emergency supply cabinet. He'd seen it every day since he started working at the facility. Still, he had never expected to actually need to use it. In a stroke of luck, the heavy-duty flashlight contained within was still functional. There was even a box of spare batteries and basic medical supplies.

           After patching himself up as best he could, Dr. Kenton dragged himself away from the tram, flashlight in hand. It was best to keep his distance; he could still smell something burning and didn't want to wait for the vehicle to burst into flames. Instead, Kenton began his search for a service ladder or stairs, maybe even an emergency phone. There had to be something of the sort down here, he was certain.

           Dr. Kenton kept to the wall to ease the weight off his broken leg while pointing the light every which way into the darkness. If he was lucky, rescue was already on its the way; if not well, he'd hopefully spot something that would lead him out of there. In the worst case, the power surge could have wrecked the whole facility. If that was the case, he'd be easily missed in the rush to get everything back in working order. For all he knew, dozens of people in the facility were in similar or worse situations as him.

           "I don't have anything to worry about," he assured himself. "This is concrete down here, which meant there were people down here when the facility was being constructed. They had to get back above somehow. Ah, speak of the devil." Up ahead, his flashlight revealed the outline of a metal door. It looked old and rusted, but not terribly so. With one good tug, Kenton forced the door open and made his way inside.

           "Let's find those stairs," he scanned the room; however, all he found was a long hallway and a few sets of doors. The doors were wooden and rotted, the hallway filled with the unpleasant smell of decay. "Where the heck...What is this place?" Dr. Kenton was taken aback as he shined his light through the hall, revealing a set of windows. Through each window was a room that resembled one of the labs he worked in above, only smaller, older, and unkempt.

           "I knew the facility was old, but I didn't think we had abandoned sections," Dr. Kenton was aghast. "There has to be a way to the current facility, right?" The scientist tried to convince himself, but the area he found himself in looked like it hadn't been touched in decades. "Just keep moving," he forced himself forward.

           The further he went, the deeper he seemed to descend. All he could find were more abandoned labs and rooms, each in further disrepair than the last. The stench of decay only grew stronger. While at first, it seemed to be mold or mildew, a light smell of something rotten started to creep in.

           Dr. Kenton finally came to the end of the hall. The smell had only grown stronger as he approached the single door that remained. Kenton hesitated to open it, knowing full well he wouldn't like what's behind it. However, the scientist knew he needed to check every space if he had any hope of getting out.

           "Here goes nothing," he opened the door, the rotten stench magnifying as he peered inside. What Kenton saw made him wretch. He couldn't tell what he saw, but whatever it was, it was dead, and there was a lot of it. Swarms of flies, the horrid stench of rotten meat, and the color red filled the entire room. Kenton had no idea what happened in this lab, but he certainly didn't want to know and shut the door tightly.

           "I'm getting out of here now," he picked up the pace the best he could. Alas, no matter where he went, he could find no path, no stairs, no ladders, just the same deserted labs. His options spent he exited out the door he came and back into the tram tunnel. After puking his guts out, the scientist tried to renew his search for an escape. However, exhaustion, pain, and the psychological impact had slowed him down.

           "This is horrific," Dr. Kenton sat down against the wall. "I don't know what the hell I saw, but I have no intention of finding out." The stress and pain finally got to the injured man, and he found himself passing out. He didn't even have a chance to turn off his flashlight before the darkness took him.

~--~

"You still with us?" A voice cut through the darkness, and Kenton opened up his eyes to see a medic attending him.

           "What happened?" Dr. Kenton mumbled.

           "You took a pretty nasty fall in the tram. You're lucky to be alive," the medic explained. At this point, Kenton noticed the whole team of rescue personnel behind the other man. "Good thing you left your flashlight on, or we might not have found you. Come on, let's get you out of here." The team swiftly moved Dr. Kenton onto a stretcher and carried him away.

           "I hope this isn't a dream," Dr. Kenton muttered as he faded in and out of consciousness. As he finally faded back into the darkness, one last thought crossed his mind. 'That place looked like it had been abandoned for decades,' he recalled. 'If that's the case, how could there still be so much rotten meat? It wasn't sealed, was it?' This last realization hung in his mind as he slipped back into sleep.         

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The deeper you dig, the more questions you have, the more you learn, the less you want the answers.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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Enigmatic Fantasies - Blighted Waters Part 3 (Final)

Part 1
Part 2

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           “It’s incredible,” Albert exclaimed as he viewed his life’s work. The man’s younger days were long past him. His head was balding, he was short several fingers, missing many teeth, and his face was wrinkled. However, that was of no concern, because the village had grown wondrously. The shantytown that began as a couple of wooden bridges and platforms built along the giant stone arch now stretched down to the lake below. They had no reason to shelter themselves in Latrec’s sewers any longer. Their village was more than large enough to house the majority of their people.

           “Still haven’t decided on that name?” Gordon joked the remains of the older man’s hair had gone gray, and his beard stretched down to his chest.

           “I still say we should call it Shanty,” Joseph interjected, his smile showed his many missing teeth.

           “It’ll be called what it’s called,” Albert shook his head, “I’m sure they’ll be a consensus eventually.” The aging man took a seat. “Every day I’ve waited for Latrec’s officials to come and remove us, but they’ve never come. Do they even know we exist?”

           “Don’t they’d be so blind,” Gordon coughed, “especially now, there’s no missing us, nor pretending we don’t exist.”

           “I guess they just don’t care,” Joseph shrugged.

          “I certainly hope so,” Albert scanned the wooden shantytown, his eyes observing every resident they passed. As his vision looped back to the outflow pipe that started it all so many years ago, he noticed something strange. ‘The sewer water looks darker than usual, I didn’t realize that was possible.’

~--~

           “The flow of new arrivals has nearly stopped,” Gordon explained. He and Albert had set themselves up in one of the wooden shacks high up in the village. The night was dark, but a small candle lit up their space.

           “More to for reinforcing the structure then,” Albert nodded. “Have that young man from the lowest level do it, he’s strong.”

           “Can’t, he’s ill,” Gordon shook his head.

           “How unfortunate,” Albert sighed, “I’ll figure it out in the morning then.” The aging man yawned, his eyes still glanced towards the outflow pipe. It was too dark to see the flowing water, but he knew the liquid was still cloudier than usual. Suddenly, Albert felt a painful cough overtake him before it passed in a moment.

           “Something foul is going around again,” Gordon wheezed, “worse than usual.”

           “I’d recommend we pull water from further out in the lake for a while,” Albert stated, “just a hunch.”

~--~

           “How’s Gordon,” Joseph inquired. He and Albert stood outside a small shack which housed their mutual friend.

           “He’s up in the years, so the disease is taking its toll,” Albert tried to hide his forlorn expression. “I wish we had a doctor or priest, anything to comfort him.”

           “It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Joseph sighed. “It’ll happen to us soon too, that’s how getting old works.”

           “I guess,” Albert suppressed a lingering memory of his father. “You still teaching those boys your skills?”

           “They’re quick learners,” Joseph chuckled, “the future is in good hands.”

~--~

           “It’s been awfully quiet lately,” Albert commented as he stared out towards the lake. It was cloudier than he remembered.

           “Hasn’t been the same without Gordon,” Joseph coughed.

           “No, I mean in general,” Albert gestured to the village. Still, as full as ever, the shantytown was almost bereft of activity.

           “That sickness is hitting us hard,” Joseph agreed.

           “Not just here,” Albert shook his head, “the flow of new arrivals stopped some time back. It was Gordon’s job to keep track of them, so I didn’t notice until recently.”

           “Think something terrible happened?” Joseph’s concern grew.

           “I don’t know,” Albert replied, “I’m more concerned about the village.”

           “Didn’t I tell you before,” Joseph assured his friend, “the future is in good hands.” He pointed out the few residents still at work, repairing and reinforcing the village. A couple were even expanding the massive shantytown.

           “I certainly hope you’re right,” Albert coughed.

~--~

           The waters had only grown more clouded, darker, blacker, blighted. Albert had initially insisted they pull water from further out in the lake. However, that became less possible as sickness enacted a vice-grip on the village. Eventually, the aging man gave up on the idea, his people needed water, and he felt that soon it wouldn’t matter where they got water from.

           “The future is in good hands,” Albert repeated to himself. The old man had lost almost all his teeth, his head had gone bald, his skin wrinkled, and his body malnourished. His mind briefly wondered where Joseph was until he remembered his friend had died years ago. “The future is in good hands,” he told himself as he rested against the wall next to the outflow pipe.

           It was almost sunrise, but it was so very cold. The old man didn’t know if he had another hour in him. He coughed and wheezed and struggled to keep his eyes open. As his latest attack came to an end, he took a moment to breathe.

           “The future is in good hands,” Albert assured himself. The village’s activity was minimal, but it was there. The population had dwindled somewhat, but it was still quite full. “The future is in good hands,” the dying man repeated.

           Finally, the first light of the sun peeked over the horizon, and a small sense of relief washed over Albert. He allowed himself to close his eyes and rest a little bit. It wouldn’t be much longer.

           “Foolish old man,” Albert mumbled as the sun rose over the horizon.

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Whether or not we leave a lasting mark on the world may not entirely be in our hands, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Admittedly, I planned on making this a four part story, with the last part covering the event following Albert's death and the village's continued struggles. However, I found that I was taking it in a very negative direction, and that the ending in part 3 felt a little better. Honestly it's a little too vague, but I think that's better than spelling out everything that happens next.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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