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\\~~~\\ 0 //~~~//
Previously on Maid in Fantasy: A simple scientific demonstration showcasing the newly invented Graviton Ray went horribly wrong within a half-hour. The gravity-manipulating device worked perfectly safe until its beam accidentally struck a wall, altering the gravity of the palace itself. In this zero-gravity insanity, Princess Irene has run off to play, with Serena in pursuit to bring the mischievous girl back to safety. Meanwhile, Orion has returned to the site of the demonstration, hoping to fix this mess. Alas, both servants were suddenly attacked by a couple of their peers. Who are Jace and Medy? And why are they so intent on making Serena and Orion’s lives hell?
How will Serena and Orion save the princesses from this mess? Can Serena outplay Jace in the ultimate game of tag? Will Medy stop trying to hit Orion in his privates?
“What now?” Serena felt gravity go haywire again as she and Jace were pulled through the air. They were no longer weightless, nor did they fall to the ground. Instead, they revolved around the central chandelier, like planets around a star. Irene had also been pulled from the ceiling and now floated helplessly a little further out from the two workers. “Princess,” the raven-haired girl cried out as she tried to move to assist the little girl. However, Serena could do little to pry herself from the gravity of the chandelier.
“Eyes on your opponent, girl,” Jace announced as he tried to attack Serena, keyword tried. Instead, the blonde butler only managed to throw off his orbit enough to crash into the maid, sending them both spinning.
“Get off,” Serena shoved Jace away, sending both of them in opposite directions around the chandelier. ‘Now for the princess,’ Serena looked back towards her charge. Irene had regained some control and now “swam” through the air towards a nearby large table. Suddenly, the princess was taken into the table’s gravity and revolved around it instead. ‘That’s interesting, so it’s like the solar system model now?’ Serena realized.
“Just you wait. What goes around comes around,” Jace announced from the other side of the chandelier. He rode the momentum from Serena’s shove as he prepared for his next attack.
‘Great, how am I going to deal with this?’ The maid wondered. ‘Wait, solar system model…Irene…momentum…Hey, that’s an idea.’ A grin formed on Serena’s face that would’ve made Aphros proud.
\\~~~\\ II //~~~//
Orion picked himself off the floor, or rather the ceiling. He was a little dizzy from being knocked into the Graviton Ray, so it took the blonde butler a moment to regain his bearings. As a result, the revelation that gravity was reversed and the ceiling was now the floor came as more of a mild ‘oh’ rather than a great shock.
A few meters away, Medy took the reversal of a fundamental law of physics much less casually. Still, the maid had a goal and was violently set on achieving it. However, the glint of determination in her eyes swiftly vanished as they went wide as dinner plates. Orion noticed her expression change a split second before a chill ran up his spine.
“No, no, no,” Orion dodged a barrage of random objects abruptly slamming into the ceiling. The massive ball of discarded items that once floated above the auditorium’s stage was now being pulled upwards, and the two servants were in the danger zone.
Medy, never one to miss a chance to press an advantage, continued to assault Orion amid the hail of shoes, wallets, and goggles. Orion, ever one to be the voice of reason, pleaded with her to think of her own safety at least.
“Is attacking me really worth all this trouble?” Orion questioned the mad maid. “You’re in danger now too!”
“You should be focused on your own proble-,” Medy tried to say before a shoe struck her right in the head. “Ow, okay, you might have a point, but I’m still not going to stop.”
‘What did I do to offend her?’ Orion wondered as the brunette maid’s assault continued with a hail of rapid fisticuffs. Alas, the butler could not manage to dodge both her and the falling junk, forcing him to take several blows.
“Let’s see you dodge without those precious legs of yours,” Medy moved to disable Orion’s right leg with a kick that could break bones. With no other option, the blonde countered her kick and replied with an elbow to her face. “Aah, didn’t Lady Aphros teach you not to hit a girl? What kind of gentleman are you?”
“You were trying to kill me,” Orion pointed out.
“No, just maim you. There’s a difference,” Medy argued.
“I fail to see a significant distinction,” the butler replied. “You’re still hurting me, and I will defend myself. Besides, didn’t you just want to knock me out?”
“Gah, men, you threaten to break one or two bones, and suddenly they get all self-righteous,” Medy spat. Despite her tone, she seemed relatively unaffected by the blow to the face. “I changed my mind. I’m going to beat you senseless. It’s therapy for all you put me through today.”
‘What is wrong with her?’ Orion thought. ‘Wait, why hasn’t anything else fallen on us,’ the servant noticed the constant rain of garbage had halted. He was certain there should have been far more than what had fallen on them. Orion looked up, or rather down, at the floor. “Oh, that’s certainly interesting.”
\\~~~\\ III //~~~//
After what felt like hours but really only amounted to a few precious minutes, Princess Atlanta and Lady Aphros had finished organizing the chaotic evacuation. The gathered guests and servants were on their way to safely exit the building, leaving only Aphros, Atlanta, and the unconscious Herme behind at their own insistence. The noblewoman fretted for a moment before finally speaking her mind.
“I’m glad that’s over, but I’m still concerned about Orion. It’s not like him to not answer,” Aphros stated.
“I agree. I bet he’s fumbled into another of those situations again,” Atlanta replied. “It’s funny. I feel like he’s always in danger whenever you give him orders.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Aphros lied through her teeth. “Regardless, the poor boy might be in great peril. And if he’s in danger, that can mean nothing good for us.”
“Then go help him,” Atlanta pointed out the obvious.
“I’d love to, really, but I’m sure you’re well aware neither of us is in a position to offer him aid,” Aphros countered. It was an amusing sight; the woman and the young girl were practically glued to the ceiling by an intense gravity. The pull was so strong that Aphros could not even scratch her own nose.
“Do you think they’ve noticed we didn’t follow them all out?” Atlanta inquired.
“Probably not,” Aphros replied.
“Is it safe to say the ray went off again?” The princess asked, knowing she wouldn’t like the answer.
“I think the answer is obvious,” Aphros sighed. “My nose itches,” her face twitched.
“Is there no sense to that infernal device’s workings?” Atlanta exclaimed. “Herme was right. It does break all laws of physics.” The young woman’s comment usually accompanied by a scowl and exaggerated full-body gesture. Alas, the best she could muster was moving her shoulders in a vaguely irate motion.
“I only know one thing for certain,” Aphros declared. “Once this is all over, that device is scrap.”
“Noooo,” Herme muttered in her sleep. The scientist was currently crumpled up against a decorative ceiling fixture in the most uncomfortable manner. Yet, she still did not rouse from her unconsciousness.
\\~~~\\ IV //~~~//
As Serena and Jace revolved around the ballroom’s grand chandelier, the maid trapped in its orbit, and the butler riding his momentum, Serena had a thought. ‘This guy isn’t nearly as smart as he thinks he is. That’s my ticket to victory.’
“Run, I’m coming for you!” Jace declared as he reached the exact opposite end of the chandelier, disappearing from view momentarily.
‘Now’s my chance,’ Serena resolved. Striking inspiration from Irene, she scoured the room for another large floating object. Noticing another long dinner table, which sat between the grand chandelier and a smaller one, the maid “swam” towards the table, trying to enter its pull.
“I’m the pain train,” Jace declared as he zipped around the side of the chandelier, only to have lost sight of Serena. “The hell? Where could you possibly be hiding now?”
‘Use your brain for once, idiot,’ Serena decided not to vocalize her every thought. She had reached the long table’s gravity and was pulled into a vertical revolution around it. At that moment, she was out of Jace’s line of sight, as long as he didn’t turn his head down. Riding the momentum of the gravity, Serena slingshot herself to the adjacent chandelier.
“There you are,” Jace finally spotted her. “Hey, wait, come back.” The butler frantically moved to adjust his trajectory but failed.
‘Good, he’s panicking,’ Serena smiled as she was caught by the other chandelier’s gravity. Riding this new pull, the maid revolved around it with even greater speed, grabbing ahold of the fixture and swinging in a circle before flinging herself off in Jace’s direction.
“Crud, crud, crud,” Jace tried to “swim” away, but it was too late. Serena came at him like a cannonball and tackled him.
“Ow, idiot, you got in my way,” Serena shouted as she knocked the blonde away. She used him as a springboard to leap towards Irene, who was still floating around one of the long tables. “Tag, princess,” the maid joked as she grabbed the little girl and landed on the table.
“That was fun. Do it again,” Irene bounced in her arms.
“Maybe another time,” Serena smiled and shook her head. She looked back to see Jace’s limp body floating and found it difficult to feel any pity for him.
\\~~~\\ V //~~~//
Back in the auditorium, Orion’s gaze lingered on the stage. The Graviton Ray was still firmly stuck in place, surrounded by the rest of the scattered objects pressed to the ground. The butler realized that both surfaces had their own gravity, albeit at different strengths.
‘I hope this works,’ Orion jumped back from Medy before crouching and leaping towards the floor. As he neared the other side, the pull of the ceiling’s gravity gradually weakened. After passing some threshold, he was taken in by the gravity of the floor. The butler landed in an aisle on the floor with a somersault, noting that he felt much heavier.
“Don’t try to run from me,” Medy leaped after Orion but crashed into a row of seats. The maid picked herself up and seemed no worse for wear.
“Apologizes, but I must finish this quick,” Orion declared as he jumped back towards the ceiling. It was a much harder feat than the other way around. But he only needed to jump so far before passing that invisible threshold. Medy followed him, and the two servants engaged in an aerial dance. Orion bounced between the ceiling and floor, and Medy followed just behind. However, while the butler’s jumps were careful and measured, Medy’s were wild and without care.
“Just…hold…still,” Medy exclaimed after she crashed into the seats for the umpteenth time. The young woman finally began to slow down, and Orion saw his chance. On their next set of leaps, Orion immediately bounded from the ceiling back to the floor, aiming for one of Medy’s previous impact craters. Medy followed right on his tail, but this time Orion had stopped allowing her to catch up. “Tired already?” Medy mocked as she sailed towards the butler.
“Forgive me,” Orion dodged at the last moment, leading to Medy crashing yet again.
“Jackass, can’t just…grrh…” Medy muttered in her daze until she felt something hefty atop her. “Hey, let me go,” the maid realized a couple of chairs she had dislodged in her previous falls had been placed atop her. She was pinned to the ground thanks to the increased gravity.
“Not now, but when this is over, I promise to let you free,” Orion bowed and turned back to move towards the stage.
“Darn you,” Medy wiggled but could not force herself free.
\\~~~\\ VI //~~~//
With the third princess held securely in her arms, Serena turned her mind to determine how to best exit the room. With the gravity all screwed up, it wouldn’t be as simple as beelining for the door. She also didn’t feel comfortable doing a slingshot maneuver while holding the princess. ‘I can’t wait for this day to be over. Hopefully, Lady Aphros and Orion are about to fix things by now,’ Serena thought.
“Now, only the blonde guy is it. Don’t let him tag you!” Irene exclaimed.
“Princess, he’s unconscious. He won’t be…Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Serena’s danger sense blared. Behind her, she could feel Jace spring back to life and scramble towards them. It didn’t take long for the butler to push himself into the gravitational pull of the table Serena and the Princess currently occupied.
“I have you now, girl,” Jace lunged for Serena.
“To hell with this,” Serena muttered under her breath and grabbed a nearby floating plater. The maid flung the dish at Jace like a frisbee. It spun through the air with an ample amount of force.
“Gah,” Jace avoided the projectile, diverting himself in mid-air and killing his momentum. “Ha, you missed!” Jace laughed.
“Nope,” Serena replied. “You lose, by the way.”
“Lose, no I…Wait,” the blonde had a creeping feeling go up his neck. He flinched, expecting some horrible thing to hit him on the rebound. However, after a long moment, he realized nothing was coming. He spun around, noticing no danger as the plater had simply flown off into the distance. “You sneaky bitch, what are you trying to-?” Jace flipped around to yell at Serena, but the maid and the princess were gone. “You…Damn it!”
\\~~~\\ VII //~~~//
Orion made haste towards the auditorium’s stage, glancing back at Medy occasionally to ensure she was still trapped. Once the maid’s inability to attack him was confirmed, the butler breathed a sigh of relief and leaped for the stage, only to slam into it with more force than the last time.
“Right, the Graviton Ray has increased gravity around it. I forgot,” Orion croaked out. It seemed the moment of weightlessness he experienced before being flung to the ceiling was only temporary. Which would explain why all the objects that fell to the stage left dents. “Let’s do this,” the blonde youth mustered up all his strength to crawl along the stage. It felt like a large hippo with cement shoes was standing on his back. However, Orion still managed to push himself forward.
After what felt like an eternity, the butler reached the Graviton Ray. The weight on his back had now increased to the point Orion struggled to breathe. Still, he muscled through the pain as he reached for the controls. As he moved to shut off the device, a pertinent thought crossed the youth’s mind, ‘How do I turn this thing off?’ Orion had been so distracted by Medy’s assault he had forgotten the fact he didn’t know how to operate the device.
‘Or do I?’ Orion recalled. While the incredible force of gravity crushing him made it hard to focus, he remembered a certain moment from earlier with extreme clarity. When Herme fumbled with the controls the second time, the butler clearly saw her hands miss the intended buttons to shut off the device. What exactly the intended buttons were and the sequence to press them in was uncertain, but he knew vaguely which ones to hit.
‘Better than nothing,’ Orion forced himself atop the control panel. Alas, there was no obvious emergency shut-off switch, and the whole thing looked far more complex than his brief memory showed. ‘Oh lord, what would Aphros do at a time like this?’
“When in doubt, hit all the buttons!” An imaginary Aphros said in Orion’s head.
‘Umm, what would Serena do?’ Orion shifted gears. The butler took a second to breathe, which was still quite difficult, and went with his best guess for how to operate the controls. His first attempt achieved nothing. His second attempt only prompted a flicker from the ray. On Orion’s third attempt, the device only slightly moved up and down. “Damn it,” the youth finally lost his cool and slammed the device with both hands, which prompted an immediate response. “Oops.”
“Percussion maintenance protocol accepted,” a robotic voice said, “Shutting down.” Orion felt the heavy weight upon his body slowly vanish as gravity gradually returned to normal. The dozens of objects on the ceiling, rather than fall like a rain of garbage, slowly fell to the ground as the often-defied laws of physics shifted back to normal.
“Oh, that worked out better than expected,” Orion scratched the back of his neck. He glanced down at the him-shaped dent on the device from when Medy knocked him into it earlier and winced. The youth also noted the smaller dent left by his hands and hoped he wouldn’t be held accountable. As the blonde debated on how to break the news of his damaging the device to Aphros, he spotted something alarming. ‘What is that?’ Orion saw several nicks and dents not caused by him, almost like someone had tampered with the device. ‘Could this be sabotage?’ The butler could feel his stomach drop.
To Be Continued…
>>>~~~~<<<
Workplace scuffles are best solved quickly, efficiently and
diplomatically, or else they may fester and cause problems
elsewhere.
Author's Note: And now we near the end of this small story arc, one more chapter to go. I think I've said this before, but the whole point of Engineered Insanity was to reset the tone and pace for the series. Shifting to more comedic, leaner and snappier chapters, or at least experiment in that direction. I liked writing them, but in the end I feel four chapters might have been too much for this goofy plot. Alas, I didn't want to screw with the chapter count so I left it as it was.
This was also the first time we have Serena and Orion being more tactical in their fights, a trend that I hope to continue in the future.
That's about it for now, I'll have more to talk about for the last chapter in this arc next week.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
