Cover source
Warning: Scenes of violence and mayhem are included in this story. Reader Discretion is advised!
Other Episodes in the Clockwork City
Steam Brutes
Part 1 ◾ Part 2 ◾ Part 3 ◾ Part 4 ◾ Part 5 ◾ Part 6
The Citadel
Part 1 ◾ Part 2 - You are here!
Clockwork City
A Master Scholar is researching the reports of sightings of Beasts within the Undercity. Men, machines and monsters battle for supremacy on the oil slick and blood soaked streets.
Among hissing turbines and piping feeding the Upper City, battle and war is waged. Meanwhile, in the monolithic Citadel, the scribes make their records of data and histories. Many of their recordings are necessary and valuable to citizens of the City, some are unfathomable and strange.
Yet there is a pattern emerging and this Master Scholar seeks to find the reasons why.
The Citadel Part 2
The visions in the massive screen were intermittent. There was no consistent rhyme or reason to what they showed or when they came.
Ripley had posted teams of novice Scholars every 6 feet around the object. Each team was supported by two teams of Scribes. One team of Scribes noted down data such as the frequency and time of appearances. Another team recorded what was being shown on their section of the screen.
All this information was collated and brought before the Master Scholar and another larger team of novice Scholars and Scribes. Information on time, time differences, and relevancy was compiled into a report on paper and some of it was even committed to film.
Only a quarter of the surface was being documented by camera recorder. They were a brand new invention that had been developed by a Scholar and the idea sold for millions of credits to one of the Noble houses who provided the Citadel with a certain amount of the units.
More were needed and more film was needed. This work was important, but the Council did not believe so. Thus Ripley was en route to an inquiry. The Master Scholar's cloak billowed behind. Never mind responding to requests for more cameras and funding, there was the threat that the funding would be cut in half.
Double doors opened out into the Council boardroom. It was not a high domed structure like some of the older parts of the Citadel. Instead it was closer and instead of granite and brass there was a red carpet and a massive wooden table.
This alone was a massive statement of power, for timbre was scarce in the City.
There were only 3 Council members present. The spies had been correct. Hector Van Haag, a portly High Scholar with a grey beard tucked into his waistband sat in the centre. Master Scholar Roderic Kaliphax was a cloaked man that was implanted like some of the Master Scribes, at least three of his fingertips ended in quills.
The last of the trio would be the most difficult to convince. High Scholar Andrietta Melvian was a severe looking woman. She had a mouth that was drawn down and clenched as though she was always on the verge of screaming. Her hair was set in a tight bun and her dress was drab, plain and extremely neat.
"Master Scholar Ripley." Hector waved but none of the three got up. "Please come over and sit down."
Ripley complied and walked closer. Now was the moment the deploy the first secret weapon.
"I thank you, your Excellences. Forgive my cloak, for you know that I prefer to be covered up." Ripley removed the cloak all in one movement, from the hood all the way down.
There was a perceptible intake of breath from Master Scholar Roderic and High Scholar Hector's smile widened. High Mage Andrietta was impassive.
Like a magic trick before them a robed and mysterious Master Scholar was replaced by a young and beautiful woman as she draped the cloak over the back of the chair.
Ripley made sure not to smile or look smug. This would lose her points with Andrietta. Instead she kept her face deadpan. She did not wear makeup but did not need to, her dark eyebrows accentuated her green eyes on her pale sun-fearing skin.
Covering up was normal for her, for nobody took a beautiful young woman seriously in an academic role. Men often tried to make advances on her and it was a setback to her career. Thus, she had changed her name and moved from another part of the Citadel. The girl dissapeared and the tall and mysterious cloaked Master Scholar had arrived.
Due to her height, people assumed that she was a man. She removed the voice modulator that covered her mouth and set it down on the table.
"What a relief." She said and then sat down. She had chosen the rest of her attire specifically for this visit. Usually she wore whatever was comfortable beneath the cloak.
Today however, for the purposes of this meeting she had chosen an outfit in every detail to deal with this trio of Council members.
From her head to her toes, she had prepared each detail meticulously. Her hair was set in the same bun fashion as Andriette, though she had made sure to make a slight change to it, so it seemed natural.
Her spies had done well as she noticed that the information was accurate.
Her blouse was long sleeved and covered her up to her throat so she would remain modest but the cream coloured material was soft and loose, thus as she smoothed it out and sat down, she knew her ample bosom would be shown off.
Once more a calculated risk. Do not show cleavage but show that I am a woman with an ample chest. She wore no bra underneath. This had a double impact. Why would she wear one for others to see? Additionally it helped with the effect that she chose to have on these two men.
She had to reign in her excitement as her nipples brushed against the soft fabric. It was not often that she got to be so daring with her physical form.
She made sure that regardless of her near looking outfit, there were ink stains on the wrists of the blouse. This would give the impression that she sat in her chambers and wrote wearing this outfit. Obviously, she wore something more practical for this.
She knew, however, that her looks would not win her case. It would only serve to tip the balance. Regardless of her planning, she was nervous. There was still a chance that they may reject her.
"Master Scholar Ripley I will cut straight to the chase." Andriette said, cutting off whatever Hector was about to say. "Your operation is costing the Citadel a considerably bill to keep going. Without something to show, we will be forced to cut funding and put your project aside."
"I understand your Excellence. That is why I have brought you data." Ripley set a stack of paper neatly on the edge of the table on her side. "Before I show you what has been found, I would like to call upon the importance of my life's work thus far."
"Go on." Hector forestalled Andriette this time.
"The Chamber predates anything in living memory. There may be records as to who built them or hy in the Under-dark of the Citadel but nobody knows. For a thousand years of recorded history the Chamber served no purpose and is now active."
She paused. She knew many Scholars have forgotten this history. It was the same as people taking it for granted that the sun rose each day.
"There has never been an activation and it did so without our intervention. We need to understand it before something happens that we cannot understand or control. There is, however a development that is most certainly startling."
She passed over three papers, one for each of the Council members.
"Here is a print sketch of a building and construction happening." Ripley said.
"It is the Asgard Veladrome." Roderic said, studying the picture under a magnifying lens attached to an armature that was on his head. "My great grandfather designed the building."
"Indeed, thus a vision of the past."
"Useful." Hector said. "Though something as far back as that, we have pictures and recordings such as that."
"Not all the images seem to be as current." Ripley replied. "However, this is not even the most exciting thing to show."
"Go on." Hector said.
She produced another trio of papers. This time she stood to point at details. "A fire on Ratchet Avenue in the Under City. A factory fire. Here is the news report of it really happening."
"Yesterday's report." High Scholar Andriette said.
"Indeed... but we recorded this image three days ago."
The Dustoff
And that is where I need to cut it off, for I have run out of time!
Until next time, cheers!
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