This is a quality hard-bound journal. On the item is an image of a five-pointed star in imitation gold leaf. The star is glinting on the cover. The image relates to the painting of a star in imitation gold leaf on the cover of Vanya's third journal, "The Journal of Employment", in the early spring of 207. This item menaces with sheets of parchment.Instants after materializing in another universe, I almost fell off a ledge. Despite Mr Frog's "superior intellect", I almost died, and I'd only just gotten there.
Leaning back with my arms to regain my balance, I sat down carefully to avoid falling, and took a good look around. I was sitting on a narrow, perforated steel walkway, at what seemed to be fifty feet above a massive garage area. Parked below me were rows upon rows of tanks and trucks - vehicles that required neither yak nor horse to move. Scattered among them I could see a good number of Ballpoint employees wandering about their business, unaware that I sat high above, watching. It felt impossibly bizarre to be seeing these things firsthand, as I'd only learned of their existence a few weeks before. It actually felt akin to a dream - one of those strange ones where you wake up and think, "where did all
that weird stuff come from?"
I tried to take it all in, assuring my disbelieving mind that it
was real, and I
wasn't imagining things, but that only seemed to make it worse. Lightheaded, I tried to stand and stumble back to the portal, but unhappily discovered that it'd already closed.
I was on my own.
The garage looked old and battle-worn, with scorch marks, rust, and bullet indentations adorning the iron walls. Everything was out in the open - the metal crossbeams, vent pipes, even electrical cables - it had a very utilitarian feel to it. Girders adorned the ceiling above me, and framework steel pillars stretched downwards from them to the floor.
Without warning, the huge wall to my right began to transform, and I jumped in startlement, almost falling off my perch. The wall seemed to wash itself away, revealing a grim, dark landscape, dotted with dead and rotting trees and scattered magma flows. I stared at the dismal scene in amazement, guessing that I was gazing through a portal, hundreds of times bigger than any I'd ever read about.
As I watched, several of the vehicles below me started, driving out of the garage and into that other, strange world - which honestly looked much homelier than Spearbreakers'. Then, just as quickly as it had opened, the great doorway closed again, and all that was left was a great, blank wall.
I made up my mind then to get moving. I had no idea where I was, I was terrified, bewildered, and awestruck all at once, and at the same time, I knew I had to hurry... it wasn't a good combination for me, but it made me very, very badly want to get home. I couldn't do that until I accomplished my mission. What complicated things the most was the fact that Mr Frog obviously hadn't put me where he'd wanted to.
Slipping on the little bracelet he'd shoved unceremoniously into my hand, I started forwards along the walkway, heading away from the portal wall and hoping I was going the right direction.
As I reached the end, a metal door split in the middle, sliding apart and revealing a long hallway. After hesitating for a moment, I walked through, worried they might slam shut as I came between them... but no such thing happened. The hallway on the other side looked newer than the garage, its metal surfaces free of rust or dent, and somehow it felt even more alien.
I was inside Ballpoint, wholly and utterly alone.
As I walked cautiously through the trapezoidal corridor, trying not to stare at the bare electric lights that lined the sides, I tried to plan what my next move would be.
"Get to the storage warehouses as quickly as possible," I remembered Mr Frog instructing me.
"All the buildings are connected by concrete-covered walkways due to the radiation-contaminated environment outside, so you shouldn't have to worry about finding the right one." The problem was, I had no idea
where I was, or how to even
get to the storage warehouses.
Ahead of me, the corridor split, and a helmeted guard walked in my direction, a gun clearly visible in his hands. It was the first gun I'd ever seen, and it immediately put me on edge... but even worse, he seemed to notice my uneasiness.
"State your business!" he ordered, quickening his pace. "This is a restricted area!" He wore full armor: dark gray, thick, ribbed stuff that caught light rather than reflecting it, likely made out of materials I'd never even heard of. It didn't look as strong as adamantine, but it looked a lot lighter than steel.
For a moment I stood dumbstruck in terror, sure he was going to kill me. As his words slowly registered in my mind, I pulled out the little ID card and held it up to him. "I'm Vanya Carena," I managed, "I guess the portal put me in the wrong place." I tried to act casual, but inside, I was trembling.
With armored fingers, he took the identification card carefully from my hand and looked at it through his black-glassed visor. After what seemed ages, he glanced back at my face. "Vanya Carena, Level 3 spy?"
I nodded, swallowing. "I was wondering if you could help me... I'm trying to get to the storage district, and I'm not too sure where I am."
"No problem, little mix ups like this happen on occasion." He handed my ID card back and pointed behind him with his weapon. "Keep going that way, sweetheart, first corridor to the right, and just keep walking."
I smiled, almost sighing with relief. "Thank you so much," I said gratefully. I hadn't expected him to be so friendly.
As I passed him and continued down the hallway, I could almost feel his eyes on me. I'm not sure if it was my imagination or not, but when I reached the corner and turned, I thought I heard him wolf whistle...
The corridor continued onwards, occasionally turning or splitting at an intersection. It should've been more than enough time to calm my beating heart, but the chance meeting with the guard had fully impressed upon me just how much danger I was in by simply being at Ballpoint Tech, and I was even more worried about my safety than before. If it hadn't been for the cooled air of the tunnels, I'm sure I would've been sweating.
Finally the trapezoidal hallway ended at a door. As I approached, it slid open, and I almost cried out in dismay at what I saw.
It was a giant open area like the garage, but instead of vehicles, I saw row after row of short, square buildings, separated by empty walkways. Through the door of the nearest I could see several bunk beds and cabinets lined up against the walls.
Among the buildings, soldiers milled around in their dark gray armor, going about their business. If the guard I'd passed could be trusted, I was going to have to walk right down the middle of it all.
Biting my lip, I took a deep breath and started through the door, encouraging myself as best I could with Mr Frog's words:
"You look like a normal Ballpoint employee now. Nobody will give you as much as a second glance."It soon became clear that this wasn't the case.
As I walked forwards, holding my head high and trying to act like I had a reason to be there, I heard men whispering among themselves as I passed, and occasionally they laughed rowdily after I'd gone. I felt it was at me, but I made up my mind to ignore it and hurry to the other side of the room, just to get it all over with. I tried to imagine that they always did that, and that it wasn't at me at all, but the occasional whistle I heard wasn't helping my self-imposed illusion... and then something happened that put the possibility of coincidence completely out of my mind.
Just as I neared the other side of the room, I jumped as I felt someone roughly slap my behind. My first impression was again that I wasn't wearing anything, and I felt color rushing to my face, but this time it wasn't simply embarrassment - it was partially out of anger. I spun and found myself looking at the grinning face of a muscled soldier.
"Hey, baby," he crooned with a wink, as if his behavior was perfectly acceptable. "Wanna go out and get a drink after my shift?" Behind him, his buddies laughed and elbowed each other.
My hand moved to where he'd hit me as I stared at him in openmouthed shock. I could hardly believe anyone could be so rude. "Of course I don't!" I managed to gasp out, backing away from him and his group.
He grinned wider, as if he enjoyed my reaction. "Oh ho ho, playing hard to get, are we? Daddy
likes." He approached me, giving me a dirty look amidst his comrades' encouraging jeers.
I continued backing away, scared out of my wits for my safety. I was unsure of what to say or do, and sweating in earnest now. Mr Frog hadn't said anything like this could happen - he'd said
nobody would notice me; that I wouldn't stand out at all. I'd rather have shoved myself into
any little tunnel than go through something like this, and I was hyperventilating with fear, afraid of what they'd do to me.
It wasn't long before I found myself backed against a wall, as my antagonists slowly closed in, inappropriately casting their eyes over my body.
"And what's a pretty girl like you doing in our neck of the woods, hm?" the man asked rhetorically with a deliberate lick of the lips. "Love that sexy getup. Mmm, mmm, mmm."
"Get away from me!" I cried out loudly in a panic, swatting away one of their hands. "Don't touch me! Get away!"
My cries were answered by a yell to my left. "Hey, leave her alone!"
The soldiers backed up a few steps, craning their necks to look past each other in the direction of the voice. Between them I could see a heavily-armored female approaching at a brisk pace. "Get away from her boys, you heard her," she said with a roll of her eyes.
With some grumbling, they obeyed, turning and ambling away, chuckling to themselves and stealing glances at me over their shoulders.
I relaxed my tensed muscles a bit, closing my eyes and breathing an actual sigh of relief. My heartbeat still raced, but at least it was over. I almost broke down and started crying.
"Hey, you all right?" my savior asked, and I looked up at her face. She was human, clearly, and she looked a little amused. The collar of her dark-gray armor sported a name in white letters: Bugi. "Not smart for you to be wandering around in here. Carena, right?"
I hesitated for a moment. "That's right... Do you recognize me?"
"I've seen you once or twice," she replied. "A girl like you tends to stand out around here. When I've seen you, you seemed to like the extra attention, but I guess we all have our bad days, right?"
I nodded in response. This was
really not a good day for me.
"Thought so," she said with a knowing look. Then curiosity stole over her face, and she asked, "What are you doing down here in the barracks, anyway?"
"I was just passing through," I explained, shrugging.
Bugi raised an eyebrow at me. "Passing through? Barracks dead end, honey."
"What??" I exclaimed in surprise. "I thought I was going towards the storage district... I asked a guard, and he -"
She interrupted me with muffled laughter. "Heheheh! Could've guessed. Yeah, somebody played a little prank on you. Storage district, you say?"
"That's right," I answered. "I'm honestly a little lost..."
"Happens to the best of us." It sounded like a conversational lie, but her words following it heartened me: "I think I could spare a few minutes to get you pointed in the right direction - sound good?"
I smiled with real joy: right in the middle of enemy territory, I'd found a real friend, like a ray of sunshine in a darkened cave. "Yes, and thank you! ...and thank you for keeping those men off of me."
She was already walking back the way I'd come, motioning for me to follow. "Not a problem, honey!" she said over her shoulder, and I hurried after her to keep pace.
As we walked back through the barracks, huge lights among the scaffolding twenty feet above casting faint shadows between the low buildings, no one dared stop us or even whistle. Apparently Bugi had earned a great deal of respect from the men: a single glare from her was all it took to send them slinking back into the shadows. For the first time since I'd arrived, I felt safe.
She moved quickly, taking powerful strides with her longer legs. I had to rush to keep up with her, and it wasn't long before we reached the end of the barracks, choosing a different corridor than the one I'd entered through. The tubular lights on the walls seemed to fly by with a purpose as we turned through different intersections; Bugi knew the hallways well.
Finally, she stopped, and I almost bumped into her. "Far as I'm taking you, Carena," she said, turning to me. "Warehouse is just up ahead and to your left, can't miss it." This said, she turned and left at an equally brisk pace.
I'd hardly remembered my manners before she was already turning the corner. "Thank you!" I called after her, but I wasn't sure she even heard. She wasn't doing it for thanks or profit, but only for the principle - like a true friend. For a moment I regretted that I'd never see her again, but that faded away as it was replaced by new worries: I wouldn't stand a chance without Bugi if there were soldiers in the warehouse, and they treated me the same as the ones in the barracks had.
A memory of Urist's voice came unbidden to my mind:
"Fear doesn't make you weak. Courage is doing something brave, even when you're scared. Being afraid keeps you sharp - it keeps you alive." Maybe I'd never see him again, but he still had a special place in my heart. He
always would. If you really care about someone, you never stop.
I had to be
brave. "If not for me, then for Urist," I whispered, and my own words seemed to bring me confidence as I heard them.
Gritting my teeth, I stepped forwards firmly with all the purpose of a charging bull, my eyes fixed on a point at the end of the hallway. Mr Frog wanted his PEA, and Armok be damned if he wasn't going to get it.
If Urist could've seen me, I'm sure he would've been proud.
I turned the corner to the left and found myself facing an open area. At the far wall was a row of closed double doors, patrolled by a single guard who was walking away from me down the line. As the guard passed in front of the doors, they didn't open like the others at Ballpoint had, and I realized they must be either locked or opened manually. I halted for a moment, then stepped forwards, my dark boots clipping across the floor as I walked forwards. I'd shoved everything else out of my mind; I was going to succeed for Urist.
And then my thoughts began to wander... one of the hazards of thinking of the one you care most about. I began to fantasize about what would happen if I succeeded: maybe Mr Frog would allow me to leave, and I could go and be with Urist again...
My mind was still half on my fantasies when I tapped the guard on the shoulder from behind.
The guard turned to me. "Yes?" It was a female's voice, though coarse. "Do you need assistance?"
I nodded. "I need to get in there," I told her, pointing at the row of doors. "Do you think you could help?" I was on a roll - nothing could stop me...
...Except for her response. "Where's your access key?" she asked expectantly.
It threw me completely for a loop, and my mind slowly drifted from my castles in the clouds to the present situation as I puzzled over what she'd said. "Acc... Access key?"
"Yeah, your access key." Her voice took on a suspicious tone. "It's required for entrance... Don't you know that?"
"I..." I paused, lost for words. My eyes glanced away at the row of locked doors, bordered by little pads of buttons. "I... It's my first time being sent down here..."
"Key's required for entrance, inserted in a keypad. Can't get in otherwise." She sounded extremely suspicious now, and I could imagine her eyes narrowing at me from behind her visor. "Who sent you down?"
I didn't have an answer. "Um... I... I don't know, someone told me to retrieve something for them and bring it back." I knew I wasn't a good liar, and she could probably tell. I was beginning to panic, fright clutching at me and forming into a knot in my throat.
She shook her head, light glinting on her helmet. "That's against company protocol. What's your operating number? And what's your name? I have to report this."
"Report it??" I exclaimed in shock. I was trapped - hopelessly ensnared. Thoughts poured through my mind as my train of thought crossed from one rail to the next. There was no way I'd be able to escape, and even if I tried to run, she'd be more than capable of gunning me down. I'd never see Urist again, I'd never see Spearbreakers - I'd never even see
Mr Frog again, and I honestly preferred seeing him again than the possibility of torture, or worse, imprisonment with Ballpoint offenders. If sexual harassment was overlooked at Ballpoint as normal, I couldn't imagine what terrible crimes someone would have to commit to be considered a
criminal. The men in the barracks hadn't given it a second thought, and nobody would've stopped them if I hadn't cried out for help.
Suddenly an idea sprang forth from my bewildered mind. It was sketchy at best, I knew, and my voice faltered as I spoke. "Why would you have to report it?" I asked her plaintively. "Isn't this the barracks? I'm just supposed to be fetching a helmet from someone's bunk!"
The moment it was out of my mouth, I was sure it would never work, but contrary to that belief, it did.
She laughed rudely. "Barracks? You're new here, then." She grabbed my shoulder and spun me around, pointing back the way I'd come. "They're that way, kid. Somebody just pranked you. I'd do it, too... if I was off-duty." Her voice took on a cruel, boisterous tone as she said this last, and she shoved me forwards roughly. "Now get on out. Learn to use maps, kid."
I was safe, but also devastated. As I walked back through the hallways, it wasn't long before I realized I was also utterly lost - there was no way I'd be able to figure out how to get back to Bugi, much less the garage. I tried finding a set of stairs to get to the roof, but I found nothing but corridor after corridor, their ribbed walls sloping inwards towards the ceiling. Finally I gave up, wandering aimlessly about the Ballpoint infrastructure, wondering how I'd ever escape. A few times I passed a guard, but with my head downcast they took little notice of me, walking by without so much as a glance. I was walking in circles, and I knew it, but I didnt know how to stop.
After a time, I remembered the bracelet Mr Frog had put into my hand, and I looked at my wrist - it was still there. Though I hated to go back empty-handed, I didn't see what else there was I could do. I'd done my very best, I figured; Mr Frog had simply expected too much from me.
After all the guards were out of sight, I slipped the lightweight device off my hand and held it up, pressing the little silver button on the side. As I watched, the air inside the empty circle rippled with a quiet, high-pitched buzzing sound. It was sending my coordinates back to Mr Frog's portal - it was an old invention of his, and he'd explained how it worked. Unfortunately, moments later, the bracelet quieted, and the air within it stilled.
I freaked out. "It
broke?!?" I exclaimed in dismay. "How could it
break?! Now I'll
never be able to leave, and -"
My panicking was interrupted by a quiet hum, as the air before me shivered, shuddering into a mirroring pool of water, ovoid and reaching almost to the ceiling.
I stared at it for a minute, open-mouthed, my last words hanging in the air. "...Oh," I managed, feeling stupid. I stepped through it almost eagerly, unafraid of the strange twisting sensations this time. I was ready to go home.
~~~
"Are you serious?" Mr Frog was fuming with rage, pacing rapidly about the room like a growing thundercloud. "Stupid, stupid girl! You accomplished
nothing! Did you not bother to consider pickpocketing a key before you blithely ran away, ecstatic with the expectation of returning to your squalid little world? Skulkers are thieves by nature; no complications should have existed during your assignment!"
"We'll just try again!" I insisted. "I'll do better next time, I promise!"
"There might not even be a 'next time'! With your notably abnormal behavior they could possibly detain you for questioning and mental examination if I send you there again!"
"I could've gotten sexually assaulted in the barracks!" I cried out in protest, tears in my eyes. I'd never seen him so angry before. "You said nobody would notice me, but
everybody did!
Everybody was looking at me, and it's all because of this ridiculous suit you made me wear!"
"It's Ballpoint protocol for employed spies to wear that same highly dexterous apparel! Now cease bemoaning your previous plight, it's irrelevant!"
"Just because
you don't have any concept of sexuality doesn't mean -" I stopped in fright as Mr Frog stormed over to where I stood, his lips twisting threateningly with a controlled wrath as he glared in contempt, towering above me.
Mr Frog stopped, his face inches from mine. With his furrowed brow, bushy beard and well-trimmed hair, he looked fiercer than a wild elephant as he spoke slowly, threateningly: "Don't
ever question my character again."
I stared at him in terror, biting my lip and trying to back away, but he grabbed my arm and held me close to keep me still. My arm began to ache from his firm grip - I felt my hand going numb as in a low voice, he growled an ominous warning: "It will be the last mistake you make."
I heard myself whimper in fear, and he shoved me away roughly in disgust, turning away. I stumbled backwards, tripping over my boots and falling to the ground as he stalked towards the door, his hands clasped behind his cloak. It was only then that I remembered: Ballpoint had questioned his character, and he'd left them; he'd made them regret it. There must be something in his past... someone he cared about who'd accused his character, maybe.
Something must’ve made him that way, and for a moment, I wanted to understand who he really was.
My thoughts were broken as he turned to me abruptly, his hands still clasped behind his back. "Put on some regular clothing. We're going somewhere tonight." His voice was calm again - almost portentous.
I got to my feet in surprise. "Going somewhere?? We've never gone anywhere before..."
"No, we haven't," he agreed. "But tonight will be different. I had a second plan in case you didn't succeed, though I didn't expect you to fail so miserably. Nevertheless, it needs to be put into effect."
I looked away. If he'd meant for me to feel ashamed, it'd worked. "What?" I asked, prompting him. "What is it?"
"None of your concern," he said in a slightly raised voice, unclasping his hands and heading for the door. "Meet me in the workshops in precisely twenty minutes, and make sure your ears are covered." With this, he left, closing the door behind him.
The suit was a bit of a pain to get back out of, but I finally managed, folding it and putting it away. Before long I was fully dressed in my normal clothes, ready to leave. I checked the clock on the wall - dwarves didn't make clocks, but Mr Frog had taught me to read them anyway - I still had five minutes.
I left Mr Frog's laboratory with a quickened step, trying to get to the workshops before the five minutes were up. Unlike him, I didn't own a wristwatch, but I thought I could estimate the passing of time well enough on my own.
A few minutes later, I arrived, opening yet another one of the many doors and walking in amidst the hustle and bustle of dwarves going about their work. It wasn't long before I spotted Mr Frog, sitting at a table with two other dwarves.
My heart skipped a beat as I realized who they were: it was Urist and Hans! A giant smile broke over my face - it was by far the best thing that'd happened all day, and possibly all week! I rushed over and threw my arms around them in delight - first Urist, then Hans, and they returned my embraces gladly.
"Strange," Mr Frog said dryly, sipping from his mug, "I never get that response from her. I must assume you are already on friendly terms, unless all elves are that enthusiastic about meeting dwarves." He glared at me icily for a moment, as if reminding me he hadn't forgotten about my little misadventure. "I'll be expecting the three of you in my room tomorrow morning, as the sun rises. You don't have much of the day left, so I would recommend you get some sleep soon." Then, he stood and left, his cloak billowing gently behind him as it caught the musty air.
I turned back to Urist. "I'd thought I wouldn't see you again - I'm so glad you're doing all right!" I exclaimed. He smiled, and I felt myself melting in his gaze.
"It is good to see you, too," he responded with a smile.
"Glad t'see ya in such high spirits, missus!" Hans said with a nod. "Mr Frog's been explainin' some stuff to us - he said you might oughta explain it a little better."
I looked at them curiously - first one, then the other, searching their faces for answers - I didn't understand what they meant.
Urist seemed to notice. "Mr Frog said we would be on a mission together. He implied you would be better able to teach us." He raised an eyebrow at me.
I blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "Mr Frog's not a very good teacher, no," I said. Then, as the rest of what he'd said sank in, my eyes widened, and I gaped at him in disbelief. "Wait, a mission together?? Both - all three of us??"
In response to my question, Urist nodded. I laughed with joy and excitement, my voice ringing clearly through the halls of the mighty fortress. I felt blissful - bliss is the only word that could describe it.
Urist smiled at my joy, and told me, "That is what he said. He also mentioned disguises and advanced technology... Do you know what he could mean?"
I hesitated for a moment, but then realized that Mr Frog had clearly wanted me to sum up my knowledge. If I was going on a mission with Urist and Hans back to Ballpoint, they would need to know quite a few things so they understood what was going on. I was so excited; I hardly knew where to begin. "All right," I started, calming my self down, though the smile never went away, "First, you're going to need to ignore everything you think you know about science, and keep an open mind..."
I knew right then that I would
love being a teacher.
☆
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2280168 times)