"Sir! Sir!" shouted Limul, crawling along the rough stone floor towards the spike well.
"Igor, what have I told you?" Professor Quasar Honoredglaze said, holding a war dog over the well by the scruff of it's neck. The sound of a child sobbing could be heard coming from somewhere below.
"Oh, uh... I mean... 'Marthter! Marthter!'"
"That's better. What is it, Igor?"
"Master, that won't be necessary! You don't need to do that."
The professor looked at the dog in his hands, then down into the darkness of the well, then back at the dog. "I think you've made an erroneous assumption about science, Igor."
"Sorry sir, what I'm trying to say is, Experiment 6 is ready!"
"It is? Already? Excellent! Forget this!" The professor tossed the dog against the wall as he left the sobbing well. "Come Igor! We have work to do!"
"Onul! Onul!"
"Udil?" Onul said, distracted from her individual training drill.
"He's gone nuts! He's rounding up all the children! Most of the others don't care but..." Onul gasped in the frozen surface air. "I thought you should know."
There was need to ask who. Onul sheathed her sword and set off at a dead sprint down the main staircase.
Experiment 6: Multi-subject study of extended submersion in water on the dwarven physique.Apparatus: 1x drainable room, locked by copper hatch. 1x screw pump. 1x water source.
Hypothesis: Test Subjects will adapt to maneuvere better in water. Test subjects will gain increased levels of muscle due to exercise. Test subjects skin will become wrinkly...
There was a crash as Onul burst into the caverns to see Professor Honoredglazes ushering the last of the children into a hole in the cavern floor, and shutting a copper hatch behind them.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"Good heavens, that's quite a voice you've got on you, minion. You remind me of Shofet. He screamed like the devil himself when I..."
"
Shut up. What are you doing to these children?"
"Doing
to them? My dear woman, what do you take me for? I would never! I'm doing science
on them."
Onul grit her teeth. Even if it would cause anarchy in Icehold, this insanity had to stop. It would stop
now. She took a step forward, and felt someone tugging at her robe.
"Miss Battleglazes, a word?"
Onul recognised the crippled dwarf. Limul Lashroses. By all accounts, one of the more intelligent and empathetic dwarves in Icehold: sadly, not skills in great demand here.
"What is it Limul? You'd better have a damn good reason for stopping me," said Onul, eyeballing the Professor with her hand on her sword hilt. The professor, for his part, didn't seem to notice, instead turning his back and enthusiastically checking the pump mechanism. He seemed most pleased with it.
"This one is safe," Limul whispered. "This experiment. It's safe."
"Safe? Are you mad? He's just put 20 children in a drowning chamber!"
"23. But he's not going to fill it completely, just up to their chins. It's safe, it will take some time to get results, and
it involves all the children. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Onul stared, suddenly conflicted. "It'll keep him happy and keep the children from being harmed for a while. I see. But still... you can't support this! They're just kids!"
Limul nodded sadly, but with determination in his eyes. "They're children of Icehold. They're tough. They'll get over it."
"No... no this is wrong..." Onul began, but was interrupted by a shout from the Professor.
"Alright minion! Start pumping!"
"Sure thing boss, but... uh... the name's Mistem, boss! Not "Minion"!"
"I know what I said!"
Onul stood by, feeling helpless as water poured into the chamber. She was half expecting screams of terror, but the children stayed silent. They
were children of Icehold. They
were tough.
Could this really be better than the power struggle his death would create? Or should she just kill him here and now? She still could...
"Onul," Limul's voice was barely audible over the pump. "12 stories above us, there's a side passage on the stairs. Follow it to the microcline door, and bring the child you find there to the forges. I'll meet you there."
"Why, what are you..."
"We're all criminals here, but that doesn't mean you're the only one in Icehold who cares about the kids. Please, just do as I say."
"Okay, stop!" the professor shouted. Mistem stopped pedalling, and the pump stopped.
"Igor!"
"Yeth, Marthter?"
"Bring me my notepad! I have SCIENCE to do!"
"Yeth Marthter."
Report 1: 23 test subjects have been submerged in chin-deep water. During the initial filling, the test subjects were instructed to use one another and the walls for support, to prevent any unecessary injuries. Though the taller subjects are capable of keeping their mouth above water by standing in a tiptoe position, the shorter ones are currently treading water.
None of the subjects are capable of maneuvereing in the water, and most stand in place.
Correction: 24 test subjects. 25 year old male Adil Boltsclapped (Arson), appears to have joined the test by accident. This provides an opportunity to study the effects of age on learning capabilities, so I have elected not to remove him from the test. Also I don't know how to get him out without getting the others out.
It seems the Manera from experiment 3 has died of natural causes. Morul is most upset at the death of his friend.
Honeymoon once again got into a fight with the local cavernlife.
She managed to hold it in place without injury until someone arrived to finish it off.
I should perhaps consider getting one of these morons to do something about the upper caverns. If nothing else, it would reduce the amount of miasma on the main staircase.
After removing the young girl from the spike well, Olon led Monom down the long, long flight of stairs in mutual silence, hoping to avoid meeting anyone on the way. She needn't have worried. The professor had told everyone to leave the forges alone: for now, at least, they had no need for metal.
Down there, lit by the orange glow of the magma forges, she found six dwarves. Limul, who had been propped up on one of the forges. Udil, Honeymoon, Black Pat, and a few others.
"Ah, Onul. There you are. How are-" Honeymoon began.
Onul ignored her, leaning down to the child she'd brought with her. "Go play with the forges for a bit, okay kiddo? But be careful. They're hot."
She stood up again as the child ran off towards the back of the room, and looked at the gathered dwarves. Founders, ex-overseers, leaders. The people in charge. And Limul. "This is about me killing Deduk, isn't it?"
The others shared a glance. Limul paused for a moment before speaking. "Yes and no. The 'baron' was no great loss, but... you're not finished killing, are you?"
"... no, I'm not." Onul said bluntly, folding her arms. "That man is a monster. Even by the standards of
this place, he's evil. He needs to die."
Limul shook his head. "I think you're wrong. He's not bad, he just... doesn't see the difference between good and bad."
"And that makes a difference, does it?"
"Maybe, maybe not," said Honeymoon. "It's academic. What matters is that, beepiss insane though he may be, he's a decent overseer."
Onul stared at her. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Not at all," said Honeymoon. "You probably haven't noticed, being a military dwarf. There's no idlers lately. Zaneg is making bins and beds, and Kubuk is making cloth bags. The masons are making food pots instead of useless crafts. The stockpiles have been relocated. Everyone is busy. Icehold is
working."
She looked Onul in the eye. "He's not exactly
good at overseering. He doesn't even give that many order. But... he has a talent for giving just enough to keep Icehold feeling useful. When they feel useful, they find things to occupy their time without having to be told. Somehow, this pile of psychopathic criminal arseholes are
co-operating to keep this place functioning. They're actually acting like something vaguely resembling a dwarven fortress."
Onul couldn't hold back her disgust. "And that's worth a few dead kids, is it?"
"No," Udil growled. "Nothing is worth that. But Limul's right, he's not evil. Compared to some of those here, psychopaths and serial killers... at least the professor isn't
trying to hurt anyone. He doesn't get any enjoyment out of it. So long as we can keep him distracted with safe tests, he'll be happy and nobody will have to die."
Onul frowned, rage simmering. "And if we can't keep him distracted?"
"That's why we're telling you this," said Udil. "You're not the only one who cares about the rugrats, but you're the most capable. If there's no other way to protect them..."
"Then I finish it," Onul said quietly. "And you conspirators find us a new overseer."
"I object to the term "conspirator" since the conspiracy in question is about keeping the overseer alive, but essentially, Yes."
There was a hot silence. People generally assume magma makes noise but not when it's still, not when the forges have been abandoned for months...
Finally, Onul nodded, fixing a glare on the small group. "Agreed then, on one condition."
"What's that?"
"We
prove we care about the children. We get the miners to build a safe-room down here, with food and beds, and we hide the children here one by one until there's none left to be found above for that bastards testing."
Udil glanced at Honeymoon. The manager nodded thoughtfully. "It's a good idea. Difficult to achieve in secret, but... it makes sense. I'll see what I can do."
Onul nodded, and realised to her surprise she was smiling. She had allies, and a plan now.
"Alright then. Let's-"
Onul stopped suddenly, listening. Udil opened his mouth to say something, but Honeymoon shushed him. In the absolute silence of the forges, very faint yells could be heard from above.
"Something happening? Another giant toad on the staircase maybe?"
Onul shook her head. "No. No, that's too many voices. Something's happening. They're shouting something... it sounds like..."
"...
goblins."
Experiment 6: Multi-subject study of extended submersion in water on the dwarven physique.Report 2: Test subjects have begun co-operating. The taller test subjects are now helping to support the shorter ones in keeping their heads above water. Additionally, several of them have discovered a method of floating without needing to tread water, whereby they lie on their back and-
... what
is everyone running about and shouting for? I'm trying to take notes here!
*sigh*
I suppose I should go check that out.