I'm so proud of this piece. I hope you guys like it.
"Hello, Helena," Myka called, brushing the start of a cobweb off of the statue's shoulder and, not for the first time, or the last time, wondered about what it would be like to feel her skin instead of cold metal, to feel the other woman's clothes wrinkle under her touch. "We are going to start at the 1950s today!" explained Myka to the unmoving figure as she took a seat at the base of the statue. Myka cracked open the history book she held in her hands and began reading the introduction aloud.
As she read, Myka's mind began to wander back to the first time when Mrs. Frederic told Pete and her about the bronze sector. As well as one of the oddest jobs they'd both ever heard of and seeing as they worked at the warehouse that was saying something. Reading to someone who was bronzed seemed to be not only pointless, but needlessly time consuming. As Pete had so eloquently put it "You really think I want to spend my time reading to some freaky statue lady?" He put emphasis on reading as if it were a word one wouldn't say in public aloud. In the end Myka was assigned the duty of going to the bronze sector every so often and read to the only person who willingly asked to be bronzed. At first the job was tedious and rather boring. Myka couldn't see the point of reading to someone who was encased in bronze. Even though she could still think there was still the fact that Helena was a statue. In order to make the job more interesting Myka picked her favorite books.
Before Myka knew it she started to enjoy going to see Helena, it was almost like reading to a child but without all the interruptions. When Myka got to her favorite parts she would stop reading and go off on tangents explaining the other meanings that intrigued her. Myka would then realize she was talking to a statue and go back to the story. Mrs. Frederic had only specified that Myka was supposed to read to Helena, but not what and one night Myka came up with what she thought was a brilliant idea, that is what started the history lessons. Myka figured that being stuck as a statue should be no excuse for not knowing the world's history and besides H.G. had a lot of catching up to do. Myka flipped the page and began telling HG about North Korea invading South Korea.
Though Myka knew she was probably just imagining it she would sometimes feel as though Helena would like to know more about a certain topic, or a deeper explanation. Of course, she always obliged, but Myka would feel odd afterwards. There wasn't a good explanation for why she felt she knew what Helena wanted. Myka just knew. It was almost like Pete's vibes only not as powerful and a heck lot more localized. Myka sighed internally at herself and was struck by a thought of the past again. After she had started with the lessons Myka had become curious about Helena's exact past. Myka had wanted to know why this woman asked to be locked up with some of the world's most dangerous people. She had gotten every single bit of information she could on Helena. Myka even enlisted the help of Claudia to find materials when she herself was off on assignment. The amount of found was minimal. Most of the mentions of H.G. were in one or two sentences in old case files. Myka still read the entirety of each of the files they found H.G. in. Myka smiled as she remembered spending long nights reading of the cases Helena was involved in as she turned to the next page of the textbook. She looked down at the page and realized she had come to the end of the chapter. "Oh. It looks like we are done for today Helena," Myka said and she somehow felt disappointment fill the air. "I knew this chapter was a bit shorter, but I didn't think it would be so much shorter. I'll come back tomorrow and finish the unit with you. I shouldn't be doing anything else and Pete and Claudia are on inventory duty due to some of their adventures." Myka stood and looked at the statue for just a little bit. Unlike the other ones, Helena's face was permanently frozen in a peaceful look. The others were looks of rage, hate, and anger. The calm pose of Helena was odd, but it spoke volumes at the type of person the inventor was. Myka turned, feeling a small pang of loss, and walked back past the statues, counting in her head each statue as if to make sure they hadn't got up and walked away. She smiled to herself, amused at the silliness of that thought. As if bronze statues could just walk away. The thought itself was so preposterous to Myka that she couldn't help chuckling to herself as she reached her car. Myka looked at the sky and was amazed that the time had passed so quickly. Myka opened the driver's door and quickly got in, ready to go home after a great day.
"Myka." The familiar voice of Mrs. Frederic startled the agent as she began to put her key in the ignition.
"Mrs. Frederic! You startled me. And why are you in my car?" asked Myka. Over the time she had been working at the Warehouse, the one thing that still surprised Myka was Mrs. Frederic's ability to randomly show up in the oddest of places.
"I'm sorry for startling you, but I wanted to speak with you about your job."
"About my job? Did I violate the manual? I've done everything by the book I swear!"
"You misunderstand me Myka. I was talking about H.G. Wells. The Regents are thinking about de-bronzing her. I wanted to hear your opinion."
Myka blinked. This was not anything she had even considered an option. "I.. I... Well, Did she ever specify when to be de-bronzed?"
"No. She did not. Though I feel as though it is time," Mrs. Frederic stated with her normally mysterious confidence.
Myka bobbed her head, her curls shaking with her nod. "Well, I suppose you would know best. I mean, I'm sure it would be very hard on her as she is unused to this world and how to live in it."
"That's exactly right. The Regents and I believe that she will need someone to help her adjust to - "
"I'll do it!" Myka cried, cutting off Mrs. Frederic before she could finish her sentence. "I mean I'm the most qualified! Plus Pete and Claudia would just play video games with her and she needs more than that!"
Mrs. Frederic smiled. "Thank you, Myka. I was hoping you would volunteer. Thank you. I don't know how long the Regents will continue to discuss the matter, but I truly hope that I can persuade them to de-bronze her. I feel that we are not using a valuable resource for the Warehouse. I'll leave you now. Good night." With that Mrs. Frederic opened the passenger door and walked out. Myka sat there, in her car, for a few minutes. She was absolutely surprised. Eventually though Myka got her feelings in order and she drove home, resolving to continue to act as though nothing had happened until something did happen.
Nothing happened. Not for weeks. In fact enough time passed for Myka to start believing that the Regents had decided to not de-bronze H.G. Though Myka would never admit it, she was disappointed that they wouldn't do it. Myka checked her watch, it was time to go see H.G. Her heart feeling heavy, Myka picked up the textbook and flipped through the pages. It was silly and Myka knew it, but every time she walked into the bronze sector she would count the number of statues, some part of her hoping for one to be missing. For the right statue to be missing. Myka shook her head and her feet dragged her in the direction of the bronze sector. "I shouldn't feel so disappointed," Myka thought to herself. "It isn't her fault that the Regents didn't want to take that risk." Myka sighed and out of habit counted the heads of the statues. Myka paused, her feet snapping to attention. She counted the number again. There was one missing. Myka started running. Her feet slapping hard on the hard floor as she neared where Helena's statue should have been. There was a figure dressed in a plain white button down shirt where there should have been a woman in bronze. Myka pulled out her tesla and pointed it at the figure. "Where is H.G.?" Myka yelled as she came to a halt. The figure turned and raised her hands.
"This isn't really the way I pictured us meeting," her crisp British voice ringing out in the air.
The barrel of Myka's tesla dipped downwards. "Helena? Is that you?"
"Well who else would it be, Myka?"
"I don't know, you just look so different. I mean I can see it now, but I thought they had just taken you," Myka said, shifting nervously.
"I'd really love to talk more, but do you think you could put your tesla away first?"
"Oh sorry, sorry. I'm just in complete shock." Myka grinned sheepishly as she sheathed her tesla.
"I know I usually take people's breaths away, but usually I'm not threatened with weaponry."
Myka laughed. "You are different then I imagined."
Helena's face furrowed with worry. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"
"Good. I think. We'll have to see," teased Myka.
"I shall do my best to prove that it is a good one then. Anyways, I was informed that you would be overseeing my integration into this lovely new century."
"That's true. After spending so much time reading to a hunk of metal I figured I'd better help it learn how to be human."
Helena laughed and walked towards Myka, extending a hand. "It is a great pleasure to finally meet you, Myka. Your voice has helped keep me, well, to be honest it has helped me to become sane really. It is has been a rather trying time, despite my volunteering for it."
Myka took Helena's hand, it was warm and soft, and shook it gently. "I'm glad I could help. It is good to meet you as well." Myka ignored the impulse to hold on to Helena's hand and let it good reluctantly. Helena grinned and grabbed the crook of Myka's elbow.
"Come on now, you have an entire world to introduce me too. I hope we shall get along as well."
Myka smiled and began to lead Helena away from her former prison. "I hope we will get along too."
