Chapter 6: Endgear
Clockpunk Epilogue
A sketcher of depth, lacking in depth perception
A voice of an Olympiad
Winding gears to take flight
Playing notes by moonlight
Rhythms brainstormed to cause delight
Pirating from Edinburgh to Riyadh
Preaching the words, without deception
Entertaining the primitive ones
Keeping the lodging ones well rested
Drawing the youth, gaining money, invested
Forging metal into musical discs that are tested
Keeping books of currency merges
Adjusting the joints of the amputated
Translating for the Imperial class
Hosting games in sacred places
Playing clesonators near the fans faces
Getting the flights ready in tight spaces
Owning a house of whores, gentleman and lass
Cleaning the homes of the richly acquainted
My clockwork angels, you no longer lack
Fabio took a sip of water, "I guess the Olympics themselves were an afterthought compared to the Rome riot."
I felt the need to be encouraging, "Oh come on, I know you guys got the money and played perfectly. Even making a profit."
Fabio nodded, "Oh we did, Tamara covered our fee so the helpers got us enough money to upgrade our equipment. We played to over 100, 000 people, an Olympics first. Our music was perfectly executed, people bought our discs, got our autographs...we paid back Tamara and had enough money left over to pay off our lease of the church, free and clear."
I quickly did some math in my head while writing all of this down, I was impressed...even stunned. "So where is everyone at now, mentally speaking?"
By now all of the helpers had finished packing up the equipment had joined us and I had ordered a third barrel of water. "Maybe everyone should give their own answers instead." Everyone cheered and I proceeded in turn:
Tina: "I'm still cleaning houses, but only on a part-time basis. I'm getting up there in age and it's tiresome to travel all over town."
Tamara: "I found a plot of land west of the town limits, bought it, hired a construction crew and built a house. These days I just lead a quiet life, only venturing to Montegran whenever Phoenix Crysalys plays. With my past in New Japan, I've earned it."
Solveig/Elizabeth: "We're still winding planes in Rome, but we are on vacation leave for the month. It's great exercise, and we love the French Republic more with each passing day."
Megan/Holly: We're now the biggest Da Vinci church in the French Republic. We decided to take an approach that focuses more on kindness, and we took off. We still host 2-7 poker tournaments every week, in fact we overlap our duties so that we're both working on tournament days."
Leila: "My extended leave became permanent shortly after the Olympics. My former Czar died in the bedchamber of another man and when his son took the throne he made all interpreters outside of Eurussia stay outside of Russia, not that I mind."
Laura/Julie: "We've had a surge in business so we bought the barn next to ours...on both sides. We each have a shop of our own and Scott has the original barn to keep our books."
Jonathan/Catherine: "We're going to need a 3rd sketcher. Actually we needed a 3rd sketcher 3 months ago, but if each of us moves to a bigger loft we should be ok. But that's how well we're doing.
Jessica: "I'm caretaking nights at the Inn you're staying in, Aaron. I just saw your name in the guestbook before I walked over (I was only 5 minutes ahead of her) It's an amazing place with great atmosphere and staff. They even take care of Ryleigh when I'm asleep during the day. There's a day person, an afternoon person, a night person and a weekend duo. We have 1 shift of caretaking, 1 off and 1 watching kids of the caretakers. We each have our suites on the 3rd floor. I'm so happy to be here.
Jen: "The World's 1st profession will never be slow, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Having said that, I'm more selective as to who I have as a...client. I Have no gender bias but I don't even accept less than 100 francs an hour."
I confess, my jaw dropped at that rate. She deserves more...moving on...
Heather: "I'll never stop pirating, I have such an affinity for being a pirate that you might as well call me Mrs. Pirate. I average about 50% goods and 50% cold hard coin, which is the optimum for a pirate. I've even tripled the size of my crew and doubled the size of my ship."
It took me some time to write all of this down. Then I moved onto the band themselves:
Phoenix: "I've been on such a creative kick that whatever music I submit to Phoenix Crysalys that doesn't get used goes into a project of my own called Babylon 1516. My solo album should be out in the fall..."
Karl: "I'll actually be taking a month off to go back home to Upper Zealand. See family, friends, maybe even fight off a Zealand Rebel or two. But Phoenix Crysalys is still my top priority."
Gregg: "I parlayed the Olympics gig into teaching percussion at a nearby conservatory. It's good money, soon enough we'll be a self-sustaining band. Although our helpers will stay in the French Republic and live nearby as friends and family."
The helpers cheered at that concept, showing a unity I've rarely seen (In this world or my own, I'm drawing from both sets of memories on this one). I've saved the best for last, Chiara's and Fabio's:
"Gregg is right, we'll be self-sustaining by year's end. And that is the ultimate goal of any band here, to create art for art's sake and not to make money off of our fans who have left their homes to assist. So, in a few months we will not need a cut of the profits from people we've helped to great lives...Just in time for a new fan to arrive."
Fabio caressed Chiara's stomach, and I understood immediately. Based on their reactions, I don't think that the rest of the band or the helpers even knew that Chiara was pregnant. I was the first to congratulate them, but the rest followed suit. Fabio then looked me square in the eye and asked, "Do you have enough of a story now?"
I nodded, "Consider the story my apology for killing you in my previous story."
Fabio smiled, "You're forgiven. Besides, it was just a copy of me in a work of fiction."
I had barely managed to fight off laughing and confessing that I came from that world, instead I tried to motion to our server that we were ready to leave...as I heard something of liquid hit the floor. I think Solveig was the first to notice but I'm writing this in a haze.
"Aaron, your nose is bleeding again, quite badly."
"Madam servilo, mi pagis por ĉio?" (Madam server, have I paid for everything?)
She nodded as she handed me a cloth napkin. I was desperate to relief everyone of their concern, "I'll be ok. We should all probably head home anyway."
Jess by now was on my arm, "Now what kind of person would I be if I didn't escort you to your room?"
I nodded in acceptance, as we were heading to the same place anyway. I tilted my head back to stop my nosebleed (Thankfully I didn't bleed on these pages), and everyone stared at me oddly.
"It's a remedy I picked up from some Mexicans in the Colorado province in exchange for free signed copies of my detective book. Tilting one's head back resets the blood flow in the face." They accepted that at face value, as legends about the shamans of Mexico were quite well known throughout the world. Once everyone had their belongings, we went out the front door. I don't think I got so many hugs in under 5 minutes in all of my life, or so many people wishes of "Get bone baldaŭ" (Get well soon). I enjoyed their company, I really did. "Come on Aaron, we'll get you to a Gearist in the morning."
I woke up a few hours later, but not in my room. It was a fully furnished (by renaissance standards) 2-bedroom apartment. Well, at least I didn't randomly travel to some other world...yet. I looked across a small hallway to find a crib with a sleeping girl inside. I whispered "Sleep well, Ryleigh." in order not to wake her. I turn around and saw Jessica asleep next to me. I immediately got feelings of dread flowing through me, "Oh god." I (again) whispered, "I hope neither 1 of us took advantage of the other. Then again, if this Jessica Felix has even half as beautiful a spirit as the Jessica Felix in my world, I'd be quite willing to be taken advantage of."
I found this manuscript and finished as quietly as I could. Then I attached a note to it, trying to draw from this world's me and his memories without resuming bleeding:
Dearest Jessica,
If you're reading this and I'm not here, It's because I felt well enough to reach the Gearist on my own. Thanks for your hospitality and for nursing me, I hope I was a perfect gentleman for you and your daughter.
I have a favour to ask of you, take my manuscript and publish it under your own name. I've been travelling the world in order to avoid being captured and possibly sent to the gallows. The BritIrish commonwealth deemed my book heretical because of the ideas I put in it (internal combustion to move vehicles, a semi-sovereign Canada, a United states of America...to name but 3. Anyways, I'll be leaving the French Republic as soon as I can as I do not wish to cause any of you any trouble. I don't exactly know the full reach of the influence of the BritIrish commonwealth but I fear I may never see Ontario again. Thankfully I have more money than Tamara, so I will be able to move anonymously throughout much of the world. Keep the money you make from this manuscript, retire from innkeeping and send Ryleigh to University. I wish I could stay in 1 place, I wish I could stay amongst you all. I love you all so much. Anyways, I must now say farewell and wish you Dave Vincispeed. You've been 1 of my best friends in any place I travel.
All my love,
Aaron
"She'll likely wonder why there are 2 different styles of penmanship in your manuscript. But she'll never see me as long as she remains asleep. If she wakes, she'll be killed as well, as she will be little more than evidence. Don't worry, I promise to spare the baby."
Aaron turned and stared at this new figure: 7 feet tall, albino, wearing a long oil-cloth duster and fedora. There was an aura about him that Aaron shared: "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not the only one in this room who doesn't belong in this universe?"
The figure tipped his hat at Aaron, suggesting a level of gentleman and integrity that meant that while he would kill Aaron if he had to (and Jessica if she woke up), his promise to spare a baby would be upheld.
"You think you can just travel from world to world and get away with it? A human being is not meant to visit the worlds that they write about in the literal sense. Dreams and imagination only."
Aaron laughed in his typical arrogance, "I earned this with my world being a place I never wanted to belong in. And quite frankly, I don't really care if you kill me. I've carved out a frame of mind where I can tolerate others, even love a few."
The figure in black...turned on his eyes. "When they're black, they monitor the entire Aaronverse...or any other multiverse we're assigned to guard from, travellers like you. When they're blue, what I shoot travels with me to what you humans call Nth-dimensional space. When they're white, what I shoot is not only killed but erased from all interdimensional space-time. In fact, all memories of you disappear too, and your actions are gone too. It essentially resets the multiverse to a point where you're never even created. Please don't make me turn my eyes to white, let's just do my job the easy way."
"And does this job come with free medical benefits? Seriously, go ahead and try erasing me from existence. In fact, the multiverse is probably better off without me."
"As you wish."
His eyes turned white and fired at Aaron. Aaron ducked and it narrowly missed a sleeping Jessica (who turned to the left). Aaron felt too awake to fall asleep and travel to a different world...until he remembered how he passed out from the nosebleeds the night before. Aaron focused his energy and remembered as much of himself and this world's version of him as possible. His nose began gushing with blood and he fainted. The figure in black saw an Aaron leave an Aaron and he left in anger as the Aaron of this world was innocent of travel.
Jessica woke up at sunrise, and the Aaron of this world was gone to the Gearist and then out of the French Republic. She read the manuscript, not noticing that there were 2 writing styles. Adding only, "Goodbye sweet Aaron. You were the best I ever knew."
To be continued...