Chapter One - Bird Roads
The first time Katherine awoke, it was because a series of thoughts flitted through her dark, empty mind.
I must be dead thought Katherine. It's pitch black, and I can't feel anything… What must have... Just then, the memories of the machine MEDUSA entered her mind.
Gasping, she awoke, instantly shoving herself upright. The bright lights from the deadly machine were burned into her memory. Taking the time to relax, she watched the shadows dance on the walls, and the bunk above her, as light streamed through a window to her left, above a simple dresser. The dust trailing through the sunlight looked more beautiful than it normally did. Looking around, she realized many things were amiss. Where was the constant rumbling of London's engine? Why was she not in her room, in Clio House? Where was Dog?
Dog... Everything flooded back. The battle at the museum, the race to stop MEDUSA, and Bevis... Poor, kind Bevis... He was just an apprentice, no older than her. Why did he have to die? And she had just...
A dull throb pierced her heart. She realized this was not just from the memory of Bevis Pods, alone. Looking down, she noticed the bandages wrapping her chest, a slight bloodstain revealing itself in the dancing light. That was right... Father... no, Valentine had stabbed her, as she protected Hester.
Hester Shaw, was her name. The name of the scarred girl, who might have been her sister. The girl who she was very pleased to have saved. Where was she now? If she remembered correctly, they'd gotten aboard an airship, that Tom was piloting...
Thomas Natsworthy!
Remembering Tom, the boy who she hadn't seen since the attack in the deep gut, she tried to pull herself out of the bed, and immediately her injury felt worse by tenfold. She tumbled out of the bed, onto the wooden floors. She attempted to drag herself back up, her head and chest throbbing. Footsteps from outside the room caught her attention, and the door quickly opened, revealing... her. Hester.
A red shawl covered the lower half of this girl's face. The single good eye bore down on Katherine, like a spotlight in the night. She gaped at the scar in amazement. It was astonishing, something you'd only see in but a storybook. Like a grotesque beast, that was secretly… well, to put simply, wonderful.
"You're awake. I'd started to believe you might die in your sleep." Take note, not very optimistic… Katherine thought that might be important to remember.
"Let me help you back on there..." Gently, Hester helped her up, placing her back down onto the stiff bunk, bundling her once again in the bed's warmth. Katherine noticed, slightly startled, that she was shivering. Perhaps this was the pain, or the stress? She noticed another thing, once she began to take her time; there was a humming sound, very nearby, and the room was swaying slightly, as if being pushed gently on a swing.
"Where am I?"
"So, people say that a lot more in real life than I thought..." Hester smiled to herself. The shawl had fallen down just enough to allow Kathy to see it. A sideways, lopsided smile, but beautiful through Kathy's eyes. Everything seemed beautiful to her, now. "You're aboard the Jenny." Hester said this with a slight pride, as if this Jenny were the most important thing in her life. Perhaps it was. She opened a dresser drawer, and found a bottle, containing a clear-yellow liquid. She opened the bottle, and poured some of the liquid into a cup. "Drink this. It'll help you go back to sleep."
As she hadn't yet processed everything, Katherine obeyed. Now didn't seem the time for questions, after all. She recognized the medicine; it tasted metallic, with a hint of mint. Sleep Syrup. Already, a drowsiness hit her.
"London… Why aren't we in London?" Perhaps it was the time for questions. She was sure that the aftermath of MEDUSA allowed someone to take the people who recreated that terrible device into custody, after all. Surely they-
"It's gone."
"...what?" The normally elegant voice sounded hoarse, as if it hadn't been used for a long time.
"Your city. It's gone. It went up in the light of the MEDUSA."
It's gone? All of it is gone? Visions of Clio House, the wonderful gardens, the views from the top tier, all burnt to a crisp, entered her mind. No, melted. There would be no survivors…
"Listen, I've something to take care of. I've got to leave you here, but I'll check back in before sundown. Don't stress yourself, or you could reopen your injuries. Shout if you absolutely need something." Hester approached the door.
"Wait!" Her hand paused right before the handle.
"Yes? What is it?" The eye caught hers once more. That scar... the one that Fa-... Valentine forced her to bear. It stuck out to Katherine like metal upon dirt.
"Valentine... where... is he?"
"He didn't make it." Hester looked to the side when she said this, almost as if it were a regret of hers. With these final words, she stepped out of the door, and her footsteps faded.
What a weird girl... and with that thought, Kathy's vision faded.
"She's awake, now. Maybe you'll want to see her." Hester said this rather venomously, without intending to. This caught Tom's attention easily. She hadn't meant to, of course, but... the thought of this girl... the last traces of that terrible monster that stole away the life of her family… The idea that she might steal Tom away from her… The uncomfortable thoughts made her raise her shawl above her nose.
"She won't be for long, if you gave her the medicine, that is. There'd be no point, anyway." He turned away from the airship's controls. His eyes bore deep into hers. Those amazing eyes, enveloping hers in that wonderful shade of brown... All of her bitterness faded again. It always did when he looked at her like that. Why they saved the girl in the first place, she couldn't remember, but once they reached the Black Island, they wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. They could let her off on her own…
Probably not, though. She was gravely injured. If left alone, she might be kidnapped, and enslaved… Perhaps she could be attacked by ruthless thugs… She could die. After the effort Hester put into healing her, it'd be a waste. It would be better to bring her with, as much as she disliked the idea. Bring her with on the adventure, until she would be fine on her own.
Hester planned it all out. Head to the City of the Sky, repair the Jenny Hanniver, and travel the Bird Roads. It had only been two days since the incident at the now-extinct London, and the sky was clear enough to finally see Airhaven in the distance that morning.
Hester dared to look through the rear-facing windows, revealing London in the distance; now the City of the Damned. Thinking back, it had looked rather nice. If only things had turned out differently, perhaps she could have lived there with Thomas in peace…
MEDUSA, Crome, and Valentine, however, had other plans. Thanks to the backfiring machine, half of the city, at least, was destroyed, melted, and the other half burnt to a crisp... Had anyone escaped? She shoved the thought out of her mind instantly. Anyone who dared to mess with something as deadly as MEDUSA deserved this kind of fate.
"What are you thinking about?"
The eyes again. They made her feel like the scraps of London. But, in a positive way; a heat as warm inside as the sun. Happiness, Hester had to remind herself what the feeling was. It won't last long, however...
"Nothing… Nothing important, at least." She smiled at him pulling the shawl down just enough for him to see. He seemed pleased by this, and faced outside once more.
"Hey… what's going to happen once we finish out time in Airhaven? Once the Jenny is repaired?" Tom sounded rather nervous, but she couldn't blame him. He was naturally like this, plus the future was reasonably foggy.
"Well, I thought we might… just, set sail. Explore what the remnants of the world have to offer. Maybe we can pick up a job, or two."
"A job?"
"Well, of course. We can't just sail forever. We'll have to get fuel, and eat."
Tom was silent.
"We'll have nothing to do, with old-tech, of course. This… I'm sure we've both had a lifetime's worth of that… that…"
A silent agreement. Nothing, nothing was worse than what the Ancients had wrought upon them, their hands snaking through time to grab onto the future. The future they had already destroyed once, and wished to wrought more pain upon.
"What about Katherine?" This was a tentative topic, they both knew, and could go awry rather easily.
"What about her…?" The venom arose again.
"Well, we can't just abandon her, and I'm sure you'd rather not have her come with us..."
The gondola groaned throughout the silence.
"I apologize for bringing it up, I should have-"
"No. It's okay. We need to think about these things, anyways." She leaned her back against the wall next to the console, focusing her eyes on the Out-Country below. "Well, I figure we'll just let it ride, for now. Like you said, we can't leave her. That being said... "
What would they do with her? Maybe she could pick up a job at Gasbag and Gondola, or something…
"We'll think about that when the time comes, then. Let that bridge burn when it needs to."
Leave it to Tom to figure out the best solutions. He pushed himself up from the pilot's seat, and leaned against Hester. It felt nice, this lonesome company.
"Let's sit down, and rest." They slowly slid down the wall, in unison, leaning against each other, still. Enjoy it while it lasts, Hester thought, wistfully.
She watched the Out-Country slide past below her. The leftovers of a world long forgotten, now made of dust, and moving cities. What was that man thinking when he made the first Traction City of London? The name Thomas had mentioned… (Insert skewed name)? What was the point, anyway? To keep moving and avoid the radiation? But a city on wheels, that ate everything in its path… Perhaps he inspired himself with old-tech… Well, that would have been the days of old-tech, would it not? Her eyes passed over a city, entirely green with foliage… The sight of a town dedicating itself to agriculture… A beautiful sight. A truly beautiful sight.
The sun slid slowly, as if being pulled on a rope. The distant lines of mountains became a luxurious purple, as the sun lit up the sky with the flaming colors of dusk. The sunset felt nice upon Hester's skin, and she pressed herself further into Tom's comfort.
The warm-feeling moments passed, and slowly the flickering lights of the Out-Country through the broken windows became a figure. Walking towards her, it took shape. The blurry lines of light became solid, and glowed even more than before. Voices murmured through the darkness, from beyond the figure.
Details took shape, as long hair, and slim features became much clearer. Something about this elegant figure tugged at her memory… if only she could see the face...
Brighter, she became as she stepped closer. Brighter, and brighter…
"Het." A voice echoed throughout her mind.
"Het, it's time to wake up." That couldn't be right… Wake up?
The light grew ever brighter, until Hester could see nothing.