Happy New Year! Let's welcome this new year by wishing thanks and good luck to my beautiful editor, Lies, as she faces a new semester.
Millie had not forgotten how cold the autumns of England could be. Winter was dreadfully close, and anyone could feel it every time the wind blew. Fortunately, she had packed warm, and her hooded disguise was very comfy. In retrospect, though, she hadn't really needed the disguise, even if it wasn't much of one. She was just making sure to hide her face, as the future wife to the King of America would no doubt be mobbed by curious crowds. However, as she stepped off the ship and looked at her familiar city, she knew her presence was nothing compared to the Monday of Metal, as the papers had so deemed it. She could see the damage present all around her, and to see her beloved home so tarnished broke her heart.
It had been several days since the horrifying day when the metal spheres had descended from the sky, and there was still no information about where they had come from or even what they were. Reports from around the globe announced while there were less than a dozen in America and only one or two in the other kingdoms, it was England which was barraged the most. One could not go three blocks without seeing one of the spheres and the damage it had done. Houses had been wrecked, causalities continued to pile up, and as Millie quietly walked off the pier, she could spot people still taking fearful glances up at the clouds, as if expecting another barrage to come any day now. Scientists had been flown in from around the world, but they could learn nothing, and no matter what weapon was used against the spheres, no one could crack them open. The A.R.M.Y. and N.A.V.Y. were struggling to keep civilians away, with guards at almost every sphere.
Millie frowned as she made her way through the city, swinging her suitcase lightly back and forth. She was planning to surprise her friends with her visit, but with this insanity, they would probably be very busy. She didn't want to investigate the Thatch angle by herself, and her doubts began to form lumps in her stomach. She swallowed hard, and made herself move forward, trying to think of progress. She couldn't just demand to go to the museum, as it was still owned by Scrooge, and he wasn't seeing anyone these days. Though she was seen was important due to her future marital status, she held no power as she was now. She wasn't even a member of the N.A.V.Y. anymore, as she had taken permanent leave to be with her true love. She didn't regret the choice, but it was going to make things a lot harder.
She passed by the famous McDuck Mansion, noting that only its left wing had been destroyed. Her stomach continued to twist and turn into strange shapes, wondering if she had any business here after all. The spheres and their damage were vastly more important than some notebook, but it was too late to turn back now. She walked down the street, struggling not to be distracted by every other wrecked building. It wasn't long before she came by Mortimer's mansion, and in his bad luck, he had gotten five spheres that left his house nothing but dust and rubble. Millie stopped in front of the black iron gates, peering curiously at the small group of N.A.V.Y. girls who were going around the spheres. In an instant, she recognized them, and all of her worries vanished.
"Girls!" She called out to get their attention, and she pulled down her hood to reveal her identity. There were only three girls at the mansion, and the only three that Millie really wanted to see. Their faces showed exhaustion and aggravation for only the faintest of moments, for when they saw Millie, they began to spring towards the gates. Minnie was the fastest, followed by Daisy and then Clarabelle, and when Millie got the gates to open, she hugged them in that order. She found herself flooded with questions, compliments, and information that she couldn't handle all at once. Eventually all the hugs and words took the strength away from her, and she wound up sitting on the ground, dizzy, still covered in cuddly embraces. "… I'm glad to see you too."
"We might be overwhelming her a little." Minnie managed to note while sitting comfortably in Millie's lap, not willing to let the poodle get up and leave any time soon. "Let's let her take the lead. I'm sure she's as excited as we are."
Millie lifted her head to look at the lack of a mansion. "… First off, is Mortimer alive?"
"Unfortunately." Daisy grumbled, earning her a quick but well meaning glare from Minnie. "We were all outside when it happened. He's staying with Minnie's parents for now."
Millie scratched her head, knowing that in Mortimer's love of money wasting, he probably had dozens of other places to retreat to instead of his bride's home. "What about his vacation house?"
"Smashed." Clarabelle pounded a fist onto an open palm.
"And his party boat?"
"Obliterated."
"How about his seaside home?"
"Wrecked."
"What about his-"
"He's fine, Millie, that's what's important." Minnie quickly got in, finding her temper rise with every mention of all the expensive spaces Mortimer had acquired. Mortimer had gone nearly comatose at the loss of his precious expenses, but once he thought about the insurance, he was easily back to his dapper annoying self. Not once had he even bothered to think about the danger anyone else had been in, nor had he cared about Minnie's parents and their well being until he was forced to live with them, and even that had gotten plenty of complaints from him. Lately, whenever she thought about Mortimer, she instantly went to his faults, and her anger would froth. It was not very becoming for a fiancé to find herself loathing her intended every time she thought of him, so she tried to change the subject. "What about you? What are you doing back here in England so soon?"
"Maybe she heard about Clarabelle and Horace finally getting together and wanted to beat me to being the Maid of Honor." Daisy refused to let that idea go, grinning at the intended reaction as Clarabelle's face turned scarlet once more.
"You mention a wedding one more time, and I'll kick your beak right off!" The cow tried to hide her reddening cheeks with her palms, putting Millie back in familiar times, remembering all the fun the girls had together, teasing and joking with one another.
Millie smiled wistfully, glad to be among her best friends, but as deeply as she desired to stay back in the past, the present needed them as a team. "Actually Daisy, I need your help about…" Wait a minute. She looked back to Clarabelle as the information clicked. "You and Horace finally got together? It's about time! Goofy and I were just saying-"
"Millie!" The three chorused together, trying to jar her back to what the dog had been trying to bring up.
"Oh! Right, sorry." Millie began to shift around, opening the dropped suitcase and taking out the book she had been reading to Goofy not too long ago. "Daisy, can you talk to Donald and get me into the McDuck Museum? There's something I want to look into." She opened the book to the very first page, and explained to the girls the link of connections from the museum robbery, Magica, and the mysterious vanishing of Doctor Thatch and his team. The girls silently exchanged knowing looks as the tale was told, forming connections and no longer able to deny any consequences over what had happened not only this past year, but in all the fifty years since the vanished expedition that led up to this moment. Minnie's heart in particular was pounding as ideas swirled in her mind. This was more than just robberies and piracy, this was something terrifying on a global scale, and all of it caused by one woman. Minnie even now believed the strange spheres had to be connected to Magica, though she had no proof of such a thing, as she had become so deeply frightened and paranoid that everything bad in her life lately was connected to the madwoman.
When Millie was finished, Daisy reached over to close the book. "I'd love to help you, Millie, but I can't ask any favors of Donald right now. We had a big fight…" She looked away, twisting the engagement ring that still remained on her finger. It had never occurred to her take it off. "… And ever since these things fell, no one has been able to find him or anyone who was in the mansion. They probably moved out, but I haven't been able to find a trace of any of them." She left it at that, not feeling it was right to tell her friends of her hysterical ideas that perhaps Daisy and Donna had eloped and run off to another kingdom to get away from Daisy…
Which was fine with her! Donna could have that irresponsible, life risking moron of a duck! They deserved each other! Then when Donald got himself killed doing those stupid heroics, it could be Donna who would suffer, not Daisy! It wouldn't be Daisy having sleepless nights, petrified at the thought of Donald breaking into buildings and getting shot. It wouldn't be Daisy feeling as if her heart was forcibly torn out of her chest with Donald out of her life. It wouldn't be Daisy going through the years of memories to try and find what went wrong between them and begging whatever force controlled destiny to bring him back to her even though she didn't deserve it. She hadn't realized her fingers had been digging into the book's cover until she felt three warm hands on top of hers that snapped her out of her teary frights. "…W-well. Like I said. I can't help you."
"But if we could read that notebook, I bet we could answer so many questions!" Millie gently whined, disappointed that she had failed in her miniature mission. "There has to be a reason why Magica wanted it! She hasn't had it moved from the museum, she doesn't want to draw attention to herself! And Scrooge must know what was inside it as well, since he helped find it! Why, he could have told her what it said before he put it in the museum, and that's why she had to have it!"
Clarabelle took Millie by the arm, trying to help her stand while Minnie hopped out of her lap. "Sorry Millie, but it's all speculation right now. We have no valid proof to go in the museum, and without Donald, we can't get in. No way Magica and Scrooge will let us in either. Scrooge never leaves her side or even speaks out without her say so." She looped a circle near her head with her finger – the 'crazy' symbol. "And even if we could, we can't just abandon our posts here! Captain Jane told us to guard over these things. Right Minnie?"
Minnie had already started running away from the group. "Come on, we can get to the museum before dark! I'll think of a loophole on the way!" The girls scrambled to follow her, shouting that she was going to be in so much trouble for this. Millie had missed this too, and suppressed her giggles throughout the chase.
Earlier the very same day, Magica's air ship was smoothly sailing. The same could not be said of the interior of the ship. Magica couldn't stand be in the same room for more than five minutes, mumbling to herself, running her hand over her staff repeatedly, shooting dangerous looks at anyone who dared to cross her path. She would lash out at random to a crew member who she said was plotting against her, despite them having only asked if she wanted some lemon with her water, and had them thrown in the brig. The one man already in the brig, the blind man who was being transported from Magica's building the day the spheres fell, didn't mind the company. He would make polite conversation, and some of the men preferred to stay with him than return to the upper decks.
The three remaining mad scientists also happened to be on board, though they smartly kept their distance, until, on one particular day she and they were outside as the ship sailed. Magica could see something off in the distance. She suddenly ran to the first man she could find, and the unlucky man of the hour happened to be Elmo Sputtspark. "You!" She snapped, tugging down hard on the collar of his lab coat, causing him to choke. "What is that!" She used her staff to point towards the faint object that blurred in her vision.
Elmo gagged, but managed to get his neck free so he could speak. "Another ship?" He did his best not to point out of the obvious, as what else would be up so high? "This is your private airspace, so it's probably one of your own ships." Everyone working under Magica knew full well she hired pirates to do her dirty work. He looked at the ship, as he could in fact see it was a ship. The blur and illusion of distance was all in Magica's eyes, which wouldn't surprise Elmo if he knew about it, for her eyes were bloodshot and often contained the eerie glow that copied the jewel atop her staff. "Yeah, I recognize the flag. It's the Mousketeers."
"Mouseketeers." Magica repeated, blinking several times to try and align her vision. "Mouse… Mickey." She then inhaled deeply, her eyes doing the familiar glow again, and Elmo began to step backwards. "That… that mouse. He wants to marry a Private. That! That troublesome mouse… mice… both of them. Can't be trusted, no, no, can't be… Go!" She then grabbed Elmo by the arm, violently shaking him. "What are you waiting for?"
"A coherent sentence?" Elmo found her couldn't pull his arm away from the painful grip as her nails dug into him. "What do you want, Miss DeSpell?"
"Attack!" She screeched, and then shoved him hard enough for him to fall down on his back. "Sound the attack! Get them, get him, now! Nothing must be found, nothing must be left behind! I've come too far… too near… too close! Go!" She began pacing and forth, muttering quietly, holding herself and then flailing around in as much space as she could take up.
Elmo opened his mouth, ready to ask why she was going to attack not only one of her own ships, but a ship that was full of pirates that had never broken her trust, but then questioned his own sanity for even thinking that. No one dared to question Magica's orders if they wanted to live, no matter how absurd they sounded, and with each day they were more disturbingly absurd. Many had come to envy Morgana for getting away when she could. Still, as long as money and power were part of the deal, the dark hearted members of Magica's company continued to obey her. That was why Elmo got to his feet, and began to sound the alarm, preparing the ship for battle. After all, it wasn't as if they were wholly unprepared for a fight. Magica's ships tended to have enough illegal black market weaponry on board that could satiate a nation of pirates. Combine that with the host of beagle Boys that were now a vital part of every plan, and Elmo knew the Mousekteers would have a run for their money. To be with Magica was to be invincible.
Yet Elmo still planned on finding a one way ticket out of the kingdom when he saved up enough vacation days.
On Mickey's ship, today dubbed 'The Rainbow Connection', the captain was taking a nap in the crow's nest. Even though it was freezing to be up so high and not exactly comfortable, he still thought it was an ideal napping place for it was the one place he wouldn't have to face Ortensia. Ever since she had confessed her deeper feelings for him and kissed him, the two had been unable to make eye contact or hold a conversation longer than fifteen seconds. The awkward tension could be felt all over the ship, and even those who had found Ortensia annoying took pity on her, hoping the siblings could patch up. Even Oswald, enjoying their separation as much as a desperate lover could, began to worry about the state of their family. He thought about these matters of things as he swabbed the deck.
The state of their family… it really wasn't just Mickey and Ortensia that were a family, he decided as he looked around. Mickey treated every member of his crew as if they were a brother or a sister. Oswald had grown up in such a cold embrace of family that he was unused to the concept of care between siblings. Mickey even treated Pete kindly, when the occasion called for it, and Pete would obey his orders in turn. Oswald paused, his grip on the mop loosening. As much as he was loathe admitting it, Oswald was also being treated very decently by the man he once blamed for all of his life's problems. Mickey could have easily abandoned him off at any port, treated him like a slave, or just shot him, but instead the mouse had given the rabbit shelter, food, and responsibilities. Oswald looked down at his arms, the arms that once belonged to a weak and placid nobleman, and noticed they now contained strength and muscles, no doubt thanks to all of his hard labor and involvement in fights.
He heard footsteps, and looking straight, he saw Ortensia standing near the mast, her eyes on the crow's nest. When Oswald had first joined the ship, he would have been more than happy to slap an arm around Ortensia's shoulders and yap on about all of Mickey's faults in order to win her over. Now as he approached her, his first intention was not about his feelings for her, but about how she actually felt. Her bond with Mickey was a necessary thing, and while it could not be what she wanted, it needed to be restored as best as it could. "Ortensia?" She glanced over at him, no longer spitting insults at the rabbit any chance she had. "Look… I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, but - "
Ortensia was saved when a hard tremor came over by the ship, following a small explosion of fire and smoke on the ship's side. Oswald was almost knocked off his feet, but Ortensia regained her balance quickly, holding Oswald by the shoulders to keep him steady. "That was cannon ball fire!" She shoved him hard to get him walking, trying to spot where the attack came from. "Mickey said we were safe in this air space, what's goin' on?"
Mickey had already begun climbing down from his napping place using a rope, giving orders as he sped downwards. "Man yer stations! Don't just stand there, prepare fer battle!" People scattered to grab weaponry and board up the rooms, and Mickey headed for the stairs, shouting upward at his men. "Pete! Who's layin' inta us?"
Pete firmly stood his ground, though his mechanical body shook when another cannonball was fired, holding up a telescope to his good eye. "Blow me down, it's one of Miss DeSpell's ships! I'd recognize those flags anywhere!"
"What?" Mickey grabbed onto the railings as a third cannonball pelted his ship, and understood there was no time to ask questions to those who couldn't answer him. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled high, signaling to Pluto. The dog understood the signal, grabbing his master's hoverboards with his mouth and running up to him. Mickey yanked it out of his jaws, though made sure to give him a quick pet for a job well done, before resuming his shouting duties. "Pete, man the ship! Oswald, Ortensia, yer with me!" He threw the other boards at them without waiting for their reaction. "Grab what goods ye can find, and then get back ta the ship. I'll be dealin' with DeSpell." He had enough bones to pick with her that he could make an entire skeleton.
The cat and rabbit obeyed without hesitation, jumping overboard and flying with Mickey to Magica's ship, tossing the boards aside once their feet met her floor. Mickey spotted his former employer heading to her quarters and gave chase, yanking out his yo-yo to deal with any Beagles that got in his way. Oswald and Ortensia, using his sword cane and her fist full of claw knives, made quick work of any villains in their way, heading below deck.
Mickey threw the toy to wrap it around Magica's arm, forcing her backwards and making her look at him. "Ye ain't goin' nowhere 'till ye tell me why yer attackin' me ship!" Had he not been so fueled by anger, he too would have noticed her bizarre physical condition. "We had a deal!"
"My ship!" She hissed, and then grabbed the metallic rope on her arm, pulling it in to drag Mickey even closer. "You have it! Can't trust you with it… gave it to you, but, yes, Private!" She then shook her head violently hard, and her eyes cleared for a moment. "I can't have someone like you working for me! Someone who's going to marry a Private! You'll ruin everything! Every last piece of evidence… has to go!"
"But I told ye about me weddin' plans months ago!" It became a tug of water between the two, him trying to drag her to his space, and her doing the opposite. "Yer only havin' problems now? She's got nothin' ta do with me doin' yer dirty work!"
"You put her above me!" She suddenly socked Mickey square in the nose, making him release his yoyo to hold his face. "Nothing is above me! Nothing and no one! Obey me, or die!" She pulled off the remains off the yo-yo on her arm and threw it on the ground, and then fled into her quarters. Mickey tried to go after her, but he underestimated just how large the Beagle family was. He was forced to put all of his concentration on defending himself, marveling at how genetics were clearly the Beagle's playthings.
Oswald and Ortensia were having an easier time down below, as very few crew members were protecting the prisoners. Oswald slowed to a halt, recognizing what a brig looked like from his time on Mickey's ship. "Let's go back, there's nothing good here."
"Wait!" Ortensia spotted a familiar figure in one of the cells, and ran up to approach it. "No way… Phasir, is that ye?"
The blind old man rose, having been calmly sitting ever since the battle began. He approached the bars of his cell, looking to where the voice came from. "Youthful Ortensia. I doubt such a spirit as yourself would be captured so easily." He spoke very kindly and smiled fondly as he spoke to her. "Do not let yourself be so distracted, lest you wish to join me in this cold place."
Oswald ran through his brain, trying to remember the name. "Phasir… Hey, I remember now! You mentioned him when trying to rattle Mirage!"
"Aye, he's a good friend." Ortesna began to use one of her knives to dig at the lock. "And if Magica wants him, I ain't doubtin' that Mirage is connected ta this somehow. Hang on, Phasir, we're gunna getcha outta here."
Oswald fearfully looked from where they came from, thankfully seeing no one coming down to chase them just yet. "Are you crazy? We can't waste time with this, and we don't have enough hover boards to bring him back! And what makes you think Mickey will even want him on the ship?"
The lock clattered to the floor, and Ortensia swung the door open. "Mickey accepts everyone who wants in. No one gets left behind or fergotten. Phasir, yer comin' with us, end of story!"
"I see your stubbornness has kept strong." Phasir walked out of the cell, keeping close to the voices. "Very well. I will tell you how I came to be Magica's prisoner when the time is right. My absence will be noted, so we must move immediately." Ortensia took his hand, and Oswald realized that the aging human was blind and not just wearing the rag around his head as a bizarre fashion statement. If Ortensia was to guide him around, she'd be open for attack.
Oswald bit his lip, and then swung his cane around. "All right, I'll clear the way! Let's get the geezer going, follow me!" He sped up back the way they came from, haphazardly slicing his sword at anyone who came close. Whoever this Phasir was, he must have meant a lot to Ortensia, and there would be no use arguing with her now. He cleared the stairway, and heard his friends following close behind. When they came back on deck, Oswald could see Mickey taking on five Beagles with his blade drawn and making sure to never take a strike that would take a life. Despite this ship betraying Mickey, despite being filled with men who wanted Mickey dead, the mouse would keep to his vow and not kill. That was a man would who definitely welcome Phasir aboard. Something welled up deep within Oswald…
It took him a few seconds to acknowledge the feeling, begrudgingly, as respect. The battle came to Oswald, as he swung, he knew he too could fight without killing anyone. He could be as good as Mickey, he would prove it! So long Oswald had focused on beating Mickey and becoming superior to him, but as the blows were met match for match, the rabbit knew now what he really wanted. He didn't want to be better than Mickey – he wanted to be Mickey! Someone loved unconditionally, someone respected and admired, someone who people would follow, and most importantly of all, Oswald wanted to be as good as Mickey. To be his equal, to stand by his side, there would be glory in that! Oswald held his blade aloft, wanting suddenly and desperately to be acknowledged by his family, and not the family of his blood, but his new one, the one where he could call Mickey his –
Searching pain hit his arm as a shot rang out. Oswald fell over, surprised by the hit, dropping his cane and clutching his bloody arm. He heard his name being screamed, but couldn't tell who, as a heavy boot stomped on the back of his head, preventing him from getting up. He struggled to see who it was above him, and saw a blend of green and gold – those were the colors of the A.R.M.Y.! But what were they doing here? He heard the soldier read him his rights, keeping a foot digging into Oswald's back. He could see Mickey scooping up the hover boards and giving them to Ortensia and Phasir, shouting at them to retreat. Ortensia wasn't having it, howling about Oswald and how they needed to go back for him, but Phasir forcibly took her over his shoulder, and the last thing Oswald saw before another boot to the head knocked him out was Mickey's pained expression. 'No one gets left behind or forgotten?' thought the rabbit, and then the world was black.
Elmo stayed in his room, his back pressed to the wall. Since he was a man of great importance to Magica, his quarters had a phone, which he had used to call the A.R.M.Y. for help, but even he was surprised at how fast they had arrived. That could only mean Magica had driven them out of the private air space, and into public territory. A woman who owned her own ships was supposed to have the spaces of air memorized, and weeks before, one could not have doubted she knew the skies well. Elmo slowly sank to the floor as the implications of her mind unraveled. "Oh, we are in big trouble. I need to get my hands on that crystal and stop this before it goes any further."
During the day the spheres rained, the Beagles had been so utterly terrified that they fled McDuck's mansion without harming any more of the family or servants. Donald took it upon himself to contact Launchpad, and with his help, get them into hiding, so another assault couldn't be tried. Since Launchpad was a former member of the A.R.M.Y., he had plenty of friends to call on for help. The same day that Millie returned to England, Donald decided to return to being PK, and knew where to go. There was no time to be depressed about Daisy potentially leaving him, as the assault from the Beagles told him that for all he knew, Daisy could be next. He would protect her at any cost, and when he donned his costume, he set out for the McDuck museum.
Doctor Thatch's notebook had to provide answers, and Donald was sick of having so many questions. Night fell as he approached the museum, sneaking to the back, and began to climb. He expected Magica's security system to jump into action and sound the alarm, yet the night remained quiet as he climbed up. It was curious, but not something to be distracted by, with his fingers painfully digging into the bricks as he headed up. He knew the floor and room the notebook had to be in, as it had been in the news for so long when Mickey broke in so long ago. The window had been since repaired, but Donald had no problem smashing it, a little amused that when this was all over, Scrooge would probably hire Donald to clean up this mess again. He then climbed in, avoiding the glass shards, but froze in his tip-toeing when he saw he was not alone.
In the same room, there stood Minnie, Daisy, Clarabelle, and Millie, staring off against Mickey, Ortensia, Phasir and Pete. They had been ready to face off against each other when Donald broke in, and now all eyes were on him. He nervously smiled, wringing his black cape in his fingers. "… Oh, don't mind me. As you were."
"Oh, for goodness' sake." Minnie returned her pistol to its holster. "We're not even supposed to be here anyway, so just let us grab the notebook, and you can rob or vandalize or whatever it is you want."
"Sorry, turtledove." Mickey shrugged, and waved to his crew to put down their weapons. "We're here fer it too." Mickey had also managed to make the connection to Magica and the notebook, and since there was no longer any attachment between them, he had decided to get back at her by seeing just what she had initially wanted so badly. It was his crew that managed to shut off the security in the museum, while Minnie and her pals had made sure no one else was around.
"So am I!" Donald grumbled, crossing his arms and avoiding eye contact with Daisy, and she was doing much the same. "I'm not even going to pretend I know what's going on in your heads, but if we all start fighting, someone outside is bound to notice."
"Then I think there's only one thing we can do." Minnie headed to the notebook, picking it up. "All of us are here because of Magica and her plans. So we're all going to read this together… and then we tell each other everything that's happened since this place was first robbed. Right now, we're all connected. Are we agreed?" Cautionary looks were exchanged, but there was a general consensus. "Good. Tonight, we're all allies." She did her best to ignore Mickey's charming smile at the admittance, and opened the book, reading out loud. Not everything was legible, and there were some pages ripped out. This was what they were able to make out.
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
It's amazing what people will do for money. I can tell that half of my crew doesn't believe what I know is here, yet here they are, willing to dig and explore. I'm sure I'll convince them in time. After all, all stories have their origins, and even the greatest of imaginations need a spark to get them started. Atlantis is not some fairy tale, and when I can prove it, my wife will allow me to see our child again. I still can't fathom why they would make those accusations... experimenting on my own family! What madness! Surely her parents must have driven her to say these things. That is why I must find Atlantis, so I can be with my family again.
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
These catacombs are endless! There is so much to see! I cannot sleep, for the thrill of it all keeps my eyes open at all hours! Some of the men have jokingly told me they owe their friends back home money, as they bet they would find nothing. I can't even get mad at them, for this discovery is too wonderful to feel anything else. For its time, this city is startlingly advanced. They used water and steam for power, a beginning for our own steam powered times. Yet we can't help notice the oddities. Some of these buildings don't look manmade, yet if the timelines are right, even they wouldn't have the technology to have built them. It's a confusing matter, but we'll get to the bottom of it. Naturally, the biggest question remains – what happened to them?
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
Today we located these large, circle shaped metallic… I am not quite sure what to call them, as I've never seen anything like them. They range in enormous sizes, nothing we do can open them, and their inscriptions appear to describe something about races, and that the scepter we found among them must not be touched. Though we did not touch the scepter, we could not ignore the violet jewel lodged on top of it. We managed to extract it without damaging moving the scepter, so no harm should come to us. We will start experimenting on it in the morning… this may well be the energy source we've been searching for!
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
We've worked a full week on this, and it appears this crystal works as a sort of battery. Though further experimentations may tell me otherwise, right now it appears it can run to the infinite. We've only located one so far, and there are no signs or traces of more crystals in the immediate area. However, one of my men doesn't appear to be working as hard, and I'm starting to suspect he's hiding something. I'd like to believe I'm being strictly paranoid, but after seeing what this crystal can do the mind… there is cause for unease. Some of the men's eyes are starting to change color that matches the crystal. I believe it's time I limited their exposure.
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
The man I suspected of being lazy turned out to be something else altogether. My hand shakes as I write, I still do not wish to believe it… he accused one of the others of having an affair with his wife, and then murdered him, trying to make off with the crystal. We managed to catch him, but then, suddenly, some of the other men began to obey his commands. Their eyes shared the same glow, and… it was a bloodbath. This crystal… this dangerous thing… the user can use it to control the minds of others, and I fear that is not the only thing it can control. This may be the only record of the world before the change.
Day X of XX, year XXXX.
We should have never come here, and I can only blame myself for dragging us into this hell. I now fully understand this crystal's powers, and why Atlantis was abandoned. No one man should have this much power. I have managed to fatally wound the user, but he struck me in return. I know I will not make it back home. However, this is for the best. Should this power fall into the wrong hands, not only can another's mind be controlled, but they will awaken the great second race. The crystal drives the user mad, and even I cannot bring myself to destroy it. Its power will soon seduce me too. I'm sorry. I am forever sorry.
The last page was a detailed sketch of the metal spheres that now plagued the city.
That same night, Captain Jane was growing sick of the pitying looks everyone was giving her. She hadn't been as badly injured as everyone was thinking. She was still working, after all! Though she was a Captain, there were people she also had to report to, and she and other Captains from both the N.A.V.Y. and the A.R.M.Y. were to meet with them. They were meeting inside the A.R.M.Y. headquarters, and as she entered the room, she saw the meeting was just about to get started. She saluted in greeting, before taking her side of the long board room table. On her side were four other captains, on the other side were four captains of the A.R.M.Y, and at the end of the table sat the two generals who controlled the entire military organization for all of England.
The N.A.V.Y.'s General, Helga Katrina Sinclair, was a beautiful blonde whose presence demanded both admiration and a good level of fear. Her hard eyes drilled into Jane. "I take it you will be informing Amelia of everything we will be discussing here tonight."
"Yes, General." Jane togged a pen to her notebook, to signal she was ready to take down any and all events. "And once we're done, I will contact her immediately. I'm sure she will support all the decisions made."
"How comforting." The man to Helga's side dryly commented. That was General Lyle Tiberius Rourke, and he commanded just as much respect and unease as his partner. "We do not need the approval of one Captain to know our ideas are strong. Is there anything else you'd like to comment on, miss?" His disapproval of women in the military was also made evident, and Jane didn't say another word, not wanting to hear more misogyny. "Now then… we've gotten reports of civilians trespassing into dangerous and forbidden territory down in Italy. It turned out they were part of something called the Justice Ducks… one of those vigilante groups."
"For now, we've managed to keep it quiet." Helga continued, though Rourke looked annoyed that he couldn't do the full explanation himself. "But we can't keep letting the public think we as a military are so weak that these kinds of vigilantes can do as they please. If people are forming vigilante groups, they must think we're not doing a good enough job with the threat of pirates… and given this week's scare with those metal…" She trailed off, trying to form the right word for the things that had fallen from the sky.
Rourke took the chance to become the center of attention again. "The public is terrified, and they need to be able to trust us again. We also need to show both vigilantes and pirates that the military is something to be feared. In order to do all of this… we will be holding a public execution here in England, preferably in December."
"A public execution?" One of the N.A.V.Y. Captains suddenly stood to attention. Helen Parr, a slim brown haired mother, slammed her hands on the table. "That's barbaric! We'll be no better than pirates who shoot each other in the streets!"
Her outrage was joined by Captain Lucius Best, an A.R.M.Y. man who was skilled with water and even better with calming rough situations. "This is going a step too far… December? You've got tons of months in the year, and you go with the one with all the major holidays? No kid is asking Santa for a hanging. There's got to be a better way to assert authority."
Rourke slowly smiled, but no one in the room took it mean a sign of happiness. He was being entertained by their quant notions of defiance. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear before… we don't need your approval. You are here to listen to orders, and then decide how best to follow them. If you don't want in, then by all means, hang up your badges and go home."
When Lucius frowned but went silent and Helen went back to her seat with glaring eyes, Helga pushed forward a manila folder, opening it up so they could all see the pictures inside. "In order to have the most effective message, we've already decided which pirate to focus our capturing efforts on." Jane's eyes widened, and she silently mouthed the picture's name. "Captain Mickey has been known by his vow never to kill. But we must show that the law makes no exceptions. Piracy is piracy. We will find him, we will capture him, and come December, we will hang him for all of England to see."
Rourke stuck out his lower lip in a pout. He wanted to say the dramatic lines, darn it.
End of Chapter Twenty-Nine.
