Ghost in the Machine
(Further Excerpts from the Journal of Alexander Hartdegen)
Part I: Through the Looking-Glass
February 24th, 802,702
Darling Emma,
There is still no sign of the children, and the village is curiously
silent. Despair has taken hold among the Eloi; they had thought this
nightmare over, as did I. I fear that they will begin to accept this...
violation... as once again normal to them. It is the day and the night,
I was told, to have your loved ones stolen away thus.
This is different. Rather than their elders being hunted down, only the
younger children were taken. I know little of (it pains me to say it, but
from the perspective of our enemy, it is true) animal farming, but I know
that a herd cannot be maintained when its young are removed. This leads me
to surmise that the little ones were kidnapped as some form of punishment
for the Eloi. I think that these invading Morlocks might have decided to
try to "salvage" what they could and leave the rest of the Eloi to die off,
either on their own or in some impending attack.
It makes my head hurt to think of it. I cannot second guess these monsters
that I cannot even consider human. The significance of Needle's disappearance
eludes me; perhaps her lineage might have been known to these kidnappers.
I believe that the children might still be alive - but there is nothing that
I can do. I cannot accept this evil, and yet I can do naught but thrash about
with the same futile efforts as the others.
I haven't the heart to write any more today. Mara and I are both tired, and
have barely eaten. I'll try to make something for dinner, though I taste
nothing but ashes.
-Alexander
February 25th, 802,702
Sweet Emma,
Kalen has returned. He appeared early today, down the river, and was brought
back by boat. He had traveled far on foot, and he was otherwise unharmed, but
he was exhausted and has slept all the day.
He awoke an hour or so ago and told us what happened.
Somehow, he and the other children never awoke as they were taken, just as
none of us did. When they did wake, they found themselves bound hand and foot,
and sitting in boats much like ours. Kalen said that he counted seven larger
boats, and one smaller, canopied one.
They simply floated down the river, and did not put in to shore until the
night. They were then surrounded and guarded by half of their captors, whilst
the other half slept.
Near dawn, the children were briefly separated from each other that they might
relieve themselves. While Kalen was a little ways off from the others with only
one guard, that guard suddenly seemed to faint, and Needle appeared. Apparently
she had been following them on foot since the kidnapping, and had only now
caught up.
She cut his bonds with her sewing knife, and told him to follow the river home
as quickly as he could. She intended to try to rescue the other children. And
so he obeyed, and traveled all the day and night, until he reached us - though
if Needle had succeeded, more children would have returned by this time.
Most disturbing of all, however, is that Kalen told us that his kidnappers
were other Eloi.
My mind simply rebels at the notion that another group of Eloi would do such a
thing of their own accord. I strongly suspect that there are Morlocks behind
this - and perhaps the canopied boat that Kalen mentioned is evidence of this.
When I asked, Kalen corroborated my suspicion that when he'd seen her, Needle
had been bleeding from her nose. She had used her power to aid in his rescue.
Perhaps another of their ruling caste orchestrated this crime? It seems likely,
to me.
From Kalen's account, we know that the children were taken south. I would expect
some recollection of the ocean from the story, but it seems that the geography
of the area has changed far more than even I expected in the past eight-hundred-
thousand years. No matter; if they travel by boat, the disappearance of the ocean
only limits their path.
Some of the others wanted to set out immediately in rescue, but I bid them wait.
I know what we must do. We'll never catch up to them on foot, now, but thanks to
the mapping that we intended to do once the weather calmed for the season, we now
have another mode of transportation.
If we spend tomorrow in preparation, we can set out the morning of the day after.
I can only hope that the settlement that the children are being taken to will be
visible to us from the air.
Yours Truly,
Alexander
February 26th, 802,702
My Precious Emma,
Another interesting bit of information has appeared, though it has no bearing on
our impending journey.
When we went to the stone-gallery, where most of the components of our vessel are
kept (as none of the dwellings themselves are large enough to house the gondola),
Vox was nearly livid that none of us had visited him in the past few days.
I apologized that the kidnapping had so disrupted our normal schedule, but he
said that his agitation was due to urgent news, rather than just our failure to
visit him. Apparently another Photonic had been "brought on-line" in our absence,
and he had been anxious to tell us.
At first I did not realize the importance of this event, but he went on to explain
that the other Photonic - that of the Library of Congress in Washington DC - had
been repaired by someone called Doctor Taylor. This had taken place four days ago.
Apparently, the Photonics' mode of communication was (and is) to bounce signals
through amplifiers in orbit around the Earth, so as to compensate for the planet's
curvature, which would otherwise absorb the signal. The newly repaired Photonic had
been forced to wait for a "satellite" suitable for transmission to come near enough
to use, for while there were once many of the things clustered about the world, few
were left.
I admit that it took me a moment to realize that this Doctor Taylor was not an Eloi
of any sort. I reached the same conclusion that the Photonics had: that this person
was either from an existing civilization in some other part of the world, or was
some sort of time traveler such as myself.
Either way, the news does not change our plans. I asked Vox - our Vox, I should say
- to tell the other to relay to this Doctor Taylor of our location, and our plight,
and our intended journey. Unfortunately, we were told, the Doctor hadn't returned to
the Library of Congress since the initial repairs. With no way to contact this
mysterious person, it seems unlikely that we will meet. Perhaps if we pass what was
once Washington on our way - but I pray that the children have not been taken so
far south.
I am, of course, excited by the news that somewhere, somewhen, a civilization that
can reach this stone age exists. However, I cannot waste time pondering this fact
whilst the children are so endangered. The other Eloi understand (or pretend to
understand, as they often do with me, I suspect) my excitement, and have promised
to keep vigilant watch for any strangers at all, much less any as strange as I.
All is in readiness for us to begin our quest tomorrow morning. A group of the
Eloi helped to transport the gondola to the monument-area by the river, where we
will be able to lift off. Another group has checked the silk that Needle and her
apprentices wove, and will be tending the fire during the night, so that by morning
the balloon will be filled with hot air. Those that moved the Gondola are now
checking and securing the rudder-sails. Their thoroughness tells me that they pay
more attention to my undertakings than I sometimes think.
I was, in fact, run out of the area with instructions to rest well. As the airship
is of my own invention, I am intended to pilot the thing and lead the rescue
mission. (Apparently, my previous success in dealing with Morlocks makes me the
obvious choice. Success being a subjective term, I suppose.)
Kalen insists on accompanying me, as he is small and light, and we will need to
mind the weight in the gondola if we are to bring all the children back with us.
Ayer, Tull, and Madi are the rest of my crew; they are mature enough to be formidable
opponents if need be, but are still small and light in youth. Ayer in particular
expressed a strong desire to come because his sister Kori is one of the children to
be rescued. I only hope that we can survive their near-constant retellings of "The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Versus the Morlocks", as I've dubbed their stories.
Mara begs to come as well, but I will not allow it. Besides the need to keep our
crew as light as we can, I will not have her place herself in any sort of danger.
Bringing Kalen is risk enough, but he understands the airship nearly as well as I
- should anything happen to me, piloting for the return trip shall be up to him.
She asserts that she is well capable of fighting, and that her healing skill could
be of use. I understand her point of view - for the Eloi, life has for so many ages
been short, and travel an unheard of thing. Once given to each other, it is unheard
of (to them) for a couple to part company for any reason. But I cannot relent - it
is simply too dangerous for her to come. It nearly destroyed me to lose you, my
Emma; I cannot risk another such loss, for the sake of the Eloi as well as my own.
I find my mind returning to that one phantom moment, in the Morlock caves, when I
knew peace. For a long moment I saw you again, surrounded by our children that never
were, smiling in sunlight. I wonder, will I ever know that rare peace again?
Yours For All Time,
Alexander
(Further Excerpts from the Journal of Alexander Hartdegen)
Part I: Through the Looking-Glass
February 24th, 802,702
Darling Emma,
There is still no sign of the children, and the village is curiously
silent. Despair has taken hold among the Eloi; they had thought this
nightmare over, as did I. I fear that they will begin to accept this...
violation... as once again normal to them. It is the day and the night,
I was told, to have your loved ones stolen away thus.
This is different. Rather than their elders being hunted down, only the
younger children were taken. I know little of (it pains me to say it, but
from the perspective of our enemy, it is true) animal farming, but I know
that a herd cannot be maintained when its young are removed. This leads me
to surmise that the little ones were kidnapped as some form of punishment
for the Eloi. I think that these invading Morlocks might have decided to
try to "salvage" what they could and leave the rest of the Eloi to die off,
either on their own or in some impending attack.
It makes my head hurt to think of it. I cannot second guess these monsters
that I cannot even consider human. The significance of Needle's disappearance
eludes me; perhaps her lineage might have been known to these kidnappers.
I believe that the children might still be alive - but there is nothing that
I can do. I cannot accept this evil, and yet I can do naught but thrash about
with the same futile efforts as the others.
I haven't the heart to write any more today. Mara and I are both tired, and
have barely eaten. I'll try to make something for dinner, though I taste
nothing but ashes.
-Alexander
February 25th, 802,702
Sweet Emma,
Kalen has returned. He appeared early today, down the river, and was brought
back by boat. He had traveled far on foot, and he was otherwise unharmed, but
he was exhausted and has slept all the day.
He awoke an hour or so ago and told us what happened.
Somehow, he and the other children never awoke as they were taken, just as
none of us did. When they did wake, they found themselves bound hand and foot,
and sitting in boats much like ours. Kalen said that he counted seven larger
boats, and one smaller, canopied one.
They simply floated down the river, and did not put in to shore until the
night. They were then surrounded and guarded by half of their captors, whilst
the other half slept.
Near dawn, the children were briefly separated from each other that they might
relieve themselves. While Kalen was a little ways off from the others with only
one guard, that guard suddenly seemed to faint, and Needle appeared. Apparently
she had been following them on foot since the kidnapping, and had only now
caught up.
She cut his bonds with her sewing knife, and told him to follow the river home
as quickly as he could. She intended to try to rescue the other children. And
so he obeyed, and traveled all the day and night, until he reached us - though
if Needle had succeeded, more children would have returned by this time.
Most disturbing of all, however, is that Kalen told us that his kidnappers
were other Eloi.
My mind simply rebels at the notion that another group of Eloi would do such a
thing of their own accord. I strongly suspect that there are Morlocks behind
this - and perhaps the canopied boat that Kalen mentioned is evidence of this.
When I asked, Kalen corroborated my suspicion that when he'd seen her, Needle
had been bleeding from her nose. She had used her power to aid in his rescue.
Perhaps another of their ruling caste orchestrated this crime? It seems likely,
to me.
From Kalen's account, we know that the children were taken south. I would expect
some recollection of the ocean from the story, but it seems that the geography
of the area has changed far more than even I expected in the past eight-hundred-
thousand years. No matter; if they travel by boat, the disappearance of the ocean
only limits their path.
Some of the others wanted to set out immediately in rescue, but I bid them wait.
I know what we must do. We'll never catch up to them on foot, now, but thanks to
the mapping that we intended to do once the weather calmed for the season, we now
have another mode of transportation.
If we spend tomorrow in preparation, we can set out the morning of the day after.
I can only hope that the settlement that the children are being taken to will be
visible to us from the air.
Yours Truly,
Alexander
February 26th, 802,702
My Precious Emma,
Another interesting bit of information has appeared, though it has no bearing on
our impending journey.
When we went to the stone-gallery, where most of the components of our vessel are
kept (as none of the dwellings themselves are large enough to house the gondola),
Vox was nearly livid that none of us had visited him in the past few days.
I apologized that the kidnapping had so disrupted our normal schedule, but he
said that his agitation was due to urgent news, rather than just our failure to
visit him. Apparently another Photonic had been "brought on-line" in our absence,
and he had been anxious to tell us.
At first I did not realize the importance of this event, but he went on to explain
that the other Photonic - that of the Library of Congress in Washington DC - had
been repaired by someone called Doctor Taylor. This had taken place four days ago.
Apparently, the Photonics' mode of communication was (and is) to bounce signals
through amplifiers in orbit around the Earth, so as to compensate for the planet's
curvature, which would otherwise absorb the signal. The newly repaired Photonic had
been forced to wait for a "satellite" suitable for transmission to come near enough
to use, for while there were once many of the things clustered about the world, few
were left.
I admit that it took me a moment to realize that this Doctor Taylor was not an Eloi
of any sort. I reached the same conclusion that the Photonics had: that this person
was either from an existing civilization in some other part of the world, or was
some sort of time traveler such as myself.
Either way, the news does not change our plans. I asked Vox - our Vox, I should say
- to tell the other to relay to this Doctor Taylor of our location, and our plight,
and our intended journey. Unfortunately, we were told, the Doctor hadn't returned to
the Library of Congress since the initial repairs. With no way to contact this
mysterious person, it seems unlikely that we will meet. Perhaps if we pass what was
once Washington on our way - but I pray that the children have not been taken so
far south.
I am, of course, excited by the news that somewhere, somewhen, a civilization that
can reach this stone age exists. However, I cannot waste time pondering this fact
whilst the children are so endangered. The other Eloi understand (or pretend to
understand, as they often do with me, I suspect) my excitement, and have promised
to keep vigilant watch for any strangers at all, much less any as strange as I.
All is in readiness for us to begin our quest tomorrow morning. A group of the
Eloi helped to transport the gondola to the monument-area by the river, where we
will be able to lift off. Another group has checked the silk that Needle and her
apprentices wove, and will be tending the fire during the night, so that by morning
the balloon will be filled with hot air. Those that moved the Gondola are now
checking and securing the rudder-sails. Their thoroughness tells me that they pay
more attention to my undertakings than I sometimes think.
I was, in fact, run out of the area with instructions to rest well. As the airship
is of my own invention, I am intended to pilot the thing and lead the rescue
mission. (Apparently, my previous success in dealing with Morlocks makes me the
obvious choice. Success being a subjective term, I suppose.)
Kalen insists on accompanying me, as he is small and light, and we will need to
mind the weight in the gondola if we are to bring all the children back with us.
Ayer, Tull, and Madi are the rest of my crew; they are mature enough to be formidable
opponents if need be, but are still small and light in youth. Ayer in particular
expressed a strong desire to come because his sister Kori is one of the children to
be rescued. I only hope that we can survive their near-constant retellings of "The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Versus the Morlocks", as I've dubbed their stories.
Mara begs to come as well, but I will not allow it. Besides the need to keep our
crew as light as we can, I will not have her place herself in any sort of danger.
Bringing Kalen is risk enough, but he understands the airship nearly as well as I
- should anything happen to me, piloting for the return trip shall be up to him.
She asserts that she is well capable of fighting, and that her healing skill could
be of use. I understand her point of view - for the Eloi, life has for so many ages
been short, and travel an unheard of thing. Once given to each other, it is unheard
of (to them) for a couple to part company for any reason. But I cannot relent - it
is simply too dangerous for her to come. It nearly destroyed me to lose you, my
Emma; I cannot risk another such loss, for the sake of the Eloi as well as my own.
I find my mind returning to that one phantom moment, in the Morlock caves, when I
knew peace. For a long moment I saw you again, surrounded by our children that never
were, smiling in sunlight. I wonder, will I ever know that rare peace again?
Yours For All Time,
Alexander