Chapter X- Little Rock
Virginia threw her arms around Jet and breathed a massive cry of relief. Jet staggered backwards and lifted his arms to avoid them being ensnared in her grasp.
"Jeez, calm down will ya?" Jet demanded.
"She does that a lot, I see," Maya teased, rubbing her own arms, where once had rested Virginia's shoulder.
Virginia blushed and stood back up. "I'm sorry, but you can't imagine how glad I am to see you."
"No," Jet said. "I actually have a pretty good idea. I've been stuck in this damn cave for six days now. If I hadn't found a stream about a mile back I would have been dead by now."
"Well, we're all back together now, at any rate," Gallows said. "Mission accomplished."
Jet seemed indignant at this comment. He threw his arm into the air, almost smacking Shady in the process, and began to shout.
"You really think it's over? Do you have any idea what's going on here?" Jet shouted.
"You mean the terraformation?" Clive asked, now raising a hand to his glasses.
Jet stopped and lowered his hand. He seemed horrified now. "You mean… it's already started?"
Virginia put her hand on Jet's shoulder. "You had better take a moment to brace yourself before we head outside."
---
Upon exiting the Leyline Observatory Jet let out an audible gasp. It was the first time Virginia had ever seen Jet so singularly dumbstruck, even though he was a fairly quiet person to begin with.
"Are we too late?" Jet asked after several moments.
"The entire world isn't terraformed yet, but it can only be a matter of days," Lombardia said, seeming upset that her presence had not been acknowledged (and, indeed, fascinated) by Jet.
"We need to act fast," Clive said. "Let's review what we know."
Pitting their brains together, and recalling in full detail their individual adventures, they felt as though they had grown no closer to an answer. The only real clue they had was Gallows discovery of the voices in Fila Del Fia, and a story that Jet told them.
His second or third night in the cave (it was hard for him to recall) he had heard three voices whispering to each other, seemingly unaware of his presence. He said they sounded like the Prophets at first, but not in their voices, but their words.
They, too, had spoken of terraformation, and the need to seek the Teardrop.
"So," Maya said, resting her head on her hand. "You're telling me that the world becoming this paradise is a bad thing?"
"It's a fake world," said Lombardia. "A desert mirage, nothing more."
Maya got to her feet and raised herself to her full height—a modest 5'6", but still imposing enough to make it obvious that she was about to make an announcement.
"Very well," Maya said. "The Schroedinger family will do all we can to assist you."
Lombardia roared with approving laughter, but then noted. "My back can only fit four heroes. Those who bested me in combat."
"No need," Maya said. Out of her bag she pulled out a small round device that looked like part of an engine. "This is the machine that the old coot in Little Rock needs to turn the Sandcraft into a watercraft. Assuming you don't mind, we'll go ahead and take it. This way, we can split up and be more effective."
Clive, Gallows and Jet all looked at Virginia. She had long since gotten over the awkward feeling of stage-fright of having the center of attention thrust upon her.
"Okay. But before you take it, I need to go look for something," Virginia said.
"You ARMs, right?" Maya asked. "Yeah, you won't do much good without that."
"That's all well and good," Todd said. "But where should we go?"
"Right now, we know of two hotspots," Clive said. "Fila del Fia, where the enemy appears to be centered, and the Ruins of Memory which houses the Teardrop."
"It might also do us good to go see what granny knows," Gallows suggested. "I mean it's not like we can get prepared in Jolly Roger."
"And we'll need the guardians back as well. We'll have to make a trip to the Fallen Sanctuary sooner or later," Virginia said.
"I guess it's settled then. We're heading to the Baskar Colony," Clive noted.
Maya and the Schroedingers seemed a little confused, but not wanting to reveal their ignorance to their former rivals, Maya nodded approvingly. "That's a good plan. In the meantime the Schroedinger clan will go check out Fila Del Fia."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, rushing headlong into the enemy?" Gallows asked.
"That's the only way we Schroedingers can live," Maya declared valiantly. "Besides which as long as it takes to get their by sandcraft you'll probably beat us there."
The others chuckled, but only nervously.
"For now let's just head to Little Rock," Todd suggested. "Lady Virginia can reclaim her ARMs and we can make sure that our new craft works before splitting up."
"That's fine for you," said Jet, finally joining the conversation. "We're wanted criminals, remember? We can't just go waltzing into town."
"No need, remember?" Alfred said. "Our man lives in a cabin on the outskirts, near the beach."
Jet nodded. "Whatever. Let's get going already."
"I guess we had better hike, if Lombardia will only carry you all," Shady said.
Lombardia groaned low. "Very well. After all what is hundreds of years of Draconic Pride compared to the end of the world? I will permit you to ride me for this one trip, understood?"
Maya smiled and bowed low.
---
The man who lived in the cabin was not quite what Virginia and the others were expecting. He had a thick moustache, a large stomach and smelled distinctly of ale. He did not seem the mechanical type. After a brief introduction exchange, the man got straight to business.
"Oh, so you brought that machine eh?" The man asked.
"Yes sir," Maya smiled. "So about the Sandcraft…"
"Right right, only it needs a different name…" The man stumbled over his own words. He reminded Clive of a man they had met on their journeys, also a mechanic, who seemed too wrapped up in his own ideas to share them with his audience.
"Well, what's wrong with boat?" Alfred suggested.
"That'd be all well and good if what this machine did was allow you to traverse the surface of the water only. But no, no, my child. This device is called an Oxygen Compressor. It allows air to be stored within the vessel for a pre-determined set of time. With some modifications, I will be able to tweak it such that it will convert the water around you into more oxygen," The man explained.
Virginia had never heard so many words used to explain absolutely nothing.
"But… there's plenty of air around the machine. The Sandcraft was open at the top to allow air inside," Virginia said.
"Ah, but that's just the thing isn't it? There's no air beneath the surface is there?" The man said.
"Beneath the surface?" Maya asked. "What are you playing at?"
"My dear," The man said, turning to Maya. "If I wanted to create something that floated on the surface of the water I only need put two boards together and tie them with rope! This machine is going to allow you to travel beneath the surface and explore the underwater world!"
There was a collective gasp from everyone except Clive (who seemed to understand the mechanics), Alfred (who had apparently heard of such concepts before), and Jet (who thought that compared to his entire world turning upside down, a new toy was nothing to be impressed at.)
"But what to name it? It goes below the surface. Sub-Surface Explorer! No… that's not true. It only goes beneath the surface where there is water… aqua… marine… sub… aha! I hereby title my new invention the Aquamarine Sub!" The man declared.
There was a moment of silence.
"Um, how about Submarine?" Alfred suggested.
"That's it, m'boy!" The man shouted, patting Alfred firmly on the back. "The Submarine! And as a special recognition of the people who made it possible, I am going to name this particular model, the Schroedinger!"
Maya seemed pleased, but Alfred seemed upset that it had not simply been called "The Alfred."
"Say, before you get to work, do you mind if we check out the Sandcraft?" Virginia asked.
"What's that?" The man asked.
"Well, it used to be ours and… we left something important on it," Virginia explained.
The man looked at Virginia's hips and nodded. "I'm 'fraid the Sandcraft is already sixes and sevens, but I did manage to retrieve that particular item before I had to start taking it apart."
The man moved over to a small chest, which he opened to reveal the Bantorain and Rapier, Virginia's ARMs. They were twin pistols, one slightly larger (The Bantorain) and one smaller, but more accurate (The Rapier).
For the first time in almost a week, Virginia held her ARMs once again. It was such a powerful feeling, like a combination of reuniting with an old friend, and no longer being naked and vulnerable. She cocked her weapons and went outside. Taking aim at a rogue vulture, she fired her ARMs, relieved to find that her aim had not been damaged by the journey.
"How long will it take you to get the Submarine complete?" Clive asked.
"About a day. The basic design is already complete, I just need to add the compressor and make sure it works right," the man said. "Now about my fee…"
Maya handed over a pouch with 1000 gella in it. "Is that enough for you?"
"Not quite. It only barely covers the cost of supplies, but for a pretty lady like you, I'll consider it fair," the man said, bowing low. "Thank you for giving an old mechanic something to be proud of before he passes on."
Maya bowed in return.