Chapter 14 - A Ghost in the Machines
The next morning, Jon, Mormont, Edd, Pyp, Ghost, and a few other men of the night's watch left to investigate the sightings beyond the wall. The Lord Commander allowed the strange man at the request of his steward to be confined to the library so long as there be no more outbursts. Reluctantly, Tony agreed if it allowed him to explore their knowledge, stay away from prying eyes, and fix his suit. That was all that mattered to him. Samwell Tarley and Maester Aemon waited for him as his assigned babysitters. When he arrived, Tony saw the old man with snow white hair, Sam, the larger young lad who was kind to him, and a new person, a young lady in baggy drab clothes. He stopped when he saw her. Sam grew nervous and stood up almost immediately.
"My Lord … I mean," said Sam stumbling over his own words. Tony raised an awkward eyebrow. The girl looked up from her books slightly fearful. Sam closed his eyes in embarrassment and shook his head remembering what Jon had told him about his last name. "I mean … I'm sorry, I'm not sure what to call you …" said Samwell honestly. Tony heard the old man chuckle.
"There's no need to be nervous here Tarly," he said. Tony noticed the man's cloudy eyes looking up at nothing. He walked closer with furrowed brows. "I heard you fell from the sky … like a ball of fire," he continued. Tony stopped. "I'm amazed your are alive … So, what do they call you?" the old man asked. Tony kept one eyebrow up staring at him. He crossed one arm over his chest and used his other free hand to smooth out his facial hair in curiosity, before waving it in front of the old man's face.
"Is he …?" Tony asked Sam.
"Blind? Yes, and don't do that, it's rude," Sam snapped in his polite manner of speaking. The old man chuckled again, still focusing on nothing.
"That's alright, Tarly … I am Maester Aemon … and you are?" the old man asked again.
"Tony … the … Mechanic," Tony said hesitantly.
"Tony The Mechanic?" said the girl in a slow pace, but soft voice. Tony glanced at her skeptically. Sam held his breath. "You must be a Lord to have such a long name," she said simply. Tony blinked rapidly at nothing as if someone had slapped him unexpectedly. Sam noticed his disapproval and acted fast. He leaned in closely so he could whisper.
"Look … women aren't allowed at the wall … " Sam began.
"Yeah? and why is that? Because it's an absolute sausage fest?" Tony said sarcastically with some sharpness. Sam glared at him disgusted.
"She is our guest here," said Maester Aemon.
"Please Sir," said the young woman. Tony turned his serious gaze to her. "I have a son … if it wasn't for Sam … we might not be alive," she said bashfully. Tony did not know what to make of that, but he saw the book at her arms on the table. He inhaled sharply through his nose.
"Hey your secret's safe with me," he said apathetically sitting next to her, "And … ahem … what are you reading?"
"Oh … well Sam is teaching me how to read," she said innocently. Tony crossed his arms tightly around his chest again, and put one free hand over his mouth to stop any more sarcasm from spewing out. Sam was about to intervene when he realized that the look Tony wore on his face was not one of desire, but that of horror. She looked down sadly.
"You're … making fun of me … " she said ashamed.
"No! No … I'm not," he said quickly removing his hand from his mouth before replacing it there again. To Sam's surprise, Maester Aemon had a smile on his face. He saw Tony reach for something in the cloak Jon had lent him. It looked like a pair of spectacles.
"And … how far have you gotten?" he asked carefully, bitting both lips together. She looked down at the book again.
"'S'" she said shyly. Tony unfolded his blue tinted glasses.
"You … want to see a cool trick?" he asked holding them. She narrowed his eyes at him.
"Why would I want to see a cruel trick?" she said not understanding. Tony sighed dropping his head trying desperately not to make any mean comment or laugh.
"No … I mean, just put these on," he said carefully handing her the temple pieces of the glasses. Sam watched him carefully. She took them gently.
"What … is this suppose to do?" she asked skeptical.
"Just put them on your face … like this," he said quickly taking them back and placing them on his face. They suited him. "Now you try," he said handing them back to her. She took them and placed them on her face as he did.
"Jarvis, scan what she is reading," he said.
"What?" she said confused. Suddenly, glowing, transparent images appeared before her face, highlighting letters and words, specifically the ones beginning with the letter 'S'. They hovered in the air like spirits.
"AH!" she screamed removing the glasses from her face.
"Hey hey!" he said fearful she might break them. Sam blinked anxiously and looked back at Maester Aemon, who still simply smiled.
"What happened child?" he asked her. The girl twirled the glasses in her fingers gently.
"Did I just … see a ghost?" she asked softly.
"No, just holograms Miss," said Jarvis. The girl yelped again dropping the glasses. Tony snatched them before they could hit the table.
"Hey, you break'em you bought'em, and I don't have the resources to make another one," he said seriously to her.
"Sorry," she said squeamishly. Sam stepped forward.
"That was the same voice as your armor," he noted. Tony turned his attention to the large lad. "How can the same voice be in two places at once?" he asked.
"I am an artificial intelligence. I have no true body. Any vessel that Mr. Stark has designed is connected to my matrix. I am one source, but I can dwell in multiple places at once," Jarvis answered him. Tony gritted his teeth.
"Stark you say? I can see why Jon Snow wanted to hide you away," said Maester Aemon.
"Ya know, for a blind old man, you are very perspective," Tony said glaring at him, "And for an A.I. … that was incredibly, stupid," he snarled at Jarvis.
"Apologizes Sir … "
Maester Aemon laughed.
"Not to worry lad. Protect Gilly, and we'll protect you," the old man said peacefully. Tony looked doubtfully around the room at Gilly, Sam and the old man.
"Why do I find that hard to believe," he muttered sarcastically to himself. He rubbed his eyes with a free hand. Gilly remained fascinated.
"You made that? You made him?" she asked curiously. Tony took his hand off his face and gave her his attention.
"Yes …" he said skeptically. He noticed for the first time in the short amount of time since he met her, her eyes seemed to light up. She didn't look so meek and scared.
"So you're like … a wizard," she said kindly. He snickered so loudly he didn't even try to cover his face. Sam rolled his eyes.
"May I?" he asked reaching out for the glasses. Tony handed them to him slowly but before he let go, "Hey, Samwise Gamgee, same rules go for you too," he warned. Sam sort of understood, but still looked around confused.
"It's Samwell Tarly … " he corrected him. Tony gave him his famous hard eyeroll before releasing his highly expensive tech. Sam gently placed them on his face. He saw nothing.
"Umm … Jarvis? Was it?" he asked the air like a fool.
"Yes Mr. Tarly?" the AI said from the glasses. Sam jumped a bit.
"Oh … Mr. Tarly? Ha, I like the sound of that," he said distracted gleefully.
"Kid, I need you to focus," Tony added annoyed.
"Right, right … Umm … Jarvis, can you showed me what you showed Gilly?" asked Sam politely looking down at Gilly's book.
"Certainly Sir," said the AI, scanning the book once more. The holograms reappeared, glowing like spirits over the words. The letter 'S' shined more boldly than the ones that followed it.
"Oh my …" Sam squeaked. Gilly watched him carefully. Tony smirked proudly at his creation. "Can you … can you find any letter or word?" Sam asked cleverly.
"Letter, word, phrase, sentence. I can log, scan, and read any writing you show me Sir," said Jarvis. Sam quickly snatched the glasses off his face. An epiphany growing stronger in his mind. Maester Aemon could hear his heavy breathing.
"What is it Tarly?" he asked the lad. Sam turned to Tony instead.
"May I borrow these while you're here? I promise I'll return them, and I won't break them," he asked anxiously. Tony rested his chin on his closed fist and narrowed his eyes.
"What for?" he asked. Sam chose his next words carefully.
"It's … for my work. I'm researching … for Jon, well for the Night's watch. These would help me read much faster," he said. Tony kept his eyes on his without ever blinking, not fully convinced that he was telling him the full truth. "And it would help Gilly read, of course," Tarly added. Tony got up slowly, still focusing on Samwell like a cat fixed on prey. Sam instinctively backed away.
"I'll let you borrow them … on one condition," he said confidently like the business man that he was. Scared, Tarly made a quick glance to Gilly.
"And what's that?" he asked voice quivering.
"Give me full access to your library. And if you come across any information regarding advanced technology, electricity, fire power, a power source, lightning, a generator … you let me know … and I will loan, not give, loan you … Jarvis," he commanded. Tarly let out a sigh of relief.
"Deal?" said Tony sticking out his right hand for confirmation. For a split second, Sam thought he was making a deal with a devil. Gingerly he took Tony's and for a hardy handshake, but before Tony let go, he added one last thing, "Oh and have dinner sent to my chambers," he said. Sam sneered at him.
"What? I'm not your steward," he said with a frown.
"And those aren't your glasses," said Tony glancing at his own tech in Tarly's hand with a petty smile. Reluctantly, Samwell agreed, so long as he could use this device to search for more information on white walkers, how to destroy them, and where to find more dragon glass.