The Mech

The Mech

"Rosie, you made it! How was the trip? Sorry about the directions."

"Oh I'm fine Uncle. This place is a bit out there, but I made it just fine."

"Come, come. Take off your cap, put down your stuff. I have something great to show you. It's something that should lift your spirits right up after being in that place for so long. I'm glad they let you out early, I've heard so many dreadful stories about those places."

"The Juvenile Offender's Home wasn't so bad... I survived." She ran her hands around her scarred wrists as she walked in and looked around. "What is this place?"

"This place was used as an old blacksmith shop and foundry. That there's the line shaft. It was going to be used by some mining company or some such before the war. I guess when the King restored his power this place lost its importance. I use it as a factory to work on my side projects. Why are you still looking so glum? Come on show me a smile."

"Sorry, I just need to get used to things again." She obliged and laughed for him and then tried to look away. "Oh. I read about the good news. Do you still work for The Brunette Company? Did they fund this?"

"Oh yes, I still work for them, but this place is just my little playground. What I'm working on now is back here. I must show you."

"Let's see it." Rosie followed her uncle to the back of the building. She marveled at everything around her. Open clocks, little mechanical toys with moving parts, an advanced boiler system, armored suits, and tools of all kinds. She focused her attention on her uncle's broad back. His shoulders, arms, and gloves were dirty with grease, just like she remembered them. He was always tinkering with something before she was arrested. She was proud when he wrote to her to tell her about his new job with the famous Brunette Company. It was one of the few respectable things about her family left. She was glad her parent's legend and her own recent brush with crime didn't taint his reputation. She reached up and ran her hand along a pipe that playfully followed their path. She looked down at his boots and matched his pace. Left for left, right for right. She felt like a little girl again going for a visit and she let her mind drift. The jingling of keys got her attention upwards again.

Uncle ruffled through the keys and picked out a thick one. He opened the door, his hands shaking with anticipation, and ushered Rosie in. The walls of this room were filled with diagrams and plans. The roof was taller than the rest of the building and had a large panel in the middle. There was a table in the middle with something tall and bulky in the middle covered with a sheet. He went over to the table and faced her with a smile. He placed one hand on the sheet and assumed a ringleader’s posture.

"Rosie, this is a very special day. When I heard that you were going to be released earlier, I hurried to finish this ahead of schedule as well. I built it with you in mind."

"What? Why's that?"

"I feel that I owe you something.”

“You don-“

“Now, now, listen up. I know our family hasn't been blessed with luck. I’ve tried to take care of you as best I could after your parents were killed on that horrible heist. And I believe that through my own selfishness I have allowed you to start down the same road they followed. After I started working for the Company I saw what real family men were. They taught me that I need to start paying more attention to you if I am going to be a good guardian. So that's why this is for you. You have just been given your freedom and I want you to really feel that. I want you to experience true freedom." Uncle took the sheet off with flair and revealed his present. Rosie took a step back as she examined the contraption with wide eyes.

"Tha- Is that-"

"Yes, yes!"

"And it can..." She slowly raised her hand and pointed a finger towards the sky.

"Oh of course, of course." He stood there reveling in her surprise. Rosie slowly approached and touched the machine. The brass felt warm to the touch and she could feel the vibration as it was buzzing inside. Her fingers went over the various buttons and gauges on the top of the machine and made the needles move with a few taps. She also tapped on the glass covering of two holes in the center but it had no effect. The bottom of the machine was an advance exhaust system which she hasn't seen even on the latest government ships. The top had four handles with etchings of their family crest. Rosie took her hand off the machine and frowned. She looked down and slowly pulled out a rolled up poster from her pocket.

"Uncle. Does this machine have anything to do with this?" She gave the poster to her uncle and he also produced a frown when he unrolled it. He stared at an accurate sketch of himself with "Bounty 100,000A" written under it in bold letters. He examined the rest of the smaller text and rolled the poster back up.

"So. It seems I've been found out."

"What do you mean? What did you do?"

"Well Rosie, in order to make something like this I used a part that I've taken from the Company."

"You work there, Uncle, so-"

"This was a very important part that only a small team of mechs worked on. I was on that team and I thought this part would be better used for my own purpose. To power something for you."

"Is this why you kept me in mind? What was it going to be used for?"

He looked at her with a very serious expression before answering. "It was going to be used to power a weapon the Company was developing. I went along with it at the beginning. So very proud of the progress we were making. But I changed my feelings on the matter after I kept thinking about the future. How could I face myself if what I helped create was used to kill? How could I face you? I realized that I couldn't. So I made off with this source of power and used it for something positive. Your reaction as just seeing it was worth it."

"Have you gone out of your mind, Uncle? I didn't think you were like this. You're different from us. You are not a criminal. I couldn't believe this poster when I saw it. What are you going to do? They are going to hunt you down.”

"I have to admit that I am a bit surprised at myself too. The people at the Company were suspicious of me at first because of who my brother was, but I won them over with my work ethic. I was focused on restoring honor to the family name at that time. I rose up the ranks and then I was put on the team to develop this power source. I found out what it was for and I just decided to take it away from them. It just felt right to do it that way. My heavens, our blood must really be tainted." He looked up with a shy smile.

"Don't believe that. Even if your cause was right you should have just gone along with it. Anything is better than being in trouble, Uncle. I would know."

"Look at you. They have made you fear them, Rosie. I came to realize that this is how the King and the Noble Council plan to rule after the war. I didn't want to be any part of it. This here is my vision and I am not going to help develop a weapon. And I did this for us. I have plans, Rosie. I met some people that I could make a deal with. This group has some very good ideas for my creation. It would lead to a better life for a lot of people."

"You are talking crazy." She held up the poster with a shaking hand. "What about this? You have to live your life on the run now."

"Calm down my dear. I wasn't going to tell you so much so soon after your release but now there is some urgency. I know I am not a very good criminal, but I will learn. Darn it, I come from a long line of famous criminals. You are also forgetting that they will have to find me first, right?" He grinned with false bravado hoping to cheer her up but he was met with a look of dejection. Rosie sat down on a stool and stared at the poster. Then there was a loud bang on the front door. Rosie didn't budge but Uncle looked out from the open door to the room.

"What is that?" The banging became systematic. Uncle looked over at Rosie and she was slightly rocking back and forth on the stool and whispering something as tears began to slide down her face. He leaned in to discern what she was saying.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Rosie?"

"I'm sorry."

Uncle watched as the front door burst open and three Company Knights and some state soldiers rushed in. He slammed the door a bit too late and they were also able to catch a glimpse of him. He heard the clunking of the Knight's armor walk towards the door. Then he heard the soldiers tearing through everything in the factory. Uncle leaned against the door and stared at Rosie and at the poster she was clutching in her hands.

"So this is why they let you out early."

Rosie wiped the tears from her face and nodded without looking up at her Uncle. "Yes, Uncle. I couldn't take any more time. You don't understand how hard it was being a prisoner.” She looked over at him urgently. “You won't have to find out either if you turn yourself in. They told me so. Just open the door." She stood up with confusion at the serene smirk on his face.

"I didn't know how much you really needed this, Rosie."

"What?"

"You are still falling victim to fear. They still have a hold over you, but I don't blame you. They have broken you down in there to make you subservient and malleable. This makes things a little more interesting, but I'm still going to keep my promise to take better care of you. All I need for you to do is follow me."

"But, Uncle, just... You are still going to resist?"

"Yes, yes. Just-” Uncle stopped talking and was thrust away from the door after something hit the door on the other side. Rosie and her uncle stopped and listened. They heard the sound of gears grinding against each other and steam pouring out of a machine. This was followed by another slamming on the door. The whole room shook violently, but the lock held. The soldiers tore up the factory to make room for their ram and they had to use more power to break through this tougher lock.

"How can we get away from this?"

"Just believe in me." Uncle took the sheet that was covering the machine and fastened it on the frame of the door so that the door was fully covered. He then got up on the table and started turning some dials on the machine. "Grab that long wrench in the corner and wait by the door. The probably lied to you but they don't want to kill me. I hope. They'll come in with their swords and bayonets instead of using the rifles. It's a small space so that gives us the advantage. As soon as you get the chance I want you to jump up here with me."

"OK." Rosie grabbed the wrench. It was thick and almost as long as her torso. She held it like a sword and stood at the door. She raised the wrench slightly above her head after the ram landed another hit on the door. She didn't pay any attention to the thunderous noise it made, or to the tinkering her uncle was making behind her. There was a crack heard on the door as some steam crept into the room from behind the large sheet. The door swung open and a soldier walked through and was engulfed by the sheet. Rosie jumped at him and hit him with the wrench on the back of the neck. The soldier groaned and started to go down. He was pulled back along with the sheet by a bulky hand. A Knight stormed into the room and Rosie stumbled back, surprised. The Knight's bulky form was intimidating. His helmet and suit of armor looked like it was the best money could by. The Brunette Company logo in the shoulders revealed the source of the funding. The thing that surprised Rosie the most were the eyes glaring at her from behind the facemask. It was the same stare she got at the Juvenile Detention House that commanded her and told her she was nothing. She looked up at those eyes in shock as she stepped back. She didn't dare raise her makeshift weapon at the Knight. She looked into the Knight's crazed eyes and ignored his sword as he pierced it into her shoulder. The pain and the noise in the room came at her slowly. The first thing she heard was her screams.

Uncle heard her too. He was kicking another Knight away from his work table as well as avoiding the grasping hands of the soldiers. He bought some time as the Knight clumsily fell back into the others. He thrust goggles around his eyes, then reached down and pulled Rosie up to the machine, ripping the blade out of her shoulder. She screamed louder but tried to ignore the pain as her uncle hastily strapped her in. The Knight that pierced her drew his sword back for another strike but was thrown back when Uncle turned the machine on and blasted off. The room below them was engulfed in a jet of steam as Rosie and her uncle zoomed off. The panel on the ceiling burst open as the flying machine broke free, hitting two soldiers that were on the roof.

The confusion in the room gave way to panic as the Knights commanded the soldiers to use their rifles to fire on the machine. They obliged and blindly shot upwards making a few holes on the roof. Rosie felt a few bullets zip by her and looked over at her Uncle. She was surprised to see that he was elated.

"Are you feeling this, Rosie? Woooo." He shrieked with exhilaration as he held onto Rosie with one hand and steered the machine with the other. "This is freedom."

Rosie willed herself to squint and look around at the forest around them and the city beyond. It was a great sight and she managed to smile and laugh. She didn't know if it was the fear or the adrenaline that was making her do this but she wasn't regretting anything. One of the bullets glanced off the machine which made her uncle pay more attention to the driving. He made a circle around the building causing another cloud of thick steam to surround them and then zoomed off due south, towards the seaport. The soldiers surrounding the building desperately fired into the cloud with little success. The Knights stomped the ground in frustration when they realized their task was a failure.

Rosie held on to the machine tightly for fear of falling off but her uncle fastened her tighter. When they were some ways off and had a more stable flight he handed her another pair of goggles and she was able to open her eyes fully and look around. The sight amazed her and she screamed like her uncle had done earlier.

"This shouldn't be possible, Uncle."

"That's what they want you to believe, to keep you in control. You have to take control for yourself, Rosie. That's what I am trying to show you."

Rosie marveled at the craftsmanship of the machine. It amazed her how much work her uncle was able to do. She patted the metal and felt a web-like grate on its surface. She looked closer and saw that it was in the two holes in the middle. Something was glowing bright orange on the inside. Two small orbs seemed to be moving from her face to her uncle. It must be the power source the Company was trying to recover.

"Is this what you took?"

"Yeah. That is what they were going to use to make their terrible weapons. I was going to propose this prototype but they wanted something more. They were set on control and destruction. I just had to stop it."

“Uncle… I was on the edge and I almost betrayed you."

"No, no. All is forgiven, Rosie. I have to build you back up. How's your shoulder?"

"I can bear it. But... what are you going to do now? Where are we going?"

"To meet that group that will help us. Those ideas they have are just amazing."

Rosie rested her head against the machine felling the buzzing inside and heard the calming hum of its core. She was grateful that her uncle forgave her and took her along. She clutched her shoulder letting the pain travel through her body. The scar would be the mark of her shame and the reminder to never be taken advantage of again. She would keep her control.

They traveled further south and she caught her first glimpse of the ocean. Her uncle got lower and a few drunken dock workers looked up at them in confusion as Uncle waved. They were left in a cloud of steam as the pair went out to sea. After a short distance they saw a ship with big black sails. Rosie stared at her uncle as they almost crashed into the hull, but then crash landed on its deck. Rosie winced in pain as the machine went down and she was unhooked from its side. When she opened her eyes they were surrounded by a group of scraggly looking people. An older man with a large jacket and beard walked up to them and embraced her uncle. He shook the hands with the man and a young woman with familiar grease stains on her clothes. Others helped Rosie up and a handsome man with glasses looked at her shoulder. She felt lightheaded as she heard the man say something about "blood loss" and "being safe now." She took off her goggles and tried calling for her uncle but her voice was weak. The man told her to calm down and lay her beside some crates and began working on her shoulder. She heard her uncle talking with the rest of the group.

"Didn't expect you this early, Red. Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine but my niece got some damage. We ran into some problems, but it made the choice easier."

The woman nodded in Rosie’s direction. "The doc's looking after her. She's in good hands."

"So... can we really do this? You think it's possible?"

"Oh yes, yes. It just needs some work and scaling, but it is entirely possible. Did you get all the materials?"

"Yeah we've been busy getting them but I made sure they got everything you asked for."

The burly man looked up at the sky. "We should get moving. Get busy boys!" He walked away and the crew went into action.

"Just think, Red, soon we'll be able to ride this large ship about in the air and get further away from all that mess."

"Yeah, that's true freedom."

"Come on, I have to show you my workshop!" The young woman walked off and waited for Uncle.

Rosie felt a prick on her shoulder and then her eyes felt heavy. She looked at the doctor and at her uncle, both giving her comforting smiles. Her uncle followed the woman off to her workshop. Rosie looked up as a large flag obstructed her view of the sky. She laughed with surprise at the familiar insignia on the flag before falling asleep.