Technomancer: Birth of a Goddess

Chapter 120 – The Calm

After lunch on the first day on the ship, Emily sticks with Ash and Podrick, ducking into crawlspaces and pulling off panels in the corridors to access the ship’s internals. Ash is amazed by Emily’s uncanny ability to find the ship’s faults at a glance, and, by the end of the day, they give her free rein to make repairs alone, designating a section of the ship for her to work on.

The next day, Podrick chooses to follow Emily around, mesmerised by her increasing working speed as she slowly slips into her own pace, only limiting herself enough not to give away her superhuman nature. He barrages her with questions about her weapons and creations between repairs, showing a passionate interest in machines.

In the evening, as she meditates alone in the engine room after dinner, enjoying the hum of the ship’s beating heart, Emily starts to consider the excitable lad.

I wonder if he could become an awakened mechanic. I’ve never really stopped to think about it, but if I awakened as one, surely someone else with as much passion for machines should have a chance.

The air around her starts to buzz as she lets the machina in her body flow out, crackling along her skin.

I couldn’t find a single reference to a second type of awakening in The Dome’s library, so I assume I’m the first. How would a normal awakening for a mechanic work? I know mages can help each other awaken in a multitude of ways, but can I help another mechanic awaken? Do I want to? I have no reason to help Pod in particular, but it’s nice to see another person as passionate about machines as me.

The thought bounces around her mind as she cultivates and by the time she opens her eyes to stand up, she still hasn’t come to a decision.

“I’d quite like to try awakening someone else to see if it’s possible, but I probably want it to be someone I’m close to. I’d rather keep information about my dual awakening hidden. So, I need to be sure they won’t tell others,” Emily mutters as she stands up. “I could always try to awaken him, just to see if it’s possible, then reset time if it works. Then again, if the system counts it as a hidden quest to awaken someone else, I’d be forced to leave him be or kill him, and I’d rather not do the latter. He’s a sweet kid.”

Emily leaves the engine room, her debate about awakening Podrick fading into the background as she walks towards her room and the foreboding dread in her gut becomes her focus again.

We’re arriving early in the morning tomorrow. I’m not sure if I’m ready to face Anna again.

The image of Anna staring at Herber’s corpse with tears streaming down her face rises to the front of her mind unbidden, a ball of anger and grief forming in her chest. She takes a deep breath to calm herself as she disables her trap and opens the door.

“I’ll just have to be,” she whispers to herself as she shuts the door and drops into her bed. “She deserves a proper explanation.”

***

Early the next morning, Emily intercepts Anton on his way to the bridge and pulls him into a half-empty cargo room.

“What’s up, Emily?” Anton asks with a raised brow.

“I wanted to offer you a deal,” Emily responds, leaning against a crate and gesturing for Anton to get comfortable. “First, I want you to swear you won’t say a word about what I’m about to tell you to anyone.”

“You don’t work for a noble family for as long as I have without learning to keep your mouth shut,” Anton responds with a grin, settling down against a barrel as his face drops into a more serious expression. “I won’t say anything. You have my word.”

“Good. Because what I want to talk about involves said noble family. To keep things short, the Mandrago family killed my father,” Emily says with a fierce glint in her eye, raising a hand as Anton’s expression twists in outrage, gesturing to let her continue. “So, I plan to kill their Patriarch and a few of the others involved in return.”

“You what?” Anton exclaims, his anger giving way to pure disbelief. “I get that you’re angry, but that’s suicide!”

“Actually, it’s not. You see, magic’s real,” Emily responds, lifting her hand and conjuring a crackling bolt of lightning above her palm, “and I’m quite good at it. I’m confident in my ability to complete my goal and escape the country safely.”

Anton stares at the fizzling glow above her hand in silence for a few seconds before shaking his head and looking into Emily’s eyes with a look of resignation.

“Okay, that’s crazy, but I’ll take you at your word for now. What does this have to do with making a deal with me? Do you want me to help you escape?”

“Yes.” Emily nods calmly. “I’ll be a wanted criminal and you’ll become one too for aiding me and stealing Calypso, but think about it. It’s a chance to be free. Isn’t that the best part of taking to the skies?”

“Where would we go?” Anton asks, a flicker of hope igniting in his gaze. “We can’t go to Morzea. I’m not a traitor.”

“You don’t have to. I may plan to kill important members of a noble family, but I don’t plan to join my birth country’s enemy. We’ll go to Dennari.”

“Ha, the war-torn continent? Now that’s a death sentence.”

“No, it isn’t actually. You may not know, but most of the fighting only happens on the frontlines, and New Denntimo is relatively stable within its borders. It’s not perfect, but that’s where we’d go if you agree. I’ll defend the ship until we get there, and I’ll outfit it with defences and weapons as well in payment. Then, in a few years when I’m strong enough to return to this continent without fear of the consequences, I’ll help you get a pardon so you can return with pride and full ownership of Calypso, even if I need to talk to the royal family myself.”

“And why will they listen to you? Just how strong can you get in a few years?” Anton asks, disbelief still written in his expression.

“I’m a prodigy in magic and machines,” Emily says with confidence. “I know you don’t understand magic - hell, you’re probably struggling to believe it’s real - but in the last year and a half, I’ve grown enough that I could destroy the entire family on my own if I chose to. Give me a few more years and I’m confident the royal family themselves won’t want to make an enemy of me. You don’t have to make a decision now. I plan on making sure my sister is safe then gathering some information on my targets before I strike. So just consider it. Anyway, we should head to the bridge, we’ll be landing soon.”

Anton hesitates for a few moments, judging her with a scrutinising stare before nodding with a small sigh and leading the way out. They quickly arrive at the bridge and Anton settles down to check his command console silently as Emily’s gaze is drawn to the large window and the rolling desert before them. The city, wrapped in a metal wall with a sea of sandy-brown surrounding it on all sides brings an odd sense of familiarity and comfort to her.

“Ha,” she chuckles. “I didn’t think I missed it.”

Anton glances back at her as he hears her muttering.

“You’re excited to be back?” he asks with a confused quirk to his brow as she leans against the side of his chair.

“Mixed feelings,” Emily admits, her eyes trailing across the city, from the clustered scrap heaps outside the walls to the sparse noble’s district. “It looks so small now.”

“Ha, that’s what travelling does,” Angela says, her face pressed to the periscope as she adjusts the dials on her control panel. “Your hometown never quite looks the same when you have something to compare it to.”

Tony and Anton both nod at her words, and Emily turns her gaze towards the sky as they begin their descent towards the docks. She sees thick, dark clouds looming above, a rare oddity for the desert-locked city.

“Was there no rain here last year?” Emily asks as she stares at the clouds with a frown.

“Not as far as I’m aware,” Anton says, his eyes remaining on his controls. “Why?”

“We’d normally get rain every three years,” Emily explains. “And last year marked three years since the last time.”

“Is that a problem?” Tony asks, noticing Emily’s frown.

“No, not really,” she says with a shrug. “It’s just a dumb local superstition. The last time the rain skipped a year, there was a large beast wave when it finally came. Since then, people say the rain coming late is a bad omen.”

“Well, it looks like it’s going to rain soon,” Angela says. “And I can’t see any beasts. So, I think you’re fine.”

“Probably,” Emily agrees. “As I said - just a dumb superstition.”

***

The ship lands, latching onto a track on the floor that spins it around before carrying it deeper into the docks to its hangar. Emily says goodbye to Tony and Angela before walking with Anton to the exit, her backpack slung over her shoulder. They find Podrick, Ash, and Eva waiting by the door with Jon and a few other tired-looking members of the night crew when they arrive.

“Hey,” Emily says as they approach. “Why are all of you here?”

“We’re going out to check the ship’s exterior,” Ash explains, pointing to Podrick. “And we wanted to say goodbye. Thanks for all your help. You’ve reduced my workload by a substantial amount in the few days you’ve been here. I honestly wish you were staying with us.”

“Haha, it’s no problem,” Emily responds with a smile. “I enjoyed it.”

“Thanks for telling me about your weapons,” Podrick says, offering his hand. “Next time we meet, I’ll make something cool to show you!”

“Ha,” Emily chuckles, shaking the enthusiastic boy’s hand. “Sure thing. I look forward to it.”

Yeah. I don’t want to risk killing him. I guess I can find another test subject for awakening later.

“We’re going to visit our families or sleep in better beds,” Jon explains with a yawn, gesturing to the tired faces behind him.

“And I’m going to buy more spices,” Eva says quietly before falling silent.

Emily nods, unbothered by her reticent nature. The ship shudders slightly before coming to a stop as a familiar horn blares, telling them it’s finished docking. Anton flips the lever by the door, opening the hatch and dropping the steps.

“I guess this is goodbye again,” he says, patting Emily on the shoulder. “I’ll think about what you said, but regardless of what choice I make, it’s been a pleasure flying with you again.”

“Sure thing. Thanks for the lift,” Emily says with a smile and a nod, stepping backwards onto the path down. “I’ll see you around.”

She waves goodbye and turns to continue down to the floor. Not wasting any time, she heads straight for the pathway to the main hub of the docks, ducking into the narrow corridor and walking ahead with speed bordering on unnatural.

She quickly reaches the end of the private hangar access, stepping into the open hall with a surprisingly sparse crowd.

Strange. There were at least double this amount of people here when we left. Has the rain really made people jumpy?

She continues towards the exit to the docks, noticing groups of people huddled together around the stalls at the edge of the room, quietly chattering with each other. As she looks around, Emily spots a familiar, chubby man with salt and pepper hair, Gregory, sitting at his stall whispering to a few rich-looking ladies. She considers going to ask about her letter, but her desire to see Anna gets the better of her as she continues walking, leaving the docks.

She steps out into the street and notices the guards she passes, standing by the side of the entrance to the dock, checking her out cautiously, their eyes sweeping over her cloaked figure. They share a few looks and quietly muttered words before one of them lets out a sigh and starts to approach her.

“You there. Stop,” he calls out in a gruff tone as she approaches.

Fuck that.

Emily ignores him and quickly ducks into a side street. She hears him increase his pace to catch up to her, but she dashes forward, reaching the other side and stepping out of the alley before he can even look in.

“Why are the guards on edge too?” she mumbles, slipping into another alley to completely lose her pursuer. “It can’t just be the rain. Something’s wrong.”

The feeling in her gut only grows worse as she speeds through the familiar, winding streets of Eimdon, finding them surprisingly empty of people. It doesn’t take long for her old home to come into view, and a pang of pain twists in her chest as she takes in the changes.

The small shop no longer has displays of watches and clocks in the window. Instead, the windows are full of trinkets and toys with a few cheap-looking dresses hanging behind them. Above the door is a small sign labelled ‘Scrappy Merchants’, and in the centre is a sight that sends chills down Emily’s spine and causes her to grit her teeth in anger: a carved crest of the Mandrago family.

She approaches the shop, pushing on the door lightly and finding it unlocked. The door swings open, a familiar bell ringing out as it does, and Emily steps in. The room’s empty of people, and the displays inside have been rearranged, new items filling the glass cabinets that used to be populated by Herber’s favourite works. Emily looks around with tears forming in her eyes.

There’s no sign of him left.

Taking a breath to calm herself, she walks towards the kitchen door, hearing no movement deeper within the building.

Why is the door unlocked if no one’s in? Anna isn’t that careless. Did she move out?

She pushes open the door with concern, finding the kitchen unchanged. After a quick glance around, she continues on to the hallway, approaching the living quarters. She stops in front of the first two doors, first turning to her old room and pushing the door open.

Inside she sees the room shifted about slightly, clothes that aren’t hers left lying on the bed and a cabinet hanging open, clearly inhabited since she left. Frowning, she turns to Anna’s room and opens the door, expecting the worst.

The room is as Emily remembers it, but a cursory glance reveals a few changes. Beside the bed, lying on the floor, are a few weights that Anna certainly never owned before and, on the bedside table, there is a pile of used bandages, stained with old blood. But, she lets out a sigh of relief as she sees a unique picture frame made of clockwork pieces sitting on the bedside table, facing away from her, holding a picture she remembers drawing.

“It is still her room,” she mutters walking closer.

She walks around the bed, heading straight for the chest of drawers that she knows Anna keeps her diary in, and pulls out the bottom drawer completely. Underneath is a smooth panel of wood with a few finger-sized holes In the corner. She pulls up the panel, revealing a hidden compartment that she made for her sister with a small, leather-bound book sitting in the bottom.

Emily pulls out the diary with a small smile, remembering Anna asking her to help hide it from Herber, and turns around to be greeted by a sight that breaks her heart. The picture beside the bed that used to show her, Anna, and Herber sitting together has a violently scribbled blotch of black ink completely covering her image.

“Did she do this?” she quietly mutters in shock.

Tears roll down her cheeks and a small, bubbling cloud starts to form around Emily as she walks back around the bed to pick up the picture and take a closer look.

I thought she might blame me, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. What happened?

After a few moments of staring at the picture, she sets it down and sits on the bed, flipping the diary open in her lap. She wipes the tears from her face and draws her mana back under control as she flicks through the poorly divided entries, searching for the day it all went wrong.

I buried Dad today.

Emily stole something from the Mandrago family, and they put him to death for it.

I watched him bleed out as she left with them.

And I buried him.

They sent someone after me too. At least I think they did. He showed up at our door while I was trying to move Dad’s body. All he said was “Your sister sends her regards.” as he drew a sword across my face.

It hurt so much. I wasn’t sure I could stop the bleeding. I’m not sure I could have if it wasn’t for the nice couple next door hearing my scream and coming to help. Was that really from Emily? I don’t want to believe it, but why did she go with them?

Emily’s tears flow again as the air around her crackles, anger and sadness mixing as she turns the page to the next entry.

I went to ask her today.

I walked all the way into the noble’s district, despite what Dad always said. How can he stop me now? He’s gone.

He’s dea

I asked at the gate to speak to her. But they said she refused to see me. Why?

Why is she working with them?

Did she want this?

I need answers.

“Wait, does she not know I left the city? Did she not get my letter?” Emily mutters, her mind shifting to the chubby merchant as a low growl leaves her throat. “Gregory!”

With a decision made to confront him later, she continues reading.

I went to ask for her again today.

It’s been a month now.

She hasn’t agreed to meet me once.

Did she even love us?

I think I’ll have to force her to.

Dread starts to fill Emily’s chest as she frantically flips through the diary’s pages, skipping between the important entries.

I applied to join the guards today.

I needed an excuse to get into the Mandrago estate.

They laughed and told me I was too weak. They said to come back when I’d built some strength.

Two guards came to find me today.

They said their names were Todd and Howard. They said they knew Emily and wanted to help me because of that. They think I want to join because I need the money now that Dad’s gone.

Like I want help from her friends.

They gave me some weights and said one of them would visit every day to help me train until I was strong enough to join the guard’s training.

I let a merchant move in today.

I ran out of money to keep buying food, and I wanted to focus on training. Apparently, I would need to train for years until I’m considered elite enough to join the Mandrago’s estate guards, so I think I’ll have to break in.

It’s a year since Dad died today.

I went to the Mandrago estate again to ask for Emily. She still refuses to see me, but I met the man who ordered Dad’s death.

He taunted me about it.

I never understood Emily getting into fights, but I think I do now. I would have shot him if I’d brought my gun.

Why does he get to live?

Why does she?

Today’s the day.

I’ve been watching the estate for a while now.

I’m confident I have the guard’s schedules memorised.

There’s a gap between their watches.

I can sneak in.

I’m scared.

I’m going to see Emily.

I wish she never left.

I’m going to get answers.

I’m going to kill the ones that took my father from me.

Even if that includes her.