Читать книгу Book Three: Part 1 The Dusk of Hope - Sean Wolfe Fay - Страница 10

All five players sitting around the dimly lit council table in the stone-brick castle were silent except for the Mechanist, who was in the process of the ceremonial roll call and other formalities. Although Element Castle was a good distance away from the outer walls of Element City, the cacophony of the bombardment of the outer wall could be heard throughout the city, day and night. This council meeting was no exception, as the muffled booms of detonating TNT blocks could be heard even through the stone walls.

These sounds of the Noctem Alliance’s barrage of artillery only heightened the tension in the room. Out of the nine council members, three of them—Stan, Charlie and DZ—had been taken hostage in their raid of the Noctem Alliance’s Specialty Base. Another one, Blackraven, had been revealed as a traitor who had been working for the Noctem Alliance the entire time. And yet only four players sat around the council room table now.

They had lost someone else.

As the Mechanist finished with the formalities, he put down his papers and glanced around the table with exhausted eyes. In the faces of Kat, Jayden and G, there was no sign of sadness or grief, but rather of unkempt and wild hatred, driven by a passion that can only be wrought by the deepest sort of betrayal. Giving a soft and brief sigh, the Mechanist began his speech.

“As you know,” the Mechanist said tiredly, his Texas accent slightly slurred with fatigue, “a most tragic and unfortunate event has befallen us in the past twenty-four hours…”

“Huh, unfortunate… yeah, right.”

“Please, Kat,” replied the Mechanist, far too spent to deal with her sarcasm at the moment. “Protocol dictates that I, as interim leader of the council in President Stan’s absence, recount what happened so that it goes on record.”

Nobody protested. They were so furious that they were happy to hear it again to have another opportunity to relish in the cowardice and detestability of what had happened.

“Yesterday afternoon,” started the Mechanist, “all members of this council were called by myself, Mecha11, to this council room to report on how the defence of our outer walls was going. Kat, G, Jayden and I all returned as planned. However, we soon realized that Gobbleguy was missing.”

There was a shudder of contempt around the room as the Mechanist spoke that name.

“With the help of the police chiefs, we searched the city, and we weren’t able to find him. However, in Gobbleguy’s bedroom, Ben discovered a book that he had written. In it, Gobbleguy said that he was leaving Elementia forever, and going to play Minecraft on other servers. He then proceeded to explain, in probably the most passive and nonconfrontational way I’ve ever heard, that he couldn’t take the pressures of being on the council anymore. He said that it was, and I quote, ‘far too much stress and effort to put into a lousy Minecraft server.’ Because of his desertion, the police chiefs have charged Gobbleguy with treason, and have a warrant out for his arrest should he ever return to Elementia.”

As the Mechanist finished his recap, nobody had anything to say. All they could do was stew in their misery and despise the deserter. It was bad enough that Blackraven had turned out to be a traitor to the council and had been working as a double agent for the Alliance the entire time. It was even worse that his treachery had caused Stan, Charlie and DZ to be captured, leaving the five of them left on the council to wonder if their three friends were even still alive. And now, as one last kick to the emotional stomach of the council, one of their own members had up and left them for no reason other than his own weakness.

“Good riddance, I say,” spat Kat in disgust.

“I agree,” replied Jayden, his brow knit in scorn. “If Gobbleguy wants to be a selfish little jerk, then it’s for the best that he’s gone.”

“Yeah. I mean, what did he even do?” said G in a nasty voice. “He just sat at the meetings, looking like a timid little bunny rabbit, never saying anything, and not even having the guts to speak up for himself. Honestly, what did we lose when he left?”

“Nothing at all!” exclaimed Kat fervently.

“True!” Jayden said in an unusually deep voice. “I say we just forget he ever existed and move on.”

There were nods and mumbles of assent around the table. Everybody was privately doing the same thing, and trying to project the feeling that they were happy Gobbleguy was gone. In actuality, however, all four of them were scared senseless by the ramifications of his departure.

Although they would rather die than admit it, the remaining members of the council realized that, when Gobbleguy logged out of Elementia, the Noctem Alliance had claimed him as their victim. Even if Gobbleguy had been useless in the grand scheme of things, the fact remained that he had been driven out by the fear and pressure that the Noctem Alliance was spreading throughout Element City so effectively.

The most frightening fact of all, though, was that the council had reached a startling landmark: of the nine of them who had started the war against the Noctem Alliance, more than half of them were now gone.

“I think that it is fairly safe to say,” the Mechanist spoke after a moment of scared silence, “that our city is, as of now, incredibly well protected. Due to various innovations in defensive technology—”

“All of which you created,” Kat cut in with a smirk. There was a grim chuckle of agreement around the table. In fact, Kat was right; the Mechanist had been the one who had designed the city’s superb outer defences.

“Well, yes, that’s true,” replied the Mechanist humbly, “but it is also beside the point. As I was saying, because of the resources that we have put into the defences of our walls, I think that the Noctem Alliance will have a difficult time getting into our city. We are well equipped to fight off any approach of theirs as of right now, whether it be through stealth or by brute force. However, I think that it is also time that we acknowledge that the Noctem Alliance is, at the very least, equal to us in power.”

There were sounds of repugnance around the table. The council still found it difficult to accept that what had started off as a small protesters’ group had grown into an organization that had pushed them to the brink of annihilation in just a single month. Although they could not bring themselves to disagree with the Mechanist, saying it aloud would mean accepting it, something that Jayden, G and Kat were not prepared to do.

“Therefore,” the Mechanist continued, reaching under the table and pressing a button as he did so, “I am forced to assume that our current stalemate is temporary. The Noctem Alliance will manage to break through our walls if we are not able to weaken them somehow. For that reason, I’ve asked Bob to come in here and brief us on what we, as high-ranking members of the city, should do to actively fight the Noctem Alliance.”

“Wait a sec,” said Kat as she realized what he was saying. “Are you saying that you want us to actually go out into the server and fight the Alliance? Like, in combat?”

The Mechanist nodded. Kat’s face lit up, and she looked psyched at the prospect of finally going out into the field and actively doing something to take down the Noctem Alliance.

“Hold on,” asked Jayden, a puzzled look crossing his face. “If we’re out in the server doing the fighting, then who’s going to run the council?”

“That’s actually the one thing we need to discuss before Bob gets here,” the Mechanist said tiredly. “In my talks with Bob, he suggested that while the rest of the council goes out and undertakes several highly important objectives throughout Elementia, I myself remain here as the sole governor of Element City.

“I was the first to point out,” the Mechanist continued quickly, as all three of the other council members looked alarmed, “that this idea would give me sole power over the entirety of Element City, which is something that our constitution was designed specifically to avoid. After all, if handled improperly, the idea of a single person leading the city sounds dangerously similar to the doctrine of King Kev.

“However,” the Mechanist said as the others nodded in agreement, “it does say in the constitution that one person is allowed to control Elementia by him- or herself in time of emergency. This can be done if the other council members are required to take action to resolve the emergency, and only if the police keep a sharp eye on the single ruler to make sure that he or she does not turn into a selfish dictator, and keeps the well-being of the city in mind until such time as a council may be re-established. I don’t think anybody will disagree with me when I say that we most assuredly have an emergency on our hands at the moment.”

Nobody at the table even felt the need to say that they agreed; they all knew that it was true.

“Let us be honest with ourselves, my friends,” the Mechanist explained, sounding exhausted. “The four of us, along with the police chiefs, are the most powerful players in Element City. There are various tasks that need to be done for the sake of protecting our people and ending this war, and I believe that we, the council members, should carry them out. Of the four of us, I think we can all agree… and forgive me if I sound arrogant… that I am the best leader.”

There was a moment of silence. All the other members gave slow, consensual nods.

“So are we all in agreement?” the Mechanist asked with a definite air of finality about him. “I will stay here and lead Elementia while the three of you complete the missions that Bob has put together for you?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Kat with a grin, and G and Jayden both nodded in agreement.

“Well, good. That’s settled then,” the Mechanist sighed, clearly relieved that none of them had been opposed to this admittedly radical idea. As a matter of fact, the three of them seemed hyped and incredibly excited to finally take action against the Noctem Alliance instead of endlessly plotting out troop movements over the stone brick–block table of the council room.

There was a knock at the door, and all turned to face it.

“Enter,” ordered the Mechanist authoritatively.

The wooden door swung open, and in marched Bob. He looked somber, and judging by his appearance, he had clearly just come from the front lines. His scarlet jumpsuit was ripped and torn in various places, and his pale face and blond hair were tarnished with soot from being at the back end of a TNT cannon. He was seated on Ivanhoe, who looked equally war hardened; his once-shiny saddle was now worn down, the colour faded, and the pig himself bore the marks of various wounds that had been healed by potions.

“Ah, good to see you, Bob,” the Mechanist said quietly. “How are the defences holding up?”

“We’re doing pretty good as of right now,” Bob answered wearily. “The Noctems didn’t launch any major attacks today, and we were able to repel the usual bombardments. That being said, it was pretty obvious that the Noctems weren’t fighting full force either. They didn’t even seem to have that many guys there. I have a feeling that they’re planning something… some sort of stealth mission, maybe.”

“You’re probably right,” the Mechanist said. “I trust that you and your brothers will have all the alarms online soon, should they try to use the Invisibility Potions.”

“Of course,” Bob replied.

“Good. Now, you’ve arrived just in time, Bob. The council has just agreed to our plan. I will stay here and run Element City under your supervision while Kat, Jayden and G head out into the server and carry out your missions. Are you ready to brief them?”

“Yes, sir,” Bob responded, nodding and looking over to the enthused council members. As soon as they realized that he was speaking to them, Kat, Jayden and G sat straight up in their seats, their ears perked as Bob began to speak.

“As of right now, all available forces in our army are being used to defend the outer walls of Element City from penetration by the armies of the Noctem Alliance. However, there is a pressing situation that must be dealt with as soon as possible: the hostages. As of right now, Stan, Charlie, DZ and Commander Crunch of the navy are being held prisoner on the Greater Mushroom Island. We don’t know anything about their status, but we must assume for now that they are all still alive, and the Noctem Alliance will be using them to demand a ransom very soon.

“Also, you’ll remember that when the offensive on Nocturia failed and our armies were pushed back to the city, the Noctem Alliance captured around two dozen residents of the Adorian Village. My brothers and I have sent some scouts out, and we’ve determined that these players are being held hostage in Nocturia. If the Noctem Alliance demands anything in exchange for the safety of those players, then we will have to comply. Even ignoring the fact that it’s the right thing to do, if we have the opportunity to help those lower-level players and we don’t take advantage of it, the citizens of this city will turn on us like a pack of wolves.

“This is why I need you three,” said Bob, sounding official. “One of you is going to have to go with a volunteer to sneak into the prison in the Mushroom Islands and free Stan and the others. The other two are going to have to infiltrate Nocturia and liberate those lower-level players.”

The three players around the table were quiet as they thought about what they had just been asked. The idea of sneaking into Nocturia and the Specialty Base, the Noctem Alliance’s two most heavily fortified strongholds… it wasn’t going to be easy.

Kat in particular found herself quite surprised. She had been expecting Bob to ask them to lead a crazy head-on assault with the Elementia Army to drive the Noctem forces back into the Ender Desert. She wasn’t anticipating the request to partake in a stealth mission. Nonetheless, she was eager to participate.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” she said, a wicked grin crossing her face.

“Yeah,” agreed Jayden, nodding with a subdued smile.

“I agree with you guys,” said G proudly. “That’s definitely a job for experienced players like us.”

The Mechanist gave a tired yet genuine smile at the enthusiasm of these young, spirited players. “All right then,” he said. “Let’s start planning. First of all, let’s determine who’s doing what. Who wants to get Stan and the others out of Nocturia?”

“I do!” came two shouts as both Kat’s and G’s hands shot up into the air. The two turned to look each other in the eye, and instantly they both looked away awkwardly. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Bob spoke.

“So… um… do you two really want to…?”

“No,” Kat said firmly, looking back up at G, this time with a hint of contempt.

“Aw, come on, Kat,” said G, sounding mildly irritated. “You don’t think that just this once—”

“G, I am not working with you,” Kat repeated. The Mechanist gave a sigh, while both Jayden and Bob threw their heads back in exasperation.

“Kat, come on, we have to think about the well-being of Elementia…”

“I am thinking of the well-being of Elementia,” Kat replied coolly. “If I’m going to sneak into a secret base to try to break Stan, Charlie and DZ out of jail, I need to be in top form. And I guarantee that if you’re with me, it’ll be that much harder for both of us.”

“Oh, grow up, Kat,” cried G in irritation. “Can’t we please just be mature about this, bury the hatchet, and…”

“I said, No, G!” Kat bellowed through gritted teeth. She glared across the table, staring daggers at G, who was recoiling in intimidation.

“Enough, you two!” bellowed Jayden. He grabbed G by the shoulders and spun him around so the two were facing each other. G looked shocked.

“G, you know as well as she does, and as well as the rest of us do, that it’s a bad idea for you two to team up. How about you team up with me, and the two of us go and free the hostages in Nocturia?”

G opened his mouth, then closed it again. His expression was outraged as he looked at Kat, then Jayden, then Kat again, then the Mechanist, and then back at Kat one more time before finally turning to Jayden and sighing.

“Fine,” he mumbled. “We can do that.”

“Well, that’s settled then,” said Bob. Crisis averted, he thought to himself in relief.

“In that case,” the Mechanist said, “Kat, are you willing to team up with a volunteer to go and free the officials trapped in the Mushroom Islands?”

“Definitely,” Kat said almost robotically, deliberately staring directly at the Mechanist and avoiding any eye contact with G.

“OK,” Bob said, sighing, glad that was over. “We have to get going. The sooner that these hostages are out, the better. Jayden and G, you come with me. We’ll go down to the police station, and you’ll get your briefing. After that, you’re off. Kat, you just wait until we’ve found a volunteer to go with you, and then you’ll do the same thing.”

“So,” the Mechanist said as the three council members nodded respectfully to Bob. “If that’s all, then I officially adjourn this council meeting. Everybody, go do what you need to do.”

And with that, Kat, G and Jayden stood up. Bob walked out of the council room towards the corridor, tailed closely by Jayden and G, while Kat took the passage that led to her room. On the way out, G and Kat nearly bumped into each other, but as G was about to open his mouth to say something, Kat turned her back to him and continued walking. G looked crestfallen as he followed Jayden out of the room.

The Mechanist now sat alone in the room. The occasional boom, chatter and whizz of warfare still droned on outside. The barrage was constant; although the wall was holding up well, the Noctem Armies never relented in their assault on the walls. The Noctem Alliance was definitely planning something. The Mechanist knew it. Although the constant assault on the outside walls was easily repelled, it certainly did keep the Elementia Army busy. And perhaps that distraction was all the Noctem Alliance needed to set their grand plan into motion.

The Mechanist knew that, whoever Lord Tenebris was, he was incredibly cunning. Because of this, the Mechanist was well aware that nothing the Noctem Alliance did was arbitrary. Everything was planned, everything was deliberate, and everything had a point. Element City’s defences may have been holding up splendidly, but the Mechanist knew that it was only a matter of time before the Alliance managed to find some way around them. And until that time inevitably came, the population of Element City was desperate and furious, no longer able to obtain any resources from the outside. They were simply left to try to survive while trapped within the walls.

And now he bore the entire weight of the situation on his own shoulders, and his shoulders alone.

The Mechanist was already feeling overwhelmed, leading the council in these dark times. He had had to put up with G and Kat’s bickering, as well as the constant news that all their efforts had barely put a scratch in the Noctem Alliance’s offensive. He was well aware of how important it was that the hostages be rescued, but the Mechanist was at the point of having a nervous breakdown when he realized that the fate of this country, which was already teetering on the brink of destruction, was now in his own hands.

He felt so stressed, so anxious, and so panicked. The world was crumbling around him, and he alone was responsible for holding it together. He was doing all he could, yet it was hardly helping in the least. As the gravity of the situation spiralled around the Mechanist, he wished with all his might that somehow, somewhere, there was some way that he might be able to escape from it, just for a little while…

Kat sat in the waiting room of the police station. In front of her, a window stretched from floor to ceiling, revealing a landscape view of the lower-level district of Element City. In the far distance, the grey stone-brick wall of the city stood proud and tall. About twice a minute, there would be a flash of white light at some point along the wall, accompanied a second later by a muffled boom.

Kat gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself together. It tore her apart inside that her people were being forced to suffer within the city, with food and supplies being rationed during the siege. It killed her even more that, because of the persistence of the Noctem Alliance, the Elementia Army was being forced to work day and night to combat the attackers, with more and more innocent civilians being drafted from their homes every day to keep up with the demanding costs of fighting this war. Life in Element City was miserable, and there was nothing she could do about it!

Kat forced herself to take a deep breath, and then let it go. No, there is something you can do about it, Kat thought to herself, trying to keep a calm mind. Just focus on getting Stan and the others back here. That’s all you can do right now.

As she thought this, Kat began to grow more and more irritated. The minutes ticked by, and still nobody had arrived to tell her that the volunteer was ready to join her. Kat began to get angry.

If they weren’t ready, then why did they call me down here? she thought bitterly, just as the wooden door swung open. Kat looked up expectantly, and was surprised to see Ben looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Finally!” Kat cried, jumping to her feet. “Do you have my partner ready yet?”

“Kat,” said Ben, and she was alarmed by how nervous his voice sounded. “Before you find out who your partner is, I need you to realize something. We tried as hard as we could to find somebody else… but there was nobody else qualified who wasn’t already occupied with something else in the war.”

Kat was befuddled. “What are you talking about?”

Ben took a deep breath and let it out in a hefty sigh.

“Come on in,” he announced miserably.

Ben stepped out of the doorframe, and another player walked up behind him. Kat’s jaw hung open, and her eyes boggled in disbelief. She would recognize that pale skin, those giant red lips, that snow-white leather armour, and that smug expression anywhere.

“Oh, no,” Kat breathed in horror.

“Oh… yes, I’m afraid,” simpered Cassandrix in her patronizing, upper-class accent. “It’s good to see you again, Kat, darling.”