Adventures

Mechanykal Phantasmagoria (Part Two)

Mechanykal Phantasmagoria (Part Two) ..... Xenoclea

Jameson, once again, stood shocked. “You made them?” he finally stammered. “You?”

“Don’t look so incredulous, lad,” Dawes replied carelessly. “It’s not like it was difficult or anything. Well, at least not for me.”

“These automatons are far more complex than anything I’ve ever seen. To create the energy source alone- steam, it looks like- would require a very advanced understanding of mechanical engineering, an understand you can't possibly possess.” Jameson turned to Annemarie. “Captain, I am convinced this man is a fraud. Arrest him.”

“Jameson,” Adalè said hesitantly from the back of the group. “We aren’t exactly law enforcement. We’re more like, um…”

 “Vigilantes,” said Scot. “But the righteous kind.”

“Yes, Jameson, we’re righteous vigilantes,” said Adalè, pleased with the description. “We can’t actually arrest anyone.”

“But he’s a fraud!” shouted Jameson in distress. "He's a fraud who's destroyed some wonderful things for personal gain. A fraud!"

“I don’t think he actually is,” said Annemarie, picking up what looked to be a sketch of the automaton they had seen in the museum. She pointed at a tiny mark in the corner, initialed J.R.D. in fading ink. “That looks as if it's his signature. I’m assuming that the man who sent us all here is the real fake, and wanted these inventions to be seen as his own.”

“See, mister?” Dawes said in a condescending tone to Jameson.  “This one’s got it. Old Drew and I used to be the best of chums, trying to change the world together, working up machines that blew smoke or moved little arms. After a while, though, Drew realized that I was a much cleverer man than he, and set out to destroy my reputation. He claimed all of my inventions were his, and people believed him because he was ‘reputable’ and I was born in the gutters. But there was a flaw in his plan,” Dawes continued, shaking a finger at no one. “A big one. Old Doctor Drew Harrow didn’t know how to invent by himself! And when people wanted to see what else he had in him, well, what does he do? Why, he calls a group of righteous vigilantes like you lot to get some fresh new toys to show everyone. Only problem is, they’re mine, and I want to keep them.”

“Ridiculous,” Jameson scoffed. “He must be lying. These simply cannot be his inventions.”

“Oh, I see. You think a drunken old con man is incapable of making a simple steam engine? It’s child’s play, even when I’m drunk. Which is pro’lly better than you can say, am I right?”

“Why were you taking them apart then?” Jameson asked, trying to ignore the implication but blushing angrily just the same. “Trying to learn all their little secrets?”

“I told you, I forgot how to make them, so yeah, I tried to re-learn. It hasn’t worked so far, and MAECEE’s the only one left.”

“MAECEE?” asked Maria curiously.

“You know, the Mechanical Aerial blah, blah, blah Engine. MAECEE for short.  She’s the only one left whole and working. I suppose I’ll have to deconstruct her too eventually, but I was kind of dreading it. My special favorite and all.”

“You can’t. It’s- it’s too unique. You can’t just rip it apart. That would be like tearing apart the Mona Lisa,” Jameson said passionately to the room. Everyone ignored him.

“It’s not like I want to,” said Dawes sadly, “But I would rather tear that machine to shreds then let you lot give it to Drew Harrow, the bastard.”

“That’s rather selfish, don’t you think? You’re taking away from the world! That engine represents huge bounds of scientific and mathematical knowledge, not to mention the obvious aesthetic qualities!” Jameson yelled back.

“I’m the one who put it together in the first place; I can take it apart and toss the leftover bits in the garbage if I want!”

“If you don’t realize-“ Jameson started to argue, but Maria pushed him back as she stepped between the two angry men.

“Both of you calm down!” she commanded. Jameson and Dawes stepped back from her in unison. “Jameson, you shouldn’t get so worked up over machines. It’s unhealthy. Plus, it's disgraceful for a gentleman to yell so loudly. And as for you,” she said, turning to Dawes who immediately seemed to shrink, “We don’t intend to give the engine to Harrow anyway. Do we, Captain?” she asked, twisting around to face Annemarie.

“I don’t think we will,” she said. Jameson sighed- relief or defeat, Annemarie couldn’t tell. “This machine belongs to the man who made it, and I am convinced that man is Mister Dawes. We aren’t going to take your, um, MAECEE.”

“Yes you are,” said Dawes suddenly.

“What do you mean?” asked Maria.

“Well, the idiot doctor, sad as it may be, is right,” Dawes replied. Annemarie held up her hand, sensing another outburst from Jameson. “It would be selfish of me to destroy it in the vain pursuit of something I will never again attain. I can’t invent anything anymore.” He gave a weary chuckle. “I guess I’m infertile. That makes that little engine upstairs my legacy. You, young idiot doctor, shall protect my legacy.” Dawes suddenly smiled. “And see if you can figure out everything she can do. She’s full of surprises.”

“You’re giving us the MAECEE?” asked Maria.

“Long as you don’t hand it over to that prat Harrow, yeah, she’s all yours.”

“But what about you? I mean, it was really your only moneymaker. What are you going to do now?” asked Maria, always the kindest of the group.

“Same thing I always do when I’m broke, love: borrow money from the few people who don’t hate me and squander it on drink and women. Wouldn’t mind it myself if you were one of those women, but I think your skirted friend here would murder me,” Dawes replied, gesturing at Scot.

“Damn right,” he muttered.

 “So can we just take it?” asked Jameson, obviously oblivious to everything since Dawes had given them the MAECEE.

“Go ahead,” Dawes said and Jameson raced toward the cage, his waistcoat becoming unbuttoned and flapping around as he ran. He opened the wire mesh with trembling fingers and gently took the machine out. The MAECEE lithely snaked around his quivering hand, metal glinting off of every surface. As the others trooped in behind him, it paused, then leapt up towards the ceiling, staring down at them as it flew in a tiny circle.

“Automatons shouldn’t be able to do that,” Rogers said uncertainly in a deep voice.

Jameson grinned at him, hazel eyes bright with excitement and curiosity. “Dawes said that the MAECEE had secrets. Let’s get her back to the ship and see what she can do.”