Automaton Mechanica - The Gift of Life

Chapter 1 - The Gift of Life

However, it was the 5th September 1855 where things started to change. Early in the morning, his mother called him down from his bedroom into the study in the basement of their house. She had quite the fascinating invention to show him (he had been helping gather supplies for a couple of years now).

It was then that he was introduced to his mother's greatest piece of work – work she had called "Automaton Mechanica"...

"Good morning, mother" Bartholomew said, yawning slightly as he had only just woken up and gotten dressed – it was about 6 o'clock on the morning after all.

"Come quickly, Bartholomew" his mother said excitedly as she beckoned him to their underground basement where all of their work had taken place over the past few years. On the inside, Bartholomew was obviously excited as you would expect; however, he just didn't quite have the energy to emote properly at that time of the morning.

Ergo, the two of them started to walk down the stairs into the cold, dark and dreary basement; as soon as the two of them got down there, the cold had immediately hit them like a bullet from a gun, but they paid it no attention due to the fact that they were used to it at this point anyway. A couple of minutes later – after turning on the lights – Bartholomew's mother had finally revealed a set of curtains which were obviously covering something of much significance – well, that is what Bartholomew was thinking anyway.

"Mother, are you implying that your work here is done? After all these years?" he asked, starting to smile a little more as he woke up properly. In response, his mother clapped happily and smiled in response, leaning over and grasping the edge of the curtains with her small and delicate hands, getting ready to pull them open.

"3...2...1...Tada!" His mother exclaimed as she pulled back the curtains revealing two small mechanical figures in a slightly slumped position leaning against the wall. At first glance, Bartholomew didn't know what they were, but it wasn't until he looked at them in more detail that it finally came into his head.

"Are these...?" He asked before stopping himself as he looked over at his mother - evidently, he wanted her to say what he was wanting her to say.

"Indeed. My Magnum Opus. Finally, my "Automaton" has been completed and I have 2 fine specimens to show for it; I couldn't have done it without your help, my son" His mother smiled as she said that, hugging him tightly.

"Now Bartholomew, please can you fetch me that instruction booklet on the other side of the room please?"

He nodded and walked past the docile mechanical figures and walked to a lone desk on the other side of the room. He picked up a small little book but he turned his head as he noticed something fall out of it with small writing on it; unlike what you would think, he quickly stuffed it into his pocket and handing the book to his mother.

His mother read the book aloud:

"Instructions for the operation of the Automaton - Written by Sarah Hansen.

「I - Locate the compartment door where the breast pocket would be located

II - You must first the cog into their chest - they cannot function without it

III - Rotate the aforementioned cog 270° clockwise to start up the mechanism

IV - Close the aforementioned compartment door

WARNING - UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL YOU REMOVE THE AUTOMATON'S HEART!」"

"Can you start the two of them up please? I will be back down in just a few minutes" His mother asked him before walking back up to the kitchen, leaving Bartholomew with the 2 Automaton.

Bartholomew turned to face them before getting a closer look at the two machines. Both of them looked somewhat like humans with intricate gears and springs packed inside throughout all of their "body"; however, the thing that surprised him the most was that they both looked somewhat feminine in nature.

"What wonderful...machines...creatures...whatever they are" Bartholomew thought to himself before remembering the instructions his mother read out to him.

Ergo, he slowly opened the compartment door on the first Automaton's chest, placing a purple tinted cog into it. Slowly and carefully, he turned it approximately 270° and noticed that some form of light was starting to come out from the Automaton's eyes; it wasn't long before he heard the sound of soft ticking inside the machine and when he looked, he could see all of the intricate parts slowly start to move in unison. Out of fear as to what would happen if he didn't shut the compartment door, Bartholomew quickly closed it and followed the exact same steps with the other one right next to it. 

After a few minutes, he stood back a few feet as he watched the two Automaton slowly come to life. He was absolutely bewildered as to how such life life movement was possible. They could walk around and move just like normal humans could; in his excitement, he quickly ran upstairs to try and find his mother so she could have a look at her two creations come to life.

Before he got to the top of the basement stairs, he remembered the little piece of paper that had fallen out of the instruction manual not so long ago; he unfolded it and it read:

「"30/8/1855" NOTE TO SELF: THESE AUTOMATON ARE NOT STABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAST LONG WITH THEIR CURRENT "HEARTS". THESE AUTOMATON NEED SOMETHING MORE HUMAN TO POWER THEIR "HEARTS"」

As you would expect, Bartholomew was a little taken aback by this but he kept on looking for his mother as the two Automaton warmed up in the basement after being dormant for so long.

Eventually, Bartholomew had found his mother's bedroom which he had opened up; however, he didn't expect to find his mother...slouched on the desk...dormant...docile...lifeless...