Chapter 4
Imaging
The young girl worried her fingers together as she watched the professor float back and forth in front of her. The motion was too fluid to be pacing, but she thought that’s what he was doing. She’d awoken to find her belongings packed away in the deep red leather trunks that now stood in a pile beside her. The brass detailing glinted in the orange sun that peaked over the horizon. She had never gotten used to seeing the professors out of doors. They looked so foreign in this setting. Their mysterious, hidden faces and gloved hands were far better suited to the musty confines of the libraries and the passageways.
“Professor? Is everything alright?” Sascha was nervous enough without watching him.
“Yes, yes dear. I’m just nervous. My other charges have had to be moved to new teachers since I’ll be going with you. There hasn’t been time to set up a proper exchange. We’ll be gone before they even awake. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“Okay. Ouch.” The young girl muttered to herself and scratched the red mark that had sprung up on her arm after her earlier decent into unconsciousness.
“My apologies. Priscilla wasn’t as gentle as she could have been. I was rushing her.”
“Pardon?”
“The needle mark.” He waved a hand towards the mark on her arm. “We have a long journey ahead of us, and I need you awake for most of it. The injection does the opposite of the capsule you took earlier. It wakes you while placing your charge into a long, restful sleep. I believe we gave you the ten hour dose.” He seemed distracted as he relayed the information, as if injecting her in her sleep would become commonplace. He looked out towards the road, waiting for something.
“Oh, that means that Sascha will sleep for the full ten hours?”
“Of course.”
“But won’t that impact her schedule? Won’t that change her path in order to benefit our needs?”
“We calculate carefully, Sascha. This was figured out to ensure it doesnot influence her future. Also, the sisters have advised that you will not require any direct input into your charge’s life for the next two days. That allows enough time to travel and get you settled into The Observatory. Remote influence is possible, but too advanced for what you have learned. The tapestry says we are safe if we start our travels now.”
Sascha stood on the beaten wood of the veranda of the only home she had ever known. The intricate carvings in the wood. The squeaky board that was three steps to her left. The hidden latch beneath the candleholder on the wall that rang a chime in the bedrooms of the four would-be silvers who shared the house. She knew them all by heart. She wasn’t prepared to leave them. Fear made her heart run. Made her anxious and scared. But there was excitement and exhilaration behind those feelings. She was the youngest silver to ever begin her residency at The Observatory.
She looked down the road, following the professor’s gaze, and thought about what he had told her about her charge being impacted by the actions of another silver.
“Professor? If there are things that can put me to sleep or wake me up and impact my charge, doesn’t that mean that someone other than me can cause changes in the direction of my charge without my influence?”
“Those items are strictly regulated. Only professors have access to them. You have nothing to worry about.” His gloved hands pressed together, “Ah yes, finally. Our ride is here.”
Sascha looked towards the horizon. A large, copper coloured coach approached. Its eight wheels turned slowly as gears running along the side of the machine twisted and moved the mechanisms below. Two chimneys pumped smoke from the roof of the machine. One blew a familiar, dull red smoke, caused by the burning of the ruby coal used for heat. The other puffed out a thick, blue smoke. She stared at it as it started to create shapes and forms. It looked like a thicker version of the smoke that opened the passageways.
The gears slowed as the carriage came to a halt in front of the house. Sascha watched as a set of mechanical arms detached from the underside and reached towards the pile of luggage. It picked up each piece as if it weighed no more than a piece of paper and tucked it into a hidden compartment beneath the coach. When the last trunk was tucked away, a gap appeared in the side of the carriage, a door swung forward and rearranged itself into stairs leading inside.
Sascha felt her stomach tighten as she looked into the interior. She could see the deep, rust coloured velvet that covered everything inside. It smelled spicy and inviting. She placed a tentative foot on the newly formed steps and took a deep breath. With a quick glance back at the house, she squeezed her hands together anxiously
“Do you think I’m ready for this professor? Do you think I’m going to fail?”
“I won’t let you fail, Sascha.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. Even through the white fabric, she could feel the cold, soft hand. The professor’s touch was nothing like that of the other people she knew. Skin was warm and soft but held a firm shape. His hand felt more fluid, almost like it moved beneath the thick fabric, reforming itself to whatever it touched. “It’s time to go.”
Sacha nodded, turned, and before she could find another reason to stop, stepped through the entryway. The interior of the carriage was spacious. The centre was filled with two large armchairs, like the ones in the library, and a closed door leading to another room was etched into the wall. She settled in the chair on the left, just as she would during a normal session with her teacher. The journal she’s been clutching since she exited the house was now settled onto her lap. She hadn’t had a chance to look at it yet, other than to see that it had once again filled itself while she slept. Filtered. It still made her uncomfortable to read events she didn’t recognize in her own handwriting. Sure, she had glimpses from her dreams, but she didn’t see everything that happened, just snippets of events that could be important. She stared out the window beside her chair, contemplating her future.
The professor settled into the chair across from her. “Would you like something to drink before we begin?”
“Yes please.” Sascha continued to stare out the window at the bright orange sun that was now fully visible in the sky. The second sun, the red one, was starting to peak over the horizon. The residents of the house would be rising soon. Awaking to find their professor gone. Their training interrupted. A boy appeared from behind the closed door with a tray of steaming drinks and biscuits. He set them on the table and disappeared again without a word.
“Professor?” She picked up her drink and inhaled the warm chocolate smell. “Why isn’t Gemma with us? I thought you said she had started filtering as well.”
“She has, but she’s not ready to travel yet. She’s even less prepared than you, and her charge has a number of interventions required in the next few days. She’s not prepared to attempt mobile influences yet. She’ll join us within the week.” The hooded figure nodded towards her nap, “Are you ready to review last night’s information?”
“I guess so.” She flipped open the cover of her notebook and snuck a quick glance out the window to get one last look at the house before they departed. She gasped when she realized that the carriage was already in motion. The landscape rolled smoothly passed the window. The darkness of the forest that lined the road absorbed the candle-like glow created by the two suns.
She skimmed the information on the page before her, the words scrolling up the page as her eyes reached the bottom. When she finished reading, she handed the book across the aisle and watched the words drift up into the gloved hand.
“If it was so important for her to meet Fiona yesterday, why doesn’t she like her?”
“You believe that she will like everyone who is important in her life?”
“I thought that this might be a romantic intervention.” Sascha shrugged.
“Fiona’s impact on your charge’s future will involve romance, but how that romance will work out has yet to be determined.”
“Can I see her tapestry?” Sascha placed her hands flat on the surface of her book, playing with the leather, like she did whenever she was nervous. “I know we’re not supposed to see the fabric until we’re another year into the training, but…”
“But your situation is unique.” The professor nodded. “I can’t show you much. Her tapestry is not finalized yet. However, the next few days are settled, as long as Gemma remains on task. I can show you what is woven.” He pushed himself out of the chair and floated towards her.
“How… how does it work?” She stammered, excited and nervous all at the same time.
“It’s best if you tuck your legs up under you, or cross them. Occasionally, there are involuntary physical reactions, especially the first few times. And I dislike being kicked. ” He chuckled and waited for her to adjust her position. “Now, hold your hands out in front of you, palms up. Take a deep breath.”
Sascha watched as the gloved hands moved to hover over her open palms, much the same way they did when reading or writing. She looked forward to see under the hood, closer to the professor than she had ever been before, but the folds of the hood had fallen low so she couldn’t see anymore than normal. A light seemed to glint from within the darkness, but it simply winked in and out of being.
“Now close your eyes, and keep them closed until I tell you otherwise. This is very important.” The voice was deep and soothing.
She nodded, and followed the instructions anxiously. The cool, liquid touch came to rest on her hands, but instead of the heavy fabric she had expected, the touch was colder than normal. Much colder. The fluidity wrapped around her hands, encompassing them in thick chill. She forced herself to keep her eyes closed. To stop the curiosity raging within her. This might be her only chance to see what was beneath those gloves.
But, as the cold sensation completely engulfed her hands, she lost her opportunity. Images began to flash behind her eyelids. She saw the other Sascha sitting at a table talking to her roommate. Then she was biking through the river valley. Then she was in an apartment Sascha hadn’t seen before. Fiona stepped out of the kitchen with two wine glasses. Then they were making their way to the bedroom. The image flashed to a ringing phone. The number 12 popped into view then out. Her charge settled on her bed, hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling. Sascha watched as the other girl stood in the prep area of her work, hands on her hips, anger blanketing her face as she stared at the one she disliked so much. The image faded and Sascha felt the warm metal of her cocoa mug slide between her hands.
“You can open your eyes now.” The professor was once again seated in his chair, hood tilted in curiosity. “Do you think you’re prepared for what’s to come?”
“I’m going to need a lot of help.” Sascha sipped her drink and stared out at the scrolling landscape, terrified of what was to come.