Sarah and the Steam Dragon
Chapter 17

Sarah thanked the Paramedic as he tended to her leg. She had been lucky as the wound was long but not deep, needing only closure glue and bandages after a shot of Fast Heal serum. A couple of painkillers and she was feeling quite good in fact.

Stanley had been able to see well enough to fly up to the rooftop and was waiting for her. Eric and Lilly had come to see her, then Lilly had gone off to check on Achmed. Carmody was now in the care of the paramedics as well, still out cold after the death of the Dracoris Abyssal.

“So your friend Stanley has decided to stay in our world?” asked Eric, himself finished with being patched up by the Paramedics. He was still holding that black metal spike in his left hand like it was some kind of trophy.

“For now, it seems” admitted Sarah. “I think it is time for you to meet him properly. Can you escort me to the roof?”

“Sure” agreed Eric and together they hobbled to the main elevators. It was no surprise to Sarah that he punched in the access codes without a moment’s hesitation. They rode up in silence to the roof top and stepped out into the cool night air once more.

“Has your guardian found Mr Albright yet?” Sarah asked Eric as they walked across the roof. The boy had his right arm wrapped around her shoulders to help support her. Sarah had been going to refuse, but then she stumbled and he gripped her tighter. It felt kind of nice so she let him walk her to a ventilator stack to sit down.

“Two, sorry, I mean my brother, has not found the teacher yet” replied Eric as he sat down beside her. The metal spike he was carrying tinked gently against the housing as he tapped it thoughtfully. “They are sending search teams into the school buildings and the unfinished Metro tunnels too, but no sign of him yet”

Eric looked around them and realised they were not far from their usual rooftop lunch spot. As he recalled, Sarah had originally picked that spot because it was out of camera range of the school network. It was fairly dark up on the roof as there were only a few security lights, reflecting their glow in patches and leaving much in shadow.

“Where is Stanley waiting for us?” he asked her.

“He is probably sitting over where I first met him” she answered. “Should I call him to us now? Are you ready to meet a real live dragon in person?”

“Perhaps you should leave him there for the moment” said a cold voice behind them both. Sarah and Eric jerked in surprise and turned to see Mr Albright step out of a patch of shadows. His eyes were black pits in the reflected light and his left arm was cradling a dark patch at his waist.

Eric stood suddenly and his small gun was in his hands in an eyeblink. Yet their teacher was ready for him and his right hand was already extended towards his foe.

“Somnolus!” the teacher uttered and a ball of white light the size of a golf ball flashed from his open fingers and struck Eric in the temple. The boy crumpled without a sound to the concrete roof, his pistol falling uselessly to the side.

“Eric!” screamed Sarah and knelt at the boy’s side. She checked him over quickly and felt relief well up inside of her. He was still breathing but appeared to be unconscious.

“It is just a sleep spell” said Mr Albright and moved the final steps towards the young pair. “He will recover in an hour or so. That gives us plenty of time to chat, Miss Evermore”

Sarah looked about desperately and could see no-one else in sight. It was just her and the teacher, with Stanley somewhere close she hoped.

“The Guard are quite busy searching the building beneath us since they are certain I am not up here” Mr Albright assured her. He sat down heavily on the ventilator, grimacing in pain as his hand clutched at the wound in his side. “Please, take a seat again right here” he added and patted the metal housing with a dull metallic thump.

“If I call Stanley he will come here and destroy you!” she snarled, clenching her fists.

“Do that and I will be forced to shoot you and your boyfriend dead” Mr Albright said calmly. He lifted the hand that he had thumped down and she saw Eric’s pistol held easily there, finger crooked over the trigger. “I am certain he has reloaded this by now, but you could take a chance and see if he forgot to”

Sarah sat down as demanded, putting herself as far as she could from her old teacher.

“What was this all about?” she demanded. “Why did you do all those things?”

“I have spent over ten years in this awful city” Mr Albright said. “It was supposed to be a haven from persecution for those of us with unique skills. It turned out the city only wants the Awakened. The Adepts and the NOMAs like you and I are trash to them”

“So you really are a magic user?” Sarah asked. It still seemed unreal to her, despite everything she had seen this week.

“Yes, I am an Adept. There are actually a lot more of us in the Zone than I had realised. Even one of the Zone Governors was an Adept. She hid that of course but was eventually found out. Archimedes and his servants really hate us and will stop at nothing to destroy us”

“If you had not taken the Soul Sparks from the students and opened the portal, you would not have been found” Sarah said. “Why did you do it?”

Mr Albright looked at the young girl. His eyes were still black and cold however his voice became softer for a moment.

“I suppose I was greedy. The Emissary came to me after taking over Bob and offered me so much power, it was intoxicating. Despite my worries, it convinced me we could take out Archimedes and make this place a new haven, one that embraced Adepts and their abilities”

“Is the Emissary from the one Stanley calls the Abyss? If that is true, it can’t be trusted. It made the Dracoris Vapora its servants and then tried to kill them anyway”

Mr Albright sighed. “I know that now. I think I always knew it was too good to be true. No real power comes without a price. It has left me now to fend for myself, so here I am” He looked at the young girl and felt a heaviness he had not expected to be feeling.

“I am sorry about what I did” he told her. “And I am truly sorry for what comes next”

“Huh!” Sarah said in alarm, her eyes wide.

“I can’t let the Guard capture me. My power reserve is nearly gone so I can’t use my Obscuration spell again” he said. “You are my hostage now, Sarah”

He held the pistol right at her head, a sad smile on his face.

Eric suddenly surged to his feet and knocked into Mr Albright, sending him backwards over the ventilator housing. The pistol fired once and the bullet pinged off a nearby wall.

“Emergency Override engaged” Eric’s voice said calmly. “Direct control initiated by Archimedes Network” Sarah gaped at her friend as he stood upright, his body and face moving like it belonged to a robot.

“Get behind me, Sarah Evermore” said Eric’s voice and she scrambled off the housing, standing awkwardly on her injured leg.

“Eric, what is going on?” she cried “Are you Okay?”

“Please, Miss Evermore, Eric is currently unconscious” her friend continued. “You must take shelter behind his body”

Sarah did not understand but she trusted Eric so she moved herself behind the boy. To one side she saw Mr Albright get painfully to his feet, fresh blood evident on his clothes from the previous wound.

“I see the great Archimedes has finally decided to take an interest in this matter” grimaced Mr Albright. He levelled the pistol at Eric’s head and took aim along the barrel. “Are you ready to experience the death of your little Avatar?”

“There is no point in killing this boy” said Archimedes using Eric’s voice. “I can commission a replacement clone body and upload his personality into it. You gain nothing by its destruction”

“You can’t do that!” shouted Sarah and stepped into the open. Both the clone boy and her teacher looked at her.

“He was never a real person, Sarah” said Mr Albright. “His head is full of computer processors, meaning he is just a puppet for this damned AI”

“It is true, Miss Evermore” added Archimedes. “Agent Thirteen is a product of the AURA program, an independent Avatar of my own Network. He has some organic thought processes but he is not really that different to the Guard clones”

“Stop saying that!” Sarah screamed at them. “You are both wrong! Eric is a real person, with real feelings. He cares about his friends, he enjoys spending time with them! You can’t treat him like a machine!”

“Please, I understand you are upset” Archimedes replied calmly. “Move behind me for safety until Mr Albright is dealt with. I have summoned Guards and they will be here shortly”

“No” she said and planted her feet. “I won’t let you sacrifice Eric to save my life”

“Well, it looks like Miss Evermore has made her feelings clear” said Mr Albright and took aim at Eric’s head, focussing on a spot right between the boy’s blue-green eyes.

To Sarah it felt like time had slowed down to some incredible degree. She saw the pistol in her teacher’s hand flash as it fired, then a big dark shape blurred past, blocking the line of fire between the gun and Eric.

As the shape hurtled past, Eric cocked his left arm like he was hurling a javelin and threw the black metal spike he had been carrying. It hit Mr Albright in the right shoulder and spun him away in a spray of blood, the pistol flying from his grip.

Time returned to its normal flow and she saw Stanley skid to a stop along the rooftop. He tottered for a moment and then fell to his belly, a neat bullet hole punched through the scales on his flank. Sarah dashed to his side, fearful of what this new wound would do to him.

“Stanley!” she cried and his long neck turned towards her. He gave a crooked smile and puffed steam from his nostrils.

“Ow!” he announced. “That hurt a lot more than I expected”

“Are you going to be alright?” Sarah demanded. “You just got shot!”

“It is only a small wound and it feels like it missed anything important” Stanley replied. “The bullet did not go in very far. My scales must have slowed it down”

The rooftop was suddenly alive with dozens of armoured Guard soldiers and Police Auxiliaries, swarming out of multiple doorways across the roof. They secured the injured but still conscious Mr Albright and a paramedic attended to his wounds. Archimedes spoke to them briefly and then strode methodically in Sarah’s direction.

“Miss Evermore” he called out, “I assume you are somewhere in this blurred area of my vision with the Anomaly. May I speak to you both?”

Sarah let go of Stanley and she reappeared to the sight of Archimedes and the others.

“That is a very neat ability” said Archimedes. “Not true invisibility at close range, more like the eyes and brain don’t want to acknowledge what is in front of them”

“Stanley is very special to me, so please don’t hurt him” Sarah stated fiercely, putting herself between the dragon and the Artificial Intelligence. Her fists were clenched and she looked ready to fight.

Archimedes regarded her with Eric’s eyes and smiled. It was not something Archimedes would do but seemed natural for this body.

“Your friend, Stanley, seems willing to fight for us against the forces of the Abyss” he began. “Is this true?”

“He is not fighting for us, but he is dedicated to fighting the Abyss” Sarah responded.

“Then how about we make a deal, Miss Evermore?” Archimedes asked her. “You and Stanley join with Eric as part of the AURA project. You can use your unique skills to keep this city and your friends and family safe. The Abyss has not finished with its plans for all of us and we could really use your help”

“You just want to put us in a lab somewhere and experiment on us, don’t you?” demanded Sarah, her eyes blazing. She had heard plenty of stories about stuff like that here in the Zone, especially from Achmed and his Nerdwork buddies.

“I could do that” admitted Archimedes without feeling. “I can easily make you and your whole family into hostages to make sure I get what I want. Stanley would be pressured into helping us or risk the life of his best friend”

Sarah felt herself go cold at his emotionless words. Beside her Stanley growled audibly and the Guards readied their rifles.

“However, that would not be the most efficient approach to take” he continued. “I will guarantee instead that if you and Stanley work for us, you will be well compensated. Stanley will be given access to whatever food and resources he needs to maintain his maximum strength”

Sarah conferred with her dragon friend and after a brief discussion they agreed, but with some terms.

“Firstly, I want Eric to be allowed to remain here as a student” she said. “He has made many friends and if we are going to work together, we should all be here at this school”

“Agreed” said Archimedes. “This has proven to be an excellent training ground for his personal interaction skills. What else do you require?”

“Secondly, I want my friends to be included in whatever we do. That is Lilly, Achmed and Carmody. They have really useful abilities and I don’t want to keep more secrets from them”

“I am willing to ask them. If they agree then they can be part of your team here at the school” agreed Archimedes. “However, I don’t believe that Miss Brentwood has any official Abilities. Like yourself she is classed as a NOMA”

Sarah growled at the N-word being used to describe herself once more.

“You know that is not true!” Sarah stated angrily. “Carmody and I can both see the dragons. Our abilities seem different somehow, but you need us both”

“Very well, Miss Evermore” Archimedes said in his calm manner. “Welcome to AURA”

Sarah watched the Guard take her wounded teacher away. He had been bandaged up then shackled with hand and leg cuffs before a dozen Guards had led him to the elevator. Mr Albright had met her eyes as he was escorted away and seemed about to say something, then decided against it. Once that was done, Archimedes sat down on the ventilator housing, adjusted his battered and stained school uniform, then lay down flat. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

“I will leave details about our agreement for Eric to read on his processor once he awakens” said Archimedes from his makeshift couch. Then he fell quiet and Sarah guessed the Artificial Intelligence had left his Avatar behind for now.

“That is seriously creepy” said Sarah to Stanley. She walked over and looked at the boy, fast asleep still from the effects of the spell. He really was quite handsome she thought and knelt beside him, her face close to his.

She wondered what it would be like, knowing something or someone else could take complete control of your body like that. From what she had heard it was the same for all the Guard clones and even the Avatars like Jericho-Two. All of them at the beck and call of Archimedes, unable to resist his commands.

Sarah hated being under the control of her parents, even though they loved her. It must be a hundred times worse to live your life like Eric did.

She gingerly reached out her hand and brushed his blonde hair away from his forehead. Somewhere under her fingers lay the machinery that gave Archimedes such control over her friend. Sarah leaned forwards until her lips were nearly touching his ear.

“I’ll save you, Eric” she whispered. “Stanley too, and all of your friends. We’ll make sure you get to be free of Archimedes one day”

She heard Stanley’s claws click on the rooftop as he came alongside of her. His head lowered to rest on her shoulder, his warm steamy breath tickling her neck.

“We are Dracoris, Sarah Evermore” he said. “Above all things, we wish to be free. Together we will fight the bullies of this world”

Sarah reached up and patted him gratefully, her hands sliding across the smooth warm scales.

“Thank you, Stanley. Thank you for everything”