Creyson Parthy & The Trojan Attack by Richard Bailey

  Chapter Nine

  ‘Dorow’

  Once my eyes had adjusted to the light I instantly recognised my whereabouts. The vast expanse of wasteland situated on the outer edges of Trans Central was unmistakable; Tork had brought me to Dorow.

  Having visited the area before, I should have been prepared for its size and scale, but I was still taken aback by the immense space. The sandy coloured ground was rugged with boulders and rocks scattered across the surface. The lights in Dorow seemed brighter than anywhere else in Valiros, banishing all shadows, and making the landscape feel unrealistically uniform in colour.

  In the distance, a large yawning cave, known as the Gateway Cavern, dominated the landscape. The gigantic fissure was strictly off limits, and as far as I was aware, had gone unexplored.

  Normally I would have gazed on in amazement at the sheer magnitude of Dorow, but on this occasion there was a new spectacle to behold.

  I looked in astonishment at a sight I can only describe as terrifying. Laid out before me were thousands of Trojan Devices.

  A single solitary Trojan was menacing enough; en masse they were nerve jangling. They were set out in orderly rows of hundreds, stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see. I once described the Trojans as ‘ugly pieces of equipment’, but in this setting they seemed to possess an almost eerie elegance, and an uncanny resemblance to an army poised to attack. I held a deeply rooted fear of these devices, and this spectacle was not helping to alleviate those fears.

  Minister Drake moved beside me, his grand height obscuring me in his shadow.

  “Mr Parthy,” Drake said, with no concern; only firmness designed to get my attention, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t avert my eyes from the Trojans. “I’m glad to see you. I trust Junior Commander Tork made your journey comfortable. ”

  “There was an incident which required a little bit of creative driving,” explained the solider.

  I was lost for words. “What’s...” I felt like a child who had only basic verbal skills. “What... is all this?” was the only question I could form.

  Once again Minister Drake processed my words before responding. “All in good time, Mr Parthy.”

  I shook my head, squeezed my eyes shut, opened them, then closed them again. I didn’t trust my own senses, but every time I opened my eyes, the Trojans remained.

  “Sir, I…”

  “No time, Mr Parthy. We need to get moving,” said Drake.

  His statement clicked my brain into gear, and my mind was suddenly flooded with questions. They rolled off my tongue like water gushing from a tap.

  “Why have you brought me here? What happened to the tram? Why are the Trojan Devices here? Why is the power failing? Why are you...?”

  “Mr Parthy,” the Minister snapped, bringing my interrogation to an abrupt end. “You’re here because you have to be. As for the tram it was ordered to stop after the capital lost power. Trans Central is currently being evacuated.”

  I couldn’t quite believe what I’d heard. Trans Central was far more than just a city; it was the centrepiece of Valiros. Without it, our beautiful and peaceful home would be plunged into hysteria. Whatever problems threatened the smaller communities, we took solace in knowing that Trans Central would remain a constant symbol of hope against adversity.

  “I know the outer communities don’t have back-up power systems, but Trans Central surely has back-ups, for back-ups, for back-ups.”

  “It does indeed.”

  “But if you’re saying the power systems have failed in the capital that must mean something catastrophic has happened.” I couldn’t hide the shock in my voice.

  “Catastrophic may be a slight overstatement. I prefer to think of it as an unfortunate incident that we’re attempting to resolve.”

  “How is it possible? Sir, we’re talking about Trans Central!”

  “I’m sure this news comes as a shock, but all will become clear.”

  “What about the High Darlon Council? Where are they if they’re not in Trans Central?”

  “All High Darlon Officials have been transferred to our secondary headquarters.”

  “So why are you wasting your time with me? Surely you have more important things to do than worry about your aid’s first day.”

  “Actually, I said your ‘official title’ would be as my aid. This is where you and I are most needed.”

  “And what’s my unofficial title?”

  “We really must get moving,” he said, ignoring my question completely.

  In all my life, I had never been so outspoken, but it seemed to me that the very fabric of my world was unravelling, and the Minister’s dismissive attitude and refusal to answer a direct question sparked something inside me. Maybe it was because I was tired and scared; maybe it was because my neck hurt, or maybe it was because I felt betrayed by people I had always defended; whatever it was caused an immense anger to stir in my belly.

  “Nothing about this makes any sense. You stopped the tram; hurting countless people in the process. Then you detained me in full view of the public, which was more than a little humiliating. Commander Tork bundles me into a military vehicle with no reason or explanation, and transports me here in a high-speed chase. You show me thousands of Trojan Devices, and finish off by telling me the capital has been evacuated.”

  “A very concise account, Mr Parthy.”

  His flippant response only fuelled my rage. “And you do all this, but you won’t even tell me why?” I shouted.

  “Watch your tone Mr Parthy,” warned Tork.

  “It’s quite alright Commander,” Drake said smoothly. He turned his attention back to me. “I apologise for the means by which you were brought here, but I’m afraid time is of the essence.”

  “This is ridiculous.”

  “I can see how it may appear that way.”

  “What makes me so special? I’m nobody, all my life I’ve been nobody. I run errands, make coffee, file paperwork. What possible use could I be to you?” I’d forgotten who I was talking too, or I didn’t care. I was on a roll, and there was no stopping me.

  “Any explanation I give you at this time will be unbelievable.”

  “Try me.” I sneered.

  The Minister was not rising to my outburst. He remained calm and collective. “I need you to trust that we know what we’re doing. I promise you, all will become clear.”

  “Why is it so hard for you to give me a straight answer? It’s all lies and half-truths, riddles and misdirection.”

  My fury was becoming erratic and unfocused. I was no longer angry about simply the situation but also with Drake’s demeanour. I realised out of the three of us, I was the only one who seemed to be aggravated, and strangely that made me even irater.

  During my rather uncharacteristic aggressive bluster, Junior Commander Tork had taken a step closer. “Stay calm Mr Parthy.”

  I glared at him. “Calm? You want me to stay calm?” I wasn’t going to back down.

  He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard. “Yes. I want you to stay calm. Don’t do anything you may regret.”

  Tork was treating me like a prisoner under guard rather than an aid to Minister Drake. I pulled away from him.

  “Oh you’re good soldier, follow orders.” I was pushing my luck. My head was screaming ‘stop talking’, but my ever-growing vehemence refused to quit. “It’s easy to stay calm when you know what’s going on. You’re no better than the politicians who keep lying to us.” My accusation was unfair, but in the heat of the moment it seemed perfectly reasonable.

  Tork turned his attention to the threatening lines of devices laid out before us. “Believe it or not Mr Parthy, I know as much as you do.”

  “You didn’t know the Trojans were here?”

  “This is the first time I’ve seen them.”

  “I guess I’m not the only one who’s being kept in the dark.”

  His eyes met the Minister’s. “No, you’re n
ot.”

  I’m certain I heard a hint of annoyance in the Commander’s voice. Finally, someone else was getting irritated.

  “Commander,” snapped Drake. He didn’t seem to appreciate Tork’s open confession. The Minister gave him a vicious look. If I could have put the look into words, it would have been ‘shut up.’

  Tork averted his eyes. A loyal soldier follows orders. I was no soldier, so I pursued the matter for both of us.

  “So how did the Trojans get here?” I asked.

  The Minister looked again at Tork, visibly exasperated; then back to me. The lines in his brow grew deeper.

  As if on cue, a cluster of Trojan Devices rocketed over our heads. The sound of their engines filled the air, passing quickly as they sped towards the thousands of Trojans already lined up in the wasteland. Miss Trun’s eyewitness account had been movingly accurate; they did resemble balls of fire in the sky. I counted at least fifteen devices that landed gently on the ground adding to the mass of Trojans.

  “They flew,” Drake remarked. “Now we must get on.”

  The sudden, intense entrance of the Trojans caused my anger to evaporate and nervousness to take its place.

  Drake and Tork locked eyes again. “Do you have anything else to add Junior Commander?”

  We all knew what the response would be

  “No sir,” he reluctantly said.

  My anger had fizzled out and I was slightly embarrassed by my behaviour. “I’m sorry Minister.”

  “There’s no need to apologise. I understand your frustration.”

  “I guess it’s been an emotional couple of days.”

  “I fear it may get worse before it gets better.”

  “Why?”

  Drake was growing tired of my persistent questioning. “As I said, later Mr Parthy, later.” His attention switched to Tork. “Commander.”

  “Sir?” was the quick official response. He was back in his place, back in control.

  “We’ve had reports that several more of the outer villages will be losing power. Please assemble your men and evacuate the residents as quickly as possible.”

  More power cuts? At this rate, the whole of Valiros would be plunged back into darkness.

  “What do I tell them, sir? The people want answers.”

  “Technical difficulties.” And we all knew what that meant. “Just keep them calm. If all goes to plan we should have power restored within hours.”

  “And if you don’t?” It was now Tork who was pushing his luck.

  “That’s not your concern. You have your orders.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Playing the good soldier, Tork turned and promptly climbed aboard the military machine. A second later the engine roared to life and it pulled away leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

  As I watched the vehicle trundle off into the distance, I became acutely aware of how alone we actually were. No buildings, no people, no signs of civilisation at all; more importantly, no modes of transport out of the wasteland. The walk back to a habitable area would take at best, a day.

  “Erm, Minister... How are we meant to get home?”

  Drake placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry my small friend.” This attempt at reassurance did little to alleviate my anxiety. “Shall we?” he said brightly before walking away from me in the direction of the Trojan Devices.

  “Sir?” I called after him. “Where are you going?” I was no expert, and my sense of direction was sometimes unreliable, but I was certain the closest populated area was in the opposite direction.

  “Come along Mr Parthy. There are some people eager to meet you.”

  I scanned the horizon. I knew there was a military base within Dorow, but I couldn’t see it.

  I had two choices; I either followed the Minister to places unknown or endeavoured to leave the region unaccompanied. The choice was easy. Moving as fast as my small legs would carry me, I chased after the Minister, whose enormous strides seem to cover three of my hurried steps.

  We walked for a further fifteen minutes through the Trojan Devices. It was haunting, like stepping through an alien world occupied by machines. It didn’t take long for my imagination to kick in. I envisioned the devices springing to life, chasing after me and encasing me in their cocoons of metal. That pesky fear was again taking over, and I was relieved when we arrived at a copious open plot of land beyond the devices.

  The Minister came to a stop. “Here we are,” he announced. I could see nothing of significance; only lifeless brown dirt.

  “Erm, where exactly?”

  With a smile, Drake pulled out a small silver box from the inside of his jacket pocket. In the centre of the box was a single red button.

  “What’s that?”

  “This? This is a key.”

  “A key to where?”

  “The answers you’re looking for.”

  He pushed it.

  The ground beneath our feet began to vibrate. I looked back at the Trojans assuming they had activated as normal, but the subtle vibration rapidly increased into an immense quake. This wasn’t the Trojan Devices.

  I misplaced my footing. With a powerful grip, Minister Drake clutched my arm, keeping me on balance.

  “Careful Mr Parthy.”

  “What’s happening?” I shouted over the racket. There was panic in my voice, and I didn’t attempt to hide it. The Minister seemed unaffected.

  “Watch,” he shouted back.

  The vibration gave way to a huge, thunderous roar. The ground in front of us began to split open, and the two halves began to separate like an apocalyptic event that threatened to swallow us both. The sound of grinding metal pierced my ears, and tons of dust was thrown into the air clouding my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears. The Minister continued to hold tight, sending bolts of pain through my arm, which was the least of my concerns as I thought I was going to fall into the emerging abyss. Observing through squinting eyes, the two halves, that were revealing this monumental opening, slowed before clunking into place.

  The dust began to settle like a hazy blanket covering the land. I opened my eyes fully; the remaining grit in the air stinging them and causing tears to run down my cheeks.

  The open plot had transformed into a gaping hole in the ground with a staircase descending into the chasm. I couldn’t see the bottom; only darkness. The void reminded me of stories I’d heard as a child; tales of ‘Drans’ the underworld, where my grandfather said ‘unscrupulous Valirons met their fate.’

  “After you,” said the Minister, gesturing to the newly formed cavity.

  I was hesitant to move, alternating my glance between the staircase and the Minister. “You want me to go down there?”

  “I can assure you,” he continued, “it’s perfectly safe.”

  I mustered every ounce of courage I could rally and slowly entered the hole. Each step was a personal battle of will as I approached the foreboding darkness. Minister Drake stayed close behind.

  As I stepped ever deeper, I couldn’t help but wonder what mysteries lay beyond the staircase.

  Before the gloom had a chance to engulf me completely, I turned back to the Minister. “Sir... Please... Why am I here?”

  A sympathetic smile crept across his face. “Because, Mr Parthy, you could very well be our last hope.”