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Dark Times - Chapter One

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Chapter One – Discovery of a Fatality

Jack sighed as he watched the fire raging from the factory. The whole building was tumbling in on itself now and it didn’t show any signs of stopping. He sighed softly again before heading back into his workshop, knowing that he couldn’t help any of those trapped in the burning building that had provided so many jobs to the poor and homeless. Yes, it wasn’t that the best by far. But it was better than staying on the streets, especially in the cold winter that was starting to grasp London in its midst.

The soft clinking and grinding sounds that emanated from the workshop told Jack that his little Patch was finally up. Well, he was finally burning coal again. Stupid machine kept breaking down or freezing up, giving Jack more work than the automaton maker really wanted or even needed at that point. A lot of high members of society sought the experienced and clever metal worker for his skill and efficiency when it came to the art of automaton crafting. His soft blue eyes fell on the little robot, no taller than his waist, and he sighed.

“Come on Patch. We gotta get to Sean’s before he goes loopy again…” he mumbled quietly before heading off to find his horse.

~ ~ ~

The first Jack heard of Myles’ death was in the long list of those killed in the fire. No other news was given yet to anyone, except the families of those who died. It was on a routine visit to Arran to service his airships guns that he found out about his friend’s death.

Arran as uncharacteristically quiet that day, never looking at Jack and generally staying in the back of the enormous warehouse his ship was stored in. The few glimpses he caught of his close friend’s face showed he had been crying, cheeks flushed pink and usually playful blue eyes blood shot and red.

“Come on, Ar. Something is clearly wrong. You’re not fooling anyone here!” Jack eventually grew sick of him moping about without any, apparent, rhyme or reason.

Arran looked up at him slowly and swallowed.

“Myles…Myles was killed in the factory explosion…right close to the source too…”

His once cheerful, happy voice was now low, gravelly, full of a sick sadness and hollow grief for the loss of his close friend and co-pilot.

Jack stared for a moment before he swallowed, looking to his perfectly polished black leather shoes.

“O-oh…I…I’m so sorry, Ar…I…I didn’t realise…” he mumbled. Of course. Myles had worked in the factory for a long time. Senior member of staff and everything. He was in a high position, but was kind to those he over saw on the factory floor.

No other words were exchanged. Arran went off again to ‘look at something on the ship’. Jack knew where he was going. He was going to cry. Arran, for all his sweet and caring and playful traits, could be read so easily when he was upset about something. The automaton craftsman finished up what he was doing and looked at Patch who was carrying his bag of spare parts. The two looked back to the ship for a brief moment.

“See…see ya later, Ar…” Jack called softly before the two of them, the craftsman and his craft, walked back out to Jack’s horse, Davidos. It was starting to get dark and the first glimpses of pinprick lights were fading into view. Jack liked the stars. What lay beyond the glowing orbs in the sky he saw every night? He wanted to know. Wanted to touch the stars, float around the planets, watch them orbit the life bringing sun like the orrery did in the workshop. His father had made that orrery for his star-dazed son and he still had it. So he could always be near the stars when he was at work.

Jack lifted Patch up onto the specially designed section of the saddle he’d had the leather workers make for his little helper before mounting Davidos himself. He kicked off quickly and headed towards the mansion of the illustrious Sean Magmason, one of the richest men in all of London and owner of Magmason Co.

~ ~ ~

The large gates opened to the grand mansion of Sean. The polished marble building seemed to glow against the dark, rain filled sky. Each tiny hedge was neat, trimmed so not a single was branch was out of place. The tidy gravel path didn’t look like it had ever been used, despite the near constant traffic from visiting dignitaries.

“At least he keeps good staff…” Jack mumbled softly, half to himself and half to Patch who let off a tiny puff of smoke in response. At least he thought of it as a response. He could just be expelling excess fumes that had built up.

Jack took Davidos to the stables around the side of the mansion and tethered him before heading around to the enormous doors. He knocked forcefully on the lion’s head door knocker and stepped back, Patch sitting on the cold marble slabs that formed stairs. It took a few moments before a servant girl opened the doors, watching him with tender green eyes.

“Yes sir?” she said softly.

Jack sighed softly.

“I’m here to see Sean about some machinery upgrades?”

“Of course sir. This way.”

Jack padded in after the girl, Patch clanking through the painting laden halls noisier than anything else in the near silent mansion. Jack watched the small girl as she stopped at a large, polished door. How she knew which the right one was beyond him. All the doors looked the same to him, but she must have known as the soft sounds of a quill scratching on parchment could just be made out from inside. No. He had programmed her like that. They all were. She knocked then before opening the door.

“Sir, someone is here to see you about the machinery upgrades.”

“Come in!” A soft spoken Newcastle accented voice called out to them.

Jack nodded to the girl before he walked into the office, Patch trotting on short sturdy legs after him quickly.

Inside sat a dark haired man, writing in large swooping lettering on the inside cover of a very thick book. His book. He looked up slowly and pushed his slightly too large gold rimmed glasses up his nose carefully. He looked suave and sophisticated but a slightly childish grin was sprayed across his thin lips.  As he stood up he showed that he really was not all that tall, just shoulder height on the five foot nine inch tall Jack. He was clad in a slightly baggy red suit, but it looked good.

“Good evening Jack!” Sean grinned softly, offering him his hand.

Jack shook it gently before looking around.

“You having an upgrade in general or just the mechanics of your servants?” He sighed softly.

Sean laughed as he stepped around the desk and perched on the edge of it.

“All over, I’m afraid, Jack!” He grinned before sighing. “You can upgrade them right?”

Jack thought for a moment before nodding.

“I think I can manage that. Can you get them all in one place?”

Sean nodded quickly and stretched out gently, pressing a buzzer on the wall that sent a signal down to the servants quarters, telling them they were wanted in the study.

Jack sighed softly. Today was gonna be a long day…
In a dark world of slave labour and the poor being used as nothing more than rat food, Jack Chipper works at the better end of the spectrum. But when a close friend of his is killed in a freak factory fire, Jack must continue on like nothing has happened. How long could he last without trying to come to the aid of his closest friends?

I finally started it. This is my new project. Welcome to Dark Times, a Steampunk series staring TycerX, FormallyMyles, Magmamale and the one and only PlanetChip. A few of my friends will be appearing in this as well as members of LXG, but this is centred around these four the most.
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