Valhalla
She felt kind of bad. After all, her dear old nanny had been ever so doting and though she was getting on in years she still functioned admirably. Most families would have scrapped her and gotten in a new one. Well, that is what she did now, wasn't it. Scrapped the poor thing. She was a trifle haunted by the sad tone of her last hissing words just before the gears had crushed the life out of her. The sound of that warm endearing voice etched onto brass drums within her breast. Resonating through the warm bronze of her frame. The occasional skip of the needle and a repeated word. She was an older model after all. Guilt was a rather new experience to Immogen, and was certainly vexing and illogical.
"Father can buy another, a newer finer one.”
“ Him and his be glad for what you've got because there are people starving down below.”
“Absurd poppycock! Why would people down below be starving? We bought all of the materials we used from them. The very food we ate came from there, surely they ate like kings and passed us the leftovers."
This was all the logic that Immogen used to support her bid to escape the grand towers in which she had lived all of her days. Educated and refined she was a master of three languages and six musical instruments. However when all you have to speak to are the same boring people day after day, it matters little if it's done in English, French or Italian.
She knew the way to the surface through her father. His was a quite important position in Valhalla. He was the overseer of trade between Valhalla and the world below, with which she was fascinated.
"What do they call the world below, father? The people who live there."
He would always go sullen and unresponsive or try to change the subject. He was proud of one thing and that was the escalator. Her great, great grandfather had designed the huge conveyor which brought up all the goods and materials. It was her families pride and foundation within society and even though she knew the other families didn't care for her father, he and her family were always invited to the best the social season had to offer.
"They can have their fancy balls and masquerades" she thought. "I will be out there seeing the world!"
While the escalator only went one direction, up, it would not be the means of her escape. There was a pulley basket that was used by her father when repairs and maintenance needed doing. That was her means and it lay there tethered up against the silent escalator that night.
She stripped off her skirt revealing the riding trousers hidden beneath. To wear a skirt in the tiny little basket was the height of madness she thought. The winds would make it devilishly treacherous to maneuver as it was. In she got and released the hook of the tether. The basket swung violently against the escalator nearly jostling her clean out. She held fast and gained balance inside the rickety feeling basket. Once the swaying was to a less terrifying pitch she took control of the hand crank and began slowly cranking her way down. Down to a glorious new world, a bigger world without pallid old socialites and snobbish young suitors. A world where she could be free.
The robot at the bottom of the escalator looked like nothing she had ever seen. No warm brass, just cold steel and claws. A fearsome thing that scurried up to her quickly and scanned her with it's one green eye.
It stopped abruptly. "Confirmed Valhalla" It returned to it's post and silently scanned into the impenetrable darkness. It was impenetrable mostly due to the heavy smoke all about. As the robot scanned with it's green lighted eye she could make out why, a huge coal powered steam boiler with stacks that even now that the escalator was at rest burned on.
"Foreman, Sir!"
The voice had come from behind her and nearly scared the life from her. A large man, almost invisible as his skin and clothes were covered in soot and grease was there in the smoke. He took a second look and pulled back his goggles to verify what he saw behind him.
"Is this some sorta josh yer playin" on me Cole??, Bot said you were here an all I see's a skirt??"
The robot turned briskly and shot towards the man towering over him.
"Confirmed Valhalla" it said again and stared the man down.
"Right, right no disrespect intended, if'n Valhalla wants to send a lass to boss me aroun thas all well'n good sir."
The robot seemed satisfied and returned to it's sentry post.
"Now, uhm, Miss, what canna do fer ya?"
Immogen straightened herself, "Yes sir, I, er my father Rutger Horne has sent me to visit the world below on a.... fact finding mission."
The grunge encrusted man had replaced his goggles by this point so she couldn't see eyes, but his stature seemed that of a man in shock. "World below?? You mean Hades miss??"
Immogen Coughed, the smoke was beginning to overtake her. She now knew why the gas masks hung next to the basket tether, and why her father on occasion returned home from his labors thick with the smell of sulfurous smoke.
The forman realized her distress and pulled his mask from his face and pressed it firmly to hers.
"Come on then ye daft girl, breathe in. Cough up some a the grime!"
She attempted to breath in and felt the mask heavily restrict her breathing she sputtered and the foreman pulled the mask away just in time for it to be saved from the stream of vomit that came up from her chest. As quickly as the out pour had ceased he clamped the mask to her again, this time the air came through and though it smelled of sweat and grime it gave sustenance to her body as she gasped it in. The mask began to slip away from her face and she greedily grabbed it back. Opening her eyes she saw the foreman slumped over, the robots claw had punched clean through his thick frame. The pounding in her ears faded and she began to hear the robots voice as it repeated.
"Transgression against Valhalla, touching strictly forbidden!"
A young man came forward from the crowd of workers that had gathered in the first rays of morning light. There were tears in the mans voice as he said "Foreman Sir!" He walked forward unclipping the respirator from the dead man's belt. He handed it in her direction. Immogen silently took it from him.
Through gritted teeth the young man stood at full attention and said "What can Hades do for you today sir?"
Immogen looked down at her feet. Dazed as the man who had saved her lay dead before her.
"I, I would like to go home."
"Very good sir."
The young man told her to hold tight to the straps of the crate that had just been hoisted onto the escalator.
The man pulled in close to show her the strap and whispered "That man was my dad and he was worth a thousand of you."
He stepped back and the escalator fired up, gears engaged and she began her ascent. Immogen became a sullen woman from there forward, never married or had children. Her younger brother took over the family business when her father retired. There were many rumors about poor old spinster Immogen amongst the socialites. Tales of romance gone wrong and the such. Even until her death she never spoke of that day to anyone, and no one understood why her last words were "Hades."
written for therealljidol week 6
"Father can buy another, a newer finer one.”
“ Him and his be glad for what you've got because there are people starving down below.”
“Absurd poppycock! Why would people down below be starving? We bought all of the materials we used from them. The very food we ate came from there, surely they ate like kings and passed us the leftovers."
This was all the logic that Immogen used to support her bid to escape the grand towers in which she had lived all of her days. Educated and refined she was a master of three languages and six musical instruments. However when all you have to speak to are the same boring people day after day, it matters little if it's done in English, French or Italian.
She knew the way to the surface through her father. His was a quite important position in Valhalla. He was the overseer of trade between Valhalla and the world below, with which she was fascinated.
"What do they call the world below, father? The people who live there."
He would always go sullen and unresponsive or try to change the subject. He was proud of one thing and that was the escalator. Her great, great grandfather had designed the huge conveyor which brought up all the goods and materials. It was her families pride and foundation within society and even though she knew the other families didn't care for her father, he and her family were always invited to the best the social season had to offer.
"They can have their fancy balls and masquerades" she thought. "I will be out there seeing the world!"
While the escalator only went one direction, up, it would not be the means of her escape. There was a pulley basket that was used by her father when repairs and maintenance needed doing. That was her means and it lay there tethered up against the silent escalator that night.
She stripped off her skirt revealing the riding trousers hidden beneath. To wear a skirt in the tiny little basket was the height of madness she thought. The winds would make it devilishly treacherous to maneuver as it was. In she got and released the hook of the tether. The basket swung violently against the escalator nearly jostling her clean out. She held fast and gained balance inside the rickety feeling basket. Once the swaying was to a less terrifying pitch she took control of the hand crank and began slowly cranking her way down. Down to a glorious new world, a bigger world without pallid old socialites and snobbish young suitors. A world where she could be free.
The robot at the bottom of the escalator looked like nothing she had ever seen. No warm brass, just cold steel and claws. A fearsome thing that scurried up to her quickly and scanned her with it's one green eye.
It stopped abruptly. "Confirmed Valhalla" It returned to it's post and silently scanned into the impenetrable darkness. It was impenetrable mostly due to the heavy smoke all about. As the robot scanned with it's green lighted eye she could make out why, a huge coal powered steam boiler with stacks that even now that the escalator was at rest burned on.
"Foreman, Sir!"
The voice had come from behind her and nearly scared the life from her. A large man, almost invisible as his skin and clothes were covered in soot and grease was there in the smoke. He took a second look and pulled back his goggles to verify what he saw behind him.
"Is this some sorta josh yer playin" on me Cole??, Bot said you were here an all I see's a skirt??"
The robot turned briskly and shot towards the man towering over him.
"Confirmed Valhalla" it said again and stared the man down.
"Right, right no disrespect intended, if'n Valhalla wants to send a lass to boss me aroun thas all well'n good sir."
The robot seemed satisfied and returned to it's sentry post.
"Now, uhm, Miss, what canna do fer ya?"
Immogen straightened herself, "Yes sir, I, er my father Rutger Horne has sent me to visit the world below on a.... fact finding mission."
The grunge encrusted man had replaced his goggles by this point so she couldn't see eyes, but his stature seemed that of a man in shock. "World below?? You mean Hades miss??"
Immogen Coughed, the smoke was beginning to overtake her. She now knew why the gas masks hung next to the basket tether, and why her father on occasion returned home from his labors thick with the smell of sulfurous smoke.
The forman realized her distress and pulled his mask from his face and pressed it firmly to hers.
"Come on then ye daft girl, breathe in. Cough up some a the grime!"
She attempted to breath in and felt the mask heavily restrict her breathing she sputtered and the foreman pulled the mask away just in time for it to be saved from the stream of vomit that came up from her chest. As quickly as the out pour had ceased he clamped the mask to her again, this time the air came through and though it smelled of sweat and grime it gave sustenance to her body as she gasped it in. The mask began to slip away from her face and she greedily grabbed it back. Opening her eyes she saw the foreman slumped over, the robots claw had punched clean through his thick frame. The pounding in her ears faded and she began to hear the robots voice as it repeated.
"Transgression against Valhalla, touching strictly forbidden!"
A young man came forward from the crowd of workers that had gathered in the first rays of morning light. There were tears in the mans voice as he said "Foreman Sir!" He walked forward unclipping the respirator from the dead man's belt. He handed it in her direction. Immogen silently took it from him.
Through gritted teeth the young man stood at full attention and said "What can Hades do for you today sir?"
Immogen looked down at her feet. Dazed as the man who had saved her lay dead before her.
"I, I would like to go home."
"Very good sir."
The young man told her to hold tight to the straps of the crate that had just been hoisted onto the escalator.
The man pulled in close to show her the strap and whispered "That man was my dad and he was worth a thousand of you."
He stepped back and the escalator fired up, gears engaged and she began her ascent. Immogen became a sullen woman from there forward, never married or had children. Her younger brother took over the family business when her father retired. There were many rumors about poor old spinster Immogen amongst the socialites. Tales of romance gone wrong and the such. Even until her death she never spoke of that day to anyone, and no one understood why her last words were "Hades."
written for therealljidol week 6