Mother
Alternate
Ellay Saga
Chapter 8: The Dreamer
“The city of
‘…I feel that measures as drastic as this must not be taken
lightly, so I ask the citizens of Ellay to please bear with me while this
crisis is resolved. This is of the utmost importance. Special reports by the
Ellay Police Department have confirmed that the terrorist group known only as
the Maskmen is setting up shop here somewhere, and
the wisest course of action is to close them in, in hopes of stopping them.
This is a priority. Now—please, please, calm down, everyone!—I ask that—please,
silence! Any questions can be directed towards my right hand man in the
matter—please, stay calm!’
“A second statement was released early this morning by
the one of the mayor’s assistants, who is coordinating the mayor’s PR office
and handling all questions regarding the lockup…”
‘…Yes…it is deplorable, what these Maskmen are composing…they are a threat to the harmony of
peace that we have grown accustomed to. It is imperative that we remain
calm…continue our rhythm. Please remain calm…’
“Unfortunately, the so-called ‘Ellay Entrapment’ is
not going over so well with citizens. Mixed reactions are showing up all over
the different districts of Ellay. Here is a segment taken from an interview
with a few passersby’s…”
‘…I don’t like it, I tell you! You
mean to tell me that we’re locked in with all these terrorists running around?!
It’s too much, dammit! The mayor and that kooky old
assistant of his are gonna kill us all!’
‘Well, I think that they have to do
what’s necessary. I had to go visit a sick uncle this weekend, but I guess I
can wait if the safety of everyone depends on it.’
“And there you have it. WWOM will continue with it’s up-to-date coverage of this tremendous event throughout
the week. That concludes our broadcast for tonight. This is Margie O’Hara,
signing off.”
***
Vee got up and switched off the television, then walked back to her place on the table, picking up her fork and resuming her meal after doing so. “Something’s wrong.” She commented, waving her fork in the air absently, looking down at her plate more than at her family. “Malditos robots…”
Loid, who had come over for dinner and was sitting beside Vee, nodded. “I agree. I don’t like the way the mayor’s acting. Maybe the aliens got a hold of him.” He took a sip of juice from his glass and uttered a groan. “It just goes to show that we need to move quickly. Once Joshua gets out of the hospital we’ll pay a visit to Dr. Schneider.”
The mention of the mysterious doctor triggered a thought in Vee’s head. “Yeah. I wasn’t able to dig up much at the office, though.” A morsel of chicken met its doom inside Vee’s mouth as she continued to talk. “What have you got so far, Loid?”
“Not much.” Came Loid’s reply. “I was able to get a hold of his telephone number yesterday. It seems like he doesn’t like company very much. By the way, this is delicious, Mrs. Vasconceros.” Loid interrupted his discourse and turned to Vee’s mother, pointing at the plate with his fork. “Thanks a lot for having me over.”
Mrs. Vasconceros beamed placidly at Loid, a look of pleasant satisfaction washing over her face suddenly. “De nada, Loid. It’s my pleasure. After all, you seem to be working pretty hard and you need your energy.”
That last comment sparked a small laugh in Loid, and he continued to chuckle as he ate. “I guess I could use a boost once in a while.” He acknowledged. “Ugh, if only Ninten were here…” his eyes became distant for a second and he seemed to think of something else. That soon disappeared and he returned to being his normal self. “In any case, Joshua checks out tomorrow. I’ll call the Doctor tomorrow, and the three of us can go visit him the day after.”
Vee nodded, shoveling another forkful of food into her mouth. “Sure. Mom can take care of Peel in the meantime. I hope that’s okay, Mom.” Vee’s mother waved her off and another warm smile crossed her soft features. “Oh, don’t worry about me. With your father away on that business trip, I could use the company.”
***
*Ring*
*Ring*
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Um…yes, hello…my name is Loid. I work for the Ellay Tribune and I’m writing an article on Dr. Gustav Schneider. Is this where he lives?”
“…We don’t desire company, thank you.”
“No, wait! This is very important. I need to ask him some questions…it’s about the World Device…”
“I don’t know how you found out about that, but we don’t desire company. Besides, Dr. Schneider cannot answer any questions right now.”
“I see…well then, can you help me?”
“I am the Doctor’s wife. Any questions you have can be answered right now, over the telephone.”
“Please, ma’am, this is really important. I think I know where I can find the World Device.”
“That is completely impossible.”
“No, I mean it. If we can just speak with you and the Doctor…”
“…Fine then. But this had better be good—I know someone at the Ellay Tribune who can have you fired if there’s anything wrong.”
“I assure you…I won’t waste your time.”
“You had better
not. Our address is
“Thank you. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon with my two associates.”
“But I already told you: the Doctor cannot and will not answer any questions.”
*Click*
*beeeeeeeeeep…*
***
Julian, Loid, and Vee stood outside the stately-looking house of Dr. Gustav Schneider the following afternoon. Vee wore red pants and a grey sweater with a monochrome picture of the Earth on the back. Loid wore his usual white shirt combo. Julian had donned a blue, hooded sweatshirt and black pants.
They knew that the inventor of the World Device was somewhere in there. They hadn’t a clue as to what he was like, or if he could help them in any way. What lay before them was a complete mystery. The suspense was unbearable.
Julian stepped up to the door and rang on the doorbell, noticing that there was a fine layer of dust on both it and the door. They probably hadn’t had visitors in ages. The house was also falling apart on the outside, despite its rather elegant appearance. The whole place was colored an opaque green, with certain beams colored a dull brown. All in all, the place could have been mistaken as an abandoned house if not for the fact that Julian knew better.
Soon enough the door to the regally decrepit estate opened and a large woman stepped out to greet them with a rather sour look on her face. “What do you want? I will not buy anything.” The woman’s rather large cheeks shook slightly with the sound of her voice. She looked a lot like an opera singer. Julian cleared his throat and gestured awkwardly towards his companions. “Hello…we’re the ones from the Ellay Tribune. We called yesterday.” Loid raised his hand to illustrate that it was he who had made the call. “Is Dr. Schneider there?”
The woman looked at Julian contemptuously. “I told your friend that my husband would not answer any questions. I would be happy to help you, however. Please come in.” A brusque gesture motioned for Julian and his friends to enter the two-story mansion, into which they followed somewhat reluctantly.
The inside was almost as depressing as the outside: the wallpaper was peeling off the walls, revealing traces of black and brown beneath the olive strips of paper. The hardwood floor looked like it hadn’t ever been polished, and could use several coats of varnish. The furniture was as drab as could be hoped for; two grey sofas and a small coffee table were situated in the center of the large living room. The Schneiders’ living conditions were laughable at best, and Julian began to wonder how they managed to live there without losing their minds.
Then again, they might have done just that already.
Vee and Loid took their seats uneasily on the couch, twiddling their fingers nervously as the wife of Gustav Schneider walked to the opposite couch and took her seat rather abruptly. “Well, then,” she began curtly, “what is it that you want to know about my husband’s invention?”
Loid, being at that point the most knowledgeable person in the group, cleared his throat and hunched over, placing his elbows on his thighs. “More than the invention itself, I—” he cut himself off abruptly, shooting cursory glances at Julian and Vee. “…We…would like to know about the party that helped complete the invention.”
Mrs. Schneider’s humongous cheeks quivered briefly and her arms stiffened her face turning a shade of pink. Her back straitened suddenly; Loid had obviously ht a nerve. “I…would prefer not to speak of such matters.” She half-whispered, casting her gaze downwards, and losing all of the intimidating traces she showed earlier.
As her eyes drifted down, they caught a glimpse of something. It was something she hadn’t seen for years, something she thought she’d never see again.
It was the tattoo on Julian’s hand.
Mrs. Schneider’s eyes widened, a glint of wonder in them. “Young man…” she addressed herself to Julian. “Where…how did you get that mark…on your hand?” she asked meekly. Julian raised his hand, staring at the tattoo as if he had never seen it before. His mouth opened slightly as he formed the words in his head, then he began to speak. “I…this was given to me by…the World Device.” He said. “The main component…the prism…it gave me the Aswer.” He looked to Loid and Vee for approval, and they just stared at him blankly.
Mrs. Schneider stood and pointed at Julian. “The ones who gave you that…thing…are the same as the ones who came to my husband…long ago.” She headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor of the house. “My husband told me that whoever possesses that mark will be the one to destroy his invention. He told me to wait for that person before…” she began to head up the stairs. “…Come. I will show you the great Dr. Schneider.”
It was horrible. The entire room was bare except for a large bed and the several medical machines hooked up to it. The figure on the bed was so thin and pale that it looked like it was already dead. Several probes and tubes were sticking out of his nose and mouth. The steady beeping of a heart monitor was the only sound. There was a look of strain hammered into his face, and his arms seemed struggle against the invisible bonds of weakness that bound it. He wasn’t even breathing.
Mrs. Schneider went over to the small table beside the bed and picked up a small picture frame that was lying there, face down. The black-and-white picture showed a younger version of her and another man, very robust and brimming with energy. It was a picture of the Schneider’s on their wedding day. “My husband…has been like this for a long time.” Said she, eyes watering over. “Now look at him.”
Vee raised a hand to her chest and her brow furrowed. “Oh, man…” she whispered, flabbergasted. Loid kept quiet, but was nevertheless extremely moved by the scene before him.
Julian took a tentative step forward and placed his right hand on the bedpost, staring at the prone figure of Gustav Schneider. “Did they…do this to him?” he asked. Mrs. Schneider nodded. “Yes. When they came to Gustav…they were offering so much…We were so happy. But then, after they used his invention to create superhuman warriors…my husband objected. There was nothing we could do…our daughters…”
Julian turned to his friends, bewilderment written all over his face. “Your…daughters?” he queried.
“Yes. Lisa and Andrea…they took them from us. They killed them both…then they did…this…” Mrs. Schneider’s emotional capacity was broken and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. Her hands went to her face and cradled her tears while she spoke in a rasp soprano. “Please…leave now…just get out…please…”
***
Joshua very gratefully accepted a bowl of fruit from Mrs. Vasconceros and began snacking on it hungrily. It had barely been an hour since he had returned home from the hospital and he was already back to his usual self, while Kir scampered around him, chattering excitedly. For the moment he was sitting in the same room that Peel and Julian shared, sitting on Julian’s cot. In the meantime Peel and Mrs. Vasconceros looked on. Peel was sporting the dress Julian had helped pick out for her, although she did have a spare set of ‘adventuring clothes’ that Vee’s mother had bought for her. She was rubbing at the cast on her arm thoughtfully.
“Man, he sure looks happy to get out of the hospital, you know?” Peel laughed softly as Joshua interrupted his feasting to give Peel a smile. “I mean, you can hardly tell that anything’s happened to him! He looks better than ever!”
Mrs. Vasconceros nodded in agreement. “I think he’s just glad to be able to walk around again.” To this Joshua smiled again, his infantile side showing a little more than his mature one. “I didn’t really like the hospital.” He mused. “It didn’t have any plants of animals. And I really missed Kir.” The little monkey hopped up onto Joshua’s arm and snatched a piece of fruit, nibbling on it contently.
The sound of the doorbell ringing caused Mrs. Vasconceros to jump slightly. “That’s probable Francisca back from her visit. I’ll go open the door for them.” She then left the room hurriedly.
As it turned out, the person at the door was not Vee. It wasn’t Julian or Loid, for that matter. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t anyone at all. This was apparently just a bad prank. Mrs. Vasconceros frowned, somewhat upset, and turned, clearly intending to return to her guests.
But she
couldn’t. All of a sudden a strange
thumping noise reached her ears, drowning out everything else. Her pupils dilated, her head drooped, and her
mouth gaped open. After a moment’s pause
she turned, heading for the door again, and a voice began speaking into her
mind. You will open the door…you will
open the door…
Peel heard a dull thump come from downstairs and she frowned. “What was that?” her voice was accentuated by a small note of concern. Joshua nodded it off. “It’s probable no one at all.” He quirked. “I wouldn’t worry about it.” He then turned back to his food, completely oblivious to Peel’s worry.
That answer didn’t satisfy Peel, though. She grabbed the side of her bed and swung her free leg around and onto the floor. She then hoisted her bound leg onto the side and pushed her self up. Once she managed to regain her balance, she called out again. “Mrs. Vasconceros? Are you all right?” nothing came back to her. She was definitely worried now. “Joshua, go see if she’s alright.”
Joshua agreed reluctantly. “I’m sure she’s all right, Peel. What could happen to her?” he got up, dusted himself off, perched Kir on his head, then headed towards the door. “I’ll be right back.” He commented, and then left as well.
Shortly thereafter a second thump was heard, closer and louder than the first. Whatever happened to Mrs. Vasconceros apparently had befallen Joshua as well. Peel’s heartbeat climbed a notch and she tumbled back onto her bed. “Wh-who’s there? What’s happening?!” her voice began to crack and her breathing became labored. She managed to drag herself over to a nearby table and snatch her wrench, holding it before her warily with her free hand.
The figure made its appearance soon enough, walking slowly into Peel’s range of vision. His cane was held firmly in his hand, and his hat obscured his eyes menacingly, while his crooked smile sent a chill down Peel’s spine. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and her hand tightened around her wrench. “It’s…you…” she could barely contain the horror.
Earth Bluesman took off his hat and tipped it politely, then placed it back on and took a threatening step forward. “I see you recognize me, child…” he began. “I am flattered.”
Peel regained some of her composure and brandished her weapon. “I should’ve known you were working for them! What have you done to Joshua and Mrs. Vasconceros?!” she demanded. Her companion shook her head. “Calm yourself. They are merely…sleeping.” He said. “I only need you.” He pointed a shriveled finger at Peel, who shuddered. Reflexively, she hurled her wrench at Bluesman, who caught it square in the jaw and was sent reeling. He steadied himself with his cane and the smirk disappeared from his face. “I hoped I would not need to convince you…but I am afraid I’ll have to play you over to my side if I am to get what I want.” He mused. On that note he slammed the tip of his cane down on the floor.
Peel felt herself slip away from consciousness suddenly. Her pupils dilated and her arms dropped to her side. Earth Bluesman’s hypnotic powers had completely overcome her. Very slowly she levitated off the ground, supported by some mysterious force. As she did so Bluesman walked over to her and lifted her chin with his hand. “Such a pretty girl.” He mused to himself. Suddenly, he struck both casts with his cane, and watched them as they crumbled to pieces. Her arm and leg seemed to have healed magically, thanks to Earth Bluesman. The latter smiled. “I think you are of more use when you can walk.” He then added with a crooked, maniacal smile:
“Unfortunately,
I fear that it only gets worse from here.”