Archive Ch.2

As they drew nearer to the castle, Nic quickly realized that the buildings surrounding it were different from the rest of the neighbourhood. A second, much newer wall of steel and concrete had been erected around all the blocks surrounding the castle. Small compared to its stone counterparts, though still far taller than Nic would have been able to scale without magical assistance, obscuring most of what lay beyond. All he could see were the tops of those few buildings tall enough to peek over the top, though they offered few clues.

As the car rounded the corner, a gate came into view, its metal frame parting the barrier at sharp right angles. Above the opening there hung a simple sign, displaying the now familiar shape of a book and cog, with the words Archive emblazoned above in bright, bronze lettering. Nothing attempted to stop them as they rolled through, though Nic did feel a tingle at the back of his neck as the touch of a ward washed over him. Gentle but undeniable, just enough to remind him that he was a guest here and to mind his manners.

Where exactly that ‘here’ was only grew more unclear as Nic finally got a good look at the place. The closest comparison he could draw was a combination of a college campus and military base. Squat buildings sat arrayed on both sides of the road, the architecture sharp and angular, freely mixing marble, glass, wood, and the same bronzy metal that had adorned the seal above the gate.

Mixed in right next to these were buildings of brute efficiency. They looked almost prefabricated, plates of steel stamped out on mass and thrown together as quickly and cheaply as possible. Several of them reminded Nic of soldier barracks, long and narrow like tin cans, built to store people economically rather than comfortably. Several larger buildings followed the same design philosophy, being some of the tallest structures in the compound. Warehouses if Nic had to guess, based solely on the large bay doors through which multiple trucks could have easily been driven at the same time.

Dotted here and there were open yards of plain dirt or concrete, each of them holding random collections of stuff. Nic saw workout equipment, jogging tracks, half disassembled vehicles, and other machines of unclear purpose. Twice he caught sight of obstacle courses, heavily populated with simple walls or climbing cages meant to test strength and agility.

Inhabiting it all were the people to match such a strange dichotomy. Groups were just as likely to be running together in marching formations as they were to be lounging about on a quad as they talked or read from various screens. Most of them wore a uniform of sorts, a loose-fitting tunic and trousers, bound at the waist with a thin metal chain and dyed an entire rainbow of colours. Those not engaged in the more physical activities added a bright red blazer, cog and book sigil emblazoned on the lapel. Some of them wore rigs, strapped securely to backs or hips, all of them built from more of the same bronzy metal that had been springing up everywhere. Nic tried to get a better look at it, but they passed too quickly for him to tell much else.

As the car began to slow, Nic looked up to find what had to be their destination. Ahead there sat the largest of all the newer buildings, second in scale only to the castle itself. A large dome structure nestled between two triangular shaped halls that swept out from the center like wings. It was concrete for the most part, though studded liberally with metal adornments, both of that increasingly familiar bronze and more traditional steel. Though appearing random, Nic instantly recognized them as pieces of a casting circuit, a fact he confirmed when he popped on his eye piece and found the air around the building practically buzzing with magic.

Clouds of ethereal energy flowed along the metal in a grid of prismatic light, forming a protective cage around the walls. Thinner beams branched off from the top of the dome, reaching out to the surrounding buildings to expand the grid across the entire compound. Nic had no idea what any of it did but was impressed nonetheless, particularly with how orderly the spell managed to remain over such a large area. Whoever had built this place had an eye for detail.

The car came to a stop at the walkway leading up to the central building and announcing with a chime that they had arrived at their destination. Picking up his bag, Nic stepped out, releasing the vehicle before turning to face the building properly.

It was no less impressive up close, though for different reasons. Where before it had looked grand, now it felt as such, the building looming over him like a giant in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

Helping that feeling was the crowd of people streaming in and out of the entrance. They all moved with intent, none stopping to linger, few even daring to speak to one another. They reminded Nic of faithful approaching their most sacred temple, each person radiating respect and reverence with their every move. Nic would have felt out of place had anyone so much as acknowledged his presence.

Joining a stream headed inside, Nic advanced towards the building, drinking in every detail as he went. Beneath the sweeping arch of the front entrance sat the actual door, though portal might have been a more accurate descriptor. It stood twice as high as anyone passing through it, the metal and glass sliding aside on smooth rails to admit entrants. Though still grand by door standards, they felt downright puny on a building like this. They certainly didn’t prepare Nic for the chamber that sat beyond.

A large, circular space opened before him, large enough that it would take many strides to fully cross it. Most of it was empty, the open tile floors gleaming in the bright lights hanging from the walls. The flows of people continued in earnest here, moving through the chamber towards the many doors that dotted the walls. A din hung in the air, the combined sounds of footsteps, conversation, and general bustle, somehow managing to sound muted even in such a large space.

Nic barely noticed, his attention on the giant clock hanging from the ceiling.

The device utterly dominated the room, looking down on it like the watchful eye of some mechanical god. It filled the ceiling from wall to wall, enormous gears and springs ticking away like a heartbeat. Nic could have lain inside the largest of the gears with his limbs splayed out and his fingers would barely have brushed the inner edges.

Though impressive scale quickly gave way to intriguing strangeness as Nic took in more details. An array of symbols sat arranged around the edges, only a few of them the expected twelve numerals a normal clock would sport. Nic spotted everything from elemental symbols to alchemical formula to elaborate pictographs closer to calligraphy than any alphabet. Six hands were mounted to the plate, each vastly different from one another. Two were made of that ubiquitous bronze metal, while the rest were a mixture of other metals, glass and one that seemed to be made of wood.

The relationship between the hands and the symbols was unclear at best, if not entirely disconnected. The former seemed content to point every which way at once, spinning around at different speeds and directions, often not even consistently. The wooden one particularly seemed to follow no pattern in the slightest, crawling one way before flying back, stopping, and starting up again in equally random fashion.

Despite that, Nic was enthralled by the sight. It was an impressive construct just by itself, growing ever more so considering how perfectly it had been integrated into the building. What the device did Nic had not the slightest idea but wonder and curiosity were more than enough to make up for that.

“Can I help you?”

Nic jumped, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion to his reverie. He looked in the direction of the voice to find a large circular desk sitting in the very center of the room. That he hadn’t spotted it previously was either testament to the grandeur of the device or Nic’s own inattentiveness, probably a mix of both. Though in his defense the desk was barely large enough for the single woman that sat behind it, which was saying something considering she was a goblin. Her short green form would have barely come up to Nic’s waist if she were standing, though there was no doubt in his mind that it was she who had spoken. Her sharp eyes bored into the young techne from behind horn-rimmed glasses, somehow managing to perfectly balance professional and annoyed in a single expression.

“Are you-” Nic began before she interrupted him.

“Please come closer,” she said. “I’d prefer not to shout.”

Nic didn’t bother mentioning that she hadn’t been shouting, realizing to his great embarrassment that he’d been disrupting the flow of traffic with his gawking. He quickly crossed the distance and approached the desk directly, painfully aware of the woman’s gaze the entire time.

“Uh, hi,” Nic said.

“Good morning,” she said, her expression unchanging. “Is there something you need help with?”

“I think so, or I hope so,” Nic stumbled through the words. “My Master, he said that I could find the answer to a question here?”

The goblin held up a hand. “Card please.”

Nic did as asked, pulling out the card Master Orlin had given him and handing it over. The bit of plastic vanished behind the desk and the woman began typing, prompting a strange whirring sound to start up from somewhere nearby.

“Your Master is Orlin Greytower?” She asked after a moment.

“Uh, yes,” Nic said, nodding.

The woman said nothing, continuing to type for several seconds. The whirring grew steadily louder before culminating in a final clank. From behind the desk, the woman pulled two cards, the original and a plain white one with the word ‘GUEST’ stenciled on it in large block letters.

“This is your visitor’s pass,” she said. “Please always keep it on you and present it when asked. It will authorize you to access all public areas.”

Nic nodded, taking both cards and slipping them securely into his pocket.

“Now then, what can I-”

The woman stopped suddenly, a quiet ring sounding from her unseen workstation. Her eyes flicked down, then narrowed as she looked more closely at something.

“I need to take this, one moment please.”

Nic nodded, though he sensed his permission was unneeded as she tapped her ear and began speaking.

“Reception.” She listened intently. “Yes, his card was just used but it’s not him present.” More listening. “A young man who claims to be his apprentice. Says he’s here to delve.”

Delve? Nic took note of the word, having plenty of time to wonder as the woman sat quiet for a long moment, her large ears beginning to flick in response to whatever she was hearing.

“Director?” she asked eventually. Another pause, much shorter this time, her expression returning to its previous state. “Of course, I’ll send him right up-yes, of course-you as well ma’am.”

She tapped her ear again, turning to address Nic properly.

“Is everything okay?” Nic asked.

“Nothing to be concerned about, the Director would just like to meet with you.”

Nic was about to say that seemed like something that he should be majorly concerned about but bit his tongue. Given that he was still unclear as to what this place was, he had no idea what would be considered normal. Maybe this Director greeted everyone the first time they came here. He severely doubted it but again decided not to voice the thought.

The woman took no notice, instead tapping away at her keyboard. From somewhere behind the desk emerged a small bot, little more than a camera with thrusters, which immediately moved to hover before Nic. After quickly scanning him, it beeped once before turning towards one of the many doors, halting several feet away.

“Follow that,” the woman said. “It will lead you to the Director’s office. Please do not wander.”

“Sure, no problem.” Nic said, not moving. After several seconds of staring, the woman piped up again.

“Was there something else?”

“What, uh, what does the Director want to see me about?”

The woman shrugged. “She didn’t say. I’m sure she’ll be happy to inform you herself.” She tilted her head towards the bot. “Will that be all?”

“Uh, I guess,” Nic said, a lie if he’d ever told one. The woman only nodded, already turning back to her work.

“Then I wish you luck finding what you’re looking for. Good delving.”

Summarily dismissed, Nic could only turn to the bot and follow as it led the way to who knew where. He couldn’t decide if that prospect should worry or excite him.

Probably both, going by experience.

*

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