TechgnosisWeb Prime

And below is the text that I’ve written for today for my NaNo Novel, Clockwork Thieves. I didn’t write quite as much today as I did yesterday, but I’m still over my minimum of 1667 words a day. I’m shooting for more like 2000 words a day, but I’m exhausted after a long day dealing with the car and finishing up some stuff that I hadn’t had time for before, so I wrote as much as I could handle today making sure I went over the minimum, and here it is. Click to read more for the text.

?Nothing more for it than to go on, I suppose. Doesn’t seem to be any easy way back.?, said Phillip, flashing his torch over the bare wall behind them.

?Right. Let’s go, then. Surely there’s an exit somewhere down there. I’m all for getting out of here as quickly as possible, now, whether we find it or not.?, said Edwin, dusting himself off and walking down the thin corridor, after checking his metallic frame for damage and finding none.

The two would-be thieves set off down the corridor at a brisk, but somewhat cautious, pace, Phillip’s chemical torch lighting their way.

---

Sam Colwell cursed under his breath as he caught sight of a figure ducking through a door on the second floor of the vast mansion, and tightened his grip on his pistol. As he watched, the person closed the door behind him, silvery light peeking out from underneath the door. The detective stepped cautiously forward, ears straining to catch any sounds his quarry might make. Stopping in front of the door, he carefully set his ear to it, attempting to glean any additional information on the figure before confronting it.

Voices, male, at least two of them. Sam couldn’t quite make out what they were talking about, as they seemed to be whispering, but the sound of the voices confirmed that at least both figures he had seen crossing the lawn towards the manor were here, together. Sam checked his pistol one more time, wondering if the men would be armed, when a grinding noise, as of stone against stone, came from behind the door. A moment later, one of the voices spoke again, louder.

?Phillip? Where did you get off to??, came the voice, and Sam tensed up, nervous. Something odd was afoot in there, and he stepped back from the door, preparing to bash it in if necessary, and took a deep breath. Then another grinding noise issued from behind the door, accompanied by a short, startled-sounding yelp, and then silence.

Sam paused, unsure what to make of this,leaning closer to the door once more, straining to listen. Nothing. Complete silence, and the light from beneath the door was gone too. Gulping nervously, Sam placed one hand on the doorknob, and slowly twisted. The door swung open, and an empty room greeted the detective.

?What in God’s name is going on here??, he muttered to himself, peering suspiciously around the room, into every darkened corner, making sure no one was hiding in the shadows. He shook his head, puzzled.

?Must have found some sort of passageway…?, he mused. ?But I’ll be damned if I’ll be able to find it in this gloom. Well, wherever they went, they’ll have to come back out eventually. Best to wait downstairs for them to make their way back, and I’ll catch them then. Beats getting lost up here chasing after these coves, anyhow.?

And with that, Sam Colwell turned around and began to make his way back to the grand staircase leading to the main antechamber of Maynard manor.

---

?How long is this tunnel??, questioned Edwin, squinting his eyes against the gloom at the far end of the silvery light from Phillip’s torch.

?I think we’re coming to the end of it, Edwin. I think I feel a draft coming from further down the tunnel.?, said Phillip, quickening his pace.

Edwin hurried to catch up to his companion, and after a couple of moments, the waning silvery light of Phillip’s torch was joined by a yellowish glow from around a corner, and the smell of burning pitch.

?Torches, and lit, too! Think there’s anyone down there??, murmured Phillip, slowing his pace cautiously.

?Can’t be. Rosie would have told me if anyone, anyone at all, had come in or out of this house all week…?, answered Edwin, though a hint of doubt had crept into his voice.

?Well, maybe there’s been someone in here all that time, they just never left.?, said Phillip, a note of panic creeping into his voice.

?Calm down. Even if there is someone in there, we’re prepared. I made sure to load up the knock-out pellet launcher before we left.?, said Edwin, patting one of the tubes on his intricate metallic harness, near his left shoulder. ?Let’s keep going.?

Phillip nodded, still a bit nervous, and continued down the passageway, until they reached the turn, yellow light spilling around the bend, the smell of burning pitch and the crackling sound of a lit torch floating towards the companions. Phillip paused, and flicking a small switch on his chemical torch, he emptied the still-glowing contents of the glass sphere atop it onto the floor, where, exposed to the air, the chemicals rapidly ceased emitting light, and began to evaporate into the air itself, with a slightly acrid odor. Having extinguished the light, he placed it back in one of his many pockets, and produced from another pocket a small, heavy metallic ball, holding it gingerly in his left hand. He nodded to Edwin, motioning for the taller man to go first.

Edwin narrowed his eyes, and cautiously peeked around the corner, trying to see if anyone was there. He saw a large, dungeon-like room, with several lit torches set along the walls. The room is lined with metal-topped tables, all of them empty, save for some sort of mechanism at the head of each, long rubber tubes leading off away from each mechanism and trailing along the floor before turning a corner and snaking out of sight.

?What the…??, murmured Edwin, stepping out from behind the wall and into the room itself.

Phillip followed him, and his eyes went wide as he caught sight of the strange room and its contents. He walked further into the room, peering curiously at one of the mechanisms.

?It’s like some sort of helmet…?, said Phillip, tilting his head to the side to examine the curious devices closer. A series of tubes, spikes, and clamps festooned both the inside and outside surfaces of each device, all connected to the large, thick rubber tube at the base of the device.

Edwin nodded, running a finger along the metallic curves of the same device, his eyes narrowed in concentration and curiosity.

?Pneumatic in nature, apparently.. Look, it’s not just one tube, it’s several dozen small tubes, all going inside the one large tube! Looks like some of these spikes are needles.. for injecting or removing fluids??, mused Edwin, leaning closer to the device.

Phillip nodded, and, looking up from the odd device, jumped in surprise at the sight of something. He scurried off to one of the further tables, leaving Edwin examining the device. Phillip came to the table, and smiled to himself as he picked up what had called his attention: a medium sized, leather bound notebook, with the crest of Maynard manor drawn in blood-red ink on the front cover. He cracked the notebook open, and read the first page.

‘Herein are contained the notes for my latest and most ambitious experiments. Corporal reanimation of deceased tissues, through chemical and sonic induction of nerve impulse energy…’

Phillip closed the notebook, grinning like a loon, and turned towards Edwin, calling out.

?Edwin! I’ve found it! It was down here after all!?, cried Phillip, lifting the notebook up above his head.

Edwin looked up from his examination of the device, an eager smile on his face.

?You found… it…??, started Edwin, but the words died on his lips, his large gray eyes going even wider, as a look of terror crossed his face, and he took a step backwards, reeling.?

?Edwin, what’s wrong? What is it??, asked Phillip, looking confused.

Behind Phillip, a large, vaguely man-shaped mass shambled towards him, letting out a low moan.