Chapter XVIII

Earthquake in the East

Dmitri and Charlie sit at the meeting tables on the main raised platform having an inaudible conversation, whilst playing a game of cards. Alan strides through the cave entrance with a briefcase in his hand and Vernon close behind him.

“Well?” Dmitri asked.

“We got it.” Alan said.

“Yes, along with everything else in the auction to boot.” Vernon said, with a hint of annoyance. Alan lifts up the case and places it on the table. Vernon then unlocks the two padlocks on the case and opens it. Revealing the gemstone, the streaks of gold glinting in the light from above them.

“Is that it?” Charlie said, she had expected slightly more from such a powerful object and was a little disappointed at how simple it looked.

“Yes, that's it.” Alan replied.

“And please tell me why this isn't just a very expensive fireplace ornament? Cause that’s all it looks like.” Dmitri said crossing his arms, he was glad that the heist had been called off now that he could see the gemstone, as he would like to give his life for something that looked a lot better than the tiny object.

“You're telling me you don't believe anything that has been said about this weapon despite seeing Boris...” Alan said but Dmitri interrupted.

“Honestly, I don't know what I saw, All I saw was an old man digging around in some old tombs.” Dmitri said, it wasn’t that he didn’t believe in everything that was beginning to transpire, he just doubted that this little gem could stop any of it from happening.

“Enough. We need to keep this safe, is the vault ready?” Vernon asked curtly

“Erm, Yeah. It's Ready.” Dmitri said taken aback slightly by the butler’s harshness.

“Good.” Vernon responded and walked off towards the newly created vault, situated behind the main control terminal in the centre of the cave. Alan looked around at Dmitri and Charlie who looked at each other, before Charlie spoke up.

“We've also found something, but we're not sure what it is.” Charlie said. It had happened about an hour after Alan and Vernon had left for the auction, she had been called in by Dmitri after a sensor had been triggered, they had originally thought it to be a mistake, but after running their checks three further times, they had confirmed that something major had happened.

“What?” Alan asked, his interest peaked.

“Some kind of energy reading, whatever it was it was big enough to trigger graphs all the way out here.” Dmitri said pointing at a point far to the east, hundreds of miles away from the eastern boarder that the manor was situated at.

“What do you mean 'all the way out here'?” Alan said, as far as he was aware there was nothing that far out. Charlie walks Alan over to the computer screen where map of the continuant is.

“We're here right.” Charlie said indicating a point on the map right on the mountainous border between The Imperial lands and the wastelands of the east. As Charlie points to wear the manor's location is on the map as Vernon walks back and joins the group. “And this is where the energy reading came from.” Charlie finished. Alan, Dmitri and Vernon look at wear Charlie is pointing way out to the east of the map, with looks of disbelief on their faces.

“Well, that’s great isn't it. Way out into the bad lands.” Vernon said, being from the east himself he had experience with those plains and would not want to return to them for as long as he lived.

“Yeah, even I'm not stupid enough to go that far east.” Dmitri said, he had been out beyond the eastern boarder but only a few miles out, he hadn’t had the courage to go out any further than that.

“Are we sure it's not just more seismic activity. It wouldn't be the first time it’s happened.” Vernon said, it was common for the east to experience unusual earthquakes and other natural disasters, due to what had happened when The Shadow had first come to these lands. Charlie sighed and shook her head.

“Regrettably, no. The only energy source that even remotely matches it is the gem in Alan's staff.” Charlie said, she too had hoped for it to be just another earthquake, but sadly that had not been the case, this event had been something ten times as strong.

“What’s the furthest settlement out there before the wasteland starts.” Dmitri asked looking at the map, as far as he could see there was no sign of life other than the small towns on the other side of the mountains and the ruined settlements all the way on the far eastern coast.

“That would be The Last Watch about here, approximately five hundred miles south west of here.” Vernon said pointing at the map. “After that it's a two thousand miles before you reach civilisation again.” Vernon finished with a note of despair in his voice.

“But more importantly that isn't where the signal came from. It came about two hundred miles north east of there.” Charlie said pointing well out into the Badlands, to a place that looked to them completely uninhabitable.

“If we can pick up that signal, others can as well. This will soon be headline news, you mark my words.” Alan said. In an ideal world this could have been kept quiet at least for a few days which would have given him time to plan, but something of this size meant that he would have to think of a plan very quickly.

An hour had passed since Alan and Vernon had returned from the auction and Alan’s words had wrung true. The news was going out of a major disturbance in the east. Watching it all was The Mayor who was sitting in his chair watching the News with Eugene to his right and Codsworth to his left.

“What caused this activity in the east is at this present moment unknown, however it is most likely just an earthquake, according to sources from City Hall.” The Tv reporter said but with no real conviction as he himself didn’t believe the caution he was telling people. The Mayor turns around to face Eugene who has a smug smirk on his face, which he quickly hid after seeing the look on Codsworth’s face.

“I didn't know there were any fault lines out there.” The Mayor said, looking at his two advisors.

“There isn’t sir. Which means that whatever has caused the recent activity was most likely man made.” Codsworth said, he hadn’t been pleased to have been woken up in the small hours with the news of another earthquake in the east, but his attitude had changed when he had arrived to see it was something much more.

“Impossible, nothing could possibly be living out there. It isn't possible for humans to live in those conditions.” Eugene said with the utmost certainty, at this Codsworth slowly turned to face him.

“Well, you should go out there then and test your theory, you little insect. They say cockroaches can thrive in any conditions.” Codsworth said.

“Enough! Now I want eyes on the sight. I want to know exactly what caused the incident to occur.” The Mayor demanded.

“We have satellites inbound as we speak. But we are not the only ones who have an interest in this sir.” Eugene said giving a small bow as he spoke.

“What?” The mayor asked.

“It would seem that a Wolfrick Co satellite is already observing the site.” Eugene said cautiously. This time it was Codsworth's turn to grin as The Mayor’s face went redder and redder.

“Him, what interest does he have in this event?” The Mayor said as an idea came to the commander, it was risky he thought but might just work, in getting Alan what he needed.

“This could be useful. Wolfrick has the best scientist working for him. If we can escort them to the site. We will be able to find out exactly what happened out there.” Codsworth said. he hoped he was convincing enough, usually any and all requests to examine the eastern lands were flatly rejected. The Mayor and Eugene exchange a look between themselves before turning back to Codsworth.

“Very well. Tell Mr Wolfrick he will have whatever he needs to get his people out there.” The Mayor said looking at the commander with suspicion. Codsworth nods at The Mayor and with a look of contempt at Eugene he walks out of the room.

As Codsworth leaves the room and walked down the corridor a strange feeling comes over him that something or, much to Codsworth's fear, someone had told him to return to The Mayor's office. He stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked around, he didn't remember stopping or in fact turning around and walking back but the next thing he knew he was back inside the now deserted office. He paused for a moment, he had left the room not two minutes ago and now it was completely deserted and, unless his eye sight had suddenly gotten worse, he hadn't seen either The Mayor or Eugene leave the office. Thinking that he was really starting to lose his mind now Codsworth turned to leave only to hear a set of voices talking from behind a wall.

“My apologies sir, we have had a very busy meeting.” The Mayor spoke, he seemed to Codsworth like a man trying to hold in his fear. Wondering why the leader of the city was talking to himself, Codsworth made to find a way into this unknown room, but was brought out of his attempts by the sound of a completely unknown voice. It was a harsh, male voice but apart from that the commander had no idea who it was.

“Well what news?” The voice said, it sounded angry as if the news that they had just received was not at all pleasing to this man’s ears.

“The incident in the east is being handled sir.” The mayor said.

“I trust you know what caused the incident?” The voice spoke.

“That’s above my pay grade.” The Mayor said and chuckled, however this attempt at humour obviously fell on deaf ears as the man’s voice was quick to respond.

“It is of the upmost importance that we get hold of the item that caused it.” The voice spoke, and his tone broke no argument. ‘So someone was also after the whatever had caused this disturbance.’ Codsworth thought to himself.

“Of cause my Lord Leeran, it shall be delivered as soon as we have possession of it.” The Mayor said.

“Don't fail me again.” The voice of this Griefful spoke and Codsworth could hear the screen flicker and quickly left the room, and not a moment too soon as a few seconds later, The Mayor and Eugene leave the room. As the bookshelf slides back into place. Covering the entrance to the hidden room.

As The Mayor and Eugene leave the room they fail to notice Codsworth who was lingering near a shelf, pretending to examine it, to a professional it would have looked suspicious but neither The Mayor or Eugene took any notice, they seemed distracted by something more important to the commander's eye than why he hadn't left for Wolfrick manor already.

He was thinking, whilst he had suspected that there was someone unknown directing The Mayor's decision, this was the first tangible proof that he had received of their existence. The Question was now, what to do with it. If he spoke up, it would almost certainly mean his own death, however to not spill the beans, would be a betrayal of his sworn oath as an Imperial soldier, but more importantly as one of the last decent people left in this infernal government. He thought it over, deciding that there was a third option, he would inquire the existence of this group, with the one person who might be able to confirm whether the old commander was on to something, or that he was losing his nerve and should retire.

As he makes his decision he moves away from the shelf and walks right into the path of Stan Collins, the new police chief. Unlike Bernard who Codsworth had always disliked due to his inaction and almost blatant corruption, this man was an unknown, which was he thought even worse.

"Ah commander, what was that meeting about?" Stan asked, looking curious.

"Just about that disturbance out in the east." Codsworth said, trying to give as little information as possible. Stan nods.

"Will you be leading the mission, I know you spent time out in the east." Stan said.

"No. I don't have enough experience of those lands, I didn't go more than ten miles into the Badlands." Codsworth replied. "It will probably be Buckley who leads." He finished. At the sound of the name the chief looked almost scared.

"Buckley, that creep." Stan said looking afraid. Deep down, Codsworth agreed, he had nothing against the man, but he was a bit unusual. Not that Arnold did anything to prevent that image, in fact he appeared to think it was a compliment when he creeped people out.

"Yeah, but that creep had more experience out east than anyone else that we have." Codsworth said, trying to convince himself more than the captain. Plus if truth were told, he wanted Buckley as far away from the heartlands as possible. Stan nods, not looking entirely convinced but walks off non the less, leaving Codsworth once more alone in the corridor.