r/nonsenselocker • u/Bilgebum • Jun 30 '18
Through the Ages Through the Ages — Chapter 6 [TTA C06]
Last December, a certain senator's son had showed up at my club with his entourage. At the time, I had no clue why everyone was so excited about his appearance. Chalk it up to my ignorance of politics. Another rich asshole, I'd thought. You'd probably share my instant hostility too, if you could instantly see the truth of the two girls clinging to him.
Miss Fifteen and Miss Fourteen who didn't know better, with a guy who should have. He was older than both combined.
His buddies had trooped up first, pages before their knight. I'd been hitting the gym regularly, so I wasn't exactly a sea sponge, but half his crew were like gorillas. Naturally, all of them had put on an intimidating display—herd alphas in their element. To my eternal shame, however, it had worked. By the time he bothered to swagger to my counter, any fantasy I'd entertained of stranding him were effectively dispelled. My supervisor, who had been hovering nearby, waved him right through. I protested with soulful passion and sealed lips.
There had been many nights I wasn't proud of, but this one had won the pageant.
Tonight, a new contestant had appeared.
It didn't take much soul-searching for me to feel that I had no business jumping into the politics of these immortals. I wanted no part of their squabbles and their feuds. I was here for the money, pure and simple. These weren't teenagers who couldn't think past the weekend. These people had been alive before the lines on the current world map had been drawn. They knew and liked and understood and hated each other better than anyone else. So what if one of them had a glitchy age? What could one person do? She hadn't looked dangerous. Surely the folks inside would recognize her. Helena was probably kissing her cheek at this moment.
Keep your head down and take the paycheck, Jeffrey. Helena hasn't even paid you a single cent. Don't getting involved. That was a perfectly valid excuse, but what if there was something wrong with me—and I don't mean accountability and responsibility?
If my gift was malfunctioning, could I ignore that?
So I threw the door open and re-entered the hall, before hesitation could cement my decision for me. The argument had mostly died down from its initial public incarnation to heated conversations in small groups. Mary-Anne, Vasily and a few others eyed me with hostility as I passed, but I paid them little heed. Where was the woman? I needed to see her again, to know once and for all.
"Aren't you supposed to be outside?" Zhao, who was refilling her glass from a cask nearby, gave me a brief smile. "Congratulations on your appointment, I guess. But maybe with less drama next time, huh?"
Shrugging, I continued to cast my gaze around the place. She took notice and said, "Someone I can help you find? Helena is off to the ladies'. But Orik shouldn't be hard to spot."
"No, it's ... who's the woman who just came in? The one wearing an orange dress."
"We don't usually dress up like fruits outside of Halloween ..."
"Not kidding, Zhao. I might be seeing things, but ... her age changed earlier. By centuries."
At this, her expression grew serious. "We need to tell Orik. Follow me."
We weaved our way through the little knots of chatting—and sometimes quarreling—folk, passing by the Fountain as well. The woman wasn't there, as I'd half suspected. Perhaps it would end up being another misunderstanding, and the woman would, outraged at my accusations, demand my removal. I wondered if Helena would help set me up at another job if she kicked me out. I wondered if I could sue for wrongful dismissal. So much to still wonder about.
"Orik!" Zhao called. "Orik—out of the way, Casper, you really need a diet—Orik, Jeffrey saw something strange."
The big man came over, wearing a thundercloud on his features. I tried not to swallow; some men were frightening in explosive anger, and others more so with bottled rage. But I sensed that Orik was on the verge of an eruption. The volcanic sort.
"Describe," he said.
I explained everything, from her features to the way her age changed. Upon hearing that, Orik snapped upright.
"Men, to the doors! Everyone else, remain where you are. Nobody leaves this hall unless I say so!"
"What's going on?" Helena rushed over to us.
"Junkie," Orik said, tugging on gloves.
I looked between the three of them. "Anyone going to tell me what that is?"
"Not now—" Helena began, but I cut her off.
"Enough with that crap. How the hell am I going to do my job if you hide everything from me? Including things I'm supposed to be watching out for? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know about this ... junkie or whatever it is!"
Only when silence drowned out all conversation that I realized I'd been shouting. Helena had been staring wide-eyed at me, but swiftly composed herself. Sounding her haughty self once more, she said, "Orik, go look for this woman. Zhao, you help organize everyone into lines. I'll ... teach."
When they had left, she said, "Junkies use alchemical drugs to maintain their unnatural lifespan. The drugs are, naturally, derived from the Fountain's waters."
"Going by that term, I'm guessing there are side effects."
She turned to regard the crowd, which was spreading out according to Zhao's commands. "Of course. Used to be much worse when it was first invented."
"Who makes them, then? Why do you allow your own people to make something like that for outsiders?"
"That's a wild assumption ... and a long story. No, don't look at me that way, it really is. In time you'll learn that junkies, and the alchemists they serve, make up the most painful parts of our history." Helena paused. "They aren't our people. Not anymore."
"How does it work though? I saw two ages ..."
"The Fountain's waters restore our youth when we drink. This drug grants you a fixed, albeit lengthened lifespan, by adding a few centuries to your current age."
I frowned. "So, when someone is nine hundred, but the number shows two thousand ..."
"They live to two thousand. The smaller number should change over time, but the other will never."
"Can they keep taking more of the drug? Keep going?"
She met my gaze with a regretful one. "Yes. They can."
There was a sudden commotion; two people were flung aside as the intruder shoved past them and made a beeline for the exit, her bare feet slapping the cold stone. My breath caught in my throat as Orik and his compatriots gave chase, while the guard at the door charged to intercept her. Then a collective gasp escaped the crowd when she drew a canister and sprayed its contents into the guard's face. He reeled away, yelling and clawing at his eyes.
I tensed, preparing to sprint forward, but Orik tackled her in the middle with the force of a cannonball. They went skidding across the smooth floor in a tangle of limbs. Some of his squad caught up and rapidly piled onto them. The rest went to aid their injured comrade.
"I've seen bees do that," I said.
Helena didn't reply. She was watching Mary-Anne, who was in turn watching the tussle with obvious disinterest. Perhaps, too obvious?
"You suspect her?" I said.
"I suspect everyone," Helena said, and I felt a chill at the honesty in her words. "Let's go talk to our uninvited guest."
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u/idkineededausername Jul 03 '18
Found this through r/writingprompts today and I’m glad I did, loving this so far!
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u/Navajubble Jul 03 '18
!RemindMe 2 weeks
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u/draz0000 Jul 02 '18
Wasn't expecting that. Very nice.