Jack Campbell: The Hidden Masters of Marandur

They had kept moving across the plaza, turning onto the street leading back to the Mechanics Guild Hall. The crowds of commons were separating before them, leaving a clear path and an open area around the two Mechanics, not out of real respect but because the Guild insisted on such preferential treatment in all things. Abad looked back, momentarily falling a step behind Mari. She paused in mid-step to allow Abad to catch up.

She heard the sound of the gunshot at almost the same moment as she felt the wind of the bullet’s passage as it nearly grazed her forehead, followed by the harsh crack of the bullet striking the stone building beside her. Tiny chips of stone blasted from the wall by the impact struck Mari’s neck, but she had already begun diving forward before the sound of a second shot was followed by another bullet slamming into the building exactly where she had been standing an instant earlier. Pulling out her pistol, she rolled down and came back up crouched with her back against the building. Mari held her weapon in both hands, her heart hammering, as she stared past the suddenly panicked commons running along the street in all directions.

Mechanic Abad dashed up beside her, urging Mari to her feet. “Whoever it was can’t get a good shot with the commons getting in the way,” he said as he grabbed her arm. “Run!”

They ran toward the Mechanics Guild Hall, Mari next to the buildings they passed and Abad keeping himself between her and the street as a living shield. No more shots sounded behind them, but Mari could hear the sound of city watch members calling out alarms as they converged on the site of the attack.

“Could that have been another Mage?” Abad asked as they finally slowed to a brisk pace.

“No. Mages don’t use Mechanic equipment,” Mari said, trying to calm her still-racing heart. “They can’t use it. Not even a Mechanic weapon.”

“They can’t?” Abad watched her. “Neither of those shots was aimed at me. If you’d frozen in place instead of diving right away the second one would have blown your brains out.”

“I…react fast,” Mari explained, unable to stop a shudder. “In emergencies.”

“That’s a good talent to have. Were you hurt? Your neck is bleeding.”

“It’s not serious. I’ll see the healer at the Guild Hall,” Mari said, hoping that she hadn’t betrayed knowing too much about Mages.

“The Senior Mechanics say you’re not really in danger. They told me that. They’re wrong.”

Frustration and lingering fear made her answer honestly. “Do you think they’ll believe you now when they’ve refused to believe me?”

“Why won’t they believe you?”

“I don’t know.” And she truly didn’t. She had some ideas, some ideas very dangerous to the see-nothing-wrong philosophy that ruled the Guild. But why the Senior Mechanics—why the Mechanics Guild they ran, which controlled all technology—would ignore such things made no sense to Mari. “I’ve been doing everything the Senior Mechanics ask. I’ve been doing my job. And they treat me like someone they can’t trust.”

Abad finally asked the question she knew he had been holding inside since first meeting her. “Are you loyal to the Guild?”

“I have been. I swear that I have been.” Was she still loyal, though ? I don’t know. What a scary thought. I’ve been taught to depend on the Guild, to be part of the Guild, since I was a little girl. Now…what can I depend on?

An answer came: the face of a man slightly younger than she, toughened by hardship, strangely emotionless except for eyes that lit when they rested on Mari. Alain. But you’re far away. And I don’t know when we will meet again.

Barely an hour later, the Guild Hall still buzzing with the news that someone had fired shots at a Mechanic on the streets of the city, Mari found herself standing before the desk of the Guild Hall Supervisor. Senior Mechanic Vilma offered a small, meaningless smile as she greeted Mari. Most of the Mechanics in Edinton detested Vilma because her insistence on perfection never yielded to reality in any form. “Mechanic Mari, how fortunate that your accident did not result in injury.”

“Master Mechanic Mari,” she corrected. Ever since Mari had earned the status of Master Mechanic at such a young age, Senior Mechanics had shown a habit of forgetting to use her proper title. Mari raised one hand to the bandage on her neck. “There was some injury, and it wasn’t an accident.”

Vilma’s insincere smile came and went again. “An official investigation will determine what actually occurred,” she said.

“I’ve already reported what happened at the job site and what happened afterwards. Mechanic Abad can confirm—”

“You won’t be working with Mechanic Abad anymore,” Vilma interrupted.

That brought Mari up short. “Why not?”

“Because I and the other Senior Mechanics here underestimated how quickly you could negatively influence even a Mechanic of Abad’s reliability.”

“What?” Mari felt her face warming with anger. “Since arriving in Edinton I have done nothing—”

“I’m not interested in debating the issue with you,” Vilma broke in again. “Not when there’s an important assignment that only you can carry out properly.” She gave Mari a packet of papers.

Mari stared at Vilma, then down at the papers. “A mission? Who else—?”

“Just you. You’re a Master Mechanic. There’s a CAD that needs to be recovered, and you are by far the most qualified to undertake the task of evaluating its current status and, if appropriate, its transportation back here to Edinton.”

Back here to Edinton? Leaving town might not be a bad idea at all if people were actively trying to harm her. Maybe, despite Vilma’s hostile attitude, the Senior Mechanics were taking the threat to her seriously at last, even if they wouldn’t admit it. Mari read quickly through her orders, dawning hope vanishing as a single word jumped out at her. “Minut?” The word made no sense. She knew what it meant, what it was, but how could it be there in her orders?

“Yes. Minut.” Senior Mechanic Vilma made it sound like no big deal. “When the Guild pulled out of Tiae, the CAD was left at Minut. You are to go there, see if it is worth recovery, and then bring it back.”

“Minut?” Mari repeated, disbelieving. “There’s no government there. No police, no authority, nothing. It’s anarchy. All of Tiae beyond the border with the Confederation is total anarchy.”

“You’ll have a strong escort,” Vilma promised. “You’ll meet them at that town.”

Mari checked the orders again. “Yinville? That’s also in Tiae.”

“Not very far inside Tiae. The escort should be there when you arrive.”

Mari looked at the Senior Mechanic, trying to understand these orders. “This is suicide.”

“Nonsense. Capable Mechanics have done similar tasks in the past for their Guild,” Vilma said, her tones hardening. “Are you refusing the orders? These are of the highest priority and steps are being taken to ensure you can carry them out safely and successfully. If you refuse the orders despite that, I will have to order a competency hearing and a loyalty evaluation.”

“You’re serious? A single Mechanic inside Tiae?”

“There is a strong escort awaiting you at Yinville,” Senior Mechanic Vilma repeated. “This is a necessary task which poses no unreasonable risk. You are to leave today, as soon as possible.”

“Alone?” She could take care of herself. Mari had prided herself on that. But young, female, and alone in such a place?

“Are you incapable of traveling by yourself? Even apprentices don’t need someone holding their hands on the road!”

Mari looked down at her orders again, not really seeing the words, trying to think. Ever since Dorcastle, I’ve done everything they wanted. I’ve kept quiet. I’ve obeyed orders. I wanted to make sure that Alain wasn’t endangered, and I wanted to establish my loyalty and my skills beyond any doubt before I asked any more questions about things that aren’t supposed to exist. And still they’re sending me to Tiae .