“Dad? Where are we going?”
Guinevere’s father had driven her out of the city limits. Their car now struggled and strained up a nearby mountain. The road was treacherous during the best of conditions, and even with no other travelers it managed to feel perilous. Guinevere’s father, the man who inspired her to work on MACs, was old and weathered. Saying he looked like dried leather would be an understatement. But all things considered, Guinevere loved him dearly, and still to this day she looked to him for guidance.
He did not respond to her question.
Guinevere sat there in silence, strapped into a worn-out seat that seemed to be more metal than fabric. Her father surely had something to say. They didn’t talk often unless it was about work.
She was certain he was going to offer up some advice about her new modifications to the MAC. Or at least, that was what she was hoping for when she went to visit today. She had been tinkering with the idea for months, in case a situation like this ever occurred, and her father had strong opinions on it. Her father had always been an engineer that fought for pilot safety over pilot efficiency. Guinevere would be happy to receive some advice, but she was fairly certain the extra strain on the pilot was necessary if they were going to try to fight back against The Alley. The Alley dwarfed them, so it only seemed logical that they couldn’t fight fair if they wanted to win.
Guinevere cared deeply for her pilots. She considered herself the best friend of both Callista and Jace, but the city came first.
She wouldn’t give this place up without a fight.
Her dad was a genius. The city’s first MAC engineer, though he didn’t stay in that position for long. He understood the machines inside and out. There was no doubt he’d have some input. Guinevere just hoped it would be less about morality and more about potency.
She practically grew up in a shop with her father, covered in oil and gunpowder (an occasionally dangerous combination). Guinevere and her father never stopped trying to modify the basic MACs into the sort of beasts that could truly protect and preserve the city. Military MACs were all well and good, but they needed numbers to truly shine. The city didn’t have the money for numbers, so what they could afford needed to work at a much higher level.
Guinevere’s dad managed that and more. Now she was trying to move the field forward again.
He kept driving.
Guinevere had been putting the final touches on the new systems for the damaged MACs, but only one of them would get the cerebral cord enhancement. With The Alley so close by, she didn’t have time to overhaul both machines, and ultimately there was only one real pilot that could handle the task anyway. Callista was good, but she was nearing the end of her service life. She wouldn’t be able to take the strain of this new metallic demon in real combat. Jace, on the other hand…
She knew what she was doing would rob the man of his youth.
Maybe more.
But sacrifices must be made.
She was sure Jace would agree.
At least, she desperately hoped he would.
She wouldn’t force him, but if he cares about the city, he’ll pilot the machine.
“We’re here Guin.”
Her father finally spoke up after the car came to a stop.
She hadn’t been out of the city in years. She was too busy making defenses that would keep everyone safe. She knew the city was mostly surrounded by a desert. Not a real desert, but the aftermath of land altering warfare. It was just a bunch of dead and dying ground that had gone barren. But there was still some natural, untouched land close to the city. It was just lucky enough not to be in the line of fire for the battles that had occurred. So the sight before her was actually… well… like something out of a fairy tale.
Blue-ish mountains rose up in the distance with tiny white caps topping each peak. A layer beneath them were hills that looked nearly as insurmountable. Covered in trees except for a few bare spots filled in with color: patches of flowers that were becoming all too rare these days. And beneath them lay an even thicker forest, a forest that looked almost as impenetrable as her city.
Guinevere admired that.
Her father got out of the car and beckoned her to come along. She walked slightly behind him, still lost in her admiration of the man.
He was undoubtedly a genius of his time. Of most times probably. Without him at the front of MAC development, the city would have been turned to rubble long ago. So many people owed their life to this man. She wanted, desperately, to be like him.
To be better than him.
He weaved his way through the nearly-too-thick forest. He seemed to glide amongst the trails that she could barely even make out. He found the hidden paths amongst all the new vegetation and fallen trees and rockslides. Every step was resolute. Every step was meaningful.
This was her father.
Her pride swelled to new limits. She was sure that now, hidden from any prying eyes, she should try to discuss the new MAC developments she’d been working on.
“Dad, I wanted to run some ideas by you.” He continued walking up the rocky incline, “I know you hate the idea of adding risk for the pilots, but I don’t think we have any other choice here. We’ve both seen Jace’s numbers in the tuning unit. If we could just unleash that potential. If we could just get past those emotions of his, the city would have a true guardian angel.” He didn’t respond and Guinevere was sure he was judging her, “I know it’s not fair to Jace. I’m probably his closest friend. He’s a… he’s a great man dad, but the city… I just think that the cerebral connection method might be the only way…”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Guinevere was getting choked up. She was usually good about keeping bothersome emotions at a distance, but she really did love this city. It was where she was born. Where she found her purpose. Where she might find love. This city couldn’t just disappear.
It couldn’t.
“Dad, I don’t see it. I don’t see how we could win this without making a sacrifice. If you could see my work now, I’m sure you would agree that the additional performance is more than worth it.” For all that her father was an amazing man, Guinevere had long ago realized she was quite impressive in her own right. If only she didn’t inherit these moral hangups from her father, then all of this would be easier. But if she could just convince him… if she could get his blessing…
Guinevere’s father still hadn’t spoken.
His breathing was heavy and his clothing was entirely soaked in sweat, but he continued to climb.
Guinevere was certain he had a reason. Surely there was some sort of lesson that would come at the end of this. Especially, she thought, if he was going to change his mind on pilot augmentation.
If he was really coming around, it would make sense that he would need to prepare himself mentally for it.
Even though that sort of mental change would surely be painful for him, she was actually quite happy. She hadn’t properly worked with her father on any projects in quite some time. They simply had too drastic a difference in where they saw the future of MAC development. If he was considering her ideas, even if it was just because of this crisis, they could make something incredible. She knew, she just knew that if they worked together-
“Guin, I want to show you a cliff.”
Her father’s voice was extraordinarily monotone. He didn’t turn whatsoever to face her. He continued single-mindedly up the trail. His words, his odd words, almost seemed to be carried on the wind that blew against them.
A cliff? Guinevere wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she didn’t.
However, her thoughts of developing a MAC with her father that would shake the foundation of the world were now being pushed to the side a bit.
A cliff?
She followed along, now sweating as well. Her thoughts were entirely scattered.
She knew she needed to be thinking about the MAC no matter what, she didn’t have time for these sorts of lulls and pauses. When she agreed to this little hike, she was hoping her father would be the catalyst that would make her newest machine perfect. What if he has no intention of changing his mind? Guinevere knew this could be the case, it was probably what she was expecting deep down. But still, she wanted to keep hoping.
At the very least, her father had to have some sort of helpful hint at the end of this. He loved the city too, didn’t he? At a critical time like this there was no way he would just be going on a hike for fun.
He never hiked for fun anyway. He just wasn’t that type of man.
What if he had a totally different design? Something she hadn’t thought of? Would they have time to implement it?
Maybe… Guinevere thought that just maybe if her and her father worked together they might be able to pull something like that off before The Alley made their move.
The evening sun, which had mostly been hidden above the dense woodland canopy, was now beginning to peek through the barren trunks in front of them. Rays of light coated them in a fiery hue.
Guinevere’s father looked almost otherworldly as the bright red and orange streaks of light seemed to bend around him.
As they exited the forest, she saw the cliff.
It certainly was beautiful. It was as if the hill before and behind them had been cut cleanly in two. A deep ravine with straight sides all the way down was scarred straight into the middle of the hill.
A breeze seemed to endlessly pour out of the ravine. Guinevere’s hair was thrown back and even the few wayward strands on her father’s head waved this way and that. It was almost comical.
The smell it brought up from the bottom was entrancing. The smells of nature were always delightful to Guinevere. As much as she loved the city, the smell was one thing she could never get used to. Having fresh air forced through her by the wind was surprisingly pleasant. It almost took her mind off the matter at hand. But impending doom has a way of wriggling into any and all thoughts and experiences.
“Dad,” she said the word a bit more forcefully than usual, hoping to get his full attention, “we need to save the city. This is beautiful, but it’s not for today.” She took another deep breath and tried her best to savor each and every scent that was being carried on the wind, “Let’s come back,” her voice was softer now, “after our work is done.” She stressed the word ‘our’.
Guinevere was very happy. She rarely had the chance to be emotional around her father. She rarely had the chance to be emotionally clear like this at all. It was freeing. She appreciated the beauty of today, but she absolutely couldn’t wait to appreciate this beauty when her job was done and the city was safe. And if she could just convince her father to work with her again…
“Guin, aren’t you getting tired of all this warring?”
“I…” the question caught her off guard. Of course Guinevere was tired of it. She, like everyone else, only wanted peace. Guinevere wondered why she couldn’t say that out loud.
“I’ve done so much for this world. All of it-” her father cleared his throat a few times and looked scarily close to crying. No child wants to see their parents cry. No child wants to see cracks in their heroes. But all parents cry and all heroes have cracks, “All of it was wrong. So many dead. So much power sold away. I did so much for the world… but I’m starting to think it was all for the worse.”
Her father didn’t look her in the eyes. He stared toward the other side of the cliff as if waiting for the powerful winds to lift him across.
“Dad, we’re saving lives. If The Alley takes the city we’ll all be killed. What we’re doing is for the best.”
“So we should kill them instead? Those monsters, those savages, or whatever dehumanizing words the people are using? Tell me Guin, who is The Alley to you?”
Guinevere was starting to feel uncomfortable. It was a shame since the weather was so pleasant and the sunset so beautiful, “Killers… killers and war-hungry conquerors. They’re bad.”
“And who lets us live in this city Guin? Did our ancestors come here peacefully? Did they not kill and conquer? Even at the very beginning of all of this,” he swung his arms around wildly, “we killed and conquered the animals that had a home here and made our own homes on top of their corpses. Aren’t we all guilty of that sin Guin? Aren’t we all just beasts that crave violence? Aren’t we just making things worse?”
Guinevere didn’t know how to respond. She was mostly just afraid. Not of her father, but of what her father was saying. There was a message in there that would ruin her, that would make the world hopeless and pointless. She knew it deep in her core.
“Guin. It’s a nice cliff, don’t you think?”
“Yes.”
“I think so too.”
Silence passed between the two as the sun put away its fiery shadow and hid behind the distant mountain range. It wouldn’t be long now until total darkness came.
“Guin, I thought we should come here together, but I was wrong. Lessons are hard to pass on, and I don’t think I can do it. Learn Guin, learn as well as you can. If you find a good answer, hold onto it.” Her father, shrouded in darkness now, took another step towards the cliff; his footsteps on grass easy to pick out amongst the normal sounds of nature. “If you can’t Guin… if you can’t find an answer, this cliff will always be here.”
~~~
Guinevere found her way back to the car. It was strangely easy to make her way back through the forest. She wondered, briefly, if her senses were heightened tonight. She sat down and started the engine.
She…
Guinevere wanted a lot of things at that moment. She wanted to put the finishing touches on the MAC. She wanted to meet up with Lionel and Callista and Jace. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to go back to the same city she’d grown up in. A city that wasn’t at risk of being wiped off the map.
But,
most of all
she wanted to forget that dreadful silence as her father walked into the abyss. She wanted to erase his easy acceptance from her mind. She wanted, though she never would, to forget that cliff.