Chapter 14:

Cultum

A Steam Requiem


Pristine white corridors filled with nothing but the sounds of people walking by, phantoms in this mysterious world, elusive to the human eye. 

Without a second glance, you wouldn’t even notice they were there. The peace it provided was sufficient for them to carry out their deeds, ones warped by their sense of ideals and upbringing.

Louise hated uptight scientists if you could even call them that. They were the intellectuals of the Spotless, running the whole system front and back, they controlled it all. 

If you said anything that went against them, they certainly had a method of disposing you, most Spotless knew where they would end up anyway. At the age of 60 most people if not an intellectual would disappear anyway... though most knew where they went.

Louise was sitting slightly bored in her aged armchair, the leather was getting worn but she knew it wouldn’t be replaced any time soon. Otherwise, her son, who often caused her such utter annoyance yet was also her main source of enjoyment; was sleeping soundlessly on the floor. 

With such an anaemic body Louise sometimes mistook her son for dead, but his relentless obsession for adventure meant she had to keep a constant eye on him. No façade of death could trick her motherly knowledge.

Louise continued to sulk at her window, becoming significantly more bored now with a touch of added annoyance. Yet her son required constant attention because he, unfortunately, experienced similar boredom; recently she found him trying to roll down the stairs to the ground floor.

Though Louise had a job to do and looking at the time it was about time for her to head off and get to work. Though Louise considered it less of a job and more of a… personal endeavour.

§

Down, and down, and down. Passing by the floors of the castle the faces of Spotless she knew flittered by, ones both kind and otherwise. Oddly enough the lower she went down the floors the higher ranked the Spotless were… she found this also made them far more unpleasant to be around. Hence most of her friends came from floors directly beneath hers, rarely any lower.

She found herself in the main auditorium, a grand circular room with nothing but a chandelier and most prized possession of the Spotless. A piano.

Central in the auditorium it wore pure black against the white walls and floor, it lay there, perfectly kept and untouched. Somehow it seemed to rebel against the Spotless in its existence, yet its beauty was too great to touch.

Louise was fairly sure no one even knew how to play it, let alone even attempting to do so. Instead, it just stood there, emanating its presence to those in the room. Just as it did for the group of intellectuals walking past.

“Hello, Louise. Why are you out of your room?” Said the man, central to the group. Priestlike the man strode towards her, with such power you’d think he was god. Louise deduced that he probably thought he was.

“Am I not allowed to walk around?”

“Well, just be sure to not go outside.”

“Why yes, of course, Grand Master.”

“I’m glad you still know who I am, good day.”

Louise waited a few moments. She had to make sure that no one would follow her to where she was going. It wasn’t exactly an… illegal act, just one that may have been frowned upon.

Louise had a strong distaste for many of the Spotless, she’d heard of the many atrocities they had committed. Just earlier she discovered the family of a young Spotless boy, having turned of age they were “collected” when he was away. She had found them in her morning meal…

The boy had come back to find his parents missing and was driven mad by the events. The most she knew was the boy’s name, Ilken.

It was especially imperative that she didn’t let the grandmaster see, as that would end less in a slap on the wrist and more in a possible death. Louise snuck her way into the nearby armoury, while there she locked the door behind her. Taking out a metal brick she bricked as many blades as possible while also sabotaging several firearms.

Her utter distaste for the Spotless had given her a long-term goal, trying to prevent any further horrors from occurring. Part of this included the dismantling of weaponry in the army, a task given to her by the small anti-cruelty initiative run behind closed doors. 

Her husband, Henry, was a key member in the society being originally of Scorcher decent. He had advocated for her services as a capable enactor of the society.

After finishing her job, she carefully integrated herself back into the main auditorium, sure not to attract any attention from the outside.

“Hi Dear.” The voice appeared from behind her, almost causing Louise to leap out of her skin. Thankfully it was just her husband.

“Oh… Hi dear, please be more gentle next time.”

“Did you finish… the task?”

“I’d love for you to show some concern for me first, but yes I did.”

“Sorry, I don’t have long as they’ll get suspicious if I’m gone too long from my post.”

“Do we have a meeting tomorrow?”

“Yes, we’ll be discussing the cause of explosion in the town some days ago, and one of our members also may be provided access into the Grand Master’s chambers.”

“Sounds good dear… Will you be home for dinner?”

“I should be, but if not feel free to start without me… How is Rez doing?”

“Curious as usual, sometimes I’ll find him digging around underneath the bed for the millionth time just to see if he’ll find something new. Otherwise, he’s learning to read fairly easily and…”

“What about his mind, when do you think we should tell him about our… beliefs.”

“Not yet certainly, that boy is still far too inquisitive to even make up his mind about something, I’ll let him grow a bit first.”

“Ok, well I had better go I’ll see you later tonight dear!”

Her husband ran off into the distance. Louise spent a second just to think about what she was dragged into. Certainly, she hated many of the Spotless, they were cruel and inhumane. 

Though at the same time, she preferred the idea of just living in peace with her child. Of the belief that maybe she would prefer to not take action, but to live in peace.

Though under the pressure of her husband, she found herself questioning whether it was better to fight for the people, or herself.

Strolling slowly back upstairs she noticed the Grand Master once more; the man could only be described as wicked. There was something about his smile, which seemed so unnerving to the woman.

In the end she could admit that he was the reason that she inevitably agreed to help her husband. She feared the man.

§

Making her way upstairs she greeted a few of the fellow society members, confirming the times for tomorrow’s meeting through hushed whispers. Some were also quite good friends of hers, though unfortunately she was the only one with a child.

Rez had often been alone for much of his life, Louise thought that in a way this was a good thing, he could entertain himself. Though she had been gone for quite some time now and decided it would be a good idea to go check on her son.

Stepping into the main room she found Rez bouncing on her worn armchair.

“And what are you up to mister?”

“Nooothing Mum, I’m allowed to bounce on the chair, right?”

“That’s an… interesting mindset you have there, who told you that you could bounce on my chair?”

“Dad did!”

Grinning slightly, Louise presumed that Rez was meant to keep that a secret. Especially since he covered his mouth quickly after saying it.

“I mean, I just wanted to do it…”

“Of course, you did Rez, who wouldn’t want to bounce on such a chair though I’d rather if it wasn’t broken.”

“Oh… sorry Mum, I’ll hope off.”

“Do you want to play a game instead.”

“Yeah, can we play with this ball I found.” Said Rez, bouncing off the chair and instead onto a bed.

“Sure thing, if you agree to stop bouncing on everything in the house.”

“Fiiiiine.”

“Where did you find the ball by the way?”

Louise saw her son’s eyes dart around the room before finally settling on the floor.

“Nowhere” he replied

“I hope you didn’t go outside to find it, that would make me very disappointed.”

“No…” The boy slowly to stare even more into the ground. Though Louise had given enough accusations for the day and let him survive his encounter.

“Ok, well that’s all good then, I assume you know that I’ll be very said if you do leave our home though yes?”

“Yes Mum!”

“Ok, all good then.”

After confirming this, Louise and her son played for some time. 

Sir Arthur Harris
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