Chapter II: Gravity

[IamLEAM1983]

"We could proceed with the transfer right away," agreed Anastasius, "but I was given the impression that Archibald wanted to wait for his colleagues..."

Indeed, Archie had been sending furtive glances at one of the observatory's windows, which gave a fairly distant view of the street in front of the mansion. Aidan's car could be seen pulling over, which almost was enough to make Archie beam. He hurried to the front doors of the domed structure and flung them open.

"Aidan, my boy! Please tell me you've brought the necessary items!" he called out, which made Sarah smile wryly as she walked ahead. "Oh, I'm good, Archie!" she sarcastically stated. "Iraq was fun; a whole damn lot of Coallition soldiers, lots of sand and a ton of rocks! Yeah, I did end up with great class notes and an epic sunburn, thank you very much!"

In the back, Three ascended the observatory's small hill with a small crate of champagne bottles. "How were Customs?" asked Anastasius. "I'll assume you didn't try and sneak some of Nimrod's old arcane trinkets back Stateside?"

Sarah scoffed. "Yeah, and spend five to ten years in the pokey after all my work in the postgrad circuit? No fucking thanks! Besides, if you're looking for Mesopotamian lore," she explained, grunting as she took a plate of prepared sandwiches past the Clank, "you're better off flying to Paris, mister Romanov - not Baghdad! The Louvre has the Gates of Ishtar, and you can ask Francis about their arcane worth! Story goes you can open the gates to the realm of the Annunaki with those."

Archie took the plate from Sarah and placed it on a nearby table, carelessly pushing a few of his own maintenance tools aside. "Annunaki?" asked the Karthian, who was unfamiliar with the term.

"Also known as Heaven. Only Faerie has direct access with our world, you can count the times a living mortal transsubstantiated into Heaven or Hell without dying on the fingers of one hand. Nobody knows why, a lot of people assume the passage just doesn't work if you haven't croaked, first. Those gates, though, they're supposedly the remnants of the one and only case of someone in Heaven thinking it'd be swell if the living could borrow sugar from the dead. That, or y'know, ask their angel neighbor to babysit their kid or something. Someone else went Fuck, no! and set us back on Square One."

Archie smirked. "Is that your professional opinion? I do hope you haven't addressed your professors in this manner.
- Oh, jeeze, no. I don't want to kill my Master's in the egg, not when I'm six months short of graduating! That's how I handle my TA postings, though. The undergrads appreciate the informal approach - it at least cements their interest."

Considering how Sarah had seen Crystal fairly often outside of her posting as a Deputy Chief, by now, she settled with a casual greeting. "Oh - Hey, Mrs. Lowell. I'm just a little confused here - Aid told me Archie felt like he was about to give birth or something and we needed to save face with booze for, well, whatever it is that's going on..."

She gave the armature a look. "Who's being upgraded?"

* * *

"That might be difficult for the time being," noted the Architect's follower. "As I've told you, the heads of Renewal have not left California in some time. There is a tour of the East Coast planned for the following spring, however, with Hope as the second or third destination. I forget which," he explained, gesturing dismissively.

Still, he raised a finger. "I've obtained this on one of the cult's private servers, however. If you would...?" he asked, letting his question hang as he placed his cup on the coffee table and began to stand up. He led Meris to his computer and began browsing through a few directories, until he stopped on what seemed to be a captured image from a 3D render.

"Our dear mister Thanos has been studying architectural design on the sly, it seems... I've obtained purchase receipts for the same drafting software I use, paid subscriptions to Adobe Creative Suite CC 4 and a contact list full of professional, if unremarkable residential design firms. As for his side project, after spending hours regurgitating nonsense about emptying one's chakras or journeying to our lower world; it consists of this."

The image he'd brought up was an external shot of the house the both of them had shared in the Darkhallow. A watermark at the bottom stated that this was the sixth revision of the project.

"Obviously, the more labyrinthine aspects of the premises are lacking," he explained. "One living room, one dining room, one kitchen, two bathrooms, one bedroom and one office - plus a yard access."

The Abomination smiled at her. "Believe me, he still has you on the brain."

[TennyoCeres84]

Crystal smirked at the young woman. "Hello, Sarah. Archie has the look of an expectant father because his friend Bagley is going to be upgraded from a genius loci into this armature. He gave the others a rough time to be here, so they should be along shortly. We were just running diagnostics on it," she explained. Her keen ears and nose picked up the sound of a motorcycle nearing the mansion. "That sounds like Aislinn. I don't know if Gubbin chose to join her on her bike, but he'll likely come out of instinctive duty. Neasa was out shopping for something or other. Ciaran will probably be coming in his truck."

***

George would see the glimmer of tears swell around the edges of Meris' eyes as she gazed into the computer screen. The selkie wiped them away and sighed. "That means he's building a personal residence in the not too distant future," she said with hopeful excitement.

[IamLEAM1983]

"Awesome, let's make at least a micro-party out of this!" she stated. Three eyed the crate he'd carried in and shrugged lightly. "I didn't have much to spare, so I couldn't get Archie's French bubbly with that unpronounceable name he likes. I went for some Californian."

The spy seemed lightly miffed by that assertion, but curiosity won him over. He headed towards the crate of four bottles and deciphered its label. "Seal Cove Chadonnay, California... X. Thanos, proprietor..."

Drake didn't many any sort of obvious connection. "Yeah, I think this used to be one of the plantations the Coppolas had an eye on, but then the 2020s happened, Scientology burned in a ditch somewhere and Greek interests took the place over. I figured it's got decent ratings, it qualifies as a decent dessert liquor, who cares who administers it, right? It's not like drinking this stuff is going to pump us full of Thetans or open our third eye or whatever."

Sarah arched an eyebrow. "That's Renewal wine?" she asked, to the tone of someone who was only mildly surprised. "I figure the sect needed to finance itself somehow, in the early days. I don't really mind, we just tossed more money at the distributor than the vintner."

Anastasius frowned. "Most Californian producers are further inland. Why name your product Seal Cove, then?
- Sentimental value?" idly suggested the soldier. "I mean, the label shows a pretty specific rock formation. Could this be just a random artist's drawing?"

Romanov pulled a bottle out of the crate and tried to study the label in direct light. "Hm; I cannot say. Most vintners use private imagebanks and graphic designers for their labels. If this is someone's true artistic process and not just a simple commission, I can see no trace of it here. I would have to look at the original drawing to know for certain."

Sarah watched Aislinn come up the hill. "It's just weird. Drinking the product of one of a New Age guru's hobbies.
- A millionaire New Age guru," amended Archie. "A few tax brackets higher, and I do believe Aldergard's suit-and-tie mercenaries would find themselves a new prey to burden with a high-security bank account..."

Three blinked at the Clank. "You're seriously paying attention to Renewal? I always thought it was just some scam the bored yuppies obsessed with biological food fixated on. Who needs professional help when you can just pack your bags, head to some fat guy's private ashram and open up to complete strangers - all for a couple hundred thousand dollars per stay!"

Sarah tsked. "Spoken like a true jarhead... First off, eating bio means you aren't pumping yourself full of pesticides, it means that the workers that feed you actually got decently paid for their work, and it means you aren't stuck with those weird shades you only find in Chinese buffets with irradiated foods.
- Oooh, I'm so gonna go and start a juice cleanse, then!" joked Aidan, which earned him a solid poke in the ribs from his sister.

Once his hands were freed, he lifted one to greet Aislinn. "Hey - you're just in time. I picked up these sterilized flutes at a catering spot on Hawking and scrounged up some El Cheapo champers for the occasion. It was that or I guess Archie killed me for not giving him something to take the edge off. How goes the parlor?"

* * *

"It certainly seems like it," agreed the Abomination. "Either that, or he has stopped daydreaming about it, at the very least. Now, the question remains if this is prior planning leading to his joining you - or if this is simply the sign of his desire to seat one of Renewal's temples here in Hope? He has routinely had apartments, condos and small houses pre-arranged for his arrival and has stayed there for months or years on end, in some occasions. It all depended on the extent of the work required to dig Renewal's roots. If the Chamberlain suspected anything, I may say we would have long since attempted to force a reunion between the two of you.

The only noteworthy aspect, as I see it, is that he designed it. Nereus has never needed to design anything before - his temples and greater congregation contain a smattering of architects he has robbed of both sanity and money..."

[TennyoCeres84]

The roane nodded. "It makes sense, though. Early on, the Darkhallow showed Nereus having a deep interest in architecture, and that it is what he did for a living. While there, he loved being able to create things without destruction being involved. As far as how long he'll live in this eventual home, we'll just have to wait to see," Meris commented, sounding slightly wistful.

***

Putting her helmet down, Aislinn smiled. "Hi, Three. The parlor's fine. Gubbin's been keeping it all tidy, and I've been getting customers left and right. Ever since the calamity earlier this year, everyone wants a tattoo from a woman involved in saving the city," she answered with a scoff. Curious to know what alcohol he had purchased, she peered inside the crate and raised an eyebrow. "That's strange. That fat, old, New Age phony must have a thing for the Orkney Islands; I recognize this rock formation from one of my dad's family photos. Even the name's a nod to the islands," she noted.

Neasa and Ciaran came up the observatory, the older female selkie carrying a small shopping bag with her. "Hey guys," the male twin greeted, nodding to everyone. The eldest of the siblings waved to them and set down her item. "Hi, everyone."

Fortunately, the Centennial Tree dryad showed up as well. Her hair now crowned in red, orange, gold, and brown leaves, Sophia entered the building. "Figured I shouldn't miss the return of another old friend," she stated.

[IamLEAM1983]

Anastasius, as expansive as ever, couldn't resist walking over to the dryad and planting two solid kisses on her cheeks. "Sophia, my dear!" he'd called out, "you are a vision, as always."

Three was understandably more casual in his approach. "Ciaran, hi! Hey, Soph. Did you do something with your hair?" he asked, teasing her, before handing her a flute. "I ended up unknowingly picking up a Renewal product," he explained. "Seal Cove. Aislinn says the label's familiar."

He then looked back to the roane. "Do seals or selkies sometimes beach around Greece? I figure you're as likely to go for tourist spots as anyone else, right?"

Approaching the group, Archie seemed to have been mollified by the appearance of these few celebratory essentials. "In any case, this follows an interesting pattern. Renewal shows a strong in interest in establishing its ashrams and recovery centers in areas reputed for their wine production. Chile, Portugal, California, the south of France... All coastal areas, as well."

Anastasius could only amusedly scoff at this. "Who can blame them? Aren't beaches an ideal spot for introspection?" he asked, after which he gave Sophia a wink. "Aside from lovingly tended dryad groves and clearings, of course."

* * *

George said nothing in the immediate, preferring to give Meris a knowing look. He briefly squeezed her closest shoulder as a show of support. "Hang on, dearest. Like all things, this cavalcade of ours has to end. At least, it now seems as though this culmination is within our grasp.

I've attempted to bypass that meddlesome second fiddle for decades, ever since you told me of your attachment to Nereus. I would love to facilitate a reunion between the two of you, but Xenophon Thanos' messages are carefully screened. All parcels are inspected, all mail is proofread, all electronic communications are monitored. Even my most subtle of creations have been blocked or rendered useless.

I've managed to infiltrate low-level managerial positions in Renewal's Florida spa center, but that seems to be the length, breadth and depth of my ability to approach your amore. Unless he stops by Miami in the near future, I cannot risk requesting of my operatives that they move. What I have been able to observe, however, is telling."

He sighed. "Nereus has... dubiously enjoyed quite the share of empty dalliances over the past five years. You are likely to have seen him online or on television, projecting the picture of marital bliss five times over. Based on your initial intelligence, however, it would seem he is merely putting up a good front. All the hotel suites he rented contained two separate bedrooms and all the room service agencies I infiltrated found no traces of intoxication or intercourse. He insists on sleeping alone and changes his General Practitioner as soon as one of them dares to mention his growing weight problem."

He tapped his fingers on his desk. "With this in mind, it seems safe to posit that he is chronically unhappy. Perhaps even clinically depressed, but I have been unable to retrace his recent pharmacological history. Chances are Chambers procures whatever drugs the guru might require under false aliases."

[TennyoCeres84]

Aislinn shrugged. "It's entirely plausible. Wanderer selkies travel all over the world, usually for fishing but also recreational purposes. Sometimes they settle down in ports that are appealing to them. Dad's from such a family, and then he and Mom decided to settle in Hope. Why not Greece?" she speculated.

"Hello, Anastasius, and thank you! Hi, Aidan," Sophia greeted with a smile, then looking to the the bottle and Archie. "While now is not the time for it, but perhaps it would be worth seeing if these vineyards are near any inky pools, like the one Hope and Evergloam have," she suggested to the clank.

***

Meris nodded. "I have seen him online and on television. He presents a jovial exterior, but I can read between the lines. Even with stage makeup, I can detect the bags under his eyes. He craves my presence, and it seems the lack of it is affecting his health. If he is here in Hope for very long, I think I have devised a spell that could potentially reach him and get past the security, an arcane message in a bottle," she stated.

[IamLEAM1983]

"They might not be," amended Archie. "After all, one could surmise that Void Weavers could become accustomed to planes or surface-world watercraft. If I were in their shoes, I certainly wouldn't depend too strongly on any single transportation system - nevermind how powerful these pools are said to be."

Then, resting on his sword cane, he opted to go for a more humorous answer to Three's question. "And why not Greece? I can think of a few reasons to start a cult there: the economy is struggling to recover from the last decade's collapse, the weather is pleasant, the opportunities for leisure are plentiful, the culture's ancient roots attract a cultured clientele... In fact, I would be the least threatening cult leader ever! Why bother, when I can suck in money from the pockets of the gullible and enjoy some of Europe's finer products from the comfort of a rooftop terrace?"

He eyed Crystal with a vaguely conspiratorial look. "Your wolf gets the cliffs and the scent-laden surf; you get, oh, I don't know, a new bathing suit every month, an ever-present tan, the best tables in the archipelago..."

* * *

"Have you tried for a few test runs?" asked the Toymaker. "If not, here is all the more reason to leave the building. Get out, see the sights, make a few friends - and then cross over into Sandhill and send me that arcane buoy of yours."

He chuckled. "You might have to dial down on the affection and the sense of aching separation, however. I might get a tad embarrassed, otherwise."

[TennyoCeres84]

Sophia nodded. "That is true. And given what Circe told me, one of the suspects behind the attack was a lovelorn Lothrario, and Mr. Thanos has a flair for the dramatic. So, the Seal Cove might be a reference to a selkie he's still bewitched by," she guessed with a shrug.

Crystal scoffed to Archibald. "Yes, sounds absolutely glamorous. These are all sound like potential leads to follow up on. Though, shouldn't we be getting ready to integrate Bagley into his new body? While I'm sure he has some idea of what's been going on, he'd probably like to be caught up on things."

***

The cantor shook her head. "No, I haven't, and you're right on both accounts," Meris answered, chuckling. She finished the last few dregs of tea and stood up. "I'll get out, scout around, get to know some people, and do a little experimenting. No worries, however, I'll keep the message as merely friendly."

[IamLEAM1983]

"Thank you ever so much," joked George. "I am not sure how the cockles of my black heart would handle a display of unrestrained devotion. Point in fact, I think it would burst right out of my chest cavity. I confess to not being too fond of that notion. I am rather attached to my heart."

George had never really been a monster for more than a few decades, but Meris knew he still enjoyed walking the walk and talking the talk for the sheer fun of it. For better or worse, her friend was a man with a heart of gold whose chuckles would have sent chills down someone else's spine.

He followed her to the door they shared, having picked up her finished cup. "I saw your grocery bags for the week, as you came in," he confessed. "I saw a packet of bacon, unless my eyes deceived me, and I happen to have enough fettucine, cream, eggs and shallots for the two of us. How about you stop by a decent liquor store on your way back, and pick up something decent, hm? My stomach seems satisfyingly strong as of late, and I'd hate to dine alone on a Saturday night."

Knowing him, he didn't have much of anything romantic planned and only cared to keep hanging out with her. "We pick a movie, share a board game or two and then say our farewells for the night. Are these plans sufficiently fiendish for your tastes, milady?"

* * *

A low voice of a different accent and timbre than Archie rang out in the observatory's speakers. It sounded like a Manchester native, the kind of old brogue you wouldn't really hear nowadays, as the United Kingdom increasingly started to look like a conurbation.

"While I appreciate the reminder, miss Lowell, I was quite content with watching and listening."

In the far corner, one of the domed building's fairly Steampunk cameras whirred and hissed, focusing onto the group.

Archie raised an eyebrow. "Bagley? Hadn't I disconnected you from the observatory?
- Yes, sir. However, it is my understanding that the Hall's new financiers have been kept abreast of the logistics of the current operation. It was reccomended that I not be forced to travel very far, in order to integrate with this armature. A special authorization was issued, as well as the requested specifics of my post - courtesy of mister Kuhn."

The camera bobbed a few times, as if nodding hello. "Your Eminence, Lady Sophia..."

Anastasius rolled his eyes. "I thought I was done reminding you, my friend. I am no longer Czar, much less Archon.
- The peerage system still applies," protested Bagley, with his characteristic deadpan tone. "Lord Holden and myself encountered you in your years as a member of the Russian aristocracy, therefore protocol demands that I address you as such."

Anastasius sighed, digging his hands into his pockets and looking away as if embarrassed. "Fine. I can only hope your integration will improve your conversational skills.
- Would you rather I acted as something I have never been, Your Eminence? The conditions for familiarity have not been met.
- Are we stuck with these conditions too?" then asked Three. That seemed to drive Bagley to silence for a few moments.

"I have seen you train, mister Drake. I have watched all of you develop your skills. I have seen you return defeated and dejected, as well. At present, I am ill-equipped to offer reassurance. While I cannot address you in familiar terms at present, I may certainly offer my sympathies and my guaranteed empathy. Professionally, some distance will always remain, as it is my way of proceeding. Personally, you shall come to see in which ways I choose to manifest my concern for each of you."

There was a pause. "A Chief of Staff cares for his house. He does not dote over it. He assists his colleagues and employers. He does not coddle them. I value mister Romanov's input and do consider him as a friend. I will not, however, belittle the station that was his by addressing him as one of lower rank."

Three frowned lightly. "So... Aldergard decided you'd be our supervisor?
- The adequate term would be Head of Human Resources, mister Drake. That does not suggest, however, that I do not relish the opportunity to venture out into the field with you all. The paperwork may define me as your superior, all that I seek is to serve you and your friends as I have served Lord Holden and Mister Wallace.
- And you're going to serve us by being the HR department on your lonesome. I'm not convinced."

The camera's iris narrowed. "I apologize. I have been a house spirit for several generations, and my ability to express myself emotionally has been considerably blunted by time. Being treated as a combination of hardware and software has led me to think of myself as such. Hardware and software. My soul's fluidics remain the same, however, so no loss has occurred. Once made corporeal, my ability to empathize should be made manifest.
- I hope so, because I never had any sense of who you were," admitted the soldier.

"The notion of Self is a fleeting one, mister Drake. Are you the same person who took to his car to welcome his sibling home, this afternoon? Has some fundamental change occurred in you? How could you know? This haziness is the prerogative of living beings. If anything, you should accept that my integrating this armature qualifies as a moment of determinism.
- I do, but will you be who you were before you died? I guess that's my question."

The speakers grunted thoughtfully. "I cannot say," he admitted. "Dying changed me. Living as a house spirit changed me. Living as an armature will also change me. Lord Holden may never recover the man he lost in his entirerty. I do have his memories, however, and may act upon them as I see fit. Otherwise, the armature will mold the soul to fit its needs and capabilities. Hardware and software."

Something seemed to egg Three on. "Is Archie the same man you knew? Did he change because he's a Clank, or because we came along?"

There was a surprisingly long silence, following by a strange, if equally wise answer.

"Yes and no to all, in equal proportion."

Sarah chuckled. "When did this turn into an episode of Ghost in the Shell? I thought this was supposed to be a party!"

[TennyoCeres84]

Sophia chuckled. "Perhaps once he's in his body, he'll lighten up enough to join us for a drink. Bagley, do you think you will be able to some chardonnay and engage in casual conversation once your consciousness is within your new armature?" she asked.

***

Meris smiled. "That sounds positively dastardly, my friend," she replied amusedly. "After I return, dinner, games, and a movie. Sounds delightful, even normal."