Steam Legion (3 page)

The building that housed the inventions, contracts, and projects of Heron was one of the larger buildings on the entire Library Campus, certainly the largest assigned to a single man, and as they approached it, Dyna noted that a light was burning in one of the upstairs windows.

“Hold here,” she said, raising a fist in the air.

The men came to a halt behind her, shifting nervously in the night air as they heard the sound of screaming and fighting at their backs, the angry red glare of the fires reflecting off the building ahead of them.

“What is it, my Lady?” Cassius asked softly.

Dyna snorted. “Only a great fool would blunderingly approach that building if Master Heron is awake and aware of what is passing in the city beyond the gates. I’ll go alone. Have no worries, just wait for my signal.”

Cassius nodded as she stepped forward, moving cautiously closer to the building.

When she was close enough to be heard without screaming, Dyna called out to the building, “Master Heron, may I approach?”

There was a long silence before the old man’s voice croaked out in response, “Dyna, child? Why are you here on this evil night of all times?”

“I come to you for aid, Master,” she said. “We have need of your genius, if we are to save our Library from the Zealots.”

“Pah,” Heron spit angrily. “Barbarians. They sack a city and destroy priceless things in expectation of what? Sowing fear and discord in the Empire? Fools. The Empire will not bend for them.”

“Indeed it will not, Master Heron,” Dyna answered. “But tonight the Empire is not here. Only we are here. May I approach?”

Heron seemed to realize that they were calling to each other across almost fifty feet of distance and shook himself, uncovering a small lamp he had with him to bathe the area in a soft, diffuse light. The shadows he hid in were washed away, and a white-haired old man appeared, smiling softly into the night. “Come, child, approach. I’m too old to be calling to a young lovely such as yourself in the dark anyway.”

She smiled at him, eyes twinkling in the light. “A few more years on me, Master, or just a few less on you, and things may have worked out far differently.”

He laughed at her, brushing the flirting off as she walked up to him. “Bury that nonsense. You’re too far above my station, and a dozen times too comely for me.”

“Your mind is the most handsome in all the Empire, Master. It would not have been difficult to persuade me,” she said with a soft smile.

He snorted. “Five years we know each other, Master and student, and only now…
tonight
of all nights, you tell me this? Enough of the flattery, child, what do you need?”

Her face grew serious. “Everything, Master Heron. I want everything.”

****

At the far end of the Library Campus, there was a tall building, the Tower of the Library. It had been built centuries before, one of the oldest buildings still standing in the constantly renovated Campus, as part of the testing process for the Alexandrian lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself was a wonder of the world, able to cast a beam of light so brilliant it could be seen fifty miles away. A beam that held such heat that many whispered it had been designed as a weapon to incinerate fleets of warships on approach to the city.

Myths and legends aside, the lighthouse did serve one vital role besides its more obvious duties, and when Laurentius Coronus Patricia Aelia shouldered his way through the door at the base of the old University tower, he knew he was about to put that role into action.

“Light the flames, I’m going up,” the Immune told his Pedes comrade as he started up the stairs.

Pedes Juranus Maeli nodded. “It will be done, Aelia.”

Aelia, so nicknamed by his Cohort for his skill with the signaling procedures, said nothing as he began climbing the stairs to the top of the tower. He knew his partner and trusted the man with more than his life, so he focused instead on his own task. Most battlefield signals were done with horns, flags, or whatever was at hand. Sometimes fires were used, particularly within forts and well-fortified places, such as city walls and the like.

Here in Alexandria, there existed a capability used only in a very few places in the entire Empire, one inspired by the work of Archimedes of Syracuse and that inventor’s legendary genius. When Aelia reached the top of the tower, the flames below were already lit, and the light was reflected up the center of the tower, guided by the polished bronze along the walls to the condensing reflectors Aelia carefully inspected before he began to work.

He slowly cranked the reflector into place, reading the adjustments off the carvings on the wall, and aimed it at the Great Phaeros itself. When he had finished that task, he took a moment to compose his message before finally opening the cover of the reflector and sending the signal code flashing off into the night.

He sent it once, waited, then sent it again. After the third repeat, the light of the Phaeros flashed back in acknowledgement, just as Juranus climbed up the stairs and came to stand by his side.

“Are you done?”

“Look out the tower. Can you see Master Heron’s building from here?”

Juranus glanced out and nodded, “Yes, Immune.”

“Good. Take your lantern and let them know we’ve finished the mission.”

While Pedes Juranus crossed the room to the window, lantern in hand, Aelia carefully covered the reflector and waited for any other messages, or orders.

****

“Centurion Cassius, a signal from Aelia. Message and orders have been sent.”

Cassius glanced at Dyna as she spoke with Heron, waving the other man away in acknowledgment. He was more interested in the duo across from him, though he had to admit that he had little idea of what they were discussing. They were certainly speaking excitedly, but in a low enough tone that he couldn’t make it out. “Thank you, Liunis.”

He waved the Pedes off, sending the man back to his posted position, and waited. It wasn’t long before Dyna turned in his direction and waved him in. Cassius walked to where she and Heron stood and nodded politely to the Master before focusing on her. “Aelia reports orders sent and received.”

“Good. Master Heron, this is Centurion Cassius, Increcius of Rome,” Dyna said. “Cassius, Master Heron.”

“An honor, sir.” Cassius stiffened and performed a very slight bow of his upper body. Not a deep one, but an acknowledgement all the same.

“And here, Centurion. Any friend of Dyna’s is a friend of mine,” the old man rasped out, obviously holding in a cough. “So, we seem to have a problem. Let us retire to my workshop and see if any of this old man’s toys may be of service, yes?”

“Sir,” Cassius acknowledged.

“Bring along a couple of your men. We’ll need their strong backs, I’m afraid.” Heron sighed, shaking his head. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

Cassius waved in two of his Pedes, the lowest ranking foot soldiers in the legion. When it came to strong backs, they were the men to call. The four men and one woman then walked into the large workshop as the remaining few men took up sentry duty outside.

The dimly lit shop was cavernous by any standards, large vaulted arches holding up the high ceiling and giving the Master room to work on all the projects, contracts, and occasional flights of fancy that came his way. He led them to a far wall, pointing to several large bronze tubes fitted with huge pots on one end and scraps of wood lying all around.

“You’ll be wanting these, I expect,” he said. “You are familiar with their operation, child?”

Dyna nodded, eyeing the tubes with barely concealed glee. “I didn’t know you made so many.”

“Prototypes,” Heron shrugged. “They work most impressively, but they’re too heavy for their uses.”

“We’re defending fixed locations, Master. They’ll serve,” she said. “You two, take these out to the front of the shop. We’ll need to find horses or oxen to get them to the walls.”

The two Pedes glanced at Cassius, who gestured subtly and waved them on but turned to Dyna as they began dragging the cart-mounted tubes out of the shop.

“What are they?” he asked.

“I stole the idea from Archimedes,” Heron admitted. “It took me years of my life to design one that worked, even though he did it so many years earlier. Genius, that man, I could tell you stories…”

“Another time, Master.” Dyna placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling gently.

“Right. Yes, of course.”

Cassius was going to ask more, but a glint of gold under a large canvas caught his attention. He moved toward it, almost unconsciously, as Dyna refocused Heron’s attention on the matters at hand. He was almost to it when Heron noticed him.

“Ah, yes, that.” The old inventor smiled sadly. “That won’t do you much good tonight, I am afraid.”

“What is it, Master?” Dyna asked.

Heron waved his hand idly. “Pull it down, pull it down. We have a few moments, I’m sure.”

Cassius frowned but did as he was bidden and gripped the tarp firmly before yanking it clear.

Dyna gasped, hand coming to her mouth as she approached. “Master Heron. They’re…Magnificent.”

“My last great play,” Heron said, coughing as he did. “Doomed, I am afraid, to remain incomplete.”

Dyna reached out and laid a hand reverently on the bronze-plated shield, a Spartan shield that was held in the mechanical claws of a wood-and-metal warrior. The shield was not the only thing of home she recognized, either. From the cuirass to the pleated skirt, even the sandals on its wooden feet and, of course, the helm mounted on its head, the automaton was bedecked in Spartan battle wear, all polished and fit for kings.

Beside the one she touched stood seven more in identical garb, with shields locked and bronze swords in hand.

Dyna was stunned beyond belief.

“A play, Master Heron?” Cassius asked, curious, as he too looked on the masterpieces with wonder.

Heron nodded. “I’ve done the Argonauts, told the tale of Troy, and a half a handful of others in ever-increasing displays of mechanical marvel… This would be my finest tale to show the people. The last stand of Thermopylae.”

“It will be a marvel,” Dyna said, shaking her head in wonder.

“It will never be completed in my lifetime, child,” Heron said ruefully. “It took me a year to build the first Spartan, you see. The others were faster, but I overreached, Dyna, child. I wanted to do them in life scale, for you. The whole play will cost a fortune and take unbelievable time to set up. No, I was too ambitious.”

The old man laughed ruefully, coughing slightly as he did. “Those words should be etched on my tomb, Dyna. See to it, would you? Here lies Heron of Alexandria… He was too ambitious.”

“You fancy yourself the Caesar of the Library, then?” Dyna asked, a smile playing at her lips despite her concern for the older man.

“A play? These move?” Cassius interrupted their repartee, staring at what he had thought were statues.

“Oh, yes, my dear Centurion. They move.” Heron chuckled as he walked over to section of wall with ropes tied everywhere. He untied two, letting them go, and Cassius could hear something shift and move.

He almost leapt out of his skin when the eight Spartans stiffened, as if under tension, and then slowly they all began to hammer their shields with their swords. It was an eerie, chilling sight for Cassius, but Dyna giggled gleefully and clapped her hands.

“Oh, brilliant, Master Heron! Brilliant!” she said, laughing cheerfully as she hugged her teacher. “This will be your greatest play!”

“It would have been,” Heron said.

“Oh, be silent with that,” she told him in no uncertain terms, rolling her eyes. “You should have told me about this. I would have helped, it would be done by now.”

Heron chuckled. “Child, it was a surprise for you. Telling you would hardly have helped that now, would it?”

“Later. When we’ve ejected the brigands of Jerusalem from our city,” she said. “Then we’ll talk and get your final play finished.”

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “Now, what else do you need from this old man?”

Cassius nodded. “He’s right, Dyna. The city is burning; it’s only a matter of time before the Library does as well.”

Dyna’s expression became serious, even as she smiled very slightly. “That is the real reason we are here, Master. Are your pumps ready?”

Heron nodded, leading them across the space to another section, where they found several carts set up with large metal basins and enormous levers and pipe. “You know how to operate them, Dyna. They’re yours, along with whatever else you need. I would rather not lose my home, to say nothing of the scrolls and priceless knowledge held here.”

“The Gods willing, we’ll have the needed men soon enough to see that doesn’t happen. Thank you, Master Heron.”

He waved her gratitude off. “Put my inventions to use, child. You know most of them as well as I. If you save the Library, that will be thanks enough.”

She nodded absently, already formulating a plan as best she could with what little she had available to work with.

Chapter 3

The light of the Pharos was said to be visible from a hundred miles, if one listened to the proud citizens of Alexandria. In truth it was just two miles shy of fifty where the current record had been set, as measured along the mile markers dotting the Roman-built roads that connected the city to the Empire. That was more than enough, however, to cover the entire city and much of the outlying areas with no difficulties. More than enough to be seen by every man close enough to be of use to the defenders of Alexandria.

When the signal light began flashing, most didn’t recognize what it meant, or even that it was a code. While not strictly a state secret, the use of the Pharos for military communication was uncommon and little known.

Those few defenders who recognized what the flashing of the light meant immediately paused in what they were doing, unless they were in a fight for their lives at the time, and took a moment to decode its meaning. Those who could do so quickly spread the word to those who could not, and in short order, men from all through the city began to break off fighting the plundering Zealots and fell back to the city center where the Library stood.