The Unbroken Chain

This feeling. I remember this feeling. Cold. I remember it. It always made me feel alive. Alive? Am I alive? I am awake.

The boy sat up, damp hair clinging to his neck. Reaching back, he realized it was his. Long. The cold from the wet concrete seeped into his exposed legs, giving him a vibrant chill. He didn’t mind. Despite the wetness in his hair, it swayed in the gentle breeze that swished around him, wrapping him in its cold embrace.

He stood, patting himself down. Attempting to brush away some of the water, he realized he was wearing tattered shorts and a t-shirt, no shoes. His feet were scuffed and dirty, but unharmed. Had I walked here? Where was I before? The concrete was surprisingly smooth on his bare feet. He curled his toes, smooshing them into the hard, wet surface. Why does this feel so familiar. The only other possession he took notice of was a silver ring clinging tightly around a finger. In its socket, a bright grey moonstone.

It was then that he took the time to look around, his gaze soaking in his surroundings as watchful as an eagle. Those keen eyes took in the rusty steel beams, old metal staircases and scaffoldings. Machinery. Plethora of machinery. All sorts, all sizes, lined up in rows, some pushed off to the side against the walls. Rusty, defunct, abandoned, forever lost to whatever manner of people used them. Pity. The place was a veritable graveyard. Not one of flesh and bone, but rods and gears, plates and pins.

Sounds of something dripping gently echoed off the metal and concrete, a fair distance, around a corner or behind a wall. It was then he realized how quiet the area was. He clicked his tongue, three times, slowly. The sound of his clicking joined that of the dripping in this hall of eternal echoes. No birds. No vehicles. No insects. Nothing. Shouldn’t there be something? His questions went unanswered, as there were no people either. He was completely and utterly alone.

Careful to watch his footing, lest he cut himself on some broken glass or rusty piece of machinery, he stepped through the old factory. The building was mostly whole, but dilapidated. Cables hung from old light fixtures, dusty desks sat in haunting offices, the kitchen area was covered in water stains and rust. So much rust. There were still some ceramic plates and bowls sitting in the sink, yellowed with age.

The mystery of the dripping water was soon solved when he stumbled into the locker rooms. A cracked pipe leaked the life-giving liquid all over the blue and white tiled floors of the showers. Given the algae and moss growth, it had been leaking for quite some time. A small oasis had formed, creating a sanctuary for various bacteria and fungi. Stepping up to the little pool formed at the clogged drain, he was granted a view of himself. A tenebrous reflection of a dark-haired boy no older than thirteen stared back at him. His long hair dangled down his face, casting a shadow over most of it. All except those bright eyes, piercing, ice blue, seemingly made of aquamarine. Nothing could darken those.

What was that? He heard something. Distant and ethereal, as if someone were laughing into a giant tube several kilometers away. Laughter? Shivers took hold, causing his legs to slightly shake. Not for the cold, but an eeriness that consumed him. Still, there was even something familiar about that feeling as well.

He walked on, finding himself staring down a long hallway. It was dreadfully dark, but there was enough light coming through from the multiple windowed doors along either side that he was able to avoid most of the hazards, cutting himself only once on some broken glass. It wasn’t deep. He would live.

Peering through each window as he passed, he discovered various offices, laboratories, supply rooms and more machines. Then came a corner at the end of the hallway. He continued on, not knowing where to go. A faint buzzing sound coming from one of the rooms caused his head to snap back. It was quick, only two seconds or so, but he was sure he heard it. He rushed back to what he perceived to be the originating room, all to no avail. Just more machinery. Notably, a saw table sat against the back wall, rusty like everything else. That eeriness crept over him once again.

The dripping could no longer be heard when he finally approached the light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case, the end of the hallway. Double doors lay broken on the ground, seemingly torn off their hinges. Once past the threshold, the room opened up into a fairly large lobby area. A receptionist desk sat in the middle, with the hallway on one side and elevators on the other. Various small tables, couches and benches were scattered throughout, mostly broken and overturned. But the boy could sense that this area was once grand, one of beauty, something to be admired. A testament to whatever company or corporation owned this factory. Looking over the reception desk, he found there were only a few large letters hanging from what used to be a brand name: ‘Co----ell --dustri--.’ It could be anything.

Carefully stepping through the obstacles of shattered glass, splintered wood and shards of metal, the boy made his way out of the lobby doors and into the parking lot—a pond of damp, cracked asphalt. There was nothing but grey skies. No vehicles, no people, still neither animal nor insect to be seen nor heard. In fact, by that point the only thing he could hear was the ever-intensifying beat of his heart. Stay calm. Relax. He would not panic.

He passed through the empty parking lot. It was giant, partly wrapping around the side of the enormous factory building, which looked far more impressive from outside than in. There were a few makeshift camps on the lot, with signs of campfires, burn barrels and a few abandoned tents. But all evidence suggested they were abandoned long ago, perhaps years.

A strong desire from within caused him to continue forward, out into the empty street. Empty of life, at least. For there were many dilapidated vehicles, chairs, campsites and more. The buildings were all rundown and falling apart. A few had collapsed. He had moved from one graveyard to another. Not a soul observed, not even so much as a cat or crow.

Despite the damp cold, sweat was beading on his skin like morning dew coating a soft leaf. The trembling in his hands was one of fear rather than cold. Fear of not knowing. Not knowing who he was, or what has become…of him or of this place. He hugged himself as he trudged through the ruinous wasteland. Where he was heading, he could not say.

Then he heard something, finally. A car door closing. It came from behind him, around the corner of the street he had just passed. Now he had to decide. Does he walk to the sound, or skulk away? Are they friend or foe? Threat or help? Is it in my imagination again? After some minute contemplation, he figured he didn’t have much of a choice. He would approach the sound, albeit cautiously. And so, he did.

 He peered around the corner of what used to be a coffee shop made of brick. What he saw was an elderly, grey-haired woman leaning on a cane, standing next to a behemoth of a man holding an umbrella over her head. The sharply dressed giant must have been over 200cm. His large black trench coat looked expensive, as well as his shiny brown shoes. A LED watch clung to his massive wrist, its bright icons and lines glowing in the grey light like some sort of blue and green firefly. His enormous shoulders seemed to touch the sky as well as his large, square-shaped head.

The old woman, however, was quite the opposite. Probably no more than 156cm, and maybe 44 kilos, she appeared a child next to the giant protecting her. A very well-dressed child, however, wearing a business suit that seemed to have been crafted by the finest of tailors. How the boy could tell, even he didn’t know. But she was a woman of means. One with an air of confidence and societal grace that showed she was obviously a woman of influence, and given how the large man meticulously attempted to make her as comfortable as possible, she must have been one of power as well.

Strange enough to see someone of such status wondering this graveyard, but even more stunning was that of the vehicle they arrived in. It had the appearance of a sleek, luxury town car, except without wheels. Instead, it hovered above the asphalt, with some strange blue light vibrating below the frame. The boy was amazed. He had never seen such a thing. Or have I? But his attention went back to the women. There was something about her…

Something drew him forth. Something deep, something pure. It wasn’t malicious. No. Whatever was pushing him forward was a part of him. He could sense it. Feel it. And, as if she knew he was coming, the old woman turned to face him with a tap of her cane on the crumbling asphalt. The bodyguard expertly swiveled with her, not losing a moment of the umbrella covering her delicate frame. At that moment the boy saw the man’s face for the first time. Instead of eyes, he had a long, horizontal frame of some computerized apparatus. It shone with bars of light that pulsated back and forth like audio waves. The boy could see lines of scarring along the edges. Whatever lied underneath was most likely very unpleasant. One would think that would terrify such a young lad. But it only intrigued him.

However, the woman’s face, like everything else about her, was the complete opposite. The wrinkles and blemishes on her skin were genuine, part of the natural order. Her radiant grey eyes were soft, nearly matching the color of her long straight hair that cascaded freely down her petite shoulders. Powerful eyes, stern even, but soft. There was a kindness there that didn’t necessarily present itself at first glance. The boy had to search it out, dig into those bright orbs until he was able to wrap his fingers around it. But once grasped, the warmth it gave was intoxicating. Do I know you?

“Hello,” the woman broke the silence, her voice soft and comforting. Those grey eyes pierced into his, shattering all fear he had known. “You must be very confused. We always are.” A smile.

The boy was indeed confused, evident in him only nodding with open mouth.

The woman looked at the ruins around them. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I remember when this was the economic hub of the city. Bustling streets with all manner of shops, retail stores, several restaurants, factories. Always lively. Come.” She signaled the boy to follow her, tapping her cane along the broken road as they slowly made their way down the street, the giant in tow, arm outstretched with umbrella still in hand. It had begun to sprinkle a light rain; the boy hadn’t noticed until then. His dark locks were soaked through and through. But the chill, it still didn’t bother him.

“Who am I?” the boy finally grew the nerve to ask.

“Ha!” The woman’s guffaw echoed off the old, abandoned buildings. But soon it turned into a harsh, near-violent cough that forced her to clutch her chest, slightly bending over in pain. The bodyguard placed a strong hand under her shoulder, stabilizing her. When the fit subsided, she stood straight, proudly, patting him on the forearm. “Most would ask who I am, this odd stranger coming to a place like this. But not you. No. You always knew the right questions to ask. Always an internal mind, seeking answers, struggling to improve yourself as much as possible.”

“I…I am lost. I know nothing. I do not remember my name, who I am, where I am from, how I even arrived here.”

“Yes. That is normal. It happens every time. To both of us. But it always happens here”—she pointed her cane at the old factory which they now stood in front of—“where it all began. I suspect there is something…familiar about this place to you. Yes?”

The boy nodded.

“Indeed. For me as well. Every time. You won't understand this now, but this is where we first met.” A smile beamed across her face. That kindness in those beautiful grey eyes grew brighter than any flame. “But of course, this factory wasn’t here. It was a stable. You were the hand. You even served one of the lords by the end of it. Proud they were of you. Oh, such a handsome boy you were. I was a little younger than you, as I will be next time. Four years back then. This time, thirteen. Not our biggest discrepancy mind you.” A hoarse chuckle.

The boy was more confused than ever.

“It always begins and ends here, you see. This place. The stable. The farm, blacksmith, inn, saloon, casino, that little café, the mill, down the line until it became this factory, where you were a machine worker.”

“I don’t understand. But I…I feel…something…”

“We always do. It is the chain that binds us, never to be broken. Never do we wish it to be.” She handed him a small, shiny black box, shaped like a deck of cards. But on the edges of its frame were glowing green lights. “Take this. Keep it with you always. When the time comes, you will know what to do with it, and it will explain everything. Come.”

She took his arm in hers and walked on, past the factory. It was obvious she was struggling, as the boy had to assist her the entire time. They passed a few streets and made their way up a gently inclined hill.

“My time has come, you see. I tried finding you sooner. Since you were born. Just for a little more time. But fate had other plans.”

“Fate? Is that how I got here? Is that why I can't remember anything before?” The boy sighed in dismay. As they approached the top of the hill, the bodyguard stayed behind, folding up the umbrella and giving them privacy, but keeping them within sight.

“It is the way it has always been. I go through the same thing, time and time again. But we always find each other. And then we live, love, together. It is our lot. Our…destiny? I do not know. But I do know this”—they arrived to the top of the hill, she turned toward him and took his hands in hers—"nothing will ever break the chain. For even though we are sometimes apart, we will always be one.”

She dropped to one knee, coughing once again. The boy knelt down and gently helped her up. She smiled, pointing off to the distance. “Look.” The boy was so focused on her that he hadn’t noticed the view they were granted upon reaching the top of the hill.

Before them lay a vast cityscape of glass-plated buildings with swirling vertical and hovering highways. Skyscrapers so tall that he couldn’t see the top, suggesting they actually ended out in space. Flying vehicles raced around the horizon like a disturbed nest of hornets that were all somehow precisely synchronized. Gigantic flying crafts that resembled massive cruise ships floated to the sky, going up and up until they vanished from the atmosphere. All manner of lights shone from the bright city, blasting the sky with a brilliant sheen. He realized it was actually the middle of the night, but the light pollution illuminated all, giving the surrounding valleys a grey hue.

The woman's breath was growing shallower by the minute. What little energy instilled within her, giving her this last journey to seek him out, was now dissipating, fading into the ether. But he held her, held her strongly, never letting go. I know it now. I know her. She is mine, and I hers. No. This chain shall not be broken!

While they both stared off into the distance, he in awe of her and the fantastical city before him, she in peace while he held her, a single tear slid down his warm cheek, passing by his quivering mouth and falling off his chin. It landed on her hand, directly on the ring that sat on her slender, wrinkled finger that tightly grasped his shirt. A ring holding an aquamarine stone.