Tesla: A Teen Steampunk/Cyberpunk Adventure (Tesla Evolution Book 1) (6 page)

“No. I’ve seen some pictures, but not a real one.”

“Where are you from, son?”

“Talinga.” Sebastian ran his hands over the polished steel.

“Ah, those Luddies.”

“We’re not Luddites. We’re just cautious about new things, and isolated.”

“We’ve had steam power for three thousand years,” said Bruce. “It’s hardly new.”

“We’ve brought a pavlova,” said Brenda in an effort to lighten the mood.

“Ah, you’re a darl, love,” said Sheila.

The two women turned and went into the house. Merv and Bruce stood by the steam-utility vehicle, chatting. Sebastian joined them after his examination of the SUV.
 

“You know how it works, sport?” Bruce asked Sebastian.

“In theory,” he replied. “Steam expands in the chamber. It’s cool on the other side, and the pressure difference pushes the piston.”

“Correct if this was a piston. But this is a rotary.”

“Boys!” Brenda shouted from the house. “Food’s up.”

“Oup. We’ve been summoned. Inside, mates.” Merv clapped his hands and signaled for them to enter the house.

Merv reached out for Sebastian and held him back. “Best not mention the cyber-blokes. Bruce isn’t one for liking strangers,” he whispered.

There was a flurry of activity in the kitchen. The ladies were bustling around the stove while Bindi set the table.

“Bruce, love, put the drinks in the Esky to keep them cold,” Brenda called out.

“There’s not much room, love,” Bruce replied.

Merv sat at the long oak table and indicated for Sebastian to sit next to him on the bench. He leaned over and whispered, “The eternal battle of meat versus the grog. A death match, resultin’ in the salad being abandoned.”

Bruce sat down and handed Merv a frosty beer, and the two chatted about local sport and what cheats that lot up from South Tamarine were. Sheila and Brenda whirled about the table dishing out the food.
 

Bindi sat down next to Sebastian and looked at him shyly. He thought she was way too close. There was going to be trouble in the elbow-space department when they tucked into the food. His stomach growled.

“Oh, you poor love,” Bindi said. She placed her hand on his arm and he nearly leapt off the bench. “Dig in. No one will mind.”

Bruce was cutting into his meat with a stern expression.

“Somethin’ up, Bruce?” Merv asked. He took a sip from his bottle.

Bruce placed his knife and fork on his empty plate and drained his mug. He turned to Merv. “Have you heard about these strange fellas in black shootin’ these lightguns?”

“Er, yeah, I might’ve have heard about them.” Merv looked uncertainly at Sebastian.

“It’s not right. We shouldn’t have those fellas roamin’ the land hurtin’ people.”

“It’s the thin end of the wedge. It’s health and safety gone mad,” said Merv.
 

It appeared to Sebastian that Merv was gently mocking Bruce.

“I’m livid to the point where I might write a letter,” Bruce said.

Brenda placed her hand on Bruce’s. “Do you think that’s wise, love? Especially after last time.”

“Somethin’s gotta be done, and if it means puttin’ pen to paper, then damn it I’ll do it again. We can’t have these gangs runnin’ round. Before you know it they’ll be takin’ our jobs.”

“They’re only a couple of weird-lookin’ guys,” said Merv. “They bleed just like you and me.”

“They’ll be signin’ them up on the South Tamarine team next.”

Merv paused halfway through his smile. “Did you lot hear anythin’ just then?” He was watching Sebastian, who was rubbing his head with his eyes closed.

“No,” said Bruce.

Merv turned and sat motionless, looking out the window. “Damn it, somethin’s not right.” He got up and went to the front door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and closed his eyes. “Seb, can you feel—” was as far as he got.
 

There was an eruption of light as the wall to Merv’s right exploded, showering debris over the table, narrowly missing everyone. He shouted to everyone to get down on the floor. He crawled along the floor until he was safely behind the heavy iron stove. More beams of light sliced through the kitchen. In one movement, he pivoted up onto his heels, grabbed a large blunderbuss from above the stove and returned to the floor. He fumbled with some shot and packed it into the muzzle.

“What exactly are you plannin’ to do with that old relic?” Bruce said.

“It’s the best I got. The rifles are out in the coolroom.”

Merv spun and rested the muzzle over the stove, leaning on the hard metal. He gritted his teeth, squinted, and released a volley through the shattered wall. He turned and sat with his back to the stove. “Bloody hell, woman, it’s still hot.”

“Of course it is, love. You complain if the dinner goes cold.”

“As usual, you’s right, love.” He nodded toward Bruce. “This is no good. You think you can crawl over to the coolroom and grab the rifles?”

“I’ll give it a go.”

“Good man. I’ll try and distract them.”
 

As Bruce crawled over to the doorway, Merv leapt to his feet and grabbed a small box off the stove. He pulled out a long flare, lit the end and launched it into the clearing. The flare burned fiercely in the night sky, casting a brittle deep-blue glow over the surrounding area.
 

There was movement as a figure in black stepped back into the darkness of the forest.

Bruce returned with two rifles. He passed one to Merv, who cracked the rifle and checked the chambers were loaded. Two golden bullets glistened in the gaslight.

“That’s more like it.”
 

Merv leapt up and fired into the clearing. Bruce took a position by the doorway and fired as Merv positioned himself on the other side of what remained of the door.

“The wind’s pickin’ up. Bruce, you take the right flank. See if you can force them out into the center.”
 

Bruce nodded and slipped into the bushes without a sound as Merv fired a couple of shots into the darkness. He turned to Sheila. “Love, throw me the axe holster.”

Sheila slid over the leather strap. Merv slipped it around his shoulders, then slotted in the axe so it rested against his back. He turned and winked at Sebastian, then disappeared.

Sebastian stayed on the floor, huddled with the women. It was some time before he realized Bindi was holding his hand. She was smiling, but her hands were shaking.

A high-pitched scream echoed through the forest, followed by two more.

Eventually Merv spoke. “Okay, you lot, you can come out now. The coast’s clear.”

Sebastian walked onto the veranda. “My head doesn’t hurt, so that means they’ve gone.”

“These ones have gone, Seb,” Merv said. “Forever.”
 

Bruce came running out of the trees and leapt up the stairs. “Looks like first innings goes to us.”

The two men stood together on the veranda looking out into the silent darkness.
 

Eventually Merv nodded. “Ah, the serenity.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sebastian said. “More might come.”

“Let them.” Merv’s face was impassive as he stared out into the great dark wilderness. He broke into a smile and ruffled Sebastian’s hair. “It takes a lot to get past ol’ Merv, don’t you worry about that, squirt.”

“I need to go.”

“You need to go inside. I’m going to scout round, make sure we’re all clear.”

*

Sebastian felt a great relief when Merv finally returned. Bruce had been talking endlessly about the imminent threat of foreigners.
 

“What if they come back in numbers?” he was saying. “It could get serious. Might have to cancel the barbie.”

“No need to overreact, Bruce,” Merv said as he swung the axe off his back He placed his rifle on the table. He picked up his beer to take a sip, only for the bottom to fall off.
 

“That’s not good,” said Sheila.

“See,” said Bruce, “they’re even deprivin’ a man of a cold beer for a hard-earned thirst.”

“Let’s all calm down,” Merv said. “It’s been a bit of a shock, but we’ve dealt with worse.”

The others looked at him.

“Like when Jones’s bull got out.”

They all nodded in unison.
 

“It’s all because of me,” Sebastian said. “If I go now you’ll be safe. What if Bruce’s right and they come back?”

Sheila looked at Merv. “You can’t let the little tike go on his own.”

Merv nodded. “Furthest thing from my mind. I’ll take you to the main station at New Toowoomba tomorrow,” he told Sebastian. “We’ll be right till then. Bruce and I’ll watch out overnight. We got that bottle of Bailey’s sittin’ on the shelf, waitin’ to push us through to sunrise. Right, Bruce?”

“Oath, mate.”
 

“I’d suggest you get your backside on the train to Toowoomba and find your mother. I’d take you there myself, but with those things out and about I don’t want to leave the family alone for too long.”

Sebastian sat down and closed his eyes. These people were so kind, and all he had brought was danger and destruction. Guilt weighed heavily upon him.
 

8

THE CROWING OF the rooster woke Sebastian. He was surprised to see everyone else up and about.
 

Bruce was putting the finishing touches on the new front door. Apart from the odd bit of charring, the house was looking like it had before.
 

Merv was sitting at the long table sipping a cup of tea. Steam billowed up from the water as he stared out the window toward the rising sun. Sebastian sat down next to him.
 

“I’ve been thinkin’—”

Sheila smiled. “He’s an ideas man, my Merv.”

“Yeah, thanks, Sheila. Like I was sayin’, those cyber-drongos fire that light thing, which bounces off shiny stuff. We got some ol’ flexi-steel sheets lyin’ out back. I reckon we could make some kind of light armor out of it to reflect the light.” He looked at Sebastian. “Could save you in a tight corner.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Sebastian said.
 

“No worries. Just give me ten and we’ll get on it.” He turned to the kitchen. “Sheila, get some grub for the boy.”

Sheila responded using a phrase Sebastian didn’t understand. A few minutes later Bindi came into the dining room with a plate piled high with cooked animal parts. He hungrily tucked into the food. Bindi was about to sit down when her mother called her to the kitchen. She harrumphed her way back.

After he had finished, he took his plate to the sink.

“No need for that, love,” Sheila said.
 

“My mother said I should always take the plate to the kitchen and clean up if someone else made the dinner.”

“She sounds like a very wise woman who’s raising a very fine young man.”

Sebastian blushed.
 

The sink was unattended so he placed the plate in the hot water and washed it. Bindi leapt over with the dishcloth. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at him. He took the plate out of the water and Bindi clutched at it, making sure she touched his hands. She stood there for a moment. Sebastian looked awkwardly at Sheila. Sheila smiled. Sebastian pulled his hands away and made a dash for the door.

Outside he took a deep breath and wiped his hands on his tunic. He heard the sounds of metalwork coming from the shed. He walked over, pausing to gaze at Bruce and Brenda’s SUV.
 

As he entered the cavernous space of the shed, he could see sparks flying from behind Merv as he bent over a cleaning machine. His leg was furiously pumping away on a pedal, and a small spinning wheel turned against a piece of curved plating. He looked up and gave Sebastian a nod. Sebastian sat down on the long wooden bench that took up most of one wall and waited.

Merv kept modifying the metal in some way, pushing here, pulling there, trimming everywhere, occasionally glancing over at Sebastian. Finally he called Sebastian over and tested the sheets against his body. Bindi came in and watched them quietly.

Sebastian sat down on the long wooden bench. Bindi sat down next to him. She was very close. She fluttered her fan. He slowly moved away. She moved along the bench. She gave him a shy glance. He moved a little further along. She moved next to him again, and slowly reached out for his hand. He quickly slid along further. He hadn’t paid attention to where the bench ended, so he toppled over the end and crashed into the buckets.
 

Merv glanced over and chuckled.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,” Bindi said. “Are you all right? Do you need TLC? The kiss of life?”

“I’m all right,” shrieked Sebastian. He held up his hands in defense.
 

Merv straightened up. He held up his work and rotated it in his hands. Its shine was fierce. “I reckon we’re just about there. Bindi, go tell your mother I need the silk.”

Bindi gave her father a sullen look, wheeled around and stormed off back to the house. A few moments later Sheila arrived with a large pile of glossy white material.

“It’s my wedding dress,” she said. “I won’t be needing it anymore now that I have my Merv.”

“Bloody right, woman. You better not be gettin’ any ideas runnin’ off with some young jack or I’ll have your legs off.” He waved his axe comically.

“Oh, Merv, you’re so romantic.” The two embraced in a very long kiss.
 

Sebastian scratched his scalp and then examined his fingernails. Eventually the two disentangled.
 

“Sheila, you’s the only one for me. Oh, the boy.”
 

Merv carefully cut a slim strip of silk from the base of the dress and rubbed it over the metal. His face was a mask of concentration as he painstakingly went over every part of the metal until it gleamed in the early morning sun. Sheila stood next to him, beaming at his expert handiwork, pointing out bits he had missed.
 

Merv picked up the piece and gave it a final inspection. He looked at Sheila, who nodded. “Finished. Okay, sport, over here and pop off your tunic.”

Sebastian removed it and folded it neatly on the bench.