Hydra Heart

Chapter Four

Chapter 4: Under Lock and Key

"You have something for my guest? Oh, damn, don't tell me..." He turned his grin towards Vesta. "Go with the monk. I promise you won't regret it."

The monk was a tall, wide fellow wearing long, plain gray robes and a hood that draped over his eyes. None of his skin besides his oddly clean-shaven face was exposed. When he spoke, his voice was so monotone that Vesta couldn't tell whether he was old or young. All the words out of his mouth sounded like rehearsed prophecy.

"Whether she comes with me does not matter so much. Her Kit will find a way to her. Though, this will speed things up."

"My Kit? You mean my coat? Because this is a jacket, and I have it already." Vesta nervously joked.

"Your Kit. It beckons for thee."

Vesta shot Tenra a concerned glance, but he was too busy stifling a laugh to offer any help.

"O-Okay." Vesta was officially, irrevocably out of her depth. The robed man spun around and began walking down a hallway. Vesta hesitantly followed.

"I assume you want to know what this is."

"Um. Yes. Sure?" Vesta was a little distracted by her surroundings. They had gone from walking down a lit, seemingly normal hallway to descending a creaky staircase, dim in the weak torchlight. Oh, that is a real torch, Vesta noticed.

"I am a Proctor. I see to it that Kits go where they belong. I lodge with these people, but I belong to an organization known as the Horizon Guard. It is made up of members who have the gift of listening to the wishes of Kits in ways that ordinary people cannot. In the last fifty-six years, we have also taken up the task of keeping the history of this planet intact for future generations.

"We ensure that Kits reach their destination by listening to them. Sometimes, we have to mail them somewhere. Or, we have to leave them in a place where it knows it will be found. Every once in a while, one knows that someone is coming to see them."

They reached the conclusion of the staircase, where there was a huge, metal vault door. Mr. Proctor raised his hand and waved it so that the sleeve wouldn't obscure his fingers. Vesta watched carefully as he rested his handprint on the bioscanner.

DNA ACCEPTED

"This is where we keep the physical objects that serve as the manifestations of the Kits. For example, Tenra's Kit is bound to his glasses. Thus, he can never lose his glasses, and they are unbreakable. This library is also where we keep all of the recorded history I am assigned to watch over. It is interesting to think, some say that Kits are the forces of history."

Vesta wasn't paying attention to Mr. Proctor's obviously rehearsed speech. She was amazed. After a long and dusty staircase, there was an ornate, well-kept library. The shelves were made of walnut, painted over with a rich black, but they were filled with color. Flashy hard drives were set next to books whose spines bore a cacophony of shades, illuminated by chandeliers.

Vesta was flabbergasted. This has to be at least twenty times as big as my apartment. All just to "preserve history?" There must be something else to this.

"If you are done being awestruck, I have something for you in the back." Vesta followed him, almost tripping over her own feet as she took in the sheer vastness of information. She had never seen such a rich collection of anything besides weapons. Hell, she hadn't done so much reading since her teenage days as a loner in school.

Vesta stumbled upon a question. "Do you have a Kit?"

"Yes, I do," The Proctor replied. "My Kit is one that I share with all other Proctors in the Horizon Core, named Water Table. It prevents anyone from communicating the location of our libraries to another who does not already know it, as well as enabling our information sharing. The convenient placement of this group's bases creates a mutually beneficial relationship: No one can reveal the location of their hideout, because it is in the same building as my library, and no one can damage my library without defeating any agents that happen to be here at the time."