Lost Worlds (my sci-fi short collection)

The Elves and the Shoemaker

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER 

A Steampunk fairy tale - written for Forbidden Planet's SFSD 6.0 Round 1 

(With apologies to the Brothers Grimm)

PFFFTTT! HSSSSS! SCREEEEE! 

Jak was certain the machines were screaming! He clapped both hands over his ears as his eyes darted wildly from place to place looking for somewhere to take cover. That was always the first task, find somewhere to be safe. The noise was so intense he couldn't hear himself think. Up above, huge pistons plunged up and down into vast tanks, steam belched from enormous pipes and at floor level he was faced with a series of square metal objects more than twice his height. Totally bewildered he spun slowly around in a circle. Everything was black with grime and dirt. Where was the shiny silver steel? The beautiful glossy brass fittings? The polished handles made of real wood? 

Where the hell were they? 

Where was Dev? For the first time he remembered that he wasn't supposed to be alone, that Dev was supposed to have jumped with him. His heart leapt unpleasantly into his mouth, had something happened to him? He was starting to feel queasy from the shock and the effects of the incessant noise when something made him look down. Dev was there, huddled on the ground, both arms around his head. He was naked, like a small child, curled up into a ball. Well, they were both naked if it came to that, everyone knew you couldn't wear clothes through a time jump! The few who had initially made the mistake of trying, had ended up in extreme pain, those who had survived the experience that is. It gave a whole new meaning to wearing your clothes "inside out." 

That reminded him. He looked around for the box which had been sent through just ahead of them, containing their clothes and the equipment they would need for the trip. He couldn't see it anywhere, all he could see was a small cube about thirty centimetres high over to the right, nothing that resembled the metre square box they had packed only hours, centuries, before. 

He bent down to touch Dev on the shoulder. "We're here!" he shouted. Wherever 'here' was. "Can you get up? Are you hurt?" 

Dev opened one blue eye and stared up at him in terror. The relief on his face when he saw Jak standing there would have had the other man laughing, if there had been anything remotely funny to laugh at. Dev scrambled untidily to his feet and flung himself into Jak's arms. 

Eew! What had Dev been lying on? He was covered in black muck, all down the side which had been on the floor. Tactfully, he tried to hold him at arms' length. Unwilling to be prised off completely , Dev clung to one arm, following him over to the small cube. It certainly looked like the box they had packed, if only it had been the right size.  

A movement caught out of the corner of his eye, had Jak spinning around. What was that? His head tilted back on his neck as he stared up higher and higher until he could see what, or rather who, was coming towards them between the machines. His mouth dropped open for a split second before he grabbed Dev with one hand, scooped up the cube in his other arm and dragged them both into a narrow passageway to his right. He kept running until the passage turned into a tunnel and they were able to disappear from sight. They kept running, until they ran into a wall which hit them full in the face. 

Picking themselves up, they tapped and prodded the wall in front of them. It had felt hard enough at the moment of impact, but it wasn't made of brick or they would have had broken noses. That was weird, thought Jak, it felt almost like some sort of stiff paper, covered in a slightly sticky black substance. He pushed gently at one side and felt it give slightly. Calling on Dev to help, they both pushed harder and it gave way, opening up like a door. Cautiously, they peered around the corner.