The Clockwork Princess
by
Liv Fletcher
Hello.
Hi there, my name is Hayley Cydney La Cotta. I was born in France in the year 2054, which makes me sixteen. My mother is Leigh Cydney La Cotta and my father was Bruce Arthur La Cotta and despite having English first names my whole family is French, Just to clarify it's just my family like British names more than French. My father was a business man, an inventor if you like and a very great one he was and he was always tinkering with things and creating his own new mechanical appliances using old techniques like screws and clock work, rather then lasers, glue and technology.
He even built our house, every little sheet of glass brick was placed down on the ground himself with his only help coming from my Grandfather, Morris. Morris helped cement the house and structure it- He was the best man for the job though, he was an Architect at the time and was previously a builder.
My father and my grandfather had a great relationship and Morris lived with us up to his death in 2060 and sure, I cried a hell lot of tears. Everyone cried, Morris was so loved and so famous around town it was a tragedy an end to the world as we knew it, the greatest architect for centuries, and he was dead years before his retirement.
Nobody knows exactly what happened most people think it was an accident whilst he was out shooting with the people he claims are his friends but I don't think a bullet accidently ended up in Morris La Cotta's head. I think it was manslaughter- murder! But to this day, nobody believes me and I swear that one day they will but until that day I shall continue my protest against his 'accidental' death,
Let me bring you back to the present though. I am the tinkerer's daughter and I myself am I massive fan of using old technology to create something new and upon the heart breaking course of action which led to my father's death I will finish his work and I will finish his life time dream but not without the truth and what's a better way to find the truth then to go see it yourself? My father was weeks away from a scientific revolution, He was going to do what no man had ever done before and not only was he going to go beyond that, but he was going to do it using technology people used in a time of Kingdoms and empires- clock work and electrical pulses.
I'll admit now, I do not understand any word on the blue print I found under his mattress but I do know, that with a bit of reading and effort that I can recreate the diagram he spent so many years developing into a machine so precious he couldn't even afford to replicate it once. A gift so dangerous he couldn't let it out his sight and a machine so organized it could turn back time.
The dream of time travel was my grandfather's before my father's though because engineering has ran through my family for generations but I dream of being the best my family name has ever seen. Sure, I'll be the youngest if my success comes early but young people can still suceed.
I see pictures of famous teens on the televison and in the paper all the time now, so why should I be any different? I could be the best at my game if I tried and anyway, why couldn't I be the best anyway? My father had done half the work for me.
"Hayley! For God's sake! Get your daydreaming behind down here right now! Your brother needs a ride."- well, I'll always have that obstacle to face too. I stepped away from the desk of blueprints and out of my father's comforting and preserved workshop before lazing my way down to the front room to grab my shiny silver keys which were equipped with all sorts of buttons, that I mostly ignore- clockwork will always be cooler then this technology crap, science is dumping on us...always,
