The Adventures of Will Irving: Automaton Trouble

Chapter 30

"I just don't get it," Claire said in frustration as she flopped down on the sofa next to Will, who was holding a framed photograph of Claire's mother. "We've searched the whole house...even the urn...I can't believe I actually did that! What are we missing?"

Will and Claire had spent nearly the entire day searching Claire's house for some clue to the meaning of Arthur's mysterious phrase, and now evening was quickly approaching.

"You look so much like her," Will noted as he alternated looking at the photograph and then at Claire. "You're both so beautiful."

Claire blushed slightly.

"What was her name?" Will asked.

"Autumn," Claire answered.

Suddenly, they felt a low rumble and heard a grating sound coming from the direction of the fireplace. They both immediately got up and rushed over to the fireplace and saw that a secret door had opened in the floor inside. A ladder led down into a dark space below.

"Well, I guess we know what your dad meant now," Will quipped.

"My mom's name..." Claire whispered.

"Yeah," Will replied. "Let's try again just to be sure...Autumn..."

Nothing happened.

"Maybe I have to say it," Claire suggested. "Autumn..."

Instantly, the secret door began to close, and a moment later, the fireplace looked just as normal as it had before.

"Autumn," Claire called out again, and once more the secret door opened. "Let me grab a flashlight!"

Claire ran off and returned a moment later with a flashlight in her hand. She turned it on and shined it down into the darkness below where they could see only a bare concrete floor.

"Well, here goes!" Claire said excitedly as she bent down and began to descend the ladder.

Will smiled and shook his head in admiration of Claire's courage and sense of adventure. Once she had made it to the bottom, he began his descent. As Will hopped off of the last rung of the ladder and turned around, the room suddenly lit up. Claire had found a light switch on one of the walls.

The two friends found themselves standing in a small room that was about 10 feet square and entirely encased in concrete. Shelves lined the walls of both sides and a desk stood at the far side of the room. Claire slowly made her way toward the desk, pausing to look around at the various pieces of equipment and little knick-knacks that filled the shelves. Will stood back and let Claire have her moment.

When Claire finally reached the opposite side of the room, she saw that there was an envelope sitting atop a number of papers and notebooks that were neatly organized on the desk. She recognized the handwriting of her father, who had written her name on the envelope. She slowly picked up the envelope and gazed at the front for a moment before finally turning it around and opening it. She carefully removed and unfolded a single piece of lined paper, and then she began to read the note out loud:

"My dearest Claire, I'm sorry that things happened the way they did, and I hope you'll forgive me for leaving you. I'm not sure there's much else in this world as strong as a father's love for his daughter. It was that love that compelled me to do whatever I had to do to save you. You probably have a thousand questions right now. I'll do my best to answer them here. Things were never the same after mom was killed. I realized that my work needed to have more meaning than just innovation for innovation's sake or to provide the world with greater comforts. I needed to do my part to make this world a safer place for you. And so I began working on a project in secret. My work progressed quite slowly until I met a man named Jim Wesson. He believed in my project, and we became partners, pooling our resources and building a team to help make my dream a reality. Jim even challenged me to dream bigger, and we added a second phase to our plans. We finished my original dream about six months ago when we created a new automaton prototype with increased physical capabilities: more agile, stronger, and highly resistant to ballistic damage. We called him Atticus. I wish I could have showed him to you. He's simply amazing! Our second phase is only days away from completion. However, Jim and the team will not be able to finish it because I kept one last necessary component secret. In this room, you will find detailed plans and notes for the new prototype as well as for phase two. I leave them with you because I fear that Jim has changed. I can't be sure that he won't misuse what we have created, especially now that I am gone. But I know you will keep them safe, and perhaps someday even put them to better use than we had originally intended. If I'm gone, then it's quite likely that Moe Salley is dead too. If he is, then at least I accomplished part of our task, and the world is a little bit safer. Claire, I am so proud of the strong, independent, intelligent, beautiful, talented woman you have become, and I know mom would be too. Keep doing amazing things! Our love will always be with you, my dear. Love, Dad."