The Steamlands

Chapter 13: Eternal Happiness

Once I got to ECLIPSE that next night, I immediately continued working on The Harrow. I had to fix the sudden stops in the movement of the metal planks and had to extend the time it took for the metal teeth to impale, along with a few other things. After a few hours of working, I called the guards to get the next inmate.

"Why hello there! How's your day going?" I asked the inmate as he was brought inside.

He simply stared at me with a hateful look. To the contrary, I was feeling a bit more, happy today.

"Strap him in guards, this one seems like he's going to be tough to break" I yelled sarcastically.

Once he was set and ready, I pressed the first button.

"Ahhh!!! Ahhhhhhhh! You're going to pay for this you sick bastard!" The man yelled.

"Well it's your fault you're here in the first place. You should've been more careful with your actions" I calmly said back.

As the metal teeth began to impale the man, I started observing the penetration more carefully, feeling content that the machines tweaks had worked well. Feeling a smile grow on my face, I got a little closer and took some notes. The man had tears coming from his eyes.

"Why are you doing this? Can't you see that this is wrong?" The man said, looking up at me, into my eyes, expecting some sort of empathetic response.

"Wow, those words mean NOTHING coming from you" I replied back.

"If I hadn't killed him, he would've killed my daughter" The man finally spoke up.

"Oh how sad! That doesn't change a thing" I said, pressing the second button, without giving my words a second thought.

I honestly didn't care about this man's life story. He was in here for a reason and now he was going to pay for it. Plus people are willing to say anything when they're on the verge of death.

"Please, I had no choice... have mercy"

"Ha! Ha! You're too late for that!" I chuckled.

His plea for mercy was just pathetic. I couldn't help but laugh at his helplessness. I was now certain that my actions weren't what they seemed. I pressed the last button, and soon enough, he dropped dead.

"I'll see you in hell, you bastard" I said giving the dead body a gentle push on the cheek.

All I could feel at the moment was a sudden burst of happiness. After all, my machine had proven its success with the changes I made. It had achieved the closest a machine could to perfection. Was I wrong to do this? Was it disrespectful? Immoral even? What even IS morality? Is it just something humans created to limit other people? To stop them from achieving their true potential? I certainly wasn't going to limit myself. I lived in The Steamlands, a society without limits. I finally understood why that was so. All I wanted now was eternal happiness. To no longer be buried by other emotions, especially negative ones that only brought me down.

"Amanda! I heard you finally finished working on your machine. Mind joining me to melt the body you used down by the acid room?" Alan suddenly came to room three and asked me.

"Sure, the more the merrier!" I yelled back.

We then went to his lab together. The body was already in place inside the machine.

"Isn't it beautiful! What your creation did! Just looking at it fills me with joy and wonder!" Alan shouted it, making it evident he enjoyed his job just as much as I wanted to.

If only my joy could achieve those levels. Those were my life goals.

"It really is a piece of art! And so is your acid! Making the human body much easier to deal with" I complimented him.

I'm sure he would much appreciate it. Anyways, he pressed the button on the machine and with that, the acid began to pour onto the body. The greenish acid falling was like a waterfall, a sparkling beautiful waterfall, eroding and melting away the bone and flesh of the body. No wonder Alan enjoyed his job so much, having to witness such beauty everyday. It was truly majestic. It placed such happiness in me.

"Oh look. There's even bubbles!" Alan suddenly yelled.

With that, I immediately started laughing my butt off. That man had no limits! He was filled with this odd childishness that simply made my night all the time. Once again, it was a moment of bliss. I freaking loved Alan! I've never met anyone like him. He was so unique and unfeeling I freaking loved it. I knew I had that spark too, I'd just take some time to uncover my potential. In order to do that, all I had to do was continue working. Working to achieve what I desired, to get all the way to the top. What had been my desire before, to destroy and expose The Steamlands, was no longer an option. Who would want to destroy a society that let you make your dreams come true? I knew I still wanted to get to the top, but this time, I wanted to do so to continue the functioning of this facility. There was nothing else to do.

"Thanks for giving me a hell of a show!" I told Alan.

He was still having a laugh on his own.

"I didn't want you to miss it! Hehe" He replied.

"By the way, the gang and I were invited to a gore party this Saturday night. Do you want to come?"

"Sure! I've never been to one. I'll be glad to come"

"Okay then, I'll see you then!" He hollered back at me.

I left the lab and went back to my office. It was almost daylight. So I packed up my things and headed home. I wondered what happened at a gore party. I'm guessing it's just what it sounds like, but who knows how far someone could go. Keeping that thought in mind, I went to sleep. 

(WARNING: Next chapter is of a highly graphic and violent nature)