Engineer's Empire 2.0

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They looked out over the sprawling labyrinth of brick buildings, all connected to one another with their covered hallways. Smoke rose from several chimneys attached to stately manors and the iron forges. Slade could feel an oiliness to the air, left over by the smoke from the kilns and forges. Slade touched one of the walls, still feeling some of the fading heat from the previous day's sunlight.

Slade was in awe the first time he had seen Brickton. It was an entire city made of red brick, where the walls of buildings interconnected with bridges and tunnels to make a series of walkways throughout town; giving a second, third and even fourth story to the entire city. These passages connected most of Brickton into one immense, sprawling building, with some open courtyards and walkways of course. One could walk across the entire town and never run into anyone on the upper or lower levels, unless they peered over a balcony or terrace.

The entire city was said to be made by an eccentric member of the temple of Vaioth in reverence to the Great Architect. It was said there was nothing else like it in the entire world. There was apparently also a massive brick shortage after the building of this city. It was designed with platforms that raised and lowered to make bridges between buildings on each floor. Mail wagons were loaded onto side carts. Workers pulled on the crankshaft, and were raised in small carriage lifts to their desired floor. This was the machine that had given Slade the idea to fix the old wheel well in White Pine with a pulley system.

The children could see that the city was already abustle with the influx of people for the Grand Masquerade. Merchants, peddlers and tinkerers had already set up stalls throughout the city. Despite the late hour, lights flickered in every inn and tavern around town, each filled with people from all over the empire coming to the event. Slade smiled, hoping he might meet an Engineer this year.

Some folks were still skulking about at a time when the city was normally silent. Slade noticed a few more of the grim looking gentlemen with the black top hats. He noticed them turn a corner when a few bronzers strolled by. He was trying to get a better look when Tyler's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"All that talk of walking, and I've never once seen him get out of that seat," Tyler said, staring after Halding's wagon rolling away.

"Say that within ear shot and you might see him get up pretty quickly," Slade replied.

"Hurry along you louts!" hissed Beadle Lumen.

"First in line gets sweeping duty," he finished.

Jeffrey, Tyler and Slade all ran to be at the front of the line. Beadle Lumen was still looking at his clip board when all three found themselves shoved to the ground in rapid succession. Some sudden, rude force had knocked them all over. They looked up to see the Terror of White Pine Orphanage and the Scourge of the Brickton Works Program, Russell Crane. Russell Crane was thirteen and had the personality of an angry guard dog mixed with a wild boar. Although only a year older, he was much larger than the other boys, and used this to his advantage whenever possible. All the other children Russell had not knocked over had been scared away by his Cro-Magnon scowl. Lumen looked up.

"Ah. Well it's good to see at least one of you isn't completely lazy and worthless," Lumen said. Russell forced a grin that looked like a snarling Rottweiler. Lumen handed Russell a key.

"You'll be sweeping the Constable's office," Lumen said. Russell shoved past the other children. Lumen looked to see Slade, Tyler and Jeffrey pulling themselves off the ground.

"You three! There's no napping here. Just for that, the three of you are moving gravel tonight!" he scolded.

"What?! We were pushed! Russell-" Tyler started to explain.