All is Well

20th August - The Steamworks, The Green Dock - Afternoon

"Jump." Tommy cried as he threw himself from the back of the steam wagon. The older boy managed to stay on his feet and ran behind his arms outstretched towards Gill.

"Come on, just jump." He urged again.

Gill took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he leapt from the back of the vehicle. Tommy tried to catch him and fumbled and the two boys tumbled over each other into the road. They lay there a moment a jumble of arms and legs before Tommy burst out laughing and pushed Gill away.

"Get off." Tommy said and Gill rolled to his hands and knees grinning at his friend.

"You told me to jump."

The two got to their feet and began the short walk to the Green Dock. Ever since Gill had come back with stories about the body and being chased by the watch Tommy had been desperate for an adventure of his own. When they had heard rumour of the great explosion at the train station there was no talking Tommy down, they just had to see it first hand.

The first thing they saw was the makeshift barrier placed by the city militia to keep people away. There were guards here and there, but they for the most part seemed preoccupied with what was happening at the Station beyond. Tommy walked up bold as brass to speak with one of them.

"Ere mister, what happened?" he asked.

"Clear off." The man growled spitting out the stub of a cigarette and crushing under his boot.

"I'll give you a packet of smokes if you let us in." Tommy offered and the man laughed.

"You what?"

"A packet of smokes for a peek inside mister, what do you think?" Tommy pulled a fresh packet of cigarettes from inside his jacket, a little crumpled from the fall but otherwise untouched. Gill watched open mouthed.

The guard looked thoughtful and then glanced around. "Give em over then and piss off inside, but if you get caught you got in elsewhere and I never saw you."

"Cheers mister." Tommy threw the packet up to the guard and dashed under the barrier before the guard could change his mind. Gill followed, his heart in his mouth.

"Where did you get those?" he asked as they ducked behind a parked wagon and crept forward to get a view of the station.

"Nicked em from my dad this morning, he'll blame my brother, he's always nicking em."

Gill laughed and peeked out from behind the wagon. "Bloody hell." he cursed.

"What? Let me see..." Tommy clambered forward, "Wow!"

The entire front wall of the train station was caved in and smoke was still drifting out. Fire crews were working in the main gap in the wall and cranes had been set up to remove some of the larger debris. Around fifteen militia men were also there looking on with weapons ready.

"Look!" Tommy pointed to the bundled shapes laid out across the road. Bodies! around fifty of them all covered up with white sheets.

There was a commotion amongst the militia, orders were barked and most of them went running off towards the barricade. The two that remained exchanged some words and entered the ruined building.

"Now." hissed Tommy "Lets go have a look."

Before Gill could argue the older boy went racing of toward the bodies. Gill hesitated for a moment looking left and right, there seemed to be nobody looking in their direction. Tommy motioned for him to follow and at last he dashed across the road to where the shrouded forms were laid out.

The smell hit him straight away and he gagged. It was a sweet smell like cooked dog, he was going to sick up. Tommy was not looking great either but he was determined. Carefully he reached over and lifted a sheet and screamed out. The body beneath was a charred ruin, one eye missing and he other half exploded over the face. The skin was dark green and melted like wax. Gill stepped back and stumbled over another body just as the two guards came running out upon hearing Tommy. They levelled their weapons and started yelling. Tommy panicked and ran in towards the station, Gill scrambled to his feet and followed, trying not to look down at the singed corpse he had fallen onto.

There was a deafening crack of weapons fire as the guards shot at them and a bullet grazed the wall ahead of Gill causing him to cry out and duck. A sharp piece of stone grazed his cheek.

Gill and Tommy ducked under and archway and found themselves in a passageway leading deeper into the Station. They ran on, their feet hammering on the cold marble floor. More shots sounded behind them and they soon found themselves struggling to breath as thick smoke billowed in from the fires ahead. Gill lost sight of Tommy as he turned and sprinted out onto a nearby platform.

He stopped running then and crept behind an overturned crate to catch his breath. He crouched there for what seemed like forever. Every now and again a billow of smoke would blow in and he would have to hold his breath or struggle with a fit of coughing. He wondered where Tommy had got to, had he been caught.

Eventually he plucked up the courage to peek out from behind the crate and gasped at the sight. On the opposite platform a gigantic steam train was turned on its side, fires still smouldering around it on the tracks. He saw the open carriage behind the engine and the glowing green flagesium spilling out from inside. Luckily the fires were far enough away from the stuff to stop it from igniting.

He saw movement atop the train and almost cried out. Tommy was clambering along the train. Footsteps nearby caused Gill to duck back and then the two guards appeared on his platform coming to a halt near the crates where Gill was hiding.

"Get down from there." One guard called over to Tommy. There was crack of rifle fire and the other guard cursed,

"Be bloody careful thats Flagesium in there."

Gill peeked out again to see the two militia men standing with their backs to him. Tommy was still clinging along the top of the train looking for a way down the other side. Another shot barley missed him and he stumbled forward and half fell onto the carriage side. He picked himself up and glanced over towards where Gill was hiding. The surprise on his face told Gill that he had seen him and for a moment they looked at each other. Then the bullet hit.

Gill bit back a scream as Tommy clutched his shoulder and went tumbling down into the mound of flagesium that was spilling from the open carriage. The slag was sent spraying outwards as his body struck and some landed in a nearby pile of smouldering timber. It hissed for a moment as the heat did its work and then the world shook.

Gill ducked behind the crate but the force of the explosion as the flagesium in the carriage caught fire obliterated the cover and sent him crashing back into the wall. The Crates themselves were filled with heavy damp fleeces used for cooling the Flag tanks on the huge trains. If not for them he would have been vaporised along with Tommy and the two guards. Still the impact knocked him out cold.

***

"...fire crew says they were poking around near the bodies."

"...just kids... miracle he made it out in one peace."

"The two idiots we killed in the blast... no sign of..."

"Probably from the Sprawl..."

Voices floated around in Gills head as he swam in the darkness. He could not move or cry out, he could not think.

"...take it from here... none of your concern..."

"I dont like this.... better be paperwork..."

"...wont be missed..."

A single voice spoke to him then,whispering in his ear,

"Do not be afraid little one, Mavromichali Mortimer has you now and all is well."