Darkness Depths

Juliet exited her apartment in a hurry. She zoomed down the stairs, running into Mrs. Lorenzo.
“Oh dear, where are you off to in a hurry?” Mrs. Lorenzo exclaimed.
“Party! Running late gotta go!” Juliet explained as she continued running.
“Oh my! Well you look absolutely marvelous! And I love your hair!” Mrs. Lorenzo called out to the speeding Juliet.
“Thank you!”
Juliet ran into the alleyway, and put on her helmet. She mainly did this to keep her hair okay during the steam-board ride. Juliet looked at her glove watch frantically. It was 5:40, twenty minutes until the start of the gala. Juliet put on her goggles, and strapped herself into the steam-board. Mrs. Lorenzo poked her head out of the door and spotted Juliet about to take off.
“Be careful, Juliet!” Mrs. Lorenzo called out, motherly.
“I’ll be fine!” Juliet ensured as she began leaving the alleyway. She turned to Mrs. Lorenzo and let out a smile, gentle and reassuring.
The young lady rushed off. Around her, flying machines dotted the roadways. The setting sun shone through the buildings, bathing the streets in a soft light. Juliet weaved her way through traffic with ease, speeding up every minute. The White Quarter was all the way across the city, and Juliet had to get there in less than twenty minutes.
Eventually, Juliet entered the busy streets of Golden City, where traffic zipped by at dangerous speeds. For Juliet, however, maneuvering through all of the rushing vehicles was a piece of cake. Juliet dodged public transports and small airships alike. The young lady, being of hardy spirits, also enjoyed showing off. She did flips and spins through the vehicles, even in fancy attire she’s currently in.
Several minutes later, a number of thrill-seeking steam-boarders popped up next to Juliet, noticing her adrenaline-inducing actions.
“You boys want to race?” Juliet yelled out, over the winds.
“Hell yes! Where to, girly?” One closest to Juliet asked.
“The White Quarter! Starting…Now!” Juliet sped off, leaving the other racers temporarily behind. Juliet’s elegant clothing ruffled in the wind as she darted through the stream of traffic; other racers slowly catching up. Soon, law enforcement spotted the speeding racers, engaging in dangerous activity, and gave chase. Four of the six racers turned out of sight, not wanting to be caught be the police officers on their aircycles. However, Juliet and what seemed to be the leader of the five stayed the course.
It became neck and neck as Juliet glanced at her watch. The gala started five minutes from then, and Juliet was ten minutes out. She looked back and saw the police moving through the barrage of vehicles. Juliet turned to her fellow racer, gave her winning smile, and increased her speed even more. The racer attempted to do the same, but disaster struck. His steam-board malfunctioned, sending him to the streets below. The racer plummeted to the ground as Juliet glimpsed behind her. Her heart almost stopped, but luckily, the racer fell into a cargo transport that so happened to be transporting soft materials. Numerous officers on pursuit went to the crashed rider, who emerged from the materials unscathed.
Juliet let out a sigh of relief as she turned back around, heading faster and faster to the White Quarter.

. . .

The house was absolutely stunning, not to mention massive in size. It was an architectural marvel; as it featured techniques from the old times back on the surface of Earth to techniques used only in the four flying cities of today. Juliet was in pure awe as she flew closer to the entrance of the house. The butlers and servants were making their way inside as she floated down, abruptly appearing in front of one of them.
“I’m so sorry! I know I’m late!” Juliet frantically stated to the helper.
“Do you have an invitation?” The helper asked, snobby-like.
“Oh! Of course! I have it right in here!” Juliet pulled the letter from within her mini-jacket and handed it to the helper.
“Name?”
“Juliet Stonebridge. I swear it’s mine. I didn’t steal it from anyone.”
“You may head inside.”
“Awesome. Do you have any place I could put my board?”
“I shall take it off your hands.”
“Sweet, thank you! Can you take my helmet and goggles too?”
“Reluctantly, but yes.”
“I’ll take it! Thank you very much!”
Juliet nearly skipped to the entrance, excitement almost overwhelming her. She walked through the doors and eyed hundreds of people chatting away, all in extravagant attire. Juliet was wide-eyed, but tried to regain composure. She strolled around, looking through her surroundings. She spotted a rather long table, lined with decadent party snacks and drinks. Juliet made her way to the table, and casually picked up grilled shrimp on a silver stick, and dunked it in cocktail sauce. She moved through the crowd, eating her shrimp and avoiding a mess while observing the people around her.
“Why, hello. I couldn’t help but notice you…eating that shrimp.” A sharply dressed young man informed Juliet, seductively.
“That’s not exactly something that’ll make a girl jump into your arms, you know.” Juliet responded, underwhelmed by the young man.
“Heh…Yeah you’re right. I’m Connor. Connor Goodbend.”
“Juliet Stonebridge. Hey, could you go get me some more shrimp?”
“Oh, uh, sure! Stay right here!” Connor ran off, eager to win Juliet.
“Yep, not gonna happen.” Juliet brushed the seemingly pompous young man off, and walked away.

. . .

“What are you looking at, Ms. Wilson?” Lady Anne questioned her employer.
“Just…observing the guests, Lady Anne.” Ms. Wilson replied mischievously as she took a sip of her red wine.
“Hm, well alright. Do you need anything?”
“How do I look?” Ms. Wilson stepped back from the railing and twirled, her black and light blue dress flowing with her. She smiled, her lips accented by glimmering pink lipstick. Her dirty-blonde hair held its volume as it streamed down to the middle of her back. The dress was sleeveless and missing a back, but all that did was add to the allure.
“Simply marvelous, madam.”
“Take my wine. It’s time I go welcome the guests.”
Ms. Wilson walked gracefully to her grand staircase. Slowly at first, the guests began getting quiet. Once everyone was aware of Ms. Wilson entering the sprawling gathering area, the room was utterly silent. The loudest noise came from Ms. Wilson’s heels, descending the stairs with the light blue portion of her dress trailing behind her. Juliet looked at the proprietor after scarfing down several snack cakes, and was in shock.
Ms. Wilson reached the stage and turned to the awaiting audience. She smiled, and began to speak. Her voice was loud, yet soft. It was commanding, yet gentle.
“Welcome, one and all! Thank you for coming to this gala I’ve put together! Each of you holds something that has piqued my interest, which is why I called you to attend. I wish to see these talents displayed, and I’ll know whether or not you’re lying. I’m going to pick a select few of you for a special venture. But that is a secret, and only the few I choose will know. So, carry on with your conversations. Socialize, and feel free to eat and drink to your heart’s content! Even if you aren’t scouted, we’re all here to have fun.” Ms. Wilson explained, leaving the room in wonder of her. She began talking to an attendant, as the room began to liven up with chatter again.
Juliet, interested in what Ms. Wilson said, decided to personally meet the woman herself. Juliet walked through the crowds of people, her eyes trained on Ms. Wilson. But then, something out of the corner of Juliet’s eye caught her attention. She turned to her right, and spotted a hallway, devoid of people. Juliet witnessed a slight gleam, reflecting off a large picture of a prosperous male. Juliet slowly, carefully, made her way into the hallway. At the very end, a key was inside a lock. The key held a glimmering rune, made from a soothing crystalline rock. Juliet, curious as curious can be, walked to the key.
When Juliet was within five feet of the rune, the color changed from the peaceful blue to a foreboding red. Juliet wearily stepped closer, reaching out for the key. The stone buzzed in her hand, causing Juliet’s pulse to pick up. She grabbed the key, and twisted it within the lock. However, the door did not open. Rather, the stone was released from the key, and floated into a newly appeared hole in the wall. Juliet stared at the floating stone, entering itself into the mechanized brown and gold device.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” A seductive voice commented behind Juliet. The young lady jumped in fright and turned to see Ms. Wilson standing there, looking at the unlocking process. “This is just the door opening, too. What’s behind is far more stunning.”
“I…uh…Oh my God…I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?” Juliet stammered, heart beating rapidly in her chest.
“No! I’ve been watching you since you came in late!”
“Sorry about that…”
“You’ve no need to apologize. You’re Juliet Stonebridge, yes?”
“How’d you know that?”
“I picked who’s on the guest list, you know.”
“Well, yeah…But how were you even aware of who I was? I’ve never done anything worth, well anything yet. I’m only 19, for God’s sake!”
“I’ve seen you flying around on that board of yours for a while now. At first, you struck me as a hooligan. But then I’ve seen you in the Gold Quarter, atop all the tall buildings. You challenged yourself. You’re adventurous. I want people like you on my little…project. I also knew your mother. She was a fine woman. Strong and intelligent. She worked with my father on numerous occasions.”
Juliet looked down, solemn over the mention of her mother.
“I’m sorry for her loss. I truly am. But I see a lot of her in you. Granted, you’re younger than her.”
“And you also know next to nothing about me.”
“That too. This is why I want you on this venture. I’d like to get to know you. You’re brave, it seems.”
“I’d like to think that I am.”
“Well, then are you in?”
“Is there any pay?”
“Of course, Miss Stonebridge. Of course there’s pay!”
“Then sure, I’ll be more than happy to go.”
“You’re not in it for the money, are you?”
“Nope. I just like the thought of being able to buy some fancy desserts when we get back.”
“Good. Now, would you like to see what’s behind the door?”

. . .

Juliet and Ms. Wilson entered the dark chamber. Lights dotted a narrow walkway, which led to a platform void of anything except a single column in the center. Within the column formed of bronze gears, cogs, and rods, was an opening, shielded by glass. Inside the opening was a scroll, currently closed. The scroll was made of solid gold that shined in the light, while the gems that dotted the gold glowed.
“What is that?” Juliet asked, attempting to get a good look at it.
“It’s a map.” Ms. Wilson informed the curious youth.
“A map to where? Why does a map need all that gold and all those gems?”
“Oh, it’s a special map, Juliet.” Ms. Wilson smirked as she took out a gear shaped key. She inserted the key into an intricate lock system. The key began rotating, and then other cogs. Steam erupted from vents along the side of the column, and the glass slid up. Every moving device then ceased motion, and the gear-key popped into Ms. Wilson’s hand. “Are you aware of the fabled Atlantis?”
“Atlantis? Well, I’ve heard the fairytales and stories. There’s no way it can be real though, is there?”
“But it is! This map, if you didn’t put it together already, shows how to get to the infamous sunken city.”
“No way...Really? I mean, I can’t help but be a little skeptical.”
“I understand completely! But this map, I found this map within the Alps, down on the surface of the planet. It was encased in the same mineral that the stone on my key is from. I didn’t just find this map, however. Pieces of ancient technology, that rivals even our own! They were devoid of any mysticism, any magic. They were made from pure invention, pure science!”
“Where are they right now?”
“I sold them to some researchers.”
“Oh…So you had a whole chamber devoted for this map built in to your house?”
“This isn’t my house. This is a rival of mine’s house. They’ve been on several business endeavors recently, so I decided to do a sort of…home invasion, if you will. I had this chamber built in a matter of days, after I came back from the Alps.”
“Wait so why are we here?!”
“I’m going to burn the house down, so I can see who’s worthy enough to take on the journey.”
“That’s illegal! Not to mention people will get killed!”
“Please, most of them will get out through the main entrance. That will get rid of a good 80% of the guests. The other 20, that’s where I’ll find my candidates. You, of course, are safe. You’ve secured your spot on my team.”
“But…” Juliet stammered in disbelief. “But how did you manage any of this without your rivals knowing?”
“Easy, I told you I built everything in a matter of days. I paid of the original workers, and had the custom locks and room built myself. Granted, I had to tear down one or two of their luxury rooms, but it was no loss.” Ms. Wilson explained nonchalantly.
“That must have cost a lot of money…”
“Oh, a small fortune. But I have enough money to feed every citizen a five-star meal every day for three years in all four of the flying cities. And I’d still have more than enough to buy myself Europe, if I so desired.”
“My God…”
“I know, it sounds horrible, with what I’m doing. But you don’t know the people who own this house. Utter barbarians. Did you know they’re partial to keeping slaves?”
“I think…Don’t the countries on the surface keep slaves?”
“And we consider them primitive!”
“Well…yeah. Who owns this house, then?”
“The Alabasters. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.” Ms. Wilson began reaching within her chest, Juliet looking on in confusion.
“Weren’t they a part of the failed coup in Sanctuary?”
“Indeed they were! They funded the rebellion, and look how it turned out. Sanctuary became the worst of the four cities. Now, cover your ears. It’s about to get loud.” Ms. Wilson pulled out a small, bronze stick. Using her thumb, she flipped the cap off, and pressed the button at the top of the stick. Seconds later, a loud explosion was heard.
Screams filled the air, as people began rushing out of the formerly luxurious home.
“New technology. Using a man named Milutin Tesla’s electronics. Poor fool won’t use this for monetary gain. Plans on letting his future children take all the credit, or outright show him up. Anyway, this uses radio waves to transmit a signal to detonate…”
“I have to go help them!” Juliet interrupted, sprinting out of the chamber room.
“Well then, looks like I get to see what you can do.” Ms. Wilson murmured as a sly smile appeared across her face.
Juliet sprinted through the hallway, exiting into the large room. Fires raged as people, men and women alike, ran frantically out of the building. Debris fell from the ceiling , trapping many. Nearby, Juliet spotted Connor pinned down by a collapsed pillar, wailing in pain. Juliet rolled her eyes as she ran to the injured young man, evading plumes of flames.
“Of all the people to save…” Juliet sighed as she reached Connor.
“Hey there…babe!” Connor sputtered, blood trickling from his mouth.
“I’m not your babe. You can stop now.”
Juliet pulled the young man from under the pillar, dragging him inch by inch. Connor let out cries of agony, as his crushed legs were being freed.
“Be gentle!” Connor cried out, tears streaming down his face.
“Stop being such a child!” Juliet responded angrily, finally freeing the injured man. A few yards away, Juliet spotted a large man moving rubble from his path.
“Hey! Big guy! When you’re done, I got someone to take to the entrance! His legs are shot to hell, but I can’t carry him out fast enough. Can you take him?” Juliet yelled to the man.
“Yes!” The man responded as he heaved a large piece of debris from his path, allowing trapped guests to flee to safety. The big man then jogged, meeting Juliet and Connor halfway.
“Careful, he’s pretty damn annoying.” Juliet informed sardonically.
“I’ll be sure to tune him out. You’re going to get out right?” The man probed, attempting to get some reassurance. Suddenly, shrieks for help exploded from Juliet’s left.
“Yeah, I’ll get out after I get them.” Juliet smiled as she ran off.
The ceiling above began collapsing; fiery chunks fell rapidly to the floor below. Masses of the ceiling collided near Juliet, throwing her off balance. She tripped, right shoulder striking the ground.
“Help! We need help! We can’t get out!” The voices called out in panic.
“Agh…Don’t worry! I’m coming!” Juliet proclaimed as she lifted herself up. An explosion erupted behind Juliet, and a flaming metal bar was blown from a wall. The bar launched itself to the rising young lady, with her completely unaware. The bar ripped through Juliet’s corset, shallowly cutting her side, and pinning her clothes to the floor.
“Shit!” Juliet exclaimed, frustrated. She jerked her body away from rod, ripping large pieces of her corset and blouse off.
Juliet rose up, a piercing pain shooting through her body. Blood dripped from the cut on her side, sliding down her body. She attempted to ignore the pain, grabbed her side, and ran toward the wails for help.
“Where are you?!” Juliet hollered, spinning around.
“Inside the bathrooms!! The fire’s getting closer and the door won’t budge!” The voice replied, terror noticeable.
“I’m almost there! I’ll get…” Juliet cringed in pain, stumbling on her way to the doors.
“Hurry!....Oh my God, Troy!” The voice screamed. Hollers of agony rang in the air. These screams were far louder than anything else to Juliet. She knew someone in the bathroom was on fire. Juliet knew someone was dying.
“Hang on! Hang on, please!” Juliet begged, crawling to the door. Juliet struggled as the pain increased, but she couldn’t give up.
Don’t die. Please don’t die, Juliet thought to herself. Her face displayed the pain she was going through, both in hearing the screams and with the cut on her side. Juliet looked up to the door, noticing it was still too far.
“Dammit…Dammit I can’t let them die!” Juliet cried, still creeping to the door.
“STAND AWAY FROM THE DOOR.” A female voice commanded.
At that moment, a blue bolt zipped past Juliet, hitting the door, shattering it completely. The people escaped the burning washroom, one dragging an burned body. The group of four ran for the exit, as a pair of leather strapped boots appeared next to Juliet.
“Don’t worry, he’s going to live. I need to get you out of here. The world needs a courageous soul like you.” A black haired woman with an English accent hoisted Juliet on her shoulders. The fledgling lady was in utter confusion. “We’re the last ones left, anyway.”
The woman effortlessly carried Juliet through the fires and rubble, gracefully dodging the collapsing debris. Juliet’s mind was racing fast than she was not long ago. She tried registering the collapsing house, and how she was being whisked away with no effort.
A deafening crackle penetrated through the roars of the flames and falling rubble. Ahead of the woman, a tall pillar broke from its foundations, falling rapidly to the ground.
“Hold on, kid. I’m going to be shaking you around a little bit.” The woman warned, focused on the collapsing pillar.
“Alright…Wait what are you going to…AH!” Juliet was flung into the air, gripping her still bleeding side. The woman pulled back a rod on her gauntlets, and a blue light began to shine. She raised her right arm and fired off a bolt of pure energy. She then put out both of her arms, catching Juliet without the slightest flinch.
The blue bolt made contact with the pillar, destroying a section of it completely. The pillar, now in two pieces, hit the ground, leaving a path for Juliet and the woman to run right through.
“My God…” Juliet muttered in awe.
“Made them myself.” The woman responded confidently as she carried Juliet out of the mansion.