It must have been the largest room in the entire city, even larger than the cathedral's hall of worship. The metallic roof pointed up in a triangle, the walls were grey and when David spoke, his echo came back twice. The building was in the far eastern district of Kerioth. Decades ago, there were several towers there on the verge of collapse, so the Church knocked them down and sold the land to the highest bidder. The area was filled with factories for smelting and production. Some trading mogul or another privately owned each building, but all had strong ties with the Church. David’s job as a priest was often to prepare meeting rooms for them inside the cathedral, now as a Bishop he could expect to be conducting the meetings.

  David and Marie were first to arrive in the morning, wheeling in their contraption covered by a brown tarp. It was about the size of a cow and weighed the same. Leo came shortly after and began helping set up. A copper cage was placed on the far side of the building nearly fifty meters away, inside an oil-wolf prowled. Its coat was always shifting, playing tricks on your eyes. When standing across the warehouse it seemed to blur in and out of existence.

  When they were ready, Marie spun, taking in the whole room. ‘What do you think they use it for? It is ginormous. The things I could build here…’

  David sneezed; it smelt like dust and old cleaning products. ‘I’m not sure honestly,’ he said, ‘Suraj just told me that it would suit the purpose of today.’

  ‘Father Suraj,’ Leo said, correcting him.

  David smiled. Leo was back to his old ways, busy being the perfect priest and despite all his bickering he was quite useful. The way he committed himself the past five days it felt like out of everyone he was the most committed to the weapons success. He was dressed in his priestly black robes, perfectly ironed and even cut his hair, his curls on top a little shorter.

  Through the grinding metal door, Father Suraj entered the building. He wore similar robes to David and Leo, but he had a golden tassel swept over his shoulder. Behind him tailed an entourage of who David expected to be important people, particularly he was expecting Colonel Aureliano, the chief holy-knight of Iscariot. However, David did not see him. I haven’t seen a holy-knight in a while now that I think about it. There were only two individuals following Suraj. First was a man in a suit that David thought he recognized from somewhere and next was a scrawny doctor in a white lab coat.

  Chris, David thought, groaning internally. Of course it would be Chris.

  Christopher looked at David with his deep blue eyes. He looked different, though David struggled to place his finger on the cause. His sandy blonde hair had grown since David last saw him and was touching the rim of his spectacles, but that did not seem to be it. Christopher looked at David and pinched his lips. He is old, David finally recognized. At least a decade older than when I last saw him. How could he be falling behind? David wondered. Christopher got plenty of work from the Church and doctors were paid well. He should have de-aged if anything. David had no time to ponder. Suraj approached, leaving Chris and the man in the suit to hang back.

  ‘Is it ready?’ Suraj asked.

  ‘It really could use-’ David began, but Suraj gave a fierce glare. ‘It’s as ready as it’ll ever be.’

  ‘Good.’

  Suraj looked at Marie and Leo who were fussing over a sheet of paper.

  ‘She’s the engineer?’

  Marie clearly had not showered in two days by the build-up of machine grease on her face. Her hair was frizzier than usual and she had her goggles pulled over her eyes as she read her schematics. Her navy mechanic’s overalls were nothing professional either.

  ‘Yeah.’

  Suraj made a grunt of approval. ‘Looks like a fighter.’

  ‘You wouldn’t know half of it,’ David said, and then to fill in the silence, ‘I was expecting the Colonel today.’

  ‘That was the original plan, but the holy-knights received an urgent summon to return to the Messiah’s Land. They will be gone for a few days.’

  Suraj seemed troubled as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. He looked at David and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else, something important, but then shook his head.

  ‘Come,’ Suraj said, and walked towards Christopher.

  I’d rather not, David thought, but how could Suraj ever understand the history between them?

  The man in the suit was strikingly handsome. Sharp features, broad shoulders and swept back blonde hair. Real blonde, not like Chris’s sandy hair, but something closer to gold. The man’s suit was perfectly tailored and a deep black with a tasteful red tie.

  ‘Please meet Christopher and Aaron,’ Suraj said, then he turned to David. ‘This is the man behind today, Bishop David.’

  Aaron.

  David screamed internally. The man almost derailed his life in that dusty stable. The man drenched in blood.

  Christopher looked, but offered no greeting. He was so old, the wrinkles had their own shadows.

  Aaron smiled. It was a smile that was kindly and disarming, as if it had been practiced in front of a mirror until it was just right. ‘David,’ he said in a tone that you would use to greet an old friend. ‘I didn’t think I would see you again. How have you been?’

  ‘It has only been a week,’ David said.

  ‘Sure, but so much has changed.’ Aaron stepped closer. ‘I mean back then you were only a priest and I was,’ he rolled his hand, ‘well I was nobody, but now look at us! You are a bishop in your own right and I am representing the weapon manufacturing guild.’

  ‘There is a weapon manufacturing guild?’

  ‘There is now, I got a few people talking and we formed a union of sorts. Now I am here to see this new invention you have promised. I mean someone has to produce it right?’

  Aaron chuckled and slapped David on the shoulder.

  ‘We can make it just fine.’

  Aaron only smiled, that disarming smile.

  ‘You two know each other?’ Suraj asked.

  ‘Sure!’ Aaron said, ‘David here introduced me to Purgatory and he did a bang up job.’

  ‘Is that so,’ Suraj said, ‘well that saves some time. David, Christopher here is the most proficient doctor in the city.’

  Christopher didn’t react, he just looked tired.

  ‘That’s great… but why would we need a doctor?’

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ‘It was actually Aaron’s suggestion.’

  ‘You never know what might go wrong when playing with dangerous toys.’ Aaron said.

  ‘Speaking of which,’ Suraj said, ‘we should get a move on.’

  David nodded and hurried back to Marie and Leo.

  ‘How are we going?’

  The two looked at each other, their faces a painting of anxiety.

  ‘The weight’s wrong.’ Leo said

  ‘How do you know that?’ David asked.

  ‘The trolley we pulled it on has a gauge.’ Leo said pointing to a small vial on the side of the trolley that held the weapon. It had several horizontal lines painted across and was half-filled with a blue liquid.

  Marie looked at the sheet of paper and back to the gauge. ‘It should be fine,’ she said, ‘the weight was correct last night. I am sure it’s just an error from when we dragged the trolley over all those bumps.’

  Leo as per usual did not look convinced, but said nothing.

  They looked to David to make the final decision. Play it safe, cancel it for today, was David’s first thought. We can always present tomorrow or the day after. However, Father Suraj had specifically ordered David to conduct a showing today. David had managed to get a one up on John by going directly to Suraj before he had a chance to finish his plots, but if David slipped behind the noose would surely tighten around his neck.

  ‘We will go ahead as planned.’ David said and his heart drummed faster.

  Today it’s all or nothing.

  ‘We are ready to go.’ David said to Suraj and the three of them walked over. ‘Marie, if you would.’

  She nodded and grabbed the tarp. With one fell swoop, she yanked it down and unveiled the machine. The thing sat squat and menacing, like some iron beast at rest, its long snout made of a half dozen barrels all strapped together in a circle. It was not a rifle that was certain. There was no wooden stock to press against the shoulder, no hammer to cock. Instead, a great brass and steel contraption, of recycled components. A belt of cartridges fed into its side, hanging loose like the segmented tail of a rattlesnake, each brass round glinting on its tip. The more David looked, the uglier it was. Marie had used whatever was at her disposal to achieve the desired effect. David had spent the last four days hunting parts for her and more often than not, she had to settle for something close to, but not quite what she was looking for. Several previous projects had been cannibalized for this amalgamation. She had the schematics from Earth, but they were drawn from someone's memory and designed with the assumption of luxury.

  The result was the “machine gun,” a weapon yet to hit the battlefields on Earth.

  Aaron whistled. ‘That’s a nice looking pile of junk.’

  ‘Junk?’ Marie started, but David gave her a pleading look.

  Please just bear it, I need you. Which was something David never wanted to admit, but there was no option left.

  This was the final step. Today was what David’s entire second life had been building towards. By becoming a Bishop, he could present his inventions to the de facto government. By having one invention accepted and funded meant more would follow. His inventions could save lives, benefit the world. Clean water in the streets, a way to light homes without risk of fire, room to breathe through the grip of the Church. David would be loved by all.

  ‘Will you turn it on?’ Suraj asked, but it was not a question.

  Leo ran to everyone and handed out padded earmuffs. ‘Please put these on, you will need them.’

  Aaron and Christopher put theirs on without question, but Suraj seemed annoyed as if his strength was being insulted.

  Go deaf for all I care, David thought; just keep your eyes open.

  Placing his own muffs on, and seeing everyone else had, David gave the thumbs up. His heart was now beating out of his chest.

  Marie stepped onto the trolley and gripped the weapon’s handles with her leather gloves. Looking through a small iron sight, she rotated the nozzle of the gun. As she adjusted, Leo quickly checked each wheel of the trolley was locked and ran back to the group. When Marie seemed satisfied she stood up, shifted one hand to the trigger, looked at David, crouched back down to the sight, licked her lips and just when David thought he would die from the suspense, she squeezed.

  It spat lightning and sung thunder. It was deafening, despite wearing earmuffs. Everyone shuddered as if they had been struck, even Suraj winced. The band of barrels rotated in a blur and a turret of fire burst from its end. The bullets raced across the room and within a second the wolf had been turned from a prowling shadow into a red paste. A smear of blood with chunks of flesh and fur spread ten meters behind the cage. A beast with a coating was defeated without noctra.

  David felt like he was floating, his heart racing. He could feel static at the tips of his fingers and taste the storm he had orchestrated. The experiment was a resounding success. He had won.

  Marie let go of the trigger, but the thunder continued to roar.

  Something is wrong. An icy feeling creeped up David’s spine.

  The weapon kicked up and Marie pushed it back down, her muscles straining against the force. She grit her teeth and cried out. Bullets flew, but their trajectory was becoming unstable. The impact spread to the right of the cage and then Marie wrestled it to the left. The machine had a trail of smoke leaking from the base of the barrels.

  David ran to her, his feet heavy. Time slowed down, each step a marathon. Nothing felt real, like he had only just woken up and the world was not quite right.

  I can still save this.

  David reached the machine and grabbed the handle, helping Marie hold it still. It thrashed violently like a bucking bull.

  I just need control. I can save it. It’s not too late. I can save it. I just need control.

  Leo was there, wide-eyed and pale. He and Marie bent under the handles, desperately pulling at the trigger, trying to unstick it. David’s forearms felt like white-hot fire under the strain. His strength was failing whilst the machine kicked more and more.

  He could not even hear himself think, the thunder continued to roar.

  If we can just hold it still, the cartridges will run out soon.

  With a sudden jerk, David completely lost control. It knocked him back and he collapsed. The machine gun fell onto its side, the force of the bullets made it spin out of control, firing rounds in all directions. David could do nothing, but lie face down and pray. He could not hear anything, but the thunder in his ears and the muffled shouts around him. Suddenly, the storm passed, and there was silence yet his ears continued to ring.

  He groaned, putting his hands to his face, feeling his body to check it was still there. His arms, legs and torso, it was all still there, miraculously he had not been hit by a single round. The roar of thunder was replaced by silence, he looked behind him and Suraj was yelling, but his words did not reach David. It smelt of gunpowder.

  It’s okay. David laughed and stood up. Somehow, it turned out okay. He looked at the weapon lying on the ground, it was still in one piece and despite the disaster, it worked. David’s head was light and airy. It’s okay. I won. I did it.

  A shoulder slammed into David sending him sprawling. He collapsed and watched Christopher run past him in a panic. He came to a sliding halt next to the weapon. Next to it was Leo.

  Leo was lying face up and breathing through gasps. He coughed and a thin trickle of blood lined both corners of his mouth. Christopher placed both hands on Leo’s chest, soaked in blood and riddled with holes.

  Marie lay next to him, her arm below the elbow was a mangle of flesh, but she otherwise looked okay.

  A green light streamed from Chris’s hands and swarmed Leo’s body, but the wounds did not absorb the light. It just drifted around him. Christopher looked at Leo’s eyes, opaque and empty. He let go of Leo and moved to Marie.

  ‘Wait!’ David cried out, ‘He needs help. You need to help him.’

  David knelt over Leo’s body and pushed his palms against the bullet holes. His hands swamped with warm and sticky blood. No matter how hard he pressed, he could not stop the flow.

  ‘You need to help him!’

  Christopher did not respond, he stayed entirely focused on Marie.

  Leo was dead.