By the time I had finished reasoning with myself I was already halfway up. A few more steps later and I was upon the vast landing and smiling to myself.
The astronomical telescope was of massive proportions with lots of funny little knobs and levers around it. It was beautiful and frightening to look up at something so large. I daren’t touch it for fear that I might leave a fingerprint upon its gleaming surface.
I was momentarily distracted by a doorway towards the far side of the landing. I hesitated as I took a step towards it. It looked harmless and insignificant. Hardly important looking. I guessed it must be a storage room of some sort. Perhaps parts for the telescope? How could I pass up the opportunity to tinker with spare parts of this beauty?
I moved towards the door and outstretched my hand to touch the doorknob. Turning it I discovered that it was not locked and I would indeed be able to enter. The hinges creaked slightly as I slowly opened the door. The room was very dark because it had no windows or candles lit around it, but an extinguished oil lamp was visible on a little table right next to the doorway. I scowled, cursing my Power and fumbled in my pockets for the little box of Fire-Sticks Jack had given me as a present when my Power had first abandoned me. He said he had bought them at the Market, in a small little stall where they made and sold all sorts of old and useful little tricks for people who needed them. Stupid little sticks. Matches, he had called them. In my opinion the fire they produced was no match indeed to my Power. I had been using these Matches to light the Fire’s in the mansion ever since my little problem arose. Jack had even laughed at me when I had asked what they were. Why should I have ever seen or used one before? I’d never had any use for the blasted little things until now.
Lighting the oil lamp I picked it up and let it illuminate the dark room.
It was magnificent. The whole area was full of interesting gadgets and trinkets that looked decades, no, centuries old. On a table near to me I picked up a strange rectangle looking device that had the numbers zero to nine upon little square, squishy buttons. Next to that was another little rectangle device that had buttons labelled things like ‘volume’ and ‘AV’. I smiled at the oddities around the room, discovering many strange things that were clearly not from my time. Whatever I had imagined to be in this room, it certainly hadn’t been this. These were not broken or spare parts for the telescope but pieces of history, hidden away from prying eyes. For the first time I noticed a small stack of papers upon one of the many tables. It was held down by a small wooden box. Curiosity got the better of me and I riffled through the sheets.
Article No.001 – Dated Approx 2029 B.A – “travel telephone machine” – used for communication – human technology – Radiation.
B.A was a common short-hand I was familiar with meaning ‘Before Apocalypse’ referring to the time when Humans alone were dominant on the earth. Flipping through more pages I discovered much of the same content.
Article No.042 – Dated Approx 2045 B.A – “Television Picture Box” – entertainment – Radiation.
Article No.057 - Dated Approx 2010 B.A – “Fire Lighter” – Fire – Vandalism.
So it seemed Master Forsythe had an obsession with pre-apocalyptic technology. Not only that, it seemed the Master had an obsession for the human way of life. I wasn’t sure why, but this made me smile and I felt calmer suddenly.
These things were thousands of years old, parts of history, and according to these records, helpers in the damaging of the earth. Although I should have thought these things evil, I was quite captivated. Such small things had held such power and dominance over the human race at one point, and they didn’t even know it would lead to their demise.