Colossus
King Calistagoras held a competition: inventors from anywhere in the known world would come to his Kingdom of Crethenes and create a war machine for him. The war machine should guard the riches of his Kingdom against all enemies.
When the competition reached the laboratory of Arteteles and his son Artephanes, the old creator told his son to pack everything they might need, and they set towards Crethenes.
They arrived amidst great expectation, as befitted one of the most famed sages of his time, and his most advanced apprentice. Behind them, under wraps, came a huge form no-one was capable of stealing a gaze at. Everybody assumed they had brought their example of War Machine with them, and that they would win the contest.
Everyone but one person: Antikides, arguably the second-best inventor and builder, behind Arteteles.
“No matter what it is, I will win! I’ll beat him!” he swore.
Thus it was that Antikides tried every trick he could think of to ascertain what kind of war machine Arteteles had built. To no avail, it must be said, since the working quarters of father and son were solidly built and kept locked day and night. Antikides tried bribing Arteteles’ workers, but they were well paid and faithful to their master. He attempted providing earthly pleasures to young Artephanes, but the young man was strong-minded and immune to such efforts.
Desperate, Antikides tried treachery, but the saboteur was caught in the act. Professional to the last second, he commited suicide before revealing who his employer was. Arteteles only had to stare at Antikides to know, but he said nothing.
And the deadline for the competition arrived.
King Calistagoras reviewed all the marvelous war machines that had been brought before him: the repetition missile launcher; the submarine vessel; the land burrower; the fire breather. But the most fabulous of them all was Antikides’ air vessel.
It moved through the air effortlessly, reaching inimaginable heights without any apparent effort, and swooping down to bring terror to the hearts of its enemies. Or King Calistagoras’ enemies, as would be the case.
Antikides had also provided the icing on the cake: explosive canisters that could be dropped from his machine, which he demonstrated with gusto, to the joy of King Calistagoras.
Only one entry was left to be reviewed: the War Machine by Arteteles and Son. King Calistagoras reached their laboratory, followed by his entourage and, it couldn’t be otherwise, Antikides.
There Arteteles curtseyed before King Calistagoras.
“Your Majesty, our Son and I are proud to present… the Colossus.”
Then he signalled his son, and Artephanes pulled a lever. The enormous gates to their laboratory slid open with a low rumble, and high from the shadows within three red beams came, like the gaze of a three-eyed cyclops. King Calistagoras and his entourage fell backwards, staring up and up in awe. Antikides did the same.
The Colossus moved.
It took a step forward, and all the men and women scuttered out, fearing the giant foot would trample them. It fell on the ground with a loud thud, and the land shuddered under the strength of the machine.
The Colossus looked down, focusing his red lights on the King, and with a swift movement that belied its size, it bent and kneeled, extending a hand easily as large as a house towards the monarch. Then it stopped.
“It’s… It’s a trick!” Antikides yelled. His desperation gave him the courage to protest before the King. “You cannot have built this, Arteteles! It’s impossible!”
It was Artephanes who spoke.
“It is true. My father wanted to protect me, but I cannot allow it. I found him on our way here, and he agreed to come with us.”
“Agreed?” Antikides asked.
“He?” King Calistagoras asked.
And then the Colossus spoke with a rumbling voice.
“CAN WE… BE FRIENDS, PLEASE?”
Of course, Arteteles and Artephanes lost the competition.
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This is my accompanying entry for the Weekly Writing Exercise: December 25–31, 2017 at the Writer’s Discussion Group on Google+. I am responsible for creating the prompts for the Exercise, so I don’t take part, but I still like to write a story each week.
This is the second story I write this week, so I can catch up with late tales. Thinking about the Colossus, I had this idea of the war machine competition that doesn’t go exactly as expected and thought it would be fun to write it. And here it is.
A nod to the Iron Giant, of course.
