The Diabolical Tales: The Reidefell Problem
Doctor Laech, his loyal companion Cecilia, and his prisoner Adam find themselves at odds with a local Reidefell Inspector. A simple problem like this. Has only one solution. Death.
They are the perfect weapon. Truly. An unstoppable force sweeping across this nation. I had tried to study them before but in the chaos of it all. I had to go to ground. The work continues though and soon I will have my own weapon to meet their true master. He’d just take some convincing first.
The alley stank of alcohol and faeces as Doctor Laech paced back and forth. There were now more desperate people seeking his power than ever in the past. It didn’t matter what ailment or affliction he had the treatment. The only thing he couldn’t cure was the Mortalis itself. He could pacify it for a time to make life more liveable but he couldn’t help but think that was merely delaying the inevitable. Of course he had taken many risks since settling here, for in the long distant past his line of work often led to accusations of sorcery or witchcraft and the consequences normally resulted in his exile as villagers chased him off with their tools, weapons, and torches. After all what possibly demonic being didn’t get chased out of town in those days? Now, however, in the year 2050, he found the underbelly of society to be far more accepting of his profession. The growing presence of those like him and the chaos they wrought meant he was no longer the exception. A growing aetherial corruption simmered in the hearts of men as their warring thoughts spilt out to be absorbed and fed on by anyone who dared listen.
Doctor Laech had witnessed this development with great joy. He had wandered the earth for centuries invigorated by his passion; the surgical removal and preservation of organs and reconstruction of limbs. He even toyed with the brain on occasions but still that thing remained difficult to truly fathom. It rivalled the symbiote in many ways. The Mortalis posed a small threat to him but his power did give him some influence over the weaker ones. A part of him wondered if they were the key to his idea of a perfect human. He wanted to assemble something of beauty, power and presence that humanity despite its divided nature could evolve to be. Many considered his ideals heretical but he persevered and all for one thing and it called itself ‘the Entity’; A shapeless ever-changing form that existed in the greater beyond. It first manifested in the Dark Ages, during a time that riled in discontent. It acted as a guiding hand in the shadows and some of its current champions first surfaced in that period. Despite a shared origin their goals often brought them into conflict. To each of them, this entity represented something only knowable to them. Everyone else was a false prophet.
Doctor Laech saw someone approach and signalled with one slightly withered finger for his companion, Cecilia, to welcome this new customer. She was a regular sight for these people. Conversation was impossible since the Surgeon had long ago removed her tongue. She still held her youth, and vibrancy despite a disjointed figure. She motioned elegantly with an outstretched arm for this newcomer to stand before the Doctor. He scratched his chin and began the inspection. The scent of power emanated off the man. A modded human likely carrying within him the pseudo-core that allowed some access to psionic power. Doctor Laech perceived no indication that this man was here to seek treatment. He shielded himself instead with vanity and confidence. That much was obvious.
‘You think I came here to make a deal? I’m Inspector Jones; I came here to end your hellish activities.’
The Doctor merely grimaced. He hated the word hellish, almost as much as he hated the word Devil.
“You think I serve the one that lives in the pit. You are gravely mistaken.”
“You’re no different to the monsters I hunt daily,” said Jones.
He laughed at that. “I am very different from those devils. I am far worse. I don’t need claws or teeth. All I need is my tools.”
“You’re a monster either way.”
“Why did you come here? Surely not just to pontificate.”
‘To stop this madness for good,” said Jones.
“I don’t like your tone. Do you Cecilia?”
She shook her head slowly. Doctor Laech placed a grimy hand on the Inspector’s shoulder. “It would be unwise to fight me. For one reason; she will stop you before you ignite that blade of yours.”
“You really believe that.”
Doctor Laech placed his desiccated arm around the man, “Let me tell you something. Your world is more fragile now than ever before—the West crumbles under the tide of the Deterrent. I offer salvation for the afflicted just like you. I am not your enemy even if you see me as such.”
The man shrugged the arm away, “I’ve seen the result of your work. You’re a monster who only knows how to create wicked creatures.”
“I speak to you as a friend. We are merely here to do business; life is a commodity. You kill because that’s what Reidefell instils in you. I save people, it’s not perfect but the day will come when you thank me.”
“I will stop you.”
“You will try and I assure you she is much faster,” said the Doctor with a grim smile.
The man relented and stormed out of the alleyway. Doctor Laech gave a nervous sigh and ushered his companion inside the building they occupied. A small run-down den; the main room was a living area with a broken TV. The couch was made of faded and torn leather and Doctor Laech watched as Cecilia took her seat and struggled to get comfortable. A loud complaining could be heard from the ‘Storage Room.’ The man had been a nuisance since struggling to come to terms with the murder of his dearly beloved sweetheart. Cecilia looked at Doctor Laech with her dark, shrouded eyes, a stare that always managed to burrow its way into him. Despite her lack of voice, he never failed to understand her wants and needs. She made a series of jabs at the storage room door.
“He’ll calm down. Eventually. That Reidefell Inspector though could prove troublesome.” He slumped down next to her, “With that being said, I miss the old days. Do you, Cecilia?”
She looked away, anxious and resting her chin on the palm of her hand.
“Yes, the chase and being chased was always the most thrilling part. Summoning fog and even forcing hallucinations. It was an enjoyable game, but now we have our Adam. We have our key.”
She didn’t look so sure as she scowled in the general direction of where they were keeping him. The crying had now started again and they even heard some obscenities.
“He is annoying and it will take time, but he will adjust. He just needs time to settle.”
She folded her arms and leaned back side eying the Doctor.
“And yes, we will deal with our new problem. All in good time my dear.”
The next day, Doctor Laech entered the Storage Room where his prisoner, Adam sat chained to the far end blood-soaked wall. He too was stained red and had multiple stitches dotted across his arms since the Surgeon had begun working on him. The man hadn’t physically changed all that much since they first met. His clothes looked dirty, tattered, and were riddled with numerous holes.
“There is one thing I must know,” Adam muttered, his sweat-drenched head hung in place.
The Doctor placed his hands behind his back, “Go on.”
“Mr Saxon, what did you do to him?”
Doctor Laech didn’t respond he simply stared expressionlessly at Adam. “Mr Saxon is here with you.”
“Is he alive?”
Doctor Laech used his bony finger to point in the direction of a mangled corpse.
“You bastard,” spat Adam.
“You asked. I answered. Now, I do have a request and that is that you murder a particular nuisance that has cropped up.”
“For what possible reason would I do anything, let alone kill for you.”
“If you comply, you will no longer be chained here.”
Adam raised his head a little and strained to look at the Doctor. “Fine, I’ll deal with him. But why not do it yourself.”
“I can’t be putting myself in harm’s way. Adam.”
“Seriously?”
‘Yes, what do you think I’m just a miracle worker. Oh no, you’re not seeing the bigger picture. The world is changing and we are in this for the long haul.’
“So what’s his name?”
“Inspector Jones,” answered the Doctor.
‘You want me to kill an Inspector!”
“You killed your wife.”
“That was… different. You made me if anything.”
The Doctor shook his head, “You and I both know that it is the same principle. If it makes it easier, I can alter your perception of him.”
Adam shook his head, “there’s no need. I will kill him.”
Doctor Laech was true to his word and even had Cecilia bathe him. This was strange, yet coming from her it almost disarmed any previous fears he had of them. There was a real precision and care to Cecilia’s manner if you looked past her disfigured, pale and crumpling skin. She carried herself elegantly too never appearing slouched or hunched over. It made Adam realise that she wasn’t just the Doctor’s shadow, she was something more entirely. If only she had a tongue.
“How long have you worked together?”
She paused and upon pressing her finger into his back, it felt like she was drawing a series of numbers.
“One thousand five hundred and forty years?”
She scratched a crude yes into his back. It made him flinch and feel something trickle down his back. She began writing something else but between the pains of her sharp nails digging into his back, and the fact it was difficult to grasp what she was trying to say he could only piece together an idea of what she was implying. How do these two even communicate?
“So about Laech, he predates even the Dark Ages? Correct”
Yes was the answer.
“Must be lonely for you both,” said Adam.
No.
“You enjoy his company?”
Yes.
“I can’t argue with that.”
A few minutes later, he was clean and feeling reinvigorated. They had found an old, blue shirt, stained slightly, and jeans that had holes in them for him to wear. His shoes were a bit too small and cramped his feet. It was better than nothing he tried to persuade himself.
“So how did you get these?”
Doctor Laech looked at him placidly, “Charity.”
“Doubt that. You like a corpse.”
“I look how I want people to perceive me.”
Adam elected not to ask any more questions. He had almost left when Cecilia grabbed his arm. She didn’t look tough but her grip was stronger than he expected. Those long nails of hers now dug into his arm and drew out slivers of blood.
“I can see things through your eyes, Adam. There will be no escaping us. Understood?”
“I never planned to. I know what you do to people. We don’t have to get along, but then it’s not I have a choice.”
Doctor Laech bared his teeth, “that’s the spirit.”
Adam just shook his head and left the Den. Unsurprisingly, he could perceive both of their thoughts. Now he just had to find the Inspector. The next logical step was to go to this city’s Reidefell branch.
This city’s small Reidefell branch was about twenty minutes away from the Den. This would also be the first time in months since his capture that he had been able to walk free without Laech breathing down his neck. Not that it meant his thoughts were empty.
‘You worry about finding the Inspector, leave the rest to me.’
‘What can you do from where you at?’
‘Just you wait and see.’
Since meeting them he was no closer to understanding their grand plan. Doctor Laech kept talking about making the perfect human but what did that even mean anyway and why had it involved the meandering torment of his own regrettable past? He couldn’t understand why the Doctor now called him Adam. What could he possibly have planned for me anyway? Outside of the senseless murder of Laech’s enemies.
Cecilia too, existed as an enigma. Fanatical in ways she had no right to be, she had an unspoken love for Laech that served as the only true reminder that she had once been fully human. Adam knew there was more to them both that he didn’t know and he had a growing number of questions but not all the answers. The reception area looked warm, and inviting. While the Art Deco look served as a welcome relief from the decay of the Den. A few people sat to the left of him on the white leather couches but it was otherwise quiet as they were too engrossed in their newspaper or conversation, completely oblivious as he walked up to the main desk.
“I’m here to see Inspector Jones. Is he around?”
The old-looking receptionist looked up from her newspaper, “I can check to see if he’s in his office. If this is for contract work, you will need to book an appointment and come back at a later date.’
Adam sighed, “I Just need to speak with him.”
Her eyes glassed over and she reached for the desk telephone. “I’ll call him, see if he is free or not. What’s your name?”
“Adam.”
A few seconds passed and she began speaking to the Inspector at the mention of his name. She paused for a long while before putting the phone down. She met his curious look with her distant stare.
“He will see you now. His office is on the second floor, you’ll know it because his name is on the door.’
“Thank you.”
The first thing Adam noticed upon reaching the second floor was the thick fog and profound silence. A dreary feeling of being watched made him look behind him a few times. He pressed forward and caught the strangeness of his shadow projected against the wall. Aside from him, two forms projected outwards for him both familiarly shaped. An extension of Laech’s power no doubt. Just like before with the woman on the desk, Laech could alter or influence reality in small ways. It scared him how easily tricked they were. No wonder he was able to so easily crawl into my head and twist my perception of the world.
Other than the fog, the hallway felt longer too, the dull white painted walls seemed to age with every step he made to the Inspector’s office. Once close to it, the light above him flickered and a numbing breeze passed through him.
Doctor Laech’s power continued to shape the world around him. Would the Inspector even notice? When he finally reached the door he knocked three times. The voice of Jones told him to come in. The man’s desk was neatly arrayed, with notes and a picture frame. He had a cabinet with books, statues and a few trophies. Adam entered, and Jones offered him a seat. He refused. He doesn’t appear to suspect anything.
“What is his game sending you here like this? What did you do to Miss Kane”
Adam remained silent as the fog bled through the gaps in the door and spilled into the room.
Jones soon realised the peril he was in and stood up. He strode up to Adam. “You can’t intimidate me. These parlor tricks are nothing. I know what the aether can do,’ he said his green eyes glowed.
Adam smiled.
“If you’re here to kill me then this is just sloppy all around,” Jones said as he threw a punch at Adam. Against a normal person, a psionic enhanced punch would have sent them flying back but Adam caught the punch and tossed the Inspector at his door. The man broke through it and landed in the corridor covered in fragmented pieces of wood. He pulled himself up and used the wall behind him to steady himself.
Adam stepped out of the office. “I used to be like you. It took me a while to realise it Inspector, but there is no escaping your fate. Once Doctor Laech has you ensnared.
Adam removed a knife from his belt and darted forward. The Inspector engaged his cores and blinked moving a short ways down the corridor. He was then spat out by a shadow forcing him back into the real. This long feminine shadow projected itself over him. Cecilia lashed out with those dagger-like claws and caught the Inspector where he stood. The man dribbled blood as he fell into her arms. She began stroking his head as a portal opened behind her.
Adam. Come. We never here.
Once Cecilia disappeared, Adam ran after and passed through the shadow. At first he felt liek he was falling until colour returned and he found himself back in the Den. At his feet sat a cracked black crystal.
“Lie him down!” came the powerful voice of Laech.
Adam followed it to a door that led down into a basement. He descended and soon found Laech and Cecilia with the body of the Inspector laid across a bloodied table.
“I hope this was worth it.”
Laech looked over his shoulder at Adam, “There will come a time when you can’t always rely on my bag of tricks, Adam. He is one of the few to possess a proto-core. It can tap into the aether. I wish to harvest his and gift them to you.”
“Is that the only reason why?”
Doctor Laech smiled and using a surgical knife he first began by cutting off the clothes. He then moved onto the skin across the top of the dead man’s shoulders. It didn’t take all that long and soon two blood and gore-covered metallic cores were removed.
“That’s disgusting.”
“That my dear son is power born from those long past. Given time newer cores will be developed. For now, this will suffice,” swallowed the Surgeon.
Adam watched in further disgust as Doctor Laech moved to the man’s head and began working away at removing the top off. Soon the brain was exposed and picked apart. Adam wouldn't understand why the Doctor did this, but as he observed the man’s revealed brain, he soon learned all his secrets.
“Something wrong?”
Doctor Laech stepped back and looked uneasy, “Strange. I had thought they were long gone by this point. Just a rumour on a grapevine but no… Adam, tell me. Have you ever heard of the Templar?”