Clockwork Dystopia: The Tales of Luther Black

Chapter 1: A Trying Time

It’s 7:18 am on Wednesday 2nd of June in the 12th decade in the era of Arcadeus, in the town of Pretoria. It is a small town of around 500 people situated precariously on the edge of a cliff just below an overhang, creating an almost perfectly circular crevice for the town to sit. Now, to most people this would seem like a preposterous place to build a town, but here it stood. Today was a very important day in the town because it was the day the eldest children finished school, and started adulthood.

At this precise moment in time, in a small house made mostly of metal and some brickwork, tucked away neatly in the corner of the town, just by the village shop, a young man was stirring.
“LUTHER BLACK! GET YOURSELF OUT OF THAT BED RIGHT NOW!” a loud bellow came from down the narrow stairs. Luther’s eyes shot open and he turned to his clock.

“What? Why? OH GOD I’M LATE!” Luther sprang out of bed and shot towards his wardrobe, throwing the doors open he pulled out some clothes and ran down the stairs, almost forgetting his hat. To look at, he seemed rather strange, his clothes are very out-dated and his demeanour is very bizarre. Dressed head to toe in smart Victorian clothing, an auburn dinner jacket, a cream waistcoat and a white shirt tucked neatly into his dark brown trousers. A pocket-watch peeked out of his pocket with a sparkling chain linked to the inside of his waistcoat. He was also required to wear bronze goggles as the air was somewhat toxic and an irritant, everyone had to wear some eye protection whilst outside.

“I’m ready. Clothes, goggles, bag, shoes, yep, that’s everything” Luther padded himself down and calmed.

“I’m so proud of you” A soft voice appeared from behind a large chair. A trail of smoke rose from behind it and a man looked around it. He was a rather skinny looking man, wearing thin circular glasses and with a pipe, bellowing smoke out.
“It’s your last day as a child Son, make the most of it, because tomorrow we’re making you work to earn your way in this world”

“I know Dad” Luther looked nervous but happy. He put on his goggles and stepped out of the door into a small chamber. It was a dark room, just big enough for one person. Iron clad with a chrome finish and one small handle. Luther pulled this handle towards him, a gush of air circulated and began to fill his lungs, and the goggles were put on and fitted. After a few moments another door opened and Luther stepped into the outside world.
It was a bright day; the cobbled streets were ablaze with the early morning light reflecting off of the mirrors placed carefully around town to get light from the land above. Normally the mirrors wouldn’t be moved until later but today was a special day. Everybody around town knew what today was, what it meant to them all. Luther glanced around and started the short walk to school. He had made this walk everyday for the past 6 years, passing the town shop, the local tavern and the abandoned house that once belonged to the founder of the town, Jeremiah Farthing. Just past town hall, a gust of wind picked up and roared through town, Luther shielded his face from the dust and then carried on towards the school; it was just around one more corner. Here he was, the last day of school. The last day of his childhood, and the last day of life as he knew it.

Chapter 2: The Circus Comes To Town

7 hours later at precisely 3:01 pm Luther stepped out of the big iron doors of the school into the cool air of the outside world. Even through his goggles you could see the glimmer of happiness in his eyes and his smile betrayed even more. He took a deep breath and strolled towards his home, passing by the mayor, the shopkeeper, the postman, the town guard and his fathers work friends. He crept inside the airtight chamber almost erupting with excitement, bounding up and down waiting for the door to open. Finally it burst open and Luther sprang forward screeching.

“I DID IT! I DID IT! I PASSED!” he ran from his mother to his father, the happiness almost oozing out of his smile. His father looked at him with a tearful eye and stood up, slowly padding himself down and giving Luther a pat on the back.

“I’m proud Son. You’ve done us both so proud. Tomorrow, you can start work with me” Luther’s dad seemed almost anxious as the words were spluttered out of his mouth. But tomorrow was the 3rd June, and everybody knows what that means, the circus comes to town.

Now, I must tell you this is no ordinary circus that the likes of you and I might attend, oh no, this was a special circus. It went from town to town on its giant flying platform, great pillars bellowing out steam as cogs and gears wound and clunked, you could hear it before you could see it. Every year it came to town and parked itself just by the cliffs edge awaiting all the townsfolk to enter its cascading tent. Inside you could find all manner of wonders. Clockwork lions and elephants, ring masters adorned with the finest silks parading between scores of mechanical devices furrowing the ground and creating an audio-visual marvel for all to enjoy. Luther had wanted to see this ever since he was a little boy but his father would never take him, suggesting that ‘It always ends in trouble!’ to which Luther would reply ‘But trouble is my middle name’ and Luther’s father would swiftly respond with ‘No, it’s Albert. Go to your room’. To this day the very mention of the circus brought a jolt to Luther’s heart, and tomorrow, he would finally get to see it, he’d finally enter the colossal tent and finally cross beneath the great sign bearing the words ‘The Clockwork Circus’.