The Great Song

Levi was the name I'd given myself. Staring at the display in front of me, I signed and monitored the Song. Those below praised me as the great Conductor, to them I loved and maintained our city. And yet I always wondered if there was something more than this. To the humans, the Instrument was nothing more than a room filled with machines. It worked together to pilot our landship as we drove across the terrain of the planet.

The elevator chimed behind me. All those years of development & they still hadn't made that ding go away.

"Great Conductor, it is time." A voice said behind me. When I turned, they were bowed before me. I hated that.

Their steps didn't echo on the machine floor, I’d never understood how. Anytime I took a step, there was a soft clink. But they were always silent. Maybe the hum of the Song drowned out their steps.

"The Song is beautiful today." I said in greeting.

"Your family has kept it so for generations. May I approach?" They responded. Inwardly, I sighed. It was like they'd forgotten they had created me. Created us.

"You may." I walked forward and took my seat in the chair. The human waited behind me panel as I settled and went still. I heard the click as they opened the sheet on the back of my neck. They grabbed the wire that would help to rewind my gears. I heard them gasp slightly, but I couldn't move once the panel was opened. A final safeguard in case any in my "family" decide that they wanted a different life.

"A masterpiece. A beautiful masterpiece," they whispered as if they'd never seen Clockwork before. Maybe this one was new, I'd never paid them much attentio- My body went rigid as the gears spun.

Every time this happened, I remembered that this would be the cost of ending the Song. No more Mechanics coming through that elevator for repairs. The human walked around to kneel before me, eyes gleaming with wonder.

"Truly, a god among creatures." They muttered. I willed them to walk away. Their gaze was almost possessive. Also, a god? Maybe they'd changed more than I thought. If they'd started idolizing the Great Conductor, what would it mean if the Song stopped?

My arms raised in front of me and I saw the pipes and gears keeping me running through my translucent arm plates. My hands flexed, even though this happened often, I'd never gotten used to not being in control of my functions. As the gears spun, I wondered again why they’d chosen to build me this way. Even I could appreciate the beauty of the clockwork that kept me going.

"They warned me not to distract you," the human muttered. I could only wonder what they meant. How could it hope to distract me? "The Song must continue.''

My arms lowered and the human stood to walk behind me. It was taking longer than normal to do this maintenance.

"Everything checks out normal, Levi."

"Wait, what did you call me?" I asked, suddenly afraid. I'd never spoken that aloud. There was no way for them to know that.

"I can read what you think. The maintenance keeps a log of abnormalities. You've named yourself. To think I used to believe you a deity. Only to find you've wants and wishes apart from the Song," they muttered.

"The Song continuing is my primary objective," I sat still though my functions had returned to me. This was the most I'd ever spoken to a Mechanic. "I'd never jeopardize it."

"And yet you wish it would end. This great cacophony of machines working to keep my people alive. And the Great conductor would see it all fall silent. I should warn the Elders that our Conductor has gone rogue," they commented.

At that I whirled around, standing to face them. "And who are you to judge me? Who are you to tell me I shouldn't want to be free of this inherited obligation?"

At that they smirked and started walking towards the elevator, "Atlas, at your service. A descendant of the family who had an idea for a Great Conductor who could guide the Song for our people. Clockwork was supposed to be more reliable than people. But I guess they were wrong."

"I suppose we're both trapped then, Atlas. And yet, you'd fault me for hating my captivity." I said, watching him walk away.

"Don't think to compare yourself to me, Conductor," he spat. "Only one of us has the power to end everything."

"And yet, only one of us has the power to end the other." I responded. "The Great Song has been maintained by my family for several of your generations. For all those years we've been confined to this room and yet you think it odd that I would wish for something more."

"And you don't think it's odd that you aren't the first Conductor. The creativity required for you clockworks always leads you to this point," Atlas smirked. "I always hoped I'd be the one to experience the rogue Great Conductor. I'll get to be the one who resets you, Levi."

"Reset?" I asked, stepping back.

"You think we have unlimited resources to continue manufacturing Great Conductors?" Atlas laughed. "No, we plug you in and hit a button. Bye bye Levi, hello Great Conductor."

I heard a dissonant note in the Song behind me. I ignored it. Watching Atlas, I wondered if he had heard it to. His posture didn't shift, I don’t think he had. I could let it go. Would that be wrong? The Great Song must continue. But that means I'd be reset.

"Keep your dramatics, Atlas. The Song is breaking, can't you hear it?" I asked.

He glanced over my shoulder to the Instrument, shoulders tensing.

"May I?" I gestured behind me. “The Great Song must continue."

He hesitated, but finally nodded.

I walked over to the console. The Great Song must continue. I closed my eyes, listening to the whirs of the Great Song. There was a crater in the ground in our path. The Song warned there was an 85% chance that it would be interrupted if we hit the crater. The Great Song must continue.

"Fix it, Levi!" Atlas’ voice wavered. "Great Conductor, please."

The dissonance in the Song hit a crescendo, but I did nothing. THE GREAT SONG MUST CONTINUE. But I just listened. I listened to the slight click of my gears as the world shook. The Song stopped.