Part Two.

Leonardo, Robespierre, and Richard stumbled out of the transporter. Leonardo dusted himself off, with a small chuckle.

“Well, that wasn’t so hard.”

He saw Richard and Robespierre look at each other, eyebrows raised. He grinned slightly to himself. He flicked his fingers at them, looking around.

“Come, we need to find Kamala.”

Overhead a cloudless blue sky was dotted with more of the flying vehicles, a low grade buzzing filling the air. The glass buildings soared far into the clouds and a warm breeze wafted through the streets.

He pointed to one of the buildings. “Look!”

Richard cursed, and Robespierre gasped. “It’s going to fall!”

“No, it’s not,” Leonardo grinned. “Look closer, it’s bending.”

The building was bending and twisting slightly in the wind. When Leonardo’s eyes adjusted to the glare of the sun off the glass, he realized that each floor of the building rotated independently, like segments of a spine.

“That’s incredible,” Robespierre breathed, eyes blinking rapidly. “How do you think –”

“We need to find this woman. How, Leonardo?” Richard cut through their speculation. Leonardo frowned slightly, casting a slightly longing look back at the building, before sighing and looking at the rest of the street they found themselves on.

Past the transporters, there were a few other shop fronts that let onto the street. Leonardo watched one black skinned man step out of the transport and make his way to a corner. He tapped a panel and spoke. Pictures came up and he tapped something, before speaking to a it rapidly, his mouth curling up into a smile. An image of a woman came up, and her eyes widen and her joyful shriek cut through the noise of the street. The man gestured, arms out and the woman nodded eagerly, tapping something onto her screen before disappearing. The man scanned the numbers, nodded and turned the corner. Leonardo titled his head. Then started to the corner.

He hardly realized that the other two hadn’t followed until a strong grip around his bicep stopped him.

“Alright, you need to stop bloody doing that,” Richard snapped.

Leonardo blinked at him. “Pardon?”

“Wandering away. You’re the only one who understands this blasted world and if you leave me alone with the king slayer, there’s only going to be problems, so you need to alter us if you’re moving.”

Robespierre stopped in front of both of them. “Stunningly, I agree with Richard, despite his insistence on his erroneous title.” He graced Richard with a lip curl before looking up at Leonardo, his grey-green eyes glittering behind the tinted glasses. “If we’re ever to make it out of here, we need you Leonardo.”

Leonardo took a deep breath, something heavy settling around his heart. They were right, of course, but that didn’t make the sudden expectation any easier. He figured that if he was going to be saddled with such responsibility, he should ask for something in return.

“Alright, but in return I ask that the two of you put your quarrel to rest.”

Immediately both burst in protests. Leonardo put up his hand to stop the deluge. “We’re a thousand years from what either have you have done, no matter who you might have murdered.” He cast a significant look at both of them at this word.

Both of them froze, Richard looking grey and Robespierre flushing. “There’s no need to keep bicker with each other, and if you expect me to find a solution out of this mess, then please, at least call it to truce.”

Both men looked away.

“Please?” Leonardo beseeched.

At last, reluctantly, Richard held out a hand to Robespierre, who took it as one would a highly disgusting artifact, possibly also covered in poison. He gasped when Richard tightened his grip to crush the other’s hand.

“Alright Robespierre. For the moment, peace?”

“Peace,” Robespierre said through gritted teeth. Richard smiled grimly and let go. He gestured to Leonardo. “And?”

Leonardo smiled slightly. He gestured for them to follow and shortened his stride slightly so he could explain as they walked. Robespierre shook his hand slightly, massaging it.

“I believe that these panels are public computers, used for contact. If I can find Kamala, then we can ask her if we can come seek sanctuary with her, or at least speak with her.”

“And you think she’ll oblige?” Richard asked.

Leonardo shrugged and tapped the panel. It lit up instantly and Leonardo scanned its unfamiliar surface, finger hovering it.

“We can only try.”

XXX

All told it took Leonardo ten minutes to find Kamala Manson’s contact information. Richard was propped against the wall next to him, glaring at anyone who came to close. Robespierre seemed to have been distracted by the birds that fluttered around the street, having taken a piece of their remaining bread and crumbled it to crumbs. It looked like highly enjoyable, but Leonardo resisted the urge to try it himself.

“Ah!” Leonardo smiled as he found her picture and a list of public information. Her contact number was listed first.

He tapped it and listened to it beep. A yellow arrow, blinking as it made its way across the screen indicated how soon to connection. Leonardo marveled at the rapidity. In 1500 this would have been unheard of, even if whoever you wanted to speak to was in your city. That still would have required a messenger on foot, or a pigeon. Within seconds it was connected and it beeped again

“Hello?”

Leonardo cleared his throat. “Si, hello Tamala. This is Leonardo.”

For a moment there was silence. “Like…as in da Vinci?”

“Si.”

“What- How- does Rain know you’re calling me?”

Leonardo rubbed his chin. “No. There was a problem. An alien came and told her that she stole-”

“Wait, she’s not with you?!”

“No, we left-”

“We?!”

“Yes, myself, Robespierre and Richard,” Leonardo said, relived to finally get through a sentence. “We left her and went to Paris. However, uh, that did not work out. We were hoping you could help us.”

There was a heavy silence. Leonardo glanced over Richard, who was watching with careful grey eyes.

“Don’t move. I’m coming to grab you,” Kamala finally answered. The computer beeped again and the screen went blank.