The Legend of Loxley Bottom 10

A new diary entry on hellsborough.com is coming soon:

Also known as "The Gabbleratchets of Sophie Hinchcliffe", this has been a work in progress based on research that I have undertaken into the recent modern age of the history of Hellsborough under the rule of the nascenti. A local girl and simple shop worker, Sophie Hinchcliffe, who -- inexplicably -- becomes the first CEO of the DPDC -- that is the first Chief Executive Officer (the original boss, if you will) of the Dark Peak District Council, the local government that administers Hellsborough and The Dark Peak for the nascenti overlords.

Sophie is a major character in the forthcoming sequel to "Dark Peak -- Hellsborough Chronicles book one", so it is only right that I do the research to uncover her backstory, most of which I have gleaned from the local library in Hellsborough -- an awesome resource for research, because, as you would expect, those nascenti overlords want the populace here and hereabouts to understand the importance of local characters that have helped to define their rule.

It has been serialised here, as well on on Twitter/X in short form.

Read Chapter one, Chapter two, Chapter three, Chapter four, Chapter five, Chapter six, Chapter seven, Chapter eight and Chapter nine.

Chapter ten: CEO.

The murklight ushered in a new dawn, the bright street lamps of the night dimming as the weak sunlight filtered in through the murk.

Hexikid street cleaners busied themselves in the early pall, chased by barkers -- made and organic; it was the way of things. Everyone expected the same noises -- the slops and slushes of the cleaners, the yips and yaps of the barkers -- at the same time, every morning. It was the waking call of Hellsborough.

Sophie faced a choice. The hill up Dykes lane, or the flat of Holme. She opted for the latter. That is not to say she knew where she was, or knew where she needed to go. But she did know. Something deep within her told her that the quickest route would be the hill, but that the sensible thing to do would be to stay on the flat.

The quickest route to where?

To the Dark Peak District Council offices at the library on Hellsborough park.

She pushed on down Holme lane. Many folk recognised her and wanted to stop and chat. At first, she found this awkward. She stopped at the coos and caws, they wanted to hug her, to ask her where she had been. But Sophie was confused, she didn't recognise these people. They seemed nice enough, but she had no time for them. She pulled her self away, saying nothing, rushing forwards along that long and busy lane. 

She heard tuts and sighs as she rushed forwards, incomprehensible murmurs of discontent; grumbles and groans from folk who knew her and knew her well -- exasperated by her ignorance towards them. Yet, this was not the Sophie that they knew, and this Sophie didn't know or recognise any of them. This Sophie had only a mission and a destination, and it required her to forge forwards, past these people recognised the form and features of the skin that her nascenti form now wore.

Turning left at the junction, the corner, she fought her way along the Middlewood road. Again, the looks of recognition and the friendly, affirming words. She ignored them, walked stonily past them all.

Her mind was determination. Nothing now would stop her reaching the council offices on the park. Deep in her unconscious mind, she has a message for the CEO of the DPDC.

Just one thing now stood between her and her destination: Farantees. Her previous employer -- not that this Sophie had any inkling of that fact.

Look! Said one of Sophie's ex-colleagues -- it's Sophie! There was much chattering of the early shift as they stood outside the department store, each pulling on a last cigarette before the doors opened for the day.

Sophie strode purposefully, not recognising her former colleagues.

Soph'! Soph'! Shouted one of the assembled throng. I's me, Aimes. Soph'!

Sophie faltered. The shouting and cries of welcome disturbed her. But something else disturbed her more: Outside Farantees was the same tram stop that Sophie had been abducted from by the gabbleratchets.

Hallucinations filled Sophie's thoughts. Where these hallucinations came from wasn't clear. There was no way that they were Sophie's memories, since the original Sophie, the one taken by the gabbleratchets all those days ago, no longer existed -- those heinous beasts had seen to that -- yet this Sophie had flashbacks to that very night, and those images stopped her in her tracks -- she was frozen in space and time.

Her ex-colleagues called out to her and cajoled her in their direction, without advancing towards her stiff frame.

Sophie was upright, but prostrate -- suspended in animation. Images of things past which weren't hers flooded her mind. Evil images. Images of being dragged into the air against her will. Images from another consciousness. Sophie was on the verge of panic.

Then the rockcrust kicked in.

Prescribed by the nascenti scientists, and administered when her cortisol levels reached the point of overwhelming her sanity, the drug coursed like venom through her veins, calming and curing her.

Sophie no longer felt panic, no longer felt the need to run. She continued walking calmly, ignoring the calls from her former colleagues, ignoring the tram stop, forgetting those images that had come to her from nowhere.

Moments later, Sophie was at the door of the library on Hellsborough park.

Sophie walked straight in, the door wasn't locked. Doors were rarely locked in Hellsborough. For one, the crime rate was minuscule in Hellsborough -- there was no need for crime, when a capitalist society rewarded work and hustle, and any crime was heavily punished by the exacid. And two, the always on, 24 hours society meant that the offices were always in use.

No one stopped her has she found the directions and then navigated herself to the office the the CEO of the Dark Peak District Council.

Opening the door to the office, the chair was vacant, so Sophie took up residence. The name on the metal tent card said "Mr. J. P. Blenkinsopp, CEO". Sophie waited for its owner to arrive. While she waited, she plucked dusty books from the shelves around the office -- details of historical decisions, plans of work done, and those to be undertaken in the future. None of it made much sense to Sophie, not yet at least.

She got to pouring through something that she found remotely interesting (although the former shop assistant would not be able to tell you why she now found the concept of this tome so enticing): "The maps and statics of the first hundred years of the settlement of Hellsborough (76.mist-hoverwing - 78.murk-demonspawn)." Engrossed as she was, she failed to notice when a number of hours later, as the day has gone from first murklight to close to murknoon, the door to the office swung open, and before her stood a tall figure encased in a stylish woollen overcoat, carrying a leather briefcase.

Ah, good morning young lady, said the bespectacled figure who had entered the room, making Sophie look up -- not with surprise or fright, but with a cold stare that set the speaker rocking on the heels of his patent leather brogues, although she said nothing in response to his greeting.

And whom might you be, he said with a haughty glare, for this was CEO of the DPDC, Joshua P. Blenkinsopp.

Sophie said nothing, just met the gaze of her inquisitor with a shiv of her own.

I'll ask you again, said the CEO of the DPDC -- who are you that sits at my desk?

I am the new CEO of the Dark Peak District Council, said Sophie, matter of factly.

Joshua P. Blenkinsopp guffawed involuntarily. Yes, I see that, he said, his sneer the purest arrogance. But young lady, the Dark Peak District Council already has a CEO, and I am he -- and are you not a little young to be bothering yourself with the running of local government?

What do you know old man?

Old man, Blenkinsopp said with a smirk -- I'll have you know, I'm the youngest ever CEO of the DPDC -- none before me has been younger.

Please leave my office, said Sophie, I have important work to do, and as I said, I am now the CEO of The Dark Peak District Council. It has been decreed by the nascenti leadership, and your services are no longer required. Consider yourself fired.

Fired?! On whose authority? Who is this nascenti leadership that you speak of, I answer to no nascenti leadership. I report to the elected members of the council -- individuals elected by the people of Hellsborough. There is no room for fantasy in politics. Surely, this is some sort of practical joke. Blenkinsopp scanned the cameras in the corner of the room behind his desk, looking for some tell-tale movement that might indicate some sort of hoax being played, but everything looked as it had always looked.

#### HMM::OUT('Who is the Chief Executive Officer of The Dark Peak District Council?')

ask:: Blenkinsopp, Joshua // stat:: accept[ok]__ // src:: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:037g:7334 [loc::hellsborough//middlewood_road//0017]__ // now:: 79.rain-rooter.17.12.11.59.29

HMM::IN('../\/\/\/ Updating... /\/\/ As of this precise moment, the Chief Executive Officer of The Dark Peak District Council is Mr. J. P. Blenkinsopp, BSc (Hons), MBA_.

You see, the hivemind confirms what I already knew, that I, and not you are the CEO. Now please vacate my desk immediately, before I call for the exacids!

HMM::IN('../\/\/\/ Updating... /\/\/ Mr. J. P. Blenkinsopp was, as unanimously voted by the incumbent council members at 79.rain-rooter.17.12.9.0.0, removed from office -- effective 79.rain-rooter.17.12.11.59.59_

HMM::IN('../\/\/\/ Updating... /\/\/ Mr. Blenkinsopp's tenure, will be terminated and he will be replaced by Miss Sophie Hinchcliffe at 79.rain-rooter.17.12.12.0.0__.

Blenkinsopp looked at Sophie aghast. What is this malfeasance?! This is not right. The council members must have been intimidated, they would never do this to me! My track record is without blemish! I have never put a finger wrong in my seventeen years of service!!

And, anyway, what do you -- a girl -- know about municipal affairs? His voice was weak though, and without commitment, it was the voice of the broken.

Come to me, said Sophie, holding her arms outstretched, her fingers wide.

Kneel before me.

Blenkinsopp kneeled passively in front of her, allowing his head to drop into her lap and silent tears to weep from his eyes. Her small fingers wrapped themselves around his large cranium, he relaxed succumbing to her like a child.

Now, what don't I know about municipal affairs? Said Sophie, as murknoon elapsed and the light of a new era dawned on The Dark Peak.

In other news, Hellsborough Chronicles book one “Dark Peak” is now available on Kindle and paperback.

I am also tweeting on a daily basis, and you can follow me here.

If you can leave a review of Dark Peak on Amazon, I'd be more than grateful.

Cheers, until next time,

Pip :)