“It’s all about air pressure. We pull air from one end, creating a vacuum that propels the pod between each terminus. There’s a slight rise soon.”

The pod abruptly tilted upwards and slowed as they hit the uphill section.

“We’re out of the old sewer tunnels now and into the purpose-built uphill section. It’s all automated, no intervention needed,” said Craftsman Primrose as the pod came to a sudden standstill. He pulled the lever and they stepped out into a large metallic room. They followed Craftsman Primrose towards the doorway.

He paused, his hand grasping the handle. He smiled. “Now, a true welcome to the Imperial Personifate Guild of Medlock – the factorium!”

They stepped through the door into the fresh air of outside. They had been in a hut of some sort, but before them was a great lawn leading like an emerald carpet to an enormous building. Prue couldn’t speak because her breath had completely been taken away by the size and magnificence of the factorium before her. It rose proudly from the ground, something like a chaos factorium but much more stylish and grand: warm clay brickwork; row upon row of neat, gleaming windows; pipes running in orderly patterns from the main building to enormous cylinder-shaped sub-buildings; huge, polished steel chimneys that seemed to almost reach the clouds; and a fountain, the likes of which would usually be seen at a fancy country home, shimmering in the morning sun. Prue could feel there was something about this whole place, a prickle in the air, like the expectation of lightning – everything was alert. Prue had so many questions bursting inside of her, she couldn’t wait to get started.

“It’s magnificent,” Prue whispered, looking up at the white smoke chugging into the sky.

“That exhaust you see is not harmful in any way. We do it to keep up the illusion that this is just another Medlock factorium, but really it’s perfectly safe artificial vapour,” said Craftsman Primrose. “Come on, I wanted to show you all a little of the grounds before everyone else arrives.”

A central pathway led from the main factorium building to great gates; the transport hut they’d arrived in was about halfway along.

Craftsman Primrose walked them up the long path to what he called the “official entrance”. He used the same key he’d used back at the house to activate the huge gates to the outside where there was a big sign that stated “Medlock & Co Chaos Production”.

Craftsman Primrose tapped his nose. “Our little cover story.”

Beside the gate, on the factorium side, was a small building like a tiny brick house with one door and windows on all aspects. A girl in regular trousers and jumper came to the door when she saw them.

“Good morning, Grace. All quiet this morning?” said Craftsman Primrose.

“Yes, Craftsman Primrose. New apprentices?” she said looking at the girls and smiling.