STEAM LONDON: Realms of Aether Game Thread

[MWBailey]

Across Town, Dreyfuss was fixing another pot of coffee in the Lab commissary, after having played a round or five for Angel and Cain and Helena and Sigmund. The little fellow was quite the dancer, or would be if he continued to practice dancing with Helena and watch Cain and Angel.

He suddenly got two extremely strong impressions, the first of which made him very woozy indeed, and the second, which said that someone was coming who might shake things up a bit. well, to be exact, the impression of "stormy winds" was what he actually received, for the second impression. the first one, welll, that was sort of catastrophic, and...!

"Jennifer! she's out cold! There's a storm coming--!" he exclaimed, rather more loudly than he would have liked, and then he just sort of melted to the floor, to the general astonishment of all present, and the chagrin of one or two... he awoke only a few seconds later, with Angel holding him in an upright sitting position, and Helena waving some of those gawd-awful "smelling salts" under his nose. "I-- I'm alright! I'm OK... What happened? No, never mind, I remember. Nothing to worry about. I probably ought to have a couple of cups of coffee and then head back to the St. Elmo." He had been letting the whitefire through while he played, he realized. He needed to get in the habit of holding on to it while he wasn't using it. I wonder where its all coming from, he mused...

----------------------------

Esmeralda Litton-Huiycks lugged her schoolbooks into the communal workshop. She found thatthere was an unoccupied forge next to her roommate 'Lotta, and set her things down at the nearby workbench with 'Lotta's.

"There you are, you little troublemaker," 'Lotta exclaimed, exasperated. "What was with that note, and where were you this morning?"
"I didnt want to leave with no explanation, and I was in Headmistress Sheehan's quarters doing detention. She caught me out last night."

"I told you it was impossible! They don't post guards because they Know."
"Uncle Jaisen could have done it, I'm sure of it!"
"Thats your Uncle Jaisen, not you," Lotta said, becoming a bit miffed at her forge fire, which refused to light. "You've been doing balcksmithing all your life, haven't you? Cold you help me with this fire?"
"Sure!" Esme said, and concentrated. In a moment, the heat from Lotta's forge was intense, and the green gas was curling out of the pile of coal, which suddenly flash-ignited with a loud FFOOMMPPSHH!!

"EEK!" 'Lotta screeched, causing several upperclassmen to look over and shake their heads. "not like that, Esme, please, you'll have us both up in front of the Headmistress!"

Esmeralda shook her head, not understanding her friend's discomfiture. "If you learned to do that yourself, it'd be loads easier and take a lot less time  messing with tinder and kindling."

"But what if the Aether field gets damped, somehow, and we can't use the whitefire to start it? You really ought to get in the habit of using the regular technology."

"where's the fun in that?" Esmeralda asked, beginning to crank the bellows of her forge...

[Stella Gaslight]

Helena gave Sigmund a shy smile.  She had never been the type to go mooning over young men but she had to admit that she enjoyed his company.  "You are coming with us to that other world right?  I think...I think it would be nice to get to know you."  She was pulled from the conversation as Dreyfuss fell to the floor. "Are you sure you are all right Dreyfuss.  I could walk you back to your ship if you need me to."  Helena had never seen someone just drop like that and it worried her.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"You musn't over-exert yourself, sir dreyfuss." With the young man's alarming size, he lifted the older man onto his feet. "Will you be alright sir? Well,  I beleive my assistance may be needed on this venture. Besides, you can never have too many people who know weaponry when you're going to a distant world."

Patrick appeared as if he were but a spectral prescence, spawned into this reality by the very notion of children up to no good.
"And what, pray tell, is goin' on here?" he asked in the single least menacing, and therefore most menacing voice.

[Stella Gaslight]

They set Dreyfuss in a chair and Helena gave him a half full cup of coffee so if he spilled it their would be less to burn him.  He drank it slowly as the color returned to his face.  Helena was relieved she only had basic first aid training and she was sure that dealing with some one that past out for supernatural reasons was not covered. He tried to get up but found a refilled cup in his hand. "Sigmund and I will take you to your ship but first you need to rest a bit."

[Nigel Wetherby]

Cain appeared like an apparation beside Emma, watchng over her shoulder like a vigilant gargoyle.
"Do you need any assistance, Miss Emma? Angel and I will be perfectly willing to assist you in any ways we can." Emma looked terribly frazzled, but her persistance for the sake of George was commendable, even going as far as to find George was applaudable.

Sigmund examined Dreyfuss carefully, hoping he would have any more of his bouts of unerving conciousness deprivitions.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma rubbed her eyes.  "I think I am doing all right but I have never tried anything like this before.  My preparations could be completly wrong, I could be leading us in to a quick death. But George is out there some where suffering because I couldn't be bothered to look for him.  He is never going to forgive me."  She sobbed frustration and lack of sleep taking their tolls.  "I am sorry Cain I am just rambling."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"You're doing what you beleive to be right, and sometimes following our heart is the best thing we can hope to do. If I hand't broke off from the group and headed down that trap-laden hall, i would have never met Angel, and god knows what might have happened then?" He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Would you like me and Angel to help with anything? You look like you could use a hand or four."

[Stella Gaslight]

"Thanks for putting up with me.  If you could check through the rations and the medical supplies and make sure we have a full stock of each I would really appreciate it.  We should be able to launch by early afternoon.  I am not sure if time functions the same way there but I hope that we will get there while it is still light out, wandering around an unknown world in the dark is not my idea of fun.  Have we heard anything back from Ella and Elisha yet?"

[MWBailey]

"Well, alright, then," said Dreyfuss. "Yes, I'm certain I'm alright, I was just using the whitefire while I played; I've been losing a bit of sleep lately. Nothing to worry about!" HE glanced around sharply, not wishing to alarm his compatriots. He saw Sigmund watching him carefully, and Helena's worried expression.

"It's ok, young ones, if you'll pardon my familiarity. I'll snap right back once I've had a bit of supper. I just had two really strong premonitions at once, and from what I've been told, that can be sorta draining." He looked at Sigmund, then; he hoped he wasnt scaringthe young fellow. "Sigmund, you're apparently extremely important to this mission, the one we're getting ready to go one. Don't ask me how, because I don't know. I don't mean to be insulting or intimidating, and I'm very sorry that that was your first impression of me. but please, sigmund, stay with us, for Miss Emma's and Miss Helena's sakes if none other."

"Now, all of you. Somebody or something is coming, something or somebody who's going to be a real asset, but who will also be a bit of a trial for some of us. Heh heh, yeah, more of one than me, heh heh..."
---------------------------------
"Headmaster O'Landry!" Lotta gasped. Oh, sir! nothing, nothing at all...er, that is, except my forge fire. I was having trouble lighting it and asked Esme to light it for me!  She just got a little carried away, I'm sure. I don't know how to use the whitefire that way yet, so I couldnt do it that way... she trailed off, seeing the look on the Headmaster's face... 

"And I just wanted to show her how easy it was with the white fire, sir, sort of an incentive kind of...thing..." Some kind of inborn or learned family trait of self-preservation stopped her from continuing when she looked Patrick O'Landry, the great Madboy Genius himself, Headmaster of the only school in existence for Technomantic youth, and personal friend and comrade-in-arms of the uncle she idolized, full in the face. Made her stop, and wait fearfully for the lightning, and the thunder that'll follow, if I survive the lightning, she thought.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Then I suppose it's official that I stay." He announced, a stately grin across his face as he stood up like a royal marine. "Private Sigmund, at the service of the...er...what is this ship called?"

"Really? Is that all? Would ye like ta tell me why ye were firin' up tha bellows? Are we plannin' on makin somethin without submittin' the idea and schematics to a member of the staff? That's a dangerous notion, miss Esmerelda, someone could get hurt!" He seemed genuinely concerned and in no way suspicious, but that was how the best of teachers knew precisely what the true motives of their students were.

[MWBailey]

"If you're on Emma's ship, its the Boheme; If on mine, its the St. Elmo.I'd think the Boheme's where you'll end up being billetted, unless you fancy hunting out-of-control vampires and other malign creatures. Now that Irene's gone, it'll just be me and Capn Ishmael and Leftenent Jock, and no immortal folks at all." From the part about Irene until the end, it was all one barely-concealed sob. At least, he hoped he'd concealed it... He also hoped that if what "Mahon" said was true, that no one could see it in him.

Piiiinngggg....Piiiinngggg....Piiiinngggg
Dreyfuss pulled his watch from its pocket on his vest, and opened it, finding the th e Information light glowing yellow; "new tape from the Liaison," he said, in answer to the multiple stares. "I'd better get back to the Elmo." HE pulled the cane from its place behind the left suspender, and levered himself to his feet. "No, that's all right, I an make it... on second thought, anybody wants to accompany me may do so," he said, suddenly experiencing a wash of vertigo and nausea. He then set off at a very good clip for a man with severe vertigo, being steered clear of teh dock's edge once by
Sigmund and Helena. Once there, he invited them on board for a bit of lunch; "I'll have to cook it, but I can do shoe leather steaks easily enough. oh, now, don't let the name scare you off, ha ha..."

When he came back from the cold storage locker, Dreyfuss noticed Helena closely examining the tackhead banjo, hanging on it's peg in the officer's mess, whilst Sigmund stroked Cleopatra's hood.

"you've good taste, Cleo," Dreyfuss said, as he headed for the potbellied stove in the corner. "Do you play the banjo, Miss Helena?" HE looked up and put the steaks on the unlit stove to accept the ticker tape communique from Capn Ishmael.

"I'll cook those for you and your guests, Sir Jaisen, if you'll let me partake of 'em for my own vittles."
"That's an excellent Idea, Cap'n, thanks," said Dreyfuss, "He's a better cook than I'll ever be," he said conspiratorially...
------------------------------------
"Its just a bit of smithing, Headmaster, As you know, my father was an artillerist; I'm thinking of trying a-a-a-a... pistol barrel. Just a basic exercise." Esmeralda stammered, unsure if the man were as harmless as he seemed. Dont bet on it, dearie, she said to herslf. The others say he can read your thoughts....

"And I was just going to try the exercise on page 15, Headmaster," 'Lotta said helpfully. "The leaf and vine."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Yes. Yes I can." He said with a chuckle, not reading thoughts, but reading emotion that entailed that was what she was thinking. "Might I suggest thinking quieter?" He cackled in a mock-evil tone, just to watch as the children lept back.
"You and your compatriot will be sweeping the soot from bellows and shovelling in the coke for the other steelmakers. You'll be doing this a week."

And with that, the confounding headmaster turned and left, leaving naught but a stifled "But... "That died before it left her lips and fell weakly to the floor as she opened her mouth.

[MWBailey]

Dreyfuss read the communique as he got the glasses and goblets and Helena pitched in getting the tin plates from the rack on the wall, setting up the gimballed Mess table for four, as instructed by Dreyfuss.

Request report(stop)How is Miss Lightolfaring(stop)how are YOU faring(stop)have intercepted teletypescripts saying you are having visions(stop)and 1 answer from OLandry(stop)our condolences at miss Frosts departure(stop) cannot find herwhere did she go(stop)if you are bright one are you immortal too(stop)please advise(stop)new hire arriving16hours(stop)(endtransmission)

"No bloody privacy these days. Well, I guess I can hardly blame 'em," Dreyfuss growled. "communique from Her Majesty's Finest. they've been reading mine and Patrick's teletypes, and are wondering if I and Emma are OK, and if I'm really a bright--! er, bright enough to carry on."

HE saw the look on sigmund's face, and said, :Ohhh... Sigmund, I'm sorry, I really can't lie to you, can I? there's been a suggestion by someone a bit more, and a bit less, than human that I have the soul of a bright one, but one thats never been used before. I dont really have any idea what that means, but the person said I'd live far beyond any human ---as long as I managed to stay alive. Now, thats a jape, ain't it!" HE laughed for a few seconds at the inherent absurdity.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"I am quite aware of the bright ones existance, and their role on thi..the world. Mister O'Landry is in fact a bit of a partially-mechanical byproduct of their science. I simply hope what is left of them can...forgive me and my kind. Though I'm rather sure, i'm the only one left here.."
Sigmund suddenly looked uncomforable, but he tried his best to mask this fact, a makeshift grin crossing his face as if he were trying to muscle past the fact that he had sat on a tack.

[MWBailey]

"Sigmund, please believe me, I truly regret our earlier misunderstanding," Dreyfuss said, hating his southern american/texian drawl, "I am sorry I tried to "draw" on you. It was a reflex, developed over the course of an extended mission.

"Um.  Sigmund... while I may appear to be somewhat clumsy and absurd when not engaged in battle, I do in fact have a full set of command skills. One of that set of skills is the learned ability to tell when someone is hiding something. Now, now, don't get so excited," Dreyfuss said, when Sigmund appeared to be about to panic, "I'm not going to go and get a heat gun or anything. I just want to set your mind at rest. "

"I know what it's like to believe that you are all alone against the entire world, and that every man's hand would be against you, if they but knew your past; I've been there, for many years, and come out the other side of it, or at least I hope that I have.

"What I am trying to say and probably failing miserably at, Sigmund, is that it's pretty much already known that you're probably the last of your kind. Where exactly you came from is not obvious, but what IS obvious is that it seems to have something to do with the recent operation of...of inter-dimensional gateways,  opening and closing, like.

So, set your mind at rest, Sigmund. I'm not going to raise the hue and cry because of an awkward statement at an awkward time. If we were still at war, perhaps things would be different. But we aren't, so they aren't. So be at ease."

The steaks and the rest iof the food finally came, and they and Captain Ishmael dug in with relish. after they finished, Helena and Sigmund left to return to the Boheme, and Dreyfuss followed to ask Miss Emma and Trip about a drill or practice flight to get used to how the new D hopper drive worked.

"One thing I was wondering, Emma, or Trip, since it's your design after all, is whether one could drop in and out in say, a battle, to avoid a rocket or a broadside or something," Dreyfuss queried.

[Stella Gaslight]

Helena smiled at Sigmund not quite daring to hold his hand.  "Regardless of any supernatural reasons I am glad you are coming with us.  The joined universes are vast and who is to say that somewhere out there humans are the villains and your people aren't the ones being wronged.  If working with Emma has taught me that anything is possible, so why not have a hero born of odd circumstances?"  He was fascinating in a way she just did not understand.  It was not merely that he looked exotic it was that she wished to truly understand the way he thought about things and that was not an urge she had ever felt before. 

Emma was feeling much better with breakfast and a pot of tea in her.  "Theoretically we could do a quick drop but we run quite a few risks.  The navigational system is fussy because it as entirely new way to move and if we don't have time to input a destination or input one imprecisely we could end up anywhere and I do mean that literally.  But I suppose if it is a choice between an unavoidable death and the unknown we all know where our vote would be cast.  Now after we det Gorge and use this maiden voyage to make adjustments and improvements we may be able to do that with little to no risk."

[MWBailey]

"Thats understandable, I guess," Dreyfuss said. I really don't mean to turn everything into a weapon or a battle strategy, it's just that I'm used to the old small-ship dogfight paradigm of airship warfare, which stresses the odd or unexpected maneuver. My one  real-world foray into pitched-battle tactics caused me to fall about a thousand feet straight into infamy, if you know what I mean, so I tend to avoid that unless it's absolutely necessary.

Um. Emma, HMSS is asking for a report. they were asking if Was alright, and if you were alright; its about the visions I've been having and me writing to Patrick about them. I suspect they also want to know w how teh project is progressing anbd all that. can I tell them about the impending test, or should I wait 'til after we get back? And incidentally, how does one operate those controls? I don't want to come out inside a Ladies Millinery shop, you know, he said, chortling slightly.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I don't think we should tell them anything yet or if it is absolutely necessary tell them we are still running tests.  I don't want information going out about us having operational dimension travel.  I don't want control of this technology getting out of our hands, humanity as a whole is not ready for this, perhaps someday when we all are as kind as Angel or have become like Jen and Patrick but for now the small test ship and the thew main units will be the only ones built.  We will be taking the designs with us and outside of the few pilots in our group no one will know how to even get the thing fired up." 

Emma had learned her lesson aboard The Star and held her inventions close to her chest until she was sure they could do no harm.  "Right now the unit on your ship is linked to the navigational cortex on ours. Meaning that the jump code works but it automatically brings you to us and our own set of controls guide us through the planes of existence. This is partly for safety and partly because the navigational cortex was a downright bastard to build and the second one isn't ready yet.  All you want have to do when you wish to preform a jump is enter a simple code to arm it and the push the big button.  I have yet to truly test the limits of what the D hopper drives can do so it would be better if we only used them when absolutely necessary.  The last thing we need it to be stranded somewhere out there."

[Duellist]

As Leyton finished his breakfast and returned to the notes and information supplied to him, he took the opportunity to assimilate the actual data within the stream of superstitious ramblings and peasant beliefs.  With luck, he had been given a literal translation of the mystic's 'prophecy'; the alternative would be an unacceptable level of ignorance and mysticism in Her Majesty's servants.

The train drew to a halt at a tiny station, prompting Leyton to draw on his hat and smoked spectacles.  A porter or one of the assorted servants in the government's employ - it mattered little to Leyton as long as they did not drop his trunk of scientific equipment - was quickly rounded up to carry his bags and prepare their transport to whatever conveyance had been assigned to take him to what the notes named a 'Venetian boat, surmounted by a rigid bag of flight'.  Leyton revised his opinions; this was either a direct translation or Her Majesty's government was employing fools.

The journey catching up with him, Leyton was aware only of the vaguest of impressions before he was once again moving; leather seats, creaking suspension and then dreamless sleep took him...

[Nigel Wetherby]

Sigmund glared at his opponent, polearm grasped firmly within his hands, a look of tempered might in his eyes as he stared down his opponent. Cain watched Sigmund carefully, running every possible battle situation over in his head and finding a perfect solution for each.
"You will drink from the bitter mug of defeat, cold one." Cain scoffed. extending both deus blades.
"We shall see who laughts when I melt you down into a medal to reward my own defeat of you!"
Sigmund chuckled, applauding his first attempt.
"A very good line. If there is one thing I have learned when It comes to battle, it is that fear is the perfect handicap for an enemy in battle. You should never fear your opponent, fear stifles thought, you should be cautiously aware. Analyze them in every sense." Sigmund stood his polearm up beside him, relaxing his stature only slightly, Cain followed. The two began to laugh like old friends. Helena had assigned the two to doing inventory on the cold storage room, which they had done very quickly so they might have more time to play-battle.

[Stella Gaslight]

Helena and Angel were running checks on the evacuation gear.  "I think that is every thing.  We should go see if Emma needs us to do anything else." 

Angel gave her a mischievous half smile.  "Sigmund likes you too."

"What? I mean thank you I guess."  Angel's out of nowhere comments never failed to fluster her.  It was the sudden change from childlike to wise that did it, Helena reflected,  It was almost like a primary school child solving an equation that had the experts baffled.

Angel was looking very thoughtful now. "He is going to need a friend. Maybe you do too."

"Well of course everyone needs friends."  A green light stated to flash on the ceiling high above them.  "That is the proximity alarm but it looks like an authorized ship."  The door on the far side of the hanger opened letting in a flood of sunlight and a small ship.  All Helena could see was a bright outline against the sun.

 

[Nigel Wetherby]

The warbling cry of the alarm set both Cain and Sigmund on edge as their previously relaxed states were eliminated and replaced with warrior's mindsets. Sigmind charged like a madman onto the deck only to find...
Everything was perfectly fine. Well, not entirely, there was a very menacing seagull.
Cain followed sigmund close behind, looking around for a moment before seeing the ship appearing in the distance like a rapidly growing seed.

[Duellist]

Having endured a succession of vehicles from horses and carts to European railway carriages, Leyton found that air-travel suited him best of all.  It lacked the furnishings of a first-class carriage, but the ride was smoother than most while the weather was fair.  

Looking past the airmen at the front (or fore or stern or whatever they called it here), he glanced at the maw into which their small craft was to fly and thought better of it.  

The self-styled gentleman-philosopher sat down quietly and closed his eyes, as though meditating or perhaps taking a short nap.  He calmed his mind, slowed his heart and set his focus to maintaining ownership of his breakfast in the face of what could only be an inevitable collision.  Thus prepared, he sat in silence until he heard a metallic noise which he decided was either a docking device or the closing of the hangar doors.  He opened his eyes to see an airman of some miscellaneous rank preparing to wake him and drew on his top-hat.

Leyton stepped out of the small craft and looked about for the individual most likely to be in charge of the air-ship.  

"My name is Christian Leyton, here on behalf of Her Majesty's government.  Might I make so bold as to ask where I should find Captain Dreyfuss?"

[Stella Gaslight]

Helena leaned out over the rail and called to the man below.  "He should be on St. Elmo.  I will take you there."  She was not about to let an unknown man wander around the docks unescorted.  She quickly scaled the side of the ship and dropped to the floor.

[Duellist]

Leyton raised an eyebrow at the surprising agility of his self-appointed guide.  His father had warned him about the kind of woman that one found at docks, but this particular specimen seemed a professional of another sort.  He reflected that he should probably be prepared for trouble, given the curious way that she had rushed to keep him from walking unattended, but he simply reminded himself that it paid to show no fear before the coarser elements of society.

"I hope that I am not putting you to too much trouble here." he said, trying to put her at ease.