The Bar In The Middle of The Multiverse (General In-Persona Chat)

[MWBailey]

Bailey strolls in, a large man, in the indeterminate realm between hugely muscular and hugely muscular but going to fat. He adjusts his fedora back slightly farther on his graying head, and resettles the massive khukri in its left-armpit shoulder holster, then does the same with the Bergmann semi-automatic in the belt holster.  His khakis show signs of having been stained by blood, mud, various kinds of fluids both animal and vegetable, both terrestrial and otherwise, among other things, and then washed out again. Not in bad shape, but not brand new, either. A sergeant-major's stripes, white on black, adorn the sleeves of his field jacket, and a round patch on one sholder bears a silhouette of what appears to be a winged serpent or lizard over the shape of an interplanetary aethership, and reads Corps Draconis. He twists his well-waxed moustache, mutters what could be either a curse or a blessing in an obscure hindic dialect, and finally speaks up.

"Barkeep? Ginger Beer wi' rum, if you please, four fingers top."

[Ginny Blundy]

"Certainly gentleman, I'd be, uh..." Ginny locks the final piece into place, distracted by the realization that there is a spring and a cog still on the table. Why are there always spare parts? "That is, I'd be happy to join you." She stands and stretches out to her full not-very-tall height, emerging into full visibility from behind the corner table. She is wearing a hooded brown leather half vest, a white collarless shirt smudged with mechanical grease and the grime of the city rooftops, dark brown trousers, and heavy leather boots. She has long brown hair, with uneven braids that frame her face. She slides the cog and spring into a pocket of her vest, slips the rifle strap over her shoulder, takes up her unfinished ale, and glances curiously at the mysterious new guest before joining the three men and the dog.

She gives a nod to Pratt. "Thank you. I imagine I should finish this ale and get to work on another, after all." She looks over at the Kapitän, not sure of what to make of this introduction. "That's a lot of names you've got. I think I'll stick with Freiherr. Pleasure to meet you. I'm an inventor, actually. Well, an apprentice inventor. Well, sort of an enthusiastic tinkerer. Mostly I take things apart, figure them out, and put them back together in ways that weren't really intended. And yourself? Why the interest in engineers?"

[Zeppelin Kapitan Fritz]

     Scientists and engineers were instrumental in creating the modern industrial world(s) we all live in. I believe that, for the most part, they have done much good for humanity. Of course, technological advancement alone does not equate to progress. The terrible conflict that has engulfed my world is surely evidence of that, but I still respect scientists and engineers for the contributions they have made.

     One of my few true friends is also an engineer. He is the chief engineer on my zeppelin, in fact.

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

"The world I left is in no conflict, at least not large ones.
 Tell us what is the nature of this conflict that has engulfed your world.
Or did you come to this place to escape your troubles. If that is indeed the case we can change the subject to something less painfully."

[Maxwell B. Cooper]

Maxwell returned to his calculations, the bar was slowly getting busier and he intending to get the bulk of his work completed before the noise became too distracting. Jotting down the last of his readings, he placed his notebook and device back in his pocket and stretched to relieve the tension in his back.

He looked around the room, watching the patrons with interest while nursing the last of his port.

[Zeppelin Kapitan Fritz]

"The world I left is in no conflict, at least not large ones.
 Tell us what is the nature of this conflict that has engulfed your world.
Or did you come to this place to escape your troubles. If that is indeed the case we can change the subject to something less painfully."

     I have come here to forget about the war. The unfortunate product of a few scheming politicians and industrialists more concerned about filling their own pockets than the common good they so often speak of, that's what it is. What is it you would like to discuss?

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

"Very well,"
Turning to Ginny,
"I must confess that in all my travels I have never even seen an air kraken. Hunting. such a beast must be truly incredible!
Surely you have a tail or two to tell of your adventures. I for one would love to learn more."

[Daedalus Forge]

Though Forge had taken Ginny's hint regarding another drink, he had been distracted form the ensuing conversation by the arrival of an enormous, bear-of-a-man, wearing battered remnants of a Corps Draconis uniform. 

Forge knew of the Corps Draconis; their reputation was damn near as fearsome as his own beloved 24th, but whereas the emblem of the 24th showed a winged dagger, above the regimental motto 'Mortem Ex Supra' (Death From Above), the Corps Draconis had the famous 'Dragon and Airship'. 

"Another drink for the lady, if you'd be so kind, Barman; and whatever the Sergeant Major is having", said Forge, with a nod to the new arrival.  He then turned his attention back to his new companions, and, with a shallow bow, extended his hand, "The name's Forge", he said.  "Captain Daedalus Forge, of the 24th.  Delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Blundy; as, indeed I am delighted to make yours, Herr Kapitan."

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

"Ahh Mr. Bailey, yes indeed I do remember you. How is the ol' crew of the H. M. A. S. Mad Badger? Still in the thick of things are you? Last time I saw you, you and your men were slaughtering German troopers. As I was piloting an aethership on a collision heading with a German battle cruiser.

 I was forced to make a blind shift to an adjoining plane and was tossed into the time-streams like a kite in a whirlwind. Ended up on the island of Muckle Flugga in the Shetlands of all places!

I was found and nursed back to health by the lighthouse keeper and his family . Took three months for my full recovery. I did look back in on you all to make sure the over all mission was successfull. Well done by the way, the Order owes a lot to all of your efforts.

Made my way to Edinburgh from their, spent some time back at the University."

[Daedalus Forge]

"You are already acquainted?!" asked Forge, looking between Tiberius and Sergeant Major Bailey.  "Good heavens, this is a turn-up!  Tiberius and I go way back.  I first met him when The Ministry charged the 24th to accompany him to Antarctica on a - how was it you described it, Tiberius - 'Bug hunt'?  One and only time I've been there, and damn near decimated the regiment.  Anyway, being fellow countrymen, we 'hit it off' splendidly.  I would, however, be most eager to hear of your adventures with him and his Order, if you'd care to join us, Sergeant Major?

As a Big Game hunter, I'm sure you'd find the exploits of Tiberius, here, quite edifying, too, Miss Blundy." said Forge.  "You see", Forge went on, leaning-in conspiratorially, and with a smile and playful wink at Tiberius, "Tiberius here is much like the great detective: just as Holmes can tell what tobacco one favours simply by looking at the ash, yet - as it has no bearing on his work - supposedly has no conception that the earth orbits the sun; Tiberius has, as you heard from his own lips, never seen an Air Kraken, yet the things he hunts are...  Well...  They are truly something to behold.  Or rather not, eh, Tiberius?"

[Ginny Blundy]

Blundy finishes off her old mug of ale and gladly accepts the new one. She nods thanks to Forge for the fresh drink, and gives One Legged Pete a generous tip, as is her custom whenever she forgets herself and uses the inn as a secondary workshop.

"Never seen an Air Kraken? They are the terror of the skies, truly. I imagine the Freiherr could tell you a thing or two about what they can do to a zeppelin. The trick to hunting them is bringing them down in a safe place, preferably the ocean as they do like to terrorize cities. They don't have much interest in wide open fields, unfortunately. So one must not only have a good capable firearm and a deadly aim. It's also important to know how to triangulate. Rather a lot of math involved in Air Kraken hunting. I had one of them in my sights earlier, and had just worked out the hypotenuse when the trigger stuck."

Blundy leans in towards Tiberius, placing her palms together. "So, what manner of hunting do you do? Intriguing that anyone familiar with Air Kraken would describe any other creature in heaven or on earth as 'something to behold'." She grins at Forge, with open enthusiasm at the prospect of new and terrible game.

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

Bug hunt?!"

 Pratt dose a spit take at the description.
(And a terrible waste of good brandy it is!)

With a sidelong glance to Forge, Pratt answers.

"Well Miss Blundy, I must remind you the nature of the place we now sit. In short we don't all enter from the same world. So it seems that I have as yet to visit your world or one that has these air karken of yours. They do seem by your words to be a monstrous beast!
 
As to what my friend hear alludes to. It was an entity of elder earth horror. Beings from beyond, that slumber waiting for the stars to be right so they can reclaim the earth once ruled by them. I have in the past found myself called to assist in protecting humanity from such things.

However its men like Forge hear that I look to when battle horn is sounded. I am no warrior, a man of letters and science or a traveler. I have picked up some useful knowledge and lore as well as insight as to how events will unfold.

Now back to these monster kraken you hunt. Once killed do you take them as trophies? Or is their a hot stew pot waiting your return from the hunt?"

[Daedalus Forge]

With a quiet chuckle, Forge leaned back in his seat.  'Modest, as ever, Tiberius', he thought to himself, and recalled how, when he first met him, he had thought him quite mad; harmless, but absolutely barking.  But the things he had seen on that fateful expedition; the things that had assailed them at the Battle of the Weddell Sea; things that should not be...  Of the one hundred men of the 24th that left Southampton, only thirty-six returned, and the last Forge had heard was that at least thirty of them had either killed themselves or were bouncing around little padded cells in Bedlam.  He shuddered at the memories.  'I wonder what it did to me?' he thought.  'Maybe it's best not to talk about it'.

"I do believe I'm getting drunk", he said, by way of changing the subject.  "Who's for another?"

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

"Excuse me, did you say getting?
Best just call for a bottle and save time, and by "who" you mean who else besides me.
Not to worry, no Welshman is truly drunk in till he begins to sing"

[MWBailey]

"Kraken? Seen one or two in th' skies over Nepal; fought one off o' th' Sultana once, but them 's was sideshow fights compared to rootin' out the Drineh Va in th' jungles o' Venus, or Chthuga in the tunnels of The Martian Temples or in the depths of Iceberg Station," Bailey said in response the romm's general remarks on kraken to the young woman. "Heard an auld crackpot of a natur'list say once the Old Ones're the ancestors of Air Kraken, but I'd say from having met, y' might say, one of the Auld Un's in the fiery flesh (not tae mention their half-human cousin), that  th' tentacles're about all they 'ave in common."

Bailey rounded to Pratt, and said, "Ah, I thourt I recognized you, Mister Pratt. Well, we sent that german behemoth packing with severe damage. For a while, anyway. We were 'eavy-damaged ourselves in that fight too, though, and went to an Idependent's freehold for repairs. While we was there, we met yet two others of our 'travellin' ' kind," he winked at Pratt knowingly, "One, A fellow named Pulsifer. Mad Jack Pulsifer, that is, aboard his time-and-space-travellin armed blimp, the Beau Rosin, and things just got wilder and more weird from there, especially after we were rather forcibly joined by another fellow, traveller number Two, name of M.W. Brantley. Tha's the cousin of the Auld Ones that I spoke of, by the way -- and an agent o' some koind 'o inter-dimensi'nal regulatin' organization, corl'd A.U.N.T. S.A.L.L.Y., of all things. Never did foind out wha' the letters stood for; supposedly the answer, bein' partly from the lingo of the Auld Un's, Drives humans insane. Or so the feller said."

"Ended up back on Earth, back around the time that the Sultana (My billet back in the East Indian Air Security Service) was shot down, but even though all the events from that time still occurred, they did so in different places and in different ways, endin' up where Texas and her neighborin' states're now their own major world power, and bein' subverted by some space alien conspiracy."

"And that's where I got separated from my Kirza ('my Moondragon Partner')," he clarified for the others), got lost in a godforsaken hell of a wilderness what's called the 'Mojave Desert,' fell down a hole, and ended up 'ere..."

[Ginny Blundy]

Blundy drains her second mug of ale rapidly at Forge's recommendation of another drink. "I wouldn't say no to a port."

Even through the haze off her growing buzz, she notices the tension between the men as they discuss the various creatures they have combatted. Clearly not all game in the multiverse are brought down by an enjoyable combination of math and shooting skills. "I'm afraid I'm not as well-traveled as you gents. Spend most of my time here in the city, pursuing my trade at the tutelage of my mistress, Hesperana Cannonhorn. She's the inventor of the Gatling pepperbox, and she's made some important innovations on the all-terrain brougham.
"At any rate, no one I know hunts the air kraken for trophies. They provide a meal for the fish. They're foul creatures. And speaking of meals, I haven't had one for some time. Bread and cheese!"

[MWBailey]

"Hear, Hear!" Bailey roars in approval, "and rashers or sausages if you've got em!"

"Oi, excuse me." Bailey steps out of teh room, out the front door, adn then reenters carrying a weapon that consists of two Villar Perosa self-loading machine guns, mounted together on a stock, and fitted with large drum magazines.

"Beggin' your all's pardons," he said, but I'll just prop this up over 'ere by the young lady's artillery piece. " He made his way back to the bar, and tucked into the plate of sausages and cheese profferred by the barman.

[Daedalus Forge]

Forge - who, having ordered a large glass of port for Ginny, had been sitting in silence, nursing a large brandy, lost in thought - found himself brought back to the present with a jolt at the sound of the butt of Sergeant Major Bailey's machine-gun hitting the ground.  He leaned forward in his seat, and scritinised the unwieldy firearm with a frown; thinking it wholly impracticle, he turned, intending to ask Bailey how on earth he used it, but, seeing, again, the sheer size of the Sergeant Major, he simply gave a shrug of acquiescence.  'Fair enough', he thought.

"I say, Sergeant Major Bailey?  That is two Villar Perosa machine guns I'm looking at, isn't it?", he asked.  "Your own design?"

Forge had warmed to Bailey: he had noticed that he carried both a Khukri and a sidearm, that his clothes were bloodstained, and that he talked like a 'proper' soldier.  Forge had often thought it something of an irony that, as an officer of the 24th, he was expected to conduct himself, at all times, with the comportment of a gentleman; yet, to actually become an officer of the 24th, required a capacity for the basest savagery.

[MWBailey]

Bailey was surprised. "Mine? no, not exactly; Well, puttin' 'em on a stock was, or rather th' stock they're on. Th' one they come with was a bit loike packin' a pom-pom on a sling, if you get my meanin'. She kicks loik two mules when you pull the trigger, and it takes a hard, steady 'and to hold 'er on target. Thing fires alternate-loik, bang-bang-bang-bang, one barrel then the other, so she's a beast to keep on the bead. If you fire 'er continuous-loik, she puts out a 'undred nine-mil pa-ra-belly-um rounds a minute. There be three 'undred in th' magazines -- but even a short burst chops most things ta 'amburger. Came in 'andy against the Drene-vah. Wish I'd 'ad it tae use agin' Cthuga, but Pratt took care o' that one. Sucked 'er into a li'l box, an' sent 'er off back tae whence she come."

"Our Khukhuri's saw good action against 'er though, made've an alloy of a rare blue metal found only in asteroids -- but damned if I can recall what the name of it is! Bloody time messin' got my memory fuzzed on tha'." He pulled the massive knife, the blade a half-inch thick at the spine and over eighteen inches in legth, it's shape a true panawal type. It shone blue in the light, not the blue of a blued finish or of chrome's pale sheen, but a true blue in the way that steel is grey, damascened with gray-black veins of meteoritic nickel-iron. "Seventeen blades we made o' this stuff," Bailey said, "me an' Frank Vilhaus (our commandin' officer) each got one, and t'other officers and top sergents of th' Dragon Corps. 'Harder'n the hinges o' hell,' as Frank put it, but Bless Me, how it 'olds the edge once put on! OI've carved through aethership hulls wi' this beauty,  and th' alloy's the only thing that 'urts the auld ones, or at least it did Chthuga - when we were able to strike wi'out getting burnt tae a crisp."

[Daedalus Forge]

Forge whistled at the sight of the asteroid blade, "Now that is lovely", he said.  "I've heard of them, but I've certainly never seen one before." 

Forge looked between his companions, 'What a fine little group we have here', he thought.  'Two soldiers, a huntress, a zeppelin captain, and Tiberius Pratt, with his particular skills.' 

"Tell me, Sergeant Major", he asked, "are you gainfully employed, or, as I am, 'between situations', at the moment?"

[MWBailey]

"A bit o' both, you moight say," Bailey answered. "Until Kirza foinds me, or I her, an' we both get back to Texas, I suppose you could say I'm 'between' positions. I could 'flit' to foind 'er, but not knowin' where I'd end up, its a risky proposition."

[Ginny Blundy]

Blundy follows the conversation between Forge and Bailey with great interest. She sips slowly at her port while taking this in. Many of the details of the conversation fly over her head, but she chalks this up to the separate worlds that Pratt mentioned. She'd never experienced the wonders of Bailey's world (worlds?).

"Those are fine weapons, Bailey," she says, leaning forward to tear a chunk of bread from the loaf that was recently brought. "Asteroids you say? Fascinating. Edged weapons are not my specialty, but I've never seen any metal-working like that." She makes a mental note to ask Mistress Cannonhorn if she's ever worked in asteroid metal.

[Tiberius Montgomery Pratt]

It wasn't difficult for Pratt to see that a few of the listeners were getting a bit of an eye opener as far as the many worlds perspective went. Such reality's are not always easily accepted.
Add to that the fact, that each of the worlds these people came from also have countless parallels and alternate time lines.

Mirror worlds with small or large differences from each other. It was like holding two mirrors face to face, Infinite worlds.

Pratt had visited one that the deep space encounter he shared with Mr. Bailey had ended with a German victory. The Germans had destroyed The Mad Badger killing everyone on board including M. W. Bailey!

Pratt suppressed a chill, and refilled his glass. He had the unnerving experience of observing his own death more then once as well!
It was always better just not to think about some things, this line of thinking gave Pratt killer head aches and sleepless nights.

"Hello! Anyone for a game of darts. Come now Bailey, anyone who plays with knives as much as you must know how to throw them as well. Miss Blundy how about you?
We can do teams if you like. What do you say Forge! I know you played before. You and I will show them what Welshmen can do!"

[MWBailey]

" 'D be a pleasure to throw projectiles at somethin' what en't shootin' back at me for once," Bailey ruminated. "I wonder if I kin 'it th' mark in such a peaceable situation..."

[Daedalus Forge]

"Though, thanks to the brandy, I am probably far too 'well oiled' to pose any real threat to the competition, I'll do my best to not let the country down, Tiberius.  'Arrows' it is, then."