"STEAM LONDON" Game Thread

[Stella Gaslight]

The young man that had wanted to alter Angel had some surprisingly good ideas on energy management and talking to her made him leave poor Angel and Cain alone. She had the battery compartment of the microwave gun half taken apart when Dreyfuss wandered in to the room. "Hello are you feeling all right?  You gave us a bit of a scare there."

[MWBailey]

Yes Ma'am, I'm OK, I think. Physically, anyway."

"I had an idea for a gun, Emma," he said, changing the subject, albeit abrubtly, "A fellow came to the Officers' Academy back when I was a JG, and lectured on several subjects; one was electromagnetism, and he imporovised a setup that was very similar to your microwave weapn, there. Called it a 'centering experiment.' You ever hear of such a thing?"

[Stella Gaslight]

"Yes I made one of those as a toy ages ago but I must admit I never thought it would have use as a weapon."  Emma took a sketch pad from her pocket and drew out a basic design.  "You wouldn't want it to shoot big things would you?  I mean I think we could make something that could do that but the batteries would be the size of a small house making it not particularly portable."

[MWBailey]

Well, you see, this young fellow, he was an Aether Scholar, or so the Commandant said. He was supposedly some kind of weapons genius, but he kept making mistakes, or maybe some of the students played tricks on him. I certainly wouldn't have put it past some of those jumped-up coyotes...

Anyway, the 'centering experiment,' as I recall, eneded up taking the cannon ball that he was trying to use, and 'centered' it straight through the two-foot-thick wall of the lecture hall...

"Seems to me, something like that on a smaller scale would outdo a powder-and-gas weapon, since all one would need other than power would be a projectile...and maybe I wouldnt have to get all ticked off about maybe running out of ammo, and end up using my saber to stop some madman from trying to kill a child... " he stopped and regained control of himself, literally swallowing the emotion. "It might make the Paterson obsolete," he finished.

"My apologies, Miss Emma," he said, "I guess the shock sort of addled my brain a bit."

[Stella Gaslight]

"That is quite alright I get upset when anyone hurts Angel myself.  She is such a sweet girl."  Emma smiled remembering how excitably Angel had thanked her when she gave her the lollipop.  "Well on a smaller scale it would certanly be doable and the battery packs will certanly more manageable.  You could most likely get away with a box no biger than a backpack running it."  Emma sketched like mad and soon has a basic design on paper.  "See we could even add something to heat the projectile before we launch it."

[MWBailey]

I like the heating part, but wouldn't it already be heated by atmospheric friction? that cannonball caught fire, or at least it left a cloud of smoke, once it left the tube... maybe the tube caught fire, or it was heated by the tube... its been so long I can't really recall, now...
 
Dreyfuss was getting excited. He hadn't been in this much anticipation since Diamond jack let him cast that cannon...

[Stella Gaslight]

"In that case the barrel better be cooled somehow. The last thing we want is for your gun to melt itself to slag on the battlefield. I wonder if we could use hollow projectiles filled with something or if they would melt through before we could properly launch them."  She chewed on her knuckle thoughtfully.  "Either way I think we can make a prototype when I get back to my lab. No better way to work the kinks out than to build a prototype. Now if I could just get this thing to stop eating batteries like Angel eats candy I would be a happy girl." Emma sighed fiddling with the microwave gun.

[MWBailey]

"Maybe some kind of relay, or a different way to trigger the device," Dreyfuss suggested.or perhaps a capacitance coil, or more than one, to make a pulse instead of a simple current flow," He mused. A pulse might do more damage, anyhow, what with the rapid heating and then the cooling, then heating up again...

Wel, now that I have demonstrated my lack of knowledge of electrical matters, perhaps i should go adn find replacement for my saber, there seem to be a few around here...  He went back to the umbrella-stand filled with swords and chose a Scottish true basket-hilted sword. I t felt right in his hand, although the complete basket, rather than half-basket felt unfamiliar. H efelt that he could get used to it, however.

He took a folded stack of bills from a pouch-pocket inside his trousers, and pushed about half of them down inside the stand, re-pocketed the rest, and stuck his old scabbard into the stand, then shoved the Highland sword's scabbard's belt hook through the belt fastened around the waist of the greatcoat. He then put the old basket hilt and grip into his possibles bag. He then walked over to where Patrick and George were discussing something, and offered his help in whatever they happened to be trying to accomplish.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick looked over the plans, the russian came to him clearly but that was mostly due to the fact that George read it to him. When the section in the alient tounge came up, Patrick began to read it aloud. The words that came from his mouth were alien and nearly inconceivable. George could swear he heard the same talk coming from the cold ones. Patrick stopped immediately in mid sentence.
"God help us." He muttered.
"What is it?" George asked urgently.
"Hell in two verses." Patrick uttered, a lump of fear welling in his throat.
"What do you mean?"
" Stronger cold ones were put away by the bright ones in some prison. They want to break down that prison's walls with some sort of portal machine." Patrick's voice was a whisper, as if to babmoozle any watching blackflies.
"And that's not all, they've made some sort of monster that infects others. It turns them into starving, flesh-beasts. They've unleashed it on Germany, they want it to take all of europe!"

[Stella Gaslight]

"We can't let that happen but I don't know if we should go after the monster or the gate, both sound extremely unpleasant." He thought about it for a moment.  "I guess the gate should be a larger priority, the monster's movement sounds more limited.  Either way we have our work cut out for us."  George was worried he didn't want Emma going up against either of those things, in fact right now all he wanted to do was keep her safe on the ship.  She felt too fragile for such a dangerous world.  Every time she charged in to battle he wondered if she would come back broken or come back at all.  George sighed he could never keep her locked away like Black did even if it was for her own safety.  They would just have to face the monsters together.

Angel and Cain were siting together under a shade tree eating their lollipops. "We should get some more of these and send them to Shai.  I bet she would like them."  She gave Cain a kiss and smiled in happily in surprise.  "These make your kisses taste extra good."   

[MWBailey]

Dreyfuss cleared his throat, and asked "Are these flesh-eating monsters alive like humans, or "undead," if you'll pardon the term? "

He remembered once being told that zombified former humans were nearly unstoppable, unless one remembered to shoot, stab, or chop a killing blow to them in either the heart or the head. "How does one deliver a killing blow to one of these new flesheaters?" Dreyfuss asked.

[Rowland Elmstone]

Rowland rounded a corner running, his gun flailing in his hand, the knife still attached to the end of it. His goggles were on his forhead now, his eyes still burning. Abe had said they were purple. He wasn't too concerned about getting them back to brown just yet. Plus, he wasn't very sure how yet. Perhaps he could inlay an aether field in his pupil to dialate it so he could expierment. He found several of the crew members there.

"Hello there.." He skidded to a halt in front of Dreyfuss and Emma. It looked like they were talking about something. He glanced around. "Wait, where are those creepy-things. Where is the rest of the crew...can someone explain what just happened to us?"

Rowland frowned slightly. All he was told in the last few hours was to dive, shoot, duck and stab anything that appeared to be violent. He hoped that the normal days for this crew weren't always like this. He could get tired of this lifestyle fast, but was willing to help when he would be of use.

[Nigel Wetherby]

To dreyfuss' proposal, Patrick responded "It says in the text here that the infection puts its victim in a state much like rabies where the judgement is impared. It is transmitted through bites and scratches. The people are still alive, and unwilling pawns to the queen! We can't just kill them!" Patrick exclaimed.
"The gate should be our biggest priority. We can't stop the virus if our people are dead, but at the same time we can't stop the cold ones if everyone is infected." Immediately an idea hit him.
"Jen. Jen's got healing powers that could pull anyone from the jaws of death! Maybe if she were to heal this "carrier" She could end the disease outright! Of course that would mean she would be sent on a solo mission...."

"I'm very sure Shai would love these! Once we get a messenger drone, we can send her a Parcel with a few of them in it. Maybe we can even send her the first half of our story as well? Perhaps she could learn what happened to you since you left the temple?"

[MWBailey]

"I don't mean to question Miss Jen's capabilities, but that's a pretty long way to send a single operative," Dreyfuss said. "Far be it from me to question any young person's abilities; but what if her mission is compromised? Can she fight her way out all alone if need be?"

[MWBailey]

"Oh, hello Rowland!" Well, we're all still here, pretty much. some of us more than others," he said, ruefully. "I trust that the rest of me will be along soon enough, however."

The "creepy-things" are either all dead, or have gone into hiding; I suspect the latter more than the fore, but that's just me." Dreyfuss paused. As to what just happened, well, I regret to say that I completely lost my temper and killed -- well, perhaps "murdered by accident" would be a better term -- The enemy's Top Man in this area. He was attacking Angel and talking about children and trying to kill her, gloating about making us watch-- well."

"Your pardon, Rowland, I seem to have been a bit shaken up by that aether device unloading on me..." He wiped an eye, apparently trying to cover it up by wiping his brow as well. "I never could stand to watch such a thing. Now, I wonder where Elisha's gotten to?"

[Stella Gaslight]

Angel took the clean stick of the lollipop out of her mouth.  "Do you think my writing is good enough? I mean I have only done it a little bit."  Angel didn't have the words to say that she was worried about disappointing her sister.

"It is alright to be confused Rowland I admit this is probably not the best introduction to the crew we could have given.  The creepy things are creatures from beyond the stars we have given the name cold ones to because of their lack of body heat.  Sit with me for a little while and I will try to explain as best I can."  Emma looked surprisingly calm and motherly for a woman that had her hands covered in ray gun guts.  Even her tinkering was almost zen like for the moment.

"Are you sure you can send her Patrick." George said using the Monkey's name to pound home the importance of the question.  Patrick raised an eyebrow at him. " Not that Jen isn't an amazing fighter but well it is just that if it was Emma I don't know if I could send her alone."  To be more honest he had trouble letting her out of his sight some times.

[Arabella Granger]

You have to say it. If you don't say it now, you'll never get another chance to.

Ella shook her head slowly. "No.

"I'm not leaving you, Elisha. And I'm not going to let you die. I can't. I can't let this happen, because....because...

Ella felt something hot and wet on her cheek, and vaguely she raised a hand to see if she was bleeding. The liquid on her hand was clear, though, not red.

She was crying.

Ella hadn't cried since the day of Dr. Armistead's funeral.

Tentatively she took a step forward. Elisha let out another unearthly yell and Ella froze. "Get out of here, you fool! You have to go! I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself--they're telling me to kill you, and I have to listen! Go!"

"I can't! I can't leave you! I can't because...because I love you, Elisha!! I love you! I love you no matter what you are, Seventh Commodore or not! I can't just sit here and let you die!"

I said it.

Tears were streaming full-force down Ella's face. She took another step forward, reaching her hand towards him. "Please don't do this," she pleaded. "Please. I love you."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Elisha's hand shook. He dropped the revolver. It clattered onto the cobblestones. Though the things that danced across his conciousness, he understood what had been said. He had heard that your life flashed before your eyes right before you went. And he swore this happened now...perhaps a hallucination. On the streets. In the air. In the snow. Dying and being dragged back over and over. Grim will to survive, but no purpose.

He had a sudden thought. In all those years, no-one had actually said those words to him. No one had ever said they loved him. Not among the street children. Not among the crew. Not among the dozens of faces that had passed out of his ken like leaves. And now, at the bitter end, they had come.

Elisha gripped himself, bracing. Good Lord...he could feel the thing inside him. He pressed his skin looking up at Ella. Had she really meant that? Trust was not something he had learned. She could just be hysterical.

But for once, he wasn't willing to take that route. He gave a mighty push against the black that was crushing his mind. He felt himself falling forwards, into an inky pool. "Ella..." he murmured

"You just delay this, commodore! You can't hide inside forever!" he heard the queen shriek as he lost conciousness. She could not follow him into his dreams. Until he awoke,s he held no power. He floated. He knew his body was no longer safe. He suddenly had the thought that he didn't want to die.

Ella gasped as Elisha fell face first onto the cobblestones, with her name on his lips. She rushed over to him. Unconcious, but with everything working. She swore she saw a shadow move beneath his skin. She needed someone...Jen! But she realized Elisha didn't need healing. He needed something removed.

She'd perform surgery and cut it out if need be. She began to drag him out of the square as best she could, calling for the crew.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"We could always find a way to locate the "Carrier" And heal him. We may need to take the entire crew." Patrick pondered. It was certainly a better idea than leaving her alone to deal with an army of flesh eating monsters. The idea of her being overtaken and devoured made him sick.
"We can send the Aether Legue to stave off any shipments being made to Russia until we have the chance to stop the virus."

Cain heard the cries of Ella and immediately stood up from his seat. "Ella is back!" Cain exclaimed, spreading his wings. "Maybe that means Elisha is unharmed!" Cain took off like a shot, sensing the terror in her voice which made his assumptions of an unharmed elisha entirely moot.

[Arabella Granger]

"Emma! Trip! Patrick! George! Dreyfuss! Anybody!" Ella shouted, sobbing now. "Please! Help!" She stopped to catch her breath and looked down at the unconscious Elisha. If it weren't for the clear marks of the battle and the faint movement she could still see beneath his arm from time to time, it looked as if he was doing no more than sleeping.

"Oh no you don't," she whispered. "I'm not letting you leave me just yet."

She resumed her frantic attempt to find the crew, her eyes looking around wildly. Something needed to be done, before it was too late.

[ShredsnPatches]

Jen had been leaning against a wall, hat drawn low over her eyes and her usual scarf flapping loose.

"I'll go. Just give me ten minutes to restock my herbs and point me in the right direction."

[MWBailey]

Dreyfuss started as if pricked. He trotted in the direction Cain had gone, in a measured, groun-eating cadence, not fast to the naked eye, but fastr enough to get there in time to see Cain bending over a limply unconscious/barely-conscious Elisha. No..he can't be dead, I havent squared with him yet, I still owe him!

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick put a hand on Jen's shoulder. "I'll go with you. The others can assist the aether legue in assembling an army for Russia. Have everyone gather as much info as possible and send it to me Via messenger drone. I'll do what I can. When me and Jen stop the infection, we'll send for you to pick us up."
Jen looked at Patrick with a silent "Thank you" The idea of being left alone with an army of diseased flesh eaters terrified her. However, all sentiment was interrupted as Cain ran into the room carrying an unconcious Elisha.

[ShredsnPatches]

Jen sprang into action.

"Set him down here," she commanded, pulling the bag of herbs out of her coat. She gave Elisha a quick examination, soon determining what was wrong with him.

"Patrick, give Ella a hug, will you?"

Then she got back to work, healing the worst of Elisha's hurts in about half an hour. There was something she couldn't quite place her finger on, but she dismissed it as tiredness and stood up.

"He'll regain consciousness naturally, but he is quite all right now." she said as she stretched her back.

"And Patrick, if needs be I'll go alone. But I'd like to have the company if possible," she said in her mind. Patrick smiled in response and squeezed her hand.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Ye wont be. Think of it as a romantic outing, but witha hunt for a vicious undead plauge-carrier!" Patrick said in true optimist style as he approached jen, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Besides, an army can't run without a general or a medic. We'll handle the infection and the others can make sure the gate isn't built before we can get there."