"STEAM LONDON" Game Thread

[Ben Hudson, Esq.]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The woman stared at Jennifer.
"Greetings. You are later than we expected. But no matter. Come with me, I will bring you to the office."

Jennifer mutely nodded assent and was about to step onto the gangplank when the still-tinny voice in her ear said "Wait. The Captain's coming."

Just as she whipped her head about, Captain Hudson strode out, brisk and confident.

"Ms. Sheehan. Can I trust you to see to help Lakshmi with repairs and re-supplying? I'll handle this. If I'm not back by sundown, something has happened to me."

Jen looked at him, then left without saying a word. Hudson extended his hand to the woman. 'Captain Hudson. You are...?'
'I represent the Sanhehui organisation. The 'Three Harmonies Society', you would say.' She undid her cuff to reveal a triangular tattoo with Chinese letters. 'That is identification enough. Follow me.'
Ben was struck dumb. He had the feeling that he was getting far too deep. The woman led him through the back streets. Compared to the local people, her dress was opulent and extravagant, but she drew no remarks or even strange looks. She passed along unnoticed, her sandaled feet making no noise. Straw sandals... it rang a bell in Hudson's mind - Triads. It made sense. Hiram's empire back home was in the style of the Chinese gangs - drugs, extortion and prostitution. It seemed natural for him to seek help from those who had been doing it for hundreds of years.
The woman eventually led him to a run-down house deep in the sprawl of urban Shenjing. From the outside, it seemed derelict and deserted. On the inside, it told a different story. The battered door led into a hallway, lined with silk wall-hangings and braziers. The air was thick with the scent of incense, tobacco and opium. Placing a hand firmly on his back, the lady moved Ben though a door. It shut behind him, and he became uncomfortably aware that he had no idea whatsover of what she had looked like.
A pair of guards stood either side of a desk. It looked as if it had come straight from a lawyer's office in Oxford. The irony struck him - a Chinese gang-master emulating the far-reaching Western world just as Hudson's paymaster was emulating the silent power of the Oriental world. Behind the desk sat a man who was obscene in his fatness, a round, shifting mass of flab. More Chins than a Chinese telegraph directory, thought Ben, as Patrick would no doubt say. Ben took the letter Hiram had given him and handed the slim red envelope to the Fat Man. His watery grey eyes met Ben's. 'You are Hudson, yes? Our friend told me to expect you. I hope the journey has not been too strenuous.' He made no attempt to introduce himself, a discourtesy that Hudson was used to by now. The Fat Man flipped a balisong, and slid the blade under the seal. He looked over the letter, and cast it aside. 'Good. Very good. Your master is a thorough man indeed. Here...'
He reached into a draw and retrieved a small parcel. It was wrapped in heavyweight red paper, bound with cord and sealed three times in gold wax. 'Take this to him. For services rendered. Tell him that he will find it a specimen of the equipment, with plans and instructions for further production. And tell him that our debts are settled.' The Fat Man frowned, casting deep creases across his whiskered face. 'I have no desire to hear from him again.'

Ben left in a hurry. He didn't like the uncomfortable atmosphere.
He looked up. Smoke rose from the prison. Gunshots sounded.
He kicked his boots to the dirt and ran.

[Stella Gaslight]

George cursed with a vehemence that would light lesser men on fire. He had been forced to watch all of Black's attack close enough to throttle the hated captain but with no body to do so. George felt violently consumed by rage at his own helplessness. He ran back to the Boheme as fast as he could manage arriving just as the ornithopter did.

"Back drugged her with something but we might be able to speed her back.  Miss Sheehan there should be a small bottle in the pouch above her right hip."  Jen fished it out and Patrick recognized it.

"That foul stuff again?" He asked taking the bottle.

"Yes Monkey.  The aethric bitters are suposed to reset her system after a full manifestation but I don't know if it will work against what ever Black doped her with."  George's voice was raw with fear and pain.  He had failed her and if it wasn't for Patrick Black would have...  George stopped that train of thought cold.  Wallowing in self loathing was not helpful and judging from the crumbling buildings coming closer and closer to the dock they were going to need all the help they could get.  "Look out a digger is headed this way and it doesn't look friendly."

 

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The Italians moved faster than any group of men Elisha had seen. They swiftly dropped him off on the lift and made to leave.

"Wait! My arm and leg and..." Elisha looked away as they complied. Needless to say, by the time the lift started up, Wong was no longer attached to his limbs, which were in a bag he held tightly. He watched the Italians melt into the city. He doubted Black or the Russians would find any of them. When the lift reached the top, Patrick helped him on board. Elisha saw Jen forcing the contents of a bottle down Emma's throat. He hoped it would counteract whatever Black had given her. He could think about that later.

"Quick! We need to take off quick!"

"No." replied Patrick. "We need to wait for the Captain"

Elisha remained calm, but a look out the porthole caused him to feel panic well up in his stomach.

"Look" he hissed "Have you ever seen an Omarsmerti get hold of an airship? I can tell you, it isn't pretty!"

"Look" replied George "We just have to wait. There is no way we are leaving the Captain of this ship behind."

Elisha sighed. It looked like he was going to die here. Since he had joined the Boheme, it had become more and more difficult to retain his composure. He wished there was something he could do...he would have to get Trip to help him figure out the workings of his limbs if he survived this.

"Wait" he said, looking around 'Where's Trip?"

[Stella Gaslight]

The first thing Emma felt was a horrible hot throbbing in her leg and a bitterness in her mouth. Just what had happened? She tried to remember but things were fragmented and she was having a hard time even holding a thought in her head.  Everything was so distant and she hurt.  Emma nearly gave up and sunk back in to oblivion but then there were voices.  After what felt like a century of hard thought she was able to decipher the words captain and airship. Another word floated to the surface dark, hateful and frighting.  It wasn't until she strung the words airship captain and black tougher that she started to fight off the nothingness.

Her eyes opened showing her a light blurred blob that must could have been a face.  The idea that she was in danger took over and she tried to strike at the face but her arms were shaky.  The best Emma could manage was lifting them above her chest and wiggling them around.  That was a good thing because Jen probibly wouldn't of appreciated getting smacked.  Emma's distress was obvious and Patrick spoke gently in her ear.  "You are all right Em.  Black is gone."  It took several times but the message got through.

"Your hurt my fault, shorry.  Didn't mean it, tried to come back."  Emma slured a little but if she was apologizing her mind must be alright.  Capitan Hudson was running to beat the devil and that was a good thing because the Omarsmerti was gaining on him.  As it got closer the pier they were docked in started to shake violently and treaten to give way.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick looked to the chaos that was ensuing, and the captain running from the armored destruction engine. He knew full well what needed to be done. He ran to the damaged ornithopter and grabbed Jen's arm, pulling her onto the damaged ornithopter behind her. He grabbed her arms tightly and pressed her lips to his in a kiss that would make any harlequin romance writer blush, leaning her back to the point in which his letting go would spell her falling flat on her back. He righted her and looked into her eyes.
"I have a plan." That was all that she needed to hear.
Patrick lept into the cockpit of the ornithopter and motioned for Jen to follow. She aquardly clambered into the plane as the wings weakly flapped, a rickety clanking following each wingbeat as it shakily took off.
"There goes the craziest bastard I ever met." Saluted george, knowing the odds were stacked against the potentially insane young man.

"CAP'N!!" Called out Jen from the open door of the ornithopter.
The captain's attention was drawn to that of the smoking ornithopter swooping towards him.
"NOW!" Roared Patrick, a rope ladder came sailing from the side. The captain quickly snagged the ladder's rungs and was pulled into the sky and sent speeding towards the Boheme'
"SOMEONE START THE BLOODY SHIP ALREADY!!" Cried Patrick through the radio as explosive shells  went off behind them, making uncomfortably close calls as the ship started up, the damaged ornithopter  closing in.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The head of the Omarsmerti turned towards the ornithopter. Elisha seemed to feel it gazing in anger towards the flying machine. Bullets flew. To his horror, one hit the engine of the ornithopter. The Boheme was rising, but the hit to the ornithoper sent it jerking upwards. Elisha saw Patrick, Jen and Hudson jump. The ornithopter flew over the Boheme, knocking the crew down, before exploding in a remarkable display off the port side. The explosion caused the Boheme to tilt dangerously. Patrick, Jen and Hudson had landed near the side. The sudden pitching sent Hudson over the side. Jen grabbed his arm, but the heavier man pulled her over. Patrick dove and grabbed her feet. He overcalculated the leap and began to slip. Elisha stretched out his arm, hooking his finger's into Patrick's belt.

The three person chain caused Elisha to start sliding. He look around wildly. George was little help here...

"EMMA!" he shouted. "YOU HAVE TO GET UP!" He saw her sit up, blinking groggily, then widening her eyes when she saw what was happening. She rushed to grab him, pulling him back onto the Boheme. Slowly, the rest of the crew began to be lifted to safety. Elisha noticed to his relief that the Boheme was still rising. The ship's doctor must be steering with help from George. It rose slowly though....and the Omarsmerti was below. The ship steadied and Elisha could see it now. To his horror, it lifted it's gargantuan body as best it could, claws outstretched. He saw the claw right below him...and right around the crew members hanging off the side. He wanted to close his eyes, but could not stop watching the terrible scene. The claw snapped shut, but not before the Boheme had a sudden burst in altitude. Emma pulled hard, with strength brought on by panic and the crew landed on the deck. Elisha looked over them...everyone was safe.

Hudson look at his foot and began to laugh nervously, then in hearty relief. Elisha looked and could not help laughing, in spite of the perilously close call. The Omarsmerti had taken the captain's shoe off.

The Boheme lifted higher, out of the range of the Russian machine's weapons. Once the gunfire stopped, Elisha breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed on the deck, looking out at the sky.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick lauged loudest. Despite his thin size, his laugh was boisterous and mighty, he fell onto his back and rolled along the ground for a while.
"Did you guys see what I did back there? With tha ornithopter?"
The captain chuckled, "Mister Patrick, I swear, you will be the death of me!"
"Ya know Elly, me and Em can give ye a new set o' limbs there!" Offered Patrick, wiping water from his eyes.
"I would very much like that..." Said Elisha with a smile. "But call me Elly again, and I put a lead ball in your brain." Joked Elisha, waving his stump of an arm threateningly, his remaining arm the only thing keeping him upright.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma hiccuped and made a sour face something would really have to be done about the aftertaste from aethric bitters.  It seemed to only get worse as time went on. She peeled the blood soaked fabric that had once been pants from her leg, looking at her wound for the first time. It was very clean and it looked like it missed the bone but it ached fiercely.  It would be quite a while before she could do much more than hobble around.

There was so much to do now, repairs to be made, things to design and new formulas to try. They had made it this far and she felt invincible.  She couldn't wait to see what the next day would bring.  When they reached London she would be able to bring George back.  With Patrick and Trip to help her she was sure it was in her grasp.  "Oh dear I left Trip on Charles' ship.  I hope he is alright.  George can you tell them how to find us?" 

[T.Taylor the Third]

Trip really didnt knw what to do. he had seen emma drop off the side of the ship and the orthicopter grab her. now he wa stuck on a ship going who knows were, with a man he didnt know....He decided the best iddea would be to turn a round the ship and try to find the Boheme. so he snuck up to the man who was still looking over the side, and put his shot gun on his temple," no suden moves, now stand up slowy and lets go to the wheel and turn around." trip said menicingly

[ShredsnPatches]

Jen couldn't help grinning stupidly as she lay on the deck of the Boheme. After a few moments, she could hear Patrick's mad laughter beside her. Before she quite knew what was happening, he'd rolled and bumped into her side. Turning to face him, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, before lying on her back and laughing with pure delight.

"I can't believe we pulled that off!" she crowed. Then something occurred to her.

"Emma - here, you need these more than I, someone wants to speak to you" she said, handing her the aetherphones she'd borrowed.

[Stella Gaslight]

"Hello George."  She said feeling more complete with the familiar weight on her ears.

"Are you all right?  I saw you fall and him snatch you up.  I didn't think we would get you back." He sounded like he felt like a mess.

"It hurts and I am hungry but other than that I am fine.  Do you know where Trip is?  I lost track of things for a while there." She gently cleansed and bandaged her leg with supplies from her first aid kit. She hope having it covered would stop the odd wanting to poke something in the hole.

"He has taken over the ship you were on and is hunting for you."  George wasn't quite sure he like the fact that Trip used force before trying to reason with Charles but he was willing to ignore it as the act of a man who's love was stolen away.

"Tell him where we are for goodness sake, he must be worried sick." It sounded like she was worried herself. 

"Alright I am going, miss bossy."  George said with a false pout.  If she was back to bossing him around things really were all right.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick approached Jen rather carefully, as if he were approaching a cobra.
"Uh jen...Er...About my little..."
Jen responded with an equal amound of aquardness as both slowly scooted to eachother.
"What you did back there was pretty brave..." Commented Jen meekly.
"Yah, But I couldn'tve done it without ya." Added Patrick, blushing.
"I uh...Never got ta thank ye fer savin my life back earlier today..." He looked to the ground.
George only snickered at the aquardness of the two youngest members of the crew.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Elisha sat on the deck of the Boheme. He couldn't really move without help until he got these limbs back on. But he was no engineer...the things were ridiculously complex. He needed a skilled craftsman with a patient hand...he looked over at Patrick, who was currently choking on his words he was trying to say to Jen. Better to wait until Trip was back on board.

"Ship to port!" he cried. Charles' ship was coming directly at them. The Boheme stopped and the ship drew up beside them. Elisha saw Trip walk out, holding a shotgun menacingly. The man who must be Charles followed him out, hands in the air and a look of annoyance on his face. Suddenly Trip wheeled around at leapt the space between the two ships, running to Emma and embracing her.

After Trip was done greeting Emma, she went to the side with Captain Hudson to speak with Charles. The two ships remained still, floating beside each other. Elisha called Trip over and grabbed his arm out of the bag, waving it in Trip's face.

"Do you think you could figure out how this works?"

Trip looked it over carefully, peering at the minute parts of the connection.

"This is very...intricate. Let's go inside and get my tools and I'll see what I can do...but it will hurt quite a bit putting these back on."

"Hmmm...I was unconcious the first time they were put on...hopefully it isn't as painful as having them taken off."

Trip helped support Elisha, who winced everytime he hopped and landed on his stump. He would be very glad to get his limbs back on, despite the pain.

[ShredsnPatches]

"Don't worry about it," Jen muttered.

"So, um... so... um.... yes... brave.."

Patrick was still standing there. Still very close. Jen moved a little closer, hardly noticing herself doing it. What she did notice was Patrick's hands. And one of them reaching out to take one of her own.

"Jen..."

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick slowly inched towards her.
"Can I, erm, ask you how it is you saved me?" Patrick asked meekly.
"Oh those were healing herbs, I'm good with herbs." She half-mumbled.
"Wow, medicinal herbs, ye must be a botanist!" He remarked impressidly, having never met one.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma smiled at Charles "I am sorry Trip did that but I think he was just scared.   The man in the ornithopter was the one that got me thrown in jail and this wasn't his first attempt to kidnap me.  We have a bit of a history but any way, Thank you so much for saving me. I am an inventor so if there is ever any thing I can do for you just let me know." 

"Miss Lighton is right we are grateful for your help." Captain Hudson was leaning on the rail having yet to take off his other shoe.   

George had never been one for apologies in fact getting him to outright admit he was wrong about something was harder than pulling teeth.  His favored way of making things up to people was small kindnesses that sometimes went unnoticed.  Emma had never told him this but she had a suspicion that was one of the big reasons he had such trouble keeping an assistant before her.

He stood next to Trip has he readied his tools to help Elisha  "That is a complicated little package. I can watch the inside to help you get things connected properly.  Emma may want to have a look at this too.  She has problems with her right arm sometimes, did you know that?" George tried very hard to can his normal sarcasm.  If Emma was happy he was happy and that was it.

[ShredsnPatches]

"Yes, my grandmother knew about that sort of thing, and she taught me what she could."

Jen laughed nervously. Patrick was too close...

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick leaned in a bit. "Uh, so I hear england has some great tea shoppes, how about you and I get some when we make port? Maybe even catch a play or somethin'?" His eyes shifted to the floor, his weight shifting nervously from left to right foot.

[ShredsnPatches]

"Um... yes? That would... that'd be nice..." Jen stammered.

Leaning in a little herself, she looked up at his freckled, scarred face. Then, realising she'd just agreed to go on a date with him, a wide, innocent smile crossed her face.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick's grin soon followed, though his was a bit wider to the point in which it may have made the cheshire cat himself jelous. He was terribly proud of himself for being able to spit out the words into intelligable speech.

[ShredsnPatches]

Jen smiled.

"Actually... I was wondering. The Italians didn't have time to repair everything before we had to leave. I was thinking you could... maybe show me how the engine works and how to repair it?"

Patrick's face suddenly changed. Jen was confused - had she said something wrong?

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Trip called from inside the ship, interrupting Patrick and Jen. "Emma? I think I'm going to need your help with these limbs...my hands aren't steady enough." Emma left Hudson and Charles alone.

"Well" said Hudson "I think it would be best if you secured your ship and came aboard. We do appreciate your help, but I would like to talk with you as to exactly why you decided to save Emma."


"Ready" said Elisha. He lay on a work table inside the Boheme, Trip's equipment surrounding him.

"Uh...are you sure you wouldn't want something for the pain? We're basically going to be reconnecting every nerve in the joints...this might hurt."

"Just hurry." said Elisha, closing his eyes.

Together, Emma and Trip finished the operation much faster than either of them had thought possible. They worked well together. Elisha remained silent, altough wincing and biting his lip for most of the procedure. When it was over he got up and tentatively walked around. To his relief, everything seemed fine.

[Stella Gaslight]

"Who made those if you don't mind me asking? The self lubrication systems are fantastic and I would have never thought of using different thermally reactive metals to cushion a joint like that."  Emma was sketching away in a notebook. If she combined some of the things she learned about Elisha's limbs with Lakshmi's clockwork gurney, tool boxes with spider legs that could save a workers life if his safety harness failed could become something more than a doodle in the margin of a page.  Ever since she had seen Lakshmi's fall she had been thinking of ways to prevent something like that from ever happening again.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Patrick took Jen's soft hands into his, his face pinkening at the softness of his hands as he lead her deep into the dark, steamy bowels of the Boheme. He opened the door to the engine room as if it were the passage to Shangri la. The hissing, gleaming engines, eerie glowing aetheric stacks, and roaring hot exaust gave it the appearance of an infernal beast of steel and cogs.
"Isn't she loveley?" Cheered the engineer as if admiring a great work of art.
"Er....It's....Something..." She said rather unsurely.
"Ya wanna see how it works?" He asked excitedly.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

"These were designed by the inventor Lily Forward" replied Elisha, flexing his leg. "She belongs to a rather aristocratic family back in Vancouver...she's considered by many to be a prodigy. She left it behind to become a privateer." He slowly moved both fingers. "Right now she's engineer on my ship, the Steel Breeze. When I was shredded by the cannon, I was considered permenantly crippled. Turns out she bet the Vancouver Engineering Society that she could design fully functional prothetics. Guess I was lucky enough to be the test subject."

Up on deck, Charles had finished securing his ship to the Boheme. Captain Hudson helped him over. "Perhaps the discussion would be more pleasant over tea." said the Captain, showing Charles inside. Elisha, Emma and Trip soon came up and joined them.