New Season: Sparrow's Quest (New Sky Book 2)

by Jason Kent

  Tivon grabbed the railing and managed to look around Ross. A man wearing an Olympus crew uniform and patch was standing in the tiny area just outside the door leading into the passenger car.

  "Stop doing that!" Ross shouted at the apparition. He pushed into the passenger section past the crewman.

  Tivon followed, stopping for a moment to stare into the man's face. He'd made no response to Ross' statement. She realized for the first time, she could actually see through the crewman. She opened her mouth to ask what happened to him and the rest of Olympus' crew but Merrick interrupted her as he burst through the doors connecting the cars.

  "Door was locked," Merrick grunted. He squeezed past Tivon, barely giving the ghostly crewman a second glance. "This going to go on all day?"

  Tivon watched Merrick disappear into the car after Ross. When she turned back she realized she'd missed her chance to try and talk to the crewman. He was gone. The archivist sighed and followed the marines.

  They pushed their way through two crowed cars without seeing the shop keeper. Outside, the city of Arensburg passed by as the train swayed and clattered along at high speed. The track was elevated above streets filled with cars, lorries, and slow-moving wagons pulled by large shaggy beasts. Lines of row houses crammed side-by-side on either side of the city streets flashed by. As suddenly as the train sped up, it began to slow.

  "We're stopping!" Tivon called out. The passenger nearest to her looked up in irritation and muttered something about visiting the big city for the first time. When the archivist looked down at the man who'd spoken, she found the Captain of the Olympus sitting next to man. The hollow-eyed Captain pointed forward with a thick finger. Tivon knew exactly what he was trying to tell her. She pressed in close to Merrick and Ross and hissed, "He's trying to get to the locomotive!"

  "How do you know?" Ross asked.

  Tivon pointed back at the now-empty seat. Exasperated by another disappearing act, she said, "Let's just get up there!"

  Merrick needed no further prompting. He reached the door at the end of the train car and threw it open just as they arrived at the station platform. Merrick leaned out. "There he is!"

  Tivon couldn't stand the suspense. She gripped the railing and craned her neck around the door frame in time to see a flash of green disappear from the narrow platform running along the tender car and into the engine cab. As the train stopped, two men in grease-smeared coveralls stumbled out of the cab.

  Merrick jumped down and ran forward. Tivon was right behind him.

  Ca-chunk!

  The loud noise drew Tivon's attention to the space between the tender and the passenger cars. The couplings were pulling apart.

  Ross shouted, "He's disconnected the cars!" He clambered up on top of the tender still attached to the engine.

  Merrick grabbed the railing running along the tender and pulled himself up onto the running board. Tivon did the same, albeit with less finesse than the sniper. They inched forward and reached the cab just as the engine left the station, leaving the heavy cars and confused passengers behind.

  A few of the passengers on the platform realized they were being stranded and yelled after Tivon and Merrick. Tivon ignored them. They'd have to find their own ride across the city.

  "What's the plan?!" Ross shouted from above Tivon's head. While she and Merrick were running along beside the engine, he'd managed to climb atop the tender. He crouched up there now, his long coat whipping in the wind, looking as if stopping a run-away train engine was all in a day's work.

  Merrick pointed at the opposite side of the engine's cab and then held up two fingers, then three. Tivon had no idea what he was trying to convey to Ross. Luckily the other marine had no trouble understanding the message. Ross scuttled out of sight. Merrick called over his shoulder, "On three!"

  "One!" Merrick slung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled out a pistol.

  "Two!" The sniper reached out and grabbed the door handle.

  "Three!" Merrick yanked on the handle then slid the door forward and disappeared into the cab all in one fluid motion.

  By the time Tivon managed to pull herself into the cab, both Merrick and Ross had their weapons aimed at the shop keeper. The man's bright green tunic stood out in stark contrast to the dirty cab and grimy controls. He was holding a huge, battered wrench in one hand and clutched the Olympus Chronometer to his chest with the other. As Tivon entered the shop keeper let the wrench fall to the steel floor with a clatter.

  With the marines busy with the shop keeper, Tivon realized getting the train under control was her job. From the way the engine was swaying, she knew they were going too fast. Tivon glanced over the myriad brass fittings, pressure valves and heavy metal levers and realized she was going to need help.

  She closed her glowing eyes and said, "Nemus, a little assistance, please?!"

  You are riding in a Westpress Works 4-6-2 locomotive.

  Thanks, Tivon thought as Nemus' voice filled her head. She added, "How do I stop it?!"

  Schematics of the inner workings of the 4-6-2 engine were dumped into her mind. When she opened her eyes, Tivon recognized the brake, clutch, throttle and a dozen other controls. She reached for the throttle and...saw it was gone. Tivon's foot hit something on the floor. She looked down and found the throttle lever. She picked it up and tapped Merrick on the shoulder.

  "He's jammed the throttle open!" Tivon shouted to be heard over the pounding and hissing coming from the pistons and boiler.

  Merrick looked from their prisoner to the throttle in the archivist's hand. He turned to Ross. "Tell Dagger we need a pick-up! Right now!"

  Ross pulled out a radio and leaned out the door on his side of the cab. "Dagger? You there?"

  "Is there another way to stop this thing?" Merrick asked Tivon. His eyes swept over the unfamiliar controls.

  Tivon's eyes became unfocused as she scanned the schematics and instructions from Nemus. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "I could apply the brakes, but it would make us jump the tracks." She gestured at the streets and buildings passing by. "Probably not a good idea!"

  "It's time to end this," the shop keeper muttered to no one in particular. He was staring down at the Chronometer.

  "...yes! We're on a speeding locomotive!" Ross covered the mouth piece and reported, "Dagger's laughing at us." He nodded at the mumbling shop keeper, "And what's he talking about?"

  The man caressed the shining brass casing of the clock. He had a haunted expression in his eyes. After seeing the Olympus crewman at every turn as they followed him, Tivon now knew where this look came from. He met Tivon's gaze. His lips trembled and he appeared on the verge of tears as he said calmly, "It's a blessing and a curse." He sighed and gave a little laugh. "I'm just glad it's finally over."

  Without another word, the shop keeper thrust the Chronometer into Ross's arms and stepped out of the cab into nothingness. Tivon looked away, not wanting to see the man hit the street far below.

  Merrick cursed and pounded the door frame then turned to Ross. The other marine held his forgotten radio in one hand as he stared at the clock now held in the crook of his other arm. He had the same expression Tivon had just seen on the shop keeper's face.

  "Drop it!" Tivon shouted, realizing Ross had just become the new owner of the Olympus Chronometer with all its blessings...and curses. When Ross failed to respond. Tivon took a step across the cab and slammed the broken throttle against the clock. The Chronometer flew out of the marine's grasp. Ross staggered back as the clock slammed down onto the floor of the cab.

  Tivon took one look at the Marine's unfocused eyes and knew she needed to act quickly. She drew the pistol the marines had insisted she carry, clicked off the safety, and fired three rounds into the Chronometer's face. The glass cover shattered and the ticking second hand stopped moving as Tivon's bullets pierced the inner workings of the clock. Whether it was the destruction of the precision gears and springs inside the Chronometer or the bullets ricocheting around the steel cab, Ross
snapped out of his stupor. He ducked, threw his hands up over his head, and shouted, "Watch it!"

  As Tivon stopped shooting, Ross straightened and took a shuddering breath. He wiped at the beads of sweat which had sprung out on his forehead. "Next time wait until we get out of the metal box before firing."

  Tivon noticed a touch of the distant look remained in Ross' eyes. She wondered what he'd seen as he'd held the Chronometer. But, she'd have to wait to ask him.

  Merrick snagged the radio from Ross and yelled into it. "How close are you, Dagger?!" He pressed his ear to the speaker. As he listened to the pilot's response, he leaned out of the cab and watched as they rapidly approached a station. He nodded at whatever Dagger was telling him and shouted a reply, "We'll be ready!"

  Tivon gasped as the engine rocketed through a crowded station. Out on the platforms, people fell back from the wash of rushing air and shock of their passage. Their speeding engine was out from under the glass roof within seconds.

  Merrick tossed the radio back to Ross and yelled, "Find something to hold onto!" He looked at Tivon and gestured at the train's control levers. "Might as well see how much brake we can use!"

  "I'll try!" Tivon grasped the brake handle and pulled back. Outside, sparks flew accompanied by a shrill shriek as the pads contacted the churning wheels. The engine shuddered but barely slowed. "That's the best I can do! Any more and we'll derail!"

  "That's going to happen anyway!" Ross called out. He pointed ahead of them as he leaned out the door.

  Tivon looked out the cab windows and saw the tracks curving and the station just beyond. Thanks to the specifications Nemus had given her, she knew they were going too fast to stay on the tracks. She shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around the remains of the Chronometer. She picked up the shattered clock and held it tight against her chest. Tivon gritted her teeth and muttered, "Well, this should be interesting."

  Chapter 4

  Off the Rails

  "We're right above you!" Dagger shouted into her radio. "Hang on, we're coming!" She clicked off the microphone and bit her cheek. Her eyes darted from the train to the tracks and the rapidly approaching station as she puzzled over the physics of their dilemma.

  "So, what's the plan?" Kate asked.

  Dagger looked at Sparrow and Kate. A wicked smile crept across the pilot's face. "Either of you ever stop a train before?"

  "Uh, no," Kate replied honestly. She turned to Sparrow. "You?"

  "Not that I recall," Sparrow said.

  "Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess," Dagger added

  Kate started to protest but then smiled. "Well, today's our day then!"

  "Alright, ladies! It's up to us, once again, to save the day!" Dagger announced. She leaned over the airship's big wheel and glanced down through the tilted windows at the speeding commuter train engine charging up from behind and beneath them. She clucked her tongue. "This is going to be tricky..." The pilot jammed the throttle against its stops and adjusted their course slightly to ensure the train would pass directly under their flight path.

  "Are they going to stop?" Sparrow asked. She pointed at the glass-roofed station gleaming six blocks ahead in the sunlight leaking through a temporary break in the low clouds.

  "One way or the other," Dagger said and gave a short laugh. She gestured at the radio. "Apparently they can't stop the thing. They'll derail on that curve into the station if we don't do something."

  Sparrow's eyes narrowed as she reassessed the situation. She grasped the railing running around the bridge. The window frames curved down from the ceiling to the floor so the pilot could see everything around and underneath the airship. A brass railing kept crew members from inadvertently stepping from the wooden bridge deck onto the glass. The arrangement of the windows helped the pilot maneuver the big craft during take offs and landings but it also offered an exceptional vantage point to watch the disaster unfolding below. The train Merrick, Ross, and Tivon were riding could be clearly seen barreling along the elevated tracks between tall buildings and over busy cross streets. Sparrow did some quick calculations. "There's no way we can get down to them in time."

  "Yeah, I kind of figured that out already," Dagger replied, her tone dry.

  "We are also too high for me to engage the engine controls with the level of precision I need to fully take control," Sparrow reported. She had her hands outstretched toward the racing engine. "We will need to render assistance in some other way."

  "How?!" Kate's voice was strained. Her eyes went wide and a sense of impending doom welled up within her. She swept the bridge instruments as if they could offer some sort of miraculous answer. Kate's eyes landed on a hatch set in the floor at the aft end of the command deck. She snapped her fingers and her glowing eyes met Dagger's. The pilot's eyes had gone as wide as Kate's. But instead of worry, Dagger's eyes brimmed with excitement. The same idea had occurred to both women.

  "The skiff!" Kate and Dagger shouted at the same time.

  The airship came equipped with an auxiliary flying machine docked in a small bay beneath the bridge. When they had 'borrowed' the vessel, Sparrow had given little thought to the aircraft nestled in its bracket. Dagger explained the plane was designed to fly cables from one airship to another. It was also useful when mooring lines needed to be dropped to the ground in the event of poor weather to ensure the anchor ends got to the right spot. She did not think they would need the aircraft for either purpose since they only planned on using the airship for the few hours they were on the planet. Given the group's history with lighter-than-air craft, Sparrow should have known better.

  "Sparrow, take the wheel!" Dagger shouted. She grabbed Kate by the arm and hustled to the back of the room.

  "Aye, Captain," Sparrow replied as she followed them with her silver eyes. The Link Sprite stepped forward and grasped the worn handles of the airship's big wooden wheel. She wondered how many Link Sprites got to take control of a zeppelin in the course of their everyday routine. She thought she knew the answer; just one.

  Dagger reached the hatch outlined in red hash marks. Without hesitation, she pulled on a lever and the floor opened up to reveal the skiff's small, two seat cockpit. Dagger dropped in and wormed her way into the pilot's seat.

  "Tight fit!" Kate noted. "You sure you want me along?!"

  "Get in!" Dagger ordered. She was already flicking switches and turning knobs on the control console.

  Kate lowered herself into the tandem seat behind Dagger.

  "Strap in!" Dagger said.

  Kate fumbled with the unfamiliar harness but finally managed to click the shoulder straps into a five point clasp attached to a thick belt and running down between her legs. She snapped the last buckle in place just as Dagger yanked back on a big yellow handle above her head. The harness was all that held Kate in place as the tiny aircraft dropped away from the mother ship.

  "Holy tral!" Kate yelped. Her hands shot out, desperately seeking anything to grab.

  "I know, right?!" Dagger hooted happily. She feverishly worked the controls as they dove straight down toward the crowded street.

  The airplane was falling like a stone into the artificial canyon created by rows of blocky brick apartment buildings. Behind them, twin mooring cables led from the tail back up to the airship. The cables jumped and sang as they were pulled out of spools buried deep in the zeppelins superstructure. When she'd been looking out the bridge windows as their airship moved at a stately pace just above the roof tops, Kate had thought they were really high. Rushing at the ground now in the tiny craft, she wished they'd been a lot higher.

  "Shouldn't we pull up?!" Kate shouted.

  Dagger pulled up on a big lever beside her seat and the craft's wings deployed with a loud whir then locked in place with a clanking thud. Kate suddenly had a view out her windows. The wings had been folded up tightly against the sides of the cockpit blocking her view. With the airfoils now in place, Dagger pulled back on the control column.

  Kate's heart jumped
into her throat as they leveled out and swept along the street just above the carts and heavy trucks. She barely noticed the people scrambling for cover. They were parallel to the tracks now, just ahead of the run-away train engine.

  "We only have one chance to make this work!" Dagger shouted. She jerked up on the controls and they leapt over a truck blocking their flight path. Kate turned in time to see the mooring cables they were trailing in their wake catch the boxes piled high on the truck bed. The steel cables sliced through the wooden crates as if they were made of butter. Packing material, splintered wood, and machine parts were hurled every which way.

  "Are the cables okay?!" Dagger called over her shoulder. She was flying above the raised tracks now. She tipped the wings slightly to follow the gleaming rails as they began to turn. The turn definitely would prove deadly if they could not slow the engine in time.

  Kate stared at the back of Dagger's head for a moment before replying, "Yeah! They're still there!" She lowered her voice and muttered. "I can't say the same for the truck."

  "What?" Dagger called.

  A train whistle sounded directly behind Kate. Her seat in the rear of the cockpit allowed her to turn just enough to see the streamlined front of the locomotive bearing down on them. Sparks flew from the wheels as the brakes struggled to slow the monster down. At the same time, smoke belched from the stack as the firebox and boiler worked hard to keep the train moving as fast as physically possible thanks to the jammed controls.

  "Upupup!" Kate screamed and pounded on the back of the pilot's seat.

  Dagger pulled up just as the front of the train passed underneath the tail of the small craft.

  "Fire the anchors on my word!" Dagger yelled. The plane rocked and bucked as the turbulence from the billowing smoke washed over the wings and cockpit.

  Kate's eyes swept over the tiny control panel mounted to the right of her seat. There were two switches in the 'off' position and a big button nestled under a protective cover. Without wasting time reading the labels, Kate clicked both switches up and flipped the plastic cover away from the red button. Outside, she could just make out the cab of the engine as it slid beneath the aircraft.