by J M Bannon
"Who shall I say is travelling, Mistress?"
"Well the Detective and I…"
"What's going on?" It was Lorelei coming up from the Studio.
"Tommy, of course, and how about you Lorelei, would you like to join our excursion overseas to America?" asked Rose putting away the Rod of Raziel.
"I am not sure if I should take leave that far from Preston," said Doctor Traube.
"Well I disagree, I think your expertise will be needed when we test out the evidence they have collected. This will be a ripe opportunity to apply your research and theory in action, Doctor," encouraged Rose. She turned to Dolly, "Can you think of anyone else, Detective?"
Dolly rubbed his forehead not out of concentration but frustration. He hadn't even left the Empire and Rose had already commandeered a private vessel and invited half of the circus she kept about at Hawkins' House. He turned to Pāora, "You’re not coming along,"
"I wasn't invited, besides I'm in charge of the house while the Mistress is away," replied the Māori.
"Oh, be reasonable Dolly. The Peregrine's Captain knows the country, and her ship is the fastest, most capable and fitted with a mobile studio. Tommy is already a crew member, and as for Lorelei, she needs a little break from England. We might have time to tinker with some of my new inventions and Lorelei has been a big help with the chemical applications."
"This is exactly why I need to come along so you and your collection of misfits don't start an international incident. That bloody country is already falling apart at the seams," growled Dolly.
"Now, Lorelei what color should we paint the 'Go West, Young Witch' sign on the Peregrine?" said Rose.
"White, of course."
10
Tuesday the 12th of March
4:00 am The nexus
The gate opened from Allard's apartment and as he strode through into the Nexus, there stood Doctor Caiaphas. Seeing another in the vestibule startled Henri.
"You desired a meeting?" asked the Doctor.
"The soul siphon is missing and Traveler Six has not been to the studio with supply deliveries. I think something has happened again."
"That is what you demanded to see me about?" asked Caiaphas.
"Yes, the last time we had issues with the soul vacuum it drew the lives of one hundred and thirty-two people and almost exposed our operation," countered Allard.
"It also contributed to your monumental discovery of the homunculus. What is the expression? You have to break a few eggs to make a soufflé?" said the Doctor.
Omelet. Henri felt the Doctor wasn't disturbed by the development. "Doctor, maybe this is a bad time, but you have kept us insulated and forced us to call each other by numbers, so what am I to do but reach out when matters are not progressing to design?"
"Ah, this is the true crux of your anxiety. You have a concern that things are upset, not following the path you crave, so the plan is not proceeding. You understand Henri, I turned to you because I saw your part in my design, not yours, to accomplish what I seek, a much more grand and vast agenda than you can appreciate," Caiaphas paused.
"Henri, I don't look at the pebbles you or others throw, I am interested in the ripples. I am asking you to appreciate the ripples, the result we will produce, whether you receive the credit for throwing the perfect stone. I have already seen forward and back through the ripples and you play an important part in the process," declared the Doctor.
Henri knew he was on a journey to greatness and he was certain that Caiaphas would help him become the metaphysicist he dreamed of being. One that stepped beyond the dogma and restrictions of the Necronists, and who dazzled his colleagues with his genius.
That journey sped up a year ago. Henri was approached by Caiaphas and the Brotherhood of One, asking him to join their community and create a device capable of capturing the soul. The soul siphon would be used by the Brotherhood to collect the spirits of beasts and to further the experimentation by creating artificial life.
The request was similar to the work he was already doing at the monastery. Whilst he was an innovator of the application of life energy, he had no ideas of his own on how to steal it from a living animal, so his solution was to plagiarize Hume's work. While riffling through Hume's files he had found the original soul magnet locked away in the strong room; old and unused, he took it and represented it to the Brotherhood as his own work.
Prior to the development of the Nexus gates, the Brotherhood used airships to transport the soul magnet from where they collected life-force to the energy process location. On a return trip from America aboard the Zeus Colonial, an accident occurred. He assumed the device misfired. To make matters worse, the craft veered off course and ended up in the custody of the British. Once the Brotherhood of the One realized that the device was on the ship, Caiaphas used his influence to remove the ship from the hands of the British. On its transit back to its home port in Greece, the vacuum was retrieved and sent to Allard's original workshop at the Monastery. Back in his control, Henri understood the bounty of human life force the device had captured from the accident.
"Henri you have surpassed your master," said Caiaphas as he led Allard through the gate into the secret laboratory. They now stood just inside the lab between the two soul corrals. "You have proven with your homunculus, you can create an artificial life that is sustainable. We are ready for the next phase and to learn how we will expand your operations. Soon, Henri, you will need to say goodbye to your Necronist brothers and work full time on our next steps taking a broader approach to your creations."
Caiaphas led Henri past the rejuvenation chambers, the cooler and the homunculus pens to a door. The door had always been locked. Henri checked it from time to time to see if it would provide a clue to the location he was transported to by the Brotherhoods portals. Caiaphas unlatched the door that opened on to a stone staircase that spiraled up. As the two men climbed up the steps, Henry was hit with an overpowering smell, a mix of dung and offal with a faint touch of burnt hair. Then he realized what the source of the stink was when the two stepped out onto the floor of what could only be described as a mechanized slaughterhouse.
"Henri, I am a patron of the industrial age. You have succeeded in the laboratory and now we look to repeat your success and create thousands of your homunculus with this machine,” the Doctor encouraged. The old man gestured towards a gigantic mechanical process that covered the factory for hundreds of feet.
"May I ask why?"
The elderly man smirked, “An army, why else?" He paused letting it sink in for Allard.
"I require an army to defend against our foes and I will send the artificial beasts you designed to fight."
"But they are not artificial. The way we are keeping the Homunculus alive is by mixing human and animal life force together. Humans die to make the creatures."
"Henri, you are right, and that is why in this next chapter while we endeavor to develop this factory to produce the homunculus, you will be required to use your genius to get the soul vacuum to capture the spirit of the dying. While it was unfortunate that our accident took the lives of those passengers, the necessity of human life energy to stabilize the homunculus is imperative. It occurred to me that there might be a better way to harvest that life force. Every day thousands die from natural causes, disease and war. What if we were to snatch the soul energy just as they left, say at hospitals or the battlefield?” offered Dr. Caiaphas.
Capturing the souls of those who had just died, sat better with Henri, but the real issue was he had never been honest with Caiaphas. He could operate Hume's technology but did not understand how it worked.
"Doctor, it is urgent that we retrieve the existing siphon, there are components that I must... re-evaluate and reuse or we will lose months to re-engineering," said Henri.
The old man stared at Henri, his hollow eyes boring into him from under his hairless brow. The longer the air was silent the more Henri worried that Caiaphas knew he was a fraud, not a metaphysical innovat
or.
"Henri, I trust you will deliver a device that can draw the power of the dying just as you delivered on the breakthrough of the homunculus. A member of the Brotherhood, has been working on the mass production of your creatures and what you see here is the result. All we need is for you to deliver the device to gather the life force of the dying and we will be able to create an endless horde,”
* * *
7:50 a.m. London Aerodrome
“Would you mind sharing the circumstances of the previous First Mate’s departure?”
This was Reidun Falk’s second interview with Miss Amelia Macbeth who had served for several year’s under Captain Kubesh. Her letter of recommendation from the Captain was glowing and Reidun’s father always had good things to say about Kubesh. She had experience on traditional airships and the newer LQ gas ships, more than herself, but she wouldn’t admit that. Reidun liked Amelia’s experience and wanted to help another young woman make a go of it in the airship business, but this could be the end of the interview right now. Learning that your predecessor was killed in the line of duty; was never something that went on the recruiting poster.
Here we go.
“He was shot on the bridge of my previous ship by Prussian soldiers that attacked us,” Reidun stated matter of factly.
There was a pause.
“That’s a shame. Let me say, while I will bear arms, I think guns are loud and sloppy. I am well versed in the sword and have on occasion used my rapier to defend against boarding actions. The freight runs we were doing from Singapore to Jakarta had us cross paths with Malay and Indonesian Pirates,” said Amelia.
A rhythmic rapping came from the doorjamb outside the stateroom. “Captain, sorry to interrupt but I have news from Miss Rose.”
Reidun, glanced up from her desk to see the young man waiting to enter. “One moment Amelia, what has been progressing over at Miss Rose’s?”
“I have been working on a new project together with a Mechanist savant named Fletcher. We had substantial progress actuating a mechanical arm using electrical signaling,” replied the young boiler room assistant with excitement.
“That’s nice to hear but I was more interested in what had you interrupt my interview,” The Captain asked.
“Well, that’s the thing Captain. I have a letter here from Rose for you,” Tommy passed the letter to Reidun. She searched her desk for her letter opener finding it under a pile of invoices and slit open the cream-colored envelope.
Dear Reidun,
It appears the expertise of my superior, Detective Williamson, and myself is required in America. Specifically, at a small town in the Colorado Territory to assist the local law with an investigation. I write to enquire if you are prepared to provide transport for us. The voyage is at the request of the United States State Department, with the full authority of Her Majesty in my official capacity as a Constable of the Metropolitan Police. Having your extensive experience navigating the western part of America would be an asset to the expedition and a comfort to me. Your services will be compensated per the usual daily rate.
Dr. Lorelei Traube will be joining Detective Williamson and I. Lorelei and I are keen to see the new airship and enjoy all the amenities. If the ship is ready, we would look to depart at your earliest convenience. If you cannot accommodate us, please let me know so we can arrange other transport.
Yours,
Rose Caldwell
Reidun leaned back in her chair. “Did Rose share this with you?” asked the Captain looking at Tommy.
"Yes, she did. She wanted to just wire you last night but when she had the idea of taking the Peregrine to the States, I said to let me deliver the news. I came straight away with the letter as I am sure you are as interested as I am to get back and show off the new ship," said the teen.
“Go check with Jules on the status of the engine room and how quickly we can depart. I wish I had more time to get the crew filled out and properly trained,” mused Reidun.
“I’ll let him know,” and Tommy was off in a flash to report to his boss they would return to the United States.
“Have you ever been to America, Miss Macbeth?”
“Amelia please, I have not, but it is on my list to visit,” the young woman offered.
“Reidun reached in her desk and pulled out some papers. If you have that contract signed and are back here by the time we leave, you have the job and you’ll get to see America sooner then you expected,”
Amelia looked over the papers, “Do you have a pen?”
Reidun turned her pen stand with its quills and inkwell towards Amelia. The woman signed the papers and handed them back to the Captain, “Everything I need is on me or in my bag here,”
Reidun looked to see the well worn carpet bag near the door of her office, “Well let’s show you your state room,” the Captain got up and grabbed Amelia’s bag, “Your room is across the hall from mine.” Reidun opened the cabin and ushered in her new first mate.
“This cabin is bigger than Captain Kubesh’s,” said the wide eyed Amelia as she tucked her chestnut locks behind her ear.
Well, I doubt you’ll see much of it once we are on our way. We are flying the White Witch of London to adventure in America, so get unpacked and then come see me so I can show you around.
Reidun walked back into the sizable state room she now enjoyed. The space was twice that of her state room on the original Peregrine, for now she had a separate office attached to the living quarters together with her own lavatory.
Barron von Traube, Lorelei’s father was so overjoyed at the return of his daughter, combined with Reidun’s anger with Lorelei for the danger she had put them in, that the Barron didn’t just repair the old Peregrine. He built Sky Captain Falk a brand-new ship.
It would have been far more economical to refit her old gasbag with some new engines, but the Peregrine had lost more than just some of its parts in the group’s last adventure, the ship had lost its first mate. Not that a new ship would make up for the death of Lukas. It was a gesture that the Traube’s could make to show their gratitude to the Captain, for the sacrifice her crew had made to rescue Lorelei. On top of the large gift Baron von Traube made to the Captain, his daughter Lorelei also contributed to the project to build Reidun’s dream ship. Rose asked Reidun if she would be interested in designing special features on the airship for future adventures with her. Reidun’s acceptance resulted in Rose also investing in the ship, providing funds to fit out the craft with a laboratory and other rooms.
The new Peregrine was the latest design and built at Lloyd and Sons, the most advanced shipyard in the world. The same one where the HMS Victoria had been built. The Peregrine also shared the same infrastructure as the Victoria using Luminiferous Quintessence for flotation within an Evenrude L. Pruflek’s vapor compression ballast system. The ship was now at a private berthing pylon at the London Aerodrome and was taking on supplies and completing the crew. Reidun was still getting accustomed to flying a ship six times the size of the original Peregrine, along with all the advanced mechanical controls, some never seen on an airship before.
Now preparations needed to be made for the ship’s first long-haul voyage overseas. Transatlantic airship travel was more dangerous than people perceived. Winds over the North Atlantic could be wicked, and if a ship were to go down survival was low. One feature the Peregrine also shared with the Victoria was the runabouts were both air and water worthy. They acted as lifeboats and transport to the ground; adding some safety and redundancy for the long trip over harsh seas.
What excited Reidun about the prospect of returning to America, was the news circulating of her return. She got up and looked at a letter she had framed on the wall. The letter was from Cornelius Vanderbilt, thanking her for her service and, acknowledging her achievement in setting the transit record for the Boston to San Francisco mail route. The letter, however, did not acknowledge what had been required of her to receive that chance. In a time when women did not have the right to vote, a wo
man taking any position on an airship let alone that of Captain, placed her in the cross hairs of many men who thought it perverse for a woman to assert herself.
Returning to the States as the Captain and partial owner of her airship would be such a satisfying act. Better still, a majority of the ship’s title was held by women, that being Rose Caldwell and Lorelei Traube. All three faced the disapproval of society; only to push their respective fields further and faster than any man had ever done. While always reserved unless angered, Reidun relished returning to America with a new ship and a company of friends, another glorious sign of her accomplishment.
11
Wednesday the 13th of March
11:30 a.m. Belfort Hotel Belfort France
Lilith had planned for a trip to Belfort today. She asked for Emil as a chaperone, but her father was immediately suspicious about what she might be up to with the teenage boy and would only agree to let her go with Mademoiselle Levy, her tutor.
Her plan was to take an early lunch at the hotel after a morning of shopping. Lilith and Ms. Levy shared a cassoulet that the hotel was so well known for.
"I know you won't believe me Lilith, but this dish tastes better than anything you could order in Paris. I am sure it's the farm-freshness of the ingredients.”
"I don't doubt you, Mademoiselle, I would just like the chance to find out for myself. If the city is as dangerous as my father makes it out to be, then why must he go there so often?"
"You will learn with time, we all end up doing things we don't enjoy. When the time is right, you will someday marry and settle down.”
Lilith dropped her utensils and shot a look at her teacher.
"You will find the right man from a good family and while possibly not be completely satisfied, you will come to understand the trade-offs for having the stability of a family.”
