~ part one ~
('Hangman Jury' by Aerosmith)
From the aft deck of an elaborate small ship of wood and brass, the captain watches through her scope three women running down the steps to the docks beneath a heavy wide plank.
On both sides of the Captain are two gunners wearing gas-masks and jumpsuits with worker gloves, under long tattered over coats covered with small trophies. Each wears a brace of four revolvers across their chest and two at their hips, along with individual assortments and blades.
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Two women carry the plank while a third ducks between them, the bearers armored as Greeks, the center runner is soaked and draped in a wet cloth with chains on her wrists and ankles.
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Morgan - (Ethiopian, the captain) "Here they come. Be ready."
Weapons are prepared while through the scope, Greek soldiers pour after the three running women as they reach docks, beginning a long straight run to the boat, arrows sticking into the wood.
Morgan - "Go."
They begin firing their guns around and behind the runners, throwing spent weapons in a pile at their feet while slowing the long line of spear bearing soldiers.
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The runners duck low under the board getting stuck with arrow and spear, edges hacking off with stray gunfire. The two carrying the plank are laughing and high fiving across the terrified runner between.
The sky darkens with a wave of arrows showing the oval domed cover hanging over the ship as it fills with them, while those underneath continue to empty guns.
The impact of the arrows drops the three running women to their knees. They flip the plank and run the last few feet before the next wave.
Morgan - "You two, grab the harpoons ! And you." She pauses with a cold stare at the scared woman. "Get on that gun."
She stomps a pedal on the floor and a door swings open dropping the woman into a large comfy red chair before a set of bicycle pedals, two cranks and a broad window showing the charging army.
On either side of her is a large chain gun, connected to the bicycle's pedals, barrels extending through the aft.
Morgan - Stomping above her as the ship pulls away, "Shoot, damn you !"
Kurukulla - Behind the new gunner, "Put your feet down ! Now ride !"
A drum begins to pound. She kneels in the chair and peeks over the high back to see a powerful woman in an iron mask pounding a large drum while the gear workers from the deck get to gun stations.
Their work areas are covered with gears and tubes leading to all parts of the ship, cranks sticking out in various places, steam erupting. They strap on their harnesses while the new gunner looks for hers unsuccessfully.
They start cranking sparking generators and prepping cannons. Each runs four, cannons, two above and two below, tube fed ammo by crank. They begin chanting "Ride ! Ride ! Ride !" as they pump the handles to turn the guns.
She drops back in the chair still more terrified. She looks under the cushions for a harness and doesn't find it, then slips her feet into the pedal straps at the end of the chair and takes the cranks.
Crew - "Step ! Ride ! Step ! Ride !"
She pushes the pedals forward, beginning with some difficulty until the flywheel catches as the Gatling cannons begin firing at their turn speed. Pulling on the handles wildly, she watches the dock's destruction and the falling soldiers who rush forward to their remaining boats as cannon fire shatters all around.
She snorts a giggle ...
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Morgan - From the deck above as the gunners aim lowers and focuses, "Give me air !"
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The engineer turns a crank to dip heated rods into a vat making great steam to be channelled to the outer engines (two propeller encasements to the aft, beneath the water's surface) and filling the balloon beneath the protective dome.
The ship slowly starts to rise from the water while their speed increases. Cannons maul any boat in motion before it can turn to combat, turning then to make a rubble barrier of the closest.
In the distance the waves take the shapes of grasping hands and bearded faces, upside down, the beard tips making the peaks, as waves crawl too high up the ship's side.
Morgan - Sighting the fast approaching Cetus passing between the waves (a sea serpent, oft depicted as a dragon with a long serpent's tail, see constellation.), "Ready harpoons !"
The two runners grab deck rope and prepare their harpoon spears, roped as well. All check each other's harnesses and attach to them.
Morgan - Turning back to face as the boat rises, "Hold altitude ! Wag the bait !"
The rudder splashes water back and forth as the hull glides over the water.
The Cetus' giant jaw clamps the back of the ship, yanking back to the grasping water, trying to bury it while the deck crew braces.
Below the new gunner screams as her view shows the inside of the monster's throat.
Morgan - Stomping again, "! I Said Shoot !" She takes a calm and silent breath, "Alright. Let's go."
They three run up the scared looking face of the beast, the two planting their harpoons under it's shoulders, the captain two swords in it's back.
Morgan - "Pull the rope !"
Below decks two gear workers change cranks, pulling the rope tight above.
The Cetus' eyes go wide it's pulled tighter onto the ship. It's mouth stops at the beams holding the balloon as it whips its long tail underwater in a shocked fury.
Morgan - Screaming, "! God _Damn you Shoot or I throw you Back !"
Pounding drummer and gear workers - "Shoot ! Shoot ! Shoot !"
Andromeda - Staring down the inside of it's throat, "uh ..." She slowly resumes pedalling as the beast chokes a twitching roar.
Morgan - On the Cetus' back holding the two swords, "_! Give me air blades !"_
Four helicopter engines on chains with wire running through deploy from the sides, two on either, flying over the balloon. The wires run down to sparking generators maintained by the gearworkers as they continue their barrage, now blowing up mostly wreckage and ruin, focusing on anything still standing.
The ship struggles to rise, dragging the beast many times it's length as whips and impossibly attempts to grab at the water. The water itself appears to grab back as the ship flails, captain and harpooners attacking and hacking more wildly while the creature chokes it's confusion.
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As the tail begins to leave the water a great liquid hand grabs for it and pulls revealing an arm while the bearded wave faces and warships approach.
Morgan - Still hacking with the other two, "Now take us home !"
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The engineer turns from the steam device and to a large sphere with a knife stabbed into it. She pulls the knife out and the ship, along with Cetus and Poseidon's hand are gone.
A spherical map of the universe appears projected on the walls and ceiling, over the objects and as she turns the sphere, it turns with. When satisfied with the position she stabs the dagger hard back in.
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A tear in space appears high offshore near a rough wooden settlement to the sound of thunder. Plank towers call out and ring bells as the the ship careens sideways and aft heavy, slowly spinning toward them, Poseidon's watery hand splashing to the sea below, and the beast's tail tossing them wildly.
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Inside the new gunner is screaming madly riding the pedals hard, leaning over them and out of the chair, eyes winced shut from the view down it's shredding throat.
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The beast finally slumps dead, it's falling relaxed tail whipping the ship hard back, furthering the spin.
Morgan - Spotting the beach beneath, "Drop it !" The harpooners cut the ropes and run back aboard. As the meal slides lifelessly from the back the rope on the captain's harness pulls and keeps her to the now backward flying ship as she climbs.
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She furrows her brow at the horrified new gunner through her window on the way up the rope, the woods passing behind her in a slow spin.
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The airship (named the Orson) spins slowing through cracking trees and high shelters over fleeing inhabitants before it rests comfortably into a hard slumber.
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At dusk the captain rests on the beach smoking her curled pipe away from the celebration while the villagers skin the beast and hang it to dry in the salty winds and next morning sun.
Past them the ship walks haphazardly on damaged legs extended, then settling hard into the water.
The Blacklist Tales
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That night, 'brave' Perseus stands next to his brilliant flying unicorn uncomfortably at the edge of the settlement.
Inhabitants look at him suspiciously as they pass, and he nervously pulls out a large hand mirror to examine himself. Seeing the captain approach in the reflection with the new gunner he puts it away quickly and shouts, turning.
Perseus - "Andromeda ! I told you I would stop at nothing to save you."
Andromeda - "Yes ... you did."
Perseus - "And Captain Morgan. Thank you for returning me my jewel. Your reward."
Morgan - Extending her palm, "Just Captain." Perseus drops a small light weight bag into it. "And safe harbor ?"
Perseus - He nods , "As agreed." Abruptly pulling Andromeda close and smilingly diplomatically, "We will certainly can agree to that."
Morgan turns away walking while Andromeda watches after.
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The crew sleeps on the beach, throughout the ship and hanging from beams, Andromeda is curled up sleeping in the big gunner chair when she wakes to the sound of muffled tense sobbing.
She walks past the sleeping gearworkers, strewn about the deck, quietly pulling down the counter balanced stairs as the weight on the end of chains slides slowly to a drop on the floor, climbs the stairs and holds down to keep them from slamming.
Her rescuers dangle sleeping from the scaffolding connecting the two dirigibles above as she crosses the deck to the captain's cabin, only across a wall from her own and quietly opens the door. She sees the captain sitting coldly upright facing away from the door into the wall sized bookshelf behind her desk.
Andromeda - Quietly, "Are you okay ?"
Morgan - "Get out of my cabin !" She spins her chair drawing her gun from the desk. "Get the Hell off my boat !"
Andromeda - Appears a tiny bit exhilarated, then more saddened than afraid, "You have no gunner and I won't go home to die."
Morgan - Still pointing "You can go wherever you want. You can go to Hell. Just get. Off. My. Boat."
Andromeda - "I'll be at my post. You can come and kill me there." She closes the door behind her.
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(Lady of Flame - Pain Teens, briefly)
Morgan's eyes are closed in the darkness, asleep in her chair, gun still gripped in her lap. Sounds of screaming and warfare, command and death. She twitches awake in the morning light through her thin side windows.
Morgan - To herself in silence, "We're going to need ice."
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Andromeda sleeps again curled in her chair until suddenly awakened by Morgan kick spinning it on it's platform to face her. As she slowly stretches and rises, the gear-workers and Kurukulla are doing the same. Morgan tosses her a large sharp pair of shears, which she catches fumbling with fear of it's tip.
Morgan - "They'll be looking for you. Cut your hair off and dirty up. There's clothing around. We're going to the mountains for ice. So our fresh meat doesn't rot."
After a pause staring too long at her to make the point, she turns to walk away.
Andromeda - With concern, "Did you sleep ?"
Morgan - Stopping without turning, "Your name is 'Gunner' now. Get used to it. Get used to dangerous things being thrown at you and never you ask me that kind of question again. Your first order."
She heads toward the stairs between the gear-workers and pauses again.
Morgan - "The engineer will take care of your manacles."
She goes up the stairs to the top deck while the stairs lift behind her with a slam as it's counter-weights drop hard to the floor.
Gearworkers hands her assorted pieces of clothing one by one.
Kurukulla - "Through here. Past Me." She bounces on hydraulicly enhanced legs and pounds her drum to punctuate and laughs. "You're welcome here. Go ! Remove those chains. Ha !"
Andromeda rises and clothes herself behind her chair, quickly replacing the cloth. Then she cautiously moves past the staring gearworkers, pausing in their works. Then lastly the staring Kurukulla, grinning behind her heavy iron mask showing only her jaw.
Kurukulla - "Yeah ... go on. Go !"
Past Kurukulla the door's open, through it sits the engineer at work tuning the engine component attaching it to a generator. Among the controls sits a skull with a bullet hole in front and larger in back pointed forward out the window.
Andromeda - "You're the engineer ?"
Amelia - Looking up at her, "Yeah. I'm the engineer, Amelia. And I hear you're the new gunner ! We just put that chair there. You'll want to modify it. I've got tools let me know what you need to know. Give me that hand."
Andromeda extends her manacled hand as Amelia grabs the cuff examining it, the reaching for two lockpick tools. "Did she rescue you too ?"
Amelia - "... Not really."
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The engineer remembers sitting on a beach, staring at a ship on the horizon. A 40's destroyer called the USS Eldridge. She's aware but at the time ignores the woman behind her holding a bottle, staring ahead, then a laugh.
Amelia - "Have you come to rescue me ?"
Morgan - "Not really. I'm waiting for that ship to do it's thing."
Amelia - "I've been waiting a long time for that ship ... but I haven't quite decided yet if I want to get on it." She looks back and smiles, "Are you stranded here ?"
Morgan - "No ... I've got a ship. It just needs an engine."
She reaches into her side bag and tosses a small rectangular object appearing as hematite in the sand twenty feet in front of them.
Morgan - "Don't you move now, just watch." She sits next to her, "Did you ever watch magic shows ? You know ... slight of hand ?"
She drinks from the aged bottle and passes it.
Amelia - With soft remembrance, "I loved magic shows ..." She drinks.
Morgan - "It's very much the same principle."
In the distance the destroyer flashes and flickers, as where Morgan tossed the object a sphere surrounded by 11 of 12 of the same, the last snapping into place around the singularity. Amelia laughs and claps her hands.
Morgan - Self amused and a bit surprised, "Tadah ... So ! I understand you have both flight and covert training." Alarms on the Eldridge begin to sound. "I don't think you want to get on that boat, and I could definitely use a hand carrying this thing."
Amelia - "I've been bored for almost six years now ..." She looks at the bottle with appreciation for it's flavor and age, touching the label, the curls at it's corners.
Morgan - "So why didn't you just build a boat ?"
Amelia - Glances around in the air and smiles, "Hmmm ..." She looks at Morgan, "Not the first time I've seen that engine, Captain. But still that was quite the trick. Just promise me you'll bury my bones back here when you're done with them."
She drinks again deeply and passes the bottle back.
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In the engine room a manacle falls to the ground.
Amelia - "Just offered me a better job."
Andromeda - "And this is the engine ..."
Amelia - "You know what an engine is ? Do you know why ?"
Andromeda - "I know a lot of things I don't know why right now ... like your language."
A manacle hits the ground.
Amelia - "Yeah ... I hear you'll know every language your written in. Jealous." She starts working on a foot cuff.
Andromeda - "What does that mean ?"
Amelia - "Nope ! Ask the Captain."
Andromeda - "Fine." She looks around, then at the engine. "How does that work then ?"
Amelia - "Well ... its called a 'singularity' ..."
Andromeda - "Define it."
Amelia - Pausing her work, "Of course my queen ! But first I should inform you our markets have the fines of tarts ever written."
Andromeda - "Please ?"
Amelia - "Hm. We don't know for certain. It only should exist in theory, but it's essentially a balanced gravitational nexus. We really don't know where it came from. Maybe mined at the center of a galaxy ... maybe artificial. Inwardly it's gravity is ... do you even know what gravity is ?"
A cuff hits the ground.
Andromeda - Looking drone eyed, "Things fall. You're saying that because it's gravitation is infinite but doesn't pull ..."
Amelia - "That's just it ! It always does, everywhere at once, without entropy. That's what keeps it stable !"
Andromeda - "And these twelve magnets ..."
Amelia - "Mono-poles. Like a magnet but with ..."
Andromeda - "One pole. Understood. So they ..."
Amelia - "Pull the singularity ..."
Andromeda - "Into entropy."
Amelia - Smiles, "Yes."
The last cuff hits the ground.
Andromeda - "And the knife ?"
Amelia gets up and spreads her arms over the sphere, laying her head sideways on top. "They say it's a universe ... but really ... it's the universe." She smiles sideways at her.
Andromeda - "So you cut the universe ..."
Amelia - Stretching her arms around it in a hug, "And it creates an imbalance in the system ..."
Andromeda - "And there we go !"
Amelia - "There ... we ... go ..." She closes her eyes.
