Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Wisdom of Conan

The Old Firm: A Steampunk Tale XIII

     John gasped and wiped his mouth. "Goodness, " he said his breath ragged in his lungs as he wobbled unsteadily on two legs as Rebecca and Maureen held him up. "That take away lunch disagreed with me something fierce." 

     Stefania turned from the hatch her face was pale. "They have torch's," she said as she lifted her skirts and hurried over to John and the lass'. The hiss of a cutting torch could be heard as sparks began to shower into the corridor. 

     Rebecca shoved John forward as the airship suddenly tipped sending loose bits and pieces sliding around. "We're going down," Rebecca growled her face set with a determination that would of made a weaker man flinch away.

     "I didn't feel any explosions," Maureen said looking around puzzled. 

     "No time to worry about that now," Rebecca gestured at Stefania. "We need to get off this airship now. Keep John moving, if he slows up, kick him in the arse hard." Stefania flinched at Rebecca's words as Maureen placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

     "It's ok," Maureen said to Stefania. "You can do it."

     John looked back to the hatch the wash of sparks growing in intensity. "Let's move," he growled as he pulled himself unsteadily along the corridor's wall. 

     Rebecca moved past him her skirts swirling about her solid boots barely glimpsed among the layers as she peered out the hatch at the end of the corridor. "Hurry up," she hissed, 'the way is clear."

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     "General, the pods are online and prepped." The General saluted and turned his gaze back to the low cloud cover. The roar of an airships engines were growing louder though it could not be seen. "Blasted Aberdeen weather," the General growled.

     'Sir! Contact!" came the cry just as the pods lined up at the far end of the runway exploded sending large jagged bits of riveted iron and clouds of burning steam skyward.

     "Damnit! Bring them down!" roared the General as a few pods responded their guns belching gouts of flame as they hurled explosives into the cloudy skies. "Where are they blast it!" the General bellowed as he scanned the sky swinging his glasses left and right rapidly.

     "They're coming in behind us!"came the cry. The General whirled about and his cigar fell to the cold granite ground as the airship loomed large out of the clouds its engines throttled wide coming in low its cannons belching gouts of explosives as it clipped the tower sending wooden shards raining down. 

     "Sir, we need to get you out of here!" hands tugged at the General's arms as he stared at the massive airship bearing down on him.

     To Be Continued.......