Dr Phipps seemed almost fully recovered from his "turn" (was it the result of some experimental "nerve tonic"? Forsyth suspected but had no evidence) with the understandable need to take nourishment as often as possible - at least this was Phipps' explanation for the sudden depletion of the NCO mess digestive biscuit barrel.
This welcome development was soon eclipsed by a report of the discovery of some sort of secret encampment in a cavity in the thick walls of the armoury/storehouse. A blanket and a quantity of opened tins of food were discovered. Phipps took a look and declared that he could smell a faint trace of Bhutan Spice - a blackcurrant-like odour he'd noticed was characteristic of a type of Bhutan Spice used in ladies' cosmetics becoming popular with the British ladies of Moerus Lacus (and likely Syrtis Major too).
The Quartermaster chose this moment to announce sheepishly that he'd noticed thefts of food stores, enough for perhaps one or two men. He'd put it down to black marketeers, but now he could see that there was perhaps another explanation.
Forsyth ordered a comprehensive search of the armoury and stores, and the heroes joined in, each taking charge of a party of three ranks, sending his batman Jones as an extra pair of hands.
Wilhelm's party was moving a pile of cases of Moran Patent Dehydrated Sandbags when he noticed a hidden wire and heard a sharp click. He screamed a warning and leapt for the safety of the corridor, an instant before the room was engulfed in a massive explosion which scattered the cases with little consideration for the safety of the three soldiers still inside the room.
Sadly, all three were killed1. Wilhelm, possibly in shock, noted wryly that Moran Industries made very strong packing cases. Not one of them was split, sprung or damaged in any real way.
A steamship was spotted, inbound to the fort. It proved to be HMS Tuttle, a specialised "flying crane", carrying the replacement heliograph and a team of engineers. With the aid of the remarkable ship, the engineers had the heliograph in place, up and running in six hours, and Forsyth was able to regain contact with the outside world.
While working, the engineers saw a bright green flash on the horizon. The accompanying sound suggested that the flash was two miles off, to the north of the fort. This was confirmed by lookouts too.
Phipps, Hartwell and Wilhelm form a party and sortie to the site, where they find burned corpses of Steppe Martians and Gashants. The powder horns of some have detonated, inflicting terrible wounds that would have likely been fatal in their own right.
The party was suddenly ambushed by Steppe Martian tribesmen who demanded in heavily accented Parhooni that the Earthmen surrender. Hartwell tried to strike up a conversation, but was defeated by the strangeness of the dialect the lead tribesman was using. Luckily, Forsyth's batman Jones was more successful.
The tribesmen were angered that they had been attacked by a man with a terrible weapon, an Earthman, and demanded the surrender of the small force before them. The heroes were just explaining how the assassin was nothing to do with them when a glowing green projectile flew through the Earth force, erupting into a large ball of actinic green lightning which engulfed many of the tribesmen.
Most of the Steppe Martians not killed outright were blinded by the actinic green ball of lightning, but the Earthmen and the supporting garrison troopers miraculously were unaffected, and all showed no mercy whatsoever, gunning down the helpless tribesmen as they staggered about clutching their eyes. Phipps saw two shots from tribesmen hit the mysterious figure, and he, Phipps, shot true himself, but somehow the figure was unaffected and suddenly disappeared.
"Teleporter!" snarled Phipps.
A check of the area showed footprints that disappeared in mid-stride where the mysterious figure had vanished, and bullets, including one from Phipps own weapon, lying on the ground. Phipps began calling this mystery character "Teleporting Tom", though Wilhelm was dubious that the effect witnessed was indeed teleportation.
Returning to the fort the heroes discovered Forsyth had received a heliograph requesting reinforcements and resupply. An incoming message informed him that HMS Steppe Tiger was two weeks overdue and assumed lost, possibly due to pirate activity.
Phipps ran tests on all who were present at the Ambush, suspecting effects from what he termed "the ray gun".
Forsyth ordered a second sortie to the scene of the ambush the day before, but the bodies were gone. During the search, Hartwell became convinced the party was being stalked by a Steppe Tiger. Forsyth ordered th force into tighter formation and they returned to Fort McMurray.
Forsyth suggested that Phipps should accompany him , Hartwell and Wilhelm into the undercroft where there are many things he should see.
They showed Phipps the Hall of Cogs (as it has become known), the Ellipsoid Room - explaining about the Rune carved into the floor that is also to be found in the "Fear Corridor". Phipps muttered that he could probably come up with a way of fortifying one against those effects.
Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell were shooting each other knowing looks as they escorted Phipps to the room with the gigantic electrical machines, and they urged him to try the chair for himself, but Phipps became suspicious and demanded Wilhelm do so first, despite assurances that nothing would happen.
Un-reassured by the willingness of Wilhelm to sit in the chair, and by the as-predicted lack of any effect whatsoever, Phipps whipped out a hypodermic, placed it against Wilhelm's neck, and announced that he believed the others had been subjected to some sort of Alien influence, or possibly had developed an unhealthy "ampere addicion", and demanded everyone surrender to his charge.
Forsyth and Hartwell declined, and while Phipps and Forsyth engaged in a battle of wills, Wilhelm activated his teleporter to Phipps' apparent surprise and dismay. "You are Teleporting Tom!" he yelled, as the others took to their heels.
Gaining enough of a lead inside the maze-like warren of machines, Wilhelm teleported himself, Hartwell and Forsyth out to the entrance of the Undercroft, where Forsyth hurriedly formed the guards into a welcoming committee for Phipps.
Phipps appeared, eventually, and was taken into custody by the expedient of Wilhelm's "Goober Gun".
- The casualty list for Search of the Armoury and Stores:
55075436, Eli Arkwright, Pvt
55108863, Bartholomew Clarke, Pvt
55203743, Hezekiah Currier, L.Cpl↑
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