Captain Forsyth: A Letter

Captain Forsyth, Fort McMurray, somewhere south of chaos.

My Dear Brother,

I trust you and the family are well. I hear young Bruce is quite the entertainer!

It’s quite the jumble of events I have to record and I have to finish this letter quickly as finally a ship has arrived that will take dispatches.

The good Doctor Phipps recovered from his malaise. A welcome addition to our ranks again, however I fear the episode may have affected him more than expected.

Sadly, we were soon alerted to a hide hole in the stores. It seems that we’ve had a most unwelcome guest for a while. Stores had been stolen and the tins discarded. A hint of residual local perfume was detected. I fear we are being repeatedly attacked by some female Martian assassin.

I believe this was the person that set up the bombs that so affected out garrison. Whether it was with or without the assistance of the deserters I cannot be sure. My inclination is that she had some hand in that.

Then as we did a thorough search of the place, Wilhelm was fortunate to survive a bomb trap, but the rest of his party did not.

Other supplies are missing according to the QM, but it’s minor and low level. We have some petty theft, probably opportunistic, but it needs to be stamped out never-the-less.

We then received a visit from HMS Tuttle. Our first contact with the Empire in well over two weeks! I can’t tell you what a relief this was and I’m sure it will lift the troops, removing that sense of isolation. At least one of my overland despatches must have got though.

The airship had bought a replacement heliograph.

Tuttle is a most interesting vessel, designed for engineering work. I was most curious about how she went about her business. I’m afraid I may have bored her officers with my questioning, but they never stinted to show me every detail. It’s my field don’t you know and I would wish to think that they appreciated my interest.

Regrettably, we were denied a formal dinner by time and circumstance. We made do with a working luncheon. I hope to be able to entertain these worthies in the future.

While operations were in progress, a green flash was reported on the horizon. If you’re not aware the horizon here on Mars is less than on earth. I believe about 2 miles, compared to a little over 3 on earth. I may have misheard the expert, but I think it’s about right.

The flash clearly needed investigating. However, I didn’t believe it was proper for me to leave the fort while the Tuttle was about its work. The clear priority was to re-establish contact the rest of the Empire.

I suspect few commands are blessed with a handful of individuals, who can make such a difference. The nearly recovered Phipps, ever resourceful Wilheim and the always stout Hartwell, accompanied a patrol.

They reported back on a body of local hill tribesmen that appeared to have died by some appalling burn wounds. The rest of the armed tribe returned as the away party were approaching the site and a stand-off occurred. I have to commend my batman, Jones, who apparently was able to translate and defuse the situation.

The tribe demanded we turn over the villain that had killed their men. Of course, we had no such, but just as our words were gathering an understanding, the very villain appeared behind the small patrol and hurled some fateful strange green bomb over the heads of our honest men and into this possibly innocent tribe. An absolute outrage that deserves justice.

But his clear plan was to sow the seeds of destruction. Naturally, the tribesmen called foul and despite many having been blinded by this strange explosion, while our men showed great fortitude, opened fire on us.

Of course, I was not there, but being fired upon, the men did themselves credit as soldiers by eliminating the adversary in very short order.

Meanwhile this individual who’d appeared at the rear of our force, also attracted interest.

Dr. Phipps immediately judged him a threat. Hereto, I’d never have questioned the good doctor’s judgement, well more on that later. A sergeant too felt the same.

Now here’s the darndest thing – I do apologise for the language – all witnesses describe the fellow as being ‘blurred’. Both men swore they’d shot true, but the bounder disappeared. They found their spent bullets dented on the ground where he’d stood!

Back at the fort, sadly I have to record that I am obliged to have Miss Carter-Lloyd removed to the ship for transportation back to civilisation, where she can be more properly treated and face due judgement. With all that has been happening her confinement has been a sad one and her social interaction severely limited, which must have hard for one so used to the limelight.

Then I must temper my sympathy with my duty to my men. There was too much bloodshed and destruction to forget this.

It’s rather unedifying delivering her to ship in chains and I wish it could be done in any other way, but I had to be sure that the officers and crew understood she was a prisoner. Otherwise, I’m sure she will charm them all out of hand and have them flying where-ever she pleases.

I do hope this won’t get ugly, but have to send you fair warning, that it could all result with my character being called into question. I do believe the lady is not without connections.

If proved, some of her crimes may easily warrant the gallows, I do so hope that is not the case. Equally, my good fellows may be called into question, especially the good Doctor Phipps.

The Tuttle is anxious to be under away, so I must leave it here.

Long live Her Majesty!

Your brother,

Henry

Episode 54: Relieved and Evicted

General McClellan was firm.

The General thanked him for the offer, but he needed no personal tours from Forsyth.

The civilians sniffing around the Crystal Device and waiting in the courtyard for the inevitable geyser were firm.

They thanked him for the offer but they needed no help from Professor Wilhelm investigating the Crystal Machine or any other weird phenomena in Fort McMurray.

Hartwell’s farewells to the Martians he had formed such a tight bond with brought many sincere expressions of friendship and hopes for a quick and positive outcome for the unfortunate Forsyth.

All three heroes were put aboard the Quicksilver, one of the three steam airships that had brought the general and his entourage to Fort McMurray, and the ship lifted into the sky heading toward Moerus Lacus, first stop on the journey to Syrtis Major and a possible court martial for Forsyth.

The Heroes were confined to the Officer’s Quarters and all weapons and devices except Forsyth's sidearm were put in stowage until the ship was well underway, at which point Forsyth, Harwtell and Wilhelm were allowed the freedom of the deck.

Forsyth was sure he saw a flash of light reflected off some object far in the distance but approximately at the same altitude as the Quicksilver but could not see what has caused it. He alerted the officer of the watch, who humoured the Captain but was unable to confirm the sighting.

The heroes were invited to dine with the captain and a couple of his officers. During dinner, Wilhelm began pressing the captain for the return of his weird science equipment but the captain was firm, saying that he had his orders. Wilhelm then decided on the odd tactic of questioning the captains authority, going so far as to demand who issued his orders and hinting broadly that he, Wilhelm, had friends in high places and resources with which to make life difficult for the captain.

This stratagem was entirely successful inasmuch as it caused the captain to leave the table abruptly and have dinner in his cabin alone, and to order a secure watch on the room containing the heroes' gear with instructions to let no one have access without in-person orders from the captain.

The heroes decide to keep watches of their own, and at the end of the second watch, Wilhelm discovered everyone except those bunking in the officers quarters to be in a deep sleep from which no amount of shaking would rouse them.

Pausing only to pull the sleeping guard away from the door of the room with their gear in, and to arm themselves, the three gallants crept up on deck where they were just in time to see Beltower and LeBlanc in some sort of tandem harness leaping over the gunwale!

Realizing the ship was slowing, Forsyth volunteered himself as stoker to replenish the boiler. The engineer and relief trimsman were not asleep and so were able to perform their vital jobs, but the helmsman was out for the count and the ship was circling slowly. Suddenly there was a loud bang, the ship tilted violently to port and the engine was silent.

The engineer raced to the engine room and discovered that the cylinders of the steam engine had two large holes melted in them, and that the pistons themselves were scored beyond repair. The engine was scrap metal.

Not only that, but ultra-bright flares had been attached to every available vertical surface with some sort of gumme-like substance and ignited. The ship was lit brightly from bow to stern.

Now, off in the distance, the heroes could hear the drone of gasoline engines. Sure enough, a familiar Zeppelin, the Samthandschuh pulled alongside after a few minutes. A face was visible in the control gondola in the light of the damnable flares - Count Oberluft!. He exchanged pleasantries with Forsyth and offered to give him a ride to the German authorities, which Forsyth declined. The count then bid the heroes goodbye, saying that they would see his "rocket motor" in action now, and the airship pulled away into the night.

Suddenly a bright flare was spotted, illuminating the Samthandschuh, and closing on the Quicksilver with impressive speed.

A rocket! Fired from the "rocket motor" that swine Oberluft was at pains to brag about!

Orders were given to the trimsman to lose 30 feet of altitude as quickly as possible, which was done, and the rocket streaked overhead, missing the Quicksilver by scant feet!

Barely had this narrow escape been pulled off than a second flare was streaking toward the redoubtable Quicksilver. Frantic orders were called to the trimsman who manfully tried to pull off another rapid loss of altitude, but could not before the rocket slammed into the bow of our heroes vessel, exploding violently!

The trimsman was again ordered to lose more altitude, and Forsyth single-handedly fired a shot from the portside Hotchkiss rotating cannon - a hit! Not enough to seriously hurt the d____ed Hun, but some superficial damage was dealt in retaliation for the rocket.

Another rocket was fired, which narrowly missed the Quicksilver, and Fire was returned from the bow-mounted light cannon, scoring another hit of inconsequential damage. More rockets were loosed, but all missed.

The Samthandschuh faded into the martian night, and the heroes, with the help of the two remaining crew crash-landed the Quicksilver with remarkably little damage to speak of. The compass house was smashed to matchwood, and the oversized lower rudders were shredded, but the hull remained viable.

The heroes kept watch though the night, and as morning broke the crew began to wake. The heroes discussed the matter and decided it was obvious the food not consumed in the officers quarters was doped in some fashion, most likely by LeBlanc and/or Beltower, each of whom had either boarded the ship by means not unlike those available to Wilhelm¹ or that they had stowed away and picked their moment to act.

The two saboteurs were in the wind, the heroes having been far too busy during the crisis last night to have kept track of how they escaped or where they went. It was decided that the most likely scenario was the same method used by The Brotherhood to escape during the final battle against the Red Sands menace².

options were discussed, and it was decided to attempt to drift the Quicksilver with the wind. The heroes felt they could do better, and Wilhelm was able to concoct a strong glue from the magazine of his "goober gun" with which to glue together bedsheets to form small sails and boat-hooks to form short booms.

An opportune breeze was blowing, and so over the next day and a half the Quicksilver was navigated at nap-of-earth³ to the nearest segment of the Moerus Lacus-Shastapsh canal, where she was grounded and passage on a barge for the three heroes and Jones was arranged. Forsyth promised to send back help for the Quicksilver, and the heroes were once again on their way.

Midway through their trip the barge was accosted by canal pirates and a desperate fight broke out in which fully half the crew were killed and Hartwell injured. Fortunately the heroes and the crew were able to beat off the attack, with the pirates being reduced to jumping in the canal to swim for it in some cases.

And so it was that the barge with the battered heroes on board, docked a Moerus Lacus, to the admiring cheers of the Martian dockside workers once word got around, confounding the military detachment sent to conduct them to the legation where they would be kept under light house arrest until General McClellan came to pick them up.

The story of their bravery on the barge would race along the canal and likely be all over Syrtis Major before that happened⁴.

1. Teleportation↑
2. As told here in episode 35↑
3. ie nap-of-mars↑
4. and would be subject to distortion by Ground Cleanser elements working to discredit all Earthmen↑

Episode 53: LeBlanc Escapes! Shastapsh Attacks!

Beltower, invisible and positioned for optimal mischief, fired his dastardly electric gun at the unsuspecting Hartwell, who was engulfed in green lightning and wounded quite badly.

At the same time, LeBlanc was able to break free of her confinement and threw herself into the tunnel, where she was tackled and pinioned by the resourceful Wilhelm.

Wilhelm had the treacherous LeBlanc held firmly, defeating her struggles with his manly strength, but she suddenly sagged in his arms and turned her beautiful face to his. Eyes flashing in admiration, she announced she was surrendering, but that she wanted one kiss from the man who defeated her.

Wilhelm's intellect was shouting that it was a trap, but he was in the grip of powerful emotions and, senses reeling, he granted the helpless woman her request, whereupon he fell senseless to the floor.

LeBlanc lost no time in fleeing to the safety of the vertical shaft, and the still invisible Beltower followed suit, leaving the heroes in their wake.

Wilhelm helped Hartwell as best he could, applying his wondrous healing machine to good effect, while Forsyth raced to the chair device and disabled the bomb he found there.

Returning to the surface, the heroes were informed by an officer that a large Shastapsh force had been seen by pickets approaching the Fort. They were reported to have cavalry and artillery in the form of Martian-manufactured cannons.

Forsyth ordered a wall built in front of the North Gate using the entire stock of Colonel Moran's Dehydrated Sandbags of which he had been informed after the last inventory, leaving a gap for the Crystal Machine to park in.

No sooner was the Crystal Machine in place than troops appeared over horizon. As they set up their cannon in the road, Wilhelm fired the Crystal Machine's weapon, and the centre of the Shastapsh formation immediately routed, over-running the artillery in the rear, who panicked and routed too.

The cavalry on the Shastapsh right wing attacked, but Wilhelm used the Crystal Weapon against them and they routed in disorder. Small- and Long-arm firing from the troops stationed inside the sandbag wall took an additional toll on those who Shastapsh blackguards who were made of sterner stuff.

The Shastapsh cavalry on the left flank meanwhile was in full charge. The Crystal Machine could not turn to bear in time, and it looked as though the British would have to retreat i side the fort, when suddenly a squadron of three steam airships flying British Colours appeared and drove off the remaining Shastapsh forces.

The flagship docked at the fort's mast, and soldiers, some civilians and one very important-looking general disembarked.

General McClellan had bad news for Forsyth.

Phoebe Carte-Lloyd had leveled some serious charges against Forsyth, Hartwell and Phipps.

1. Unlawful Imprisonment of a civilian i.e. herself on specious unproved charges
2. Waging undeclared war on Shastapsh, with the destruction of lives and property, including one unarmed Kite.
3. Dereliction of Duty to wit: Failing to properly to oversee the management of Fort McMurray, permitting several insurgent attacks to be made with loss of life, while indulging himself in personal exploration trips into the vaults under the Fort. Allowing and condoning enlisted men to not only fraternise, but to openly cavort in a lascivious manner with Martian native courtesans.
4. Waging undeclared war on a diplomatic mission from a neutral European nation to wit: the murder of numerous German crewmen of the dirigible airship "Samthandschuh"

Forsyth was formally relieved of command and required to accompany the general back to civilization where a court martial would likely be convened to answer charges.