Captain Forsyth: A Letter

A Web of Intrigue

The ongoing letter that Henry writes to his brother Clarance, which is now addressed to his wife.

Dear Abigail,

Again, I’ve scribbled a few notes as we have gone along, again I hope these somehow find you.

We’d stopped for luncheon and a rest. Now we were faced with a bat filled cavern of substantial proportions and an exit somewhat up a wall that would require a climb.

I may lay a modest claim to be able to move with some tact. Tiger hunting in India was a very fine balance, one had to move with care or become the prey. Hartwell, excellent hunter that he is, possesses the same instincts I believe.

But our scientists have no experience in this type of skill and no reason why they should have. Our last encounter with a cavern such as this, was perhaps somewhat comic in those two entered it and struggling with their footing.

We also know that the bats, if woken, will attack en masse. Individually they are no threat, but a whole cauldron of them is a different matter. They will swarm all over you and their little bites can become death by a thousand cuts.

Weighting up the risks, we decided that the miraculous device Wilhelm has created that can take us from one place to another was our best option.

So, we found ourselves across the cavern in the exit. Except it was a loose rock or scree slope. While I bounded up with my usual cat like prowess, being in the field does somewhat hone these skills, the others fared less well.

Grant barely kept his feet; Hartwell lost his as did Wilhelm.

Grant was able to grab Hartwell by the ankle as he slid past and in turn Hartwell grabbed Wilhelm.

The bats were now disturbed and a whirling deadly black mass filled the chamber together with a continuous high-pitched screeching.

We were able to recover the position, while the bats seemed too excited, to find us as prey.

The next chamber was breathtaking.

Huge and full of stalactites and stalagmites. Except clear pathways had been created through the latter. Small steps too.

We had clearly encountered the work of sentient beings. The size of the steps was clearly far small to have been created by humans.

The Pathways led to 4 exits, all in darkness.

We took the first on our left, the idea that we might explore them in order.

We descended a staircase, to narrow for our feet, but given how little we weighed, it was not really a concern.

We had Wilhem’s lantern for light, it glanced about, showed water on the walls, but I missed a trick in not looking at the floor.

So it was that I didn’t spot the fragile rock and pent-up pressure behind it that was about to release as we descended.

The staircase erupted under our feet with a torrent of water was released.

We were caught totally off guard; the sudden gush of water swept us of our feet. I managed to hold on and not get swept away, but the light and everyone else was.

I got my head out of the water and yelled; had they all been lost? I tried to climb out of the torrent, but it was too much.

I thought I heard Hartwell reply that they were fine. So, I let go my grip and cascaded down to where the others were.

It was black, but by voice and touch we were able to find each other.

I cleared my sidearm on instinct.

Wilhelm still had the lantern. By chance Grant had waterproof matches. We were again able to light our way.

We had no choice but to follow the flow, thigh deep to start with.

We’d now entered another large cavern, impossible to explore by the light of our lantern alone and hampered by the water we were wading through.

However, Hartwell with his keen eyes spotted a dim light off to the right.

We waded over, eventually coming out of water.

We emptied our boots, wrung out what we could and did our best to make dry what was needed. Firearms were all checked and cleaned. On the positive side it will have washed all the acid off.

The rest would have to dry as we went.

Our major problem was our foodstuffs were ruined.

The water had been unusually warm and had a strange taste in the mouth. Grant opined that it was like spa water.

A staircase led up the opening that glowed, we didn’t really have another opinion so ascended.

We reached an entrance to another cavern. Again, stalactites and mites. Again, a path and been cut thought the later. Not directly but clearly avoiding the larger obstacles.

Wearily we trudged down the path, not having spotted anything of consequence.

What a mistake we made! What a surprise we had! Grant looked upward to see what looked like giant termites or spiders holding the rifles I’d been so concerned about pointing at us!

They indicated for us to lower to drop our weapons. Clearly very sentient beings, able to use weapons and tools.

They had the advantage of cover and height.

Besides we weren’t there to start a war. We complied.

Moments later more of these armed creatures, about 5 feet long and 3 feet high, but clearly able to wield rifles, appeared fore and aft. They walked on 4 legs and wielded rifles in the other 2, limbs or arms.

I was seething, how had we walked into a perfect trap and not seen a thing?

Shortly afterwards, we were bound, which didn’t bode well. It was clear that they didn’t understand a word we were saying and indeed didn’t like us talking. They communicated by a series of clicking sounds, which made Dutch sound reasonable.

We were led off to the exit and then passed through various caverns, where we saw these ‘insects’ cultivating mushrooms.

There appeared to be some kind of hierarchy. The farmers, or labourers at the bottom. I think they are called ‘drones’ in the insect world.

Next are the guards and we saw plenty that were not armed, maybe ‘workers’?

Finally, there was a quite rare group that appeared to study us. I’m guessing these are the ones with any form of intellect.

Then we met the mad Russian doctor! He’s been alone down here a number of years, which may account for much of his eccentric behaviour, but I suspect he was a megalomaniac long before.

He greeted Grant, who he’d clearly met before. He’d been waiting many years for someone to turn-up.

In his madness he explained that the place was full of mineral wealth, ‘diamonds’ he declared repeatedly and drew out a large pouch of them, scattering them across them across his desk to make his point.

He planned to find and take Grant’s flyer, leaving with his treasure trove.

Quite how or why he thought Grant’s flyer would be in any condition to get him out of here, when his own had crashed so badly, I don’t know. What if he comes across Clarences’ flyer?

He explained that he’d needed a little ‘muscle’ down here to extract the diamonds, which is why he had bought the rifles. Somehow, he’d got his own little insect militia to impose his will.

He was almost gleeful in explaining that he’d had to eliminate the rest of his crew, who were loyal to the Tsar.

He also took delight in telling us that our fate would be to be left behind and that he wouldn’t be returning.

Then we were escorted to a cell under guard and keep there. A short while later our bonds were changed for manacles. This led me to question what kind of expedition, where space is limited, would have included manacles in their inventory?

We were attended on by one of the creatures which we supposed to be of the intellect. We were much surprised when he made a passing and halting attempt at English! It was brief, I endeavoured to engage him, but he was uninclined to converse more.

We had some chance at conversation between us and Grant said that the largest of those diamonds would be perfect to replace the one lost when we crashed at the heart of the ether engine. We also appraised that most of the diamonds were flawed and unlikely to bring the kind of fortune that madman was expecting.

While we had lost our weapons and much of our equipment, Wilhelm still had some of his inventions about him. We could in reality, if we effected things quickly and perhaps with a little difficultly, get out of this hole and be elsewhere.

But where and to what effect. We’d still need to remove the shackles anyway. Then we’d be hunted by these creatures.

There had been something in the conversation with the intelligent mind, who had talked about ‘nest’, to think he or they (who knows) might be persuaded to help.

The intellect returned periodically. Over a few short conversations, it became apparent that our mad Russian doctor, had initially gained influence by showing ‘the nest’ better ways and places to cultivate the fungus that they live off. I would then surmise that he’d staged something of a coup.

Meanwhile I’m afraid that we learnt that the other side of the canyon was considered dangerous and was sealed off as a consequence.

We needed to escape our bonds. We been in captivity for I would guess over a day, what was the mad Russian doing? What danger might Clarance be facing? Hartwell had listened carefully to their language and felt, while he could not translate, he understood the gist of what was being discussed. He felt it was the search for our flyer.

My backpack had been taken from me and so I no longer had my tool kit.

Wilhelm however keeps things closer on his person, he has the most ridiculous things hanging from his belt and elsewhere. I should add a rather fanciful hat, that is full of gadgets that he has invented.

In this instance it served us well, as it so often does. He had some tools that he could make into a lockpick at Hartwell’s instruction. Hartwell was a little coy on how he knew this, but it mattered not.

Some manacles were undone, but he broke the makeshift key in the lock on my arm before all were freed.

Wilhelm set to work again and produced another usable tool.

In short order our chains were no more than theatre props, except the one still around my wrist, but that wasn’t going to stop me wielding it like some medieval flail.

Again, the intellect returned. Finally, we got an understanding. The ‘nest’ was being effectively being held ransom by the evil doctor.

If we helped them, then the nest would help us.

There were a daunting 30 odd rifles arrayed against us.

But if we could pick them off in small parties, perhaps we’d have a chance. I reminded myself that I’ve faced worse odds.

The intellect engaged the 3 guards in conversation. Enough that we raced from our positions and attacked with surprise.

I was on the right, took a guard alone, swung with all my might and modesty prevents me describing how much mush there was.

The others swung equally as violently but to little effect. Indeed, Grant merely threw his chains in the air. He is clearly no combatant.

It became a little messy and the worse point was one of the guards managed to get a shot off. Although it did no physical damage, the risk was the noise was going to be heard. Something I’d hoped to avoid.

But now I’d got a Remington at my disposal from the guard I’d made a bit of a mess of, so was able assist the others and between us we put down the other 2 guards.

Wilhelm and Hartwell were able to claim rifles too.

We had a limited time to check ammunition and get into position before the relieving force arrived. 5 charged into the chamber. It should have been a duck shoot at the chamber entrance, but they moved much faster than we realised.

A brief fire fight ensued, but we emerged victorious.

A sixth guard emerged from the rear of the cavern, as the fight ended and was dead before it had chance to take in the scene.

With more rifles at our disposal, we were able to ensure our own were fully loaded, arm Grant, then hand to the remainder to the intellect.

He now hurried us out of a rear exit to another cave. An opening led off to what we were told was the ‘mine’. After some brief confusion, it became apparent that ‘drones’ were being forced to work in the mine under guard. It appeared our task was to free the drones, which of course meant killing the guards watching over them.

We were able to spy a little of the layout and the danger was the guards would use the drones for cover. That would put innocents in danger in a firefight. Tactically, there was nothing to be done. Wilhelm did suggest we appear behind them, but I felt we had the element of surprise and that move would be better kept in case we needed to extract ourselves.

So, it was that we charged in, picked our targets and fired. We stayed pretty much together and scored a deal of early success. Far from being able to use the drones as shields, the guards were left exposed when the panicked drones fled somewhere to the rear of the mine. I think we killed 8 of the blighters, but one ran off.

Not entirely without cost we had some minor wounds ourselves.

Now another threat appeared the panicked drones were stampeding back in our direction, hell bound on getting out of the mine. This wouldn’t been a problem if we hadn’t all been standing together in the narrow exit.

In an instant Wilhelm had us in the previous cave and we were easily able to move aside and let the force of the stampede pass us by. We gathered what had caused this reaction, more guards were coming from the back of the cavern, many more.

We set to defend the exit at its narrow point. In hindsight we were too close and should have given ourselves, maybe a fighting retreat. But Wilhelm wanted to try and shoot them in the exit tunnel, along with Grant, so were close to the exit. In truth it was as good a plan as any and I believe he did account for at least one, before they got to our cave.

They burst forth faster than we could stop them and within moments, we were facing superior numbers at short range and were spread across the cave. Wilhelm was hurt but healed himself, with a mask that he has invented that restores health almost immediately. Grant was grievously wounded and Hartwell was defying the slowly accumulating cuts that were appearing about him.

I confess I believe I was indebted to my uniform on a couple of occasions or I would have been in the same state. I will need to replace a button or two on return, it’s those sorts of moments when I miss poor Jones.

Wilhelm suddenly appeared supporting Grant alongside Hartwell and I. Then I’m afraid the world went rather dark. I remember the flash of a rifle before me and thinking, that’s a good shot, straight at me!

I came too on the floor back in the mine. Wilhelm was tending to me with his healing device. He’d moved us from the cave back into the mine and was now trying to revive us. What a wonderful resourceful fellow he is! I believe I owe him the finest of dinners and perhaps a bottle of the ’76 vintage.

Grant was down and out, Hartwell pale, heavily wounded and I doubt could have stood. Our situation had been perilous beyond measure, Wilhelm had without doubt saved us. As his healing device revived us breath by breath, those repulsive guards re-entered the mine, clearly searching for us.

Wilhelm had just enough time to restore both Hartwell and I to fighting condition and Grant near to, before we were spotted. We’d remained prone so harder to see.

The spotter was shot before it could fire and scattered across the mine as they were, the guards were easier to pick off. I do believe there was some anger and retribution in our fire!

We are now all fit and healthy, although I confess, I do feel significantly weaker after the wound I took. The intelligence tells us that the doctor has 3 rifles left guarding him.

It’s clearly time for a conversation on different terms.

Henry.