Captain Forsyth: A Letter

Captain Forsyth, Fort McMurray, still under attack

My Dearest Brother,

Once again, I write under the most difficult of conditions.

When I last wrote, there was a deal of concern over a potential undermining threat to the fort. Overnight my resolve grew, we had to deal with this threat. The question was how. Conventionally I could have taken the strength of the fort against the enemy. I am sure that our men could have seen off the enemy force in short order. We could have captured what-ever mechanisms were being employed. But at what cost? It would have left the fort seriously exposed and I have no doubt we would have taken casualties.

Each man I lose feels like a knife cut.

So together with Hartwell and Wilhelm, a plan was devised. I’d previously noted that the sides of the crater created by the previous explosion were unstable. The Slaptrash forces were obviously there for a reason. Either to recover the metal or resume mining activity.

Either way it was likely that they had men in the crater up to no good.

We devised a large explosive device that could collapse the sides of the crater that could bury a good deal of enemy and stop their activity. A timer would be required to allow us to get free.

Transportation of a barrel of gunpowder is another thing. With a shudder it reminded me of what Guy Fawkes may have laid in store under Westminster. Thankfully we had salvaged some liftwood from my previous downing of an enemy kite.

It was quite intense work. The good professor made a timing device in short order. He does have an annoyingly good talent in that respect!

I had clearly the far more difficult task of assembling the liftwood into an operational carrying frame. It was a tricky construct, liftwood is a darn difficult material to deal with, but with time I managed a serviceable transport device.

It was a long ordeal.

But we now had the means to at least hold up the undermining of the fort, if not thwart it.

But we had to place our explosive charge. Which we did under cover of night.

A large party risked discovery, so only the three of us set forth, Hartwell, Wilhelm with a few scientific tricks up his sleeves, or rather on them and I.

We went to the side of crater opposite where the enemy had camped.

My worst fears were confirmed, there was a mine entrance opposite, facing the fort. Around the rim, although the light was poor, I could see an A-frame and a giant bucket scoop below. We caught the stench of ruumet breehr, those huge beasts that carry or lift heavy loads here on Mars. My heart sank a little, for I’d seen much similar during my days serving in India, where elephants had been used to drag soil from mine workings.

Mining it was then, but for sure they have some technology that allows this at an unprecedented speed. My speculation that the metal we’d found previously was some kind of canopy or roof for a mining machine, I felt was on the right lines.

I recall it bore a German hallmark, yet more proof of their proxy war against us.

It seemed that they had somehow recovered or replaced their losses and their attempt against the fort had been renewed.

The crater had been stabilised and a blow to its sides would now be unlikely to do the damage I’d hoped, indeed little more than an inconvenience. Privately I may admit, we’d left this mission later than we should. On the other hand, it proved fortuitous that we had.

We decided that our explosive device needed to be placed in the mine.

By means of one his strange devices, Professor Wilhelm could transport himself and our explosive charge to the mouth of the mine. He could have tried to go directly into the mine, after discussion, very little of which Hartwell or myself understood, it was clear that it was too high a risk.

We were faced with 2 guards at the face of the mine and another 5 on the rim.

We took careful aim with our captured silenced Winchesters at the 2 at the face of the mine. I dropped mine with ease. The other went down, but the third shot, ricocheted loudly, alerting the other guards.

Wilhelm burst into action, the mine opening was clear, with a flash – quite literally – he was gone.

Just as fast he was there at the mine entrance and towed our barrel bomb in behind him. It was quite the sight, a lot of green light surrounding him!

As happens in conflicts, events now unfolded fast.

The 5 sentries from the hill, tumbled hell for leather, down the slope.

Hartwell and I knew we had to stop them and give Wilhelm enough time to set our bomb. He had no way to understand that the enemy would be on him so fast.

We killed 4 out of 5, being at extreme long range, the shots were rather difficult in the dark.

Then a kite soared into the air from the enemy camp. It was a shape against the stars but a substantial one.

It flew in our general direction. Then started dropping flares. I guess from the bright white light, these to be phosphorous in nature.

Nevertheless, we were hunted men. Crouching and crawling Hartwell and I retreated desperately to avoid detection. We stumbled on Wilhelm, who strangely seemed to be waiting for us. It’s hard to describe this man as anything but a genius!

As the enemy got closer, Wilhelm again activated his device. We were back at the fort in a literal flash.

Pandemonium greeted me. Fires raging, frankly I was disappointed with my lieutenants who hadn’t got the situation under control. I’d long set up fire control teams (after all the Slapstash ‘bombing’ raids), but got it under in hand soon enough.

There was a dreadful body count. A dozen of Her Majesty’s most loyal men will be buried in our graveyard.

I have no doubt and neither do the troops that is the work of those Martian cowards who resort to such subversive and dastardly tactics.

In the background the big explosion in the distance was barely noticed, we 3 would have but a moment of the briefest moment of satisfaction as we dealt the immediate issues.

Another problem came to the fore, what-ever evil beings had perpetuated this foul attack, had a left us a little present. In the form of a complex time bomb set within the armoury!

If we could not defuse this then the fort was doomed. I considered abandoning the fort but there was too much at stake.

I thought I could disarm it, but so did Professor Wilhelm, in whom I have great faith. We undertook the task together. It was tense, Wilhelm took the lead, on what proved to be a remarkably sophisticated device.

It took time, at any moment we could have been obliterated, together with the fort and the Empire’s frontier and with-it possibility our hold on this region.

As I’m writing, you will guess that we succeeded, but I can assure you it was as dangerous a task as any I’ve undertaken.

If that wasn’t enough, I came out of the armoury to yet more chaos. Defusing the bomb had taken a time and now I came out to quite the scene.

Our troops were facing off, Humans against Martians. I cannot blame the men, the evidence is overwhelming that there were Martian traitors that planted the explosive devices.

But order needed to be restored.

It had got so fractious, that I deeply regret to report, I had to discharge my service revolver into the air to gain attention. That swiftly did the trick and the troops fell-in in short order.

I was able to restore a degree of normality. Arrange a joint patrol and believe repair a bridge between our brave boys and the equally brave local lads. Although more work needs to be done. I’ll be reminding the troops of their heroic defence of the fort and the equal part their counterparts played in that.

Privately I will admit that we have had an enemy cell in our mist. 6 Martians, who, on enquiry, were much a of a clique, signed on at the same time, from the same place. I’m still waiting answers on the detail.

I ordered a strong patrol after the deserters, equal numbers and men and Martians. I doubted they would catch them, but a show was necessary to ease the men. Also, it got the two fractions working together on a common cause again.

The others investigated what they could. Hartwell discovered the information on the Martians. Wilhelm discovered that one of the items on the bomb had come from the mysterious Martian woman duped by the so called the female journalist.

I don’t think she understands quite what a problem it is to keep her safe, while she awaits trial. She still hasn’t grasped that murder or accessory to murder, acts of treason, theft of Government property (which she has admitted), sedition, defamation are just a few of the charges against her.

However, in the here and now, we needed to know if our mission had been successful.

Then again, we would probably have to deal with the enemy kite. Following our previous successful strategy, we decided on something similar. We took oil-soaked rags in order to set a fire.

But our attack on the enemy site wasn’t necessary.

They’d left completely. The site of their camp had become another cater.

It took a moment for me to understand this. Our bomb wasn’t big enough to cause this amount of damage, so we must have ignited what-ever explosive the darned fiends were using. We suspect nitro-glycerine.

But we’d collapsed their mine and driven them off, that was a good result.

Over 50 of the fiends were killed, judging by graves and remains.

I have no doubt that the enemy will devise another line of attack, but we may have earned a brief respite. I find a certain irony in that we had undermined the attempt to undermine us!

Many questions are still to be answered. How did the transport of such a large piece of metal take place? The Zeppelin was not capable of lifting that kind of load. It must have arrived on the planet via a large transport ship, do we have records of this? I doubt it.

What is the mining apparatus and system that was employed? This has implications on Earth! Could a tunnel be driven under London?

How were instructions and materials for the bomb delivered into the fort? It was a very sophisticated device. I’m sure an ordinary fanatic not could have constructed this.

Then there are larger questions about recruitment of local troops. I’ve experienced many excellent loyal officers and troops, far more than this disgusting gang of interlopers. But it needs to be addressed to avoid further a further incident. I suspect it is not a widespread problem, I believe the fort has been long been targeted.

What of the Martian serpent mystic, who escaped us I have no doubt is behind much, if not all of this.

The biggest questions remain around the nature of the under croft. Does our salvation rest with unpicking this mystery?

We desperately need supplies and reinforcements. Moral is poor, supplies are low and we have been out of communication for far too long. Even a small connection would work wonders.

I hope this letter may reach you.

Long live Her Majesty!

Your brother,

Henry

Interlude: Casualty Figures for Fort McMurray Garrison as of Episode 51

Casualty Lists

Undercroft Exploration Sortie #1

Ephraim Burgess, 55810784, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Loyal (Missing in Action)
Squire Stuart, 55843707, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Richard Shaw, 55883645, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Lost Patrol

Lieutenant Keylokukrokloes (Deceased)

Klaekluela, 55828770, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Kraanlollua, 55551042, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Pedaishruyeok, 55888552, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Waipik, 55073260, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Wuoyoutais, 55431478, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Shastapsh Incursion Incident Circa Dec 27th 1891

Lieutenant Baker (Deceased)

Solomon Martin, 55007581, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Lieutenant Ph’sback (Deceased)

Naubi, 55434338, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Praemrujelik, 55634255, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Wekoishasa, 55640450, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Sortie in force to recover Miss Carter-Lloyd (circa Dec 28th 1891)

Search party 1, Forsyth commanding:

Hill Tribe ambush

Arthur Harris, 55524767, L.Cpl, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Samson Arkwright, 55880332, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison (Wounded, returned to duty)

Woshoakeloo, 55870673, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Search party 2, Phipps commanding:

Hill Tribe ambush

Griffith Boleyn, 55850450, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Alfred Harris, 55542675, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Fort McMurray Garrison Sabotage Bombing of January 12th 1891:

55264651, Alexander Armstrong, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55566556, Allan Royce, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55148430, Alexander Harrison, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55106468, Lionel Morgan, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55153244, Job Edwards, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55572482, Cuthbert Roberts, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55486871, Ambrose Forsyth, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55446520, Oscar Davies, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55747600, Dennis Roberts, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55131002, Moses Thomas, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55454817, Richard Cooper, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55532617, Squire Lowry, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

55115761 Rriodriahik, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55167035 Poekatlaa, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55256334 Wishukeloo, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55287660 Koovrou, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55570768 Paaploi, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55711512 Woatafoe, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted

Search of the Armoury and Stores January 13th:

55075436, Eli Arkwright, Pvt
55108863, Bartholomew Clarke, Pvt
55203743, Hezekiah Currier, L.Cp

Other actions:

Klikriihres, 55534838, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Kokouhiak, 55350214, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Wisheutorio, 55303836, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Episode 51: A New Heliograph, A New Actor In Theatre

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".

1. The casualty list for Search of the Armoury and Stores:
   
   55075436, Eli Arkwright, Pvt
   55108863, Bartholomew Clarke, Pvt
   55203743, Hezekiah Currier, L.Cpl↑

Interlude: Bennies, Conviction and Power Points

Some new SWADE rules need clarifying with respect to Space 1889, since we are using the SW Deluxe view of Weird science devices¹.

Spending Bennies to alter the way Weird Science Devices (WSD) work is a new SWADE conceit, so it does not autoatcally port well into the SWD world. It is hoped that this Interlude article will help clarify matters.

Spending Extra Power Points
Powers encapsulated within WSD may be modified by spending power points as described in SWADE, unless the GM says otherwise.

Spending Bennies
Spending Bennies for soaking, re-rolling, un-shaking work as in SWADE.

Spending Bennies to put a feature or situation into the scene is at GM discretion.

Spending Bennies to refresh power points will refresh them on a per device basis. That is to say, one Benny will refresh one device's power points by 5 power points up to that device's current maximum allowable. Unless the "Power Points" edge has been taken, that will be 15 points.

The Power Point Edge
When the Power Points edge is taken it affects all SWD. This avoids tedious paperwork and makes for more engagement by Weird Scientists. I want Weird Scientist players to be able to amaze and terrify the enemy. They can't do that if they are starved for power points.².

Conviction
Conviction will be granted if a Joker is drawn by a player. A player may hold only one conviction token and it is surrendered at the game session's end, though it can be transferred should the player's current PC die or be otherwise replaced by another. Conviction can be spent to grant a D6 bonus to all trait rolls made by a player for a full combat turn. By spending a Benny, the effect can be carried over into the following combat round, and again for as long as the player wishes to continue spending Bennies. The D6 bonus can be "Bennied" as it is a trait roll.

1. That they have the player's allocation of power points in each device rather than sharing the allocation between them↑
2. Besides, the Bad Eggs have Weird Science too↑

Interlude: The Lay of The Land

Interlude: Casualty Figures for Fort McMurray Garrison as of Episode 50

Casualty Lists

Undercroft Exploration Sortie #1

Ephraim Burgess, 55810784, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Loyal (Missing in Action)
Squire Stuart, 55843707, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Richard Shaw, 55883645, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Lost Patrol

Lieutenant Keylokukrokloes (Deceased)

Klaekluela, 55828770, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Kraanlollua, 55551042, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Pedaishruyeok, 55888552, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Waipik, 55073260, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Wuoyoutais, 55431478, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Shastapsh Incursion Incident Circa Dec 27th 1891

Lieutenant Baker (Deceased)

Solomon Martin, 55007581, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Lieutenant Ph’sback (Deceased)

Naubi, 55434338, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Praemrujelik, 55634255, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Wekoishasa, 55640450, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Sortie in force to recover Miss Carter-Lloyd (circa Dec 28th 1891)

Search party 1, Forsyth commanding:

Hill Tribe ambush

Arthur Harris, 55524767, L.Cpl, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Samson Arkwright, 55880332, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison (Wounded, returned to duty)

Woshoakeloo, 55870673, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Search party 2, Phipps commanding:

Hill Tribe ambush

Griffith Boleyn, 55850450, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
Alfred Harris, 55542675, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

Fort McMurray Garrison Sabotage Bombing of January 12th 1891:

55264651, Alexander Armstrong, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55566556, Allan Royce, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55148430, Alexander Harrison, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55106468, Lionel Morgan, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55153244, Job Edwards, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55572482, Cuthbert Roberts, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55486871, Ambrose Forsyth, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55446520, Oscar Davies, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55747600, Dennis Roberts, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55131002, Moses Thomas, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55454817, Richard Cooper, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased
55532617, Squire Lowry, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Deceased

55115761 Rriodriahik, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55167035 Poekatlaa, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55256334 Wishukeloo, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55287660 Koovrou, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55570768 Paaploi, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted
55711512 Woatafoe, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, Missing Presumed Deserted

Other actions:

Klikriihres, 55534838, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Kokouhiak, 55350214, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)
Wisheutorio, 55303836, Pvt, Fort McMurray Garrison, (Deceased)

Captain Forsyth: A Letter

Captain Forsyth, Fort McMurray, January

My Dear Brother,

I just hope this reaches you as we are beset and I fear an attack on the fort in force soon.

Never-the-less I trust you and the family are well and what-ever assails I am sure we will meet with fortitude. The men are holding up remarkably well.

McMurray is now under almost constant attack from the air. War kites of the Martian kind are flying over by night and dropping incendiary devices. So far, we’ve held up pretty well, but the last damaged our mooring tower and post, damaged some buildings and most dreadfully accounted for two of my men.

I’ve despatched riders in the hope of getting messages back to the city, one way or another.

I believe an attack is being prepared, the air raids I feel are to prepare a breach, in order that the fort can be taken.

Meanwhile we are running low on supplies. I’ve had to cut rations, which is the most regrettable thing.

There’s been some fighting out on the plane, according to reports, but on patrol I could find no evidence.

Hopefully these abdominal fellows are fighting amongst themselves.

A badly worn party turned up. It was Moerus Lacus irregulars. They’d done rather well, captured some munitions.

I deduced these were rockets of some kind.

But the details eluded me.

I commended the officer for his initiative. Indeed, he does know not it but one of the dispatches he now carries that recommendation.

We have been exploring the under croft a little more.

I have to be careful about this as it takes me away from the position of command and that is my primary responsibility.

However, my curiosity is piqued. Besides the idea of a of a potentially hidden entrance into the fort is something I feel must be investigated. Together with Phipps and Hartwell, I have been exploring the tunnels as time has allowed.

One tunnel which we had started down before ended with a cave in. The odd thing was the rock that blocked the tunnel was different to that of the material it was constructed from.

The next tunnel was most disturbing. Dr. Phipps, stalwart fellow that he is, refused to enter! If I didn’t know the man as one of courage, I’d I’ve said he was cowering, muttering about ‘certain death’.

Hartwell and I entered. A strange effect occurred, the radius of light from our lamps diminished as we progressed, until in no time we were in near darkness. Indeed, I knew Hartwell to be just feet from me, but I couldn't see him and neither could I hear him.

I now couldn’t see the exit. I shouted to Jones to sing, like most Welshmen he has a fine voice and it would give me a bearing. But he couldn’t hear me.

Now I heard heavy breathing, like an adversary was bearing down on me. I held my nerve as you would expect, turned about and headed for where I believed the exit would be.

I bumped into Hartwell and we were able to head for the exit together. The light increased as we moved towards the exit, which confirmed to me we were going in the right direction.

The breathing was still pursuing us, Hartwell was experiencing it to.

But we didn’t panic and made it out of this tunnel.

Blocked in all other directions, there was only really one tunnel left to explore.

This ended in a strange well. Investigations led to us to conclude that gravity was not operating properly within this well. Indeed, we eventually concluded that there was no gravity at all!

I concluded that we had been underground long enough.

It was days before we got below again.

With the air raids, we had plenty to deal with above ground.

Meanwhile the irregulars had recovered and their Lieutenant requested permission to return to the city with despatches. I would have dearly liked to keep them on the strength and could have used such a resourceful officer.

But getting the information back to Empire seemed more important. I considered whether they had sufficient strength and even if I should reinforce them, even at the cost of depleting the garrison. However, I judged them a hard, experienced unit, extremely well led and extra unfamiliar numbers might prove as much as a hindrance as a boon.

Likewise, I considered retaining a few men for the defence of the fort. But that would weaken their party. The previous riders I’d sent might rely on an element of luck. I feel that this party has a genuine chance to get through.

I neglected to tell you them how they came to be at the fort. The Steppe Tiger, our supply ship hasn’t reported for week. It was last seen in a conflict heading towards the canal. This patrol was sent to see what they could find.

They found nothing regarding the Steppe Tiger, but did see munitions being transported via barges.

They managed to overpower one crew and seize the contents. But they realised they were confronting trained troops not sailors. It appears that Shapstash has amassed marines on the canal.

This fits with my earlier intelligence that they are preparing an attack.

The strange weapons they had captured, I cannot not underestimate their achievement, not only in capturing these weapons but realising they could not get them to city headed overland to the fort.

I believed these strange tubular things are rockets. There were 6 of them.

We took one well away from the fort. If my estimate was correct then this would be possibly the biggest ‘shell’ imaginable.

I’d concluded that the cord attached to the back was a pull cord. An astonishing 60’ long, which I thought excessive, the only thing I could conclude was that was the calculated safety distance.

There was an odd paper wrapping, which was covering 4 evenly spaced features, which I’ve yet to determine the nature of. I do wonder if it’s somehow concerned with controlling the trajectory.

The ‘test fire’ was somewhat mixed. A tug on the lanyard pulled a pin out but nothing happened.

In all good conscious I couldn’t ask anyone else to do this. Besides I’m the only one with knowledge in this field.

The pin was rough and I concluded that it was designed to pull against another rough surface to create a spark. The spark would obviously ignite the contents.

Most carefully I reinserted the pin.

Then the world went dark.

Phipps tells me I was thrown a good 9 feet as the thing ignited. I remember nothing, other than I thought I was going to meet my maker.

Although highly effective, I do not recommend this as a way to shave or get a haircut.

I was rather stunned and Jones will have a time cleaning my uniform.

Worse, while I was correct it that it was a rocket, it was rather erratic in its flight.

If memory serves me correctly, we had better than this after the Napoleonic wars.

At this point I must apologise, I’ve rather neglected writing to you as events have been a trifle demanding. I will therefore give a summary of things, which might not be in the correct order.

I must start with the most remarkable finds in the under croft. One has to see the reality of this to truly appreciate the scale and sophistication of the ancient technology contained down there. This a treasure trove beyond belief. I will write again on the wonders we have uncovered to date, I just hope we can we defend these finds.

You will probably read of the destruction and loss of Fort Elgin. It seems they were undermined by a giant explosion, I have a first-hand report from a ship flying over but was out of the fort on recognisance at the time, so the report was relayed to me.

Explosions have been experienced some 3 to 5 miles from the fort. Investigations found a huge cater. I am still calculating the forces involved from the size of the crater and how far debris was thrown, but doubt there are many or any larger!

There is a substantial amount of metal down in the crater. We found a German hallmark on the most substantial piece the scale of which is stupendous in scale and manufacture. Truly impressive.

What this is doing here and what its purpose is, I can only speculate. My worse fear is that Germans have developed an automated mining technology which they are supplying to Slapstash. I am already certain that they are supplying other arms and means to this hostile power. To be frank, they are conducting war by proxy.

Being out of contact, I am not sure what the official status is with Stapstash, but here on the frontier I have no doubt it’s open warfare.

I lost another 2 men investigating the crater to yet another Martian hill tribe ambush. While we saw these off, killing 16 out of 20 of their combatants, it’s rather tedious. I’d have rather hoped they would have learnt the lesson by now and responded to our overtures. They must see which side is superior by now!

Count Overbearing turned up again. All smiles as he offered our recce party a lift from the crater site in the face of an advancing enemy party. I declined as I wasn’t about to leave the mounts behind. His Zeppelin had come from the direction of Slapcrash, just more evidence of the obvious co-operation.

The enemy are busy at the crater site. Their fires indicate their numbers equal roughly those at the fort. I believe the enemy suffered a major setback with the explosion. My speculation is that the what-ever equipment was employed was of powerful mining nature intended to create a tunnel below the fort. Thereafter a mine could be detonated destroying the whole.

My suspicion is this what happened to Fort Elgin.

The explosive forces involved would be consistent with the kind of power needed to drive through a sub-terranean mine.

It’s a difficult decision, on the one hand we should hinder or prevent the recovery of a key component from the crater site. But on the other we may discover a solution in the amazing tunnels below.

Command is ever a difficult call, but thankfully I have my fellows, Wilhelm, Hartwell and Phipps, with whom I may consult as equals.

Long live Her Majesty!

Your brother,

Henry

Episode 50: While The Cat's Away, The Mice Will Play

The morning began with Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm discussing options for assaulting the presumed Shastapsh force working at the crater left by the explosion, in what was assumed to be some sort of salvage operation.

Wilhelm expressed a desire to examine the rockets that were brought in recently¹ so everyone trooped into the armory for another look, where they discovered the rockets under the armourer's usual drapings of oily rags (which had begun to affect the paper rings wrapped around the cylindrical bodies). After some back-and-forth between the heroes, they decided not to experiment further with the strange devices.

Forsyth and Wilhelm were thinking that by using some of the liftwood salvaged from the Kite crash² they could form a raft from which a large barrel of black powder could be suspended. This might be somehow 'flown' over the crater, then made to descend and explode, hopefully dealing the Shastapsh force a crushing blow.

Wilhelm thought that he might be able to cobble together a serviceable timer-controlled detonator for this contraption from materials to hand at the fort, and got to work. Forsyth decided to break out his engineering skills and solve the problem of the liftwood raft - which proved a thornier problem than anticipated and took him all day to make.

While working at these two problems, there was another overflight and bombing run by a kite in the pay of Shastapsh, but the quality of this attack was very poor and only two bombs fell, one a dud and one hitting the graveyard.

Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm set out for the crater after dark, towing the barrel - ballasted to float about a foot off the ground - behind them. Luck was with the heroes, and they managed to arrive at the crater rim without being molested by Steppe Tribes or Shastapsh outriders. Careful scrutiny enabled them to make a stealthy approach to the crater rim at some distance from the posted sentries.

They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. It turned out that the workforce was abed for the night, with only two lone guards in the pit, standing watch over the newly-dug entrance to some sort of mine. A new plan was discussed in which Wilhelm would use his marvelous teleporter to move the barrel into the mine, where it could damage whatever was being dug up and collapse the diggings.

The team waited until the unwary sentinels were warming themselves in front of a burning brazier, then shot them using their captured 'Silent Winchesters', but unfortunately, Wilhelm's shot went wild and ricocheted loudly off the crater wall, raising the alarm in the camp and alerting the sentries on the rim that something was afoot.

Wilhelm quickly teleported into the mine with the barrel, the departure and arrival being announced by loud crackling, bright green ball lightning of great size³ and a loud 'snap'. This clued the sentries first into where the team were, but then where Wilhelm had arrived, prompting them to hurriedly descend into the crater with a a view to apprehending whoever was now in their mine.

Hartwell and Forsyth took this opportunity to start shooting at the guards, though distance and darkness made the task very difficult.

Wilhelm, lit his hand lantern and began to pull the barrel deeper into the digging, but tripped on some metal wreckage, which was so fascinating he temporarily forgot where he was and under what circumstances, and began exploring the wreckage instead of arming the bomb!

The arrival of a couple of the guards inside the tunnel brought him back to the reality of his situation and he set the timer then teleported out to a spot some distance behind Hartwell's and Forsyth's last known position. Forsyth and Hartwell were unaware of this as their attention had been drawn by the take-off of a kite that set off in their direction and began dropping very bright flares that seemed to hang in the air.

Realizing they were about to be hoist on their own petard, Forsyth and Hartwell made haste to return to Wilhelm, who then teleported them back into the courtyard of Fort McMurray, and a scene of dreadful carnage, with dead bodies strewn about the place and fires burning in a number of buildings. The loud detonation of their own infernal device off in the distance was rather lost in the hullabaloo.

Pandemonium briefly reigned, but the NCOs were able to make sense of the chaos and had the fires brought under control, then put out, and the bodies decently covered, while a report was made to Forsyth. It seems a bomb had been detonated in the courtyard, and at the same time several incendiary devices had been set off in key locations around the fort. 12 human soldiers were dead, horribly mutilated by a deadly hail of shrapnel improvised from nails. Six Martian soldiers were missing. These Martians were described by some of the men as keeping to themselves and of being a sort of clique, and Forsyth had them posted as deserters once a search had been made and no sign of them had been found. "Death to All Red Devils" had been painted in red on the wall of one building, along with a longer tract of Parhooni written in the Samisat alphabet⁴, urging the Martians of the garrison to cast off their allegiance to the Earthmen and to rise up and reclaim their heritage.

The heroes were just beginning to think the crisis was over, when there was a cry from the armoury. A bomb had been found, and the timer was running!

Wilhelm took a look and felt he was up to the task of saving the fort. Forsyth lent his own expertise to the desperate business of defusing the infernal device, and working together Wilhelm and Forsyth were indeed able to remove the timer and detonator from the bomb, discovering that part of the improvised mechanism was a piece of a woman's bracelet.

Meanwhile, ill feelings were running high in the courtyard, with the human soldiery accusing the Martians of treachery. The Martians, insulted beyond all measure by this baseless accusation were also in a foment. Hartwell decided to intervene and placed himself between two of the loudest groups, whereupon he was immediately attacked by multiple assailants. Showing no fear, Hartwell battled bravely against overwhelming odds but was eventually laid low by several haymakers to the noggin.

Forsyth emerged from his work with Wilhelm to discover this new problem, and when his commands were ignored he fired his pistol into the air and demanded the garrison come to order.

Hartwell was taken to the infirmary, unconscious, bruised but not seriously hurt. Forsyth had the NCOs organize various work details and a patrol of equal parts Human and Martian soldiery, then retired.

Wilhelm interviewed the extremely angry Miss Carter-Lloyd and discovered the fragment of jewelry he had recovered from the bomb was last seen by Miss Carter-Lloyd on the wrist of the woman who had rescued her from her vile captivity⁶ only to abandon her on the Steppes.

Two days were spent recovering from fist-fighting, long walks under the night skies of Mars, midnight bomb emplacement, slightly-after-midnight bomb defusing, putting the fort back in some sort of order (though feelings between the two races are running ruinously high as I type) and so forth, after which our heroes visited the crater once more, by night. They found the crater now had a new fissure running into the camp, or rather, the bare ruins of some small part of the camp that was not swallowed by the conflagration, and the forces of Shastapsh decamped, or deceased. There were so many body parts lying around, and the sound of night scavenging animals feeding on the remains, stilled at the sound of the party's approach, resumed to add the final macabre touch to this sickening scene. Of the kite, there was no sign.

Making their way back to Fort McMurray, lost in thought, the party was ambushed by a band of murderous Steppe Martians. The fighting was fierce and to the last man in the case of the Martian tribesmen, and both Hartwell and Wilhelm sustained wounds before it was over. Luckily, the professor had thought to bring along his miraculous healing mask, and with some admittedly disturbing green glowing and outgassing, the wounds were closed as if they had never been. Another triumph for Professor Wilhelm's command of the art of science!

The bodies were examined and proved to bear the usual tribal tattoos identifying these blackguards as belonging to whatever band of murderous thugs they called their own. Forsyth was particularly careful to check for signs of Brotherhood⁷ tattoos, and was somewhat relieved to not find them.

And so it was that Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm staggered back into Fort McMurray and fell into their beds only an hour before dawn.

1. See Episode 47↑
2. as related in Episode 46↑
3. A ball of green lightning surrounds whatever is being teleported↑
4. The alphabetic glyphic writing most often used in the cities of Syrtis Lapis⁵↑
5. An addition of my own to the world of Mars in Space 1889, not found in any of the source materials I have↑
6. As related in Episode 45↑
7. of Luxor, do keep up old boy!↑

Episode 49: A Sortie, Ill-Met On The Steppe, Returning To The Undercroft

Forsyth and Phipps returned to Fort McMurray early the next morning, close-mouthed about what They’d been doing.

Phipps, it seemed had taken to his bed with “one of his turns”. Whatever they had been up to, it apparently was rather draining on the poor doctor.

After receiving Hartwell’s and Wilhelm’s report on the previous days’ activities and events, Forsyth ordered an immediate recce of the explosion site, and a party of twelve trusty Terran troops, along with six Martian lads was assembled under the command of lieutenant Catesby (known as 'Eagle Eye' by the enlisted men). Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell saddled up Gashants and joined the sortie.

A little more than 3 miles out of Fort McMurray the party was caught in a dastardly ambush by pernicious Steppe Martian tribesmen out for blood and no doubt whatever loot could be had from the bodies of the foolish Red Devils.

Fortunately most of the party spotted the attempt to surprise them, with the notable exception of Lieutenant Catesby, who demonstrated the ironical nature of his nickname by blindly riding into the ambush completely unaware.

By some miracle he survived, merely being dislodged form his saddle and falling to the ground when his mount bolted. By a stroke of fortune his turned out to be a good hing as the ground gave him sound cover while he recovered. Shots were exchanged, with the heroes giving good account of themselves and dealing with a handful of the bounders, albeit at the cost of Wilhelm falling in the same way as the unfortunate Catesby, and then the tribesmen let fly with their dreadful black powder muskets.

Each of these antiquated weapons belched foul black smoke, sending a half-inch diameter ball of red-hot lead toward our brave lads and killing two of them¹ outright but inflicting no further casualties.

even though the tribesmen were mostly obscured by the smoke from their own volley, the British and Martian soldiers fired to good effect, as did the heroes, and the paltry remains of the ambushers fled into the steppe, starting a stampede of all untethered gashants.

Arriving at what they believed to be the site of the explosion, the expedition discovered a very large crater, several hundred feet across, cracked ground radiating from the rim, pulverised earth covering the bottom, from which protruded a large piece of metal.

Detailing the troops to secure a rope, Forsyth made a descent into the crater, and pronounced it safe for the moment, but dangerous and unstable in the event of more tremors. The heroes assembled in the crater and examined the metal slab poking out of the ground. It was massive, covered in soot, exhibiting a bluish tint that was unevenly distributed over its surface. It was also torn in several places, as though ripped from whatever structure it had been a part of by some malicious giant.

Hartwell peered closely. There was writing under the soot. German writing. Some sort of manufacturer's mark.

A shout came down from Lieutenant Caldwell. "Airship spotted, sir! Coming our way!"

Leaving off their speculation on the metal having formed the curved ceiling of a tunnel reinforcement or perhaps part of a vehicle of some sort, the heroes climbed our of the crater and took a look, Forsyth through his trusty telescope, Wilhelm with his oddly disturbing goggles and Hartwell using good old-fashioned British squinting.

Not only was the interloper a zeppelin, not only was it approaching from the direction of those mutinous Shastapsh devils, it was the very vessel of that inconvenient "diplomat", Count Oberluft!

Forsyth order3ed the troops to adopt a dispersed formation to avoid catastrophe in the event the Count decided to forgo diplomatic niceties and indulge himself in a more bellicose exchange of pleasantries.

The dirigible slowed and descended, dropping lines with sandbags as temporary anchors, and the Count hailed Forsyth, with the news that a large mounted Shastapsh force was approaching, perhaps only fifteen minutes away and offering to convey Forsyth's party to Fort McMurray. Sadly there would be no way that the riding animals could be accommodated, but the Count felt sure that if left to their own devices that they would return on their own.

Forsyth thanked the Count for his offer, but declined in favour of riding back. The Count shrugged and made his farewells and the sandbag anchors were reeled in, the zeppelin rising majestically by releasing a small amount of water ballast - drenching Forsyth to the bone. He swore he heard the Count laughing as the dreadful engines restarted with their characteristic racket. Internal combustion might well be the wave of the future, but it lacked the majesty of the mighty steam engines of the British Fleet or the quiet gravitas of a Martian kite.

back at Fort McMurray, a quiet evening was spent, with the sole exception of the sighting of many lights, possibly campfires, about where the crater should be, but the peace of the new day was broken by yet another strafing run by a Shastapsh privateer bomber.

This was what Wilhelm was waiting for! Determining the path of the Shastapsh swine and realising that the field of fire would be blocked on the inward run, he made a rapid estimation of the return path, knowing as he did that these blighters always made two passes on d__n near parallel courses, and brought the Crystal Device to bear, then vaulted into the weapon (or what he hoped was a weapon) firer's seat and bided his time as bombs rained down, causing some damage to the south wall but reaping no casualties this time.

The brave lads of Fort McMurray opened fire with small arms, but the Shastapsh pirates were more wary than on previous runs and kept their heads down, and no casualties were inflicted.

No doubt bolstered by their seeming invulnerability to violence from the fort, the privateer swooped in for the return run, and Wilhelm was swallowed in the coruscating green light of the Crystal Device as everyone felt their heads were about to split, their ears explode and their teeth fall out, all of which would be a blessing if it would all just stop!

What it did to the attacking Shastapsh kite no-one was in a position to assess, but it broke off its attack and swerved away from the fort, climbing quickly and running for Shastapsh.

Wilhelm disabled the Crystal Device and fell over the controls, reeling from the experience. All around, men and Martians were in much the same condition. Wilhelm wondered if this was the effect around the device, what must it have been like in the path of the reflector? Assuming it was a reflector, of course. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, he only had a hazy idea of what the Crystal Device was, what it did.

Much later, the body of a Martian in sailor clothing was found on the Steppe by a picket rider. Although the fall from the ship had cause massive trauma, Wilhelm became convinced he'd died jumping off his ship in terror. Phipps would have perhaps known better, but was still indisposed and bed-ridden.

After a quiet night, Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell descended into the undercroft to try and understand some of the things they'd seen and felt.

Dropping down the shaft to the second level, they made for what they were calling the "Bodies in the Fog Room". Wilhelm supplied everyone with respirator masks and he entered the room trailing a rope held by the others standing outside. Though unaffected by the fog now - he surmised the whole "getting lost for hours" thing was an effect of breathing the miasma in the room - he was unable to find anything other than remarkably well-preserved bodies of Martians of an heretofore unknown sub-type wearing battle-damaged clothing.

Returning to the shaft, the party descended another level and Forsyth was able to see for himself the so-called "Hall of Cogs", but although he spent over an hour in there he was unable to fathom exactly what the machine - or machines, plural - did. Tempting though the lever frames were, he erred on the side of caution and left well alone.

They then visited the strange oval space, carved or machined into a perfect ovoid, so smooth were the walls that one couldn't actually see them per se, nor was the source of soft white illumination that filled it - but shone no further than the doorway - discernible.

Wilhelm pointed out the runic sigil set into the floor outside the ovoid space.

Hartwell had himself secured by the rope and ventured in a little way, experiencing the weightlessness inside with aplomb but noting a slight gravitational force oriented to or from the ovoid space's axis. Shrugging, he had himself pulled back into the corridor by the others.

This exploration had taken a toll, and so the heroes returned to the surface to find it was early evening, dinner time. Refreshment and rest were the order of - well, hardly the day since most of it seemed to have fled, but certainly what was left of it. The lights on the horizon were seen, but did not appear to be any closer. Forsyth believed that the fort was safe from attack for the time being, and that the Shastapsh force was involved in some business at the crater.

If only he had thought to leave an observer at the site.

No enemies seemed about to attack the next morning, so Forsyth felt confident about leaving the fort in the hands of his officers and leading another expedition into the undercroft. The heroes had decided between themselves to try the so-called "Fear Corridor" again, and Wilhelm donned his respirator and made an attempt to traverse it, but could not, being overcome with dread and having to quit the corridor in a funk.

Forsyth led the team down the shaft, which seemed to have no bottom - though definitions of top, bottom, up and down could become confused in the gravity-free shaft. The third exit was several hundred yards from ground-level, that was certain. The corridor they found led to a massive door with four dials, similar to safe combination dials but lettered or numbered with alien characters Wilhelm could not read using his goggles - no-one wanted to get too near as they could all see the runic sigil on the door, the same one as was seen in the floor in front of the Ovid Space and the Fear Corridor.

The door also had a large, spoked wheel, and there were obvious locking bars running up, down and across the door into the jamb. The team reasoned that the dials were some sort of puzzle lock and the wheel would retract the locking bars. Wilhelm's interest was peaked. He pulled of one of the metal buttons from his jacket and tossed it at the door, where it stuck fast.

He approached the door, and began to experience he effects of high voltage electricity. The nearer he got, the stronger the effect, until his all his hair was sticking out from his body and corona discharges were leaping from his hands and head to the walls. He began fiddling with the dials, but the electric effects were very painful and despite heroic persistence and willpower, he collapsed with the strain, and was pulled back by the others.

Forsyth and Hartwell picked up their fallen comrade and tried to revive him, but he was completely insensible. They rushed him back up the shaft to the first level and summoned a stretcher team to carry him to the infirmary where a corpsman suggested bed rest. Professor Wilhelm was to lie as one dead for nine worrisome hours before waking.

Forsyth, badly disturbed by this turn of events and feeling that some action of any sort was better than sitting around doing paperwork while his comrade lay comatose in bed, pondered a sortie with silent Winchesters to harass the Shastapsh force now assumed to be at the crater, but eventually decided to err on the side of caution and clamped down on his urge to exhibit leadership.

The next day things seemed quiet again, so, once again leaving he fort in the hands of his officers, Forsyth, led Wilhelm (now recovered) and Hartwell into the undercroft once more.

This time the team descended past the worrisome door and continued down to yet another adit, which lay an estimated mile below the fort. Following the corridor thus revealed, the team were amazed to discover a gargantuan cavern filled with machines of wondrous design and operation. Huge bolts of lightning leapt from silver globes many yards in diameter to travel tens of yards and discharge against other globes, each globe part of towering, cyclopean mechanisms that were wholly electrical in nature. Not a moving part in evidence.

The heroes tried to make sense of the devices they were seeing, but these devices were far beyond anything in their experience.

Forsyth found the first of many pits, vast shafts diving into he ground, containing pipes and finned assemblies, some that also shot bolts of lightning or had coronas of St Elmo's Fire. The scale of the machinjes was mind-numbing, and unlike the mechanical machinery of the Hall of Cogs, these machines (or possibly, this machine) was in what appeared to be fully working order and indeed, busy working away.

Wilhelm spotted the maze-like structure of the place and suggested that the greatest prize might logically be at the center of the maze, and was able to lead the team to the center, with a few false starts and one or two wrong turns along the way.

In a space clear of machines was a chair, not built for humans but usable by them. Hanging to one side was a jeweled headband.

Wilhelm strode forward and sat in the chair, and placed the headband on his head. His face showed him reacting, as if listening to something or someone, then he reached forward with a hand and swatted at something no-one could see. His facial expression became at first blank, then ecstatic. He spoke: "Of course, it's so obvious". Then he reached up, removed the headband smiled and said "You all should try this".

Hartwell went next, and his reactions were almost identical to Wilhelm's, except that just before removing the headband his face became deeply thoughtful, with perhaps a flash of embarrassment.

Forsyth then took a turn, and his final reaction was to look worried, then concerned.

Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm exchanged knowing looks, Then turned to leave the hall, ascend the shaft and exit into the light of day.

1. Casualty list:
   1. Anthony Parr, 55881278, Pvt
   2. Simeon Lee, 55821156, L.Cpl
   ↑

Episode 48: Bad News, Strange Events

Earth tremors were felt in the morning.

Spotters reported a column of coal smoke drifting on the wind from some miles to the north of Fort McMurray, but Forsyth and Phipps were off somewhere and a decision was not made to sortie without them.

More tremors were experienced throughout the day, disturbing the garrison. Hartwell and Wilhelm hypothesized that the disturbances were originating from the undercroft, but could not say from exactly where.

Around noon a steamship flying British colours was spotted heading for the fort. It requested docking, but of course the fort's heliograph was still hors de combat. Luckily there was always the standby of making signal with flags, and by that means permission was granted.

Captain Spencer commanding Her Majesty's Aphid class Swiftsure was in a state of extreme agitation. He had just come from Fort Elgin to the north-west, or rather, the ruins of that stronghold. As the Swiftsure had approached for a landing in order to deliver urgent despatches when the entire fort was destroyed under the Swiftsure's keel by a titanic explosion that threw pulverised debris high into the air and almost caused the loss of the ship!

Captain Spencer was of the opinion that some sort of massive subterranean¹ explosive device had been employed, and he was still showing signs of extreme agitation and shock, barely kept under control by force of will alone. All he knew for sure was that the commander of Fort Elgin had reported unusual earth tremors over the course of the last week and had requested instructions from the governor.

Having delivered his terrible news, he explained that it was of the utmost urgency that the loss of Fort Elgin, a vital pearl in the necklace that secured the Crown Colony's eastern border, be reported to he Powers that Be, and declared his intention to make all speed for Moerus Lacus.

Hartwell and Wilhelm used the opportunity presented by the Swiftsure to request Garrison Resupply with rations of certain provenance, parts for a new heliograph so that communication would be restored between Fort McMurray and the distant relay stations, and mining personnel to counter what could be some sort of sapper-based assault of the sort that overtook Fort Elgin.

That night, around 9pm, there occurred an actinic flash of light, brighter than anything seen by anyone at the Fort, to the north, followed some seconds later by a powerful shock wave and deafening roar. The difference between the flash and the sound suggested a distance of around five miles or so.

Wilhelm and Hartwell took stock of the situation the next morning, then decided to ignore the explosion in favour of exploring the undercroft again.

It was at this point when Wilhelm became aware of the half-buried crystalline mechanism sitting in the rubble just inside the entrance. After running some tests, he assembled a crew and had the machine carefully disinterred, then proceeded to get it moving on its tracks, driving it up and out into the courtyard.

There were two positions where a person might sit. One, to the front, was equipped with various levers that controlled the motion of the device. The other, further back and offset to one side, had something to do with the lage parabolic crystal mirror-like structure mounted in line with the vehicle's longitudinal axis.

Wilhelm had not worked out how to switch whatever this was on, but he surmised that it was some sort of beam-generator, obviously a weapon, and determined that this might be the very thing for giving what-for to those overflying piratical pests that were plaguing the fort of late.

Unfortunately for him, whatever the parabolic structure was, it had no independent elevation or rotation controls. Wilhelm assumed that one must lay this, this, whatever it was by angling the entire chassis and presumably firing over open sights.

The lack of sights as such did nothing to dissuade the intrepid inventor, and he ordered that a pit be dug to house the machine such that it might be driven up ramped sides to achieve the necessary elevation to target a flying kite. The garrison, grumbling, set to.

Wilhelm and Hartwell then re-entered the undercroft, heading for the corridor in which Forsyth and Phipps had noted distinct feelings of fear invading their excited explorations.

Almost immediately, Hartwell was overcome with dread and fled, thanking his lucky stars that there were none of his doughty Martian friends to see his courage fail him. Wilhelm continued for a while longer on his own,. and discovered an elaborate runic sigil carved into the floor of the corridor.

Unable to quell his insatiable curiosity, Wilhelm touched the inscription whereupon he was assaulted by whispering voices speaking in a language he didn't understand, but which seemed malevolent nonetheless, and he fled back to Hartwell.

The intrepid pair then made their way back to the room filled with strange mist, and stacked high with oddly well-preserved corpses of Martians of a hitherto-unknown type lying in bunks. Hartwell became convinced there was more to this room and spent several hours attempting to explore, but all his efforts at a logical approach to the search of the room were of no use, and he spent most of his time backtracking and becoming hopelessly lost.

Wilhelm spotted Hartwell passing by the door and pulled him out, but the attempt almost had Wilhelm mazed too.

The explorers gathered their wits and took some refreshment, then made their way to the deep shaft with the curious lack of gravity in it, and descended for several minutes until another adit was found.

This one led eventually to a junction, one leg leading to an immense hall filled with metal frames full of axles and cogs, yard-upon yard, off into the distance and towering to what looked like a hundred feet or more, all sitting silent and still. There were some lever frames as well, the levers seeming better suited to Martial hands than human.

The other "leg" led to a gargantuan ovoid of a room, with the door in the pole of the long axis. In the floor in front of the entrance was the same runic sigil last seen by Wilhelm in the corridor of whispers and fear.

Realising that many, many hours had passed in the undercroft (and always mindful of the problem of disjunct time streams already experienced in this place when returning to the world above, the team decided to return to the surface, where night had fallen.

1. sub-Aerean?↑

Episode 47: Strange Goings-On And Another Dive Into The Undercroft

In the mid-morning a Rhummet Breehr appeared on the steppe traveling toward the fort, towing a beaten-up cargo wagon.

Phipps eagerly searched for markings and banners that would show whether or not this was another visit from the caravan that had caused so much misery for the men of Fort McMurray, but was relieved to see pennants declaring allegiance to Moerus Lacus and, by extension, The British empire.

The incoming party was flanked by four gashant-mounted outriders, all Canal Martians in appearance. What personnel could be seen on the wagon and in the howdah of the Rhummet Breehr were also Canal Martians, each dressed in unmatched clothes but each wearing the same distinctive design of leather harness. Each martian showed signs of having been involved in a recent, desperate battle, and the wagon and howdah had scars from bullets and snapped-off arrows in them.

Greeting the party at the south gate, it transpired this was a detachment of the Moerus Lacus irregulars, sent on a mission to see what has happened to the Steppe Tiger, overdue for a week at Moerus Lacus.

The lieutenant gave his report to Forsyth. They had followed various rumours of the vessel from Moerus Lacus to the Canal, where they commandeered a sailing vessel. They had used this to enact an interception of a loaded barge making for Shastapsh under the flag of the Marukee¹ trading family.

The barge was loaded with strange cargo.

After a desperate fight with the crew, many of whom were actually more in the nature of trained soldiers and surmised to be Shastapsh Marines in disguise, the barge was taken and brought into dock at a small canalside town, Shee-na-Sho, 75 miles from the fort.

On learning that other craft, ostensibly non-military but actually infiltrated Shastaph navy, were actively patrolling the canal between them and Moerus Lacus, and the impossibility of proceeding to Shastapsh, it was decided to make for Fort McMurray where a message could be sent back to warn of the danger of invasion. The cargo was transfered to this wagon and a draft animal procured along with mounts for the outriders. A pair of irregulars had been detached and sent cross-country to Moerus Lacus with a dispatch warning of the danger from the canal.

Due to the sad state of the local roads and the complete impossibility of striking out cross-country with a wagon, especially one heavily loaded, not to mention several encounters with bellicose Hill Tribes, it had been 9 days since the cargo was seized.

Forsyth had the Martians’ wounds treated by the estimable Phipps, then he, Phipps and Hartwell took a small complement of men and examined the cargo in the wagon. Six tubes, each about five feet long and 18” in diameter, tipped with a cone of slightly different colouration tipped with a nasty-looking barbed spike were laid in makeshift cradles. The bodies were made out of some sort of metal, and a paper band wrapped the end of each tube. Each tube bore the unmistakable sigil of Cairo Munitions etched into it.

The rear of each tube was formed into a cone-shaped void, open at the end, and a long, stout cord ran through a small hole at the tip of this cone-shaped hollow, the other end being coiled and held inside the hollow. When uncoiled it proved to be about 60 feet in length, and it refused to burn though Phipps made heroic attempts to persuade it to do so.

When lifted, the centre of gravity of the whole was found to be slightly aft of its mid-point.

Surmising that he had some sort of rocket on his hands,Forsyth supervised the removal of one of these devices to a point some distance from the fort, had it propped up with the cone resting on the ground and unwound the cord and stretched it out to a “safe” distance. Then he slowly pulled on the cord, causing a small pin-like object to be pulled form the hole in the tip of the cone.

Everyone let out the breath they’d been holding, but otherwise nothing happened.

Forsyth waved everyone back to a safe distance, the attempted to replace the pin, at which point the fuel in what was indeed some form of rocket ignited, dealing the unfortunate Forsyth some nasty burns as it zoomed in a highly erratic path around the sky before crashing into the steppe and detonating loudly.

Forsyth ordered the rest of these odd munitions placed into the magazine and everyone retired to the fort.

The heroes decided that they really should have another look into the undercroft, but as the were discussing it they were subjected to another bombing run by a d___ed Shastaph kite. The Fort suffered some slight damage, but fortunately no serious injuries were inflicted and the kite was driven off by small arms fire.

Forsyth, Phipps and Hartwell, along with a small troop of men then descended into the undercroft. Pushing into areas they had not entered before they discovered one corridor blocked by a rock fall, another in which they were forced to retreat after being overcome with irrational fears, and a seemingly bottomless shaft in which there was no gravity at all!

Returning to the sanity of the fort, the heroes took their evening meal, rising the next day to bid the irregulars goodbye and send them on their way with yet more dispatches.

After a hearty breakfast, Forsyth, Phipps and Hartwell descended back into the undercroft and made a beeline for the deep shaft with such intriguing properties.

after a brief period of acclimatisation to free-fall gymnastics, they used the staple-ladders set into the walls as a means of propulsion and descended into the gloom for what seemed like hours, but was found to be only 10 minutes or so, they came upon an open portal to a horizontal corridor with far more usual gravitic properties.

Marching boldly into this adit, the team found themselves after a long walk at a Y junction.

At the end of one of the “arms” of the Y was a portal completely filled with ice. Beyond - or possibly within- the ice, shapes of things that could have been men or could have been things not remotely men could be dimly seen. Phipps chipped off some ice and took a sample, and was surprised to see the chipped divot slowly filling in with new ice. Tests would later proved the ice was formed from water as pure as that from the well in the fort.

At the end of the other “arm” of the Y was a portal to a room filled with dense fog, fog that did not flow out into the corridor despite there being no door.

Phipps decided to enter and explore. Forsyth and Hartwell attached a long length of rope to the good doctor in order to be able to pull him out in the event of trouble, and Phipps strode confidently into the room.

He found rank upon rank of bunks, each bearing the body of a Martian of unfamiliar race. Their clothing showed battle damage, and their bodies showed no life signs, but there were no wounds to be found and the skin was still pliable and wholesome-looking, far form the pallor Phipps associated with the dead.

Such was his wonder at his findings, and so thick was the fog, that in no time he was lost. Becoming frustrated by the tugs on the rope, which he found confining rather than helpful, he untied it and so it was that Forsyth and Hartwell reeled in not the missing Dr Phipps, but a perfectly good length of rope.

Phipps eventually found the exit and his comrades, and despite being a little light-headed, no doubt from breathing the fog for so long, was unharmed, so the team decided to return to the surface.

In the late afternoon, the fort was once again subjected to a bombing attack by a Shastaph-affiliated kite, which managed to inflict more serious damage before being driven off by Gatling-gun and small arms fire.

1. See: Episode 40↑

Captain Forsyth: A Letter

Captain Forsyth, Fort McMurray, Late December

My Dearest Brother,

I hope this reaches you as soon as possible and that you and the family are well.

McMurray remains a difficult command and I count myself fortunate to have gained such stalwarts in previous adventures by my side here. Indeed, but for the good doctor Phipps, the stoic Hartwell and now the indispensable services of the great professor Wilhelm, I’m not sure what state we’d be in.

Yesterday we woke to the most awful mess. The damned (excuse my language) Carter-Lloyd woman had absconded. Worse, the two-man detail on guard were found foully murdered in her wardrobe of all things.

I immediately ordered reports from the gates. The south gate was found open and the guard brutally murdered in the same fashion.

Two gashants and their tack was missing.

Worse was to follow. I was urgently summoned to the heliograph tower. There another two men had been murdered; their throats cut in the same savage way. But here their blood had been deliberately sprayed around. I’m not sure if it was intended as ritual of some kind or just designed to shock. Although having seen the depravities that these fanatics will go to, very little shocks or surprises me.

The Carter-Lloyd woman is heavily implicated in it all. Two murdered guards found in her wardrobe, the guard on the gate murdered. Strangely she left behind a pair of shoes with a broken heel in her room, the heel was missing.

It was found at the top of the heliograph tower, together with crumpled note decrying myself and the officers of the garrison.

Carter-Lloyd claims that a veiled mystery women released her took her to the stables and allowed her to ride out. It seems that she had strangely taken exception to being confined for her own good.

Which reminds me I must add theft to the charges against her. At least she has openly admitted that one!

Having ascertained all we could I naturally took a search party after the miscreants.

There were two tracks leading from the fort, both heading south. We followed.

After about two hours the tracks diverged. One was heading for the city, the other heading west, seeming nowhere in particular.

I guessed that Lloyd-Carter would make for the city. She didn’t seem like the mass murder type, although one never can tell.

I therefore felt that the main threat was from the other track and decided that should be our main objective. I recognised that Dr. Phipps was intent on catching the woman, so allowed him to pursue with a small party. I included my batman Jones in this. Jones has a good many faults, a nose for trouble and just as many ways to get out of it. He can act as a scout if required.

We rode hard and once again into trouble. Another Martian hill tribe ambush. Will they never learn? I’ve held out the olive branch time and again, but I fear there is some fanatic around who is whipping them against us.

It was hot and I can’t fault their courage. They lack tactics and leadership. We will have serious issues if they get modern weaponry.

We saw them off in short order, but each action costs a man or two. Men I can’t afford to lose.

I have to confess, that I’ve now been in command long enough to get to know some of the men. Occasionally they will speak their mind to me, which I welcome if done respectfully. But of course, I have to retain the aura of command. The garrison has remarkably good morale all things considered. I put this down to a comradeship forged in fire and the natural disposition of the British soldier.

We continued the pursuit, but very late into the afternoon, a Slapstash war kite came at us low down. I ordered men into cover, it came in fast and low and dropped incendiary devices.

Regrettably I was to lose another man to these.

But they were low enough that we could fire at their crew. A whole half dozen when down to our opening volley. As we were using the silenced rifles, I’m not sure they knew what direction the shots were coming from.

They turned faster than I thought possible and looked ready for another run.

Having seen these vessels before, I took a shot at the helmsman. To me he was key. If I could take him out of action, it might the cause the ship to mis-steer and miss their attacking run.

It’s possibly the most significant shot I’ve ever fired. I hit that enemy good and proper, with only his head and shoulders to aim at, I took him out in the most certain of fashions.

I saw him sump over the wheel. The trims man behind him desperately tried to address things but he couldn’t wipe the gore out of his face fast enough, or throw the corpse off the wheel.

It was as much I’d hoped for, more than expected. I knew they’d have trouble if the helmsman was hit. I’d like to say I’m crack shot, but I’m not. I’m a decent shot that got lucky.

The airship ploughed into the ground at high speed. No-one survived.

It’s quite an achievement to take down a war kite with small arms fire.

Maybe they’ll think twice of troubling us again aerially.

There was a bit of an understandable gleeful search of the wreckage. But it cost us too much time. Then again ghasants had to be rounded up too, many having bolted at the impact, from the subsequent explosions and fire of the ship. It all added up to much the same delay.

For all the satisfaction of taking this enemy out, there was something otherworldly about watching this ship burn. A little reminiscent of bonfire night. Burning liftwood floating into the sky. It was little surreal. I regret these fiends are so fanatical that they don’t appreciate good governance or good neighbours that avoid these scenes.

I still wished to pursue this foe, for surely it was our main chance at answers. The tracks of our quarry continued northwards. Playing my telescope across the horizon I could see nothing of our quarry. But a large party was heading in our direction, most likely a hill tribe responding to the explosion and subsequent smoke plume. Indeed, the explosion and combustion of the war kite must have been noted a great way off.

It would have been easy to ambush these and I so wanted to continue the pursuit. Therein lay the answers. But my duty is first and foremost to the garrison. With a heavy heart, we returned to the fort.

Regrettably the Germans had showed up again. As we arrived the Zeppelin was tethered to our mooring mast. It was early evening, Lt. Jacobs (who has my full trust) and the quartermaster had organised a feast for the visiting German sailors. Not much else they could do in the circumstances.

It was most tiresome. Count Overblast was his usual overbearing self, although I think he regretted patting my arm in what he thought would an ingratiating gesture only for a pile of trail dust to fly off and make him cough.

The overbearing lout tries my patience somewhat. Nevertheless, appearances have to be maintained. I accepted an invitation to dinner, how could I not. There was an unfortunate standoff when the good professor Wilhelm thought it would be useful to view the Zeppelin. The idea was largely to determine whether my own analysis was correct.

The Germans felt this was an easy ask, but wanted access to the under croft in return. There was some discussion on photography, they claimed some new technology that involved a red light to take low light photographs.

I don’t doubt it. But I also don’t doubt that access to the under croft is actually what they are after.

After all, why would a supposed diplomatic mission visit a remote British fort not once but twice.

Arrangements had already been made for the German crew to bivouac in the courtyard. I could hardly counter this as we’d also stated that enemy forces were expected to attack at dawn.

Those being the afore mentioned riders that caused us to leave the crash site. It’s unlikely they would attack, but gave good cause for the damned Germans to leave. Their neutrality was threatened if they stayed.

We had a convivial evening aboard. The Count having lost the previous bout of diplomatic one-upmanship, tried to up his game. The bockwurst and sauerkraut were excellent, but hardly the thing to turn the head of a true Englishman. Sadly, they catered for their own palate, so while making the right noises it was something of a disappointment rather than the triumph that the Count thought.

One interesting snippet that did come out of conversation, was when I questioned the Count on how he knew the history of the place, he mentioned discussions with a certain Martian scholar. None other than Queeleek if I recall his answer correctly.

So, we know that there was contact between the German delegation and the head of the Brotherhood at some time.

The Count was clearly pleased with the reception for his men. He praised the food that had been served. This was spiced Martian meat that we had bought from a caravan passing through. I hoped to use it to provide the garrison with a feast, but the troops didn’t like the taste of ‘the foreign muck’, so it was still in store. The Germans by contrast thought it wonderful.

I refused permission to tour the under croft. I knew it would look bad diplomatically, but justified it that I’d made it out of bounds and it would reflect badly on me if I made an exception. I pointed out the dangers, to which the Count had very reasonable counterarguments. Ultimately, I had to thwart their purpose, even if I didn’t know exactly what that was.

I’m hoping Professor Wilhelm can shed some light on it all that’s down there, but it’s rather a big ask for one man.

It was in early hours that things went wrong and played out badly. A large number of the German sailors infected with Red Sands attacked our guards.

I thought we’d defeated this evil, but it seems not.

I awoke to screams, years in the military means one knows to be fully awake in the instant. Seizing my revolver, which sleeps next to me, I was viewing the scene in seconds. A score of the German sailors were attacking our guards.

I’d ordered the guard detail doubled in case of Germen skulduggery but now it meant more targets for the Red Sands victims to attack. While it’s easy to just regard these as crazed Germans, they were just Red Sands crazy. From my previous correspondence you understand how deadly this condition is and how it transmits rapidly from man to man.

I’d hoped never to see this horror again. Thankfully I was in position fast enough to issue commands. I ordered our men to disengage and run to provide clear shots for the other guards. It placed those engaged in grave danger, but I believe the best way to deal with this threat is at arm’s length to prevent the spread of the disease.

I also had my esteemed colleagues firing into the fray. I believe they are decent shots all.

Thankfully the extra men on duty meant I had rifles to bear from the off. It was chaotic with my men trying to find cover or respite, while others took the shots that bought the demons down. Several of my men got infected during the assault and turned into assailants within seconds.

However, the discipline the men showed in firing upon the enemy rapidly proved decisive. It was undoubted difficult for the troops to face those few comrades who had turned but they understood the fight and stood up bravely. Indeed, I confess a great sadness overcame me when I realised our own troops were lost to this vile plague.

I knew there was only one solution. As commander it fell to me to try and put them out of their misery. In the event my marksmanship was not good enough on this occasion and in the ensuing volleys, I don’t think anyone know who accounted for our own men. I take that as a good thing, no man wants shooting a comrade on his conscious.

In all I lost 4 men. The Germans 20 sailors. We started cordoning the area, taking the necessary precautions against Red Sands infection.

Count Overbearing finally appeared, blast his presence. He misread the situation, ignored the state of his own men, ignored our own casualties and seemed to think we’d just gunned his men down, to what purpose he thought I have no idea.

There was a tense moment, where I thought he was actually going to and try shoot me with the pistol he had in hand. I think his adjutant managed to point out that I now had most of the garrison turned out and that would only end one way.

Shouting insults and threats the Count retreated to his ship and they flew into the night in short order. I’ve no doubt he will create a diplomatic incident and I’ll be facing questions.

On the positive side I doubt he will back and his mission may be termed a failure.

We cleared up the aftermath. The only sure way with this is to burn everything, well away and well downwind. Dr. Phipps is well versed in these precautions.

I was interested in how Red Sands had got into the fort and the Germans. There were two possible explanations, either it was in what they’d eaten or arrived in some way on their ship.

Dr. Phipps did some examinations, not without personal risk I should add. In fact, I was so concerned that I requested he submit to quarantine after the examination, least he became contaminated. In the event all was well.

I believed he learnt a good deal about how red sands works on the human body and I wouldn’t put it past him to develop some antidote.

However, my worst suspicions were confirmed when the spiced meat was shown to contain red sands in the preparation. I can’t say the Germans were innocent, they have clearly been up to no good. But I’m not sure common sailors deserved that fate.

It was clearly intended to destroy the garrison, but we are still standing.

I am concerned that the merchant party continued on to the city. Who knows what they are peddling.

But I also recall a veiled woman with the caravan. Apparently travelling to get married in a matter of high Martian society. I have now harbour doubts.

Long live Her Majesty!

Your brother,

Henry