At the other end of the ship, Trevor finished preparations in the first class lounge. He adjusted the tablecloths, made certain that the bar was secure, and locked the shutters. Only a few minutes before launch. As he glanced out the panoramic canopy at the handlers scrambling below, it struck him how nearly upside-down the ship was. Only on an airship would the luxury accommodations be on the lowest deck, afforded both breathtaking views and the greatest distance from the hydrogen gas bags which kept the vessel afloat. He straightened as a line of ladies and gentlemen sauntered in.
The Voyage 022: Trevor
May 25, 2015
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The Voyage 021: Jesse
May 24, 2015
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“Engine room ready for launch, captain.”
“Thank you, Miss Pilgrim Notify the signalers.” Isaac threw the second lever and waited. There was a slight shudder as the pullers unlocked their guidelines. The Indomitable rose almost imperceptibly under the buoyancy of the hydrogen in the envelope. The captain nodded, satisfied.
“Mister Thomas, take us up to five hundred feet.”
“Aye,” The pilot muttered.
“What was that, Pilot?”
“Aye aye, Captain!” He repeated.
“Excellent.” He angled the propellers downward and the watched the altitude gage, trying not to think about the sailors’ tales about ships with female captains, and their cursed fates.
The Voyage 020: Belinda
May 23, 2015
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Belinda picked up the engine room tube and listened to the report. This was a lady-like job, no different from working in a school, a hospital, or an office. And she did so love the officers in their dashing uniforms. Almost as dashing as her own, she thought, somewhere deep within herself. She admired the captain her position, although she didn’t know if she could be in command. Still, maybe someday, if she met the right sailor, and they saved their money, a little transport or trader would be perfect. Yes, a nice family ship might be just right.
The Voyage 018: Hazel
May 21, 2015
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A klaxon went off down in the engine room, making Hazel jump. The Chief bellowed louder, but the noise always played like a bow across her heartstrings. She knew that it meant that she was going to have to go in again. She was the ‘boiler’s boy,’ a thankless, dirty, and dangerous job. She thought the engineers knew she wasn’t really a boy, even though she kept her hair short and never acted like a girl. If a boiler’s boy avoided falling or burning himself, when he grew up a little he became an apprentice. She hoped they’d let her.
The Voyage 015: Curtis
May 18, 2015
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From behind the glass canopy of The Indomitable bridge, Curtis paused in checking the gauges and dials. He watched the little figures grouped together on the ground, and fought against a wave of vertigo. This would be his third trip aboard the airship, but he was still green. He’d have preferred an ocean liner under his boots, but he was a young officer, and didn’t have his choice of commissions. At least he didn’t believe the superstitious rumors about the captain. Or so he told himself.
“Captain on the bridge,” the helmsman shouted. He rose reflexively and banged his head.
The Voyage 013: Leo
May 16, 2015
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Leo studiously avoided the Signaler’s gaze. She was a proper young woman, unlike her sister, and the pair of goggles she wore magnified her sparkling eyes. They were a vivid shade of green that made his stomach do flips. But she’d never have naught to do with the likes of him, he reckoned. Instead he watched a slim young man, carry a pair of heavy cases off the back of a carriage, wave the porter away, and tromp up the gangway. The man waited impatiently as they weighed his bags, had a long conversation with the steward, then disappeared inside.
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The Voyage 011: Otis
May 14, 2015
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Otis let out the slack on his gauntlet and struggled towards the tea cart like a man walking against a hurricane. Finally, he reached it and exchanged pleasantries with the others while a shaking slip of a new girl handed him a teacup. Florence hadn’t broken this one yet.
“What’s the commotion over there?” Charley asked. He sighed.
“Her Ladyship’s luggage is nearly five stone over the allotment, AND she brought a bloody safe, if you can believe it. They’re trying to make the weight for it, but the Lord know how they’ll do it. Toffs.” The others grunted agreement.
The Voyage 010: Molly
May 13, 2015
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The men gathered around the steaming kettle while Molly prepared it under Miss Florence’s hawkish gaze. She knew she needed to concentrate. They needed the money this job would bring in. She didn’t want to be the burden her Aunt and Uncle always said she was. She knew feeding and clothing a girl of ten cost money. That was why they pulled her out of school. Her gaze wandered to the shed on the far side of the field, where a morning of scrubbing and scouring awaited her, then back to the massive shadow of the airship above. If only…
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The Voyage 009: Charley
May 12, 2015
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Charley stared out at the loaders moving the last of the cargo, watching them argue and gesticulate, although at this distance their words didn’t carry. He double-checked the gauges on the bulky contraption strapped to his wrist. Everything was green, but nobody ever bothered to explain what they meant. He’d sussed out a bit, though. The cables were fed through the gauntlets housing, and could be released manually, or automatically at a signal. It was a much safer and more reliable than old fashioned ropes, but he wondered why they needed him at all. At least there was tea.
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The Voyage 008: Florence
May 11, 2015
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The tea service glinted in the morning sunlight. Of course, it was only aluminum, not silver or anything fancy. But Florence thought it looked pretty enough as she struggled with the trolly. The ground was flat, but muddy, and the little round wheels had a strong urge to dig themselves into the muck and pitch the whole thing forward.
“Molly, the cart!” she shouted at the girl in front. The ragamuffin snapped out of her revelry just in time to catch it before the whole thing tipped over. She’d been staring up at the airship again. The girl was useless.
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Hugh J. O'Donnell 