Clyde poured champagne and watched the upper crust file in. It was nearly cosmopolitan mix of those who earned their fortunes through the blood and sweat of their employees’ brows and those who inherited their money. They all looked so carefree in their finery, spending their money, but he could see that they merely wore masks.
Bartenders like him knew the truth, usually after the third or fourth double. Men were destroyed by money and power, and it did worse to women. Every one of them was doomed to despair. And before The HMS Indomitable landed, he’d hear their stories.
The Voyage 026: Clyde
May 29, 2015
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The Voyage 025: Etta
May 28, 2015
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As she slid demurely into the room behind the first-class passengers, Etta allowed herself a hint of a smile. It was satisfying to see Lord Wentworth jam his cigar case back into his jacket pocket. Solid gold, of course.
Her smile faded when she noticed him admire the curves of her dress while his wife was taken in by the view. Wentworth had expensive taste, but he liked to slum it when he philandered. She sat primly at the piano and began a concerto for launch.
She prayed Trevor would keep the Lord occupied. She’d deal with him later.
The Voyage 024: Horace
May 27, 2015
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“I’m sorry dear,” his wife said as Lord Horace guided her gently by the elbow to one of the blue velvet sofas. Not for the first time, he regretted his marriage to the younger woman. The girl was certainly a beauty, but she was flighty, and two years into their relationship still hadn’t produced him an heir. His third marriage was shaping up to be as fruitless as the others. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket for a cigar. The servant put a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m afraid there is no smoking in the lounge, sir”
The Voyage 023: Caroline
May 26, 2015
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“Oh my, how perfectly astonishing,” gasped Lady Caroline Wentworth as she drank in the finely appointed lounge. Velvet couches lined the wall, with a stocked bar and a piano tucked into one corner. Cocktail tables with immaculate white tablecloths line the seats, which all faced the grand windows on the far wall, giving the passengers a commanding view of the ground below. In a few minutes, they would be rising through the air, and the city of York would be spread out before them. It thrilled her to even imagine it.
“Come along darling,” said her husband at her elbow.
The Voyage 022: Trevor
May 25, 2015
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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 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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Hugh J. O'Donnell 