Colts, Crinolines, and Conspiracies

[NB] Bad Moon Rising

2014-04-08T18:18:50Z

Personal Journal

10 April NByr7

It was a nice enough day, until the word came of a mass fish kill down at the port. Decided to wander by and take a look. It was as bad as I had imagined it would be. The fish were piled into the spaces between the piers, driven in by the tide. They were all open water species, with a few I recognized as deep divers. Nothing really stood out as a cause for them being dead, so I took a few samples with the intention of getting someone who had more depth in biology to take a look. The boys down at the fertilizer mill were all too happy to claim the carcasses. I hope this isn’t a sign…

13 April NByr7

I expected that it was going to be a slow afternoon, and in spite of my best efforts to make it that way….
The city messenger charged in and nearly plowed over the welding cart I had left out on the floor, before sliding to a stop to rap on the door. I was up on the loft patio, relaxing with a drink and the new issue of Brunel’s Gazette. I dropped a couple of pence on the runner for his effort, and he managed to leave the note before collecting his tip and running off.
It didn’t take too long to hoof it over to the Patent Office in Wheatstone. Well, what was left of the Patent Office. It looked as if something walked or pushed though one side and walked out the other. I went over the place pretty carefully, and came up with nothing other than a headache from the stink of canal water. It reeked as bad as the docks did, but there were no floaties that I could see.
I sent out a few quickly written notes, and assembled a team of porters to carry the files from the office to City Hall. Civic duty, City records, etc etc, and let Ozzie worry about where to put them. Took a few pictures, and wondered what would have caused such a localized phenomenon.

15 April NByr7

Word on the street is ‘Brother’ Effingham is back in town. Lovely.

Spoke too soon. Apparently he nailed his demands to the City Hall door.
Someone saw him skulking around on Abney. Why won’t the nutters stay gone?

16 April NByr7

The old “temple” plot on the hill is getting busy. After posting his missive downtown, he apparently went up to the old foundation and did some chanting and arm waving.

I walked up there and found that someone decided to up the oogy-boogy ante and do some chanting of their own. I have come to the conclusion that Mumsy should have roped the joint off and charged admission. Folks come by, many fingers were pointed, many tales were told, many speculations were aired.

Despite my native cynicism, I dug up that box from my semester abroad in Massachusetts and pocketed a couple of old mementos. I know, I know. If it turns out to be nothing, no one will be the wiser.

18 April NByr7

Came home to Kimi on the roof with a bundle of equipment that I hadn’t seen out since we first met during the aftermath of the Martians. I asked her what was going on, and all she did was point. You could see it, even across the neighborhood. It looked like a heat mirage at first, then got…deeper looking. She told me that the new uprated version of the electrochemical rifle she built last fall was in my office. Once again, I tried telling her to go visit her aunt in Caledon, and once again I was told that she signed on for better or worse, and that worse included dimensional rifts or the end of the world as we know it. Who am I to argue with that?

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[NB] Announcement to All Businesses and Shippers

2014-04-08T18:06:44Z

As of this date, the Port of New Babbage is open for business. For too long the petty ambitions of powerful MEN have been allowed to run amok in the city. Rather than see my fellow citizens either being starved or forced to pay extortion to receive goods by ship, I have taken control of the docks and brought in dock workers who will provide the services our businesses have become accustomed to.

The normal delivery of goods anywhere within the city will commence shortly. The porters will have escorts, to ensure that no one from any party will delay or impede the orderly flow of goods to and from the port.

J. Dagger, CDRE
New Babbage Navy

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[NB] Of bombs and bodies pt1

2014-04-08T18:02:17Z

Jed stood at the last undamaged spot on the viaduct and looked out over the newly blasted chasm in the rail line with a gaze that held a mixture of fatigue and smoldering anger. It was supposed to have been a weekend away, a time to concentrate on someone important and enjoy a delayed anniversary rather than this. So she stood at the blast site, her old dark blue peacoat pulled tight around her chest as the wind whipped the rich purple fabric of the ballgown around her legs since she did not stop to change once she arrived back in New Babbage. The courier had run in during the waltz, and Jed was not sure who looked more upset at the interruption, the courier or Kimika. He held an official telegram from the Mayor’s office, which was simple and directly worded. Explosion North Fells viaduct. Full investigation of destruction needed immediately. Status, urgent. Underby. They left after that, with a carriage ride to the aerodrome filled with apologies and a full-throttle flight home filled with the drone of the engines.

The crew had begun to sort out the logistics of using the north side of the viaduct as an impromptu rail yard, offloading cargo and carrying it by wagon across the Fells to the Palisade gate. Two of the viaduct’s pilings were destroyed; one was damaged but would probably need to be replaced. She looked across to the other side and figured a temporary timber trestle could be erected in the gap with a bit of work, but the stone would pose a considerable challenge at this time of year. She examined the scattered stones and the remains of the damaged pilings, making notes and sketches of the scene. Jed finally tucked the notebook back in her pocket and headed back towards the warmth of her office. She passed the gate and was nearly at the turn for the apartment when a young man with a bag over his shoulder came tearing around the corner, wailing “Extra, Extra…New Babbage Free Press!” They nearly collided, the youngster suddenly losing himself in a cloud of purple. Jed hoisted the paperboy out of her skirts by the collar, and bent over to look at what he was carrying.

“What’s all this about, hmm?” she said, with as much of a smile as she had energy for. “Special edition paper miss. Breaking news miss. Only a penny for the freshest news miss. I…” Jed cut the lad off mid-sentence. “You had me at Special Edition. Here.” She handed him tuppence, and he gave her two copies before tearing back off towards Academy. She opened the paper and looked at the masthead, then at the headline. Jed had heard someone was trying to start another newspaper in town, and here it was. ‘GANG RAMPAGES THROUGH ASYLUM’ the headline said, with the subheader ‘HEAD ADMINISTRATOR GRAVELY INJURED’ and ‘MAIN SUSPECT DEAD’. She read the article and despite the journalistic flair and misspellings Jed got the feeling that the local body count may have slowed for the time being.

She walked into the apartment and paused in the den to warm up in front of the fireplace. This was going to be the start of a long week, she thought to herself.

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[NB] Déjà vu all over again

2014-04-08T17:54:18Z

Casefile 06-GS12042012

4 Dec NByr6

Location: Szuster Works, Inc, Lindt Lane & Brunel Railway Babbage Palisade, New Babbage

Synopsis: On the evening of 4 December, the Fire Brigade was summoned to the factory complex owned by Gatsby Szuster. On arrival the structure was fully involved. Despite the best efforts of the Fire Brigade, the structure was a total loss. The fire was contained to the structure by the Fire Brigade. Initial on-scene investigation is complete, awaiting analysis of gathered evidence.

The investigation is ongoing.

Ms. J. Dagger, Senior Investigator
Terranova Investigative Services
#25 Merryman Way
New Babbage, New Babbage

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Personal Journal
It had all the earmarks of a quiet evening at home. I had just settled down in the solarium to catch up on some correspondence when I started to smell smoke. Smelling smoke in New Babbage, along with explosions or strange flashes of light are not always a sign that one should be concerned or that you should panic. This time, however, I managed to catch a quick flash of light out of a window in Gatsby’s factory next door. The flash was followed by the characteristic SHAWHOOMP as the glass on several of the nearby windows blew out and was followed by flames and black smoke. I sat my book down, finished my drink, and hustled off downstairs to find my bunker gear.
I ran through the arch between the two buildings to find Sera with the old fire wagon in the alley next to the greenhouse. I grabbed a line and tried to start laying down a little water. The results were less than stellar. No matter how hard we tried, the lines were just not putting out much more than a trickle. I decided to go get the airship and see if it was going to help.
A few minutes later I was airborne and headed into trouble. I put the first bucket into the back building since it was closest to home, and headed out to the Fells to fill back up. Before it was over, I managed to dip out all the liquid water in the little pond next to Sera’s house, and make a severe dent in the little wide spot in the creek where all Kate’s girls like to go skinny-dipping. Finally after the 12th run or so, Sera flagged me in.
Apparently not only had we accumulated some spectators, we actually had some injuries. With me in the airship, and not on the ground to scream “MOVE YOUR BUTTS BACK!” someone got hurt when one of the walls turned loose.
Gatsby was looking concerned, as he normally does when something epic happens to one of his buildings. Lucky for me the apartment seemed largely undamaged, so I collected up my crimescene kit and began poking around the scene looking for a point of origin. Considering that one building was full of alcohol and god knows what else from the patent medicine factory, it was a miracle the damage wasn’t more extensive. I filed my report and headed back to the whirlpool to soak all the smoke out of myself.

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[NB/NT] Hurricane Charles

2014-04-08T17:49:58Z

The map dominated one wall of the room, the expanse of the
Steamlands stretched out in all its cartographic glory. Jed reread the telegram
the city messenger had just deposited in her hand. The call for assistance was
not wholly unexpected, given the time of the year, the question was who was
close enough to head that way? She looked at the last updated roster of ship
positions, and drafted the message that would go out on the aethergraph.

“***************************

*flash traffic*

NBS Scylla

NBS Haven

NBS Barracuda

Hurricane Charles landfall in New Toulouse imminent. Move to
position off coast until safe to conduct inshore assistance operations. Marine
Detachment enroute to assist local authority.

Dagger, CDRE

******************************”

She sat at the desk and quickly penned a note destined for
the pneumatic mail.

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17 August

To: LT M Beckett, New Babbage Marine Det.

RE: Stingray

Assemble your squad and meet with Fleet Air Arm for
immediate transport to New Toulouse to assist with hurricane relief. Fleet
elements are enroute.

Dagger, CDRE

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The forecast didn’t offer much hope one way or the other.
All anyone can do is pray that the storm passes without too much fuss…

(yes, it's time for the annual hurricane weekend in NT. If you haven't ever seen it, the water will be up and it will be storming hard for a bit. There also may be a party or two..)

hurricane season
new toulouse
RP

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