Play@YSDC

Historically, very little of London is powered by electricity in the 1890s. In the world of Leagues of Adventure, where weird science is a fact of life, many Londoners already enjoy electric lighting. Except in the houses of crazed inventors, electric heating is still a decade or so away, and electric appliances further away still. The London Electric Company is one of many exploring the possibilities of electricity. They provide power to much of the City of London, including the Houses of Parliament, Fleet Street, and the Bank of England. They have recently made the news due to a series of power outages.

The curtains draw back to reveal to our enthralled audience our intrepid investigators in the foyer of The London Elecric Company's building on the banks of the river Thames at Battersea.

In fact they stand at one of several receptionists desk in the main foyer of the building. A building resplendent with its neo-classical architecture complete with Doric style collumns and a magnifficent attempt at a classical greek frieze showing a Zeus, who bears more that a passing resemblance to the late Prince Albert, throwing lightning bolts at various frollicking satyrs and nymphs, very tasteful and showing true Victorian refinement.

The receptonist, a rather plain young woman with a most severe hairstyle, round glasses and an unfortunate leer, looks up from her typewriter, "Yes may I help you?"

Nellie smiles and steps up, deftly taking the box from Wellington "I do hope you can help, a collegue of ours received this package recently and we are trying to locate the person who sent it.." Nellie shows the box to the secretary, so that she can clearly see the LEC logo.

Wellington, no matter how hard he studies it, is unable to deduce anyting from the box. It is of standard construction and at one time it was packed with straw, no doubt to secure the eggs during posting. The numbers on the box beneath the London Electric Company logo must be a reference number.

Previously Nellie said:   "I do hope you can help, a collegue of ours received this package recently and we are trying to locate the person who sent it.."

The receptionist nods at several chairs alongside the wall beside the reception desk, "Be so kind as to take a seat. I shall summon young Herbert to fetch Mr Hargreaves of the Store Department"

She produces a brass tube, more likely to be seen on the bridge of a ship either the sea or air kind, and blows it twice, "Herbert, go and find Mr Hargreaves in the Store Department and have him come to reception, and be smart about it"

Within a few minutes a short, rotund, bespectacled man wearing a brown overall coat arrives, puffing slightly from exertion. He introduces himself as Hargreaves the Store Department manager.

For a few moments he studies the container, then removing his cap he scratches his head, “Something about this reference number is familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. If you would care to follow me down to the stores I can check the ledgers. That should tell us who ordered whatever was in this box.”

OOC:   Oh yeah. I had thought Wellie and Roxie were continuing along the sewers.

Klevendon digs in his pocket and produces the straw that he took from the packing case. "I wonder if you can make anything of this, old boy?" he says to Wellington.

~

"Lead on, Mr. Hargreaves."

OOC:   Sorry about the confusion Tabs just trying to move things along without bogging us down in the sewers

Previously Klevendon said:   "I wonder if you can make anything of this, old boy?"

Wellington raises an eyebrow. "It is a straw, old boy. I would imagine that the sender simply packed the eggs in straw to avoid breakage in the post"

As Hargreaves leads the way downstairs to the store department, he mentions the recent power outages that have bedeviled the city of late.

“A right mystery that is,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m not directly involved in the running of the generators, but I do know that something is draining power. One of the mechanics explained it to me like this".

“Imagine London's a barrel of water with the bung taken out, as someone is pouring water in the top. When everything is running smoothly the water leaking out is replaced at an equal rate by the water going in. That’s how we work. We provide enough electricity to meet demand. But then the water suddenly begins to flow out at a faster rate, and that’s when you get blackouts—there isn’t enough water for everyone".

“Anyway, the mechanic reckoned there was a fault somewhere along the cabling. Something called a short circuit, whatever that is. Likely it’ll be fixed soon—the bosses have contacted that Mister Tesla to see if he can help. Ah, here we are!”

He stops at a door marked Stores and opens it. Within is a small office there are several chairs, a small table complete with a polished brass tea urn and several mugs, and a stable door in the opposite wall marked 'No Admittance - Authorised Employees Only'.

"In here is where all the ledgers are kept" he opens the hatched door, leaning back into the room momentarily, "This may take a couple of minutes. Please make yourselves comfortable and help yourselves to tea"

"Straw only--yes, quite so."

~

"The power outage could be caused by our dinosaur friends?" speculates Klevendon. "If we could find the whereabouts of the problem we may also find the dinosaurs."

Nellie's journalist senses twitch as she listens to Hargreaves as he tries to explain the recent power outages, she makes a mental note of his explanation "might come in useful, and there's definitely a story here.... short-circuit... if there is a problem with this new technology then people need to hear about it." she thinks, cursing the fact that she can't stop to scribble notes.

"Goodness, I do hope that it is not a dangerous fault and that Mr. Tesla can shed some light on the problem." she suppresses a giggle at her unintended pun.

"Tea... that sounds like a capital idea, thank you." Nellie starts to make tea for everyone, while Hargreaves goes into the back room.

Horatio Wellington

The Detective moves slowly around the small office, peering at this and that... "Six lumps in mine, thank you." he says abruptly and continues his self-guided tour of the small office.

No sooner had Nellie started the tea making process, raised voices are heard coming from the storeroom.
Before you have a chance to react a single gunshot reverberates from within the room.

OOC:   Any characters entering the room should make perception rolls, TN 2 successes

Roxborough dashes through to the store room.

OOC:   [dice]0[/dice]

Horatio Wellington

The Destructive stops his prowling as the gunshot rings out, drawing his revolver he rushes through the doorway. "Stay back" he says to Miss Bly and Mr Klevendon as they are not armed.

OOC:   Perception 8 [dice]0[/dice]

Klevendon stands frozen, his teacup held between the table and his lips.

As Wellington and Roxborough dash through the door which Hargreaves had entered a few moments before, they find themselves in a long warehouse/store room filled with shelving units.
From the far end of the long room you are aware of multiple voices, but not how many.

OOC:   If you wish to sneak closer and hopefully suprise the owners of the voices make a Stealth Roll (as usual the more successes the better) if not...

Both Nellie and Klevendon stand very still and alert.

Horatio Wellington

Welington half turns and puts his index finger to his lips, then indicates to Roxborough that they should move cautiously. Moving slowly in a half crouch, with his pistol at the ready, the detective moves towards the voices...

OOC:   Stealth: 5 [dice]0[/dice]

Roxborough nods his understanding to Wellington and accompanies him down the hallway

OOC:   Stealth[5][dice]0[/dice]

Thugs Perception,1d6, 1d6 → ([3], [4]) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4637419/ [b]I success[/b]

As Wellington and Roxbourough begin to creep quietly up the long room, an auspicious beginning is undone when Roxbourough accidently knocks a cardboard box filled with bits from a shelf. Thud, crash, rattle, pop!

The sudden noise, echoing around the room, has two immediate effects first it silences the voices, second it sends several figures darting behind cover. You hear the ominous sound of pistols being cocked. "Oi" shouts a harsh voice, "Stay where u is, an put yer 'ands up'

OOC:   Please roll for Initiative. Wellington and Roxborough only (Do not forget any add ons and that you may spend Style points to gain extra dice). Outside the room Nellie and Klevendon can hear the commotion within and may enter the room at the close of this initiative round this round