Act VIII 'All aboard the skylark'

[Tabs]

"A generator--I think," answers Klevendon."Dashed if I know why it's still humming. I was hoping, Miss Bly, to put a stop to the time machine. I s'pose one could yank on the cable from the 'generator' to the ship?

"The 'coast is clear,' you say?"

[Priest]

Previously Roxborough said:   and just who would the boss be?

The talkative fellow, ignoring his associates darkening stares, shrugs his shoulders, "Dan't now his name, just call him Boss. But he talks like a proper gennelman he does, a proper toff. like wot you does"

[carnage_lee]

Nellie Bly

Nellie looks around the dingy warehouse, her nose wrinkling in disgust at the dark, dank and downright dusty conditions.

"So it's not disabled then... hmm... ohh yes those men... we crept up on them and pushed a stack of barrels over onto them; then we burst out from our hiding place and confronted them, I think two men were knocked out by the barrels and I dare say the sight of Peter brandishing his weapon took the fight right out of them. Wellington looked so fierce too!" Nellie brandishes her pistol* towards the wall, by way of a re-enactment.

Nellie looks at the machinery again "I don't think we should try anything else, electricity is very dangerous - despite what Messers Westinghouse and Edison** would have you believe ... why I read the other month that the Governor of New York State had commissioned an electric chair as a means to execute murderers.. they are calling it electrocution!" she shudders... "Let us head back and rejoin the others."

OOC:   *Hammer down, on the pistol **The War of Currents may have been a few years before this setting... but it adds colour.

[Tabs]

" 'Peter' is it, hmmm?" says Klevendon under his breath. "Well, I wish to avoid electrocution! Yes, let's return."

[Priest]

By the time Klevendon and Nellie make there way to the sight of the altercation, Roxborough, watched by the critical eye of the detctive, has finished securing the thugs adding gags to complete his work.

Following Klevendon's indication it is seen that the thick rubberised cable extends from the nearby wharehouse into the ship through a small porthole to the bows of the vessel, probably the forward hold as Wellington, who seems to know about these things, points out.

As the four of you begin a slow carefull ascent of the gangplank you hear the ominous sound of electricity crackling and humming from within the boat. Underlying this sound is a deeper, constant hum, that of something turning.

[Papa Gateau]

Klevendon dear fellow, no luck disconnecting the machine from its power? he pauses, listening to the deep hum and the sharp crackle of electricity

Entering the lair of unknown quarry has its risks, I'd certainly feel more comfortable if we can cut the power to this contraption. Perhaps we can manoeuvre the ship into the river, put enough strain on the cable that it snaps or disconnects itself. I can still shoot it, of course, but I still feel that we have the element of surprise and a gunshot would announce our presence somewhat. he looks inquisitively at the others.

[Tabs]

"No dice, Mr. Roxborough," replies Klevendon,"seems like there is a generator thing which cannot be turned off. Your idea of snapping the cable is a good one . . . but who is to pilot the boat?" He thinks aloud: "Though any unexpected movement would also alert whoever it is down in the hold. Perhaps we should investigate first?"

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington

"We should surely lose the initiative by whichever means we utilised to interrupt the power and if we were to move the ship into the Thames then that would immediately alert whoever was on board... this so called 'Boss and whomever he has with him. If we were to lose control of this ship then it could cause untold damage and disruption to the shipping of London." With that, Wellington starts up the gangplank, his pistol drawn and eyes scanning the decks, alert to any dangers...

"If I recall correctly... in this class of vessel the forward hold can be accessed by a corridor on either side two decks down ... "


Nellie Bly

"Or we could just follow the cable.... ? she suggests helpfully.

[Papa Gateau]

Right then says Roxborough Let's get to it then - we have chased the quarry to it's lair, let's see what await's us! he follows Wellington up the gang plank Nelly please stay behind me and Klevendon if you could bring up the rear and ensure we don't have any nasty surprises coming at from us behind.


Lead on Horatio!, Lead on! he slides the safety off Bertha...

[Tabs]

Klevendon brings up the rear.

[Priest]

Steadilly and displaying copious amounts of stealth, despite the odd upset, a bucket being knocked; a door being closed too firmly etc, You begin to make your way through the ship. Heading downward towards the hold all the time.

As your destination grows nearer, so the hum and whine of machinery grows louder, until it seems just one door stands between you and your quarry.

Slowly and with the utmost care Wellington eases the heavy door open to reveal the interior of the rather spacious hold. Before you amidst a glory of cables and orange flashes of electricity, stands the device desribed by Nightingale. The humming noises seem to be coming from the huge steel casing and the whine seems to be sourced by two large spinning hoops that rotate in a manner that Klevendon assures you is gyroscopical. To one side, linked by several rubber cables something that reminds you of a ladies dressing table mirror, though of much larger size and glazed with some opaque smoke coloured glass, is turned to face the length of the room.

As you gaze, in wonder, at the strange device a figure steps between you and the 'mirror'. With a slight incline of the head, he reaches towards the glass of the mirror, taps it, before speaking,

“I thought perhaps I might have visitors, but I had figured on the great Sherlock Holmes being the one to confront me instead of you obvious nobodies. After all, one does not rob ten jewelry stores and not attract attention? Never mind, then. Whoever you are, you shall be witness to my genius. Actually I suppose I should thank Professor Nightingale, but the man lacked vision" he turns looks at you for a moment, then bows gallantly, "Madame or Miss, please excuse my manners, I had not thought to find a woman amongst my stalwart foes" He laughs a gentle but icy cold laugh."

“Allow me to introduce myself... I am Sir Alistair Stuart Rochester." again he bows politely before indicating the device once more, "Admittedly, when I first heard Nightingale speak I thought that use of this machine might allow me access to the antiquities of the past, and gain me wealth undreamed of. Do you have any idea what collectors would pay for a pristine Greek urn or Roman bust? I could take the Mona Lisa straight from da Vinci and sell it for a fortune. But it would be only a small fortune..".

"Soon I realized that perhaps there was something to be gained here besides modest sums? For istance what would the citizens of London pay to stop dinosaurs rampaging through their streets? Yes, that’s right, dinosaurs! I may not be as proficient a designer as Nightingale, but I’ve fixed his machine’s little flaw, allowing me to direct where the portal will open. One pull of this lever and a door will open to allow dinosaurs to appear somewhere in London... and that door will stay open. The army might stop one, but can they stop ten... a hundred... a thousand?"

"So, in this lever" he indicates a solid looking lever to the side of the 'mirror' "I hold the power of life and death over London. Unless London pays me a million pounds, its streets shall run red with blood! And today it's London... tomorrow a nation... and then the entire world! ”

Before any of you react he pulls the lever. The machines hum deepens, the gyroscopes turn faster becoming almost a blur, as the discharge in electrical sparks increase. Instantly brilliant blue-white arcs of lightning crackle across the face of the 'mirror'. In the centre the energy collides, merges, and begins to flow like water, transforming the opaque surface into a clear shining window like opening, an opening through which you can see tall ferns and strange trees waving in a wind, a wind which you can feel.

Rochester laughs maniacally as a high-pitched whine bursts from the machine. “Full power!” he screams over the din. “They are co…”

His victory shout is cut short. A shadow suddenly crosses the portal and with a scream filled with pain and terror, Rochester is scooped from the ground. All that remains of him are his feet, protruding from the mouth of a monstrous dinosaur. The jaws grind, and one of the legs drops to deck with a thud and a squelch. With a loud roar the beast emerges fully from the time portal and charges!

OOC:   Emerging from the portal is probably the most viscious killer of the Dinosaur age - the T-Rex. It's angry... Please roll Initiatives

[Papa Gateau]

Roxborough quickly brings Bertha's stock to his shoulder and takes aim at the cavernous maw of the giant, terrible lizard.

Roxborough thinking:   Steady my boy, a nice clean shot to fell the brute. Let's not damage the carcass - T-Rex T-bones, oh my the club will [i]love[/i] this. And dear [b]Nellie[/b] we must keep dear, lovely [b]Nellie[/b] out of danger

OOC:   Initiative 6 + 2 style = [dice]0[/dice]

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington: Initiative 7,[dice]0[/dice]

Nellie Bly: Initiative 5,[dice]1[/dice]

[Tabs]

"The movement is gyroscopical," whispers Klevendon.

When Rochester is devoured he gasps, "Good gracious!"

OOC:   Initiative[dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

OOC:   Initiatives - Wellington (5), Roxborough (5), Klevendon (3), T Rex (2 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4778783/), Nellie (0). So first up Wellington.

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington

Wellington mentally curses himself for not acting as soon as they made it to the hold, Rochester had obviously been stalling for time and in his last act the madman may have very well sealed their fates. Taking in the terrible scene as the monstrous scaled head plucks their adversary and within a heartbeat those terrible teeth make short work of chomping down on Rochester body, his screams cut short and a severed leg drops to the floor.

Wellington levels his pistol and aims at the beast... wondering if the bullets would have any effect...

OOC:   Wellington takes aim and fires: (8L) [dice]0[/dice]

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   Papa G Roxy's elephant gun has an attack of 12L (L = lethal wound), so you'd roll 12d6 or take the average (6)

[Papa Gateau]

OOC:   I think I have this correct - please confirm before I roll dice. My base is 12L but I have a talent of Accuracy that reduces the opponents defence by 2 for a called shot. I can boost this by spending style points - each boost (cost 2SP) reduces defence by another 2. And I can also buy extra dice with Style points. This is what I want to do - Called shot with Accuracy talent = -2 defence for T-Rex Boost x 2 (4sp) = -4 defence for T-Rex Buy extra dice x8 (8sp) Total cost - 12 sp T-Rex has -6 defence I roll 20L

[Priest]

Wellington fires at the huge creature which has just eaten the villanous Rochester. The heavy calibre pistol bullet hits it fair and square in the head, it obviously causes some damage as the creature opens its tooth filled maw and roars in a manner unheard in the modern world.
It shakes its huge head in manner that a bear might when stung by an angry bee, and fixes the detective with a balefull stare.

OOC:   Wellington's shot scored 6 successes and the T-Rex managed a defence of 2 successes, So first blood to the detective. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4780714/ PapaG in answer to your question; you are correct so roll away. 20d6 even numbers a success.

[Papa Gateau]

Roxborough slowly exhales whilst taking a bead on the monstrous maw of the dinosaur, gently he squeezes the trigger. He subconsciously notices the report from Wellington's pistol as a fraction of a second later Bertha kicks into his shoulder with the recoil like an old lover's embrace.

OOC:   Heroic Shot? [dice]20d6[/dice] Ok - forum dice code not showing me a roll - so here's invisible castle http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4780748/ which is 13 successes