Play@YSDC

Posted: **Mon May 30, 2016 2:11 am**

Upon opening the front door you must then push aside a black out curtain to enter a small and dark ante-chamber with wooden partitions either side that run up to the ceiling. You wait there a moment for the curtain to fall shut behind you, ensuring no light can escape, and then you brush aside the next curtain before entering the main waiting room. Around four people can squish in here at once but it's better form to wait until the person, or couple, ahead of you have entered before entering yourself.

Once you've passed through this little ante-chamber, you find yourself in a wide room with scuffed floors and worn benches sitting back to back in the middle. More benches line the walls, with paintings of local scenes and nearby Plymouth adorning the brick above them. Naturally all of the windows beside the entrance door are covered in a heavy shroud of black cloth that blocks your view of the outside world and leaves you enclosed in this cozy little space.

The whole place feels quite warm and cheery due to the lovely big old fire burning on the other side of the building, flanked on either side by the ladies and the gentleman's restrooms. It's given an even toastier feeling because the whole room is bathed in a nice orange glow with very little competition - only one of the wall-mounted lamps is on and that's one of those nearest the door. There is a most peculiar odour of polish, cologne and saddlery, which might be caused by the pile of horse gear strung out over one of the benches which is most peculiar. A portrait of the British King holds pride of place above the fireplace.

The other doors here all have glass-frosted windows with black stencilling giving their labels. On the left are two doors and a shuttered window. The labels read Station Master's Office and Baggage Room where you can pay to store your baggage. On the right is a door to the restaurant. Near to that is a set of steps that head upwards to what would presumably be a few hotel rooms.

Places to Go:

Posted: **Mon May 30, 2016 8:47 am**

Ilona walks in and takes a seat on one of the benches. She breathes into her hands and rubs them together to warm them. "Oh dear, I seem to have left my gloves at the estate." She mumbles to herself as she rummages through her rather large handbag. She pulls out a pair of men's reading glasses with a very thick lens and a small statue and starts looking it over, not wearing the glasses, but using them more as a magnifying glass instead.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 4:50 am**

Charlie enters, "Ah, nice and warm." He places his bags carefully in a corner and decides to inspect the horse gear. "Somehow I doubt they sell horses tickets." He says to himself.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:01 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:19 am**

Artemis pushed his way through the black out curtain, waited for it fall behind him, and then pushed his way through the other curtain into the antecahmber. He heard the rustling of the second curtain fall into place and walked into the waiting room. His face still had a bit of a flush to it and the room felt even warmer.

"Good evening," he said as he looked about.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:23 am**

Kate follows Ilona into the station's waiting room, sitting beside her and looking with interest when she pulls out the statue. "Interesting," she says. "I'd wager it has quite a story behind it."

Forty men or eight horses, she thinks when she hears Charlie's comment. It was something her father had mentioned was on the train cars in France when he had fought in the last war. She wonders if they still do that in this one. Cavalry aren't used so much these days, but at least horses don't need petrol - just hay or grass.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:44 am**

"Evenin'," Charlie replies, still investigating the saddles.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:48 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:53 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:54 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 6:00 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 6:04 am**

To those who are gazing in his general direction, Mr. Hagan pulls an envelope and a silver medallion out of the collection of horse gear, as if by magic.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 6:28 am**

Charlie looks over the medallion. "Anyone here a linguist?" he asks to the room as he flicks the medallion into the air and catches it before opening envelope to read any letter that may be inside.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 6:41 am**

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 10:26 am**

Ilona takes a long moment before she realises Kate had been talking to her. "Oh, me?" She pipes up. "I'm terribly sorry, I must seem quite rude! This one is an Egyptian statue of Osiris, Isis and Horus." Ilona laughs and puts her glasses back in her handbag."Or at least that's what it is supposed to look like. This is a recreation from 1923 after the hype of King Tutankhamun's tomb being discovered. It doesn't even have any of the usual symbolism you'd get from the real Egyptian statues, or even a really good knock-off. I must say, these kinds of things are actually the most popular items I sell." she sighs. "They look pretty I suppose."

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 11:20 am**

"Oh, er, I can speak Arabic and also- also Latin. It's that useful? Mr... uh?" She trails off, assuming he'll fill in with an introduction.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 11:50 am**

Charlie looks up from the letter he was reading and flashes Ilona a smile, "Hagan, Charlie Hagan. And yeah that should be great. In fact, I'd say this is quite up your alley." He steps over and passes her the medallion.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 5:51 pm**

Jonathan enters the waiting room, shaking off the cold air from outside. "Good even-", he begins, then he notices that everyone in the room is gathered in circle around what seems to be a medallion... and a letter? His eyes then fall on the horse gear on the other side of the room.

What's going on here?

His interest piqued by the strange scene, Jonathan gets close to the group, trying to understand what's happening.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 9:00 pm**

Artemis started to turn towards Charlie Hagan, when the swish of the curtains behind him caught his attention, he turns his head and sees another man enter the room as he continues to walk to the ladies and the gentleman with the medal and letter.

"Good evening," Artemis returned the greeting to the new member in the room with his Philadelphia accent coming through in his words. "Artemis Richter, pleasure. So, which language do you need Mr. Hagan? For German and Latin are two additional ones that I can add to the list." [/b] As he gets closure to the group, he notices the woman with the Egyptian statue. His face shifts into a puzzled look.

My pardon, Artemis Richter, Mr. Hagan." Artemis extended his hand towards Mr. Hagan.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 11:21 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:35 am**

Charlie shakes Artemis' hand firmly, "Looked like Arabic to me. Bit of it on this letter too, as well as English." He holds the letter out for anyone to take. "Seems like someone's idea of a practical joke. I've got this friend, Richie, seems just like the sorta thing he'd do to me for a laugh."

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:59 am**

"How interesting, what does it say?" asks the countess, who had entered at the same time as Kate.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 4:26 am**

Artemis takes the proffered letter and read it quickly. He gave Hagan a puzzled look, and when one of the ladies asked what it said, he cleared his voice.

"There are parts of it that are in one of the languages of the lavant or of Egypt, I suspect." Artemis shook his head and began reading the letter when it was apparent that he had the various occupants of the station's attention.

You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرةIf you are reading this than it may not yet be too late. Know that you are not the first and that, for the war to end, you will not be the last either. The train will arrive at 8:30 but it is essential that you miss that train and return home as soon as you are able. You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرةThe longer you linger in the station before that point, the more difficult it will be to escape. You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرة I came here to help arrange matters and to assist with the vital preparations necessary to allow the glory of Great Britain to succeed and I have willingly and gratefully assisted my Egyptian allies in fighting off the Nazi threat but their methods are cruel and You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرة

"Surely, Mr. Hagan, if this is a prank, it is a poor prank and a significantly improper imposition upon the rest of us." Artemis shook his head looking at the letter. "And what's all of this about missing the train, I need to catch that to meet up with a friend at the British Museum tomorrow morning. I really cannot figure out what all of this would be about."

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 4:53 am**

Kate follows Ilona over to where the others are looking at the medallion. "Good evening," she says. "I'm Kate Lacey. Let's see what we've got here." She peers with interest at the medallion and the letter, the statue already forgotten thanks to this new and intriguing find. "Some sort of good luck charm, maybe?" Her eyes go wide when she reads the letter. "Whatever this is, it's related to the war effort. We'd best report it to the authorities. We could knock on the station master's door."

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:54 am**

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:20 am**

Ilona rests her statue in her lap and reaches out and takes the medallion. “Ah, thank you Mr Hagan.” She looks over the object and mumbles the writing as she’s reading it. “This seems to be written in Arabic, Mr Richter. Alzalam fireawn yahmini, or in English it would translate to Dark Pharaoh Protect me. Quite a, er, quite an interesting medallion Mr Hagen. May I ask where you found it?” She says taking out her glasses from her bag once more to take a closer look

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:57 am**

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:57 pm**

"T'was in those saddlebags miss, same symbol on them as well. If this isn't some prank on one of us I'm guessing that whoever it is for was s'posed to see that symbol. Look," Charlie holds out an open palm, "I'll take 'em upstairs and see if anyone's there, if they're British intelligence I'll hand 'em over, if they're a prankster I'll let 'em know they're all wet. Everyone good with that?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:07 pm**

"Makes sense, I guess, but I also think we should knock on the door of the Station Master for with a train about to arrive, surely the man should be here." Artemis handed back the letter and then walked over to the marked door for the master and rapped on its glass a few times. "Sir, Sir, are you in there, there seems to be something rather odd going on out here. Sir, sir."

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:56 pm**

Jonathan smiles as he reads the letter, half-amused, half-puzzled. "Well, I've got to admit, this might be the most elaborate prank I've ever seen in my life. It's not on me, though - I don't have friends around here. But still, very well done... the choice of words, the parts in arabic... one of you understands the language, yes? Miss... I'm not sure I got your name. Seems reasonable that this would be a joke from someone that knows you, and your knowledge of the language."

He hands back the letter to Ilona, then turns towards Artemis as he knocks on the station master's door.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:48 pm**

There is no response at the Station Master's door.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:20 am**

Ilona gladly lets Charlie take the medallion from her and hesitantly takes the letter from Jonathan. “My Apologies, it’s Ilona Aston.” She says, not looking up from the letter she was handed and furrows her brow as she quickly reads it.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:35 am**

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:50 am**

Artemis waited at the door when he heard no response. Then rapped the glass again and tried the handle to see if it was in fact locked. When the door failed to open, he turned back to the group with a look of frustration.

"Where is this man? He needs to be here for the passengers that would be arriving, if not for us?" Artemis scowled and came back to the larger group shaking his head.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 2:05 am**

"This should be reported to the authorities." Ilona says, she seems very uneasy. She hands the letter over to the person nearest to her, Miss Lacey. "I- I think I'll go wait out the front with my belongings."

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 3:34 am**

"Cheers." Charlie says as he takes the medallion, then heads upstairs.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 4:58 am**

"I'll try to find someone in charge," Kate tells Ilona as she takes the letter. "The passengers and crew on that train could be in danger, and they must be warned. It's odd that the station master isn't responding. That medallion is interesting, but like the statue, it is not as ancient as it appears at first glance. It's at most a few centuries old, and it looks like it may have been machined. The inverted ankh is Egyptian, but its usage there is far more recent. It's some sort of neo-pagan symbol of the sort that might be used by indigenous cults there, but the pentagram-looking thing seems Polynesian, though some coastal communities use it too. That symbol is a couple of millennia old, and it's believed to protect from drowning, birth defects, and deformities in adolescence. Either it's a fake, or someone who's into the occult decided to put these symbols together for personal use in the belief that it will provide protection, which is why amulets are often worn." She fingers her own St. Christopher's medallion, which is supposed to serve a similar purpose.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 7:25 am**

Waiting Room Description

Upon opening the front door you must then push aside a black out curtain to enter a small and dark ante-chamber with wooden partitions either side that run up to the ceiling. You wait there a moment for the curtain to fall shut behind you, ensuring no light can escape, and then you brush aside the next curtain before entering the main waiting room. Around four people can squish in here at once but it's better form to wait until the person, or couple, ahead of you have entered before entering yourself.

Once you've passed through this little ante-chamber, you find yourself in a wide room with scuffed floors and worn benches sitting back to back in the middle. More benches line the walls, with paintings of local scenes and nearby Plymouth adorning the brick above them. Naturally all of the windows beside the entrance door are covered in a heavy shroud of black cloth that blocks your view of the outside world and leaves you enclosed in this cozy little space.

The whole place feels quite warm and cheery due to the lovely big old fire burning on the other side of the building, flanked on either side by the ladies and the gentleman's restrooms. It's given an even toastier feeling because the whole room is bathed in a nice orange glow with very little competition - only one of the wall-mounted lamps is on and that's one of those nearest the door. There is a most peculiar odour of polish, cologne and saddlery, which might be caused by the pile of horse gear strung out over one of the benches which is most peculiar. A portrait of the British King holds pride of place above the fireplace.

The other doors here all have glass-frosted windows with black stencilling giving their labels. On the left are two doors and a shuttered window. The labels read Station Master's Office and Baggage Room where you can pay to store your baggage. On the right is a door to the restaurant. Near to that is a set of steps that head upwards to what would presumably be a few hotel rooms.

Places to Go:

NEW INFORMATION: Three women and a man are sitting or standing near the middle bench seats. One of those women holds a letter in her hand), while a second man (Artemis) broods near the Station Master's office. There's no sign of the third man (who the others know went upstairs).

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:02 pm**

After passing through the second curtain, Frank Durant walks into the waiting room, notices the other travelers in passing, and walks over to an unoccupied corner nearest where the train will board.

He double checks his ticket, glances again at his watch, and setting his suitcase down next to him (his trunk having gone ahead on the earlier train on which he arrived) he looks at any nearby paintings or photos while he waits.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:54 pm**

"Please, I want nothing to do with Terrorists or-or Dark Pharaoh cults."
Ilona puts the statue back in her bag and hurriedly exits the room out to the platform.

Posted: **Fri Jun 03, 2016 3:58 am**

"Perhaps the station master went to the gents for a bit," says Kate, "though he picked a fine time to do it." She turns to Artemis. "You could see if he's in there, unlike us. Mr. Hagan is already looking about upstairs. I'll visit the ladies' waiting room and see if there's anyone there."

Posted: **Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:49 am**

"Perhaps that new fellow over there knows something of the missing station master," says the countess to Kate, glancing sidelong at Frank Durant as he enters.

Posted: **Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:21 am**

'I agree, that may be where he is at. But, he's cutting it close if we are to catch a train in a few minutes." Artemis nodded in agreement to Kate's suggestion. He looked at his wrist watch, shook his head in disbelief, and walked into the Gentlemen's Restroom.

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2016 3:38 am**

"I think he's only just arrived," says Kate, "though it wouldn't hurt to ask him - and warn him of the danger. Would you like to, or shall I?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2016 3:57 am**

Artemis walked back into the waiting room with his walking stick taping out a staccato that accented the puzzled scowl on his face. In his left hand was filled papers.

"I think this is the oddest train station, Artemis spoke at the ladies and the new arrival. "I wasn't able to find the Station Mayer, but did find a stack of these rambling, bewildering I guess religious pamphlets."

He waived them out in front of him as he came to a stop near the ladies.

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:07 am**

The tapping of a cane stirred Frank from his thoughts. He looked up to see a gentleman waving around some pamphlets, and inside Frank hoped it wasn't a Bible-thumper trying to spread some "good word". He didn't have anything against Bibles....or thumpers for that matter. He just wasn't currently in the mood, and didn't want anything keeping him from a good seat on the train.

He thought one of the ladies glanced in his direction, which seemed unlikely, but he offered a small smile and a friendly nod just in case. He certainly didn't want to seem rude. But he also didn't want to seem like he was staring, so he quickly glanced back down at his watch, then went back to waiting for the train.

OOC: Can someone explain how to get an image in your post? Apparently I am doing it wrong. Thanks!

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:59 pm**

Well, this is getting better and better, thinks Jonathan as he reads the religious pamphlet. He can almost feel the ideas for a new novel gathering in his mind... the strange medallion, the mysterious pamphlets, the missing station master... then the train finally arrives, but once aboard the passengers start disappearing one after another... yes, this strange prank could clearly give him some inspiration.

"What time is it? I think the train will be here any minute now. Then the station master is bound to make his appearance... right?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:29 pm**

Artemis laughed aloud and then caught himself. "Sorry, sorry, it's just that we have all been trying to figure out where that man actually might be. As it seems he has left the station, and us waiting here without out him."

Artemis smiled and walked over to the new addition and extended his right hand. "Artemis Richter, welcome to our little strangeness."

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:09 am**

OOC: I am assuming Artemis is talking to Frank (as the new guy). If not, let me know and I will delete this post. Thanks. I am still getting the hang of things.

Anyone looking at Frank might notice he is just slightly below average in height, with a cheap ill-fitting suit that makes him seem just slightly underweight as well. Overall a very common looking person. Not unattractive, but certainly not attractive. Just your plain average Joe. Possibly a little more rundown looking than most. The only thing that might make him stand out is his strikingly black hair and moustache, and a quiet air of self confidence.

"Nice to meet you. Frank Durant here," he says taking the hand that was extended toward him and shaking it firmly.
"Who is it you are looking for? And what do mean 'strangeness'?" , he asked with a wry look still afraid that the man might be interested in saving his soul.

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 4:34 am**

"And I'm Kate Lacey," says Kate, joining them. She's a tall, pretty woman with black hair. She wears a black dress with a purple overcoat on top of it. The dress is elegant, but it is a couple of years old and slightly out of fashion. It probably would have a cost a year's worth of ration points these days and was obviously acquired before the war. "We're trying to find the station master. Here, I think you'd better read this. One of our fellow passengers found it." She shows him the letter.

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:45 am**

Frank Durant

"I am very pleased to meet you Miss Lacey", he says with a nod in her direction, "The Station Master? I was just talking to him not too long ago, I am sure he is around."

He pauses for a moment thinking.

"I saw two fellas earlier walking away from the station, but I think they were the drivers of the cars parked outside. Neither one looked like the Station Master though. I found it odd that they drove down, then walked to a car that was waiting for them back up the road a ways.....but I guess that doesn't help at all with the Station Master. I am sure he will be around. I have been here for a few hours, and he normally gets busy right before a train shows up, so he is probably just taking care of some last minute duties."

He takes the letter Kate Lacey was holding out, reads a few paragraphs, and scratches his head. He hands the letter back and says, "I am sorry Miss, I am not good with riddles and such. I don't actually know what to make of that. Where did you find it?"

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:27 am**

"Yes, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier... name's Jonathan Alden. What I meant earlier was that while we might not be able to find the station master, he surely must be nearby... and we'll be able to meet him when the train arrives." Jonathan shrugs while adding: "Unless he's also part of the prank, obviously."

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:34 am**

Countess looks somewhat puzzled by all this. "Prank?" Was all the Countess questioned in an almost rude tone.

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:14 pm**

"Well, yes, prank... what else do you think this might be?", Jonathan asks, puzzled.

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:24 pm**

"Gentlemen, I don't think that we are part of a prank," Artemis looked at both Frank and Jonathan with a seriousness that matched his robe. He leaned into his hardened walking stick, the light catching the silver adornments that said YPRES, AEF, PARIS, and other places. Some bore a patina that came with decades of exposure and polish. Others, like a Zeppelin or set of Olympic rings were much newer and the edges much more crisp catching the light at sharper angles.

"Good lady, is there any reason we shouldn't consider the letter for what it may be, a warning or dare say a plea? "

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:05 pm**

Frank Durant

"If you don't mind my asking, where did the letter come from? Who was it addressed to?", Frank asked.

The people now surrounding him were clearly from a higher social standing than he. While it didn't exactly make him uncomfortable, he was painfully aware that his opinions probably wouldn't matter much to them. But the ladies were more than attractive, and the gentlemen seemed like decent fellows, plus his blasted curiousity once again was getting the better of him. So even though he couldn't make heads or tales of the letter, and he couldn't even speak, let alone read, any foreign languages, he decided he might stick around to see where the conversation would lead. Of course the train would be arriving any minute, but maybe they could continue the conversation there.

Posted: **Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:51 pm**

"I didn't find it," says Kate. "It was Mr. Hagan who found the letter, and he went upstairs. I have no reason to doubt what's in the letter. Some of it sounds strange, but we can't afford to ignore the possible danger under the circumstances. That's why we were looking for the station master, to warn him. If this letter is right, something's going to happen to the 8:30 train. Maybe an act of sabotage, I don't know. But we have to warn people."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:07 am**

Frank Durant

Frank hesitated momentarily. Internally he was debating on whether he should tell the lady that he didn't find anything suspicious or dangerous about the letter. Perhaps just trying to calm her fears would be the best course of action.

"That certainly was an odd letter Miss. My take on it was that the person writing the letter seemed to want to meet with the person the letter was intended for, so he or she was telling them not to get on the train. There wasn't really a threat against the train, it just said to miss the train and then to go home, right? And the person writing it says they are working to help England, so if you believe the rest of it then you should believe that part too, I would think," Frank calmly stated, trying to sound reasonable about the whole crazy affair. "But if there is something I can do to help, just let me know and I will see what I can do."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:37 am**

Something small thuds against the wall outside, not far from the door.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:20 am**

Kate nearly jumps out of her skin at the thump, already frightened by the tone of the letter. "Sir, that's not the impression I got from reading the letter," she replies. "The author told his contact to go home, not to meet him - or her." She peers at the handwriting to try to determine if a man or a woman wrote it. "It also says that the longer he or she lingers in the station before 8:30, the harder it will be to escape. Escape from what? Something dangerous, obviously. No, there's nothing innocuous about this letter, and that's not even taking into account the Arabic portions, which I can't read. Miss Aston could, and she was even more terrified than I was. She rushed outside just before you came in, so you may have seen her. Right before she left, she said she wanted nothing to do with terrorists or Dark Pharaoh cults, so I suppose she must be trying to flee."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:49 am**

Ilona comes back inside, shivering. She doesn't have her coat on anymore and is rather pale in the face. She takes a seat slowly then takes a deep, controlled breath in and out.
"I think I really need a cup of tea." She says strangely cheerfully.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:53 am**

A clock chimes the half hour in the Station Master's office. As those chimes peel away, reverberating deep within them, there's four thudding great sounds at each corner of the wall beside the door, coming from the other side, and the heavy jangle of large steel chains.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:05 am**

"It's 8:30 already!" says Kate, even more frightened as she rushes for the exit. "What the devil was that? Someone's locking us in!"

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:24 am**

"No!" Ilona blurts out as she jumps to her feet. "I-I mean, I'm sure that's not the case! Here, I'll help you get it open, it's probably just the wind."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:08 am**

Frank Durant

Frank jumps at the thuds near the door.

"Ladies! Please wait! Gentlemen," he says speaking to Artemis and Jonathan, "Would you be able to secure the door for a moment?"

Without waiting for an answer he kneels down, quickly unlocks his case, and after rummaging around for a a couple seconds stands up with a Colt M1911A1 and rams some extra clips into his pocket. He then shrugs off his suit coat and begins to slip on his shoulder holster making sure that he keeps his eye on the door, and keeps arm free to take a shot in case German soldiers were to run into the station. He doesn't know what exactly is going on, but he wants to be ready, and to be honest he is now getting a little concerned between the strange letter, the odd noises, and the ladies yelling.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:25 am**

Ilona turns around and watches the man pull the gun out of his bag and with no further context to what’s going on starts to panic. “Oh dear, oh dear… I-is this a robbery? Please my bags are outside, let us go. Oh... Oh no! You're the terrorists?” She turns to Miss Lacey. "They're going to sacrifice us as apart of their horrid cult ritual!"

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:45 am**

It's even more worrying for the two ladies who are currently trapped in the short blackout corridor, the internal curtain flung roughly aside and thus still hanging open, with the stuck door at their back. There's the chug-chug-chuck sound of the train coming from outside and approaching the station.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:15 am**

Kate gently places her hands on Ilona's shoulders. "Try to stay calm," she says. "I don't think he's one of them, or they wouldn't have locked him in with all of us, even if he has a gun. There's too much chance we'd all be able to overpower just one man. If they want to kill us, all they have to do is burn the station down or blow it up - but I don't think that's their game!" she adds quickly to keep the other woman from giving in to deeper panic. "Maybe the train is their target, and they just want to keep us out of the way."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:55 am**

Artemis pushes his way through the curtains and the two ladies in an attempt to peer out onto the platform, pulling back the black out curtain with his walking stick and letting his eyes adjust to the darkness outside. He focused both his breathing and his thoughts to what lay outside and the sounds coming through the closed doors.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:07 am**

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:10 am**

Artemis shook his head in frustration. He leaned against the solid oaken door and pushed with his shoulder testing to see if the platform was no longer accessible to him and his fellow travelers.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:20 am**

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:44 am**

Artemis leaned away from the door and then slammed his shoulder and upper arm against the oak.

[dice]1d6[/dice]

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:46 am**

The door doesn't budge.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:49 am**

Artemis leaned away from the door, then with a huff slammed his right shoulder and upper arm against the oak.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:11 am**

Unfortunately his efforts spent, the second hit does no more than the first.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:52 pm**

Frank Durant

Cursing himself inwardly for being so hasty Frank angled himself to a window so he could peek out as he yelled, "Mr. Richter, do you see anything?"

He continued berating himself internally. He had started out trying to keep a low profile and not draw attention, and he ended up pulling a gun in the middle of a crowded station. But really...beautiful women, sophisticated gentlemen, a mysterious note, and a missing station master...what was he to think? Perhaps he should take a break from reading anymore Hardy Boys as this was sounding just like a synopsis for one of Dixon's books.

After peeking out the window he calmly turned to address Ilona Aston while still keeping an eye on the door, "I am very sorry Miss, I really mean you no harm. I am afraid my nerves got the better of me and I was swept up with all the mystery and intrigue. Just give us a moment to ensure your safety and I will put this bean shooter back where it belongs."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:34 pm**

The black out curtains are made into a wooden frame which makes them easier to move back and forth. Unfortunately you have to lever it out somewhat, rather than simply lifting a flap, which releases more light to the outside world. The train seems to be taking a long time to approach, you can still hear it, and it sounds louder and as though it were slowing down but it should have pulled into the station already.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:29 pm**

Charlie rushes down the stairs only to come up short as he notices Frank. "Woah, what's goin' on here?" he says, holding out his hands in a non-threatening manner. "I don't want any trouble, sir."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:27 pm**

Jonathan had been looking in disbelief at the scene in front of his eyes. Have these people gone mad?

He first waves a hand towards Frank. "Put away that gun... are you out of your mind? We are inside a railway station in England, for Christ's sake... what do you think it's going to happen, that would require a gun?". He then moves towards the door, and start knocking loudly, almost banging his fists: "Open the door! Is there anyone out there? Open the door immediately! This is not funny! We have a train to catch!"

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:21 pm**

Hearing his name from the other room, Artemis turns in frustration as the door did not even budge with his efforts to open them. He pushed through the curtain to find one of the new arrivals pointing a gun in the general direction of Jonathan and Charlie who had his hands up. Jonathan pushed past him and began pounding on the door as it appeared that Frank was going to put the gun away.

"Charlie, did you find anything upstairs? See anything out any of the windows regarding the train? Seems that the door got locked and shut from the outside." Artemis tried to keep his voice relatively calm, but his mind was spinning as to what was going on in the Station. "Any sign of anyoe else in this bloody place?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:38 pm**

Frank Durant

Frank pointed the gun at the ground, but held his other hand up in a "keep your distance" sort of gesture at Charlie Hagan. He had no intention of anyone wrestling his gun away at this point but he realized that keeping it pointed toward the door was just creating more anxiety and making him look like the enemy.

"You must be Mr. Hagan. Miss Lacey mentioned that you were upstairs and that you were the one that found the mysterious letter, yes?"

Addressing Jonathan Alden he began calmly, "Sir, you are correct that we are in the middle of a train station in England, but if you haven't noticed there is a WAR going on and there are blackout curtains on the doors and windows for the simple reason that we don't want to be a target for a German bomber, and anywhere a German bomber can reach there is also a possibility of German paratroopers. So between that, the concern and mention of sabotage, and the fact we currently seem to be locked in the station, this seems like EXACTLY the type of situation that might require a gun!"

He slumped against the wall, gun still pointed down, other hand rubbing his forehead.

He began speaking again, softer this time, "Mr. Alden, I beg your pardon. That was uncalled for. I assure all of you that I am not a danger and on the contrary I am just trying to ensure our safety. Please indulge me for another moment so we can make sure we are not in imminent danger, and I will put away my pistol. Ladies, I truly apologize for my rash behavior."

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:23 pm**

The train whistles away some steam as it finally chugs into the station, and you can hear its wheels slow as it moves into position. Beyond it you can hear the sound of chain links being rattled, which is odd, because there are no fences out there. The fire in the fireplace burns low for a moment and then flares back to its normal life. At least it's still warm and cozy in here. At least that's something.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:01 am**

"Can anyone see what is going on with the train? I can't get the door to budge at all." Artemis turned and looked across the room at the other inhabitants. "Where is that damned Station Manager?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:45 am**

Kate peeks out the window. "I see aught but fog," she says, "but I could hear the train pull in." She inspects the door closely. "Perhaps there's a better way to open this than by using brute force."

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:51 am**

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:06 am**

"Yes, we'll need some tools," says Kate, "but we can easily remove these doors since the hinges are on the inside. We might find them in the Station Master's office or the baggage room, but those doors are locked. The chains won't matter then. We can just pull the doors inside. Or we could wedge them outward as long as the chains aren't secured to the doors themselves. We could also try removing the glass, but that would make a lot of noise. These windows weren't designed to open. If you want to get a better look at the platform, we could move the blackout structure over a window, which will keep light from getting out. Or someone could just go upstairs."

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:09 am**

The countess rises from her seat after watching them all moving here and there, and slinks over to Frank Durant with a gliding walk. Her gaze catches his, and she asks, "Why do you have a gun?" A simple question, but her voice purrs around the edges.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:15 am**

Charlie drops his hands. "So some nutters have locked us up in here? I was worried something like this would happen."

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:59 am**

"Oh me. I'll go upstairs." Ilona, steps forward, hand half raised. She gives Charlie a sideways glance with a frown, then quickly heads out of the room.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:42 pm**

Frank Durant

Frank stood up away from the wall, looked the Countess in the eyes and said quietly with a sad smile"I used to be a private investigator. Things didn't work out."

He walked away from her, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, back to where his boot case laid open in disarray. Looking around and coming to terms with the fact that no one was currently invading the station he decided to holster his pistol. He then picked up his discarded suit coat and slipped it on, put everything back in his case, snapped it shut, and locked it.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:03 pm**

The train would be sure to leave soon. It would only wait a few short minutes before moving on.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:34 pm**

"So what have they done, locked the doors? Chained them? Barricaded them?" Charlie goes around to inspect the locks and apply pressure to the doors as he asks, trying to project an aura of calm.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:54 pm**

The doors don't budge. They're likely locked, but there may be an additional barrier as suggested.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:36 pm**

"Well, I want to get out of this place. Miss Lacey, you mentioned the possibility of forcing the door open from the inside, having the proper tools? Well then, let's find these tools. Surely we should be able to force our way into the Station Master's office", Jonathan says, then moves towards the office's door and slams into it with his shoulder, trying to force it open.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:24 am**

Thud, thud, crack. On the third time he puts his shoulder to the door, Mr. Alden manages to break the lock and the door bounces against a soft weight and swings toward a closed position once more. The vague scent of rancid butter mixed with some awfully strong perfume floats out through the gap.

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:24 am**

Artemis watched as Alden walked across the room to the Station Master's office and after juggling the handle throwing his upper body against the door. On the third try, the door opens slightly and the comes to a closed position. Artemis walked quickly, his walking stick tapping out his pace on the polished floor.

"Here Jonathan, let me see if I can help you with that one at least," as he approached Alden and the door he caught the odd combination of heavy perfume and rancid butter. He grimaced slight as he closed with Alden. "What is that smell? Let's see if we can get inside there and find those tools."

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:39 am**

Kate smiles, obviously impressed, as she hurries to the Station Master's door. "I was going to suggest picking the lock." she says, "but this way was quicker. A blow that strong likely would have broken open the front doors." She wrinkles her nose at the smell. "Yes, let's find those tools fast so we can remove the hinges. That train won't wait forever." She stands ready to follow Jonathan into the office.

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:56 am**

Catching the smell, Charlie frowns. "Hold on a sec. You know I found some torn up notes upstairs, they painted an interesting picture. I think whoever's locked us up are the ones who wrote those notes, and they mentioned the smell of rancid butter, apparently it hwralds a woman the person who wtote the note was quite afraid of... I'm sure some of you will find this idea preposterous, but I have experience with such thing and..." He pauses for effect. "I believe these people have been driven mad by restless spirits."

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 4:57 am**

Frank Durant

"Thank you Mister Hagan," Frank thought, "People probably no longer think I am the craziest person in the station."

He stared at Hagan trying to even comprehend what Hagan was talking about.

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:40 am**

Artemis leaned hard against the door looking at Jonathan, "Spirits or not, we need to figure out where the Station Master is, or where his tool box is in order to catch our train. Let's trying shoving this again Alden."

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:48 am**

The door opened about a foot before it hit the obstruction. A gentle shove should be able to move it, or someone could poke their head around when they open it next

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:51 am**

Artemis leaned into the door shoving hard against and pushing forward to where he could stick his head in to see into the room.

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:07 pm**

Frank Durant

Thinking he might as well be useful, Frank picked up his case and walked toward the Station Master's Office. When he got halfway to the door, the smell Charlie Hagan had mentioned assaulted Frank's nose. He wrinkled his face and paused for a second trying to place the smell right as Artemis stuck his head into the office.

OOC: In my earlier post when I said "...put everything back in his case..." I meant everything except my pistol and the extra magazines I had put in my pocket. Hopefully that was clear.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 1:24 am**

A fellow in Station Master uniform lies face down on the floor, sprawled out in the little office, one booted foot exactly where the door had bounced back before. He groans a little, shifting slightly at the rush of warm air, as the room he is in was quite chilled as though it were twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler in there. The air also smells strongly of rancid butter mixed with some awfully strong perfume.

The little office contains a telegraph machine sitting on a desk by a fabric-protected window with a typewriter in the middle, some paper, and two ink stands and some lists to the right. A kettle sits on a little gas stove (unlit) on the filing cabinet in the corner. A filing cabinet stands at the other end of the long narrow room with a small key rack above it, post boxes line the back wall while policies and procedures in poster form, alongside a calendar and a clock are on the other wall. (To search the room you should really enter the appropriate thread, but may read both. To drag him out you can simply keep posting here.)

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:11 am**

"We found him, he needs a doctor." Artemis stepped over the prone man and into the chilly chamber. As he did so, he yelled back over his shoulder, "One of you guys get him out of this room, another come help me search this place for some tools."

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:46 am**

Frank Durant

Responding to Artemis' call, Frank squeezes past, carefully takes the Station Master under the arms and slides him out of the room.

"Mr. O'Donoghue? Are you okay?"

Frank leans him up against a wall, and takes a minute (noticing if the person in uniform is not Mr. O'Donoghue) to check him for injuries, looks for blood, runs his hands over Mr. O'Donoghue's head to check for bumps, checks his eyes to see whether they seem to be focusing (if they are open).

Then loudly to the room he says "I am not a doctor, so if anyone else has any training that might help, feel free to step in."

Until someone else speaks up he continues trying to talk to the Station Master, asking him what happened, and continues to visually check for any injuries.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:48 am**

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:55 am**

OOC:

Laraqua wrote:
Is it Declan O'Donoghue?,yes it is though without his burn scars he cuts an attractive figure. Odd, though. There's no sign of the burn.

The button isn't working!!!
I had spent a point for info about him, and I mentioned that I spent time trying to talk to him, so would that help me figure out if it is really him?

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:01 am**

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:44 am**

Charlie waits for the station master to be moved, eyeing him curiously, befire wentering the room.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 4:57 am**

Kate has been standing paralyzed, but she finally snaps out of it. "Put your gas masks on!" she shouts, already taking hers out of its cardboard box and strapping it onto her face as she hurries over to the fallen station master and kneels beside him, starting to examine him. She acts quickly now, in full professional mode. "That rancid butter smell is likely butyric acid. If he ingested it, that could have also caused him to collapse. Inhaling it's harmful too. Also, that gas stove could be leaking! He might have passed out from it. Someone check the stove. If there is a leak, we'll need to get everyone out and ventilate the building. That means turning off all of the lights and then opening all the doors and windows. Anyone still upstairs should be safe from the gas, it's heavy." She takes a breath, filtered through her mask. "I'm a nurse. If none of you lot is a doctor, I'll have to do." She takes out her first aid kit and tries to help the station master, examining him to see if his symptoms match those of exposure to butyric acid.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 5:03 am**

NOTE: Most first aiders in WW2 Britain would know that gas masks couldn't protect against household gas (so you may want to edit your post). However it might protect against the heavier gases like that emitted by butyric acid so wearing them may still be a good idea. Gas masks are heavy, sweaty, heat up, and get a lot of condensation from your saliva (ensuring the inside gets covered in spittle) so enjoy that.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:28 am**

A woman's voice calls out from upstairs. "Hey! Hey, help ... stuck in here!"

It sounds like Miss Ilona Aston.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2016 4:54 pm**

Despite his earlier optimism, Jonathan is also starting to get worried as things get more and more crazy.

"Miss Lacey, it feels important to warn you that this person you're tending to is not the station master. I have no idea who he could be. Or why would he be dressed as the station master." Then he looks up to the ceiling. "Will go to the upper floor to check on Miss Aston".

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:54 am**

"Any luck with the Station Master?" Artemis asked aloud to the group as he and Charlie came back into the Waiting Room as he heard a woman yelling from the upstairs. "Is there someone upstairs? Who? We need to get everyone into one place and try to figure out this situation. We found a few things, but not tools or the like."

When he said "we" Artemis nodded over his shoulder to Charlie and pulled the time tables, the note and the silver medalion out and waived them to the group.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:05 am**

When Frank initially checked him for injuries, he noticed no bleeding or bumps. (Sorry, missed that check.)

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:52 am**

OOC:

Laraqua wrote:A woman's voice calls out from upstairs. "Hey! Hey, help ... stuck in here!"

It sounds like Miss Ilona Aston.

Sense Trouble roll,what she actually said was "Hey! Hey, help us! We're stuck in here!"

So how does the Sense Trouble roll work? Do we have to roll? Or do we roll only if we want to know whether there is a problem upstairs?
I am thinking after Alden's comment and the missing burn scars that Frank would stay with Lacey since Alden was going upstairs. Can we just say that?

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:02 am**

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:16 am**

"Thank you for the warning," says Kate. "Whoever he is, I still have to treat him. I doubt he'll be much of a threat in his condition, but as long as someone stays with me I should be fine. Yes, definitely go upstairs and check on Miss Aston. She's stuck up there, and so is someone else from the sound of it. You should both be safer from gas up there." She sets to work diagnosing, reviving, and treating the man in the station master's uniform.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:43 am**

The fellow sputters and moans a little, twitching and gibbering in a most unpleasant aspect in the nurse's arms as she holds him in a position that looks comfortable for him - but not for her - in order to keep his head off the ground for some strange reason.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:01 pm**

AS Charlie returns behind Artemis he can't help but comment, "Ooh, he's not looking good there. Do ya need any help Miss Lacey?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:05 pm**

Frank Durant

Frank had been just standing, staring at the Station Master's face. Even the mention of gas and gas masks had not penetrated his current fog of thought.

The call from upstairs seemed to register, and he tried to focus on what could be happening there.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:54 pm**

Frank could hear the same phrase as everyone else did, but couldn't make out the missing words.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2016 9:06 pm**

"Ma'am, Kate, is he going to make it? Artemis asked the nurse who was holding the rescued man in her arms. "Charlie I think we should go upstairs to check out what is going on up there now. What about gas?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:18 am**

Charlie nods and proceeds to bound up the stairs, "I reckon you two," he says to the other two men, "should stay down here though. Don't leave Lady Bathory and Miss Lacey alone."

Posted: **Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:11 am**

"I think he'll be okay," says Kate. "It wasn't gas after all that put him in this state, at least not directly, it was oxygen deprivation. The only thing I can think of is that the heavy gas must have displaced oxygen lower to the ground and pushed it higher, which is why I'm elevating him. Or maybe it binds the oxygen. His symptoms are similar to something high-altitude climbers might experience. If you want to help, I could use someone to assist me in keeping him propped up." She looks her patient in the eyes. "Easy, sir. Take gentle breaths, you're going to be just fine. Can you speak?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:38 am**

Frank Durant

Frank snaps out of his fugue. He was just about to head upstairs to question Mr. Alden about his comment when Charlie Hagan headed upstairs while suggesting someone stay downstairs with the Countess and Miss Lacey. What Miss Lacey was saying began to sink in and Frank went to assist her.

"Certainly, Miss Lacey", Frank said regarding her request to prop up her patient. He knelt down near her and the Station Master.
"Perhaps we could sit him up on the bench?"

If Miss Lacey agrees, Frank slips his arm around the Station Master to help him up and slowly walks him to the nearest bench.

Posted: **Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:11 am**

Artemis shook his head in more befuddlement than anything else at the news about gas. As Charlie bounded up the stairs, Artemis followed along as he realized that both Jonathan and Frank would remain below with the stirring man. He leaned onto his walking stick more out of habit, than need at this point. This is becoming stranger and stranger at every turn.

He worked his way up the stairs and looked about for Hagan.

Posted: **Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:59 am**

He licks bluish lips, eyes rolling in his sockets as he struggles to focus. Then he yawns, and his head lolls limply in her arms. He'll likely pass in and out of consciousness for the next minute or two as he regains enough oxygen for proper brain function.

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:51 am**

"Yes, thank you, let's get him to the bench," says Kate, bringing the man to the bench with Frank's help. She lies him down on it carefully; at that height he should have no difficulty breathing. Once he is in position, she takes her gas mask back off and returns it to its box. "Phew, it feels good to get that off! I think we'll be all right from any gas as long as we're not lying down on the floor or something. He should be okay, but I'll keep an eye on him and see if I can find out what happened once he comes round. We also need to work on getting that door open, or at least some windows."

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:29 am**

Frank Durant

"Certainly, Miss Lacey. I am happy to help."
Frank hesitated for a second.
"Did you.....meet the Station Master earlier today? Had you seen him? Was his....", he asked seeming agitated.
"Can gas....can it cause....hallucinations? And....can it affect multiple people in the same way? Or similar ways?", Frank continued.
"What am I even saying?, Frank asked as he turned and walked a few feet away.

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:36 am**

"No, I've never seen the Station Master before," says Kate. "Some gases can cause hallucinations, but not the kinds that might be at play here. Butyric acid doesn't do that, and nor would any gas leaking from the stove. That kind of gas you can't even smell, which makes it all the more dangerous."

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:24 am**

Declan O'Donoghue's eyes flutter open again and he mutters something in a low voice, fingers on one hand twitching and waggling as he does so. He seems to be struggling to wake up, fighting for consciousness, which suggests a man with a decent amount of willpower.

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 5:06 am**

Kate leans in close to hear what he has to say. "Did anyone check to see if the stove is leaking?" she asks. "If not, someone should do that. I'd do it myself, but I have to see to my patient." She focuses on Declan. "You're going to be all right, sir. How are you feeling? Did you just say you were filling with water? Drowning would explain what happened to you, except you were dry."

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:06 am**

He reaches for her face, fingers straining, though she's only a foot away it might as well be a mile. "Butter ... I don't ... she ... butter makes you drown!"

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:49 pm**

Frank Durant

Frank looked even more confused after Kate Lacey told him gases didn't cause hallucinations. But fearing that a leaky stove could make a bad situation even worse he decided that was the most immediate threat.

"All right, I am going to check the stove. Yell out if you have any problems and I will come running."
His eyes dart toward the stairs wondering what could be keeping the rest of the group. Maybe two of them could hit the door at the same time, or use one of the benches as a ram.

Frank briskly walked into the Station Master's office and began checking the stove.

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:54 pm**

Trying the dice again....

OOC: I don't know what is up with the dice roller. It kept telling me the roller didn't work so I kept retrying. Obviously take the first roll that you can see working, thanks!

Posted: **Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:28 pm**

"That must be the butyric acid," says Kate. "I recognised the smell. Did someone force you to drink it somehow? You mentioned a smiling woman. What did she look like? Is she the one who did this to you?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:33 am**

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:48 pm**

Frank Durant

Feeling light-headed and slightly nauseous, Frank cast one more quick look around the room (again mainly looking for local maps or photographs of the Station Master with burn scars) he grabbed anything that seemed like it would be of interest, then exited the office shutting the door behind him.

"Good news, Miss Lacey. The stove is not leaking. On the other hand, our Station Master's condition seems even more odd now that a likely explanation has been eliminated. And I will be honest, I was feeling a bit light-headed in their myself," Frank stated while walking toward Kate Lacey.

"So how's the patient? And what is keeping the group upstairs?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 1:18 am**

There's a lot of paperwork in the various drawers that might have some value. There are no maps -- such things were removed from railway stations when war was declared. There is the timetable and record of actual train arrival and departure dates ... though you already know that you were catching the last passenger train from this station for the night. The next one will come through at dawn. Some of the other papers in the various drawers might have value, but you'd need to sit down to go through them all unless you know what you're looking for (Library Use spend to gather clues blindly).

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 3:45 am**

"He's slowly recovering," says Kate. "Now that he has enough oxygen to breathe, he just needs time. Hopefully he wasn't deprived of oxygen long enough for brain damage to set in. It's good that the stove's not leaking, at least. The butyric acid must be causing the lightheadedness, as it's concentrated in the office. Anyone spending any time in there should wear a gas mask. My guess is my patient must have passed out and fell to the floor, where he couldn't get any oxygen because the butyric acid displaced it."

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:26 am**

Frank Durant

"So what even is Butyric acid? Where does it even come from? How did it get in the room? Why that room and no where else? None of this makes any sense."

Frank paused for a second.

"Miss Lacey, I know we just met and I haven't given you much reason to trust me at this point, but there is something I must tell you. I have at times made a living as a photographer, and that is why I happened to stop at this station. The Station Master is a man of some repute in the photography world for both portraits and his haunting landscapes. But he is also known for pulling two servicemen out of a burning airplane, during which he sustained horrific burns. He did have surgery afterward, but he was left with scars on his face. I spoke with the Station Master several times earlier today and I would swear his face was scarred at that time. But look at him now! That is why I was asking about hallucinations, and I am guessing that is why Mr. Alden said this was not the Station Master!"

Posted: **Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:59 am**

"Butyric acid is a fatty acid that comes from animal fats that smells like rancid butter," explains Kate. "It's oily and colourless, and it dissolves easily in water, alcohol, or ether. It's used as an additive for all sorts of things: food, perfume, even fishing bait. When it's not diluted, it's a fairly strong acid. I don't know how it got here, but I'm guessing someone put it there, perhaps to incapacitate the Station Master - or whoever he is. You're the second person who knows of him and is sure he isn't this chap, so I'm inclined to believe it, especially considering that letter and everything that's happened since we got here."

Posted: **Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:33 am**

"The angels ... in your eyes ... they're going to eat me, convex concavity," mutters the man, twisting his head this way and that as though struggling within the confines of his own dream. His hands twist into claws and his gaze settles on his nurse, intense in the manner of mania or madness. "Why? Why? Why do you eat[i/] them?" He grips her collar tightly, jerking her toward him. "The dust burns like glass. Never ... eat ... it!" Before falling limply back against the bench.

Posted: **Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:05 pm**

Frank Durant

"Hold on!", Frank yelled as the Station Master grabbed Kate Lacey's collar. But by the time Frank was able to grab the Station Master's wrist, he had fallen back against the bench.

Frank looked at Kate and asked "Is that normal behavior as an after affect of butyric acid? Or perhaps the 'dust' he spoke of was cocaine? Would that seem more likely? This whole situation is really quite frustrating. Regardless, perhaps if he seems to be doing better you should put a little more space between you and your patient."

"What could possibly be keeping them up there..." Frank wondered, once again looking toward the stairs.

Posted: **Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:19 am**

Kate takes a step back in alarm when the man seizes her collar. "Thank you, sir," she says when Frank comes to her rescue, exhaling with relief. "Butyric acid doesn't cause these symptoms, but there are plenty of drugs that might. Or he could simply be mad." She examines her patient again, this time from a safe distance.

Posted: **Thu Jun 16, 2016 6:01 am**

Ilona bounds down the stairs and into the room. "I was told someone has the keys to the upstairs rooms down here? Oh my, is that man alright? Who is he? "

Posted: **Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:22 am**

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 2:45 am**

"That's the question, Miss Aston," says Kate. "He's wearing the Station Master's uniform, but he's apparently not the Station Master. He's recovering physically, but I'm concerned about his mental state. He's rather incoherent. I hope the oxygen deprivation hasn't caused brain damage. That might account for his state of mind, but perhaps it's some sort of drug - or he could simply be sloshed! Don't go too near him. He grabbed my collar a moment ago. Any luck upstairs?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 2:58 am**

Charlie slowly walks downstairs and in a voice lacking his usual bravado says, "There's a key in the bathroom... There's a key in a dead rat's mouth in the bath tub of the bathroom... and there's something in the water. They were feeding it." He visibly shudders.

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:21 am**

Frank Durant

"Wait...uh....what? What was in the water? What were they feeding?", Frank asked visibly stiffening and looking rattled.
He would have accused Charlie Hagan of being drunk, but something in the man's demeanor made Frank realize he was dead serious.

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:45 am**

Ilona closes her eyes, takes a deep shuttering breath and turns to face Charlie. "Do you know what the key is for?" She says, choosing to pay no mind to the disturbing parts of what Charlie had said. Without waiting for a response she turns to the other two again.
"I managed to open the window upstairs, the men are tieing together sheets to make a rope to climb out... Do we have a key to the other rooms? I was told someone down here had one..."

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 4:05 am**

"I don't know anything about a key, nor why we should need one," says Kate. "If we can get out a window, that's great! Plus, whoever goes down the rope could just remove the chains from outside. Whoever this chap is, he should be fully recovered by now. I don't think he's got brain damage. He pronounces all the words perfectly, they just...don't make much sense when spoken in that combination. I think he's just in shock. We should move him somewhere comfortable and less busy. Let's get him upstairs."

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:04 am**

It would be difficult to carry a man upstairs in a comfortable fashion without a stretcher. Especially with two young ladies (who are hardly labourers) doing the carrying with only one gentleman to assist. It would be far easier to move him somewhere about this very floor. Of course with a difficult Athletics check it would nonetheless be possible to take him up the stairs. As he's otherwise uninjured, it's not like they can hurt him ... unless he awakens partway up the steps and struggles overmuch. Always a risk.

Posted: **Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:21 am**

Charlie narrows his eyes at the man on the ground. "He's probably the one who burnt out those fucking rat's eyes in the first place. He's mad, right? How do we know he isn't dangerous?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 12:26 am**

Frank Durant

"Hang on now. How long has the train been out there? Isn't it odd that no one out there has come to the door and unchained us? Or at least pounded on the door? Are we sure we WANT to go out there? Even if there were no passengers wouldn't the train conductor expect the Station Master to pop out when the train shows up? What could possibly be going on out there?"

He turned and took a couple steps away. Then he turned back and asked "What if one or two people go out the window to see what is going on, and unchain or unblock the door while they are out there? That would be easier than trying to get all of us out and down safely, right? Once the doors are open the rest can just walk out if things are safe."

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 2:03 am**

"Well yes. I-I believe that's the plan. Where did this man come from? I don't suppose he came from outside... What if the station master is in a poor state in one of the locked rooms upstairs?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:47 am**

"On second thought," says Kate, "I don't think we can manage those stairs with him. Let's find somewhere else on this floor where he'll be comfortable. Perhaps the Ladies' Waiting Room, if there's nobody already inside, but that may be too big as well. The restrooms don't have anywhere he could lie down. Perhaps the restaurant, but it's locked. We don't know if he's dangerous or not. He did grab my collar a bit back, but he didn't hurt me, just startled me. I think he was trying to warn me. He was saying the dust burns like glass, and never to eat it."

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:57 am**

A small and dark ante-chamber is built into the room from the front doors to keep the light from inside from spilling out. The curtain at one end has been thrown askew, revealing the door which is chained from the outside. The room itself is quite wide with scuffed floors and worn benches sitting back to back in the middle. More benches line the walls, with paintings of local scenes and nearby Plymouth adorning the brick above them. Naturally all of the windows beside the entrance door are covered in a heavy shroud of black cloth that blocks your view of the outside world and leaves you enclosed in this cozy little space.

The whole place feels quite warm and cheery due to the lovely big old fire burning on the other side of the building, flanked on either side by the ladies and the gentleman's restrooms. It's given an even toastier feeling because the whole room is bathed in a nice orange glow with very little competition - only one of the wall-mounted lamps is on and that's one of those nearest the door. There is a most peculiar odour of polish, cologne and saddlery, which might be caused by the pile of horse gear strung out over one of the benches which is most peculiar. A portrait of the British King holds pride of place above the fireplace.

The other doors here all have glass-frosted windows with black stencilling giving their labels. On the left are two doors (one broken inward and then mainly closed, though still hanging ajar) and a shuttered window. The labels read Station Master's Office (broken door) and Baggage Room where you can pay to store your baggage. On the right is a door to the restaurant. Near to that is a set of steps that head upwards to what would presumably be a few hotel rooms.

Four of the would-be passengers are standing around a man in station master's uniform who lays upon one of the benches.

Places to Go:

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 5:52 am**

"Well, I guess the best we can do is keep an eye on him. I suppose if we had some sort of net or something someone could fish out that key... The train still being here is definitely weird." Coming back to his usual self, Charlie grins, "At least it isn't freezing in here, thank God for small mercies."

Posted: **Sat Jun 18, 2016 2:36 pm**

"Oh there has to be another key around somewhere! I'll leave you to get the one out of the bath tub, whatever that might be for, I'll look around elsewhere." Ilona says impatiently as she heads towards the station masters door. "The train might be delayed but it won't wait forever!"

Posted: **Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:42 am**

"If you're going in there," Kate warns Ilona, "make sure you put a gas mask on first. There's a strong concentration of butyric acid in the office. That may have contributed to this man's current state. Not the madness, but it could have made him collapse."

Posted: **Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:06 pm**

Frank Durant

"All right, how long is it going to take them upstairs? Do we want out? Maybe we see whether Mr. Hagan and I can ram open the door using one of these benches?"

Then he turned to Ms. Aston and said, "I am sorry Miss, what do you need a key for? What are you trying to open?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:17 am**

"Oh, I want to open the doors upstairs... I dont think I brought my gas mask." Ilona says as she rummages through her purse. "Oh it must be in my luggage outside. I'm sure I'll be fine if I'm not in there long... right? "

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:49 am**

"Here, you can borrow mine," Kate says. holding out her cardboard box with her gas mask, '"I had it on for a bit before, but I wasn't sick in it or anything."

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:16 am**

"Thanks." Ilona takes Miss Lacey's gasmask and puts it on before heading into the Station Master's office.

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:41 pm**

"I just... need to clear my head, excuse me." Charlie makes his way to the men's lavatory.

Posted: **Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:23 am**

Frank Durant

"This is the most ridiculous situation I have ever been in", Frank thought to himself as he watched people scurry here and there. Gasmasks on....gasmasks off...gasmasks on...rushing about like mad men and women. No one seemed aware of the concept of safety in numbers and people kept insisting on leaving and heading off to do their own thing. First there was talk of sabotage and cultists, and now they were treating the Station Master, an apparent victim of this whole ridiculous affair as if he was the enemy. Not that Frank wasn't keeping an eye on him too, but more because the situation had clearly unhinged the Station Master than any thought that he was part of the plot, or attack, or whatever was going on.

Frank felt that he was making Miss Lacey uncomfortable, but he didn't dare leave her alone with her patient. Or with Mr. Hagan for that matter. Perhaps giving her a bit of room would help put her at ease.

Walking over to the bottom of the steps, while still keeping an eye on the apparent invalid, Frank yelled up, "Hey, is everything alright up there?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:31 am**

Ilona steps back into the room, pulling the gas mask off as she does so.
"I have the keys, I'll go up and open those doors." She awkwardly squeezes past Frank instead of asking him to move

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2016 3:16 am**

"Right," says Kate, retrieving the gas mask. "We'll stay here and keep an eye on my patient."

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2016 4:55 am**

There is no response to Frank's enquiry for at least a couple dozen seconds.

Most frustrating.

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2016 6:53 am**

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:05 pm**

Frank Durant

"Miss Lacey", Frank said in an even tone so he wouldn't startle her, "It sounds like they were able to get someone outside, so if we hear the rattling of chains, or pounding on the door, it is likely a friend. We might be out of this nightmare before we know it."

But he couldn't help but feel like getting outside might be worse than staying in the relative safety of an enclosed area.

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2016 3:01 am**

"That is good news," says Kate with a grin. "Once they get the chains off, please help me with him so we can get him outside. I think some fresh air might do him good. I know it will me."

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2016 3:59 pm**

"Ah, excellent, hopefully we can still get on the mysteriously still present train." Charlie says as he returns from the bathroom, his timidity forgotten and a grin plastered back onto his face. "Though I do not have a ticket, obviously."

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:43 pm**

Frank Durant

Frank gives Charlie a wry look and says "I was just commenting on the fact that it is odd the train is still here, but no one has come to investigate our situation."

Posted: **Sun Jun 26, 2016 2:38 am**

"Yes, that is decidedly odd," says Kate. "I'm sure you'd be allowed to buy a ticket on the train, Mr. Hagan, but are you sure you still want to? We need to warn the people on the train of the danger, of course, but it would be risky to actually ride the train. On the other hand, it may not be safe staying here either."

Posted: **Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:17 am**

Frank Durant

"What danger?", Frank wondered, "What would we be warning them about? Is the danger on the train? Or is the danger in staying here? There are two reasons people chain doors. To keep things out, or to keep things in. And sometimes people chain doors to keep things in for their own good. What are the chains for in this situation?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 27, 2016 4:14 am**

"That''s right, you weren't here earlier," says Kate. She takes out the letter and shows it to him. "Mr. Hagan found this amongst the saddlery. It was a warning intended for someone unknown. I don't know whether it would be more dangerous to remain here or to take the train, but there's also the option of doing neither once we get out of here and going back into town. I don't know why were locked in here, but I think it was to keep us from interfering with something. Say, did anyone ever use the telegraph in the Station Master's office to alert someone and get the Home Guard out here? My guess is whoever chained the doors also cut the telegraph line, but it's worth a try."

Posted: **Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:01 am**

The letter:

The ink is faded though the paper appears pristine and brand new. It is quite a short read: You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرةIf you are reading this than it may not yet be too late. Know that you are not the first and that, for the war to end, you will not be the last either. The train will arrive at 8:30 but it is essential that you miss that train and return home as soon as you are able. You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرةThe longer you linger in the station before that point, the more difficult it will be to escape. You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرة I came here to help arrange matters and to assist with the vital preparations necessary to allow the glory of Great Britain to succeed and I have willingly and gratefully assisted my Egyptian allies in fighting off the Nazi threat but their methods are cruel and You are not the first. You are not the last. لم تكن الأولى. لم تكن الأخيرة

Posted: **Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:57 am**

Frank Durant

"Thanks Miss", Frank said as he finished rereading the letter and handed it back to her, "but I did have a chance to look at it already. I am afraid that is part of what made me a bit jumpy earlier."

"Miss Lacey, you seem to be a very independent woman. I mean, very sure of yourself, and intelligent. I mean that in a good way. Do you understand any of the mess that has been going on? I have been around and seen lots of things in the world. Wars...killing...disasters...and they all made a lot more sense than what is going on here."

Frank hesitated then spoke again, "One more thing Miss Lacey. About the Station Master. I know I mentioned his scars, or lack of scars. And I know Mr. Alden said this wasn't the Station Master. But....I think it is him. I think somehow his scars were healed. What other explanation is there?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:15 am**

"Thank you, sir," says Kate, returning the letter to her handbag. "I don't fully understand what's happening, but if this letter is to be believed, it's all to do with the war. My best guess is that there's some act of sabotage underway involving the train, which would explain why it hasn't left yet, and why nobody has come to investigate the station's doors being chained up and the Station Master's absence." She examines her patient's face. "It's difficult to heal scars, but it is medically possible. Skin grafts are one way I can think of. We use them to heal people who have survived being burned. However, with a skin graft there would be evidence of the graft - some sort of discontinuity between the original skin and the grafted skin. There's no way it would be completely undetectable. Where exactly were his scars?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:58 am**

Charlie, deciding not to interrupt their conversation, checks to make sure his bags are in order then heads into the booking office.

Posted: **Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:20 am**

Artemis walked down the steps leading back down to the waiting room. His walking stick tapping out a steady rhythm to his descent back to the larger group. When he came to base of the stairs, he looked about trying to determine who remained downstairs knowing that Aston and the Countess were still upstairs.

Posted: **Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:30 pm**

Kate and Frank stand near the unconscious station master. There's no sign of Mr. Hagan, though the door to the station master's office is a little more ajar than usual.

Posted: **Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:16 pm**

Frank Durant

"Mr. Richter", Frank said, noticing as the man came back down the stairs, "What's going on upstairs? I thought someone was supposed to be outside opening the door?"

Posted: **Fri Jul 01, 2016 3:44 pm**

"Sir, I can hapoly report that Jonathan is outside on the platform and has been fir some time. " Richter remained standing at the base of the stairs as he spoke. "However, after descending from the upstairs via the rope we made, he found the doors chained and locked. He said the train was stopped as well.

Artemis then walked to where the two were standing. He loward his voice and said, "the upstairs is in a state of disarray, and both ladies seem rather affected by the place. Ms. Aston wants to leave right this moment through the same window. I just came down to let you know that something odd has been going on this place before we stepped in. "

Posted: **Fri Jul 01, 2016 7:45 pm**

Frank Durant

"Was there anyone on the train that he could see? Anyone getting off to investigate why there is no activity at the station? Maybe the whole situation has me weirded out, but should some of us fellows go check the train before we put the ladies in a potentially dangerous situation? And we can't leave the station master, so should we write a note for when we leave with the train and someone comes tomorrow wondering what is going on?"

Frank finished his tirade of questions and noticed he was actually feeling a bit more relaxed now that an exit had been found. He didn't feel as much like the proverbial rat in a trap, and even if there was danger outside it would be better than sitting here with no options.

Frank continued after a brief pause, "I know Mr. Hagan mentioned some dead rats upstairs that sounded like they had been tortured. Do you think we should take photographs as evidence of whatever is going on here? I have my camera right here. I think if we show up with a mentally disturbed station master, with stories of the door being chained, the authorities might have some serious questions for us."

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 3:11 am**

"Pictures could be helpful of some of the rooms, as it does appear that some pretty strange things are happening, Mr. Durant. But, I am uncertain whether we should even think of getting on that train if I remember the letter we found correctly." Artemis shrugged and shook his head. He let out a loud, audible sigh. " I think we could get back upstairs and call down to Jonathan to see what he has discovered. Ms. Aston was pretty adament about leaving the building, and she may have already. The Countess was just following us about."

He looked about and still hadn't seen Charlie.

"I don't see Charlie, and I think we should talk a bit more about what he saw up there. I also am curious if anyone has tried opening the locked doors down here to see if there are any other clues as to what has been going on."

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 9:47 am**

Charlie leans out of the booking office and sheepishly asks, "Is it three dots for an S or three dashes?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 6:06 pm**

"I think three dots, then three dashes, but I haven't had to think about that in years, Charlie." Artemis responded. "Charlie, we got a rope tied, Jonathan is outside already, and said the train isn't doing anything at all. Not sure, but something is really odd upstairs."

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 7:21 pm**

Frank Durant

Now that things seemed to be settling down, Frank's curiosity was getting the best of him.

"No idea on the dots and dashes. But I haven't been upstairs yet, so what exactly do you mean by odd? I know there was talk of dead rats, and cultists, but what exactly are we dealing with?" Frank asked before pausing to catch his breath.

"And maybe if one of you would stay with Miss Lacey and the Station Master here, to make sure he doesn't have another episode, the other one could come upstairs with me to show me what you are talking about, and I can take some pictures as evidence for when we get out of this mess."

As he was talking he bent down and opened his case, pulled out his camera and a few rolls of film, and relocked his case.

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 8:21 pm**

"Well, I agree we should check back upstairs. Do we want to try to leave the building or search about down here? Anyone open the restaurant? Anyway, I do think getting some pictures makes sense, too. " Artemis paused, shifted his weight onto his walking stick for a moment. Actually, Frank, it might make sense to also snap a few pictures of those of us here... that way we have that too. As to upstairs, the room with the rope is covered in clothes of all types and styles. Someone papered the floor with the bible, and the bed...um...uh..." Artemis noticeably cringed and shivered at the thought of it and the wardrobe. "One of the rooms is rather well kept, ... eally odd.

"Yea, some pictures might make a lot of sense. We can also yell down to Jonathan to see what is going on on the platform. You know, it's kinda odd that the Countess hasn't come back down here. Artemis turned and looked back up behind him taking the time to turn on the flashlight and waive it about the stairwell.

Posted: **Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:40 am**

The stairwell is cast in gloom from being set back on the wall beside the fireplace but even without the flashlight he can tell that it is empty. So why does it feel so ominous? Why do the shadows take on a life of their own when he casts his flashlight away from it? Almost as though there were someone there, crouched and waiting, enjoying his discomfort. He can almost smell the scent of rancid butter ... though perhaps that's from the Station Master's office.

Posted: **Sun Jul 03, 2016 1:24 am**

Artemis couldn't see anything in the darkness, nor in the slice of light from the flashlight. But, something was there, the hairs on his neck told him something was there in the shadows, or it seemed to be. The odd odor didn't help and he had that feeling that he had gotten in the trenches in France, during that one odd visit to NYC when Jackson had been killed, and when he was in Berlin for the Olympics. Something bad was a foot, he needed to be cautious, calm, and focused.

"Charlie, hey if you are done in there, Frank and I are thinking two of us should head back upstairs to see if we can talk to Jonathan outside, and check on the ladies up there. Do you want to join us? Artemis raised his voice towards the door where he had seen Charlie vanish back into earlier. "Ms. Kate, do you think we could leave him and see if we want to all climb out of this place and onto the platform with the rope?"

Posted: **Sun Jul 03, 2016 4:19 pm**

Swinging the door shut behind him, Charlie returns, "Hm? Yeah sounds good. Best not to leave them alone too long. Just one question for the pretty nurse." He turns to Kate and casually asks, "that buttery gas, how bad of a sign is it that I'm getting a headache?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 05, 2016 3:31 am**

"We can't leave him here!" protests Kate. "We'll never get him up the stairs either, so we've got to get those doors open. If we had some tools, we could remove them from the inside, but if people are already out there, they might be able to get the chains off more quickly, either by breaking or picking the lock." She smiles at Charlie "Thank you, Mr. Hagan. You should recover from the butyric acid exposure, just don't expose yourself to it any further. If you go back into the booking office, wear your gas mask. Is the telegraph actually working? I'd have thought cutting the lines would be the first thing saboteurs would do. I know a bit of Morse code. My brother's in the Royal Navy, and he taught me. S is three dots, and O is three dashes. With that, you could at least send SOS. Better still, get them to send the Home Guard. Also, I know that V is three dots and a dash, like the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. V for victory."

Posted: **Tue Jul 05, 2016 3:46 am**

There's the sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor above. Almost as though a bowling bowl were being dropped upon the ceiling, one step, than the other, slowly and steadily making its way down.

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