So, what are we looking at captain?” she asked running her fingers through her hair, her gaze dropping from the seaplane in front of them to the work bench.
A gruff, annoyed voice replied “Well, they’re supposed to be mounting the next engine on that wing.”
He shuffled the schematics on the work bench in front of him, as his voice trailed off, watching the workmen crawling about the massive wing of the aircraft.
“Doesn’t look like they’re having much luck” she replied.
“No, they’re not” he grumbled.
On her starboard side by the passenger door, the number 26 glistened in freshly painted red block numbers. Her gaze drifted to the numbers.
“I keep telling you we need a name, it’s bad luck for a ship not to have a name.”
“Nonsense” he replied. “We’re not a ship.”
“It floats on water doesn’t it?” she turned to stare at him, any hint of humor vacant from her normally smiling features.
“Yes, but it flies, that makes it more a plane than a ship” He countered and smiled at her disarmingly, then turned his attention back to the workbench.
“Close enough” she retorted and turned to watch the workmen struggle with the engine. “Where’s Reggie?” She asked. “I haven’t seen him since we docked.”
“He’s at the maintenance barn, stocking up on parts, said something about having to get a new oil pump.” the captain replied.
“More like the tavern to get a drink” she grumbled. He acknowledged the subtle jab with a grin, “That too” he laughed. Their flying engineer was known to enjoy a good drink. Often having to be pulled drunk and out of mind the morning before a flight.
The “Twenty-Six” sat in the Chiselton drydock, her hull mounted securely on wooden blocks. Overhead a massive, new radial engine hung suspended from the drydock crane. Swinging wildly in the wind as the workers fought with ropes to keep it stationary.
“Maybe they should wait until the weather clears”. She remarked, watching the workmen struggle against the guide ropes. To the west, a bank of dark, wicked clouds shuffled over the mountains, heading towards them. From the distant horizon a rumble of thunder shook the ground beneath them.
“We can’t afford to wait” he replied. “We need to beat that storm and I sure as hell am not paying them to sit around.” He gestured to the workers who’d directed the engine directly above its mounting pylon.
His stubborn willpower was a constant irritation.
“Whatever you say Cap’, I’ll be at the inn.” She grumbled and stomped off.
Suddenly the wind caught the engine at just the right angle and swung it too far, bumping one of the workers off the edge of the wing. He hung suspended from the wing in his safety harness cursing as he spun in slow circles.
“Oh! That’s gotta hurt!” she heard the captain exclaim and laugh. Across the drydock alarms blared, and all work stopped to retrieve the worker.
Later that Evening…
The crashing of a door woke Lucy with a start, she sat up suddenly slamming her head into the shelf above the bed. “Damnit!” she cursed, hissing in pain.
“Lucy! Up Up Up! She’s ready!” The captain exclaimed, tossing her trousers to her.
She rubbed her head ruefully as the trousers flopped on her bed, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Squinting at the last rays of daylight drifting in through the deluge of water slapping against the window, she yawned.
“God damnit Cap, you know it’s bad luck to fly at sunset…”
He dismissed her concern with a wave, tossing her shirt to her.
“Nonsense! We’ve paying customers boarding, let’s go!” He disappeared out the door, it wasn’t an argument, it was an order.
“Just one night…” she sighed. Swiveling around, legs hanging off the bed.
“Can’t I have just one night? evening even? I’d take one evening….” She muttered, rubbing the welt on her head. Standing, she pulled her trousers up and looked around for her shirt.
Her eyes fell back on the bed longingly as she grabbed her shirt, slipping one arm then another into it and finished by fastening the buttons. Sitting back on the edge of the bed she slid her boots on and fastened the buckles, a loud snore erupted from the sheets inciting an eye roll, that bastard slept through it all.
“LUCY!” the captains voice yelled up the stairway, even more urgently then before; doors opened down the hallway in response, angry mutterings about the time of day and quiet oaths of violence. She stopped to look at herself in a mirror, pulling her black hair back in a tight ponytail; she forced a small smile on her face. As she eyed her reflection, outside the storm continued unabated, lashing the window. She tried to convince herself it was going to be alright. “It’s just superstition.” She whispered, the reassurance came half-heartedly; pulling her jacket on finished off her ensemble and she left the room. The stranger in the bed slept on, oblivious.
Outside, the wind whipped the rain into a sideways frenzy, sending curtains of water shimmering in the gas lamp light down the street.
“He wants to fly in this?!” she grumbled, leaning forward into the wind as she pulled her coat about her neck tightly and headed towards the docks. About halfway there, the wind switched direction and nearly blew her off her feet, plastering her face and hair with sheets of water. Lightning crawled across the sky overhead, thunder barked terribly. This had to be a sign!
The “Twenty-Six” rode in the water in its berth at the Chiselton docks, once its engine repairs were finished, the harbor master had coordinated its tow to the boarding docks. Now it rode proudly on the waves, bobbing up and down, rain streaming off her six propellers. The gangway to the massive seaplane’s passenger door rose up and down in time with the waves. Each rise and wobble causing the passengers struggling gamely to get onboard to stumble.
“Are we really flying in this?” she asked as she scrambled up the crew ladder to the flight deck, still dripping water. Captain Brock swiveled in his seat and grinned at her, his face still wet from the rain. Outside, rain pounded on the windshield as wind swept across the docks.
“In this headwind? We’ll be off the water in no time!” he replied as he turned his seat back around.
“Or crash on takeoff…” she muttered, hanging her coat in the back closet and sitting down in the copilots seat.
Brock pulled a receiver off the wall and keyed it “’ey Reggie, everybody aboard?” he asked, flipping switches as lights and dials flickered to life on the dashboard, the altimeter clicking audibly in the background as it zeroed itself.
“Aye cap, miserable lot they are too, one fell in! had to pull him from the water all a bitchin’ about the weather and how cold the water is, lookin’ like a buncha wet rats” the engineers laugh crackled through the receiver.
“You know it’s bad luck to fly without a proper name, right cap?” Reggie finished. Lucy turned to stare at Brock.
“Don’t you start too, we’ll be fine. Give the signal to loose the mooring lines” Brock hung the receiver back up.
“Aye Cap” the engineer replied but his voice made it completely apparent he wasn’t reassured.
Below, they heard the passenger door closing with a muted thunk.
“Hull secured and mooring lines disconnected Cap'.” Reggie’s voice filtered through the static of the receiver. Lucy sat back as she felt the giant plane start moving beneath her feet, the forward and backward motion moving in time as the nose of the plane rose and fell with the waves.
Then Brock spoke again. “Precheck good, let’s start ‘er up.” Outside the wind buffeted the airplane, bumping it up against the rubber stoppers mounted to the dock. Somewhere behind them they heard the groans of the passengers, then a disheveled looking man, clutching a top hat stuck his head in the door.
“Excuse me sir… Huurrkk” he held up a finger and disappeared, footsteps retreating down the hallway followed by the unmistakable sounds of a day’s meals being regurgitated into the latrine.
They both stifled a laugh as they fired the engines, one after another the radial engines rumbled to life, spraying the water behind them into waves. The vibrations rattled the ship from wingtip to wingtip then steadied as the engines settled into idle.
The same man from before stuck his head back in, pale-faced and near death, dabbing at his mouth with a white handkerchief.
“Excuse me sir… Uuuughhh…” he pursed his lips together and took a few deep breaths through his nose, looking down as he steadied himself against the bulkhead doorway. A few moments passed before he looked back up again, having composed himself.
“Is it safe to fly in this?” He gestured to the rain pounding on the windshield.
Brock refused to acknowledge the man, instead he grabbed the receiver from the wall next to him and keyed it.
“Reggie! Need your help up here!” The engineer appeared shortly, covered in grease and dripping water, mouth sounds filled the cabin as he chewed, slurping on a large pickled egg.
“You rang Cap?” he asked around a mouthful of food, the unmistakable stench of vinegar and egg wafting into the flight deck around him.
“Get our guest back to his seat Reggie, and chew with your damn mouth closed!” The engineer looked from the captain to the man and grinned, a bite of egg in his mouth.
“Aye Cap”. Reggie saluted “Come along now chum, follow ol’ Reggie, I swear on me mothers grave, we’ll get ya where ya need going.” He spoke around the food in his mouth, little flecks of yolk spitting at the man.
Wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulder, he directed him back downstairs ignoring the man’s protest.
“Oh… dear god what are you eating…” the man asked, covering his nose and mouth. Cries of dismay echoed through the door as the man threw up again, this time he hadn’t made it to the latrine.
“Oy steady on now!” Reggie’s voice filtered up to the flight deck.
“What a miserable lot.” Brock grinned as he swiveled a light to face out the window flashing a series of codes to the tug outside. Beneath them a small boat pulled them away from the docks, its motors churning the waters as it pulled the massive seaplane away from the dock and around to face the wind. As they settled on a slow, steady course Brock pulled the receiver from the wall again and flipped a switch on the control panel. His voice echoed through the interior of the aircraft, entreating the passengers to the most unusual, and alarming welcome message they had ever heard.
“Good evening everyone, this is your Captain speaking, and along with my First officer Lucy and flight engineer Reginald, we’d like to welcome you aboard the Twenty-Six.”
“We’ll be your crew on your flight tonight, our destination; Whiteboar Landing with service on to Verea, I suggest you not join us on the last leg of the trip but, let us know if you plan to continue on after Whiteboar. Flight time is roughly four hours travel time with optimal weather, so sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.”
Beneath the plane, the tugboat disconnected its tow line and arced away from them. As he watched the small boat navigate the waves, he keyed the receiver again. “As I’m sure you’ve heard in the local papers, disreputable types, air pirates and such, have been spotted along the southern merchant corridor, unfortunately, that’s the route we have to take due to this weather.” This caused a flurry of conversation throughout the passenger cabin.
”In the event of any hostilities, weapons will be provided to you by our Flight Engineer and defensive positions assigned as needed, if you have any questions please direct them to him. Oh, and travel time in this weather is roughly six hours, not four. Thank you”. The receiver clicked off.
A cacophony of protests and questions erupted from the passenger cabin.
Reggies voice filtered up from the passenger cabin “Get off yourselves ya cowards!”
They both laughed and he keyed the receiver again, “Buckle up please, we’ve been cleared by the harbor master for take-off.” He hung up the receiver and nodded to Lucy. “Let’s go.”
The engines rumbled angrily as they pushed the throttles forward, and the plane started forward. The outboard pontoons on the wing tips sliced through the waves as the plane plowed forward, the nose lifting and dropping down as it rode the waves. Then slowly, steadily, the giant plane lifted off the choppy surface of the water as its speed increased. The storm roiled and churned, tossing the plane around as it sailed into the night sky.
Stay tuned for Part II
