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Aquila IX – The Infiltration Begins

 By midnight the group had dined, rested, and prepared their weapons for the following day.  Wright had cleaned his firearms, but more to pass the time since Dr. Gammis had stressed the danger.  A stray bullet could ricochet or naturally hit something that would cause a chain reaction destroying everything within a five mile radius.  Instead they had borrowed swords and Doohan was carrying the shock mace.

   Bookworm and Mariah fit into the uniforms, but their disguise had needed work.  Beryl offered the most helpful suggestions and now, except for their faces, they would pass for a man in Progress.  They used scarfs to cover under their eyes, while Jim looked gruff enough. Hopefully no one would look closely at them while they escorted Dr. Gammis back to Aquila IX.  Not when Captain Dekkar and his team were being arrested as well.

    But their plans were on hold while the ice storm raged outside. Bookworm sighed while peeking out of the wooden windows.  “We know the storms are unnatural.  What can you tell us about them Dr. Gammis?”

    “No,” the doctor exhaled calmly as he sat far removed from the others in the kitchen.  “They’re manipulated at the station.  Regrettably we’ve never had full control of the crea-I-I mean.  W-we h-have a ma-machine th-that ma-manipulates a-atmosp-spherical pressure.”  Gammis laughed nervously into the awkward silence.

  “What are they keeping down there?”  Bookworm asked with a suspicious sidelong glance at Dr. Gammis.  “Should we be worried about more spiders coming to their aid?”  

   “Wh-What?!  No!” Gammis stammered and tried to reassure everyone. “Th-there is no fear of th-that.  I-Itsy would ne-never have harmed an innocent creature.”

  “That’s a bunch of baloney!” Tepic’s face turned red with outrage.  He jumped onto the table, but was pushed back to the floor by Sister Pankirst.  Undeterred by the crooked-nosed hag the boy stared at the scientist accusingly, “They killed and captured us urchins!  They even made a puppet outta poor Benjamin!” Loki lowered his head in respect for his friend who had died trying to reclaim Haven.  Dr. Gammis tried to explain himself, but Tepic spoke over him.  “And we figured what yer made ‘em for!  We knows yer were tryin’ ter catch more cloud angels!”

  “C-c-capture cloud angels!?”  Dr. Gammis sounded horrified.  “N-no!  You d-don’t understand!  Th-that wasn’t-I mean, if mi-misused they could bu-but-”

  The argument was cut short by the pressure wave passing through Wuldram Shores.  The ground the Cathedral rested upon shook, though the building remained solidly in place.  The companions moved quickly to gather their supplies.  Sister Pankirst put a firm hand on Loki and Tepic’s shoulders, preventing escape out the window or door as they had hoped.

   Wright and Dr. Falcon bid the others a quick farewell as they headed out the large exit leading back to the puzzle door.  Doohan, Bookworm, and Mariah wished them well as they climbed out the windows and landing safely in the snow.  The Shores-men exited the Cathedral through the front, breaking through the ice debris, and charging the occupied City Hall.  

   With Beryl and Yang already at the infirmary Tepic and Loki were left alone with the Sister and Dr. Gammis.  The timid doctor realized he was needed and rushed out.  It was his duty to report the rampaging Captain Dekkar to Ms. Whitesmith.

   Doohan led Bookworm and Mariah towards the mountain and kept against the rock wall.  Further down they could see a cave with an open hanger.  A group of men were already preparing airships.  “I wasnae expecting them ta be settin’ off after thae storm.”  

  “They’re up to something that is certain,” Mariah agreed as she checked her ‘borrowed’ rifle again.   “We rendezvous with Dr. Gammis on the tram?”

 “That’s the plan.” Bookworm hoped they got a better opening to slip inside soon.   Their opportunity arrived as Dr. Gammis ran to the pirates shouting that City Hall was under attack.  A woman in a red coat, with her brown hair in a bun, stepped forward calling back into the cave.  Armed men came rushing out, but the airship workers remained.

  “That would be Ms. Whitesmith,” Doohan said indicating the woman that stayed behind with the pirates to oversee their departure.

  “We’ll have to join the capture,”  Bookworm said as she moved towards City Hall.  “We won’t have a better opportunity to blend in.”  Mariah and Doohan followed her at a run as they quickly joined the forces approaching Captain Dekkar.  

                                       ***********

  Father Walstrand rolled his wheelchair between the shelves of the storage room as they showed Beryl the makeshift infirmary.  Yang was already sitting on a table sipping another soothing tea for his throat.  The nurse station was alphabetized as were the surgeon’s tools and antiseptics.  Everything seemed to be in order, except there weren’t any gloves that would fit their paws.  Beyond them were four rows of hanging curtains for patient beds.

  “All of the remaining patients are in critical condition, though some of them can speak.  No one else is available so you shall be alone,” Walstrand’s lisp carried a questioning tone as he looked at the ground where Beryl prowled beside them.  “As a ‘trained professional’ I trust you can figure out the rest from their charts?”

  “I should be able to manage.”  Beryl ignored the doubt the cleric had placed on their previous profession.

  The priest was not finished yet, “You will wash your paws and walk upright when dealing with the injured?”

 “Of course,” Beryl hadn’t forgotten basic cleanliness.  What they had not expected was a lack of plumbing.  There were sinks in the hospitals.  “Where can I clean my paws?”

 “There is a well spigot near the kitchen,” Father Walstrand said as he rested patiently in his chair, waiting for them to return.  The walk was uneventful, but the gallery was lively.  Pans clattered to the ground and the urchins could be heard shouting to get the ropes.

  “Do you need help in there?”  Beryl called out, but unsurprisingly the boys yelled out no.  Surprisingly, Sister Pankrist calmly replied no, but the offer hadn’t been for her.  Beryl shrugged as they rinsed their paws uncomfortably.  They had expected the urchins to have already escaped before now.  

  Ignoring the commotion from the kitchen, Beryl made their way back to the infirmary.  Their progression through the vacant hallways was interupted only by Jeffrey who emerged from a side room.  The large boy had changed from his simple wool covering in favor of a grey uniform coat bearing an unfamiliar sigil.  Mechanical wings attached to a figure shrouded by light soaring into the sky.  Beryl studied the symbol for a moment while Jeffrey finished suiting up.  

  “You work for Icarus Reasearch?”  

  “For the past year and a half,” Jeffrey said dispassionately while he checked his pocket for his cigars.  He took one out and put it into his mouth.  He mumbled with it resting there, “I passed their loyalty tests after the attack.  Now, I’m Captain’s insider.”

  Beryl frowned up at the young fellow.  Even standing on two legs the lad easily dwarfed the catfolk.  They were not happy to learn that Jeffrey was the ‘spy’ Captain Dekkar had been referencing.  There was something about Jeffrey they did not like, let alone trust, and did not appreciate their future rested in his hands.  

  The lad lit his cigar and puffed deeply before he departed, “Good luck curing the dead back there, cat.”

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