Patchwork Universe

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

Like a knife going through butter, Von Damme's dirigible smoothly penetrated the mists at the eastern end of the patch. Gliding silently over the railings, it floated over the light woods and the deep lakes, the wide enclosures and sporadic buildings and well-circumscribed pathways that made up the Zoo.

Twilight had fallen upon the area - Trubshawe was glad to see that the Zoo at least was keeping what he thought of as sensible time - and many of the diurnal animals had already retreated to their comfortable lairs. Even so the impressive extent of the Zoo's collection was obvious from this height, as was the fact that it fitted snugly into the nine square miles delimited by the mists. There were high spiked railings to keep unwanted visitors out on all sides, with a slightly less forbidding entranceway central in the south fence. In fact, with a god's-eye view of the entire site available to him, Von Damme couldn't help but feel that the whole place had been constructed with a good eye for defensibility.

A mixed herd of blackbuck and muntjac scattered beneath them as the zeppelin's night-black shadow fell upon them.

"Behold, the Zoo," announced Trubshawe. "Life in all its wonder and diversity, more full of secrets and lessons than a thousand poxy Museums. Welcome, Captain, to my world."

A strange light glittered in his eyes.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Von Damme smiled, as his suspicions were confirmed. This was Trubshawe's obsession alright. And the fortification - in Empire, this man would be calling himself The Zoomaster, and this would be his secret lair.

"I don't see a mooring mast - do I take it you don't usually expect airships here? No matter - where is a safe place to drop anchor?"

Yarrow · Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:21 pm Post subject:

Specks was hanging over the edge of the gondola, looking down at the Zoo with fascination. This was the place he'd been promised a job but ever since Trubshawe had joined them he'd judged it best to keep quiet about that.

Daltrey had seemed like a toff back by the Rag and Bone shop but he could tell that Trubshawe was a cut above him and von Damme the toffiest toff he'd ever clapped eyes on. These gentleman would give him a clip round the ear as soon as a job.

The way to work it, Specks decided, was to make himself so useful that they wouldn't want to tell him to hop it. No chance of that with von Damme, who's balloon was clever enough to make him drinks. But Trubshawe was bound to have dirty jobs he wouldn't want to lower himself to and dirty jobs were Speck's specialty.

Having decided to keep mum, he suppressed his urge to speak out as the dirigible floated past a familiar sight on the ground below. Blocking one of the gently winding paths of the Zoo was a garish red tricycle: an object Specks had last seen in bits and pieces about the back yard of the Rag and Bone shop.

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

"No, I can't say we ever expected many airships at the Zoo," Trubshawe replied. "But I can assure you that we adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances."

He gestured in the direction of a small cluster of buildings more or less in the dead centre of the Zoo.

"If you'd like to set us down there, in the administrative complex. You are welcome to descend and enjoy our hospitality yourself if you wish, though I must warn you that as a facility for scientific research we are not overprovided with creature comforts."

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Von Damme skillfully piloted the zeppelin to the suggested area.

"I'm afraid this might cause a small amount of damage to the lawn" he said, as he flipped a switch. There was a whoosh, as a compressed air cannon fired a harpoon deep into the earth. The cable connected to it reeled in, pulling the airship close to the ground. A couple more switches lowered the ladder, and a set of stablising legs formed from magnetised flexible chains, much as the rope ladder was made solid.

"There. A perfect landing, if I do say so myself."

"Please, Mr Trubshawe. I would be honoured to be a guest at your facility."

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

Trubshawe nodded approvingly at Von Damme, and chivvied the Assistant Zookeepers out of the gondola.

Once they were all back on solid ground, he breathed deeply of the good Zoo air and announced his plans.

"Sir, now that I am back I must check our security status and debrief my personnel. It shouldn't take an excessive amount of time; you may feel free to take a look around while I am thus engaged. After that, even though nightfall in these parts is a highly localised phenomenon, I do intend to catch a few hours' sleep later tonight. But before then I would be glad to spend some time in conversation with you. There is much that you would be better off hearing from me than one of the many costumed lunatics that populate these lands. Of course, in the long run you will have to see it for yourself, but forewarned is forearmed."

The Head Zookeeper folded his arms behind his back and rocked himself backwards and forwards on the soles of his feet.

"If there's nothing else you need, I'll escort these two oafs to their proper stations and return to you shortly."

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

"By all means, set your affairs in order. The zeppelin is no mere means of transport, it serves as a base of operations. I shall be quite comfortable until you return. I have myself had something of a full day, and some sleep would doubtless do me some good also. Perhaps you could send one of your men to wake me, and we could discuss these matters further over breakfast? By then, I shall have had time to reflect, and have relavent questions for you."

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

"Very good," Trubshawe assented.

"In that case, we will speak again in the morning. Daltrey, and you, whatever your name is, to me!"

Trubshawe touched the peak of his cap and strode towards the office complex, his two assistants jostling at his heels. A set of automatic doors swallowed them up and Von Damme was left alone in the deepening dusk of the Zoo.

[OOC: Trubshawe & Co move to a new thread, "This Had Better Be Good"]

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Once Trubshawe had gone, Von Damme removed the goggles he had acquired from Kirby, and began work improving them. They had many good features - telescopic and microscopic modes, light intensification and filtering, even a crude form of thermal sensing. The whole, though, was packaged up in a crude manual focussing and control system which made Von Damme sneer.

Von Damme worked into the night, installing tiny servo motors and transponders which allowed the goggles to be controlled directly by the telefactoring system which controlled the robots.
---
He stood on the observation platform , and surveyed the park, with quite amazing detail. He was well satisfied. The accident might still be causing his curious negative vision, but with the goggles now moderating light levels at the speed of thought, overall his vision was superior to any normal man's. Once more, Von Damme had confounded Kirby's plans with his own brilliance.