The Cassowary's bridge is enclosed; Did Toff shoot through the glass?
The Cassowary's bridge is enclosed; Did Toff shoot through the glass?
MacAndrew quickly computes the external atmospheric pressure and estimates our condition if cabin pressure is equalised to match. Assuming we would find the air breathable and we have means to vent our current overpressure safely, he'll do so; if that's not possible, reduce pressure to the equivalent of three miles above sea level: seventeen inches of mercury. That will leave us better than fifty percent of our usual ration of oxygen. Meanwhile he will loudly discourage Toff from either shooting through or breaking the cabin windows, and order our helmsman to keep us in front of the large airship. Gunner, acquire your target and load solid shot - a round through that gasbag would force him down in short order. Hold fire for the present, though.
Useful website: MacAndrew can do sums like this in his head, of course.
Librarians rule, Oook
Boyd says crisply, "Aye, sir," and does as he was ordered.
That's a "duh" on my part.Originally posted by Peeta Mellark
I totally forgot that we are no doubt at a high enough altitude that we wouldn't be out in the open due to pressure/oxygen limitations. So scratch that.
He will still alert everybody to the fact that the distressed ship isn't acting very distressed.
No need, Toff's not dumb enough to that (don't blame him for the inattention of his player).
"Acknowledged, Mr Toff. Let's not be hasty - this could already be evidence of the very shenanigans we were sent to look for. Will you please watch the Pinguinus for any evidence of overt hostilities?"
Last edited by Malacandra; 03 Apr 2011 at 02:52 PM.
Librarians rule, Oook
Nate decides that staying quiet and out of the way is the best course of action for him as there he is little he could do in this situation.
He starts trying to rack his brains as to where he may of heard of Captain Piero before.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Braces for impact. Rifle ready.
"Gotcha, McAndrew. They haven't made any hostile motions yet, but I'll sound the alarm if they do."
Venting the pressure in the cabin of the craft seems to work quite well. It's not as comfortable as it had been, but there's no impairment to the crew. While it may not be preferable for extended flight, it has notable advantages in battle.
Nate has no recollection of Captain Piero or the large purple dirigible [henceforth the LPD]. It may be that the airship was recently stolen and given a new envelope to change its appearance.
At the captain's order, both guns on the port side are fired at the LPD. One strikes the envelope. The hydrogen within doesn't ignite, but a slow leak is made. The other shell strikes the gondola beneath, going through what can be assumed to be the bridge. The LPD begins to turn, readying its own guns. The movement is slow, giving the Cassowary time to react before they'll be in position to fire.
The smaller dirigible that isn't smoking [SD] is somewhat faster and fires. A shell strikes the Cassowary's cabin, damaging the outer wall of the sick bay. The impact shakes the ship, causing Klara and Lefevre to nearly fall and Nate to bump into the wall. None of them are injured.
On the starboard side of the Cassowary, Toff will see the Pinguinus dive below them suddenly. There is the sound of another round being fired and the SD explodes into flames as its envelope is struck by one of the Pinguinus's guns.
With battle joined, Boyd will coolly maintain a steady and aimed fire at the LPD until ordered to stop.
Smythe will reach out to try to help Klara and Lefevre to their feet, as he braces for more unfortunate impact.
Nate will steady himself and then offer assistance to Klara and Lefevre should there be another shock.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"If possible, Mr Boyd, please force the purple dirigible down in such a manner as to admit the survival of her crew - though I fear there is nothing we can do for the poor devils aboard the other vessel. However, it seems that the Pinguinus is on our side, at least."
Last edited by Malacandra; 05 Apr 2011 at 09:40 AM. Reason: quotes
Librarians rule, Oook
"Bloody Hell! I wasn't expecting that one! Anyway, enemy of mine enemy is my friend and all that. Let's see what's going on in said enemy's environs, eh?"
*Toff starts surveying the LPD through his scope.*
Lefevre thanks Smythe and Nate for the assistance and finds something solid to hold onto out of the way, not wanting to go too far in case someone is injured.
The Cassowary manages two more shots before the LPD positions itself for firing back. The Pinguinus fires as well. With the merciful efforts to drive the LPD downward, it takes more damage to the gondola instead of the volatile envelope. The Pinguinus is still struggling in the air and can only hit the bottom of the gondola now as the smaller rotorcraft drifts further downward.
Through his scope, Toff will be able to see activity on the bridge of the LPD. An anachronistically dressed man in a dark suit and a Beau Brummell inspired cravat is angrily gesticulating at the crew as people rush around frantically.
Four shots are fired by the LPD. The impact can be heard coming from below, but not felt. It seems the LPD targeted the Pinguinus.
The harpsichord music starts up again. Then the voice. "We must rrrespectfully withdraw from battle! You have won this round, ugly bird, but may yet lose your sister!" With that the dirigible will begin ponderously turning away to attempt fleeing.
The smoking dirigible is lowering itself to the water below. The flaming one is crashing.
Move so that we have a clear view of the Pinguinus and see if she requires our aid - it is enough to have driven off this eccentric harpsichordist for now, and I do not believe we have a mandate for more than self-defence. If the Pinguinus is in no immediate danger then we should prepare to receive survivors from either of our damaged enemies. Don't be too misled by the flames - burning hydrogen ascends rapidly and if the crew survive the impact they are quite likely to escape being burned.Spoiler (mouseover to read):
Later time-frame, but a surprising number of the Hindenburg's passengers and crew escaped.
Librarians rule, Oook
"What the bloody Hell? The don of that airship is a right toff! E's even wearin' a cravat like it's a dobbin or such. Good on us that it appears we've shakin' 'im a bit, though."
"..tha's somethin' alrigh'," Lore agrees from his station. "N'way in 'ell'm lettin' somethin' like tha' take me out."
Boyd ceases fire and double-checks and reloads the cannon, but is ready to resume fire if needed. His expression is grim. This is not the first airship disaster he's seen.
"I'd assume rope or ladders are stowed somewhere on the ship for transport when we can't land? If they can't or won't come aboard of their own will, I should probably assess them for injuries before we attempt moving anyone." The doctor pauses, giving Toff a somewhat bewildered look at that description.
Klara has kept out of the way and close to a wall since she nearly lost her footing, despite her curiosity about the LPD's mechanical voice enhancer. She hasn't been around gunfire before, and is visibly alarmed.
After hearing Toff's latest outburst, she turns to Dr. Lefevre - "Was that English?"
Dr Lefevre frowns, uncertain. "If I understand correctly, the captain of the ship attacking us was dressed up with a neckcloth. Like a...horse?" Cockney rhyming slang loses a few things in a second language.
Nate provides a Cockney to English translation for Klara and Dr Lefevre.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Whatever's needed," Smythe grunts, his weapon still fast in hand. Preparing to land and act as rescue... or to lower his weapon if they will be barreling along their plan elsewhere. His eyes were on the Captain to see the decision.
When they once again get the Pinguinus in their view, they are able to see what damage she took. One rotor has ceased working, making flight erratic and wobbly. One whole side of the craft is peppered with holes now. However, it does appear that this is another advantage the heavier-than-air crafts have over dirigibles. Because the rotorcrafts are not built to be as light as possible, it has held together much better than a dirigible could have under a similar assault.
After a moment, the other craft will again attempt sending a message by Morse code. Their attempts remain awkward, but the letters are recognizable. N...A...V...H...U...R...T.
The burning dirigible manages a controlled crash into the water below. The less damaged but still smoking dirigible descends nearby, tossing ropes to their fellows.
"We might seriously want to consider boarding them at this point. The Pinquinus doesn't look like it can survive another barrage. Let's give our foe something else to concern themselves with, especially before they have time to regroup."
"I believe our foes to be rescuing their comrades and their main ship has left the area. It would be highly unsporting to fire on those helping survivors, even if it is their own men. If their Navigator is hurt, I would suggest leading them to land, and then assisting them there as best we can."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"I disagree, we should disable that vessel, not shoot the men, but the air bag itself."
Dr Lefevre looks genuinely offended by this turn of discussion. "It is uncivilized to attack those who are helping the fallen. You do not shoot at rescues. If their ship is strong enough to fly them out of here, all the better. It's one less distraction for us, while we should be helping the Pinguinus."
"Quite. I have been placed in charge of this vessel and my orders stand. Signal the Pinguinus to follow us and leave the dirigibles to their own affairs. The less-damaged one is the only succour the other one has."
Was the NAVHURT signal from the Pinguinus?
Last edited by Malacandra; 08 Apr 2011 at 11:01 AM.
Librarians rule, Oook
Sorry, yes. The Morse code came from the Pinguinus. The two small dirigibles haven't made an attempt to communicate yet.
"Given th'way they're flyin' now, Cap, I'm no' sure they'd be able t'land even if they follow us. If they don' hurt themselves, they migh' ram us, too."
Meaning, at least to Lore's mind, they can take the risk of leading the Penguinus to a safe landing. Or, take the risk of trying to dock with the other ship and rescue her crew.
They are currently closer to the North Foreland on the Kent coast (i.e. back to Britain) than they are to any continental shore. The Pinguinus looks somewhat unstable, but they aren't losing altitude. With the damage to the other rotorcraft slowing it down it may take up to an hour to fly back to the North Foreland. An alternative would be to fly to the south-east to the Belgian coast. It's a longer trip for the Pinguinus, but gets the Cassowary closer to their own goal.
There are ropes and hooks that could be used for docking in flight if they so choose, though of course this carries risks if the other rotorcraft loses control.
"So Captain, Kent or Belgium?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Kent. The Pinguinus is short-handed and plainly in difficulties, so we'll get her to friendly soil as soon as possible, and have a word with the men aboard her. We can survey our own craft for damage while we are at it. Assuming all is well, we can have a little try at seeing what way our good Cassowary will carry later."
Librarians rule, Oook
Dr Lefevre turns to Nate. "Assuming Miss Weber can detect mechanical failures through the Babbage engine, why don't you and I examine what we can along the port side to look for physical damage? I think Misters Toff and Smythe are better suited for lookouts up here."
Returning to his station, Lore quickly re-plots a course, taking them safely to Kent. Since the Penguinus is without a navigator, he returns to the window, and sends a simple signal. F-O-L-L-O-W.
"We're all set fer Kent, Cap'n. I kin stand by an' relay instructions to th'other ship if they're strugglin'."
Toff keeps his scope trained on the main enemy.
"Before we do anything else, we might want to talk to our main foe. Maybe we can get them to surrender to us. Besides, it'd be nice to know if they're acting on their own accord, or if they're mercenaries."
Last edited by Hoopy Frood; 11 Apr 2011 at 09:01 PM.
"A splendid idea Doctor, let us leave those more capable than us to the tasks at hand and see if we can find where we were hit."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Boyd will stand by his guns, and keep an eye out for any further attacks.
Smythe waits, obediently.
Klara nods at Dr. Lefevre's suggestion and heads back to make sure the Babbage engine isn't throwing out any alarming messages.
Klara doesn't find anything alarming about the mechanical operation of the ship. According to the Babbage engine, everything is still operating properly.
Nate and Lefevre find some damage on the outer wall of the sick bay. The shell that struck the wall cracked it to the point that air is now whistling through steadily. It looks as though it should hold together, though the room is very unpleasant to be in while they're in the air. It is cold and windy.
The Pinguinus is able to limp along behind the Cassowary. It does take a full hour to reach the coast and they touch down on a field alongside an orchard. The Pinguinus has a little more trouble with their landing, but manage. As soon as it's settled, one of the crewmen from inside climbs out to rush over toward the Cassowary while waving his arms and shouting in German.
Klara, Dr. Lefevre, Boyd, and Lore are all able to understand him and easily translate for the non-German speakers. He is shouting that his navigator, Uwe, has passed out and has been bleeding.
Dr Lefevre will grab the prepared bag of medical supplies and run out to go help, unless someone has any objections.
As we are now on the ground, Nate will go round to the outside of the sick bay to see what the damage is like.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
The other navigator is injured, but there isn't much Lore can do about that. Now that they're grounded, Lore will instead start going through the ship inside and out, looking for damage, checking to see if anything's shifted dangerously in the public areas.
He may be overstepping his bounds as navigator, but he does know a bit about repairing the ship. Plus he's not one to stand around twiddling his thumbs.
I can assist if help is needed for repairs.
Klara goes in search of Frau Friedrich, to let her know that the doctor may be needing her assistance.
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