2 comments/ 4688 views/ 5 favorites Old Sins Cast Long Shadows By: Lost Boy All characters are 18 years or older. Please vote this is for the Halloween contest, thank you. Dramatis Persona: Members in Good Standing of the Orcus Club Sir Niles Lindstrom: Treasurer and Grandson of Lord Alfred Lindstrom Cofounder of the Orcus Club Sir Thaddeus Black: Cartographer and Adventurer Sir Richard Abbott: Equestrian and Crack Shot Sir Alan Croft: Linguist and Semiotic [symbols, signs and signets] Sir Thomas Drake: President and Grandson of Lord Charles Drake Cofounder of the Orcus Club Notable Others: Lady Elinor Lindstrom: Sister of Nigel and Gifted Medium Lady Felicity Croft: Sister of Alan Croft and Mistress Gunsmith Mark Trent: Expert Guide and Smuggler Anna Louise Dupuis: French Model and Exceptional Artist Captain Archibald Knox: Master of the HMS Raven Malice Scott Strange: Chief Engineer [Mary Alice] * Present Day: The Year of Our Lord 1896 St. Mark's Hospital had been established a little over a century earlier. It was known for its quality care and more so among the elite of the British Empire for its unwavering discretion. Sir Thaddeus Black, well it was now Lord Thaddeus Black. His recent appointment to the House of Lords was a clear sign of his rising status within the mechanizations of the Empire. He was looking forward to his upcoming birthday and since it was his fiftieth it would be a glorious spectacle. His burnished boots were polished to a mirror bright shine. These boots resounded on the stone floor of the foyer and echoed quite nicely, he thought. He was dressed in his finest to see his old friend. One of the nurses recognized him from his frequent visits and approached him smiling. "Lord Black," she said in greeting. "He is waiting for you on the third floor. I think you should know he had a very troubled night. If he is a little groggy it is for his own good. The doctor believed it was best to keep his outbursts to a minimum." "I understand," Lord Black replied in his cultured baritone. "I am, as always, deeply in debt to you and the entire staff of St. Mark's." "Thank you Lord Black," she replied. "Please follow me and I will take you to him." "Lead the way good lady." They took the lift to the third floor. The floor was restricted to specific staff and only a very few visitors. The nurse guided Lord Black to the locked wing of ward nine. Ward nine was for the worst of the worst. Not only were the patients children of the Empire's elite but they were also quite dangerous. In some cases it was what they knew that made them perilous. In other cases they possessed homicidal tendencies and had even acted upon them. The nurse produced a key from around her neck and unlocked the double oaken doors. She opened them and the cacophony of voices hidden behind the sound proofed doors filled the air. "Dear God," Thaddeus gasped. "It never fails to shock me." "Nor should it," the nurse agreed. "A fine cultured soul such as yours is hardly expected to tolerate such things." The nurse closed and locked the doors behind them. Her presence in the ward had a strange calming effect. The cries and screams became whimpers and groans. Thaddeus looked in the eyes of the mad and his heart went out to them. These poor souls had endured God knew what form of mental torment. His own experiences were still raw even after twenty five years. It was the last of these moments that had pushed poor Alan over the edge. He shuddered as he fought off the ghosts of years long dead. A shadow passed over his face and he balked for a moment. But he dug deep and remembered his promise to his oldest and dearest friend. He would visit and he would remain Alan's anchor and lifeline to the outside world. The nurse opened the door to the visitation room. There strapped to the wheelchair was Sir Alan Croft, brilliant linguist and master of ancient symbols. His snow white hair had been recently cut and his facial hair trimmed handsomely. You would never know that he was three years Thaddeus's junior. He was dressed in his favorite smoking jacket and his eyes were glazed and fixed. It was the gag that made it all crystal clear. He was to remain silent for all of their sakes. If he uttered what he had seen he could contaminate not just the other patients but the staff as well. "You have one half hour," the nurse said as she left Thaddeus alone with Alan. "Thank you nurse," he said and once she was gone he removed the gag. "Hello Alan." "Thaddeus, is that you Thaddeus," Alan asked in a distant voice. "Everything is so foggy. My mind feels so numb." "It is for the best old chap," Thaddeus explained as he always had. "You know things that could have terrible consequences. Are they treating you well?" "I suppose so," Alan replied after a long silence. "The food is palatable and the nurses are attractive enough. They have of course limited my reading material quite a bit." The two men chuckled at the last remark. Thaddeus walked over the great bay window that overlooked the park below. Alan was quiet as his visitor pondered killing his old friend. With his increasing age came a greater chance of disaster befalling innocents. If he was being honest with himself he was growing fearful of Alan Croft. Thaddeus placed his hands in his pockets and the cold reassuring feel of the pistol bolstered his resolve. "It is just the two of now isn't it Thaddeus," Alan asked in a cool almost metallic voice. "I heard that Felicity hanged herself. Pity, she had such a lovely neck." "Alan! Show some respect for the dead! She was your sister for God's sake!" "Which god are we talking about Thaddeus? We both know better now don't we. So did poor weak Felicity. That's why she stretched her own neck after all." "There needs to be an end to it, old man." Thaddeus said as his fingers wrapped around the grip of the pistol. "I am glad we agree on that," Alan said as Thaddeus spun around to face his oldest and dearest friend. Thaddeus faltered as he saw the dread transformation that was now plain to see. Sir Alan Croft was gone and in his place something dark and terrible. The eyes blazed with an infernal light and his appearance was now gaunt with the skin pulled tight around his skull. The temperature had dropped and Thaddeus could now see his breath as he brought his pistol up and took careful aim. "I see you are still carrying around that Webley," the thing that was in Alan's body growled. "Are you going to shoot me Old Man?" "Yes, something I should have done decades ago," Thaddeus said through clenched teeth as he squeezed the trigger. "Die you monster!" The bullet struck true and pierced the things heart. But the icy cold laughter continued as the thing snapped its restraints and stood up. It shambled towards the terrified Lord Thaddeus Black. The thing reached out for him with talon-like claws and it was muttered forbidden syllables of a language dead a thousand centuries. "I anoint your body Thaddeus for the Old Gods. I have offered them your soul as payment for what is to come. You are damned Lord Thaddeus Black!" The Webley spoke four more times before the naked nails of the thing clutched Thaddeus's head. A dark energy coursed through his body for a moment and one final time the pistol spoke and this time the bullet found its mark. It had crashed into the brain of one Lord Thaddeus Black. The nurse yanked the door open and found the two corpses in the intimate dance of death. She cried out and shouted for the doctor. He arrived less than a minute later. He checked for signs of life and shook his head. "Damnedest thing," he muttered. "Croft is dead, has been for hours. His body is stone cold to the touch. Who brought him into this room?" "I did doctor, but you must be mistaken. He was alive and well just one quarter of an hour ago." "You must be mistaken nurse. Alan Croft has been dead a lot longer than that." "He spoke to me," the nurse insisted. "The dead do not speak Nurse. You must be mistaken. Am I understood?" "Yes doctor," she replied. "Poor Lord Black, he learned of his friend's death and committed suicide. That is what will be on my report. Are we agreed?" "Yes doctor," the nurse agreed. HMS Raven: 1871 Maiden Flight [Destination Cape Colony, South Africa] She was the pride of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the HMS Raven. She was the Empire's first flying vessel. Her keel was a little over 77 feet; her gun deck measured 102 feet, her beam 30 feet and her hold was 12 feet high. Due to weight restrictions she was lightly armed and armored. She also carried a crew of only 60 including her captain and chief engineer. The pageantry present at her christening counted among its dignitaries Sir Houston Stewart, Admiral of the Fleet as well as the Leader of the House of Lords Granville Leveson-Gower the Second Earl of Granville. The Queen herself was present and would christen the air ship. There was music and fanfare as the moment drew nigh. The crowd gathered round grew silent as Victoria took up her position and she greeted the captain and chief engineer of the air ship. "Your Majesty," Captain Archibald Knox said in greeting. "Captain, tell me about this fine vessel of ours," she asked as she looked at the ship. "She is to be the first of many, we hope, we will be able to map the empire with greater ease and greater accuracy. We also hope she will revolutionize warfare. Think of how a fleet of such ships raining down death upon your Majesty's enemies." "That does please us," the Queen replied with a noticeable smile. "Who has made this modern miracle a reality?" "I have your Majesty," replied a short hooded figure wearing goggles with dark lenses. "Who is this... person?" Victoria asked with a prominent eyebrow raised. "This is Malice Scott Strange, chief engineer." Captain Knox replied. "An unusual name for an unusual person," the Queen said. "You have Our thanks Chief Engineer. Let us send your ship and crew away with all the blessings and good will we can muster." Victoria turned and addressed the crowd. "On this day, the 4th of May in the Year of Our Lord 1872, I name this ship Raven and may God bless her and all who sail upon her!" The cheer from the crowd was thunderous as the last of the crew walked up the gangplank and the mooring ropes were cast off and pulled up. The great air ship HMS Raven rose up, its engines started and the twin propellers in the rear began to spin. With another roar from those assembled the vessel rose up even higher and began its voyage to the colony of the Cape of Good Hope. The ground fell away as the captain shouted orders to the helmsman. The craft turned southwards and was soon over the Thames and the weather was perfect for the launch of a flying machine. Below deck the chief engineer monitored what the crew lovingly called the infernal machine. A nervous finger tapped at one of the gauges and the arrow moved a few degrees towards the optimum setting. The sixty man crew had already taken up their assigned positions. Ten were in the rigging of the ebony balloon that allowed the craft to defy the laws of God and man. The cargo netting allowed the crew to keep a look out for leaks, birds or any other hazards. There was the queer hexagonal pattern over the balloon itself. Those that asked the engineer learned that the copper webbing carried electricity collected, through a process called helio vlasfimia or sun damn, by the balloon to batteries and the ship's engines. There were ten others that were on lookout for aerial hazards such as buildings, weather and the like. Ten men per shift volunteered to help the three chefs that would feed the entire crew. You might ask why men would volunteer to help cook but the food provided for the Raven's crew was as fine as any noble might expect upon their own table. A happy crew was of great importance to both the captain as well as the engineer. It was the engineer that had not only designed and built the ship but had a hand in the shakedown cruise and the course the ship would eventually take. These facts were not well known, in fact only the members of the Orcus Club that had provided the funds for this project and a few select others knew who the engineer really was. "Malice," the captain said as he entered the engine room. "I hate it when you call me that," the engineer replied. "It is Mary Alice as you well know." "Do you think things would have progressed as smoothly as they have if I had called you by your Christian name before the Queen?" "No," she replied as she tugged back the hood and removed the goggles. "As always you are wise in the ways that completely elude me." "Don't frown," he said laying a hand on her diminutive shoulder. "Your father, God bless him, would be proud of you." "Thank you Captain," she said smiling. "How fare our guests?" "They are on deck and getting their cloud legs," he replied smiling. "I guess I should speak with them and explain our agenda." "Just be a love and keep them out of my engine room." The captain laughed as he turned and left her to her work. He climbed the steps and stiffened his resolve to greet the civilians on his ship. It was highly irregular but they were necessary to the success of the mission. The captain steeled his nerves as he approached the group of nobles and their French whore. Maybe he was being a bit harsh on the woman but there was history between the captain and France. "Ladies and Gentlemen," the captain said in greeting. "Captain, what a fine vessel you have here," Alan Croft replied. "Too true," Niles Lindstrom smiled as he shook the others hand. "She's a beauty!" "Let me do introductions all around," Thaddeus Black offered. "This fine young man here is Sir Alan Croft, one of my oldest and dearest friends. This is his sister Felicity as well as Elinor Lindstrom. Standing next to her is her brother Niles, Thomas Drake and Richard Abbott. Mark Trent and Louise Dupuis are the two staring out over the side just now. Mark has a ton of experience in deep dark Africa and Madame Dupuis is a gifted artist and is going to help us with the mapping aspect of this mission." "Thank you Sir Black," the captain replied once he had finished shaking hands with noblemen and their siblings. "We have a mission to begin so please feel free to enjoy the view but do keep clear of the crew as they perform their duties." The captain left and the members of the Orcus club that had been selected to join this mission called for a bottle of wine to toast the crew and her mission. A few minutes later, with glasses filled, they toasted the mission as well as the imminent arrival of Alan's birthday. Alan reached into his pocket and removed the small package he had received just before the ship had taken to the air. It was simple wrapped package about the size of a snooker ball. Felicity saw the gift and urged him to unwrap it. A chorus of voices joined in and Alan relented. He took out his folding knife and cut the knotted strings carefully. He folded the knife and returned it to his pocket. He opened the paper revealing the silver locket. It was elegantly decorated and two words etched into the cover, Nosce Te or Know Thyself. He opened it and smiled. "Who gave you the box old boy?" Niles asked. "I don't know, there wasn't a note," Alan replied. "Early wishes and all that," Thaddeus added. "I have a good feeling about this journey." "Happy Birthday brother dear," Felicity added as she kissed his cheek. The crew moved around the static bodies of the nobles. The Raven was over the English Channel long before dusk and leaving England behind them. The crew and officers alike were eager to see the charts that they were carrying improved because of the aerial reconnaissance they would be providing. This was an exciting time. The captain was even able to tolerate the French whore on his ship. He had seen examples of her work and even he had to admit she had a gift. But he left the day to day interaction with the members of the Orcus Club to the ship's chaplain. He was after all a member of their secretive group and best suited to keep them out of the crew's way. Their first stop would be the Ardennes that bordered France and Belgium. The watch was ordered to keep an eye out for the heliographs. They would signal them with weather reports, any troop movements and the first supply pick up. They had to practice lowering and raising gear from the earth to the ship. It was decided that practice in stable environments was required for the times when they might be forced to resupply in hostile situations. It was just after nightfall when the flashes of light were seen below them. "Captain, we have received our first message," the lieutenant cried out. "We appear to have excellent weather ahead and our supply sight is prepared and ready." "Good news," the captain replied. "Make for the Ardennes and maintain our current altitude." "Aye Captain," the helmsman cried out. "Maintain speed and altitude. Set course..." The captain smiled as the well-oiled machine that was his crew performed their duties. He was as proud of them as if they had been his own children. The Raven turned as it adjusted its course and the evening meal was served. The officer's mess was loud as the men recounted the first day's events. They praised the improvements the chief engineer had added to the Raven and hoped they would be adopted with the ocean going fleet. The members of the Orcus club sat at their own table along with the elderly chaplain as they discussed what Nile's had called their end game. "The tablet is very specific," Alan spoke low as his hands gestured energetically. "The triple mountain can only be seen from the air." "And this hidden valley is where we will find the temple," Thaddeus asked making eye contact with his childhood friend. "Exactly," Alan nodded as he smiled. "The Club will claim the treasure and it will fund future projects such as this," Niles explained as the club treasurer. "Think of what we can accomplish." "I just want to make sure we get there and home safely," Richard Abbot added. "All the treasure in the world won't do us any good if we run afoul of a determined tribe of hostile natives." "That's why I am here," Felicity Croft said smiling. "I have some brand new pistols and rifles for the club and crew to train with." "Felicity, that is just so... unladylike," Elinor grimaced. "A lady does not work in a smithy, just the thought of walking into that kind of dirt and filth makes me ill." "If the captain were to learn you had visions they might string you up as a witch old girl," Felicity fired back. Elinor's mouth snapped shut and her cheeks flushed. Felicity gave her a hug and apologized for the crass comment. Thaddeus poured another round of wine and all was forgiven. Alan and Felicity left the meal and went topside while the others went to a small well decorated room that offered the men a place to smoke. Elinor and Anna Dupuis returned to their room to stay out of the men's way. The ship possessed a demarcated structure. The women had their own sleeping space, bathroom facilities and they were allowed to dine in the officer's mess. The two exceptions to this iron clad rule were the smithy and the engine room. Felicity was a rare woman and actually owned patents to cutting edge weapon designs. While the outside world heralded the genius of Alan Croft it was his sister that had created the weapons being tested onboard the Raven. The Master of Arms and Master Smith protested a woman entering their domains. That was until she uncrated one of her rifles and pistols for their inspection. The Master of Arms snatched the lever action rifle from her grasp. He looked it over and soon the cruel curse of her sex was forgotten. The smith examined her pistol and she explained how the cylinder revolved allowing a soldier to fire six rounds in a very short period of time. The firearms were designed to use the same caliber of bullet to maximize efficiency. Old Sins Cast Long Shadows It was just before midnight when the Raven dropped anchor above the mountain cliff. The arm of the boom was swung outward and the ropes and nets were lowered so the crates could be brought skyward to the airship. The operation went flawlessly and the crew gave a shout of relief. The captain handed over command to his second as he caught a few hours of much needed sleep. But not everyone was sleeping that night when they should have been. She made her way to what the crew called the lady's head. She was wearing a thin cotton robe since it was so damn hot. With every passing hour they grew closer and closer to the equator. It seemed like it grew more humid and warmer with each passing minute. She opened the door and slipped inside. The toilet took up its place in the corner of the bathroom. Since space was so limited aboard the ship they couldn't afford to install a proper tub. Instead the chief engineer had placed a shower for bathing. The floor had a drain just below the shower head. She stripped down and placed her sweat soaked clothing on a hook. She pulled the chain and the cold water began to flow. She let out a squeal of surprise as her nipples hardened but the water felt amazing. She lathered up her petite frame and looked around when a sudden creak caught her attention. The lantern illuminating the shower cast shadows everywhere. A man could be hiding anywhere watching her wash her body. The naughty thought blossomed in her mind and she began pleasuring herself. 'Are you watching from the shadows,' she thought as she cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples. 'Can you see how wet I am?' She bent over and reached between her legs and gently pulled her labia apart. Can you see my pink little pussy? Damn I am soaked to the bone! God I could take a cock to my core right now with ease! She slid two fingers into her cunt and began fucking herself. I hate this! I need a man... a real man like my brother. Now he has a cock! I've see him fucking the help since he was old enough to know what goes where. It is so long and thick and would fill up my pussy so very nice. Oh you wicked girl you, fantasizing about your brother's cock! You will surely burn in hell for that! Her fingers were working their naughty little magic and she was so damn close now. She looked down now and saw the legs, those hairy masculine legs. "Oh, it's you," she whispers as he pulls her hand aside and places the tip inside of her. "Are you going to... UNNNNN... fuck me..." She clamped a hand over her mouth as his hands grabbed her hips and began thrusting into her. His fat cock stretches out where only fingers have ever ventured. Her cries are blessedly muffled behind her hands as he thrusts harder and faster now. They are grunting in perfect timing with the pleasure he was giving her. He never says a word. He doesn't need to. His long thick thing speaks volumes to her. Her body shakes as she climaxes but he never slows down. His thing is hitting so deep it seems impossible. She nearly faints when she feels his cock grow even thicker. He pulls out of her and spins her around. He is stroking his erection and the head is pointed at her face. She closes her eyes and a moment later warm thick spunk hits her cheeks and lips. "Whore," is all he mutters. He dresses and leaves her shaking as she sits on the floor of the shower. She licks his cum from her fingers and lips. Is this what love tastes like? She touches her sore cunt and shivers. I am a woman now and a whore, his whore. She likes belonging to someone. Would he return the next evening? Oh God she hoped so. She finished and returned to the room she shared with the others. It was her secret, the secret that would spawn her wicked dreams. The broke their fast as they passed the island of Corsica. By midday they would reach the northern most coast of Africa. They would slow their speed and begin their mapping routine. The captain would put the French whore to work. They would take on drinking water over the city of Tunis. Then they would begin rationing everyone's intake for the next ten days until they reached the Cape of Good Hope. They were making history and children would remember their names for the next thousand years! "The captain seems in good spirits," Thaddeus commented as they ate breakfast. "Indeed he does," Niles agreed. "I will take that as a good sign," Alan added as he stared at the open locket. "If the master of the ship is happy then I am happy." "Well said," Richard said raising his glass. "Here's to a content captain," Thomas toasted. While the men talked about the mapping mission the ladies plotted mischief. Malice went to work below decks maintaining the infernal machine as well as the engines. Anna joined the ladies in a game of cards until they reached the coast. The three chatted as they played and the talk eventually drifted to the fact that someone had disappeared for nearly an hour the night before. "Well," Anna asked. "How was it?" "You don't really think you can keep secrets on a ship do you," Elinor added. "You spied on us didn't you," Felicity said eyes narrowing. "It was impossible not to," Elinor admitted. "I almost joined in," Anna admitted. "A specimen as fine as that is hard to find, I should know." "Who was it," Elinor asked. "All I could see was him from the back." "Yes do tell," Anna begged. "No, I won't deny what happened but I will keep his identity secret." "I don't blame you," Anna said after a long pause. "If I had exclusive rights to that, I'd be selfish too." The rest of their talk was about sex and poor Elinor, being the only remaining virgin, could only listen and feel that wicked heat grow between her legs. When they reached Tunis and stopped for water poor flustered Elinor disappeared behind closed doors. The crew took on water but they also found a few crates of oranges as a gift to the masters of the flying ship. The superstitious Tunisians saw the dark balloon and believed it was a storm cloud the English had somehow bound to their service. The captain felt that was as good an explanation as any. They hauled up the anchor and headed towards the continent's interior. Four Days Later: The storm came out of nowhere. Everything had been going so well but it all changed after midnight. The night watch saw the flashes of lightning off in the distance. They woke the captain and he alerted the entire crew. It was their keen observations and his quick thinking that saved lives. The winds began to gust as Malice drove the ship's engines into the red zone trying to flee the sand storm. The three of them drove the Raven to its very limits. Malice manned the infernal machine, Anna had memorized the ship's maps and shouted out course corrections and the captain manned the wheel and piloted his ship to safety. If any of them had hesitated or doubted the others the ship would have been destroyed by the wall of blistering sand. Anna guided them to the safe side of a rocky outcropping. It is here that the ship dropped altitude and used the stone like a shield. "I take back all the times I called you a French Whore," the captain said as the worst of the storm passed them by. "Pity, I guess you'll never know now," Anna said with a fabulous smile. "We are going nowhere," Malice called from the engine room through the speaking tube. "I will tell you when we can move." "Clear the bridge," the captain ordered and as everyone left he placed his hand on Anna's shoulder. "Oh no, not you..." "Oh Captain my Captain," she moaned as he leaned down to kiss her. Malice took the wrench and began opening up the infernal machine when the lewd noises drifted down from the bridge. The talk tube remained uncovered and it was obvious what was occurring up there. Seriously, you pick now of all times to fuck like animals. What is wrong with you people? It does sound like she is having a good time. Malice continued to work and open the access panel but damn it the noises were blunting her normally razor sharp concentration. She could feel her tight little cunt getting wet. "Son of a bitch," she cursed. "I can't keep going if they keep making those filthy squishy noises." "Chief, are you alright," Warren asked. "You look angry." "Warren," Malice turned to face her junior engineer. "How long have you been working for me?" "Um... let me see, six no seven years," he said quite pleased with himself. "Why?" "Well, it's like this... no, I need a great big... aw fuck," Malice looked up at the six foot muscle bound lug. "Warren do you have a girlfriend?" "Oh no Chief," he said blushing furiously. "I am too shy for that sort of thing." "Are you a virgin Warren?" Malice asked licking her lips. "Well... you won't make fun of me will ya?" He asked and she shook her head. "Yep, I've never been with a girl before. Why do you ask boss?" "Warren today is your lucky day," she growled. "You know how I tell you how to fix stuff." "Yeah, you point and tell me what tool to use. What does that have to do with... holy shit Chief you're getting naked!" "Cock... Here... NOW..." Malice ordered as she bent over and began fixing the infernal machine. "I don't know if it is going to fit," Warren said as he lined things up. "Here goes nothing..." "Hot damn Warren, I should have done this... years ago," Malice squealed as he slid his cock inside of her. "That is a tight fit... easy now... slowly... slow... oh fuck!" "It's in Chief," Warren moaned. "Now what...?" The captain had to tie the wheel down as he took Anna up against the helm. His hands mauled her naked breasts as he slammed his cock in and out of her. This was all Felicity's fault, if she hadn't gone and gotten her pussy fucked like that. She wouldn't have been so damn aroused. Anna had been thinking about sex for days now. The captain was fucking her like his life depended on it. She liked a man with nothing to lose. The other officer's would tease her about this little rendezvous but she didn't care. She was the captain's woman now. Anna surrendered to his hunger and her body was reaching its climax. "Close Mon Capitan," she moaned in his ear. "I am so fucking close!" "Me too," he growled through clenched teeth. "Just a little longer... almost..." The Captain and Anna clung to each other as he shot deep inside of her. He let go as he eased out of her. He kissed her once more before he got dressed. Anna smiled and helped him collect himself. Only then did she dress herself and left without another word. The captain waited for a count of thirty before going out on deck. By that time he took damage reports from all over the ship and he discovered the Raven was still in good shape. It could have been so much worse. They had gotten lucky and everyone knew it. But they had weathered the storm and would continue on to Cape Town. As he barked out orders for repairs he turned to head down to the engine room. Two junior engineers informed him that the Chief was hip deep in the infernal machine. "Sounds intense," the captain replied and the engineers could only nod. "Well, when she is done tell her to see me." "Aye Captain," the older engineer replied with a salute. "Hip deep," the younger engineer said after the captain was out of ear shot. "You had to go with that?" "It's not like we can tell him what is really going on down there." "True, we have to protect our chief." "That we do, now let's get onto those repairs laddie," the elder engineer added. While none of the repairs proved to be serious there were quite a few of them. The Raven lost an entire day to the unforeseen weather anomaly. The new rifles and pistols were uncrated and passed out since the ship was so close to the ground and more prone to assault. Early the next afternoon the ship rose to its cruising altitude and continued south with its mapping duties. The captain ordered a message heliographed to one of the friendly towns along their course to inform London of their delay and its cause. The message also informed them that no hands were lost during the crisis. The next two days passed with little fanfare except a noticeable moodiness in Sir Alan Croft. Thaddeus Black noted in his diary that Alan seemed a bit reclusive and down in spirit. He attributed it to the sand storm and wrote that Alan would be back to his old self in no time. On the third day after the storm Alan Croft seemed to make a marked improvement and was far more sociable. This was the day that the Raven changed course and headed West in search of the triple mountains. Anna's duties were reduced as they were more intent on speed than accuracy at this point in their journey. While the others passed their time playing cards or other games Alan rarely left the upper deck save to eat, use the toilet or sleep, which he did little of these days. The ship's surgeon was called upon on their second day of their Westerly advance and poor Alan had gone nearly forty eight hours with little rest. The physician called it a manic episode but monitored him carefully. The third night on the Western course the nightmares began. It was only the most sensitive of the crew at first but by the fifth night the entire crew was plagued with the damn things. To each man and woman a personal demon had been loosed to plague them. Alan was no longer alone with the inability to sleep. The captain called for shorter duty shifts with fewer men. He now ran fifteen men for six hours at a time instead of the usual twenty for eight hours. The sixth day they spotted the three spires of rock and nestled between them the hidden valley. The crew had mixed feelings as did the officers. There were murmurings of curses, demons and worse. The Raven set down on the flat grass plain and the chief engineer called for armed guards around the infernal machine as well as the engines. The captain conceded and placed three men at all times in those locations. Since there were no signs of habitation within the valley he could afford to reassign them. Malice went so far as to arm her engineers with these new revolver pistols. Her nightmares involved the destruction of these two key items and being stranded in the valley with the shadowy things. The members of the Orcus Club were thrilled as they gathered their belongings and began exploring the hidden valley. While the center of the vale was flat and grass covered the outskirts were irregular and seemed to contain fallen pillars of great age and size. They wouldn't know for sure until they took proper measurements but the largest outcropping was monstrously huge. "How could savages cut and raise stones of such measure?" Elinor inquired. "Who says they were savages," Alan replied. "We are in Africa, the Egyptians influence never reached this far south," Thaddeus added. "I think Alan is offering that another civilization dwelt here in ancient times. A people that were perhaps lost to sickness or war and this valley, their capitol." Richard said looking at Alan. "I couldn't have put it any better Richard, thank you," Alan said. "Well, let's have a look and I will do my best to sketch out the valley in proper scale," Anna offered. Nightmares forgotten for the moment the group made their way to the outcropping and stared up in awe at the fallen titans. Distance made scale impossible to judge until they were right on top of the buried monoliths. Niles paced off one of the smallest fragments and called out fifty feet. The largest and most intact had to be at least two hundred feet or more. Of course there was no telling how deep the monoliths were buried, they were guessing on what was visible above the earth. Alan and Thaddeus attacked the small obelisk with their folding shovels and worked on one corner. After an hour they took a break but they had uncovered a portion of the dark volcanic stone beneath the soil. It was pitted as if from great age and yet the markings remained. "I don't like it," Anna said keeping her distance from the exposed rock. "It's... well it's evil." "Good lord woman, it is just a hunk of stone," Alan said in exasperation. "No, I agree with Anna," Elinor said weakly. "There is a darkness here and we should let it sleep." "You can't be serious Elinor. We just got here after travelling all this way and you just want to leave?" Richard said shaking his head. "We came here to find the temple. Alan can hopefully translate these curious markings and then we will have enough coin to build a fleet of flying ships. We can revolutionize trade, travel and hell even warfare." Niles said his eyes wide with excitement. "One thing at a time," Thaddeus said bringing everyone back to earth. "Temple first and then we shall see." The men took turns uncovering the fallen pillar as Anna took measurements and began sketching this portion of the valley. They returned to the ship as the light began to fade. They ate a large meal after all the digging they had done and went to bed early. Three men went missing that night. One was on watch while the other two were asleep in their bunks. The captain was awoken and shown the two empty hammocks and a few drops of dried blood on the floor. He brought the guard back up to full strength. They would search for the men at first light. Mark Trent offered his services as tracker when he heard about the missing men. "We should postpone the dig until these men are found," Niles proposed. "NO, we are HERE, we need to find the damn temple," Alan argued. "Alan, three men are gone, two taken right out of their hammocks for God's sake," Thaddeus fired back. "There are marines, they can take care of themselves," Alan said undeterred. "Lives are at stake Alan," Felicity begged. "We need to search for them. The temple isn't going anywhere." Alan opened his mouth to argue but saw the expression on his sister's face. He conceded and even offered to lead one of the search teams. Twenty men were left at the ship while the rest were divided into teams to search for the missing marines. Those with tracking skills were assigned as team leaders and the women waited patiently for news of the missing men. None ever came, but something unexpected was found, a cave entrance. The opening was marked with flags and the men returned back to the ship to report their findings to the captain. He was about to launch a search of the cave when he saw how close nightfall was and decided to begin the search anew at dawn. The captain ordered the guards to pair up for the night watch. This would hopefully minimize their losses. His gut told him that the three that had been lost the previous night was only the beginning. Someone or something was out there hunting them. He hated the idea of being prey, he was British after all and it went against everything he believed in. The Empire was the greatest power in the world. The sun never set on the Empire but even as the thought formed in his brain the sense of dread became overwhelming. "God save the Queen," he whispered as the darkness thickened around him. His scream echoed for a long moment before being cut off suddenly. The door to the captain's room was locked from the inside. It took ten minutes to break down the door made from stout English oak. The room was empty but a few drops of blood marked the last known whereabouts of the captain. The officers called a meeting and broke the news to the crew and the members of the Orcus Club. The morale of the crew was splintering. Fully half of the marines wanted to leave at dawn. The other half wanted bloody revenge on whoever had taken their people. It was decided that the marines would stand watch and at dawn would go to the cave, see if there were any signs of the missing men and if there was they would seek out and destroy those responsible. The lieutenant's words were passionate and swayed just about everyone, there was one notable exception. Old Sins Cast Long Shadows "We should raise anchor and leave right now," Mary Alice, the chief engineer, told them her lower lip quivering. "If you have any doubts follow me." Everyone followed the petite woman back to the captain's quarters. A single bullseye lantern illuminated the room. She picked of a strange looking metal cylinder. She placed it on the captain's writing desk. Mary Alice reached up and closed the open shutter of the lantern and then twisted the top of the cylinder. An eerie blue-green radiance filled the room. "Regard the far wall," she said and a collective gasp rose up from the assembled officers. "What in God's name is that," the Weapons Master asked in a wavering voice. "That is how the captain and the others were taken from the ship. These things, whatever they are, can pass through solid matter. That outline is where they dragged the captain to his death. If he is alive we cannot save him. We have no defense against these things. If would be suicide to stay here." The officers met in private and discussed the matter. While they were in council one of the men on the watch discharged his firearm. His shot struck something and an unearthly cry rose up in the darkness. Several more shots followed and the thing fell dead in the grass. A group of ten men took lanterns and went out to inspect the body. The marines closed in on the thing in the grass, a short while later sounds of gagging and cries of alarm could be heard. The bobbing lanterns approached the ship as the men fled back to the safety of the Raven. This was no disciplined retreat but blind panic. The marines were incoherent when asked what they had seen. "Pull yourself together man, what happened," the Master of Arms demanded of his men. "Charles shot it, his bullet wounded it," Conner offered. "He saw movement in the grass and shot the damned thing. We each fired off a single round down range and killed it. We grabbed lanterns and went to make sure it was dead." "What did you find," Thaddeus asked. "It ain't any beast that God ever fashioned," Conner continued. "It is an abomination I tell you! We should burn it and leave this place. This is hell Lieutenant! We have landed in Hell!" "We need to hunt the rest of these beasts down and kill them," Alan Croft cried out. "Are you fucking mad," one of the other marines howled. "You haven't seen the damned thing. Who knows how many other things are out there." It was Thomas Drake, the head of the expedition that summoned the officers into a second meeting. It was a brief meeting. Fifteen men, mostly officers including the ship's surgeon, went out to examine the body of the thing the marines had cut down with gunfire. They found the thing's remains as well as the corpse of the captain. "He wasn't here," Conner cried out. "When we came out the first time he was not here. Those beasties drug him out here." "Amazing," the surgeon said as he examined the thing in the grass. "It appears squishy and weak at first but look here; can you see the fibrous structure? These things while they may seem quite vulnerable are quite durable and resistant to injury. These tentacles are hollow feeding tubes." The doctor moved over to look at the captain's wounds. "It looks like they feed off of the brain and soft internal organs. I can't see anything that appears as eyes, ears or a nose. I have no idea how they perceive their environment. It could be by heat, scent or some range of spectrum we are unaware of." "How do they move doctor," Thaddeus asked. "What did you men observe?" The surgeon asked. "It kind of floated, drifted along the breeze," one man offered. "Yeah, the tentacle things sort of brushed the ground as it flew in the air," another added. "We can only assume we are dealing with a very intelligent creature here and we should consider our next action very carefully." "Let's take both bodies back to the ship," Thomas ordered. "Let the surgeon do his work while a burial duty will bury the captain at dawn. I don't want to add on to the body count if I can avoid it." The men brought two tarps from the ship and carried the bodies back to the ship. No one slept that night. The doctor performed two autopsies and detailed the anatomy of the enemy while he explored the length of damage done to their dear captain. Anna cried herself hoarse as the first hint of dawn broke over the forbidding valley. Then she bit down her revulsion and anger and did detailed sketches of the beast that might have been responsible for the death of her lover. As she drew the thing's anatomy the surgeon explained what little he had learned about the monster. The thing possessed three feeding tentacles that stretched eight feet in length. These hollow tentacles were attached at regular intervals around a spherical bulbous body. The overall color of the thing was a milky white that reminded the viewer of maggots. There was an opening on the bottom of the sphere that could have been for breathing or communication. The outer skin was tough and leathery while the area inside the 'mouth' was soft and spongey. Powerful muscles surrounded the opening of the maw and hinted at a series of three mandibles. But nowhere was there a hint of ears or eyes. How it perceived its environment was a complete mystery. "In a word gentlemen, it is alien," the surgeon said as he sipped his morning tea. "In all of my years I have never seen or heard of anything like this exomorph. It uses some form of levitation for mobility and feeding tentacles to impale and kill their food animal. I am still stumped at how they see or hear if that even applies to these creatures. I will tell you this. They have a highly developed brain and possess more than animal cunning. I cannot express the limits of their intelligence. The fact that they placed the captain's body for us to find worries me greatly." The officers and members of the Orcus Club made a final council of war. It was agreed that they could harm, even kill these things but was it wise to stir a hornet's nest? There were many unknowns and they were already four men down and one of those the captain. The council of war ended and it was only then that Alan Croft was noticeably absent. They began searching when they heard the commotion from the main deck. The officers raced up and found marines crying out to a quickly disappearing Alan Croft. He was armed with a rifle and was running in the direction of the cave. "Damn him," Thaddeus cried out. "He just committed suicide. Oh no, I know that look! Fine, let me put it this way. We have three choices, first we pack up and leave and let Alan suffer his fate alone. Second, we can split our forces and send half our men after Alan and maybe, maybe revenge ourselves on these things. Third and I will say this right now my least favorite option, we send a majority of our men after Alan and leave the ship wide open for attack. If you decide on the third option Thomas we may never get home alive. I mean any of us." "You aren't going to leave him," Felicity asked as tears streamed down her cheeks. "He is your best friend Thaddeus!" "He raced off without thinking things through. Typical Alan Croft and this time it could cost lives, a lot of them Felicity. Do you want to wait here when those things could come after you and feast on your brain and internal organs? Do you?!" "I will fight. I will take up a weapon for him. He is my flesh and blood! I will not abandon him!" Felicity barked as she wiped the tears from her eyes. The officers offered their insight and Thomas listened to each of them as they argued one of the three options. All the while Alan got nearer to the cave and most likely his own death. Thomas made his decision a half hour later and a majority of the men took up arms, lanterns and promised to return alive. Felicity stayed with the woman and handed out pistols to them. As the men left the woman and engineers were schooled in firearms. Mark Trent led the way and tracked Alan in the dark. They moved as quickly as they dared. They reached the cave opening a few hours before dawn. No corpses were found along the way so they entered the cave. They cautiously walked down the angled entrance and it became obvious very quickly that it wasn't a cave. It was in fact a ramp that led into a constructed space. Could it be the long lost temple? Mark ordered a tight formation as they began exploring the pillared hallway. If the things were going to launch an ambush this was a good spot. The pillars created blind spots and the lanterns cast shadows everywhere. The tension in the air was reaching a critical point. A single movement would create a shooting frenzy. Mark called a halt and told the men to relax. He didn't want them to panic and break formation. They moved forward again and Mark found Alan's footsteps in the dust covered floor. It proved one thing, whatever these monsters were they could fly. "Those in the middle keep an eye on the ceiling," Mark whispered. "Yes Sir," a marine replied. There were a set of steps that led further down. Alan had made it this far on his own power. At the bottom of the steps was a pair of massive doors. The door on the left had been pushed open. A weak flickering light spilled from the open door. They were forced to enter single file and this is when the men nearly broke but once they had all passed the boundary into the chamber beyond they relaxed. That is because Alan Croft stood in the middle of the treasure room smiling at them. "We found it," Alan said pointing to the walls. "The lost temple is ours!" "Good Lord is that all gold," Thaddeus asked even as Thomas placed his hand on his shoulder. "Steady old man, this is all wrong," Thomas said as he brought his rifle up and took aim at Sir Alan Croft. "Have you lost your mind," Thaddeus asked but it was Mark that opened his eyes. "Look around Thaddeus, really look around at where we are," Mark said raising his own weapon. The attack came even as the soldiers brought their weapons to bear. Ten marines fell before a single shot could be fired. Thomas barked out orders and the marines formed a circled and opened fire. The creatures slowed and even a few dropped, but more came on. Thomas levered the next round into place and coolly took aim and fired. He soon discovered that the creatures were vulnerable to attack at what could be described as its head. He cried out his discovery and the things began to drop quickly and their initial attack was stalled and they fled, for now. "Alan, what the hell is going on," Thaddeus called out. "Why aren't they attacking him," a marine asked. "It could be this," Alan said as he held up the silver locket and smiled. "Let's go everyone," Thomas ordered. "While they are unsure, we will return to the ship. Alan this is your last chance." "I... I can't move," Alan cried out his eyes wide with terror and his smile a forced rictus grin. "Everyone, I am going to grab Alan, once I reach him we are leaving," Thaddeus called out. Thaddeus shouldered his weapon and raced towards his oldest and dearest friend. What should have been a simple rescue ended as a tackle on the dusty floor of the treasure room. The two men grappled and the silver locket spun away into the dark. Alan was wracked with pain as Thaddeus hauled him up and over his shoulder. The marines formed up around them and they fled in an orderly retreat. The things waited until the men were forced to exit single file. The narrow doorway became a killing field. The things attacked from both sides now and the forward movement of the marines was halted. The men dropped down to a firing position and focused on the enemies this side of the doorway. "Do you hear that," Mark asked as a strange echo filled the air. "Is that gunfire," Niles asked as he blasted one of the beasts center mass. "It is coming from the other side of the door," Thaddeus said smiling. What had been a narrow doorway and tactical nightmare now became a choke point against the creatures on the far side of the door. Five marines focused their attention on the door while the others kept firing at the monsters in the treasure room. The second assault faltered and by this time Alan had recovered some of his senses. The men poured through the open doorway and joined the engineers led by Felicity of all people. They raced for the exit and open ground. The sun would be rising soon. If they could make the ship before the monsters regrouped they might survive. It had begun as a controlled and well organized retreat. It had ended in chaos, blood and panic. By the time they reached the surface it was a mad dash and each man for themselves. The chief engineer hadn't been idle. The Raven was airborne with a length of cargo net flung over the side. The pilot slowed the ship and turned so that net was directly in front of the fleeing group. Perhaps a dozen souls grabbed ahold of the net and hauled themselves up. The roar that came from the cave caused many men to turn and look, this proved fatal. The sun was coming up but the valley was still shrouded in shadow. The hoard burst from the temple and washed over the fleeing marines in a living wave. Another six men managed to grab the bottom of the net when the ship gained altitude. The men screamed as they climbed fearing they would be snatched at the last moment into the torrent of alien limbs. The wave rushed forward but a new sound echoed over the hidden valley. The series of gunshots was faster than any human could possibly produce alone and yet a single source of muzzle flash could be seen from the ground. "Take that you sons of bitches," screamed the chief engineer as she turned the gun's crank and sent a hundred rounds into the mass of creatures. "Die.... Die.... Die..." For the third and last time the rush of monsters faltered and they fled both the sun and the bullets filling their ranks. Of the fifteen men and women that had climbed the net eight survived their wounds initially. Two more would succumb before the Raven dropped anchor in the Cape of Good Hope. Niles cradled the body of his sister as she took her last breaths. The head wound proved fatal as half her brain had been extracted before she locked her arm around a loop in the net. Two engineers managed to carry her up to the deck and into Nile's arms. Alan wept when he saw how few had returned from his rescue mission. Felicity led him to the surgery and the doctor looked him over. There were clear signs of shock and nerve damage. Whatever had taken over his mind had left lasting damage. Thaddeus took over command of the ship and managed to use the skeleton crew to reach a safe harbor. He pushed the crew and they rose to the occasion so that they reached the Cape of Good Hope four days later. There they took on new crew and restocked their supplies. They filed a report and returned to London under a cloud of suspicion. The survivors were interviewed by a council that was made up of Lords, businessmen and the remaining members of the Orcus Club. While Alan had been unable to carry any gold back he did manage to pocket quite a few raw gemstones that he handed over to Niles in front of the newly elected club president. The fleet of flying craft might still have a future. A year later, Sir Alan Croft disappeared from public life and was taken in by the staff of St. Michaels. His exposure to the creatures and the unknown silver artifact had eroded his mind and sanity. Thaddeus made a solemn vow to visit him regularly and keep him in touch with society functions, gossip and events throughout the Empire. Felicity gave birth to a daughter eight months after her return from Africa. Mother and child have kept a low profile on land owned by relatives far from London. Mary Alice Strange received a royal charter to build and develop a small fleet of flying ships that maintained the power and might of England well into the next century. She was the sole individual that learned the secret of the silver locket. Niles managed to scoop up the relic while Thaddeus caught Alan in his arms. He pocketed the item in the folds of his handkerchief. While the Raven returned to London the chief engineer examined the locket under powerful electric lights and magnifying lenses. It was a lovely thing and there carved on its lid were the words in Latin, Know Thyself. There were a series of tiny screws hidden in the folds of the crafted silver. She took a screwdriver used for clockwork mechanisms to loosen and remove the screws. Mary Alice removed the front and rear covers for the locket. Beneath the silver was a platinum case. The case was etched with a spiral series of strange characters. Undeterred she slipped into Alan's room and borrowed his research library. The dozen handwritten books aided her in identifying the characters. While she never fully deciphered the letters their meaning was plain. It was some sort of spiritual prison. Carefully she used hand tools to open the locket and laughed. "Know thyself," she said aloud as she stared at the two mirror bright surfaces inside the locket instead of pictures of loved ones. "Did the mirrors keep the spirit prisoner? Was something released when you opened the locket Alan Croft? Is it still free or has it found a new home? Oh, you poor bastard you..."