Re: Chapter 12.3: Dr. Oswald Franklin in Comanche Country
The scientist is ushered into the tent, and sets about getting to work.
It's dark in the tipi, but not quite dark enough to work without ruining the plate. At least, not before the addition of a blanket to the outside wall.
The emulsion fluids necessary to develop and fix the image are a pain to work with in this sort of cramped environment, doubly so without proper pans for the fluid. Both the cameras use that new-fangled dry-plate process, which prepares plates for proper developing in a dedicated darkroom rather than having to do it on site in haste. But since haste was requited, Oswald's skill with the older wet plates is invaluable here.
The chemicals are noxious and leave him feeling a bit dizzy afterward, but in about half an hour Oswald has a properly developed plate. If he can get it back to civilization, he can even make paper copies of the image.
It's a puzzling one. There's the grim warrior in clear black and white, stock still and tight-lipped. There are several dark smudges, which at first look like motion blurs. But these blurs are vaguely bird shaped, and Oswald can't remember seeing any birds in the shot.
The most interesting image, though, is the owl perched on the brave's shoulder, glaring at the camera with intense golden eyes. There's an aura around the ghostly bird. The color isn't a mistake in the development process...This always happened when Oswald captured a denizen of the Aether in frame. Never had he seen the entity so clearly, though.