You feel like you fall a thousand miles with each mile being a showtune running through your head which you can't remember before it, and not during it, but remember it vividly afterwards, but by then you're already trying to sing another song with unspecififed dire consequences if you mess any of them up.

So far you've gotten lucky.

999. Wow, you're good.

Then you mess up, and realize you've been dumped in mud.

And then the dreamlike feeling leaves your mind, and you realize you really do feel soft, slightly damp soil under your face, and under the palms of your hands.  There is a scent of smoke in the air thats not woodsmoke.  Its not immediately threatening.  There is some noise in the distance of creaking and cracks.  A bird is singing, but its a quiet day.

PT

Hadrian proped his arms under him and tried to get himself up to a more decent sitting position. Once he had arranged himself more comfortably he shook his head wildly to get the dizziness out of it.

The first thing that struck him was how soft the ground beneath him was considering that the last thing he remembered, the last thing that wasn't completely insane, was hitting the glass bridge at a lethal speed. Hadrian could still feel the lingering anger he harbored for himself for doing something as stupid as climbing an obviously dangerous ladder. As the surge of emotion began to reside Hadrian started to sort out the last few events. He had fallen into the bridge, that much was certain, but instead of stopping he had fallen beyond it. The fall was the most vivid thing he could recall, that and the reading woman.

What had that beautiful create he saw said? Something about worldwalker and verser. He catalogued the information in the back of his mind as he shifted his concentration on a new problem, finding out where he had landed.

Hadrian, still sitting on his bottom on the ground, opened his eyes and looked about his new surroundings.

You're in a four foot wide alley-way between solid, red-brick walls one story in height on one side, and two story on the other side.  Packed clay shows the imprints of occasional half-moons.

You can see crosswalks amongst the low buildings.  You seem to be surrounded by at least twenty, low-slung brick buildings.  It could be more, but you can't see that far.

The temperature is a bit chill, and the sky is cloudy.

The area around you feels empty.

In the distance you hear a noise that is slowly approaching at least your general area.

Booom....booom....

Its low, and repetitive, slow and foreboding.  It seems to go well with the weather.

"Reminds me a bit of what England looked like during the blitz."

He climbed slowly to his feet, having his encounter with the glass bridge and the subsequent crack still fresh in mind. To his surprise nothing seemed to be neither broken nor hurt. Checking through his pockts he found that he still had all his possessions on him as well.

"That rules out being dragged away from the bridge half-dead and robbed. I am alive, impossibly enough, and untouched."

Keeping half an ear tuned in on the approaching noises and half an eye open for anything else Hadrian casually walked over to the nearest intersecting crosswalk and took a long probing glance down in each direction.

On one side you see about eight rows of buildings that ends in a T-intersection with a large red-brick five story building.

On the side of the building in large white painted letters...

"Laird William's Carriages"

The next clockwise view runs into a T and a one story buiding five cross-walks down.

Behind you, at six o'clock is a gently sloping drop which gives you a view of a city of low buildings of brick and clapboard with each one of them piping black smoke into the sky.  At your left hand, four cross walks down you see a line of people filling the passageway.

The women are dressed in long dresses down to their ankles, and the men in tailed suit jackets with top hats.  Everyone is wearing black.

They are faced away from you.

PT

"Quaint", Hadrian thought to himself as he enjoyed the view of the city spanning out in front of him. After taking his time to see if this vantage gave him any sort of insight as to what was making the "boom" noises Hadrian casually walked down towards the line of people.

Hadrian's reasoning was simple: people meant he had someone to question, and right now information was commodity he greatly needed. As he walked Hadrian noted with interest the nature of everyones garb.

"Luckily it seems my taste in clothes is fashion around these parts", he mentally pointed out as he buttoned up his coat, leaving him every bit as black clad as everyone else.

When he finally reached the crowd Hadrian took a moment to note any other details about these people such as their demeanor as well as look for a knowing soul he could ask for directions.

You see in the far distance several men leading a parade.  They have huge drums attached by straps to their chests, and they are beating them in time.

Booom.  Boooom.

More of a horse-drawn carriage parade comes beyond them.  And then people fill up the end of the road, some staggering, and you can't see such detail anymore.

You make your way down the alley.  Everyone looks sombre.  A girl with a rouged face sees you looking about as you step up behind the three thick line of people layering this side of a cobblestone street.  She winks at you and smiles as tears streak down her face.

She hands you a napkin, and motions you to press it to your eye. It has a quarter of an onion in the napkin.

She leans forward as you pay attention to her.

"A good cry saves a pretty face like yours from a beating, laddie." She whispers in your ear.  "Its a turrible, sad day it is."  She intones, and the others nod.  She winks at you with a defiant but hidden grin, and then makes a loud snuffle.

Never one for denying a pretty lady Hadrian noded and quickly rubbed the underneath of his eyes with the napkin, moments later tears ran down Hadrian's pale cheeks. He composed himself and tried to look as somber as the rest of the crowd. Whatever was going on, he figured it was best to not stand out, at least now when "beatings" were afoot.

Once Hadrian had found the balance between somber and teary he found it quite easy to keep a steady flow of tears pouring without the need for the napkin, so he promptly handed it back to the girl with along with an appreciative smile, making sure that his hand brushed hers as he retacted it. He diffused the smile swiftly though, fearful that his mask would break before the parade had marched by. He stood there among the crowd, taking in the spectacle of the parade-like procession with teary eyes.

((Hmm, I've been slow in posting lately, in all my games. I should be able to maintain a more steady pace from now on though, just so you know.))

A parade comes up the street. Men in black stovetop hats with an unfamilar symbol in their hatband glare at everyone with short metal whips made of links of tubing in their left hands.

A number of grizzled war veterans by their uniforms and missing limbs follow in formation.  One seems vaguely familar to you somehow.  He follows them by himself.

A black carriage follows him with its team of horses.

And then a black horse, saddled with reversed boots and no rider is led by a young man.

After that, an interminable train of wooden wheeled cannons, troops from various groups.  You see no machine guns, or tanks, but you do see several gatling guns.

There are occasional outriders of the men with the metal whips.  You see one guy point to another something, perhaps a defect in a gun carriage, or a relative in the march.  It seems innocent to you, until a whip-man walks over to him, and drags him into the street, and starts to flail him with the whip.

After three blows, the man is down in the mud, and the whipper stops with regret plain on his face.

The parade ends.

The girl turns to you.

"I'm going to the funeral of course, I can afford no sign of impiety with my status, would you be interested in accompanying me?  If we walk real slow, we can avoid catching most of the sermon, and still be counted as present."

Hadrian smiled weakly and nodded. He was a bit shocked by seeing the man dragged out and beaten, but he kept his wits about him and made his frown seem more one of sadness than revulsion. Senseless violence had always seemed to sting his sensibilities. What struck him as oddest about it all was the cannons and soldiers. Rhodes was a medieval place with magic and wonders, but where he was now seemed more like an industrial war-torn world.

Hadrian gestured towards where the parade had marched and beckoned for the girl to lead the way.

"Shall we?"

As they began walking Hadrian decided that he was no longer in Rhodes, though how he had left there and come here he did not know. The transition remained clearly in his mind however, but at the time he couldn´t begin to explain what had happened to him. For now, Hadrian decided, he would have to find out as much as he could about this new place, but this time he would take care not to reveal his ignorance. He didn´t want to end up on the receiving end of one of those whips.

Your impressions of an industrial age world are heightened as you see a steam piano, and something under a tarp that your guest tells you is a 'dancing monkey'.  You see a number of factories, red brick walled, with few windows.

Johonson Glassworks
Smith and Sons Paper Mfg.
Lewis Stevens Steel Foundry

And some smaller shops...

Martins Tool and Die
Carven's Carriageworks

You pass over a railroad track as you follow the great mass of people who are slowly trudging to the funeral.

Your guest, Elizabeth, seems popular with a number of guys who bow and smile at her.  She is a good listener, and she very skillfully tries to draw you out, to let you talk about herself.  She also seems to view this 'great tragedy' as an occasion for dark humor, but she only says this when no one else is close enough to listen.

As they walked Hadrian noticed how the girl cleverly tried to get him to talk about himself. He was quite familiar with the way she went about it, as he had done it many times himself with women. With a slight smile he decided to allow himself to fall victim to her charms, at least for now.

"My name is Hadrian...
I am a traveller, of sorts...
I've just recently come into town and I didn't expect there to be a funeral...
It isn't what I expected."

Hadrian followed the girl's lead and made sure to keep his banter to a minimum whenever there were people within earshot. He also tried not to smile too visibly. Being beaten with an iron whip was the last thing he wanted right now.

"You seem like someone who knows her way about town. Or should I say IS known about town" Hadrian said after a while, offering a nod in the direction of the latest passerby who had waved her way as explanation.

"Ah well, no one expected it. After all, the Southerners had lost the War. What would be the point? The Viceroy Abraham Lincoln, servant of Her Majesty, looked forward to a long reign.  And then...assasination.  Them's the breaks. The elites want to blame the Southerners, but I wonder which of them really hired the assasin."  She shrugs disdainfully.

"Ah, well, yes. I am popular with the men, not so popular with the wives.  But I come from a poor family, and my father was indebted, so....its not as bad as all that.  As long as you avoid priests.  They always want for free, and they like to beat you with those whips. Most men, would rather be friends, than follow the teachings of Lord Ares.  Hypocritical, but I don't mind."

She gives you a saucy grin, and takes your arm.

PT

That struck a cord with Hadrian. The scenario the girl spoke about sounded eeringly like the American civil war, except for certain anomalies of course. Hadrian had, after all, never heard of Viceroy Abraham Lincoln. In any case Hadrian wondered if he had just found his break in this world. Knowing his history and what happened during and after the war might give Hadrian an edge he could exploit.

"So she's some sort of companion then." he thought once the girl began opening up to him. No matter, he decided, he wouldn't judge her. In any case he needed someone if he was going to secure a foothold for himself in this new and unfamiliar place.

"Ares? The Greek God of war? I will do well to remember that fact. Priests worshipping a war God are probably not the best kind of people to socialize with. At least this might explain the business with the whips."

Hadrian looked down at the arm now hooked onto his own and smiled teasingly.

"Are you always this familiar with strange men miss...?"

"You're right, what am I thinking of? My mother would be so ashamed."  She startst to unhook her arm from yours in apparent dismay, and then giggles a laugh.  "Only the cute ones.  Of course, I prefer cute and rich."

You arrive at the funeral grounds.  Its a huge area of land covered with at least five thousand people, almost all of whom are dressed in black.

You can barely catch the sermon at the graveside.

Its something about the virtue of beating those weaker than yourselves, of instilling good behaviour by executing shoplifters, of how Lincoln stood for the right of the strong, and how he was struck down by foul assasins who were not worthy to stand in his presence.

At this point, he glares over at the one man standing by himself.

Your companion points out two blocks of men near the grave who are glaring at each other.

"One's the priests.  The other's the military men.  I bet there will be a rash of sudden accidents and duels in this town by the weekend as both try to maneuver their man into the Viceroy's spot. I love watching politics...from outside pistol range."

PT

Hadrian turned his attention towards her and smiled.

"Politics can be interesting - at least to a degree - if you know how the game is played."

"Luckily I know enough to stay out of it."

For a fleeting moment Hadrian pictured himself talking his way into a prominent position of power, but he shook it away, realizing that he simply didn´t have the stomach to compete with religious zealots and angry soldiers. He´d much rather acquire power safely from the sideline, a pretty lady at his side.

"Tell me miss Elizabeth, are things always this tentative around these parts, or do you expect them to improve in the future?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Tue 27 Nov 2007.

"Most of my friends expect great things.  The transcontinental railroad is finished.  The War is over, and production can now turn to making new devices. I have several clever friends, inventors, the sort who try to harness electricity, and steam, and one fellow who made the balloons that got used in the War. Another friend is trying to get investors for a steam iron--he has visions of shops where you take your clothes to be pressed like in a factory.  Woman won't need to work at home so much."

She nods at the two blocks of opposing figures.

"Things will stay unsettled until one side wins, and then purges the other side.  I hope its the military because they are handsome, and besides, even if they are cruel, its at least cruelty with a purpose."

She calmly rattles on as if the prospect of a clinical sadist getting in charge of a government was normal.

PT
OOC: Do you have some electronic devices on you at the present moment in the game?

"Inventor friends you say? I am sure I would have a lot to talk to them about. I am no novice to the theory of electricity, steam, hot air baloons and combustion engines."

Hadrian smiles and winks.

"Where I come from the prospect of women doing other things than housework is not such a fairytale. I think you would like it there. It is very liberal."

OOC: I didn't consider it when I started off so there is nothing electronic on Hadrian's equipment list, but I expect that logically Hadrian might have had a cellphone on him when he was first versed. If you think it is appropriate that he should have one then I guess he would still have it hidden away in a pocket, if it still works after being hit with a surge of electricity. If not then he does not have anything resembling modern technology on him.

You chat with her a bit more, and the funeral ends, and people rush away except for a very few who stay with what looks like true sadness on their faces.

She leads you expertly through the crowds, and back into the city proper.

Then she spots a man with muttonchops, and waves him down.

"Henry, O Henry!" She waves urgently.  He comes over.

"Give Hadrian one of your shoppe cards."

He turns to you.

"I see that Miss Elizabeth has adopted another."

He hands you a card.

"Henry's Bicycle Works." It says.

PT

Hadrian looked down at the card in his hand for a few moments then nimbly pocketed it in the inner pocket of his coat.

"You make bicycles? An honorable trade."

He smiles and sends Elizabeth a sideways glance.

"I would not go as far as to say I have been adopted by miss Elizabeth. My name is Hadrian."

"Ah, well, our charming hostess has a circle of special friends who are interested in the Mechanic Arts.  She makes us talk to each other, and soothes our egos, and keeps us from getting too ill with each other." Henry says with a smile at her.

"I am their muse." Elizabeth replies smiling back at both of you.

"You may both walk me back to my quarters.  And Hadrian,  if you have any thoughts of interest on bicycles or other things, I would be pleased to hear them."

Henry pipes up.

"Hadrian, I agree with you, but also, bicycles are merely my livelihood.  What I do is so much more interesting.  I'm trying to build a bicycle powered hydrogen lifting body."

PT

"You'll be delighted to hear Elizabeth that I have not just a few, but quite a deal of thoughts concerning bicycles and other articles of technology that I am sure you would find remarkable. Should you ever honor me with the chance I would love to confide in you the more mentionable of my thoughts."

Hadrian's eyes gleamed with interest at Henry's interjection and he put his hand up underneath his chin in an overly contemplating pose.

"Interesting. I would like to hear more about this contraption of yours Henry.
..."

They walk together a while in silence, following Elizabeth's lead, before Hadrian continues, having obviously thought something over very hard. In truth images of primitive airplanes and blimps flutter through Hadrian's mind, sowing ideas of opportunity.

"Are you planning on making something similar to a hot air baloon, only with increased mobility?"

"I want to make something the shape of a wing.  And attach to it small wings to propel it, and even smaller wings to guide it.  And the whole thing will be powered by a dozen men on bicycle frames whose pedal power will move the propulsion wings. Of course, I'll use Hydrogen if I can get enough, although I hear some interesting experiments are affoot for producing Hydrogen in mass quantities."

Henry, with the mark of the true enthusiast, just happens to be carrying blueprints of his plan.  Its wonderfully absurd.

PT

Hadrian devoted his full attention to Henry and watched eagerly as he pointed and went on about his plans. It didn't look quite right to him though and in a moment of goodwill Hadrian decided to nudge him along a more successful path.

"Why waste your time with obtaining hydrogen to lift the aircraft when the air around us is perfectly capable of lifting and carrying the body on its own? All you need is the correct aerodynamic shape and enough propulsion. You have some good ideas, but there are much simpler ways to get off the ground."

With a smile and a wide gesture aimed at the air itself he went on.

"If you want I can show the basic principle of aireal transportation, as well as the correct shape you should focus on, with nothing but a simple sheet of paper."

At first Henry puffs up like a chicken, but then when Elizabeth jabs him in the ribs, and whispers in his ear, he sighs.

"Very well. I shall try not to be so in love with my own ideas as to not take anothers. Show me."

He hands you a sheet of heavy paper.

Hadrian stopped and grabbed the paper with a flourish and a smile, immediately going to work constructing a paper airplane.

The plane he attempted to construct was complex yet simple.

First he folded it in half lengthways, then folded in the two upper corners into the line that formed along the paper. Next he folded the top triangle that had formed down so that he paper looked momentarily like an envelope, he then quickly followed up by by folding in another set of corners so that only the tip of the downfolded triangle pointed down between the point where the corners came together, this little triangle he folded up over the corners to keep them in place. Next he folded the construction in half along the spine, leaving the mentioned tiny triangle on the outside. At last he folded the wings down, taking great care that the wings followed the halfway line precisely. When he was done Hadrian had in his hand a paper plane that coincidentally resembled a modern Harrier aircraft in shape.

Hadrian held the construction up for the two to see before smoothly launching it on a passing gust of wind. This type of paper plane was designed to glide very well, and although it ran the risk of stalling at higher launch speeds Hadrian had taken care to launch it so that it should glide nicely for a considerable distance then land softly on the ground a bit away. The fact that the paper was heavy should also help its flight, as it would provide increased stability and even more hold for the wind to send it along.

Your great care, and practised skill excite some interest.  And then you release it, and a cross-gust takes it wing over, and into a death spiral that lands but three feet from your hand.

Henry chuckles.

"Tis a pretty design, I'll admit. And at least it doesn't burn down the garage like my last one." He pats you on the shoulder in consolation.

Undeterred, you wait for another wind.

It glides twenty feet away on that toss, and you can tell it could have done better by a good margin, but fluky winds at the end caused it to stall.

Your two companions have their mouths hanging open.

PT

This message was deleted by the player at 19:26, Wed 12 Dec 2007.

"Not bad, but it can still go a lot further if the conditions are more favorable."

Hadrian turned back to face Henry with a triumphant smile on his face.

"That is what I call a glider. It floats on the air and can travel over long distances with virtually no additional propulsion. The only downside is that it needs to somehow get up into the air."

"You can keep that one for study if you like" Hadrian said as he pointed towards the far off paper plane, "but be swift about it lest someone else picks it up before you. It would be a grand shame if someone got a hold of the design before you did, and I can assure you that at this moment that paper toy is the only one of its kind in existence."

Henry scoots off, and grabs it, and hides it in his coat jacket.

You two walk Elizabeth to her boarding house, and then she kisses you both on the cheeks, and pleads prior appointments when asked if she has more time.  She walks through the gate of the white picket, rose-lined fence, and into the Victorian style house.

Henry looks at you.

"We could go to a public house, get a beer for its a hot day, and then I shall be off to my works.  I have several bicycles to fix, and later tonight when the sun goes down, I can do some work on flying devices.  It disturbs some of the neighbours.  They claim I am 'rebelling against Lord Ares by seeking to fly.' Nonsense I tell them."

PT

This message was deleted by the player at 19:27, Wed 12 Dec 2007.

My reply ninja'd or something.  It is above the most recent reply, and below the two other copies of your most recent reply.

PT

"Nonsense indeed," Hadrian concured. "If flying is against Lord Ares will I don't see why he allows the birds that privelege."

Hadrian looked around for a moment, as if trying to determine what to do next.

"I wouldn't mind having a beer with you, although I'm afraid I'm a bit short of money at the moment. It is my experience that thinking does not pay well on its own.

Also, if you would like, I do not mind helping you with your flying contraption. I am not much of a tinkerer, but I certainly have my qualities when it comes to planning and devising."

He stands you for a beer, and you share a seat with him.

The social mores seem a bit odd. The biggest, strongest men carry the least, and take the chairs leaving the woman and children to stand while carrying rather heavy loads.

"I'd like to invent a device powered by steam that would follow a woman around, and carry her bread, and eggs, and vegetables." Henry confides in you as he sketches a design on a scrap of paper.

The room is crowded.

PT

Hadrian leans forward and watches carefully as Henry draws and explains.

"Would not the excess steam from the contraption run the risk of sogging the bread and boiling the vegetables? Have you considered using electricity instead?"

The obvious unfairness of the women being left with the burden while the men sat lazily caught Hadrian's attention.

He turned to Henry and asked, "Is this commen practice here, the men leaving the women with the heavy goods while they sit? Where I come from it would have been quite the other way around."

"That's a good point, but I need a motive force.  And I can use the steam to...you mean, an engine powered by electricity? I've never heard of such a thing." Henry is frankly skeptical.

A heavy hand lands on your shoulder.

"The strong rule the weak as Lord Ares says.  I think where you came from is full of wimps and weaklings if your men carry loads for women."  A heavy-browed face with bristly black hair instrudes into your face.  His thick-fingered hand still sits on your shoulder.  "Are you a wimp?"

PT

Hadrian turned to face the man, eyeing him up with a lazy look of boredom at his presence.

"There are many ways to prove ones strength in the eyes of Lord Ares. Where I come from the men do the heavy lifting, honoring Ares every second of every day with the sweat of our labour and every day growing stronger in his name. Subsequently the women serve the men without question, and because they never carry they never grow stronger. The strong rule the weak, as Lord Ares commands.

Here on the other hand I see that the men do not carry the load, leaving that work for the women, thus ruling not by strength but by default. I wonder how that might seem in the eyes of Lord Ares, mmh?

In the end those that do not strive to grow stronger every day will become weak. Such is the natural order of things. You should think about that the next time you let your woman carry your goods while you do nothing and let your muscles and your strength deteriorate. After all, you do not want to dishonour Lord Ares, do you?"

Even as he spoke Hadrian began devising a clever and hopefully believable lie about him being a spiritual leader for Ares in his community, a lie he could use to give his words increased weight should this brute of man not lay off him. Hopefully Hadrian's lies would serve him as well now as it had in the past.

"Bah, you're clever with your words." He growls, and turns away.  Henry gives you a subtle sigh of relief, and then as soon as its decent gives you the signal to leave.

PT

Hadrian finished his beer and accompanied Henry out onto the cold street. As they began walking Hadrian felt that he should explain himself.

"I never was much of a religious man, I find it more often than naught clouds reason, but sometimes I find it necessary to... bend the truth in my favour to avoid confrontation with brutes such as that man before. I come from a place vastly different than this, and sometimes that puts me at a disadvantage. I hope you understand."

"Speaking of disadvantages, you would not happen to know of somewhere I could live while I am here, preferably somwhere where I could pay my way with work rather than money."

"I appreciate reason, more than the next man, which is something to keep in mind.  You say what you've said to me to another man, and you might find yourself the recipient of ten lashes with a Power Chain.  That 'brute' as you call him is probably an upstanding member of his temple.  The pure life of the mind, what you call reason, submits to the fist of brutes which is reasonable because otherwise the fist smashes the mind into pulp, and leaves the philosopher dead."

He tells you the story of Archimedes being slain by an invading soldier.  But in his version, its full of contempt for Archimedes who Should Have Known Better than to make a soldier wait while he thought out a problem.

"I'm not a very good Areian.  But, I do know that lying to gain power is acceptable, unless its by teh weak. But you do act as if you come from elsewhere.  There is a softness, a kindness in your face, and thats a danger."

He shrugs.

"Enough lecturing from me, anyways.  Come, work in my lab.  The food is plain, the hours are insane, the noise can be deafening, and the neighbours secretly think I worship the Dark Lady Athena, goddess of treachery, but on the plus side, we can build a tower from which to launch your flying machine."

PT

Hadrian smiled and nodded appreciately at Henry. He felt like for each moment that passed by he gained a greater understanding of this new world he had landed in, and as always devious schemes to form in his mind of how he could exploit his ever increasing insights.

"I would rather we did not focus too much on my "airplane" for the time being. It is really quite a useless idea unless I can manufacture a proper way of getting it off the ground without the need for excessively tall towers. For example a powerful combustion engine. I also have the theory of how to produce and harness electrical energy completely figured out, but I doubt electricity will suffice to run an aircraft of the dimension I have in mind."

An idea popped into Hadrian's mind as he considered how much focus the people of this world put into "strength" and power.

"Can I ask you a question? How is strength in arms and technological superiority viewed here? For example, if you were to wield a weapon powerful enough to dwarf the standard cannon, would you be viewed as strong?"

Henry is at the same time intrigued, and hesitant.  He's full of plans for the new thing, but curious as to what you think is better.

"One thing I've found. You can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Henry replies. "That said, explain this to me."

You and he arrive at his house, and he tells his servant, an old man, to put on some coffee and rolls.  Henry leads you out back to a large workroom stuffed with all manner of intriguing half-finished inventions, and some that look finished such as a ten foot long dirigible that floats with iron armor.

"Strength of weapons...yes, that would be good.  However, if they think its too...'clever', well, that smacks of the Dark Lady Herself, and that could get you lynched."

"So people around here like straightforward and simple? I can work with that. If  you like I could draw up some simple yet effective designs for you. I am sure that if you had inventions that both the religious and military communities were interested in you would not have to worry so much about what your neighbours think, because by then you would be a very wealthy and powerful man."

As they entered Henry's house Hadrian pondered which technological marvels he could offer Henry to amaze the leading factions of this worlds' society. In truth what Hadrian was most interested in was what he could do to help Henry climb the ranks of society, that he might tag along and reap the benefits without having to put himself on the line.

"By the way, if there is anything you need of me, do not hesitate to ask. I am very eager to repay your kindness."

He nods, and thinks about things for a minute.

"Okay, show me these inventions. I swear by Lord Ares...." He pauses and grimaces. "I swear by the honor of an inventor to treat you fairly, share and share alike if these ideas should be good."

PT

Hadrian smiled coyly and took a seat at the closest table, asking for something to write with, something to write on and a ruler of some sort. With these tools in hand Hadrian began. On the first sheet of paper he wrote the heading "Combustion engine" and drew a very simple looking four-stroke engine, very similar to the ones used in modern cars, with arrows and notes explaining how the various components, such as the intake for oxygen and fuel, worked. On the left-hand side of the sheet Hadrian scribbled down several possible fuels that could be used for this engine, with emphasis on petroleum and coal. Without missing a beat Hadrian flipped the sheet around and wrote down a header on the other side, "Electrical motor". On this side he drew up yet another simple design, an electric motor driven by electromagnetism. This one he spent more time on, painstakingly explaining how to create the needed electromagnetism by looping a thin metal wire around a metal rod, and the feeding the wire with electricity to create a pull. The wire contraption is then arranged so that it creates a torque about the axis of the rotor inside the motor. The magnetic pull causes the rotor to move, creating mechanical energy.

Before Henry could begin to point out that there was no way they could produce and harness electricity to run the electrical motor Hadrian asked for another sheet of paper and scribbled down the heading "Electrical Generator". He then drew up a simple dynamo, explaining as he drew that this built on the same principle as the motor, but worked the other way around. Using mechanical energy, such as a wheel spinning, to move a set magnet or electromagnet around a piece of metal wrapped in wire, as with the motor. The spinning of the magnet creates an alternating electric pulse in the wire. This pulse is electricity. Finished with his drawing and explaining Hadrian put down the writing tools and got up from his seat, his eyes burned with eagerness.

"You make bicycles dear Henry. Bicycles, when manned, create mechanical energy in the spinning wheels. Imagine the electricity we could create if we produced dynamo's and fitted them to the bicycles instead of the wheel."

Hadrian let his designs sink in with Henry for a few moments. He realized that he had not explained any of the ideas he had drawn down nearly well enough for them to make much sense, but that did not matter with the trump he had to win Henry over.

"I realize that this must sound absolutely ridiculous; electromagnetism and dynamo's. So out of fairness I will present you with proof that it actually works."

Hadrian fished his pocket watch out of his vest pocket and put it in Henry's hand.

"This small watch is run entirely on electricity."

At first he seems interested, and then fascinated.

"I see, I see." He murmurs several times as he examines your drawings over your shoulder.  And he begins to sketch your work with a much better hand than you have.

When he sees the dynamo, he pauses.

"You could run this with a waterwheel. Is there some minimum speed you need to run this thing at for good effect?"

You can tell he is very impressed.

And then you show him the watch.

He studies it, and for a second he is dazzled, and then doubt enters his face. It is quickly followed by fear.  And then rage.

He turns a burning gaze on you.

"Servant of Darkness, begone! You think to tempt me with your pretty gadgets!  All the technology I could desire in exchange for my soul. I won't do it. Go back to your Dark Mistress, and tell her you failed."

PT

Hadrian eyed Henry with a hard gaze, bordering disappointment, and then, without any change of expression, he extended his hand toward Henry, palm faced upwards.

"The clock is mine. It was given to me a long time ago by a very good friend. I never meant for you to have it, I just wanted to show it to you."

Hadrian sighed and cast a look over at the drawings he had been so eagerly sketching a moment before.

"I serve no one but the light Henry, you of all people should understand that. It has taken me years to discover the things I have, and always because the people around me refuse to acknowledge my findings unless I can wholly and completely prove that they serve our lord, and not that of darkness. I have done that Henry, once already. Now I have come here to do it again, for the good of all, in the name of our lord.

I promise you nothing but my ideas Henry, most of which I can not say will even work. You can discard my ideas Henry, or you can help me try them out. Call me a fool, an idiot, a dimwit and an ignorant for my ideas, but I ask that you do not call me the one thing I am not, a servant of darkness.

If it is any help I can assure you I do not want anything to do with your soul. By Ares, I am not even sure what I would do with it."

Henry gives back the watch, being careful not to touch you.

You declaim your cause, and when you say "By Ares..." you feel a cool breeze on your neck, and a sense of light, mocking laughter in the air.

He listens to you, and then collapses weeping.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.  Its just...." Sniffle. "I fear myself.  I am not a good worshipper of Ares, a very poor servant am I.  I try to be better, but its so hard. So, I see someone who is devout,and producing strength, and I mistrust them. You should beat me with a stick. I deserve it."

You listen to his sobbing recriminations.

"I'll help you. I will. We'll be great."

He is emotionally shattered, and realizes it.  So he asks you to put off the work, and he will work with you tommorrow.  However, he can offer you a plate of food, and a hammock to sleep on in the lab shed...

PT

Hadrian watched Henry, noting with interest the state in which he saw his new "friend". Despite his probing gaze Hadrian tried not to judge him, not wanting to increase his shame further.

As Henry's sobs began to lessen in intensity and frequency Hadrian tried to console him with a few select words - he had done well for himself with words so far in his little adventure.

"There are other ways to serve the lord than through offerings and physical strength. The side of yourself you showed me earlier leaves little doubt about your loyalty to Ares, and that is a very important attribute. Strength of mind and will are also traits that I believe the lord holds in high regard, and although you berate yourself now Henry, I know those are traits you possess."

Hadrian moved over to the plans they had been working on a few moments earlier, and let his hand run smoothly over the fine drawing Henry had made over Hadrian's crude sketches.

"I believe Lord Ares does not punish people for lacking certain mundane strengths, he punishes people for not wielding properly the strengths they have. This is a test Henry. Instead of dwelling on that fact that you might not be as strong or as pious as your neighbor, let us in stead focus on the strengths you do have and use those to your advantage.

If we work together Henry, as you say, we WILL be great!"

Hopeful that his speech might have restored some of Henry's mental vigor Hadrian accepted the offered sleeping quarters and food with added appreciation.

Henry looks grateful, and leaves.  You eat, and sleep.

Next morning, its a breakfast of oatmeal, brown sugar, peaches (raised in his own greenhouse), and sausage with milk from the cow in the back yard.

Regrettfully, he takes you into his front shoppe where he shows you his bicycle work, and sets to working on it in between dealing with demanding and rude customers.

"You can help me here if you like.  Or you can go back to the lab, and work there by yourself.  I'll be here till five in the afternoon. Round about seven tonight, I should be back to the lab."

PT

Hadrian offered Henry a knowing smiled.

"What you do back in the lab is what makes you an inventor Henry, but it is what you do here, hard honest work, that makes you a good man."

As if to answer Henry Hadrian took up position beside him and steeled himself for the work ahead. Obviously Hadrian knew nothing of bicycle work, except for the more rudimentary aspects of it like applying parts to almost fully assembled ones, or cleaning and oiling ones for sale. What Hadrian did best however was work with people. If Henry let him Hadrian would not mind dealing with some of the customers, as he had experience in tactfully and correctly handling both demanding and rude individuals.

Also, somewhere in the back of his mind, Hadrian's moral compass told him that he had an obligation to work for his keep. Not just tinker around in the lab, but actually work.

Henry is glad to let you deal with the customers, and soon you see why, as every one of them is demanding, rude, arrogant, or otherwise a pain in the neck.  However, customers are not that frequent, as its more the type of place where an order gets placed for a new bike, or a repair job, and then the customer goes away for a week.

Henry is at first startled to see you know so little about what he considers basic mechanics work, but he shrugs, and begins to teach you how to bend soft metal with the vise, and how to etch words into metal.

You spend most of your day etching, with oiling a close second, and customers in third place, and are able to bend to straight lengths of metal into perfect curves suited to be bycycle splash guards on a front and back wheel.

Henry spends most of his day doing the intricate work of making bycycle chains.

"Tommorrow, I'll teach you how to spoke a wheel."  He says as you head off weary to stumbling for a dinner of pork roast, green beans, baked potatoes, and sphaggetti squash all drenched in what a future world would consider a horrifying amount of fresh butter.

"What do you want to work on tonight in the lab?"

PT

Hadrian smiled innocently as he finished his meal.

"I have not given it much thought really. I assume our prime concern should be with electricity, as that is what people will enjoy the most, and what will probably sell the most. I have a couple of other designs I want to show you, but these are more oriented towards the military, and I don't feel like discussing weapons tonight."

They got up and walked together back to Henry's lab. As they walked Hadrian began asking Henry about his social circle and the social circle of Elizabeth. He wanted to know whether or not there were anyone he knew who were of like mind and who also might be interested in joining their little venture. When they at last entered the lab Hadrian turned to face Henry and asked, with a look of eagerness on his face.

"By the way Henry, have you ever seen electricity? What you can do with it?"

There are a number of others in Elizabeth's circle that would be very interested.

He has not seen anything electrical except for a Leyden jar, and of course, lightning of various kinds.  He knows of one fence which 'most times, in a good storm, it will have ball lightning run down it.'"

PT

Hadrian scratched his chin and smiles.

"Indeed lightning is one of the purest forms of electrical energy there is. The problem is that it is so powerful that it is virtually impossible to harness and use; it blows up every device one applies to it.

A more conventional form of electricity, especially when you need something small to display the practical uses of the energy to sceptics, is the chemical battery.

I can make one for you now, but I will need some rather peculiar things. Boiling water, salt, six or more copper coins, a thin sheet of metal; preferably aluminum and paper. These are the components I need for the battery itself. I will also need something to make the electricity work with, alightbulb. For that I will need: two lengths of copper or other metal wire, a glass container of some kind and I will also need either a substance called wolfram, if you've heard of it, or carbon wire."

As he went on with his list of things he needed Hadrian kept flashing Henry a mischievous smile, often followed by an interjection from Hadrian where he assured Henry that if he could make this work it would fascinate him greatly.

Henry has all the supplies you require on hand in the lab, except for a couple. He has wolfram, and enough over of everything to make half a dozen more batteries and lights as well.

He has his housekeeper, a large, but competent woman with a good hand at her iron stove, boil up some water, and he borrows some of her salt.

You take about an hour to fit everything together.

And then it lights.

Henry's mouth hangs open as the dim light fills the lab with its radiance.

The Mason canning jar is not the best bulb, but it does very well.  Henry checks, and finds that he can read the newspaper by its light.

He's enthralled.

PT
OOC: General Events roll of '4' which is very good indeed.

"I am compelled to tell you that this is not a very good source of electricity, pretty as it might look. Basically the light acidity of the saltwater corrodes the copper, releasing amounts of energy. This energy travels along the copper wire to the lightbulb. When it reaches the wolfram the substance tries to slow the electricity, which then results in it catching on fire, producing mild to bright light."

As the talked Hadrian sketched down the process on a nearby piece of paper.

"The batteries do not last long, and neither does the lightbulb itself. This is because the copper coins contain only a limited potential for electrical energy, and the wolfram can not burn for ever. Nevertheless it is impressive beyond measure."

Finished explaining Hadrian steps in front of Henry with a hopeful smile.

"I want to offer you an equal partnership Henry. I care little for keeping my discoveries to myself. They are yours now as much as mine. In that regard I would like to hear your thoughts about what we should do next. Should we show this to others who are interested in technology and perhaps sell them the theory and designs, or would you instead like to install electrical light in your house? It is the least I could do to thank you for letting me stay with you."

Hadrian let the question hang in the air for a slight moment before adding:

"Also, I do believe Elizabeth might be interested in seeing this marvel we have created together."

"This is a beginning. A great beginning."

He gnaws on his fingers.

"Now, our problem is how do we find someone to finance us in our further explorations without them stealing our idea from us?  I do think 'lighting' my house might be the best, because that is easier defended.  Maybe I should get some large dogs."

Henry looks at you, and slaps you on the shoulder.

"Indeed, we shall tell Miss Elizabeth.  She will be greatly impressed.  Should we bring this to her place tonight...probably not, but certainly tommorrow night, but what do you think? Oh, yes, partners, yes, partners."

He's babbling a bit.

"This is wondrous. If only we can hang on to this, and not be tossed into the river with our skulls caved in while some rich man makes off with this prize, why we shall be very rich."

PT

As Henry went on in exitement Hadrian´s smile widened more and more until it seemed about to burst out of its imprisonment on Hadrian´s face. When Henry finally arrived at what they should do to hold on to their discovery Hadrian´s entire face beamed with glee.

"I don´t think having the lightbulb and battery stolen will be an issue for us Henry. Firstly I don´t think we should publish this before we have managed to come up with a better version, one that lasts longer. Our main advantage however lies in this: unless we document what we have done, and how we have done it, we are currently the only men alive with the knowledge on how to produce, harness and manipulate this new technology. The dynamo, the battery, the lightbulb and the motor; these will be the tools we use to ensure our safety."

Hadrian brought his index finger up and tapped his chin several times as he pondered what more could be done.

"However these dangers are still far in the future. For now we still need to find a better way to create longer lasting batteries. I have some ideas, but I need to consider them some more. If we are to produce electricity in larger scales, enough to light up your house and use electricity to power other things, we are going to need magnets."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:30, Tue 15 Jan 2008.

He's curious about magnets, although it does seem time to go to bed.

The next day is more work in the bycycle shop.  You get more practise in making fenders, deal with a customer who yells and finds fault with every decision no matter how reasonable, and Henry teaches you how to make the handlebars by cutting pipe stock, and polishing it smooth with a foot-pedal powered grinder, and then bending it the right angles with the aid of a vise, and a protractor.

You can feel unused muscles toning up in your arms, and back.

"Soon, you'll be able to make a bike in its entirety. After that, its not too much harder to make a wagon.  All you really need are a few tools, and a willingness to sweat." Henry says as he studies the handles you are making.

"What with the additional help, I think we've caught up for the day. You can go visit our friend, and maybe ask her to come around for a late supper...to celebrate getting all caught up, and other things."

PT

Hadrian turned to Henry and absently began rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you sure you want me to go visit Elizabeth?" he said, not even trying to hide his obvious doubt. Or was it trepidation?

"After all Henry, I am not at all familiar with the city, and I have only met her once."

Hadrian continued to rub his neck for a while before becoming aware of his nervous tell and quickly, a bit too quickly, retracted the arm and folded his hands across his chest.

"I guess I could go out for a walk, perhaps I need it, but if so I would be grateful if you could lend me a thick sweater and a strip of malleable but hard metal roughly the length of my palm."

"Strength!" Henry says bracingly.

He comes back with what you want, and with a cane.  He demonstrates the cane as a sword cane.

"You can take one or both. Myself, I prefer a pepperpot pistol."

You take the sweater, and your walk.  No one hassles you, although a few give you close inspection with their eyes as you walk past.

You arrive, and shortly thereafter Miss Elizabeth has come out with some lemonade and cookies on a plate.

"You look fair to bursting, and a bit sweaty. Let's go take anothe walk."  She leads you around back of the Victorian house to a garden maze.

"We can talk in private inside the maze."

PT

Hadrian's eyes widened when he saw the sword cane. He took it with a tender hand and held it up in front of him, blade drawn, studying it intently. He fitted it back together to a cane and put it to proper use. With his free hand he touched Henry's arm, thanking him with an appreciative nod. His fondness for the man had just increased tenfold.

I can hit a target from a distance with a pistol, though I am no crackshot. This however, my good Henry, this I can use."

Putting on the sweater as he walked out the door Hadrian hoped his plan would work. The way he saw it he would receive less attention the more like everyone else he looked, which meant he had to temporarily add some volume to his body. In that regard the sweater worked admirably. Should he fail however, on the way there or back, the cane given to him by Henry would work just as admirably.

Arriving there Hadrian flashed a beaming smile at Elizabeth, genuinly happy to see her again; and a bit starved for female company after two days alone with Henry.

"Miss Elizabeth! If I am sweaty then I dare say it is the sight of you that is to blame, for this sweater is as comfortable as a cool breeze."

An obvious and exaggerated lie, but Hadrian couldn't help slip in a compliment where he saw the chance; as had always been his way of dealing with the fairer sex. They enter the maze together and Hadrian felt he was truly grateful that they could talk privately, because he did not want to reveal anything with servants within earshot; he also didn't mind being alone with Elizabeth.

"I must thank you, miss Elizabeth, for introducing me to Henry. He is a most fascinating character, and his intellect and innovative thinking is inspiring. A man of true strength. I am afraid to say that we run the risk of becoming friends if you do not intervene."

"Henry suggested that I invited you over for a late supper at his house today. Just the three of us. He felt you would be interested in a major discovery we have made. Well, I provided the idea, but it was mostly thanks to Henry that the idea bore fruit. In any case we would very much like for you to join us this evening, and I will not accept no for an answer."

Hadrian felt a bit shameful, but he subdued any physical signs of it. He didn't feel at all bad about praising Henry for his abilities, which Hadrian considered more than formidable, but he did feel bad about his reasons for shifting credit for the battery and lightbulb over to Henry. What Henry had said about them being killed for the inventions had disturbed Hadrian, although he hadn't let it show. He had decided that for now he would much rather be the nobody prodding Henry along to wealth and glory then be the genius floating in the river with his skull bashed in.

She smiles, pleased with the flattery, even as she does not take the words seriously.

"I am so happy you are getting on well with Henry. So many times, inventors are ...prideful and a tad obstinate.  Henry is not bad that way, although he has his moments. So, you must have charmed him. I do hope you become friends. That would please me greatly."

She listens again with a faint look of amused skepticism.  Then she opens a small booklet, and hiding it from you, looks inside.

"Well...."  She draws it out. "I suppose I could go. I did promise to visit with you again, and its been a while since I've seen darling Henry for more than a few minutes."  She grins at you with full enthusiasm.

"You once told me about machines that would make a housewife's life easier. Would this be such, by any chance?"

PT

Hadrian half turned away from her, playing coy.

"Oh no miss Elizabeth, you shall receive no hints from me! I want to savour the look of surprise on you when you see it."

He brought his index finger up and pursed his lips, assuming a contemplating pose.

"But," he said at last, "I can reveal this. You will be greatly fascinated by it, and if Henry and I can get it to work properly, it will change everything; that I promise you."

Hadrian considered himself very clever then as he considered how well he was getting along in this world. Then it dawned on him, he was in another world, but for two days he hadn't given that fact a single thought. He had died twice before coming here, first electrocuted and then mashed against a glass bridge, but he had no signs on him of the ordeal. He was in what looked like his own Earth in the mid 1800s except that here and there things were different, yet it all felt so natural. Telling himself he wasn't having fun would be a lie, but did he really enjoy himself so much that he could completely leave his other life behind. Hadrian didn't have any hopes he would ever see his home again, but he hadn't really acknowledged the fact that he would actually never see it again either. As he pondered all this, what had happened and what might come next, he fell silent, and for a large part of their walk Hadrian didn't say much.

She stamps her foot, and purses her lips, and then bows. You think she's playing a game.

"As you say, sir. Then lay on, Macbeth."

She takes your arm, and has you 'lead' her from the maze. On the way out, she speaks to a servant to ask the woman to pass on a message about her 'going visiting'.

About a quarter of a way into the walk back, she pauses, unhooks her arm, and fishes in her small purse. She pulls out a copper coin, and flicks it to you.

"A penny for your thoughts, sir. I'm not used to men remaining silent in my presence." Then her face turns serious. "Truly, dear Hadrian, does something trouble you?"

PT

Hadrian smiled disarmingly, but his eyes told an entirely different tale. After a few moments he sighed and his smile became one of resignation.

"I would be lying if I said that nothing was troubling me, and in truth nothing would please me more at this moment than pouring my heart out to you Elizabeth. However I am afraid that my cocernes are of the otherworldly sort, and they are not so easily translated to simple terms. In fact I am not so sure I understand them fully myself."

He chuckled, more to his own ignorance than anything he had said.

"But you are right, I bore you with my mysterious silence. There are some things I have wanted to ask for some time, but I don't feel comfortable asking them of Henry. I find that knowledge is power, and being new to this city, this country, I am very powerless. If you do not mind, I would like to know more about the people in charge here: the church, the army, how they work and who their leaders are. I would also like to know more about the people who live here. And not to mention the 'do's' and 'don't's'."

Elizabeth listens, and nods as she replies, "I know a few people who have a reputation for giving good advice on difficult things. One is a lawyer, another is a female writer, and the last...probably one of the most corrupt pols I know."

She laughs a bit uncertainly.

"Hmmm, wow, you don't want much.  The church, ah The Temple of Ares in Brittania of which Queen Victoria is its head, and Lincoln was one its chief Potentates. I pay every month a head tax to the church even though I only go enough to make an appearance which is about once ever six weeks.  The other weeks....'I'm sick'.  Of course, the more powerful you are, the more often you have to go to temple.  Beggars only have to go on the Day of War and the Day of Blood in a year."

You and her stroll through the lengthening shadows as an increasingly unsavory element starts to dominate the streets.

"The Army, well, it and the Church decide what is going on in the society. There is an old Army saying...'if your underling is good, then send him to the hottest part of the fight,a nd if he survives to win glory, then let him shine in someone else's command.'  I heard from one of my girlfriends about a man who kept getting put into different areas of the Army, always rising in rank as he did because his superiors were afraid of his skill.  And no could manage to have a bunch of street thugs assasinate him because he was too good with a pistol."

You come near to Henry's house.

"Do's and don'ts. Don't play in politics. Even the well-intentioned find themselves betraying themselves as power corrupts them. Don't do anything that smacks of elegant cleverness because thats a sure touch of the Dark Lady.  Don't trust anyone because you can be informed on, and the priests would just love to mar your pretty face.  If someone insults you, insult them back, unless they are obviously stronger than you.  Wear fake muscle pads under your jacket and shirt to make yourself look bigger.  Too bad you don't have an artistic scar...."

PT

Hadrian listened intently and mentally noted every word of what Elizabeth was saying. Outwardly the only signs of his interest was his occational nodding to prod his companion on. He would need a more innate understanding of this world's politics and power-balance if he was to cut himself a piece of it, someday.

"So the leaders of this place, the army in particular, fear power in others as much as they love it in themselves. Become powerful and keep others from gaining enough power to challenge your position. I can use this if I am clever."

When they came down the last street before Henry's house and Elizabeth finished explaining what Hadrian could do to seem stronger he had to vent out a heartfelt laugh.

"An artistic scar you say! I am sure that if I really need one a skilled lady such as yourself could help me fake one.

But it seems we have arrived at our destination. I hope we can pick up on this talk at a later time. I also hope that you can understand the need for discretion concerning everything you tell me, in my case more than others. I would not want to be informed upon, as you say, considering the things I could tell you, and show you."

Hadrian ended with a promising wink and smile, and timed himself perfectly so that he knocked on Henry's front door as he finished, robbing Elizabeth of the chance to retort.

Elizabeth is about to reply, and then she sees the doorway in front of her, and gives you a rueful glance, and then brightens as Henry opens the door.  The next thirty minutes is spent on social pleasantries, and getting updates.

You start to feel like you know the people of Elizabeth's circle.  A gathering of young inventors and engineers of which Henry is just one of them, and all strive to win Elizabeth's ready smile.

And then Henry takes all of you out back to the lab.

He shows her the bulb.

"It seems so simple. What does it do?"

"I will leave explanations, and the practical demonstrations, as well as our plans for my partner to explain. Hadrian, if you would?"  He waves you up to the still unlit bulb.

"Please dazzle our guest." He says with a mysterious smile.

Elizabeth turns to you.

"Yes, please." She looks like a child on Christmas day who is facing her presents.

PT

Hadrian nodded and moved over to the invention. With a sure hand he assembled all the pieces, and with a final look and smile over to Elizabeth he attached the last wire, closing the circuit, and lighting the simple bulb.

He let the weak yet dazzling light charm her for a few minutes before breaking the reverie with a simple, "It is beautiful is it not?"

"For now Henry and I have agreed that before we go public with the invention it would be best if we installed electric light in his house, to make sure that it works properly. We will be needing money however, both for final testing and more large scale production, but that is a concern for the future.

Now Elizabeth, I would like to hear what you have to say."

She is wildly enthused.

She wants to invest in your 'new company' herself...and she apparently has enough money to surprise Henry when she names a figure.

PT

Hadrian smiled and offered Henry an approving nod in an attempt to lessen his surprise.

"It seems you are as full of surprises as myself, dear miss Elizabeth," Hadrian said after a while, wanting to break the silence. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to giggle in front of them all, because, unlike Henry, Hadrian had seen this coming. A woman living alone, seemingly with no proper job or income,  yet substantial wealth, who associates herself exclusively with inventors. Being one himself Hadrian could recognize an oppertunist when he saw one. Even one as charming as Elizabeth.

"We accept your offer of course, with sincere gratitude.

However, as our invenstor I feel you should know that Henry and I have decided to not draw down the designs for our invention. Instead we will keep it in our minds. This is to protect it from being stolen. And if someone tries to kill us and take credit for it, well, they will be killing the only two men who know how to make the battery and lightbulb and how these work."

She gets a calculating look in her eyes.

"Well, I won't maintain my looks forever. If I can maintain a good style, I can put off the time of my retirement from my 'chosen profession', and not have to work the docks, and maybe I can end up as a 'woman of means'.  Besides, I think these inventors do more for society than the Army and the Priests of Ares combined."

She looks exultant.

"This might make me rich."  And then she looks nerved up. "Or it might make me dead. I say, we roll the dice, and go for it. Caution will only earn me the docks, and Henry will churn out bicycles forever until he says something incautious, and someone turns him in to the priests."

"You really think this might make you rich?"

"Henry, you and Hadrian have just changed the world. And not just me, but you and Hadrian as well will be rich. After all, as a woman, I'm forbidden from owning property except for my personal residence. Even if this was my idea, I'd still need a front man. Since its not my idea, I'd be very glad to be your personal banker."

She turns to you.

"You need a shotgun or two. Plus some mean dogs.  And you need to look for other methods to improve your security. I'm going to tell the lady who owns my ...ah...boarding house that I'm being 'threatened' by a former customer."





PT
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:29, Sat 02 Feb 2008.

Hadrian nodded.

"I am not much of a weapons man I'm afraid. I can handle a sword with ease, but I am too clumsy with a gun to be of any practical use. As for other methods of security improvement however, that I can help with."

Already Hadrian began considering what he could do if he and Henry got their hands on a more steady source of electricity. He remembered a tech magazine that explained how to make alarms, electrified traps and other technological wonders that he could use to impress Henry and Elizabeth.

"Also, although I don't much like all this sneaking about, Henry and I should find someone to front us as you would have done miss Elizabeth. It will not do for us to show our faces publicly if we intend to stay out of the spotlight, so to speak."

A thought came to him and he retrieved the sword cane that Henry had given him earlier that day.

"Also, to make ourselves feel more secure, I can offer to train Henry in the use of a sword, if he will train me in the use of a gun. That way we can both learn how to defend ourselves better against lurking dangers."

Hadrian managed an optimistic smile to lightened everyones spirits.

"I do believe we all have something to occupy ourselves with for the next week."

Elizabeth thinks, and then snaps her fingers.

"In four weeks will be the Inaugural Ball for the new Viceroy. I can get tickets. Once there, you can meet a number of upper-crust sorts, and negotiate over drinks for a 'front man/patron/protector'.  In the meantime, you can practise sword and gun,a nd continue with your experiments.  It would be wise to be as proficient as possible as duels are a frequent occurence at such parties."

Over the next week you and Henry practise sword and pistol as you develop some basic electric devices, and traps.  It goes well.

PT

Hadrian sat by the desk in the lab with several large pieces of paper spread out in front of him. He had been working furiously all day and had finished some very important work. In a stack to his right he had sorted the finished plans, which were:
- The materials needed for, and the basic principles of, a small but powerful tesla coil, with all the sizes scaled up to make the thing about four feet in height.
- A floor map of Henry's house with a detailed system of wires drawn in to illustrate where the electrical wires for the lights would go, and additional colored lines drawn in to illustrate where Hadrian wanted to put secondary wires for an even more complex electrical security system once they managed to produce electricity on a large scale.
- As well as more detailed and explanatory versions of the electrical motor, dynamo and engine that Hadrian had originally shown Henry.

On the other side of the table lay a rough foot of copper wire prototype that Hadrian had created. It was basically two feet of copper twined into a fine and thin cord, then wrapped in thick insulating paper to make it a hopefully effective electrical wire. Next to it was his most recent lightbulb prototype, a device that looked very similar to an ordinairy household lightbulb, which was a ball of glass that had been made airtight with a ceramic paste, a metal and ceramic cylinder protruding from the bottom of it, with minus and pluss ends clearly marked and separated. Inside the bulb itself was a mediumly thick strand of wolfram that had been molded into a spiral shape. Hadrian was confident that it would be both more effective and longer lasting than the first one he had made.

Hadrian's shirt was folded up to his elbows and let him look at his bare forearms as they rested on the wooden table. He clenched and unclenched his fingers a few times, seeing how the muscles in his arm leaped and strung as he did. Although he was almost certain that it was impossible, Hadrian felt that his muscles had become more toned and defined during his sparring and pistol training with Henry. Or maybe he thought that because he felt more confident. In any case Hadrian was content, both about the work he had done and the improvements he had made with a blade and pistol.

Hadrian leaned back in his chair and honestly relaxed.

The Tesla coil looks good, and once you build it, it functions well.  You still think you could tweak it to get it working better.

The electric lines work, but they have a tendency to smoke after about an hour of use.  The layout of the wires is nicely done.

You've got large, and illustrative models ready to go.

The new lightbulb is better, but keeping it from cracking after prolonged use is still a problem.  You want a thin bulb to let the light out, but not one that cracks too easily.

Also, the ceramic paste needs a very delicate touch to keep it airtight.

You do feel stronger, and you have more energy.  Not only the sparring practise, but the physical labor of making bycycles helps. You are developing more confidence, and more agility (the footwork for the sword is especially helpful there).

PT
OOC: Add @1 to Strength and Stamina and Swords and Pistols and @2 to Bikemaking, and Basic Electric Devices.

Hadrian pushed the chair back and got up. It made an annoying screetch against the floor, like nails on a blackboard.

Finished with a lot of the things he had planned to do Hadrian found that he suddenly couldn't take his mind off magnets. On a whim he decided to go find Henry and ask him a few things, mainly about magnets. Before he left Hadrian made sure to roll up and pocket some plans he had started drawing down but had not finished yet. Plans of weapons he hoped he could use to tilt the military in their favour when they made their push into the public landscape. These were plans he did not want Henry to see, because while Henry and Elizabeth were thinking money, Hadrian had let his mind wander farther down the road and had begun thinking politics. More than once in the last week Hadrian had considered what might happen if the intellectual community of this world got a bigger say in how things were run. The religious factions would probably scream out in protest, and hit back against any attempts at gaining influence hard. The military however might not be as reluctant if they gained significantly from it, and if they believed that they were in full control of the situation. He had considered this, and decided that that would not be such a bad thing at all if it came to pass.

With a smile that betrayed his fondness for that thought Hadrian buttoned up his vest and went off to look for his new and dear friend Henry to talk to him about magnets, as well as other things.

With a strange sense at the edge of your mind that you might turn a corner and find a girl laughing, a girl with wise eyes, you consider your plans.  It makes sense.

You track down Henry and Elizabeth.  She had just arrived, and was sitting close to Henry on the couch.

"I'm here to check on my investment."  She hops up, and gives you a kiss on the cheek, and on the other cheek.

"I also have some news.  Johan Portier, another of my friends, has made a better steam engine.  And Steven Kelly, he thinks he has a new code making machine that will be unbreakable.  Its so wonderful living in the modern age. So exciting."

"Ho, Elizabeth, I recognize the look on Hadrian's face.  He has a question, and perhaps a flash of lightning to illuminate our lives."  Henry says from the couch, slowing her enthusiastic recitation down.

"Oh yes, if you want to see a duel, there is one tommorrow morning.  A Colonel of Horses will be facing a Hierarch of Ares.  Its that Viceroy position squabbling." Elizabeth babbles on.

PT

Hadrian held up his palm and smiled eagerly to stop Elizabeth in the politest way possible.

"I do believe I should like to speak to some of your other friends Elizabeth. I'm sure I can be as much help to them in their endeavors as I have been to Henry," he said as he offered Henry a nod.

"I would also very much like to see this duel, to pick up on the local set of rules. However at the moment there are some things I would like to talk to you about. Things that are paramount to our future success."

He looked first to Henry and then to Elizabeth, searching for any hints of recognition.

"Do you know what a magnet is?"

Henry pulls a puzzled face, but Elizabeth nods.

"Oh yes, like a lodestone for a compass. You can also use them in healing."

PT

Hadrian was relieved that Elizabeth was familiar with them, it would make what he wanted to ask next a whole lot easier.

"Magnet's have other, more remarkable, qualities. The one I am most interested in is the ability to produce electricity. When a magnet is spun about a coil of metal wrapped around a metal leader, the pull and tug of the magnet produces uneven surges of electricity within the metal. This is the basic principle of a dynamo I have already shown Henry. If I can build this invention, I will be able to produce increasingly more electricity. Enough to power thousands of light bulbs and more."

He put his hands behind his back and folded them.

"To do this however I will need a proper and permanent magnet. These can be found naturally in the earth, but they can also be made. Chiefly I am interested in if you miss Elizabeth know of anyone who can produce such strong magnets."

She thinks for a bit, and then shakes her head.

"I can ask around, but among my immediate circle, no, magnets are not a preoccupation."

Henry stands up and paces around in small circles with his hands behind his back.

"So, if one were to attach a waterwheel...they are slow, but...gears...or a bicycling man...maybe a gallopping horse on a treadmill....this could power lights...?"  He looks far gone as he thinks, but at the same time his voice has questions.

"Or Johan's steam engine?" Elizabeth asks brightly.

PT

Hadrian nodded eagerly and beamed.

"Precicely!"

He folded his hands together and sat down in a chair adjacing them.

"In the future we can even set up power plants large enough to power an entire city," he went on calmly, then stopped. For a moment Hadrian merely watched Henry pacing the floor before he smiled knowingly, his I-have-a-new-invention smile.

"Once we have electricity, I have a range of other inventions to show you. The next one more amazing than the last. If you want, I could give a little taste of what I have in mind for all of our future success."

Miss Elizabeth is too well-trained to openly scoff, but she does not find the idea of powering a city likely.  Henry looks long at you, and then runs some calculations in his mind.

"Mmmmm, possibly.  Of course, I'm sure the Hierarchs don't want people up at night.  Who knows what revolutionary schemes might be hatched by nightlight? If you were to limit this to the powerful, they would be more happy."

"Sometimes I feel as if I'm looking at a river of ice, and spring is coming, and the ice is creaking." Miss Elizabeth says softly. And then she turns bright again, and claps her hands. "Do! Please tell us of the marvelous future."

PT

Hadrian smiled and muttered softly, "I have a feeling the Hierarchs won´t stand in the way when we get to that point." If they didn´t hear him he would not press his point. If they did, they were within their rights to ask, and he would be in his rights to tell them nothing more of it.

Hadrian snapped his fingers in reply to Elizabeth´s clap.

"I will dear miss Elizabeth, but I do so under the pretense that you will not laugh at me for my hopes."

He took a step back and assumed a pose of authority. Like a storyteller getting ready to recite.

"In the future our work will make it possible for people from different parts of the city to converse freely with each other through a device called a telephone. Their voices will travel as electric pulses through wires, and in this way they can send information and messages to each other without having to physically meet. With electricity we will also remove the need for heating by fire. We can create ovens and heating devices run purely on electricity. In fact, once we have electrical power the range of inventions we can begin manufacturing is unimaginable."

Hadrian calmed down after saying his piece. He managed a weak smile and added, "I believe those of your friends who dabble in electrical experimentation, like myself, can confirm the potential it brings. However, if you require more convincing evidence of what we can do, I have that as well. I have already presented my evidence to Henry, and I dare say it gave him quite a shock."

His hand inside his vest pocket, Hadrian was toying with his pocket watch, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea showing Elizabeth it, considering how Henry reacted.

They are quite enthused with the vision you paint.  Henry shakes your hand, and Miss Elizabeth kisses you.  They both spin out more ideas, some of them rather far-fetched like Arc Cannons, and controlling lightning to moderate damaging strikes, and affect weather.

When you begin to pull at the watch, Henry's face grows still.

"I need to go to the outhouse. I'll be back in a few. Please carry on without me."

Miss Elizabeth raises an eyebrow, and then turns to you with a challenging smile.

"All right, show me your wonder."

PT

"It is a rather plain object really. I wouldn't have thought it so grand had it not been for Henry. Judging by his reaction it seemed almost otherworldly."

Hadrian chuckled internally at that last word. It was truer than Elizabeth would ever know.

He was starting to have doubts and second thoughts about showing it to her, but he could not let them stop him now. Hadrian had so many plans: so many ideas, that required him to be completely open with everyone involved. Hadrian was nervous, but his pride overruled it and moved his hand as he pulled out the pocket watch.

"It was given to me as a gift, about two years ago, and it hasn't failed me yet."

He held it up like it was some kind of relic.

"This is what I want miss Elizabeth. This is the kind of item I one day hope to make," Hadrian said, and after a short silence he chuckled. "It has been with me for two years, and it is run entirely on electricity. Just seeing it makes my mind races with possibility for this city I have come to live in. If someone on their own can make something like this, imagine what we could create if we organized the inventor community and told them what we know."

She goes from puzzled to interested to shocked, and then to baffled.  She walks over, and without touching it, yet she gives it the most intense stare. Licking her lips, Elizabeth reaches out to touch it.

At first, she just tags it with a fingertip to verify its not some sort of hallucination.  With that accomplished, she takes it into her hand, and begins a closer examination.

Miss Elizabeth pulls out a monocle, and studies your watch most intently.

Then she looks at you quietly with a small smile on her face.

"Its a thing of beauty. I imagine you're a servant of the Bright Lady."

PT

"Yes, I suppose it is an item that is pleasing to the eye."

Hadrian smiled back and turned to see if Henry was still out.

"Miss Elizabeth, I do not serve any deity. I serve no one but myself and those around me; but most importantly I serve knowledge itself. In truth I have no opinion whatsoever about Ares or any other of your Gods. However I am very interested in your culture. So please, tell me of this Bright Lady you mention."

After she had explained, or refrained from explaining, Hadrian resumed.

"Also, I am very interested in knowing what you think of my watch as a technological invention, and which advantages you think we gain from having such an item in our control."

Henry is still out.

"I too. I only go to the Temple of Ares just enough to get by. One of the blessings of my chosen profession is that we are not expected to be that moral so I seldom have to go.  But, when I was a child, my mother, now dead, she took me to secret meetings in honor of Athena, commonly called the Dark Lady of Treachery.  I was five when I went to my last one.  I believe father caught her, and for her own good, beat her until she stopped."

She breathes deep, and swallows.

"I've never told anyone else for fear of the Hierarchs.  I don't remember much, but I do remember they had a liking for pretty things and for clever gadgets which fascinated me.  They would keep me quiet during service by giving me a pair of rings that could be slid apart if one could figure out how. So truly, I am as you.  I just thought to see this thing that you must be an emmissary of Athena, and it seemed unwise to address such by the name of hatred the Hierarchs use."

She shudders a bit from the force of her revelation, and focuses.

"Great power. I look at this thing, and I see myself standing at the right hand of the Queen in London, or in a dungeon waited to be tortured to death."

PT

Hadrian smiled reassuringly and took Elizabeth's hand in his own. He was very warm, and had gentle fingers.

"You can confide in me miss Elizabeth. If the wrong people find out about me, and about what I can show you and others, they will kill each other trying to get to me first; so telling on anyone is out of the question. In fact, if we are discovered before we can properly situate ourselves, your past will be the least of the Hierarchs' concerns."

He laughed a single smooth giggle and smiled even brighter. His amusement might seem ill placed considering the gravity of what he had just said, but in Hadrian's head things were finally going in the right direction. He felt he could trust Elizabeth and Henry, and that pleased him to no ends.

"While we still have time alone together miss Elizabeth I would like to know more about your pantheon. Are there other Gods as highly regarded as Ares, and are there other Gods as lowly regarded as Athena?"

She leans over and kisses you.

"Death or glory then.  We'll roll the dice, and see if we can 'properly situate' ourselves. As to other situations, you can walk me home tonight."  She murmurs with a secret smile.

"Such odd questions...." She releases your hands.  "There are rumors of spirit creatures, kobolds, and dwarfs, and pixies in old myths...." She begins quoting....  "But then came Ares with Phobos and Deimos, his faces to the world, and that which was before fled before his majesty, and he struggled with the Dark Lady, and threw her out of the world, and along the Thread of Gold, Glass, and Iron to her hellhole.  But in the End of Days, the Tester shall see, and Ares will be glorified, and the Dark Lady shall be cast down."

She pauses.

"That is from the Book of Ancient Days. Its the only place in the Texts that mentions The Tester.  There are a few other places that mention 'small spirits' and 'children of guile', and of course a lot of places where the Dark Lady is mentioned, and her doom at Ares' hands.  It gets quite graphic."

She shrugs as if to say thats all she knows.

PT

"It will be my pleasure to follow you home miss Elizabeth."

Hadrian nodded and listened to her.

"Their religion is obviously limited to what is determined by the priests of Ares, and other deities are cast out as evil to prevent competition. This 'Tester' character interests me. A God with the power to judge even other Gods. I can use him to my advantage if I play this game cleverly."

"Thank you. That was very helpful," he said with a smile once she was finished and sat down.

"Miss Elizabeth. Do you think you could arrange a meeting between myself and your other inventor friends before the ball? I would like a chance to talk to some of them about their projects before we embark on our own."

Miss Elizabeth agrees to arrange a meeting.

You're on your way home with her when three young fellows appear from the shadows ahead of you two.

"You wouldn't have some money to spare for veterans of the war to suppress Davis's Rebellion, now wouldya'?"  One of them carrols out to you.

PT

Hadrian looked at them with a hard gaze and shook his head once, the most definite no he could muster.

Somehow being adressed by strangers out on the open street scared him, or at least, the potential outcome of the encounter scared him. He gripped more firmly around the sword-cane that Henry had given him, and silently thanked his friend for the wonderful gift.

They look at each other uncertainly as they take in your silence, but then they decide you can be 'dealt with'.

"We tried to be friendly like, but you've chosen the hard road." One of them growls.  He unleashes a chain from up his sleeve to tinkle on the ground.  The leftmost one produces a sap, and the rightmost one pulls out a modified bayonet which has had a hilt cladded to the bottom of the blade.

It does not look sharp, except for the point which gleams in the moonlight.

Miss Elizabeth steps behind you, and murmurs.

"I've got a pepperpot hidden in my skirt."

PT

Hadrian was relieved to hear that Elizabeth was armed as well, but he realized that one pistol would not be enough to get them out of this situation. A crazy but plausible plan formed in his head in a split second. With nothing else to loose he decided to go with it.

Hadrian took a confident step forward, but not a very big one seeing as he was not eager to get closer to the armed bandits, twisted the head of his cane and pulled the sword out of it, whipping it out in the air and holding it menacingly towards them.

"Correction maggots. It was I who tried to be 'friendly like', by rejecting you without making you all look like impotent fools. Your stupidity however leaves me with no choice; come then, let me end your miserable lives at the end of my blade, and let the Tester send you to whichever hell you deserve to rot in."

He assumed the defensive fencing pose, preparing to lunge out with his blade in a moments notice. It was ideal for the situation and would serve him well against the sap and the bayonet, seeing as he had supperior range; the chain however he had no practical defenses against.

OOC: Botch on your intimidation attempt, and here I thought it was very good.  But the dice hated it.

IC: They turn furious with rage at your insult, and charge you with mad fury.  Elizabeth discharges her pistol over your right shoulder, making that ear ring, and misses the bayonetter.

You gut the sap man, and then the chain comes down on your head.  You hit your knees, and blood blinds you in your right eye.  Elizabeth is standing right behind you, frantically reloading.  The bayonetteer...you've lost track of him.

The chain man is spinning up for a killing strike about four feet in front of you with a broad, malicious grin.

PT

All the sounds around him seemed odd and distorited. He felt an unfamiliar sensation of intoxication, as if he was high on the pain. A voice in the back of his head screamed that he had to protect Elizabeth; but the pain, and the blood in his eye, it made him so angry. Hadrian aligned his feet underneath him for a sudden spring about the same time as his good eye targeted the chain wielder. He didn't wait, he just moved on impulse. His plan was simple: aim the pointy end of his sword toward the man in front of him and charge and not stop untill the man was either dead or he was more than clear of him. He could protect Elizabeth, he could worry about the man with the bayonett, but first he was going to kill the man in front of him; that, or he was going to die.

You lunge to your feet screaming incoherently, and charge into the chain wielder as he unleashes his chain, a bit startled at your sudden move. Your blade sinks hilt deep into his upper chest cavity as his chain winds about your neck.

You feel a sense of blood-minded satisfaction as you see the man spit flecks of blood out of his mouth.  You've ripped open a lung.

He falls,a nd takes you with him.

You hit the ground, and something goes wrong with your neck. You try to move. Nothing happens.

A roar of a pistol.

Elizabeth leans over the dead body of the man you stabbed. She's weeping.

"You're choking. Let me get this chain off your neck."

She bends down to kiss you, and removes the chain. The last thing you feel is her lips,a nd then your head moves....

PT