Catherine accompanies her guardian, eager to stretch her legs a little.

A Major Sutcliffe with a small force of 10 men arrive shortly to greet the new arrivals..

"Greetings! What brings the Lithuanian Air Navy to Gibraltar?" he asks.

The men with him are armed but are not presenting them in a threatening manner.

The fact that he recognized the Lithuanian flag is surprising. It's probably more surprising that he thinks Lithuania has an Air Navy.

     Joseph leans--just a little bit--closer to Petras, and in a very quiet voice says,

     "Ahh...If'n I might make a suggestion...Captain...you get yourself right over there, next to that Mister Grimsby fella...he's some kinda British Government type...and I'm pretty sure that, at the moment, he's pretty much a friend of yours...so you git over there, with him, an' then let him do all the talkin...you just act all...y'know...Captain-y!"

In reply to GM SteamRoller (msg # 18):

Grimsby responds, "In fact this is a private vessel, though our owner, Captain Petras, is indeed Lithuanian. I am Grimsby Baskerville, of Her Britannic Majesty's Colonial Service; our party also includes my ward Miss Harston and several citizens of the United States. We hope to enter the port of Gibraltar for supplies. I would be happy to offer fuller explanations to the proper authorities."

"Since I decide who sees the 'proper authorities', that makes me the Proper Authority," Major Sutcliffe replies to Grimsby, clearly feeling slighted by Grimsby's words.

"Welcome to Her Majesty's Gibraltar. You can resupply your ship here. That's mostly what we do. And you can leave your ship right here. It'll be safe."

Grimsby, sensing the major's displeasure, says more effusively than usual, "I am sure we are most grateful for your permission to dock and resupply here. I trust Captain Petras will see that our vessel docks wherever you think best." 

It's not Catherine's place to say anything to an officer under the circumstances, but she curtsies to him and smiles beneath her veil, trying to smooth over her guardian's brief faux paus.

Petras looked around the area to find some place for the passengers to disembark, but nothing is... conveniently located.

"Looks like I made a slight error in not providing any means to descend from the ship," he says to the others. "Should we try to use one of the docks?"

"If we had floated in it, that might have worked, but I fear flying in will cause a security risk."

"How about if Joseph and Dr. Solar work on figuring out a way to make a lift to lower people to the ground. The rest of us can get provisions."

"I know what the ship needs, and I assume that Grimsby, Aubrey and Felicity will have a better idea of what to get for our trip."

Grimsby says, "If you can give me a list of the ship's requirements, I think I can compile another list of what our expedition will need in the way of stores. The rest of the party are welcome to share their suggestions."

In reply to Grimsby H. Baskerville (msg # 25):

     Joseph cast a puzzled frown at Petras,

     "'Floated it in'?" Joseph asks, repeating the young Lithuanian's words, "You mean 'floated' as in floating on the water?  Petras, is this ship seaworthy?  I mean, is it both watertight as well as balanced to float upright?  If it is, then yes, the easiest solution would be to relocate to a regular ship's dock and tie up there.  But if the ship won't sit right on the water, or worse, if she's just too heavy....well, forget that."

     "But, wait--when we found you, the ship was secured the way I've seen Germans anchor their dirigibles, when I was in East Africa.  It was tied off to a few trees, but was still floating--just with no forward motion.  We can do that here, yes?  The field seems large enough.  We hover just a few feet off the ground, then tie off to a pair of stakes driven into the ground at both the bow and stern.  Then we get one of those long gangplanks--the kind used by the big commercial steam liners to disembark passengers.  One of those should be able to get from the ground up to the main deck without too steep an angle, I should think."

     The frown returns to Joseph's face,

     "Actually, to get such a gangplank from a commercial line, we'd likely have to rent it.  Hmm.  Perhaps, Grimsby, we could, maybe, borrow one from the Royal Navy?  I believe such a gangplank as would be used for a Cruiser--or for a Battleship, if one is available."

     "A long gangplank, that is." Joseph smiles, "Not a Battleship.  I know the Royal Navy has several Battleships!  I just don't recall seeing one docked here, when we left."

In reply to Joseph Rudyard Hunnisett (msg # 26):

Grimsby responds,"Since this is an important port for the Mediterranean Fleet, I should think Gibraltar would have some spare gangplanks in naval stores --or at least boards that could be quickly adapted to serve. We should not have to borrow one from a particular ship."

"I haven't tested it in the water, but, as I said, my cousin helped me build the ship," Petras replies to Joseph. "And, as you can see, it has been designed as a ship. If nothing else, it would maintain a neutral buoyancy and float in the water just as if the water was air."

"Ropes staked to the ground was always the intent... to keep the ship from being tossed around by the wind. There are iron spikes with loops on the end to which ropes are already tied."

"Perhaps one of us should descend the rope ladder to secure the ship and try to find a suitably long gangplank, though perhaps some stacked crates would work for my gangplank."

In reply to Petras Valois (msg # 28):

Grimsby said, "If you decide you want a more formal gangplank, I will request one from the port authorities."

In reply to Grimsby H. Baskerville (msg # 29):

     "Perhaps borrowing one, for right now, would be best." Joseph suggests, "Then we should decide upon a more permanent solution before we leave Gibraltar, and make any needed purchases--or even modifications--here, where we have access to both supply and resources."

     "I believe the hardships of both space travel, as well as a completely alien planet, will be more than enough for the ladies, without the added difficulty of making them climb a rope ladder every time they wish to leave the ship.  Perhaps we could install a watertight door in the hull, down in the cargo hold?  The openness of the cargo hold is large enough that we could then store, there, a gangplank of sufficient length to stretch from the opened door down to the ground, or over to a dock, or other raised platform."

     "Could that be done, Petras?" Joseph asks, "If so, it would be best to take the time and do it here, where we have access to a shipyard.  Even if it would take several days--and I do allow that there is concern that Schilling might, yet, follow us--I feel this an acceptable risk.  If we can do it, that is."

Grimsby responded, "Your suggestions are ingenious, Mr. Hunisett, but I will leave them to be negotiated between Captain Valois and the dockyard later, while for now I will see if I can secure a gangplank for present use." He moved over to the side and hailed the officials there.  "May we request the loan of a gangplank so our passengers may land more comfortably? Some of them are ladies."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Wed 06 May 2020.

"Are you suggestin' I don't know how to climb up a rope?" Felicity asks, looking to Hunnisett. She lifts the edge of her hat with a flick of her thumb. "Cause I'll bet you I can you to the ground awful fast, if you wanna give it a try," her tone mostly teasing. Mostly.

"Petey-" Felicity's nickname for the captain, arrived at during the journey after several attempts at pronouncing 'Petras'- some of them comical, all of them failures, "How long you reckon it'll take this thing to get out to Mars?"

She doesn't wait long for an answer before she finds a length of rope to toss overboard. Not content herself to wait for a gangplank to be delivered.

"I've calculated our course across several days since, as you know, the Earth and Mars are in constant motion," he replies to Felicity. "So the actual distance between them is always a variable."

"However, the distances are so great that as long as we leave within a week, it should take just under 60 days to reach Mars."

"Anchoring ropes are stored in these compartments under the deck, as is the rope ladder and the gangplank. The gangplank isn't long enough to reach the ground from this height, not even fully vertical."

"Hmmmm. Perhaps I could design gangplank that could also be used as a ladder. Or even stairs! Hey, Joseph! How long do you think a stepped gangplank would have to be to reach the ground? I know it has something to do with run and rise, but I wasn't paying attention when my cousin did it. And it's different on ships, anyway."

Catherine nodded in agreement, blushing slightly at the idea of descending a rope ladder. "It would be awkward."

"Two months?" Catherine asked. "I hope we can find some good books here."

Grimsby commented "Books are always agreeable. I daresay there are books to be had in Gibraltar. We could also play whist or -for the Americans -poker. If you desired something more educational, I could teach you one of the Martian dialects. It might come in handy once we arrive."

Felicity retrieves the rope ladder, rolled up in her arms. Carrying it to the edge of the ship. Eyeing the distance to the ground before unrolling it.

"Dang. You never tol' me you knew how to deal cards. Could'a been playin' this whole time," she laments, shaking her head.

"I'm rather partial to chess myself," Mathias says. "I have a magnetic chess set in my wagon. I glued a sheet of metal to the board and then glued magnets to the bottom of the pieces. That kept them from falling all over the place when the wagon traveled over rough roads."

"Splendid idea!" Aubrey replies. "I do like a good game of chess."

"Perhaps, if there is enough interest in the various games, we could have a tournament for each of them. It would certainly pass the time."

"However, we must also figure out some way to do exercises. Games are fine for the mind, but they involve sitting at a table. Our muscles will grow weak if we do that for 60 days."

"Anyway, as I understand it, the trip should take between 58 and 63 days. Calculations through the ether aren't all that precise yet. Babbage's analytical engine should solve that problem. I don't know if he can make one small enough to carry aboard a ship, though."

"We must also keep watch on the ship. Two people at all times, port and starboard. There aren't many dangers in the ether, but one of them is a meteor shower. If spotted early enough, it should be easy enough to avoid it."

In reply to Aubrey St. Claire (msg # 38):

     When Felicity had moved to get the rope ladder from it's compartment under the deck, Joseph had also taken a few steps to stand and look over the gunwale, down at the British sailors, below.  Cupping his hands around his mouth, Joseph shouted down at them,

     "Ahoy, Lads!  Standby for our mooring cables!  Someone fetch a mallet for our anchor pins!"

     Joseph straightened, then jogged to the forward port-side, to where Petras had said the deck compartment for the anchor ropes was located.  Once there, Joseph quickly unsecured the hatch and opened it, seeing inside there a large coil of rope and an iron bar--also coiled.  Where Joseph was expecting to find a long stake or pole of iron, maybe wood, he instead saw what looked like a giant's corkscrew.

     ~~That Petras is quite the clever young man.~~ Joseph thought to himself, grabbing up the self-tapping anchor screw and one end of the anchor rope and quickly attaching the rope to the anchor with a secure sailors knot.

     Joseph stood, again, at the gunwale, and slowly lowered the anchor down over the side.

     "Belay the mallet, Lads!  These anchors just screw into the ground!" Joseph called down, as he lowered the anchor.

     Joseph repeated the process for the forward star'b'd side anchor, then the aft port and star'b'd anchors.  Once all four anchor ropes had been let over the sides, Joseph then returned to Petras.

     "All four anchors are let down and in the hands of the Ground Crew, Captain." Joseph reported, "Anchors are being secured in the ground as we speak.  You can begin to lower the ship whenever you're ready.  If I may I ask, Petras, with such an open, level field available, would you want to settle the ship down on the ground, or keep it floating a foot-or-so abouve it?"

"It's got the keel of a sea-going vessel, Joseph," Petras responds. "It can't land on the ground unless there's some sort of docking cradle. We never thought about making the bottom flat since we were expecting the ship to float constantly."

"I'll make a note of that for the next ship I build. Flat bottom like a barge."

"And, for the record, I don't believe those men below are sailors. They look more like army to me."

In reply to Petras Valois (msg # 40):

     "So, floating just abouve the ground, then." Joseph responds, as he looks back over the side of the ship and down at the ground.

     "Army?  Really?  Huh.  This field looks so much like the ones I've seen laid out in German East Africa, for their dirigibles--and, you know, the German Navy runs all their airships--I guess I just, kinda, assumed."

     Joseph looks back up with a sheepish grin on his face,

     "I suppose it's a good thing I haven't had a chance to mistakenly call one of them el hisopo." Joseph says, apparently unaware he'd said Swabbie in Mexican, "I'd have probably gotten a punch on the nose!"