A shotgun sprouted out of the wall and shot the pirate’s chest. He slammed against the opposite wall and slid to the floor. Percy and Savannah were shocked, but relieved.
“That’s amazing! The ship has traps for intruders!” Percy declared.
Savannah was somewhat confused. “How does it know to attack the right people?”
Percy randomly guessed. “I’m not sure. Maybe those surveillance cameras can identify metal grafting.”
“Honey, we’re still stuck here,” Savannah pointed out.
“Yeah, I’m working on that part. I’m trying to figure out an idea,” Percy replied.
Savannah nervously laughed. “In the meantime, we can just hang around.”
Percy rolled his eyes. “That would be a lot funnier under different circumstances.”
They heard people running in the hall behind them.
“Great! More pirates!” Savannah complained.
Percy tried to stay calm. “Don’t panic! There’s going to be a way out of here!”
Giles and Malcolm snuck up from behind them.
“What’s this contraption that’s trapped you guys?” Giles asked while he tried to examine the mechanical device.
Percy was relieved but quickly added, “Giles, I’m really glad you’re here. This is a magnet meant for trapping Steampunks, so don’t walk in front of it.”
Malcolm found the lever. “This might be the power switch. Hold on tight because I’m going to turn it off.”
He flipped the switch, turning off the electricity. Percy and Savannah collapsed to the floor while the magnet contracted into its original form.
Savannah was exhausted. “Freedom! I would kiss the floor, but that would be undignified.”
The couple stood up while Giles and Malcolm moved the magnet out of their way.
“We got lost trying to find the control room, but that turned out to be a good thing for you,” Giles mentioned.
Percy picked up the pirate’s axe. “I would like to think God’s looking out for us. Have either of you seen Gable or Reb? Priscilla was with us this morning, but she ran off to find Gable.”
Malcolm shook his head. “No, but they must be on the submarine. All of us are trapped here.”
“Reb managed to escape before we got stuck on this horrible magnet. I think she’s alone and that really worries me,” Savannah said, as she straightened her frazzled hair.
Percy tapped his finger on the axe’s blade. “We can find her. Now our numbers have increased to four. That helps our chance of survival.”
“I have to disagree with you this time. Malcolm and I ran into a really strong pirate. He was probably their captain. The two of you should find a safe hiding place. I don’t want to put either of you in danger. Malcolm and I are searching for the control panel, so we can switch the submarine back to ocean liner mode. We need this ship back on the surface if anyone is going to escape,” Giles explained.
Savannah raised her fist at Giles. “Don’t act like we’re helpless! Where do you think Reb got her fighting spirit from?”
“Sorry, but Giles is right. Four people wandering through the ship isn’t very stealth. Maybe you guys can find Reb and everyone else through another pathway. Let us handle the control room,” Malcolm insisted.
“Fine, but I want you guys to be careful. This submarine has booby traps,” Percy commented.
Giles nodded his head. “I noticed that. The traps appear to be targeting pirates, but I’m still nervous about it. Steampunk technology is ruthless. Some of these traps might sacrifice a few Steampunks to eliminate our enemies.”
Savannah examined the dead pirate and pulled two pistols out of his holsters. “These guns might come in handy.”
“Be careful. Those pistols use exploding gunpowder. It’s really powerful,” Malcolm remarked.
Percy wiped the sweat off his brow. “We need to keep moving. If you boys get into trouble, holler for help. We’ll find a way to help you somehow.”
“Thanks, Percy. You should be fine now that you both have weapons. Take care of Reb if you find her. You know how much she means to me,” Giles lectured.
Percy chuckled. “I’ll look out for Reb. A parent’s duty is never finished, even when our kids are grown.”
Giles patted his father-in-law’s shoulder. “Let’s just hope we survive this trip. We’ll catch up with you later. Good luck.”
The group dispersed to find a solution to their disastrous predicament.
Meanwhile, Priscilla maneuvered through a deeper part of the submarine. She wandered down corridor that was far away from most of the main rooms.
“I definitely went in the wrong direction. This pathway probably leads to the engine room or something. However, this corridor might be obscure enough to avoid pirates. That’s a plus,” Priscilla grumbled quietly.
A man grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. She broke away and faced her attacker.
“Hi, beautiful,” Gable said and smiled.
Priscilla felt relieved. “Darling, I’ve been looking all over the ship for you!”
They tightly hugged each other.
Beauregard glanced nervously around the corridor. “Sorry to break up your reunion, but I don’t think it’s safe to stay in one place for very long.”
“This is a backdoor part of the ship. I don’t think anyone is supposed to be here except staff. It might be one of the safer parts of the submarine,” Gable speculated.
Priscilla wanted to figure out their location. “I’m totally lost. There were pirates everywhere and I tried to avoid them through staff exits. Somehow it led to this corridor. I don’t know where it goes.”
“Yeah, I don’t know where it leads either. We have some tough decisions to make. On one hand, it would be a good idea to find the other members of my family. However, that probably means returning to the deck. Obviously, the deck is infested with pirates and that would be dangerous for us. We also have the option of traveling deeper into the ship for safety,” Gable explained.
“You know I’ll always take the safer choice,” Beauregard grumbled.
Priscilla was annoyed with him. “Beau, you’re a Steampunk now. Grow a spine and show some bravery for once. It’s okay to be scared, but it’s important to show better character if you want people to have respect for you.”
The artist frowned. “Thanks for the guilt trip. Okay, we can look for the Nelsons. If those pirates kill me, I’m coming back and haunting both of you.”
“Beau, you’re being dramatic,” Gable muttered.
“There’s a stairway behind you guys. It probably leads to the deck,” Beauregard suggested.
“Look at you trying to be courageous. That’s an improvement,” Priscilla teased.
Beauregard felt embarrassed, and turned to walk up the stairs. “Stop making fun of me. It’s not helping our situation.”
Gable and Priscilla followed him until two pirates spotted them from the upper portion of the stairway. Beauregard immediately stopped in his tracks.
“It’s that art dealer! Get him!” one of the thugs shouted.
The pirates threw a net over Beauregard, causing him to fall.
Gable tried to stop them. “Leave him alone! None of us are part of your treasure hunt!”
“Mind your own business, Steampunk!” the second terrorist barked, as he drew a pistol.
Both of the villains fired at Gable and Priscilla. The casino dealer grabbed his wife and dove out of the way.
Beauregard writhed, trapped in the net. “Let me go! You won’t get away with this! Both of you will need eye patches when I’m done with you!”
One of the pirates complained as they dragged him up the stairs, “Those metal bones make him heavy.”
“Just keep going. We need to find a way to reach our ship,” the other thug said.
Gable and Priscilla stood up after the kidnappers left.
“That didn’t turn out well. Maybe we should head deeper underneath the submarine. I don’t like
to run and hide, but this problem keeps getting worse,” Gable grumbled.
Priscilla agreed with him. “I’m sorry about Beau, but we have kids to think about. Both of us need to survive for them.”
Gable nodded his head. “We can find my family when this chaos blows over. In the meantime, let’s head to a lower part of the ship.”
The couple headed down a flight of stairs, trying to avoid the intruders.
Adonis also wandered through a deeper section of the boat. The pirate captain used his digital map to maneuver through the corridors and stairways.
“This might be a promising route. I’m heading deeper underneath the ship and I haven’t encountered any dead ends,” Adonis said, as he walked down a flight of stairs.
When he reached the next corridor, Adonis accidentally tripped an alarm that sounded another siren. A series of spears ejected out of the walls and floor in order to impale him. Adonis jumped back as one of the spears protruded in front of him. The captain dove onto the floor before another spear ejected. He rolled across the floor, avoiding two more spears that shot out of the floor. Adonis pulled out his sword and broke the next wall spear in half, as it tried to stab him. He also cut apart a floor spear that ejected. Adonis jumped over yet one more spear, and then he sliced the last spear that protruded out of the floor in half as well. The terrorist put away his sword and breathed heavily from the experience.
The commotion attracted Blaze’s attention from the radio. “Captain, I heard sirens! Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. The submarine triggered a booby trap with a bunch of spears. It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Adonis said confidently.
The first mate was worried. “You’ve been trapped inside that ship for quite a while. Maybe we should abort the mission?”
Adonis snapped at him, “I’ve wasted too much time and effort to run away! A true pirate doesn’t flee like a coward!”
“Look, I just don’t have faith in this mysterious treasure like you do,” Blaze admitted.
The pirate captain looked at his map again. “I’m getting closer. Just keep my ship under control. Your leadership skills are questionable, and I don’t want my men to start a mutiny.”
“Everything is under control, Captain. You have my word. I’ll check on your progress later,” Blaze said, before he ended the radio conversation.
Adonis continued through the iron maze while he searched for the elusive treasure.
On deck, Percy and Savannah watched for pirates. The pair felt more secure with their new weapons.
Savannah examined her new pistols. “I’ve never seen guns like this before.”
“They’re pirate pistols. I can tell from their design. Back in the 21st Century, I saw pictures online that showed weapons from the Golden Age of Piracy. The pistols looked a lot like this,” Percy explained.
Savannah thought his explanation was interesting. “That’s impressive. Apparently, those pirates did a lot of research.”
“That’s why I’m worried. Modern pirates know what they’re doing,” Percy replied.
“We have another problem. These guns only have one bullet apiece. I think they’re old-fashioned weapons that use gunpowder and can only load one bullet at a time,” Savannah said in a worried tone.
Percy tightly gripped his axe. “That means you need to make every shot count. I hope your aim is good.”
“Darling, my aim is much better than yours,” Savannah remarked with a smirk.
They approached a window that looked into a conference room. The couple peered through the window and saw a group of Steampunks who were hidden from potential threats.
Percy was glad to see survivors. “I don’t see anyone from our family, but it’s good that people are still alive.”
Savanna responded, “That’s true. Maybe we should ask the group if they saw Reb or Gable? Our kids are big-time celebrities. I’m sure people will recognize them.”
They heard a commotion from the adjacent hallway.
“Something is going on. Let’s duck underneath the window,” Percy instructed.
Both of them hid underneath the window and listened to the events as they unfolded. They heard a small band of pirates try to rob and interrogate the Steampunks. Most of the Steampunks argued with their intruders. Percy and Savannah heard multiple people cocking their firearms. At that moment, the Steampunks and pirates fired at each other, causing a series of noises and miniature explosions. The window shattered and rained on top of the couple. Smoke billowed out of the room and the couple heard people groaning from inside.
Savannah was alarmed. “What just happened?”
Percy wanted to be cautious. “We hid from a small battle. Are you brave enough to look through the window?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah, I think we should see the outcome.”
They looked through the broken window and saw a bloody sight. Most of the Steampunks were alive and coughing on the floor, but the entire group of pirates was deceased.
“So, grafted humans are more durable than pirates. We should see if anyone needs help. Come on,” Percy instructed, while he climbed through the opening.
Savannah followed his lead. “It’s too bad that terrorists keep attacking our culture.”
Chapter 16
Giles and Malcolm finally found the control room. They opened the door and were unpleasantly surprised by the sight. Captain Enzo and his entire crew lie dead on the floor. Much of the equipment was heavily damaged from the explosion.
“This explains why nobody was helping the passengers,” Giles said while he stepped over the bodies.
Malcolm grabbed a trash bin and vomited. The Germanic man used a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and then he put the trash bin back on the floor. “I can’t do this anymore. There’s so much death and violence.”
Giles tried to comfort his friend. “I know this is hard, but you have to face reality at some point. It was easier for you to be sheltered in the slums with your drugs, alcohol, and pornography. However, that’s not much of a living. Deep down, you’re a really strong guy. Reb built you into a powerful and exuberant celebrity who can be a great role model to other Steampunks. Let go of your insecurity and embrace your true self.”
“I’m working on it,” Malcolm grumbled.
Giles turned his attention to the mangled room. “It’s too bad. The captain and his crew could have survived if they hadn’t inhaled the smoke and flames.”
Malcolm approached one of the broken control panels. “Where do we start? I don’t know anything about this emergency system, and most of this equipment is badly damaged.”
“We’re probably looking for a button or a switch. Try to think logically. The crew would need to activate the emergency system if anything serious happened,” Giles explained.
Before they could find answers, one of the pirates entered the control room and ambushed them. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the two Steampunks.
“What are you doing here? Don’t mess around with the controls!” the thug demanded.
Giles and Malcolm didn’t want to risk injuries from the explosive gunpowder.
“Calm down. We don’t care about your precious treasure. It’s all yours,” Giles coolly said.
The pirate walked directly to the steering wheel. “I know plenty about your culture. Steampunks think they rule the world. People like you don’t treat other subcultures with respect. You think splicing makes people indestructible. Well, let’s see how many Steampunks survive if we have a few barrel rolls.”
Malcolm tried to stop him. “Get away from the steering wheel!”
Before Malcolm could stop him, the terrorist yanked the steering wheel three hundred and sixty degrees to the left. He used suction cups to hang onto the control panel while the submarine turned on its side and then rolled completely over.
Giles and Malcolm lost their balance and tumbled around the control room as the ship rotated. Malcolm landed on part of the control panel, and shorted it out while
electrical sparks flew through the air.
Reb found the industrial underbelly, but that was a problem because it was the ship’s most dangerous section.
“What’s going on?” the Steampunk woman yelled as she lost her footing on a platform.
She flipped over the railing and yelped when she hit a pipe below. As she fell, Reb grabbed a hooked rope that dangled from the ceiling. The attorney swung across the underbelly and then she dropped to another platform. She clung onto the railing while the submarine turned upside down.
Steampunks and pirates alike tumbled around helplessly while the ship rolled on its side. Percy and Savannah toppled along the walls with other passengers.
“It’s a good thing our bones are grafted with metal!” Percy groaned while he slid across the floor.
“That doesn’t mean I want to be shaken around like a martini!” Savannah complained right before she slammed against one of the walls.
Gable and Priscilla were tossed around in the corridor.
“Somebody is messing around with the controls!” Priscilla shouted as they slid around inside the metal hallway.
Both of them crashed through a window and fell into the ship’s underbelly. They landed roughly onto a platform, and hung on a railing as the submarine spun around.
“Hang on! We can get through this!” Gable hollered.
A pirate also clung onto a railing in the underbelly. “Those Steampunks are trying to kill us!”
The terrorist lost his grip and fell into the abyss until he landed inside a giant propeller that chopped him to pieces.
Adonis tumbled down a flight of stairs and landed on the ceiling when the ship turned upside down again. “Somebody is being an idiot! We’re all going to die!”
While the submarine rolled again, one of the pirates fell from the ceiling and smashed his head against the floor. Blood spurted out of his head wound while the rotation continued.
Giles punched his opponent’s face, knocking out the rogue driver. The submarine soon stabilized and coasted through the ocean again.
After a few moments had passed, the Steampunks stood up and recuperated. It didn’t seem like there were any Steampunk fatalities during the series of barrel rolls.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution Page 20