by Jason Kent
"What bright idea just popped up behind those Watcher eyes of yours?" Georges asked.
The smile which spread across Kate's face made Garrett wince.
"We're not going to like it," Garrett said, "are we?"
"Depends," Kate said. She licked her lips and studied the mountains ahead. She found what she needed and pointed to the right of their current course.
"Head straight for the pass," Kate said.
Dagger looked over at Kate. "You know we'll crash, right?"
"Katrin's Koit has served its grand purpose," Kate said. "Besides, if what I have in mind works, we'll be perfectly safe."
Dagger puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. She began hauling on the big wheel. The airship rolled a bit under Kate's feet as the pilot adjusted their heading. When the deck leveled out again, their bow was aimed directly at a low point between two towering peaks.
The mountain on the east cast a deep shadow into the pass. On further study, the dark passage took on a more sinister appearance to Kate. She shook off the feeling and pulled out her dark sunglasses as the rising sun began to stream into their bridge. Their course was set. They needed to get to Knowl within a few hours and Kate could see no options other than the slim outlines of the plan taking root in her mind. She looked around at the others on the bridge. They were all contemplating the pass they were now bent on trying to reach. Kate took some solace in the fact neither Georges or Dagger seemed to have any better ideas.
"So," Garrett interrupted all their silent thoughts, "there is no way we can get over the pass in this thing." He flipped his hand around at the deck and blimp above them. "The gas sacs are still leaking."
Kate nodded. "Amanda, how far into the pass do you think we'll get?"
Dagger eyed the approaching 'V' cut into the mountains with a critical stare. She sucked on her teeth while she judged their speed, altitude and the apparent depth of the pass. The pilot snapped up a pair of binoculars which hung on the end of a bent brass pipe near her right hand. She studied the pass closely.
"We'll drag what's left of the lower decks," Dagger finally said. She passed her binoculars to Kate. "There's a road there, you can just see it through the trees. We should get at least halfway through before we're out of decks."
Kate looked and passed the glasses over to Georges.
Georges grunted. "You want to crash land?"
"Not exactly," Kate said slowly. She turned back to Garrett and Merrick. Kate knew they spent some time when they first came on board checking out the rest of the airship. "You guys find the emergency exit?"
The two marines looked at each other then back at Kate. They answered in unison.
"First class lobby."
Kate's heart sank. The last time she had seen the lobby, the floor was being ripped out. She had planned to use the inflatable slides at the emergency exit to get off the airship before it crashed. When they got close to the ground in the pass, she basically wanted to roll off onto the ground.
"Okay, that's not good," Kate said. She rubbed her chin and thought furiously.
"But," Garrett offered. "If you're planning what I think you're planning, I believe I have just what you need. Hang on." He held up a finger and backed out of the bridge. "Be right back."
It was Kate's turn to look at Merrick.
"Don't look at me," Merrick said. "You guys are the ones with the crazy plans."
Garrett bustled back through the door just a few minutes later. He held several bundles hitched over this shoulders and arms by thick straps. Garrett dropped all but one of them onto the floor. He held up one of the canvas backpacks and smiled.
"Will these work?" Garrett directed his question to Kate.
Dagger looked away from her steering for a moment and looked at the contraption Garrett displayed.
"You have got to be kidding me," Dagger growled. She turned away from Garrett and grumbled, "Should have stayed with the Blade."
"Parachutes," Kate said. This was so much better than her idea with the emergency slides. A smile crept over her face. Kate turned to look out the missing front of the bridge. "Dagger, do you still think we can get most of the way through the pass?"
Dagger looked back at Kate then at the pile of parachutes.
"You saw what happened to the crew when they abandoned ship using those, right?" Dagger asked.
"No skyrakes this time," Kate countered.
"None we can see," Dagger said. "What if they live in some cave in those mountains?"
"Now you're making stuff up," Kate remarked. "Besides, we've got Garrett and his crossbow."
Dagger snorted. She looked at the pass they were quickly approaching and nodded. "I still say we're going to drag our keel. But it looks like the trail drops off after the highest point of the pass."
"Perfect," Kate said.
"You realize I could be wrong," Dagger said. "If we jump and the ground doesn't drop off after the pass, we'll splatter just like this blimp."
"We don't have a choice," Georges replied. He picked up one of the parachutes. "But there's no time to climb over any mountain. These could save us hours."
Kate received a flash, a vision of a domed structure in the middle of wide rocky crater. She took a breath.
"We'll be okay," Kate assured them. "I think Kaali is a big crater. Once we get over those," she pointed at the mountains, "we'll be in a bowl with steep walls."
"How long do we have?" Merrick asked. He eyed the approaching mountains. Even now, the foothills were closer than ever to the underside of the airship.
"Five minutes," Dagger estimated. "Tops."
"Let's get everyone in here," Georges ordered. "Grab whatever gear you can carry. Merrick, round up Ross and Andrea. Kate, get Sparrow. Try and find a weapon while you're at it."
Kate breathed a sigh of relief. With the plan decided upon, Georges would see it executed. Kate's part was done. In one sense, Kate knew they were nearing the end of their quest, at least their physical trip. But, she could not shake the feeling they were just beginning the real purpose of their longer journey.
Chapter 18
Knowl
Five minutes is not a lot of time. Kate dashed off the bridge and headed aft across the open deck. She stopped when Merrick shouted after her.
"Kate!"
"We'll have to pick up our conversation later!" Kate called back. Merrick was at her side within seconds despite her dismissal.
"Okay," the sniper said. "But I was more worried about this." He held out his sidearm, nestled in its holster, to Kate.
"As we have clearly seen, I'm really no good..." Kate started to protest.
"Just take it," Merrick urged. He unwound the belt and wrapped it around Kate's waist. He took the time to adjust the heavy buckle and shifted the position of the holster so it rode low on her right hip. The holster would be out of her way so as to not hamper her motion but also within easy reach of Kate's hand given her natural arms' reach. Finally, Merrick wrapped a thin strap around her lower thigh. This final piece was crucial as it kept the gun in place and prevented the holster from slapping against Kate's leg when she ran.
Garrett popped out of the deck house and stopped.
Kate looked from Garrett's grinning face to Merrick kneeling in front of her.
"This isn't..." Kate began. She bit her lip and glanced down at Merrick. He was pre-occupied with securing the holster and did not notice the pilot's approach. Kate realized what the situation must look like.
"Look," Garrett drawled. He stepped toward them and held up his hands. "I really don't mind. Actually, I'm happy for you two. Ecstatic even." Merrick finally looked up. Garrett gave the sniper a two-fingered salute from his brow. "Just be sure to invite me to the wedding. Oh, and we've only got about four and a half minutes, so make all the kissy face stuff go quick." Garrett winked at Kate then dashed for the hatch leading to the Grand Staircase, what was left of it anyway.
Kate turned her eyes to Merrick, still on his knee in front of her. He opened his mouth but she held up her
hand and laid a finger on his lips before he could say a word.
"Later," Kate suggested.
Merrick got to his feet and checked his work. Satisfied, he nodded and started after Garrett. He glanced back over his shoulder.
"It suits you!"
As Kate let her hands fall to her side, she found her right hand landed perfectly on the handle of the automatic pistol. She wrapped her fingers around the molded plastic grip. Kate released the gun and wiped her hands on her pants. She wondered if she would need to use Merrick's gun in the near future. Kate shook her head and dashed for the engine room. Probably, she realized.
It took a precious minute to find Sparrow within the warren created by the engine room's pipes and humming heavy machinery. Kate yelled for the sprite when she found the control platform empty. But, the noise of the spinning turbines and roar of the gas-fed boilers drowned out every attempt Kate made. Kate hurried down a ladder and along several catwalks until she found Sparrow taking readings with the new implants in her outstretched hands. The machinery she was checking was probably vital to the function of the airship's drive system, but to Kate they were merely two hulking steel casings crowding in claustrophobically on either side of the grated walkway.
"Sparrow!"
The sprite turned. Her steel-colored eyes took a few seconds to focus. When Sparrow registered Kate's presence, she smiled and raised her eyebrows.
"We need to get to the bridge!" Kate shouted. She sensed the clock winding down on the time they had before the airship reached the pass. Kate did not have a moment to spare attempting to explain the crazy plan to Sparrow. She looked down at the floor of the compartment just three meters below. What had Dagger said? They were likely to lose their keel? Kate was not sure if Dagger meant the rest of the airship's underside would be ripped free or if the force of the impact would drive the steel plates up into what was left of the superstructure. Kate did not want to be this close to the bottom of the hull to find out first hand. She certainly did not want to be crushed in between the high-pressure steam lines and the red-hot boilers when they made contact with the mountain.
"The temperatures in the heat exchanges are not optimal," Sparrow protested.
"They're close enough!" Kate hollered. She grabbed Sparrow's hand and pulled the sprite along in her wake.
"I assume we're abandoning ship," Sparrow shouted as they passed a roaring turbine.
"Something like that!" Kate shouted back. She allowed Sparrow one last look back into the engine room with all its beautifully twisting pipes, roaring boilers, and the wonderfully constant vibrations. Kate realized Sparrow had discovered her new, rebooted self down here. It was in another Tallinn engine room, back on the ironclad battle cruiser where she had begun to understand the scope of her new powers after her encounter with Javin. One could not help but feel a bit nostalgic for such places. Unfortunately, there was very little time in which to get teary-eyed.
"Sorry," Kate said and pulled Sparrow up the last ladder. She did not go into details about her suspicion the engine room would very likely become a twisted pile of wreckage in the unnamed pass within minutes. Like the crucible of Kate's ironclad, Sparrow's engine room was destined for destruction.
When they burst out of the heavy steel hatch leading from the engine room, the mountains loomed ominously in front of the airship.
"Should we try and go around those?" Sparrow wondered.
"Yeah," Kate breathed. She hustled the sprite toward the bridge. "Unfortunately, not an option."
Along the way, they passed the Grand Staircase doorway. Merrick burst through with Garrett, Andrea and Ross in his wake. Ross took hold of Andrea. Dagger's sister appeared to be having some trouble as she tried to climb the final steps.
"Problem?" Kate asked.
"Found her in the bar," Garrett stated dryly. He took Andrea's other side and, together with Ross, lifted her feet clear of the deck.
"But how..." Kate began as she hurried to follow the others. The last time she was down on the passenger level the rake caused so much damage the entire floor ripped away; including the hallway to the bar.
"There was just enough flooring along the wall to get to the booze," Garrett explained. "It's passable, as long as you did not look down."
They reached the bridge and crowded inside.
Dagger wore a grim look of determination on her face, as if she could get the airship just a little more altitude from her sheer willpower alone.
"Suggest you buckle up," Dagger shouted.
Georges was ready for them and tossed a parachute to each member of the quest. He and Dagger were already suited up, having managed to find leather helmets with round goggles. Kate almost laughed at the sight. They had gone from armored space suits to aviator goggles which would have done an airman proud during the 1920's back on Earth. Georges threw her a parachute. Kate managed to catch it without dropping it out of the broken cockpit.
The approaching, narrow 'V' of the mountain pass dead ahead focused everyone's attention and they each slipped their parachute harness over their shoulders and between their legs within seconds. Everyone except Andrea. Despite Garrett and Ross' best efforts Andrea still had only one shoulder strap in place.
"You are all insane!" Andrea shouted. Her speech was slurred and she swung her fists at both of the marines in turn. Her eyes were locked on the mountains they were about to crash into. "Thanks for saving me, just so you could kill me, wonderful sister!"
"Dagger!" Garrett shouted.
"Tral!" Dagger glanced back at the struggle which raged around Andrea. "Wheel!" The pilot yelled and strode over to her sister.
"Tral!" Garrett cursed. He dove for the massive ship's wheel and wrestled with it until they were back on target for the pass. "Going to be close!"
"Tell me about it!" Dagger shouted back. She punched Andrea in the face without warning. Andrea sagged and Dagger and Ross moved with speed born of utmost urgency to get the parachute strapped onto the younger, now dazed, Rodgers sister.
"Too close!" Garrett shouted.
Kate looked out the front of the open bridge. The airship was in the pass. Scraggly tree tops raced by mere meters below. She stumbled as one caught on the base of the airship before snapping with a loud crack. The road was clearly visible below them now; a rough trail of crushed stone just wide enough for a single vehicle. The track topped out at the highest point of the pass right in front of them.
"We won't clear it!" Garrett shouted.
"We don't have to," Georges said. Louder, he ordered, "Line up! As close to the edge as you can get!" He grabbed Andrea's limp form and dragged her to the very edge of the ragged brink of what was left to the bridge's fine wooden floor. Georges grasped a broken piece of brass railing and leaned out over the edge of the brink.
Kate and Merrick joined him. Their fingers found each other and she gripped his strong hand, hoping some of his steady nerves would migrate to her.
"The blimp is gonna stop!" Georges instructed. "Jump as far as you can as soon as we hit!"
"Tral!" Ross called out. He readjusted his chute and cinched the two straps which wrapped around his legs. "This is not right."
No one disagreed with the marine.
Kate looked side to side at her companions. Dagger reclaimed the wheel but held it with only one hand, so she was clear to jump with the rest of them. Garrett and Sparrow perched near each other, ready to take the plunge.
"Be ready!" Georges shouted. "When you land, tuck and roll!"
"Or you break and die!" Ross added.
Kate tried not to think of the many parts of her body which could possibly break—
The leading edge of the zeppelin's gas bag soared over the pass' peak. Kate was suddenly looking at the road bed from only ten meters up. She figured there was at least twenty meters of structure in the passenger cupola dangling below their feet further back in the airship. Something was going to give, and it was not going to be the mountain.
"Here we go!" Dagger shouted. Th
e pilot sensed the same thing as Kate.
Much of the airship hull would not clear the pass.
Both Kate and Dagger were proven right a second later as the keel of the airship hit the rising roadbed. Kate felt their airspeed drop dramatically as the steel cupola dug into the mountain's granite. The grinding of metal against rock was joined by the explosive snap of tree trunks as the cupola found more and more obstacles blocking its path.
The highest point of the pass' saddle ground beneath the bridge. The mountainside dropped away dramatically as Kate looked down at the far side of the pass. She had only a moment to appreciate the gigantic natural bowl opening up in front of them. The crater walls rose out of sight above the blimp's air bag. Kate looked down at the crater floor nearly a kilometer below.
The Katrin lurched dramatically and began to list to port.
"NOW!" Georges shouted.
Kate squeezed Merrick's hand and together they leapt into the open space on the far side of the pass. Kate dared a quick look back and was relieved to find everyone else following them.
"PULL!" Merrick shouted. He let go of Kate and pulled the ring on his shoulder harness.
Kate did the same. She grasped her harness and tensed as the parachute fabric was pulled out of the pack by a lead chute. The parasail snapped into shape and Kate's fall was dramatically arrested. She began to sail out away from the mountain's step slope into open air rather than continue her plummet toward the jagged rocks below. She tugged on the chute's control lines a few times. The experiment confirmed she really did have some degree of control over her direction of flight. Kate concentrated on trying to fly straight. Then, the world behind her exploded with a deafening blast. She looked back and saw a blossoming fireball.
"Boiler," Kate breathed. She remembered Sparrow cranking up the pressures in the engine room, probably well beyond any safety limits. Kate thought of the flooring of the engine room. The mountain would have made short work of even those thick steel plates.
The cupola broke in half. What was left of the passenger section tilted then fell over the edge of the cliff face on the crater-side of the pass. Kate watched as the once luxurious cabins were crushed and the rest of the bridge crumbled against unyielding rock. The engine compartment was visible for a second through the cracked hull before a second boiler exploded. The engine compartment was turned into a mass of twisted steel engulfed by thick, roiling smoke. A massive fireball shot out of the pass as the fuel bunkers were finally breached. The blimp was caught in the conflagration and disintegrated into a collapsing framework of mangled struts and flaming fabrics. The gas bag held its shape for a long moment before the remnants crashed down. Half of the blimp settled into the roaring fire in the engine room wreckage and the rest draped over the cliff where fire quickly consumed the tattered outer envelope.