《The Clockwork Sea》The Rebellious Half Turn
Advertisement
It was a brilliantly crafted golden precipice. It ticked as if any clock would. Yet she knew this was no ordinary clock.
Clouds brushed just out the cockpit. The endless cacophony of metalwork proved ever present here and oddly charming.
It was a wonder to any untrained mechanic as how anything so small could hoist an entire ship.
“First time seeing one, cadet?” Grumbled an old man.
“Yes sir.” Straightened the cadet.
The old man was a walking iron ball. He had stubby legs and arms and the face of a rock toad. His blue hat was worn and adorned with four golden stars by the band. “You’re new here. Ricci’s Daughter?”
“Y-yes sir.”
“Do not stutter around me, cadet.”
“Yes. Sir.”
“Hmpf. Well it is marvelous isn’t it? This is the latest line of clock engines, the Minute Hand if you will. With it we can stay air born for thirty minutes. Forty if the timelines are stable enough. In my day that would have been the work of Hours.”
“Permission to speak, sir?”
The man frowned, “No.” he glanced over his shoulder. “Sergeant Webly!”
The girl whiffed the scent of cinnamon and lavender. A brass man with a pointed chin and blue hat appeared by the end of the hall. He saluted squarely at his rounder counterpart, “Yes General.”
“What have you?”
“A bit of a ruckus, Sir. Multiple brawls, some wounded and a stolen ship.”
“Stolen ship?”
“Well yes. Two citizens, a half turn and full turn claimed there may have been a young boy implicated in it. A third member is suspected to be involved. It left two days ago. Reports also mention –“
“By the Hours, Webly I don’t need the details, just tell me if that man was on it.”
Advertisement
“Sir. As I was about to say, reports mention of a man dressed in uniform being the main perpetrator.”
“That’s all I needed to hear. Send this ship and the Sevens after him. I expect word from you in a week.”
“Yes sir.”
The old man grumbled and stomped out of the cockpit. The door then spun and clicked shut.
Webly surrendered his posture the moment the main gear on the door stopped spinning, “Curse that man a thousand fold. Damned bastard. You, Niss Remy Le Ricci was it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Prepare the engine for immediate travel.”
“But sir, we’ve yet to gather the troops.”
“Don’t need them. If we capture him with the few dozen we have the better. Merit’s what ranks us soldiers higher, Niss Ricci. Perhaps you’ll understand that when you’re a full turn.”
“Yes sir.”
Webly grumbled and took up the captain’s seat. He ran his brass hand along the velvet arm cover and tensed.
“Why?” He asked after a moment’s pause. “Why is it that a rich merchant’s daughter chose to undergo mechanic training?”
Remy cleared her throat, “I enjoy machines sir.”
“You could have gone to the best schools to learn of it.”
“With all due respect, Sir. My father would rather have me marry than pursue proper schooling.”
“Naturally. How would you produce an heir as a full turn?” The man waved his brass hand when Remy failed to respond. “A rebellious stage I see. Pah, half turns. Well go on then, you have your orders.”
Remy saluted and quickly left the cockpit.
Her heart raced. The blood she aptly held back now rushed to her face. Finally. At long last, finally. She treaded the narrow clockship hall, her boots clanking on the metal frames. Upon the dirty glass that sided her, she noticed her own fleeting image.
Advertisement
She had an unwavering look. Her black hair was tied back and her pale face, for once, looked almost joyous. It vanished when she saw her eyes, the only parts other than her hands that had gone mechanical. She snapped her black goggles over top of them and scrunched her nose. That man had the answer to everything, and now, after finally entering the navy she had the chance to pursue him.
She slowed as a commotion stirred at the far end of the hall.
The voice of a woman reverberated, “Let me through!”
The woman sounded urgent. Remy ran. The far door spun open.
The owner of the voice wore a white hat, red hair bundled down.
The woman spoke as Remy paused, “Crickets. You’re as old as ‘im.”
A man entered the hall with a disgruntled soldier holding him down by the arms. He wore a violet hat. A full turn.
“Wilma, this will get us nowhere, better we head back now--”
“No.” snapped Wilma, “They ‘ave to know, Martin.” She focussed on Remy who straightened her posture. “Find the stolen ship, please, I beg you. I know for a fact he’s on it, please.”
“Who?” asked Remy.
“Tiguak Trimbly. Old as you, love. I thought it be good for ‘im to ‘ead out, but not after this.” She searched in her robes and pulled out a letter.
The man behind her shook off the soldiers grasp and crossed his arms, “To think he should fail at a simple detection spell, but manage a letter spell so easily? That Tig will never seize to surprise me.”
“What my brother means to say is that Tiguak Trimbly sent this letter while on board the stolen ship.”
Remy gestured for it, and, when Wilma handed her the worn parchment the girl unfurled it. The edges were jagged as if ripped out of a book, the ink was smudged as if it had been rolled immediately after writing.
She scanned the words briskly. Her grip tightened at the end of it. She flipped to Wilma and breathed, “Is this true?”
Wilma nodded, “I don’t doubt ‘im. Please, love, stop ‘im before he regrets it.”
Remy gave her a salute, “We will. Sergeant Webly is the best at what he does. I promise you we shall catch them all the moment they make landfall.”
Advertisement
- In Serial32 Chapters
Call of Nightmares
Call of Nightmares is a story where the protagonists find themselves in a parallel dimension that mixes dread, horror and carnage. Aided by their newfound abilities, they must ask themselves how much they are willing to sacrifice to ensure their own survival when their very own existence creates more problems than it solves. Multiple updates every week.
8 318 - In Serial88 Chapters
Rusty Dream
Embark on a journey! A young man wants to become an animator, but where will that rusty dream lead him? Has he enough strength of will, purity of mind and excellence in action to succeed? This is a journey founded in longing and perhaps ambition, but pursued amongst the tide of everyday life. Fictional daily drawings included in each chapter.
8 202 - In Serial10 Chapters
Isekai - If I was Born in Another World
Watamachi Haruya, wanted to start a new life but was teleported to another world. He didn't know the reason, but all around him do : to save the world, just like how his ancestors from 25 years ago did. There he is, doing all he can to meet everyone's expectation, to save the world he is living in now. Come and follow his journey, together with friends he made, growing with each conflicts they encounters, to be the "Hero" of the another world. the story will be told in some PoV : Haruya, then the main heroine of the arc Well, that's all about the synopsis, enjoy ^.^ I will upload new chapter everyday for now, cuz it's holiday heheh
8 198 - In Serial7 Chapters
They Can't Stop Us All
Have you ever wondered if you made the right choices in life? If you could have done just one thing differently, would it have been enough to avoid this mess? That's what Grant Miles is thinking when an army of alien hunters, otakus and weebs descend on the base known as Area 51. Follow Grant Miles as he is thrown from his universe into a metaphorical wirlwind and a literal fantasy land.
8 83 - In Serial18 Chapters
My Road To Glory
Hello potential readers, I hope you will enjoy this story. This story focus on Alicia Berg, a young woman with big ambitions of taking virtual reality by storm. The world has developed much, so much in fact it offers people a life of complacent leisure should they want it. This option is less than ideal for our protagonist who aspire to become a virtual reality football coach. Follow her journey through a brave new world fraught with strangeness to find the purpose she craves. Note: This is a slice of life/drama/comedy kind of story. Slow pace with an emphasis on characters. Warning: Bad language (if you consider swearing bad because Alicia sure doesn’t).
8 809 - In Serial14 Chapters
The Art of War by: Sun Tzu
✨ CREDITS TO THE REAL OWNER✨
8 147