Post by Thaddeus Bancroft on May 13, 2018 22:50:20 GMT
On Mars, things were going swimmingly as Thaddeus cursed the rifle under his hands which had stopped working as etheric blasts rattled the stone walls around him as the East India company men it turned out were host to some manner of parasite that had robbed them of their reason and ability to recognise a superior officer.
He’d scavenged some pieces together and was frowning taking a moment to fix bayonet even as the unit closed in he stilled his breathing even as wires connected to the power supply and wired directly into the Rifle, bolt left open to better conduct the Tripod’s power in one direction.
Hopefully.
Thaddeus shouldered the rifle and emerged from cover as the horrifying Martian war cry heralded the Heat ray’s deadly work, light and sound enveloping Thaddeus’ world for a solid minute.
And that‘s when Thaddeus saw the portal opening up behind him, so he did what any sensible and honourable gentleman would do.
He ran.
Falling once more through a portal that made him feel like he’d just been Drunk and flipped around he landed squarely on the floor of a tavern. Men drinking, the stink of alcohol in the air and a broken Billiards table under his form and a brutish , ugly man with pox marks and sneer that only a mother could love looked down at him cue in hand as Thaddeus rolled to one side as the portal closed and a body followed him…still burning.
“Gentlemen!”
Thaddeus smiles and stood up.
“Allow me to pacify your inconvenience with a drink!”
And that’s how the bar brawl started.
About five minutes later Thaddeus was rocking a few bruises but his new companion, had a drink and was touching up the cuts form the window he’s been put through as the rest of the tavern was wrecked and most everyone else was unconscious.
“For a Toff, you aren’t 'alf bad mate, names Albert, most call me Bloody Bert, Bert for short and who might you be? And what brings you to the Ether Mask?”
Ah, The Ether Mask, never more was there a hive of scum and villainy. He’d been in once or twice in his travels in the past a bar of mercenaries, smugglers thieves, and apparently Bertie here was one of them sharing drinks as the bar tender laid over the bar, unconscious and under Thaddeus and Bert as the pair drank and Thaddeus spoke.
“Temporal paradox by way of violation of the chronological constant, yourself?”
Bertie smirked eyes casting over Thaddeus as he weighed up the answer and nodded, that would explain the portal.
“I crashed the Ether ship I was on into a Dutch Naval barricade over a nexus point, ended up here.”
Thaddeus nodded a bit and picked up a knife, it wasn’t his. Well it was now before asking quietly.
“I believe I could trigger the portal again, if you wish to leave, the constabulary will be unlikely see things our way Bertie.
Perhaps there will be some gainful employment in the area of your expertise once we escape this calamity.”
Bertie eyes Thaddeus with a small grin.
“Alright Toff, you’re on, though you owe me a name.”
Thaddeus hopped off the Barman and smiled with an over dramatic bow.
“Thaddeus Isembard Bancroft.”
Bertie blinked.
“Wait, Captain Bancroft?”
Thaddeus paused as he was starting to pull the pieces of rifle and other gear together answering casually as he hummed.
“Yes, is this where you claim some malice on my person?”
Bertie chucked and hopped off the bar himself with wry grin.
“Hardly mate, But your name has stories to it and I saw your handiwork at Port Elizabeth, I think being at your side might just keep me busy enough to make employment gainful indeed.”
Thaddeus smiled at that and asked very genially.
“Do you perchance have anyone else looking for work?”
Bertie heard a hammering at the door even as Thaddeus hopped off the bar and picked up the sawn-off rifle that was now a portal generator.
“Can we talk about this next stop Captain? I think the Peelers are here.”
Thaddeus casually aimed at the wall and watched the portal open to his command with a bright smile starting to walk.
“Come along Bertie, Time waits for no man.”
Bertie didn’t need to be asked twice stepping through to , wherever this was.
And that was how the Press Gang began
He’d scavenged some pieces together and was frowning taking a moment to fix bayonet even as the unit closed in he stilled his breathing even as wires connected to the power supply and wired directly into the Rifle, bolt left open to better conduct the Tripod’s power in one direction.
Hopefully.
Thaddeus shouldered the rifle and emerged from cover as the horrifying Martian war cry heralded the Heat ray’s deadly work, light and sound enveloping Thaddeus’ world for a solid minute.
And that‘s when Thaddeus saw the portal opening up behind him, so he did what any sensible and honourable gentleman would do.
He ran.
Falling once more through a portal that made him feel like he’d just been Drunk and flipped around he landed squarely on the floor of a tavern. Men drinking, the stink of alcohol in the air and a broken Billiards table under his form and a brutish , ugly man with pox marks and sneer that only a mother could love looked down at him cue in hand as Thaddeus rolled to one side as the portal closed and a body followed him…still burning.
“Gentlemen!”
Thaddeus smiles and stood up.
“Allow me to pacify your inconvenience with a drink!”
And that’s how the bar brawl started.
About five minutes later Thaddeus was rocking a few bruises but his new companion, had a drink and was touching up the cuts form the window he’s been put through as the rest of the tavern was wrecked and most everyone else was unconscious.
“For a Toff, you aren’t 'alf bad mate, names Albert, most call me Bloody Bert, Bert for short and who might you be? And what brings you to the Ether Mask?”
Ah, The Ether Mask, never more was there a hive of scum and villainy. He’d been in once or twice in his travels in the past a bar of mercenaries, smugglers thieves, and apparently Bertie here was one of them sharing drinks as the bar tender laid over the bar, unconscious and under Thaddeus and Bert as the pair drank and Thaddeus spoke.
“Temporal paradox by way of violation of the chronological constant, yourself?”
Bertie smirked eyes casting over Thaddeus as he weighed up the answer and nodded, that would explain the portal.
“I crashed the Ether ship I was on into a Dutch Naval barricade over a nexus point, ended up here.”
Thaddeus nodded a bit and picked up a knife, it wasn’t his. Well it was now before asking quietly.
“I believe I could trigger the portal again, if you wish to leave, the constabulary will be unlikely see things our way Bertie.
Perhaps there will be some gainful employment in the area of your expertise once we escape this calamity.”
Bertie eyes Thaddeus with a small grin.
“Alright Toff, you’re on, though you owe me a name.”
Thaddeus hopped off the Barman and smiled with an over dramatic bow.
“Thaddeus Isembard Bancroft.”
Bertie blinked.
“Wait, Captain Bancroft?”
Thaddeus paused as he was starting to pull the pieces of rifle and other gear together answering casually as he hummed.
“Yes, is this where you claim some malice on my person?”
Bertie chucked and hopped off the bar himself with wry grin.
“Hardly mate, But your name has stories to it and I saw your handiwork at Port Elizabeth, I think being at your side might just keep me busy enough to make employment gainful indeed.”
Thaddeus smiled at that and asked very genially.
“Do you perchance have anyone else looking for work?”
Bertie heard a hammering at the door even as Thaddeus hopped off the bar and picked up the sawn-off rifle that was now a portal generator.
“Can we talk about this next stop Captain? I think the Peelers are here.”
Thaddeus casually aimed at the wall and watched the portal open to his command with a bright smile starting to walk.
“Come along Bertie, Time waits for no man.”
Bertie didn’t need to be asked twice stepping through to , wherever this was.
And that was how the Press Gang began