Way Hey and Up She Rises - Thrak & Uriah Trial
Sept 15, 2015 20:28:40 GMT
Caitlin Cockfoster likes this
Post by Thadeus "Thrakazog" Stevenson on Sept 15, 2015 20:28:40 GMT
A small bell by the cone-shaped talking tube jingled, drawing both Thrakazog's and John's attention. John grimaced and reached for pulled a string near his position, ringing a similar bell somewhere else. He then leaned over and put his ear to a similar cone-shaped device that was closer to him, and listened as an order came down from somewhere.
When he'd heard what he wanted, he shouted across to Thrakazog, "Aiight... ye see thaht theah levah on ye right? Pull that two notches. Then get ready to pull on the levah ye were holdin!"
Thrakazog nodded, and moved a smaller lever that was attached to some gears, ratcheting it twice, as instructed. John called out again, "Ahn my mahk! One... two... MAHK!"
Thrakazog heaved on the main lever in the floor, and the oars on one side of the vessel all clanked and dropped in to slots in the walls, further dropping the wooden ends into the water outside the hull. The ship immediately lurched hard, causing Thrakazog to maintain his hold on the level for balance. John was ready for the action, and was half-seated by the valves for the engine anyway, so he was relatively secure. But a horrific groaning sound of wood straining against the sudden forces brought against it was made even more horrible in the confines of the engine room. The creaking came from all around them, and Thrakazog's eyes went wide as he wondered if he had done something wrong.
But John was on his game, and rapidly turned a few valves and pulled a few push-slides. A musician might liken him to a pipe-organist the way he 'played' the machine room. While he did that, he shouted back, "Thrak - ratchet that other lever back two notches, now!"
Thrakazog lurched back at the smaller lever, and cranked it back to its original location - apparently the level controlled the oar linkage, dropping one side, the other, or both all at once. In its original position, it was set to drop both, and with one already in the drink, it was now ready to drop the other side.
"Now the main levah again - on my mahk. One... two... MAHK!" John's voice called out sharply, and Thrakazog heaved on the lever again, listening as the opposite side oars dropped into place. John pushed a foot-pedal in, turned another valve, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Heah we go!"
The clutch pedal he operated allowed the engine to engage the twin camshafts that turned the oars linkage, turning the ship into a massive rowing machine. It lurched again as steam whistled from somewhere and white smoke billowed out from above decks. The greased camshafts turned, the oars moved, and Thrakazog was all but awed by everything he was not only witnessing, but participating in!
The tiny bell by the voice tube jingled again, and John reported back, "They say boahding in five - maybe less. We'll have te disengage tha engine when we get close, and then hold the doah to this room. If they boahd and get in heah, they can sink us right quick, aye?"
Thrakazog nodded, wide-eyed again. The last ship he'd been on had been boarded, and he and many of the crew had abandoned ship to survive. But he didn't see a way out from in here, and if there was only one exit, he didn't see them escaping like he had before on his last ship. This was going to be an all or none affair for him and John...
... unless John meant that this ship would be boarding the other one?!
When he'd heard what he wanted, he shouted across to Thrakazog, "Aiight... ye see thaht theah levah on ye right? Pull that two notches. Then get ready to pull on the levah ye were holdin!"
Thrakazog nodded, and moved a smaller lever that was attached to some gears, ratcheting it twice, as instructed. John called out again, "Ahn my mahk! One... two... MAHK!"
Thrakazog heaved on the main lever in the floor, and the oars on one side of the vessel all clanked and dropped in to slots in the walls, further dropping the wooden ends into the water outside the hull. The ship immediately lurched hard, causing Thrakazog to maintain his hold on the level for balance. John was ready for the action, and was half-seated by the valves for the engine anyway, so he was relatively secure. But a horrific groaning sound of wood straining against the sudden forces brought against it was made even more horrible in the confines of the engine room. The creaking came from all around them, and Thrakazog's eyes went wide as he wondered if he had done something wrong.
But John was on his game, and rapidly turned a few valves and pulled a few push-slides. A musician might liken him to a pipe-organist the way he 'played' the machine room. While he did that, he shouted back, "Thrak - ratchet that other lever back two notches, now!"
Thrakazog lurched back at the smaller lever, and cranked it back to its original location - apparently the level controlled the oar linkage, dropping one side, the other, or both all at once. In its original position, it was set to drop both, and with one already in the drink, it was now ready to drop the other side.
"Now the main levah again - on my mahk. One... two... MAHK!" John's voice called out sharply, and Thrakazog heaved on the lever again, listening as the opposite side oars dropped into place. John pushed a foot-pedal in, turned another valve, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Heah we go!"
The clutch pedal he operated allowed the engine to engage the twin camshafts that turned the oars linkage, turning the ship into a massive rowing machine. It lurched again as steam whistled from somewhere and white smoke billowed out from above decks. The greased camshafts turned, the oars moved, and Thrakazog was all but awed by everything he was not only witnessing, but participating in!
The tiny bell by the voice tube jingled again, and John reported back, "They say boahding in five - maybe less. We'll have te disengage tha engine when we get close, and then hold the doah to this room. If they boahd and get in heah, they can sink us right quick, aye?"
Thrakazog nodded, wide-eyed again. The last ship he'd been on had been boarded, and he and many of the crew had abandoned ship to survive. But he didn't see a way out from in here, and if there was only one exit, he didn't see them escaping like he had before on his last ship. This was going to be an all or none affair for him and John...
... unless John meant that this ship would be boarding the other one?!