Cap'n."
"Good man." Hunter said, then paused a moment. "And William, keep your wits about you. I may have to take the Griffin out for a short stint to solve a communications problem. If, for any reason you lose ground and we're not here, take your group back to the wreck. We'll come for you there. Otherwise use the Griffin as your fall-back position."
"Aye." William said hesitantly. He disliked the thought of being stranded on the eerie station, but he was not about to admit that in front of the captain. "Beggin' the Cap'n's pardon, but are ya expectin' some kinda trouble?"
Hunter looked out over the empty dock to the relay station warehouses. "Perhaps, but what kind, I'm not certain. I've hope that my fears are nothing more than phantoms. If Mr. Whitehorse returns with his scouting group, kindly return to the Griffin with them at that point. Understood?"
"Aye, Cap'n. Will do." William turned quickly and raced off to collect a few firearms and and off-duty crew.
Tonks suddenly appeared on deck, in his hands he held a small set of papers and the opti-telegraphic. "Cap'n!"
Hunter turned at the sudden shout. "What Mr Wilkerson? Do you have them?"
"Not quite, Cap'n. Though I've an idea, and somethin' strange ta tell ya." Tonks hurried over to the captain and held out the papers.
Hunter frowned over the paper's writings and diagrams while Tonks explained. "I'm thinkin' the interference isn't coverin' the whole station. Just a certain portion . Once ya walked out of the cabin, that signal came in." The pilot shuffled the papers to show Hunter one that was three sheets down. "It's a language, but not one I'd ever go and speak. Think we ought to get William ta take a look?"
Hunter shook his head. "Young Will's gift is for the one's he hears. Not quite at the ones he reads." Hunter held up the paper for a better look. "Are you sure of these words?"
"Aye, sure as I can be." Tonks confirmed. "Like I mentioned, Cap'n, I can't read a lick of it, much less say it."
"Looks encoded. Who was sending this?" Hunter asked, peering closer at the paper.
"That's the thing, I've not a clue. Whoever was sendin' it, I think, was sendin' to a broad band a' opti numbers. We might happen ta have one of 'em. Or whoever was sendin' was in a hurry. Either way we're eavesdroppin' on their message. Whoever 'them' are, that is." Tonks shrugged.
The captain returned the paper to its place in the stack. "Where did it come from?"
"That's the odd thing, Cap'n. The Fens. Somewhere near or above it." The pilot said, reshuffling the papers again in search of something else.
"Through the storm down there as well." Hunter commented. "Interesting."
"That's what I thought, too. Whatever that message says, its far too long ta be a cry for help." Tonks at last located the paper he wanted, and placed it atop the stack.
Hunter picked up this new piece of paper. "Well, take a shot at decoding it. It might be handy to know what they're wanting. Now what's this?"
"My idea, Cap'n." Tonks grinned proudly. "If that signal from the Fens got inta us, that means we can get around the interference. I'm thinkin' we need height. I could take some parts and rig a relay set to talk to our opti-telegraphic here. We send that relay up on a balloon and we should get around the worst of it."
Hunter nodded and handed the paper back. "Sound plan. Take what you need and try it."
"Won't take but a moment, Cap'n." Tonks rushed off for the spare parts bin below deck.
A few minutes later he returned with a balloon the size of an average man's head. This was tied off to a strange looking box with a ghastly array of antennae over it. In the end, it resembled more of a terrified brass porcupine than a spare opti-telegraphic. He released the balloon into the air once he was on deck, and kept a tight hold on the tether between himself and the cured canvas balloon. After he had let out enough rope to set the balloon dancing wildly on the growing storm winds just above the Griffin
"Good man." Hunter said, then paused a moment. "And William, keep your wits about you. I may have to take the Griffin out for a short stint to solve a communications problem. If, for any reason you lose ground and we're not here, take your group back to the wreck. We'll come for you there. Otherwise use the Griffin as your fall-back position."
"Aye." William said hesitantly. He disliked the thought of being stranded on the eerie station, but he was not about to admit that in front of the captain. "Beggin' the Cap'n's pardon, but are ya expectin' some kinda trouble?"
Hunter looked out over the empty dock to the relay station warehouses. "Perhaps, but what kind, I'm not certain. I've hope that my fears are nothing more than phantoms. If Mr. Whitehorse returns with his scouting group, kindly return to the Griffin with them at that point. Understood?"
"Aye, Cap'n. Will do." William turned quickly and raced off to collect a few firearms and and off-duty crew.
Tonks suddenly appeared on deck, in his hands he held a small set of papers and the opti-telegraphic. "Cap'n!"
Hunter turned at the sudden shout. "What Mr Wilkerson? Do you have them?"
"Not quite, Cap'n. Though I've an idea, and somethin' strange ta tell ya." Tonks hurried over to the captain and held out the papers.
Hunter frowned over the paper's writings and diagrams while Tonks explained. "I'm thinkin' the interference isn't coverin' the whole station. Just a certain portion . Once ya walked out of the cabin, that signal came in." The pilot shuffled the papers to show Hunter one that was three sheets down. "It's a language, but not one I'd ever go and speak. Think we ought to get William ta take a look?"
Hunter shook his head. "Young Will's gift is for the one's he hears. Not quite at the ones he reads." Hunter held up the paper for a better look. "Are you sure of these words?"
"Aye, sure as I can be." Tonks confirmed. "Like I mentioned, Cap'n, I can't read a lick of it, much less say it."
"Looks encoded. Who was sending this?" Hunter asked, peering closer at the paper.
"That's the thing, I've not a clue. Whoever was sendin' it, I think, was sendin' to a broad band a' opti numbers. We might happen ta have one of 'em. Or whoever was sendin' was in a hurry. Either way we're eavesdroppin' on their message. Whoever 'them' are, that is." Tonks shrugged.
The captain returned the paper to its place in the stack. "Where did it come from?"
"That's the odd thing, Cap'n. The Fens. Somewhere near or above it." The pilot said, reshuffling the papers again in search of something else.
"Through the storm down there as well." Hunter commented. "Interesting."
"That's what I thought, too. Whatever that message says, its far too long ta be a cry for help." Tonks at last located the paper he wanted, and placed it atop the stack.
Hunter picked up this new piece of paper. "Well, take a shot at decoding it. It might be handy to know what they're wanting. Now what's this?"
"My idea, Cap'n." Tonks grinned proudly. "If that signal from the Fens got inta us, that means we can get around the interference. I'm thinkin' we need height. I could take some parts and rig a relay set to talk to our opti-telegraphic here. We send that relay up on a balloon and we should get around the worst of it."
Hunter nodded and handed the paper back. "Sound plan. Take what you need and try it."
"Won't take but a moment, Cap'n." Tonks rushed off for the spare parts bin below deck.
A few minutes later he returned with a balloon the size of an average man's head. This was tied off to a strange looking box with a ghastly array of antennae over it. In the end, it resembled more of a terrified brass porcupine than a spare opti-telegraphic. He released the balloon into the air once he was on deck, and kept a tight hold on the tether between himself and the cured canvas balloon. After he had let out enough rope to set the balloon dancing wildly on the growing storm winds just above the Griffin
Similar Books
