Fianna Kelly Versus the Jeebees: A Collection of Steampunk Stories (5 page)

I
replied, "It's not like they sat there watching me shoot. They were firing
their pistols at the jeebees. I just had a longer range and better aim."

I
figured we were done here as he was not giving me any other presents or
cartridges. I wondered how the engineer was getting along with Bradan. I could
imagine them either being the best of friends or trying to see who the smarter
one is. Perhaps it was both. I hadn't thought to see if Bradan could play any
games, like poker or chess. I didn't bring anything with me to play them
anyway. As if on cue, Bradan was coming down the path to the firing range.

I asked
him, "What are you doing here? I thought you were getting checked by the
engineer?"

SERVICING
COMPLETED

"How
do you feel?"

I
AM OKAY

"You
sound better. I barely heard you coming."

ALL
SYSTEMS WORKING

"That
is good because I was worried about you."

I CARE
ABOUT YOU TOO

"How
about the engineer?"

HE
IS EATING LUNCH

"That
is a good idea. Lead the way; I am quite lost. After that, we can go to the
train station and I'll show you something wonderful."

When
I awoke Friday morning, I thought about the ride to London. I'd be the only
unmarried woman on a train full of soldiers. Sure, it was going to be a long
skirt today. My mother would be so proud. Plus, I will not be getting it dirty
again just sitting on the train.

As
usual, Bradan was waiting outside for me. I was getting used to him being with
me and found it hard to imagine him being anywhere else. We grabbed a quick
breakfast and walked to the train station where our train awaited. I noticed
that several passenger cars had been added before the brake van. The soldiers
were running around and the Colonel was giving orders.

He
said, "Good Morning, Miss Kelly"

I
replied, "A very good morning to you too!"

"Albert!
Show the lady and her automaton to their rail car. I hope you don't mind that
I'll be sharing it with you."

"I
feel honoured. May I ask why?"

"I
just received orders to report to headquarters by the fastest means available.
They have re-evaluated the situation and determined that the railway gun is a
target for enemy attack. I intend to make it a well-defended and fast moving
target."

I
had to stop and think for a minute. When I started out, I was going to shoot
targets. Now, I was going to be a target. I wasn't sure the trip was worth it.
I had agreed to help, but that was when I thought it would be a safe ride. It's
too late to get another ride, but the Colonel said the train would be defended.
I guess that means us too.

Yesterday,
I expected to ride to London in a dirty boxcar that had been used for the
cavalry and their horses. The one we were escorted to was still a freight car,
but was clean and had two rows of padded seats at the front facing each other.
At the back was a desk and chair, undoubtedly for Colonel Reynolds. I guess
they had left the centre open so Bradan could get in easily and his smokestack
could be close to the centre vent.

There
were maps mounted on the walls. I took a quick look at them. The route we would
travel and the stops where the train would bring on water and coal were marked
in red.

The
Colonel boarded a few minutes later. "To reiterate, your job is to warn me
of any G.B.H.I.s. It is important that you give me as much warning as you can
in case we need to stop the train. Do you understand that?"

"Sure,
I understand."

YES

This
was my first ride on a train so I wasn't prepared for the initial lurch. It was
a nice ride after that. The rail-car swayed slightly from side to side, but
there weren't any jolts like riding in a carriage. I could get accustomed to
travelling like this. The sounds of the steam pushing the pistons and the
wheels rolling over the cracks of the rails were comforting.

The
Colonel looked up from his papers. "You don't need to stay here. I can
read what your automaton discovers. You can see more from the cars behind us.
The scenery is quite nice along this route. You might even make some new
friends amongst the soldiers and their families."

The
passenger cars were filled with happy people conversing with each other. Did
they think they were just on a weekend trip to the big city or had the Colonel
told them what might happen. A couple invited me to sit with them a while. The
Colonel was right when he said that the passenger cars had a better view.

I
moved along the car, talking to people. One soldier had a harmonica and I told
him how I would sing when Bevin played her concertina. He said that they are
similar instruments and offered to play if I would sing.

I
asked him, "Do you know this song?

Kiss me
quick and go my honey,
Kiss me quick and go;
To cheat surprise and prying eyes,
Why kiss me quick and go!"
[iii]

He
knew that one and several other songs that I knew and it wasn't long before the
whole car joined in on the choruses. I went back to the boxcar a few hours
later as my voice was getting hoarse. Lieutenants Mills and Reed were
inspecting Bradan.

"Good
morning, Miss. We were just checking the craftsmanship on your automaton. It is
a fine piece of machinery you have."

"I'm
sure he appreciates your kind words... Gentlemen, I've been wondering. What
kind of bullets did you use to get the target to explode?"

"We
don't use bullets; we prefer to call them mortar shells."

"What
are those?"

"Usually
they are big round bombs. The Yanks used ones about a foot in diameter.
Coincidently, they also fired them from railway cars. They were designed to go
over obstacles and drop onto the target before exploding. However, the ones we
are using here are almost like your rifle cartridges."

"My
cartridges don't make things explode."

"Actually,
your cartridges do explode, but it is contained within the barrel and propels
the bullet to the target. Our shells, on the other hand, are propelled by the
gun and explode on impact."

"I'm
still confused."

"Imagine
that we turn your cartridge around and put the bullet on top of the cap and
seal the end where it was. Then we fire the entire cartridge with the bullet in
the front. When the bullet hits the target, the cap fires, and the cartridge
explodes into many pieces."

"No
wonder the wooden target ended up as slivers"

The
Colonel looked up from his papers and the men seemed a bit nervous. Lieutenant
Mills said, "It was nice talking with you, Miss. We need to be at our post
when we arrive at the next station."

I
sat down to think about what he had said. This gun was not like a normal cannon
which did massive damage, but was difficult to aim and slow to fire. This did
less damage, but could be fired quickly and accurately. I guessed that was a
good thing. If it wasn't, why would they have built it?

The
Colonel said, "We are coming up on a 20-minute stop. If you need to
refresh yourself, the station can accommodate your needs. When we resume our
trip, Albert will serve lunch."

I
asked, "What about the soldiers? Will Albert be making their lunch as
well?"

"Of
course not. The families usually pack a lunch and the single men have standard
rations plus water. It is enough to last them until we reach London."

"I
tried one of those rations yesterday; Fluid beef and chocolate. The chocolate
bar was wonderful. The beef was not. However, if you use mutton, onions, and
potatoes instead, you will have good Irish stew."

So
far, this was a wonderful trip. Lunch was good. Albert said he cooked it using
the engine's boiler. We resumed our journey on schedule. I was getting
accustomed to the way the train started moving and was not worried about spilling
anything on my dress. At this rate, we would arrive in London in less than an
hour.

Albert
and I spent some time talking; just the usual conversation about home and
family. I wondered if Bradan's legs ever got tired as he was always standing.
The Colonel glanced at me after checking his maps. He did not look pleased.

"Coming
up is the last water stop and we haven't discovered a single G.B.H.I. I was
expecting to find several camps of them along this route. This next stop is
just before we enter the city limits. There have not been any reported
sightings of G.B.H.I.s close to a city. It looks like your job is almost
complete."

That
was fine with me. I could go the rest of my life without seeing another one of
those disgusting creatures. I was sure that Bradan felt the same way. I looked
over at him and was astonished by what was shown.

EXTREME
DANGER

I
said, "Unfortunately Colonel, you seem to be mistaken. Bradan, where are
they?"

EAST
3000 YARDS

The
Colonel checked his maps and said, "That puts them just past the station.
Albert! Have the engineer stop just out of eyesight of the station and we will
deploy the troops before continuing on at walking speed."

Albert
ran out, leaving the three of us.

The
Colonel continued, "As for you two, your work is done. When the fighting
starts, find someplace safe to hide. If the fighting ends and we are all dead,
head East to London, have a constable take you to headquarters, and tell them
what to expect."

The
Colonel headed to the passenger cars and I followed at a discreet distance to
hear what he had to say.

He
waited to get their attention then said, "Well men, it appears we have
work to do before we can enjoy the weekend. Grab a weapon then form up in front
of the engine when it slows."

I
wondered if that included me. I wasn't in a hurry to join a war though. I went
back to our rail car to prepare. In it was a crate with my name on it, likely
enough ammunition for the tournament. Perhaps there was enough for a major
battle too if used sparingly.

The
Colonel expected the attack to happen at the station; it didn't. The jeebees
waited for us to leave the station before they attacked. Their tactics hadn't
changed, just their numbers. I would guess 50 of them were running at the train
from the left side. They were firing their pistols as they came at us, but not
really aiming at anyone or anything. The next wave was the same, but came from
the right side. The Colonel directed his men like a conductor would his
orchestra and the attackers were quickly dispatched.

After
those were killed by the soldiers, a few dozen came at us from both sides at
once. This time they had metal shields and were actually aiming their guns at
the soldiers. The first groups must have been trying to get us to use all our
bullets. They might have succeeded if we hadn't been expecting an attack.

I
heard the Colonel giving orders to the men. "Men with rifles! Line up here
double file facing opposite directions. Unlike standard training, I want you to
fire one at a time starting at the front. When the last one has fired, the
first man should have reloaded and be ready to fire again. Keep them from
getting to the train at all costs."

At
the time, I thought I was insane. We were safe inside, out of sight of both
attackers and defenders. I was planning on joining the battle. I doubted one
more rifle would make any difference, but it just might.

"Bradan,
we need to be somewhere we can do some good. Can you carry the case of
cartridges?"

YES

"Good.
Let's get out of here!"

I
opened the door on the right side of the boxcar and we jumped out. Bradan
looked silly jumping as his leg joints are so rigid. I decided it would be
better for us if we went towards the front of the train and the railway gun.
Lieutenants Mills and Reed were sheltering behind the gun firing their pistols.
Lieutenant Reed looked in our direction for a second.

"How
can I help?" I asked.

"Shoot
the jeebees who are shooting at us. Teach them not to stick their heads out.
Shield yourself behind that tall crate and please keep your head down when
reloading. Colonel Reynolds will bust me to private if I let anything happen to
you."

"We
can't have that now. I will be careful."

I
was thinking that I could fire a dozen cartridges; it would provide more
practice for the tournament. These jeebees had large metal shields, but I had a
better angle to them than the soldiers.

I
asked the Lieutenants, "Why aren't you using the railway gun?"

"We
had to wait until we came to a complete stop to change the power couplings. The
steam engine cannot run both the train and the gun at the same time."

A
jeebee dropped to the ground as I shot it. I figured I could be useful here and
be better prepared to compete tomorrow. That first shot got the attention of
the others though and they angled their shields towards me. This also made me a
possible target.

I
heard a sound, much too loud and too low pitched to be a rifle. Then I saw a
small object going upwards in the distance. Shortly, there were more flying
objects and more sounds. Lieutenant Reed had the telescope trained on them.

He
said, "These ones can fly. I think the other jeebees are firing them out
of cannons at us."

I
set my rifle telescope so I could see them. Two arms were holding wings and two
arms held their version of a rifle. One leg had some kind of fin on it while
the other two braced it. I tried to shoot one of these flying jeebees several
times with no visible effect. I was sure that I hit it at least once.

Lieutenant
Mills had been busy preparing the railway gun. The train had stopped, but the
steam engine was running as if we were going at full speed. I also heard a
whining sound, almost like when Bevin held the same note while playing. It
seemed to get quieter right before he fired a shell and a flying jeebee became
a falling jeebee.

I
resumed firing at the jeebees on foot. The least I could do is distract them
and make them angle their shields towards me. That way the soldiers on foot had
an opening for their guns. The jeebees seemed to have no limit to their
numbers. They kept trying to reach the train and we kept shooting them. Bradan
had been placing clips behind me as I needed them. I reached behind me for
another one and was surprised when none were left. I realised that I had fired
the entire case and the only cartridges near me were spent ones.