The Kraken Wars - Part 5

A Fate-full Meeting

Two Airships converged on Tong Island, and slowly began to descend through the night to the dirt runway below.

Nymbus and the cargo blimp Ajax brought four friends to a meeting with Wyatt Tong at his secret lab.

Jack and Phineas stepped from the deck of Nymbus to meet Susan and Jacob, as all four walked the short distance to the lab.

Chairs were arranged in a circle and a side table set up with a coffee service.

Jacob noticed the extra chair and asked, "Who are we missing"?

Wyatt said, "I have invited an old friend who should be here shortly."

A voice from outside said, "Shortly indeed."

Starla Celeste strode into the lab and said, ”Thanks to Wyatt, I know all of you and your rolls in this extremely interesting drama, so if there are no objections, we can all address each other on a first name basis."

There were no objections: so once everyone had achieved coffee, the discussion began in earnest.

Starla passed a folder to each person in the lab: when everyone had a folder with his or her name on it, she began to speak.

"Here is what we know. My head Botanist has never see a leaf like this before: he has no idea of the species or from where it may have come. My Chair of Entomology says he has never seen any of these insects, nor can he find them in any of his Keys or texts. No one has ever seen a leaf or any form of insect used in anything like this manner. At this point I was stymied, when a research assistant noticed a photo of the leaf and remarked that it looked like one of the "circuits" in his radio set. I then called our Electronics Research Laboratory, and things started to happen. I determined that I would NOT let the leaf pass out of my control, so a small lab was set up in a conference room off my private office. In 36 hours, the Electron Team had produced the finished report you have in your hands."

Starla stopped at this point and looked about the group. She had their complete attention, and there seemed to be no questions.

"The report, as provided, gives a very complete explanation of what the leaf does and how it is done. It is all babble to me: pure gibberish. Essentially it's like this: the insects are attached to the leaf with an adhesive, a network of fine copper filaments are gown into the leaf somehow and connected to the insects in very specific orders. These various insects produce the same effects as vacuum tubes or valves. The net effect is that the leaf, wire filament network, and the insects; combine to form a kind of radio receiver that works on something like the Marconi system. The big beetle in the center of it all, collects this information and transfers it directly into the brain of the Kraken: such as it is."

Starla had the rooms attention and all were silent.

Finally, Susan broke the silence: ” All this science, unknown botanical specimens, a veritable plethora of unknown insect species, a method of usage that boggles the mind, and all of it is used to commit acts of piracy. This is what we now suspect. This is too strange to be real !"

Wyatt spoke up now, his calm bass voice filling the small room: ”This was our first thought in Starlas office, but the truth is inescapable. Someone , or more likely, some group; has discovered a way to do this. We must find a way to stop it. Lives have been lost, and more will be. This must be stopped!”

Jacob caught the eye of both Jack and Phineas; he gave them a subtile shake of his head and both men remained quiet.

Then Susan spoke, "Jack and Phineas have done a fine job of keeping our convoys safe, and C A T has not lost a cargo blimp since trey have been flying with us. As a pilot program: the blimp I will fly, Ajax, is armed with a rotating canon in her belly. However, none of this is the real answer. Other attacks on other airships, on all parts of the grid have resulted in loss of cargo, airships and lives. Soldiers of Fortune from all over the known grid are trying to collect the bounty on Kraken: some of them have been killed in attacks as well. We need to do something at the “root level" to end this. Whatever that may mean in the end."

Jacob stood, "Jack, Phineas and I believe that we are dealing with very sophisticated acts of piracy. We believe that submarine craft are being used to strip the downed airships of cargo and valuable parts. When wreckage has been found there was little of value left behind. We are looking into ways to combat them under the surface, but it's not an easy task: their cutters are not designed for submarine patrol duty. The Navy and Coast Guard units are spread pretty thin, and can't be everywhere. I welcome suggestions from anyone."

Jacob Elwood sat back down and sipped his coffee, waiting for a response.

Starla Celeste said, " I am astonished. I thought Wyatt was joking when he asked if I thought pirates were at work here. I have a few people working on this: to find ways to perhaps, intercept the signals being used to manipulate the Kraken. If we discover anything, I will contact Wyatt. I will do whatever I can to help."

Wyatt said, "If there is nothing further to discuss, I suggest we adjourn for some rest. We have much to do. I have prepared a leaf: stabilized in glass a mount, for Jack and Phineas. I don’t know if it will be of use, but you may think of something.”

Jack, Jacob and Susan walked to her blimp and jack asked her, "How did you get the board of C A T do agree to arm Ajax? Did Bryan Wayne have to twist a few arms."?

"Not really. The board does not like to loose airships or cargo: not to mention,good crews. Ajax is the newest and most powerful blimp in the fleet: she was the natural choice, and she is MINE."

Jack and Jacob both chuckled. Jack said, "Not to mention that Mr. Wayne does not want his only daughter to become Kraken Fodder."

"Well, there is that', she said.

“Ajax is the first of her kind , and is designated as an Armed Merchantman. Two more are being built at the Manchester Yard, as we speak: named Hector and Chiron. Special crews are being recruited and trained. They will be online for trials in a fortnight.”

As Ajax lifted off and gathered speed, Phineas spoke from the shadow of Nymbus hull and said, “She will not become ‘Kraken Fodder’ while we command Bane and Doom."

Jack laughed and climbed aboard Nimbus and seconds later she lifted into the night


(c) All text and pictures by Jack Tracker

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A footnote on the history of the name, Ajax.

Achilles and Ajax playing a game with dice

In Homer's Iliad, Ajax is described as of great stature, colossal frame and strongest of all the Achaeans. Known as the "bulwark of the Achaeans", he was trained by the centaur Chiron ), at the same time as Achilles. He was described as fearless, strong and powerful but also with a very high level of combat intelligence.

To Be Continued