The Flyer!

Sargent Staughler was looking up at the CCAS Indomitable as it returned from its week-long Duty assignment in the north when he caught sight of the unexpected. He quickly grabbed his spyglass and looked at a spot behind the massive airship. He shouted out, "Sound the alarm! Unidentified Airship approaching the city!"

The entire city heard the great steam horns sound out the alarm for an approaching enemy and stopped what they were doing almost as one. They looked toward the main gate even though most couldn't even see it. The massive Indomitable had already made it's way to the airship dock when a much smaller airship flew into the valley and approached the massive Airship port looking for a place to dock.

The small airship looked like a rowboat compared to the Indomitable as it pulled up to the Airship dock behind the Indomitable. The dockworkers were unsure of what they should do when the pilot threw them a rope and called out in a boyish voice, "Hey! Don't just stand there, tie those lines!"

A few dozen armed military soldiers marched up to the small airship and the officer called out, "You've arrived in the free City of Connaissance, declare your intentions."

The pilot finished tying up the ship and then grabbed a dangling rope from the top of the airship and swung over to the dock landing gracefully. The pilot pushed up a pair of goggles showing how dirty their face was as they asked in a thick southern Langlish accent, "Hello! I am the inventor and pilot of the first dirigible Airship... Er, well I thought I was... It seems like someone else might have beat me to it!" The pilot laughed heartily, "Say, would you guys mind if I parked my ship here for a couple of days while I buy supplies?"

The officer smiled and said, "Of course, leave your ship right here. We'll need a few days to learn exactly who you are and where you came from anyway, won't we?" Then he motioned for a few of the soldiers to grab the pilot.

The pilot made a confused sound and then called out, "Wait! I'm Amelia Earnhardt, the famous inventor, and adventurer from Langland, you must have read about me, right? I was the one who invented the automobile!"

The military men looked at each other and spoke softly when the officer replied, "I'm sorry miss Earnhardt, we are a long way from Langland, we don't hear much news of what happens down there up here in the far north. I promise you, we won't mistreat you. You'll be able to get a hot bath and good food while we try to confirm your identity."

Amelia sighed and then smiled, "Well, that sounds pretty good, so please, lead the way!" She smiled brightly practically skipping along with the military men. She looked back at the Indomitable and asked, "My baby, will she be ok here?"

The men all came to stop, "I'm sorry miss, do you have a child left on board your craft? I can have one of my men go back for her?"

Amelia laughed heartily, "I"m sorry, I meant my ship, that's my baby. I don't want anything to happen to it."

The officer looked a little relieved, "I'm sorry miss, your ship will have to be searched just to make sure there is no threat, but I can promise you that we will try not to damage anything sensitive. Our people are good..." He pointed to the Indomitable, "If my guys break something, the repair crews here can fix, or even improve it."

Amelia looked a little unsure but after looking at the Indomitable she nodded, "I'm, sorry. you're right. That big ship makes my baby look like I threw it together out of trash." She smiled and elbowed the officer, "Cause I did." She laughed heartily and then grinned, "Please, if you could bring me to the bath and food... Um and a real water closet, I'd be grateful."

Two of the soldiers in the group leaned close to each other and one of them asked, "What's a water closet?"

The other answered, "Maybe she's thirsty?"

*****

Emily picked up her Far Speak and nodded her head she replied after listening, "Thank you, Mr. Hudsucker, please bring her over to City Hall."

Teslaimia looked up from her newspaper and asked, "Was that about the steam horn we heard earlier?"

Emily nodded, "Yes, it seems we have a visitor from Langland. An inventor came in by airship. She followed the Indomitable to our port."

Teslaimia raised an eyebrow, "Did you say she? There is a woman inventor?"

Emily nodded, "I was surprised to hear that as well. I had them bring her over. I'd like to meet this woman."

Teslaimia shook her head slightly, "I wonder what she'll be like, even you only hire the inventors. I can't imagine wanting to be dirty all the time. Covered in soot and chalk dust like those other dirty things. Even the handsome Mr. Murray looks like a vagrant after a few hours of working with his inventions."

Emily chuckled and with a smile on her face, "I could have been an inventor myself if I wasn't born into Royalty. I was taught from an early age how to rule and to run a nation but my true love has always been science."

Teslaimia threw a couch pillow at Emily and snarkily said, "I thought I was your true love?"

Emily sighed at her and smiled, "If only I could get you interested in science..."

Teslaimia stood up and started walking out the door, "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect, Emily." She walked out the door gracefully.

*****

Mr. Hudsucker, Captain Alexander, and the Captain from the Indomitable walked into Emily's office. Mr. Hudsucker smiled and then politely extended his hand to the pilot of the airship, "Lady Connaissance, allow me to introduce you to miss Amelia Earnhardt from Langland."

Amelia had already turned and was staring at a portrait on the wall, "Hey, is this a painting of William Smith?"

Emily smiled sadly, "Yes, you've heard of him, have you seen his portrait before?"

Amelia turned around with a brilliant smile on her face, "Heard of him? He's the most famous man in the world, the last of the great blacksmiths, who hasn't heard of William Smith?"

Emily seemed interested, "I didn't realize that was the case."

Amelia shook her head, "You northerners seem to be clueless about a lot of things. William Smith was the father of modern metallurgy you know. Without him, we wouldn't have aloo-minium."

Emily nodded and said softly, "William Smith was my father."

Amelia's eyes widened, "Wait? You're his daughter, the Princess? They told me I was meeting Lady Connaissance!" Amelia quickly removed her hat and curtsied down to one knee, "Your Highness, I'm Amelia Earnhardt, inventor, and adventurer from Langland."

Emily smiled and then motioned for her to get up, "It's a long story, but I was exiled from the Windsor Kingdom and given the title of City Lord here as a consolation prize after my father was executed by the Church."

Amelia looked around at the men in the room, "Then you are the rightful Queen of the Windsor Kingdom?"

Emily waved her hand dismissively, "It's unimportant, I am interested in hearing about your travel. Have you have invented your own airship?

Amelia smiled and nodded standing up and looking dashing as she explained, "I sure did! I built it out of spare parts and things I found in the scrapyard. Took me two years to build. I used a gas called Helium that is almost as good as hydrogen for the lift but isn't flammable. The rest of my ship is similar to your big one, sails, and a small steam engine for thrust. I have always wanted to take a trip around the world and see the amazing sites that have never been seen by any single person. I have to say, your city here is one of the most impossibly beautiful things I have ever seen!"

Amelia nearly ran over to the large window and tapped on it, "From outside, I thought this building was made of pure obsidian, I can't believe this is glass!" She turned to Emily and asked, "how many years has this city been hiding its existence? The things I have seen just on the ride over here were impossible. The vehicle we used to get here, for example, was clearly a huge steam engine pulling a train of cars yet there was no black coal smoke. Also, the lights here are electric right? I have only heard of that being possible in theory and yet here they are..." She pointed up at the light fixture on the ceiling. "The Duhan Lift they called it? The thing that brings people up from the ground to this floor? I know in my mind how such a thing is possible I just can't believe it's here and working!"

Emily waited for her to slow down and then said softly, "The City of Connaissance was originally a small mountain village, a retreat several academics found in their travels. Several wealthy merchants from the nearby countries began to invest heavily here and turned this village into a city like no other. When I originally came here it was on the decline. Most of the businesses were a mess, the city itself was dirty from the coal soot and the people were little more than slave labor. The college that was here originally, founded by the academics I mentioned had shuttered."

Amelia whistled and then asked, "So you have been here working on restoring it for what? A dozen years? You seem much younger than that."

Emily chuckled and said, "I took charge a little under two years ago, I had my father's inheritance available to use in order to fund the rapid transformation. I also brought the greatest minds from the Windsor Kingdom along with me here and gave them carte blanche to invent the things needed to attain the city's original goal."

Amelia walked over to Emily's desk and asked, "Just what is that goal?"

Emily smiled and looked out the window, "To create the City of Tomorrow."

*****

"Your Grace we are in position, we can attack at your command." An Inquisition soldier kneeled in front of the Muscular bearded man.

The Archbishop looked up into the sky at the large airship, "Why is it sitting over our heads, waving those flags. It's been a while since I have been at sea, but are they asking us to declare our intentions?"

The soldier looked up and said, "Yes, Your Grace. They are asking us to turn back as well."

The Archbishop frowned, "Could they have archers up there? Fire a shot from the Trebuchet at the wall down there. Make sure our men cover-up under their shields if you spot an archer on the deck of that thing."

The trebuchet fired a massive stone that fell just short of the wall. As they began to reload and make corrections for the accuracy of the massive siege engine, the ship above their heads started to look different as panels on the bottom of the ship opened up. The officer looking up at the ship said offhand, "It kind of reminds me of what a beehive looks like on the inside..."

A terrifying sound came from the ship, "SHOOM!' the bottom of the airship seemed to have a cloud appear under it as a gust of steam erupted in the cool mountain air and then what could only be described as a rain of death fell down on the combined armies. The massive army of Inquisition forces and the combined armies of the free nations were showered by the small metal bees. The screams of dying men and horses could be heard from all over the pass. The men at the back turned and ran for their lives. many men were trampled to death by their own allies in the mad rush to escape from the airship. No one even dared to look back as they ran for their homes in an uncontrolled mob.

The Archbishop laying dying in a pool of blood, his own or the people around him, and thought back to the message he received to turn back. He spoke with his last breathes, "Lord... This servant was a fool, forgive my men they were just following this disgraceful fool's orders."