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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1656532" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 64, “The Nautilus”, January 17th , 1882:Both Sam and Louie draw their pistols and fire at the crimson beast as it rises to the surface, creating a wave that pushes the rowboat back.  “I thought these things were all in Loch Ness,” Angus exclaims. The bullets bounce off of the creature with a distinct sound of metal striking metal and Arcade orders them to cease firing.   He states, “It’s not a sea monster!  It’s some type of ship.”   Taking a closer look, they notice that the tentacles are all firmly mounted to the side of the craft and that the squid’s glowing eyes in the front appear to be made of opaque glass, with people underneath.    Angus comments, “If you ignore the beastie decoration on it looks to have a cylindrical hull.  I’d guess that it’s around two-hundred feet long and twenty-five feet wide. It looks like it is tapered at both ends, like a cigar.”    A doorway at the side of the craft then opens up.   Standing inside the lit doorway is Campion Bond, who gestures for Angus and Donald to row over to him.   Campion helps the party off of the rowboat and through the doorway.   Much to their surprise Angus joins them, with Donald then rowing back to shore alone.   “You’re coming?” Louie asks.   Angus replies, “It sounds like a fun adventure.  I was getting bored back in the village.”  Arcade says, “I can see that.  Taking care of sheep was about the most exciting thing going on there.”“Welcome to the Nautilus,” Campion states.   Morgana acts very apprehensive about this ship and gets nervous when the doors shut behind them.  They are then approached by a tall man wearing what appears to be a naval officer’s uniform, but not from any Navy that they are familiar with.   He has a neatly cropped beard and mustache of a tannish-blond color and appears to be in his fourties.    Bond gestures to the man and says, “Allow me to introduce you to Captain Andre Nemo.  He is a scientist, mechanic, engineer, inventor, freedom fighter, and to some a pirate.  He is also the creator of this wonderful craft that you are riding in.  The Nautilus, otherwise known as the Sword of the Ocean.”  Captain Nemo greets his guests and noting Morgana’s discomfort assures her that the vessel is safe.  He states that from the Nautilus he has seen the world over and over, from above and below.   Louie is also concerned about the vessel’s safety and Arcade says to him, “Louie, I’m sure it’s far safer than the vessel that you crossed the Pacific Ocean in.”    Nemo takes them on a tour of the vessel.   They head down a metal ladder to the level below. The first room reached is a combination drawing room/salon/museum, that is thirty-feet long, eighteen-feet wide, and fifteen-feet high. This incredible room contained an organ, an art collection of great value and very large number of marine specimens.   There was also a fountain made from a shell about six-feet across. Finally, the salon had two large oblong windows protected by sliding panels.   Louie mutters, “These Englishmen just get weirder and weirder.”  Angus whispers to him, “Nemo’s first name is Andre, so he is probably from either Belgium or France.”   Nemo turns to Morgana and gestures to the large pipe organ and states, “I was told that you are a musican.  Please feel free to utilize this instrument at your leisure.”   Louie mutters to Sam, “Yep, he’s a sailor alright.   He just invited her to have some fun with his organ.”  Morgana becomes concerned at seeing fish swimming outside the window and yells out “The ship is sinking.  We’re all going to drown!”  Nemo assures her the vessel is seaworthy, but also pulls on a lever that lowers metal screens outside of the window, which causes her to relax somewhat.   Nemo speaks to one of his crewmembers and the man goes on ahead and lowers the screens on other windows prior to the group’s arrival.  Moving aft through watertight bulkheads, the next room is the library.  Nemo states that it has over 12,000 volumes, which they are free to read any of during the journey.   The room has several nice and comfortable pieces of furniture in the room.    Next they arrive at the captain's dining room, with a long oak table and fine chairs.  Nemo says that they will be taking all of their meals in this room.. Both of these rooms were exquisitely furnished.  They pass a central staircase leading to the deck platform.   Nemo tells them that they will take the stairs to go topside when it is safe to do so. He states “Further back are the galley and storerooms.”  He then cautions them to avoid traveling the front of the ship, stating that the wheelhouse and Captain’s quarters will be off limits to them.   Next he has them take a ladder another level down, leading to an underwater airlock for ocean access.   Morgana becomes hysterical at seeing that, yelling out “There is a hole in the bottom of your boat!  We’re all going to drown.”   Nemo assures her it is safe and shows her various pieces of diving gear that they use when venturing outside.   She is unconvinced.   He calls over a crewmember and asks the man to show them up to their quarters.   She keeps muttering, “There’s a hole in the boat.”   Morgana and Arcade are given one room, Louie and Sam another, Angus and Campion are each shown their own rooms.   The beds are comprised of bunks built upon a type of gyroscope mechanism, to keep them level and still even when the ship is moving at steep angles.  The rooms are state-of-the art and include hot and cold water taps and also flush toilets.  The group sleeps for the remainder of the night, being woken by the sound of a crewmember knocking on their doors to escort them to breakfast.  Breakfast is comprised of a combination of both familiar and unfamilar foods.   Nemo explains that he and the crew eat primarily food harvested from deep in the ocean but that he made sure that “surface” foods were also brought on board for this journey for the comfort of his guests.   Following the meal the Captain excuses himself, and heads off to the front of the vessel.   Campion asks the party to join him in the library.   Campion states, “Our voyage will take eight days.  Your time would probably be best spent reading the books that I have set out for you.”  He gestures to a desk, with half-a-dozen books on it, one in Chinese, one in Dwarven, one in French and three in English.  Campion says, “These are all translations of the same book, The Count of Monte Cristo written by the French biographer Alexander Dumas.   “I’ve read it before,” Morgana states.   Bond replies, “Yes, but you’ll want to read it again now for different reasons.  The book tells of the Count’s imprisonment at your destination, Le Chateau D’If.  The details described in the book about the cells, layout of the prison and daily routine of the guards are apparantely still quite accurate.  You won’t find a better reference source than that to prepare for this mission."He then shows them a panting of the Marsailles side of the Chateau D’If, pointing out that the dock and exterior doorway is the only entrance into the building.   “Then we should probably come in from the other side,” Arcade comments.  Louie adds, “Yeah, those walls look easy enough to climb.”   “Well, we have a week to plan this,” Bond replies.  “Do you know this Captain Nemo very well?” Morgana asks.   Bond replies, “Not really, but I know of him.   Andre Nemo was born in Nantes, France, a childhood friend of the French biographer and novelist Jules Verne.  Nemo's career as a worldwide adventurer began at a young age, when he left the comfort of his shipbuilding father to journey into the great sea of mystery. In his career, Nemo has seen wonders that have been hidden to all other eyes, fought creatures long thought imaginary, and transported himself in ways previously thought impossible.  He enlisted to fight in the Crimean War.  Nemo was captured by an Ottoman caliph and ordered to turn his genius towards the eventual creation of this great sub-marine boat, The Nautilus.  This tremendous vehicle is much like its creator - fast, elegant, and deadly.”“Why is he working for you?” Arcade asks.   Bond replies, “He is a true enemy to oppression, Nemo has often waged a personal war against war itself, claiming affiliation to no soverign natiion.  He is often considered a pirate.  Nemo is in fact a freedom fighter, dedicated to bringing down injustice in all countres.   His interest in this mission is the rescue of the French Druidess Louise Michel whose writings he knows and admires.”  The gang begin their readings.  January 17th to 23rd:The journey continues.   At no point during the trip does Morgana become comfortable with this mode of transportation.    A couple of times during the voyage, while the vessel is out of sight of both land and the main shippings lanes, it surfaces and rides atop the waves.   The party are envited to climb up to the topdeck and outside during these times, and Morgana is releaved to see the open skies and breathe in fresh air again.  She is still bothered by the fact that when riding at its highest point 90% of the vessel is still beneath the waves. Angus is fascinated at the mechanics behind the construction of the vessel.   He spends much time with the ship’s engineer down in the engine room.   He also regales the party with much of his newfound knowledge, but they have little interest in hearing about propellers, watertight bulkheads and diving planes.    During the passage through the Straight of Gibraltar the Gang are asked to remain totally silent, as magical devices being are used by the Spanish and Portuguese to guard the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.   Nemo explains that they are “crawling slowly near the bottom” during this time so as not to draw the attention of the forces above, who would drop bombs upon them from magically-created winged mounts if they were detected.    Once into the Mediterranean the remainder of the journey is uneventful.On the afternoon of the 23rd they arrive at a point a few miles southwest of Le Chateau D’If.  For the first time the Gang are escorted to the main bridge of the Nautilis.   Nemo lets them each peer through the periscope at the island.   He explains that they are still a good distance off, that the periscope also utilizes magnifying glasses for better viewing.   Arcade comments, “I get it.  Objects in Mirror are larger than they appear.”    They decide to wait until after midnight to mount the attack.   Nemo offers the gang use of his underwater geer, but Morgana flatly refuses.   They plan to use the longboat instead, with Nemo agreeing to get as close to the Island as he feels is safe before releasing the boat.    He agrees to keep watch on the island.   It is decided that if they send up a signal he will bring the ship up to the dock and doorway alongside the prison.  Source Material:  The exterior design of the Nautilus was derived from Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen;  The interior of the Nautilus was taken nearly verbatim from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea;  The life story of Captain Andre Nemo was derived from Kevin J. Anderson’s novel  Captain Nemo.</blockquote>

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