LEGACY LOST by Rachel Eastwood

Author:Rachel Eastwood [Rachel Eastwood]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2015-05-23T07:00:00+00:00

“It’s meant to hold my buzzard, Judas,” Doctor Augustus explained to the young adventurers when they returned to free him from the large cage. He thought he saw a flicker of judgment pass between some of them, as if he himself were the oddity, though he wasn’t sure why he cared what they thought. After all, one of them had copper springs in his terribly tangled hair, the jacketed one appeared drunk, and the girl, well, she wasn’t there anymore. She’d been collected and cleared from the area moments ago by her large, ginger-haired companion, the doomed, masked one shortly behind.

The two remaining adventurers ignored Augustus, the tangled one unhinging the lock-picking device from the cage.

“But Judas died a few years ago,” Augustus went on to fill the silence. “During a trip to the cold lands.”

The tangled one deposited the lock-picking device back into his utility belt.

“I hoped to excavate more narwhal habitats, but was blown off-course by a snowstorm.”

And opened the cage’s door.

“And became stranded at the top of an impossible mountain. Almost died myself,” Augustus rambled indulgently as he climbed out, dusting his pants, peering about with sudden academic formality. “Hypoxia, you know.”

The tangled adventurer stuck out his hand. “Vector Shannon, inventor, mechanic, and airship captain,” he introduced himself. “I have my craft, the Albatropus, attached to your deck by companionway just now.”

“Noticed you dead in the air,” the jacketed one added.

“Thought we could be of some assistance,” Vector went on, scratching awkwardly at his temple before forging ahead. “Don’t suppose you’d be friendly to the notion of loaning us some equipment? Perhaps in recompense for our efforts?”

Augustus’ face sagged lower still. “Actually, I’m going to need more aid from you than you from me. You say you’re an airship mechanic?”

“I am, but I’m also a pilot,” Vector answered. “I can’t leave my boat waiting. We have a limited water supply, no food, and sick onboard.”

Augustus’ face resumed its standard rate of grimace. “All right, then. We should bring some things aboard, absolutely,” he agreed. “I can’t stay here any longer.”

“Luxurious cruises not your style?” the jacketed one sneered.

“They destroyed my damn engine trying to start it,” Augustus grumbled. “And you broke my spare parts chasing that yellow-haired witch up a cabinet.”

The jacketed one spit like a peasant. “Eh, sorry.” He shrugged. “Let’s just get it towed to Celestine, eh? Shouldn’t be . . .” He glanced around at the gigantic liner. “. . . too expensive.”

“I’ll only bring the jewels of my collection,” Augustus said, surveying the largely ruined showroom. “The fossilized dodo egg, the ermine robe of the last Old Earth president, the anatomist’s model of the female in third trimester, the sphinx skeleton, the illustrated encyclopedia of unusual deformities, the–”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Vector interjected. “The funny thing about space is that it’s limited.”

“Hmph. Then . . .” He scrutinized the room, much of it in shambles, though some pieces, by complete happenstance, were still intact. “I’ll just take . . . the anatomist’s model. The others are mostly replicas anyway.

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