DEADLY RCAF ZOMBIE MYSTERY DEEPENS

After a long night of introspection, leaving the Hospital for New Babbage. Hypnotic Shoppe seen  in distance

A sentient doll burns the midnight oil, afraid for her life and lives of her friends.....

When the Ringer went off on the Edison-o-Phonic device, I knew it would be Commander Zoe Conolly, and the mission to return to New Babbage was set. The strength and bravery in her voice renewed mine, and I quickly gathered my things. But the night before the mission was long. Dolls do not play with guns- but they save their friends,, Dolls do not kill- but is shooting a zombie, in effect a "meat-doll", really killing? What if they end this sentience of mine, and I unwind for my last time? What if I fail and my friends lose their sentience? What would their Maker want them to do? What would mine?

   The dawn made up my simple mind for me, and I climbed into my Rescue Whirli-ship and in no time was in Penzance.

The stalwart RCAF Search And Rescue Team. How stalwart and handsome Cdr Fanshaw is... I mean, was.  My small hand trembles as I pen this, and it occurs to me Barbie does not keep a blog nor challenge the undead for the well being of Steamlands, nor venture much out of her Dreamhouse. The thought feels petty and leaves an oil slick on my cognitive workings in my head.
   Cdr Crono Kreegan calms my nerves as she shows me the new toys,,ehm, weapons she has invented. This team is very ready to meet the devilish designers of that Cthulhu temple!

At the Crypt in New Babbage, Rennirenn and Crono ready their arsenals

Urchins and street-types had returned to New Babbage, a sign the menace below had been stopped, or at least stunted. Many peered over walls and stood around, watching as we took samples and entered the tunnels below.

With all this new firepower, and new teammates, what could go wrong?

The tunnels were lit with special illuminators from the Commanders, and the new playmate-Uh TEAMMMATE I mean Rennirenn. His suit was so crisp, his weapons so shiny, he just looked so,, so,, um, well anyways the new team and our prospects had me tingling all over with excitement! I felt a bit silly hunched over, sneaking behind Commander Fanshaw, who walked erect and dignified at all times. I saw Commanders Crono and Zoe whispering at one point , but I did not overhear the conversation. Next thing I knew, we were entering a strange building on the street above!

The poor scientist whispered, "th, the teleport disc,,,, second from right....."

I immediately rushed to the poor woman on the floor- the discolored fingernails and lips told me she had been breathing some poisonous gas, but Rennirenn's special machine blinked with green ligts, and Zoe nodded as if to say "All's Clear" so I gave the woman a shot of Ox and the Universal Antipoison Serum. The commanders wrote down notes on what they found. The scientists had developed some strange toxin, possibly to make zombies, and this poor scientist had dropped one of the canisters. It appears the moral is, "If you are going to be an evil mad scientist, do not be a clumsy one." She revived and told us that she had been attacked or something, it was unclear, but she said to take the teleport disc second from the right. Commander Kreegan stayed for a moment to call Almut and the rest of the Medical team, while we all jumped through that portal... I wonder now why I took the advice of an evil mad scientist at face value...

The Mad scientist Lair was filled with strange implements, a rather sinister smell, and even a chopped off hand! I hurried with my Picto-recorder, snapping away to record this room, when Crono yelled...

BOMB!!!!

BOMB!!!

Rennirenn jumped to it, pulling out a mass of wires, shaking as badly as I was, and the Commanders had cleared the room of any others present. the pins in my joints rattled,, I was terrified!
  But Commander Cornelius Fanshaw patted my arm, puffing his pipe. "Gather outside,, I will have this disarmed momentarily,, HURRY." I will never forget the look of concern, even then more worried about others than himself.

Watch carefully, this trick will not be repeated,,

   We stood outside nervously awaiting the Commander's visage at the doorway. New babbage urchins and citizens gathered, asking who we were, and they had a right to; we are technically an invading army from another land! But we are here to help, are we not? THEN...

The building exploded into dozens of large pieces

I chased a street urchin named Nathaniel from the front yard, and was just passing the wrought iron gates when the most deafening boom echoed from behind me, and I was engulfed in dust and thrown many feet!
   Rennirenn grabbed me and pushed me to the walland I watched dozens of large projectiles and pieces of the former home, fly and bounce and knock things about. I laid there against the wall, the new young officer's arm over me, body protecting mine, and ,,, I got,, kinda well strange feelings and,, well so anyways then the Commanders began shouting-- "CORNELIUS!"  A chill rushed thru me as if something pumped all the air and fluid from my lung sacs.I was still tone deaf from the blast, and it is odd to feel yourself running into the debris and yet not hear your boots on the bits of broken bricks. The smoke was thick, acrid. Yet urchins were there instantly, peering over what walls were left, perhaps helping us find Commander Fanshaw, perhaps looking for food, perhaps they were involved,,,,

We frantically searched for a body, anything left at all,, nothing. How odd....

   My whirligig terrified the urchins with its egg beater noise, and bright search light, and Rennirenn was in flight from a marvelous jetpack, Commanders Crono and Zoe instantly scoured the area, finding a strange box with mystic writings as we looked for any remains of our beloved Commander Fanshaw.

Commander Kreegan donned her Aether Helmet near the horrid smoke, worried about possible Zombie Toxins,,

Some local man named Edward Pearse came and helped decipher the box, he seemed nice. Seemed,,,,

   While we worked feverishly to contain the flames and decipher the code on the box, a rather nice local man named Edward Pearse arrived, and spoke to the commanders. He offered his aid, and seemed congenial, though he could just as easily be the diabolical mastermind and murderer of Commander Fanshaw! So though I felt it easy to be enamored of his many charms, I stayed my distance from him.

   After while,, we roped off the area, spoke to many locals, even Commander Dan Gervasi showed up to help interrogate, I mean to defuse a situation with a local who shot at us.

   That night, my ticking seemed louder than ever,,, something did not work, like a cog slightly out of place. I knew I had all the pieces in front of me, but I could not make them out!  I had to return that night to the scene. But one does not snoop around in the dark alone in New Babbage, certainly not in a Caledon military uniform!
   Pulling on all my doll intellect and wisdom, um, such as it is,,, I dressed for the evening investigations.
   THE GAME'S AFOOT!

Sherlock Doll discovers a clue

A few minutes after landing my whirli-ship on a nearby roof, and I was combing thru the debris. Once I was certain there was no pesky urchins about, I turned on my high beams, and there on the ground was a clue!
 An article with a photo of Commanders Fanshaw and Connolly, about how the dilletantes had solved a local crime and put someone in jail... could this mean something?

NOW YOU HAVE ALL THE CLUES AS WELL- SEARCH THE PHOTOS CAREFULLY, AND YOU WILL BE THERE WITH US, AT THE WINDUP.