The Tiny Isle Quest with Cornelius Fanshaw Pt 1

The Goode Computator, with Timeforce 10 enhancements, makes a great Victorian Communicator

Diary:

   I was repairing my right femur attachment after winning the pazaak game to that wookie, when the steam powered computator chirped and squawked, sounding very much like rushing water.

"Colonel Charisma! This....Fanshaw.... trapped on this bloody Isle.... A secret map will show you.... in the pool, beware,  follow these coordinates and may.... light your way, hurry!"

I very nearly spillt my tea, dropping the femur actuator instead. Admiral Fanshaw in trouble!  I stood, hopping on one leg over to the telegraph and tried to ring the Penzance Flight Wing, but alas, our staff numbers have dropped so low, nobody manned the telegraph! It is moments like thiss, I find myself rather adept at restoring my limbs and righting myself. Certain doom, or a 1 day sale, either one  calls up instant action!

The RCAF aerodrome in Caledon Penzance, in the Search and Rescue Gyro-Craft

All the great blimps and Command Zeppelins were locked up, even I did not have a key. The only thing available was a Search and Rescue Whirligig, the Gyro-Craft was not as fast but very maneuverable, and had served me well when I saved Candi from that island with the hideous plant trying to um,, devour her, I think. ( Saving Candi from Terra Isabella ) Most machines seem to like me, perhaps due to kinship. People, I am told, favor their kin over other more qualified or appealing prospects, for jobs and such. Surely this holds true for clockwork people?

The first island; use midnight setting for awesome visual effects on the islands

Walking from the beach only a few meters, and the lush steamy jungle became dark, magically glowing, with a foreboding presence. It whispered at the back of my brain, possibly unable to affect my cognitive clockwork. What might it have done to others? These strange broken globes must mean something.. I pressed on, hurrying to find,,,

Moving plants, magical effects, cryptic runes, ripe for roleplay!

THE POOL! Surely there would be a map here, and I would soon be meeting up with Cornelius, who no doubt had already saved himself and suceeded at every other way. The plants seemed to bend toward me as I neared the large eye stalk by the pool. I wondered if most island pools had large eye stalks, just as-

 I surfaced in a lagoon far from the cave of the hidden pool. The dream of my clothes changing, of speaking the secret rites, of being accepted by the Ancient Ones, washing in the sacred water, and being allowed to see the sacred map, all would seem like so much fantasy, except I recall the map distinctly, and I have this really great leopard skin bikini now! I changed though and within minutes I was on my way!

Just as the map showed- there it was! Lighting my way! Oh, He is such a clever one.

Sandy footprints walked straight to the basement, the door wide open, and yet no footprints leaving,,,,
I carefully made my way to the basement, and only once felt a need to strip and bow to the unseen gods of the island,, odd, I know. could that be from the eye dream?

CORNELIUS!

   Even hanging from a wall he had his witty smile, clever good morning banter. The clasps were so old and brittle, anyone could have pulled the little pin from the arm shackles,, anyone with free hands that is. He said he never saw who hit him, and woke up there after hearing the sound of...

...Broken globes... these do mean something.. but what? "Come, Colonel, the perpetrator may yet be upstairs with all their armed henchmen, let's go!"
  I jumped up and grabbed the rail of the ladder in a beautiful ballet leap, and was halfway up to the next floor when I heard Lord Fanshaw whispering with a snicker,,, "I was joking . . ."
  Sorry, I still do not get where the punchline was, humor seems to completely escape me!

I followed closely as Cornelius looked at red buttons, and strange furniture, and this silly telescope that I still cannot fathom a islander having, let alone what it might have been for viewing. Outside we walked around the nasty bug infested grass.

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"Miss Charisma? Where did you go? You aren't afraid of large spiders, are you?"

The bridge was destroyed, and um, rather inhabited. My body felt instantly terrified as the large leggy things moved out of their pipe and sewers, and yet,,, something in my inner being felt at peace, as if with them, I would indeed be safe, loved, I would be caressed, and cared for, and I would be,,,

DINNER!

I had another way and in no time, my aether helmet in place, I surfaced near the island shore where the bridge meant to take us.

The aether helm even kept my hair dry, neat trick that! Even neater was the Admiral lassoing my helmet towed behind me as i walked on the clear blue lagoon floor.

"There- the prophecies spoke of a dome, by Jove, there it is!" Lord Fanshaw was giddy! He pointed and bounced in his wicker fishing basket and I looked up into the island...

The dome spun, squeaking and humming from a generator of alien design, no steam or coal smoke anywhere!
   it is fairly alarming when you find your body walking casually toward such an item, clearly a doorway or engine for something, made by someone. More alarming is when you try to stop, and simply are unable. I watched as the dome got closer, hearing the Admiral in the distance calling out, "Miss Charisma, Wendy,,, what are you doing? Can't you hear me?"
   Hearing, and heeding, it seems, are two radically different things...

 END OF PART 1