In the past months that I have been captain of this ship we have taken many unusual commissions; yypically cargo haulage of some description, often with a side-note to minimise customs complications but nothing overtly illegal. My crew seem diligent, the ship operates well, though quite how it does so is another matter of intrigue for I have never seen a ship of the air constructed in quite such a manner; yet with its eccentricity comes a certain grace and I am growing to like the old girl.
On the matter of the ship, her heritage is a mystery still. Vix, the engineer, who seems to know every nut and bolt and who takes good care of her, is my only means of communicating with the mysterious owner of the vessel. all orders and commissions are routed via the simian and at times it undermines my authority as Captain. I will have this out with Vix at a convenient point though when this may be is unclear as we have just taken aboard our most recent "cargo".
I have just watched as the dock porters ferried crate after crate of oddly labeled belongings into the hold and then greeted the group that will, it seems, be our paying guests for, well for the coming weeks at least it seems, as this voyage is both open ended and somewhat ill defined. The group seem pleasant in spite of the presence of Tinies in their number. They are a mixed bag of aristocrats and academics and this whole affair reeks of some 'grand tour' whim; I have never been one for guffaws and pleasantries.
"Are you sure they meant to hire our ship Vix?", I asked with some sincerity, looking across the dock to the large form of 'Lady Selene' tugging at her moorings. The sleek silver ship, one of the Steamland passenger vessels that routinely carried the great and the good between the nations, would be a more typical hire for such a social mix. "Surely she is more their type?".
He smiled back, nodding. "She would not suit their needs Captain. We will be travelling beyond her range, away from the steamland air docks that can handle a ship of her size."
"and where exactly are we going?"
"That is not clear yet, I'm sure they'll let us know". With that he jumped away through a small hatch as is his wont, vanishing when things get at all uncomfortable for him. I was fuming but forced a smile as one of the group passed me by.
I cannot fully explain why I am uneasy about it all; perhaps it is those confounded Tinies, I really ought to be able to deal with my paranoia but they set me on edge. Perhaps it is this lack of control. I am Captain by name alone it seems as Vix was the one who they dealt with, and through whom all our orders are communicated; I can only assume that the puppet master does not yet trust his new captain. Vix and I need to get this straightened out when we get to Steelhead.
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