Fianna Kelly Versus the Jeebees: A Collection of Steampunk Stories Read Online Free Page A

was thinking about continuing to the
tournament. I had stumbled into a war zone and it appeared the only way out was
to keep moving.
    Upon
returning from breakfast, the duty officer was surprised to see me. "Are
you done with breakfast already? I have three wagons headed East this morning
that could accommodate you and your automaton."
    "That's
wonderful!" I said. "When does the first one leave?"
     "They
are all leaving at ten o'clock. The Base Commander would like to meet with you
before you leave though."
    A
Sergeant escorted me into a two-story brick building, through several hallways
that seemed like a maze in their placement, and into an office. The left wall
of the office was a bookcase sparsely populated with books and knick-knacks.
The right wall had four framed certificates arranged in a square. In between
them was a large wooden desk with papers arranged in orderly piles on it. He
had two wooden chairs on my side of the desk; they looked intentionally
uncomfortable to keep any visitor's time here to a minimum.
    The
man on the other side of the desk had the look that shouted "career
military". He had short black hair and a moustache, both trimmed as
exacting as his papers and certificates. Behind him stood a small man with his
arms folded in front of him.
    "Please
have a seat. I am Colonel Reynolds and the man behind me is Albert. He is what
we call a soldier-servant. He serves our country by assisting me."
    "I
am pleased to meet you both. I am Fianna Kelly," I said as I sat down.
    "Have
you heard the expression that an army runs on its stomachs? Well, the modern
army runs on paperwork. I am in the middle of some paperwork here you might be
interested in. This small stack here on my right is the direct result of your
actions."
    "I
am sorry to be such a burden to you. I am just trying to get to Wimbledon for
the International Firearms Tournament"
    "You
have mistaken my meaning. That single sheet of paper on my left is the roster
of men missing in action this month. I'd much rather have your stacks of papers
than that single sheet. That is why I sent for you today. I want to hear your
story from the moment you got off the boat from Ireland to you showing up in my
office this morning. I fully intend to reduce the names on that roster next
month by figuring out what you did right and what we have been doing
wrong."
    "I
don't want to be rude, but we need to be going or we'll be late."
    "I
can offer you another option than to travel by wagon."
    "Do
you have an airship? My father forbids our family to travel by air."
    "No,
but I have a fast locomotive preparing to leave tomorrow morning."
    "The
tickets aren't expensive, are they?"
    "You
can earn your passage by doing us a simple favour. Now, if you will tell us
about your journey here, we will listen."
    The
Colonel listened politely to my story for the next two hours. He only had me
pause once; it was just after I told him about spending the night at the
farmhouse. He whispered something to Albert who ran out of the room for a
minute.
    When
I finished, he said, "You have been modest in your telling of your story.
The men stated you were very brave. When the G.B.H.I.s attacked, you fired back
at them without hesitation."
    "I
did, to be sure. Is that a bad thing?" I replied.
    He
sighed, "If something like that happens again, please fire from behind the
barricade."
    "I
have not been schooled in the ways of war. I was just reacting to the
warning."
    "On
that note, I have had time to consider what should be done with your metallic
friend. There is nothing else quite like it that we know of. Most automatons
can barely walk, much less think. Is it to be treated as spoils of war and
stored in a warehouse? Should we introduce it to our scientists in the hope
they could make ones who will fight with us? Do we act out of fear and destroy
it lest it turn against us?"
    I
said, "Why would you do any of those horrible things? He has done nothing
to warrant such treatment."
    Albert
said,