tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65445211633570630922024-03-21T15:57:49.273-05:00Obvious ConversationBetter gaming through discussionamontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-5438718515316675102018-02-18T20:30:00.000-06:002018-02-18T20:30:38.215-06:0004 - SpearheadLuci was still running up the stairs in her mind, but in reality, she was running across the drug lab. She ran straight into a lab table. The impact pulled her out of the memory.<br /><br />Beneath her feet, she noticed the crack on the floor. It had grown, and it was growing visibly as she stared at it. She looked around the room and realized that William and Owen were both back from their memories too. Aaronson was not far behind Luci, he had been trying to spot her as she darted across the room before waking up.<br /><br />“Where were you this time?”, Aaronson asked. Luci explained that first they were in a corridor, then they went down to the East Entrance Lobby, and from there she gained access to a security terminal where she saw Aaronson running down a hall towards the Cooler.<br /><br />Before Aaronson could respond, Luci asked him, “What were you really trying to accomplish down there?” <br /><br />“I've told you this already,” Aaronson replied, “I was trying to shut the program down, to end it for good.” Aaronson continued, “It started with deleting the data, but I needed to remove all physical traces of C-1011 as well. That's why I needed to be in the Cooler. That's why I needed to vent the chemical.”<br /><br />“Who you running from?” Luci questioned him. Aaronson told her that he was running from Jackson, herself, Owen, and William. Luci was confused and Aaronson could tell from her face. He continued saying, “You were there every step of the way, you're the one who locked us in here, and you're the one who stopped me back in the server room.”<br /><br />The server room, Luci thought. She had no recollection of it. When she didn't respond, Aaronson asked her, “You don't remember the server room do you, you haven't reconsolidated that memory yet have you?” Luci shook her head no.<br /><br />Lucy knew that Aaronson was trying to sabotage the C-1011 program by deleting the data and destroying all of the chemicals in the storage tanks. However, based on the memory from the Cooler, it seemed clear that Aaronson had not been successful in destroying the chemical in the Cooler. It also seemed as though he have been foiled in the server room, but how? She couldn't recall. Aaronson was still fighting though, she could sense it. What was he still after, she wondered.<br /><br />By that point Owen and William had walked over and were inspecting the growing crack. Suddenly without warning, Owen had a flashback. He was being escorted into an interrogation room after his clinical trial the previous week.<br /><br />A guard was holding him up. Owen was weak and could barely stand on his own. Behind him he could hear the shuffle of two others. Once in the interrogation room he was sat down on a chair and a young man was assisted into a chair next to him by another guard. The two guards left Owen and the young man alone in the interrogation room.<br /><br />Owen looked at the young man beside him, his leg was positioned at an odd angle which looked very uncomfortable. The young man appeared to be feeling woozy too. “Who are you”, Owen asked the young man, “how did we get here?”<br /><br />“My name is Jackson”, the young man replied, “I'm here on the loan.” Then the memory faded and Owen was back in the drug lab, Jackson's words ‘on loan’ still echoing in his ear.<br /><br />The flashback had him caught on off guard, but then again, he remembered his first experience with C-1011 and what that memory reconsolidation process had been like. In the hours after the interrogation room following the clinical trial, Owen recalled his brain feeling like it was bouncing to and fro, making connections, and remapping itself thru a series of seemingly unconnected and random memories in an attempt to make sense of his temporary amnesia.<br /><br />“What did Jackson mean when he said he was on loan?” Owen blurted out. To everyone, the question was completely out of context, but Aaronson had obviously been through enough clinical trial debriefings to recognize the signs of memory reconsolidation. He answered Owen without batting an eye.<br /><br />Aaronson explained that by the time Jackson had finished his clinical trial with Owen, that he had been with Spearhead for months and had conducted three previous C-1011 trials. Luci and Owen only knew fragments of Jackson's past, but the history that Aaronson proceeded to reveal was nothing new to William.<br /><br />Jackson was a Marine. He had caught his leg in a lift on a Navy ship. The lift forced Jackson's leg back upon itself at the knee and nearly tore his leg off. There was not a square inch of Jackson's leg from his knee up to his groin that wasn't covered in scar tissue from the accident. Immediately after the accident, Jackson was operated on by Navy surgeons onboard the ship.<br /><br />During the operation the surgeons discovered that Jackson had an extremely high pain tolerance and an even higher resistance to anesthetics. At first they considered amputation, but Jackson's tolerance of pain and fighting spirit convinced them to leave the limb attached. Jackson was then turned over to another team of surgeons who were given high level clearance to perform experimental reconstructive surgery on his leg in an attempt to restore functionality.<br /><br />Jackson went through countless surgeries and months of excruciating rehabilitation. In the end, the best the surgeons could do was to give him limited mobility, which in and of itself, was an incredible accomplishment given the severity of his injury. Jackson's mobility was not without consequence though, he was in an incredible amount of pain 24 hours a day which required a considerable regimen of pain medications.<br /><br />As Interesting as Jackson's history was, it still didn't help to explain why Luci, Owen, and William had been working together with Jackson against Dr. Aaronson just a few hours ago. The question was still nagging at Luci, so she asked the doctor, “Why were we working with Jackson?”<br /><br />Aaronson explained that he didn't know why the three of them were working with Jackson, but he did know why Jackson was working against him. Aaronson said that he had seriously misjudged Jackson's character, causing him to turn on him, just before he began his sabotage of the program. Aaronson and Jackson had grown close over the past few months as the result of them working closely together. Aaronson had come to pity Jackson and the debilitating pain that he endured every single day. Both men wanted the C-1011 program ended, but as it turned out, the manner in which Dr. Aaronson proposed to terminate the program did not go over well with Jackson.<br /><br />Before sabotaging the program, Aaronson confided in Jackson and explained what he was going to do. Aaronson also offered Jackson a way out, by way of ending his life. Aaronson figured, that with the end of the program, Jackson would likely be shuffled off to some other experimental program. Death would be a gift. That was Aronson's mistake, he misunderstood Jackson and the indomitability of youth entirely. Despite Jackson suffering he did not want to die, he still held on to hope that there was a way for him to be free of his pain. Furthermore, Jackson still had faith in the system and his government. He was still a soldier and he couldn't turn on his government and the system in which he still had faith in.<br /><br />Jackson fled from Aaronson before he could stop him. Aaronson expected that to be the end of it, but Jackson doggedly resisted and found a way to foil his plot every step of the way.<br /><br />At that point, William interjected, “Why do you hate this program so badly doctor? Can't you see that what we're doing here has the potential to benefit our soldiers in innumerable ways?”<br /><br />Before Aaronson could respond, Luci jumped in saying, “PTSD is real and it destroys people's lives, C-1011 has the potential to eradicate PTSD. As a doctor isn't that a good thing?”<br /><br />Aaronson seemed shocked by their questions, and responded saying, “Don't you see what we do here? We kill people. This program specifically assists in the killing of people.”<br /><br />Aaronson's response made William hot. William launched into a diatribe about the importance of our military and its responsibilities to protect our nation. He called Aaronson naive for working on a military research project and being surprised that there could be deadly potential involved.<br /><br />Aronson's rebuttal was simple. “A hangover is a symptom of drinking. PTSD is a symptom of killing. The intended consequence of such symptoms is to prevent the action from being repeated. By removing the symptom there becomes no downside to the action. No hangover and you can drink all you like. No PTSD, killing becomes easy. How doesn't that frighten you?” he asked.<br /><br />Just then the floor audibly cracked beneath their feet, Luci used the distraction to step in. William was visibly angry and Luci knew where this was headed. Luci reminded William that getting out of the drug lab was more important than the argument they were having. William backed down and everyone turned their attention back towards circumventing the lockdown.<br /><br />Luci returned to the door and doubled down on her efforts to bypass the lock. Even as she worked, Luci was still nagged by questions. She wondered, what she going to do when she got the door open, and perhaps more importantly, what was Aaronson go to do. The question was a distraction and she couldn't focus. She asked the doctor as she worked, “What happens when we get the door open doctor?”<br /><br />Without hesitation Aaronson responded saying, “I’ll continue to do what I set out to do. I'm going to end this program.” Aaronson's response set William off again. William reminded Aaronson what our country does to traitors. Aaronson calmly explained that he had no intentions of living through this ordeal anyways. “I was resigned to die before I started this,” he stated without emotion.<br /><br />Just then, Luci made a breakthrough, she discovered a security prompt. It required a password to unlock the doors and there was even a hint. The hint read: ‘Tell her I love her.’<br /><br />Luci excitedly typed in her wife's name. Charlee. A red error code indicated that the password was invalid. Before she had a second to think of another password everything fogged over in her brain and she was transported from the drug lab back into a memory.<br /><br />Luci was just stepping up to the security terminal inside the main terminal booth within the Spearhead server room. Owen, William, and Jackson were all crammed into the small booth with her. With a sense of urgency, she logged in and immediately found the files on C-1011.<br /><br />There was a large bar across the top of the screen that was mostly green. The left side of the green bar was slowly turning red. Percentages listed on the bar indicated 95% green, 5% red.<br /><br />“Someone is already here, they're already deleting files,” she said in a panicked voice. As she said that, another percentage went from green to red, there was no time to lose.<br /><br />Luci needed to stay in the terminal booth and try to stop the data loss. There were 8 large racks in the server room, Luci was able to identify that there was an active breach on Rack 7. William and Owen formulated a plan to infiltrate the server room and physically locate the hacker and stop them as Luci worked digitally.<br /><br />Jackson offered to assist, but William and Owen saw him as a liability and told him to stay put with Luci. Then William and Owen set off into the server room. Both men were unarmed as they made their way into the racks. Lighting was dim and the server fans within the racks were loud. Most of the light in the space came from the blinking lights on the server racks which spanned floor-to-ceiling, in long rows, across the length of the room.<br /><br />They had come into the server room on the east end. In front of them was Rack 1. They split up on opposite ends of the racks and moved in unison down towards Rack 7.<br /><br />Luci had no way to know who had logged in at Rack 7 but she could kick them off their session and lock them out of that terminal. She did just that. Then she began to set a trap in hopes that they would log in again at a different terminal. Her plan worked, another login occurred moments later on Rack 8.<br /><br />The credentials indicated that it was Dr. Aaronson. Once she knew that it was Dr. Aaronson she was able to revoke his administrative privileges through the system and lock him out of the terminals for good.<br /><br />Owen and William arrived at Rack 7, near the west end of the room, but found nobody there. They proceeded on and peered around the corner of the last rack and saw three people standing together about midway down the row. Two were armed guards, the other was Dr. Aaronson. He was standing at a terminal.<br /><br />Owen and William were still on opposite ends of the racks. Using hand signals, the two agreed upon a pincer maneuver. Although they were unarmed, they had the element of surprise. Owen and William made their move. Almost immediately William drew the two guard’s attention, but he was quick. Using the tight space between the racks to his advantage, William engaged both guards and stalled them from drawing their firearms.<br /><br />Dr. Aaronson abandoned the terminal, slipped through the melee, and exited the racks out the opposite end from where Owen was making his approach. Owen came in hard behind the unsuspecting guards. With a kick to the back of the knee, Owen was able to subdue and knock out one guard instantly. Then Owen joined the fray between William and the remaining guard.<br /><br />Despite being outnumbered, the remaining guard slipped loose and drew his weapon. Owen and William threw up their arms in surrender and gave the guard space. Meanwhile, Aaronson was yelling something from the end of the rack but the server fans muffled his shouts.<br /><br />Owen and William retreated back slowly. The guard, with his gun still fixed on the two, stepped back towards Aaronson to hear what he was saying. <br /><br />Aaronson was telling him to shoot the server racks, saying he was locked out, and that he couldn't delete the data. “Destroy it,” he commanded, “destroy it all.”<br /><br />Following his orders, the guard pointed his gun away from Owen and William and put a bullet into server Rack 8. As soon as the bullet hit the rack, thermite inside the rack ignited and the rack burst into flames, roasting the drives. Before long, flames rose up out of the rack and set off the fire suppression system.<br /><br />After the first shot rang out, Owen and William turned and ran away from the armed guard and made their way back towards Luci and Jackson at the east end of the room. Argonite gas spewed overhead from the fire suppression system filling the dimly lit server room with a thick haze which covered their retreat.<br /><br />Back at her terminal, Luci watched in horror as a huge chunk of the green line went red all at once. Rack 8 was completely obliterated along with all the data on it. Seconds later, Rack 7 went down too.<br /><br />Luci quickly realized that there was little she could do to prevent the data from being destroyed. She changed tactics. Just as the Aaronson was able to delete files from his terminal, she could move files from her terminal. She pulled a flash drive from her pocket and gave it to Jackson. She told him to get out into the server room and plug into the nearest rack. She planned to pull files off the server to the flash drive before all the data was lost.<br /><br />Jackson and Luci picked a channel on their earpieces to communicate and then Jackson scrambled out into the smoke filled server room. He plugged into the nearest terminal on the end of Rack 1. As soon as he was plugged in Luci began pulling files to the drive as fast as she could.<br /><br />Owen and William made it back to Luci quickly. By that point racks 8, 7, and 6 were all down. The guard was methodically making his way down the racks putting bullets into the drives. He paused to reload at Rack 5 and noticed Jackson down the way at Rack 1. The guard slid a fresh magazine into his pistol and then made his way down towards Jackson skipping Racks 5 through 2.<br /><br />Jackson saw the guard coming and pulled his flash drive. Then he slipped in between the racks, determined to head west and plug-in once again. In the haze, the guard lost track of Jackson. Instead of pursuing him, the guard began destroying the racks again this time starting with Rack 1.<br /><br />The guard fired a shot into Rack 1 and it lit on fire like the rest. Another large chunk of data went red on Luci's monitor. As the rack burned the guard happened to look over at the terminal booth on the east wall where he spotted Luci, Owen, and William all huddled together. He made eye contact with Luci and the two held each other's gaze for a long moment. Her heart sunk, fearing he would come for them, but then the guard turned and headed back west towards Rack 2 to continue his destruction.<br /><br />In cat-and-mouse fashion, Jackson hopped from terminal to terminal until they were all destroyed. Each time Luci moved has many files as she could to the flash drive before the rack went offline. Once all of the racks were down Owen, William, and Luci waited nervously for Jackson to return to the booth or answer Luci on her earpiece. There was no sign of Jackson.<br /><br />The room was completely filled with argonite gas and the fires were beginning to be snuffed out from a lack of oxygen when Jackson finally spoke over Luci's earpiece. He had exited out the west end, fire had blocked his route back to them. He told them to get out of there. He told them they would meet up elsewhere.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-78305200544678640402018-02-04T21:56:00.000-06:002018-02-04T21:56:03.653-06:0003 - Spearhead<br /><br />Luci, Owen, and William woke back up in the drug lab. They were in their phlebotomy chairs staring up at brilliantly white lights in brilliantly white ceiling tiles. Their minds felt foggy, they were still dealing with the reconsolidation of their memories.<br /><br />Dr. Aaronson was talking to them asking, “What do you see, what do you see now?” They realized that during memory reconsolidation they must be speaking out loud or saying what they're experiencing; for all they knew they may even be responding to prompts from Aaronson subconsciously.<br /><br />All three immediately wanted to get up out of their chairs. Aaronson cautioned them to take it easy, but they got up anyways. Once on their feet, Owen went and retrieved his gun and Luci retrieved her earpiece. Owen checked the clip, it was still full. Luci checked the earpiece for chatter, it was silent.<br /><br />They had questions still about what they had experienced, about the Cooler, C-1011, and who they were with down in the Cooler. Before Aaronson offered any answers he urged Owen to provide an answer himself. Aaronson told Owen to focus intently in his mind on the figure that he had been following. It worked, suddenly Owen had a brief flashback.<br /><br />He was lying on his back in the cleanroom. The cleansing mist had stopped and was just hanging in the air. Luci and William were passed out beside him. Owen was utterly exhausted. Just before the flashback ended, he heard a loud thud against the cleanroom door. Through the small window in the door, Owen saw Jackson's face. He had a horrified expression. Then he slid down out of sight still trapped inside the Cooler.<br /><br />Owen told the doctor that it was Jackson who is in the Cooler with them, and that it looked like he didn't get out. Aaronson was pleased with Owen and praised him saying, “Good you <i>can </i>remember.”<br /><br />There were so many mysteries still though and they wanted answers. So, Aaronson offered up his explanation of what had happened. He explained that he already knew that Jackson was down in the Cooler because Aaronson too had been there. He revealed that it was him who they were after down there. Aaronson admitted to opening the pressure reduction valve and flooding the Cooler with the chemical. He explained he was trying to destroy the C-1011 in the tanks.<br /><br />Aaronson went on to tell them how it was him who said off the initial lockdown of the facility as well. The lockdown went into effect when he began erasing and overwriting files in the server room. Aaronson had destroyed all of the research files pertaining to C-1011 on the company’s server. It was his ultimate goal to eradicate C-1011 in its entirely, not just the data, but also all physical traces of it as well.<br /><br />Aaronson explained that after several attempts on his part to shutdown the program he was denied and forced to continue on with the research. He continued, but he had seized to believe that there could be any good that would come of this project after seeing the effects that it was having on the subjects that they were testing. He was a doctor first and foremost before he was a government employee, and he was sworn to protect life. The program was wrong and harmful and an affront to everything he stood for. He couldn't live with it anymore so he took it upon himself to end it.<br /><br />Upon learning that Aaronson had been the saboteur all along William became infuriated. William called him a traitor for turning on the company and also on his country. He asked him, “What right did you have to decide what was best?” The program was personal to William. “How dare you attack us and destroy our work,” he yelled at Aaronson. William defended the program and its goals citing the benefits of C-1011, such as its ability to eliminate PTSD and allow soldiers to better integrate back into society and be free from the scars of war. If William had had more energy, he likely would have attacked Aaronson right then and there, but he didn't have the energy, not yet.<br /><br />Aaronson waited for William to settle down and then continued. He explained that he was not successful in destroying the C-1011 down in the Cooler. Jackson had interfered and prevented him from finishing his task. Then he was forced to flee before he was consumed, as they had been, by the chemical.<br /><br />For some reason Jackson, Luci, William, and Owen were all working together to stop Aaronson. But they none of them could remember any of it, nor could they remember why.<br /><br />For the past three hours Aaronson had been stuck down in the drug lab due to the lockdown. He explained that the current lockdown was not something that he had triggered himself, prior to entering the Cooler he had been able to move about the facility freely. The only person who could have triggered such a complete and full lockdown of the facility was Luci.<br /><br />Aaronson could see that their heads were spinning with the information and that it would take some time for them to process it, so, he took the opportunity to show them something else in the room. He walked them over to one of the lab stations and pointed down on the ground. They looked down and saw a long snaking crack in the concrete floor. Aaronson explained that that crack had been growing over the past few hours.<br /><br />The Cooler was directly below the drug lab. The Cooler was still being pressurized and the pressure had nowhere to go. The floor was beginning to buckle under the stress. If the floor gave way the drug lab would be flooded with C-1011. Aaronson had been waiting and hoping for them to wake up, hoping they could break the lockdown. They all needed to get out of that room.<br /><br />The time for questions had passed and the three sprung into action scouring the room for a way out. None was able to find a way out. Their only option was to unlock the doors that led back to the rest of the facility. Luci borrowed Aaronson's tablet again and began to assess what it was going to take to bypass the lockdown that she herself apparently had put into effect.<br /><br />If only the camera footage during the event were accessible to her through the network, she thought, then she could pull it up on Aaronson's tablet and understand what the parameters of the lockdown were and bypass them. However, Spearhead lockdown protocol was such that the camera feeds were cut from the network and routed behind a firewall on a separate server to prevent would-be attackers from using the camera system to their advantage in the event of an attack. The feeds were still active, but she would be have to physically be at a security terminal to bypass the firewall and access the camera log. First things first, open the door the hard way. Then, get to a security terminal.<br /><br />Try as she may, Luci could not get the doors open quickly. Aaronson could sense the frustration growing in the room and said, “It's no use getting worked up over. We have some time. The floor hasn't shown signs that it is going to collapse right this moment. The best thing to do right now is to reconsolidate your memories so you'll know what needs to be done when we get out of here.”<br /><br />Reluctantly the three agreed to cooperate with the man who seem to be more their enemy than their ally. Upon his suggestion they returned to their chairs and allowed the doctor to trigger another flashback.<br /><br />Private Jackson was the trigger this time. Aaronson pulled up a photo from his dossier on the tablet and showed it to the three of them. Before they knew what had happened they were transported from the drug lab and back into a memory. They were moving down a corridor, their hearts were beating hard in their chests. Each had a sinking feeling in their stomach that they were being chased and that they mustn't be caught.<br /><br />The corridor was long. Behind them on one end was an exit stair that they had come from. A ways away in front of them was another exit stair that they were trying to reach. There were strobe lights on the walls that were flashing indicating that a lockdown had been initiated.<br /><br />Jackson's voice spoke in Luci’s ear through her earpiece, “I just got out of the server room, I got as much data as I could but I fear it's not nearly enough,” he paused breathing heavily. “Did you head him off yet?” he asked.<br /><br />Luci replied saying, “No.” Jackson urged her to stay on him. Luci, Owen, and William were close to the east entrance lobby where there was a security checkpoint. The checkpoint had a security terminal, from which they would have access to the cameras. Using the cameras they could determine where their target was and where he was headed. Jackson agreed with the strategy and said that he too would make his way down there to meet up. Then they signed off.<br /><br />As they made their way down the corridor a door in front of them opened and a guard stepped out into the corridor. Acting quickly, they ducked into a woman's bathroom and waited until the guard passed. Then they proceeded down the corridor and attempted to access the stairwell. Luci slid her access card over the card reader to unlock the door and the indicator light lit up red. Each of them in turn tried their cards but to no avail, their access privileges had been denied. Luci then tried to bypass the door while the other two made casual conversation to conceal her efforts in the event that someone else entered the corridor.<br /><br />It wasn't long until another guard came out of a room and noticed them. He began walking quickly towards them. Owen and William maintained their cover, continued their conversation, and walked towards the approaching guard to head him off away from Luci.<br /><br />As the guard neared William and Owen he cupped his hand up to his ear and said in a hushed tone, “I've got them. Send back up.” William and Owen knew they didn't have much time. As soon as they were close enough to the guard they attacked him. Owen snatched the guards gun as he drew it and William drove the guards face through a drywall wall.<br /><br />As they were subduing the guard Luci began to shout, “I've got it, the door is open.” Without hesitation William knocked out the guard with a ruthless kick to the head. The guard was stripped of his key card and his gun. William and Owen began dragging the guard back towards the door where Luci was waiting but they were forced to leave the guard in the corridor after two more guards came out of the stairwell at the opposite end of the corridor.<br /><br />The three went down the stairs and entered into the east entrance lobby. Luci rushed to the security checkpoint and used the stolen key card from the guard to open the door. Owen and William waited at the stair door to prevent the two new guards from getting through.<br /><br />The lobby was a large two story space with glass walls on opposing ends. Outside, through the glass, they could see the parking lot on one side, and a picnic area on the other. There was only one way into the lobby besides the stairwell and that was through a corridor that dead-ended into the middle of the lobby.<br /><br />As soon as Luci gained access to the checkpoint she ran to the terminal and put the entire east wing on lockdown. Owen and William could hear the bolt on the door to the stairwell click shut just as the two guards came barreling down the stairs and slammed into the door.<br /><br />Before they could celebrate their temporary safety, William and Owen heard the heavy foot falls of more guards running down the corridor towards the east lobby. They tried the exterior doors but they were locked. The perimeter was impenetrable. The lockdown prevented anyone from leaving the building. There was nothing Luci or anyone could do to exit the facility. Their only escape routes were back up the stairwell they came from or the corridor where they would face the guards coming towards them. They shouted to Luci to hurry it up.<br /><br />Luci rushed to restore her security credentials to the highest level on her card. As she was doing so, Jackson hailed her on her earpiece. He too had found that his access privileges have been removed and was not able to get down the stairs to meet them. Luci told him not to bother, as they were about to be boxed in themselves.<br /><br />Jackson told her to use what little time she had to find Aaronson on the cameras and find out where he was headed. She bypassed the firewall and scanned the cameras. She found Aaronson careening down a corridor. She reported back over the earpiece to Jackson, “It looks like he's headed to the Cooler.”<br /><br />“Lock him out,” he implored, but she was out of time, the guards were about to reach the lobby. The last thing she did before she left the security checkpoint was unlock a clear path for Jackson to the Cooler. Then she left the checkpoint and locked the door behind her.<br /><br />Luci rejoined Owen and William in the lobby. By that point the men had formulated a plan to go back through the stairwell, deciding to face the two guards instead of an unknown number of guards coming down the corridor.<br /><br />The guards trapped inside the stairwell were still attempting to pound down the door. Owen readied himself to pull the guards from the stairwell, William armed himself with a nearby stainless steel trash can, and Luci waited by the card reader for Owen’s signal.<br /><br />They heard a guard prepare to slam himself against the door, Luci slid her card and the lock clicked open. Owen threw open the door and grabbed the guard as he stumbled towards the door that gave way before him. Owen threw the guard clear into the lobby where he tumbled to the floor. William followed up with the trash can, smashing it into the unsuspecting face of the second guard still within the stairwell.<br /><br />The momentum of the blow carried William into the stairwell, trash can still in hand, where he landed in a pile with the guard he had attacked. Owen and Luci slipped inside the stairwell just as the guards arrived in the lobby from the corridor. They closed and locked the door behind them.<br /><br />Owens subdued the solitary guard while William dusted himself off. The guard was relieved of his gun and it was given to Luci after William rejected it.<br /><br />Even in his defeated state the guard was still defiant. The guard spoke, spitting blood, and called them all traitors. William mocked him and then threw his insult right back at him. The guard looked William square in the eyes. As the two men stared at one another William could see that something seemed off with the guard’s gaze.<br /><br />With fury in his voice the guard told William, “It's do-nothings like you that let this program get out of control, you'll burn in hell for this.” Even as he hurled his insult, the guard seem distant, and William wondered what sort of indoctrination this man had been through.<br /><br />Nevertheless, the guard had gone too far. Williams stooped down and grabbed the guard by his shirt and looked at his name badge. Bradley it read. “I know everyone in this compound Bradley. You have a family, I remember it from your dossier when you were hired,” William said. “This is <i>my </i>program,” he continued menacingly, “both you and your family are going to pay for your treason.”<br /><br />Luci pleaded for them to keep moving, and for a moment, William seemed to back off. Then suddenly, with a savage kick to the back of the head, William knocked Bradley out. Then the three rushed back up the stairs.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-17318366521570579442018-01-15T20:25:00.000-06:002018-01-31T20:52:32.418-06:0002 - SpearheadWilliam, Luci, and Owen came to in a stark white room. Their heads were swimming and they had no idea where they were. They were seated in phlebotomy chairs, each of them were connected to IV bags. Groggily they looked around. The room was a drug lab and there was only one other person in the room with them. The man was in a technician’s chair, and when he saw them starting to stir, he wheeled himself over. The man had a small goatee and shoulder length hair, he wore a lab coat and looked to be about 40 years old. His name was Dr. Aaronson.<br />
<br />
Dr. Aaronson was beside himself with happiness that the three were still alive. He told them that he fully expected them to be vegetables because of the high dosage of C-1011 they had been exposed to. Not even the lab rats have ever been exposed to that much of the chemical so he had feared for the worst. According to the doctor they had been unconscious for almost three and a half hours.<br />
<br />
William, Luci, and Owen couldn’t remember anything from the last few hours, there was no recollection of anything out of the ordinary, but somehow, something had gone terrible wrong for them to be here without any memory of what had happened. They were full of questions even though their heads were still swimming. They rattled off their questions each talking over the others. Where are they? What happened? Why are they connected to these IV bags? And, in Owen’s case, who were William and Luci?<br />
<br />
Aaronson tried to soothe them and urged them to take it slow. He tried to explain; the facility was in lockdown and the Aaronson had personally pulled the three of them from the cleanroom just outside the Cooler, which was nickname given to the underground chemical storage vault. Aaronson had pulled them out after they were exposed to the chemical. Beyond that, Aaronson couldn't answer too many other questions.<br />
<br />
He explained that there had been some sort of sabotage that put the entire compound into lockdown and that all of the data concerning his research on C-1011 had been wiped from the servers. There was no internet, no cell signals, and no way to make contact with the outside. All the doors inside the compound were locked, no one had been able to get in or leave. As a result, it has been difficult for him to get around or communicate so he didn't fully understand the extent of damage that had been done.<br />
<br />
Luci attempted to investigate the situation from surveillance video and records within the security system via Aaronson's tablet, but she search turned up little useful information. When the facility went into lockdown everything on the security system went black. Based on footage before the lockdown there had been nothing out of the ordinary happening with Luci or William’s schedules. Likewise, Owen had been back for his post-op memory testing and the feed cut out in the middle of his tests. There was no way to tell what had happened in the black besides first hand personal experience.<br />
<br />
Aaronson explained that he believed that the three of them had intimate knowledge of what had happened, but due to their exposure to C-1011, they could not recall what had happened. He said that the only way that they could learn what had happened to them was to reconsolidate their memories just like the clinical tests that Owen had just recently been through.<br />
<br />
The three were quite distressed. William and Luci had never experienced anything like this before, but Owen had, and the memory of his clinical test was still fresh in his mind. Dr. Aaronson and Owen explained how the clinical tests were conducted and how patients experienced memory loss while taking C-1011 and had reconsolidate their memories afterwards. In Owen’s case, his memory had came back quickly, or so he had thought. As Owen recounted his memory of his operation to Luci and William the doctor stopped him. Owen had believed he had traveled to Mexico and rescued two Spearhead operatives, but Aaronson revealed that that was not entirely true.<br />
<br />
The purpose of Owen’s clinical trial was actually to determine if memory reconsolidation was corruptible. During the operation, Owen was never under the impression that he was in Mexico or that there were actual hostages; he knew it was an exercise. However, C-1011 erases the subject’s short term memory. After the operation he forgot all of what had happened. During debriefing, Owen he was given a falsified account of the action. Then Aaronson checked back up on him during memory reconsolidation to see if his mind could determine what had truly taken place. In the end, Owen couldn’t decipher between fact and fiction. During reconsolidation, his mind filled in the blanks using the false info from debriefing and accepted that as the truth.<br />
<br />
William, Luci, and most especially Owen, were shocked to learn the effects of C-1011. They were facing the prospect of reconsolidating their own recent memories and now they couldn’t be sure of the integrity of the process.<br />
<br />
Aaronson explained that memory reconsolidation began by using memory triggers to stimulate the brain and try to wake up the misplaced memories. The three wanted to know what happened right when the lockdown happened, but Aaronson had nothing to work with in terms of a common memory trigger between the three of them before the lockdown. According to the security footage they weren’t together when the lockdown went into effect. The only thing Aaronson was confident that they had in common was that they had all been in the cleanroom outside the Cooler because that was where he found them. Therefore, Aaronson determined to start with that memory.<br />
<br />
Before he triggered their memories Dr. Aaronson gave them all a beta blocker. He explained that the beta blocker would help dampened down the traumatic aspect of the memory and allow them to recall it more clearly without causing additional stress on their already taxed brains. Aaronson told them it was perfectly safe. He even gave himself a shot of the beta blocker first, telling them that it was helping him to deal with the anxiety too.<br />
<br />
The trigger the doctor choose was a training video for standard cleanroom procedure. As the three watched the video their brains began to latch onto shared remembrances of their predicament, and just like that, they were back in the cleanroom, reliving their memory it as if it was happening again.<br />
<br />
They were in their same clothes that they wore presently in the drug lab. Owen was the only one armed, Luci had an ear piece comm. They were entering into the Cooler with a sense of urgency.<br />
<br />
A voice on the ear piece made a brief transmission saying, “He's headed for the pressure reduction valve, stay quiet”. She recognized the voice on the ear piece as friendly.<br />
<br />
The three proceeded into the space which was expansive. The ceiling was about 30 feet high and the entire space was filled with large white pill shaped storage tanks. The tanks stood on short stilts and were about 10 feet in diameter and 20 feet tall. The tanks formed long rows that extended the full length and width of the immense space. The tanks were all piped in sequence with one another and pipes criss-crossed the rows high up near the ceiling.<br />
<br />
The space was dimly lit and visibility was less than 50 feet. The Cooler was rectangular in shape and they entered into it on its short side. The rows of tanks dominated the space but they could see the side walls; the back wall however was buried in darkness.<br />
<br />
Before long they heard the clink and rattling of a chain somewhere near the back of the Cooler. Cautiously they proceeded down the rows in the room until a figure darted across one of the rows about 30 feet in front of them. The three split up, Luci and William going to investigate where the individual had darted across from, and Owen with the gun, giving chase to the individual who darted across their path.<br />
<br />
When William and Luci arrived at the place where the figure had darted from they found that the spot had a good vantage over a gate leading to a chain link cage along the back wall of the room. The gate was open, and a chain hung limp with a cut lock.<br />
<br />
Owen quietly stalked the figure for a couple rows. The figure lead him laterally across the room until he stopped and cupped his hand up by his ear piece. Owen crept closer in an attempt to hear what was being said but all he could hear was the end of the transmission, “I'm going after him.”<br />
<br />
Luci and William where passing through the chain link gate at the back of the room when the ear piece squawked again, “The valve is already open, I’m close to him though. I’m going after him.”<br />
<br />
From within the chain link cage William and Luci traced the tangled network of pipes towards the center of the wall, all the while noticing a hissing noise that was growing louder and louder. At the center of the tangle of pipes was a bunch of unions and valves all which were hissing angrily. They had no more than a few seconds to stare in wonder at the hissing pipes before yellow warning indicator lights began to light up, one by one, over the dozen or so valves in front of them. They were too late, the system was over-pressurized and becoming unstable. Just then, a burst of gunfire rang out not far from them and the two of them decided to get out of the cage.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Owen watched as the shadowed figure broke from his hiding spot and gave chase after the unseen saboteur. Owen quickly and cautiously kept pace with their shadowed friend. Their friend wasted little time pulling a pistol and firing at his enemy. Three shots were fired from a pistol, then silence for a second or two, finally a single loud shot rang out. Owen took cover.<br />
<br />
William and Luci had already begun their escape, they were running back towards the gate when the ear piece spoke again. Their friend said that he was hit but that “he was okay,” he told them to get out of there.<br />
<br />
The hissing sound seem to be following Luci and William as they ran from the chain link cage and back down the rows towards the cleanroom. William was out in front until a tank next to him made a strange noise.<br />
<br />
The tanks around William were being ripped open by the mounting pressure. As they were overloaded they burst and sent rivets flying. At first William thought he was being shot, but he soon realized that the sound was in fact the sound of rivets blowing out and ricocheting around the room. Just then, a tank right in front of him blew out and spewed C-1011 directly into William’s unsuspecting face.<br />
<br />
The smell of the chemical was sweet, like vanilla extract, but the taste was bitter. The shock of the blast sent him reeling back and tumbling to the floor. The tank continue to gush the chemical and when Luci arrived she saw William flailing on the ground covered in a cloud of the sickly sweet smelling chemical.<br />
<br />
She selflessly drove into the cloud and wrestled William’s body free. Then the two got to their feet and continued their way towards the cleanroom as more tanks burst and saturated the air in the Cooler with the chemical.<br />
<br />
Sensing the danger from the gun fire and the destabilizing tanks, Owen abandoned his pursuit of the shadowed figure. To be safe, Owen put some distance between himself and the gunshots and then made his way back to the cleanroom. The tanks near him were beginning to rupture as well and he recognized the smell of the C-1011 filling the room.<br />
<br />
As William and Luci were about halfway back to the cleanroom the ear piece came alive one last time. “I'm hit but I'm okay, there's a switch for a large exhaust vent near me... I'm going to get to it, you need to get out of here... just get out!” That was the last that they heard from him.<br />
<br />
Owen was the first one back to the cleanroom, by then the air in the Cooler was thick with the chemical. Wasting no time he engaged the sanitation cycle on a keypad next to the door. The cleanroom doors opened and a timer begin counting down. Owen nervously waited and hoped for his companions to appear in time.<br />
<br />
With just seconds left on the timer William and Luci rounded the corner of the last storage tank and were sprinted towards the door. Owen did his best to hold back the doors but they were too strong. William crashed into Owen forcing the both of them into the clean room and tumbling to the floor. Luci slipped her body through the closing doors but her leg caught just as the doors shut. She twisted her ankle at an unnatural angle and pulled her foot through the vice of the door. Panting on the floor, she popped her ankle back into place. Then the sanitation system above spewed its cleansing shower over them and they passed out.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-78196325944498706902018-01-11T22:50:00.000-06:002018-01-11T22:55:58.996-06:0001 - Spearhead<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b>Background</b><br />
<br />
C-1011 is the result of a neurochemical development contract between the United States Military and Spearhead. The chemical has recently been developed into an aerosol drug that is administered through an oral inhaler. C-1011 is currently in the midst of classified clinical testing.<br />
<br />
C-1011 has been found to mentally dissociate a person's actions from their awareness of those actions. Not unlike hypnosis, C-1011 creates a mental state in which the individual becomes fully engrossed in what they are doing to the point that they do not have to think about what they are doing; instead they just do it. The current focus of the study is to assess the applicable uses of the drug as a combat enhancement.<br />
<br />
<b>Bios</b><br />
<br />
Subject 17 - Owen Miller<br />
Age - 45<br />
Experience - Army (Retired)<br />
Qualifier - Miller was blacklisted from the Army on account of being a whistleblower. Subject exhibits strong tendencies towards “right” and “wrong” and is not afraid to report illicit behavior.<br />
<br />
Subject 18 - Kyle Jackson<br />
Age - 19<br />
Experience - Marine (Enlisted, Pvt.)<br />
Qualifier - Severe leg injury from a getting caught in a lift. Underwent extensive surgery and physical therapy, during which the subject exhibited extremely high resistance to anesthetics.<br />
<br />
<b>Operation #8</b><br />
<br />
Operation Coordinator - William Wright<br />
Clinical Evaluation - Dr. Andrew Aaronson<br />
Clinical Trial - C-1011<br />
Enhancement - beta-adrenoceptor<br />
Participants - Owen Miller, Kyle Jackson<br />
Location - Spearhead (Mexico)<br />
Objective - Rescue & extract<br />
Result - Successful memory reconsolidation<br />
Triggers - Imagery, Audio (augmented)<br />
<br /></div>
amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-43332101012191849892017-12-30T21:42:00.000-06:002017-12-30T21:42:57.403-06:00Pitch Session - SpearheadAccording to their website, Spearhead is North America's most advanced private military research facility. Beyond a few token photographs that look like they could have been taken from any Fortune 500's company website, there is little else in terms of hard information listed. There is no mailing address, no contact tab, and no list of services offered.<br />
<br />
Your characters are employees of Spearhead. It goes without saying, you went through rigorous and surreptitious recruiting channels before landing your position within their organization. Their non-disclosure agreement was immense and left no room for open discussion with friends and family about your involvement with the company.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the story you will wake up and be informed that you have been involved in an 'Event'. You will have no memory of the Event. The Event, and the circumstances surrounding your apparent amnesia, will be the initial focus of your characters.<br />
<br />
Your primary contact will be Dr. Aaronson. The game will ultimately be about what your characters do in light of what they learn about the Event. In order to understand what happened during the Event you will be working with Dr. Aaronson. He will guide you through a series of psychological stimuli and triggers that will generate flashbacks to the Event.<br />
<br />
During our initial discussions we as a group threw out a number of ideas. For reference, these are the key ideas that I wrote down and have been wrestling with. Please note that these are thematic only and may not apply directly to the story once its all in motion:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Agents being activated</li>
<li>Psy-ops</li>
<li>Terrorism and terrorist motivations (what could 'new terrorism' look like)</li>
<li>Secret research and the weaponizing of a chemical agent in aerosol form</li>
<li>Dan Brown - Illuminati type underpinnings for government or private military groups</li>
<li>Hypnosis, mind-control, and brainwashing</li>
</ul>
<div>
Regarding Fatecore and how I use the system. I do not use Stunts, they didn't exist in the original Fate system. <u>I focus on aspects and skills only</u>. Regarding aspects, I like aspects that are both good and bad things. 'Impetuous' is a good example, it can be positive and negative depending on the situation. 'Respect for authority' is another good example, it could help you stay in-line or it could get you in trouble if you shouldn't have been so trusting. Try to find aspects that are good and bad. Three aspects is enough, but if you want a fourth you are welcome to it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In terms of skills, I tend to err on the conservative side and not have my players assign tons of skills. Assign <u>one skill at +2</u> and <u>three skills at +1</u>. As private military contractors it can be assumed that you have a military skill set. Therefore, using a skill slot for 'firearms' would be redundant. When rolling dice I already assume your characters know how to handle a gun. If you were scientists your rolls with guns would start at -1 or -2 depending on how nerdy you are. A scientist is not expected to be good with guns. That being said, do not spend your skills on things that we can all assume your character is knowledgeable about. Instead, you should be clarifying what makes you special. Maybe you are an expert in <u>Linguistics </u>and can speak lots of languages, maybe you were a <u>Biology </u>major before joining the military, or perhaps you know your way around <u>Motorcycles</u>. Use your skills to define what makes your character unique from the standard 'soldiers' archetype.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A quick note about the function of your character sheet. Think of your character sheet as a 'honey-do' list for me. It's my job to look at your sheets and craft situations around the things that you list as critical to your characters. Not that you would, but if you put windsurfing as one of your skills it would tell me that you would like situations to arise where you could windsurf. Obviously I can veto random skills that I cannot see as applicable, but on the whole, your choice of skills heavily influences the types of scenarios that I craft for your characters. Craft your character sheet as a love-letter to the game we are about to play; let it list what you would like to get out of the relationship we are creating.</div>
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amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-4545291461682624222015-08-01T15:32:00.000-05:002015-08-01T15:32:05.231-05:0015 - The Last Day of Magic<b>August 1776</b><br />
<br />
It was days before the British and Hessian troops that were <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/The_British_fleet_in_the_lower_bay_1876.jpg" target="_blank">landed on Long Island</a> took to the field of battle. The movement of thousands of men, supplies, horses, and cannon was no small task. More over, what the British had in store for the Americans required time and patience to setup and execute. With superior numbers, the British could afford to take as much time as they needed to get the job done right. Meanwhile, the Continental Army, under the direction of Generals <a href="http://connecticuthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/IsraelPutnam-610x444.jpg" target="_blank">Israel Putnam</a> and <a href="http://www.kellscraft.com/ColonialLifeNH/PB281646.JPG" target="_blank">John Sullivan</a>, dug in for the battle unaware of the fact that there existed a major flaw in their defenses.<br />
<br />
It was well before sunrise, on August 27th, that Sullivan arrived at Kennedy Mansion to fetch his magician, Charlotte Rose. Leaving Fisher to defend Manhattan with <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41266/41266-h/images/page159.jpg" target="_blank">General Knox</a>, Sullivan and Rose boarded a boat to cross the East River at the mile wide <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Battle_of_Brooklyn.gif" target="_blank">Brookland Ferry Crossing</a>. Upon arrival on Long Island the action was already brewing. The British, under General Grant, were already marching towards <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/William_Alexander,_Lord_Stirling.png/250px-William_Alexander,_Lord_Stirling.png" target="_blank">Lord Stirling</a>'s men along the right flank of the <a href="http://cdn-2.britishbattles.com/images/long-island/map.gif" target="_blank">American defenses</a>, and six pound small shot from Hessian guns had just begun to rain in on Sullivan's main body of men in the densely forested center position of the defenses. The British and Hessian forces outnumbered the Americans 3 to 1.<br />
<br />
Sullivan rode off to tend to his lines leaving Charlotte to fend for herself. Charlotte was assigned a horse and young solider, more of a boy than man, as an escort and she quickly got to work riding up to Stirling's men who were feverishly exchanging volleys with Grants forces. Stirling's men were few but they were brave. The bulk of the men were from the <a href="http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/11/BattleofLongisland-H.jpeg" target="_blank">Maryland 400</a>, they all wore bright blue field coats and were among the best troops that would take to the field that day. Dug in behind their ditches, they held General Grant at bay until late that morning.<br />
<br />
Charlotte spent most of her time attempting to boost morale and kick up favorable winds but she was limited in what she could do without Fisher. Meanwhile, Fisher remained with Knox and <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Appletons%27_Glover_John.jpg" target="_blank">Col. John Glover</a> at the main battery on Manhattan Island to support the other other half of Washington's army. From Manhattan Island the army could hear the incessant boom of the Hessian's cannon across the East River. High tide was still hours away and the winds were calm for the time being. The morning dragged on and Fisher found himself wishing he were on Long Island, attempting to make a difference instead of waiting for the tide with Knox and Glover to prevent a hypothetical attack from Admiral Howe's fleet. Finally Fisher made it known to Knox that he wished to take the ferry to Long Island to support Charlotte and Sullivan.<br />
<br />
Knox did not want to lose Fisher. If Washington was correct, a full scale invasion of Manhattan was coming. Knox argued that the battle happening on Long Island was only a distraction intended to split the Continental Army into two and if Fisher left, he would be playing right into the Howe Brother's hands. Fisher eventually convinced Knox to let him go but only after he assured him that the winds would not be favorable for Admiral Howe to sail up the Hudson and land an invasion force on Manhattan. <br />
<br />
Despite Fisher's efforts to assist with the fighting on Long Island, his presence would ultimately make little difference in the outcome of the battle. In fact, the battle had already been lost the night before the battle even began. In a daring move <a href="http://www.revolutionary-war.net/image-files/cornwallis-lord-charles-by-thomas-gainsborough-wcpd.jpg" target="_blank">General Cornwallis</a>, Howe's best military strategist, had marched all night with 10,000 redcoats up the coast of Long Island in a flanking maneuver intended surround the Americans and force a complete surrender of their forces. The British successfully went undetected and by 9:00 am were in position to launch their surprise attack on Sullivan and his men. With the addition of Cornwallis' 10,000 men the Americans became outnumbered 6 to 1.<br />
<br />
Just as Fisher met up with Rose on the battlefield the drums of Cornwallis' army began to beat. The drums were a signal to the Hessian's who had been shelling Sullivan's left flank all morning to begin their attack. The American's up until that point were in high spirits, believing they were holding the British at bay. However the opposite had been true, the British had been the ones keeping the Continentals at bay until their trap was ready to be sprung. In a coordinated push Cornwallis, Grant, and the Hessian's converged on the American positions. There was nowhere to run, Sullivan's men were flanked and their only route for retreat was blocked. <br />
<br />
In the face of staggering odds Sullivan braced his men to stand and fight. Stirling was commanded to hold his flank against Grant's men. Sullivan turned his main force around to face their rear to defend against Cornwallis' flanking army, and Fisher and Rose were sent to assist the left flank where the Hessian's were about to attack.<br />
<br />
The left flank was commanded by <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/SamuelMiles.jpg" target="_blank">Colonel Samuel Miles</a>. There were less than 1,000 men under Miles' command and they were facing the prospect of defending themselves against 4,000 Hessian troops. The shelling they had received all morning was enough to cause a panic amongst their lines but the sight of German soldiers marching with fixed bayonets on their position terrified the men beyond measure. It was fact that the Hessian's were the strongest fighting force in all of Europe but there were also rumors that the German's fought savagely in battle and would offer no quarter to the Americans if they surrendered. As the Hessian's drew near Miles leapt to the front lines and shouted to his men for them to stand and fight until death. Miles' words were not intended as encouragement, they were merely a reminder of the cold hard truth of their plight, fight or surrender, they were all dead men.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose again found their skills to be of little consequence in such a large and tumultuous situation. They had neither the time nor the materials to work any magic that would upset the scales in favor of the British. The Hessian's made a straight approach on Miles' men, never firing their muskets. The Americans managed two volleys before the Hessian's poured over their trenches and began the slaughter. Most American's had no bayonets, and those who had a bayonet had never used it in battle. Miles' men were cut down. Some stood their ground and fought as best they could, some tried to surrender, but all were shown no mercy.<br />
<br />
In a final stand, Miles regrouped behind the trenches and manned a six pound cannon with some men who rallied around him. The cannon was loaded with canister shot, a tin can filled with iron balls the size of cherry tomatoes, and fired right into the ranks of the Hessians waiting for their chance to join the melee. The shot was devastating, when the smoke cleared there was a 30 foot wide mess of carnage where moments ago a company of Germans had stood. Recognizing the threat, the rest of the waiting Hessians pushed through trenches and made to silence the cannon.<br />
<br />
Fisher was distracted elsewhere but Charlotte was near the cannon when it went off. As the crush of German soldiers converged on the cannon they forced Charlotte back too. Charlotte was hemmed at Miles' position as the Colonel and his men were frantically reloading the cannon for a second shot. Miles' eyes meet Charlotte's, his gaze was probing and ravenous. Before she knew it he was on top of her, his hands clawing and tearing at her clothes. He tore every last brass button from her jacket before his eyes locked on something hanging about Charlotte's throat. It was Major Andre's locket. Miles snatched the locket, chain and all, from Charlotte's neck and sprang to his feet.<br />
<br />
Charlotte didn't understand what had gotten into Miles but she refused to let her locket go without a fight. She chased Miles back to the cannon but arrived too late to stop him from throwing the handful of buttons and the locket down the barrel of the cannon. Charlotte pounded Miles with her fist and shouted for him to return her locket but her shouts were drowned out by the roar of the cannon as it fired its second round.<br />
<br />
Time slowed to a crawl as the blast went off. Charlotte's attention was instantly pulled to the belch of fire and smoke that plumed from the mouth of the cannon. Amongst the various scraps of metallic debris that flew from the cannon was Andre's locket. Charlotte could clearly see it as it spun and collided with the other pieces of shot that were flying towards the oncoming Hessians. Never once over the the split second flight did Charlotte lose track of the locket, even as it tore through fabric and flesh, she watched it as it made its way through the air and embedded itself in the soft earth of the trenches beyond.<br />
<br />
Time returned to normal and the Hessian's crashed into the cannon and Miles' men. Charlotte scrambled away from the fray just as Miles was run through by the bayonet of a German soldier. Everywhere around her there was struggle and bloodshed, yet through it all, she launched herself towards the trenches with a singular purpose - to retrieve her locket.<br />
<br />
The position was lost and Fisher gave up his attempts to work his magic and looked for Charlotte so they could retreat together. As he scanned the battlefield he saw her charging into the fight like a mad-woman. Fisher ran after her, throwing Americans and Germans alike from his path in order to reach her. He pulled her to her feet just as her fingers found the locket. Together they narrowly found their way out from the battle and headed back to Sullivan's position, suffering only minor injuries. Those Americans who could did the same. Miles was defeated; it seemed only a matter of time before Sterling and Sullivan suffered the same fate.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-4684089488162307852015-07-21T22:49:00.002-05:002015-07-21T22:49:40.895-05:00 14 - The Last Day of Magic<b>August 1776</b><br />
<br />
The Americans expected an attack in the wake of Washington's rejection of the Howe's ineffectual peace offering. However July passed without incident and as August began to come to a close the American's wondered when the British would finally spring their attack. On the eave of their mobilization to attack New York General Howe instructed his Royal magicians to launch a preemptive strike intended to soften and demoralize the Continental Army stationed in, and around New York.<br />
<br />
It was a quiet evening on August 22nd. Nicholas Fisher was sitting in his room making notes in his journal when suddenly he felt a surge of magical energy spring up all around him. It was instant and overwhelming. He jumped from his chair and rushed out into the streets to identify the source. He quickly determined the source to be 3 British magicians using practical magic to drum up a massive storm. By the time Fisher explained the situation to Charlotte and General Knox the sky over the bay had already turned as black as ink and huge thunderhead clouds were reaching like greedy fingers up and over the airspace of the city. Lighting darted across the ominous clouds and a constant deep rumbling thunder shook the ground unlike any summer storm Fisher had ever felt.<br />
<br />
There was nothing Knox or any of the Continental soldiers could do against the
wrath of the Royal magician's attack. On the other hand, Nicholas and
Charlotte could do something about the attack, even though their
situation seemed dire. So began the magician's clash that lasted the
better part of 3 hours.<br />
<br />
Nicholas immediately attempted to counter the magic of the British magicians but they were too strong and had too much energy in reserve to be stopped. The storm was inevitable but Nicholas was determined to foil their plot somehow. In an attempt to feel out the storm and perhaps hold it at bay Nicholas asked Charlotte to discharge some of the storms energy before it reached the city. Charlotte discharged one large lighting bolt from the storm and directed it back to Staten Island which set ablaze some of the British powder supplies and caused a white-hot explosion visible from the Main Battery on Manhattan Island. The Royal Magicians quickly reacted and pushed the storm out off of the bay and over the New York City.<br />
<br />
Fisher had never faced of against three Royal magicians before. For once he began to feel that magic could not overcome the obstacle in front of him, in terms of practical magic he was terribly outmatched in this situation. Charlotte too struggled to do anything with the storm, the storm wanted to be destructive, and everyone on the city expected the worst. Any effort on Charlotte's part only resulted in further damage and mayhem in the city. The breaking point for the two Continental magicians came when Charlotte coerced Fisher to channel as much energy as he could through her.<br />
<br />
Fisher channeled as much power as he could through Charlotte. The power was so great that it blinded Charlotte to the reality of the situation. One moment she thought she was building up a lighting strike to destroy the British magicians, and the next moment she realized she was unleashing the storm's fury on three officers of the Continental Army. It all happened so quickly she couldn't stop herself. A huge blue tendril of lightning burst through a small house in the middle of Manhattan and instantly killed all three men.<br />
<br />
Fisher had no idea that he had been an accessory to the death of three men from his own army, but he could instantly from the look on her face that the power he had fed Charlotte was too great and that something had gone terribly wrong. Fisher abandoned his scheme of trying to fight the storm head on, instead he formed a new idea to stop the British magicians. Fisher had no time to explain his new plan. All fisher told Charlotte before he charged off was to hold back the storm and keep it from harming the city as best she could. <br />
<br />
For two hours Fisher rode though the streets of New York City shouting to anyone who would listen that there was nothing to fear, Charlotte Rose, the savior of the Boston and Quebec Sieges was here to protect them. Slowly word spread and the mood of the men in the city changed just enough to offer a hope of fighting the storm back with some positive emotional magic. Fisher returned to Charlotte exhausted, Charlotte herself was exhausted, as were her reserves of stored magic.<br />
<br />
Just as the storm entered its third hour Fisher and Rose made their stand. They gave it everything they had, and it was just enough to dislodge the storm's grasp over the city. The black clouds rolled back out over the bay and just as the storm receded back to Staten Island the British magician's stopped feeding the storm and within minutes the clouds broke up and scattered back out and over the Atlantic. The storm was over.<br />
<br />
Charlotte woke the following morning from a fitful evenings rest. All night in her mind she replayed the massive lighting blast that killed the three men in the house just a few blocks away. Seeking to shake the endless torment from her conscience she set out early before anyone else at the Kennedy mansion was awake. She made her way across a few short blocks and in that small space of time passed by several burned homes. The storm the previous evening had set many a fire in the city and in the thick morning fog the smell of burnt wood hung heavy in the air.<br />
<br />
Charlotte made her way to the small house she had seen so many times by then in her minds-eye. The small home was ravaged, the roof blasted away and most of the single story walls were charred black from the blast. Standing in front of the house Charlotte was forced to accept that it had been real, what she had seen, what she had done, was real. She was afraid to enter but at the same time, the house had a certain pull on her, an emotional gravity that pulled her in. She stepped inside. <br />
<br />
The men were strewn about the small room that had been the dining room. Their bodies were blackened beyond recognition. The tip of one man's sword was complexly melted off and the coins of another man were reduced to puddles of metal that had pooled into a blistered pocket of flesh on the man's thigh. The only thing to identify any of the men was an officers insignia which Charlotte took from one of the dead men's coats. Perhaps she could learn the man's identity from the insignia, or perhaps she would simply keep it to honor the man and to serve as a reminder of what had happened; it was too soon to know for certain. Charlotte didn't stay long, she was quickly overwhelmed by the smell and had to remove herself from the house.<br />
<br />
Charlotte, still reeling from the aftermath of the storm, returned to Kennedy Mansion before breakfast was set. Neither Fisher nor Knox were aware of her morning excursion. Charlotte did well to hide her fragile state even as they all discussed the storm over the morning meal. Warning shots were fired from the main battery just as breakfast was cleared from the table. Everyone got up to see what new ill fate the British had in store for them. Across the bay the British were loading men into small landing craft. The portents of the storm being a precursor for the invasion were true. The British were coming to fight, and from the looks of the mounting <a href="http://allthingsliberty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/landingatkipsbay2-1050x706.jpg" target="_blank">invasion force</a> the fight appeared as though it would be a bloody affair.<br />
<br />
Knox and the magicians watched as the General Howe sent forth his men. As was typical during breakfast a knock could be heard at the front door. It was about that time of the morning that General Greene typically came to call and delivered the days report, however the man who stepped through the doors of the dining room was not General Greene, it was <a href="http://images.virtualology.com/ac/5/i/ency0355.jpg" target="_blank">General John Sullivan</a>. Sullivan seemed surprised and somewhat sheepish to find Fisher and Rose in the company of General Knox. The last time the three had met things had not gone so well. Fisher and Rose had been extricated, by order of the deceased General Thomas, from Sullivan's command hours before he foolishly lead his reinforcements, and Thomas' evacuees from the Quebec siege, back into battle with Guy Carleton and John Burgoyne's superior forces just outside of Montreal. The battle was a blood-bath, the Continentals were sent fleeing pell-mell into the surrounding swamps. Over half the men died in battle or from smallpox after being chased for days through the swamps by the British. The battle cost Sullivan his command and nearly his place in the Continental Army.<br />
<br />
However, on August 23rd, in the dining room of the Kennedy Mansion, Sullivan seemed to be a changed man. He greeted the magicians with respect and apologized from his handling of the situation in Canada. Perhaps the defeat had brought about the change of heart, or perhaps the scolding and demotion from the Continental Congress had curbed his arrogance. Either way, Sullivan was to lead the men on Long Island into battle, not Greene. Sullivan explained that Greene had fallen ill and that Washington had appointed him to lead so that Greene could recover.<br />
<br />
Knox invited Sullivan to stay and discuss the plans for the battle. Sullivan explained that Washington was being forced to split his Army in two. When outnumbered, as Washington was - 3 to 1, it was never advised to split your forces, but Washington felt he had to. He believed that General Howe was <a href="https://dwkcommentaries.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/british_flat-bottomed_boatny.jpg" target="_blank">landing a third of his men on Long Island as a diversion</a> and that the real invasion of New York would happen after General Howe's brother, Admiral Howe, <a href="http://www.revolutionary-war.net/image-files/british-fleet-long-island-wcpd.jpg" target="_blank">sailed the remaining two-thirds of the men up the Hudson River and landed on Manhattan Island</a>. Washington had no choice but to defend against both attacks; if either one were successful they would be cut off and they would be forced to surrender the entire army.<br />
<br />
Sullivan told Knox that he was being given command of New York. It would be his responsibility to stop Admiral Howe and the British fleet. Meanwhile Sullivan would <a href="http://1776history.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Battle-of-Long-Island.jpg" target="_blank">defend Long Island</a>. After laying the grounds for the defense of their two positions the two generals turned their attention to the magicians in the room. Seeing as the army was being divided they suggested that the magicians be divided as well. That way each half of the army would have a magician support. At first Fisher and Rose were opposed to the idea, stating that they worked best together, but eventually they agreed to separate for the battle to best serve whatever the British threw at them. The battle for New York was to be the biggest and most important battle either magician, or the Continental Army for that matter, had seen. Yet, Nicholas and Charlotte would have to face it apart from one another.<br />
<br />
<br />amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-34104606758578103022015-07-07T21:56:00.001-05:002015-07-08T22:08:19.011-05:0013 - The Last Day of Magic<b>July 1776</b><br />
<br />
Things calmed down in New York in the days following the celebration over The Declaration. Admiral Howe was still making his way across the Atlantic, and so the newly independent state militias settled back into their daily routines of reinforcing the city in preparation of defending their new country.<br />
<br />
On July 12th at three in the afternoon, under perfect weather conditions the 20 gun Rose and 40 gun Phoenix loosed their moorings on Staten Island and set sail to round the tip of Manhattan and travel up the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOtUEgcRCiXni-DsSIOKINpXaLyvakSzKkzUubNDw-K1XIVtDok27ITTfgqVi59SFwbm1fucdI_Nf5Ft8xfUsGm10fO-mMb2WnqftGIDBPQKMchIxgQUTFJ3bZPFIASedw4FDO2jcf20/s1600/New+York+City+c1776-crop.jpg" target="_blank">North River (Hudson)</a>. Warning shots rang out from the American main battery once the ships intentions were clear. The warning shots roused Knox and the magicians from their leisurely afternoon activities at the Kennedy Mansion. The three grabbed their personal effects and rushed out into Broadway, within Bowling Green, just as the first volley erupted from Knox's cannons at the main battery. The ground shook beneath their feet as 20 cannon erupted, sending over 500 pounds of shot hurtling towards the approaching British war ships. The Asia and Phoenix quickly returned fire. Nicholas had just enough time to grab Charlotte and duck behind the <a href="http://36.media.tumblr.com/1e1fe1969f734e0e381ba62536cc210f/tumblr_n5y5k7EHA11spx1jio1_1280.jpg" target="_blank">bare plinth</a>, which until recently held the statue of King George III, as cannon balls bounced and barreled down <a href="http://www.harryschenawolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Looking-up-Broadway-from-Kennedy-Mansion.jpg" target="_blank">Broadway</a>, smashing through homes and shattering cobblestone streets.<br />
<i><br /></i>People poured from their homes immediately. Broadway was choked with panicked citizens running for their lives. The magicians and Knox tried to push their way through the throng of people but it was futile. By the time the second volley was fired from the battery, Knox had been separated from the magicians. The magicians took shelter in homes when fired upon and moved up Broadway in between volleys. It was several minutes and several volleys later that the magicians finally made their way to the battery.<br />
<br />
Knox reunited with them at the battery and together the three climbed to the top of the walls to get a better view of their attackers. The Rose and Phoenix were cruising at full sail and making their way swiftly out of range of the main battery. Fisher went to work on slowing the ships down by trying to change the winds while Knox shouted commands to his cannon crews. Charlotte was briefly pressed into service to assist one of the crews, but after the first shots rang out only feet from where she stood, she was so severely rattled that she was of no assistance to anyone from that point on.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Knox worked tirelessly, leap-frogging on horse back from battery to battery up Manhattan Island over the next hour in a vain attempt to damage or even slow down the two massive vessels. In the end, over 200 shots were fired from the American batteries, many of which found their mark, but the Rose and Phoenix slipped past without much trouble or damage taken. The only casualties of the skirmish were 6 Americans who died when their cannon backfired and exploded as a result of improper loading.<br />
<br />
At dinner that evening, Knox chided himself when relating the days action to Nathanael Greene for having not lead his men better. Greene and Fisher attempted to encourage Knox for leading his men to stand and fire upon the enemy as they were heavily shelled themselves, but there was nothing that could be done to cheer up the young artillery general. The passage of the Rose and Phoenix was rather inconsequential for the moment, but the ease of their passage highlighted a major weakness in the American's position on Manhattan Island - they could be easily flanked and cut off. Greene and Knox made plans to scuttle ships in the river and create obstructions to funnel any future ships into killing zones to hopefully prevent the British from surrounding them and land-locking the entire army on Manhattan but both men feared the their efforts would deter further British movements.<br />
<br />
Later that same evening warning shots were fired again from the battery indicating an incoming ship. From the large windows on the second floor of the Kennedy Mansion, haloed by the blood-red light of the sunset, Knox could see the union jack flying high above the <a href="http://www.drgeorgepc.com/turtleHMSEagleNY.jpg" target="_blank">HMS Eagle</a> - The flagship of Admiral Howe's fleet. The long wait was over, action was certain to follow.<br />
<br />
The following day Nicholas and Charlotte were surveying the main battery at the tip of Manhattan Island for damage with General Knox when cries of a boat approaching started from the men on the battery walls. The approaching boat was a small landing craft flying a white flag and carried only two men. The men were British Redcoats and they wore their full battle regalia despite the blazing summer heat. The two men where pulled from their boat and held on the shore. Knox hailed the men from atop the battery walls, shouting down to them he demanded they declare their business.<br />
<br />
The senior officer, a lieutenant, pulled from his coat a letter and held it aloft declaring that he wished to deliver a letter from Admiral and General Howe to "George Washington, Esquire." Knox without hesitation replied to the man below that there was no such person in the army. The lieutenant was dumbfounded by Knox's response, he stood staring back up at Knox not knowing how to respond. Finally Knox shouted down to him again asking, "Surely you are a sensible man, have you not heard of General Washington?" As soon as the lieutenant replied yes Knox pulled back from the rampart and ended the conversation.<br />
<br />
Nicholas and Charlotte were just as confused as the lieutenant after the exchange. They quickly asked Knox to explain his odd handling of the situation. Knox explained that Admiral and General Howe were attempting to insult the commanding general by not recognizing his rank as general in the Continental Army and addressing him as an individual. By not respecting Washington's rank the Howe Brothers were dismissing the validity of his command, and in turn relegating the men under his command to little more than an angry mob instead of a proper army. Before Knox left the battery that afternoon he gave instructions to his men that they were to refuse any correspondence not properly addressed the General Washington. <br />
<br />
Two days later the same men approached the battery, again with a letter in hand. This time the letter was addressed to "George Washington, Equire, Etc." The letter was refused by Knox's men. Again two days passed and the men returned for a third time. The same letter was presented, this time addressed to "George Washington, Equire, Etc., Etc." The Knox's men quickly dismissed the letter bearer.<br />
<br />
The game was finally put to a stop on July 20th when a new messenger arrived at the battery. His name was Colonel James Patterson and he requested an audience with General Washington to personally deliver the letter. Washington agreed to meet with Col. Patterson. The meeting was arranged at Knox's residence, the Kennedy Mansion. Refusing to be insulted by the British, Washington assembled a room full of his closest officers, and instructed them to dress in their full uniform. Washington intended to meet with Col. Patterson and send a clear message back to the Howe Brothers that he too could play in their game of gentlemanly posturing.<br />
<br />
With the help of the magicians, the reception served to belittle Col. Patterson and empower General Washington. Indeed the atmosphere of dominance in the room was so strong that the Colonel acted as if he were addressing royalty when he spoke to Washington. Patterson attempted at first to apologize for the confusion in properly addressing Washington, explaining that Esquire and Etc. were often used to imply everything that ought to follow when the exact rank or title of a gentlemen was uncertain. Washington deftly deflected the thinly veiled insult by announcing that he was familiar with that line of etiquette but that Esquire and Etc. may also imply nothing at all or worse, anything at all.<br />
<br />
Patterson once again attempted to deliver the letter to Washington, but Washington left the letter untouched and told the Colonel that any he would refuse any letter concerning his station as a public figure when it was addressed to him as a private individual. Patterson was effectively shut down by Washington; to keep the conversation alive Patterson offered to verbally relate the contents of the letter. Washington agreed.<br />
<br />
Patterson related to Washington that Admiral and General Howe were appointed by King George III to act as commissioners to "accommodate this unhappy dispute," and that nothing would please them more than to reach terms with Washington concerning their recently declared revolution. Washington again rose to the occasion and put Patterson in his place. Washington explained that he was unable to discuss peace terms with the Howe brothers, only Congress could do that; Washington went on to call Patterson's bluff, pointing out that neither could the Howe brothers negotiate peace terms, they could merely offer pardons on his majesty's behalf. Not allowing Patterson to respond, Washington followed up with the knockout punch saying, "men who have done no wrong seek no pardons, we are only defending our indisputable rights."<br />
<br />
Patterson was stupefied by Washington's skilled word-craft. There was nothing more for Patterson to say or do. He took the untouched letter and turned to leave. Just before he reached the door he stopped and turned to Washington asking, "Has you excellency no particular commands for me to relate back to Admiral and General Howe?" Without hesitation Washington replied, "Nothing sir, except my <i>particular </i>compliments to them both."<br />
<br />
With that the reception was ended. Washington had played his role to perfection and Patterson was sent back to the Howe brothers with a clear message, General Washington was not to be taken lightly, and the Americans would not be pacified by anything short of independence from Britain. The stage was set, it would come to blows to decide who won and who lost.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-37281097286007713052015-06-25T22:24:00.002-05:002015-06-25T22:24:51.180-05:0012 - The Last Day of Magic<b>July 1776</b><br />
<br />
By the following morning, July 3rd, Lucy Knox, along with the majority of the wives and sweethearts of the Continental Army were gone. New York boasted the third largest population in the colonies prior to the rebellion, somewhere around 20,000 residents but most had fled and yet the city was still bursting at its seams. Over half the residents had left but approximately 19,000 Continental soldiers had taken their place and more were coming into join the fight every day. Across the bay on Staten Island were stationed another 20,000 British soldiers and German mercenaries and rumor had it that another 15,000 were expected to arrive any day.<br />
<br />
Fisher, Rose, and Knox were having breakfast when <a href="http://gmierka.tripod.com/nathanaelgregg4b.jpg" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene</a> arrived to deliver the morning report. He reported that Washington's scouts had learned that <a href="http://hankeringforhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/General-Sir-William-Howe.jpg" target="_blank">General William Howe</a> was not planning on launching an attack on the city until his brother, <a href="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/images/paintings/mod/large/wmr_mod_mod14603_large.jpg" target="_blank">Admiral Richard Howe</a>, arrived with the remaining 15,000 reinforcements and additional naval warships. Admiral Howe was expected any day, but no one, including the British knew the exact date. The total British force was expected to number over 30,000 men with 30 war ships and 300 more additional supporting naval craft. The numbers were staggering, in fact this expeditionary force was the largest ever deployed by the British in its history. The British plan seemed clear, squash the rebellion in one swift stroke.<br />
<br />
Besides the bad news Greene also carried with him some good news in the form of letters. Greene had mentioned that Charlotte was still in the city when he last had seen the city's quartermaster. The quartermaster recognized the name and fetched a large crate filled with letters all addressed to Charlotte, every last one of them from <a href="http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/british/major-john-andre.jpg" target="_blank">Major Andre</a>. The letters dated back to March just before Charlotte left Boston to head to Canada. The letters accumulated over the months, being undeliverable since Charlotte's whereabouts were unknown. Greene had no specific orders for the magicians for the day so Charlotte excused herself and spent the rest of the day reading through each letter.<br />
<br />
The following morning Greene again stopped by the Kennedy Mansion to deliver the morning report. For Charlotte, again the news was good. Washington had decided not to cancel the ball which had been planned for following evening, July 5th. The news seemed odd considering that just across the bay stood an imposing British camp poised to strike at any moment. As if that wasn't enough to unsettle everyone in the city, there were several thousand Redcoats in plain sight marching and parading along the shores of Staten Island in a constant show of power and dominance over the Continentals. The magicians and Knox all agreed that the circumstances didn't seem to call for a party but Washington's orders were clear, every officer was to attend the ball.<br />
<br />
Knox arranged a carriage to the ball, the magicians traveled with him. The event was held in a large estate outside of the city proper. The turn out was good and Charlotte was surprised to see that there were in fact a fair share of women who were still in the city. The three friends toured the home and made small chat with Knox's many acquaintances. After an hour or so General Washington arrived. The quartet of army players announced his entrance with fanfare. Washington strode into the middle of the main hall and positioned himself to make an announcement. All eyes were on the Commanding General.<br />
<br />
At 6'-3", wearing a blue field coat and looking regal, Washington spoke in a loud and commanding voice. He thanked everyone for their attendance and joked that his advisers warned him of a holding a party while the enemy was camped on the door step to the city. Washington assured everyone that the British arrival was foreboding but there was still occasion to celebrate. Without further ado Washington announced that on July 2nd the Continental Congress passed a resolution to <a href="http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/revgfx/dec-indep-sign.jpg" target="_blank">declare independence from Britain</a>. By July 4th Congress completed revisions Thomas Jefferson's Declaration, which ultimately served as the final document. Before officially opening the party, Washington told his officers that "it was his hope that this important event will serve as a fresh incentive, to act with courage knowing that the peace and safety of his country depends solely on the success of our arms."<br />
<br />
The army was no longer fighting for rights as Englishmen, now they were fighting for freedom as citizens of a new nation of united and independent states. Spirits were high throughout the evening. Washington, missing his usually dance partner Caty Greene, who left the city the same day Lucy Knox departed, asked Charlotte to <a href="http://i2.wp.com/carlanthonyonlinedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/george-washington-having-a-ball-to-celebrate-the-end-of-the-american-revolution-in-an-1889-painting-illustration-by-jean-leon-germome-ferris.jpg?resize=560%2C390" target="_blank">honor him with a dance</a>. Charlotte and Washington, both accomplished dancers, hit it off and shared conversation and the dance floor several times throughout the evening. Charlotte and Washington spoke of things both civil and military. When Charlotte asked what role she and Fisher might play in the coming battle for New York Washington replied that their roles would be much the same as his; as is the case when defending one must react to the attackers advances. Fisher and Rose would be responsible for countering the machinations of the royal magicians under the command of the brothers Howe.<br />
<br />
Charlotte danced the night away and Fisher spent his evening with Knox and Greene socializing with various officers of the army. One officer took a particular interest in Fisher. His name was <a href="http://www.nps.gov/sapa/planyourvisit/images/Glover_portrait_1.jpg" target="_blank">John Glover</a>, a fellow seaman and Colonel of the Marblehead Regiment from Massachusetts. The Marblehead men where one of the most disciplined and skilled regiments in the whole Continental Army. Their 800 men unit was made up of <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/fc/b3/d3/fcb3d3a030086e1404205f8595f72f47.jpg" target="_blank">almost entirely fishermen</a> who understood the chain of command and knew how to take orders from their time spent at sea. They were so revered that Washington hand picked men from Glover's unit to act as his personal body guards.<br />
<br />
The two men shared a love for the sea and sailing which made it easy for Glover to like and respect Fisher. The two talked of business and magic briefly before Glover turned the conversation back to sailing. He mentioned to Fisher that Washington had created a make shift Continental Navy from ships such as Glover's ship, <a href="http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6738/hannahk.jpg" target="_blank">Hannah, </a>to be used as privateers. These privateers were all privately owned ships which were officered by private individuals authorized for use in warfare specifically to capture British merchant and supply ships. Glover urged Fisher to consider loaning his ship to the cause to act as part of the growing navy. According to Glover, the privateers had been largely successful thus far in capturing small British ships and disrupting supply lines.<br />
<br />
The evening came to a close and the guests all returned to their homes and quarters. By the next morning General Howe had received word of the party and the reason for its celebration. The ball was a complete success just as Washington had planned. The men's spirits were higher than ever and the newly declared independent Americans had put on a display of power of their own in the face of their British assailants. <br />
<br />
A few days slipped by and still William Howe keep his soldiers at bay on Staten Island awaiting his brother's arrive. In the meantime Washington had received a copy of The Declaration and set a plan into motion to have the soldiers of his army assemble in the parade grounds just outside the city to hear <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mtv-main-assets/files/resources/readingdeclaration.jpg" target="_blank">a reading of The Declaration</a>. At six o'clock in the evening on July 9th copies of The Declaration were handed out to officers and the words were read aloud to the groups of men, hundreds at a time, gathered there at the parade grounds.<br />
<br />
The words stirred such emotions in the men that shortly after being dismissed a large mob formed of soldiers and civilians. The mob wove its way down Broadway to Bowling
Green, a park right in front of the Kennedy Mansion, where a <a href="http://www.teachushistory.org/files/imagecache/screen/resources/pullingdownstatueofgeorge.jpg" target="_blank">lead statue of King George III</a> on
horseback stood. The mob of people pulled down the statue and sawed off the head of King George. The head was mounted on a spike outside a tavern and the lead body was melted down to make musket balls for use in the coming battle.<br />
<br />amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-5760374672895105162015-06-04T21:15:00.001-05:002015-06-04T21:15:39.518-05:0011 - The Last Day of Magic<b>May-June 1776</b><br />
<br />
It was days before Thomas was able to gather up his scattered men and assemble them all at <span class="st"><a href="http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/rev/MedMen/p83Canada.jpg" target="_blank">Trois-Rivières </a>(Three Rivers), which was little more than a trading post along the St. Lawrence River. His men were exhausted and starving; many of the men had walked over 50 miles with little to no food. Thomas established a field hospital and camp but only temporarily, he had no intention of staying. The siege was over, in Thomas' mind their destination was Montreal. Thomas believed that the only chance the army had of standing up to a force the size of which had landed in Quebec was to retreat back to Montreal and convince Arnold to fall back even further and fortify Fort Crown or <a href="http://cclose.edublogs.org/files/2009/04/ftticonderoga.jpg" target="_blank">Fort Ticonderoga</a>, where the British navy would have a difficult time supporting their land troops.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Fisher and Rose's trip back to </span><span class="st">Trois-Rivières was easier than most. They were fortune to be with Thomas immediately after the battle and were able to retreat with the General by one of the few <a href="https://schenectadyhist.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/bateau-in-mist.jpg" target="_blank">bateau </a>that were not left behind. Fisher was still in poor health when they arrived at </span><span class="st"><span class="st">Trois-Rivières</span> so Thomas ordered him to continue on with the retreat. Thomas sent Fisher, along with others of ailing health, back to the town of Sorel where there was food and beds. Rose accompanied him.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">It wasn't until May 17th that Thomas arrived in <a href="http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/rev/MedMen/p83Canada.jpg" target="_blank">Sorel </a>with his army. It had been 11 days since their defeat outside of Quebec. Thomas visited with Fisher in the field hospital and found the magician to be in much better health. With Thomas' approval Fisher was released from the hospital and given orders to help with the continuation of the army's retreat. Thomas had gotten word that <a href="http://images.virtualology.com/ac/5/i/ency0355.jpg" target="_blank">General John Sullivan</a> was heading up from Montreal soon with 3,000 fresh troops with which to continue the fight for Quebec. Thomas knew that any further offensive would be disastrous and once again turned to his magicians for help with his plans to pull all the way back to Montreal.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">The plan came from Charlotte, drawing from her success with Crowe she concocted an idea to use emotional magic to help prod the army on with its retreat. Charlotte had learned from Crowe that she could amplify and control strong emotions. The stronger and wider felt the emotion the more powerful she could be. She knew that the mood of the troops was depressed and disheartened and that the mood was strong. She convinced Fisher to channel that depressing mood through her in an attempt to amplify it and send it back out to the men.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Her plan worked. So well in fact that even Fisher fell prey to her magic. What little fight the army had left in it was washed away and Thomas was able to convince the men to follow him back to Chambly, which was just outside of Montreal. However, before the men left Sorel, Thomas himself came down with Smallpox from one of his many trips to the field hospital where he was tending to his men. On June 1st, Thomas and his army arrived in <a href="http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/rev/MedMen/p83Canada.jpg" target="_blank">Chambly.</a> Thomas was in very poor health.</span><br />
<i><span class="st"><br /></span></i>
<span class="st">General Sullivan arrived in Chambly the same day as Thomas. Thomas gathered his officers to meet with Sullivan to discuss their plans despite his health. Sullivan opened the meeting with bravado and explained that he was under orders from the Continental Congress to press the attack on the British and make up the lost ground from Thomas' retreat. Thomas and his men did everything they could to convince Sullivan that the British were just too strong even with the new 3,000 reinforcements Sullivan had brought. Thomas was in command and had final say but still he didn't want to override Sullivan and the Continental Congress. Thomas wanted Sullivan to agree with him, but after long debate, there was no changing Sullivan's mind. Thomas called for the men to reconvene the following day hoping that time might allow the reality of the situation to sink in for Sullivan.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">The next day, June 2nd, the men assembled for the meeting but <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/JohnThomas.png" target="_blank">Thomas </a>was late. After several minutes Fisher offered to check on him. Fisher knocked on the general's door but got no response. Finally he opened the door and found the general dead. Out of respect the meeting was delayed, but not for long. They reconvened later that afternoon at which time Sullivan, having taken command, pushed again for an attack and this time got his way.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">On June 1st, the previous day, Thomas, understanding the gravity of his situation both militarily and bodily, decided to release Fisher from his command and transfer him back to Knox in New York. Thomas feared that if Sullivan took command he would drag Fisher with him, possibly to his death. Thomas couldn't waste the Continentals best magician on a fool's errand so he wrote the order to release Fisher and kept it on his person.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
As <span class="st">Sullivan laid out his plan of attack for his officers in the meeting, men just down the hall were looking after Thomas' effects and found the written order to release Fisher. After the meeting Fisher was presented his release papers and Fisher in turn presented the orders over to Sullivan. Sullivan wasn't happy with Thomas' backhanded move but there was nothing he could do to reverse the order. Fisher unceremoniously was dismissed. He and Charlotte left the next day for New York.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st"><a href="http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2001_winter_spring/artwork/Howe_left.jpg" target="_blank">General Howe</a> and the British army who evacuated Boston back in March had unexpectedly sailed <a href="http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/imgcacheA/23561.png" target="_blank">north to regroup in Halifax, Nova Scotia</a>
instead of departing directly for New York as the Continentals had
expected. The result was that Continental Army was given ample time to
travel South from Boston to occupy and fortify New York without
interference from the British. Winter had turned to spring and the British remained North awaiting reinforcements as New York went from a city on the brink of
invasion back to a state of semi-normalcy. </span><span class="st">Nicholas and Charlotte returned to </span><span class="st"><span class="st">New York City</span> in mid-June, a city that was not under siege but somehow felt as if it were surrounded by an invisible army waiting to strike. </span><br />
<br />
Nicholas and Charlotte wasted little time in finding Henry Knox upon their arrival. Down Broadway to Bowling Green at the tip of <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mtv-main-assets/files/pages/plan-of-new-york-1776-loc-2.jpg" target="_blank">Manhattan Island</a>, just before The Battery, they were directed to go to find General Knox's quarters. Fronting on Bowling Green was The Kennedy Mansion at <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3lyv3U4Ef8bRWdqzSJSfaDJkk3kYsK6hygq-PcRjZ9WOeqxG3Zdpy8EYinvvoYzqon2iZV_UFvSw0kdb2ytHL-lMjl_yXYZXgS_b3Eqaf_csGsXunw501QXkp-y14MvtXFp_OAnW3sjG/s1600/kennedy+house+before+the+revolution.jpg" target="_blank">No. 1 Broadway</a>. The mansion had previously belonged to a notable Loyalist, Archibald Kennedy, but was commandeered by George Washington as his headquarters until his wife, Martha, arrived and asked to stay outside of the city. Washington assigned the estate to Knox.<br />
<br />
A young stout, yet pretty woman answered the door. When Fisher asked if General Knox was available the young woman chuckled at Fisher's formality and shouted for her husband, calling him to the front door by his first name. The woman was Lucy Knox, Henry's wife. The magician's and the Knoxes spent the proceeding day catching up and sharing tales of their recent adventures.<br />
<br />
Nicholas and Charlotte took up residence at No. 1 Broadway at the insistence of Lucy and took part in the daily entertainment of guests and visitors to the General. The majority of the visitors were officers of the army. The magicians were introduced to each man, as well as his wife, as they came to call. Frequent visitors were <a href="http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/greenecaty-1.jpg" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene and his wife Caty</a>. Caty (Cathrine) and Charlotte shared much in common and became quick friends. Both women were in their early twenties and loved fashion and socializing. It wasn't long before Caty and Charlotte were both stringing the men in their lives along in bouts of shopping and dining at the most expensive venues throughout the city. Nathanael and Nicholas soon found they too shared something in common, both men were in their late forties and were helpless to control the boundless, youthful feminine energies of their partners.<br />
<br />
Charlotte was finally back in the comforts of a bustling city with a vibrant social scene. After months of travel and living in the wilderness things were looking up. To top things off a ball was announced to be held on July 5th in the city and all of the officers of the army were invited to attend with their partners for a formal evening of music and dancing.<br />
<br />
On July 2nd, just days before the ball, the Knoxes and the magicians were taking their breakfast on the second floor dining room of the Kennedy Mansion. The dining room offered an expansive view of the New York Bay through a large set of windows on the south wall. Right in the middle of the meal a loud rumbling boom shook the china and rattled the furniture. Henry and Nicholas knew immediately what the sound had been. The signal cannon at The Battery had been fired indicating an enemy sighting.<br />
<br />
With that single blast of warning fire the false sense of normalcy that New York had been enjoying for the past few months was blown away and was instantly replaced by the anxiety of imminent war. Henry leapt from his chair and rushed to the south windows. Before he reached the glass several more warning shots were fired and his wife Lucy went into a panic. Henry lost his temper with her briefly, but there was love intertwined in his words, as he sternly reminded her that this day was coming and that she had to pack her things and leave the city immediately. Lucy clutched Charlotte and told her to come pack her things with her. Charlotte gave Nicholas and Henry a knowing look and the two men knew instantly that Charlotte was not leaving the city with Lucy. Charlotte went with Lucy, but she didn't pack her things.<br />
<br />
Standing in front of the windows Nicholas and Henry surveyed the bay. They could see 45 ships under full sail cruising into the bay. At long last the British had finally arrived.<br />
<br />
By days end Lucy was packed and gone. The following morning, July 3rd, more than <a href="https://dwkcommentaries.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/1776-0712-british-fleet-off-of-staten-island.jpg" target="_blank">one hundred ships were floating in New York Bay</a>. The British would eventually make their assault of the city, but for now they were content to make their landing on <a href="http://allthingsliberty.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Staten_Island_LOCb.jpg" target="_blank">Staten Island</a>, away from Washington's army and out of range from Knox's cannons.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-92197834358391332572015-05-18T22:20:00.000-05:002015-05-18T22:21:16.504-05:0010 - The Last Day of Magic<b>April-May 1776</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Nicholas and
Charlotte were called to General Arnold's office for deployment.
General John Thomas had arrived in Montreal and they would be traveling
with him to <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gb2GO_sTJ6M/TaFGkuGAGFI/AAAAAAAAB1s/WbDNhYzJGBY/s1600/Strategic%2BSituation%2Bin%2BCanada%2BNovember-December%2B1775.png" target="_blank">Quebec</a>.
Before Thomas arrived Arnold explained that all reinforcements were
being inoculated before heading to Quebec to prevent the further spread
of Smallpox. Fisher received the treatment without issue but Rose put up
a fight long enough for Thomas to arrive. Thomas exploded at Arnold for
administering inoculations those headed north with him. Before he was a
general John Thomas had been a doctor and he ardently disagreed with
inoculation on the grounds that it only created a chance of infection
for those who were at no risk.<br />
<br />
Thomas chastised Arnold
for sending infected men to the front lines and threatened to dismiss
Fisher from his army. Arnold apologized and insisted that Fisher and
Rose both go with him to Quebec stating that, Franklin personally
vouched for their expertise in magic saying specifically, that of the
three magicians, Fisher and Rose were the two to keep close by.<br />
<br />
After several long days spent<a href="http://www.frontierfolk.net/blueheronmercantile/gfx/pics/2.jpg" target="_blank"> traveling up the St. Lawrence</a>,
which was still partially frozen, they arrived outside of Quebec.
Fisher and Rose could do little to ease their passage, thick ice floes
choked the river. Winter held an icy grip on Canada that year and
refused to release its hold even for the magicians. All of Fisher and
Rose's efforts where in vain and it only exhausted Fisher as the trip
dragged on. On the last day of the journey Fisher began to exhibit
symptoms of the pox and Thomas warned him to rest and lie low.<br />
<br />
Upon
arrival Thomas found himself in charge of 1,300 men, of which only 700
men are fit to fight, the rest were sick unto death with pox. To make
matters worse the camp had only a few days rations left and only enough
gunpowder for each man to fire two volleys. In addition to his woes,
Thomas had roughly 600 men with expired short-term enlistments who were
still hanging around the camp. The expired enlistees refused to fight
or be productive and were further bringing down the morale of the army.
Even though the short-term enlistees were released from duty they were
stuck in camp due to the same winter conditions that prevented Thomas
from making a speedy journey north. There was nowhere for them to go but
to walk several hundred miles home on an empty stomach with no winter
clothes through the biting cold, so instead they stayed.<br />
<br />
Thomas'
first assessment of the siege was that his men didn't need a general,
they needed a doctor. Thomas quickly began to understand that he was
not sent to Quebec to salvage a victory but to manage an evacuation.
All reports indicated that the British had converted one of their ships
into an ice breaker and were making good progress towards Quebec. The
reinforcements were expected to land in a day or so, and once they did,
the siege would be over.<br />
<br />
The British ships coming up
the river were loaded with 13,000 fresh troops from Europe. Of the
13,000 men on board 8,700 were British regulars the other 4,300 were
German mercenaries referred to as Hessians. <a href="http://imageweb-cdn.magnoliasoft.net/bridgeman/supersize/pnp316576.jpg" target="_blank">Hessians </a>were
known throughout the world as the elite troops in all of Europe. The
news that the men in the siege camp would be outnumber 2 to 1 by
Hessians alone was enough to destroy any hope of winning a battle once
the reinforcements arrived.<br />
<br />
Thomas began to organize a
retreat but he needed several days to accomplish the task given all the
supplies and sick who needed to be moved. Thomas released the magicians
to do what they could to help the army, with a warning to Fisher that
he should rest and try to stay healthy due to his sickness.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose found Crowe to be just as discouraged as Thomas with the situation in camp when they caught up with in his tent. For weeks Crowe had been sitting idle trying to stay healthy as the army wasted away. As much as Fisher wanted to help he was too sick to manage any travel or physical exertion. Not wanting to sit with Fisher, Rose suggested that Crowe take her out to see how close the British were to reaching Quebec. With any luck, Rose hoped that they could do something about impeding their progress. Crowe reluctantly agreed and the two set out together.<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
Crowe left thinking that one glimpse of the British ships
and the 13,000 men aboard would be sufficient to squash Rose's enthusiasm and put an end to her foolishness. Instead the
pair would return with Rose triumphant, and Crowe signing her praises,
recounting stories of how she single-handedly foiled the enemy and turned back a British flagship.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
The
key to Rose's astounding feat came from the discovery that Crowe could
unknowingly channel magic to her when be became frustrated. Crowe
complained the whole way telling Rose that they were wasting their time
but Rose remained confident. The more Crowe doubted her the more
determined she became to prove him wrong.<br />
<br />
They arrived at an overlook within range to see three large ships flying the <a href="http://www.warstore.co.uk/ekmps/shops/marlina/images/kings-colours-pre-union-5-x-3-flag-1768-p.jpg" target="_blank">Union Jack</a>
down river through Crowe's spyglass. The lead ship had iron plating
strapped to its stern and was smashing its way through the lose ice,
clearing a path for the ships behind it. At that point Crowe figured
his point was proven and insisted that they return. Rose refused him
and they fought. At one point in their argument Crowe blew up at
Charlotte. When he did he inadvertently channeled his anger into Rose.
Feeling the rush of magic, Rose turned Crowe's frustration with her
against himself. Charlotte yelled right back at him and literally
bowled him with a magically charged shout.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Charlotte had found a new source of magic. She took control of the
situation and pressed Crowe into her service from that point on. There
was power in Crowe's frustration and Charlotte wanted more of that
power. On Charlotte's orders they stealthily approached the ice breaker
ship. At one hundred yards they stopped and ducked behind some low
vegetation. The ships name, <a href="http://www.artistsharbour.com/catalog/images/products/hunt_geoff/hms_surprise.jpg" target="_blank">HMS Surprise</a>, was clearly legible on the bow of the ship. With Crowe's spyglass they could see the faces of the men on board.<br />
<br />
Crowe immediately took notice of the German mercenaries on board. He explained to Charlotte that they were called <a href="http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/o1776-Grenadier.jpg" target="_blank">Hessians</a>,
savage warriors and the most disciplined soldiers in all of Europe.
Crowe was equally terrified and disgusted by the Germans, King George
had hired mercenaries to fight and kill his own subject.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Rose wasn't impressed. She took the spyglass and spotted the captain of
the ship. He was a tall angry looking man and he was shouting at the
top of lungs at his men to hasten their progress. All of the sudden
Charlotte had an idea. She pulled out all of her trinkets laid them out
on her lap. Next she told Crowe to watch the captain. Crowe didn't
know where she was going with all her antics but he was terrified of
being spotted and angry beyond measure with Rose for her bullheaded
behavior.<br />
<br />
Rose knew Crowe was reaching his breaking point.
She also knew that so long as he remained frustrated with her he would
continue to funnel anger into her and allow her to work some bit of
magic. Between Crowe's anger and her magiced trinkets Charlotte was
able to create a cocktail of magics, using everything she has in one
shot, and hurled it at the Surprise. To the both of their astonishment
it worked and a shard of ice shattered a part of the ships iron plating,
impaling the ship and stalling the ship.<br />
<br />
The captain
went into a rage. Crowe still fuming and not knowing what Charlotte was
doing funneled his anger, as well as the anger of the entire crew, into
Charlotte. With that power Charlotte was able to hold the ship pinned
on the ice long enough to allow ice and water to flow into the hull.
The damage to the ship was bad enough that the captain ordered his men
to dislodge the ship and turn back for repairs.<br />
<br />
Charlotte's
success was so great that even Crowe, despite Charlotte's pride in her
self, couldn't stay angry with her. The two slipped off unnoticed and
returned to camp with their glorious tale of victory.<br />
<br />
In
Crowe and Rose's absence, Fisher whipped up a flurry of activity
centering around his tent. Messengers came and went, and even General
Thomas was summoned to his council. The truth of the matter was that
Nicholas was ill, and getting worse, but for all appearances he was
conducting some grand scheme. The ruse worked and the soldiers around
camp soon became interested in what the magician was planning.<br />
<br />
Thomas
stayed with Fisher for many long hours, feeding the soldier's
speculation of some master plan being hatched, while in fact Thomas was
actually giving aid and watching over Fisher as he slept. The camp that
Crowe and Rose returned to was not the camp they had left. Instead of
the usual quiet and lethargy that had been so commonplace for months
there was talk of action. Their story of turning back the British
reinforcements only heightened everyone's expectation of a battle in
which the Continentals would assuredly be the victors given their
new-found secret weapon, the magicians.<br />
<br />
The buzz around
camp that the magicians had created would ultimately being their
undoing. The British, despite the Surprise's setback, were able to
reach Quebec the next day due to a warming of the weather. Guy Carlton
wasted no time in assembling his relieved and restless men and took to
the field with 1,000 men, consisting of Canadian loyalist militia and
British regulars, to drive the Continentals away from city and end the
siege. Instead of retreating, as was the plan Thomas originally had in
mind, his men clamored for a fight. Thomas couldn't deprive his men a
chance to fight, it was after all what they had come there to do.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.living-in-the-past.com/images/durnford144.jpg" target="_blank">The Continentals </a>fielded
less than 250 men and only one cannon, for which nobody had much of any
experience firing. Carlton outnumbered and out gunned the Continentals
with 6 gleaming brass cannon. Carlton brought his men to bear, in
orderly rows 6 men deep, on the Thomas and his small inexperienced
army. The Continentals were no match. After one cannonade and a single
musket volley, both of which were more show that anything, Carlton had
the Continentals in a broken retreat dropping muskets, satchels of food,
and powder horns all over the battlefield as they fled.<br />
<br />
To
make matters worse, the over confidence of the Continentals had caused
the women and the sick of the camp to linger to watch the battle
expecting a victory. They should have been packing and retreating with
the extra time that the soldiers were buying them, instead they were
swept up in the panic of the army's retreat causing them to leave
everything behind in their escape. All in all the Continentals left
behind most of their sick, nearly all of their food, 15 cannon, several
barrels of powder, the majority of their boats, and pieces of important
military correspondence, which the Britsh would later use to exploit
their weaknesses.<br />
<br />
As for Fisher, he chose to fight in the battle against Thomas's better judgement. Charlotte wisely stayed out of the battle, but found herself in harms way nonetheless after the camp was overrun by Carleton's men.
Fisher managed to help Thomas keep their men in formation, even against
staggering odds. In the end, the men broke and ran. In the scramble
Fisher was trampled and was almost killed due to his weakened state, but
Thomas plucked the magician off the battlefield from his mount and rode
him to safety with the rest of the fleeing men and camp followers.<br />
<br />
The Siege of Quebec was over, but the retreat from Canada had just begun.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-85532846300507376432015-04-26T10:00:00.001-05:002015-04-26T10:00:06.962-05:0009 - The Last Day of Magic<b>April 1776</b><br />
<br />
In the week leading up to the end of April, Fisher and Rose continually checked in with Franklin to see if there was anything they could do to be of service but the answer was the same every time - nothing. Franklin's efforts in propaganda and diplomacy had amounted to nothing and his patience was wearing thin. Franklin's confidence in Congress' fool-hardy scheme was all but gone. The Canadian's were not going to join the rebellion. The best Congress could hope for was that the Continental army could hold back the British alone and that meant capturing Quebec.<br />
<br />
At the same time dismal reports were coming in from the front lines of
the siege of Quebec. As of April 15th more than half of the short-term
enlistments of the 1,900 Continentals had expired. With their strength
recently cut in half, and the camps suffering from disease and hunger,
the moral of the troops was shattered. Luckily, <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c7/b5/ba/c7b5ba74cfa1a2244482ccf6ebf4baa2.jpg" target="_blank">General John Thomas</a>
had just arrived in Montreal, fresh from Boston, with a small
contingent of men with which to reinforce the beleaguered Continentals.
Thomas reported to Arnold upon arrival in Montreal and Arnold gave him orders take command of the siege. Arnold hoped that Thomas would inspire confidence in the men since he
had just successfully lead the men in Roxbury and on Dorchester Heights
to victory over the British in Boston. Thomas was told to leave for the Quebec as soon as weather permitted.<br />
<br />
At the close of the month Fisher and Rose had accomplished little and their prospects of being useful were quickly disappearing. Finally Fisher decided to seek an audience with General Arnold to offer his services again. Fisher still had his reservations about joining the army but he wanted to help with the situation in Canada and Arnold was the only man in Montreal who could make use of him.<br />
Charlotte, on the other hand, had absolutely no interest in joining another siege camp. One siege had been plenty for her. Instead she wished to return to New York to perform or aid Knox and Washington with the defense of the city. She made her opinion known, but Fisher remained determined to fight and proceeded with his proposal to Arnold anyways.<br />
<br />
Arnold welcomed the two magicians back to his office with great warmth. He expressed his deepest respect for their craft and art. Arnold confided in them that he believed the only reason that the Continentals failed to capture Quebec in their initial attack was the result of there being no magician to coordinate favorable weather conditions. Arnold believed that had Crowe stayed with his forces, instead of being called back to Boston, Richard Montgomery would still be alive, and the Continentals would currently have been reinforcing Quebec to repel the British reinforcements.<br />
<br />
Before long Arnold was urging Fisher to join his men, saying that his involvement could be the difference between success and failure. Fisher explained that he wanted to join but didn't want to commit to an enlistment. Arnold explained that without enlisting Fisher would never be able to assist the siege. Arnold explained that the troops wouldn't respect him, that the officers wouldn't trust him. Still worse, he would almost certainly be laughed out of the camp or killed for fear of being a spy. As the two men talked Fisher began to understand that Arnold was right and that if he wanted to help he would need to enlist.<br />
<br />
Charlotte, fearing that she would be separated from Fisher as a result of his enlistment, pleaded with Nicholas to reconsider. Arnold eased her fears by explaining that she would not be separated from Fisher. Instead the two of them would be kept together as long as Fisher remained in service to the army. By joining the army Fisher would be given the rank of Captain and leeway to accomplish his magic in whatever manner he saw fit. Charlotte would be able to join the camp as his dependent and travel with him wherever he needed to go. Furthermore Arnold ensured Charlotte that Fisher would not be sent to fight on the front lines, or storm the city, since magicians typically performed their duties from the rear of the battlefield.<br />
<br />
Charlotte never warmed up to the idea but in the end she agreed to let Fisher join so long as his enlistment was limited to 6 months, and that upon immediate completion of the siege that Fisher be transferred back to New York under the command of General Knox. Arnold agreed to the terms and Fisher signed his enlistment papers right then and there.<br />
<br />
Fisher's first orders from Arnold were to report to General Thomas and help him secure safe passage to Quebec <a href="http://www.reisenett.no/map_collection/historical/American_Quebec.jpg" target="_blank">up the St. Lawerence River</a>.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-78305769030606754182015-04-09T13:07:00.002-05:002015-04-09T13:07:18.963-05:0008 - The Last Day of Magic<b>April 1776</b><br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose eventually set off from Boston for Montreal with Crowe and a small contingent of troops. They retraced the path they took with Knox's expedition back through the Berkshire Mountains and then up through Albany. As they passed through Saratoga Crowe experienced the natural power of the town that Fisher and Rose had felt as they came through on Christmas of last year. The shear magnitude of magical energy was so profound to Crowe that he requested they spend a day in Saratoga so that Fisher could take him to the epicenter.<br />
<br />
In the afternoon, after the troops were settled in, Fisher and Rose accompanied Crowe out to the epicenter. The open field looked just as unassuming as it had when they had performed their Christmas spectacle just a few months previous. Crowe was enamored and spend the next hour exploring the area until an old gentlemen approached the three magicians out in the field. The man wore a spring coat and hat, he had on his a pair of round spectacles, and he walked with a pronounced limp. He introduced himself as <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOKoQT2PZnDd6z3ufO5SaEpqR3kLiESnv2hF0e1qVzEGT1I4XUyoH28A8oLenVRuORm3Gy9ocX86TgDy6VPV_l4PJKxOk7V3C1dkvcIj9TVL03s6_m_s0SniZ0X0JQcy3egx4bd7i4MrH/s640/benjamin-franklin.jpg" target="_blank">Benjamin Franklin</a>.<br />
<br />
Franklin heard from the men in town that three magicians from Boston were there in Saratoga so he took it upon himself to walk out and meet them despite a debilitating flair of gout that he was suffering through. Franklin explained that he knew a thing or two about magic himself. Franklin even performed a brief display of magic for the magicians. The trick turned out to be more of a chemical reaction than practical magic, however Franklin's trick spurred a conversation amongst the four of them. They discussed weather, magic, science, and politics for sometime until Franklin excused himself from their company to get off his feet and rest, but before he left he invited them all for dinner to continue their conversation.<br />
<br />
That evening a small banquet was hosted for Franklin in Saratoga. Fisher, Rose, and Crowe were invited as guests of Franklin. Polite conversation was carried out during the meal, most of which centered on Franklin, however sometime after dessert Franklin turned the conversation towards practical magic and science. The small company of dinner guests soon pressed Franklin to demonstrate a small display of electricity as he was known to do at such dinner parties. Franklin agreed.<br />
<br />
The demonstration Franklin gave was one he had done countless times. He fetched from his luggage a medium sized <a href="http://www.diclib.com/en_st_electrical/326F213.jpg" target="_blank">Leyden Jar</a>. He explained to the guests that the jar already contained a charge of electrostatic energy from days ago, before he left Philadelphia. He asked for a volunteer and sheepishly a man stepped forward. Franklin gave the man a metal fork from the table and instructed him to slowly move the fork towards the metal rod sticking out of the Leyden Jar. The man cautiously moved the fork towards the metal rod until a small flash of electricity arched between the fork and the metal rod shocking the volunteer mildly. The guests were pleased with display but Franklin quickly dispelled their applause. Franklin explained that arch had been a small one and that he thought there was enough of a charge left in the jar for one more demonstration. <br />
<br />
Franklin again asked his volunteer to approach the jar with the fork, but this time Franklin gave a knowing glance over his shoulder at Fisher. Fisher understood at once what the old man was thinking. Before the volunteer began his second approach Fisher slide his chair back, stood up, and blew out all but one of the candles in the room. The dining room was cast into near darkness. Just as he had hoped the darkness heighten everyone's excitement for the second shock; Fisher could feel the air grow even heavier with magical energy.<br />
<br />
The volunteer was visibly shaking as he approached the Leyden Jar the second time. As the fork came within two feet of the jar Fisher pooled all of the energy in the room and feed it through Charlotte. The energy was palpable, and with it, Rose directed the energy into the air between the jar and the fork. The air tingled and then cracked with electricity. From the jar erupted a thick blue vein of electricity that briefly illuminated the whole room as it greedily consumed the magically charged air between the jar and the fork. The fork was blasted from the volunteer's loose grip and clattered along the floor. The room went dark again and everyone was stunned, nobody said a word for quite some time.<br />
<br />
Soon after clearing away his equipment Franklin excused himself and left the dining room. The guests were still buzzing from the display, all of their conversations centered on the spectacle. After several minutes it became clear that Franklin was not returning so one by one the guests left the party. After the last guest left Franklin reentered the dining room where Fisher, Rose, and Crowe were still sitting, quietly talking amongst themselves.<br />
<br />
The conversation that followed amongst the magicians and Franklin was brief but enlightening. Franklin proved to the magicians that he in fact knew a thing of two about practical magic, whether he could actually perform magic himself was unclear, but the man seemed to know more than most. Franklin explained that some magic, like the magic they had witnessed that evening was based on perception. Fisher and Rose admitted to experimenting with such magic, while Crowe denied that it was possible. Franklin metaphorically refereed to himself as a Leyden Jar; just a Leyden Jar holds an electrical charge - so too could he. Franklin explained that when people see him they expect certain outcomes due to his fame and notoriety. The expectation that people have of him generates a magical charge just like the jar. A magician can then harness and direct that energy the he generates, Franklin likened himself to a catalyst or battery for magical energy. Fisher and Rose were encouraged while Crowe recoiled further and further from the prospect of such practices the more Franklin spoke. Eventually Franklin grew tired and had to excuse himself. The four retired for the night.<br />
<br />
The next day all four set off together for Montreal. They shared the road up to Fort George, and then by boat they journeyed up Lake George, past Fort Ticonderoga, up Lake Champlain and nearly a week later arrived in Montreal. Along their journey Franklin discussed mostly magic and politics with
Fisher, Rose, and Crowe. The most interesting point of discussion
concerning magic was related to the practical magic that the Native
American's practiced. Franklin told of stories he had read or heard of
that the Natives practiced a sort of spiritual magic, very similar to
the type of magic that Charlotte was able to perform. Franklin had few
details to share but he did know that there were Indians who could sense
and wield the magic that comes from men.<br />
<br />
The magicians came to learn that Franklin was traveling to Montreal as a
embassy on behalf of the Continental Congress. Franklin was charged
with the task of winning the Canadian populous over to the cause of
rebellion against the British. However, for reasons political,
economical, social, and religious Franklin had very little hope of
succeeding in convincing the Canadian's to join the fight against the
British. Nevertheless, Franklin would try his best to succeed against
all odds. <br />
<br />
When they arrived in <a href="http://www.imtl.org/image/big/place_d_armes_1775.jpg" target="_blank">Montreal </a>they parted ways. Crowe reported to <a href="http://en.academic.ru/pictures/enwiki/65/ArthurStClairOfficialPortrait.jpg" target="_blank">Benedict Arnold</a>, Franklin went to begin his work establishing a free press to distribute propaganda, and Fisher accompanied Rose to find her family. To Rose's relief her aunt and uncle's home still stood. The City of Montreal had for a brief time been a battleground and a number of structures showed signs of the struggle to that took place when the <a href="http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jb/revolut/jb_revolut_canada_1_e.jpg" target="_blank">Continentals took the city by force</a>. From the street she could even see her aunt and uncle moving within the home.<br />
<br />
Rose asked Fisher to give her some time to explain things to her family. Fisher obliged and left for a nearby tavern. The reunion didn't go as Rose had planned. At first her aunt and uncle were relieved to see her alive and safely home, but as Rose explained where she had really been, and what she had been doing for the past few months, her aunt and uncle became angry with her. In their eyes she had foolishly been carousing with the enemy, the American rebels, and had squandered her good name and prospect of attracting a suitable husband. Rose took serious offense to her aunt and uncles dismissal of what she had accomplished.<br />
<br />
Rose's emotions got the best of her and she stormed up to her room like a defeated child and locked herself in. She sat and thought on her situation until night when, finally she determined that she would not stay under her family's roof any longer. If they couldn't see what she saw in the American rebellion then they truly were the enemy. With a heavy heart Charlotte packed up what belongings she could carry and slipped out her window into the night to find Fisher.<br />
<br />
Fisher was surprised to hear that Charlotte had fallen out with her family, but he was glad to have her at his side once again. They found accommodations that night and woke the next morning ready to seek out Franklin to help him with his mission. It didn't take long to track Franklin down, he was the talk of the city. When they arrived at the building where Franklin had set up his printing press they found him busily working. General Benedict Arnold had also come to pay the printer a visit and the three were introduced.<br />
<br />
Arnold apologized that he couldn't stand to greet them properly as his leg was wounded from a gun shot wound he took when his forces failed to seize Quebec a few weeks ago. Arnold explained that he had been fortunate despite his injury, his commanding officer <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/The_Death_of_General_Montgomery_in_the_Attack_on_Quebec_December_31_1775.jpeg" target="_blank">General Richard Montgomery</a>, the man who lead the Continentals in the capture of Montreal, had been killed in the battle. With Montgomery dead, Arnold had assumed command of the troops laying siege to Quebec.<br />
<br />
When Fisher and Rose asked Franklin what they could do to help his mission Franklin deferred to Arnold. Franklin explained that the success of his mission hung, in large part, on the success of the siege and capture of Quebec. The only thing stopping the Continental's from capturing Quebec was Guy Carlton and his mixed force of 800 loyalist militia and British regulars. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Carleton,_1st_Baron_Dorchester#/media/File:General-Sir-Guy-Carleton_2.jpg" target="_blank">Guy Carlton</a>, the Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of Canada, had retreated from Montreal and was now fortifying Quebec to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Carleton,_1st_Baron_Dorchester#/media/File:Canadian_militiamen_and_British_soldiers_repulse_the_American_assault_at_Sault-au-Matelot.jpg" target="_blank">stave off the Continental army</a> long enough for 8,000 British troops to arrive from England. If the Continentals could seize Quebec before the British reinforcements arrived they would control the harbor and could stop the British from landing in, and taking back Canada.<br />
<br />
Franklin believed that the magicians would be best used as part of Arnold's forces stationed outside Quebec. Due to his injury Arnold was forced to command the troops from the rear at Montreal in order for him to recover from his wound, however he had already sent Crowe to the front lines to reinforce his troops. Arnold asked if Fisher and Rose were up for the task of joining the fight. Fisher and Rose were, but Fisher was reluctant to officially join the Continental Army. Arnold sensed Fisher's apprehension and made it clear that he had no interest in recruiting men who's hearts were not in it.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose once again asked Franklin how they could best serve him, but Franklin didn't have any specific answer for them besides helping Arnold. For the time being the two magicians where stuck at an impasse, a hard decision awaited them - commitment or inaction.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-91475721349294872592015-03-25T13:03:00.000-05:002015-03-25T13:03:17.816-05:0007 - The Last Day of Magic<b>March 1776</b><br />
<br />
The day after the snow storm <a href="http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2001_winter_spring/artwork/Howe_left.jpg" target="_blank">General Howe</a> sent out an envoy to establish a seize fire under which the British agreed evacuate the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Boston_ca1776_byHabermann_03844002.jpg" target="_blank">City of Boston</a> intact so long as the Continentals held their cannon fire and allowed them to leave. These terms were not what Washington had hoped for at the outset of the siege however Washington agreed to them. It was better to have a victory and reclaim Boston than it was to press the fight and suffer severe casualties.<br />
<br />
As the British made preparations the evacuate Boston Washington summoned his generals to establish a plan for the next phase of the war. The Howe's forces would be evacuating Boston and heading for New York, however there were sources that said that another army of equal force had set sail from England and was due to land in Quebec to push the Continentals back out of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Canada_%281775%29#/media/File:Province_of_Quebec_1774.gif" target="_blank">Canadian Territory</a>. The Continentals would soon be facing a two front war and resources, men, and morale were becoming scarce.<br />
<br />
As the generals meet Fisher, Rose, and Crowe meet to discuss the aftermath of the storm. Crowe couldn’t explain how such a powerful storm had come up on them so quickly. Fisher and Rose shared their theory that the storm was the result of them magically holding back the weather from the area for the past week. Crowe wasn’t convinced and he was reluctant take any credit for the storm for fear that his superiors would ask for him to conjure something off that scale again.<br />
<br />
In the end Fisher, Rose, and Crowe decided to neither claim nor deny responsibility for the storm in order to avoid the generals counting on magic of that magnitude and putting their men in danger when it couldn't reliably be done again. Crowe, however, was intrigued by the prospect of creating such powerful weather events by bottling up storms for long periods of time. The three magicians agreed to test this theory again as soon as they could.<br />
<br />
Knox came looking for the magicians after Washington’s war council was completed to deliver orders to Crowe and make a proposal to Fisher and Rose. Crowe’s orders had come from Canada. <a href="http://www.history.com/images/media/slideshow/controversial-generals/benedict-arnold.jpg" target="_blank">Benedict Arnold</a> had once again requested Crowe’s services in the fight to claim Canada. Crowe had already fought alongside Arnold to great effect in the year previous. Their efforts resulted in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown, along with its artillery which had just been used to dislodge the British from Boston. Arnold wanted the magician again to help claim Quebec and seal the British out of the Northern Territory once and for all.<br />
<br />
After giving Crowe his orders Knox delivered a letter to Charlotte that had come back from New York for her. The letter carried her uncle’s seal and was dated only two weeks after she left on Knox’s expedition. The letter revealed that Charlotte’s uncle had returned to Montreal almost immediately after she left with Knox. Charlotte had lied to her uncle telling him that she was making a trip up to Montreal to visit with the family to explain her absence and her uncle, concerned for her safety, left New York to find her. In the letter Charlotte’s uncle explained that the Continentals had seized Montreal and that their city was the center of ongoing warfare between the Canadian Loyalists and the Continentals.<br />
<br />
Charlotte felt terrible for lying to her uncle and causing him to go off chasing her into a war zone. Furthermore, her absence in Montreal would cause further heartache for her uncle and relatives. She determined that she needed to return to Montreal to clear things up and make sure that her family were all safe.<br />
<br />
As Charlotte made up her mind to return to Montreal, Knox made a proposal to Fisher to join the Continentals and act as the practical magician of the army tasked with establishing a base around New York to continue the fight with General Howe’s forces. Fisher was torn between his desire to serve with the Continentals and also his promise to Charlotte that he would see her safely back to her family once they had finished their journey with Knox. In the end Fisher kept his promise to Charlotte and postponed his enlistment in the Continental Army. Fisher agreed to travel north with Charlotte to find her family and keep her safe. Knox would be sorry to see his magicians go but he understood.<br />
<br />
It was determined that Fisher and Rose would travel with Crowe up to Montreal together since it was a shared destination. The trip had the added bonus of providing a good opportunity to test their theory of building up storms once they arrived in Canada. Knox invited Fisher and Rose to stay in Cambridge for a few days longer to wait for the British to evacuate before they set off for Canada. Knox wanted the opportunity to walk the streets of their mutual city together in order to appreciate what their journey had accomplished. Fisher and Rose agreed.<br />
<br />
Almost a week later on March 17th 11,000 British troops cast off from the port of Boston carrying with them 1,000 loyalist citizens. The city was left mostly intact as Howe had promised but the British made sure to dispose of any food, clothing, livestock, weapons, and munitions that they couldn't carry with them into the bay before they left. The British may have been defeated but they made sure that <a href="http://www.compliancebuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/evacuation-day-620x425.jpg" target="_blank">no spoils of victory</a> went to the Continentals on that day.<br />
<br />
Throughout the day the Continental Army <a href="https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/Evacuation%20Day%20and%20Washington%27s%20Triumphal%20Entry%20in%20NYC,%20Nov.%2025,%201783.jpg" target="_blank">paraded into the war torn city</a> to salvage what they could. For Knox and Fisher Boston had been their home. The day was bittersweet for both men as they walked the streets and surveyed the damage done to their city. The bookstore and home of Knox was ransacked, nothing useable remained. As for Fisher his warehouse along the docks was in complete ruins from artillery fire in addition to the fact that the British had fouled the building by using it as a stable. Regardless their homes were once again theirs, and this first victory felt like something upon which the Continentals could build momentum for their cause.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-69602880853125281442015-02-27T13:00:00.002-06:002015-02-27T13:00:18.634-06:0006 - The Last Day of Magic<b>March 1776</b><br />
<br />
February was spent making preparations to conduct an attack on Boston. Washington had gotten word from his spies that <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/WilliamHowe1777ColorMezzotint.jpeg" target="_blank">General Howe</a>, the Commanding General of the British Army, was making preparations to leave Boston and sail north to New York as soon as the weather was favorable. The British had grown tired of occupying Boston and the city held no advantage to them anymore. New York would be a fresh base of operation for the British, with a mostly loyalist population, where the British could regroup after 11 months of stalemate in Boston.<br />
<br />
Washington's window of opportunity to force a decisive battle with the British was slipping away. If the British were allowed to evacuate Boston without conflict he would lose all hope of support from both the <a href="http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/12/continental-congress-hero-H.jpeg" target="_blank">Continental Congress</a> back in Philadelphia and the Continental Army. On the other hand, if Washington could take the British by surprise it was possible that he could trap the British completely and force a surrender - effectively ending the war. The Continentals needed to make sure the British couldn't leave.<br />
<br />
Henry Knox and <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/JohnThomas.png" target="_blank">Brigadier General John Thomas</a> were given orders by Washington to take some 4,000 men out of Cambridge to fortify the town of Roxbury, southeast of Boston Neck. Fisher and Rose went with them. Knox split the men into two forces once they arrived in <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~fredra/SeigeBoston.jpg" target="_blank">Roxbury</a>. Knox's forces organized work teams to cut trees and build portable gun emplacements called chandeliers to haul along with the artillery up to Dorchester Heights. The chandeliers would allow the Continentals to instantly create gun batteries along the heights without having to dig into the frozen and rocky ground up on the heights. Thomas' men dug in around Roxbury and created <a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/3c/29/1336087510_Bunker%20Hill.jpg?itok=XBZkyvxg" target="_blank">redoubts </a>to hold back any British counterattack.<br />
<br />
From atop Dorchester Heights Knox would have a commanding position. The entirety of Boston and its harbor lay within the range of his 18 and 24 pound guns. Yet Dorchester Heights was equally dangerous as it was rewarding to occupy. General Howe's army outnumbered the Continentals and the British had a full Navy to compliment its ground forces. If Howe chose to march out of Boston and engage the Continentals the men along the heights would be cut off and trapped. It was therefore Thomas' duty to prevent that from happening.<br />
<br />
The Continentals worked for almost two weeks to prepare for the battle. During that time Fisher and Rose worked from <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~fredra/SeigeBoston.jpg" target="_blank">Dorchester Heights</a> to keep the winds calm. Crowe operated four miles north out of the ruins of <a href="http://www.bostonfirehistory.org/burningofcharlestown.jpg" target="_blank">Charlestown </a>towards the same goal. Collectively they maintained a low profile and kept the British ships from sailing for New York.<br />
<br />
Nicholas Fisher and Charlotte Rose had pledged to work with Crowe to calm
the weather and stop the British from leaving even though the two
magicians hadn't actually joined the Continental Army. They wanted to
help with the siege but they found it easier to go about their work without the
regulations of the military structure. Knox and Washington didn't mind,
they would take all the help they could get. <br />
<br />
On March 4th the Continentals completed their work. Word was sent to Washington and his response was to prepare for battle immediately. There was no time to lose, everyday that went by there was a chance the British would set sail. However, there was another reason Washington wanted to press the attack as well. March 5th was the 6th anniversary of <a href="http://www.teachushistory.org/files/imagecache/screen/resources/bostonmassacrebychampney.jpg" target="_blank">Boston Massacre</a> and Washington was counting on the significance of that anniversary to rally his men. That evening, March 4th, Knox mobilized a force of 2,000 men to drag the artillery and chandeliers up to Dorchester Heights. <br />
<br />
Early morning, March 5th, the British in Boston were shaken from their slumbers by the pounding of cannon fire. The Continentals fired upon the British from Cambridge as well as Dorchester Heights. The British fleet was pinned down and the army couldn't evacuate under heavy fire so they mounted a quick counterattack. They sent men in small transports across the harbor to silence the guns in Cambridge while the bulk of their forces marched out and across Boston Neck where General Thomas was waiting with just 2,000 men.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose did their best to curtail the British advance but ultimately two magicians could not prevent the passage of an entire army. The British pushed out of Boston and threatened to press combat with the awaiting Continentals. Thomas tried to rally his men but they were severely outnumbered, completely exhausted from days of endless labor, and lacked bayonet or cannon to resist a charge from the superior British force.<br />
<br />
All day long a storm had been building along the coast. After nearly two weeks of bottling up the weather the magicians had unknowingly created a meteorological powder keg that was primed to explode. As the British marched on the fortifications outside of Roxbury a large and roiling storm was churning off of the coast and pushing inland fast. Thomas' men began to break upon seeing the storm coupled with the British advance. Fisher and Rose retreated from Dorchester and arrived just in time to witness the collapse of Thomas' men. Fisher made to stand against the British and rally Thomas' broken army but alas he was unsuccessful. The magician could turn neither men nor storm.<br />
<br />
Before long the storm swallowed everything. The British gave chase to Thomas' men through the storm until the snow was so thick they couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of themselves. Fisher and Rose retreated with Thomas' men, all the while hearing the beating drums of the British in tow. It was the storm that finally saved them. The storm was a true force of nature, an unintended consequence of magical intervention, and it conquered both armies that day. The British finally gave up, the sound of their drums faded as they pulled back to Boston. The Continentals fell back too. They made their way back to their camps to wait out the storm that had just saved their lives.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-55014301046132481352015-02-19T18:48:00.003-06:002015-04-30T12:06:45.516-05:0005 - The Last Day of Magic<b>January-February 1776</b><br />
<br />
From Albany the <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ESP37QKZIi8/TxaEJFsQXBI/AAAAAAAABGc/us7NPaf9JKA/Knox%252520Route%252520from%252520Ft%252520Ticonderago%252520to%252520Boston-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" target="_blank">expedition </a>set a course East crossing the entire length of Massachusetts, traversing the Berkshire Mountains, and finally arriving in Cambridge, just outside of Boston. It took the expedition 17 days to cross Massachusetts. All said and done the expedition took almost 10 weeks; Knox had only anticipated 4 weeks.<br />
<br />
Knox arrived with 59 pieces of artillery and reported to the Commanding General George Washington at the Continental Army's headquarters, the <a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyterry/vasall/vassal_home.jpg" target="_blank">Vassell House</a>, where he was promoted from Colonel to General for his success on the expedition. The presence of Fisher and Rose were later requested by the Commanding General. Washington personally thank the two for their service and urged them to stay in Cambridge with the army to help boost morale, much as they had done on the expedition.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose agreed to stay on with the army; at least until the siege was finished. Fisher's motivations for staying were emotionally and financially driven since Boston was his home and his business had been shuttered by the Port Act that had closed Boston harbor following the <a href="http://www.cr-cath.pvt.k12.ia.us/lasalle/Resources/8th%20Websites/Kristi,%20Kelsey,%20Kristen%20Rev%20War/Kelsey%20Bakkum%20Rev.%20War/Images/Boston_tea_party.jpg" target="_blank">Boston Tea Party</a> 13 months previous. However Rose's motivations were less straightforward. She was caught up in the excitement of Practical Magic and didn't want to leave Fisher, but she also saw another opportunity. If she could help the siege and the British could be defeated in one grand battle, the war would be over and her lover, John Andre, would be freed and they could be reunited.<br />
<br />
Washington also mentioned that another magician by the name of Jonathon Crowe was also stationed in Cambridge assisting in the war effort. Washington thought it would be appropriate for the magician's of the Continental Army to get acquainted with one another. The name sounded familiar to the Fisher but he couldn't recall why.<br />
<br />
Before Fisher and Rose left the Vassell house Rose made one small, yet bold request of General Washington. She asked that a letter from his office be sent to her Father back in New York to tell him of her safe arrival in Boston and also to tell him that she was under the care and protection of the Continental Army. Washington agreed. A letter would be drafted by Washington's aide-de-camp immediately, he promised to report of any return reply.<br />
<br />
The next day Jonathon Crowe was invited to the meet with Fisher and Rose at the townhouse where Rose was lodging. Jonathon Crowe was almost half Fisher's age making him closer in age to Rose. He was an ordinary sort of man in every way except for a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken more times than a nose should. Fisher asked about Crowe's role thus far with the army and Crowe explained that he had been sent North along with Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold to <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Fort_Ticonderoga_1775.jpg" target="_blank">capture several forts</a> including Fort Ticonderoga. It turned out that Crowe took part in the capture of the artillery that would become Knox's Expedition. Additionally Crowe had playeda role in the capture of Fort St. John's where John Andre surrendered and was made a prisoner of war.<br />
<br />
From Crowe, Fisher and Rose learned quickly how bad of shape the army was in. Many accounts indicated that the Continential Army was of similar size to that of the British force stationed in Boston, around 11,000 men, however as of late the army had dwindled to somewhere around 8,800 men - many of which were not even healthy enough for duty. Only through cunning subterfuge and rumor spreading had Washington kept the British kept fooled, preventing them from storming out of Boston and crushing the unprepared Continentals.<br />
<br />
The army was not much of an army at all in fact. All of the men belonged to local militia, or minutemen, from all over the colonies. Each regiment was its own entity. They shared very little in common and most had never seen battle. The men were all stationed around Boston due to the fact that a small band of militia from Boston had chased the British back to Boston following the battles at <a href="http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/battles/graphics/lexington.jpg" target="_blank">Lexington and Concord</a> in April and began a siege of the city. Two months later, in July, a handful of the gathered militia had repelled an attack by the British at <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/interactive_learning/america/patriots_at_breeds_hill_1775.jpg" target="_blank">Breed's Hill</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Boston#mediaviewer/File:Bunker_Hill_by_Pyle.jpg" target="_blank">Bunker Hill</a>, inflicting heavy casualties but ultimately fleeing the battle field before the majority of the militia could even engage the enemy.<br />
<br />
Crowe explained that without artillery, and without a clear objective, the army had sat idle for months on end without hope for a resolution of the siege. The Continental Congress had no money to extend pay, and most of the men weren't committed to full time soldiering. Men had to choose between this floundering war and their families at home. The choice for most was simple. Some men's contracts expired and couldn't be renewed, some men died of sickness, some men deserted; the army was shrinking fast and morale was terrible.<br />
<br />
Fisher and Rose had had success before using magic to bolster the men on the expedition. They figured they could do it again here in Cambridge. They began to hatch a plan right then and there. Crowe didn't understand how magic could turn this army around but Fisher and Rose assured him that it could.<br />
<br />
After their plan was formed they invited Knox to listen and offer suggestions. Knox was in favor of the plan with some minor adjustments, one being that some of the larger guns from Ticonderoga be brought along as a backup plan in case the magic failed. Satisfied with the plan Knox reported back to Washington for final approval. Approval was given and the magician's began spreading the word that a show was to be staged in the coming days.<br />
<br />
The show was equal parts success and failure. The magicians underestimated how poor the armies morale really was, very few men turned out for the show. However, the magicians also underestimated the power of Knox's artillery. The show was simple: create a curtain of fog over the Boston Bay, then summon violent winds with which they could harass and destroy the British gun boats that were docked across the way. Knox was to provide cannon fire to ensure the attack was a success. Unfortunately the winds didn't cooperate and at first it seemed that all the magician's could do was incur the wrath of His Majesty's Navy.<br />
<br />
Shortly after the show began a <a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/12/article-2261180-16E2AD86000005DC-380_638x424.jpg" target="_blank">frigate </a>cast off from the docks and made to turn face and fire upon the gathered Continentals. Fisher and Rose lost control of the situation and panic began to sweep the crowd. Crowe reacted quickly raising a heavy fog to obscure the frigate's line of sight. Meanwhile Knox had the cannons dial in on their target. In a daring last ditch effort Rose took control of the winds and sent them swirling around the frigate in the bay. The winds tore the sails from their rigging and the frigate stalled during its turn before it fire on the crowd. At the same time Knox ordered a volley of fire from the cannon and Crowe raised the fog like a curtain.<br />
<br />
Several minutes passed as the winds died down and the fog cleared. When at last the crowd could see across the bay again they saw the frigate limping back to the dock with its sails in tatters and several large hull breaches. Although it wasn't what they planned the show served its purpose. The assembled men left with renewed confidence. The Continental Army had cannons, and with cannons they finally had the means with to make a direct assault on the British.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-64498736402357213102015-02-07T15:01:00.000-06:002015-02-07T15:01:03.195-06:0004 - The Last Day of Magic<b>January 1776</b><br />
<br />
Nicholas Fisher, Charlotte Rose, and John Andre traveled ahead of the expedition train. They were headed to Albany - Andre's final stop with the expedition. The magician was told to turn Andre over to <a href="http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/general/general-philip-schuyler.jpg" target="_blank">Philip Schuyler</a>, the commanding General of the Northern Department, and then continue on to scout the crossing over the Hudson River.<br />
<br />
Charlotte and Andre said brief and tearful goodbyes and then Andre was unceremoniously surrendered to Schuyler. Just before the magician parted Andre slipped him a note. Plans were made for Schuyler to escort Fisher and Rose to the two river crossings over the Hudson later that day but Schuyler was pulled away for other official business. During the down time Fisher pulled out the note from Andre. He read one line before realizing the note was intended for Charlotte; the note was given to Charlotte.<br />
<br />
The note was a confessional. In it Andre explained his feelings for Charlotte and his wish to be reunited with her again once his freedom could be secured. He also explained how difficult it was to be parted from her due to the fact that he had experienced great heartbreak just a few years previous. Andre had been betrothed to the wealthy and beautiful <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=honora+sneyd&safe=off&biw=1600&bih=763&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=mmnWVLbyLpCkyQSCooCQCw&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=lY8f402xPcz7EM%253A%3BvYhxxKEfq9zHjM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.nypl.org%252Findex.php%253Fid%253D422832%2526t%253Dw%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalgallery.nypl.org%252Fnypldigital%252Fdgkeysearchdetail.cfm%253Ftrg%253D1%2526strucID%253D164915%2526imageID%253D422832%2526total%253D51%2526num%253D20%2526parent_id%253D164499%2526s%253D%2526notword%253D%2526d%253D%2526c%253D%2526f%253D%2526k%253D0%2526sScope%253D%2526sLevel%253D%2526sLabel%253D%2526lword%253D%2526lfield%253D%2526sort%253D%2526imgs%253D20%2526pos%253D38%2526snum%253D%2526e%253Dw%3B528%3B760" target="_blank">Honara Sneyd </a>but Honara broke off their marriage because her feelings for Andre changed. Andre was crushed. Having nothing to keep him in England he joined the army and shipped off to the colonies with the Royal Fusileers. Andre pleaded for Charlotte to not forget him and he vowed to come back to her.<br />
<br />
Schuyler found time the next morning to bring Fisher and Rose to the crossings but by that time <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/armyphotos.togetherweserved.com/297407.jpg" target="_blank">the expedition</a> had caught up with them. The cannons were already being dragged across the river as Schuyler lead Fisher and Rose down to Half Moon Ferry. The crossing was going smooth but Schuyler believed that Sloss's Ferry, just a short ways away, was the safer of the two crossings due to shallower water. He brought Fisher and Rose over to Sloss's Ferry to persuade them to use the other ferry. Schuyler, Fisher, and Rose stood on horse back in the middle of the frozen river at Sloss's Ferry examining the site when they heard a sharp snap.<br />
<br />
The noise echoed in the frigid air and off the river gorge walls as it made its way up the river. They river was cracking and splitting beneath the their feet. As they fled to the banks for safety they could hear shouts from the up the river where the expedition was crossing at Half Moon Ferry. The three rode their horses hard back to Half Moon Ferry. When they arrived they found the expedition in disarray; a large hole was visible in the river. The men explained that the river just gave way and swallowed up one of the heavier 18 pound guns. Fisher was relieved to hear that none of the men went down with the gun, but the men didn't share his sentiment; they were devastated by the loss of the valuable weapon.<br />
<br />
The expedition was called off for the day and the artillery were dragged back to Albany. That evening the report was given to Knox. Knox too was devastated by the loss of the gun. Fisher and Schuyler were scolded for the debacle. The men stayed up that evening formulating how best to proceed. It was agreed that Sloss's Ferry was the better crossing but Knox wanted to be sure there would be no more loss of equipment. He insisted that Schuyler mobilize the residents of Albany to assist the magician in thickening the ice.<br />
<br />
The next morning a small army of men, women, and children, along with the artillery train, all went down to Sloss's ferry. Fisher and Rose melted snow and ice for the citizens of Albany to carry in buckets to a reinforce a narrow strip of the Hudson. When the ice was sufficiently thickened Knox ordered the sleds to cross the river - lightest guns first, heaviest last. The crossing was a success. The citizens of Albany stuck around all afternoon as the sleds crossed over one by one. Spirits were high when the last sled pushed off to cross the Hudson. Fisher and Rose were given the honor of escorting the last sled across. The citizens cheered them on their way and Charlotte waved gallantly from the sled astride the largest 24 pound cannon. That was when tragedy stuck.<br />
<br />
In a flash the ice gave way and the sled toppled and sunk into the frigid waters of the Hudson. Charlotte rolled to avoid being crushed by the cannon and escape the sled before it dragged her down with it. She couldn't move fast enough, the cannon rolled over her wrist. Charlotte escaped the sinking sled but her wrist was broken. Helpless, she kicked and slide away from sled as it slipped beneath the surface. Fisher came to her rescue instantly, scooping her up and carrying her to safety.<br />
<br />
Knox's fears were realized and all their hard work seemed for naught. Again they lost one of their largest pieces of artillery. Fisher was still reeling from the catastrophe but something was gnawing at him, something wasn't right. Then it hit him. The ice failure wasn't natural, he could sense another magician's influence in the air. Fisher scanned the opposing river bank, looking into the faces of the shocked citizens of Albany when his eyes locked with another man. He found the culprit, another magician was present. He shouted to seize the man. Citizens sprung into action and the man was subdued quickly.<br />
<br />
The next afternoon the captured magician was tried by a military court headed by Schuyler and found guilty of treason. He was sentenced to death by hanging. Less than 24 hours from the incident the man was hung. The expedition was put on hold. The doctors of Albany tended to Rose's wrist and Fisher stayed by her side even as he was told that the citizens of Albany were organizing a salvage party to retrieve the lost cannon from the bottom of the river. The salvage was successful and the 24 pound cannon was retrieved. At a large ceremony in the center of the city the cannon was ceremoniously loaded. Knox addressed the crowd and proclaimed that from that day forward the cannon would be known as the 'The Albany.' Then Knox fired the cannon. It was hard to say whether the boom of the cannon or the crowd was louder.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-74633710392876888962015-01-07T21:45:00.000-06:002015-01-07T21:45:22.281-06:0003 - The Last Day of Magic<b>December 1775</b><br />
<br />
The snow was reluctant to come; the expedition had stopped before it ever really began. There was snow in the area just not where Knox needed it. The magician struggled day in, day out, to coax the snow to fall around Fort George to no avail. Meanwhile Charlotte had spent 10 days cooped up in the fort and she couldn't take it any longer. Knox made arrangements to have Charlotte take to the road along with lieutenant John Andre and a small company of prisoner guard to travel south to Saratoga. Saratoga was the next stop along the <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ESP37QKZIi8/TxaEJFsQXBI/AAAAAAAABGc/us7NPaf9JKA/Knox%252520Route%252520from%252520Ft%252520Ticonderago%252520to%252520Boston-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" target="_blank">300 mile</a> trail that they would follow to Boston. In exchange for releasing Charlotte, and the lieutenant, Knox wanted Charlotte to secure lodgings in Saratoga and scout the area as they traveled.<br />
<br />
Two days after Charlotte set out the magician finally came through. The roads were covered in a fresh layer of thick snow. Finally, 12 days after first arriving at Fort George, the expedition set out carrying 60 tons of artillery and ammunition. Progress was slow going and it wasn't until Christmas Eve morning that the <a href="http://www.rmichelson.com/Artist_Pages/Minor/Images/A-Noble-Train-of-Artillery.jpg" target="_blank">train of artillery</a> arrived in Saratoga.<br />
<br />
As Nicholas Fischer approached Saratoga he was overcome by large fount of magical energy situated just outside the town. He had experienced these types of large energy pools before in Europe where they were well documented, but this was the first time he had encountered it in America. After quickly settling into his lodgings Fisher went back out to explore the area and find the source of the energy. It wasn't long until he found the epicenter in a nearby field.<br />
<br />
Charlotte and Henry Knox watched from the comfort of the inn as the magician wandered about in the cold and snow. When Fisher finally returned they asked him what he had been searching for. Knox was intrigued by the pool of energy and insisted that Fischer use the energy to generate more snow. He wanted Fisher to make snow and push it south towards Albany for them to use in the coming days as the expedition moved on. Nicholas agreed to the plan but only if a performance be made of the summoning - the magician wanted to test out his some of his practical magic theories with the energy pool concerning Charlotte.<br />
<br />
Knox put out the word to the locals that a magician was in town and that he would be performing a Christmas spectacle . It wasn't long before the whole town was gathered in the field at the epicenter of the energy pool. Nicholas and Charlotte put on a show that dazzled the crowd. First thick beautiful snowflakes began to fall, then the magician dressed a lone evergreen tree with a fresh coat snow. Before long there was snow everywhere, floating up, down, and all around as if they all were inside a huge outdoor snow globe, and at the center stood the evergreen, an exquisite white Christmas tree.<br />
<br />
That evening everyone celebrated in good cheer and on Christmas morning they all woke up to a white Christmas with over 2 feet of fresh snow.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-15845545088468264982014-12-31T14:51:00.001-06:002015-01-07T12:42:35.554-06:0002 - The Last Day of Magic<b>December, 1775</b><br />
<br />
Knox's expedition arrived at Fort George after 3 days of hard travel over the post roads and hunting trails through New York's back-country. Nicholas Fisher and Charlotte Rose shared a single horse for the trek and after 30 hours in the saddle together they were relieved to be through with the journey. The fort was small and the bunk house was crowded so Knox, Fischer, and Rose were all assigned a single room with a captured British lieutenant.<br />
<br />
The lieutenant was a handsome young man by the name of <a href="http://www.earlyamerica.com/images/andre.jpg" target="_blank">John Andre</a>. Knox and the magician got along with the prisoner of war just fine but it was Charlotte who took the lieutenant the most. Not only was Andre handsome but he was a man of the arts - versed in poetry, theater, music, and drawing. The two were immediately attracted to one another.<br />
<br />
That evening Knox laid out his plan for the first stage of the expedition. Just a few miles north up Lake George lay <a href="http://www.derekbeck.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Noble-Train-of-Artillery-close-up-of-Ft.-Ticonderoga.jpg" target="_blank">Fort Ticonderoga</a> and the cannons that Knox sought. Knox planned to row a small fleet of boats up Lake George, disassemble the cannons, load cannons onto the boats and float the cargo back down the lake to Fort George. He needed the lake to remain unfrozen throughout this process; that's where Nicholas Fisher's talents were required. Temperatures were falling and winter was setting in and the magician needed to make sure that the lake didn't freeze.<br />
<br />
<br />
With the task set before him Nicholas wasted no time in starting to shape the weather. He concocted a magic act in which he could perhaps create a large source of heat with which he could hold back the frost. At the same time the show of magic would impress the crew and make it easier for him to generate a pool of belief for future practical magic as the expedition wore on. Fisher enlisted Knox and the doting lieutenant into his troupe for the trick.<br />
<br />
The soldiers in the fort had constructed a large bonfire from fresh cut logs. The logs were still too green to burn but Nicholas knew that he could set them ablaze. The troupe used a cask of alcohol to guide a trail of flame that danced alongside Charlotte out of the mess hall and down to the bonfire. Andre accompanied the trick with a rousing performance on the violin. Nicholas channeled the magic out of the growing anticipation from the crew and soldiers. As Charlotte and the trail of flame approached the bonfire Nicholas pushed the built up energy through Charlotte. Charlotte took the energy and directed it into flames and the bonfire exploded in wave of supernatural flame.<br />
<br />
<br />
The trick proved to be more spectacle than substance in the end. The next day there was little heat for Nicholas to change the weather with. He spent the next two days tirelessly working alone - holding back the frost with traditional practical magic techniques. Meanwhile, Knox traveled up the lake with his crew. Charlotte and John Andre spent the days together in the comforts of the fort and each others company.<br />
<br />
The retrieval of the cannon was a success in the end. Knox returned to Fort George and began making preparations to get the cannon loaded onto sleds which could be <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Siegeofbostonartillery.jpg" target="_blank">dragged over land by teams of oxen</a>. However, in order to move out, the weather would need to change again. This time Knox required snow. Again the magician would be called upon.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-21196058110325602172014-12-11T21:12:00.000-06:002014-12-31T13:26:10.104-06:0001 - The Last Day of Magic<b>November, 1775</b><br />
<br />
New York city was buzzing with anticipation. For weeks heralds had announced the coming of the next, and greatest, in spectacles from the magic act had captured the imagination of the burgeoning metropolis. Magician Nicholas Fischer had announced that the star of his show, Charlotte Rose, was to perform an act called "The Vortex." The location of the show was secret until the day of the show when the heralds finally announced that the performance would take place on Long Island, across the East River, in a remote inlet just north of Red Hook.<br />
<br />
People from across the city, from merchants to fishermen, seamstresses to maids, boarded ferry's and made their way across the frigid New York bay. They shuffled into a clearing where freshly felled trees were now arranged in long benches which created an amphitheater surrounding an inlet. The sun began to set and everyone's attention turned towards the inlet. The water of the inlet was partially frozen which created a sort of ice floe. A warm eastward breeze accompanied by thick fog rolled in off the river. It was through this curtain of fog that the magician and his assistant stepped onto the icy stage that was the inlet. <br />
<br />
The performance was nothing short of spectacular. The theatrics exceeded even the duos reputation. Charlotte Rose was suspended aloft in a swirling vortex above an floating chuck of ice. She seemed to dance in the air for several long seconds as if the vortex were her partner; the both of them moving as one in thin air.<br />
<br />
After taking their bows the pair of performer took a brief rest and then returned to greet their audience in the outdoor evening festival that had sprung up around the clearing. Just as the evening was winding down the magician was approached by a young Bostonian bookseller. His name was <a href="http://media.masslive.com/history_impact/photo/gen-henry-knoxjpg-e574f807568c539a_large.jpg" target="_blank">Henry Knox</a> and he was on a expedition to fetch and deliver 60 pieces of artillery to Boston from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga on the border of New York and Quebec. Knox was impressed with the magician's performance and had read about the use of practical magic. Knox believed that a practical magician was just the thing his expedition needed to succeed.<br />
<br />
After thinking on it for a short while Nicholas Fisher and Charlotte Rose both agreed to accompany the bookseller on his expedition for a handsome fee. The expedition was set to leave New York in a matter of days. If all went well the pair would be back in New York in 4 weeks time; just in time for the New Year.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-72928265094149968362014-06-04T12:56:00.001-05:002014-06-04T12:56:11.946-05:0003 - RodrigoProfile Radio:<br />
<br />
Adrian Hildegarde is a first generation, in-situ grown Martian. He lived in the Margaritifer Terra Dome for 42 years and earned 14 advanced degrees in subjects ranging from Mathematics to Engineering to Politics. At age 37 Adrian developed Alzheimer's disease. He was relocated to the nearby Ares Vallis Dome and was treated in the Ares Vallis Hospital. The treatment was unsuccessful and he was denied bio-cycle on the grounds that his memory was sufficiently deteriorated.<br />
<br />
Adrian did not give up a hope for a cure. Instead he began to work at first independently, and eventually in a small team with other like minded Martians to reverse his condition. In a strange turn of events, Adrian's obsession and tireless work finding a cure busied his mind enough to slow, and in some cases reclaim some of his lost memories. For three years Adrian collected data, however the results of his self-conducted and unsanctioned tests were not accepted by the medical staff at the Department of Welfare (DoW). According to the DoW, Adrian was still mentally degenerative, albeit selectively, and he was further denied treatment.<br />
<br />
At this point records and close friends indicate that Adrian became "unhinged" and he began a downward spiral into dementia. He stopped his daily functions as a Citizen and secluded himself in his residence. Two months following Adrian's seclusion he disappeared and the DoW closed his public record.<br />
<br />
The details of Adrian's escape from the dome are mysterious however in the classified DoW database his record continues. Adrian reappears living in the wilderness referring to himself as Radio, denying his previous identity. Radio quickly began putting his efforts into communications monitoring and drew the attention of some of the Dome's senior officials. Radio's ability to tap into communications systems and databases astonished the Department of Security. Director Kahn was one of the officials who took notice of Radio's actions. Kahn took it upon herself to monitor Radio. Kahn reverse-engineered Radio's own techniques against him, and eventually Kahn was able to cipher his advances. Quickly Kahn took the upper hand and Radio was shut out of Dome's databases and communications.<br />
<br />
Kahn and the the Department of Security learned from Radio's breach and tightened up their systems. Radio was given restricted access and Kahn continued to monitor his activities to learn more about potential flaws in the system. Seven years have passed and Radio has made little to no effort to breach the Dome's systems. Instead he merely monitors the few channels that Kahn allows him access to.<br />
<br />
Flash forward to the present: Radio has promised to hack a live feed between Rodrigo and Director Kahn and broadcast it to the Dome's public. In exchange for his service he expects Rodrigo to provide him a new body by bio-cycling him into a vessel using the salvaged transfer pods from the relay station.<br />
<br />
Radio's mental state is questionable however he does seem lucid enough
to understand the implications of being able to bio-cycle himself with
the help from Rodrigo. It is unclear whether bio-cycling will reverse or cure Radio's condition. At the same time, keeping busy mentally seems to have minimized the effects of Alzheimer's for him thus far. Perhaps providing Radio with a clone of himself will speed his recovery, or at least provide him more manpower to find a cure.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-62071833698725899712014-05-07T21:38:00.001-05:002014-05-16T13:04:07.244-05:0002 - Rodrigo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Profile Rodrigo:<br />
<br />
Rodrigo immigrated to Mars 13 years ago. Due to an automation mistake
at the relay station Rodrigo’s earth body was awakened after his consciousness
was processed to his immigrant body. Confronted with the problem of
having two Rodrigos, Director of Welfare Kahn decided to exile the pair and
maintain constant surveillance over them. Over the years Director Kahn
has made watching Rodrigo carve out an existence in the harsh Martian
wilderness her favorite pastime.<br />
<br />
Rodrigo lived a mostly solitary life, scraping discarded tech left behind by
the drones that maintain the vast network of power grids, mines, and garbage
facilities scattered around the Ares Vallis dome. Occasionally Rodrigo
would develop some new technology or create a unique program that Kahn would
use to enhance the domes existence. These developments justified Kahn’s
decision to allow Rodrigo to live out his natural life on the planet rather
than having killed him back on the relay station.<br />
<br />
Rodrigo struggled with his identity ever since he became split between two
bodies. The Rodrigo from Earth knew he was the original incarnation of
himself but he refused to believe that his clone was a different or separate
person from himself. He believes that there is only one Rodrigo - just
two perspectives. His mind is in two bodies, but it’s still the same
mind, still the same identity. Rodrigo believes that his clone makes the
same decisions that he would make in the same situation. Rodrigo believes
that his two selves share the same identity, but have different
experiences. This makes for a broader understanding and wider range of
experience. Because Rodrigo believes his clone is no different from him,
he accepts all actions and incorporates all thoughts his other self does and
thinks as his own.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Rodrigo who was created on Mars believes that he is a completely new man independent from his original. From the instant that rodrigo
laid eyes on his original self he understood that he was not the original
man. From the very beginning rodrigo determined that he was less real and
somehow inferior to his predecessor. Rodrigo believes that identity is
not continuous between bodies. Bio-cycling does not extend the life of
the original individual, it creates a new individual. Because Rodrigo believes consciousness is not transferred in the bio-cycling process, he believes
that identities are being terminated prematurely without the vessel
understanding that they will seize to exist. rodrigo has no proof for his
theory and as a result he argues with his predecessor regarding the meaning of
identity on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
Flash forward to the present: Having access to the crashed transport and
pods confirms what rodrigo has long suspected. The pods records a back-up of
the consciousness during the bio-cycle process. However, consciousness
still only exists within a body; which means it is impossible to interact
with the back-up that is stored digitally within the pod. The pod records
the back-up and then uploads the mind file to the new body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process is handled entirely by the
pod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no direct transfer of the
mind, the mind does not leave the host, the process does not create vessels. The
process of bio-cycling is not <u>cut </u>& paste as the Dome has stated, it is a
<u>copy </u>& paste. This is the key. This is why the pods and the “vessels”
are incinerated when they are taken down from the relay station. The Dome
is destroying the body, the back-up, and the technology that would allow more
copies of the immigrant to be made.<br />
<br />
When the Dome destroys the body and the pod, it puts the immigrant under the
control of the Dome. Without the Dome's cooperation the immigrant cannot be
cloned again. Citizens are also bio-cycled in pods, the same way as immigrants,
when a body ages to a undesirable degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A citizen is an investment in the future of the Martian civilization,
but a citizen with the ability to create duplicates of his or herself is a
liability. The Dome maintains control by keeping back-ups and pods out of the
hands of the citizens and immigrants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Dome decides who is bio-cycled and who isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Concerning the future: Rodrigo is responsible for the rescue of two medical technicians from the destroyed relay station. He restored life to the badly burned technicians by bio-cycling them into the earth bodies of two immigrants. The pods from the transport ship that crashed down to the planet are storing a back-up mind file of the two immigrants who perished up on the relay station. Essentially, the two technicians are borrowing the vessel bodies while they figure out how to restore themselves to a new body of their own, at which time the mind file stored in the pods can be used to restore the identities of the immigrants into their original Earth bodies.<br />
<br />
At the same time Rodrigo is being accused by Director Kahn of attacking and destroying the relay station. Kahn believes that Rodrigo attacked the station in order to steal the pods - perhaps to create more clones. Rodrigo must protect the technicians and the pods for him to survive this ordeal. If Rodrigo loses the pods or the technicians he loses the evidence that proves his theory. Despite Rodrigo's self-sacrificing actions, and his new understanding of how bio-cycling really functions, he is still being hunted by Kahn with no clear path towards absolving himself in the eyes of the Dome <br />
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<![endif]-->amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-4431416010302464052014-04-21T21:40:00.000-05:002014-04-21T21:40:04.658-05:0001 - Rodrigo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Two technicians floated off the space elevator into
the center of the relay station in the Martian thermosphere tethered high above
the Ares Vallis Dome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One man, one
woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The technicians busied themselves
setting up one of the four wedge shaped med-bays for the incoming transport.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Outside the port holes they could see a transport
approach the relay station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shuttle
adjusted itself shooting white tufts of air from nozzles scattered around its
smooth windowless fuselage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within
minutes the transport docked with the relay <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>station and the technicians boarded the
transport by way of a small docking arm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The transport was small and dimly lit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man walked hunched over so as not to hit
his head as he approached one of the two sets of pods packed together inside
the transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pods were just large
enough to hold a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
featureless besides a small glazed viewing window located above the head-end,
and a read out screen in the middle, that displayed the vital signs of the
immigrants inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The two technicians wordlessly assigned themselves
each to a pair of pods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man peered
inside his pods and saw a male immigrant lying in stasis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just beside the immigrant, in an identical
pod was the immigrants duplicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a
few quick key strokes to the read out screen the man began transferring the
consciousness of the immigrant who had been born on Earth to the duplicate that
had been grown in transit to Mars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
minutes later the old Earth-born body of the immigrant was nothing but an empty
vessel and the new transport-grown body sat up carrying with it the
consciousness of the immigrant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The man ushered his immigrant back to the med-bay,
as did his female counterpart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Routine
tests were conducted as robotic arms, connected to endless tracks that
cross-crossed the stations walls, floors, and ceilings, delivered tools and
supplies to the technicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
tests were being concluded the stations automated systems spoke in a calm and
even tone: "Warning, air pressure drop detected." The man swung
around and looked out the port window over his shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blue flames were creeping around the edges of
the window.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Without warning the one of the walls of the
med-bays across the station collapsed on itself as if a huge invisible fist had
punched a hole in the wall from the inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The immigrant on the table in front of the man slammed into him sending
him into a wild zero gravity spin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the same time, all of the air was sucked out of the station through the hole in
the wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man hit one of the
stations walls and was able to stabilize himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking around he watched as everything
rushed towards the hole in the stations walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both immigrants were tumbling end over end. He watched helplessly as
they flew through the opening and were lost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
It only took the station 7 seconds to raise the
walls to the damaged med-bay and seal off the hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15 more seconds and oxygen was resupplied to
the remaining med-bays allowing the man to fill his lungs with air again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with the air came sound. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The automated systems were still speaking,
saying "...air-pressure restored. Warning, hull breach detected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warning, fire detected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attention, proceed to the exit..."</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The man looked around the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Floating debris cluttered his line of sight,
but he could make out a body floating about on the other side of the
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the woman technician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man dodged debris and crossed the
station, pausing briefly to peer down through the space elevator shaft at the
center of the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blue flame coated
everything below him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fire swirled
slowly as it expanded and burned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
man reached the woman and found her to be knocked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called for an automated arm to retrieve
her body and bring it back to the transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the elevator drowning in a pool of flames, the transport was the
only escape route available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The automated arm dragged the woman along the edge
of the station back to the transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The man held onto the woman and was pulled along too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they glided towards the transport the man
ordered the station to open a communication channel to the dome below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The station spoke again, but this time it was
the voice of someone back on the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The man explained what had happened and asked for help, but there was
nothing anyone back on the dome could do to help him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transport would provide temporary
protection if the station burned up, but the transport wasn't designed to
survive reentering the Martian atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The recommendation from the dome was to board the transport and use it
to fly to another relay station and get back to the planet through another
dome.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The man guided the woman onto the transport and
sealed the hatch behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He punched
the button labeled 'detach' on the center console.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transport didn't move or make any
sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From inside the windowless
chamber he couldn't tell if anything had happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before he could wonder any further a muffled
explosion went off and the transport was sent into a sickening spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man struggled to grab hold of the woman
as their bodies were thrown around inside the tight quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he had her, he held her tight against
himself and tried to stabilize them both as the transport whipped around and
around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The man put his hand out to brace himself against
one of the walls, but he had to pull his hand away quick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walls were hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then that he realized that the walls
were beginning to turn a shade of dark orange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A couple seconds passed and the walls grew brighter orange and he could
feel the heat radiating off of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
station had pushed them away in the blast he had heard and they were now
tumbling back towards the planet, burning up in the Martian atmosphere.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The man did his best to keep himself wrapped tight
around the woman and stay away from the walls, but the heat was becoming
intense and the ship was rotating in a wild pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before the heat overwhelmed the man and he
lost consciousness he caught a glimpse of something strange through the view
window of one of the pods within the transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An immigrant's earth-born body was still inside, though now it was empty
vessel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The immigrant's consciousness
had been transferred to another body - the same body that had been swept out
into space back on the relay station, yet its eyes were opened and it was staring
back at the man through the view window.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;">
*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Rodrigo stopped his salvage hauler just outside
the Ares Vallis wind farm as soon as he saw the fireball in the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relay station was on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He watched as the whole station was swallowed
by the smooth blue glow of a zero-gravity fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suddenly the station seemed to crack in half and the perfectly formed
fireball was pushed out in every direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was frightening yet beautiful.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Rodrigo stayed and watched the fire grow and
spread across the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon debris could
be seen streaming across the sky as it burned up in the atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly something large came flying out of
the sky and crashed a few miles away off in the middle of the wind
turbines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rodrigo emptied his trailer of
the miscellaneous scraps he had been collecting all morning, jumped back into
the hauler, and speed off in the direction of the crash. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Today</i>, he thought, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is going
to be a good salvage day</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
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When Rodrigo located the wreck it was still
smoking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right when he saw it he knew
what it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transport was embedded
in the ground at the bottom of a four foot deep crater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With heat gloves on he tore a whole in the
hull of the transport with his cutting tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A sickening smell was coming out of the whole he had cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he cautiously lowered himself into the
dark and steaming hull he was overwhelmed by the smell of burnt flesh and hair.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Inside where two people intertwined tight together
that were burnt beyond identification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rodrigo checked the bodies to see if they were still alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To his disbelief they both were still
breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew he had precious few
minutes to stabilize both people before they succumbed to their injuries.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He wiped his gloved hand across the view window of
one of the pods in the transport and found it to be empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his other hand he wiped the connected
pod's window and saw an immigrant still inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Immediately he knew what he was going to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went back to the two blacked bodies and
pried them apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could now see that
one was a male and the other a female.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the look of things it appeared as though the man had wrapped
himself around the woman to protect her during the crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result the man was in much worse shape
and needed attention first.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rodrigo dragged the body to the empty pod and
sealed the man inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wiped off the
read out screen of the pod and prayed that the pod was still functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The screen was light up and began displaying
the vitals of the man inside the pod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was in worse shape than Rodrigo had thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stabilizing him in the pod would be impossible. If the man was to live
Rodrigo would have to do something more drastic.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rodrigo queued up the bio-cycle procedure on the linked
pods, setting the pod that contained the burned man as the host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a heavy heart he took one last look down
through the view window into the immigrant’s pod and punched the start key. </div>
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<br /></div>
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With one burn victim sorted he turned his
attention to the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, just as
he loaded the woman into the last vacant pod he heard a noise outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The read out screen showed him that the woman
was stable within the pod. He knew had time to think about what he would do
with her <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but first he had to find out
how close the snooper drone had gotten.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He half crawled out of the transport's hull and
found the pentaped drone surveying his hauler from a few paces away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rodrigo hefted his cutting tool in his hand
and walked over to the drone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drone
watched him intently as he raised the tool over his head and crushed its metal
body in one blow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I'm all in now</i>, he thought to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other drones were sure to arrive soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rodrigo had to get moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had done all he could for the two crash
victims, now all he could hope for was that his gamble on them would be worth
the sacrifice he had made for them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rodrigo started up the hauler once again and began
to drive himself, the transport shuttle, and the three bodies out of the wind
farm and away from the mangled drone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rodrigo's comm device chirped loudly over the rumble of the hauler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rodrigo's partner spoke from the device,
"I'm getting a lot of chatter out of the dome channels, what have I gotten
myself into?"</div>
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<br /></div>
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"I've collected some valuable scrap, and I
smashed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a drone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'll explain when we meet up, where are
you?" Rodrigo replied.</div>
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<![endif]-->amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-10143287331749928772014-04-08T20:24:00.001-05:002014-04-16T21:37:22.094-05:00Pitch Session - Rodrigo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/PIA17944-MarsCuriosityRover-AfterCrossingDingoGapSanddune-20140209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/PIA17944-MarsCuriosityRover-AfterCrossingDingoGapSanddune-20140209.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Background</i><br />
<br />
Every 25 months immigrants are launched when the planets are closest together. The transport carries immigrants, along with their new body, to the red planet in approximately160 days. The transports are received at one of a handful of relay stations where their consciousness is transferred from their Earth body to their new Martian body, referred to as bio-cycling. Once the technicians at the relay complete the bio-cycle the immigrants are brought down to the surface of the planet via space elevator to begin their new life on Mars.<br />
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Each immigrant is specifically selected and approved prior to departure from Earth to be integrated into Martian society which ensures the fulfillment of each individuals socioeconomic potential in their new life.amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6544521163357063092.post-10985010697585299842013-11-12T21:58:00.002-06:002013-11-13T15:43:10.602-06:00Anachron - 11<i>Somewhere in Fort Worth</i><br />
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Davis didn't waste any time. He did some digging from the privacy of his car as he drove circles around Fort Worth, stalling his return to the IRS building. He called Lauren and Alex back. Davis was quick to tell Lauren that, for once, she was wrong. Hills was implicated in the escape of Bradley Cane, however someone tipped him off that his arrest warrant was being issued and Hills fled. The fact that someone warned Hills was proof enough for Davis that Weiss was covering for him. Nobody else besides himself, Lauren, or Alex could have warned Hills. Weiss was protecting him.<br />
<br />
Davis committed himself to Lauren and Alex over the phone. He told them that they should head to the IRS building as soon as possible because Mitchell was being delivered within the next two hours. Davis offered to try to keep the basement clear for the women to do their work, but they would have to be quick about it. He didn't know how long he could keep Weiss from noticing that Mitchell's body had been delivered to the IRS building.<br />
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Lauren and Alex grabbed a cab and headed to the IRS building. They didn't have much of a plan to sneak in. They attempted to gain access through the door that Weiss had used to escape from the sub-basement after he murdered the Anachron Team. The door was locked. They went back to the entrance and tried to come up with a way to create a distraction that would draw the security guards attention. As they schemed, a van pulled up and two men got out and wheeled out a gurney with a coffin sized box from the back of the truck. Mitchell had arrived and so had their distraction.<br />
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The women slipped inside the building as the retrevial team checked in with security. They swiped their IRS access badge to open an exit stairway and fortunately the card still worked. When they reached the sub-basement they were off in a dark remote corner. Any movement would set off the sensors so they waited. The retrieval team arrived within moments, the women listened. Off in the middle of the floor the elevator opened and the two men wheeled the gurney out. Nobody greeted them. The men were confused about what to do. They decided to just leave the gurney out in the open and returned to the elevator.<br />
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With Mitchell delivered and seemingly nobody else in the sub-basement Lauren and Alex made their way to the Anachron room. The mobile pod that was the Anachron room was covered over in plastic tarps, and Mitchell was parked right nearby. The women moved the tarps away from the entrance, went in, and turned on the lights. The room smelled like sterilizer and all of the bodies that had been in there just hours ago were gone. Blood had been washed from walls and floor, only the bullet holes remained as evidence of the carnage that had taken place in the space.<br />
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Lauren and Alex wasted no time setting up and loading Mitchell into the Anachron. Alex took Silvia's old seat and Lauren laid down next to Mitchell.<br />
<br />
<i>Anachron Sequence: Mitchell</i><br />
<br />
Mitchell was driving his personal truck along the interstate behind General Hills. Mitchell found the whole situation a little strange but he wasn't about to question his superior about where they were headed or why he had to take his truck separately.<br />
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They approached a large causeway bridge and Hills began braking. The two vehicles stopped in the middle of the bridge and Hills got out. Mitchell watched for a moment to see what Hills was up to. Hills was walking across the road towards a large break in the guard rail on the opposite side. From the looks of it something big had smashed through the railing. Mitchell got out and followed after. There were skid marks all over the road and one set lead right up to the break in the guard rail. Mitchell approached the gaping hole in the guardrail and looked down the ravine to see what Hills was looking at. Mitchell didn't see anything down there in the darkness of the river below. That was when somebody spoke from behind them.<br />
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"Who's this?" asked the voice. Both Hills and Mitchell whipped around. It was dark but Hills obviously recognized the man because he coolly responded, "This is the man who helped you escape."<br />
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Mitchell's stomach dropped, and as he turned to question Hills about what he had said, Hills cracked him over the head with the butt of his handgun and Mitchell collapsed to the pavement. When Mitchell regained consciousness he was propped up against what was left of the smashed guardrail and Hills was talking with Cane a few feet away. Mitchell had a splitting headache and his thoughts came slowly at first. How had Cane gotten here and why was Hills talking with him? Had Hills attacked him?<br />
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Everything became clear all to quickly. Hills was chastising Cane over losing the prisoner transport truck. So they were working together Mitchell concluded. Hills got over Cane's mistake fast. Hills told Cane that he was to take Mitchell's truck instead. Hills gave Cane a duffel bag to change his clothes. As Cane changed, Hills laid out their plans.<br />
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Cane was to drive to Fort Worth, and get to a van that was waiting for him with a jamming device inside. Cane had to activate the jammer before he proceeded. Hills said that the jammer needed to be active within range of the President.<br />
<br />
Wait, what? The President though Mitchell.<br />
<br />
Hills handed Cane a backpack and continued with the plan. Inside the bag were explosives. From Cane's reaction, the bomb was way more powerful than he had been expecting. Hills laughed at Cane's reaction.<br />
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"You didn't think that you were going to live through this did you?" Hills said, "This is a closed loop operation, there is a timer that will detonate the bomb shortly after the President begins his speech. You must arrive in time or your efforts will be wasted. Oh, and just in case you happen to change your mind, I've just activated a tracker we installed on you. If you are separated from that bag by any more than 10 feet the bomb will also explode. Just kill the President; like we agreed, and there will be no evidence left behind."<br />
<br />
Mitchell couldn't believe what he was hearing. That sinking feeling in his stomach started to overtake the pounding in his head. Hills turned his attention to Mitchell next. He pulled Mitchell to his feet and manuvered him so that his back was to the hole in the guardrail. "Wrong place at the wrong time, I'm sorry I have to do this." Hills said. Then he pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through Mitchell's chest and he fell into the water below. The fall knocked the wind out of him but it didn't kill him. The river eventually took his life, but only after 6 long minutes of pain and struggle. <br />
<br />
<i>In the sub-basement during the Anachron Sequence:</i><br />
<br />
Approximately 8 minutes into Lauren's Anachron run Alex heard an unsettling and familiar sound. The elevator to the sub-basement was moving and it was headed down. Alex had only seconds to prepare herself. The doors opened and Weiss stepped off the elevator. He was looking right at Alex. With Lauren loaded in to the Anachron she was on her own.<br />
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Weiss walked calmly to the Anachron room and opened the door. Alex checked her gun but instead drew the stolen FBI cellphone. Just as Weiss shut the door behind him Alex activated a voice recording app on the phone to record her confrontation with Weiss. Weiss saw her with the phone out and inferred what she was doing, but he did nothing to stop her. Alex expected Weiss to attack her or twist her words to support the fiction that Weiss had created to frame the Anachron Team as the master-minds behind the assassination. Instead he looked around the room as if he were taking it in for the first time. Once he was settled he asked her "Is this it? I mean, expected there to be more of you."<br />
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Alex didn't know how to respond. Seeing her hesitate Weiss moved on with his questioning. He asked her if Lauren was hooked up to Mitchell right then. Alex told him that she was. Weiss asked if she could hear their conversation. Alex lied and said that Lauren could hear even though she was completely oblivious, she didn't want to admit that she was all alone with Weiss.<br />
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The conversation that followed was cordial. In fact the politeness and naivety of Weiss' questions where so out of character for him given the circumstances that Alex was more unnerved than if he had come in guns blazing.<br />
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As the conversation went on it seemed as though Weiss kept playing dumb. Alex wondered if he was putting on a show for the voice recorder, trying to use the recording to his advantage instead of Alex's. Finally Alex called him out on his game. She told him that whatever he was planning that Lauren and her weren't going to allow themselves to be framed. She told him that they would make sure that he took full responsibility for his actions.<br />
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Weiss was shocked. If he was acting, he was doing a hell of a job. Weiss became defensive. He kept up his facade as he told Alex that he had no idea what she was talking about. Alex laid it out for him. She told him that he would be found guilty of helping Cane and Hills based on the evidence her and Lauren were going to present. Weiss finally snapped. "So your going to frame me for this crime now?" Weiss replied absolutely flabbergasted. "I can see now that coming down here was a mistake; I can't let you get away with this" he said, and with that he pulled his gun from his holster and pointed it at Alex.<br />
<br />
Alex wanted a confession out of Weiss not another frontal attack. She reacted immediately and leaped out of her seat and knocked Weiss to the floor, his gun skittered across the floor. He could have fired but he didn't, Alex was fast, but not that fast. Alex stood over Weiss, her heart pounding, when all of the sudden it wasn't Weiss who was laying on the floor at her feet; it was Davis.<br />
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It took Alex a moment to understand what was happening. It had been Davis all along. The weird questions, his genuine shock at being accused of helping Cane, it all made sense. The Anachron was still playing tricks with her mind, blending reality with glimpses of the past and perhaps even dredging up some hidden fears she keep locked away in the far recesses of her psyche.<br />
<br />
Alex helped Davis up and apologized profusely. She tried to explain that her confusion stemmed from a side effect from using the Anachron to many times in too short a period recently. Incredibly he seemed to forgive her even though he couldn't understand why she had essentially hallucinated during an entire conversation. Just as Davis began to accept her repeated apologizes Lauren returned from her Anachron sequence. Alex brought Lauren up to speed, admitting to Davis that she had lied about Lauren being able to hear their conversation. Lauren gave her account of Mitchell's final moments, and the three of them began to formulate their next move.<br />
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Weiss had to be brought down and the Anachron Team needed to receive the credit they were due for bringing to light the actual truth of the situation. In order to do that they were going to need to connect Weiss to the van with the jamming device. Weiss had to have been the one to plant the van and jammer. The fact that he used the same jamming device to block out the evidence of his attack on the Anachron Team supported the case that Weiss had planted the jammer for Cane to use in the first place. If they could pin Weiss to the van or the jammer, he would at a minimum be responsible for killing Jeremy, Silvia, and Dr. Saren. It wouldn't be hard to link him back to Cane and Hills either since all of the events were linked to one another.<br />
<br />
However there was still one problem. The 'closed loop,' as Hills described it, left no room for any physical evidence with which to incriminate Weiss. Somehow they were going to have to get Weiss to slip up and incriminate himself, and when he did, they needed to document it. Nobody liked it, but the reality of their situation was that they were going to have to physically confront Weiss to get the evidence they needed.<br />
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<br />amontegohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07361069688278027650noreply@blogger.com0