Titan
The cilia were fluttering furiously as the massive airship began a turn hard to starboard. Deryn's hair started to get pushed into her eyes, when she pushed it back a message lizard was clambering the rat lines towards her. She watched it scramble between the feet of the riggers almost getting stepped on a few times. It reached her and spoke in the captain's voice. "Mr. Sharp please report to the bridge." "Yes sir…" she responded in her almost girlish voice "…end message." The lizard ran off back towards the bridge.
She started moving along the spine of the massive whale, clipping and unclipping her carabineer as she moved along the lines. Walking had always helped clear her head and allow her to concentrate on important things, for example Alex. She was feeling as though a huge cloud had whisked her away to some far off land, and for the first time in her life she felt like a girl. A full on in the flesh girl who braids her hair, wears skirts, and snickers at boys with her gaggle of friends. She was in love with Alex and the kiss had just cemented that between the two of them. Alex had left in a hurry after they kissed red faced and mumbling under his breath. It had rather ruined the moment but in Deryn's mind the important thing was that it had happened. Deryn had been standing there for about a full hour just thinking things over; she had to talk to Alex once they were back in their room.
She pushed her way through the halls, the usual hustle and bustle of an airship at noon. Riggers were moving big loops of rope topside and sergeants were barking orders to marines to move out of the way or to grab a box of something or other. The ever present smells of the ship changed from section to section. Near the bridge the pungent odor of bird clart or the digestive fluids deep in the beastie were faint; here is where most of the officers lived. Well treated fabricated mahogany and cherry wood wafted their smells out of the rooms every time an officer opened and closed a door. Leather, shoe and brass polish seemed to emanate from every fiber on their uniforms, the traditional deep blue color the Air Service borrowed from the Royal Navy. Here and there the Khaki of the Royal Marines would also be visible.
Deryn reached the hatch to the bridge and climbed down the enclosed ladder to the gondola, fluffy white clouds drifting past outside the windows. She reached the door to the bridge and knocked, a moment later some fresh faced Lieutenant opened the door. He motioned her in and promptly left, Captain Hobbes noticed her entrance and herded everyone out of the bridge. What could be so important that he would send the bridge crew out?
Captain Hobbes motioned to a chair next to a table in the corner of the gondola. The both moved and sat down; Deryn opened her mouth to speak but was cut off abruptly by the Captain.
"Mr. Sharp I'm afraid I'm the bearer of ill news, I've never been good at this sort of thing so I'll just come out and say it."
Deryn's stomach dropped to the floor, had they found out she was a girl? Did some random rigger see her and Alex kiss topside? Or was it that bastard Volger who revealed her secret? She braced herself for what she thought was to be the end of her career.
"Dylan, your cousin Jaspert was killed yesterday aboard the H.M.A.S. Minotaur. I understand that you two were extremely close and his funeral will be postponed until we return to London so you can be there. I know how it feels to lose a loved one in the line of duty; my own brother was killed in the Sudan during that war, nasty business but not much we can do about it but remember those we lost."
Deryn was shattered this was almost worse than being discovered, Jaspert was dead and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.
"Sir, may I ask. How did he die?" She was hardly able to hold back the tears.
"His ship was destroyed by ground Ack-Ack while flying over Yipers. If it's any consolation his death was quick, most likely painless."
Deryn said something that was meant to be a thank you but nothing but gurgles escaped her throat. She stood up and left the bridge, as she walked the gauntlet of officers waiting outside she just stared straight down. Worst thing now was to cry uncontrollably and sound like a girl doing it. When she left to gondola she walked slowly back towards her cabin, as she did she made an abrupt turn down another hall towards Dr. Busk's office. Deryn hoped he wasn't in.