AN: Yep. New bit to the Sisters arc.
Deryn wasn't quite sure what to make of Japan. It was gorgeous, with swooping architecture complementing the landscape and with strange beasties galore. Everything was done with elegance, meaning that she was itching to get out her sketchpad and draw.
The people looked different, with slightly slanted, almost catlike eyes and straight dark hair. They spoke in a language that was very different from any of the many languages she'd heard in Istanbul. Oddly enough, Dr. Barlow struggled with the language, speaking mainly in short, choppy sentences.
Meanwhile, Helen spoke with a fluidity similar to that of the natives.
She'd gone over the plan with Alek and the middies beforehand. To disguise the prince, she'd said that he'd would be a third midshipman under the name Alexander Ferdinand. Dr. Barlow had agreed with this logic, adding that it would be safer for the boy to be brought with them rather than left on the ship, where he might make another escape attempt.
He stood next to her now in one of Newkirk's uniforms, eyes huge and staring around. He was quite nervous here, and, judging by his expression, he didn't understand the rapid-fire Japanese being exchanged between Helen and their welcoming guides.
Helen nodded her head fervently, sounding like she was saying, "Hi," before turning to the Leviathan's crew and telling them (in English), "Welcome to Japan! Mr. Furukawa gives us his greetings and says arrangements will be made for us. We will be allowed a small vacation of sorts, so he says, where we can relax for the few days we will be here. He will make sure the airship is taken care of."
A cheer went up at that. As the crew dispersed, the Dr. Barlows walked up to the middies and Alek. "We'll be taking a tour of the experimental beast facilities," Dr. Barlow told them, "I wish to bring a few things, which means Alek will be coming with us. Mr. Sharp, I may be in need of your services once again."
Meaning carrying the boffin's stuff. That would be barking fabulous, she thought sarcastically.
"Newkirk, I know you're nervous about the beasties. Do you want to come or not?" Helen asked bluntly.
The midshipman shook his head frantically. "No, miss."
Helen nodded decisively. "Whatever works for you."
Dr. Barlow continued with, "Come, we must get my things."
"And Phillip and Nikola."
As they made their way back to the ship, Deryn had to wonder what Helen wanted her giant bird for, as well as the man.
"And now, Mr. Ibuki and I are proud to present a new beastie," Helen told the group.
Tesla looked like he knew what she was going to say, but Dr. Barlow looked faintly curious. Alek was more on edge than ever after seeing the many beasties of Japan.
There had been some strange ones: large, scaly monsters that dragged their spiky tails, an orange lizard with big eyes and an ability to spit burning chemicals, a new dinosaur with feathers and curved claws that Helen had loved at first sight.
Helen paused in front of the door out of the building. The building itself was really just a small pavilion on top of a hill with an incredibly high and sturdy-looking fence stretching away on both sides. The trees were immense here and blocked any view of what was beyond.
"Together, the pair of us, plus Nikola, created a machine and a companion beastie," Helen said, grinning. Pushing open the door with a grandeur arm motion, she finished with, "And now, I wish to present to you the beast portion of the Goliath Project."
Deryn felt her jaw drop. Beyond the open door was a balcony, and, beyond that, a fabrication big enough to take on the Leviathan. The head was faintly reminiscent of a crocodile's, or maybe a Spinosaur's. Fangs poked out from its lips. Two teeth were much bigger than the rest.
She took a step back as the creature swiveled its head around. Intelligent yellow eyes surveyed the land from beneath a crest of bone that swept back slightly. It had a thick neck and a muscle-bound body that was light brown. The back legs were a bit longer than the front and rippled with powerful muscles. A thick, though shortish tail swung behind the beast.
Scarily, its feet were huge as well, with curved claws that gleamed in the sunlight. Helen grinned like a maniac at Dr. Barlow's awestruck expression. "Didn't think that the Ziz got this big, didja? A solid two hundred feet from tail-tip to nose. A hundred feet tall. At least. I'm not sure how much they weigh, but believe me, it's a lot."
Alek looked downright terrified. Gulping, he stuttered, "Th-that's a big animal, Helen."
She laughed. "Don't I know it. Last time I checked, we had a pack of seven. None have died, have they?" she asked Mr. Ibuki, who shook his head. So he understood English.
Deryn was bursting with questions. "What are they made of?"
"Blood, muscle, tendons, bone… Nah, I know what you're talking about. You haven't seen a head like that before, have you?"
She shook her head in reply.
Helen gazed at her creature fondly. "We used a lot of Gorgonops life threads, but some Allosaurus fragilis, a bit of cave lion, and various Ankylosaurus relatives. For the most part. We used mainly extinct animals."
"It's quite something, Helen," Dr. Barlow commented.
"Mr. Ibuki deserves credit as well," she dismissed the compliment, waving at the Japanese man; "He helped quite a lot. And Nikola has the non-organic portion of the Goliath Project as well."
Alek cleared his throat. "What were they made for?" he asked in a slightly frightened voice.
Helen's face became grave. "Almost purely for the purpose of taking down the big Clanker dreadnoughts. See the hind legs? Notice how strong they are? Well, assuming Ushio here- yes, we have them named, helps us keep track of them- were to spot a dreadnought…"
Mr. Ibuki finally spoke. "She'd take off running and jump. The Ziz can hit speeds of at least fifty miles per hour when they get going, and they can keep that up for a while. They can jump their body height without too much difficulty. Those claws and teeth will rip and pierce the pipes and such."
"They keep their balance like cats and can swim. Their sight, smell, and hearing are excellent," Helen added.
"That's barking amazing," Deryn breathed, moving to the edge of the balcony for a better look.
"But where is Nikola's machine?" Dr. Barlow asked.
Something changed in Helen's posture. She was getting down to business. "This is why we called the Leviathan to Japan," she explained, "Mr. Tesla's machine has been stolen by the Germans and taken to an unknown location. We do not know where that place specifically is, but we believe it is in the United States."
"The United States?" Deryn blurted out, "How barking insane are these people? If the US catches them on their territory, they're dead meat!"
Dr. Barlow was thoughtful. "There is a certain element of genius to it- the US is the last place they'd be expected to go."
Helen inclined her head towards her sister-in-law. "Exactly, Nora. We've informed the US that we have had something of ours stolen that we wish to retrieve, and they've granted the Leviathan permission to enter their land to get it back."
Alek raised his hand slightly. "What is this machine? Is it a weapon? What does it do?"
"It's Tesla's invention, Alek. It's going to shoot electricity," Deryn muttered.
Tesla smiled at her. "Correct. It works on a similar principle to my Tesla gun, but on a much larger scale."
"I've seen it. Let's just say you won't be keeping that in a holster on your hip," Helen added.
"What does it look like?" Dr. Barlow asked.
Helen raised an eyebrow. "You ever see Nicky's work? You know it when you see it. It's very obvious when it was made or designed by him." When she was given blank looks from the middies, she huffed and said, "Coils of copper or other metals, a metal ball to direct electricity, metal struts that support and direct the electricity. Think. These are traits in the Tesla cannon, my Tesla-" She broke off here to say to Nikola, "We need to stop putting your name on everything."
"The Tesla gun was your idea."
"That's true. Anyway… The captain and high-ranking officers all know this. We aren't going back to England anytime soon. Hopefully, we can get in and out of the US quickly. I'll brief you more when we get closer, but trust me…" Helen paused and nodded for Mr. Ibuki to leave. He did so, and she continued, "You guys are essential to this."
"Why?" Deryn asked.
"Dr. Barlow is well-respected for her status as an excellent female boffin as well as for having Darwin's blood in her veins. Alek, you are the son of the dead Archduke. You have a key part to play. Nicky's role is obvious, as he built the bloody thing in the first place. And Dylan- apparently, the most peculiar things happen to you. I've heard extraordinary things about you, and I have a gut feeling that you'll have the skills needed to help."
"What about the rest of the crew?" Deryn insisted, "They should know this too."
"Oh don't worry. The captain will give them this information soon. But he knows that I will be using a special party for my purposes for finding the device," Helen said, sounding like she was finished.
"What's it called?" Alek inquired, "We can't call it 'the device' or 'the machine' forever."
"I call it a death ray, but Helen thinks that sounds a bit lofty," Mr. Tesla stated with a look at Helen.