The Cake is a Lie

*Posted by* Largehobbit

Posted: May 3, 2018, 2:12pm

"I hate that man." Lina snarled as she looked down at Connor. "And he is drunk look at him. What is he doing here?"

"We are all drunk." Laughed Eli "unless that is sparkling water in your hip flaske. And he is here because i invited him. Now pick the man up and let's land this ship."

Lina obeyed reluctantly and they set about the task of steering the airship in for a landing. In place of the vast tower of the Roost Morks Bends had a squat square structure raised barley one hundred feet from the ground. It's roof was laid out as a docking area with a large industrial platform at its centre that could be raised or lowered to carry good to ground level. The platform started to withdraw as they approached.

Morks Bend itself was a vast rail yard with the Green Line running past a small station on its western edge. A MK.III Lex was resting there and Lina could make out the small figures of railworkers walking on and around it. Tall metal fences stretched up around the station and yard containing all the building in a compound roughly half a mile in each direction. The whole place was dark and riddled with rust and dirt.

"You take me to all then best places." Connor murmered as they drew closer. Eli gave him a grim smile as he turned to shout to his crew,

"Reverse fans, and ready anchors."

Lina was making her way onto the middeck to work the loading controls as the Seraphim moved forward to float on the eastern edge of the docking platform. As they reached the magnetic anchor points the mechanisms snapped into place and the ship lurched to a halt. Lina then flipped the mechanism so the crew could start to unload the supplies they were delivering.

Eli and Connor made their way to the gangplank as it was fed out onto the dock and after a moment Lina joined them after telling off the crew to stay with the ship. They needed little encouraging.

There was a loud clank and the grinding of chains as the central platform started to rise and after a few moments its occupants came into view.

"Holy shit." Murmered Lina.

"What she said with bells on." Said Conor and Eli laughed shaking his head as he walked forward to greet thier hosts.

A skinny wreck of a human being sat naked from the waste up in a wheelchair that seemed to have some kind of mechanical control. He was bald except for a few strands of white hair and he was missing an ear and most of his teeth. Behind him stood a vast woman, both in height and girth she stared at the through beady eyes and offered them a wooden smile. She appeared to be wearing a set of moth eater curtains with holes cut it form her head and arms.

As odd as the pair were that was not what drew the eye. Behind them both stood three towering machines a fairy tail come true.

"Tin Men." Breathed Lina. The hulking metal men stood still and silent waiting for a command.

"Eli you old bastard good to see you." Said the man before spitting a thick gob of black flem to the ground.

"Brother Lewis," Eli replied taking care to step around the spittle. "And sister Daisy you are as ravishing as ever. How are the family?"

"Bunch of pock ridden rat shaggers them lot of them." Barked Lewis before descending into a fit of coughing. Daisy slapped his back and almost knocked him from the chair.

"What happened to the ear?" Eli aksed.

"He forgot the saftey word." Said Daisy with a toothy grin.

Irwin winced and looked back towards her, "isn't she a darlin." He said. "You know if my back wasn't already broke I would worry for its safety the way she rides me."

"Ok enough detail." Eli snapped with a nervous look towards Daisy. Lewis gave a filthy laugh and spat again before speaking,

"Nob and Bob here will help unload and I will stay behind to keep an eye on them."

At the mention of their names the oddly names Tin Men roared I into life and stepped forward with a crash, steam venting from the grills on their backs and then green light of refined Flagesium glowing from their eye sockets.

"What about the other one?" Eli asked.

"Defective, bad motivator or something. I need you to take him to Graymire for repair."

"I will have to charge you." Eli said with a grin.

"I baked a cake." Daisy said and Eli's grin slipped.

"I was thinking fuel." He countered.

"Fine fine," Lewis said waving away the detai. "You take Lucy here to Graymire and we will get you topped up."

After a little more conversation Eli came walking back to Connor and Lina.

"OK we have an hour to kill while Lewis sorts the load and refuels the ship. We are heading down with Daisy there."

"You did not tell me we were heading over to Graymire ." Connor said, looking oddly uncomfortable.

"You didn't give me much of a chance." the old Skyrider replied.

"What's with the whole brother and sister thing?" Lina asked. "are they religious?"

Eli looked back to be sure that neither Lewis nor Daisy were listening.

"Morks Bend is something of a family business. Best you not ask too many questions on that front.
And when we get down there eat if you are offered something or you may cause offence. You will have eaten worse in the Sprawl. and what ever you do, don't touch that womans cake."