Of Ships and Stones and Ladies Fair

Written by Terry Sofian

Sky Traveller was a bit of a tramp flyer, not one of the big White Star or GWR liners, but fast and responsive to the helm for all her lack of polish. Captain Owens brought the first class passengers up to the bridge during young Watkins’ watch. It wasn’t every voyage that the Captain let passengers into his inner sanctum; usually they were a terrible nuisance. With this trio, Watkins could hardly complain. It was Lady Elizabeth and her two daughters; Emily and Veronica. Emily was the younger, perhaps too young, but her elder sister was certainly of an age that Watkins could enjoy a quickly veiled look of interest in someone so far above his station. The Captain, for his part, did not hide his gentlemanly affection for the Lady Elizabeth, so recently widowed. In fact, their passage aboard Sky Traveller was predicated upon the need to quickly reach one of the family holdings in India. Watkins was uncertain of the particulars but well pleased at the quality of passengers it brought to the dining salon for meals. The lady and her daughters were a far cut above what usually booked with the vessel. Usually such posh folk were on a P and O vessel or some ship with a name that ended in “ic” or “ia”.

It would be Watkins’ turn to refuse to answer questions at the next port, giving only the most discreet and indirect information that such personages had even been aboard his ship. It was an enjoyable increase in status for the ship and her crew. But for now it wasn’t the most important event in Watkins’ mind. The watch was his and the safety of the ship and her company and passengers depended upon his concentration. Helmsman, planesman and aerolectrician all knew their business, and well.

From the low and respectful conversation, Watkins heard the Captain speak his name. Turning, he regarded Owens and the three ladies. “Officer Watkins, these ladies have commented upon the lack of motion our vessel, especially compared to their earlier voyages upon the ocean. Could you enlighten them as to the reason for this?”

Watkins was pleased; firstly he was extremely well schooled in the sciences of flying, particularly the properties of aerolyth and the vessels it supported. The obvious confidence Owens was showing in his officers was gratifying. Finally to be showcased before the lady and her daughters was one of the reasons that although Sky Traveller was not one of the biggest ships in the air, she was one that attracted some of the best and brightest officers and crewmen. Owens was known as a fine Captain, the type that developed those under his command, both technically, and in this case socially as well.

“With pleasure sir. Lady Elizabeth, the unfortunate motion of a sea going vessel is caused in the main by the interactions between the water upon which it floats and the air above it. The vessel must obey the dictates of both. An Aerolyth vessel has serves but one master in this respect.”

Veronica looked at him for a moment, “But Mr. Watkins, a leaf upon the wind can be observed being forced upwards and falling earthwards in turn. Why is it not such for an aerial steamer?”

Watkins was drawn out by her interest. “The aerolyth panels of our vessel provide a powerful upwards force so long as electrical current is supplied to them. You are aware that the aerolyth can reach certain definite heights above the Earth, depending upon the amount of current supplied to the panels?” When the three women all nodded, Watkins continued. “These altitude levels provide a limit, a ceiling as it were, for the operations of our vessels. The more power that is supplied the higher the panels will push a ship. Once they reach that altitude they can push no higher until more power is applied to them. You may have noticed as we climbed to our cruising altitude we enjoyed a smooth curved flight upwards, with a constant acceleration of perhaps one tenth of the force of gravity. That was why you may have felt that objects were somewhat heavier than they seem on the surface of the earth.”

Emily nudged her sister, “I told you that those cases were heavier!”

“You are quite correct young lady. They would have weighed nearly ten percent more.”

Emily turned a smug smile towards her older sibling, one which was ignored with smooth and undoubtedly well practiced grace.

“You may also have noticed that as we neared our cruising altitude, the added weight decreased until as now we experience no additional weight at all.” Watkins turned to the planesman and the aerolectrician. “These two crewmen control the altitude, acceleration and attitude of our vessel. The even ride upon which you have commented much depends upon their skills.” Watkins had learned well from his captain, credit was placed where credit was due. “In a vessel with a less experienced bridge crew you would have felt a period of dips and climbs as the ship rose above the ceiling and then fell back towards it. This is called ‘hunting’ and lack of it is the mark of excellence in airmanship. “The nature of aerolyth and the force it produces lends itself to a very level flight once a cruising ceiling has been reached. Since the aerolyth can push no higher the only upward force would be that of an updraft upon the vessel. Such an updraft would have to be powerful indeed to make much impression upon the thousands of tons that make up Sky Traveller. Once the vessel is pushed even a fraction of an inch above the ceiling the panels provide absolutely no force until the ship sinks below that level again. Even if we are forced upwards for a few seconds, the mass of the ship brings us back down again, usually before we can even sense the climbing motion. Downward forces would have to fight the efforts of our panels. Since it is routine for the panels to keep an overage of at least five percent over the weight of the ship, a downward force greater than that would have to be applied to force the vessel downwards. In effect, the panels press us against a very real ceiling and keep us fast against it.”

Lady Elizabeth spoke to the captain, “Captain Owens, you were rightly proud of your officers and crew. It is quite apparent that this gentleman knows the science behind our flight and that your bridge crew knows its business to the highest level.” Watkins noted it was now Veronica who cast a sly glance.