Screen 1
ONE:
With BULL and the TWO MATES. They’re working the BOILERS like maniacs. We can see the PRESSURE GAUGES.
1. SFX/smaller: KATCH-A-KATCH-A-KATCH-A-KATCH
2. SFX: hhsSSShhhh
3. BULL/yelling: BUILD IT!
TWO:
BULL turning to shout at the VOICE TUBE, where West’s voice is emanating.
4. TUBE/effect: Any time you care to give us steam, Mister Bull—
5. BULL/yelling: AND I’D HAVE MORE IF’N CAPTAIN’S FAVORITE WEREN’T
WASTING IT ON THAT TOY GUN O’ HIS!
THREE:
BULL grabbing a SHOVEL to join his MATES, as they STOKE the boilers like madmen.
6. BULL/yelling: COME ON COME ON—
FOUR:
On the PRESSURE GAUGES. The NEEDLES are hovering a good finger’s-width beneath the GREEN.
7. BULL/off/yelling: —FEED THE BASTARD!
The engines and the lower gun battery both run on steam. There is one boiler on the Pegasus, and the gun battery uses more steam than the engines, or at the very least enough steam that it is not a viable weapon in a lengthy fight. If the pressure on the steam gauges reaches zero, does the Pegasus drop?
Steam is not required to keep Pegasus “afloat” nor moving while at Aether. Steam is used to power the props for added propulsion (aside from wind power to the sails). Pegasus floats because its primarily constructed of the mysterious “featherwood.”
Ah, okay. Thanks for explaining, I got a better feel of how the Pegasus works now. But aside from the props and the gun battery, is there anything else aboard the Pegasus that requires steam? Mr. West and Mr. Bull both make it sound like getting the Steam is life or death. Do the broadside guns require steam to operate?
No, it floats upside down. Sort of like in the original Star Trek…
Does that mean that the Iron Crown is made of “feathermetal”?
Funny guy 😉
Honestly curious…why does a crank powered gatling gun need steam?
I believe the steam is to turn the cage which provides protection to the gunner. The gun mount has some up/down and left/right pivot but this is limited. The seat is also up/down powered and the whole gondola rotates all on steam power. The rotation avoids the problem of shooting the edges of the window frames and provides for “quick” pivots.
The gun might also be steam-powered, using steam pressure to propel the rounds. The fact that the gunner called for steam right when it was time to fire suggests this.
Mr. Bull looks like he’s about have steam coming out his ears.
I get the feeling Mr. Bull could stoke the boiler enough by himself to provide steam for Pegasus AND Iron Crown. He’s about to go all “John Henry” down below.
I want a Mr. Bull and Drake comic, “Curmudgeons of the Aether”