Goggles & Gears: a steampunk love story

The sound of clashing metal threatened to deafen me as I  stood in the engine room of the grand airship. The smell of engine grease and the cool touch of the gears relaxed me. I was home. I wasn't built to walk the planets day after day like and ordinary person. I was made to fly. So being stuck on  a tiny little island town waiting for the Marrowland to dock once more for three weeks was not fun. I was going insane. Three weeks since the last time i was in the engine room. I was a mechanic and a mechanic only. God it felt good to be back. I listened to the hustle and bustle of the main deck above and smiled to my self. The captain, Rowena Elizabeth Forge, was barking orders at everyone to get ready to take our leave. The was a knock at the engine room's metal door and second in command , Edwin Windlass Harvey, came in. "Morning Mr. Harvey," I address him with a straight posture, hands behind my back, and in a respectful tone as expected. "At ease," he says, "Captain Forge would like you to meet her in the cabin,". "Will do Mr. Harvey ," I say. He nods once and turns to leave. I pull on a black tail coat and place my father's top hat decorated with gears upon my head. Inside the Captain's cabin was beautifully furnished and the walls shone with polished ivory and gold. I take off my hat and bow. "Morning, Captain Forge," I say loud and clear addressing her in the same manor I did Edwin. "At ease," she says walking around her desk, "I have called you here because I need your assistance. We have a new crew member aboard today and he needs work. So I've put him with you in the engine room," she says. I swallow the lump in my throat and reply. " I do not wish to be rude,"I say as politely as I can," but I work best alone. Perhaps you can give him a job in the kitchens or maybe sails?". "I've made my decision," is her final word. She tells me to stay here while she retrieves the boy. She reenters the room moments later followed by a boy around my age. He was slender, handsome, had brown hair both parted at his forehead and tied to a brief rattail, thick brown eyebrows, bright blue eyes, and fair skin. He wore a black jacket,  a light yellowish tan V-neck shirt, gray pants, a tan belt with a gold square buckle, and black bucket-top boots. "This is James Pleiades Hawkins," she says, "James this is Emmeline Arabelle Harding. She will be your mechanical engineering teacher. You may ask her any questions you are able to come up with and you shall refer to her as Ma'am or Ms. Harding,". James holds his hand out and I shake it hesitantly. "Come on I'll show you the engine room," I say using him as an excuse to leave. "So, engines," he says once we were In the engine room. "Do know anything about aircraft engines?" I ask quite doubtful. I listen to the rumble of the of the fans and heard that something  wasn't right. One of the blades was bent out of place. Perfect, now he can show me what he knows. "Well, the uh fans don't sound right. If you look here that blade is loose," he replies. "That's a start," I say tossing him a wrench,"now fix it,". He caught the tool easily with one hand and went to work. Usually to fix the fans it takes me about a minute thirty tops. He had a minute forty-five. He turns back to me and I smile a him. "How'd I do, Ma'am," he asks. "One: please don't call me Ma'am or Ms. Harding. Any version of my names works. Two: its a start, at least your not totally hopeless. Three: you did good," I respond. "Oh and you can call me Jim,"he says. Edwin pokes his head in and calls for take off. "Watch and learn Jim," I say. I ran to a control panel. I try to pry it open but years of rust and three weeks without proper cleaning held it shut. I felt Jim put his hands on my waist and pull me away. He quickly pries the door open. I set to work flipping switches, pressing buttons, and pulling levers. "Jim! There's a red switch on the other side of the engines. Flip it. Then press the green button twice. And push the the blue lever to the left," I instruct. The engine made a loud whining sound. My hands flew to my ears. "I said left you ninny!" I shout. The whining stopped and he shouted an apology. Throwing off my tail coat I rush up a metal ladder up to the second floor. I read the gages as I ran past. Everything was level. "Oye! Jim get up here and help me!" I shout. A lever I needed to push was rusted in place. Jim placed him hands by mine and together we forced it up. A loud hissing followed by a stream of steam billowed from the engine. "Son of a- ugh!" I say unable to finish my curse. Forgetting the ladder I jump straight down.  A bolt had dislodged from the engine due to the pressure. "Jim- wrench," I call. He hands me the tool and I reattach the bolt. "Flip the third switch from the right and the fourth from the left," I say. I plop down on one of the many power boxes while he does as I told him. "Is that it?" He asks. I nod. His face was covered with engine grease and soot already. I grab a rag I walk over to him. Pressing the rag against his face I clean him off. "Look at you, filthy already," I say when I was done. He takes the rag and lifts up my chin. Stepping closer to me, he wipes a spot of engine grease of my cheek. The door opens once more and one of the sails workers, Jasper Lloyd Wheeler, asked if we were clear for take off. "Yup, everything is level and ready to go. And Jasper, who manned the engine while I was gone?" I ask. "Um Thomas I believe," he replies. I roll my eyes. He was the clumsiest most disorganized person I've ever known. "Is that the flunky?" He asks nodding to Jim. "What did you call me?" Jim replies balling up his fists. I chuckle. "Bit of a hot head ain't he?" Jasper adds with a smile.  "Get out of here,"  I say shooing him away. "What did he call me?" Jim asks. "Flunky. It just means newbie, cool your jets," I reply,"now off with ya. Go watch the launch,". He smiles broadly and runs off. "Ya ninny," I say to myself. The lad wasn't hopeless but he was barely tolerable. I've been working alone on engines my whole life. The only other person who's helped me was my da. I wasn't used to another human being constantly in my engine room. With nothing left to do I decide to show my face on deck. I saw the sail men, Jasper Lloyd Wheeler, Thomas James Teller, Charles Emory Bridges, Jack Langdon Riggs, William Baylock Wedge, and Lewis Oswald Sterling unfurling the solar sails. Then there was our navigator, Lottie Marie Stokes, plotting our course at the wheel. Captain Forge and Mr. Harvey walked up and down the deck overseeing everything and giving the necessary orders. I had left my tailcoat in the engine room and was shivering in my little, striped, sleeveless dress. I walk over to Jim who is leaning over the edge, my gear decorated heels clicking rhythmicity. "Jim?" I ask placing a hand on hid shoulder. "Hello," he says with out looking at me. "Um in the engine room, next to the door, there's a pair of metal gravity boots. Could you get them?" I ask. He nods with a yes ma'am. "And my tailcoat!" I shout. Looking up to the brightness of a the stars, I lost myself in daydream. I didn't notice Jim was back until he clasped my shoulder. "Oh um, yes put the boots on," I say taking my coat. He fumbles with the buckles for a bit before I had to help him. "Entering launch!" Shouts Lottie," Ms. Harding if you please?". We started to rise up into space. The gravity became weak and everyone but Jim was floating a few feet off the ground. "Jim the lever," I say calmly. I knew that if I had Jim do it and he didn't pull the lever quick enough we could all die so I crossed my fingers and hoped he'd done this before. The crew and I were floating higher and I grew nervous. But Jim pulled the lever and the false gravity pulled us down to the deck. "Well done," I say. "What? Didn't think I could do it?" He asks. "Well...." I say. His jaw drops a little and I punch his shoulder. "I'm joking. Smile once in a while, why don't ya? It won't kill you," I say.