That old ichy feeling.

[Captain Lachlan Bellraven]

     I might have mentioned before from time to time I get what can only be described as an "itch" in my brain pan, usually just before everything comes crashing down around my feet. I had been feeling the itch but so far no insane wizards , no gangsters with heavy artillery , no lame brained young pups with an urge to prove themselves, even the temporary crew provided to me by the Austro Hungarians was getting along well enough with those who chose to follow me aboard our new vessel. She was officially christened The Octavia, being a cephlapod class cruiser her and all her sister ships of the class were octopus shaped. It was apparently a "psychological" as well as practical design . The premise as it was explained to me is thus , when the enemy sees such a creature flying through the skies the rumors of sky kraken and such jump to mind and disturb the opposition.  The apparently more practical side of which I am inclined to agree more with is that just as the octopus glides through the water, its shape allows for just as easy a passage through the thinner atmosphere.This particular morning was to be the primere link in a chain of events that is even now still being forged.

     "Captain!" Rollie as wild as ever burst into my cabin as always feeling it completely unnecessary to wait to be given permission to enter. "Sir, we need to talk."  I placed my hands flat upon my desk and tilted my head up to look at her bracing myself for some mechanical nightmare I had no idea about what so ever.She apparently read my body language and determined to quickly try to appease me before starting in She quickly looked around the cabin.  "Wow, would ya look at that .  A captains cabin is all manner of decorated isn't it. " In truth she was quite correct ,these folks design a captains cabin like his home. The walls were rich dark wooden panels and layered with mouldings. I was even provided with a large elaborately carved canopy bed that had to be assembled in the suite it would never fit otherwise. Decor aside , I stared at Rollie,

     "Lets hear it Roll, haven't even eaten breakfast yet. What's the matter with the new engines whateveritdoesit ? " Rollie with complete disregard for respect for elders or respect for anything for that matter leaned over the desk and quickly grabbed my face in her hands and proceeded to kiss my nose. " I love when the big bad Captain gets all technology tangled" She knows I won't punish her so she indulges her adolescent pranks and jabs on me when ever she wishes.She straightened back up an spoke "It's nothing like that Captain, I love this ship and Hey, for the first time ever I have my own head , my very own head !" I freely admit after years of sharing ,having a private head is a luxury. Both the captains cabin and the first officers cabin were so equipped and  in truth I love the idea of a private toilet and bath. "I found this box Captain, and its wired into the main electrical system and the hull . "  I confess to being behind the times and I appreciate the new and wondrous but, it more often than not leaves me in a quandary."So, what does it do?" I asked her honestly curious at this point, maybe this was the awaited hammer about to fall I kept sensing. "I don't know Sir, but when I tried to remove it , the Austro Hungarian mechanics went all angry and said it HAD to stay in place."  "So , as far as you can tell it isn't vital but we can't remove it."  "That about sums it up Sir." Rollie seemed to get more nervous as she spoke about it . " I don't have any idea what it could be except...." She trailed off her mind reeling with potential ways for us to be in horrific danger from this "Necessary box".  "I have heard they are getting ready to begin using their wireless telegraph technology Sir., the idea being to send electronic signals through the air like a wire, the hull would be a perfect receiver. "

     "So, let me see if I understand they have the apparent power to send a signal anywhere on the planet."  "Yes Sir"  "We are apparently carrying some type of device that they could communicate with that we should have never known was on board."

"Yes Sir,"  "So, because you went snooping around every nook and cranny and found this thing that we weren't supposed to know about that could potentially harm us we are now facing a new problem. Do we remove it , or get one of their mechanics to explain it to us what it's really for ?"  "I dunno Sir he seemed to be happy enough when I played good girl and said oh, ok and went on about my rounds.Maybe they don't think I could figure it out." Either way "I said  " We need to discover what our new friend the box is really for, be quiet and see what more you can find out the last thing we need is a panic" Rollie left the cabin as if nothing had happened and I looked back down at the charts on my desk. Finally speaking to myself I blurted out "Why does this keep happening to me!" And there it was  again all strong and proud ,the old itchy feeling telling me I was involved in something more than I bargained for.