Roma Aeronautica by Daniel Ottalini Read Free Book Online Page A

repetitive process. Tuderis would grab a shovelful of coal, and then switch with Alexandros, who deposited his coal into the burner. Scarus would monitor the grate and switch off with one of the other two boys every few minutes. Each man would get a break from slinging coal while keeping the routine manageable.
    Seemingly satisfied at their quick improvisation, Hendras instead focused his attention on Armini at the controls. From what little he saw during his breaks and the scant moments spent facing that direction, Alexandros could tell that Hendras was not impressed. Finally, Hendras brusquely called out.
    “Cadet Alexandros, switch with Cadet Armini. Cadet Tuderis, switch with Cadet Caderie.” Quickly, the cadets rotated positions, with Tuderis getting to the speaking tube just in time.
    “Bridge requests we go to full speed,” he stated nervously. Just getting his bearings, Alexandros eyed the full panoply of controls. He located the steam pressure valves, neatly labeled by someone with a better sense of handwriting than himself. He also identified the throttle and relief controls. He edged the throttle up to half-speed, the whine of the steam turbine audibly increasing. He listened carefully to the movements of the coal handlers behind him, wanting to ensure the engine had the proper amount of fuel before increasing the speed to full.
    “What are you waiting for, cadet? The bridge demands full speed.”
    The chief mekanic was obviously getting impatient with the apparent lack of effort in moving the ship to full speed. Alexandros ignored him, feeling the sweat dripping down his back. Was it the heat in the room or the nerves from ignoring a senior officer? Alexandros shot a hasty look at Tuderis. The cadet nodded at him, and Alexandros delicately pushed the well-worn copper throttle ahead until the shining arrow pointed to maximum.
    The engine room was much louder now, and regular conversation was impossible. Alexandros felt the ship’s speed increasing until it practically hummed through the air. Peeking out through the single square porthole provided to them, Alexandros was able to see the clouds moving by at a fast clip. Without that indication, no one would have known how fast the airship was going, despite the steady roar and vibration of the engine.
    After another few minutes with Alexandros monitoring the gauges carefully, the cadets shifted. Barring any complete disaster, I think we’ll get out of this room in one piece! he thought as he stood at the speaking tube.
    “Dead stop, all hands to battle stations,” came the order just a minute later.
    With the order, both the speaker tube man and one of the coal men were pulled off their tasks. As Alexandros was currently working the speaker tube position, he had to leave the room and attend to his battle station, Ignatius Scarus following in his wake.
    Why do I feel like they are trying to make us break something?
    The boys milled around in the passageway for a moment, trying to get their bearings. Alexandros grabbed a pair of heavy leather combat jackets. The jackets had small metal plates sewn into the inside of them on the front and back, providing some protection from enemy fire. He tossed one to Scarus.
    “Our position is aft, at the rearballista,” Scarus recalled, pointing to a sign directing them toward the stern. They ran down the metallic-grated hallway, stepping through bulkheads and pulling on their tough battle gear.
    They were the last ones to their post. Already, the cadet in charge of the weapon position had cleared the area for combat. Looking like a huge crossbow, the ballista fired rocks or small exploding projectiles instead of the quarrels or bolts that the scorpions used. Both mid-sized armaments were present on the ship, although there were just ten heavy weapons overall: four along each side of the ship, one in the forward bow compartment, and their own at the stern.
    “For a training ship, she’s pretty heavily armed. Strong