The Industrial Sky

[Joa-Boo]

“There’s a very good possibility this night might end up with some ladies but not just yet.” I took my time with the drink. I squashed some of it down whenever no one was looking and masked my coughing fits as much as possible. At least I could hold my liquor, I just wasn’t custom to shut terrible quality. They way Alex’s presence was noticed by almost everyone nearby told me I had the right guy. If anyone could help me out it was this guy. Not that creepy doctor or whatever he was. “It seems awfully rowdy here. Seems as though this would be the prime place for an infamous killer wouldn’t you say?” I had no idea how to approach the question softly so I let it burp out. “You ever hear of Jack the ripper?” I paid close attention to the reaction here. I wanted to see the train of thought mellow over in his head.  

[Dugan195]

Alexander was looked at Jason with wide eyes as he brought up Jack the Ripper. Downing the rest of his drink he snapped at the bartender to bring another rounds, "Wouldn't know about that. A lot of low lifes here. Rapists, killers, theifs, whores, the lot. But Jack the Ripper? I wouldn't know about that. Always pictured the Ripper to be some nobleman myself. Way he moves from colony to colony, would have to be a nobleman....or a crewmember of some air ship. Only way he would make sense if you ask me." As Alexander got his next drink he looked down at it on the table and bit his lip, "Scary s**t ain't it? Tearing up prostitutes like that. One sick b*****d if you ask me. I love the ladies, the idea of someone killing the working girl....they are just trying to make a living you know." He sat in silence for a moment. The people around you who overheard the soft talk between you two quietly moved away, as if the mere mention of Jack the Ripper was like having the plague. No working man of the colonies openly spoke of the Ripper in public. The Ripper was a man spoke only of behind closed doors in hushed whispers. Before the Ripper, people spoke of the boogyman killing people, but The Ripper had long replaced the boogyman. Alexander looked back up at Jason with a serious expression on his face for the first time that night, "Why you asking about the RIpper?" he asked softly.

Suddenly a hand appeared grasping the back of Alexander's shoulder as he finished his question. The hand was old, rough, and scarred from a long, hard life. Alexander spun his head around and tensed up as he looked at an old man in brown wide brimmed hat stood behind him. The man had long white hair, and a full white beard on his face. A sharp face, hardened by a claw-like scar across the right of his face he did not look like a man to mess with, even at his age. "Alexander loosen up. It's just bad luck that we happen to be in every colony where one of them poor ladies is attacked." The man said as he slide into the seat next to Alexander.

Alexander looked at the man and then down at his drink, "I know Jack. It's just weird you know. Its like a dark shadow follows us around." Alexander raised his drink and downed it as the bartender brought one over for the older man who sat down.

The old man smirked, "He doesn't always show up, hell we just happen to show up wherever he is really."  

[Joa-Boo]

“So you two travel allot?” I begin with a question. The new face alerted me. I took careful note of his appearance. As soon as Alex mentioned the old man’s name was Jack red flags shot up. “That seems like quite the coincidence. Have you guys ever seen him?” I put on the most admirable face I could to show my interest in a less than interrogating way. At this point it had reached into the early morning hours. I couldn’t let these two out of my sight.  

[Dugan195]

The old man looked over at Jason and smiled softly, "Yes we travel quite often. From colony to colony....." The old man had started to talk when the young man Alexander cut in, "We fly an airship. Got a big old craft down in the docks....we do....well many things," Alexander finished with a mischievous smile of a boy who had a big secret he wanted to share, but had to pretend he didn't, and hide it badly. The old man looked at Alexander and scolded, "Now Alexander, don't go wasting this young man's time with business. He was asking about the ripper." The old man finished off his drink and looked at Alex, "No we have never met him, I don't know why the Ripper always appears where we are, but I do hope to come across him one day, and put the sick dog down." The old man sounded like he should have venom coming out of his mouth, but he sounded distant and uninterested instead.

Alexander laughed and waved it off, "So Jason, what do you do for a living?" Alexander asked with his big grimace on his face again. "Definetly not a factory worker, lower mangement maybe? Office assistant's? Paralegal?" He said the last one with a bit of disgust in his voice.  

[Joa-Boo]

“I am a carpenter,” I spat out the first thing that came to mind. The thought caught up with me and I felt comfortable. I had always wondered what it would be like; being smart and poor. I am pretty sure I would have ended up a carpenter without all the fancy school and fancy equipment. “I do a lot of the architecture stuff too.” I was proud of this, even though it was a lie. “That man should be put down. I don’t care how it is done as long as he is no longer breathing. I’m thinking of getting a group of people together to finish the job. So far it sounds as though there isn’t a whole lot known about the Ripper.” It was time for me to stop drinking. I was getting good information at this point and wanted to be fully comprehensive.  

[Dugan195]

Alexander looked baffled still trying to avoid the topic. He puffed a few times, but no witty segways came out to steer the conversation away. The old man looked at the man and grinned softly and said plainly, ""You will find men to go after him a plenty. Any would, but to find information on the Ripper, you will find none. The man is a perfect killer, leaves no trace or clues. Just dead bodies," The man took a drink of water and eyed Jason, "So what do you really do?" Jack asked without a second of doubt, "Your hands are soft and neat. If you were a carpenter then your hands would be calloused and rough. So what do you really do?"  

[Joa-Boo]

“If I told you I could fund a high scaled operation to end this heinous Jack would you guys be in?” I asked to cross their examination. I wanted the focus less on me and more on what I wanted to do. There was plenty of time for getting to know one another by for now I had business to attend. I was weary to drop the money card because I wasn’t interested in being mugged but  

[Dugan195]

Alexander looked at him like he was crazy and Jack laughed as he sipped his drink and then spoke, "Boy, you don't get it. The man is a ghost, can't chase after spirits. No amount of money is going to make it able to find him." Alexander laughed and smiled at Jason.

"What my partner here...."

Jack looked over his shoulder at Alexander, "I am your Captain, not your partner Alexander, you are just a cook."

Alexander laughed and slapped Jack on the back, "You know what I meant. Anyway, its just not something that can be done. No one alive knows anything about Jack the Ripper, not even a vague, probably wrong, description of him. Besides, the man moves around seemingly random between colonies. We have just been by his crimes by chance. The man could be in Tyron or Danz by now for all we know....actually who even says it is a guy! It could be a girl, no one knows."  

[Joa-Boo]

I didn’t want to be discouraged by this man’s total decline. Although I respected his words and nodded as he shared them I held back a grim face filled with anger. There simply had to be answers somewhere.

“How about I phrase this differently then, I will pay you as my guide across the colonies. You seem to have some ‘bad’ luck with being near the Ripper and I want that same bad luck. If you guys got a job to be done I will follow along. I could possibly give a helping hand if needed. I just need more and what I got isn’t enough.” I practically beg. I knew these guys had answers or at least would lead me to them.  

[Dugan195]

Jack looked at Alexander and laughed, "Well I guess I could always find a use for another hand on the ship. It would be hard labor though. Think someone from your background is going to be able to handle hard labor?" Jack said as he turned back to the table almost uninterested in the conversation they where having. "Everything we do isn't actually by the book either if you catch my drift."

Alexander grabbed another drink from the bartender and started to laugh, "Oh its mighty jun Jason. We do all types of things, from delivering cargo to.....well yeah we do a lot of other stuff as well." Alexander stood up on his chair and started shouting, "we go on mighty adventures full of danger and excitement. And lots of treasure!" Alexander said using his cup like the handle of a sword.

Jack looked at Jason and smiled crookedly, "We do a lot of illegal stuff. I guess you could say we are pirates. Does that bother you? Being a pirate?"  

[Joa-Boo]

Dugan195

Jack looked at Alexander and laughed, "Well I guess I could always find a use for another hand on the ship. It would be hard labor though. Think someone from your background is going to be able to handle hard labor?" Jack said as he turned back to the table almost uninterested in the conversation they where having. "Everything we do isn't actually by the book either if you catch my drift."

Alexander grabbed another drink from the bartender and started to laugh, "Oh its mighty jun Jason. We do all types of things, from delivering cargo to.....well yeah we do a lot of other stuff as well." Alexander stood up on his chair and started shouting, "we go on mighty adventures full of danger and excitement. And lots of treasure!" Alexander said using his cup like the handle of a sword.

Jack looked at Jason and smiled crookedly, "We do a lot of illegal stuff. I guess you could say we are pirates. Does that bother you? Being a pirate?"

Jason had this smile to him. The excitement of something applicable other than starting at screens and boards solving equations sounded like a dream come true. His eyes marveled at Alex’s speech. “As long as you’re not pirating form me or my family I am all for it.” Jason posed for his sentence. If anything this sounded like the right path for him to take. He needed the experience if he was ever going to stop the Ripper. “When do we start?”