Captain Jack Aubrey: Debut

[luckyjackaubrey]

Jack's transportation out of the cell and into one of the largest rooms he'd ever encountered was no less disconcerting than his arrival in that cell twenty-four hours earlier. At least Jack's ability to sleep through anything and at any time had no failed him, and most of his confinement he had spent snoring with no notion of the time on waking which was just as well.

In any case, having no explanation for either arrival, Jack dismissed the question from his mind and set about examining the area. His footfalls echoed off the great empty chamber as he paced about, first in one direction and then the other, finding no clue at all as to the manner of his capture, for captured he surely had been.

"Discourteous of the buggers not to present themselves and state their intentions," he said softly to himself.

Finally, Jack stopped, facing down one of the long corridors, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Ahoy!" he called in his booming ship's voice. "Hello!"

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[luckyjackaubrey]

Jack frowned and began to protest that the Surprise was a lovely ship, when he caught wind of the rising joke. As the door slid open and Amy uttered the punchline, Jack was indeed surprised.

Unsure as to what he had expected, Jack strode through the door and looked about him.

After a moment, he tilted his head to speak to her. "Well lass, as that is the case I think you will need to instruct me. I cannot say I know what it is that I am looking at."

[girl_who_waited]

"It's a wardrobe," she says helpfully, even though there's almost no way that this place is a wardrobe in the traditional sense. "Here, you look like you need.... " And she walks over to the main pedestal, and hits the button, speaking clearly. "Boots, please. Men's, sizes 8-13, black."

And they just sort of... appeared.

"Pick your favourite. Feel free to narrow it down, and I can help you find what you're looking for." She nodded once, like And that's how you do it, before she realised that this probably looks quite a bit ridiculous for someone from eighteen-something-something.

[luckyjackaubrey]

"Truly," he said, sounding amused, but miraculously an array of boots did appear at her command and he reached back behind him to touch wood, and found of course that there was no rail to touch nor backstay to scratch.

"This, warehousing machine," he looked to her for confirmation. It was the only description he could think of outside of witchcraft, "what does it hold? How many tons?" he asked, approaching the boots. Among them were a tall pair of what appeared to be hessian boots which at a glance looked like they might have been of a size.

"What the dockyard wouldn't swindle to have one of these," he marveled, looking again out at the room. Although he didn't know exactly how it worked, particularly how she had made it move, he did understand something about the complicated set of gears that made it turn. "How is it powered?" He saw no water, no men, nor animals to run such a thing.