<strong>Winthorpe Harrington III – Travel and Arrival</strong><br/><br/>Winthorpe stood in the engine room of the Daedalus  (http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz178/Writersblockade/airshipssDaedalus.jpg) observing the pressure readings on the new apparatus he’d added to the ship’s main engine. His chief (only) crewman stood behind, trying his best not to appear nervous. Trying, and failing miserable. “You mustn’t be afraid to perish in the name of science, Mr. Barton. Take heart! This addition will increase the steam power by twenty percent, and cut at least three days off our trip should we make it!” The laughter that poured from him was the stuff of storybooks and the crewman, not for the first time, questioned his reason for going on the voyage.<br/><br/>Quite frankly, times were a little tough for Mr. Barton, and even if he felt that Mr. Harrington was a complete madman, he also was able to send a good amount of coin to his wife for his troubles. It was a small price to pay for a little financial security. He uneasily wiped a particularly dirty rag across his slight less dirty neck as he issued a weak chuckle “Making it would be a plus, Mr. Harrington. That is a fact”. Winthorpe had looked back to the man as if he’d spoken some cosmic truth “That is would be, Mr. Barton. That it would.”<br/><br/>His own check of the engine’s improvement  concluded the second day of testing. He’d be sure to send his brother a report on some of the readings when he got to the dome. Until then, he’d went to his lab to put the finishing touches on his current masterpiece. A literal hodgepodge of what little genius he possessed. The last piece it needed was the apparatus he’d added to the Main engine. Condensed steam power…it was magnificent. He could run the ship on its steam output alone for half a day before it wore out. He’d be able to operate the suit (http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz178/Writersblockade/Steampunk_Iron_Man_Costume.jpg) for far longer, provided everything else held its own. Who knew what wonders he’d be able to perform with the suit. The possibilities were simply too numerous to list!<br/><br/>He’d stayed in his lab on the airship, apparently after falling asleep. The tarp was over the Iron Man, but what made him sit up so sharply was the knock on his hatch. For the safety of the other employees and sometimes guests, the lab was the only door, save for the engine room, secured via a thick metal door. He’d staggered over, his clothes haggard and his eyes still slightly red, to see Mr. Barton at his door. He opened the door for the man and chuckled “Well Mr. Barton…either we’re not dead yet, or this is the worst version of hell I’ve ever seen!” Mr. Barton had issued his own ‘laugh at the crazy man or he’ll kill me’ chuckles and informed them of their arrival.<br/><br/>“Arrival where?” the suddenly perplexed Winthorpe asked, as he stormed to the other side of the lab to look out a port hole. They’d arrived at the Dome…two days ahead of even his projections. He’d turned to Mr. Barton and screamed “Ha! HA! Haaaaaaaaaaa! Yeah! There must have been something…the apparatus had caused something closer to a forty-five percent boost in power. And we didn’t die! Wonderful news, Mr. Barton. Wonderful News!”<br/><br/>Sufficiently locked away now, the apparatus proved to be all he wanted and more, but he’d been working hard on the suit for reasons even he didn’t understand. Now he needed to work on him, and give himself a small vacation from being cooped up in the ship. The next few moments went in a flash. His negotiation with Tom made all the more easier, since he didn’t carry weapons with him. Soon he found himself open to all the Dome had to offer, but a nap would do to start things off right. Would do very well indeed.<br/>