12: An Urgent Communication

Urgent Urgent Urgent 3 August 1889 Constant

The High Admiralty Court, London
Immediate Hand Delivery
Lord Admiral Sir Simon Puryear, Presiding Justice

Communique from Colonel Sanborn Spaulding, 23rd Time Brigade (ret)

As you are well aware, all efforts to carry out a complete investigation of the events surrounding the loss of HMA Cloudwitch over Hy Brasil have been in vain up to this point. An apparent paradox blockade had limited all traffic to and from this event horizon, which has now resolved. I have ascertained that the Airship Pandora herself was the instrument of the blockade through no fault of her captain, crew, or structure. Pandora's captain did report the incident accurately. HMA Cloudwitch did indeed fire upon Pandora without provocation, warning, or demand for parlay as required by the Temporal Transit Accords of 1850.

The cause of the blockade was the fact that Pandora, while well armed, had no gunners aboard until mere minutes before the attack. The gunners arrived on board in transit from a subjective time differential, creating the paradox that blocked the Admiralty's investigation until this time. I can attest to this fact without question, since I was one of those who was called upon to defend Pandora as a gunner during the attack.

These facts can now be investigated and verified at your discretion since the paradox in question has now self-corrected.

I respectfully request you rescind the naming of Pandora and crew as pirates, and restore the honor of her captain, Mr. John Owen Coffin, as a man defending his ship and crew in this engagement.

More importantly, I must advise you of a dire situation. Immediately after the downing of Cloudwitch, I returned to Hy Brasil with three witnesses who can verify the following information:

1. The crew of Cloudwitch appeared to be re-animated dead, and were obviously in that state prior to their attack on Pandora.

2. Two individuals not yet identified were in command of this abominable crew before and after the battle, and were witnessed supervising the salvage of the wreck by this same crew in the Eastern Bay of Hy Brasil after the crash.

3. There was no other airship or sea vessel in the area in the immediate aftermath of the engagement.

Great speed and care are of utmost importance to ensure this crew of dead men does not escape the confines of Hy Brasil until they can be dealt with. We cannot know what peril we might be facing if they are able to move before we act.

With Deepest Regard,

Col. Sanborn Spaulding (ret)