"No need to rush a spark into the rain!" replied Rick, his voice commanding urgency as he glanced at Amelia playfully. "Pappy's already taking off! She's scraping the clouds as we speak. We'll reach top speeds soon."
"Before we go and our problems get worse, I want to be clear about something," Amelia said, redirecting Rick’s tea from his face.
"And what might that be?" Rick asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion at her brazen maneuver.
"My day started normal. I didn't just stumble into that sewer drain like a hungry blind mouse!" Amelia retorted sharply, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the events. "There was this blinding blue light emanating from my locket. It grew big, then small, and before I knew it, the Little Creek copper badges showed up with their handcuffs! Admittedly, I don’t remember much of what happened. Only what they accused me of. They called me a demon. Scared everyone. Even me. So, I made a run for it, and then..." She trailed off, lost in her memories.
"And then?" Rick prodded gently, urging her to continue.
"They cornered me into a sewer under the Loshlit Tavern," Amelia said, her voice distant. "It’s spotty, but just when I thought I was doomed, a creature appeared—like an mangy animal combined with a machine, full of unfiltered rage and pulsin’ muscles. I’ve never seen anything like it. Never want to see it again."
“Let’s focus on gettin’ outta here. Not give that beast a chance to even whiff ya.” Urged Rick.
"How far is this city?" Amelia wondered aloud, standing from her stool.
"Far away, Amelia," replied Rick, his tone serious yet filled with anticipation. He walked away from the table and approached a giant steering wheel mechanism shaped like a gear. It was perched at the back end of the Pappy Long Legs atop a podium made of intricately decorated and polished wood mixed with golden pipes.
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"About time I see the world from above," Amelia replied with a hint of cockiness in her voice, watching as Rick used four of his mechanical limbs to pull levers, twist knobs, and push buttons of all kinds before spinning the steering wheel.
"Must be refreshin’! Like a fish finally viewin’ the land to which he lived under this whole time!" shouted Rick. "Wrap your little hands tight to any rail, or make your way downstairs! Ask Roy for a room! Doesn’t matter to me!"
Amelia smiled at Rick’s attempt at concern. She looked toward the dawning horizon and took a huge breath of cold, fresh air from the surrounding clouds. She dusted off her overalls and gazed at the sky. The orange-hued dawn seemed closer, her thoughts racing with the wind.
"Roy! Man the Pappy Long Legs! We’re heading far away from New Dwarden! Away from these bygone thirteen quadrants and towards the streets of Veranus across the Longhill Plains! Across the neighboring lands of machines!" shouted Rick over the cacophony of hissing pipes and puffing smokestacks.
"Command initiated: Beginning navigation to Veranus! Estimated arrival: Sixteen hours. Beginning travel protocol: five dashes, three dashes, one. Avoiding pedestrian land," repeated Roy.
Amidst the orchestrated chaos, the Pappy Long Legs soared higher into the sky, climbing with breathtaking speed until it came to a sudden, screeching halt, leaving Amelia breathless and awestruck as she clung to the nearest rail.
"Looks like the City of New Dwarden is calling for your help now, Amelia!" explained Rick over the distant explosions of pistons. “Best not keep her waiting!”
"Our help! Don’t snake your way out of this!" she playfully responded, her grip tightening on the railing.
Rick simply smiled and nodded at Amelia, his hands deftly adjusting the controls as he focused on steering the Pappy Long Legs. The airship rattled to life once more, its engines humming with renewed vigor. Amelia stared off into the horizon, her mind racing with countless questions yet to be answered. As the landscape outside shifted from the familiar streets of Quadrant Seven to the unexplored wilderness beyond, she couldn’t help but wonder what new adventures awaited her. The rolling hills and dense forests beckoned, promising mysteries and challenges far beyond anything she had ever known.