Varney Versus Spring-heel Jack 21: June 1888
Posted by varneyjack on July 30, 2008
Twenty One: June 1888.
It stood alone in the centre of the workshop. Dull yet gleaming, its iron framework painted in a matt and textured paint that was new to Bekinscot. The spidery skeins of metal that wound around a central spinal column, extending out to form arms and legs that wrapped around themselves until coming to filigree points of fine wires, seemed to be possessed of a vitality all their own. The skull of the thing had a blank space where the face should be, but otherwise extended the filigree motif until it seemed that the shape was comprised of a route map of veins like those that ran beneath any human scalp. The delicate metalwork of the arms and legs was jointed, thin tubes seemingly of rubber connecting these joints to a small engine that was mounted in the middle of the central spinal column.
Haining said nothing while Bekinscot took it in. Fascinated, he moved forward, cautiously, towards the creation in the middle of the floor. He reached out tentative fingers, then withdrew them, as if having second thoughts.
‘It won’t bite, you know,’ Haining chuckled.
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Bekinscot murmured. He circled it three times, bending to examine the knee joints, before straightening up and looking Haining in the eye. ‘Well, it’s pretty damn marvellous. William, I’ll give you that… But what the bloody hell is it?’
‘My secret weapon,’ Haining replied.
‘I dare say,’ Bekinscot ruminated, ‘but that doesn’t really answer my question, does it?’
Haining laughed out loud, clapped his hands together as he moved into the centre of the room. While Bekinscot watched with bemusement – albeit an impressed bemusement – Haining circled around the iron construction, pointing out relevant areas as he spoke.
‘An outer skeleton, my dear chap. I got the idea from study of our insect brethren. Many of them have their skeleton on the outside of the body as a kind of protection. An excellent idea, as we are all aware how frail is the flesh. You see the way in which the jointed sections on the arm and leg allow for movement… similarly, the webbing structure over the skull affords a large amount of protection –‘
‘Yet the face is open to attack,’ Bekinscot observed.
Haining allowed himself a smile. ‘Ah, you will see soon enough, dear chap. I have considered this possibility… but all in good time. Meanwhile, you will observe that the spine of the machine is attached to a lightweight engine. Still hefty, although the nature of the construct spreads and takes some of the load. Nonetheless, it shall hopefully be the first of many such developments to make the engines contain greater power for smaller size. Eventually, this damned thing will make me another fortune… but not until I have fulfilled its primary purpose. The engine powers the hydraulics that move the limbs, which also has the effect of adding that pressure-per-pound to augment the strength of whoever wears the skeleton.
‘With this, the wearer is able to move at greater speeds than the average man, to lift greater weights, and to climb with a greater ease and fluidity than is otherwise possible. It can turn its wearer from a man into a superman.’
Bekinscot peered at the construct. ‘Remarkable. But surely it’s too heavy to wear?’
Haining shook his head. ‘Heavy, yes. Too heavy? No. I have conducted trials to obtain the optimum weight. The alloy I have been developing loses only a little of the strength of iron, whilst a comparatively large weight is shed.’
‘Then you have used this thing?’ Bekinscot asked, slightly shocked.
Haining looked bewildered. ‘Why of course, dear boy… How else will I be able to destroy the foul creature?’
