I started to run towards the only exit, my feet pounding against the metal sending out further ringing vibrations into the gloom.

A swarming cloud of a thousand metallic red and yellow brass insects arose in front of me as I ran headlong into the buzzing horde each with its knife-like stinger aimed at my body.

It would seem that everything in the universe was out to either crash into me or stick me with needles rather making my normal monotonous life as a ticket clerk back on Mars colony look ever so homely and inviting.

As the buzzing metal swarm dived at my body, mentally checking myself for a huge black and white bullseye pinned to my chest. I made one last frantic effort to reach the exit before I was impaled on a thousand deadly barbed stingers.

Finally, I pulled the lock unable to unfasten the heavy door. Shoving and pulling with all my worth but to no avail. In my mind, I made another supplication to Queen Victoria for safety as I prepared to die.

I heard a faraway voice calling my name from below the walkway and it was calling me to leap over the side.“Jump....Jump.....Jump.” The voice called.

Following the voice, I plunged over the side of the walkway, sailing through the gloom like a fish plucked from the ocean. I dove swimming in the air, my arms and legs windmilling in wild circles. I fell without grace.

With a thump, I sank deeply into a pile of wadding and other waste matter that had been haphazardly heaped under the walkway. Lucky for me, as I lay under the rubbish, I could hear the thwack, thwack of a thousand bees attacking the cardboard that offered me scant protection from the virulent stingers.

A while later, a hand pulled me from the tangle of cardboard and other garbage on which I had found myself entrapped. The face before me was familiar, it was my great friend Edgar Allan who I had not laid eyes on since the accident that brought us onto this ship. I made silent thanks to the immortal Victoria for keeping him safe.

As I looked around, I found myself standing before Edgar in the garbage room of the H.M.S Minerva. He told me that he had been hiding in the garbage bay since the Droids took command of the ship.

As we slowly made our journey only once did we come across a cadaver. I knew from my time working at the aerodrome that a Royal Navy dirigible like the H.M.S Minerva had a crew of at least a hundred mighty English souls.

And yet all was silent onboard the Minerva as it made its journey away from Mars its destination only known to the automaton controlling the helm.

We made our way cautiously out of the Cargo Bay together and stealthily walked towards the location of the Captain and the First Mate with the sole intent of setting them both free from captivity and then our only hope of survival was taking back control of the ship. All was silent.

It was with some relief that we reached the room in which Captain Tempest was held captive. Looking around unbelieving that we had gained our destination so easily without being beset by the minions of our unseen adversary and relatively unscathed.

Upon liberating the Captain and the Mate from the cupboard which they had spent many days entrapped it was with shock that we heard the story of how they had lost control of the ship.

It all started with a boozy prank by a midshipman who's family name was Robinson.

“He tried plugging himself into the ship's Telegraph wire.” said the Captain.

“How?” I asked with astonishment.

“He stuck the wire up his....” interrupted the Mate with gloating mirth.

“Don't be cruel, just use your imagination” shouted the Captain. “Everything went crazy after that and the robots took command of the ship and we ended up being separated from the rest of the crew in this cupboard.”

Armed with the sharpest knives from the galley we headed towards the bridge. We had nothing more in mind than taking back command of the ship from whatever diabolic monstrosity skulked behind the door.

RICHARDGRACE@2015