Tablet Fairy Tales???

30 December …

Major Higgins, Lieutenant Landowski and four escort troops headed to Camp Trafalgar this morning aboard our dirigible (dubbed the Orca), piloted by our only Republic Navy representative Seaman 1st Johansson. As they lifted off from the camp, I could have sworn Johansson let out a yell, but I could have mistaken it for engine noise or the bag creaking as it rose under the strain of the passengers. I just hope one of those huge flying reptiles does not decide to attack the Orca. Or at least, if the pteros do attack, that a few rifle bullets will drive them off before they can seriously damage the bag. If all goes well, the Orca should arrive at Camp Trafalgar by tomorrow morning.

Today, we survived an attack from some truly strange creatures near the site of the temple. Plants that walked like men on two legs and attacked with grasping tendrils of viny growths! The black leg escorts were somewhat stunned, as the things have a mouth that opens to reveal a yellow looking flower and emits a deafening screech. Lady V let out a bark when the creatures were about thirty feet away - luckily, she and I had accompanied the squad on an observation walk, or the black legs would have been completely surprised by the ambush.

When I turned, I saw six or seven plant people springing from the undergrowth along the path. They screeched in an unholy high pitch as they leapt at us, injuring one of the men as they came. We fired at the creatures with our Martini-Henry rifles, dropping three of them, as the others fled into the rainforest. Within seconds, they were gone without a trace of thier passage through the thick undergrowth. Private Douglass was injured in the shoulder by a javelin made of a thin, three-foot long reed with a crudely sharpened tip. Another man was injured when he collapsed, striking his head on a boulder, stunned from the noise of the plant men's shrieks. I guess the tablets from the temple were more than just a fairy tale. One of the specimens was carried back with the squad and Drs. Caruthers and Palmer were upset they were unable to dig at the sight today.

Doc Armstrong and Herbalist Dempsey treated the injured and also began to study the plant creature. The specimen is about five feet tall, green, thin and has a pod shaped head that splits along its entire length into three valves. They have three opposable fingers and the feet have no digits as they are a single three jointed flat foot. We have no idea how they sense prey, as there are no obvious eye structures. They are definitely hard to spot as their natural camouflage is uncanny. They can easily ambush any patrol we send out and I am thankful we had Lady V today, as she was able to spot them before they attacked. I have no doubt the casualties would have been more serious if the ambush was not spotted. We will send a messenger hawk to Camp Trafalgar tomorrow with a brief report.

Similar Paths and Possible Futures

28 December …

Today the RTS Santa Fe and Hammerhead departed for Earth and I felt safer knowing that the Santa Fe will have a fighting chance against the Huns. The Santa Fe has a special package on board: some of the more portable discoveries from the temple and a copy of all their scientific notes. Drs. Caruthers and Palmer were adamant about the tablets getting back to Houston safely, as a discovery such as this is an achievement many never find in their careers. I suppose they want to ensure their place in history.

The motor whaleboat dirigible is complete and will be tested tomorrow; Seaman Johansson is more than ready as he is assigned to Corporal Jones squad so he beds with them and also works at the saw mill. I have been told he is a good worker and does not talk much. I have seen for myself that he has the physique of an English Bulldog, standing five feet six inches but with huge hands and no neck.

Father Flannigan ventured out to the temple today after the sermon and lunch with most of the officers. Lady V and I have taken it easy today as RSM Taggart and I sat around smoking pipe tobacco and played a few games of chess. We talked about my boy Ian today, and his appointment to Gannon Military College. It seems as though Ian will not be alone as Taggart’s boy, William, was accepted into Gannon as well. The Naval Academy did not accept his boy either as he was only awarded the Star, not the Cross. I hope they will both get along well and will become friends as their fathers have.

Well, it is off to bed and must write my wife another letter before I rest this Sunday evening.

[Editor's Note: "The Star" is the Houston Star, a medal awarded for valor above and beyond the call of duty. Think of it as equivalent to a Silver Star in modern American terms. "The Cross" is the Lone Star Cross, the highest military decoration awarded by the Republic, analagous to the Victoria Cross of Britain. It is usually awarded posthumously. The sons of a recipient are automatically accepted into either the Military or Naval Academy if they apply. This does not mean automatic graduation, however, and many are dismissed for failure to meet the rigorous standards of the Republic's military academies.]

First Christmas on Venus

25 December …

Sergeant Thibodeaux and his expanded crew worked miracles today with Grillag, greens and potatoes as we dined on our Christmas Feast. Father Flannigan gave an inspiring mass and we all enjoyed the meal.

Chief O’Malley introduced me to Seaman 1st Class (equivalent to a Lance Corporal) David Johansson. He was assigned to us as a pilot for the motor whaleboat-based dirigible. He has been in the Republic Navy for five years and is already a very efficient coxswain with both air and nautical vessels. Since he is in the Navy, he will be under Mr. Griggs' command and not the Army's. He is therefore mine, so I will have to see skills he has besides piloting so I can assign him to one of the work crews. I have a feeling he will be put on Corporal Jones’ saw mill crew. They are a man short due to a bad injury one of the privates suffered last week. The doctors think they've managed to keep the cut from going bad, but in this Venusian mist, who can tell for sure?

Lady Venus was treated with a Grillag hip bone today that was smoked by Private Mistrot. We received mail and a few presents from loved ones. The men always enjoy mail call and it is nice to get letters from the missus.

My wife sent me some drawings our younger boys made, and our oldest, Ian James, has gotten word back that he has been accepted into Gannon Military College. I would have preferred the Naval Academy, but they do not like to admit the sons of enlisted men unless they have won the Lone Star Cross. Ian wants to join the military, and always has, but I told him if he joins he must muster in with a bar instead of a stripe. At Gannon he will be able to become a staff officer with either the engineering, signal or artillery corps; the Naval Academy is the only way one can become a Navy line officer. If Ian chooses civil engineering (which I highly doubt, as the boy is most destructive) he will be in a position like Mr. Griggs; however, I have a feeling he will become an artillery officer. He does like to see things go boom.

Well, enough rambling about a father's pride. I should take Lady V for a walk, as Chief O’Malley is waiting for us so he may tag along.

Christmas Eve

24 December …

   The RTS Santa Fe and the newly commissioned RTS Hammerhead landed today, and not an hour too soon. The men seemed to all stop work at once to catch a glimpse of the gunship as it sported its speed and maneuverability flying a four mile perimeter before the Santa Fe landed. The RTS Hammerhead is sleek in design and reminds me of a seagoing brig. It is 110 ft in length and sports 12 breechloading rifled cannon. The captain of the ship is Lieutenant Randolph Roderick and the senior enlisted is Chief Drexel; the crew complement is actually forty enlisted and two officers. What a wonderful Christmas gift it is, and we will all have the chance to take a stroll on board the new ethership.

   The RTS Santa Fe brought us gifts from the Republic: mail, rations, supplies, another company of black legs, four more cooks and one more mountain howitzer with crew. With the new company, the 3rd Battalion now is up to 245 men with two gun crews. Mr. Griggs will no longer be alone as the junior officer in the mess as Sub-altern Fredrick Pummel RA reported for duty with the 3rd Battalion. Mr. Pummel's name should be familiar to anyone in the Republic, as he is the youngest son of Major General Pummel. We did not receive any more Marines, but the Santa Fe now has a crew complement of one platoon.

   We also received a gasbag and a huge wooden propeller to attach to the motor whaleboat; seems as though we are going to use it for both water and air travel. The new dirigible motor whale boat is a smart option since it has a power source and if we need to make an emergency landing on the water we will be safer (unless it is beyond the reef). The trip to Camp Trafalgar will also be considerably shorter as we will be above the rainforest. I will assign Sergeant Garcia with the conversion of the craft.

   Tomorrow is Christmas and we will have the day off. It will be nice to get the latest word and the further developments of the Hun's Imperialism. Off to the mess for some ale and tales of adventure.

[Editor's Note: The RTS Hammerhead was the first of the Shark-class of aether gunships produced by the Republic of Texas. The other members of this class of ship were named the Mako, Blacktip, and Tigershark.]

Middle Age Artillery Practice

18 December …

What a splendid day! The two trebuchet crews, after an hour of basic artillery techniques, began to hurl stones into the air towards the ether landing pad area outside the perimeter walls. Corporals Mendoza and Ferguson both hurled at least one hundred stones today and we know one thing: it is much easier in theory and we need more practice. The targets were damaged and the trebuchets are definitely deadly as the stones came plunging down with massive force. Major Higgins and the other officers were delighted and the men enjoyed the spirit of competition and began to have a lot of respect for those ancient armies who used the trebuchet in battle. The sound of the stone as it leaves the sling is amazing and has to be frightening on the receiving end of the weapon.

We lost a day of work but we now have a strengthened sense of security beyond the walls of Fort Humid. Tomorrow it will be back to the grind stone and further progress on fort improvements. I will be happy when the exterior wall is finished and the defenses are in place as we received word today by messenger hawk from our English friends of an Imperial German attack against the French on Mars as the Huns bombarded the French positions at their colony of Noveau Paris. Although the Hun are not on this continent as of yet (it is the smallest of the Venusian continents) we still have to be prepared for the worse.