[center]Nansemond Drake, Docks at Port Titanicus[/center]

[indent]The docks were overcrowded with excited onlookers. Throngs of people pushed against the iron railings to catch a glimpse of the [b]Tychon, The Cobalt Trireme[/b] a marvel of aeronautical engineering. Nansemond smiled to himself as he patted his ticket in his breast-pocket. He dove into the crowd indescriminately shoving and pulling along with the rest of the mob, his cane clicking and clacking on the hard stone road and spectators alike.[/indent]

[indent][b]"Excuse me![/b], he shouted to no one in particular, slowly making his way to the landing zone. His pack, weighted down with all the gear he had prepared for this venture unbalanced his weight, and he held the leather straps on his shoulder in a deathgrip. The few people that did notice his limp did the best they could to let Nansemond pass.[/indent]

[indent] Nansemond passed a stage set up in between two buildings that overlooked the harbor. An actor dressed in a navy uniform was wrestling with a poorly constructed beast clearly intended to dwell in the shatterzone. Some unfortunate actor in the beast-costume was taking a beating from a blunted cutlass while the chorus sang patriotic fanfare.[/indent]

[indent]Pushing on, the crowd began to thin as the real action of the harbor took over-men dragging supplies and crates, marines marching into the belly of the great airship. He noticed a young man holding what appeared to be a cat step into a massive cargo door and disappear. Nansemond spotted the non-military loading ramp and stepped into line. A bead of sweat dribbled down from his perfectly combed hair. He dabbed it with a soft embroidered kerchief he produced from his coat-pocket. The man in front of him was dressed in a greasy brown frock and held a bag of tools. He chewed what appeared to have once been a cigar, a wad of brown paper and flem stuck to his lip. [b]Damn hot today,[/b] said Nansemond nervously. The man ignored him. The line progressed[/indent]

[indent]The clerk at the door waved Nansemond up and took his ticket. "Nansemond Drake. Drake. Why does that sound familiar?" he asked. Drake rolled his eyes. [b]"Everything in order I assume? My thanks then. Where's room? Oh nevermind I'll find it!"[/b] And with that Drake boarded the airship.[/indent]