{"id":909,"date":"2023-02-13T01:56:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T01:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/haguepublishing.com\/WotW\/?page_id=909"},"modified":"2023-02-13T02:10:56","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T02:10:56","slug":"day-17-thursday","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/haguepublishing.com\/WotW\/day-17-thursday\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 17 – Thursday"},"content":{"rendered":"

More Discoveries Concerning the Martians<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
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17-Jun 00:01 – Thursday<\/div>

Today more discoveries are made concerning the Martians and Lieutenant Dullanty\u2019s Special Ops unit launches their attack on the Martian airfield at London\u2019s Primrose Hill.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At Woking, Maxim is shocked by the arrival of his granddaughter, Persephone, who left Edinburgh to join him against his express orders.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Commander Carver\u2019s scratch force (now working their way to Woking via Betchworth) continues to grow, with the addition of a 12-pounder gun, its horses, limber, ammunition and crew.<\/p>\n

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In London, even as the red weed chokes the Thames, Toni and the other suffragettes gain a renewed sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 01:00 @SgtHugh #ReminiscesOnTheWar<\/div>

Leaving two soldiers behind at the copse Lieutenant Dullanty led 1st<\/sup> and 2nd<\/sup> Platoons towards our target. We were less than 25 yards away when a loud cry of \u2018ulla\u2019 indicated we\u2019d been made.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cRun,\u201d the Lieutenant yelled, even as I felt the burning fire of the heat-ray sweep over our heads.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We reached the shelter of the building just as a crashing sound announced a tripod pounding down the hill towards us. \u201cFuse!\u201d the Lieutenant called as he pressed a stick of dynamite into the soft ground surrounding the building. I copied him, and realised the metal skin of the building was white with frost. Someone swore as their hand touched the metal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly there was a scream and I looked up to see the Martian tripod towering over us. A tentacle swept down, seizing the Lieutenant and jerking him into the air. For a moment it was as though time stopped dead, then I watched him calmly light the fuse of the stick of dynamite he still clutched in his hand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Martian\u2019s tentacle lifted Lieutenant Dullanty into the air, even as his arm tossed the now sputtering stick into the cage suspended on the back of the tripod\u2019s body. There was a muffled explosion, and a creak of tearing metal as the tripod collapsed slowly sidewards, the Lieutenant landing heavily on the ground beside it.<\/p>\n

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Two of the men ran over to the Lieutenant, pulling him back to us. He was still alive, but was coughing blood. Never a good thing.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAre the explosives set?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnother couple of minutes,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ve got that Sergeant,\u201d he said, as the strident cry of \u2018ulla ulla ulla\u2019 sounded from the top of the hill, and another tripod started towards us, followed by something much smaller, that seemed to crawl on multiple articulated legs. \u201cGo! I\u2019ll set the explosives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cSir!\u201d I protested.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s an order, Sergeant. I\u2019d only slow you down. Go!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSir,\u201d I stood up and saluted him. Before giving the order to pull back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We\u2019d almost reached the copse when the sharp crack of a single firecracker caused me to throw myself to the ground, just before the rolling noise of an explosion deafened my ears. Peering back I saw the building we\u2019d targeted split as burning white light silhouetted the two Martian machines, and then the noise of the fuel exploding followed. As the light faded slightly, turning slightly yellow, I saw a speck of white flame racing up the hill,\u00a0the fuel line peeling back in front of it until the flame reached the outside of the flying machine\u2019s stable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a moment there was simply silence, then an explosion that was like a cannon to the previous explosion\u2019s rifle shot. As we cowered on the ground the stable\u2019s roof cartwheeled high into the air over our head, before crashing to the ground somewhere on the far side of Regent\u2019s Canal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 02:00 @BreakerMorant #PiccadillyParty<\/div>

Party is becoming too loud. Round up men and leave before Martians arrive.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 07:00 @toniwantstovote<\/div>

Looked out the window this morning. #Thames is choked with #redweed<\/p>\n

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@graceharwood and I will be running #healthchecks for all the @NUWSS survivors today. #atlastIwillusemyskills #ihavepockets #antisepsis #wishihadxray #manyinjuries<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 08:50 @BreakerMorant #PiccadillyParty<\/div>

Mother wakes me for breakfast handover.<\/p>\n

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I hate Thursdays.<\/p>\n

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Marie Curie appears to be over her funk, and is asking searchers to find the fireworks for the Diamond Jubilee. Says that replacing the decorative payload with arsenic might work against the Martians.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 09:00 #Sheen<\/div>

On their 9th day of confinement in Sheen, Wells wakes to find the curate talking loudly to himself. He is successful in quietening him, but fears that the curate’s increasing irrational behaviour will attract the Martians.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 09:34 #HiramMaxim<\/div>

From the personal journal of Hiram Maxim<\/p>\n

Against my express orders, my granddaughter Persephone has joined me. Slinging a shotgun over her shoulder, she stood in my study, her riding boots damp with the morning dew. \u201cYou know I told you to stay in Edinburgh with your mother. Carol must be worried. You were safe there.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSafe for how long? It was either this or visit some chums at Queen Anne\u2019s Mansions in the city. Besides, Grandfather, with what you\u2019re planning with that thing in the shed, you need me. You can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d She looked at unconscious man on the cot. \u201cWho\u2019s your guest?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s a naval officer from Thunder Child.\u201d<\/em> I nodded to the open logbook on my desk. \u201cI\u2019ll be damned if know how he got here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Persephone smiled. \u201cI rode in through Chertsey \u2013 that\u2019s closest the Thames passes to here. I found a naval boat tied up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe must have made his way up through London and the red weed, right under the Martians\u2019 noses. But why Woking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Woking?\u201d asked my granddaughter. \u201cMaybe it has something to do with that tower the Martians built that you\u2019re so keen on. Do you know what they\u2019re doing with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOnly the vaguest of notions, Granddaughter. What I do know is that tower must be destroyed. And soon. Since you\u2019re staying, I\u2019ll make us some tea and we can take turns in the attic monitoring the tower. There\u2019s still much to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just blast it to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled. \u201cSoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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17-Jun 11:00 @LtCarver<\/div>
\"17-Jun<\/a><\/div>

From the personal log of Lt Commander Roger Carver, Royal Marines, HMS Thunder Child<\/em>, 17 June 1897, 11:00 GMT:<\/p>\n

Our ranks continue to grow. Outside of Betchworth, resting in a glade, we found a 12-pounder gun, with its horses, limber, and ammunition wagon. According to the gun\u2019s crew they were part of a masked Royal Horse Artillery battery that failed to stop the Martians east of London.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe managed to save ourselves before the Black Smoke took the horses, sir,\u201d said their sergeant. He seemed embarrassed to be among the living. \u201cWe\u2019ve been in concealment ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand.\u201d I looked them up and down. \u201cUp for a little revenge?\u201d<\/p>\n

The artillerymen all nodded grimly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We continued our ride northwest, skirting around dead London in the moonlight. Passing through a freight yard outside of Dorking, we halted. Ahead stood a Martian silhouetted above the rooftops, scanning the horizon. We all held our breaths until it moved towards the east.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe must be getting close, sir,\u201d said Sergeant-Major Howard, watching the Martian move into the distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get our fill of them soon,\u201d I said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be in Woking tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll see to the men, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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17-Jun 20:30 @toniwantstovote<\/div>

#exhausted and #filthy again. #savedalifetoday #iamhelping<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t

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