Chapter 97: Dangerous Demonstration Part 2

"The steam comes out of the boiler at high pressure and strikes blades inside the casing, setting the shaft to spinning. As the steam expands, the blades grow larger, thus the shape of the case. With this system, we can drive the shaft at speeds not achievable by traditional steam engines. In addition, the high pressure can spin up the shaft very quickly, reaching top speed almost instantly."
The man at the valve cranked it open. As steam roared out of the boiler, the familiar howl of the fan engine filled Cal's ears.
"Cover your ears, Your Highness," she shouted as she covered her own. Under the howl, a whining grew. She heard at least one blade scrape the inside of the casing. The screw jumped from a dead stop to a blur in the blink of an eye. Thumping shook the table, showing the thing was further out of true than she'd thought.
"Shut it down!" Cal yelled over the cacophony. The man with the apron turned to say something to his partner just as the casing failed, sending a jet of blistering steam into his face. He screamed and staggered back. The other man reached for the valve but pulled his hand back with a curse. The thumping grew worse.
"Oh God, help us," Cal whispered. Something slammed into her from behind, throwing her to the floor. Someone was shouting for people to get to the ends of the room. With her hands knocked away from her ears, the roar of the engine sounded demonic, drowning out every other sound - even the pounding of her heart.
The noise of the engine disintegrating was entirely different. It screamed like a mortally wounded animal as it tore itself apart. After what felt like a lifetime, the thumping stopped. The resulting silence seemed...strange.
Cal tried to move, but bodies on top of her pinned her painfully to the brick floor.
"That's the last time I ignore your advice, Cal." The Crown Prince muttered in her ear and she sighed in relief, then gasped at a sharp pain in her side. The weight vanished. She tried to push herself up, but again the pain hit her like a blow. "Get her out of here," the prince ordered sharply. "Take her to my personal physician. Meanwhile, get some help in here. Send in the coachman, the guards, everyone to help with the injured."
Firm hands lifted Cal to carry her out of the room. Even in her pain, she couldn't help noticing the bits of metal protruding from the ceiling and walls. People lay moaning covered with blood, some blistering from the superheated steam.
"Wet sheets for the burns," Cal said and coughed, crying out from the pain. His Highness looked over at her, blood dripped from his scalp as he knelt beside a man whose stump of an arm pumped red over the prince's arms. Then the swiftly-moving bodyguards had taken her from the room. They bundled her gently into the coach, where she let the tears come, refusing to sob.
The wild ride through the streets finally ended before a building that seemed familiar, but her blurry vision kept her from recognizing it. Gentle hands lifted her from the carriage, and then someone was snapping orders as they brought her into a room. It didn't look like an infirmary, more like a parlour. Strange, but she didn't have the energy to really think about it.
"Lay her on the table," a new voice ordered them. A face shaped leaned over her. "Does it pain you to breathe? You're bleeding on the left."
"I am?" Cal whispered.
Firm hands felt her side until she sucked in a breath and bit back a curse.
"I'm told you're a Navy Commander. Go ahead and swear if you must," advised the voice dryly. A hand with a cloth mopped the tears from her eyes. "We are going to sit you up. I'm sorry, I must cut away your clothes to fix your ribs. I can send them out of the room, but I may need them if you faint. A fall from the table could kill you in your condition.
"I don't have the energy for modesty." Cal forced out the words between waves of pain, her eyes closed. Cool air brushed her skin where it shouldn't. The doctor muttered something under his breath. She refused to look down.
"Breathe in as much air as you can. Expand your chest even if it hurts."
Cal sucked in air until she thought she might burst, she felt the doctor's hands on her left side, then with a clunk that made her curse, something moved and the pain lessened.
Soft cloth wrapped around her and for a moment the pain grew worse again, then it settled to a manageable level.
She opened her eyes. The two bodyguards stood at ease their eyes carefully looking over her head. A grey-haired man stood close as he fastened the cloth with a pin.
"Jacket." He put out his hand and one of the guards peeled off his uniform coat to hand to the doctor. The weight and warmth helped Cal relax.
The door to the room burst open. Two men who dwarfed the prince's bodyguards stepped through and took up position on either side of the door. A woman in a plain black dress walked through the door. The bodyguards dropped their knee. The doctor put his hand on Cal's arm.
"Don't move," he admonished in an undertone before bowing deeply. "Your Majesty. This woman is injured, and unable to give obeisance."