75 WORD CHALLENGE - December 2011 -- HareBrain Victorious!

[paranoid marvin]

Gone Fission






Atop a hill, we look down upon the invaders' encampment. Despite repeated attack the enemy defy us still, and now they taunt us with their singing.


Little do they know, but we have merely been toying with them whilst the weapon is prepared. Our warriors step aside as a cannon is wheeled forward, aimed, and shell loosed. A searing flash of light ensues, and slowly a mushroom cloud begins to rise above the drift.

 

[AMB]

Not sure if the description-to-plot ratio is high enough for this to count as an entry, but I'll give it a try anyway, and hope it qualifies.

Carol of the Bells (And Hankies)


Jasper heard a soft snick as the final cog fell into place. Sitting back, he admired his work in the soft lamplight. The clockwork miniature morris dancers were perfect, right down to their mechanical brass hankies and tiny jingling bells. They could even dance two full dances--The Rose Tree and Banbury Bill-- accompanied by a man on a steam powered melodeon. Yes, this would do nicely.


Only the best toys for his little Carol.

 

[Quokka]

To mop and murder



“Thank you mummy, it’s perfect.”

The pocket watch held the final missing pieces. Years of asking for toy trains, musical boxes, alchemy sets and more, now he would finally have a present worthy of Mother.

His creation was logical, beautiful and paid for with countless hours forever lost, wasted playing with baubles. A neccessary penance, Mother’s suspicion must not ruin her surprise.

Later the pendulum swung, gears clicked… and mummy’s helper raised its iron head.

 

[JLawrenceDavis]

Airship in the Window

The wooden airship with a large blue balloon hovered in the window, red and blue stripes curving in intricate patterns along its hull. Animated soldiers crossed the ship’s deck, waving wooden swords and steam-puffing muskets as a fog from the hidden steam engine rose amongst the soldiers, hiding the tracks they moved along.

The mother saw the airship when her son pressed his face against the glass. She smiled. “What a wonderful toy.”

 

[Phyrebrat]

The First Ghostbuster

Christmas Eve in Lundun; the Thames frozen.

Ebenezer, the industrial capitalist had successfully eliminated old Watt and a promising Brunel. He walked at a jaunty clip, whistling “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, the four sinister-looking clockwork spinning tops he carried jangling.

At home: ‘Shall I wrap these?’ enquired Cratchit.
‘Not yet.’
‘And now?’
‘Now I wait for some unwelcome guests. Go home.’

Scrooge placed the tops on his bedside cabinet and got into bed.

 

[Parson]

Good Things Come in Small Packages
​

Scrooge walked downtown with a predatory smile. He was planning to seize control of Dickens.

He almost bumped into Tiny Tim, the town ne'er-do-well. Tim offered him a grungy box; “Merry Christmas.”

Tim giving him a gift seemed odd, but Scrooge opened the box. Inside was an exquisite miniature steam locomotive. Greed crept into his voice; “Merry Christmas.”

Tim grinned vacantly. But he knew that the “toy” was slowly expelling poison gas. “ Merry Christmas indeed.”

 

[Aun Doorback]

The Trojan Plan


Proficient in arms since childhood, Leonardo clattered through the lines, discharging his cannon, as the Kaiser’s soldiers tumbled before his mechanical horse.

‘My father’s blueprints’ He flung the satchel at his General.

‘Dolls? Animals?’

‘Toys’, Leonardo encouraged. ‘We parachute toys into Europe and within a generation the war will be over: a Children’s revolution!’

‘Excellent,’ the General said. ‘Build millions,’ he barked to his scientist and added after Leonardo had left. ‘Put bombs in them’

 

[Highlander]

The Praxinoscope Mk II.

Claire inserted the slide labelled “dog” into her new Praxinoscope. The steam powered cylindrical drum spun round and she watched a lively dog bark repeatedly at her. She clapped her hands in delight and reached out to it.

Her mother, hearing noises, ran upstairs.

“Claire, what’s happening?”

A collie was barking at the spinning device and she screamed in horror. The flickering image now displayed her daughter running hard and calling out, “Help, help, help…”

 

[TheTomG]

SEEING FURTHER

The King's interest flitted on to the next display, and the Adjunct lead him into a room, introducing him: "Inventor, pin array moving pictagram.”

"What toy are you planning?" muttered the inventor of prisms that developed static charge in response to light.

"At last, Mr. Jack. Finest gunsmith known. Now we can begin." The Adjunct saw connections, possibilities. This, and the ‘toy’ he foresaw, would make him King before the year was out. He smiled.

 

[Christopher Lee]

The Machine
​

Fire blasts in upward streaks inside an incinerator. Gears moan in rotation. Sparks fly. Iron tubes pump boiling steam into The Machine.

Green liquid oozes through transparent pipes into a massive bowl. A single medical tank sits, fused with pipes running down from The Machine.

Gears cease rotation. Sparks die. Iron tubes stand still, silent. The medical tank door slides open. Green liquid flows out in lines.

A wax figure soldier steps out. “A-tten-tion!”

 

[chrispenycate]

O Teknibaum, O Teknibaum…​

The fir trees of her majesty
Are needle dropping light traps.
So, for our town house Christmassy,
Mechanical, a metal tree
Sways without breeze, synthetic'ly
Where candles can't ignite wraps.

The firebox heats our waking hours
And gets the chestnuts popping.
It blazes forth in candlepowers,
O'er heaps of presents overtowers,
I think the children it devours,
And steals the Christmas shopping.

 

[Culhwch]

The Toymaker

The heart-shaped locket opened to reveal a perfect miniature butterfly, its fragile mother-of-pearl wings beating with the rhythm of clockwork.

‘Truly, it is a wonder.’

‘Please, I made it for my daughter. She…’

‘The Emperor has forbidden all mechanicks. He trusts nothing that doesn’t use simple, comprehensible magic.’

‘It’s just a toy.’

‘It is heresy.’ The serjeant dropped the locket to the ground and crushed it beneath his heel. ‘Kill him.’

 

[anhalo]

The professors new toy

“Ha!” said Professor Pickwick with glee, “My new toy!”

He spun around, snatching the cover off his latest creation.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he snapped, eyes glinting… “It’s the future!”

“I still don’t get…” I mumbled, but then it struck me… “It’s Great!” I shrieked.

Just at that moment a puff of black smoke bellowed from the device…

“It might need some more work though” said the professor, wiping his goggles.

 

[Boneman]

Need Revisited​

“What’s this?”

“My latest toy. Animated, heuristic, self-repairing – should last for ages.”

“What’s wrong with all the others?”

“They’re boring.”

“You’ve only made one?”

“Ah, you can take parts from this one to make others – there are spare bits inside. Please can I go and play with it in the garden?”

“What do you call it?”

“Adaptable Digital Automaton Model.

“Okay, but don’t let it out of your sight. And watch out for snakes.”

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Cinder Klaas


Elves wait on the rooftop, anxious minutes too long.

“He's lost power again.”

“This new engine was a bad idea.”

Down the chimney they go. The big guy is halted mid-cookie. Opening a door in his back, they stoke his fire. Belly shakes, cheeks go rosy, he puffs steam.

“Ho ho ho!”

He resumes filling stockings.

“Thanks, guys! Save all that coal for me. Tonight it's toys for everyone, and a Merry Christmas to all!”

 

[Moonbat]

Build your own

Dear Santa

This Christmas please may can I have:

3 metres of copper tubing

Valves, Cogs and Chains (various sizes)
Springs (helical, balance, coiled)
Pressure Gauge
15 small Marbles
Fishing hooks
Mongoose Pelt
Brass block
Gas welder
Welding gloves and (Mummy insists) goggles​

I promise I've been good this year, sorry about the incident with Molly Parlour's rabbit, it was an accident (though I did learn about explosives).​

From
Sebastian Kean​

 

[Bob Senior]

GUMPTION

It showed all the signs of being the worst Christmas ever, but Grandma wouldn't let it happen. She sheared the sheep, she traded preserves for stove-pipe wire and steel wool. She spun the wool, wire and steel wool into a strong metallic yarn. By morning she had knit a toboggan for me, a doll perambulator for Amy and a velocipede for Billy. She also knit coats for the sheep, but they didn't like them.

 

[Perpetual Man]

A Christmas Miracle

They called the toymaker scrooge.

He denied Christmas, spent it alone and cold.

They did not know.

But the Angel did.

Decades before his son had died. Five years old, disease ridden on Christmas day.

She had gathered his soul.

He made his so-called toy of metal, of hot coals and oil, pistons and valves; when the cold steel boy came to life, the Angel slid that soul home and Christmas came alive again.

 

[alchemist]

From Prussia With Love



I want to fly an airship, Daddy. Just like you.

George pushed the propellor on with a shaking hand, remembering Johnny's words.

"You have to leave now, sir" Sanders said. "The paratroopers are strapped in."

"Just a second." George placed the toy into its box and handed it to Sanders. They shook hands.

"Good luck, sir."

Mouth dry, George nodded. Johnny would get to fly an airship -- he prayed he would live to see it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

THE MICE WILL PLAY

Christmas Eve: The clockwork mice come to life. Scritch, scritch, scritch, they cross the floor on tiny metal feet, copper, brass, and iron.

It is difficult climbing the chair where the inventor dozes to the gentle wheeze of his machines. On the table, mice scatter cogs, wheels, pinions. They chew, with their sharp metal teeth, the leaves of an open book.

Come Christmas morning to delight the children ... there will be no mechanical cat.