Clockwork Journey: Western Gears, #1

By Jessica Ripley

An American western steampunk that follows Carleigh Walker after she is thrust into a world of chaos with Thorne Adams when they discover a device meant to take down the mayor. They must travel to the underbelly of their town and figure out who is behind it before it's too late.

 

This short story was originally published in Steamy Cogs I: A Collection of Steampunk Romances (now out of print).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jessica Ripley
• Release date: Nov 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201468484

Book preview

1

Carleigh Walker’s ears were screaming. It was the first thing that registered in her mind. She couldn’t think of anything but the buzzing and high-pitched squealing in her ears and the throbbing beat in her head.

She forced herself to breathe after having the wind knocked out of her. She was flat on her back, covered in pieces of wood, metal, and cogs that were the trademark of her clockwork contraptions. She took in a shaky shallow breath and summoned the strength to shove the rubble off of her and push herself up from the ground into a sitting position, choking on the dust in the air as she did so.

What happened? She tried to remember where she was. She saw her screwdriver next to her and her work belt a bit farther off. She was on a job.

In a flash the memories of that morning came back. Mayor Evelyn Reed’s steam-powered roadrunner bot delivering a message at the shop, asking Carleigh to come to Reed’s office. She needed Carleigh to look at her desk, a custom steam and clockwork piece that Carleigh built to Reed’s exact specifications a few years earlier. It was complete with secret compartments, security sections, and even a tea-brewer. The mayor had called on Carleigh because, in her words, the ticking of the inner workings sounded muffled, and the main compartment had failed to open for her on the first try that morning.

A normal person would just bang on it a bit or shake it, but I know you’d never let me hear the end of it if you learned I was abusing your work like that. Mayor Reed had told her when she got to the office.

Pains me to hear even a suggestion of abuse towards her, Carleigh had said. She’d brushed her fingers over the control panel as one would a dear pet before going to work, checking first for jams before opening the control panel to study the internal mechanics.

That was when the explosion happened. It shouldn't have exploded. I don't build things that have the capacity for combustion. They are cogs, belts, and sometimes a little steam, nothing incendiary.

She concentrated on getting to her feet, with the help of a sofa that looked sturdy enough to put her weight on. She took inventory of herself and her surroundings. No blood, no lingering fire, just a room littered with metal, wood, and leather—pieces of the now-destroyed desk.

Mayor Reed. She looked around frantically, until her eyes locked on a mass of grey-blonde curls covered in dust.

She rushed through the wreckage to get to the mayor and knelt down to gently shake her shoulder.

Are you okay? Carleigh asked, making out a slight groan.

What in the bloody hell happened? The woman asked in her tough but raspy voice. She lifted her head and reached out for Carleigh’s arm, struggling to get to her feet. What exploded?

I believe it was your desk, ma’am. Carleigh said as they both surveyed the room. But it seems the worst is over. Are you okay?

I feel fine, but I would like to know how exactly this happened?

The question had already crossed Carleigh’s mind, and the only answer possible had already come to