Page 253 - Chronicles of Darkness

deck drew Arnold from the control room. He
stood in the rain, looked up to the storm-torn
sky, and cried out for a miracle. Something
heard his cry and responded. Arnold followed
the sounds deep into the platform’s mechanical
center and there he spoke with it. He knew how
to help the platform, but he couldn’t do so from
the outside. The interfaces were not working
properly because the lightning had damaged
the electronics. Lightning struck again, and the
electricity traveled down into the mechanisms
and out through the gears, into Arnold. He fell
forward into the machinery and was drawn in,
his body fusing with the platform. His arms and
legs were turned to metal and plastic. His blood
vessels turned to copper wiring and his brain was
integrated into the computer systems. From there,
Arnold could open the rear ballast and close off
the offending malfunction. The platform slowly
returned to its normal floating position, and they
weathered the rest of the storm together.
Upon their return, the crew could not find
Arnold and assumed he had been washed
away in the high seas. They searched for his
body for a week to no avail. He was listed as
dead, and that was the end of it. Arnold was
not dead, though. He was West Nautical 36,
West Nautical 36 and he had an intimate understanding of the
platform’s true purpose. The offshore drilling
rig is a design of the God-Machine, a piece of
Infrastructure built to drill into the sea floor
returning while on shore leave, and volunteered for extra (to what purpose? Time will tell). Arnold now
time offshore when possible. His time there led Arnold to controls that Infrastructure from the inside and will make
know far more about the platform’s operation than any other sure the platform is never lost.
single crew member. Description: West Nautical 36 is a semi-submersible oil
One evening, while Arnold was still working in the lab, platform in the North Sea. The platform absorbed Arnold
a particularly nasty storm hit the platform. Under such cir- and, in a way, he gave himself over to it. Bits of Arnold
cumstances, only essential crew was allowed to be out of their can still be seen within the engine room. There might be a
quarters, but he was forgotten in the rounds. Arnold didn’t finger-shaped metal protrusion, or an oily gauge that looks
seem to notice the storm until the ballast alarms started shriek- like a single brown eye. Arnold’s face is still visible just above
ing to indicate an imbalance. Arnold left his lab in search of floor level on the engine bulkhead he was standing by when
the engineering team to offer his aid. He could see that the the lightning struck. The crew does not enter that part of
platform was listing slightly, and diverted to the ballast control the platform, and those that do are afraid to return. It can
center instead. He joined the few engineers working to correct speak with Arnold’s mouth and communicate through the
the list via manual override. Despite their best efforts, the ship’s computer system on the platform.
ballast controls were malfunctioning and the problem could Storytelling Hints: West Nautical 36 is fully aware of
not be corrected. Several of the engineers began emergency its surroundings and of anyone stationed on the platform.
evacuation procedures. Arnold refused to leave the platform The relationship between Arnold and West Nautical 36 is
and stayed behind to attempt repairs. The engineers told him not one of host and parasite. Instead, they are one and the
they would send someone back down to retrieve him once the same. Arnold is still a man, but he is also an oil platform. He
lifeboats had been readied, but they never came back for him. thinks and speaks in that duality. Parts of Arnold are still flesh
Arnold attempted several overrides for the ballast control from and blood, and if those parts are destroyed then he will die,
the main control center of the platform, but these all failed. and so will West Nautical 36. This does not mean it would
Amidst the driving rain and active lightning, Arnold watched fall apart and drop into the ocean; West Nautical 36 would
in horror as the platform slowly began to tilt into the sea. simply cease to have sentience.
What happened that night is still a mystery to the crew of West Nautical 36 is the setting and main antagonist for
West Nautical 36. Several lightning strikes on the platform’s the Tale Operation: Bell Jar (p. 221).
252
cogs in the machine-characters