Well, there be supply where there's demand. It's called ca- ca... capitalism. That outta be the word. Now, where were we?
Luther [1] stands up. He ain't gotta single clue a-bout what's going on. Through the tube Doc's voice echoes, and Luther learns that they're going to be dropping like a stone now. Don't sound good. [1] Not good at all.
Jameson [2] dashes towards the deck. He finds a scene straight out of his worst nightmares. Or maybe something even worse. It's kinda like a cloud, he supposes, 'cept it's trying to eat the ship. Tendrils of cloud all over the deck and the railing. He swears he can see the wood decay, but rubbing his eyes tell him he's wrong.
Doc [1,1,4] cuts the steam to the tanks. All of it. He sees the little value markers spin around, and he sends all of it to the weapons. They're practically bursting at the seams, now, just ready to go ahead and dispense justice to the poor world. Just gotta get a target. Can't go around shooting at shadows, no sir. The steam reservoir for the weapon systems are at full, in the green. On the other hand, nothing else happens. No falling, none of that great one centiclick per second freefall, not even a budge. It's eerie calm. He looks at the wind meter, which is set at a calm 2 milliclicks per second. Barely a breeze out there.
Eunh [1] shoots at the clouds.
The flak seems to be absorbed into the clouds, sinking into it without making a dent.
[5] Suddenly, some of it bounces back from the cloud, shattered and generally in pieces. The howling dies down a little, before ascending into another crescendo of wails and lament. Eunh is torn between blocking his ears and shooting more at the invisible, very audible enemy. [6] The ship shifts a little, and slowly starts moving. But it ain't moving down. It's moving up. Eunh's not sure it's supposed to do that.
Roland hears the flak from upstairs and decides to join in. [6+1] With the dull roar he is accustomed to, black spheres take flight into the sky, shortly being swallowed into the bank of fog. The cannon shudders and slides backwards, pneumatic compensators hissing to reduce the shock Vicky takes. From his experience in the Navy, ships with cannons usually also have tiny steam thrusters to prevent the ship from shaking too much.
Suffice to say Vicky doesn't seem to have any.
The whole ship rocks as Roland fires four cannon shots into the clouds. The air trembles, and the clouds grow even fainter. Vicky starts moving. Up.
Sairi [3] heads towards the deck. He sees what surely must have come straight from a sailor's nightmare. The cloud has tendrils, and the tendrils have the ship. A tiny stream of particles detaches from Vicky's poor, rich railing and heads into the clouds merrily. Then, a shudder shakes the ship, while the dull thumping of flak firing away echoes through the air; Sairi is knocked off balance, and he stumbles as Vicky rocks gently. To further his bewilderment, Vicky starts moving up. She also starts tilting very slightly towards the aft.
[5] Sairi barges into the pilot's hex, where Doc is standing at the control panels.
Don't blame this old man for the brevity. It ain't easy starting up after so long. Did my best.