Viridis - A Steampunk Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

before
walking into the laboratory. It was always the same, each time she
came here. Though it was now her laboratory, she never ceased to
think of it as her father’s, his ghost here too strong to ignore.
After her mother’s death, the lab had been the place he had always
escaped to, and after his death, it had become her escape
too .
    However, Imogene’s death still had her regularly
running over the calculations recorded in her journal, wondering if
there was something she could have done differently, something she
overlooked. Perhaps if she had been smarter, worked harder, she
could have saved Imogene. Her sister’s death was a guilt she would
always carry with her.
    Phoebe pushed the ghosts back into their graves, and
cleared her head, now ready to work. The open space and high
ceilings made the room feel larger than its actual size. Soaring
windows flanked either side of the lab, with her work desk situated
in the center of the room. Row upon row of glass bottles sparkled
in the sunlight that poured in from the windows, including the jugs
full of essential oils she needed to make Viridis.
    Crossing to her desk, she picked up her journal and
referenced her formulations. She put on a pair of brass goggles
designed to protect her eyes should one of the liquids splatter or
she get hit with a blast of steam. Pulling down several jugs, she
measured out her ingredients, pouring them into a massive copper
vessel, before wheeling it to the tall tinkering that occupied the
center of the room—the distillery. It was physically taxing work,
especially for someone her size, but she did not like asking for
help when she was still capable, nor did she want others in her
laboratory.
    Opening a compartment, she slid the round copper
vessel within, the liquid sloshing around as she connected a tube,
lit the fire, and adjusted the dials for the correct pressure. The
machine groaned to life. She took a step back, a smile upon her
face as she looked at the tinkering Seth had built her. It always
reminded her of a gigantic metal octopus swimming to the bottom of
the ocean— the bulging body had copper tubing coming out of it
every which way, only to coil madly towards the sky, the steam
encircling it like frothy waves.
    This one batch of Viridis would be enough to
replenish most of her stock for the club. Then perhaps she could
get back to her research. By changing the concentrations of phenols
and by adding other herbs to the original Viridis recipe, she had
gotten some new—and very interesting—results. It looked as though
the new formula may heighten senses in a way quite different to
Viridis. It would still be months before she perfected it, but only
if she managed to dedicate more time to the project. There was
definite potential for something extraordinary to happen.
    Satisfied that everything was working properly, she
slipped off her goggles so they lay dangling around her neck, and
then moved back to the shelves, searching amongst the glittering
bottles. After several minutes, she found the bottle she was
looking for, and grabbing a glass, headed back to her desk.
    She wiggled the cork out of the bottle, and poured
out a few tablespoons of the viscous amber liquid. It had been one
of her first herbal formulations and quite simple to make, created
shortly after Seth first started courting her. The tincture, a
combination derived from smartweed, pomegranate seeds, and the seed
head of Queen Anne’s lace, smelled bitter and tasted even worse.
Managing to get it down, she had all but forgotten how horrible it
was. Perhaps someday she would no longer need it, but for now, her
circumstances were not suitable for starting a family.
    Of course, these types of herbals had always
existed, for as long as there were people coupling, there were also
people not wanting to get with child. And though they usually did
not persecute women as witches for things as simple as this, her
reputation had already taken enough of a beating, and she