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Spoiler warning!
This article or section contains plot spoilers for the Mortal Engines quartet. Proceed at your own risk. |
Anchorage (known as Anchorage-in-Vineland when it became static) is a small city that was introduced in Predator's Gold. An ice city, it later became a static settlement. It is the only American city so far that is known to have survived the Sixty Minute War, the other being the resort raft city Puerto Angeles.
Government[]
Anchorage is a hereditary monarchy and is ruled by a margravine with the aid of the Steering Committee. The margravine at the time of the series was Freya Rasmussen, likely a direct descendant of Dolly Rasmussen, who led the people of Anchorage to safety during the Sixty Minute War.
History[]
Pre-Series[]
Thousands of years before the Traction Era, Anchorage was located in Alaska, U.S.A. After the Sixty Minute War (where the whole city was vaporized), the city's population was led by Dolly Rasmussen. Dolly found an American submarine, the sole surviving crewman of which gave her a copy of the codes for ODIN, which were then made into the Tin Book of Anchorage. A long song-cycle told of the journey that the people went through to find somewhere else to settle. After the start of the Age of Traction Cities, Anchorage was rebuilt as a traction city and began to roam the Arctic Wastes. Anchorage developed powerful and economical engines known as the Scabious Spheres after their creators, the Scabious family.
Mortal Engines quartet[]
Predator's Gold[]
When Tom Natsworthy, Hester Shaw, and Professor Nimrod Pennyroyal landed on Anchorage due to a dogfight with Green Storm airships and the subsequent damage, they found the city was little more than a ghost town due to a piece of military Old Tech brought aboard by scavengers, this was a bio weapon presumably left over from the Sixty Minute War and quickly devastated the city. The plague killed most of the population including the then-Margravine and the majority of the Steering Committee, and many survivors decided that Anchorage was destined for ruin and emigrated to other cities. By the time of Predator's Gold (1009 TE), only about fifty people were still living on board Anchorage. The most notable survivors were; Freya Rasmussen (Margravine), Søren Scabious (Chief Engineer), Windolene Pye (Member of the Steering Committee and Assistant to the Chief Navigator), Mr and Mrs Aakiuq (Harbourmaster), and Smew (Chamberlain, Chauffeur, Chef).
When Tom and Hester landed, the Margravine was delighted to discover they had Nimrod Pennyroyal with them, a famous writer and explorer. She organised a banquet, subsequently making Pennyroyal Honorary Chief Navigator. Freya had decided to set a course for America, inspired by Pennyroyal's book 'America the Beautiful'. This caused Pennyroyal much alarm as in actual fact he had never been to America and America the Beautiful was entirely fictional.
At some point during Anchorage's travels it picked up a Limpet. This craft was run by young boys known as Lost Boys who indulged in petty theft on Anchorage and sent in miniature robotic cameras to spy on the city's population (whom the boys referred to as 'drys'). When Tom and Freya kissed, and Hester saw them, a boy named Caul told Tom what had happened. Prior to this, Caul had been spotted burgling by Søren Scabious who mistook him for his dead son's ghost. When Scabious finally caught him, Caul was forced to explain the truth of his identity. This sent Scabious into a rage and he subsequently informed the Margravine of the presence of the Lost Boys, prompting them to leave.
The fact that Pennyroyal was a fraud was uncovered when he was dicovered by Freya trying to radio for help, claiming that he was being held captive in "a city of fools". Pennyroyal was sacked on the spot. Just after this revelation, the Huntsmen of Arkangel, led by Piotr Masgard arrived to capture the city. The people believed that the Huntsmen managed to locate Anchorage due to Pennyroyal's radio broadcasts, but in actual fact the city's whereabouts were sold to the huntsmen by Hester Shaw.
However, Hester had a change of heart and returned to Anchorage to fight off the Huntsmen, killing many of them, with merciless efficiency. However she was unable to stop Pennyroyal taking the Jenny Haniver and shooting Tom in the heart, causing Tom severe medical problems in later life. Whilst this was happening, Arkangel continued its pursuit of the city, looming ever closer. Anchorage was moving at a reduced speed of ten miles per hour because a stern wheel (probably on the right, it is not specified) was damaged and had to be taken off. The caterpillar tracks were used and Anchorage headed south to find thinner ice that would not support the massive bulk of Arkangel. Soon after Anchorage had started moving, great booms were heard. The sound all Ice Cities dread - the ice cracking beneath them. Undeterred, Arkangel made one final, mad dash towards Anchorage. However, the pressure upon the ice was too much and the great ice predator fell into the cold sea below. The ice around Anchorage broke away and the city was left adrift in the Arctic Sea. Caul the Lost Boy landed his limpet upon their ice floe and gave them a map, that was stolen from Uncle's library, that gave directions to the Dead Continent. Propellers were quickly erected and Anchorage soon landed in America and became the static settlement of Anchorage-in-Vineland.
Infernal Devices[]
Anchorage settled down in Vineland and became static. It is far inland, but near a large lake that links to the sea, situated nearby a large forest and grasslands. The lake is an important feature since it provides invaluable hydroelectric power. Unlike other Static Settlements, it is not specifically Anti-Tractionist or Green Storm.
After the settlement becoming static, the people were allowed to take anything they found in the many abandoned buildings and have their pick of the homes in Anchorage. Freya's margravinal palace was converted into a schoolhouse and library with her as librarian and teacher and Mr. Scabious married Windolene Pye. Many of the population started farming.
Anchorage faced no troubles until sixteen years later when the Lost Boys came again for the Tin Book. During the events of Infernal Devices, Caul and Freya married and adopted the Lost children that they had saved from the sinking wreck of Grimsby. The rest of the margravinal palace that was previously shut was reopened for children to live in.
A Darkling Plain[]
Wren mentions going back to Anchorage on New London to see their old friends.
Notable Citizens[]
- Freya Rasmussen (Margravine (forrmerly); schoolteacher, after Anchorage became static)
- Søren Scabious (Chief Engineer)
- Windolene Pye (Member of the Steering Committee and assistant to the Chief Navigator, doctor)
- Mr and Mrs Aakiuq (Harbourmaster)
- Smew (Chamberlain, chauffeur, chef, dwarf, etc.)
- Mr and Mrs Umiak
- Caul (Chief Engineer, after Anchorage became static and Søren died)
- Tom Natsworthy
- Hester Natsworthy
- Wren Natsworthy (after Anchorage became static)
- Nate Stratusgi (after Anchorage became static)
- Tildy Smew (after Anchorage became static)
Gallery[]
