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Spoiler warning!
This article or section contains plot spoilers for the Mortal Engines quartet. Proceed at your own risk. |
The 13th Floor Elevator is an airship that was introduced in Mortal Engines. It was owned by Thaddeus Valentine, piloted by Pewsey and Gench.
It was destroyed when Tom shot it with the Jenny Haniver's rockets.[1]
Description[]
The ship was said to be one of the best airships ever made. The airship has many custom features, including an armoured envelope, and is heavily armed.
History[]
Pre-Series[]
The 13th Floor Elevator is used mostly by Valentine for archaeological expeditions and other adventures. He used it to travel to The Dead Continent to retrieve pieces of MEDUSA. Valentine also used the airship to travel to Pandora Shaw and steal the MEDUSA computer core from her.
Mortal Engines Quartet[]
Mortal Engines[]
At Batmunkh Gompa/the Shield-Wall, when Valentine is fighting Anna Fang, Anna is distracted by the lights of the 13th Floor Elevator. Thaddeus takes this to his advantage and grabs Anna's sword and drives it through her neck, killing her. Above London, Tom Natsworthy battles the 13th Floor Elevator with the Jenny Haniver. However all the missiles are effectless against The 13th Floor Elevator's armour. He then realises that while the envelope is armoured, the cabin is not. He fires a missile at the cabin. The 13th Floor Elevator explodes and falls down towards London, Pewsey and Gench are screaming inside. The burning wreck of the ruined airship lands on Bevis Pod, killing him instantly.
Afterwards, Tom is deeply ashamed that he shot down the 13th Floor Elevator and remembers witnessing the two pilots burning alive inside the cabin as it fell. Because of that, he disables the Jenny's missile pods, as he doesn't want it to be used for violence again.
Film[]
The 13th Floor Elevator is first seen in the film transporting Valentine to Sharkmoor Prison to free Shrike.
The ship later appears when Valentine arrives back on London and Herbert tells him about Tom's secret stash of Old Tech, hoping to get a promotion.
In the finale, the airship was tied down by Hester, preventing Valentine and Gench from escaping so she could kill the latter. The airship was freed from his tie-out when Tom shot London's engines with the Jenny's missiles to stop the city from encroaching on the Shield Wall.
The airship was seen floating in the air as Shaw and Valentine fought before the latter escaped and Tom shot the ship with the last of the Jenny's missiles. The shot sent the Elevator plummeting to the ground, and was crushed by a slowing London, killing Valentine and crushing Gench's corpse.
References[]
- ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 34: "Idea for a Fireworks Display"