The Devil of Cripple Creek
"The Devil of Cripple Creek" is a story set in the remote Colorado Territory of 1831, where a group of outcasts, seeking a new life, discover a large gold nugget in a bountiful placer deposit of gold. Their find attracts the attention of Don Ricardo Alvarez, a ruthless Spanish nobleman, who threatens to take the gold for himself. As a conflict escalates, a mysterious figure, Samantha Grey, enters the scene. The story follows the clash between the outcasts and Alvarez, and the consequences of Samantha's intervention. The tale, later recounted by an old man in 1912, becomes a legend, eventually making its way into a pulp comic book about the harsh and untamed American Western Frontier in Dimension Delta Zeta 17-46.
Story
In a dusty, sun-drenched porch in a small Colorado town in 1912. An elderly man, nearly one hundred years old, sits in a rocking chair, his face a roadmap of wrinkles etched by time and sun. His eyes, though faded, hold a spark of memory, a flicker of stories from a bygone era. He is dressed in simple, worn clothes, a testament to a life lived close to the earth. Across from him, a young, eager journalist sits with a notepad and pen, ready to capture his words.
The journalist, a man named Thomas, collecting tall tales for his magazine, begins by adjusting his spectacles and clearing his throat. "Mr. Silas, thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I've heard tales of a gold strike, and... something else, a legend... from the early days of the Colorado Territory, before the First War."
The old man, Silas, nods slowly, his gaze drifting to the distant, rugged landscape. "Ah, yes, the Cripple Creek. That's what we called it, for the way the water twisted and turned, like a snake. Must o' been at least eighty years ago. It was wild country back then, full of mountain men and those lookin' for a new start."
Thomas leans forward, eager for details. "I understand the story is about a large gold nugget and... some kind of devil? It's a bit hard to believe."
Silas chuckles, a dry, raspy sound. "Well, son, that gold was real enough. I was just barely grow'd to a man then, but I remember it still. We was a motley gaggle, former slaves, deserted soldiers, an' even me, no more than a runaway; we panned gold out o' that stream, and found it. A nugget so big a man could bare lift it with one arm, we named it the 'Cripple Nugget.' It was our chance at freedom, new lives. Maybe even in California." He pauses, takes a sip from a glass of water, and continues, "But, well, gold brings out the worst in men."
"I heard something about a Spaniard? That's when he comes in, I presume?" the journalist asks.
"Aye, that one. A cruel Spaniard, Don Alvarez with his own band of roughnecks. I can still remember his voice, nothin' like it anymore. He wanted that gold for himself, and he meant to take it, by force if he needed to." Silas’s voice drops a bit, a hint of the old fear creeping back. "And make us mine it for him, too. Whether we wanted tah or no."
"And the devil?" Thomas prompts, his pen hovering over the notepad.
Silas looks away, his eyes narrowing in thought, and a shadow passes over his face. "It was a woman, or looked like one at least, an' she was a sight. Wasn't one of us miners, no-sir. They said she lived up in the cliffs, watching when we found that creek. Then when Alvarez's men attacked, she came down from the rocks. Some say she came up from hell itself." He pauses again. "Carried scent o' brimstone, with eyes that glowed red even in the light, floating through the air, on fire. She fought on us outcasts' side, and she was strong, an' her magic crawled through us, but we felt strong, too, like nothing I had ever felt before."
Thomas scribbles furiously, "What did the other outcasts think of her?"
"Well, at first... we was scared. Alvarez called out after tha' first fight; told us she was a devil, sent to destroy us, that we shouldn't trust her. Said we whi' boys could join him, drive her away. He didn't like them coloureds, an' that's when we knew he was full o' shits, since Jericho was coloured an', 'e was my best friend. No way was I drivin' him off on some Spaniard's say so." Silas’s eyes are narrowed slightly as he says that last bit. He nods slowly and sighs. "Our leader, Cap'n Jack, he saw things differently. He was a brave man, and also a fair one. Jack told us that she was fighting on our side, and it didn't matter who she was, or where she came from -- she had tah be an outcast, too. He said he'd gladly take aid from the devil he din' know 'tall from the Spaniards he damn well did."
"And then you won the fight? The miners, with the devil-woman?" Thomas asks.
Silas nods slowly. "We did, we won. But many fellas died that day; and we were free. She done fought besides us, with power and fire. But..." his voice trails off, a note of sadness creeping in, "after the fight, when the dust settled, we jus' couldn't bring ourselves to trust her, not really. Up close, after tha' fight, she was unnerving to be near. Jus' couldn't take it, I guess. We asked her to leave, and she did."
Thomas, intrigued, asks, "And what became of her? Did she go back to where she came from?"
Silas shakes his head, "No one knows what became of her, son. She left, like a spirit fading away. Some say she returned to the underworld, others say she still roams those mountains. I guess we could have done more for her, but we didn't." He sighs, a deep, heartfelt sound.
Thomas continued. "Silas, What happened to the nugget?"
A twinkle showed in the old man's eye. "Well, sonny, thing about askin' men 'bout their gold? I don't know any man who'll say he's still got it. So far as I know, that Cripple Nugget be all spent an' long gone now."
Thomas smiled, and takes a final note. "It's quite a story, Mr. Silas. Thank you for sharing it with me. It seems the wilds of Colorado have their share of mysteries and legends."
Silas nods, his eyes distant again, lost in the mists of time, "Aye, son. They sure does."
Narrative
A group of outcasts, composed of former slaves, runaway indentured servants, and former soldiers, discover the unusually large "Great Cripple Nugget" while panning for gold in a remote canyon in the Colorado Territory -- which they had named "Cripple Creek", for its winding and chaotic course. Led by Captain Johnathan "Jack" Sterling, a shrewd British Imperial Navy deserter, they understand the risks that come with their find, but see it as wealth to begin new lives in far-away and newly independent California Republic.
The Antagonist: Don Ricardo Alvarez, a disgraced and bitter Spanish nobleman and veteran of Napoleon's armies, learns of the gold strike. Driven by greed and a desire to build his own settlement in the region -- the gold will finance this for him and he demands it. Implied but unsaid is that he will coerce the outcasts to become his workforce. Alvarez commands a small but well-equipped band of mercenaries, mostly former Spanish soldiers. Alvarez's presence in the Americas in 1831 is explained by his escape after Napoleon's defeat in 1822. Spain in Europe had been conquered by the British and its nobility was dispossessed and on the run, with some seeking to carve out holds in the wilds of North America.
Don Ricardo, as a nobleman of Spain, found his world irrevocably changed when the British Empire seized control of Continental Spain in Europe. With his family's ancestral lands and titles stripped away, and the old Spanish aristocracy dissolved, Don Ricardo, a man of pride and purpose, resolved to forge a new destiny. Gathering a band of loyal soldiers, all former members of the Spanish army and dispossessed like him, he managed to secure passage to Mexico, which had become an independant nation, hoping to find refuge and perhaps, a path to reclaim his honor.
Mexico in 1825 was not the haven Don Ricardo envisioned. While nominally independent, it was ruled by a dictator, with a society fractured by deep class divisions. The arrival of Spanish refugees like himself, fleeing the British conquest of Spain, had only exacerbated the tension between the ruling Creole elite and the oppressed peasantry. Don Ricardo understood this was not a place to rebuild what he had lost. He and his men faced a choice - integrate into a society that was not welcoming or search for something new.
Don Ricardo decided to seek a new destiny for himself and his men. He envisioned a haven far from British and Mexican control, where he and his followers could live as free men. He heard whispers from travelers of the vast, untamed lands to the north, in the Colorado Rockies, and his hopes were kindled. He reasoned that in these remote territories, beyond the grasp of any established power, they could establish a defensible community free from the strictures of British or Mexican rule.
The Conflict: Alvarez and his mercenaries arrive at the miners' camp, demanding the gold. Sterling and his group refuse, leading to a violent standoff. The outcasts are fighting for survival and self-determination against Alvarez's oppressive force.
Samantha's Intervention: Samantha Grey, who had been camped in a cave high in the canyon above the miners, observes the miners from a distance. She had intended to remain out of sight until they had left, but intervenes when she witnesses Alvarez’s first brutal attacks. She is drawn in by her sense of justice, despite her distrust of both the miners and Alvarez. Her view of the deployment of Alvarez's mercenaries leads her to aletr the outcasts to an flanking ambush. She uses her kinetic powers aid the outcasts, enhancing the outcasts' defenses and turning the mercenaries’ tactics against them. Her teleportation allow her to seem to be anywhere and everywhere at need, keeping the outcasts in a tactically tenable position. Her fire abilities create both fear and confusion, exploiting existing superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural as she causes fires and explosions among the Spanish mercenaries. After the first attack is beaten off, she communicates with Captain Sterling to coordinate the defense of the miners' camp by the gold rich streambed.
During the conflict, Samantha's powers are unleashed, revealing her infernal nature. Her demonic appearance, with wings, horns, tail, and fiery aura, becomes undeniable, shocking and frightening the outcasts. At this point, they only tolerate her due to their extreme fear of the Spaniards.
Alvarez, witnessing Samantha's powers, loudly proclaims that she is a satanic creature and that she should be the enemy of the outcasts. He tries to turn them against her by exploiting their fears and prejudices, arguing that they cannot trust her infernal ties. This is based on the fears of the 17th century that led to the "Great Cleansing" in Samantha’s timeline.
Captain Jack, showing tolerance, controls the outcasts' fear, reminds them of Samantha's aid, and persuades them to continue fighting alongside her. Alvarez's force renew their attack, and a furious battle results. The outcasts, fighting with renewed resolve, decisively defeat Alvarez and his mercenaries, though they lose several of their own men. Samantha’s powers, including kinetics, teleportation, and fire blasts, play a crucial role in this victory. Alvarez himself is gravely wounded, and the tattered remnants of his group withdraw, never to be seen again or mentioned in history.
In the aftermath of the battle, Samantha is emboldened to meet with the outcasts, and see if they might accept her as one of them. While grateful for her help, the outcasts are deeply conflicted about Samantha's infernal nature and cannot fully accept her. Despite Sterling's efforts, their fear and discomfort win out, and they ask Samantha to leave, explaining they cannot fully trust her.
Samantha, understanding the outcasts' fears, agrees to leave. Despite her hopes of finding acceptance, she departs without incident, respecting their wishes and acknowledging the limitations of their acceptance. This moment highlights the burden she carries as a human-infernal hybrid. She leaves them to their freedom, while also reflecting on the cost of freedom when it is denied to others. She takes some measure of hope from the experience, while realizing she will not return to that place or those people.
Legacy: A hundred year old Colorado man is being interviewed by a writer in 1912, retelling the story as best he could remember it from his days as a young lad with the outcasts. The story of "The Devil of Cripple Creek" makes it way into a pulp comic book about old stories from the Wild West. The writer is hoping for a story with supernatural overtones, which the readers of his comic magazine "Tales from the Frontier" will find enthralling; however, the old man keeps it real, sticking to things he remembered factually. In the Delta Zeta 17-46 tiemline, the medium of pulp comic appeared in the early 1900's as improvements in mass media and color printing occurred earlier than in the Primal Dimension.