The Wings of Mercury - Chapter 3

Factorium

After the busy first day, following the news of the attack on their port, Ky had spent most of the time locked away in their rooms, writing out instructions all day and night.

He’d made the right decision at the time, by not continuing to push military technology forward, considering the devastation left by the war and the state of all of their allies, but as with all decisions, it had come at a cost. Now he was scrambling to make up for that cost.

Lucilla had been equally busy, sending messages to their allies across Europe, trying to set up some kind of meeting with all of them to begin putting together the kind of combined force they would need if things went the way Ky feared they would. Britannia had lost a lot of men over the years it had been fighting, losses that would take a generation to replace. If this was going to be a war of almost equals, the legions couldn’t be almost entirely Britannians. They would need to field larger armies, and the casualties would be greater against a firearm-wielding opponent.

Getting a combined force, however, might be harder than designing and producing new weapons. Which is why Ky was glad to leave it to Lucilla while he focused on the weapons.

He’d made enough progress on that to finally make a trip out to Factorium and get started. After a brief stop to see Hortensias, mostly to look at what had to be done to retool some of the factories producing civilian goods into producing more rifles and artillery, and the supplies to support those like bagging for cannon charges and primer caps.

While Hortensius was getting that going, Sorantius would be able to start working on some foundational steps for their next weapons.

Ky found the chemist in his workshop, going over figures for ammonia production, which was possibly the thing in highest demand from all of their allies. They had been skeptical at first, but after the second year when harvest started to show the effects of more modern fertilizers, they began banging down his door, demanding more.

“Consul,” Sorantius said, waving off the assistant he’d been talking to. “We’re on track to meet the Ptolemy’s request. It was a fairly large order, but the empress emphasized the need to do a favor for them, to help with some diplomacy or another, so I shifted some things around, and I think we’re going to get it done.”

“I never had any doubt,” Ky said. “Unfortunately, I’m about to make your life a lot more complicated than it is already.”

“Of course you are,” the famously prickly chemist said. “And what can I do for the empire today?”

“It looks like we’re on the verge of a new war, and they have access to some level of gunpowder, which means it’s time to accelerate your work again. There are a series of new weapons I want to implement, but many of them rely on some basic components from you. In addition, I expect the wounds received in this war will be significantly harsher than those of the last one, which means we also need to look at some of our battlefield medicine, which again, must start with you.”

“I have for years attempted to explain to Hortensius that the chemical sciences are the more important of our fields, so in this, at least, you’ve done me a favor by proving that to be true.”

Ky didn’t respond to that. Hortensius and Sorantius got along and made a fine team, but Sorantius always saw them in some sort of competition that the more genial Hortensius never played into. Which didn’t stop Sorantius, for some reason.

“Well,” Ky said, not engaging. “Here are the plans for the first two things I need from you, which are connected. You’ll be processing coal into coal gas and coal tar, each of which will have their own uses and are critical for our next stage of development.”

Sorantius flipped through the pages, reading thoroughly, as he always did. Ky sat patiently, watching him read.

“The process seems straightforward enough,” he finally said. “We’re already heating some products in an airless environment, so it’s really just an extension of that process. Capturing the gas, however, will be hard.”

“Yes, which is what this is for,” Ky said, handing over another set. “We’ll have a lot of uses for this, which is essentially a system for capturing and containing gas for use elsewhere. Something else which will have long-ranging uses. The key here is that the coal gas is very flammable and can be dangerous to work with, so it’s important to follow the safety procedures I’ve laid out. Once you start producing coal tar, we can move to your next step, which will ultimately be a replacement for the priming caps and is what we’re actually after. The coal gas has fewer direct military uses, but will be useful for civilians and if we’re already producing one, it makes sense to do both.”

“I see. The quantities you’re listing are pretty significant.”

“I know, and we’re going to have to start expanding again. We won’t be making this forever, as there are more advanced and better replacements, but we are nowhere near ready for this. Until then, you’re probably going to have to start up a new line. I, however, have faith in your ability to handle it, as long as you understand it is urgent.”

“I always assume as much.”

Ky handed Sorantius another set of papers. “These are for some medical improvements we’re going to need. Neither will be difficult, although storage will be a problem at least for this first one. This is saline solution, which is essentially slightly salty water that is close to the level of salt in, say, your sweat or tears. The key part here is that it has to remain pure after production, free from contamination, such as rust, and capable of being completely sterilized. We’re going to have to step up glass production pretty significantly, I believe.”

“That would be Hortensius’s area.”

“I know, and I already informed him about the need for increased production. What I want to emphasize is the extreme necessity of a sterile production environment.”

“We have the same for some of the acid production.”

“To a degree, although you still rely on the acids themselves removing biological contamination, which is what I’m worried about here.”

“But you included it in your notes? Correct?” Sorantius said.

“Yes. I wanted to draw your attention to it.”

“Consider my attention drawn.”

“Yes, this and the burning of seaweed, which, confusingly, seem very straightforward. Both should be easy to produce.”

“I know. It’s more a question of volume than anything else, although the iodine solution needs to remain sterile as well.”

“Yes, I saw that.”

“Good, then I’ll leave you to it. I’ll have more for you soon, although as before, a lot of it will come through Lucilla, as I am not confident I will come back to Britannia anytime soon. If our forces do engage east of Germania, as I think they will, I do not want to be all the way back here, waiting on messages down the telegraph.”

“That’s fine. I work well with the Empress.”

“I know. Thank you as always, Sorantius.”

The chemist gave a small bow and left, assuming he was excused, to begin planning these new productions with his assistance. Ky couldn’t help but smile at the man’s back. Sorantius might be brusque, but he was a good man. Besides, Ky would prefer prickly over unpredictable any day.

***

Devnum

Medb barged past the guard standing outside of Ramirus’s office, holding up a hand when the young man tried to say something to her. It was strange that, even though she was no longer a queen, her position as second in command of the empire’s intelligence apparatus had caused people to shy away and even fear her more than they had when she’d had absolute power.

Stranger still was the fact that Ramirus, who looked as much like a grandfather as a spymaster, never received the same reaction. Admittedly, over the last five years she had taken a direct hand in the more difficult assignments they’d been given, mostly dealing with routing out the last Carthaginian holdouts and squashing unrest in Carthage and Italy. While she had been firm and there had been people executed on her orders, the stories she’d heard about herself had been wildly fantastical. And particularly gruesome.

It also didn’t help that instead of squashing these rumors, she’d instructed her agents to bolster them, even adding some flourishes she suggested, to make sure her reputation was secure. She didn’t do it just to feel power again, although she would be lying if she said it didn’t do her ego good. It was useful. She found that level of reputation often led to mistakes and outright retreat of dissident elements without the need to expend bloodshed.

So she didn’t take it personally when the guard flinched away at her warning gesture, as if she’d been a heavily armed raider.

“We need to talk,” she said as she burst through the door.

Ramirus was completely unflustered, as was his way. He simply took off the small glasses he’d started to use to read, one of the many advancements given to them by the Consul. They were impressive, in spite of the Consul’s repeated apologies for how imprecise and rudimentary the design of them was.

The spymaster set them aside and folded his hands, one on top of the other, and said, “I could assume as much from your rather dramatic entrance. What can I do for you?”

“I just got yet another lecture from her majesty about how little we’ve found out about the easterners’ intentions. I’m sick of being caught empty-handed every time she asks. We have to do something.”

“I agree, but our options are very limited. I have explained that to the empress, but I can understand her frustration.”

“I can’t. If she knows our options are limited, then why do I keep getting called to task for not achieving anything?”

“Because she is as frustrated as we are,” Ramirus said, frustratingly calm and unbothered. “A port was destroyed and we still know nothing other than a threat looms on the horizon. You should know, as well as anyone, the pressure that can put on a leader. Would you have been more patient with your subordinates?”

“We still need to do something,” Medb said, circling back to the topic again.

He wasn’t wrong, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of saying so.

“I agree something needs to be done, but I’m not sure we can do anything. At least, not proactively.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that, given our capabilities at the moment, just sending resources to try and get intelligence from the east will, at best, use up those resources with little return. At worst, anyone we send could end up being used against us. You’ve read the same reports I have. The descriptions of these easterners we’ve been able to get all said the same thing, they looked very different than anyone here. As different to Carthaginians and Italians and Egyptians as those people are to the Nubians to the south. The specifics were a little vague, but it was very clear that no one in our employ would pass for one of them, and would easily stand out as a foreigner. Their features, their coloring, it would all be very distinctive from one of ours. However that is different, it’s clear our people cannot pass for one of theirs, which explains why we’ve been so completely unsuccessful with any of our attempts to date.”

“There are places in between where I have heard the people have a different look. East of Persia, but still close enough to be in contact with us. Places Alexander conquered. Surely someone recruited from those regions would pass?”

“We have no significant relations with those people. While it is something we can explore, I’m not sure how much we want to rely on people whose loyalty to us would be, at best, paid for. There are those who believe intelligence gathering is a nail that, if hammered enough, can produce results. I am not of that belief. The more you attempt and fail to infiltrate a foreign people, the more suspicious they become, on the lookout for further attempts. It is better to wait for the right opportunity and be prepared to take it, and use that to gain a foothold. We would make more headway by putting assets in places along the periphery, where we know we can operate, such as Persia or Sarmatia, to act as an early warning system, on the lookout for these opportunities.”

“That will only tell us of an attack as it’s happening. It’s not good enough.”

“It is what there is. We could place people along the trade routes previously used by the easterners. They shut those down as we moved into the Mediterranean, and no caravans have come from that direction since the Carthaginians’ fall, but they could begin to operate again. Having people along that route might give us some warning.”

“As I understand it, most of the time that route was used by intermediaries, goods passing from one set of hands to the others, and not direct trade shipments. How would that help us?”

“True, although near the end they were bringing shipments directly. It’s possible they would do that again.”

Ramirus spread his hands as if to, once again say, ‘what can you do.’

Medb crossed her arms and began to pace. “Patience is all well and good in peacetime, but this is war. We need information, and we need it now.”

“I understand your concern. I do. But you must remember, I’ve been doing this for a long time. Most of my career has been spent under the threat of war or during actual conflict. Trying to push too fast, too hard, can often backfire, putting the enemy on alert and making our job even harder.”

“And when the Empress demands answers, demands action?”

“We tell her the truth. That we are doing everything in our power to gather the intelligence she needs, but that it takes time. That rushing in blindly could jeopardize our entire operation and put the empire at risk.”

“We tell her the truth. That we are doing everything in our power to gather the intelligence she needs, but that it takes time. That rushing in blindly could jeopardize our entire operation and put the empire at risk.”

Medb stopped pacing, turning to face Ramirus fully. “She won’t like that.”

“No, she won’t. But she is a wise ruler. She will understand, even if she doesn’t like it.”

Medb didn’t like it, that much she knew. She wouldn’t tell Ramirus, but she’d come here partially hoping that he would be able to create a solution out of thin air. She had turned the problem over and over, and she’d always come to the same solution he just offered. One she did not want to accept.

While his agreeing with her initial, if unspoken, assessment should make her feel good, a confirmation of her abilities in this area, it only frustrated her.

Patience was not one of her virtues. The lack of it was one of her weaknesses, in fact. Knowing that, however, didn’t let her conquer the fact. Instead of admitting defeat, or at least a draw, she turned and stormed back as she came in.

It was moments like this when she wished she could still terrorize guards and servants, at least to get out the frustration. People parted for her as she marched through the palace halls back to her own office.

She didn’t even notice them.

***

After four days in Factorium, getting Sorantius started on his stage of the new developments, Ky returned to Devnum with Hortensius in tow. Ky wanted to spend the time walking the manufacturer through what needed to be done before they got there, so at least he understood what was needed, but he’d been so busy that he spent most of the trip writing furiously, trying to finish transcribing the actual plans and instructions he’d need to hand over to them.

Hortensius, genial as ever, seemed to understand and waited patiently while Ky focused on his work. This had always been their biggest bottleneck, getting ideas and designs out of Ky’s head, or more appropriately Sophus’s memory banks, and onto paper where people without a connection to the Artificial Intelligence could access it. Even with Lucilla helping, there was just a limit to how fast either could write, or the time they could allot to sitting in one place, writing for hours at a time.

By the time the train arrived, he was still not quite done, but he had enough to get them started. They were also running late, as he’d sent a message requesting their presence by telegraph, but the train had some kind of issue shortly after pulling out of Factorium that delayed them for fifteen minutes. Hortensius had been apoplectic for that whole time, as naturally most of the people on board looked to the man who’d ‘invented’ it to get it running. It had been a simple issue and easily fixed with Hortensius and Ky there, but it showed that, no matter how much foreknowledge they had to design equipment, maintenance always won out.

Ky was eager to get started and set a little too brisk of a pace, leaving the older manufacturer out of breath by the time they arrived at the docks and Lucan’s office.

“Sorry we’re late, gentlemen. Our train had some unexpected difficulties,” Ky said as they walked into Lucan’s office, the shipwright and Admiral Valdar already there, waiting for them.

“At which point our illustrious Hortensius lifted the beast on his shoulders and carried it to its destination on his own,” Valdar said, giving Hortensius a teasing smile.

“Laugh all you want, but this is the fourth such occurrence that I know of. I’m about one day from having the pretorians stand over the maintenance crews back to ensure they do a proper job. I can abide a lot of things, but sloppy workmanship is not one of them.”

“I have no doubt you’ll solve the problem of workers cutting corners, but for today, we have new problems to deal with. I already spoke to Valdar about this some, and I assume you and he have spoken, but given what happened at Port Amicitiae, we need to overhaul our entire fleet, with entirely new designs for ships. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done. I’ve designed a plan to get us to the end goal I have in mind, but it’s not going to be one fast enough for anyone’s liking. Unfortunately, we’re looking at a very significant increase in complexity and essentially an entirely new way of sailing, which can’t be jumped straight to. Which means the sooner we can start this project, the better.”

“You mentioned starting with smaller, river-born ships first,” Valdar said.

“That’s the plan,” Ky said, handing over a thick stack of papers filled with instructions and diagrams. “While part of this is because I think our biggest fight is going to be somewhere on the continent, since even with the fleet they showed, I don’t think they’ll have enough ships to sail an invasion fleet around Africa and to us, that is only part of it. Smaller ships are going to be easier to build and test and rivers will be a more controlled environment, which we’ll need because this is going to be a significant departure from how ships have been designed in the past. But, once we have this down, a lot of the basic principles should scale up without a lot of difficulty, allowing us to directly apply what we learn here to ocean-going vessels.”

He paused a moment as Lucan, Hortensius, and Valdar gathered around the schematics, pouring over them. “At the heart of the new design is a steam engine, although somewhat different than the ones we use for trains. These will be more advanced, using high-pressure steam and a more efficient reciprocating design, for starters.”

“These boilers, they’re massive,” Hortensius said. “And centrally located in the lowest decks?”

“Yes,” Ky confirmed. “Placing them there provides the most protection from potential damage. Besides the downside of having one of these boilers rupture, these ships will be without sail, so losing steam would cause the ship to be dead in the water. The steam they generate will be piped throughout the ship via a series of high-pressure lines to wherever it’s needed, and being at the bottom will allow the bulk of its power to be put into these here, which are called screws because of the way they turn, or the side wheel, depending on the design we’re doing. They’ll be turned by a drive shaft connected to the steam engine, similar to the setups in some of our factories. The steam engine’s power is transferred through a gearbox to the propeller shaft, which then turns the screw, propelling the ship forward. That’s in the screw-driven design, of course. The other set you see is for a paddle wheel design. That won’t be applied easily to seaborn ships, which will all use screw-driven propulsion, but it allows for a much more shallow draft, which we’ll need on some rivers. They’re more vulnerable to damage than the screws, since they’re above water, of course.”

“This is... I’m not sure I even know where to begin with. Your previous plans were at least close to what we’ve done before but this... I just don’t know.

“It’s an advancement, certainly, but not as far off as you might think, Lucan,” Hortensius says. “As the Consul said, the steam engines, the boilers, the drive shafts, we’re already using similar principles in our factories. I’m confident we will be able to get that all installed. The only real new thing is the paddle wheel, but it’s not that much different than a water wheel, at least. It’s just a matter of adapting them for use on a ship. It’ll take some work, but I think we can manage it.”

“Good. I’d hoped you’d be able to pick up from what we’d been doing at the factory and apply it here. Now, once we have the power to propel the ship, the next step is the application of iron sides. Initially, we’ll be putting iron plating over a wood frame, but eventually, we’ll make the ship entirely out of iron.”

“Entirely out of iron? Won’t that make the ship too heavy to float?”

“Not if we design it correctly,” Ky said. “The key is to distribute the weight evenly and to make sure the hull is watertight. We’re not there yet, but once we are I’ll have designs for you that I can promise will work, although they will probably have a learning curve to implement them. For now, let’s focus on plating our ships. The metal composition for the plates and the thickness should be enough to stop the shell from any of the cannon we have now, plus a little wiggle room. A lot of it depends on how the shell hits, but this works even if it isn’t perfect. When this technology was first developed, where I come from, they started by just wrapping chains around wooden ships, because the techniques I have described here for how to fix them to the ship and deal with rust and wear hadn’t been developed yet.”

“Interesting,” Valdar said.

Giving Valdar a nod of agreement, Ky said to Lucan, “I need you to be prepared to start experimenting right away. I can see a need for these river-born ships quickly, and for the ships that come after this. If I’m right, the faster we can make this happen, the better.”

“We’ll start right away.”

“I understand this will take some time to get right. I know I’m pushing you hard, but I also know you’re up to the challenge,” Ky said. “In the meantime, we need to start turning out more caravels. It’ll probably be two years before we have the first ocean-going, ironclad ship ready, and we’ll need more naval forces well before then.”

“We’ll get started on the caravels right away. We’ve been filling orders for schooners from merchants for years now, and I’m sure those still waiting will howl, but I’ll handle it. I’ll have my men working double shifts to get as many built as possible.”

“Good. And Hortensius, I know this is early, but you should probably start working on the iron plating and parts for the steam engines. It will take time to get the first test bed made, but let’s not do this linearly. The sooner we have everything ready, the faster we can start building them. We’ll get this done as soon as we can.”

“Good. I have faith in all of you. Now, let’s get started.”