[Research] Let's get moving!

[Hirosame]

Hiro opened the door to the Handy Wrench for the first time in a while, carrying with him a bran new contraption. Being a mechanical tinkerer, Hiro loved to work with and invent new stuff all the time. However, he had lacked a drive to do so for quite some time now, the last thing he had created being the skateboards and roller blades. But, luckily enough, he had found some time to himself on the weekend to do some major work on the next project he had in mind. Lugging the mechanical piece inside the warehouse, Hiro placed it on the table and began to inspect it. The object that he had brought in today was none other than a Steam Engine, which was recently discovered. However, since nobody else know how or would be willing to, he figured that it could use an upgrade or six. The first thing on his list would be to make it a larger size, but not too large yet. That would come next. For now, he just wanted to get the basics of the machine down, and create it for the first time. His plan to make the steam engine a useful thing would begin as soon as he gathered his tools.

Taking note of the condition of the warehouse, he figured that it might serve him better to just take everything over to Buckingham Palace, where he and his guild now resided. Having been able to buy the property and claim it as their base of operations certainly helped them out a lot in the long run, but it wasn't up to where he wanted it to be quite yet. It wasn't in the optimal condition to be working on things inside of yet, so he'd have to make due with the resources from the old workshop. He would eventually move things over from here to there, but now wasn't the time. Maybe he could make something useful out of this place? Whatever, that would come in time. Hiro picked up all the tools and spare parts he needed from around the room, and went back to the table. Hiro looked at the steam engine, and activated the Mechanic skill Quality Control to get a better look at it. After analyzing the item in question for a good long while, he began to formulate how he would copy the machine's machinations, and to better it by giving it a higher capacity. Time to get to work.

His original goal for the beginning of this job was just to make a larger steam engine, from parts scattered all across the room, and then an even bigger version that could later be specialized into the two types of engines he wanted to make. Hiro began building the object from the ground up, almost literally. The purpose of this first steam engine was to make it about one and a half times bigger in volume, allowing it to produce more and last longer on one fill-up. He'd call it the Medium-sized engine for now, since it was only a preliminary project. Hell, even the next engine he was going to work on was only going to be a preliminary project as well, since the things he wanted to make were going to be two specialized engines, based on the later design. As he worked, he could already envision just how large and efficient the second engine was going to be. While the Medium engine could probably have its uses in smaller sized operations, it still would serve anyone better to work with one of the higher-powered engines on his list. Sorry, Medium engine. You're just a stepping stone on the path to power.

Hiro was just about finished with the engine, when he stopped for a moment. He didn't quite understand how the engine functioned. He knew that it had to be some kind of water and heat mixture, otherwise it wouldn't be a steam engine. But, what caused the heat? There didn't seem to be much of anything in the way of that. Upon closer inspection, it looked like it took some kind of magical force to make the water heat up. But, being a mechanic, there had to be some kind of a way around that. So, he worked on something, and hoped for the best. There would be a switch mechanism that would allow him to control when it turns on or off, and a basin at the bottom to hold liquid. The top part of the machine was where the magic happened, or what one could consider magic. Basically the part that makes the machine run. Now, all he needed to do was make a test run of the thing. Hiro finished adding on the parts that he needed to put on, and tightened all the screws that needed to be tightened. Next step: Running of the machine. He hoped that it worked, at least, for his own sake.

He remembered doing something kind of like this before, but with a more crude and rudimentary procedure, using only magitech energy flowing from one point to the other. But, with a stable source of power here and now, it would make things much easier. Hiro took a small music box, the same that he had used for that other attempt, and linked it up to the steam engine. Flipping the switch brought about a slow, but steadily increasing, mechanical sound from the engine. As it warmed up and started churning, the music box began to slowly speed up, to the point of normal music playing. The device worked in its secondary stage, so he put it to the test into making it into the larger engine. Doing the same steps as before, making it all from the ground up, and twice the size of the newer engine, he linked it to the music box again. Music played melodically, but not too much longer afterwards did it start to overplay at a faster speed. Obviously a small showing of its power, the Upgraded steam engine provided excess power and energy to the music box. Of course, this was on the lowest setting that it could be on, and even then it was displaying a strong force of power. Satisfied with the work that had been completed thus far, Hiro grinned. He turned the machine off, and looked to the table again. Time for some more upgrades.

[1075 Words]

[Hirosame]

Hiro took a few more looks at the Upgraded Steam Engine, and wondered if there was anything he could do else to make it run faster and better. He inspected it thoroughly before taking a moment to hit it with a wrench once or twice. Sure, this wasn't a uniform thing for him to do, but it got things along a little faster. Probably. So long as he didn't dent it or destroy it, which he didn't. Probably. Oh well, he'd roll with it for now. So, what he wanted to do was create some kind of a specialized engine that could be used for transporting large cargo or small cargo, whatever that cargo is or was. But, perhaps the thing he needed to do first was make the train cars and chassis, yet there was something else he needed to make first. The engine of the train. So, with a new goal in mind, he decided to implement the new steam engine into a train. This meant, however, that he'd have to increase the proficiency of the workshop, but also make some sort of railroad out of here to get it from point A to point B. That was going to be the real trouble.

However, if he could somehow fix it so that it was an item that could be applied, that would be incredibly amazing. But, it's time to get started on things. This would require all of his mental capacity and physical strength to make it all work. Hiro took of his blue dress shirt, put on his hat, and started to grab metal from around the workshop. He'd first need to make a base of some sort. So, he started to align the metal in a box pattern, to make the cabin part of the train, where he'd eventually stand and work the levers inside with. The preliminary box shape was very crude, had a lot of pointed edges, but it would serve its purpose for now. Keep in mind, however, that this was a rather large metal box that he had made, and therefore took a bit of doing. He wasn't just going to take the small steam engine he had created and just apply it here, though. Of course, that would be far too inferior of a design to do such a thing. He would need something with a bit of brass in it now. Something that toted things around without so much as a care. 

Something strong, but also had the efficiency of a well-honed blade. Something that could do its work and keep on chugging along without so much as a stop. This was so obvious an engine that he had no choice but to name it the Caerbannog Engine, in honor of his powerful Samurai friend. He chuckled at the name just a little bit, and wondered if he should make it smaller than it was, but figured that it would be a bit of an insult to the woman. And the last thing he needed was some short kid with a pointy metal stick, waving at him with the intent to kill. Putting the thought to rest, he started to get to work on the top of the cabin. He began to hammer it into place, and gave it a classic Steam Engine curved top. Well, maybe it wasn't a classic kind of a thing, but it looked neat to him. He liked the idea of giving it some style, especially if it was going to be named after the Stylish Queen of Aeryn. And he doesn't use the term Queen lightly! Probably. Either way, though, once that was hammered out, he started to work on the actual locomotion part of the engine.

Hiro took a few more large, massive plates of metal, and started to bend them into a circular shape. It was very much so a long cylinder that extended out to the front, and had a hole up on top for where the smoke stack would go. It was a large enough hole, of course, so a good amount of smoke and steam could come out, and not cause too much of a problem for anybody in the train car itself. Of course, since he was only working on the engine, and not the cars themselves at the moment, he didn't need to keep that stuff in mind yet. He had this idea a little while back of having Brojin, Broskit, and Brox in the train car with him on its maiden voyage, just so it would be an absolute brofest in the engine car. He'd make them work, of course, and do the stuff that he needed help with, but it would all be in the name of progress. Moving around at the speed of tracks did seem like a jolly good ride to him, for sure. With that all in mind, Hiro finished implementing the steam engine into the engine car, and formed the smoke stack, putting it directly on top of the cylindrical engine block.

Hiro wiped his forehead, lifting his hat off his head for a moment, thinking about things as they were happening. He looked outside and noticed that the sun was starting to go down, and the sky was slowly getting darker. The lights he had placed in the workshop worked just fine as it stood, but he was starting to get mentally tired. He wanted to go ahead and get some relaxation time in before much longer, and decided to go ahead and do just that. Hiro put his hat back on, picked up his dress shirt, but decided not to put it on. Hiro then began to turn the lights off in the building, but a few moments later he turned them back on. He wanted to keep his project secret for now, and safe from wandering eyes. So, he put a large cover over the train, which he had for just such occasions, and then started to turn everything off. He headed outside and began to lock the door, taking one last look inside the workshop. If he forgot anything in there, he'd pick it up the next day. As for now, though, Hiro began to make his way back to Buckingham Palace, in sudden exhaustion. He pulled out his skateboard to make the venture back home a bit less tedious, and crashed in his bed without so much as an item of food that night. He'd eat a hearty breakfast the next morning, though, before getting himself up to go to work on the trains immediately afterwards.

[1102 Words]

[Hirosame]

Early the next morning, one would hear the constant churning and burring of mechanical goodness throughout the streets. Luckily enough for Hiro, there wasn't anybody who lived in the immediate area, so he didn't get any noise complaints. Hiro worked from about 5 AM to now, closing in around 11 AM server time. Hiro had completed his first train engine, the Caerbannog Engine and was now working on the second of the two engines that he was going to make. As he decided to make 2, and the first was named after Caer, he'd come full circle, and name the second engine the Kumori Engine, just to make a nice pair. The Kumori Engine was going to be an experimental train that he'd use to advance upon at a later time, just like the Upgraded Steam Engine. That was an idea, at least, but it had yet to be a thing for him. His plan for now was just to get some things moving, and work on this in his own spare time. So, to get things rolling, so to speak, or quite literally, he began construction of the next train in the line.

This one didn't need much more work, as the only thing he really needed to change was the efficiency of the engine. It needed to produce more engine power at the cost of less overall efficiency, which would later offset itself should Hiro continue to work on the contraption later on down the road. What he'd need for that, though, is some kind of a combustion engine. Hiro heard about the running of a boss fight somewhere down below in the Underground Area that would lead to some kind of an enemy train boss. Maybe one of the drops would be a combustion engine of some sort, but the chances of that weren't exactly likely. He also needed to have prior knowledge of the fighting team, which he also didn't know. If by some chance he had known all the people on the fighting team, he would find some way to have them give him the engine, should it happen to be a drop. After that, he could move forward the Airship plans without even needing an Alchemist of any sort. Fuel could be used by fire, coal, or magic, and they would only need to worry about keeping the engine running.

Now, the idea for the Airship was to follow the steam engines just in case of such a situation. The Airship's balloon would be filled with steam or some other light gas that would allow them to ascend. However, they had no access to such a thing. The steam engine would also be used to turn the propellers and rudder to allow the airship to control its movement in the sky. As for trains, though, it would only need some sort of a forward motion drive, and the tracks would do the rest. But, that's all beside the point. Hiro had just begun to fix the Headlight on the front of the steam engine of the Kumori Engine, as he was thinking about this. It helped to think about other things while also doing some hearty work. It makes things go on a bit faster. Hiro was more than glad for all these thoughts, and mentally checked them down in his mind. The next thing on his list would most certainly be the creation of the Hot Air Balloon, as even with a steam engine, it is very doable. The hot air rises and brings the casket up into the sky, and the engine would churn the propeller in the back. All he would need is a constant source of energy, which he could provide.

Hiro finished making the adjustments on the engine, and took a few good steps back. Side to side were the Caerbannog and Kumori engines: A blissful couple, and two long, powerful strides into the future of innovation and technology for their world. Hiro wiped his forehead a bit, getting all the sweat off of it. He put his hands on his sides, and checked the time. It was just about 5 PM by now, and the sun was starting to set. Damn the sun's autumnal cycle, and how early the sun began to set. Hiro frowned a bit at it, but couldn't help feeling proud of himself. In just two day's time, he had completed something that a majority of other people took weeks or months to complete. Thankfully enough, the information he gathered from the constant use of Quality Control really helped out a ton from the first steam engine to the next. Without a doubt, this project was made a hundred times easier with the prior knowledge from the beforehand projects. Everything he had done up to this point weighed out to now, and it was a shining and glorious moment for mechanics and technicians around the virtual world. Most importantly, for Hiro, the Inventing Leader of Apocrypha.

As he was picking up his stuff and getting ready to go outside for the night, he thought about some rumors he had heard from the Japanese server. Apparently there were some people who had formed a Round Table of sorts, and a few guilds were considered Crafting and Research divisions. He wondered for a moment what Apocrypha would be like, in that respect. Would they be a crafting guild, solely based on Hiro's constructions and machinations? He shook his head at the thought. No, no, not possible. Though, to be completely fair, it was mostly Hiro who had done a majority of the things for the guild and its reputation. Sure, he had some very close and powerful friends among himself, to which he credited all his success to. But, because they believed in him and his work as a Leader, Crafter, Researcher, and Warrior, he had the strength to do all the things he had done. Hiro was locking up everything while he thought about this, and snickered. "Perhaps I'm the Jack of All Trades in Apocrypha." This was a rather silly thought, as he couldn't provide healing magic or do things that other members could do. No, he'd be satisfied with just being the Leader for now. This was what he wanted, after all. This was his path, the one he was carving out for himself. Hiro looked up into the day-lit sky as it dissolved. This is his road. This was the one that would take him, Apocrypha, and the rest of the world, down the road to the future. A future where everything can be made by Adventurer or Lander.

[1106 Words]