The Mechanical Era

It was the first day of the second month of summer. As usual, it was a blazing hot day, forcing Kant took to take off his suit and hang it on the new coat rack he got. As he was sitting down on his chair, with a pencil in hand, he drew on a large sheet of beige paper. He was focused on completing a blueprint of a few new machines he wants to be built as soon as possible.

These new machines were intended to help quickly manufacture firearms, as well as the propellant and fulminate, at a fast rate. Currently, if he wanted a gun, he would have to ask a smith to make the metal parts, while a woodworker made the wooden parts. Then he has to send them over to a craftsman to get them assembled before they could reach back to him.

During this process, there is a high chance of errors and delays, slowing it all down. Try compounding this by trying to produce more guns, say a thousand, the production issues will be exacerbated. As a result, he wants to build a workshop in one area, in a streamlined process to allow him to produce as many guns as he needs.

From there on, he could move up from there. Currently, he wants to produce PCR-18s, as well as FLM-18s, which are flintlock muskets. He didn't think it would be necessary to produce the percussion cap muskets, as the flintlocks could easily be updated to use the technology. Once he starts producing these weapons, he wanted the police and for army to be able to adopt them as quickly as he can.

He had been designing these plans for a long time. Ever since he made his first flintlock rifle.

He soon finishes the blueprint of one of the many devices he needs. Kant then calls in a maid. He tells her to inform Minister Alan Fleck to come to his office as quickly as he could. The maid bows and leaves the room. Only a few minutes later, he heard the echoes of footsteps before there was a knock on his door. Minister Alan soon enters the room and bows.

"Pardon me, your majesty. I am sorry if I am late, sir. Was there anything you need of me?" Alan asks the king.

"No, you are not late, and yes, I do need you. Sit down." Alan walks over to his chair and sits down in a straight pose. Just as he sits down, Kant gets up from his chair and walks over to his cabinet. He opens its drawers and grabs a stack of files, before presenting them to the minister.

"What you are currently witnessing, are the blueprints of several types of machinery that I need built and used in any future firearms factory.

With the demons coming across the horizon, we have an opportunity to make a vast about of money through firearm sales. Other than the money, we also have to hand these weapons over to those farmers so they can defend themselves.

In order for that to happen, we are going to need a production line churning out flintlocks and revolvers, being the FLM-18 and PCR-18.

The flintlock would be considered the cheapest, as it also requires a piece of flint and gunpowder to fire. Considering the other side only has matchlocks, which need a lit fuse to operate, the flintlocks should have the advantage.

The revolver, PCR-18, would cater to the market for people who need a secondary weapon. Considering it is on a market of its own with no alternative, we should have a monopoly on that market segment for now."

"What about the PCM-18?"

"I don't think it would be necessary. The flintlocks could be upgraded to use the percussion caps."

"Ah. I see," he replied. Minister Alan then opens up the files and examines each and every one of them. Each file contains the blueprints of a single machine, on each side, inside and out. Each part itself had names to it and had smaller blueprints of that to explain how they are made.

On the bottom left, sealed inside a line box, there were details of the materials used, the way it is powered, the dimensions of it, and so on. It was all a bit too technical for Alan to understand. However, he knew that these machines were important.

"I assume that sir wants me to get these constructed to be fitted into a new building?"

"Not necessarily a new building. I was thinking of starting a small and temporary workshop to see if the machines work and function properly. If I were to build a factory, I would need it to function fluently, with minimal issues.

Starting out with a small workshop, with only limited machinery and one line of production, would allow us to project how many more firearms we can make, while also perfecting it, leaving no inefficiencies and costs behind."

"Is that so sir? Well, I can find someplace that would be suitable. What would be the criteria for such a building?" Alan asked as he takes out a little book and pencil to write down.

"I would like the room to have space for 12 meters worth of equipment. Although, I would like to add that I won't require the production line to be a straight line. Though, it would be the best." Fleck writes it down on his paper with his cursive handwriting.

"Is there anything else that sir expects out of it?"

"Other than the fact that I would like the building to be located in an area with good infrastructure, no. That is about it in regards to the location."

"I see. What else do you need me to do?"

"I need you to find me some suppliers for the materials needed for the gunpowder and mercury fulminate. For the weapons to operate, we will obviously need the proper propellant. Gunpowder is made out of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, which others might call caliche ore. For the mercury fulminate, I will need suppliers for mercury and ethanol."

"Excuse me, sir. Pardon my rudeness, but if I remember correctly, you need something called... Nitric acid to make it?" Alan appears to have done his research.

Do not worry about nitric acid. That can be obtained through fractional destination. I have had Alchemist Duesenberg explain that to me.

I also need you to find some workers for the job. Hire one person to operate each machine, along with 2 more to operate the steam engine. Speaking of which, the steam engine itself must at least have 15 horsepower."

Minister Fleck continues to write down his requests. After it is done, he places the little book back into his pocket, underneath the suit.

"Alright sir, now before I leave, I would like to ask one more question."

"Go ahead."

"When would you want all your requests to occur?" Alan asks.

"I am not sure. Can you give me a guess as to how long you think it would take?" Kant replied with a question. It would have been foolish to demand ridiculous to require the tasks to be one in an impossibly short time frame.

"Um... I think I should have the building ready by the 12th. I am not so sure about the machines though. That I might have to check with the craftsman to get an accurate answer," Alan truthfully replied.

"I see. Well then, I will give you 2 weeks. Make sure you get the craftsman to first make the machinery for the FLM-18. That will be the easiest and cheapest to produce. We can move on to the revolver later, which needs more sets of machinery and the mercury fulminate to be produced."

"I understand sir. May I take my leave?"

"Yes, you may. But before you go, make sure to get the last month's immigration report ready. I want to know how many people entered this city."

"Oh, that you do not have to worry sir. I have already completed it," Alan claimed.

"You have?"

"Yes. From what I can tell, we have seen about 4,540 people enter the city, increasing the population of the city from about 196,000 back to over 200,000," Alan answered. Hoverdam's population took a hit as they lost many people to the war.

"Is that so? Well, can you bring me the report to my desk then? I would like to take a look at it."

"As you wish, sir."