Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Alchemy Remix

Kurayami had been called in from being on leave as there was a call to arms, thankfully he was still in Ettermire. This was not a good sign though, it meant that war was on that horizon and this would mean that the airships would have to be at peak operating efficiency. As he made his way to the drydocks he replaced his helmet and snapped the rebreather into place. It was a good walk from the tavern to the drydocks, and he had to admit he was more than a little pissed off at the call coming in this time. Usually it didn't bother him all that much, but today he had been flirting with a rather cute Dark Elf woman named Kira while enjoying a good ale.

At first Kira had paid him no mind as he was only a simple human in the eyes of most Dark Elves. What got her attention was the fact that he wore a military uniform and helmet that signified that he was one who served on an airship. At least the military life got him a good discount at the tavern he tended to frequent and most gave him a nod of acknowledgement and raised their glasses to him as a salute. He always returned both of the gestures as it was a mutual respect. He smirked slightly in most cases as an icebreaker. With some this did not go over well meaning that he had to talk his way out of a fair number of barfight. Kira had been one of the people to raise her glass as a way to say thanks. Though it was likely just due to seeing others do the same. Kurayami had chosen the seat next to her that was open and learned that she was a common woman who studied in the Engineering Guild.

This was helpful to him as it gave them a common talking point. She was relatively well versed in the engines technological side and he knew enough of the alchemy to pick up a few tricks for fixing or upgrading the airships powerplants. This could end up being helpful in his pursuit of preparing the fleet for war and also for his personal project. Much of what Kira had told him seemed to solve some of the issues that had plagued his small scale models. If he could manage to implement her advice then he was looking at possibly being able to scale those up to create a powerful enough engine to provide the needed thrust to make his dream come true.

He arrived at the drydocks and was escorted to his normal charge, the Astral Raven. He saluted his superiors and was lead to the engineering deck and eventually the engine room. Kurayami immediately set to work on the engines the conversation with Kira still fresh in his mind as he did. He did all he could to focus mostly on the tips she had given him for upgrades and modifications that could be easily made to the engines. The powerplants would need minor work as well, but that was replacing the same part with new alchemical inscriptions to regulate a greater output of power from them. Work was always slow, so for the most part this was nothing new to the mechanic.

Kurayami had been at work for many hours and had sent word to the captain that he would need a specific list of parts and then a good amount of time to prepare everything to be installed. It took a few hours to get everything that was on the list and to get it to Kurayami in the engine room. As he waited he worked on getting the engines ready for the upgrades. This included not only partial disassembly of each engine in a carefully practiced manner and specific order, but also making sure that none of the alchemical symbols and runes were altered in any form. Even a small alteration could cause a complete failure of the power systems. The generator was notoriously fragile in that sense. Once everything was in the room he began to make sure all pieces were exactly to specifications.

Once everything was measured and set out he set to work on the alchemical enhancements immediately. This would take a long while and he knew that but the captain went fucking ballistic when he got the timeframe. It was going to be the better part of a day just to get the first third of the parts inscribed with the correct runes not only for making sure that the power flowed correctly in the right direction but also for durability. He had no idea how long they had before they would be at war, but he knew that he had to do his job right to get the airship functioning before such time.

He sat amongst the pieces of the almost completely disassembled engine and powerplant now, the shield down to protect his eyes from small bits of metal and help counteract the glare that emanated from the alchemically altered metals and power source. He knew that he would be working long into, and possibly through the night to accomplish what was needed. Getting hungry and needing something to drink he called over a messenger and asked for food and a drink to be brought from the nearby tavern he had been at before, just an ale and a simple burger. Nothing complicated, just something that he could eat quickly so he could get back to work as soon as possible.

He had to shift around a few of the radiator and carburetor parts from the engine so he had a place to set everything down while eating. Many of the parts would need to be completely replaced which meant even more time spent here. This also sent the captain into a fit of cursing that while creative, was more than a bit derogatory in terms of his thoughts on humans and other such races. Kurayami just shook his head, laughing slightly as he wiped his mouth and finished his drink, placing the mug on the plate before sliding it off to the side. With eating out of the way he returned to overhauling and upgrading the engine of the airship. Granted there was still work to be done on the powerplant, but that would have to wait for now. That was more alchemical anyways and less mechanical. The alchemy was basically just making sure he didn't fuck up the runic looking symbols. Usually this was the easier part in his mind.

Finally he finished inscribing the parts for the engines with their requisite runes and making sure that the parts he had pulled were indeed in need of replacement or upgrading. It was clear that they were just from the wear that was visible. Calling over one of the other mechanics on the ship, a young human male named Carl, he thrust the worn down cylinder in his face.

"Tell me, Carl what looks wrong with this cylinder to you?"

"Honestly sir, jus' looks a bit worn, nothin' major though. Why?"

"Take a closer look, and tell me that is all you see...go on now."

Handing the cylinder over to the young man Kurayami waited and watched his reaction. As he began to look over it again his eyes widened quite noticeably.

"No way! This thing shouldn't even be holdin' up with a crack like that in it. And the side is wearin' down, not to mention the top is almost completely flat. What happened to it?"

"Kid, the only thing holding that chunk of useless steel in your hand together is magic. Literal magic, Carl. That crack would have sent a third of that cylinder through the engine as tiny bits of metal. When was the last time this engine was overhauled?"

"Earlier today, soon after you were sent on leave."

"And who was overseeing the procedure?"

"Well, uh...I...I was, sir."

"Then I am sure you wouldn't mind showing the captain how many lives you endangered by not doing your job correctly then, would you?"

The only response from the kid was a stiff salute and audible gulp. Kurayami knew that this was not going to reflect well on the kid, but honestly he didn't care. He had tried to teach the little shit everything he knew. Plus he was a new recruit, in the service for less than a few months. He had come as rather highly recommended for having a high aptitude for mechanical and alchemical aptitude, and for some godsforsaken reason his observational skills were listed as, 'exceptional' on his record. Kurayami half expected to hear a scream as the kid was thrown over the side of the airship, yet there was none. Good for him, he had managed to keep the captain from murdering him somehow.

Carl never did return from his talk with the captain. Kurayami just shrugged and continued to work towards finishing up the reassembly of the first engine. He had gotten all the parts for both engines inscribed and set out in the order they would need to be put in during assembly with those that went in first closest to him and the other parts further away. To most onlookers this would be highly confusing, but Kurayami knew the placement of each part by memory so as he moved along each row all he had to do was make sure that nothing was left whether that be a single retaining screw or an entire cylinder. Then he would know it was safe to move up to the next row of parts and continue the rebuilding process.

After most of the day he was finishing putting the valve covers back in place. The push rods and valves had taken a long time to get properly placed and making sure that neither they nor the cylinder heads would be pushed up against the sides was a bit of a time consuming task, but worth it since it would cut down on wear overall. With the valve covers securely in place and a test run of the engine, everything sounded perfect, so he moved on to working on the inscriptions for the power source. Again this was going to take a long time to make sure everything was done correctly. Hopefully not quite as long as the engine had, but it was still complex enough to require the utmost care. In fact Kurayami would argue that this required even more care since if this went haywire the whole ship was going to fall out of the sky.

It was not a difficult process as the engine had been but the inscriptions still had to be on point. One minor screw up and you start sending power back into the unit and creating a loop that could only end in a rather nasty explosion. One fueled by arcane power, and that was not an explosion he wanted to be around. Granted, he didn't really want to be around any explosion of any sort, but especially not one that threw around shards of metal and arcane power. That just sounded like a really bad time waiting to happen. The inner casing of the power source was fine, not showing hardly any wear, so he moved on from there and began to focus on the other portions of the generator.

It looked to be that all the parts that controlled and directed the flow of the power could do with replacement. After all, the sheer amount of arcane power that flowed through the generator was immense. He had heard numbers thrown around once or twice, but never took the time to learn exactly how much it was. Though he supposed that could also be part of the issue with the models he was working on when it came to them stalling out. If such things ended up being the fix that he needed then there was the chance of slowly scaling everything up to a workable size to where he could make a power plant with enough thrust to propel a small aircraft. If he could manage a small aircraft then maybe use two engines for speed and to keep going if one were damaged.

It looked like the runes that were multiplying the flow of the power were wearing away slightly, so those would need to be re-inscribed at a deeper level so that they would last longer. The ones that redirected heat were even more worn down given that they were working as hard as the others, but the sheer amount of heat energy that was transferred into the heat sinks was far greater than most recognized. The neoprene insulation was holding up well in most places but there were some sheets that were worn down around the heat dissipation piping near the generator. That was another thing to replace but it would take very little time in the end. He continued the process of etching the runes into the piping that would redirect and multiply the power that was generated which took the most time.

Upon taking apart the power source itself Kurayami began to notice details he hadn't before. He was absorbed in his work to the point that he didn't hear or note the approach of another, in fact it wasn't until they tapped on his shoulder and caused him to jump up that he had any idea someone was even in the same area as himself. His reactions were surprisingly swift, spinning in place as he rose, his right hand gripping onto the interloper's shoulder as his left grabbed beneath their jaw and he lifted them off the ground a slight bit. The visor was in need of a cleaning after the work he had been doing and so he let go of the person's arm to retract it. Once he had, he immediately felt bad for his reaction. It was Kira, from the tavern and her eyes showed more than a trace of fear. Upon meeting her gaze, Kurayami gently set her down though still confused.

"Why are you here? And why would you just walk up to me and touch me?"

His tone was not overly kind, but it wasn't malicious either, more annoyed and inquisitive. At first her answer was a small shrug and silence, as though she wasn't allowed to reveal why the intrusion. A sheepish smile played over her features a few moments later and she replied, clearing her throat before she did.

"Well, I heard about upcoming conflict being possible through...channels connected to the guild. Also, as a member of the Engineer's guild i would be remiss in not making sure that all modifications are made properly. As well as the fact that I was personally asked to monitor the progress of work due to issues reported by the captain of the vessel.
From what I have observed the work done is impeccable. Who taught you the alchemy needed to make everything work as it should on this ship? We know it must have been someone from the Alchemist's guild as I have already inspected the engine and all the inscriptions seem to have been done by a master. Or did you send the parts to the guild to be inscribed by them with a list of what was needed. You have my word Mr. Bloodborn, that I shall not reveal your secret."

His eyes narrowed at her as she spoke, many of her words stung. Though she apparently didn't have a strong dislike of him, it was clear to him that she saw him as lesser due to his race, even after complimenting his work as she had.

"I was trained the same as any mechanic on any airship, ma'am. I see that you had lower expectations of me due to me being human. After training I worked on building small scale models of the engines and power plants in my spare time. I told you of this in the tavern, along with my reason for conducting such research. I had thought you saw past what I am, that you perhaps had confidence in me to achieve what so far no one has. I see now I was wrong. You simply see me in the way the rest of your people do. Below you.

Your Alchemical guild is good indeed but I didn't need years of reading to learn how to inscribe. I learned much faster by actually doing it. In fact much of the work here is mine when it comes to inscriptions. Especially on the engines themselves, those were very basic inscriptions before. Basic enough that it nearly doomed this ship and everyone on it should it have failed. Ever seen what high pressure steam, and alchemically enhanced metals can do when shit goes wrong? Have you Kira? I have. And let me tell you something lady, seeing someone stare down at a hole in their chest that wasn't there because they forgot to depressurize everything before opening a valve cover...it ain't a pretty sight. Cauterized flesh smells horrid and I honestly don't know that they survived, I doubt it though. Guess that was about two years ago, and i realized then that even a few more runes could have possibly prevented that. So I did my research. I figured out what needed to be added so that a repeat would be a much rarer occurrence. Now look at the power source, the generator. What differences do you see on the new parts as compared to the old ones?"

He handed her two tanks, almost exactly the same but there were minor changes in the inscriptions on them. It took Kira some time but she eventually spotted minor differences and mentioned them. The new tank was of the same metallic composition, but the inscription on it meant that it would be able to withstand up to 40 atmospheres of pressure in the tank.
He motioned for her to stand next to him as he continued disassembly on the power source. what was removed next was a basic turbine assembly but what made it odd was the fact that there were two De Laval nozzles, one in the upper left of the assembly and one in the lower right. however the pipes that fed into them were huge. This brought a smirk to Kurayami's face as she took note of what was going on. He pulled out what looked like a silver plate with perforations, he laughed as her expression turned to shock as she figured it out.

"You mean to tell me that this airship has a steam turbine generating all the power?"

"Not just any steam turbine, what you see is the beginning of a revolution in our ability to propel ships faster than anytime before. Allow me to make this simple for you, that tank is full of liquid hydrogen peroxide. The other on the floor is full of compressed nitrogen. That pretty silver disc? Silver coated with samarium nitrate. When the hydrogen peroxide hits the array of plates, it is converted into steam and oxygen. The piping leading to that turbine casing is carefully inscribed and insulated with neoprene to prevent heat loss until it comes to the De Laval nozzles. There the gas is compressed and the rate of flow is enhanced with alchemical means until it is roughly double. The nozzles face in opposite directions for a simple reason, as the blades came around to the bottom, the side that is curved is in the path of the lower nozzle. This helps to keep a consistent rate of revolution and utilize the fuel as efficiently as possible.

In short, it is a turbine that generates the power, but it is controlled by rocket engines. Or the same basic ideas are at work. The throttle is just there to open a valve a predetermined amount to control the flow of fuel. Exceedingly simple, very reliable and efficient. And this ship is the testbed for the tech. The captain thinks we are still utilizing the same tech we always have. and in a sense we are as it is that turbine that drives the pistons in the rest of the engine, but those don't really have a purpose any longer. While the fuels involved are highly volatile it is stored deep enough that a direct hit is unlikely in battle. I just put the system in place during the last overhaul."

There was no audible response from Kira, simply a wide-eyed, slack jawed expression. She shook her head to regain her composure. After a moment he gaze lowered. During this Kurayami had simply turned around and gone back to finishing up his work with the alchemical enhancements to the new system. As he did he began the process of reassembling everything he had done previously. Eventually Kira found her voice again and cleared her throat, taking a deep breath and sighing before she addressed him. It was clear that what she was about to say was not easy for her.

"I...I may have been wrong about you Kurayami...er, Mr. Bloodborn. I rarely see a human with any skill outside of basic combat or piloting. While there are good smiths and alchemists and even a few somewhat talented engineers, few have shown the insight you have today. I dare say that you would be considered as a prodigy amongst alchemists having only basic training and three years on airship maintenance drills. Even the engineers above me in the guild would be impressed with your design and implementation of such a hybridized system for propulsion.
Would you, perhaps reveal the designs to the guilds along with the requisite inscriptions? I ask only because once this gets out, as you said it has the potential to revolutionize our technology and perhaps even lead to the creation of other applications as a means of providing power. A cleaner and more sustainable system. One that can be scaled to the size needed. What say you?"

He shook his head at the offer. While he knew it was something that could revolutionize the industrial complex he wasn't ready to unveil it at such a level.

"I must politely refuse, Kira. I thank you for the offer, but there were no official drawn plans. It came about through me messing around with different concepts. There is, well was, a multi page document I wrote outlining the process and doing research on the alchemy that would be involved, but those notes have been misplaced in my workshop for the time being. Besides while I am one who enjoys helping others this is something I doubt the guilds would be willing to credit me with the invention as I am but a mere underling in the armed forces and human to boot. The time will come when I am ready to reveal all the intricacies to the guilds, however now is not the time to do so. As it stands I will have time to finish outfitting this ship fully before I have to leave. Even then, the time frame is not a long one as the captain needs it ready in two days time. I have much to do. If you need to observe feel free to stay and ask questions if you must, but those will only be answered while no others are around. I should hope you understand ma'am."

The look on her face was one that showed she was saddened by his decision, but that she understood and perhaps more surprisingly, respected his choice.

"It is possible that the guilds would try to take credit for themselves, however I don't believe you have anything to fear in that respect. Your position in the military alone grants you far more respect than other Alerian born humans. I ask you due to the myriad of applications it could serve. I will respect your decision for the time being, but eventually this is going to come to light one way or another."

Kurayami nodded as he lowered his visor again and responded while working on the inscriptions. These were burned into his memory by now with how many times he had written them and worked on perfecting them. It was nearly second nature to the man at this time.

"Again, I promise that I shall do so in time. There are still a few things I want to try and work out as far as efficiency and speed are concerned as well as possible safety concerns. The reason I refuse as of now Kira, is due to the fact that while the theories are sound and proven to work on a smaller scale, this marks their first large scale stress test. In many ways, including combat soon enough. If this ship survives and the tech performs as expected then after testing a few minor modifications I will make all needed documentation, including blueprints. I will submit copies of such that are marked as my own work to each guild that has need of them. Hate to say it, but if this gets big and starts a revolution I want to make sure I get my dues. It may be selfish, but I don't want to remain a lowly airship mechanic my whole life.

If I could manage to build my own aircraft as well as transports for others in time, that is where I would like to be. Making pilots able to soar without needing others to help guide them. Maybe a seat for another or a navigator, but in the end the pilot would have complete freedom to choose their own path. It is something that has mor applications than just peace. Such aircraft when armed could give us a major advantage over any invading force or could be used offensively. Right now it is but a pipe dream, and I realize this. Eventually I will manage to get it to be a reality, if I have to invent new technology to do so then I shall."

Though he was unable to see her reaction to his words due to his focus on the tasks at hand, Kira cracked a smile and chuckled as he finished speaking.

"After seeing what you have done here so far I have little doubt of such things. I cannot fault you for wanting to get the credit that you rightfully deserve. I promise to help make sure that happens within the guilds as well, Kurayami."

This time he made no response other than a quick nod of his head to affirm that he heard her. From his this was a simple way of saying thank you to her. The next two days might be more bearable with her here, if nothing else she was sure to have plenty of questions, definitely tech related, but maybe she would stray outside that box of 'work-related bullshit' as well, only time would tell. The only thing that gave him pause for a moment was hearing her speak his first name, and not backtrack or try to correct herself this time. Surprising, but not a bad thing. Maybe the beginning of a new friendship...just maybe.