The stars aren't right!(Helena/Courage Wolf)

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

As Helena enters into the first workshop, she finds three constructs producing cogs at almost industrial efficiency: one hammers bars of steel into plates, the second one cuts them into the right shape and the third grinds away any imperfections before placing them into a barrel already half-full of two-inch cogs. The atmosphere is hot enough for even Helena to take a notice and there is a draft taking the smoke from the fire into a horizontal pipe.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

So each workshop produces different components, and then I think an Overseer puts them all together... usually, Im not sure. Still, this place is fucking crazy. Helena said, watching and killing time, though nothing was particularly catching her interest. Eventually, Helena figured her wayward wondering wouldn't help them much, and instead, started looking around for places with more complete constructions, trying puzzle out how each piece fit and worked. It all seemed like something a clock maker on cocaine would make.

And think Cindy, these crazy machines are making toys for us... Just watch, something is going to go wrong and we're all gonna wind up stuck in it, or on it, for 6 days and 7 nights and become Nuns afterwards. Helena said, chuckling.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Cindy shivers as she looks at the inhuman beings at work. "That's creepy. You just know that they could be making torture equipment and it would be exactly the same."

As they wander around, the pair finds other workshops acting in much the same manner, merely with different products. One of the workshops turns out to be working on the rubber they had brought in a different manner from others, as there is overseer watching the workers make individual moulds for each piece and in another parts are being assembled into individual joints and other parts needed for the final assembly.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Well yes Cindy, but by that same token, they could build just about anything with the materials. So really... does it matter? We have huge factories that work like this in my world, that run all day and all night and make the large world we live in possible. They produce everything from underwear to explosives and war machines. And each one can usually be modified to do some work for the other. This is the future in a lot of cases. Creepy as it may be, there are benefits. At least these machines can think. Helena answered, explaining as they walked, until they came to stop in front of a mine being worked in.

Here, come watch, these things can move earth faster then any army of men can. In the name of efficiency alone. They don't tire, or need to rest, though they do need repair, and they go and go and go. Besides, imagine if all those little comforts, like proper linens and silks, could be produced so cheaply, that even the lower classes could get them?

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

"It's still creepy," Cindy mutters, watching the mining carts move in and out, bringing a load of earth and ore out each time to be taken to smelters and waste piles. As they watch the working, Helena notices one of the constructs to freeze until another moves behind it to do something and gets it moving again.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Worth It. Helena answers. Noticing the apparent glitch in one of the mining constructs, Helena rushes over as fast as she can without getting in the way, intently watching the short term repair job. Well, look at that, they can repair eachother, that's interesting... Incredible really. Excuse me, Worker, what happened there? I'm curious as to why he stopped and you had to repair him, as well as what you did to do so.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena sees something in the worker's hand before it puts it away and continues on its way, ignoring Helena. Nearby another worker seems to be overseeing all the other workers going in and out of the mine, occasionally gesturing commands to them.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena, getting the hint, that only the overseers were intelligent at all, or at least free thinking, shrugged, and floated up above the workers, winking at Cindy while she tried to puzzle this out. Watching everything she could carefully, Helena kept her eyes out for any more malfunctions, trying to catch a good look at whatever tool they were using for the repair.

If this all proved to be fruitless, helena would float back down to Cindy, pouting. But I wanna See~! She whined, really wanting to actually take one of the workers apart and see if she could put it back together... But she had a lingering suspicious that would be frowned upon...

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

It takes a while, but eventually Helena spots another bot freezing. This time there are no other constructs nearby, so an overseer hurries over to it, sticking something to its back and starting to turn it. After a couple dozen spins, the worker starts moving again as if nothing happened.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena had it! They were turn keys! Landing back down next to Cindy, Helena was jumping up and down in excitement. omygodomygodomygod! Cindy! They're ClockWorks! They are LITERALLY Spring driven! That's amazing, that's fucking incredible! As long as someone is here to wind them then they never need to stop! Helena babbled, still bouncing around happily.

She had no rightful idea how such intricate machines worked apart from that one little tidbit, but to her it was all incredible! Everything running on kinetics rather then raw power, and self sustaining with the Overseers running on something else entirely!

Caught in a moment of geeky stupidity, Helena was already darting around the other workshops, trying to piece things together in her head, now looking for the circles, and springs, and cables that drove everything, and comparing what she could see, to the workers around. It didn't get her anywhere, but it was enough to keep her in a blissful state of entertainment.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena finds all the kinds of parts she would expect to see as she darts about followed by Cindy. "So they just wind each other? Who winds the ones who wind the others?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

I'm betting, that the overseers are powered by something else, maybe solar... maybe Souls. I'm not sure, but a system like this doesn't work without another powersource available. Helena answered, poking around before her curiosity would only be sated by the overseer, who wasn't answering yet, so that was a dead end.

Ahh, I'm so glad we stayed here, This is all great. And just think Cindy, they can make you something for your lockpicking, or a retractable blade! Or a half dozen other things. Think about it! There's so much here! Helena giggled out in a daze, flopping against a nearby wall and sighing happily.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

"The overseers have holes in their backs, too." Cindy points out, following Helena and leaning against the wall, watching a cart full of metal bars roll by.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

True... How about this. The dwarves here first made several, runesmiths cooking out overseers and the like, and the workers. Each creation could be powered by a turn key. It's not a question about who winds the ones winding, but who Wound up the Very First. So a dwarf winds one of the workers, who is instructed to wind the others. The first worker can wind 10, before he runs out of power, that leaves 10, 1 to rewind him and 9 others, and 90 others to be wound. So on one turn, that dwarf powers 1 plus 10 minus 1 plus 90 minus 10. So in that rediculous bullshittery, he powers 90 workers, who power 10 more each etc etc, until they have a self sustaining workforce, where they have enough to do the work, and wind each other. It's not a perfect system, but then we also don't know if there's magic involved, or how efficient each worker is. So really, all that matters was that first turn of the key, the workers see to everything else. Helena answered, her own eyes spinning after a moment. It made sense to her! Kinda...

Looking around, Helena tried to find the biggest, longest, stupidest mineshaft she could, wondering if any opened up into natural caverns or the like. How far do you think this goes anyway?

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena remembers seeing a natural looking tunnel about half way up. "Let's find out," Cindy says, starting along the tunnel.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Agreed! Helena says happily, once again floating an orb of light ahead of them as they moved. This was all crazy as hell, but what wasn't when Helena was around. Walking into the tunnel, the exploring had begun, though Helena found herself easily distracted by crystal veins and metals.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

The tunnel starts out straight, but soon begins twisting and turning, expanding and contracting. After some time, the air starts becoming moist, then the stone itself becomes slippery with water and from ahead, Helena can hear the distinctive hum of running water echoing in the tunnel.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Helena enjoys the soon twisting and winding tunnels immensely, though she takes quick notice when things start to get wetter and the floor starts to get slick. Step carefully here... that sounds like an underground river, and slipping off a cliff would suck, I can probably catch you, but I'd rather not have to. Helena said, as she opted to hover rather then walk.

Towards the water and deeper into the caves they went, Helena wondering if they could set up an oasis in the temple somehow with it. Or find a really kickass way to move around this catbox.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Cindy nods in agreement, walking more carefully and managing to mostly avoid slipping. Not long after hearing the water for the first time, the tunnel ends into a sharp fall, with another tunnel right beneath it filled with water that comes spurting violently out of one end, filling the air with mist before disappearing to a hole in the other end.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Are the stars right?(Helena/Courage Wolf)

Now I'm REAAALLY glad you didn't slip and fall Helena says, whistling in an impressed fashion as she looked down at the crazy ass rapids that disappeared into a tunnel. sadly, I already tried to grow gills, so I can't explore that, at least not in any safe way. This may be the end of the road. Helena said, backing away from the ledge and keep a hand on Cindy just in case.