Technomancer: Genesis - 122 Foundations for the New Age

CRASH!!

Ezra fell face flat on the floor. It was his thirtieth test of the Aura Powered Boots.

“Sire, Is it a problem with my forging?” Arran looked at Ezra. He was a little jittery, he didn’t like to be wrong and took pride in making quality items. Over the five years, he had become acquainted with Ezra he had become shocked at the boy’s knowledge in different materials and the forging processes. He didn’t understand where exactly this knowledge came from but he most certainly welcomed it.

“Definitely not, Arran. It’s perfect in my opinion,” Ezra shook his head. The boots were almost impossible to manoeuvre, it was not even in the remotest sense learning a new motor skill. It was more like learning to control your own liver. One of the hardest parts was slowly gaining altitude. The main problem was that slowly pouring out magic aura on a specific part of the metal was a gruelling task.

First you had to insert the aura into the middlemost part of the alloy, since the output was uniformly distributed there was no way that he could lackadaisically control the propulsion so he had to spread his magic from the core slowly in increments that were not exact, plus with the added complexity of distributing the magic aura into the wind magic alloy to simulate combustion, it was like regulating the air intake manually and all of this was done all the time. Forget manoeuvring, just getting a lift-off or hovering was impossible.

He wondered if he could design something that could mechanically regulate all of these features but for now, it was sufficient that he could even use the boots. But he had to yet understand or even model how magic acted in the world. He wondered if particle-wave duality was still applicable to magic, was there a spectrum of magic? A frequency? Or was it discrete?

He was still coming up with experiments on how to actually determine the nature of magic aura. Instead of focusing on this, he figured that he just had to practice more, his main tasks were to at least have an amount of control where he could use the things to jump very high and use it to dampen his descent. This would help him combat wise as positioning yourself to advantageous locations and evading if not even flying yet.

“Don’t worry Arran, it’s just really hard to control. “Ezra sighed. Aside from control, he found that it was taxing on his magic aura, over the thirty tests he had depleted almost fifty per cent of his capacity. He didn’t know if there was a way to optimize the regulation of his magic or the waste magic aura used on the alloy was consequential. He hoped that he could improve over time.

“I’ll give you the blueprints for the gun I wanted you to make, so you can focus on that, don’t worry about this project.”

“You mean the ones you designed with the magical alloys?” asked Arran.

“You know so that we can distinguish what kind of magical alloys we use why don’t we just name them.”

“What do you propose milord?”

“Pyritanium for fire alloys, aerellium for wind crystal alloys, and hydrantine for the water crystal ones. For the earth ones let’s name it when we have some.”

“Okay, I’ll take note of this milord.”

“Anyway, make sure to make the gun to my specifications.”

“Yes, the clip will just contain, bronze bullets,”

“Yep, the design would have no primers or propellants, just the body of the ”

“Yes, you have told me the design my lord, just metal lump inside the clip.”

“Yes, we’ll see the effects of my theory, I hope combined pressure of the air and fire inside the chamber will be enough to propel the projectile,”

“If we could just make the same design for the other colts, that would decrease the cost of production of the bullets by a large margin,”

“Haha,” Ezra chortled, “if that could only be the case,” he shook his head”, too bad normal magic users can’t use the magical alloys, Oh, make sure each clip has about twenty-seven bullets in them.”

“Yes, you’ve given me the design for them, I just hope I can make it,” there was a glow in his eyes, Arran had loved making guns more than swords or armours, the added intricacy of gunsmithing was like that of an art to him. The smooth touch and the intricate mechanisms inside were what enamoured him so.

When Ezra taught him how to first make one, he was shocked. He couldn’t even understand how such a young boy conceptualized such a weapon. Ezra also taught him how to make the basic gunsmithing tools.

“And don’t forget you are going to be a professor at the university. We are going to build quarters for you there. It’s going to be our main circle of operation in the future.”

Arran bowed and nodded.

“That reminds me, call everyone in the building, let them assemble downstairs.”

“Yes, milord.”

“By the way Aegeus, tell me the results of the experiment with the powdered cores. I have an idea of making them into a sort of fluid form and then slowly release them onto the alloy and see what we get,”

“Yes, Lord Ezra. I’ll coordinate with Arran for your idea combining them into the crystalline alloys too and I’ll make a report,”

“Yes, please I’m going to be quite busy for the week, oh go downstairs too, with the assembly” Ezra was quite glad that he could depend on people to do their assigned tasks.

“Yes, sire,”

Ezra went down through the stairwell and waited for the whole staff to come down.

The audience was composed of the Department Heads and their lab assistants. Even Hygeia was present because Aerwyna allowed her to go to the lab for the day due to Ezra’s insistence.

“Everyone, as you know we are finally building a university,”

There were whispers of glee in the audience.

“Yes, all of you will become professors and teach what I’ve taught you.” Ezra nodded.

“I believe that the foundations of a functioning society must be education, don’t you all agree?”

“Yes, Lord Ezra,” nodes came from the assembly.

“I will provide the textbooks on which you shall base your lectures. Your lab hands will be the ones to evaluate your students. I hope that you can maintain a good relationship with them, they will carry forward the potential of Bren.”

“The courses we will provide will mainly be focused on the sciences and engineering. However, I am planning to implement military training and incorporate it as well”

“Hygeia,” Ezra called.

She perked her ears and focused on Ezra, “Yes milord,”

“You will focus on teaching biology, and anatomy. I know that you love your work on your lab but you also must be able to impart your knowledge to the upcoming generation,”

“I will do as you say, milord,” she bowed.

“Arran, you will teach them materials and how to create and use them,”

“Yes, milord,”

“Anton, you will teach chemistry.”

“Yes, my liege”

“The rest of the courses will be taught by me and my retinue. They will teach mathematics and I will teach engineering and physics” Ezra continued.

“I entrust to you the future of Bren, and as you can see, we are doing revolutionary work here. With time, we may be able to uplift everyone from slave to noble, that they may have better lives and lives worth living.”

“Aye,” the assembly resounded

Ezra was pleased he had finally built the foundations which Bren shall stand, with the developing technologies inculcated to the youth, this will become the beginning of the rise of Fulmen as a masthead to the empire.