Chapter One August 405 AD Flattop Mountain (Patreon)

            It was late at night as Busara oversaw the integration of steam engines into the factory, which was the first steam-powered factory in the history of the world. Ever since Busara sat down with Kingsminister Jinka and agreed to help him develop a monopoly on coal and steam goods, the Illuminati had been building a large twenty thousand-square-foot factory under the guise that it was another storage warehouse for Flattop Mountain.

            Even though the warehouse was built at the foot of the mountain, nobody had an issue believing it was a warehouse, as the Illuminati often had more supplies than they had storage. Even when they built a large stone wall around the warehouse, people believed that the wall was built because the Illuminati were simply going to store secret items there instead of the top of the mountain. If the seventy families had any idea that they were building a factory powered by steam, they would have used the legal system to stop them, caused supply problems, and would have sent out assassins. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to continue hiding what the warehouse was now that it had steam engines, so they expected these three problems, and others, soon.

            The reason why they could no longer hide the fact that they were making a factory was because they had to make large chimneys for the coal and pressure-release valves for the steam. When the seventy families received word that the new warehouse had dozens of chimneys, they would send someone to investigate, and it was only a matter of time until the families realized what the Illuminati was building and that the Illuminati was trying to break their monopoly, by replacing water-powered factories with steam power.

            As Busara was inspecting the first steam engine he asked, “Did you test to see if it worked?”

            The installer, another Illuminati member, said, “Yes, but we will need to test it again once everything is installed. Our steam engines are just modified pressure vessels from Jinka’s steam weapons factories.”

            “I know they are not purpose-built steam engines; in fact, the first handful of steam engines we build in this factory will replace the ones you brought, but these are still important. Make sure everyone keeps detailed documentation on how to turn steam weapon pressure vessels into steam engines. Jinka’s steam weapons have been getting distributed from his factory for the last three months, and the seventy families knock offs have been getting distributed for the last month. As soon as the public sees how to turn those pressure vessels into engines as powerful as a water wheel, the seventy families will have hundreds of competitors.”

            “That won't be a problem, but you know these pressure vessels are much more dangerous than purpose-built steam engines. As soon as someone dies from their homemade steam engines, the papers are going to go crazy talking about their dangers.”

            “Not all the papers. The Illuminati technical paper won't, and neither will any of Jinka’s papers. Instead our papers will focus on how to set up a steam powered devices at home. For instance, how to make steam powered looms, grain threshers, stone cutters, water pumps, hammers, and many other technical devices.”

            “I thought we were making locomotives with our steam engines.”

            “We are, but we do not want the common man competing with us; we want them competing with the seventy families. Once we have Jinka’s locomotives going on the rails we will be charging the seventy families a premium to use it, unlike the common man. Furthermore, once our steam shovels give us a monopoly on coal, we will charge them triple the price for it. They can afford that now, but how will they be able to afford it when they are forced to switch to steam factories? We will choke them out.”

            He nodded, then asked, “We have several locomotives on top of the mountain, are we going to bring them down?”

            “We are holding them in reserve in case we really need them. At this point, we think it will take three months to finish enough of the factory to start production, and another six months to fully finish the factory. The most finiky part of the project will be a large steam powered crane on rails that will be used to move the locomotives and steam shovels from one station to the next as we construct them. In about a year, we should have at least one locomotive and one steam shovel finished. We hope to produce one of each every month the first year and then ramp it up to several a month. The problem is that it's going to take some time. Furthermore, until we finish the steam shovel, we won't have enough production to make bringing the locomotive out worth it.”

            “But the locomotive can move troops far faster than marching.”

            “Move them where? To Kush where the seventy families forces are showing that they are just as heroic as Jinka? Or to the gold fields of Roman Africa where Jinka is bringing his forces? The former isn’t possible at this time because the rails, roads, and bridges are still being rebuilt after Kush and Rome wrecked eastern Paulsland. The latter isn’t possible because Rome never invested in rail infrastructure south of the Great Desert. At least not in any area not directly connected to the gold fields. Furthermore, our foreign wars are not the problem, at least not for us. Our lives are on the line. We are undercutting the monopoly of the seventy families, they are not going to let this slide.”

            “If they are not going to let this slide, what is protecting us?”

            “The current wars. As long as these wars rage, then the representatives cannot get together and bring in new Illuminati members. Furthermore we built a wall around our steam factory, it will ensure that nobody can just break in and sabotage it. In fact whenever a worker enters, and at the changing of the guard everyone will have their fingerprints verified before being allowed entry.”

            “It seems like the Illuminati is betting everything on Jinka.”

            “We are betting everything on the steam engine. The war is giving us the cover we need to do this. Make no mistake, the only reason why we have this opportunity is because we used steam weapons in front of so many men of Paulsland. Jinka saw what we did and is taking this opportunity to protect and grow his wealth. He is an ally of convenience, and in time, he may be someone who stops us from going after the next technological step.”

            “Why would he do that?”

            “Steam power comes from coal, but according to King Paul’s notes, steam should be replaced with internal combustion engines, which use liquid fuel. The best place to get liquid fuel is from black oil pumped deep underground. There are stories of this substance bubbling up in Parthian. Do you think a man who owns all the coal mines in Paulsland will be okay with making his fuel obsolete? Jinka is our ally against the seventy families, but who will be our ally against Jinka?”

            “That is a problem for tomorrow. In fact, that’s probably a problem for our sons.”

            “You’re right. And we have a lot of work to do before the sun comes up, we do not want anyone seeing the steam engines, even if they won't recognize them, as rumors could kill us. The longer we keep the seventy families in the dark, the better.”

Authors note-I posted 2 chapters today, so if you missed the epolouge of book 1 then go back and look at it. I had a couple of announcements in that chapter, albeit it basicly just says taht there will be a one year gap from the previous chapter to this one.