Tunnel Rat-Chapter 457: Dangerous Mixtures

Project: Better Bear was a sprawling enterprise, involving many groups of Engineers. And if anyone was working on weapons, loading systems, or anything destructive, then they had a flock of Scavengers eager to help, especially with testing the weapons. The Alphabet split up and gleefully jumped into discussions in different groups. This got a few strange looks as these low-level adventurers with odd classes began talking, and asking questions about the chemical composition of cataclysmite, the tensile strength of Dark Steel cables, and anything at all to do with magi-tech. But their enthusiasm was admirable, even if the questions were unending. By the second day, a few of the Scavengers were becoming annoyed, and even some of the Engineers were rolling their eyes at the questions.

The exception to that was Professor Boom. When he heard the story about Bork single handedly destroying Fort Hopeless, he had declared that the Goblin Trapmeister was now in his group and everyone should keep their hands off of him. Even the normally argumentative Scavengers agreed when they noticed the gleam in his eye and grenades in each hand. Brad and Butch, impressed by anyone who could juggle live grenades, followed along, having heard a few stories from Milo about Boom-Boom, and figuring they could learn some useful new skills.

"Doesn't matter what the game is, grenades make it better."

Two Junior Engineers, Ratchet-Bolt and CleverHands were also in the group. Like Boom-Boom, Ratchet-Bolt had been one of the dwarfs reduced to a walking pile of parts and preserved meat. He'd recovered, physically, thanks to Pudding Regeneration and Malvosian Preservation, but his mind tended to wander when working on a job and yet become eerily focused when he did find something that interested him. Lately, that had been recreating the parts department that had been destroyed in the blast that leveled 92% of the old Engineering Outpost. Ratchet-Bolt had been seen scouring the ruins for bolts, pins, wire, coils, machine parts and anything not nailed down. The sight of him running everywhere with a wheelbarrow full of junk had become commonplace. But not only was he collecting things, he was hiding them away, and refused to say where. This had led to a shortage of parts for new machines, after the dwarves found that most of the ruined machinery was stripped of essential widgets.

When the Engineers began the drilling project, Two-Screws and Sledgemonkey stepped in, and ordered Ratchet to show them where he had hidden his horde of scavenged metal. He took them to a large side tunnel where he had begun sorting out his piles of junk. Buckets, baskets, and kegs lined the walls or hung from the ceiling. Parts were sorted and carefully inventoried in a book at the front of the tunnel. Next to the book was a requisition form. Sledgemonkey approved of the system, and declared that Ratchet-Bolt was in charge of the parts department. Engineers lined up, filled out their forms, and Ratchet-Bolt would adjust his inventory, fill the order, and hand over a bag of parts. Things continued like this until he finished sorting his piles. Once every part was sorted, he found Sledgemonkey and handed over the book, then took a long nap and wandered aimlessly for a few days. When Milo had explained his new project, his lethargy had ended and he'd found Boom-Boom and volunteered to help. Since then, he'd followed around behind Boom-Boom and made notes of every new design for mortars, grenades, cannons, or explosives that Professor Boom thought up. When they began experimenting, he meticulously measured the results and noted it all down. Bork, in particular, was delighted in the growing collection of books and had been carefully reading through them.

CleverHands was one of the few non-dwarven Junior Engineers, a ratkin hailing from Limburger Hollow. His path to learning Engineering was unusual. Unlike several other ratkin who had accompanied either Master Arloth or Master Clawhammer, CleverHands had been sent by the new scoutmasters in an attempt to channel his energy and prevent him from being tarred, feathered, and tossed down a deep hole. He was extremely curious, especially about what was behind locked doors, in locked chests, or otherwise off limits. Mostly he liked locks and had picked, disassembled, and reassembled every lock in the hollow. Often this resulted in people being locked out of closets, desks, and homes. When this happened, Ringtail would have to hunt him down and make him fix the locks and rekey them properly. In an attempt to push his mechanical talents in other directions he had been assigned a heavy load of classes in the Tower of Strife.

All was good for a few months as he applied himself to magi-tech, Storm Magic apparatus, staff design, and the new fangled mathematics that were now the rage among the students. His magical powers were mediocre, but his ability to deconstruct and reconstruct magi-tech staves was exceptional. Also very annoying to the students who found he'd tinkered with their staves. That he'd improved them was overlooked when their semester projects were ruined because of his 'help.' The twins saved him from a mob of angry students and sent him out of town with the next shipment of mushrooms and deep copper ore heading to Cracked Rock. From there he went onward to Rumbottle Bay and presented a note to Sledgemonkey.

Greetings to Senior Engineer Milo or anyone else in authority,

We are sending you one of our best and brightest students! Milo said to send students with a talent for Engineering to him. Being good scouts we have found this one. He is so good that we hope you keep him busy so he learns how to be a responsible Engineer. Also, watch him closely, and double check the locks on your doors. Please do not return this exceptional student, at least until people have had a chance to forget about him. That might be a long time!

Scoutmasters Ringtail and Tweedle

Sledgemonkey had given him to Shiftstick. As a newer Engineer he was good at showing newcomers how to fit in. In the case of the young, clever ratkin he found a way to both teach him further mechanical skills and impress upon him the idea that not all locks needed to be opened. Unlike the trusting ratkin of the hollow, Engineers were very good at creating traps, and CleverHands was introduced to the concept that some traps can bite back. After two weeks of bruises, small burns, sore fingers, and a terrifying look at what real traps could do to impatient and curious ratkin, he began to settle down and his itch to see what was behind each door was mitigated. After a month with the Engineers, Sledgemonkey had rewarded their hard work with the locations of one-hundred and seventeen locked doors, chests, vaults, and mysterious hidden rooms that were still in the ruins about the new complex.

"Be careful and take them one at a time, and don't hurry. Some have been locked for hundreds of years and we didn't even know about them until we started cleaning up after the snake debacle. You might want to talk to Boom-Boom about blast resistant armor and gloves. Just saying."

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That had been CleverHands introduction to explosives, his new hobby, and Bork, his new best friend. Bork needed to construct traps and locks to level some of his skills. Shiftstick and CleverHands needed to get better at opening locks and diffusing traps. Each put in long hours on their mutual hobbies, with Professor Boom adding his wisdom for both making and defusing traps and bombs.

Butch and Brad were more interested in things with larger booms, downrange and in close proximity to their foes. Neither had a class with synergy to use such weapons, but they had a willing teacher, experimental weapons that needed firing, and targets with experimental armor that needed to be blown up. The sight of a small gnome and robed wizard holding rocket launchers always amused Boom-Boom. After they earned skills in Throw Grenade, Duck and Cover, Rocket Launcher, and Fire in the Hole, he started them on loading shells and constructing explosives using Black Powder and Cataclysmite. That was when things got creative.

Butch was looking at the rocket he was assembling. "So, we have our outer casing with retractable fins, propellant, payload, and the triggering device in the nose. Seems simple enough, but I've got some questions about the explosives you're using."

The phrasing interested Boom-Boom, as it implied other explosives. "Sure, ask away."

"Well, I notice that the black powder is granulated. I'm assuming its mixed into a dough, ground and sieved to produce the granulated form, so it burns hotter, faster, and more evenly."

Boom-Boom nodded, and wondered where they'd learned this. "Essentially, but I'm missing the question in that sentence."

Butch pointed to the Cataclysmite, "So why don't you do that with the good stuff? We're just packing it into the shells."

Boom-Boom scratched his head, wondering how or why you'd want to do that. "Doesn't work like black powder. It doesn't need air, just a sharp jolt to set it off, that's the powder's job."

Brad grinned at Butch, "Doesn't need air, but I bet we can get a bigger boom if we mixed granulated cataclysmite with powdered metals. We'll have to experiment with the mix to find which increase the heat and pressure and what will increase the boom. I don't suppose you have a big can of powdered aluminum around?"

"Aluminum? You mean Aelimvernium? The superlight metal that the damned floaty elves use in their sky ships? Nope. They keep a tight hold on it. But you've got me intrigued. Let's start testing and see what works. What do you think, Ratchet-Bolt? We have anything like that sitting around somewhere?"

Ratchet thought for a bit, and then began making a list of places where powdered metals were stored.

Shelf 17, on the floor, rusty can holding 1.5 pounds of Dark Steel powder.

Shelf 142, high up, six pounds of powdered Deep Copper in a leather sack stamped with an Imperial Legion symbol.

The collapsed room with the old subrogater ore processor, in the ruins, third floor and next to the hidden room with whiskey barrels, partially full. Metal cask of grey powder.

Shelf 61, on the floor, 121 pounds of powdered fire lizard bone.

....

The list filled a whole page and half the second. "My, Ratchet, that is a lovely list. Let's get to work, lads and go hunt up the supplies we need. We'll start up in the ruins and check out that hidden room. If someone hid whiskey, they might have other valuables nearby."

As the crew working on weapon design ran off, Belinda shook her head, wondering what Brad, Butch, and Bork were up to and sure she'd hear of it later. She made a note on her sheets that they were taking a day off to gather supplies for further research, and continued on her rounds, making notes about the various groups. Zander had settled in with Arloth, working on the charging system for the mechanical bear, and how to store the power needed. Nina and Onyx were working with Amarella on the interface between the Brain Jar and the rest of the machine. The bee girl wasn't mechanically inclined, but she could communicate directly with Ursula and give feedback on the new designs. Onyx was reverse engineering the controls he used to fly the airship to give Ursula better senses and more control over her mechanical body.

Algernon was flitting from one group to another that were working on the mechanics, making suggestions for the various designs that were slowly taking form. All the Senior Engineers had constructed their own mechanical suits to prolong their lives and give them mobility. They were using that technology now, and working together in teams. Other groups were testing armor plating designs made from Hammer Steel and snail shells. The shell pieces from Gargantua were far too thick, but Throttlecog had come up with a way to chemically separate the different layers. Work continued daily and different prototypes were lined up in a row. Big bears, small bears, bear mobiles, bear tanks, and a scale model of a swimming bear submarine. The last was the result of a bet between two teams after too much alcohol.

With her daily reports gathered, Belinda found Milo, Sledgemonkey, Two-Screws and Pillbug in the large building where they were coordinating the teams. She'd been watching him work for a week now, both on the mechanical bear, the plans for Rumbottle Bay and the shipyards, and now preliminary plans for the search for the hidden island and the treasure of King Mattias.

But, something wasn't right. She could feel it. "Milo? Did you forget that Mama was making dinner tonight and wanted to talk to you?"

Milo gave her a confused look, trying to recall every conversation, match up game time to real world time, and figure out what he was missing. "She did?"

"She did. Not your fault, I bet Butch never told you. But we should log out now if we don't want to be late. There's something bothering her."

That got his attention. "Ok. I could use a break, I guess. I'll be back later, Sledge, and we can work on that idea for retractable roller skates in the feet."

Another moment, and he was getting out of his pod and stretching. Belinda waited at the doorway and took his arm. He was curious what Mama needed. "Do you have any idea of what's worrying Mama?"

Belinda grinned at him, and tightened her lock on his arm. "Nothing right now. But there are some things going on that you're hiding that will sure worry her. We're going to talk about those things, just the three of us. Don't worry, she does have dinner ready, and if you're a good boy, cheesecake for desert."

Milo thought of trying to escape, but came up with no plan that didn't make the situation worse. He focused on the idea of cheesecake, wondering how much Belinda suspected.