Space Oddity

[Brian]

"Really?" Aliester asks, surprised, looking at Tom sharply.  "That is an ... interesting development."

The king seems to miss his interest, laughing quietly.  "Cousin, it's hardly fitting that you work in a tower!  Of course you and Catherine shall stay with me."

Holmes looks thoughtful.  "Master Tom, do you suppose you would recognize this fellow if I showed you his picture?" he asks.

[Dracos]

Dracos didn't miss Aliester's comment, questioning him "Are you suggesting such abilities may be from over here?  Outside of the gates, we don't have such technology."

[Brian]

"I would be surprised if that were the case," Aliester says slowly.  "But if that comes from here, it also means our betrayal does."

This does get the king's attention, and he blinks, frowning.  "More dissenters?" he sighs.

"We should investigate this and learn the right of it," Holmes says, glancing at Tom briefly before turning his attention to the king and Aliester.  "But this is not the most ideal time for it, I should think."

Aliester grimaces, then glances across the table.  "Very well.  A subject for tomorrow, then."

The king nods, then looks at Catherine and Tim expectantly.

[Halbarad]

"I'll let Catherine speak for herself, but for myself I'd be grateful for your hospitality," Tim replies.

[Brian]

"Of course, I'd be delighted to stay here," Catherine adds, almost automatically.  She glances at Nathan briefly, then pushes her plate away.  "I apologize ... but I would like to retire.  It has been an eventful day."

"Of course," the king says, nodding.  Then he turns to Tom.  "Are you in need of rest as well, cousin?  I would very much like to show you my workshop -- I have been practicing, as you taught me."

Aliester groans, shaking his head.  "I cannot fathom your machinery," he says.  "And I'm glad of the chance for someone else who can understand it better to speak with his majesty about it.  Angular momentum conversion was as far as my machining ever went.  Now."  He rises, stating, "I have duties I must attend; Inspector, I shall entrust his majesty's care to you."  Turning to Catherine, he adds, "Allow me to escort you to your rooms on my way, niece."

"Of course," Catherine murmurs, rising smoothly from her chair and giving an elegant curtsy to the king, who inclines his head in acknowledgment.  "In the morning, then.  By your leave."

Aliester takes Catherine's elbow and escorts her through the door, which is left open so a quick parade of servants can remove the empty dishes from the table.

The king rises, Holmes with him.  Mindful of the servants, he says, "We should like our cousin and companions to accompany us to the workshop, should any feel up to the occasion.  Otherwise, quarters can be arranged."

[Halbarad]

"I should be happy to see what you've been up to while I've been 'away'," Tim replies. "Lead the way, then!"

[Dracos]

"It would be an honor, your highness."

[Brian]

"Very good!"  The king rises from his throne, and quickly makes his way to the corridor, Holmes just behind him.

It's a good distance to the workshop, and the route passes the guest quarters.  There are a good number of guards in the hallways, and Holmes points the group out to them, so the guards know where to take anyone who gets lost if they want to find their rooms.

Nathan recognizes his room as the one he was given to clean himself up in, not too far from Holmes's office.

The path eventually leads to an elevator, and then the rather imposing double-doors to the workshop.  A pair of guards haul them open; they're almost the size of the doors to the throne room.  Within, the area is half workshop, half library, with starlight filtering in through the crystal ceiling, and brighter lights from glowing crystals adorning the walls at regular intervals.  The room is probably about twenty meters high, and one hundred in length and width, with a balcony going around the walls.  The balcony has stairs leading up to it, and is lined with bookshelves, crammed with odd tools and books both.  On the ground floor, tables are strewn everywhere, most of them showing the intriguing contours of mystery items covered in dropcloths.

A few have the dropcloths pulled to one side, various tools and ... mysterious familiar looking things covered with crystaline widgets.  That monkey wrench with crystal where the adjustment beryl should be, for example, or what looks like a diamond-tipped screwdriver.  Much of the space in the far end of the room is filled with a huge orrey, a model of the solar system.

Except, that this is the Dream of Fire, and so the world people live on looks like it was a flat disk, cut into twenty eight pieces, which all lie flat and orbit a lack of a sun.  Westley pauses at the doorway, also having been invited on this royal expedition, and cocks his head at it curiously.  Iron struts support the fragments.  Currently, it's still, though it's questionable if the thing actually moves; little reason to it without moons, stars, or other objects to track.  Interestingly, the disk-fragment closest to the door has a tiny crystal city on it.  The rest are blank, smooth and unlabeled.  Beneath it is what looks, for lack of something more familiar for comparison, either a jet or rocket engine.

This engine-thing is what the king beelines towards.  "This is my engine," he says excitedly, "the one I had put in the Starflare.  I went ahead and modified the anabaric scoop to shutter against the shroud just recently; Aliester suggested that I start reinvesting myself in the Spark, in case...."  He trails off and chuckles nervously, glancing at Westley.  "W...well, cousin, we should like you to examine it yourself, and tell us what you think."

Tim is able to use his other-self's technical skills to identify the machinery easily as exactly what the king said it was: an engine.  At a casual inspection, it does not look like something a twelve year old could build, and what workings that are exposed are incredibly complex.

[Halbarad]

Tim remembers the feeling of knowing the workings of the tower machinery inside and out from trying to keep the shaft running; hoping to call on that same ability again, he places his fingertips lightly against the engine, hoping to call forth some idea of what it's supposed to be doing where it is.

[Brian]

This schematic is different from the shielding unit, but not much more complex.  In fact, it has some similarities.  Much of the engine is devoted towards manipulating anabaric energy, and Tim suspects that the engine really does things that typically a person would have to do.  The shield acts as a scoop to gather loose energy outside of the Shroud, and directs it into the center of the engine.  There it powers the shield, and discards depleted energy (if that makes sense) behind the engine, causing the expected reaction.

Other than the fact that it does have some crystal modulators within the center, and it relies on a form of energy that Tim doesn't think exists in the waking world, it's a working Bussard ramjet.  The thing requires no fuel to run, though it depends on ambient energy of some sort.  If another engine were to give it some forward momentum, then the shields would scoop in energy from a wide area, giving the thing theoretically unlimited acceleration potential.

Moreover, except the shield arrays, which aren't exposed to the center of the engine, it has no moving parts at all.  The king is beaming at his project proudly, and Holmes looks interested.  Westley maintains an air of quiet awe.  At Tim's guess, the shield/scoop ensamble is a recent addition, and wasn't on the original Starflare.

[Bjorn]

Reading too far much Heinlein and Niven has, contrary to his parents' predictions, actually been of use.  "A Brussard ramjet?" Bjorn marvels aloud.

[Halbarad]

Tim isn't as familiar with the name, but he recognizes the principle behind it at least. "Not a bad design at all, assuming the energy density doesn't drop too low to sustain the thrust," he comments. "Is this the only prototype, and have you tried testing it at all - not that I imagine it'd be easy to do, but."

[Brian]

"Who is Bussard?" the king asks Bjorn, before Tim distracts him.  "Oh, well, this is the only prototype at the moment.  There hasn't been opportunity to test it yet, but this engine is much simpler to produce than the one on the Starflare."

"Cheaper to produce, as well," Holmes notes.

The king nods, not really paying attention to the Inspector.  "Copies have been made already, though.  Another ship is being outfitted them, and likely the Starflare will be, as well.  Though, it will require repair for some time before it's ready to fly again...."  He shrugs.  "We simply wanted to demonstrate that we were not idle in your absence.  Perhaps you would be willing to help us in further endeavors?"

"Perhaps," Holmes interrupts.  "But the hour grows late, majesty.  Already your cousin Catherine has gone to rest."

"Of course," the king allows, his face falling slightly.  "We would not wish to keep anyone.  In the morning, perhaps, we can discuss it further.  We would like to invite you...."  Then he trails off and squints.  "To lunch," he says, after consideration.  "We must go visit Captain Vega and the crew of the Starflare for breakfast.  I apologize, lieutenant Westley, that you will not be free of us for that.  We eagerly await your company."

"It is an honor," Westley replies stiffly, saluting the king.  The king nods, and Holmes walks to the workshop door with him.

At the entrance he pauses and turns back.  "Cousin, if you should feel the desire, please avail yourself of this workshop.  The guards will send for anything you require that is not readily available."

Then, he's gone, barely even allowing time for goodbyes.  Westley releases a shaky breath, smiling softly.  "It is good," he says.  "But I must hurry to the shipyard and ensure that the crew is in a proper state for breakfast with the king in the morning.  No doubt many of the men have gotten drunk in celebration already."  He tips his hat to the assembled group, then makes for the door himself.

Now it is just the party, Quincy, and Seven in the king's workshop, a pair of guards standing outside the door, just past earshot.

[Bjorn]

"So," Bjorn asks, "when do you think I should let him know it won't work?"

[Halbarad]

"The sooner the better, although it'd certainly be easier when he's not quite so excited," Tim replies. "Perhaps -before- the ice cream, next time."