The Mechanical Era



"Now, I am sure that you all know what a cannon is?" he asked the ministers. Armstrong gave a strong nod, replying to Kant's question with a firm tone.

"Indeed sir. A cannon is a large artillery piece that is usually mounted on wheels, designed to fire heavy projectiles over long distances." Armstrong then took a glance at the blueprint. Though his eyes may have a problem distinguishing colors from each other, he managed to make out nearly all the details, as if the blueprint was right in front of him.

"I assume that is a cannon that you have designed, sir?" he asked. Kant nodded, affirming his assumption to be correct. 

"That's right. However, I have made several design changes to the cannon, making it much more effective in combat, thereby giving us a military advantage.

This cannon uses a breechloading mechanism, allowing for faster reloading and improved firing rate compared to traditional muzzle-loading cannons."  He then walked over once again and handed over the blueprint to Armstrong, the defense minister. Kant then points at the specific parts of the blueprint, explaining its features.

"The breech mechanism enables the crew to load the cannon from the rear end rather than the front, which simplifies the process and minimizes the time needed between shots.

As the description states, the caliber of the cannon comes in a variety of calibers, from 2 inches up to 12 inches.

I intend the larger caliber guns can be used for naval warfare, while the smaller calibers be used mainly for field artillery.

In addition to the breechloading mechanism, we will also be using the integrated cartridge technology that I presented earlier. This would allow our men to fire the gun at a much faster rate, with greater reliability." he states.

Armstrong could not help but look in awe at the new weapon. He studied the blueprint intently, his eyes lingering on the intricate details of its design, which strongly resembled an 'Armstrong Gun', back in the old world. As he absorbed Kant's explanation of its features, his awe transformed into a growing sense of excitement. 

"Excuse me, sir, what is the intended range of this weapon, and what is its name?" he asked politely. Kant smiled at Armstrong's enthusiasm and appreciation for the new weapon. He was pleased to see his defense minister so engaged and eager to learn more.

"The intended range of this weapon would vary depending on the caliber. Though I cannot be certain, I hope it could reach an effective range of 1.24 miles (2 kilometers) and a maximum range of about 3.11 miles (5 kilometers), at least for field artillery.

As for the name, I named it 'BBIC-18XX.' Although, you can call it any nickname if you like if you find the name a little too technical." the king states. 

"Can I do that for the other weapons?" Armstrong added in.

"Of course, Minister Armstrong," King Kant replied with a smile. 

"Feel free to give any of the weapons a nickname that you believe suits them better. It would certainly add a touch of familiarity and character to our arsenal."

With that settled, Kant walks back to his original position, taking the blueprint with him. He keeps it to the side and picks up another file to present the ministers. 

"Now, this is the final 'gun' I had designed so far." Kant lifted the blueprint and presented it to all the ministers to see. The weapon featured multiple barrels arranged in a circular cluster. These barrels are positioned around a central axis, creating a cylindrical shape.

The gun itself was mounted on a tripod, with the description claiming it to be adjustable. There was also a hand-crank mechanism near the back, which rotates the barrels when turned by the operator. Above the barrels, there is an ammunition-feeding mechanism, using a sort of belt system.

The belt system appeared to be a novel approach to ammunition feeding, as it allowed for a continuous stream of projectiles to be loaded into the firing position. The barrels were shorter than those of the previous cannon, with a much smaller caliber. 

Being the defense minister, he requested to take a closer look at the blueprints. Kant feeling as if he is leaving out Carl and Alan from taking a glance at his blueprints themselves, asked whether they also wanted to view it.

"No thank you, sir. I think it would be best if we let the defense minister take at the weapon blueprints," Carl claimed. Alan nodded in agreement. Upon hearing their opinion, Kant blended the blueprint over to Armstrong.

Armstrong studied the blueprint intently, he couldn't help but notice the distinctive appearance of this multi-barreled weapon. Despite not hearing a single word from Kant about the weapon in question, he could already envision its devastating firepower on the battlefield.

His brain started to theorize on what this weapon was meant to do, and how it operated. He took in the clues presented in the blueprint, along with his own experience and knowledge of firearms to conclude. 

"Excuse me, sir, is this gun designed to continuously fire?" he queried Kant. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his face formed a smile upon hearing his question. 

"That is correct! How did you figure?" he queried back. Armstrong, with a confident look on his face, replied,

"The design elements are quite telling, sir. The multiple barrels arranged in a circular cluster, the ammunition-feeding mechanism, and the hand-crank near the back all indicate that this gun is meant for continuous fire."

Kant chuckled, impressed by Armstrong's keen observation and deductive skills.

"Well done, Minister Armstrong. You are right. This remarkable weapon is indeed designed for continuous fire. Just like the BLBA-18 Rifle, it will be using integrated cartridge technology.

I came up with the design while designing the BLBA-18 Rifle, believe it or not." 

"What is the name of this marvelous piece of engineering?" 

"I call it the CRR-18. As Armstong suggested earlier, the CRR-18 is capable of unleashing a devastating storm of bullets on the battlefield.

Its rotating barrels, driven by the hand-crank mechanism, ensure a steady stream of projectiles. This feature gives it a significant advantage in suppressing enemy forces and fortifications.

The continuous fire capability will prove invaluable in various scenarios, such as repelling enemy charges, defending strategic positions, and providing cover for our troops during maneuvers. Which is why I went to great lengths to design this weapon."

"Now, do you gentlemen have any questions?" Armstrong immediately raised his hands, while Carl and Alan lay back on their chairs, just listening to Armstong and Kant. Alan did not have enough knowledge about firearms to ask any questions, and Carl felt he had nothing to ask.

"What is it, Minister Armstong?" Kant finally acknowledges Armstrong.

"Well sir, although the CRR-18 seems like a formidable weapon fur to its continuous fire capability, I wonder about its reliability and ammunition capacity.

How long can it sustain this barrage of bullets before needing to reload, or break down?" Armstrong questions. 

"That is an excellent question, Minster Armstrong. I am glad you asked. Although the CRR-18 is designed to be as reliable and powerful as it can be, there are practical limitations we must consider, as with any piece of engineering."

Kant continued to elaborate.

"In terms of ammunition capacity of the CRR-18, it can be adjusted by modifying the size of the belt system and the number of rounds it can hold. 

As it stands, the standard configuration allows for a substantial amount of ammunition to be loaded into the belt system, providing a continuous stream of projectiles during extended firefights." he explained.

"However, when it comes to the reliability of the weapon, we may face a few troubles. As with any multi-barreled weapon, such as the CRR-18, there will be an inherent increase in complexity compared to single-barreled guns.

This is because of the presence of more mechanical parts within the system. There is a higher chance of malfunction occurring, especially in the early stages of implementation."

"There is also the trouble of using black powder as a propellant in the ammo. As you all know, black powder, once activated, will leave a black residue inside of the barrel, causing trouble with firing the weapon.

As this gun is designed to continuously fire dozens of rounds containing black powder, it may lead to the barrels being quickly submerged in a black powder residue." Kant stated.

"However, please keep in mind that we cannot be fully sure how big these problems will affect the performance of the weapon until we conduct some tests. This applies not only to the CCR-18 but to the other weapons that I have designed and brought up in this meeting," Kant answers.

"Any more questions?" he asked his ministers. All of them stayed silent, voicing to Kant that they had none left.

"Excellent. Now, there is one more blueprint that I have to show you. One that I think will capture all of your interests." he claimed. He picked up the final file on the table and opened it up.

"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to one of my most revolutionary inventions yet; the hot air balloon!"