An Excerpt From the Marvels of Industry Trust: An Audio Guide – Cylinder 6

The waves, as everyone knows, are the best on the Kohian coast – I fondly remember many wasted youthful afternoons gazing out upon that raucous crashing of water on the rocks below. All those little caravels being thrown about in the wind, my 8-year-old self found it so delightfully entertaining. Now, having grown up into the cynical present, I suppose the people onboard may not have shared my childlike wonder, but so goes the follies of youth.

The voice you have just heard is Dr Yistiz Faseram.

But oh, those waves. You don’t see them like that anywhere else, I can certainly tell you that. Though I do hail from the sleepy little villages here, I have had the good fortune to have seen the most astounding wonders of this continent, my uncle leaving me part of his inheritance after making his riches in the antiques trade through Hiam. I travelled extensively in my youth, before settling in Ahnjaal and completing my studies at the university there. I trained as an artificer, specifically in torque transmission and gearwork, so when the Complex was commissioned, I leaped at the chance. I was at the age where nostalgia started to fog my mind, and I longed to watch again those ships tossed about. Not that modern cargo transporters are much affected, I must say. But yes, Otupiz is only an hour’s walk from my own village, so I thought it adroit to come back and feel my roots. The wind in my hair and the waves beating upon the cliffs. I can give you a tour if you’d like?

Yes, that would be fantastic

I will try to describe it as best as I can for those listening. I believe this is how the technology works, yes? About 100m behind me is the complex itself, with the turbine standing like a bastion to the wind. It is the first of its kind to be built in this size and used for mass power generation. It stands at a height of 42m, with three carefully and deliberately calibrated blades, each roughly 29m in length. They are designed to perfectly carry the strong wind loads from the Rainy Ocean and harness their energy to turn the turbine inside the head. This site was picked due to its optimal wind profile, plus the beach nearby was suitable for transporting construction material. About 30m further on is the Otupiz lighthouse, which was constructed 63 years before the complex. However, as popular as a local monument it is, it does not concern us right now.

We approached the turbine, the creaking of three great steel blades growing ever more clear as they rotated. My host and I were shortly standing at its very foot. We were not alone in our wonderings, however. The complex attracts many tourists and pilgrims, especially those with a philosophical mind, of course; yet here, I refer to the scores of workmen and artificers moving about the site like ants through forest undergrowth.

You must forgive the ongoing work at the minute. Following the recent proclamation of the Kohian Academy of Natural and Technical Philosophy, upon recommendation of the BBP, the complex is undergoing electrification upgrades. Many of us were uneasy at the prospect at first, but we now appreciate the possibilities and improvements presented to us. Understandable, it is not my area of expertise so I am unable to add much further to this line of inquiry. Within the building sits the jewel on the crown, so to speak: the calculating engine.

Am I correct in believing the engine has a name?

You are, most certainly. As is tradition, the engine has been named Adheradja, an homage to the Kohian folk hero of antiquity – famed for his cunning and outmatched wits against greater foes in the 2000-page epic. It was thought complimentary both to our magnificent national heritage and to the artistic intentions of the trust. Hopefully the brainpower of this thing can live up to its namesake! It certainly is feisty enough at times! Many scenes from the epic have been carved throughout the complex. Here at the base of the turbine, you can begin to see the exquisite details on its façade, protecting the delicate machinery inside. Though soon it shall all be cables. Nevertheless, the MoI Collection Trust specifically advised that as well as being a pinnacle of artifice, the complex should serve the world of culture and art. Several Kohian artists were brought in to produce scenes. Just above the anterior joist about halfway up, you can just make out from down here a casting, where Adheradja and the inked serpent meet for the first time upon the peak of Mount Zahob. That specific piece was carved by Damj Inisitwha; I am sure your listeners will be familiar with her work. It is a personal favourite of mine, I must confess, but several other instances can be seen throughout the building.

Now, if I take you through this door into the main engine hall, this pane of glass on the left demonstrates one of my contributions. You can see the main gearshaft spinning at a rate of 67 rotations per second and transmitting a torque of 1079kYi – it enters the converter where its power is notched down and divided so as to be suitable for the requirements of the engine. But that is just a detour on my part. I’m sure you are keen to see the main attraction.

The doctor proceeded to lead me into the primary engine hall. The room was of exceptional dimension; whilst breath-taking in scope and ambition, it was lacking in decoration for one excellent reason – the engine of titanic magnitudes resting within its walls. My words alone cannot do justice to the sheer immensity and complexity of the sight, so I encourage you to direct your attention to Chnikagraphs 6a to 6d in the accompanying picture book, detailing exactly what I saw when exiting the corridor. Though the doctor gave me a short tour of the engines inner workings, it is my regret to inform you that the grandeur of the sound produced matched the grandeur of its proportions, with the result that none of my dumbfounded remarks, nor any other attempts at conversation, were audible amidst the din of several million gears turning in unison. We retreated back onto the windswept cliffs outside.

This engine, designed in part by the original masters Adtin and Gore Massaw, took 6 years to finalise and another 2 to construct, and is the largest to serve mankind. It has a processing power of 4MB and a memory of 64MB, far surpassing any prior attempts at an engine fit for the modern age. This entire project is wholly benevolent, with any academic institution able to harness its cognitive faculties for whatever purpose is required, absolutely free of charge. I hate to mislead if I am incorrect but I believe the current application is the calculation of various stress distributions in femur bones of several dinosaur specimens via the finite element method, on request of the Grand Southern University. This is done with the intention to understand motive behaviours of prehistoric beasts long extinct before any precursor of man: an excellent addition to current palaeosophic understanding. Adheradja has also contributed to the vitality of chaos theory in predicting the weather and mass scale statistical analysis of the spread of Spoon Plague.

Ah yes, one more thing. Astute listeners may be wondering why a wind turbine, a mostly overlooked piece of technology in recent decades, I might add, was chosen to power such a behemoth. I think that it was in part to fuel development in a promising yet underdeveloped area of philosophy, but mostly to reduce maintenance and keep costs low for the academic works which rely on us. Perhaps it does spoil the magic and the wonder, but I suspect recent coal shortages, especially in Kohia, may be a primary culprit – it does make sense to use this time to turn to the opportunities presented to us as gifts from the gods.

Despite its size, I personally think the beauty of the complex lies in its simplicity. I am happy to give further details on how the engine works – specific detail on the engine mechanisms can be seen in the supplementary booklet provided  - but that is mostly all that I can provide within the constraints of the recording medium, as far as I understand it. 

After some further lengthy and ebullient conversations about life and philosophy and the stunning vistas in this part of the world, Faseram’s speciality overlapping considerably with my own, I was walked back to my carriage. On the start of my long journey to my next destination, the tires juttering along delightfully unkempt rural paths, I was put into a rather wistful mood. The wild and unruly nature of this country is truly something to behold oneself - the whipping wind laden with dreams from faroff lands rustling the grasses and of course, those rascally waves unchanged from the doctor’s youth crashing against the rocks far below me. It all culminates in a divine chorus that is simply inimitable, deservedly a hallmark and point of pride for this great nation.

And so concludes the 6th issue of The Marvels of Industry Collection: An Audio Guide. I have been Rodan Hastwiff of the Hangaird Royal Council of Philosophy, and my esteemed guide was none other than Dr Yistiz Faseram, chief maintenance engineer of the Otupiz Engine Complex in northwest Kohia. I would heartily recommend any interested listeners to visit the Complex if they are specifically interested in engines or the blossoming field of aerosophy, or simply are intrigued by a shining example of the achievements of mankind.

Please insert cylinder 7 for our next issue, a comprehensive look at Viscory’s UXR lines and automated ship docks, as well as their role in the Antiestablishment riots of 1676.