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Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (122/?) WiP 1
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 00:17:51 +0000 UTCHey everyone! Here is the Work in Progress for Chapter 122 I hope you guys enjoy! :D The revised version for Chapter 121 will be released tomorrow before the full release of Chapter 122!
My eyes ran through the schematics, blueprints, PRINT-sheets, and assembly manuals that had come to clutter my HUD.
One after another, I scattered them within my virtual world. The mess being created as a result of this managing to even rival that of the infamous window-hoarding I was guilty of back home.
Whilst my gremlin-like tendencies had been mitigated somewhat by the virtual workspace streamlining briefs courtesy of the LREF VR task managers… such a habit was difficult to overcome.
Especially as I was met with the Bill of Materials.
[VIEW DETAILED ITEMIZED SHEET? Y/N?]
My gaze landed on the orange and red button, but was stopped at the very last second by an outside source.
“Emma? Emma, can you hear me?” Thacea’s voice once again pulled me out of my newfound hyperfixation, just in time for Ilunor to cock his head at my earlier proclamation.
“We are all tired, Cadet Emma Booker.” The deluxe kobold began with a dramatized yawn. “I understand that the act of fabricating entirely nonexistent solutions to unexpected problems is a time consuming process, so please, get on with your lofty proclamations of impossibilities so that we can simply retire for the night.”
“What’s so impossible with Emma’s claims of having other options at her disposal—” Thalmin began, but was quickly shot down by an even more dramatic yawn.
“Everything, Prince Thalmin.” He began at the tail end of an extended exhale. “While I can forgive and even accept the existence of the manaless paraphernalia she has brought over from earthrealm — from her bizarre manaless sight-seer, to her otherworldly artifices, and even her alien weapons — what I cannot accept is the existence of what is currently being implied.” The man narrowed his gaze my way. “You’re no doubt going to claim that you have a vehicle with which to bridge the gap between Telaseer and the North Rythian forests?”
“I mean, in a manner of speaking, but—”
“And there we have it.” The Vunerian cut me off, tutting and sighing in the process. “Cadet Emma Booker. You have proclaimed, multiple times even, that you find the magical art of spatial folding to be an impossibility have you not?”
“Yeah.” I played along, realizing that breaking the man out of one of his spirals just wasn’t worth it.
“And we have seen now that most of your crates have been emptied, correct?”
“Yeah, save for a couple.” I replied bluntly.
“And are we to assume that you somehow have within those crates, an entire manner of conveyance with enough space by which to house you?” He scoffed. “I have seen your vehicles, Cadet Emma Booker. Your… ‘cars’, as you call them. Even at their smallest, I doubt any could fit any of your crates.”
“Well… what if she isn’t talking about a ‘car’, Ilunor?” Thalmin butted in, taking Ilunor completely by surprise.
“What else is there in earthrealm, Prince Thalmin?” He countered with a hiss.
“Bicycles.” Thalmin responded succinctly.
This was enough to give Ilunor pause for thought, as his ramblings were cut short by a single word.
“I assume you remember just how portable those conveyances were. I doubt they’d even take a quarter of the space of one of Emma’s crates.” Thalmin offered. “Provided, of course, they’re capable of being disassembled and reassembled.”
Ilunor’s features scrunched up further, before abruptly relaxing, indicating that he’d reached yet another ‘brilliant’ lightbulb moment.
“Ah, but you forget, Prince Thalmin.” He paused, raising a finger for dramatic effect. “Those bicycles were ridden by armorless earthrealmers. Cadet Emma Booker here, is significantly heavier than any of her typical countrymen!”
That revelation completely shifted the dynamics of the arguments on its head, with Ilunor now firmly on the offensive, and Thalmin now pinned against the wall.
Though thankfully, the skirmish wouldn’t have time to propagate from there, as Thacea came in to shake the conflict of the conversation to its core.
“But what if it was neither?” She began, garnering the perplexed looks of both sides of the debate. “Or more specifically, what if it was a combination of the two concepts? A conveyance, with the power and resilience of a car—” She raised one wing towards Ilunor. “—but with the compactness of a bicycle?” Then another wing towards Thalmin, before landing her gaze on me. “Your people have powered ships and aircraft using manaless ‘engines’, Emma. I doubt it is beyond reason to assume your artificers and wainwrights have taken advantage of such manaless cores not just for horseless carriages, but perhaps powered bicycles as well?”
This thought process seemed to break Thalmin and Ilunor, as they both turned towards me expectantly.
“Well… you’re right on the money there, Thacea.” I acknowledged, giving the princess a brief dip of my head. “Except for one thing.” I quickly added, garnering a barely noticeable quirk of her brow ridge.
“You see, while I intend on using a powered bicycle, or as we call it, a motorcycle.” I paused, the EVI seemingly giving a rather perplexing translation that prompted the trio to at first react with varying levels of confusion, before all collectively nodding in understanding. “I—”
“Show us.” Ilunor demanded, completely cutting me off from what was probably something that would’ve addressed his concerns.
“Well, I was just getting to that, Ilunor. I didn’t pack—”
“Show us, now, earthrealmer.” He insisted with a hiss.
“Alright, alright.” I raised both of my hands up in defeat, before gesturing for everyone to follow me back towards my dorm room. “Maybe showing you will be easier…” I muttered under my muted mic.
I wasted no time in marching my way towards one of the recently closed crates, as a digital handshake coupled with a security code upon reaching a close enough proximity was all that was needed to unlatch its security seals. This elicited a hiss as pressures equalized, followed close in tow by a clearing of Ilunor’s throat.
Looking at my rear-view camera, it immediately became clear to me what his problem was. As his height made it difficult for him to peer over to see what was inside.
Though that was probably for the best given his propensity to poke and prod… especially given the nature of the cargo inside this crate.
In stark contrast to Ilunor’s growing frustrations, I effortlessly reached in to grab what for all intents and purposes looked to be a black, nondescript rectangular box.
With the only signifying features being the GUN emblem, the IAS mission logo, and a few company and design bureau insignias surrounding them.
“Well, earthrealmer? Where is it?” Ilunor egged on, prompting me to simply point to the black box with an underwhelming gesture.
“Feast your eyes, Ilunor.” I proclaimed bluntly.
“What? What is this? Do not take me for a fool, Cadet Emma Booker. Show me your two-wheeled manaless conveyance right this instant!” He demanded.
“You wanted to see it now right? Well this is all I have of it right now. Because like I was about to say before you cut me off earlier… this is the only component of it that I brought with me.” I stated in no uncertain terms, prompting the Vunerian to back off somewhat, raising a brow at that rebuttal.
Comments
Michael Halpern
Yeah i expect being introduced to the printer's great grand daddy the engine lathe and mill will be coming up. probably attached to the military discussion
Michael Halpern
probably collapsed for storage and transport
Michael Halpern
i think we are reading different wip chapters
Michael Halpern
for how Emma is currently using it the "equivalent" would be a bag of holding. however the better comparison would be a manufactorium,
Michael Halpern
The problem is that Emma is essentially using the printers as a one way stowage system Emma glossed over them in her holo tour of home, but even there never once really implied just how portable they could be. Thecea likely has some suspicion from her noticing the more utilitarian material ingots in the wealth cube. However this is one area where not only is there a direct comparison to something the Nexus has, but the Nexian version is very clearly inferior. While yes as a storage method, it would normally be more convenient to just have the objects pre made in a bag of holding, faster too, and while that is technically how the printer is being used, that's not what the comparison would be to, but rather to a manufactorium, and not only is the printer smaller and more versatile but it's fast enough to be used as a form of condensed stowage.
ANTIcarrot
"Emma reached into the crate, and pulled out a Mystery Box." Given this is from Emma's point of view, she should know what the box is. Give it an impenetrable military designation if you want to be coy about it. That way another character can look at, andcwe get some minor workdbuilding based on their observations. For example, if there are a pair of large holes with thick threads at one end, Thalmin and Illunor could couldtinue their bickering, only this time arguing if they are there to resist longitudinal or rotational force. Or if Illunor and Thacia recognised their significance, but Thalmin didn't.
Michael Halpern
prediction: the crates will be used for the EEMMV
Michael Halpern
I Choose to ignore the minefield because it breaks basically all previous and following lore on replicators, which is basically they still need raw material to work with
tom
Rom designed a self replicating mine for the minefield around the wormhole, so the energy requirements aren't that extreme.
Michael Halpern
chapter by chapter Emma shows Earth to be more and more of a peer realm, and he doesn't know how to deal with that
Michael Halpern
Star Trek replicators use transporter tech, and therefore rely on having ludicrous energy available
Michael Halpern
it has already been established that this is a "some assembly required" situation
DarkValorWolf
Ilunor is getting ruder and more demanding by the chapter. It's time Emma (verbally) puts him in his place again, she just keeps giving in to him and it's fueling him😭
giann flroesca
I feel like this it it. A part printer/fabricator
PEBZ101
Super dense battery! The rest of the vehicle can be made from common materials. Or it's the nano fabricator to build it all, I had just assumed it would be bigger, at that size that should be integrated in the power armor.
SpaceFan839
If it does, it would be horrendously expensive mana wise. And could only really be used by the super rich in the Core of the Nexus, like the one percent of the one percent.
Nul Atlas
My gues, miniatureized fusion reactor? Or just a straight miniature nuclear reactor. My first thought was also RTG
IHasArms
Yeah I worded it very poorly, but I want to believe it's a laser based printer, that's able to print objects in their entirety, unlike most modern printers that need to go part by part depending on the print.
Michael Halpern
not enough power
Michael Halpern
it very well could be a specialized printer, Emma is essentially the command node of a Von Neumann swarm.
Michael Halpern
Some printers today don't have an enclosed space though they mainly just do long products, could be a printer with assembly arms.
Jacob
"Fashion energy" being discovered in the late 21st century after a freak collision of Louis Vuitton and Burberry models during New York fashion week. There were no survivors.
Jacob
RTG?
Skrzynek
I wonder if the little box is: - an electric high-efficiency engine - super-duper-hiper capacitor bank - portable fashion energy generator This is interesting for a very important reason. *What component is the bottleneck for Emma's printing technology?* I assume she could print whatever component she holds in a *lesser version* with lower efficiency or lifetime. Or it's possibly gonna be bigger in bulk because of the complexity and tolerances being so tight to make it so small. Still, the exact nature of WHY she got this component is probably gonna be plot-relevant at some point...
Fienryra
As fun as the bike and dragon fight will be, I hope sometime in the near future Thalmin asks Emma for a one on one vr session of earthrealm’s wars, we saw a tiny bit last time we had vr and I’m hoping this gets explored more
Thisisanick
Emma casually printing and plugging onto her helmet a giant crown made from impossibly intricated, fractal like shapes woven from a mixture of platinum and exotic metals: "Look at me! I'm The Queen Cadet now!"
I Dare Korval
You would think he would know better by now. Thalmin should make a bet with that discount kobold and once he looses some money maybe he will start to have some faith when Emma says she can do something.
Michael Halpern
power supply most likely, printers are in the tent
Google Google
At the end of the semester The bird the Discount dragon and the Wolf will start thinking like a human.
Kirk Childers
Why go through that effort, when you can just print CRes Steel?
tom
No full replicator, huh.
TheEagerReader
3D printing is going to be a good one. There might be some form of magic that lets you make a predisposed object but nothing with the customizability of a 3D printer.
Bbobsillypants
Manaless artifice printer go BBBBbBBrrrRrrreRRR
Bbobsillypants
Could be a battery, Or a fuel cell, Small reactor, control computer. Something that is small enough and complex enough to be worth just packing outright, something universally useful for anything she wishes to build, and would otherwise greatly speed up the production timeline.
IHasArms
I'm guessing that the 3D printers are a lot more advanced than ours, instead of being needing to build in their own enclosed space, they are able to build it outside of that. Though, that's assuming that this black box is a 3D printer.
Bbobsillypants
The gangs about to be introduced to the wonders of manaless manufacturing
Kirk Childers
The Vunerian is gonna have a stroke when he sees the printer 🤣
