Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 1218: Gathering of Engineers

13th October 1704

A group of engineers stood beneath a cloudy autumn morning sky, posing for a photograph. Unfortunately, since the Subramanyam Pillai camera was a manual mercury-etching device, it took an awfully long time to capture a single image.

Yet there was no trace of impatience on their faces. Their expressions remained steady, enthusiastic, and composed throughout the process, not because of discipline alone, but because of who they were. This was no ordinary gathering of engineers, but a gathering of the top dogs in the engineering world, the best of the best. Each of them had once served as a chief engineer or chief technical officer in a major vehicle manufacturing company, and every single one ranked within the Fortune 100 of the Empire in ’Business Weekly’ and ’Commerce Insider’.

Among them were figures from the Aakharsh Group of Companies, Berunda and Hima Industries, Surya Corporation, Mengal and Bros Industries, Tata Group, RDA Mobility Corporation, Brown Industries, Visakharma Industrial Consortium, and the Agni Group of Companies. There were also chief Engineers from major truck, tractor, and agricultural tool manufacturers, including Gaur Industries, Vikram Tractors, Sudarshan Agro Tech Pvt Ltd, Keshava Engineering, and even members of the Engineers Guild of Indraprastha.

Putting them all together was almost no different from assembling all the Nobel laureates of the 20th century for a single photograph, so one could easily understand why all those egos, normally like wild horses, had suddenly become tame and understanding.

"And...were done."

"Thank you for your cooperation, gentleman. It has been my pleasure to photograph you all."

The photographer raised his hand and smiled with a gesture of gratitude. In response, some of the engineers smiled and nodded, while others did not care at all. As soon as the photo session was done, the group of Engineers were like a class of naughty students who caused ruckus as soon as the teacher left the class.

The balcony on which they were having the photo session immediately became noisy with so many people discussing so many things, be it their life, their family and most commonly about cars, bikes, tractors, trains, engines, basically things related to machines.

In fact, to someone on the lower floor, the group of engineers chatting away sounded no different from a party taking place upstairs. If anyone from the 21st century were present, they would probably remark, "What a professional upstairs neighbour, perhaps I should pay them a visit."

In any case, their bickering and discussions did not last long, as a man in a military uniform opened the door and stepped in front of them.

There was immediate pin-drop silence, and everyone stared at the man who came into their vision with curiosity. They did not know why they were all summoned, and by the fact that all the top engineers of the empire, some they were familiar with and some they were not, but had read about in magazines, books and reports, were also here, they immediately understood that it was a big deal.

"Good morning, gentlemen." The officer, young and well dressed, did a Namascara and extended a slight bow. "First of all, I would like to extend my apology on behalf of the logistics department for making you all go through this tedious photo session."

His words immediately won the hearts of the engineers and suddenly gained their goodwill.

"Oh no, you don’t have to apologise, sir Lieutenant. We are actually the ones who are late in thanking you for your arrangement," the chief engineer of the Aakarsh Group of Companies immediately stepped forward and said.

Soon after, another middle-aged man spoke in agreement. "That’s right." It was none other than the chief technical officer of the automobile department of the Engineers Guild of Indraprastha. "We have had the chance to meet so many of our peers after so long, so there is no need to apologise."

Another middle-aged man added, "Besides, we want to keep the photo as a souvenir, so you are not troubling us at all."

The young first lieutenant smiled and offered a nod of gratitude, "In that case, we thank you for your patience. Now, gentlemen, His Excellency the director and his majesty are both on their way to the auditorium. I request you all to kindly move to the auditorium to start the meeting."

The engineers no longer hesitated and readily left the balcony and walked into the large auditorium.

Several minutes passed, and neither the director of the military logistics nor the emperor, His Majesty Vijay, showed up, but no one was in a hurry. After all, it was His Majesty the Emperor they were meeting, not some random politician, not to mention even the second most important person, the director of the military logistics department, was not someone they could easily offend.

Thankfully, they did not have to wait long. By the time everyone had finished the tea that had been served, a pair of men, one elderly and the other middle-aged, entered the auditorium. It was none other than the Emperor of the Bharatiya Empire, His Majesty Vijay Devaraya, accompanied by the new Director of the Military Logistics Department, Kalpa Prasad Yadav.

Everyone immediately set aside their wandering thoughts and stood up in respect. Vijay stepped onto the stage and, with a smile, gestured for them to sit down.

Vijay had many matters demanding his attention, so after a brief introduction, he came straight to the point: the unveiling of the new Dvidhara engine, a twin-cylinder internal combustion engine capable of producing over 13.5 horsepower at 720 rpm.

Not only that, but he also presented a one-to-one replica image of the engine. The moment the veil was pulled away, a wave of exclamations filled the hall.

"Oh my God, is it true?"

"Oh Lord, such a powerful engine despite being so small?"

"For some reason, I feel like this engine is the most beautiful machine I have ever seen."

"Oh, you as well? I thought I was the only one."

"Hehe, don’t worry, there are a lot more of us. Just look over there, look at how enamoured their faces are."

"So the legend is true, then. His Majesty the Emperor is really looking to phase out steam engine technologies and replace them with internal combustion engine technologies."

"Hey, don’t make it sound like a conspiracy theory. Isn’t it obvious that we adopt newer and better technologies if they are available? What is wrong with that? This is the problem with you, steam engine romantics. It was fine when there were no alternatives, but now that a better one has appeared, why are you all so stubborn and insisting that you will not work with internal combustion engines in your entire life?"

"Humph, mind your business."

Vijay could not catch every word, but he heard enough fragments to understand the tone. Not that it mattered. He simply raised his hand to calm everyone down.

"Gentlemen, please."

"Now that you have seen this new engine, I’m sure all of you have a vague understanding of why we have invited you all here."

"Is it to manufacture a vehicle using the new engine?" an engineer inadvertently blurted out in the silence, only realising what he had done after he had done it. He covered his mouth with his eyes wide open. He tried his best to blend in, to become invisible among the crowd.

Unfortunately for him, his words did reach the ears of Vijay, "What the chief engineer of Vikram Tractors said is correct," he responded.

"I need you all to design a vehicle for the purpose of carrying troops in the battle, but this would instead be powered by the Dvidhara twin cylinder petrol engine."

"And since the internal combustion engine does not require the boiling of water to generate energy, nor does it demand vast quantities of coal, a tremendous amount of space can be saved. That reclaimed space could be used to increase the number of soldiers the truck is able to transport, expand the cargo capacity of the truck bed, store additional ammunition and supplies, or even reinforce the chassis with extra armour without compromising mobility."

"What I want from all of you is a design that reaches a true equilibrium. It must balance the durability of the truck, the number of personnel it can carry, the amenities it has pre-installed, and its survivability under battlefield conditions. Above all, it must integrate seamlessly with the powertrain, ensuring that the engine and transmission operate in harmony and at peak efficiency."

"Since the integration of an internal combustion engine into a large military vehicle has never been attempted before, I have no doubt that, once you begin working with it in practice, numerous problems will surface. The engine may overheat if the airflow is insufficient. Vibrations could strain the chassis. The power transmission system might struggle with torque distribution. Fuel delivery could prove inconsistent, and maintenance accessibility may become a logistical challenge."

"Even so, I am confident that none of you is intimidated by such obstacles. You have solved greater problems before, and I trust that you will once again rise to the occasion."

"You may work alone, or you may form teams; it makes no difference to me. By the end of the year, there will be one hundred Dvidhara engines delivered to this very facility for you to experiment with and test your designs."

"As for the reward," noticing how everyone’s ears perked up, a faint smile tugged at his lips, "the engineer whose proposal is selected will be granted military merit equivalent to that of a Mantri."

The reaction was immediate and intense, exactly as Vijay had anticipated. Such merit was enough to elevate a commoner to the rank of a titled noble in a single stroke. Though the title carried no fiefdom and was not hereditary, it commanded immense respect within society. Beyond that came tax exemptions and entry into the most exclusive and elitist circles of the Empire, privileges that countless individuals across the land aspired to attain.

"And that is not all." Vijay’s smile sharpened, his expression turning almost sly. "The factory from which the victorious engineer hails will be given priority in manufacturing the truck. I can guarantee that at least twenty percent of all military truck production will be assigned to the winning engineer’s factory. If that factory already possesses a strong manufacturing foundation, the share may increase further."

The declaration landed like a depth charge in the hearts of the assembled engineers. A few of the more naive and purely technical minds failed to grasp its full implications. But the majority, those with even a modest understanding of politics and bureaucracy, immediately recognised the opportunity concealed within his words. It was, quite plainly, permission to negotiate with their bosses, to secure favourable terms like a certain dividend or even becoming one of the shareholders should their proposal be chosen.

The mere thought of positioning themselves as major shareholders in one of the largest industrial giants of the Bharatiya Empire sent a chill down their spines.