Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 1223: Building Naya Samrat (3)

As the booth of the Sapta Abhiyantāraḥ team grew quiet, with the chief engineers leaving to grab a bite to eat, the onlookers slowly dispersed as well. The only people who remained were the mechanical assistants, who continued testing the underbody of the vehicle and checking its various parameters.

However, the relative peace in the booth was more of an interval than a true end. Only a couple of hours later, the chief engineers of the Sapta Abhiyantāraḥ team were back on the floor in a fresh set of overalls, ready to get their hands dirty once again.

Vasudha Tata stood in front of the chassis, a pencil tucked behind his ear. He stretched his body and let out a soft groan. "Well, let’s get started." His eyes immediately turned sharp, the lethargy from moments ago nowhere to be seen.

"I’ll handle the fuel tank installation and fuel line run, while the four of you will be responsible for the installation of the exhaust muffler," he ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing his assistants move straight to work, Vasudha nodded in satisfaction and lifted the steel fuel tank into its chassis bracket.

Iravat Kaul, who had been standing on the sidelines, stepped in to assist the other engineers wherever he was needed. At the same time, he carefully inspected the underside of the vehicle they had just built, examining the suspension, brakes, and brackets, with nothing escaping his attention.

Soon, Vasudha Tata finished installing the fuel tank and running the fuel line. His assistants had also completed fitting the exhaust muffler to the engine’s exhaust outlet. So without wasting time, he moved on to install the immobiliser valve, positioned right behind where the dashboard would eventually be once the car was fully assembled.

"Alright, start it up," Vasudha Tata said, wiping his greasy hands with a piece of scrap cloth as he gave the order with a hopeful gaze.

His assistants quickly picked up the matching wrench, attached it directly to the starter axle of the engine connected to the crankshaft, and began to turn it, each rotation gaining speed.

After a few rotations, a couple of puffs of smoke burst from the exhaust pipes, and then the engine came to life with a roar.

"Bzzz!"

Vasudha Tata immediately smiled, and the other engineers were no different.

"Put it in gear and try to move it lightly, also test for any leaks, be it fuel, oil, or the exhaust," Akshay Purohit suggested.

A mechanic immediately hopped onto the makeshift chair that was sitting right on the chassis, held down the clutch, put the vehicle in the first gear, and slowly pressed the makeshift accelerator that was directly connected to the air and fuel input mechanism of the engine.

With the rise in acceleration, the vehicle finally started to move. Although it was extremely slow, it was enough to demonstrate that all the subsystems and the main systems were working perfectly as intended.

Akshay Purohit, Vasudha Tata, and the other engineers were all smiling from ear to ear. The hardest part of their work was completed, and the only thing left for them to do was to complete the rest of the vehicle and carry out some intensive testing before submitting it to the military.

None of them wanted to slack off; everyone got right to business.

Subramanyam Pillai attached four corner posts to the chassis, right at the steel points pre-drilled by Mengal. The posts followed a simple design, much like the pillars of a house, which he had come up in order to meet the principles of replaceability, modularity, and reliability that they had decided.

After making sure that each post was plumb, he moved on to the panels.

Once he finished working with the panels as well, he joined the other engineers and their assistants around the vehicle. Together, they began assembling the interior and structural fittings that had been brought over and neatly laid beside the chassis.

They first secured the floor panelling across the frame, fastening the metal sheets firmly so that the base of the vehicle would be stable and durable. After that, the front bench seat was installed, positioned carefully to align with the steering and control area. The commander’s map box was then fitted in place, built with an oilcloth lining to protect the contents from moisture and dust, and topped with a hinged lid that could be opened quickly when needed.

Following this, the rear inward-facing bench frames were mounted, designed with fold-flat hinge pins so they could be collapsed easily whenever more cargo space was required. Behind them, the cargo deck planks were laid down and secured across the rear section, forming a sturdy platform for equipment and supplies. One by one, the remaining fittings and smaller components were brought over and attached to the vehicle, gradually transforming the bare structure into a complete and functional machine, right in front of everyone.

Everything happened too quickly, almost like a blur. The crowd had once again gathered at the entrance of the booth, their voices of discussion drifting inside from time to time.

"Those posts look replaceable, why didn’t we ever think of that? If the vehicle is damaged due to a collision, the posts could directly be replaced along with the panels without much trouble."

"The fuel tank is made of steel, damn. Such a basic thing, and we missed it. I should inform the chief about this immediately."

"How are they so fast? I have seen the booth of Mr Venkatesh, even his team is not so fast, and he is the freaking chief engineer of Aakarsh Industries."

"Probably because while the engineers were designing the vehicle, the team was undergoing intense training from the mechanics of the International Federation of Mobility."

"Huh! How do you know that?"

"Because I was part of that team as well." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Everyone’s attention was suddenly attracted by a lean and athletic young man, their eyes wide open.

"Now, if you please excuse me, gentlemen, I still have work to do."

After understanding that the person who spoke was from the sapta abhiyantāraḥ team as well, everyone readily gave way, their expressions and intents unpredictable.

Time passed slowly, and the vehicle was coming together in a marvellous fashion in front of everyone’s eyes.

The interior of the car was finished, and Pillai personally installed the quick-release doors into their sleeves over pin hinges, each fitted with a bar latch mechanism. He tested the system himself by sitting inside the vehicle and pushing the door to detach it. Ideally, the door should release with as little resistance as possible, but Pillai felt the latch was still a little tight. He adjusted it and tested it again, and once he was satisfied with the sensitivity, the installation of the doors was finally completed.

With the body being completed, the vehicle was finally looking like a vehicle.

Applying the finishing touches, Vasudha Tata carefully installed several small but important components that completed the vehicle. One by one, the parts were fitted into place, beginning with the fuel valve and the dashboard gauges, which would allow the driver to monitor the engine while operating the vehicle. After that, the steering wheel was mounted securely to the steering column, followed by the installation of the accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals beneath the driver’s position.

Next came the gear control, a wooden screw-on stick shifter, which was fixed firmly into its slot so that the driver could easily change gears while driving. Finally, a bonnet was installed in front of the engine. The bonnet was designed to open outward like an upright briefcase, allowing quick and easy access to the engine whenever maintenance or inspection was required.

Arjun Vaidya jumped in and began installing the final external features of the vehicle, adding several practical components one after another. An external jerry can bracket was fitted to the rear of the body, while entrenching tool clips were bolted onto the exterior chassis rail. Traction boards were then slid into the undercarriage quick-release brackets, and a recovery rope was neatly coiled and secured on the front chassis hook.

He continued by fixing the wheel jack onto a bracket beneath the drop gate. Finally, two identical toolkits were placed under the seats of the driver and the front passenger, positioned in such a way that they could be pulled out and used within a matter of seconds.

It was late at night, and it was time to check out and get some rest, but the seven engineers were simply too excited to sleep. They might have been slow to start their build, but due to the pre-planned coordination and proper distribution of tasks, everyone worked as a single unit, like a machine tool, each playing their own role, an important role, acting like a cog that was crucial to run the whole machine.

Everyone dropped their tools and stepped back, admiring the completed beauty, but it was not over yet. Almost in a ceremonial manner, Iravat Kaul stepped forward and, with full attention, began a complete fastener audit from the chassis to the body. He carefully checked every fastener, nut, bolt, and screw, making sure they were all standardised so that only a few screwdrivers or wrenches would be needed for any repairs or replacements in the field.

After giving the green light to the fastener audit, he moved on to the survival and field kit inspection. One by one, he checked the tool roll, medical kit, water vessels, ration box, vehicle manual, and finally the spare tyres and the jacking gear. The survival and field kit audit also proved to be a complete success.

Kaul later conducted a final walk-around, performing simple random checks by operating different parts of the vehicle. By the time he finished, a wide smile had spread across his face.

Soon, a resounding applause rang out. The engineers within the team, along with the mechanic assistants, clapped enthusiastically, their smiles stretching from ear to ear. Although many onlookers had already dispersed, a few people had stayed behind to see the build through to the very end. They too joined in, spontaneously applauding the efforts and achievements of the Sapta Abhiyantāraḥ team.

Venkatesh Yadav, hearing the commotion, let out a deep breath. He now fully realised that he might have taken the wrong approach. At first, it had only been a vague doubt, but as he watched the vehicle of the Sapta Abhiyantāraḥ team come together piece by piece, like a puzzle becoming clearer and more refined with every passing hour, he could no longer deny the truth. Still, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

He had a strong feeling that the military would ultimately choose the vehicle built by the Sapta Abhiyantāraḥ team. The only thing he could now hope for was that His Majesty the Emperor might find some other use for the vehicle he had designed. Perhaps, if it served some auxiliary role, the months of hard work he had poured into it would not go entirely to waste.

’I wonder how the chairman will react?’ he thought with a sense of regret. Aakarsh Industries had grown from a single-man workshop into the largest car manufacturer in the empire, partly because of the War of Independence fought against the Mughal Empire. Now, with another war raging at such a scale that the Emperor had declared a national emergency and ordered the nationalisation of all major industries, the chairman had hoped this would push the company to an even greater level. But now, with the competition lost, it was a pity that the orders reaching the company’s factories would not be nearly as many.

P.S. Check comms for image