Chapter 6.20 - The Dreadnaught

Thump.

Snap, Crack, Crack, Crack, Thong!

'The Gates of Madness' was quite the foreboding name for a teahouse. The Planetouched establishment was the last restaurant in Haven before taking the tunnel from the capital region to the Foundry Region. As such, it always had waves of customers requesting boxed lunches before heading to work, as well as people often stopping for dinner in the evening. The single people of Haven enjoyed the cafe, where skygge and lybringers served in the traditional monotone servant's uniform. It was service with a smile.

As for the name of the restaurant, it was because it was the last safe place before entering the foundry. And often there would be explosions that could be felt from the restaurant.

Today was different, it was almost as if someone had tolled a bell, and it was so loud that it shook a bit of the plateware off its place on the counter and shattered onto the floor.

That was because today, Shurik had test fired his greatest weapon.

***

Shurik's tests had started simply. The first was to see how much vibration the Transmuted could withstand. In two days he had discovered it was dependent on the Transmuted. Marlain, when exposed to the vibrations that would kill humanoids, began to lose form and did the Transmuted's equivalent of passing out.

Thanatos however remained immune. Shurik tried constant sonic and kinetic vibrations, and Thanatos was not hindered.

Shurik smiled, as he had his winner. This specific Transmuted could withstand the force necessary to complete his project. Shurik wasted no time, and Thanatos was taken to the controls of a large cylinder. Shurik began to explain. "Thanatos, this weapon is too powerful for us to fire, as our bodies are unable to withstand the forces generated. The warm up sequence alone would kill us. It even shakes apart homunculi. However you are special. As predicted, your race is predisposed to internal kinetic dampening. I have already taken the initiative and setup the control rig, I will request that you activate it and test fire for us."

Thanatos asked. "I will do as you command, but I must ask. Why do we need weapons? The humans here do not fear us."

Shurik smiled. "These humans are different. MOST of them do not fear us. Some tolerate us. Some are still racist towards those that look the least like them. Although short and of bright hair and eyes, humans are overall still accepting of my kind. For the Changelings or Dhamphir less humans are accepting or tolerant, and for your kind and our new brethren the Parasite, even less so."

Shurik continued, "But we are all equal in this country, our Merit being the only thing that we are judged by. However, outside this country they consider even the elves and skygge to be nightmarish. They call them knife-ear and son of goats.

So to ensure we never have to go to open war with the outside humans, we create weapons so powerful they dare not instigate. Because if they are dumb enough to do it once, they won't do it again."

Shurik winked and picked Thanatos up and placed him in the control chair. "I don't know if its possible to send telepathic commands to your kind but i cannot be anywhere nearby when we run the test."

Thanatos jiggled, which seemed to be a positive response, "I can hear you if you talk at this volume, anywhere in this region. And if it's an emergency i can just speak without the tuning fork."

Shurik smiled. The test began shortly after. A massive cylinder, lined on the inside with concentric rings began to spin its section. The vibration would have killed most humanoids but Thanatos stood firm. The solid metal rod was loaded and began spinning, the high pitch whine loud enough to blast eardrums, and Thanatos stood firm. Under Shurik's command, the round seated and then rapidly accelerated, pushed faster and faster by the rings in the cylinder until finally exiting with a loud thump. Thanatos stood firm. The round passed through its targets, several thick layers of basalt, granite, and marble of increasing thickness, until it finally hit the 1 meter thick backstop of adamantine, causing a dent.

Shurik came back after the cylinder wound down. His smile was apparent. Thanatos was confused, "How will we use this weapon against our enemies. It is too big to fit on a ship." Shurik smiled even bigger. "That's why we will build the ship around it. A ship built for the transmuted. The Dreadnaught Class."

***

Shurik stood with Isil and Urik. "So that is my offer. I will create a large protective partition within my Foundry region and approve the establishment of a second grove for the Elves and Transmuted. In return I request the assignment of all Transmuted with Thanatos' immunity to vibrative and sonic disbursement be assigned to the protectorate under my command."

Isil Grier stood shocked. He had been wondering how he would break the news to his people that due their population they would have to slow growth. Being given another protected area within the protective mountains of the big three regions was beyond what Isil thought possible, as he was sure he would have to make a grove outside the mountains, and risk all the occupants within to the terrors of marauding bandits and saboteurs.

Isil shed a tear. He looked at Urik. "Urik, I will never tell you how to lead your people, but this is a rare opportunity. A second grove would effectively double our population limit, something we didn't think would happen for decades. Additionally, this endeavor by Master Shurik would solidify the importance of your people, as yours would be the spear of Haven's Aerial Service. The fact that he offers your people several skygge ships underneath would give this Thanatos the Protectorate assignment of 'commodore', one of only two within Haven."

Urik did his best to mimic a smile, and as unnerving as it was, it was a relief to see. "I would gladly aid those that protect us, and accept the agency to protect ourselves, as well as work with our friends, the elves, to build our community is the greatest thing I could ask for. I accept your proposal Master Shurik, however you will need to work with Thanatos. Since he is the Transmuted that developed the ability to resist these forces, it would be his children that would carry that ability more often than my own."

Shurik bowed. The foundry region would need to expand its drydocks.

***