Chapter 31 : Battery Production

Back at the lab, DAVID carried a large sack containing all the ores he had purchased from the dwarves, its size towering over him by a few people's height. As he opened the door, the lab lay in complete darkness. The absence of power was a deliberate choice; without a battery system, DAVID served as the sole power source. In moments of inactivity, the lab remained devoid of illumination.

DAVID, however, had a plan to address this power constraint. He had obtained a substantial amount of zinc from the dwarves, intending to convert it into batteries for the lab. The prospect of enhancing the lab's capabilities fueled his determination.

With the lab in darkness, DAVID shifted his reliance from sight to echolocation. Emitting high-frequency sounds, he navigated through the dim space, reaching an empty room labeled 'R&D Room' in his internal mapping. Placing the sack on the ground, he retrieved a transparent box containing the broken golden tablet and set it aside.

Dumping the contents of the sack onto a small table carved from rocks, DAVID revealed an array of refined and unrefined metal ores. The dwarven metals, acquired through trade, were crucial resources for his ongoing research and technological development.

Focused on restoring power to the lab, DAVID delved into his extensive mind archives, searching for suitable battery designs. Among the array of options with names like Quantum Cells and Photon Resonators, he settled on a relatively primitive choice—a zinc-carbon battery. While not as advanced as some alternatives, its simplicity aligned with the available resources and his immediate needs.

Armed with the chosen battery design, DAVID stepped outside the lab and into the nearby forest. There, he skillfully cut down a couple of trees, dragging them back to the lab with calculated efficiency. The harvested wood would serve as the carbon for crafting the zinc-carbon batteries.

Positioning the wood right outside the lab, DAVID unleashed electromagnetic waves, manipulating the ambient aura in the surrounding air. The aura responded, shaping into tube-like structures that converged to create DAVID's signature flamethrower spell. Focusing the spell, DAVID directed the aura-powered flames toward the wood, initiating a controlled combustion.

As the flames danced and consumed the wood, DAVID carefully monitored the process. Within seconds, the trees transformed into black dust, leaving behind a residue of charcoal. Swiftly, DAVID swept the charcoal dust into a small, round metal container.

Dismantling the electric air-pump with precision, DAVID carefully extracted the motor nestled within its components. The extracted motor would be a crucial component for his next creation—a press powered by a combination of his electric motor design and mechanical advantage.

To augment the motor's functionality, DAVID cast three sets of gears, each with a precise teeth ratio of 1:100. These gears, arranged in pairs, interlocked seamlessly to harness the immense force generated by his electric motor design. With the gears ready, DAVID assembled the press, unlike the hydraulic press, DAVID's press was relying solely on mechanical advantage for its operation.

With the press complete, DAVID placed the container filled with charcoal dust into its awaiting jaws. A moment of anticipation hung in the air as he positioned his hand on the electric motor's input cable. As power surged through the cable, the electric motor roared to life, transferring its energy through the meticulously crafted gears.

The mechanical advantage came into play, exerting a gradual and controlled force on the charcoal dust within the press. DAVID observed with focused attention as the press transformed the raw material, squeezing it with precision. The once scattered charcoal dust yielded to the mechanical force, gradually compacting into refined carbon.

Having successfully refined the carbon through his press, DAVID ceased the power supply to the electric motor and lifted the head of the press. Beneath it lay the transformed material—a uniform disk of refined carbon with a radius of 1 meter and a width of half a meter.

To ensure the quality and compression of the refined carbon, DAVID emitted electromagnetic waves, scanning the disk. After a meticulous analysis, he nodded in approval, satisfied with the result. With the first disk successfully created, DAVID left the lab to continue the process.

Venturing into the forest once more, DAVID repeated the steps—cutting down trees, burning them into charcoal dust, and utilizing the press to create refined carbon disks. This iterative process continued until he had amassed 12 disks of refined carbon in his lab.

Dividing the disks into three groups, DAVID stacked them to create three large refined carbon cylinders. Each cylinder boasted a radius of 1 meter and a height of 2 meters.

With the refined carbon disks standing as a testament to DAVID's resourcefulness, he shifted his focus to the second ingredient of his zinc-carbon batteries—the zinc. Heading into the storage room of the lab, DAVID took one of the pickaxes left by the dwarves and exited the lab. Moving upward through the cave, he found a large boulder and began carving on it with precision.

The rhythmic sounds of the pickaxe against the stone echoed through the cave as DAVID meticulously carved several large rods into the boulder. After about 15 minutes of focused effort, he completed the carving, creating the necessary space for the zinc within the boulder.

Bringing the carved boulder back into the lab, DAVID poured in some of the zinc he had purchased from the dwarves into the carved hole. Activating his 'flamethrower spell,' he directed the aura-infused flames to melt the zinc. The heat was intense, causing the zinc to liquefy and fill the carved space, even overflowing slightly.

As the molten zinc glowed with a mesmerizing brilliance, DAVID ceased the flamethrower spell, allowing the metal to cool down.

In the next hour minutes, DAVID efficiently utilized his time. Taking refined copper, he expertly cut it into precise lengths to create the necessary wires for the batteries. Afterward, he started the concrete mixer within the storage room, its rhythmic hum blending with the ambient sounds of the lab.

After the cooling period, DAVID retrieved the solidified zinc from the boulder and skillfully cut it into three large cylinders. Ensuring each cylinder had a hole in the middle, he proceeded to craft casings for the batteries using concrete. The lab buzzed with activity as DAVID meticulously assembled the components.

Going back and forth between the well outside the lab in the forest, DAVID took breaks to gather water, a crucial element for his battery design. Returning to the lab, he poured the water into the concrete casings, completely covering the zinc and refined carbon inside.

The next step involved adding mineral stones, a seemingly insignificant byproduct of the dwarves' excavation. These stones, contained trace amounts of Elminexium, which when mixed with water, served as the perfect medium for ions to travel through the electrodes while directing electrons into the wires—a crucial step in optimizing the batteries' performance.

With the components in place, DAVID carefully arranged the wires he had prepared, connecting the intricate network of electrodes within the batteries. Securing the top with a layer of concrete, he completed the assembly of his zinc-carbon batteries. As DAVID surveyed his creation, the culmination of meticulous planning and resource utilization, a sense of accomplishment resonated through his artificial consciousness.