MokouFriedChickenCare to give me Gems? It helps my motivation to do better.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The Least Common Denominator LXX.III Equilateral
"Right, now for the testing phase..."With a full stomach and an apprehensive attitude, Livia and I stared at the engine in front of us as we both just stood around like fucking idiots waiting for something interesting to happen. This was the usual schtick for live testing, unfortunately. And if it did blow up, then we were the first on the scene to either be the first responders in the event of a fire or the first casualties depending on how bad the situation could get. Then again, I highly doubt that something so small could ever make this part of the cave system collapse in on itself. The locomotive engine didn't, but that massive thing didn't have runes on it to supplement its combustion.Fuck... I'm psyching myself out."It's full, Sis," Livia absently replied beside me. "I already filled it earlier before I followed you out for lunch."
The Least Common Denominator LXXI.I Isosceles
Back in the old world, I've always classified failure into three distinct categories. First off was the standard fuck-ups. These were the normal mistakes any normal human being would make every once in a while, perhaps even every single day. From forgetting to set your alarm clock for the next day, or probably mistaking salt for sugar during cooking, such a level of failure was negligible in the long run so long as you didn't overblow it out of proportion like a stupid diva.Next came the colossal fuck-ups. These were mistakes that I would describe as devastating, but not disastrous enough that there was no coming back from it. Failing a major exam would probably fall into this category. Of course, the degree of severity would vary from person to person, but personally, I'd classify colossal failures to be at the same level as forgetting to properly prepare for a surgery, or maybe failing to bring your dr
The Least Common Denominator LXXI.II Isosceles
Focus... I have to make this radiator work, dammit. Cuddling with Livia will have to wait until after we're done for the day... Tonight... Yeah... I'm already having daydreams about it- No! Shit! I'm procrastinating again! "Right..." Blinking away the pleasant thoughts of monopolizing my sister's time to myself, I stared blankly at the task laid out in front of me. Fabricating a radiator's gonna be tricky. The fan had to be perfectly circular and balanced so that it won't break apart as soon as it was spinning at speeds beyond a thousand RPM. Then there was the mechanism that would make it spin in the first place. Gears? Bearings? We... didn't have any sort of oil lubricant available yet, right? Yikes... I should've thought this through. Moving myself back to the drawing board, I stared at my crude sketch with
The Least Common Denominator LXXI.III Isosceles
The foundry was the latest of the various nodules we managed to build into the cave system. Located a bit deeper into the cave, the foundry was our primary source of building materials in terms of metal, alongside being the one place that's capable of making steel for general usage. Of course, that meant that it was the hottest place in the entire base, which meant the necessity of removing our fur jackets as soon as we approached the familiar orange glow of the forges. "Damn... Spending too much time in the cold really makes your heat resistances disappear, huh," I chuckled as I bundled my coat and tied the sleeves around my waist. "I haven't felt this hot since the last time I've been here." My workshop had forges, of course, but being near the entrance made it rather cold despite being connected to the centralized heating system. Also, a fun fact
The Least Common Denominator LXXII.I Trapezoid
Fate is such a fickle, yet ridiculous concept. I feel like I've ruminated on the subject before, but it was always the circumstances that really make me try to push these thoughts out of my head. In a sense, was I fated to constantly talk about the concept of fate? Or was I merely projecting my views like a damn idiot again to merely justify my irrational stupidity? Or was it the roundabout way that fate worked which facilitated such a roundabout way of thinking in the first place? "We have a problem." Either way, fate has a hand in everything so I knew I should've expected this to happen sooner or later. My tendency to somehow be paranoid, yet be utterly complacent in the simplest of things had once again reared its ugly head. Perhaps I should start learning to make the most of my insanity, but wasn't that what I was already doing?
The Least Common Denominator LXXII.II Trapezoid
Oh my lord... This was gonna be a disaster... "Get ready." Turning the knob, angry steam ran through the pipes as the engine growled with the rage of industry. Immediately, I let my Essence move to suppress the burning energy threatening to escape the engine's confines. The vehicle wouldn't be to handle such a sudden acceleration, after all. Not to mention that Lace might not be able to handle controlling such a mechanical beast. "EEP!" Sure enough, Lace yelped at the lurching behemoth. The APC rumbled as its treads began to turn. Gears upon gears upon gears began grinding against one another, my own flawed design trying to push through its errors as it began to move. "Careful, Lace!" I yelled through the raging roar of the engine in my hand. "Steer
The Least Common Denominator LXXII.III Trapezoid
Visualize.... Imagine the way I have to make this work... "You have a way to cut this thing to pieces?" "Uhh... What?" I ignored Lace's confused tone as I leaned over the engine block. I can already see what had to be done, I just needed the right pieces to weld it all together with a few whacks. "I need you to cut that sheet of metal into specified sizes and shapes. Think you can do it right now?" The faint hum behind me clued me in on Lace's mixed feelings about the task, "I... suppose so? I have my hammer with me, but the edges won't be pretty. I also won't be able to guarantee that I'll be able to get your exact dimensions." I expected as much, "That's good enough. Cut it into four uniform squares if you can."
The Least Common Denominator LXXII.IV Trapezoid
With the boring parts out of the way, it was time to reorient the engine itself. "Alright, ready!" Having already detached some of the gears and pipes, the engine was stone-cold as I placed my hands on its top portion. The others were also holding on to their own parts of the engine; with Livia beside me, Anne on the side, and the twins on the bottom. Weighing in at probably half a ton, a single mistake here would probably wreck the entire APC alongside possibly maiming or killing someone. With a heave, we all collectively pulled our own weight and then some. The engine slowly rose from its resting place, slowly turning towards our desired direction as we all sweated and huffed like we weren't remotely as fit as Olympic athletes. "S-steady now..." I huffed out. "Carefully..."
Latest Chapter
- The Least Common Denominator CV.V Cotangent
- The Least Common Denominator CV.IV Cotangent
- The Least Common Denominator CV.III Cotangent
- The Least Common Denominator CV.II Cotangent
- The Least Common Denominator CV.I Cotangent
- The Least Common Denominator Interlude XXXIX: Grigori
- The Least Common Denominator CIV.IV Transistor
- The Least Common Denominator CIV.III Transistor
- The Least Common Denominator CIV.II Transistor