Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

As soon as the prototype was produced, workshops in the British Isles, France, and the Netherlands quickly began manufacturing the improved steam engine with great enthusiasm. Since there was a war going on in Eastern Europe, where the enemy had the upper hand in logistics and ordnance, the workshops did not even bother to fully test the prototype before rushing into producing as many steam engines as possible. For them, this was the moment they had been waiting for. With the invention of this new generation of steam engine, the hope of striking back against the Bharatiya Empire and mounting a firm resistance finally seemed feasible.

With the goal clear, the very first steam engines manufactured were directly put into military workshops to start production.

Liverpool, England

"chu chu chu"

In a military workshop, the new-generation steam engine, named the Radiance Engine, roared to life, its pistons churning and gears grinding as it slowly began to spin the machines in the factory, each connected to it by a heavy belt.

The factory workers, looking at this scene, all standing like statues with their mouths agape, were shocked beyond belief. It was the first time they had seen the machines run on their own. Before, they used to use the slaves to do such a thing, but now the metal monster in the centre of the factory was doing it for them.

"Hahaa, it's amazing, isn't it? Unlike those monkeys, this thing does not need to rest. As long as there is cold water, coal, and oil, it will keep running forever, bahahaha," a supervisor with a potbelly and a dark face laughed heartily as he patted his nephew, who was working as his assistant.

However, his cordial mood did not last long, and his face immediately turned stern. "What are you all looking at? Move your hands and feet, or else I will dock your pay."

Hearing the roar of the inhuman supervisor, the workers quickly started to work. However, as time went on, everyone began to sweat heavily as if they were standing under the midnight sun in a desert.

" Uncle, it is not good. The workers are complaining that it is too hot within the factory, and they're requesting to turn off the steam engine."

The supervisor who had just left the factory floor was annoyed. He looked at his nephew with hatred, " How many times do I have to tell you the words of those lowlifes are of no importance to us? If you fulfil one of the requests, then there will be endless more. Their greed simply knows no bounds; they are like locusts in human form."

" Isn't it just heat? What's there to worry about? Besides, it's already so cold outside; shouldn't they be thankful for keeping them warm? Why are they complaining? I knew this thankless bunch was no good."

What more can the young man say after his uncle said so much? He did not pester his uncle anymore and went back, but he did not dare to go back to the factory floor. Imagining that heat, even he was scared, and he did not know how to answer the workers.

" Ahhh, McCallum, what happened to you, McCallum, hey, someone help!"

Suddenly, screams were heard from within the factory floor. Knowing that he could not shrug off his responsibilities anymore, the young man ran in. But as soon as he stepped foot inside the factory, a heat wave hit his face several times, much more intense than before. Looking around, he could see men who were practically naked with only a single piece of cloth to cover their parts down below.

All the men had gathered around, and an older man seemed to have fainted from over-exhaustion and sweating too much.

Without thinking about anything, even risking his uncle's anger, he ordered the workers,

" Quickly, pull out the coal from the combustor chamber and put it out."

He didn't know how to operate the Radiance engine, but he still had some common sense. He knew coal was this machine's fuel, so taking away the coal combustion should turn it off by itself.

The workers who were operating the steam engines felt like they had received an amnesty, and picking up their metal tools, which were very hot, hot enough to fry an omelette, they quickly scraped out the coal from within the combustion chamber and poured the water they were supposed to refill onto the coal.

It took a while for the machine to shut down, but eventually it did, giving everyone a chance to let out a sigh of relief.

" What is happening here? Why has the production stopped? Who is seeking DEATH!"

However, his troubles were not finished, because his uncle ran in furious and livid. Looking at his fat face that looked like a ripe tomato, he began to panic, but to his surprise, his uncle did not utter a single word. Instead, he acted as if he were in great pain.

In fact, his thoughts couldn't be more true, because the middle-aged fat man was really in great pain. As soon as he entered the factory floor, he did not think anything of it, but when he set his foot, the heat wave hit him like an inferno, almost threatening to cook him alive. He had never experienced such heat before. Before he could think, he felt a sizzling sensation seeping up his body, almost as if he were being baked alive.

Without hesitation, he ran out of the factory floor and collapsed onto the ground.

" Uncle, what happened to you, uncle!"

The nephew, who followed his uncle out of worry, was startled when he saw him collapse and hurriedly ran forward.

"Somebody, call for help!"

---

Such situations did not happen in only one workshop, but in almost all workshops throughout Western Europe where the Radiance steam engines were installed.

On the first day alone, before the Europeans could enjoy the full brunt of the Industrial Revolution, the whole work had come to a halt.

"How could this be? What is happening?"

"Someone tell me, what the hell happened?" Stuart demanded with a livid expression.

Edward Fairchild, who was tasked with looking into the issue, couldn't help but sweat profusely because the answer he had was really not pleasant. "We are not able to manufacture the parts of the Radiance engine with tighter tolerances, Your Highness. With the machine tools we have, we are not able to match the theoretical effectiveness of the Radiance engine, leading to steam leaking out and making the work environment overall uninhabitable, while also reducing the efficiency and performance of the engine by a few dozen percent."

" Crash! "

" Damn it! "

He immediately smashed a few antiques, but eventually he did calm down.

" Robert!! "

" Yes, my liege."

"Contact the French and the Dutch, inform them we can expand our cooperation. We can research not only the steam technology of the Bharatiya Empire together, but also the machine tool technology. I'm sure they are experiencing the same problem we are."

"As you wish, sire, I will do it with utmost haste."

"Edward," Stuart placed his attention once more on Edward Fairchild, which made him visibly shaken, "Yes, sire?"

"Is there any way to reduce the side effects of the Radiance engine?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The simplest method is to open all the doors and windows of the factory, and either open the roof or build a chimney. This will allow cold air from outside to enter from below while the hot air escapes upward. Considering that the weather is already cold, this should be enough to counter the heat wave produced by the Radiance engine."

Stuart immediately acted on the suggestion and sent orders to all the major workshops where the Radiance engines had been installed.

When everything returned to calm once again, a hint of worry couldn't help but appear on Stuart's face. He didn't know if splitting the resources between two major projects was really the right thing to do, but unfortunately, he was at a dead end. If he wanted better steam engines, then better machine tools were definitely needed, and for better machine tools, more research funds were needed.

He was already mobilising all the liquid funds he could rationally mobilise in order to push them towards the research. Any more than that, he would have to reduce funds going to other causes. Maybe he would even have to take support from some nobles.

" Should I contact the Spanish and the Portuguese? " This thought appeared in his mind, but he hesitated. The Spanish and the Portuguese had caused huge losses to the empire's colonies in the Americas, and it wouldn't be wrong to call them lifelong rivals, especially with the Spanish taking over the entirety of the Gibraltar Strait, completely cutting off the military influence of the British in the Mediterranean Sea. But this was a desperate situation, the enemy was at the doorstep, and it required desperate measures.

" Let's ask, there's nothing to lose anyway."

He hardened his heart.