Author Notes:
At last, I have managed to post this Public OBOM Chapter. In case you don't know, my Mom is down with a cold, so I have been cutting my writing time to care for her, hence this delay and potentially more delays to come.
It's unfortunate, but I have to reshufle my priorities, otherwise the efforts we all have pooled in thus far will be meaningless. That said, my sincere gratitude to those that have offered my Mom your well wishes, and those that have checked out the three humble stories I jot down and have offered their supports.
Please accept this chapter, and more to come, surely. Peace, and great health to all of you, dear readers and patrons!
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Still focusing on our survival on this island, Aurea and I have no idea that just deserts are delivered, if only partly, by someone else.
After waking up and enjoying a light breakfast, I go on to work on setting up the barricade wall out at the entrance of our shelter. It's slow, painful work, but thanks to the shovel and axe that came with the Military Survival Kit, I don't have to waste much time on digging and chopping. The only thing I don't have in abundance is rope to tie everything together into one cohesive object. I have to make do with foraging for vines in the jungle below. They may not last as long as paracord, but they should keep the barricades up right for long enough till a more permanent solution can be found.
Eventually, I finish up four sets of spiked barricades, entrenched in a zig-zag pattern in front of the shelter. Their effectiveness in keeping smart animals and people out is questionable, at best, but it's better to have them than none. If I am to settle here for a long time, I will have to work on constructing a set of walls and a door for the shelter. Maybe even converting this little hilltop into a semi-permanent base as well, if it's worth the investment. Food for thought.
Speaking of food, once I would have set out to hunt for a mountain goat today, if not for noticing the worsening weather situation. Knowing that I can't stay out for long, I settle for plucking some more fruits before tucking myself in to wait out the coming rain. Ain't no need to risk it and get sick in a place where no medicine is to be found. My decision comes at a timely manner, as nearly half an hour after I get myself into the shelter, the rain comes pouring. While the rain volume is not the worst, this downpour seems like it will last a while.
Thank whatever Divines out there, and Viola, for giving Aurea and me the fortune to find this shelter. Otherwise, this shared body of ours would be soaking wet in the worst possible moment.
That said, since Aurea and I are stuck tending the fireplace and watching the rain, ain't no better moment than now to start planning for our future. But first...
[Daily Login Reward received:
- 1960s Electronics Blueprint Package.]
The moment I finish reading the words on the System panel, both Aurea and I feel a rush of knowledge manifesting in our minds. While Aurea lets out a shocked mental gasp of surprise and amazement at the miraculous concept of pure technologies, I only let out a pondering hum. The 1960s period of humanity is a period of rapid advancement that paves the foundation for the technological race years later. The knowledge of this period is not unfamiliar to me, having lived and visited many archives about it myself, but it's a good thing that the System gives me a reward like this.
More than reinforcing my knowledge, the Blueprint Package ties directly to the Grand Admiral Dreadnought Module, which will allow me to significantly reduce the build time of any vessel that can be fitted with these 1960s computers and hardware. So, without further ado, I start working on my mental gymnastics.
"Aurea, don't hesitate to offer some input while I work. I know designing ships ain't your main skill, but your point of view as a native to this world will be highly useful."
"U-Un! You can count on me, Umbra!"
I nod, giving Aurea a mental pat, an action that is quite familiar to me now, before I open up the GAD Module.
From the get-go, I have to, and I kid you not, read and sign an EULA. But because of it, Aurea and I get to understand the Module even more.
To start, we have the Designing Phase. Very quickly, we get to see the many options and tabs we have available. From picking ship classes to maximum displacement, we go on to even have operating environments like riverine and even space... It's a whole shebang that will dizzy both Aurea and me, so I quickly settle on the one criterion that matters most.
Survival.
This vessel of ours must be capable enough to sustain our lives, but also be simple and durable enough to be operated and maintained by one person. So, nothing too small like a canoe, but nothing too large like a corvette or God forbid, an actual dreadnought. With those ideas in mind, I decided on something that is economically affordable, time-wise: a Patrol Boat. Not a Patrol Vessel, just a Patrol Boat, something that is less than 100 tons.
The small size means it won't be able to carry much ordinance to live up to the name of Grand Admiral Dreadnought, but practicality prevails over drip in this instance. Now, while I can literally design anything from the ground up, why go through the trouble of sculpting every single pixel when there's already a reference to go off on, am I right?
Very quickly, a mental command from me has the GAD Module conjure up a full schematic of the Mark VI Patrol Boat of the United States Navy. The process takes little to no time at all, and everything is perfectly replicated down to the finest detail, even down to the lowerable mast. Coincidentally, the GAD Module displays the construction time as a striking 260 days. Nearly 9 months in build time alone.
A part of me finds it amusing how I already possess a perfect mental blueprint for almost anything I could ever think of, a consequence of my long previous life, yet the Module requires its own set of System-made blueprints to lower the construction requirements.
Technically, I can order the Mark VI as is, but it will run the risk of my being unable to perform any maintenance on the more sensitive parts of the boat due to a lack of heavy-duty equipment. The GAD Module suggests that a Base of Operation is required in the logistical profile of the Mark VI, and I think it has the correct idea in saying that. So, the Mark VI will need to be modified to fit my current needs. Simplify it where it matters and dumb it down where it's needed. Obviously, as any smart person would do, I intend to leave room for future upgrades, considering I may have to use the Mark VI for possibly a long time to come.
Once I understand how the GAD Module infers my command, I move on to immediately rip out all the needless stuff like the complex C4SI, otherwise known as the command, control, communication, and computing, surveillance, and intelligence suite. In lieu of the more modern C4SI suite, a simpler, but understandably less effective yet still capable 1960s equivalent is used. Everything from sonar to search radar and mapping equipment receives its suitable downgrade. This change alone cut the build time from nearly 9 months down to 7 months. But that won't be the final number.
"Aurea, what do your people use for long-distance communication, again?"
"Ehm... We have special terminals, crafted by runic masters, to facilitate long-distance talks... The range isn't exactly long like you would expect. On average, it's around 20 kilometers, according to your measurement. Additionally, each terminal can only dial up to ten different numbers. You can't delete an unused number and add a new one, so most terminals are sold in batches where they're used locally. These magic terminals are much more restrictive than a radio set, but are still seen in widespread use by Knight Rider Squads. E-Ehm, I hope that helps?" Aurea offers me a slice of worldly knowledge that proves to be quite important. "Most people use light and flag signals for maritime communication."
"Huh, thanks for those tidbits. Now I know that I can remove the radio altogether. Where we're going, there's no need for it just yet." I nod, giving Aurea a thumbs up as I hand wave a way the radio set on the Mark VI that takes up a good bit of volume in the hull.
The more I work on the fundamental stuff, the more I lose track of the time around me. The rain serves as a nice, calming backdrop for me to focus on the task. Ultimately, you will see the control cabin of the Mark VI with a lot less shiny tech and flatscreens with a lot more analog and gauges. Because there will only be me in the pilot house, there's only one Captain's Chair and pilot station, making the place very roomy and offering a wonderful view when the Mark VI goes for a cruise. But again, this is still subject to change later.
Software-wise, I try to retain the robust computing power on the Mark VI, power which should have gone to power the C4SI suite. Instead, I redirect the computing power to run the programs for precision and smooth control of the Mark VI's powerful diesel engines and water jets. Because I am using the 1960s computers in lieu of the 2000s, these computers swell a bit more in volume, taking up some of the open space left behind by the removal of the C4SI suite. Taking this opportunity, I make sure to design these finer details to be as durable and as easy to replace as possible, which means modularity for the win.
Ironically, this added attribute, which I will throw around a lot, adds a month to the build time, meaning eight months in the non-existent drydock. But I see that as a fair trade-off.
Moving on, the powerplant and propulsion systems, other than fine-tuning some details to make them more efficient, long-lasting, and less dependent on digital monitoring, I leave them mostly as is, for now. I will return to this part of the hardware later when needed. Other than that, I am done with the control, navigation, and detection systems.
Moving slightly beyond the pilot house, I turn to the spacious interior of the Mark VI.
The Mark VI has berthing for the crew and shock-absorbing seats for other occupants; the seats and sound deadening berthing spaces and galley allow the crew to operate in relatively high sea states while attenuating crew fatigue and risk of injury. The vessel can accommodate a crew of 10 sailors and can carry 8 additional personnel in comfort. All of these are great feature that comes stock, but because I don't expect much of a big crew, I revamp everything so that the Mark VI will be cozy for a crew of three or four. And because it's a major internal revamp, I play with the idea of making the boat bigger so that I have even more volume to work with.
Enlarging the boat to 26.5 meters in length, 6.5 meters in beam, and 1.3 meters in draft will negatively affect the top speed and agility of the Mark VI. But since I want more volume... I directly go back to the propulsion and powerplant sections, change up some specs here and there. I accept the loss of 3 knots of speed for the same maneuverability and a large operational range. The Mark VI now maxes out at 42 knots of speed, but can go an additional 50 nautical miles on top of its 750 nautical miles at 25 knots.
Satisfied with the mobility change, I resume touching up on the living space in the ship. There is now a mini shower with a retractable toilet. The galley is expanded to have a small cold storage if needed, and appliances are electrically powered by solar panels and battery packs that are charged by the diesel engines. There's now a bedroom with two bunk beds, a retractable dining table, and a couple of small storage units. There's also a storage locker in the pilot house, as well, if I need to put a weapon or two in for ease of access. Additionally, the slightly expanded reconfigurable main aft cabin now doubles up as a common area, medical facility, and deployment bay. If need be, I can use the diving suits there that supposedly come with Mark VI, according to the Module, to perform seadiving to hunt or maintain the underbelly of the boat. Of course, more storage can be found there as well, even if I will be keeping most stuff in the System Inventory.
And before I forgot, solar panels existed in the 1960s.
In keeping with my view of the multi-function aft cabin, I survey the rear deck and stern, which is able to launch and recover small boats, unmanned vehicles, and even deploy mines and depth charges... You know what, I reserve space to have the Mark VI come out of the production line with two jet skis with replacement parts and a rail for deploying mines and depth charges, alongside the suitable munition. Who knows, it may come in handy.
After finishing construction, however, the Module will be sending me basic supplies to run the Mark VI on a weekly basis. Coincidentally, I can procure all the munitions I ever need before starting the construction of the vessel. The more ordinance I want, the longer the build time. Afterward, I won't be able to get any more munitions unless I construct another vessel as a spare, which will cost even more time, or to wait for the System's Weekly Ship Supply Package, which may not have enough in each package. The same goes for getting the jet skis or spare parts that come with the Mark VI, the entire package can be a gacha for all I know. The idea is not to get greedy and wait ten years to build a boat that will last less than five.
Overall, it's a fair and quite possibly generous System Module. But I digress.
Let's move on to the weapon and armor of the Mark VI, shall we? As someone with a penchant for flying would say.
"This is where the fun begins."