Mechanical

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Chapter 1: The Mechanical War

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Theodore Fredrick Berenson Jr's diary:

The War was a terrible time for anyone who had lived through it. I was the unlucky few who had encountered it, and had survived it. For me, the war was both the worst, and yet the best experience of my life. There are some memories I wish I could just erase completely from my mind, but there are some I cherish almost every night. For without them, I would not have become the man I am now today...

It was a cold winter in the middle of December of 1853. I have never seen the lakes freeze over so fast; nor have I seen so much snow fall in one night. My breath seemed to fog up the glass as I stared out into the dark, snowy wonderland from the war hospital I was assigned to. I remembered hearing the cannons being fired off in the distance, like thunder.

I was eighteen at the time. A student learning to become a doctor, since it was what my father wanted me to do. It was not what I wanted to do, but my father knew what was best for me, and his family. Then the War happened, and I was instantly taken out of my classes and immediately having to treat almost every patient.

It was the worst two months of my life. The war hospital I was in was packed with soldiers from being out on the battlefield. Rows and rows of countless cot beds, once crisp white, now drenched in blood. Hours of sleepless nights were lost as I was taken from patient to patient by the nurses, treating them as best as I could. I was not even a doctor, I didn't even have my degree or Phd;, but during that time, they were running low on doctors since most were taken out by The War.

The days were bitter cold where we were located somewhere in England I was not familiar with. The days got worse in the winter, and the patients began to die from the lack of blood, starvation, diseases, or shock. Too many bodies had died during that winter, and to this day I still grieve and ask for forgiveness for not being able to save everyone. It was a heavy burden for me, one I couldn't stand for any longer.

Fortunately, luck turned itself around two days before Christmas Day. Christmas came early for everyone, and it wasn't Father Christmas who delivered the amazing gifts, but a scientist, by the name of Luther Devol. He was an elderly man who wore all black, with black gloves and a pair of smoke tinted goggles strapped to his black top hat; and had dove white hair sticking out in all directions from under it. He came running to us from the entrance of the hospital, with bits of snow falling behind him from his shoulders. The other doctors seemed to have been expecting him when I saw them all rush towards him. The doctors stopped before they crashed into the man, and began walking with him over to where I was. I was in the middle of wrapping the bloody stump of a soldier who lost his arm when he pushed his friend out of the way to not get hit by the blast.

He screamed and cried out in agony, pleading for me to just kill him so he wouldn't have to endure the pain any longer. I refused to do such an act, as I tried giving him some medicine from one of the crates near me. We were running low on medical supplies fast, and there was not much I could do. I knew in a couple of days, this man would be dead, and buried with all the other bodies just a good twenty feet away from the war hospital.

The man in black asked me politely to move out of the way once he came to where I was. I did as I was told and moved to the right. The man began explaining to the other doctors his recent discovery as he placed his big black bag onto the small table as he began pulling out the contents from within.

I watched in awe as he began pulling out items I never recognized. The light in the lamp next to him flickered, causing our dark shadows to dance across the white walls of the war hospital. Over us, I heard the familiar sounds of the dirigibles flying overhead. I glanced away from the scientist for just a second as I looked over through my smoke tinted goggles at the iced over window.

I assumed that even in this weather it was dangerous to be flying one of those ghastly contraptions, but there they were; bigger than life as they shadowed the lands. The dirigibles were made of metal, lifted by the power of steam and wind. They were brand new to the world, and were already being used as weapons for the war. The giants reminded me of whales with mechanical wings. I dearly wish to fly one of the mechanical beasts. To be able to soar away and never return; but unfortunately I was afraid of heights...even to this day, I could never muster the courage to step foot into one of those machines.

The soldier's cries snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned back and watched the scientist pull out a strange item that I had never seen before, and instantly caught my interest. The item was slender looking, but still very sturdy. It was a little longer than the length of my arm. It was mostly made of metal, and thin copper wires and thick black wires. A clock, and a small pump, and other items I couldn't recall were all wrapped by twelve brass wires. A brass metal ball rotated slightly, acting as a joint as it connected a smaller piece to it. The metal workings were incredible. The metals were different elements, and were pieced together in a way that was more complicated than the inner workings of a clock.

"What is it?" I remember hearing one of the doctors ask the scientist. Devol turned the piece around in his hand. "The future," the scientist replied. As he did, I finally was able to see the item correctly from where I stood. It was a metal arm. No one spoke as the scientist picked up a syringe that he grabbed from his bag. The syringe was filled with a glowing green liquid that seemed to make the place uneasy; but no one said a word as the scientist injected the substance into the soldier's bandaged stump that was once his arm. The soldier winced and gasped, then gradually stopped screaming. The scientist got to work while the doctors and I watched from where we stood, too speechless to say or do anything. I watched in fascination, not letting any of the dirigibles or the sounds of the cannons distract me from what I knew was going to change everything.

The scientist worked fast and delicately. His hands were skilled and knew how to correctly operate his own invention. Once it was secured on the soldier's arm, the scientist took a step back as he pulled out a round bowl filled wit has murky water. Inside the glass orb of water was an eel. it swam around inside the bowl like an ugly grey-green ribbon. wrapping itself over and over. The scientist told us that the eel had a special electrical charge in its body that was a new source, better than steam.

He set the bowl with the eel down, then pulled out a small black box. The small black box had a knob, and a couple metal switches from the top surface. From the black box, a couple wires ran from it and connected to the mechanical arm and ends that were dipped in the water bowl the eel was in. The scientist pulled out a wooden stick from his coat and gently stirred the eel in his bowl. the eel opened its mouth from the side of the murky glass and swam with the stick. Once he was done, the scientist flipped a switch and began rotating the dial on the box. A small humming sound began to fill the room as small white sparks popped from the box. The scientist turned the knob even more, giving more power. The soldier jolted and twitched in the process, looking down at his new mechanical arm.

The scientist asked for the soldier to move his mechanical arm. The soldier's eyes flickered over to the scientist, then back to his new arm. His body was half raised up by his tense body, refusing to relax. The soldier stared at the arm, then his bandaged stump of flesh that was his own. He moved it ever so slightly. Nothing worked. It went on for what seemed like hours. The atmosphere seemed to thicken as I stared at the arm, holding my breath.

The soldier tried moving the arm. Over and over, the scientist would tell him what to do as he tried giving the mechanical arm more power. Finally, it happened. The soldier moved the remains of his real arm, causing the mechanical arm to move as well. No one said anything as they stared wide eyed. The arm moved first in jerky movements, but then gradually began to move freely. My eyes were wide in shock, and my mouth hung open like the eel's.

God's work. Being able to create a working arm made of shaped metal, and inner workings to allow the phalanges, joints and bend in the elbow to move so fluidly and gracefully; as if it were a normal human appendage. I was awestruck by the craftsmanship and the way the workings moved and clicked together; all working as a team. The soldier was taken away by the doctors. It happened so fast I didn't even realize it until it was too late, but it didn't matter. I still couldn't stop thinking about the mechanical arm in my head. It was incredible. Impossible. The work of God. A huge step decades ahead, into the future; and I was able to witness this with this with my own eyes.

That was when it became known as The Mechanical War. The rapid development of creating mechanical ligaments was soon in the workings. Almost every soldier who had been wounded was equipped with a mechanical limb and brought back into the battlefield. More and more scientists, metal workers and eel dealers were brought in. New ideas were brought in. Stronger metals, thicker wires, elements, and every possible item was crafted and used. Eventually eels weren't the source of power anymore. The mechanical pieces were stronger, more durable, and were near indestructible. Soldiers became super soldiers, and were able to do more than any normal human could do. The wounded became the strongest on the field, wiping out the enemy faster than they could recruit more soldiers.

The very next year, the enemy surrendered, and we won. The world began to slowly collect itself from the war. I arrived home in late November when the leaves had turned a golden brown; reuniting with my parents and younger siblings. Unfortunately, even in the safe environment of my home, after it had ended, the war seemed to have followed me home. I was haunted by nightmares of screaming soldiers as they bled to death in front of me. I would wake up gasping and covered in sweat. For years the war continued to haunt me, but I never let it consume me. Instead I tried looking at the positive side of the war, and began focusing on it.

It was during that moment in time of the war I was inspired, and with it, my imagination grew, as well as myself. I had changed into a different man. I no longer followed orders from my father, I became who I wanted to be. I left home, found a place to work and never stopped. Over the years I learned how things connected and worked together. Learning the inner workings of clocks. I started out small. Making little wind up toys. The wind up toys fascinated me, and soon inspired me to open up my own shop. Soon I was making and fixing toys for children. Seeing the smiles on all of their little faces helped me continue making toys. During the days I kept my little shop open, and during the night, I worked on my own bigger projects. I advanced in my learning and was able to make mechanical arms and legs. Then I was building more than just mechanical limbs. I was connecting them to metal torsos. Then soon was creating things that others would consider the forbidden work of God. I was creating mechanical beings...

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