War, war never changes.
During what was suppose to be the last war the middle east, and its vast oil reserves, was home to some of the most vicious fighting between China and the US. It alone was spared the atomic fire by the virtue of having oil, the objective everyone wanted, and no one wished to destroy.
When the world was destroyed many could say the two army's did not notice and continued to throw themselves at each other, not out of national pride, but out of hate, for all there comrades in arms the other army had slain.
But mid East was always a war zone and even though they were not hit directly the winds blew the radioactive ash of civilization toward them.
Plants wither, cattle died, already hard desert life grew harder and the tension that was always in the heart of the mid east exploded in one final act of self destructive violene.
To list the long litany of woe would take books, Kurds destroyed as a people, Israeli children starving as tanks rolled past them, city's burned, history lost, in the last act the Kaaba destroyed.
No one knows who did, a Chinese bomb? American artillery? A stay shot? Or a mad man with dynamite?
That last act, set forth what could only be called a crusade. A man Abraham a former IDF captain saw in that last act of destruction a sign of god to finally end this petty hate. He preached, and a war tone population finally listened.
Thus began to start of the new Ottoman empire calling it self off the most successful empire to rule the middle east.
Abraham started it but it took almost 100 years to do it. From Turkey, to Iraq, to Iran, Saudi Arabia, to Yemen the empire was formed.
But energy can only be converted not destroyed. The fires that once burned it self were now focused outward to unify the world and bring about a new kingdom dedicated to god, peace and freedom.
Even if they had to war every one else into submission.
And war, war never changes.
Engineering log: Z-043
Attempts to atomicity synthesis Helium have proven to dangerous to continue and the Holy President has forbid further research on the subject due to the dangers.
So we shall have to use the Hydrogen model for all future Zeppelins. Electrolysis facility's are at last quarter 75% complete, hydrogen bottling has proven much more complex. Perhaps we could use the Goldbeater's skin, much like the planed Zeppelin skin?
Again the Zeppelins have proven startling hard to scale up, especially since the end result is a heavy bomber a scout blimp would be so much easier.
On a related note the prototype E-7 model flechette has proven most effective under controlled gravity drop conditions.
The main problem at this point is keeping the rigid air frame upright while we wait for the Hydrogen to arrive to fill the ship. At this point its own bulk is damaging it internal ribs which are not designed to take any weight. And until we fill it we will not know if the math about how Hydrogen we need is correct. Z-1 may prove be a waste of time, cow skin and metal.
In other notes the reports from the chemical labs show that the Goldbeater's skin has finally been successful on a large scale and the first major shipment is expect soon.
Less pleasantly the engines,
Hakeen was interrupted form his log booking by the sound of a knock at his door. He looked up over his desk.
His work room was a simple affair. Little bigger then a bed room. It over looked the main hanger and though a window you could see the growing zeppelin frame. Right now few people were working on it, they needed the Goldbeater skin to do more then build the wooden frame.
The only sign it was the office of the Chef of the Holy Ottoman empire's light than air flight division, as well as its head light than air aeronautic designer, and yes the implication of there being a heavier then air flight divisions was obvious, were three paintings and one photo on the wall.
One a technical design showing the blue print for the Damocles, the Zeppelin they were working on.
Next to it was a photo showing the entire design team around a design table.
The last two were fanciful paintings one showing the zeppelin being lunched, long ropes being held tight by a ground crew as the massive whale like bulk of the zeppelin strained upward.
The last painting showed three zeppelins bombarding a castle with heavy rockets. It was quite, sci fiy streaming rocket contrails, muzzle flashes and explosions. All very impressive.
Also: completely stupid. Honestly that much open fire? On a hydrogen air ship? For reference hydrogen was the most flammable gas in existence.
Still a good image of what they hoped for. A flying WMD. Even as the thought hit him Hakeen frowned. The prospect of a gas attack from a mile up was a terrifying image.
Hakeen spoke up shaking his head of that nightmare image. "Come in the doors unlocked."
His secretary, Isra walked in clenched a clip board to her chest. "Hakeen! A couple Janissary are coming to talk to you there be here in minutes!"
"W-w-w-what!" Hakeen stuttered cursing that trait where he stuttered under stress. He took a deep breath. "W-w- why are they here?"
"I don't know!" she half shrieked in panic. "The Zeppelin is coming slowly! Maybe too slow!"
"It's going as f-f-fast as it can!" Hakeen panicked back before he took another quick breath. "When will they be here?"
"Now." she whispered and quickly stepped aside bowing as the two Janissary entered.
Janissary in the Ottoman empire were brightly elite uniformed soldiers.
In the Holy Ottoman republic they were the abhorrently children of the CIA, Russian commissars, and the SS.
They wore identical uniforms, gray great coats with dull buttons, so they did not shine and get the attention from a alert sentry. There pants were loose slacks that allowed ample and easy movement. They were wearing helmets that covered there whole head save there faces and thankfully the last part of there uniform, the gas mask was not being worn, it was not even in sight. If they had been wearing it that meant they did not want to be recognized.
It would have meant some one was likely going to die.
The two of them, one had a mustache and other did not sat down in one of the two chairs across from him perfectly silently and in sync.
For a moment no one said anything. Till the older of the two men, the one with the mustache spoke up.
"No were not here to kill you. The most Holy president merely wish to check some figures with you." Hakeen nodded nervously. "yes, of c-c-c-course. F-forgive me." he said quickly. They acted like they had not noticed. Or were ignoring it.
"Well, I don't know what he w-w-wants me to check, I sent him all the inf-f-f-formation last time.
"We know." the younger one said put a book on the table, opening it to a bookmarked page and then pointed to a line in red.
"The problem is this. Do you really need 199,973.571 m3 of Hydrogen."
Hakeen leaned back. "That numbers B-b-based on the Hindenburg. Are first Zeppelin is going to be more of a trial case and a training ground for new Zeppelin pilots. So I expect we will need less for getting the final project off the ground, so to speak." he chuckled at the little joke.
They did not.
"However the Z-1.."
"Z-1?" The young one said with a frown. "I was under the impression the Zeppelin was named the Damocles?"
"Well technically there both current terms. The full name is the Z-1 Damocles. But we had some accidents with the earlier balloons when we were making them and it some how became seen as unlucky to refer to the project by name before it got off the ground. At least in its presence."
"You would not happen to believe a spirit causing you trouble would you?" The older man said with a hard look.
"What! N-n-n-n-no!" he shook his head and took a breath. "It's a superstition nothing more or less!"
"Your a trusted man of the government it shall be ignored this time." Hakeen gulped for a moment silence reigned then the younger one spoke up again. "About the Damocles?"
"Oh yes!" Hakeen said quickly sure to send a memo out on the subject of the 'Z-1', the last thing they needed was a inquisitor dropping by. "The Z-1 is going to be far smaller and will likely need a lot less Hydrogen to get off the ground. How ever this one order will definitely allow us to make at least one Zeppelin even if we have a significant accident."
"That's why the Holy president is so concerned. The amount of Hydrogen your asking for would be enough to blow up the whole workshop ten times. It is well and seemly to die for the nation but not when you have better things to do." the older man said.
"I was talking about a leak, but I am fully aware of the dangers, you will recall, I kept saying, I rather use Helium." Hakeen leaned back on his chair gesturing to the painting on his walls with the rockets. "If we had them, I might be able to make those, but as it stands I barely trust a machine gun on a Hydrogen blimp."
"So shall I put down most of the Hydrogen as extra?" the young man said.
"Well not just extra. I am sure of my math as is my team. However we rather have a lot extra in case are figures are wildly off. It will likely be due to us forgetting to tab something. We know a lot more when the things final mass is known. The Goldbeater has only recently hit mass production. If you meet with Jalal please pass on my thanks."
"What about power?" the old man said. "Do you have any plans for that?" Hakeen huffed.
"No I don't. And that's the biggest kink in getting this thing as anything more then a balloon. The engines I have been promised are both under strength and over weigh. I understand the problems they have been having but frankly I don't give a damn. I am this close." he held his thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. "To ditching the petrol drive and swap over to atomic."
Atomic's drives would be both lighter, due to the lack of fuel, and possible more powerful.
The problem was it was much more complex and dangerous. Not to mention that due to the how common oil was in the mid east atomic cars, due to there much higher pre-war expense, had never really caught on.
"We shall have words with the engineer's." the old man said his voice chilling. "His name." it was a order.
"Hameed." Hakeen said feeling like he was telling a murderer where his next victim was.
The both nodded memorizing the name.
"The Holy President also wish to pass along congratulation for the hot air balloons. They are already provoking themselves."
The balloon in question, the B-1-P Cherubim was a large hot air balloon with a hydrogen sack with in the main balloon Envelope which canceled out the basket weight. Leaving only the mass of the passengers, ballast, cargo, and the power plant, (a bicycle).
Able to life to life 400 pounds the balloons were a god sent to a post war army wanting air power though no actual attacks had been used with them and so far were relegated to messages and small cargoes.
"I am honored. May I know when I may begin large scale production?"
"Are you being tempted by greed here?" the old man said sharply. In the holy republic the seven deadly sins were deadly for another reason.
To be found guilty of one was a death sentence.
"N-n-n-n-n-n-no!" Hakeen said quickly "I just feel there is so much good I can do for the nation if I had the chance."
"I see." the young man said. "In any case the Holy President is still weighing your request. We do not want your success with ballooning to be widely known."
It was why he was in the ass end of former Afghanistan. No one to spy on them out here. Even with the occasional test flight.
"I understand, still I would like to begin soon."
"Noted." Silence stretched a little then the older man stood up.
"I believe we are done here." The younger one stood up as well.
"It has been a pleasure gentlemen." Hakeen lied.
"Indeed." With that the two men spun and marched out of the room. Just on the other side of the door, Isra waited for the meeting to end and as the two Janissary marched out, she bowed again to meet them.
She felt badly, the young Janissary's gaze burn a hole in her dress. It only lingered a second before he marched out the door and out of the line of sight.
"Isra." Hakeen said after waiting almost a hour hour for them to be out of ear shot. "A drink please." she came in already holding a prewar whiskey. "You think of everything." he said as he put out a couple shot glass. She filled them both up taking one her self.
Hakeen drunk his quick and put the glass down. "To another surprise inspection survived."
Three weeks, they were investigated for heresy.
The inquisitor found only one person guilty of treachery. A female secretary and she was placed in the custody of a a young Janissary.
Inspiration: Inspirations: none really this was made from whole cloth. Let me say two things, First forgive the slow update my beta has been busy. Second: I understand I picked a, sensitive place to put the Boatmurder of Fallout. I shall say i mean no offense to any one and i recommend the MST3K Mantra "It's just a show, I should really just relax."