Chapter 17: Fresh from the yard.
The factories were awash with activity from the workers and heat from the machinery. Everyone was busy, grinding, welding, steaming, charging on some part of the new soldiers. However, you could see it on the faces of the bandersnatch, that they were both unsure and afraid of what they were making for the Ordermaker and the General as they had never seen or made such a contraption before, and they all thought they'd made everything! They were getting paid well for it though..
The ordermaker sat in his special chair next to the general of the army and the factory director who was wringing his hands both with anticipation and nervousness. He was a crooked looking bandersnatch in comparison to both the general and his workforce, having shoulders which make his neck seem non-existent and small glasses perched on the end of his long nose, he was both ruthless with his workers and mean with the money he made which made him unpopular with the workers, but respected by the Ordermaker. (as long as everything ran efficiently that is.)
"Your workers are very organised," began the ordermaker "I hope it's not because I'm here!"
"No Ordermaker," replied the Factory director "I have seen to it they work just has hard to keep efficiency optimum."
"I hope so, this is a special project for all of us that I'll be needing very shortly" he replied.
He was of course referring to the growing number of discontents with his order. He had watched them grow in numbers and gain supplies through discreet means with the unquestionable loyalty of both the Banderwatcher Corp and the B.E.N.D.S. Loyalty was rewarded when he ran things and betrayal was punished every time. Quite severely.
"I think its time to inspect the first detachment sir." Piped up the General from his chair as he finished his glass of banderscotch. He had been very quiet whilst this inspection was taking place as he knew full well the consequences of this project. A lot of his men were being scaled down for this new machine, even though having a machine do the fighting would save lives, it would also make the existing troops uneasy to share the battlefield with something that could be blown apart and be rebuilt again in greater numbers, and of course, a person cannot simply be rebuilt. Yet.
The new weapons that were being made did meet his approval as they needed a trained soldier to operate them and they did the job more effectively than the older model blinkers they had now. He was anxious to see them as they sat in the quiet observation room while the machinery below groaned, rumbled and steamed out it's workload.
They all rose and stepped out the door into a technical schematic room with the first prototypes of both a rapid fire blinker and the automated soldier. The general admired the weapon with genuine enthusiasm while the ordermaker grinned at sight of the soldier as it was his design that stood before him once again. It stood before them all, in it's bulky metallic form was menacing to all except the ordermaker as he was the only one taller than it. It's brass plating shimmered with the light bouncing off it and it's hands were like two heavy chunks of metal, gripping that could crush it's enemy in it's grasp. It had no eyes as such but it's head was linked to it's body directly with no neck to act as an appealing target for a sword.
The general broke the attention of the group and ruptured the impressive silence that had befell all of them as his enthusiasm finally broke.
"It's perfect!!" He said brimming over with excitement unbecoming of his rank and position. The Ordermaker shook his head in dismay, he expected more control from his senior staff.
"This soldier can replace our entire army! They need never eat, sleep or desire to get paid. We should begin mass production now sir if we are to replace...."
The Ordermaker stopped his enthusiasm with a single word
"No"
"No sir?"
"IF we replace all of our forces, the people would lose their pride, and not every machine can replace a persons function, no matter how useful."
The general was dismayed and his head was filled with questions, but he had an inkling of where his superior was coming from.
"Take the rapid fire blinker," he began "It still needs an operator to make it function and researchers to develop it further. Tell me can it move on it's own?"
"Not yet," replied the chief researcher "but we are working on the locomotion section to be fitted and it shouldn't take too long."
"Then produce 200 of these automated soldiers and equip every unit of the regular army with 5 of these devices. They will need them soon so begin production now!"
and with that order the factories were awash with activity as production began at full steam.
Night had fallen over the Island and the Order maker and the General were heading back to his darkened room in the Bandersnatch Opticals building and were rising in the ascender when a plot was formed regarding a rebel faction and a certain young lady.
"I received a report that she is on her way and will reach the island at first light, sir" reported the General.
"Send the B.E.N.D.S onto the docks tomorrow and observe her every movement. Do we have an agent onboard the ship?"
"Yes sir, but he's quite.....questionable in his loyalties"
The order makers face grimaced slightly as a smile crept slowly across his flesh.
"Most of the Banderwatcher Corps are general, The B.E.N.D.S are not and with my new army being built, when these rebels finally decide to take action, I can sweep them away in one blow."
AS they both rose to the top of the building, the ship on the seas was creeping closer and closer to the shores with it's important passenger on board. Surreptitiously being watched, and even though she suspected it, there wasn't anything she could do about it..Yet
The factories were awash with activity from the workers and heat from the machinery. Everyone was busy, grinding, welding, steaming, charging on some part of the new soldiers. However, you could see it on the faces of the bandersnatch, that they were both unsure and afraid of what they were making for the Ordermaker and the General as they had never seen or made such a contraption before, and they all thought they'd made everything! They were getting paid well for it though..
The ordermaker sat in his special chair next to the general of the army and the factory director who was wringing his hands both with anticipation and nervousness. He was a crooked looking bandersnatch in comparison to both the general and his workforce, having shoulders which make his neck seem non-existent and small glasses perched on the end of his long nose, he was both ruthless with his workers and mean with the money he made which made him unpopular with the workers, but respected by the Ordermaker. (as long as everything ran efficiently that is.)
"Your workers are very organised," began the ordermaker "I hope it's not because I'm here!"
"No Ordermaker," replied the Factory director "I have seen to it they work just has hard to keep efficiency optimum."
"I hope so, this is a special project for all of us that I'll be needing very shortly" he replied.
He was of course referring to the growing number of discontents with his order. He had watched them grow in numbers and gain supplies through discreet means with the unquestionable loyalty of both the Banderwatcher Corp and the B.E.N.D.S. Loyalty was rewarded when he ran things and betrayal was punished every time. Quite severely.
"I think its time to inspect the first detachment sir." Piped up the General from his chair as he finished his glass of banderscotch. He had been very quiet whilst this inspection was taking place as he knew full well the consequences of this project. A lot of his men were being scaled down for this new machine, even though having a machine do the fighting would save lives, it would also make the existing troops uneasy to share the battlefield with something that could be blown apart and be rebuilt again in greater numbers, and of course, a person cannot simply be rebuilt. Yet.
The new weapons that were being made did meet his approval as they needed a trained soldier to operate them and they did the job more effectively than the older model blinkers they had now. He was anxious to see them as they sat in the quiet observation room while the machinery below groaned, rumbled and steamed out it's workload.
They all rose and stepped out the door into a technical schematic room with the first prototypes of both a rapid fire blinker and the automated soldier. The general admired the weapon with genuine enthusiasm while the ordermaker grinned at sight of the soldier as it was his design that stood before him once again. It stood before them all, in it's bulky metallic form was menacing to all except the ordermaker as he was the only one taller than it. It's brass plating shimmered with the light bouncing off it and it's hands were like two heavy chunks of metal, gripping that could crush it's enemy in it's grasp. It had no eyes as such but it's head was linked to it's body directly with no neck to act as an appealing target for a sword.
The general broke the attention of the group and ruptured the impressive silence that had befell all of them as his enthusiasm finally broke.
"It's perfect!!" He said brimming over with excitement unbecoming of his rank and position. The Ordermaker shook his head in dismay, he expected more control from his senior staff.
"This soldier can replace our entire army! They need never eat, sleep or desire to get paid. We should begin mass production now sir if we are to replace...."
The Ordermaker stopped his enthusiasm with a single word
"No"
"No sir?"
"IF we replace all of our forces, the people would lose their pride, and not every machine can replace a persons function, no matter how useful."
The general was dismayed and his head was filled with questions, but he had an inkling of where his superior was coming from.
"Take the rapid fire blinker," he began "It still needs an operator to make it function and researchers to develop it further. Tell me can it move on it's own?"
"Not yet," replied the chief researcher "but we are working on the locomotion section to be fitted and it shouldn't take too long."
"Then produce 200 of these automated soldiers and equip every unit of the regular army with 5 of these devices. They will need them soon so begin production now!"
and with that order the factories were awash with activity as production began at full steam.
Night had fallen over the Island and the Order maker and the General were heading back to his darkened room in the Bandersnatch Opticals building and were rising in the ascender when a plot was formed regarding a rebel faction and a certain young lady.
"I received a report that she is on her way and will reach the island at first light, sir" reported the General.
"Send the B.E.N.D.S onto the docks tomorrow and observe her every movement. Do we have an agent onboard the ship?"
"Yes sir, but he's quite.....questionable in his loyalties"
The order makers face grimaced slightly as a smile crept slowly across his flesh.
"Most of the Banderwatcher Corps are general, The B.E.N.D.S are not and with my new army being built, when these rebels finally decide to take action, I can sweep them away in one blow."
AS they both rose to the top of the building, the ship on the seas was creeping closer and closer to the shores with it's important passenger on board. Surreptitiously being watched, and even though she suspected it, there wasn't anything she could do about it..Yet