Second Civilization Continent, Mu
November 17th, 1639
It was another clear, windy day. At this time of the year, temperatures were low and trees were shedding their last leaves. Technical Officer Myrus was surprised to receive an urgent phone call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting his immediate presence at Ainank Airport.
The superpower Mu had a private airport. They only flew the wealthy, and only in good weather, unlike today's windy conditions. As far as he knew, air travel was still limited to only Mu and the Holy Mirishial Empire, so who could have arrived that needed his technical skills?
He got into a "car", a revolutionary vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that ran on fuel oil, to travel to the airport. After sitting in the waiting room for about 15 minutes, the door opened and a member of the military and a diplomat entered.
"Good afternoon, Officer Myrus, apologies for the delay. So…how should we explain this…We called you for an assessment of an unknown country and their technology."
"Are you talking about the Gra Valkas Empire?"
They gave an unexpected answer.
"No, it's about the new country in the east. Usea, they were called. Earlier today, a large warship appeared in the ocean to the east of Mu. It was similar to La Kasami in size, maybe longer, though with a smaller beam. The navy was sent to intercept it, and it appeared that it was there for a diplomatic mission. While there's nothing special about the diplomatic mission, it was…concerning that their ship had no sails."
"So, you are saying…"
"It was not detectable using magic detectors, so it was a fully mechanical ship."
"That was as I thought. Was it perhaps called the Ukraina? I heard that was one of Usea's cruisers."
"No, they said it was a destroyer called the Admiral Isakov. I don't really understand why they built a destroyer as large as a battleship, though…but it gets better. We requested a rendezvous at Ainank in order to show off our technology, and they requested permission to fly there as well. When we asked if they would arrive by wyvern, they said they would arrive by aircraft if possible!"
"...!"
"According to our aircraft in the lead, Usea's craft was flying at 200km/h, and it was too late to adjust our speed to match. I asked an air force pilot, hypothetically, what would happen if combat broke out with the machine, and he replied that, based on what can be observed about it, we won't lose. Well, either way, the fact that they have working aircraft is reason enough to be wary. However, their method of flight is very strange."
"So, Officer Myrus, that is where you come in. According to what we know, Usea is beyond Philades, outside the civilized areas. But their aircraft technology is far superior to Parpaldia's. Our diplomatic conference is in one week, so in the time in between, you have been assigned to take care of them, bring them sightseeing and such. During that time, try to show them our level of technology and try to determine theirs."
"Understood."
Technical Officer Myrus felt his machinist soul flare up once more in anticipation of studying the strange craft. What exactly made it so unknown? The diplomat that was leaving suddenly turned around.
"Oh right, you can find their vehicle on the east side of the airbase. We asked them to stay a little longer."
5 minutes later…
Myrus stood dumbfounded in front of the parked aircraft in front of him. There were two propellers stacked on top of it. Observing the characteristics of the rotors indicated that they seemed to be a cross of airplane wings and propellers that use pressure difference to lift the vehicle. Indeed, the pilot had given him a short explanation of how the craft flew, and the rotors did act as both wings and propellers.
However…for this vehicle to fly, it would need exceedingly powerful engines. In addition, there needed to be something that could stabilize the spin resulting from the rotors. Perhaps the two rotors were contrarotating, canceling out the force? Then, there was the problem of changing direction. There had to be a complex mechanism that could tilt the rotor. The vehicle looked rather simple, a container box with fins and a pair of rotors on top, but the mechanisms that governed its flight were truly engineering marvels.
Myrus just stared at it, stock-still, at the helicopter in a cold sweat.
On his way to the reception area, Myrus's steps were heavy. Mu's engines weren't powerful enough to build an Usean-style flying machine, which he learned was called a "helicopter". He had to admit that Usean engines were more powerful. But! Mu had super tall 100-meter buildings, aircraft that could reach 380km/h, and many highly-skilled pilots. Not to mention the battleship La Kasami!
"I wonder how this is going to go…" Myrus wondered as he reached the envoys' room and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
He slowly opened the door. There were two men in suits sitting on the sofa.
"Hello, my name is Myrus. I will be showing you around Mu for the next week before the conference."
The envoys stood up to greet him.
"I am Anton Ivanov from the Usean Foreign Affairs Ministry. Thanks for taking care of us in Mu." Gesturing to the man beside him, Ivanov said, "This is my assistant Yauhen Hanchar."
They were very polite, unlike most from outside the civilized zones, and seemed well-prepared.
"Well, the tour will begin tomorrow, since I am sure you are tired from your long journey. I will quickly show you around this airport and then bring you to a hotel in the metropolitan area."
Myrus led the envoys to the airport's hangar. Inside the hangar, there was a biplane sporting a pair of machine guns, fixed wheels, and a cover to reduce air resistance. From the shiny and polished exterior, it was clear this was a well-loved and maintained machine. Myrus launched into an explanation.
"This iron dragon is a flying vehicle that we call an 'aircraft'. It is our latest combat model, the Marin. It's faster than a wyvern lord at three hundred and eighty kilometers per hour, it has machine guns installed in front… umm, those are weapons that shoot metal using explosions of gunpowder. This plane can be operated by a single person. It has many other advantages over wyvern lords, you don't have to worry about flying while it's stressed, and no worry about feces or food expenses when they aren't being used. It's also more powerful than wyvern lords in aerial combat."
He was very confident in his explanation. The Useans, however, didn't seem to show any noticeable reaction. Were they so good at maintaining a stern expression?
"Hmm, we still have a couple of civilian An-2s around, though they're not really designed for combat…They're incredibly easy to fly I heard," mumbled Hanchar.
Civilian? Regular Usean citizens could own aircraft?! He guessed that the "An-2" was a similar plane to the Marin…so the Useans did have aircraft like Mu's.
Sergiy would've been better for this meeting… "I've rarely seen aircraft powered by this kind of engine in person…never really had an interest in this kind of stuff, unlike some of my colleagues," remarked Ivanov, inspecting the Marin's radial engine. "This plane's a beauty though, that's for sure."
Myrus smiled at the compliment but his curiosity was piqued by the statement "powered by this kind of engine."
"Is there any other option for an internal combustion engine other than the reciprocating engine? The steam engine is also a type of reciprocating engine, correct? Well, steam engines are too heavy and weak to power flying vehicles."
"In Usea, we mainly use a high-powered, compression-based engine called a 'jet engine'. The jet engine also has several different variations…I guess the reciprocating engine is also a good choice," Hanchar answered.
Usea really did have a high-performance engine! It sounded to be similar to the Mirishial light-magic air compression engines. His investigation efforts were already paying off.
"So Usea has a different type of engine for aircraft? I would love to hear more about that."
"The principles behind the design are fairly simple. If our countries form ties, you'll be able to get more information from our bookstores. However, our technology outflow restrictions will mean we can't disclose all of the details for a working jet engine…for now."
"So the basic design philosophy is still easily available. Interesting! I personally hope our countries can become allies."
It appeared that Usea may have aircraft technology far superior to Mu's. Myrus continued prodding to confirm if that was true.
"How fast are Usean aircraft?"
The speed of the aircraft was of utmost importance. The faster it was, the faster it could attack and disengage before being hit, although maneuverability was also important, to be able to actually hit the target. However, the two Usean diplomats decided that, since speed wasn't as important in modern warfare anymore and the information would be easily accessible if an alliance was formed, there wasn't any need to hide it.
"Our fastest plane at the moment, an interceptor variant of one of our multirole fighters, can reach maximum speeds of Mach 3.3. However, most of our combat aircraft cruise at Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.5 and reach maximums of Mach 2.5. One Mach is equal to the speed of sound, so our absolute maximum right now is nearly 4100 kilometers per hour. As for the civilian jet aircraft, they typically fly at 850 kilometers per hour."
Myrus was shocked speechless. They…the…the Useans can break the speed of sound?! And they could exceed it by so much! Th-th-th-tha…that's impossible! Even their civilian aircraft were so fast!
"Ha-ha-ha…I would sure love to see that…All right, here we are…"
Myrus led the envoys out of the airport. He was going to boast about Mu's cars, but he felt that might lead to some revelation about Usea that would make him more depressed. This vehicle was the pinnacle of Muan technology, but the envoys got in without any surprise. The car started and began to move. They weren't particularly bothered at all…
"Does Usea…also have cars?" asked Myrus.
"Yes, as of our last collection of data, there are over two hundred million cars in active use."
"Th…that many? Your roads must be completely clogged with cars…"
"We have various systems that keep things organized…If we establish relations, we are willing to give information on them."
Myrus was completely mentally exhausted. They drove on the flat road and eventually reached a luxury hotel. The car stopped at the hotel entrance and everyone went inside.
"Tomorrow, I will go over my country's history then show you a part of our navy. I hope you have a good rest today," Myrus told the envoys before he left.
The next day
The Usean envoys were brought to the Mu Museum of History. Myrus began to lecture them.
"Let me give you a brief overview of our history. First, while other countries do not believe this, our ancestors are not originally inhabitants of this planet."
At this, the Usean envoys raised their eyebrows.
"Interesting…"
Myrus kept explaining.
"It happened twelve thousand years ago when a phenomenon we now call the Great Continental Transference occurred. At the time, most of what is now known as the continent of Mu was transported to this world. We know this from official records left by the monarchy that was ruling at the time. This is what our former planet looked like."
Myrus pointed to a world globe. Ivanov stared at the familiar geographic patterns.
"That looks like Earth!"
"What?"
"The axis is a bit different, but…the land masses are definitely Earth's. But there are some extra continents…"
For some reason, the Useans are pointing at the Atlantis continent and acting surprised. I suppose I can explain…
"That continent there was called Atlantis, after the country that ruled it. They had a sphere of influence that covered about half of the world, with Mu controlling the other half."
Myrus pointed at the eastern side of the Eurasian supercontinent.
"These countries were all close allies of Mu. This one here was called Yamuto, that one was Cin, Sibir is over here…Well, they were probably all taken over by Atlantis after the Great Transference."
"Ahem, I think it would be best if we explained Usea's circumstances first." Ivanov cut in.
"Oh?"
"Usea was also transported here. While it's more likely an alternate version, the planet we came from is possibly your former planet. The one you called 'Sibir' is…part of our country. Furthermore…"
Ivanov opened his briefcase and pulled out two maps.
"This is a current map of Usea in this world, and this is a map of the world we came from."
Myrus was shown a surprisingly detailed map of the current world and another one of "Earth". The Earth map was very similar to the globe but had neither the Mu nor the Atlantis continent on it. He was stunned. Ivanov continued.
"In our old world, there were legends of two advanced-at-the-time civilizations that were destroyed over ten thousand years ago, their continents sinking beneath the oceans. And the names of those civilizations and their lands…were Mu and Atlantis. Though, we never found evidence that they actually existed…perhaps the same magic that brought us here completely removed any signs of their existence? We may really be from the same planet!"
"!…I doubt we just happened to stumble across a monumental historical discovery. I would certainly love to be on good terms with Usea, though. I…will make sure to inform my superiors later."
Following the revelation, Myrus finished summarizing Mu's history. The confusion following the transfer, conflict, the discovery of magic and inferior magical affinity, their decision to pursue machinery over magic, and finally their rise to be the second-strongest country in the world.
After the history lesson was over, the Usean envoys were taken to a navy base. They were intent on showing off their power as a world superpower as one of the strongest navies in the world. Myrus remembered the Usean warship that was magically photographed at Louria. Although it was longer than La Kasami, it was only armed with one twin 13 cm gun turret. In comparison, the Muan battleship had two pairs of 30.5 cm cannons. Cannon firepower was proportional to the cube of the caliber; if the two ships fought each other, it was clear which one would emerge victorious. Myrus was positive that the tour this time would go well.
The Muan navy's newest battleship was visible, anchored at the port. "This is our greatest battleship, La Kasami!"
"Hey, Ivanov, don't you think that resembles Japan's Mikasa?" Hanchar asked.
Odd—was Japan a country from their old world? They must have been powerful to have a ship like the La Kasami. So they did know what battleships were.
"I wouldn't know…but it is a pre-dreadnought design if I remember correctly."
What? Pre-dreadnought? Does that mean that their world had a superior design? Perhaps Usea also had some?
Myrus decided to voice his curiosity. "So does this Japan have battleships? How about Usea?"
"Ah, Japan did have battleships before, but they were banned from constructing them after their defeat in a world war that started ninety-five years ago. As for us, we have seven battleships and one hybrid battlecruiser," replied Hanchar.
A world war? And if he really had heard correctly, Usea had SEVEN battleships!? He wondered if the ships were designed as strangely as their cruiser.
"Whaaat?! You have seven battleships?"
"Oh yes, four of them were constructed shortly after the world war, so they're quite old, though we did give them an extensive reconstruction. We also recently constructed three more when we developed new technology to bring battleships back from total obsolescence."
To think that battleships had become obsolete for some time…and what was this technology that brought them back?
"How old was this 'pre-dreadnought' that you speak of?"
"The design itself is fairly old…and given the resemblance of your battleship to Mikasa, I would say…La Kasami is a one hundred and fifty year old design?"
"I…I see…"
If Mu kept developing ships for another one hundred and fifty years, it would certainly undergo a dramatic evolution. He was loath to admit it, but Usea's technology was considerably more advanced than Mu's.
After Myrus finished showing Mu's technology, he submitted a report to his superiors. While there were many details that were hard to swallow, the overall evaluation was that Usea was not hostile and they were a highly-advanced scientific nation. Because of the Gra Valkan threat, Mu had no reason to refuse the Usean request for friendship, so it was decided that they would open relations with Usea.
Notes
I'm planning on rewriting previous chapters (not as a separate story) and I have a lot of life things right now, so there won't be updates for a while. And to those who want more, I don't plan on dropping this.