Post by Raab on Jul 20, 2017 22:43:25 GMT -5
The light of Iskandar's candle burned just brightly enough to illuminate the surface of the wooden table that held his personal belongings. His cabin was quite bare, the only other furniture being a small cot at the far end of the room which sat in the shadow cast by his meager frame. He took a moment to make himself comfortable before rummaging through the worn sack that sat before him, its contents none other than the troublesome texts that had caused him so much misery as of late. Iskandar winced from the lingering pain that assailed his battered body, forcing him to recall the violent bout with the strange foreigners that had laid waste to Pirate's Market over the course of his brief visit. It was a wonder that he had emerged from the fiasco alive, let alone with a handful of non-lethal injuries delivered by the warriors that hunted him down. Had it not been for Wyatt's skill and Kinnatoa's selflessness, he would just be another unfortunate body on the pile of hundreds that had fallen victim to the carnage.
Iskandar wondered what horrible secrets lay within the pages that remained unread. He also wondered what information was so valuable that it would drive certain parties to sacrifice the lives of countless innocents without so much as the bat of an eyelash. There were so many questions that ran through his mind, and dwelling on them did not seem to be doing him any favors, for one thought spawned several others and the spiral continued long into the night. Now, with Wyatt and Kinnatoa retired to their rooms, Iskandar was free to immerse himself in the ancient books without worrying too much about whether or not the knowledge they held would fall into the wrong hands. One by one, Iskandar removed the books from the bag and placed them on the table before him. The light of the candle flickered, causing wild shadows to dance across their worn covers. Iskandar leaned forward, studying the surface of each book with practiced patience. None of them had titles, at least not on the outside, making it hard for the librarian to choose which of them to start with. Without too much deliberation, Iskandar picked up the first in the row and opened it to the first page, which luckily had the book's title hand-written at its center:
...Dial Mechanics? Dial Routing? What on earth...
He had, in his relatively short scholastic career, come across texts describing the Skypiean technology known as "Dials". They were unique pieces of machinery that were capable of harnessing and storing various types of energy, whether it be light, wind, and electricity, or even matter in the form of liquid or gas (the scope of which Iskandar did not completely understand as of yet). Until today, he had not ever come across a Dial in person, and their existence remained relatively figurative in his mind. Iskandar glanced at the equipment he had looted from the olympian siblings which sat underneath the table. Could these formidable weapons be powered by the same technology? Iskandar reached down and grabbed one of the flashing gauntlets he had used to best the terrorists, bringing the equipment closer to his face in order to inspect it more carefully.
Sky island natives rarely visited the Silver Islands, and even when they did, did not flaunt their technology in front of the land-locked folk that dwelt far below them. From what Iskandar could recall, they were generally stand-offish and carried themselves in a regal manner (nothing like the three he had encountered on Pirate's Market). The Sky Islanders seemed to think they were above most, and while that might be literally true, Iskandar saw no more importance in them than any other traveler or merchant that came to benefit from the prosperity of the Silver Islands. To Iskandar, he valued their existence much like anything or anyone else that had the misfortune of living on this god-forsaken rock of a planet. Just another creature looking to make their peace with the universe in whatever way they could.
Without finding much of anything during his cursory examination, Iskandar placed the gauntlet on the table so that he could rummage through his sack once more. At the very bottom of the bag, Iskandar wrapped his bony fingers around a small leather satchel and removed it from the burlap container. With one dexterous flick of the wrist, the leather unfurled to reveal a set of simple tools used for light mechanical maintenance and repair. They crashed onto the table, making a light ruckus as they clinked and clanked against one another before settling on the wooden surface. Iskandar took up the lone screwdriver and the small hammer from the set and immediately set to work on the weapon. Before long, the gauntlet transformed into a pile of the sum of its parts, with a colorful shell set to the side for further examination.
Mmm...could this be...?
Iskandar took up the shell in one hand and delicately tapped it with the other. Sure enough, the familiar flash that had blinded both friend and foe during his previous battle suddenly illuminated the entire room, leaving Iskandar dazed for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. Iskandar rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times before fully recovering from the flash, bringing the shell closer to his eyes so that he could further study its intricate patterns.
So...this is a Dial.
The object seemed so unassuming, like any other shell one might find washed up on the shore or in a swindler's stall. It was amazing to the librarian that such technology could exist, and he could only imagine the scope of use one might dream up for them. Iskandar decided to leave the rest of the equipment intact before meddling in their construction any further. The book sitting before him was sure to reveal more information about the technology, and he lacked the confidence required to tamper with things he did not fully understand...for now.
Nothing ventured...nothing gained.
Iskandar flipped to the next page without the faintest idea of what was in store for him, leaning further into the yellowed pages of the book as if it had a gravitational pull of its own. With a familiar unwavering focus, he began to read:
Iskandar took a moment to gather his thoughts, focusing more on the last bit of information he had just read.
Sol Battery...fascinating...
With very little understanding of what Dials were capable of, he could gather that the term "Sol" had something to do with the Sun, or the energy that it resonated. As for the latter descriptor, a battery was obviously a conduit for storing energy. What it meant to the study of Dial mechanics and engineering, Iskandar hadn't the faintest idea. He decided to spend less time wondering and more time reading:
Amazing...
What the book described was technology capable of harnessing the energy of the Sun, using it to power virtually any technology man has yet to come up with. Iskandar's mind began racing, thinking of the legitimately innumerable applications of such a device in modern society. As he did so, he also came to understand why exactly the information within the text could be considered so valuable, and why people would kill for such priceless knowledge. Imagine never having to worry about powering your home, business, or island, storing a seemingly infinite amount of energy limited only by engineering skill and the amount of Dials one possesses.
Could those three really have come from the Sky Islands...?
Iskandar thought back to the battle with the olympian trio, pondering their motives for gaining such information. If this knowledge had been lost to the great minds of the Sky Islands, it was clear that they would go to any lengths to reacquire such important information. Having invented Dial technology, on top of keeping that technology under careful supervision, Sky Islanders could create a veritable monopoly on renewable energy and become one of the world's most formidable powers. This sudden revelation caused Iskandar's heart to skip a beat, and his thoughts drifted back to the Silver Islands.
Madame Almonte...what could you possibly be scheming?
The thought made his stomach turn. Even so, worrying at the present was futile as no questions would be answered until he confronted the Madame face-to-face. He would have to remain patient until he reached the Silver Islands.
For now...
Iskandar flipped to the next page.
Let's see if we can't have some fun in the meantime.
The young librarian absorbed as much information as the schematics could offer. This was the first time he had ever studied the inner workings of Dial technology, but he could make sense of it all the same. Following the instructions laid out within the ancient text, Iskandar immediately set on dismantling the lone Flash Dial that sat on the table before him. It only took him a few minutes to break into the device, its innards instilling Iskandar with still more amazement and inspiration. Before long, he completely understood the manner in which the Flash Dial operated, pleasing himself with the accomplishment.
Now...if only I had a Static...Dial...oh!
Iskandar recalled Gogol's dynamic introduction on Pirate's Market and the static electricity that danced round his body as he made his presence known to the unassuming pedestrians walking the pier. If Bronic's gauntlets were powered by Dials, could it be that Gogol's jacket held the same technology within? The librarian quickly bent over in his seat so that he could retrieve the gold-trimmed jacket that sat in a heap beneath the table. Iskandar then reached for the pair of scissors he kept within his toolkit, immediately setting to work on the leather armor in hopes of discovering the secrets it held. Sure enough, after a few minutes of rabid deconstruction, Iskandar found a shell-shaped object hidden within the lining of Gogol's jacket. The young librarian gingerly placed the Dial on the table before him, cautiously examining the device at a distance before meddling with it further.
Careful now, Iskandar...there's no telling what this is capable of.
After taking some time to decide how he would go about dealing with the Dial, Iskandar finally reached out and tapped the device with a single finger. Much to his dismay, nothing happened. Iskandar's brow furrowed while he picked up the Dial in an effort to examine it more closely. A more thorough study of the device revealed a button on the opposite side from the one he had touched. After placing the Dial back on the table, Iskandar reached out and pressed the newly discovered button, withdrawing his hand quickly afterward. The device suddenly let out a weak discharge of electricity that lasted but a moment, which then resulted in the eruption of a small plume of smoke that hovered just over the sizzling contraption. Iskandar breathed a sigh of relief, ultimately happy with his quick experiment. It seemed that the device hadn't been completely destroyed, and its dip in the South Blue only resulted in a slight malfunction. He then referred back to his notes in order to correctly ascertain the proper construction of the Static Dial. After studying the schematic for a few minutes, Iskandar returned to the Dial and began dismantling it. Sure enough, water trickled out of the device as he opened up its outer casing.
Water and electronics...definitely not the finest of pairings.
Iskandar used the end of his sleeve to dry the components that made up the inner workings of the Static Dial, ultimately leaving him with another fully-functioning piece of Skypiean technology. Iskandar breathed a sigh of satisfaction as he looked at the pile of dismantled machinery waiting to be reconstructed into something incredible. Iskandar flipped to the next page of the book which outlined the final instructions concerning the construction of the Sol Battery, and immediately set on absorbing the information presented. As he did so, the young librarian began reaching for the necessary tools for the job, and began working as he read. Before long, the pile of parts transformed into a unique fusion of the two Dials resembling something of a figure eight, both devices meeting at the open end of each shell-shaped casing.
As he finished construction, Iskandar slumped back in his chair, marveling at the final product borne of the effort he could call his own. Never before had he felt such a satisfying sense of accomplishment, not even in the many years he had spent working for Madame Almonte and the Silver University. Considering he found so much joy in the act of reading and learning, none of the thousands of books he had read and the thousands of lessons he had sat through felt like much of an effort; they were more entertaining than anything. But this, while certainly mentally stimulating, felt like something different. Where before he only sat and absorbed knowledge, now he had taken newfound information and applied in such a way that he had achieved something tangible. He had arguably, in a relatively short amount of time, resurrected a study of foreign technology that up until this point had been dead to the world. For the first time in his life, Iskandar felt as if his existence mattered to the world at large, and he couldn't wait to share his discovery with the world.
I suppose all that there's left to do is wait. It's still quite dark outside...and we won't know if the Sol Battery works until the morning.
With that, Iskandar spent the rest of the night poring through the remaining texts, first finishing the one he had started in order to learn as much as he could about further applications of the Sol Battery along with more advanced concepts of Dial Routing that might aid him in the future. One of the latter texts was a book titled On Early Dial Engineering, which detailed an in-depth study of ancient Shandian and Birkan Dial technology. It seemed that many of the applications discussed were utilized in combat, the most intriguing being light-based weaponry. It seemed that the ancient Sky Island races were able to further harness the energy of the sun in order to condense light particles to form weapons that could channel or fire beams of solid energy. The weapons were capable of completely overtaking traditional tools of war, even incinerating various forms of matter at the most intense concentrations. It was no wonder that there were people scouring the world for this information, as even Iskandar had not come across knowledge of such devastating tools of destruction in his study of various world histories.
The second of the remaining texts was a journal titled Lost in the Clouds: A Thorough History of the Sky Islands. The text contained a hand-written log of an unknown archaeologist's study of the entirety of the Sky Island territory. Iskandar discovered that, besides Skypiea, Shandora, and Birka, there were many Islands hidden in the upper atmosphere of the world. Some were natural, like the small island known as Weatheria whose intellectual inhabitants studied the ability to harness various aspects of weather. Others, like Ballon Terminal in the New World, seemed to be artificially constructed. The wealth of information offered by the journal made Iskandar's head spin, as he had never even considered the existence of the numerous civilizations living high above him. This book felt especially valuable to him, and he felt that many others should partake in the knowledge it provided. Perhaps it would force people to consider their simple, land-locked existence, and how there were many marvels yet to be discovered by them.
As Iskandar reached the end of the third book he noticed that the sun had just begun to creep over the horizon. He had read through the night, although it didn't seem as though he had spent all that much time engrossed in the texts. But that was common for him, as he had lost many hundreds of hours buried in the pages of the books and scrolls housed in the University Library (not that it particularly mattered all that much). He was happy to spend his time enriching his own vast pool of knowledge, as he felt it was the only thing of value he could call his own.
Iskandar rubbed his eyes, finally feeling the weight of lethargy that accompanied sleepless nights. He couldn't rest just yet, however, for there was still one more experiment yet to be completed. The young librarian closed up his books, organized his toolkit, and returned his belongings back to the burlap sack that had aided him so well over the course of his short journey. After tidying up his space, the only object that remained was the newly constructed Sol Battery and the pile of remaining equipment he had looted from the olympian triad. Iskandar rose from his seat, grabbing the Sol Battery as he did, and walked out of his cabin and out onto the deck of the ship.
The librarian climbed up on the sole perch placed at the literal head of the duck-shaped vessel, preparing himself for a meeting with early morning light. The sun rose higher and higher over the horizon as the ship sailed toward the archipelago known as the Silver Islands, its rays becoming increasingly more intense with each passing minute. Iskandar held the newly constructed Sol Battery in front of him with one hand, the other dangling over the edge of his seat, swaying in the breeze that powered their advance toward his home. Iskandar studied the Sol Battery intently, for it didn't seem that the device was reacting to the introduction of sunlight in the slightest. An hour had passed, then two, and still nothing happened. Truthfully, Iskandar didn't know what to expect from this previously unknown technology. Perhaps nothing was meant to happen? It was hard to gauge the efficacy of his construction abilities considering there were no features on the shell-shaped device that would indicate its functionality. As time passed, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, Iskandar grew increasingly more frustrated, especially because he had been so proud in completing the construction of something of such amazing power. Now, it was nearly noon and still the device did nothing. With an unsatisfied grunt, Iskandar placed the seemingly dead Sol Battery on the chair as he removed himself from it. He then hopped down to the deck of the ship, slowly making his way back toward his cabin with his head hung low.
Just before reaching his door, a groggy Kinnatoa removed himself from his own room, rubbing his eyes and stretching before greeting his distraught companion.
"Ahhhh...morning, Isk. Hmm...what's going on over there?"
Kinnatoa lazily pointed his finger over to the head of the ship, more specifically the chair that Iskandar had just left open. The librarian looked at Kinnatoa inquisitively, then turned his attention to the mallard head behind him. Suddenly, a surge of energy rushed through Iskandar and his eyes shot open wide. A faint, sea-green light was pulsing on the other side of the chair, barely visible in the high-noon sun. Iskandar quickly ran over to the seat, stumbling slightly as he nicked the tip of his toe on a warped floorboard. Sure enough, as he climbed up atop of the bird head, Iskandar discovered that the light was resonating from the Sol Battery. All of his prior frustration evaporated, and a wave of relief came crashing down on him.
I...I did it!
Iskandar wondered what horrible secrets lay within the pages that remained unread. He also wondered what information was so valuable that it would drive certain parties to sacrifice the lives of countless innocents without so much as the bat of an eyelash. There were so many questions that ran through his mind, and dwelling on them did not seem to be doing him any favors, for one thought spawned several others and the spiral continued long into the night. Now, with Wyatt and Kinnatoa retired to their rooms, Iskandar was free to immerse himself in the ancient books without worrying too much about whether or not the knowledge they held would fall into the wrong hands. One by one, Iskandar removed the books from the bag and placed them on the table before him. The light of the candle flickered, causing wild shadows to dance across their worn covers. Iskandar leaned forward, studying the surface of each book with practiced patience. None of them had titles, at least not on the outside, making it hard for the librarian to choose which of them to start with. Without too much deliberation, Iskandar picked up the first in the row and opened it to the first page, which luckily had the book's title hand-written at its center:
Dial Mechanics: An In-Depth Guide to Dial Routing
...Dial Mechanics? Dial Routing? What on earth...
He had, in his relatively short scholastic career, come across texts describing the Skypiean technology known as "Dials". They were unique pieces of machinery that were capable of harnessing and storing various types of energy, whether it be light, wind, and electricity, or even matter in the form of liquid or gas (the scope of which Iskandar did not completely understand as of yet). Until today, he had not ever come across a Dial in person, and their existence remained relatively figurative in his mind. Iskandar glanced at the equipment he had looted from the olympian siblings which sat underneath the table. Could these formidable weapons be powered by the same technology? Iskandar reached down and grabbed one of the flashing gauntlets he had used to best the terrorists, bringing the equipment closer to his face in order to inspect it more carefully.
Sky island natives rarely visited the Silver Islands, and even when they did, did not flaunt their technology in front of the land-locked folk that dwelt far below them. From what Iskandar could recall, they were generally stand-offish and carried themselves in a regal manner (nothing like the three he had encountered on Pirate's Market). The Sky Islanders seemed to think they were above most, and while that might be literally true, Iskandar saw no more importance in them than any other traveler or merchant that came to benefit from the prosperity of the Silver Islands. To Iskandar, he valued their existence much like anything or anyone else that had the misfortune of living on this god-forsaken rock of a planet. Just another creature looking to make their peace with the universe in whatever way they could.
Without finding much of anything during his cursory examination, Iskandar placed the gauntlet on the table so that he could rummage through his sack once more. At the very bottom of the bag, Iskandar wrapped his bony fingers around a small leather satchel and removed it from the burlap container. With one dexterous flick of the wrist, the leather unfurled to reveal a set of simple tools used for light mechanical maintenance and repair. They crashed onto the table, making a light ruckus as they clinked and clanked against one another before settling on the wooden surface. Iskandar took up the lone screwdriver and the small hammer from the set and immediately set to work on the weapon. Before long, the gauntlet transformed into a pile of the sum of its parts, with a colorful shell set to the side for further examination.
Mmm...could this be...?
Iskandar took up the shell in one hand and delicately tapped it with the other. Sure enough, the familiar flash that had blinded both friend and foe during his previous battle suddenly illuminated the entire room, leaving Iskandar dazed for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. Iskandar rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times before fully recovering from the flash, bringing the shell closer to his eyes so that he could further study its intricate patterns.
So...this is a Dial.
The object seemed so unassuming, like any other shell one might find washed up on the shore or in a swindler's stall. It was amazing to the librarian that such technology could exist, and he could only imagine the scope of use one might dream up for them. Iskandar decided to leave the rest of the equipment intact before meddling in their construction any further. The book sitting before him was sure to reveal more information about the technology, and he lacked the confidence required to tamper with things he did not fully understand...for now.
Nothing ventured...nothing gained.
Iskandar flipped to the next page without the faintest idea of what was in store for him, leaning further into the yellowed pages of the book as if it had a gravitational pull of its own. With a familiar unwavering focus, he began to read:
I. Introduction
Dial technology has existed as long as Sky Island civilizations have been alive. Throughout history, their use has ranged from simple advancements in quality of life to harnessing powerful energies for social and political gain. Anyone familiar with such technology knows that the scope of their utility is vast, and that through thoughtful and practiced application one can accomplish much with a single Dial. Furthermore, it is understood by most that Dials have the capacity for increasing the efficacy of machinery and weaponry unlike any other technology we have yet discovered. However, the ability to link various Dials in order to combine, filter, and transfer various energies is an art that has been lost to the annals of history. Through the study of ancient Sky Island civilizations, we have once again unlocked this unique power and have begun to rediscover an entirely different method of Dial engineering that is sure to benefit future generations of Sky Islanders for centuries to come.
The concept of linking Dials in order to create more powerful, nuanced technology is known as Dial Routing. By combining Dials of different make and efficacy, an engineer can maximize their potential in order to enhance pre-existing technology. Of all possible Dial combinations, the most common, and perhaps most simple of combinations we have yet discovered in our study of ancient Sky Island civilizations has been the creation of the Sol Battery.
Dial technology has existed as long as Sky Island civilizations have been alive. Throughout history, their use has ranged from simple advancements in quality of life to harnessing powerful energies for social and political gain. Anyone familiar with such technology knows that the scope of their utility is vast, and that through thoughtful and practiced application one can accomplish much with a single Dial. Furthermore, it is understood by most that Dials have the capacity for increasing the efficacy of machinery and weaponry unlike any other technology we have yet discovered. However, the ability to link various Dials in order to combine, filter, and transfer various energies is an art that has been lost to the annals of history. Through the study of ancient Sky Island civilizations, we have once again unlocked this unique power and have begun to rediscover an entirely different method of Dial engineering that is sure to benefit future generations of Sky Islanders for centuries to come.
The concept of linking Dials in order to create more powerful, nuanced technology is known as Dial Routing. By combining Dials of different make and efficacy, an engineer can maximize their potential in order to enhance pre-existing technology. Of all possible Dial combinations, the most common, and perhaps most simple of combinations we have yet discovered in our study of ancient Sky Island civilizations has been the creation of the Sol Battery.
Iskandar took a moment to gather his thoughts, focusing more on the last bit of information he had just read.
Sol Battery...fascinating...
With very little understanding of what Dials were capable of, he could gather that the term "Sol" had something to do with the Sun, or the energy that it resonated. As for the latter descriptor, a battery was obviously a conduit for storing energy. What it meant to the study of Dial mechanics and engineering, Iskandar hadn't the faintest idea. He decided to spend less time wondering and more time reading:
The simplicity of the Sol Battery's construction, however, should not be confused with a lack of powerful application. The ingenious design of the Sol Battery allows for the storing of sunlight within a Flash Dial (a simple Dial capable of storing and releasing light energy) and transferring that energy into a Static Dial (a dial capable of storing and releasing electric energy in a controlled manner). By routing the Flash Dial into the Static Dial, the solar light energy is filtered via the inherent construction of both Dials in order to generate electricity. The end result is a renewable energy source in the form of the Sol Battery, which can be used to power any technology using a stable electric current to function.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that the use of Sol Batteries in conjunction with other Dials results in increased efficiency of those Dials. In short, Dials routed into Sol Batteries expend less energy while retaining their base efficacy. We have also found that other energy-based Dials (any Dial that does not store matter) may be recharged via Sol Batteries given their capacity for filtering and transferring energies.
The routing of multiple Sol Batteries together may also increase the power of all Dials and other technology powered by them. The scope of power is limited only by the imagination and ingenuity of the engineer constructing them. However, as the power generated by a group of Sol Batteries increases, so does the volatility of the energy stored within the system. An engineer must take the utmost care in constructing massive Sol Battery conduits, for the potential of a meltdown increases as more energy is collected and stored.
The following pages outline the complete construction of Sol Batteries and various systems containing them, complete with schematics of individual Dials and guidelines designed to help Dial engineers of any level fashion Sol Batteries of their own.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that the use of Sol Batteries in conjunction with other Dials results in increased efficiency of those Dials. In short, Dials routed into Sol Batteries expend less energy while retaining their base efficacy. We have also found that other energy-based Dials (any Dial that does not store matter) may be recharged via Sol Batteries given their capacity for filtering and transferring energies.
The routing of multiple Sol Batteries together may also increase the power of all Dials and other technology powered by them. The scope of power is limited only by the imagination and ingenuity of the engineer constructing them. However, as the power generated by a group of Sol Batteries increases, so does the volatility of the energy stored within the system. An engineer must take the utmost care in constructing massive Sol Battery conduits, for the potential of a meltdown increases as more energy is collected and stored.
The following pages outline the complete construction of Sol Batteries and various systems containing them, complete with schematics of individual Dials and guidelines designed to help Dial engineers of any level fashion Sol Batteries of their own.
Amazing...
What the book described was technology capable of harnessing the energy of the Sun, using it to power virtually any technology man has yet to come up with. Iskandar's mind began racing, thinking of the legitimately innumerable applications of such a device in modern society. As he did so, he also came to understand why exactly the information within the text could be considered so valuable, and why people would kill for such priceless knowledge. Imagine never having to worry about powering your home, business, or island, storing a seemingly infinite amount of energy limited only by engineering skill and the amount of Dials one possesses.
Could those three really have come from the Sky Islands...?
Iskandar thought back to the battle with the olympian trio, pondering their motives for gaining such information. If this knowledge had been lost to the great minds of the Sky Islands, it was clear that they would go to any lengths to reacquire such important information. Having invented Dial technology, on top of keeping that technology under careful supervision, Sky Islanders could create a veritable monopoly on renewable energy and become one of the world's most formidable powers. This sudden revelation caused Iskandar's heart to skip a beat, and his thoughts drifted back to the Silver Islands.
Madame Almonte...what could you possibly be scheming?
The thought made his stomach turn. Even so, worrying at the present was futile as no questions would be answered until he confronted the Madame face-to-face. He would have to remain patient until he reached the Silver Islands.
For now...
Iskandar flipped to the next page.
Let's see if we can't have some fun in the meantime.
The young librarian absorbed as much information as the schematics could offer. This was the first time he had ever studied the inner workings of Dial technology, but he could make sense of it all the same. Following the instructions laid out within the ancient text, Iskandar immediately set on dismantling the lone Flash Dial that sat on the table before him. It only took him a few minutes to break into the device, its innards instilling Iskandar with still more amazement and inspiration. Before long, he completely understood the manner in which the Flash Dial operated, pleasing himself with the accomplishment.
Now...if only I had a Static...Dial...oh!
Iskandar recalled Gogol's dynamic introduction on Pirate's Market and the static electricity that danced round his body as he made his presence known to the unassuming pedestrians walking the pier. If Bronic's gauntlets were powered by Dials, could it be that Gogol's jacket held the same technology within? The librarian quickly bent over in his seat so that he could retrieve the gold-trimmed jacket that sat in a heap beneath the table. Iskandar then reached for the pair of scissors he kept within his toolkit, immediately setting to work on the leather armor in hopes of discovering the secrets it held. Sure enough, after a few minutes of rabid deconstruction, Iskandar found a shell-shaped object hidden within the lining of Gogol's jacket. The young librarian gingerly placed the Dial on the table before him, cautiously examining the device at a distance before meddling with it further.
Careful now, Iskandar...there's no telling what this is capable of.
After taking some time to decide how he would go about dealing with the Dial, Iskandar finally reached out and tapped the device with a single finger. Much to his dismay, nothing happened. Iskandar's brow furrowed while he picked up the Dial in an effort to examine it more closely. A more thorough study of the device revealed a button on the opposite side from the one he had touched. After placing the Dial back on the table, Iskandar reached out and pressed the newly discovered button, withdrawing his hand quickly afterward. The device suddenly let out a weak discharge of electricity that lasted but a moment, which then resulted in the eruption of a small plume of smoke that hovered just over the sizzling contraption. Iskandar breathed a sigh of relief, ultimately happy with his quick experiment. It seemed that the device hadn't been completely destroyed, and its dip in the South Blue only resulted in a slight malfunction. He then referred back to his notes in order to correctly ascertain the proper construction of the Static Dial. After studying the schematic for a few minutes, Iskandar returned to the Dial and began dismantling it. Sure enough, water trickled out of the device as he opened up its outer casing.
Water and electronics...definitely not the finest of pairings.
Iskandar used the end of his sleeve to dry the components that made up the inner workings of the Static Dial, ultimately leaving him with another fully-functioning piece of Skypiean technology. Iskandar breathed a sigh of satisfaction as he looked at the pile of dismantled machinery waiting to be reconstructed into something incredible. Iskandar flipped to the next page of the book which outlined the final instructions concerning the construction of the Sol Battery, and immediately set on absorbing the information presented. As he did so, the young librarian began reaching for the necessary tools for the job, and began working as he read. Before long, the pile of parts transformed into a unique fusion of the two Dials resembling something of a figure eight, both devices meeting at the open end of each shell-shaped casing.
As he finished construction, Iskandar slumped back in his chair, marveling at the final product borne of the effort he could call his own. Never before had he felt such a satisfying sense of accomplishment, not even in the many years he had spent working for Madame Almonte and the Silver University. Considering he found so much joy in the act of reading and learning, none of the thousands of books he had read and the thousands of lessons he had sat through felt like much of an effort; they were more entertaining than anything. But this, while certainly mentally stimulating, felt like something different. Where before he only sat and absorbed knowledge, now he had taken newfound information and applied in such a way that he had achieved something tangible. He had arguably, in a relatively short amount of time, resurrected a study of foreign technology that up until this point had been dead to the world. For the first time in his life, Iskandar felt as if his existence mattered to the world at large, and he couldn't wait to share his discovery with the world.
I suppose all that there's left to do is wait. It's still quite dark outside...and we won't know if the Sol Battery works until the morning.
With that, Iskandar spent the rest of the night poring through the remaining texts, first finishing the one he had started in order to learn as much as he could about further applications of the Sol Battery along with more advanced concepts of Dial Routing that might aid him in the future. One of the latter texts was a book titled On Early Dial Engineering, which detailed an in-depth study of ancient Shandian and Birkan Dial technology. It seemed that many of the applications discussed were utilized in combat, the most intriguing being light-based weaponry. It seemed that the ancient Sky Island races were able to further harness the energy of the sun in order to condense light particles to form weapons that could channel or fire beams of solid energy. The weapons were capable of completely overtaking traditional tools of war, even incinerating various forms of matter at the most intense concentrations. It was no wonder that there were people scouring the world for this information, as even Iskandar had not come across knowledge of such devastating tools of destruction in his study of various world histories.
The second of the remaining texts was a journal titled Lost in the Clouds: A Thorough History of the Sky Islands. The text contained a hand-written log of an unknown archaeologist's study of the entirety of the Sky Island territory. Iskandar discovered that, besides Skypiea, Shandora, and Birka, there were many Islands hidden in the upper atmosphere of the world. Some were natural, like the small island known as Weatheria whose intellectual inhabitants studied the ability to harness various aspects of weather. Others, like Ballon Terminal in the New World, seemed to be artificially constructed. The wealth of information offered by the journal made Iskandar's head spin, as he had never even considered the existence of the numerous civilizations living high above him. This book felt especially valuable to him, and he felt that many others should partake in the knowledge it provided. Perhaps it would force people to consider their simple, land-locked existence, and how there were many marvels yet to be discovered by them.
As Iskandar reached the end of the third book he noticed that the sun had just begun to creep over the horizon. He had read through the night, although it didn't seem as though he had spent all that much time engrossed in the texts. But that was common for him, as he had lost many hundreds of hours buried in the pages of the books and scrolls housed in the University Library (not that it particularly mattered all that much). He was happy to spend his time enriching his own vast pool of knowledge, as he felt it was the only thing of value he could call his own.
Iskandar rubbed his eyes, finally feeling the weight of lethargy that accompanied sleepless nights. He couldn't rest just yet, however, for there was still one more experiment yet to be completed. The young librarian closed up his books, organized his toolkit, and returned his belongings back to the burlap sack that had aided him so well over the course of his short journey. After tidying up his space, the only object that remained was the newly constructed Sol Battery and the pile of remaining equipment he had looted from the olympian triad. Iskandar rose from his seat, grabbing the Sol Battery as he did, and walked out of his cabin and out onto the deck of the ship.
The librarian climbed up on the sole perch placed at the literal head of the duck-shaped vessel, preparing himself for a meeting with early morning light. The sun rose higher and higher over the horizon as the ship sailed toward the archipelago known as the Silver Islands, its rays becoming increasingly more intense with each passing minute. Iskandar held the newly constructed Sol Battery in front of him with one hand, the other dangling over the edge of his seat, swaying in the breeze that powered their advance toward his home. Iskandar studied the Sol Battery intently, for it didn't seem that the device was reacting to the introduction of sunlight in the slightest. An hour had passed, then two, and still nothing happened. Truthfully, Iskandar didn't know what to expect from this previously unknown technology. Perhaps nothing was meant to happen? It was hard to gauge the efficacy of his construction abilities considering there were no features on the shell-shaped device that would indicate its functionality. As time passed, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, Iskandar grew increasingly more frustrated, especially because he had been so proud in completing the construction of something of such amazing power. Now, it was nearly noon and still the device did nothing. With an unsatisfied grunt, Iskandar placed the seemingly dead Sol Battery on the chair as he removed himself from it. He then hopped down to the deck of the ship, slowly making his way back toward his cabin with his head hung low.
Just before reaching his door, a groggy Kinnatoa removed himself from his own room, rubbing his eyes and stretching before greeting his distraught companion.
"Ahhhh...morning, Isk. Hmm...what's going on over there?"
Kinnatoa lazily pointed his finger over to the head of the ship, more specifically the chair that Iskandar had just left open. The librarian looked at Kinnatoa inquisitively, then turned his attention to the mallard head behind him. Suddenly, a surge of energy rushed through Iskandar and his eyes shot open wide. A faint, sea-green light was pulsing on the other side of the chair, barely visible in the high-noon sun. Iskandar quickly ran over to the seat, stumbling slightly as he nicked the tip of his toe on a warped floorboard. Sure enough, as he climbed up atop of the bird head, Iskandar discovered that the light was resonating from the Sol Battery. All of his prior frustration evaporated, and a wave of relief came crashing down on him.
I...I did it!
