Chapter 18: The Blood of the Earth
"You… actually fixed it," Lucas whispered, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. The darkness of the workshop seemed to press in on us, but his eyes were glued to the machine.
"Yes, sir," I said calmly, wiping my hands on a rag. "I fixed the Internal Combustion Engine."
"Combustion… Engine?" Lucas repeated the words as if they were a foreign language. "Is that what this is? Not a motor?"
"No, sir. A motor usually runs on electricity to create motion. This…" I patted the warm metal block. "This creates power through small, controlled explosions. It doesn't just pump water. With this, you can build horseless carriages, self-powered factories, maybe even flying machines."
Lucas looked at me like I was speaking a prophecy. "Explosions…"
Sputter. Cough.
Suddenly, the engine shuddered. The smooth rhythm broke. It gave one last wheeze and died.
Silence returned to the room.
"Why did it stop?!" Lucas snapped, panic rising in his voice. "Did you break it?"
"Relax," I said. "It's not broken. It's just hungry."
"Hungry?"
"This engine doesn't eat electricity like your lights do," I explained. "It needs to be fed. The battery just woke it up, but to keep it running, it needs fuel."
"What kind of fuel?" Lucas asked, stepping closer, curiosity burning in his eyes.
"Diesel," I said.
"Diesel?" He frowned.
"It's a thick, black liquid," I described, trying to find a reference he would understand. "It smells strong, it's oily, and it's usually found deep underground, often near coal deposits. Do you know of anything like that?"
Lucas froze. He exchanged a look with the butler, Alfred, who was standing by the door with a lantern.
"Alfred," Lucas commanded. "Go to the storage shed. Bring me the 'Waste Cans' from the Northern Coal Mine."
Alfred bowed and hurried away. Minutes later, he returned carrying two heavy, rusted steel jerrycans. They were coated in grime.
Lucas pointed at them. "We find this liquid deep inside our coal mines. It leaks from the rocks. It smells terrible, and it ruins the coal. We usually just throw it away because it's dangerous and burns too fast."
He looked at me skeptically. "Is this trash really what you need?"
I opened the cap. The smell hit me instantly—acrid, heavy, and distinct.
Crude oil.
I dipped my finger in and rubbed the black sludge. It was unrefined, sure, but it was definitely combustible.
I couldn't help but smirk. Seriously? I thought to myself. First, I find a high-tech engine, and now the exact fuel I need is just sitting in their storage room? What kind of world is this? It's like everything I need is just waiting for me.
"This isn't trash, Lucas," I said, looking up at him. "This is liquid gold."
I poured the black liquid into the engine's fuel tank.
"Stand back."
I hit the starter switch again.
WHIRRR—
BOOM!
A puff of black smoke shot out of the exhaust, and then the engine roared to life—louder and stronger than before. It wasn't running on the weak battery anymore. It was feeding on the "Black Water," churning out raw, unbridled power.
Lucas watched the spinning flywheel, mesmerizing. The 'trash' from his mines was now powering a machine that could change the world.