How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 106: He Is Coming! (3)

Chiiik!

Oooh.

Chiiiiiik!

Ooooooh...!

"Ne-Nemo...? Is it supposed to move like this..."

Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik!

"AAAHHH!"

"WOOOOAH!"

"It-it's moving! It's really moving!"

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

They say when the first steam-powered car appeared, people were terrified and ran away.

But our settlers have experienced monstrous-sized excavators, and Hijet and Porter trucks that moved at speeds incomparable to the first steam automobiles. They merely clapped their hands and rejoiced.

Except for Oitotan, who was directly riding on it.

And especially the craftsmen were displaying their emotions of gratitude with tears in their eyes.

Of course, that's natural. The cars I've been riding around in must have seemed like something belonging to the heavenly realm, but now they've created something similar with their own hands.

That feeling must be incredible.

To exaggerate a bit, perhaps it's similar to how people felt when humans first went into space and landed on the moon?

"Ne-Nemo, we really did it...!"

"Good heavens, to recreate the power of heaven with human hands! Oh my goodness!"

Everyone came to me with happy faces, throwing a word or two my way, so I also threw back some encouraging words to celebrate this monumental moment.

A portable steam engine created by adding various devices to an existing steam engine...!

Although it's a result slathered with 21st-century resource cheats, this will go down in history.

Most of the technological development process consists of unnecessary trial and error. That's natural since we're fumbling into unexplored territory.

It's like the process of evolution. Numerous random mutations occur, and only a few survive.

The species that survive evolution aren't necessarily the most flamboyant, the strongest, or the largest. The evolution of organisms and technology isn't like Poké-mon or Digi-mon evolution.

What's most suitable for the situation survives well. Or what rides various coincidences well.

Originally, the technological development schema of history didn't match us. We didn't need looms and spinning machines, railways and steam locomotives.

The existing development schema is a reflection of what people needed in existing history.

That's why I didn't follow that schema. I first presented a tractor that was most suitable for us.

Of course... since this is the result of direct intervention by me, a person from the future, it's a bit off to talk about evolution, but...

This technology will likely survive and develop as long as the nature of this community doesn't change.

"We really did it. Watching the test run today, I feel renewed."

Who is it? Ah, it's White.

"Ah! Mr. White! No, I wanted to give you a ride as the first agricultural equipment operator..."

"Not at all. Ha ha, I'm now too old to even think about riding such a thing."

"..."

"..."

...What's this?

He's looking around hesitantly as if he has something to say.

I quietly pulled him to a corner and nodded, signaling him to speak his mind.

Then White whispered in my ear.

"I... heard that you'll be farming with 'that'..."

"Ah, yes. That thing is called a 'tractor'."

Right. To exaggerate a bit, a tractor is the root, flower, alpha, and omega of modern agriculture.

Isn't there a saying that farming without a tractor is terribly difficult (though I was an exception as I practiced facility farming), and practically impossible?

"That tractor is not just something used to load and carry things like my Hijet. It's closer to a Porter, but even the Porter has limited uses."

The Porter at least has a PTO (Power Take Off) that allows the engine's power to be used elsewhere, but as the Porter is not fundamentally an agricultural machine, it has structural limitations.

You can't plow a field with a Porter, after all.

But you can with a tractor.

Some ignorant city folk think a tractor is just a noisy, rumbling car.

But calling a tractor 'just a noisy car' is like... calling a smartphone 'just a phone that breaks easily'.

Just as a smartphone can be used for gaming, as an exercise aid, for listening to music, watching movies, or social networking depending on which apps you install, the same applies to tractors.

A tractor also changes completely depending on what implement is attached to it.

If you attach a plow, you can overturn hard soil; if you attach a rotary, you can break up the clumps of soil left after plowing.

With a seeder, there's no need for manual seeding, and with a harvester, crop harvesting becomes much simpler.

In other words, it can handle almost all farming operations.

Of course, the first steam tractors probably didn't have such power take-off shafts, but we added an axle that could hold belts to connect with implements at the rear or front via belts.

Yes. This tractor is far superior to the first tractor that would have appeared in the 18th century.

Yes. This tractor is a mechanical god that has appeared in the 16th-century agricultural world...!

"You can probably do everything you imagine with a tractor. If you design the implements to connect to that shaft well, that is."

And naturally, I'm familiar with the structure of simple tractor implements.

Of course, although this steam tractor might be toy-like compared to 21st-century tractors with dozens of horsepower, it's a tremendous innovation right now.

So I proudly explained the above contents to White.

Ah, do people of this era not know yet? That right there is a [tractor]. With just that, farming becomes easy.

And with a meaningful gaze, I nodded while looking back at my steam tractor.

Since we couldn't make rubber tires suitable for wheels with increased surface area to prevent getting stuck in mud, for now, we attached anti-vibration rubber plates cut to fit the large wheels to increase friction and absorb shock.

The mechanical devices covered with rain shields continuously make chik-chik sounds as they move, and pipes entangled all around transmit the powerful pressure from the cylindrical steam boiler to each component.

The power unit, placed outside for easy maintenance, continuously moves pistons and gears, making it look like a squirming, living metal organism.

"...What do you think?"

And then, expecting a reaction like 'Whaaaat! I've never heard of such a thing! Kin Issei, you're amazing!', I stood there proudly...

"Well, I already know about those aspects from when you explained them last time I asked."

"...Is that so?"

My pride deflated at the less enthusiastic reaction than expected.