Steps to survival

Chapter 35 : The Age of Energy

"Huh? What do you mean we can't?"

"Why would that be?" Senku immediately began to explain. "It's like this. The revival fluid Tsukasa's guys have been cranking it out and is pretty easy to make. And yet, we haven't revived a single statue. That's because we don't have enough nitric acid. Now we could make some from dung or seashells, but we're short on both time and materials. Also, no nitric acid means no gunpowder. Tsukasa's smart enough to figure that out on his own," he let out an uneasy chuckle that slowly made myself shift uncomfortably from one leg to the other.

"We didn't have much gunpowder saved to begin with and now we're completely out." I glanced at everyone else who looked majorly confused. After a few lost comments from Kohaku and Kaseki, Senku and I sighed in time with each other.

I cut Senku off before he could open his mouth: "Basically, even if we had guns, he'd know we couldn't use them. There's a big chance that Tsukasa's going to have a big army built up for possible invasion." A few of the group nodded understanding where we were now coming from. After a few moments, Senku revealed that we would be working on a new scientific weapon, as we were going to attack the opposing side first instead of waiting like sitting ducks.

"Uh. So what kind of weapon are you talking about?" Chrome balled his fists up enthusiastically.

"We've got leaps and bounds, but now its time for us to break out the ultimate modern tech!" Senku said arms crossed cheerfully. "We've been recreating scientific advancements from as far back as the stone age, but we're finally getting to something from my time. What was truly the deciding factor in modern conflicts? The strongest weapon in two million years of history." I caught a glimpse of a quaking Gen out of my peripheral vision.

"Wait, you don't mean nukes, do you?" He squeaked out, earning a snort from you. "Hell no," Senku squinted.

"There's something else that can give one side a huge advancement. I'm talking about communications technology," Gen's mouth popped into an 'o' shape as he continued:

"We're gonna make cellular phones with service even in the Stone World."

The cellular phones idea puzzled the villagers as they attempted to make sense of such a device, especially Magma who was utterly stunned and close-minded. Then there was Chrome and Kaseki, both eyes we're glittering and were glossed over with excitement. A majority were largely enthusiastic and were ready to help us, no questions asked. We planned out our progress map out on a board.

"Nothing is impossible, Gen. No matter how far off the goal may seem, if you follow the steps, you'll get there ten billion per cent of the time," Senku had said, regardless of how ridiculously cliché that seemed, it was very true 99 per cent of the time.

"We're in total control of the revival fluid. So as time passes, our manpower grows. Yes. But our main foe is Senku. If we give him too much time, he'll find a way to mass-produce gunpowder," Gen imitated Tsukasa scarily accurately, making everyone flinch different parts of their limbs.

"It's like he's here. Your imitations dead on," Senku said shakily with a bead of sweat dribbling down his forehead.

"I have a question," Chrome asked after a few minutes. "So, like, once Tsukasa finds out you're still alive, won't Taiju and Yuzuriha be in danger?" He explained, really just explaining what you were already asking yourself.

"A guy like him would kill them, right?" Kohaku said slightly exasperated.

"Nah. That won't be an issue. They're more useful as potential hostages so killing them would be a waste," I stared deadpanned at him for a few short seconds before shaking my head subtly. A few hours and we were already getting to work on our new timeless project. Senku and I were casually being surrounded by a buzzing Chrome and a slightly less but still delighted Kaseki.

"Back up! Stop crowding us! And try to calm down a little, okay?" Senku pushed me gently half behind him and held on loosely to my wrist as he began to complicatedly explained the process. Both of their brains had been frazzled by his less than modest badgering.

"Okay, then. I think I could understand about half of that."

"Half more than me," Kaseki chuckled obnoxiously loud.

"This high IQ talk seems to cause more confusion, so let's change it up a bit. Do you have an idea of what we should make first?" All gazes switched to Senku, including mine since I didn't have an idea of what was going through the cogs in his head constantly. He simply nodded and crossed his slim, bandaged arms.

"Yeah, for the first step on our giant roadmap, we're gonna need to make something invaluable. A cotton candy machine." Needless to say, again the same group of people we're perplexed and in thought. I started as Gen's face was rid of all emotions. He seemed to be in disbelief despite not saying anything for a few seconds.

We watch as Kaseki crafted the stand of the cotton candy machine with a long round pipe protruding from it, with holes running around the bottom stand.

"What is that?" Suika spoke up for the first time in a while.

"You put sugar crystals inside of this thing and spin it around," he demonstrated as he twisted it with one hand. "The centrifugal force pushes the molten sugar out through the small holes, which gives us thin, wispy strands. And that is how you make cotton candy. Now tell me, what do you think would happen if you were to use gold instead of sugar in there?" He glanced to me and his gaze darted around before landing on Chrome as he made a sound of realisation.

"Ah! We'd be making gold on threads!"

"You get ten billion points for that one," he claimed jokingly, he glanced back to me again. If he keeps looking at me like that, I just might melt.