1822 - London, Great Britain
The skies never seemed to stop raining. The streets of London battered and wet, it provided the look of a dreary landscape. The people however, with their liveliness and crowded atmosphere, were not deterred by the downpour.
A man walked steadily along the street, minding the people walking by before turning to the corner, standing and looking at the massive building in front of him.
"I guess it's time" He said. Entering through the double doors of what seemed to be a university.
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University of Cambridge
"Professor Babbage! You've arrived just in time." A university student called out to the man who entered the laboratory, Professor Charles Babbage. "We're currently double checking on the difference engine for any potential mishaps before the officials arrive" He explained while writing on his checklist
"That's good. Can you ask someone to bring me a cup of jasmine tea? I may require some tea time to calm myself down before they come." He inquired. He sat down as a fellow assistant of his brought him the tea his requested.
After a while, Men in trench coats beside some scientists walked inside the laboratory and stood by the side. Upon entering, they seemed intrigued by the busy atmosphere of the lab and the frantic movements of the assistants while they prepare.
"Esteemed Guests of the British Ministry of Technology. It is a pleasure to have you at my lab." Charles beckoned, greeting the guests that arrived. An older gentlemen among the coats said, "Charles. We do hope this is up to our expectations." Charles smiled while the men in coats shook Charles' hand. The scientists, curious, wandered around the lab, there was one female scientist however who walked towards Charles. She walked with grace, as though she was of noble descent.
She greeted him, "Professor Charles. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." Charles bowed. "Lady Lovelace, it is also a pleasure to meet you. I truly am grateful you've joined us today." He said.
"Please, call me Professor Ava. We are both colleagues in this community." Ava smiled and stood beside Charles. "Indeed we are. Well, let's get this show started then?" Charles chuckled and beckoned the others to follow him. They walked toward the back of the lab. Pipes and Cog work are littered within the workstations nearby. The faint scent of oil and the humid air from the steam lingered.
"We all know that computing has been a limiting factor towards our capabilities as a species. It takes too much effort in our mind to compute while continuously innovating." Charles lectured while walking closer to the designated area.
There seemed to be a functioning device that is covered by a white cloth. Steam pushes out of the cloth every now and then. Sounds of Pipes creaking and Cogs working.
"What if I told you, Computing tasks can now be allocated to machines?" Charles asked. Murmurs went around the audience that followed him. "It's much better to show it to you than explain further." He took off the cloth. "Let me show you. I call it the Difference Engine!" The machine shook, cogs constantly turning and analog numbers changed endlessly.
"It is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions. It now allows us to divert the computing task towards this machine and focus on more complex equations and hypothesis." He explained. The guests looked intrigued. The men in coats looked satisfied with the presentation, there was someone that was more excited than everyone though.
"Fascinating... If we can improve upon this technology further, the possibilities may be endless. Further complex computations could also mean it has the potential to be programmed to do certain tasks" Ava said. Discussions emerged during the presentation.
Suddenly, the idea of computer programmed machine didn't seem too far fetched. After the presentation, the British government increased the funding for the prototype version 2 of the differential engine- The Analytical Engine. Prof. Ava Lovelace has also proceeded to join with Prof. Charles Babbage the research and development team
Several months passed. a couple of experimental testing of the Analytical Engine showed a drastic increase in computing power. Cog-works and Steam-pipes proved to be an effective power source for this machine. During this time, Charles and Ava co-patented the invention of both the differential and analytical engine.
Countries all of over the Victorian world roared in shock at the sudden news that there is a machine that can automatically compute complex mathematical equations. Scientists and Researchers all over the world flocked towards Great Britain, the new scientific powerhouse, in this era.
Endless thesis papers was published during this time on the idea of programmable machines that can do certain tasks. Research and Development happened almost simultaneously in the whole world. One thing they can agree on however....
This world lacks a suitable power core for this potential technological path.....
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Somewhere in Newport, Great Britain
The sound of Cogs turning and Pipes releasing burst of steam echoes inside this warehouse. Searing heat and Immense power, this machine menacingly glows orange . This is a frankenstein of engineering.
"This power.. YES!" said a man in overalls, drenched in sweat and soot. The machine was hooked to a hydraulic line that pulled multiple tons of weight. "This can work..." He muttered.
To be continued.