This was a normal phenomenon in this time period. Whenever a village was struck by the plague, other villages would avoid it, often driving the infected away. The fleeing people, in desperation, would wander, unknowingly spreading the disease further.
Navin stood with a grim expression. He couldn't allow these people to enter his town without proper testing, but at the same time, he couldn't let them die outside the gates. His sense of duty and humanity clashed with the risks of infection, but there was no time for hesitation.
The construction workers, immediately got to work. Blocks were placed on top of each other. The speed at which they worked startled the refugees, who watched in silence, too weak to question or resist. Soldiers stood guard, their stern gazes ensuring that no one dared to break formation.
Among the crowd, a frail woman clutched her daughter, a child no older than six. Her arms trembled as she held the girl close. The child's lips were dry and cracked, her small body burning with fever. She barely had the strength to open her eyes.
"Mother, I am hungry," the girl whispered, her voice barely audible over the murmur of the crowd.
A tear slipped down the mother's cheek. She gently stroked her daughter's hair, trying to comfort her despite the hopelessness gripping her heart. "Don't worry, my love. We will get something to eat soon," she whispered, though even she didn't believe her words.
They had been walking for four days. Four days of starvation, exhaustion, and despair. They had left their village when the plague arrived, thinking they could escape it, only for her daughter to fall ill along the way. The others they had been traveling with had cast them out, fearing divine punishment. The mother had begged for help, pleaded with strangers, but no one dared to even share a piece of shelter. Now, they had nowhere left to go.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar mechanical sound echoed through the air. The mother flinched as strange-looking metallic creatures approached. They moved with precision, their glowing eyes scanning the refugees.
[Critical condition detected. Immediate treatment is advised.]
The mother's heart pounded. What were these things? Were they monsters? Demons?
Before she could react, a voice called out. "If you want to save your daughter's life, let them examine her," Navin said, stepping forward.
The mother hesitated, clutching her daughter tighter. But she saw the sincerity in his eyes. She had no choice.
With trembling hands, she passed her limp daughter to the nearest machine. The robot, without hesitation, lifted the child and dashed toward the hospital with inhuman speed. Gasps rippled through the crowd as they witnessed the impossible. Even Navin was left speechless—he had never seen a robot move like that.
He had heard of such things from Sanjay. The elite soldiers had only recently begun training with communication devices, and he had been one of the few given the privilege of speaking directly with the AI.
When Sanjay had told him that humans had built these machines, Navin had struggled to believe it. Could humans truly create such things? But then again, humans had always been skilled at making weapons to kill each other. Perhaps they could make miracles, too.
Soon, the infected were identified and separated from the rest. Those who showed signs of the virus were taken to the hospital one by one. However, unrest began brewing among the remaining refugees. Some feared they would never be allowed into the town, while others grumbled that they were being abandoned.
Before their frustration could erupt, a huge shadow felt on there face and a massive structure rose before their eyes. A five-story quarantine center, assembled in mere hours, loomed over them. The sight left them in awe. No one had ever seen a building erected so quickly.
Navin turned to face them, his voice unwavering. "You will stay in this shelter. Only after the baron confirms you are safe will you be allowed into the town."
A wave of relief swept through the crowd. At least they would not be left to die under the open sky. But before they could enter, a soldier stepped forward.
"Form two lines!"
A man holding a strange slate-like device—one of the town's administrators—began recording their names and places of origin. A small lens on the device flashed as it captured their faces. Many flinched, unfamiliar with the technology.
The administrator, one of the few who had completed a rigorous two-year course in the VR world, efficiently documented each refugee.
Sanjay had been adamant about finding individuals who could read and write, training them in governance and administration. Yet, few had passed the tests. The hardest part had not been learning policy—it had been adapting to technology.
Many struggled, unable to grasp how to operate devices they had never seen before. Only the younger generation had taken to it naturally, their curiosity leading them to become the new backbone of the administration.
One by one, the refugees entered the quarantine center, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as they took in the sight before them. It was nothing like the cramped, disease-ridden shelters they had expected. Instead, the interior was pristine, each section meticulously designed to ensure safety and comfort.
Soldiers were stationed at key points, but their presence was minimal—interaction with the refugees was kept to a necessary minimum.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Sanjay observed the medical process with satisfaction. Iris had already synthesized a cure from its database, and with the hospital's equipment, producing the vaccine had been effortless. With this, they could save lives—and perhaps even more.
A thought struck him. "Iris, do we have the data to synthesize a vaccine for AIDS?"
[Confirmed. The vaccine is available and can be produced in the hospital laboratory.]
Sanjay's eyes widened. A cure for one of the deadliest diseases in history was within his grasp. His mind immediately turned to business—this was an opportunity unlike any other. He quickly noted it down for future planning.
Hours later, the newly admitted patients received the vaccine and were placed under observation. In the quarantine center, the detainees were provided food.
For many, it was the first proper meal they had seen in weeks. Clean, fresh bread, soft as clouds. Vegetables bursting with flavor. Meat that didn't taste of rot. It was a feast beyond their wildest expectations.
At first, they hesitated, unable to believe such generosity. But as the scent of food filled their nostrils, hunger won over hesitation. They ate ravenously, stuffing their bellies until they could eat no more.
Whispers filled the air. Why was the baron being so benevolent? This kind of food was meant for nobles. Why give it to them?
No one had an answer, but for now, no one questioned it. They were full. They were safe. And for the first time in a long while, they had hope.
Seeing that everything is handled, he went to see the newly build mansion. Although its not completely done. Its should be ready within a week.
After spending some time with Alisha, Sanjay returned to the future world to collect the machines Raghav had already prepared for him.
When he saw them, he knew they were worth every effort.
The synthetic blood manufacturing machine and the modular housing blocks machine were surprisingly compact. But the ship manufacturing machine—that was another story. It was massive.
Even with all his planning, Sanjay felt a wave of relief that he had purchased a 50,000-square-foot warehouse. Without it, this beast of a machine wouldn't have fit.
Still, it wasn't enough.
He needed more space. A shipyard, a proper dock. Somewhere near the water, where he could assemble what this machine would create.
Without wasting time, he ordered the construction workers to build a larger, 100,000-square-foot warehouse near the coast. The design was simple—nothing fancy—just solid walls and a reinforced structure to house the machine and its future production.
With the advanced construction methods at his disposal, it took just a few hours to complete.
As soon as the last piece was in place, Sanjay deployed his newly acquired security drones to guard the perimeter. With the site secured, he brought over the machines.
The blood manufacturing and modular housing machines were plug-and-play—ready to go the moment they were powered on.
But the ship manufacturing machine? That was a different challenge.
It required assembly.
Raghav had already shared the manual, and Sanjay had the guidance of Iris, but even with that, the process was grueling. The machine's components were enormous, some weighing several tons. If it weren't for his inhuman strength, lifting and positioning the heavy robotic arms would have been impossible.
It took four long days. Four days of relentless effort, tightening bolts, aligning systems, and ensuring every piece fit perfectly.
But when it was done—when the final component locked into place—he stepped back and took a deep breath.
The ship manufacturing machine was now fully operational.
And it was a monster.
It could build ships up to 10 million tons in displacement.
Sanjay's hands trembled as he processed that number.
"10 million tons... That's not a ship. That's an island made of steel."
The largest ship he had ever heard of was around 657,000 tons. This was on an entirely different level.
"This is overkill."
He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. Right now, he didn't have the iron, the resources, or the dock to build something that massive. Even if he wanted to, it wasn't possible.
Instead, he selected an option.
[5,000-ton displacement ship]
It was a reasonable size—large enough to be formidable, but small enough that he could actually build it with the iron he had imported from the modern world.
"This will have to do for now," he thought.
But he knew—soon, he would need to mine iron himself.
The ground beneath his feet held untapped riches, but he hadn't prioritized it yet. He hadn't needed to—until now.
With a deep breath, he gave the command.
"Iris, start the manufacturing process."
At once, the hundreds of robotic arms came to life. Like a synchronized swarm, they moved with inhuman precision, assembling the ship piece by piece. Sparks flew as welding machines fused metal together, automated cranes hoisted massive panels into place, and conveyor belts fed the machine with the raw materials it needed.
Sanjay watched in awe.
Even though he knew the machine's capabilities, seeing it in action was something else entirely.
Hours passed, but the construction speed was staggering.
The outer shell took form, its black steel body rising from the ground like a sleeping giant awakening. He checked his interface.
[Progress: 95%]
He stood up, his heart pounding.
"It's not even been a full day… and a 5,000-ton ship is almost done."
Then, a soft chime echoed in his earpiece.
[100%... Host, the ship is ready.]
He turned toward the dockyard.
There it was.
A massive black warship.
Its sleek, armored hull gleamed under the dim warehouse lights. Its structure was intimidating, built for battle. The blueprints Iris had retrieved came from over 1,100 different designs available in public archives.
Sanjay could see it—the reinforced hull, the empty slots designed to hold heavy weaponry, currently covered with thick steel plating.