The Clouds of Caelus
Copyright© 2026 by Lumpy
Chapter 4
Devnum Docks
It was a good morning.
After nearly a year of work, the superstructure of the massive, completely metal ship was done and nearly ready for the water. The screw and rudder were in place, connected to the massive quadruple boilers in the center of the beast, ready to push the ship to speeds Lucan would have thought impossible even five years ago, all without the benefit of wind and sail.
There was still a lot of work to be done, however.
Yes, the ship could most likely sail on its own, but it would be simply a mechanical marvel, only able to carry cargo from place to place.
That wasn’t what he was making here.
He was making what would be the greatest military vessel to ever slip across the waves, able to shrug off whatever damage one of the Eastern vessels might do to it and crush cities from the coast.
Which is where today’s work began.
Arriving at the docks from his office, Lucan looked up at the massive steel hull that seemed to dwarf the caravels under construction around it. Workers moved about it like insects, both finishing the last tasks for the basic construction of the ship and preparing for the work ahead.
The hull stretched nearly ninety meters from bow to stern, its iron plates riveted together in overlapping sections that formed an unbroken barrier against the sea.
First, to inspect their work.
Lucan trusted his men, but trust did not keep ships afloat. Inspections did. His foremen had, of course, already done their checks, but for a project of this importance, he was not willing to rely on them alone.
Lucan pulled his measuring tape from his leather satchel and began his inspection at the bow, running his hands along each rivet line. He traced the curve of the hull where it met the waterline, checking that the plates maintained their proper alignment despite the tremendous weight they now supported.
The stern section drew his particular attention. Here, the propeller shaft emerged from the hull, requiring precise tolerances to prevent water intrusion while allowing the massive bronze screw to turn freely. He crouched low, examining the stern tube assembly where it passed through the hull plates. The bronze fittings had been cast according to specifications the Consul had laid down.
Even with the incredible detail of the Consul’s plans, the men putting those plans to work were not sent by the gods. They were hardworking and skilled, but still men.
Which meant errors could be made.
Satisfied with the exterior examination, Lucan climbed the rope ladder to the main deck and then went down the metal ladders through the primary hatch into the ship’s interior. The compartments stretched before him in orderly progression. Unlike the open hold of the caravels, these spaces had been planned to accommodate the machinery and crew requirements of steam propulsion.
He moved through each compartment methodically, checking bulkhead alignment and verifying that structural supports had been installed according to plan. Lucan made notes in his journal, marking several locations where the work had to be corrected, small errors that, while they probably wouldn’t keep the ship from working, were not up to his standards.
The magazine spaces required his most careful attention. These compartments would store stacks of explosive shells, hundreds and hundreds of them. The storage arrangements had to prevent accidental detonation and had a section that would be fitted with a hydraulic lift, powered by steam from the engines, to carry the shells to the gun deck above.
There were four, one under each gun emplacement, to pull the rounds up to the gunners without having to be walked to them, speeding up how quickly the guns could fire.
This was probably the thing the sailors and gunners would be happiest about. The new cannons that were to be installed were the largest he had ever heard of, let alone seen, and the shells would be equally large. And heavy.
He was sure the men would appreciate not having to carry the shells up a ladder by hand each time one was needed.
His inspection complete, Lucan descended into the engine compartment where the real heart of the vessel awaited.
The space was full of activity as workers made final adjustments to the four massive boilers that would generate steam for both propulsion and to power the hydraulic systems. Each boiler stood nearly three meters tall, its iron construction reinforced with steel bands to contain the tremendous pressures required for efficient operation.
“How are the pressure tests progressing?” Lucan asked the man in charge of this section.
One of Hortensius’s people, he had worked on most of the early steam projects and been involved in creating similar, if smaller, setups on the riverboats. He was a wealth of knowledge in this area, and Lucan was happy to have him.
“All four units are holding at maximum working pressure,” the man replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “We’ve tested the relief valves and pressure blow off, and it’s as ready as it ever will be.”
“Good, good,” Lucan said.
He hadn’t expected anything different, but this step was needed before they began the work on what was left. Lucan moved to examine the steam distribution manifold. This complex arrangement of pipes and valves would direct steam to the propulsion engines, the hydraulic pumps, and various auxiliary systems throughout the ship.
The main pipes that would feed the entire ship were already in place, but that was just the start. There would have to be channels off these main pipes, controlled by a series of valves and gates, to allow steam through or to cut it off if a section of the ship were compromised, to keep from losing the steam from the engines.
And it seemed likely, even with the ship’s thick armor, that those kinds of leaks would happen in battle. The Easterners had, after all, shown amazing skill at copying and getting around the Consul’s inventiveness.
The main propulsion engines occupied the center of the compartment, their massive cylinders and connecting rods representing every lesson they had learned with the riverboats. Lucan checked the engine mounts, ensuring that the tremendous forces generated during operation would not crack the hull plates or damage the surrounding equipment.
“I know you did it already, but can we run the test on the governors again. I just want to make sure.”
Workers cranked the throttle controls while Lucan observed the governor assemblies. These mechanical devices would automatically regulate steam flow to maintain steady engine speeds regardless of sea conditions or combat maneuvering, or as power from one boiler shifted to another.
The technology had been adapted from Hortensius’s workshops and had been in the riverboats, but never to this scale and power.
Steam pressure gauges lined the bulkhead, their brass faces reflecting the compartment’s lantern light. Lucan verified that each gauge read accurately and that the spacing allowed maintenance crews to service the equipment without interfering with normal operations.
Satisfied with the engine installation, Lucan climbed back to the main deck where his senior shipwrights and engineering team were assembled. These men represented the finest technical expertise in the Empire, drawn from shipyards, metalworking shops, and Hortensius’s facilities.
“The hull and propulsion systems are done,” Lucan announced. “Now it’s time for the real work to begin.”
The men all laughed at that. They had been working on this ship for a year and had gotten used to his dry sense of humor. Most had worked with him longer than that. The majority of the team had also been involved in the work on the river ironclads. Those ships, after all, had been intended both as a tool of war but also as a learning opportunity for the much more complicated work they now faced.
Those vessels had mounted fixed cannons in traditional broadside arrangements. The plan for this ship, one Lucan had almost wanted to tell the Consul was impossible regardless of the plans he’d delivered, was for rotating turrets capable of directing fire in any direction regardless of the vessel’s heading.
“You’ve all seen the plan. Four turrets will be mounted on this deck,” Lucan continued, indicating the marked positions. “Two forward, two aft. Each turret will house twin cannons capable of engaging targets at ranges exceeding that of all the cannons we have ever tested.”
He walked to the forward turret position where steel support rings had been embedded in the deck structure. The turret would rest on these rings while maintaining the ability to rotate almost two hundred degrees. A second turret was positioned well ahead of him, but lower down, so that one cannon could fire over the other.
An ingenious design, really.
“We used steam pressure for some of the operations in the river boats, but not to move anything this heavy. Each turret weighs approximately forty tons fully loaded. The hydraulic pumps will generate pressure using steam from the main boilers, but the distribution system must operate independently to prevent a single failure from disabling multiple turrets.”
One of the engineers raised his hand. “Is this even possible? As you said, nothing we did on the river boats got close to the pressure we’re talking about here.”
“The system will operate at pressures exceeding anything we’ve attempted,” Lucan replied. “Hortensius’s workshops have developed the basic technology, and the Consul assures us that even down to two boilers, we should have the power needed to operate the mechanisms. Assuming we do our jobs correctly. Follow me.”
Lucan led the group to examine the spaces beneath the turret positions where the hydraulic machinery would be installed. Complex arrangements of pumps, accumulators, and distribution lines would occupy these areas.
“The turrets will rotate on bearing assemblies fabricated from our finest steel,” he said. “The lower bearing ring remains fixed to the deck structure while the upper ring supports the turret weight and transmits rotational forces. These bearings must support the turret weight while still allowing rotation.”
The gear reduction systems drew particular attention from the assembled engineers. Hydraulic pressure would be applied to large pistons connected to reduction gears that would translate rapid piston movement into precise turret rotation. The gear ratios had been calculated to provide both rapid traversal for tracking moving targets and fine adjustment for accurate aiming.
“I know you said it should still operate even if down to two boilers, but what happens if hydraulic power fails during battle?” the same man as before asked.
“Manual backup systems will allow continued turret operation,” Lucan replied. “Hand cranks and wheel mechanisms will enable gun crews to rotate and elevate their weapons using mechanical advantage. The backup systems will be slower than hydraulic operation and require a lot of men to do it, but the crew complement on this ship is large enough to handle it.”
He walked the team through the structural supports that would handle the tremendous stresses generated when the cannons fired. Each turret would mount two rifled guns capable of hurling massive explosive shells. The recoil forces would attempt to destroy the turret mechanisms and damage the ship’s structure. Huge steel reinforcements would distribute these forces throughout the hull framework.
The elevation mechanisms represented another engineering challenge. Each gun would be capable of elevating from horizontal firing to high angles for engaging distant targets or shore installations. Hydraulic cylinders would control elevation while mechanical stops prevented the guns from depressing enough to damage the ship’s own structure.
“The operator positions will be located within each armored turret housing,” Lucan explained as they examined the turret designs. “Gun crews will control both rotation and elevation from protected positions behind steel armor. The turret walls will be thick enough to stop enemy shells while providing visibility ports for target acquisition.”
Communication systems would connect each turret to the ship’s bridge through speaking tubes, although it was likely once a battle commenced, runners would also have to be employed. During battle, turret commanders would receive targeting information and assigned targets from the bridge.
“We’ll begin with the forward turret,” he outlined. “I’m sure we will run into problems, so let’s limit them to a single turret, and save ourselves the work of undoing our mistakes four times instead of one. Once those systems prove reliable, we’ll complete the remaining installations and conduct full-ship trials.”
The gun installation would represent the final phase of turret construction. The massive, rifled cannons would be lowered into position using the cranes the Consul had designed. These cranes had been at work in Hortensius’s factories, but this was the first time something like this was needed here.