The Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian): Wonders of the Orient

Chapter 30: Water Power


Mao had overlooked something, and it was not until after the excitement surrounding the theory of evolution had subsided that he remembered it. Only then did he notice that the Iron Works in Beijing was processing a rather absurdly large amount of coal. After asking economic advisor Liu Shaoqi about the situation, he finally realized that all this time, China was still importing Indian coal, even with reserves available right around the capital.

What an idiot I have been, thought Mao. We have basically given India free iron all this time. Not only that, but large shipments of saltpeter continued to arrive via rail, even though there was almost no demand for the resource. That would soon come to an end, thought Mao. He asked Minister Liu to inform the Mahatma that the resource deal would no longer be necessary at this point, but if he was still interested, he could still buy iron with gold.

India's treasury had been severely depleted from the continuing war with Japan, but Gandhi made a reasonable per-turn offer and it was enough to satisfy Liu.


Canceling the saltpeter trade freed up the luxury exports to India, which by now had nothing more to offer the Chinese. There was only one other market to which the excess dyes and gems could go, and that was to the Japanese.

Liu was wary of Shogun Tokugawa after remembering how the Japanese were quick to break the last luxury deal, so this time he insisted on a resource-for-resource trade. But the two Chinese luxuries were not enough to win over Tokugawa, who would not agree unless horses were added to the trade. Apparently the Japanese were still interested in training cavalry so late into the industrial age, but this did not bother Liu at all. It would, in fact, somewhat even the playing field between India and Japan, who both still relied on these obsolete military units in their war.


And so, after a sixty-four year hiatus, the luxury trade resumed, bringing celebrations to the Chinese cities.

But foreign minister Zhou Enlai was not quite so optimistic. At the signing of the Treaty of Izumo at the end of the Stinky Toilet War, he had learned the secrets of espionage from the Japanese, and was determined to put them to use, lest they be used against China someday. After quickly briefing Mao on the situation, he began to recruit talented Chinese to work in the newly established Ministry of State Security. There they would be trained in covert operations of information-gathering, propaganda, and sabotage.

In 1870 AD, the MSS took up residence in a rather ordinary-looking office building in the capital. But that was really just a headquarters, employing a tiny fraction of the intelligence operatives. Most of them were working in the field, both inside and outside of China's borders.


Mao, however, highly valued the trading relations with India and Japan at the time, and was not willing to jeopardize them by planting spies. He paid minimal attention to the MSS, allowing Minister Zhou to handle almost all of its day-to-day activities. Thus, the MSS kept a relatively low profile in affairs of the state for a long time.

What Mao was a lot more interested in was the gift that science advisor Deng Xiaoping brought to him one day, which, although it looked like a simple children's toy, still managed to amuse him.

"Actually, this electronics kit is a children's toy," said Deng, smiling. "But even I have been playing with it to no end."


Mao glanced over the instruction manual and started to connect the wires in intricate patterns around the circuit board. After a while, he got a frustrated look on his face, and complained to Deng. "I followed all the directions exactly," he said. "But it still won't light up."

"Oh, I forgot to give you this." Deng held out a small cylindrical object in his palm. One end seemed to have a slight knob on it. "This is a battery. It stores electrical energy. Just insert it into the slot at the end of the board, and watch."

Mao did so, and immediately the diodes on the board started flashing. "What a curious object this battery is," said Mao. "How did you get this electricity on it?"

"We used a generator in the lab," replied Deng. "But that is small and can only do so much at a time. What we really need is a large-scale plant that can generate electricity for the entire population. I already have the plans for one, which we will call the Hoover Dam."

After looking at the blueprints, Mao knew this had to be another Great Wonder. The city of Beijing had never before even conceived of a project of such magnitude. But as he ran his fingers along the diagram, tracing the path of the waters of the Yellow River as it spun the turbines to induce an electrical current, he knew this would be the key to powering the future.

A tremendous amount of iron and concrete would be needed to build the Hoover Dam, but the factories and Iron Works in Beijing could actually meet the demand. Deng estimated that construction would only take 14 years.

The Hoover Dam was nearing completion when once again Minister Deng announced that laboratory experiments at Newton's University had confirmed that adding carbon to iron could actually strengthen the metal, resulting in a much more durable material called steel. He caught up with Mao at the construction site on the Yellow River, where the Chairman was supervising the work.


"Chairman," said Deng. "You may remember that during the Stinky Toilet War, our navy suffered some rather heavy losses to the Japanese." He paused, as if waiting for some kind of response from Mao.

Mao continued to stare at the unfinished dam. "Yes, go on."

"If we build new ships with this new material, steel, I am certain that we will be able to withstand much more damage. Enemy ironclads will be no match for us."

"I see," said Mao. "Tell the factories to start producing this steel then, we will be using it soon to upgrade the navy. It might be nice to add some steel structure to support the dam as well, though that could be unnecessary by now."

Indeed it was unnecessary. The floodgates on the Hoover Dam opened in 1890 AD, unleashing a torrent of water downstream. Mao gazed in awe as he watched the deluge, through which he could barely hear the monotonous hum of the turbines in their power-generating exercise.


Transmission lines supplied the electricity to cities all over the continent, which soon boasted of remarkable increases in factory output. The industrious Chinese people were now by far the most productive in the world.

Mao followed the water from the Hoover Dam down the Yellow River, all the way to its mouth at Shanghai. He noticed a large crowd gathering at the harbor, and when he came closer, they were centered around none other than science advisor Deng Xiaoping.

"I present you the internal combustion engine," said Deng triumphantly. "At last, an alternative to burning that dirty coal for fuel. Now watch."


He motioned to an assistant, who pumped some gasoline into a device mounted on a small boat. Then Deng pulled a switch, and the engine started violently, splashing him with water and almost capsizing the craft.

"Oops. I'm quite bad at steering." After a quick adjustment, the boat sped out to sea as the crowd cheered.

Mao congratulated his science advisor for the achievement, but Deng humbly pointed out that it was engineers from Newton's University who had done all of the work. He suggested that it was now a good time to carry out the navy upgrades they had discussed earlier.


But there was more than just a combustion engine that would be the key to the modernization of the Chinese navy. Rather, it was a development that compounded on the scientific and engineering advances made during this time, one that would ultimately lead to the mass production of the biggest and most powerful battleships known to mankind.


And so for many years to come, no one dared challenge China on the high seas.

Awesome story! You should never finish it!

Mirc said:

Awesome story! You should never finish it!

Click to expand...

Awww, but then I wouldn't be able to start another one

Good to know you are planning another one after you finish this! I hope it's at least as good as this one!

Chapter 31: Like a Tiger with Wings


"Chairman, we have a problem," read the telegram from the governor of Nanjing. "It seems that the wrath of Mother Nature is now upon us."

Everything had been going well in the southern city of Nanjing, as it was for the most part undisturbed by the war, even though Japanese frigates could be sighted off the coast on a daily basis. The ships were usually bound for targets like Karachi, Bombay, and Hyderabad, all of which were heavily defended by Indian infantry. Fortifications around Nanjing, however, ensured that no one could enter Chinese land without permission.

But while the border guard kept suspicious people out, it could do nothing about the noxious fumes of pollutants from the factories. Someone was not doing a good job of cleaning up the mess that had been made, and now the consequences were being felt. A Nanjing farmer complained one day that his crops could no longer grow in the parched and barren land.


Mao initially put the blame on the factories in Chinese cities, but foreign minister Zhou was quick to point out that there was far more pollution in India at this time. The infantry division stationed at Guangzhou complained of the putrid smell that drifted northward from across the river in Indian territory. Mao decided that it was time to have a discussion with the Indian leader.

"I am so sorry that this has happened to you," apologized Gandhi. "We, too, have suffered from global warming. But it's really hard to clean up pollution when we are at war with the Japanese. They keep destroying our roads, and we cannot get our workers into the polluted areas in time."

"Fine then," said Mao. "But I do sincerely hope you can work harder than that."

"I certainly will try my best, friend Mao."

I think Gandhi needs to learn more about proper worker management, thought Mao. You can't expect them to get anything done unless you take an active role in directing them.

Gandhi had just left when Mao heard the sound of an engine chugging away outside. Startled, he thought a motorboat had run aground from the Yellow River, but instead, he saw Minister Deng climbing out from a strange vehicle that seemed to propel itself.

"Don't worry, it won't explode," Deng assured him. "We've safely adapted the internal combustion engine to work for vehicles on land. And since it looks like it's moving on its own because it burns gasoline, we call this an 'automobile.' Care for a ride?"


"My pleasure." Mao took the passenger seat as Deng started up the engine again. "Hopefully you're better at steering this thing."

It was a pleasant ride, as Chinese civil engineers had kept the roads of Beijing in excellent shape. But after a short while Deng stopped and grumbled that he was out of gas, and had to refill the tank.

"I like it," said Mao. "But it's pretty slow. Can't quite match up with our riders and cavalry."

"Bah!" Deng had hoped for more from the Chairman. "Just wait until we send these onto the battlefield. You won't believe how powerful they are there."

"Perhaps. But if you look at the military of India and Japan, they're still using cavalry and infantry to great effect."

Mao was referring to the situation on Bangladesh Island, where most of the war had shifted by now. The last Indian invasion of Hakodate had just been repulsed, and the Japanese were on the offensive once again. Chinese battleships observed the fighting from a safe distance offshore.

In Chittagong, Jawaharlal Nehru was uneasy. He could tell from the blue sails of the approaching frigates that they were not from a friendly fleet. The Mahatma has concentrated too much on the southern islands, he grumbled. Now we have been left alone to fend for ourselves.

A shell exploded in midair, spreading shrapnel across a wide swath of land. Nehru heard the screams of citizens as they fled southwest from the approaching Japanese cavalry. Sighing, he decided that his only hope was to join them, so he quickly packed his scant belongings and headed off toward Bengal, while sending a last-minute dispatch to Delhi calling for reinforcements. But he knew they would not arrive in time. The garrison of Chittagong saw that there was no chance of standing up to the superior numbers of the Japanese invasion, and they surrendered the city.


Quite unfortunate, thought Mao when he heard the news of Chittagong's fall. But I think Deng is right. Those cavalry won't be able to hold the city for long.

"And especially not after this." Surprised at how Deng had just read his mind, Mao wondered what else the science advisor could have come up with now.

"I have stocked up on more gasoline now," said Deng. "Come with me to Shanghai, I have something incredible to show you."

They had just reached the outskirts of the port city when they heard a loud buzz above them. Mao tried to look up to see what it was but was almost blinded by the sunlight, while Deng stifled a laugh. "You'll see soon enough."

They stopped at a wide, empty field where a number of scientists and engineers had gathered. All of them were also gazing up at the sky, trying to track the swift movements of the flying object, which Deng referred to as an "airplane."


Mao was speechless. "How... how did you do this?"

"Trade secret," replied Deng. "The miracles of Chinese engineering. Suffice it to say that the internal combustion engine has been improved to the point where it can drive these specially-designed planes fast enough that they float right up into the air."

For a while they marveled at the airplane as it flew around in graceful curves in the sky. But suddenly their awe turned to panic as they heard a very faint cry through the drone of the engine, and they saw the pilot desperately waving his hands, clearly signaling that there was a problem.

"Quick, this way." Deng grabbed Mao's hand as they headed for their car. They tried to follow the erratic pattern of the plane's motion, swerving dangerously through the streets of Shanghai until they finally reached the harbor. "This is an emergency, out of our way!" shouted Deng at the pedestrians, who scrambled to avoid getting hit.

But at the waterfront, they watched in horror as the plane, obviously out of control by this point, hurtled out toward the sea. In the distance, Mao and Deng noticed a small speck drop from the plane as it crashed nose-first into the waist of the Colossus.

"Nooo!" screamed Mao in anguish. The damage had been done. Huge chunks of bronze dropped into the harbor, sending out waves that knocked several small boats over. The Colossus was now bruised beyond repair, and never again did it draw merchant ships to the port of Shanghai.

Presently a fishing boat came to the dock, carrying the dazed pilot who had luckily been pulled out of the water by the concerned sailors. Mao thanked them for their help while Deng called an ambulance to take the injured pilot to the Shanghai Medical Center. "What a pity," said Mao. "If only we could hear what he wanted to tell us from the plane..."

"We are working on that next," said Deng. "Sorry about the accident. Now, if you will excuse me..."

Mao wanted to question the science advisor further, but by this time Minister Zhou had arrived on the scene, bearing news of the recapture of Chittagong by the Indians. Deng was right after all, thought Mao. Cavalry really don't stand a chance.


Mao did not disband the Chinese cavalry regiments yet, keeping them around for sentimental purposes, nor did he decommission the ironclads, preferring to use them as seaborne lookouts. He still wanted updated information about how the war between Japan and India was going, even though he highly doubted either side would make much progress from this point on. Nehru had alerted Gandhi to India's vulnerability in the east, and the Mahatma swore never to allow the Japanese to set foot on the island of Bangladesh again.

In the meantime, Chinese cities constructed airports to house the new planes, and the Chinese military began mass-producing the new units that were now possible with the scientific advancements. Tanks, planes, and battleships rolled off the assembly lines one by one.

But one day in 1942 AD, economic advisor Liu Shaoqi had bad news to deliver. "Unfortunately, our military buildup has come to a stop. The oil derricks in the desert by Hangzhou have run dry."


"What?" Mao was shocked. "You mean we cannot build any more tanks now?"

"And no battleships, and no aircraft either," said Liu. "Unless we secure a supply of oil by some other means. I visited Minister Zhou at the MSS today, and he told me that he thinks India has some to spare."

"Fine then," said Mao. "Arrange for a trade immediately."

Knowing that Gandhi would likely demand a high price for the precious oil, Liu decided it would be prudent to cancel the iron deal first, and then arrange a new trade. But the Mahatma was curious as to why the Chinese wanted oil so badly, and after thinking it over, Liu decided to add the technology of combustion to the bargaining table.


Meanwhile, Deng Xiaoping had been racking his brain thinking of ways to avoid another air disaster like the one at the Colossus. He met with researchers at universities around the country, until finally, in 1950 AD, he found what he was looking for.


He invited Chairman Mao to the mountaintop southwest of Beijing, where a broadcast tower had been constructed. They climbed to a small platform on the top and watched the skies for any sign of trouble.

"Now," said Deng, holding out a cone-shaped object. "Speak into this microphone."

Mao held it in front of his mouth and mumbled, "Uh... hello?"

After a moment, a static-laced voice responded. "Good morning, Chairman. I will be right there." Then, just as suddenly, a fighter plane took off in the distance from the Beijing Airport.

"Do you see me?" continued the voice.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Mao shouted into the microphone. He then turned to Deng. "Excellent job. This will be perfect for coordinating our airborne military exercises."

The radio would bring an electronics revolution to China, as soon they became available for consumer use, along with more unbelievable inventions--the television, radar, and sonar.

But it was that moment, from atop the broadcast tower outside Beijing, that Mao saw the new face of the city transformed.


Beautiful, he thought to himself. And may the rest of the world see this soon.

You are in the Modern Age! Great! What year are you now? Will you build all the wonders and reach the domination limit before 2050 AD?

Modern Age score check:


Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 1951 AD (first turn in Modern Age).

Japan still has a score lead over me but I am catching up. The cities they temporarily lost to the Indians have hurt their score during the Industrial Age.

As you can see, the power graph is starting to show a noticeable bulge in the red. That's probably due to the glut of tanks and battleships I built. It'll get bigger soon


4 pages of wonders


Top 5 cities, demographics, Beijing and Shanghai pics

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

Other than the four techs that you need to build the five wonders, are you going to research any other technology to give you an advantage in a war with Japan or India?

Nice update glad to see you in the modern age.

Great update You're into the modern age but can you afford the time needed to detour to anything other than the techs you need for wonders?? You have 99 turns left I believe, which is enough to research and build the needed techs but is it also enough time to deal with Japan and India, at what tech stage are they? I hope they dont get MI before you finish the wonders.

Good luck with the wonders!

stocktracker said:

Other than the four techs that you need to build the five wonders, are you going to research any other technology to give you an advantage in a war with Japan or India?

Click to expand...

Why not? It's not like I'll have the wonders built instantly when I research the required techs. I plan to beeline to genetics, building research labs in every city along the way. If an AI makes it to modern age and researches fission, I'll probably trade for that. If they don't, I'll research it myself.

After that's done I'd certainly like to get ecology and work my way up to synthetic fibers. Unless the AI really screws up big time, they should be able to pick up rocketry by then, which I can trade and see if there's any aluminum for me.

tupaclives said:

Great update You're into the modern age but can you afford the time needed to detour to anything other than the techs you need for wonders?? You have 99 turns left I believe, which is enough to research and build the needed techs but is it also enough time to deal with Japan and India, at what tech stage are they? I hope they dont get MI before you finish the wonders.

Click to expand...

Sorry if this confused anyone, but the expected number of turns shown in each science advisor pop-up ought to be taken with a grain of salt. During the last couple of turns for each tech, I slow down the science rate to save some gold (while still getting the tech at the same time). Most of my techs in the Industrial Age took between 6-12 turns each. Computers is my first target in Modern Age, and that is due in 13 turns.

As for the current tech situation, Japan is still working on either atomic theory or flight (or maybe amphibious war?). India is a bit further down, they don't have mass production yet. So yeah, they're pretty far behind. I haven't traded any tech to Japan since scientific method, and the last trade to India was combustion (for the oil).

So will I be able to have a monopoly on computers when the wonders are finished? I think it'll be a close call.

How many wonders are left?

Chapter 32: Smaller Is Friendlier


Chinese marketplaces were flooded by consumer electronics of all kinds, but soon the people began to demand more. They wanted faster speed, greater storage, and above all, the ability to customize the devices to suit their own personal needs. Originally only a select few talented hobbyists had the knowledge of how to tweak and modify the wires and circuits in order to perform a new task, but eventually someone figured out that programmability could be built in to the devices themselves. And thus a new invention was born.


At first these devices were used to quickly perform repetitive mathematical calculations and were seldom needed outside of the academic research labs, but in the 1960s the Ministry of State Security realized that by harnessing the computing power of these machines, they could decipher the encoded messages that were being sent in and out of China.

One of these messages was interecepted at a relaying station in Beijing, and although the actual purpose of the message was unclear, it clearly displayed ill intent. There were instructions for how to infiltrate the security of various defense facilities in the capital, as well as information on what kind of intelligence was needed. At the very end of the message was a tell-tale signature: that of Japanese Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.


The intended recipient of the message, a rather ordinary-looking Japanese man who had recently moved to Beijing, was quickly tracked down and arrested. But he was a rather difficult nut to crack; after just the first day of interrogations, the agent cheated his captors by committing suicide in prison. In Kyoto, Tokugawa was quick to downplay the incident, simply stating that there was a "grave mistake" while offering no other details.

Meanwhile, the use of computers for automated control was also adapted to armored transport vehicles for infantry, and the border defense underwent what would perhaps be the most ambitious modernization process in history.


While the original computes were large, bulky machines that filled entire rooms, continued research showed that the electronics process could be refined, first to millimeters, then to microns, and eventually down to nanometer scale. The machines were converted from analog design to digital, taking advantage of the accuracy and reliability of new electronic components like the transistor and integrated circuits. Over the next decade, Minister Deng brought Mao a series of upgraded computer devices that steadily grew smaller in size, until the last one could fit in the palm of his hand.


And by 1975 AD, a truly monumental network of these minicomputers had been established, working together to process the massive amount of data gathered over the years from radar receivers, hoping to determine some kind of meaningful pattern. Ultimately nothing interesting was found, but the funding that had gone to the SETI Program also enabled many other smaller related projects to continue, effectively doubling the rewards of the research.


The only signal analyzed by the SETI Program that seemed to have any meaning turned out to be a suspicious transmission that was traced to Delhi, India. When Mao confronted him, Mahatma Gandhi apologized profusely, clearly very embarrassed by the discovery. "I am very sorry for the inconvenience to the Chinese people," said Gandhi. "I will make sure this never happens again."

India is a smaller country than Japan, thought Mao to himself. Perhaps he is only being so friendly because he fears retaliation.


While the results of the SETI Program were never conclusive, it did not dissuade Deng Xiaoping from continuing his research. Rather than attempt to gain more knowledge from observing the skies, he wanted to look the other direction--deep into the microscopic. Using the latest computer-aided techniques, Chinese scientists were able to analyze the very chemical workings of life itself.

"This," said Deng while pointing to a 3-D software rendering of a spiral-shaped object, "is a short segment of DNA. Our biochemists have completely mapped out the entire DNA sequence in human beings, and we are working on finding out what every piece of it means."


Mao wasn't quite sure he understood what all of this meant, but after hearing Deng promise that it would help doctors find new cures for diseases, he was certain that this could lead to a healthier life for the citizens of China. Sure enough, the discovery of genetics sent shockwaves through the scientific community, as new medical breakthroughs were reported almost on a daily basis.

In 1988 AD, in honor of the scientists and doctors who had worked so hard to ensure healthier and longer lives for the Chinese people, a "Fountain of Youth" was dedicated in Beijing. Elderly citizens gathered each morning by the fountain to practice tai-chi in the mornings, while children played and exercised in the open air around it, stopping every now and then to take a drink of the refreshing water.


All this time, while citizens of China lived their long and happy lives in peace, India and Japan were still fighting their war. It had been nearly 200 years since the Stinky Toilet War began, and by now neither Tokugawa nor Gandhi remembered why they were fighting in the first place. They only wished the quick demise of their hated enemy, but neither side ever seemed to get a decisive advantage. They matched each other in technology, and while the Japanese had a greater population, the Indians had a more productive core, ultimately resulting in a long stalemate.

It was finally after an intense naval battle off the coast of Jaipur, with bth sides suffering heavy casualties, that they finally agreed to lay down their arms and agree to end the bloody conflict.


The Treaty of Jaipur, signed in 1993 AD, was more than just an ordinary cessation of hostilities. Gandhi and Tokugawa swore that they would never fight another war with each other again, in light of the horrible toll it had taken on the two countries.

Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai delivered news of the Treaty of Jaipur to Mao, and together they discussed how things should go from there on. They did not make any concrete plans on how to deal with the two rivals in the future, but one thing was for sure. The peace would not last long.

Yeah that was a pretty boring update. You can tell that this game is starting to wrap up.

That update did cover a long time span, 40 turns. I'm surprised that India and Japan have not become more powerful than one another, despite the number of wars they have been in.

Love the spoiler and my guts are tingling inside waiting for those last three wonders...

NUKES!!!

stocktracker said:

That update did cover a long time span, 40 turns. I'm surprised that India and Japan have not become more powerful than one another, despite the number of wars they have been in.

Click to expand...

Well the 40 turns went by pretty quickly. I probably spent more time cleaning up pollution (since I don't trust automated workers to do that properly) than deciding which wonders and city improvements to build.

conquer_dude said:

Love the spoiler and my guts are tingling inside waiting for those last three wonders...

Click to expand...

There really shouldn't be any suspense there. If you looked closely at the last picture of the peace treaty pop-up, India is still in the Industrial Age in 1993. So is Japan, as a matter of fact. They won't even have the technology to build any of these wonders, even if they had a great leader to rush it.

madviking said:

NUKES!!!

Click to expand...

Still 3 techs away from tactical nukes, 4 techs from ICBM's. Who knows, the game might be over by the time I actually get that far in the tech tree, and I wanted to go for synthetic fibers too. Also I still don't know if I have uranium, although judging by the terrain I have a very good chance. Quite a lot forests (well, mostly chopped by now) and mountains, especially in comparison with India and Japan.

NUKES! NUKES! NUKES!

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

I can wait til tomorow... maybe.

Japan and India are just behind then, nukes would be my weapon of choice.