The air over the slipway on the southwest side of the harbor basin smelled of sawdust, tar, and steam.
Louis stood on the temporary testing platform, his gaze resting on the newly assembled experimental vessel, Prototype No. 1.
It was the first small vessel fitted with steam-powered paddle wheels, completed in three weeks by the Red Tide Craftsmen's Guild and a shipbuilding team from the Southeast Province.
The paddle wheels on either side of the aft compartment were enormous and heavy, connected to the steam engine by gears.
"Ready to start," Mike said quietly.
The technician nodded and turned the valve. The steam engine roared, and the paddle wheels lurched into motion.
Spray burst from the stern, but a moment later, the Dawnlight shook violently and began listing to port.
"The paddle wheels are pulling left!" a sailor shouted.
"Reduce the pressure! The stern is shaking too hard!"
The paddle wheels churned the water furiously, yet the vessel moved far more slowly than expected.
Several sailors stared in disbelief. One even muttered, "It's worse than my family's old fishing boat... at least that doesn't spin in circles on its own."
Louis remained still, watching the turbulent water behind the stern.
Nearby, the old shipwright Bernard stood on the shore with a frown. "Plenty of noise, but not much speed..." he said softly.
Faint cracking sounds rose from the deck as the planks twisted.
"The lower hold is shaking!" someone shouted.
Louis finally spoke. "Shut it down."
The steam valve slowly closed. The paddle wheels lost speed until they stopped with a creak midway through their rotation, hanging in the air like a pair of heavy wooden wheels that had failed to finish their dance.
Louis surveyed the cracks in the Dawnlight. "Suspend steam propulsion. Convert the Dawnlight to a purely